VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Utilization of Pulp and Paper Mill Sludge as Filler in Nylon Biocomposite Production
Keywords: biocomposite
waste sludge

The biological treatment of pulp and paper mills effluents results in the production of waste secondary sludge which is hard and costly to dewater and dispose. Secondary sludge, which is structurally comparable to the municipal sewage sludge, is composed of microbial cells, organic woody materials, and ash. In this work, the use of this waste biosolid as renewable and cost-cutting filler in the composite industry is proposed. Moreover, the effect of enzymatic treatment of the waste biosolid on the final properties of the manufactured biocomposite is studied. The high protein content of the secondary sludge (35 ± 5%) and the surface thermodynamics measured by Inverse Gas chromatography (IGC) led us to choose Nylon 11 as the main polymeric matrix. The biocomposites samples produced by compounding and injection molding of different mixtures of dried secondary sludge and Nylon were tested. The results of mechanical strength tests showed that a 10% sludge content does not lead to any significant deterioration of either tensile or flexural strengths. Therefore, it is concluded that the secondary sludge may be used as filler to reduce the cost while maintaining the mechanical properties of Nylon. Enzymatic modification of the waste biosolid to advance its application from cheapening filler to reinforcing filler has also been proposed in this work. Lipase and laccase utilized for the modification of the sludge in order to reduce the hydrophobicity and increase the molecular weight, respectively. Lipase application did not lead to any significant changes in either tensile or flexural strengths. This is attributed to the rather low content of lipids in the sludge. On the other hand, enzymatic modification of the sludge by laccase which increases the molecular weight of the existing lignins, resulted in significant improvement of the flexural strength of the manufactured biocomposite.
Preventing Back Injury in Caregivers
Keywords: Back injury
Biomechanics of nursing
Nursing
Patient handling
Safe patient handling
Spine biomechanics
Patient lifting
Mechanical lifts
Overhead lift
Floor lift
Back pain in nurses
Back injury in nurses
Injury prevention

Caregivers injure their backs more than workers in any other industry. Efforts to reduce injuries have been on-going for decades with limited results. Mechanical lift devices have been incorporated into clinical practice over the past 30 years to reduce the risk of injury from patient lifting. Yet injury rates remain high. The use of mechanical lifts may be partly to blame. While these devices assist with lifting patients, they also introduce new activities that result in caregivers experiencing unsafe loading on the spine. We measured loads on the lower back during manoeuvres of the two most common lift types (overhead and floor) as well as during sling insertion. A new device called SlingSerterTM was evaluated for use in the clinical environment. We also investigated spine shrinkage as a measurement tool for estimating cumulative load. Caregivers worked alone and in pairs for both lift maneuvering and sling insertion activities. Overhead lift use resulted in much lower loads than floor lift use. We conclude caregivers can safely operate overhead lifts alone, while floor lift use remained unsafe even with two caregivers. Less-experienced caregivers had higher loads than more-experienced counterparts when using floor lifts. There was no corresponding effect of experience with overhead lift use and we found this to be a further benefit of overhead lifts over floor lifts. Most caregivers exceeded the safe limit for spine compression during sling insertion, though a single caregiver was at no higher risk of injury than two caregivers working together. Clinicians who tested SlingSerterTM agreed the device would be useful in clinical practice, particularly with bariatric patients and other special patient populations that are difficult to roll or turn. Finally, we investigated a novel method for estimating cumulative load based on spine shrinkage. There is growing recognition that excess cumulative load may be responsible for back injury. We found the variability in spine shrinkage was too large to estimate cumulative load directly. However, the technique may still be useful for determining the relative importance of the load from different activities to the cumulative total.
Characterization and Role of Krüppel-like Factor 2 in Models of Pulmonary Hypertension
Keywords: pulmonary hypertension
endothelium
kreuppel-like factor 2

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) results from endothelial cell (EC) damage leading to pulmonary vasoconstriction and arteriolar remodeling. Patients with PAH exhibit high pulmonary arterial pressures due to increased pulmonary vascular resistance and die of progressive right-sided heart failure. The pathogenesis of PAH is not completely understood, but involves processes which reflect abnormalities in EC function: an imbalance of vasodilators and constrictors, thrombosis, vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) hypertrophy and proliferation, and susceptibility to EC apoptosis. Therefore, it is important to investigate possible alterations in the underlying mechanisms that regulate EC structure and function. Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) is a shear-responsive transcription factor, highly expressed in the pulmonary ECs under physiological conditions, and known to maintain EC homeostasis by acting as a master switch for a quiescent profile of EC gene transcription. We hypothesized that Klf2 expression is reduced in models of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and its down-regulation contributes to PH development; conversely, Klf2 overexpression is beneficial, and may represent a novel therapeutic target. The role of KLF2 in PH was characterized in two experimental rat models: the monocrotaline model of severe and lethal PAH, and the chronic hypoxia model of reversible hypoxic PH. In vivo Klf2 expression was manipulated using jetPEI® to enhance or reduce the activity of the KLF2 pathway. Plasmids containing short hairpin Klf2 (shKLF2) or Klf2, or empty plasmids were selectively delivered to the pulmonary microvasculature, and the effect on pulmonary hemodynamics, microvascular structure and function, along with various in vitro functional and molecular assays of EC activity, were assessed. Results suggest that reduced Klf2 expression may be a critical early event in EC activation and initiation of PAH; and, its persistent downregulation may play a role in the transition to a progressive and irreversible process. Data also suggests that an early therapeutic intervention to overexpress Klf2, can prevent the development of PH in both models tested when applied before the “irreversible” microvascular remodeling is present. However, once the full PAH phenotype is established, in particular in the presence advanced arteriolar remodeling, Klf2 gene transfer was unsuccessful in reversing the disease in the MCT model.
Against the Medicalization of Humanity: A Critical Ethnography of a Community Trying to Build a World Free of Sanism and Psychiatric Oppression
Keywords: community organizing
psychology
psychiatric survivor

We have to stop inventing disorders for every human experience that challenges the status quo… I dream of a world where people can peacefully co-exist… [where] differences are accepted… [and where] I, and everybody else, has a place (Jackie, psychiatric survivor and mad person). The thesis is a critical ethnography of a political community in Toronto, Canada whose members are challenging the theories and interventions of biological psychiatry and developing approaches to understanding and responding to human experience in alternative ways that empower people who are conceived of as “mad”. Based on the emerging ideological and practical differences among participants, a model of the community was developed that includes three main constituencies: the psychiatric survivor constituency, the mad constituency, and the antipsychiatry constituency. This thesis includes descriptive accounts of the philosophical understandings, priorities, goals, actions, and strategies emerging from each of these constituencies; some tensions and conflicts that arise in the community around working across difference; the genuine attempts made by community members to build alliances, the challenges they face, and the notable progress they have made. The thesis grapples with how community members might work towards building a paradigm for solidarity work with others who share a stake in building communities that are free of sanism and psychiatric oppression. The dissertation ends with an exploration of how clinical and counselling psychologists might proceed in their work taking into consideration the experiences and perspectives shared by participants.
Acyl Phosphates: Biomimetic Reagents for Selective Acylation in Water
Keywords: biomimetic
green chemistry
peptide synthesis
acyl phosphates
lanthanides

Acyl groups in biochemical reactions are activated as acyl adenylates; such intermediates are generated by a reaction with ATP. Acyl adenylates are mixed carboxylic-phosphoric anhydrides which are potentially useful as biomimetic reagents for acylation reactions in water. These species have been reported to be unstable and have been isolated without purification. Since the adenylate portion is necessarily complex because it originates from ATP, we reasoned that using a simple alkyl group in place of adenosine might allow the biomimetic process to proceed without the difficulties reported. Our laboratory has developed routes towards such acyl phosphate alkyl monoesters and we have used them for several applications. Such materials react rapidly and selectively with amines in order to produce amides. While reactions utilizing lanthanide ions allow for the selective monoacylation of diols through bis-dentate chelates of the lanthanide. However, the efficiency of diol acylation is limited due to significant hydrolysis of the phosphate reagent and the requirement of a stoichiometric amount of the lanthanide ion. Therefore, three distinct approaches towards improving the efficiency of lanthanide promoted acylation were investigated: addition of an inert co-solvent in an attempt to reduce hydrolysis, eliminating the stoichiometric requirement of the lanthanide by addition of MgII, and the development of immobilized lanthanides as catalysts for acylation. Finally, aminoacyl phosphates are biomimetically activated amino acids and in principle should function as peptide synthesis reagents. The stability and solubility of the activated materials in water presents an opportunity to perform aqueous peptide coupling; such a process is limited by the fact that common peptide coupling agents are either insoluble or unstable in water. Therefore, we investigated the reactions of aminoacyl phosphates with amino acid esters. We find that peptides form readily in buffered solutions, establishing a basis for a general protocol for aqueous amino acid coupling and could be adapted for applications such as solid phase peptide synthesis.
Impact of Chemotherapy Dosing Schedule on Ovarian Cancer Tumor Responsiveness
Keywords: chemotherapy
ovarian cancer

In Canada, ovarian cancer kills about 67% of diagnosed patients, largely due to difficulties in early diagnosis. Current treatment consists of debulking surgery and intermittent chemotherapy every three weeks. This approach leads to insufficient drug concentrations at disease sites, and long treatment-free intervals cause accelerated tumor proliferation and drug resistance, resulting in a 5-year survival rate of only 25-35%. Drug resistance development is the ultimate cause of the majority of patient deaths. Improvements yielding more effective treatment are fundamental for successful management of this disease. This thesis investigated a continuous chemotherapy strategy devoid of treatment-free intervals for ovarian cancer treatment. A biocompatible, biodegradable polymer-lipid injectable formulation PoLigel, was used for continuous DTX delivery. The formulation was well tolerated; no alterations in body weight, behaviour, histology of peritoneal tissues, or interleukin-6 levels were seen in CD-1 mice treated with the PoLigel. Continuous DTX therapy via the PoLigel was considerably more efficacious than intermittent therapy, resulting in significantly less tumor burden and ascites fluid in models of human and murine ovarian cancer. Continuous therapy resulted in less tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis, and more tumor cell death than intermittent DTX. The presence and length of treatment-free intervals was shown to contribute to the development of drug resistance. Eliminating these intervals by continuous dosing resulted in superior antitumor efficacy in both chemosensitive and chemoresistant xenograft models of human ovarian cancer, and prevented drug resistance increase after a 21-day treatment period. Survival studies revealed that intermittent dosing led to a mild survival prolongation of 36% and 10% in chemosensitive and chemoresistant models, respectively, whereas continuous DTX prolonged survival by a striking 114% and 95%. Although long-term continuous chemotherapy substantially improved survival, increased drug resistance mechanisms were found at the endpoint. Overall, results presented here encourage the clinical implementation of continuous chemotherapy due to greater achievable therapeutic advantages.
South African Music in Transition: A Flutist's Perspective
Keywords: South Africa
South African
Art Music
Flute
Africa

In April 1994 the citizens of South Africa found themselves in the unique position of contemplating a new national culture; one that would for the first time embrace all South Africans, regardless of race, colour or religion. Official segregation, which began in 1948, ended with the first democratic election held in1994. Cross-cultural awareness in South Africa emerged in the 1980s. Within this temporal context, this investigation will trace parallel developments in the South African classical music genre and will relate these developments to the concurrent socio-political environment. Looking specifically at music written for the flute, the selected works were composed for the flute as a solo instrument, or in combination with up to four other instruments by a cross-section of South African composers who either live in South Africa or who have South African roots. The works included in this study were composed roughly ten years before and after 1994; the purpose being to document the changes that were taking place in South African Art Music leading up to the first democratic election and during the exciting times that followed. The main component of this research is the analysis of the works of nine South African composers, examining cross-cultural content in the musical form: Michael Blake (Honey-Gathering Song, Leaf Carrying Song), Robert Fokkens (Inyoka Etshanini, Cycling to Langa), Hendrik Hofmeyr (Marimba), Hans Huyssen (The Cattle have gone Astray), Bongani Ndodana-Breen (Visions I and II), Isak Roux (Sketches, Four African Scenes), Martin Scherzinger (Whistle of the Circle Movement), Becky Steltzner (Hambani Kakuhle Kwela) and Kevin Volans (Walking Song). Biographical information and compositional philosophies are also included for each composer. In addition, publisher and recording details are provided where they exist. The works contained in this document are organized by cross-cultural borrowing technique: overt cross-cultural borrowing, borrowing guided by African music-making principles, African paraphrasing, and inspirational landscape painting. A brief history of Art Music in South Africa is provided, as is an overview of African musics and instruments. The analysis of each work considers African musical influences and their incorporation, while performance suggestions will also elucidate unique African aspects of the music.
The Evolution of the Stress Axis in Ground Squirrels
Keywords: physiological ecology
comparative endocrinology

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, or stress axis, is a key physiological system that mediates the relationship of the organism with its environment. Because activation of the HPA axis mobilizes energy stores for immediate use, but sustained activation can have deleterious effects on survival, the HPA axis has been implicated in the tradeoff between reproduction and survival. In this thesis, I investigate whether there is an association between one life history trait, reproductive lifespan, and the functioning of the HPA axis as predicted by the “adaptive stress hypothesis”. The adaptive stress hypothesis predicts that species adopting life history strategies characterized by short lifespans and early reproduction should maximize the energy available for reproduction through high levels of circulating glucocorticoids caused by the dysregulation of the HPA axis in the breeding season, whereas those characterized by long lifespans and extended reproduction should maintain a functioning HPA axis with low levels of glucocorticoids throughout life. To test this hypothesis, I studied five species of ground squirrels that vary dramatically in male reproductive lifespan: arctic, Richardson’s, Columbian, thirteen-lined, and Franklin’s ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii, U. richardsonii, U. columbianus, Ictidomys tridecemlineatus, and Poliocitellus franklinii). I used a stress profile to characterize the HPA axis of male ground squirrels immediately before and immediately after the breeding season. The stress profile included measures of plasma glucocorticoid concentrations, determinants of plasma glucocorticoid concentrations (corticosteroid binding globulin levels, adrenal sensitivity/capacity, negative feedback, and intrinsic restraint), and markers of the biological effects of glucocorticoids (energy mobilization, health, and immune function). Contrary to the adaptive stress hypothesis, I found no relationship between reproductive lifespan and postbreeding glucocorticoid levels. Species also varied significantly and unexpectedly in how determinants of glucocorticoid levels changed over the breeding season, and in how glucocorticoids levels translated into biological effects. I also observed unexpected patterns of individual variation within species. Thus, life history alone did not predict HPA axis functioning. My results suggest that the HPA axis is so flexible in its functioning, that we will need to adopt a much more detailed model of the HPA axis in order to fully understand the relationship between the HPA axis and life history variation.
Using Community Authored Content to Identify Place-specific Activities
Keywords: context
activity
location-aware
community authored content

Understanding the context of a person’s interaction with a place is important to enabling ubiquitous computing applications. The ability for mobile computing to provide information and services that are relevant to a user’s current location—which is central to the vision of ubiquitous computing—requires that the technologies be able to characterize the activities that a person may potentially perform in place, whatever this place may be. To support the user as she goes about her day, this ability to characterize the potential activities for a place must support work on a city scale. In this dissertation, we present a method to process place-specific community-authored content (e.g., Yelp.com reviews) to identify a set of the potential activities (articulated as verb-noun pairs) that a person can perform at a specific place and apply this method for places on a city scale. We validate the method by processing the place-specific reviews authored by community members of Yelp.com and show that the majority of the 40 most common verb-noun pairs are true activities that can be performed at the respective place; achieving an average mean precision of up to 79.3% and recall of up to 55.9%. We applied this method by developing a Web-service (the Activity Service) that automatically processes all the places reviewed for a city and provides structured access to the activity data that can be identified for the respective places. To validate that the place and activity data is useful and useable, we developed and evaluated two applications that are supported by the Activity Service: Opportunities Exist and Vocabulary Wallpaper. In addition to these applications, we conducted a design contest to identify other types of applications that can be supported by the Activity Service. Finally, we discuss limitations of the activity data and the Activity Service, and highlight future considerations.
Représentations de la femme dans les récits orientalisants français du dix-huitième siècle
Keywords: 18th Century French Fiction
Oriental Women
Narratology

La présente thèse explore les représentations de la femme dans des récits orientalisants de sept auteurs français du XVIIIème siècle, classés par ordre alphabétique : Caylus, Crébillon, Diderot, Mme de Genlis, Hamilton, Montesquieu et Voltaire. Les chapitres analysent cinq types de femmes regroupées selon leur rôle narratif. Dans le chapitre premier, j’étudie les figures féminines orientales dans Zadig et La princesse de Babylone de Voltaire. J’y tiens compte de la façon dont la voix narrative perçoit les femmes dans ces récits et quelle place elle leur attribue dans la narration. Dans le chapitre deux, je me penche sur la représentation des Orientales voilées dans « Aphéridon et Astarté », un récit inséré dans Lettres persanes de Montesquieu, et dans Nourmahal de Mme de Genlis. Je considère la femme voilée comme un personnage Autre, je relève ses caractéristiques principales, j’examine son rôle narratif, et j’identifie la valeur significative de son voile. Dans le chapitre trois, je tiens compte des personnages féminins orientaux dans Fleur d’épine de Hamilton et « Ibrahim et Anaïs », un autre récit enchâssé dans les Lettres persanes. Je m’interroge sur le rôle de la femme qui est représentée dans une situation inverse, je considère la place qui lui est attribuée dans le texte et son influence sur les autres personnages du récit. Dans le chapitre quatre, j’analyse les femmes interlocutrices dans Le Sopha de Crébillon et Les Bijoux indiscrets de Diderot. J’étudie la voix féminine dans ces récits et ses interventions dans la narration. J’examine ensuite l’effet de cet engagement sur le fond et la forme du récit. Dans le cinquième et dernier chapitre, j’étudie les femmes dans les Contes orientaux de Caylus. J’explore les différentes fonctions qu’elles remplissent ; je distingue alors entre les narratrices et les femmes objets du discours. Je m’intéresse particulièrement à montrer comment les personnages féminins qui se chargent de la narration utilisent le récit pour influencer le narrataire.