VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout on Mental Health Professionals' Intimate Relationships
Keywords: Burnout
Mental Health Professionals
Secondary Traumatic Stress
Self-Care

Previous research has demonstrated that experiences at work carry over into and affect family life. It has been suggested that the unique nature of the mental health profession holds a particular susceptibility to work-related spillover. Nonetheless, very limited empirical research exists regarding the impact of work stressors in this domain on the interpersonal relationships of those serving it. The study hypothesized that mental heath professionals with higher levels of burnout and secondary traumatic stress would also report disturbances in their personal relationships. Self-care activities and social support were explored as related variables. Results demonstrated significant correlations such that higher levels of burnout and secondary traumatic stress were associated with more destructive relationship conflict behaviours, and lower levels of relationship satisfaction, social intimacy, and perceived social support. Engagement in self-care activities was inversely related to burnout and secondary traumatic stress, and positively associated with social and intimate relationship functioning.
Intersections of Cultural Identity in Aboriginal Youth and Employment Outcomes
Keywords: Aboriginal youth
Cultural identity
Employment
work identity

AbstractMany Aboriginal youth leave their communities to pursue work opportunities in urban areas, but statistics imply there is a pervasive problem Aboriginal youth are facing in terms of securing employment, despite programs and policies which have been designed to increase Aboriginal youth employment rates (Dwyer, 2003; White Maxim, Gyimah, 2003). Previous research examining Aboriginal youth employment has neglected to include the perspectives of Aboriginal youth regarding the barriers they face when seeking employment. Even less research has been dedicated to exploring the role cultural identity plays in an Aboriginal youth's employment experiences. This thesis utilized qualitative methodology to interview and explore the employment narratives of ten urban Aboriginal youth. The results identified four major themes and several meta-themes regarding barriers to successful employment, the role of cultural identity and the hopes for future.
Targeted Dynamic Analysis for Android Malware
Keywords: android
constraint solving
dynamic analysis
malware
program analysis
static analysis

The identification and analysis of Android malware involves either static or dynamic program analysis of the malware binary. While static analysis has good code coverage, it is not as precise due to the lack of run-time information. In contrast, because Android malware is often bundled with applications that have legitimate functionality, dynamic analysis can take a long time to find and analyze the small amount of code implementing the malicious functionality. We propose IntelliDroid, a tool that combines the advantages of both static and dynamic analyses to efficiently analyze suspicious behavior in Android applications. A lightweight static phase identifies possible malicious behavior and gathers information to generate inputs that can dynamically exercise that behavior. IntelliDroid overcomes several key challenges of analyzing Android malware and when evaluated on 30 instances of malicious behavior, IntelliDroid successfully identifies the behavior, extracts path constraints, and executes the malicious code in all but one case.
The Cinema of Leakage: Student Movements in Japan, Subjectivity and the Thinking Cinema of Oshima Nagisa
Keywords: Cinema
Deleuze
Japanese
New Wave
Oshima Nagisa
Post-structuralist

Japanese cinemas that were produced under the umbrella term of New Wave marked a new regime of images that resonated with the political frustration of the student activists of the 1950s and 1960s. This thesis is a detailed exploration of the relationships between the cinematic form and narrative, and political representations of this time frame, and an appeal to the thinking power of cinema to look at the historical problematics of political and media representations of the Japanese student movements.
The Effects of Bisphosphonates on the Development of Glucocorticoid-induced Osteoporosis in a Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Keywords: bisphosphonates
bone biology
glucocorticoids
growth
mouse model
muscular dystrophy

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a disease of progressive muscle inflammation and weakness. Glucocorticoids delay muscle damage but lead to loss of bone mineral and increased bone fragility. In this study, C57BL10ScSn-Mdx mice (Mdx), a commonly used animal model for DMD, received continuous glucocorticoid or placebo treatment from 5 to 13 weeks of age. Pamidronate, a bisphosphonate, was given for the first two weeks of glucocorticoid therapy in some mice to ameliorate glucocorticoid-induced bone loss. Mice treated with glucocorticoids lost cortical bone while those treated with both glucocorticoids and bisphosphonates showed improved cortical bone. Trabecular bone mass was not lost with glucocorticoid treatment, and was remarkably increased in the glucocorticoids and bisphosphonate treated Mdx mice. Muscle function was improved by glucocorticoid treatment with or without pamidronate. Thus, early bisphosphonate treatment was demonstrated to ameliorate glucocorticoid-induced cortical bone loss without any negative effects on dystrophic muscles in growing Mdx mice.
Regulation of BTRC by Gain-of-function TP53 Mutation(s) in Cancer Cells
Keywords: AKT
BTRC
Cancer
Metabolism
Mir-195
P53

Mutation or loss of TP53 has been detected in more than 50% of all human tumours. Gain-of-function (GOF) TP53 mutations have been linked to metastasis, altered metabolism, and drug resistance. Cancer patients carrying GOF TP53 mutations in their tumours respond poorly to standard of care treatments and have a worse prognosis. In my Master's thesis, I have focused on understanding the relationship between a frequently observed mutation of TP53 (TP53R248W), and BTRC, an E3 ubiquitin ligase with functions impinging on cell cycle, morphology and metabolism. I observed a correlation between BTRC protein expression and TP53 genotype across a panel cancer cell lines. Additionally, I observed that TP53R248W-mediated regulation of BTRC expression is dependent on a post-transcriptional mechanism, likely involving more than one micro-RNA. In conclusion, I present a model describing the regulation of BTRC by TP53, which may have implications for targeted strategies in cancers harboring GOF TP53 mutations.
Design of Huygens' Metasurfaces for Refraction and Focusing
Keywords: Huygens' source
Metasurface
Transmission line
transmitarray

The systematic design of unit cells for Huygens' metasurfaces is presented here. The Huygens' metasurface implements collocated electromagnetic boundary conditions enforcing the electric and magnetic surface currents of the equivalence principle. This provides the flexibility necessary for efficient interfacial beamforming applications. Furthermore, the boundary condition nature permits achieving this in an electromagnetically thin profile. This concept and its design procedure are verified through application to refraction and Gaussian-beam to Gaussian-beam focusing. The Huygens' metasurfaces presented herein are printed on two bonded boards instead of many stacked, interspaced layers, and can be manufactured using standard PCB fabrication techniques. This simplifies the fabrication, and allows the design to be scaled to higher frequencies. These two bonded boards implement a single, collocated, sub-wavelength array of electric and magnetic dipoles. Furthermore, in contrast to traditional frequency-selective surfaces and transmitarrays, which are on the order of a wavelength thick, these designs are only a tenth of a wavelength thick.
The Effects of Folic Acid Supplementation on Natural Killer Cell Activity in an Animal Model
Keywords: Folic acid
Natural killer cells

An emerging body of evidence has linked high intake of folic acid, common in the Canadian population due to mandatory folic acid fortification and prevalent supplement use, to certain adverse health effects. High intake and blood levels of folic acid were associated with reduced natural killer cell cytotoxicity in a pilot study of post-menopausal women that has not yet been confirmed. As such, we investigated the effects of folic acid supplementation on natural killer cell activity in a mouse model. Folic acid supplementation, plasma folate, and plasma unmetabolized folic acid were associated with reduced NK cell degranulation in response to stimulation with malignant cells. Our data corroborate the previously observed inverse association between folic acid and natural killer cell cytotoxicity and suggests that reduced natural killer cell mediated tumour immunosurveillance may be an additional mechanism behind the purported tumour promoting effect of folic acid supplementation.
An Open Source Inertial Sensor Network with Bluetooth Smart
Keywords: BLE
inertial sensors
personal navigation system
sensor network

In this thesis, an open source inertial sensor network with Bluetooth Smart connection is presented. The network has multiple sensor nodes connecting to a consumer electronic device with Bluetooth Smart. Each sensor node contains the following components: (a) an inertial sensor measuring acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field with good accuracy; (b) a microcontroller with capacity to handle real-time floating number calculations; (c) a Bluetooth Smart module broadcasting the data with low power consumption. The sensor nodes are designed to be small, allowing the users to wear them conveniently. For demonstration, a basic Personal Navigation System is developed using 4 of these sensor nodes and an Android smartphone. The experiments show that the sensor nodes could output accurate results with small noises when at rest or in slow motion. The example Personal Navigation System could measure total distance walked by a pedestrian with less than 10% error.
First Principles Investigation of Nanomaterials for Hydrogen Generation and Hydrogen Storage
Keywords: atomistic modelling
density functional theory
hydrogen storage
molybdenum disulfide
water dissociation

Ab initio computational modelling was used to examine nanoscale materials for renewable energy applications. Hydrogen production from water splitting was investigated on three edges of two-dimensional monolayer molybdenum disulfide by studying active sites, reaction pathways, activation energies and rates of reaction. The Mo-edge termination was found to adsorb and spontaneously dissociate water at room temperature conditions. Hydrogen storage through adsorption was studied on metal decorated graphene, defective graphene and metal decorated non-graphene 2-D carbon allotropes. Nickel was found to produce the best hydrogen gravimetric density for metal decorated graphene at 6.12 wt.%, lower than previous studies which neglected van der Waals forces. Defect engineered graphene produced a maximum gravimetric density of 7.02 wt.% while the lithium decorated 2-D carbon allotropes produced a best of 7.12 wt.%.
Context Awareness via a Smartphone Based Active RFID Proximity Detection System
Keywords: context-awareness
mobile
proximity
RFID
RSSI

This thesis explores the possibility of using Active RFID technology and smartphones to build a mobile context-aware system. The development of the system is motivated by the problems such as the information overload and the constant interruptions faced by medical workers today. As a proof-of-concept prototype, the novelty of the system is that 1) contextual information extraction is done through proximity detection 2) proximity detection is achieved using an Active RFID system instead of an Indoor Positioning System 3) the use of smartphones makes it possible to extract richer contextual information including orientation data. A detailed description of the system is presented and a number of tests are carried out to explore the properties of the systems and to determine appropriate technological thresholds and settings. The results from the test suggests that the system is capable for distinguish objects and/or people within one meter from a user from the rest. The system can also detect if the objects and/or the people are faced by the user or not. The usefulness of the proposed mobile context-aware system is demonstrated with respect to two mobile applications designed for medical workers. Design recommendations and system limitations are also presented, and the thesis concludes with suggestions for future research.
PRIMA-1met Induces Apoptosis in Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia Independent of p53, Alone and in Combination with Bortezomib
Keywords: p53
p73
PRIMA-1met
Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia

PRIMA-1met has shown promising preclinical activity in various cancer types. However, its effect on Waldenstrรถm's Macroglobulinemia (WM) as well as its exact mechanism of action is still elusive. In this study, we evaluated the anti- tumor activity of PRIMA-1met alone and in combination with dexamethasone or bortezomib in WM cell line and primary samples. Treatment of WM cells with PRIMA-1met resulted in induction of apoptosis, inhibition of migration and colony formation. Upon PRIMA-1met treatment, p73 was upregulated and Bcl-xL was downregulated while no significant change in expression of p53 was observed. Furthermore, siRNA knockdown of p53 in WM cell line did not influence the PRIMA-1met-induced apoptotic response whereas silencing of p73 inhibited latter response in WM cells. Importantly, combined treatment with PRIMA-1met and dexamethasone or bortezomib induced synergistic reduction in cell survival in WM cells. Our study demonstrates the anti-tumor activity of PRIMA-1met in WM and provides the rationale for its clinical evaluation in patients with WM.
Novel Halogenated and Organophosphate Flame Retardants: Do Novel Flame Retardants have the Same Environmental Fate as the Compounds they are Replacing?
Keywords: Environmental Modelling
Environmental Persistence
Long-Range Transport Potential
Novel Flame Retardants
Persistent Organic Pollutants
Physical-Chemical Properties

In the wake of the listing by the Stockholm Convention of PBDEs, an increasing number of novel flame retardants (NFRs) are being used in products. It is well documented that the properties which make for desirable FRs can also lead to negative health effects, long environmental residency times and an affinity for organic matrices. Though currently in use, there is very little information regarding the physical-chemical (p-c) properties and environmental fate of the NFRs. This Master's project evaluated the suitability of 86 halogenated and organophosphate NFRs as PBDE replacements given their persistence and long-range transport potential. To do this, measured and modelled p-c properties were compiled and used to model the NFRs' environmental behaviour. It was found that 79-84% of the NFRs have a persistence of high to medium level of concern and that over 1/3 of the NFRs have a persistence similar to the PBDEs they are replacing.
Pre-injury Variables and Risk of Sport Concussion
Keywords: cognitive functioning
history of concussion
pre-injury
risk factor
sex
sport concussion

A retrospective study explored the predictive ability of pre-injury cognitive functioning (CF), history of concussion (HOC), and sex in a sample (n=708, 41.2% female) of University of Toronto varsity athletes. A series of logistic regressions were conducted. HOC was a significant predictor in both sexes. For every previous concussion, the risk of sustaining another sport concussion increased by 1.5 (CI: 1.1, 2.1 [females]; 1.2, 1.9 [males]). Males with HOC had three times the odds of sustaining another concussion than those without a HOC (CI: 1.7, 5.6). For females, these odds were two times higher (CI: 1.1, 4.0). CF (as measured by the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics), and sex were not meaningful predictors of risk of concussion. The results support previous findings on HOC and sex as predictors of sport concussion, provide novel findings on the predictive ability of CF, and may be useful in informing concussion prevention and management practices.
Elucidating Vacuolar H+-ATPase Subunit Interactions: A Systematic Structural Analysis
Keywords: Anti-resorptives
Osteoclasts
Subunit Interactions
V-ATPase

Osteoclasts resorb bone by expressing proton-pumping vacuolar type H+-ATPases (V-ATPases) on their cell surfaces. V-ATPases are composed of two domains (V1 and V0) containing many subunits, with some subunit isoforms being tissue/cell specific. a3, d2, and B2 isoforms are osteoclast enriched. Though the overall organization of the V-ATPase is understood, exact subunit interactions remain largely unknown. We hypothesize that delineating sites of the a3-B2 and a3-d2 interactions will identify novel targets for development of anti-osteolytics. We propose to narrow down the interaction regions to allow for future in silica drug discovery schemes. Truncated B2 and d2 fragments used in ELISA binding assays with purified NT-a3 suggest two interaction regions in B2 exist, reinforcing that, structurally, NT-a3 may be composed of two processes. The interactions of NT-a3 with B2 and d2 may be in a fluid flux where one interaction may occur during assembly, and another to stabilize the structure.
Design of DC-link Capacitor of High Power Switch Module of an Aircraft Power & Thermal Management Controller
Keywords: ANSYS
Fatigue Life
FEM
Pro/Engineer
PTMC
Thermal Stress

DC -Link Capacitor used in power converters as an energy buffer is one of the key components of aircraft Power and Thermal Management Controller (PTMC). Several factors in order to reduce the cost of the PTMC have been identified including the integration of the DC-link capacitors, DC bus bars and Snubber caps. The key factor of this redesigned DC-link capacitor is to justify its structural functionality subjected to random vibration and temperature loadings. Finite Element Method (FEM) using ANSYS is used to predict the life cycle of the structure (redesign DC link capacitor integrated with DC bus bar and Snubber caps) subjected to random loading. The impact of temperature loading and the resulting deflection and stresses induced in various parts of the structure are also investigated. Finally the new design is verified by fatigue life and thermal stress analyses and the reduction of cost is evaluated in terms of the weight and cost saving factors.
Characterizing the Role of Podocalyxin in Breast Carcinoma
Keywords: 3D culture
acini
Breast Cancer
Lymphatic Invasion
Podocalyxin
TGF-β

Lymphatic invasion (LVI), the presence of tumour emboli within the peritumoural lymphatics of the breast, is an independent prognostic marker for axillary node negative breast cancer. Podocalyxin (PODXL) was the most differentially expressed protein between LVI+ and LVI- tumours in our cohort. Paradoxically, PODXL correlated with increased long term disease free survival as well as poor prognosis characteristics such as large tumour size. This thesis studied the effect of PODXL overexpression using in vitro techniques. In EpH4 three dimensional cultures, PODXL conferred resistance to TGF-β induced acinar collapse. Immunofluorescent staining of PODXL and cell polarity marker Scribble indicated loss of cell polarity in collapsed acini. Immunofluorescent staining of EMT markers showed that a classical EMT response is not the cause of the acinar collapse observed. This acinar architecture maintenance function of PODXL may be a potential component by which PODXL overexpression may be protective as is suggested by our cohort.
Sources of Particulate Matter Emissions Variability from a Gasoline Direct Injection Engine
Keywords: Emissions
Ethanol
Gasoline Direct Injection
GDI
Particulate Matter
SIDI

Ultrafine particulate matter (PM) emissions from gasoline direct injection engines are a concern due to their associated health effects. This experimental study investigated sources of PM emissions variability observed in previous work, along with the effect of ethanol content in gasoline on PM emissions. Engine operating parameters and test conditions were studied and controlled, but could not account for the level of variability observed. FTIR measurements of gas phase hydrocarbon emissions provided evidence that fuel composition changes were responsible for this variability. Exhaust emissions of toluene and isobutylene were interpreted as markers of gasoline aromatic content and gasoline volatility, respectively. Tests with gasoline containing added toluene (10%) supported this hypothesis and showed that the PM emissions variability can be attributed to changes in the composition of the pump gasoline. Tests with gasoline containing added ethanol (10% and 30%) increased PM emissions at steady-state operation and decreased emissions during engine start-up.
Effect of Superhydrophobic Titanium Surface on Initial Salivary Pellicle Acquisition and Oral Biofilm Formation
Keywords: Dental abutment
Dental implants
Oral biofilm
Salivary pellicle
Superhydrophobic

Colonization by oral microorganisms on dental abutment surfaces can result in inflammatory reactions such as peri-implantitis creating patient discomfort that may ultimately jeopardize the long-term prognosis of the dental implant. Previous studies have shown that superhydrophobic surfaces reduced bacterial colonization and subsequent biofilm formation. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of superhydrophobic modified titanium (SH-Ti) surface on salivary pellicle acquisition and development of a multi-species oral biofilm. Our results showed that SH-Ti substrates significantly reduced the volume of salivary pellicle. Surprisingly, superhydrophobicity did not prevent biofilm formation. In fact, live cells were observed in higher numbers in 72-h-old biofilm on SH-Ti substrates in comparison with non-treated titanium surfaces. In contrast, dead cells were found in lower numbers on SH-Ti vs. non-treated surfaces under the same growth conditions. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that SH-Ti surfaces increased bacterial colonization preferentially in the micro-topographical crevices. In conclusion, our results indicate that modification of surface wettability may affect the biological response at the implant to bone or implant to soft tissue interface.
The In Silico Search for a Novel Lithium Receptor
Keywords: Bipolar disorder
In silico
Lithium
Protein modelling

This thesis aimed to showcase the in silico search for a novel lithium receptor. Lithium, a frequently prescribed mood stabilizer, has an unknown therapeutic mechanism. Using molecular mechanics and dynamics, it was first argued that serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) function as receptors for lithium. Numerous studies revealed that Li+ favorably bind these molecules, inducing changes in their conformation. Later, homology modeling, in silico docking and further molecular mechanics experiments revealed lithium's ability to influence the receptor interaction profiles of 5-HT and 5-HIAA at 5-HT1A R and 5-HT2B R. These interactions were electrostatically robust, but came at a cost to van der Waals potential. Experimental studies of these systems, including x-ray crystallography and in vitro 5-HT receptor assay did not prove fruitful. Hyperactivation of the serotonergic receptors provides a mechanism of action for lithium. Overall, these results offer novel insight into the therapeutic profile of this important mood stabilizer.