VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Effect of Pegylated Interferon Add-On Therapy to Achieve Disease Remission in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B
Keywords: Therapy
Viral hepatitis

Despite effective vaccination, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) poses a substantial hazard to public health with limited options for finite treatment. A pooled analysis was performed to investigate whether 24-48 weeks of peg-interferon (PEG-IFN) addition could increase response 48 weeks after end-of-therapy compared to continued nucleos(t)ide analogue (NUC)-monotherapy in 234 patients from two investigator-initiated trials. PEG-IFN addition hypothetically increases off-treatment response, particularly after prolonged NUC pre-treatment due to partial immune restoration. Response was observed in 38/118 (33%) patients assigned PEG-IFN addition and 23/116 (20%) assigned NUC-monotherapy (p=0.03). The duration of NUC-monotherapy was associated with HBsAg and HBV DNA, but not directly with response. Re-treating initial non-responders with PEG-IFN add-on did not improve response. PEG-IFN naïve patients with low HBsAg and HBV-DNA levels at randomization achieved the highest response to addition therapy compared with NUC-monotherapy (70% vs. 34%; p=0.01), identifying these as the best candidates for PEG-IFN add-on therapy in clinical practice.
Milk volume, milk fat and childhood fracture
Keywords: Cows' Milk
Fracture
Nutriton
Pediatrics
Prospective Studies

Background: Although cows' milk is believed to be an important dietary component for supporting bone health, limited research has addressed whether cows' milk consumption in childhood can reduce bone fracture risk. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of healthy urban children aged 1-10 years. Modified Poisson regression was used to test the association between milk volume and milk fat consumed between 1 and 3 years of age and risk of fracture between 3 and 10 years of age. Results: Among the 2466 children, 153 sustained at least one bone fracture. Participants drank on average 1.9 cups of cows' milk daily (2.5% average milk fat). Neither milk volume or milk fat consumed in early childhood were associated with fracture risk in later childhood. Conclusion: Cows' milk consumption in early childhood was not protective against fracture in later childhood. These findings do not support increasing cows' milk consumption for fracture prevention.
The Effects of Faba Bean-Containing Pasta on Glycaemia, Satiety and Metabolic Control in Healthy Young Adult Males
Keywords: appetite regulation
faba bean
glycaemic control
metabolic control
pasta

The hypothesis that addition of faba bean (FB) flours and fractions into pasta reduces postprandial glycaemia and increases satiety has been tested in young adult males. Experiment 1 investigated the effects in young adult males. They consumed a serving of pasta made from (1) durum wheat semolina or substituted with 25% of flour from faba bean (2) split flour, (3) high starch fraction, (4) protein concentrate, or (5) protein isolate. Measurements included postprandial blood glucose, insulin, C-peptide, GLP-1 and PYY, and appetite and second meal food intake. Experiments 2A and 2B measured second-meal effects after an ad libitum or fixed size meal (12 kcal/kg). Addition of high protein faba bean flours reduced postprandial glycaemia, and second meal appetite, and increased PYY and C-peptide but did not affect insulin or GLP-1. Consumption of pastas with added faba bean protein can have value-added nutritional benefits compared to conventional pasta.
Collective Cell Migration: Linking Interactions Between Local and Global Length Scales
Keywords: Collective
Migration

Collective cell migration is important for development, tissue homeostasis, and invasion, but the underlying dynamics are still elusive. The objective of this work was to provide new insights by combining information from the local length scale (cell-cell interactions during rearrangement) with the global length scale (net dynamics of cellular streams). To analyze the local scale interactions, a Matlab GUI was developed to make the processing of movie frames possible, and additional scripts were created to convert cell pixel edges into vectorized edges, track the neighbouring cells over time. At the global scale, a hierarchal clustering method was adapted to determine if streaming cells were more likely to be paired, based on their movement signatures. We identified that cellular rearrangement is likely the rate limiting step affecting the collaborative behaviours of the cells and that cells in vitro exchange neighbours in a similar manner to that observed in vivo.
Designing for Disorder: The Mechanical Behaviour of Bioinspired, Stochastic Honeycomb Materials
Keywords: 3D printing
honeycomb
irregular
sandwich
stochastic
structural biology

In nature, structure, material and function are constantly evolving in tandem. This work employs polymer 3D printing to study new honeycomb materials inspired by disordered, hierarchical architectures in biomineralized organisms. The primary aim is to elucidate mechanical effects of structural order vs. disorder in natural cellular solids. New honeycomb materials are proposed with improved damage tolerance. A mathematical “regularity parameter” controls cell stochasticity. Uniaxial tension, compression and fracture experiments reveal significant crack path deviations and strain delocalization. These lead to enhancements in e.g. ductility and fracture toughness between 30-90% beyond periodic geometries. Optimal cell irregularities are suggested, revealing a relationship between damage tolerance and cell size. Conserving spatial density, hexagonal honeycombs composed of hierarchical micro-truss ligaments are also presented. Depending on design objective, 100% increase in compressive strength and three-fold energy absorption limits were achieved. These results comprise novel design spaces, where disorder and hierarchy are embraced as design variables.
An Investigation of Near-Field Optical Scattering by Boron Nitride Nanotubes
Keywords: Boron Nitride Nanotubes
Chirality
Near-field microscopy
Optical scattering signals
Pump-probe spectroscopy
s-SNOM

A novel infrared (IR) pump-probe continuous wavelength (CW) technique based on scattering type near-field optical microscopy developed by the Walker group has demonstrated evidence of coupling between phonon modes and phonon polariton modes in boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). The first experiment presented in this thesis aims to replicate and extend the results obtained. This paved the way to the creation of an experiment to observe handed light scattering signals seen in the BNNTs arising from the difference in scattering by phonons of the IR laser field, oscillating between two different circularly polarized states. The second aim of this thesis is to present an introduction to an investigation of chirality in BNNTs with near-field optical scattering experiments with the ‘homemade’ scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM).
Tools for Exploring Non-Synonymous Variation in Arabidopsis thaliana
Keywords: abscisic acid
arabidopsis
missense variant
online application
plants
synthetic biology

High throughput sequencing has opened the doors for investigators to probe genetic variation present in large populations of organisms. In plants, the 1001 Genomes Project (1001genomes.org) is one such effort that sought to characterize the extant worldwide variation in Arabidopsis thaliana for future analyses to compare and draw upon. In my thesis I began the construction of a synthetic yeast pathway to test the effects of natural non-synonymous variants on the activation of the A. thaliana abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway in the hopes of characterizing variants that modulate pathway output. I constructed a series of expression cassettes to confirm the correct expression and localization of our ABA members and laid the groundwork for future members to continue constructing the pathway. Additionally, I created a web application called The Variant Viewer, for investigators to query the 1001 Genomes database and view variants in any A. thaliana gene.
‘Sanctuary Toronto’: Municipal Authority, Policing Cities, and Residents with Precarious Immigration Status
Keywords: access without fear
immigration status
municipal authority
policing
sanctuary city
undocumented

On February 21, 2013, the City of Toronto became Canada’s first ‘sanctuary city.’ However, the City cannot claim to be a sanctuary city if the Toronto Police Service participates in immigration enforcement. This thesis examines the City’s jurisdiction and authority over the Police Service, and conversely, the legality of the Police Service’s practices of enforcing immigration status. Throughout this thesis, I point to an enduring tension between the City and the Police Service over their respective interpretations of jurisdiction and authority vis-à-vis non-status individuals. Drawing on academic literature, archival, policy, and legal materials, this thesis concludes that while the City’s jurisdiction and authority over the Police Service is limited, the Police Service’s legal arguments against sanctuary are inaccurate, and are thus insufficient reasons for refusing to comply with the City’s sanctuary policy.
Auto(decolonizing)ethnography of My Academic Selves and Practices
Keywords: autoethnography
Ch’ixi
decolonizing
EFL teacher educator
Fanon
haunting

This decolonizing autoethnography hinges on Sandoval’s (2000) analysis of the metaphor of the mask by Franz Fanon (1967), to explain the different ways in which I understand and conceptualize my EFL teacher educator identity, both before coming to the University of Toronto (from 2011 to 2014) and during the coursework in the Language and Literacies Education program (from 2015 to 2016). Drawing from decolonizing and Indigenous epistemologies, an autoethnographic tapestry is woven to account for such transformations. Esta autoetnografía descolonizadora se basa en el análisis de Sandoval (2000) de la metáfora de la máscara por Franz Fanon (1967), para explicar las diferentes formas en que entiendo y conceptualizo mi identidad de formador de licenciados en inglés como lengua extranjera, antes de llegar a la Universidad de Toronto (desde 2011 a 2014) y durante los cursos tomados en el programa de Educación en Lenguaje y Literacidades (desde 2015 hasta 2016). Partiendo de epistemologías descolonizadoras e indígenas, se crea un tejido autoetnográfico para explicar tales transformaciones.
Investigating the reliability and clinical utility of minimally-invasive portable electroretinography and optical coherence tomography techniques in children undergoing vigabatrin therapy
Keywords: Clinical feasibility
Handheld ERG
Handheld OCT
Reliability
Vigabatrin
Vigabatrin-associated visual toxicity

The antiepileptic drug for Infantile Spasms – vigabatrin, has been associated with retinal toxicity in over one third of children treated. Young and non-verbal children cannot cooperate with conventional adult-oriented monitoring devices, therefore a safe and reliable technique to monitor for vigabatrin retinal toxicity is missing. This study evaluated the tolerability, reliability and clinical feasibility of two alternative, handheld systems for assessment of retinal function: the RETeval ERG and Envisu OCT. We found that non-sedated children showed poor tolerability on the RETeval ERG. Under sedation the same children showed high tolerability on the handheld OCT. Responses from both techniques demonstrated good reliability, however the assessments of longitudinal changes and clinical feasibility were limited by the small sample size. We suggest that the RETeval device is used in situations where sedation for clinical ERG is not possible, and the Envisu OCT is used alongside the clinical ERG to monitor for vigabatrin retinal toxicity prospectively.
Microstructural Characterization of Copper Coatings on Nuclear Waste Containers for the Long-Term Disposal of Canada’s Used Nuclear Fuel
Keywords: Cold Spray
Electrodeposition
Electron Backscattered Diffraction
Materials Characterization
Nuclear Waste Management
Pure Copper

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization has proposed a deep geological repository solution for the long-term disposal of Canada’s nuclear waste fuel. A critical part of this solution is the used fuel container which houses the waste fuel. This container is made of steel and is coated with copper via the electrodeposition and cold spray processes to provide corrosion resistance. Microstructural characterization was conducted on the electrodeposited and cold sprayed copper coatings of the UFC, as well as wrought copper reference material through electron backscattered diffraction, focused ion beam microscopy, and SEM imaging. Electrodeposited copper is expected to have the optimal corrosion resistance based on the structure-property relationships for corrosion of pure copper. This is primarily due to its smaller grain size and higher frequency of special grain boundaries.
Global or Body-Related Self-Conscious Emotions: What Matters Most for Mental Health?
Keywords: Guilt
Mental health
Physical self
Pride
Shame

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative relationships between global and body-related self-conscious emotions and indicators of mental health. Adult men and women (N = 520; Mage = 35.4, SD = 10.1; 42% female) completed an online questionnaire to assess global and body-related shame, guilt and authentic pride, and multiple indices of mental health. Body-related shame and guilt were stronger predictors of the mental health indicators of psychological distress, depression, anxiety, eating pathology, self-esteem and the mental component of role functioning (β = -.51-.63, p
The Effect of Stressful Life Events and Schizophrenia Polygenic Risk on Suicide in Schizophrenia
Keywords: polygenic risk
Schizophrenia
Stressful life event
Suicide

Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts are prevalent in individuals with schizophrenia. Recent stressful life events are associated with suicidal ideation, and early-life stressful events and polygenic risk score for schizophrenia are implicated in suicide attempt. My thesis aimed to determine if recent stressful life events are associated with emergent suicidal ideation, and whether specific domains of stressful events are involved. It also aimed to determine whether traumatic and non-traumatic early-life stressful events and the polygenic risk score for schizophrenia predict lifetime suicide attempt status. Logistic regression, classification trees, and random forest models were used. Recent stress total scores were not significantly associated with emergent suicidal ideation, but health-related stress was. Greater early-life stressful events were significantly predictive of suicide attempt. In modestly-sensitive models, sexual molestation and mental illness in early life were, overall, the most important predictors. The genome-wide schizophrenia polygenic risk scores were not significantly predictive.
Phononic heat transport in molecular junctions: quantum effects and vibrational mismatch
Keywords: Generalized Quantum Langevin Equation
Molecular Junction
Phonon
Self-consistent Reservoir
Thermal Conductance
Vibrational Anharmonicity

In this work, we employ the quantum self-consistent reservoir (QSCR) method, which is based on the generalized quantum Langevin equation, to calculate phononic thermal conduction in molecular junctions. The method emulates phonon inelastic scattering processes while taking into account quantum effects. Specifically, we simulate the thermal conductance of linear, one-dimensional molecules with 3-10 particles bridging harmonic solids, while taking into account effective molecular anharmonicity by using the QSCR method. The results display the expected behavior of thermal conductance in anharmonic chains, as a function of length, phonon scattering rate, as well as temperature, thus validating the computational scheme. Moreover, we examine the effects of vibrational mismatch at the contacts on the heat transfer characteristics, and reveal the dual role of vibrational anharmonicity: It enhances the resistance of the system due to inelastic scattering processes, but it can promote energy transport across a vibrational mismatch by enabling phonon up-and-down-conversion processes.
Sex-specific differences in cerebral blood flow for athletes with a history of concussion
Keywords: cerebral blood flow
concussion
gender differences
neuroimaging
sex differences
traumatic brain injury

Growing evidence suggests that a history of sport concussion may lead to long-term changes in brain physiology. Changes have been observed in both retired and current athletes; however, it is unknown whether these changes are sex-specific. Previous research has shown that sex impacts the incidence of concussion, as well as reported symptoms and cognitive impairments post-concussion. These acute differences suggest the potential for long-term sex differences in brain recovery. The goal of this thesis was to evaluate sex differences in cerebral blood flow (CBF) in asymptomatic athletes with and without a history of concussion. Using Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL), an advanced magnetic resonance imaging technique, 138 athletes were segregated into cohorts based on sex and concussion history. Males with a history of concussion had a stronger and more extensive reduction in CBF compared to females and compared to males with no history of concussion.
Metformin Attenuates Hepatic Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in a Model of Burn Injury
Keywords: Aging
Burns
Elderly
Metabolism
Metformin
Mitochondria

Elderly burn patients are a high-risk group with poor survival rates. The incidence of organ failure for elderly burns is particularly high, and the organs typically affected, such as the liver, are mitochondria rich. This suggests that mitochondria underly the vulnerability of the elderly to burns, and thus treatments directly targeting mitochondria, such as metformin, may improve their outcome. Thus, we hypothesize that the elderly have a worse outcome due to faulty hepatic mitochondria and that metformin intervention would enable recovery. Our data shows that while adult murine mitochondria rebound from the initial insult, older animals display delayed recovery of mitochondrial bioenergetics. Moreover, metformin treatment suppresses the hypermetabolic mitochondria of the younger cohort while significantly increasing respiration in the aged group. These findings suggest that aging leads to a failure to normalize hepatic mitochondria after trauma and that metformin is a possible agent that can restore mitochondrial responses to burns.
Design and Control of A Tilt-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Wetland Inspection
Keywords: Design
Tilt-Rotor
Transition Control
UAV
VTOL
Wetland Inspection

This thesis presents a tilt-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that combines a quadrotor frame and a tailless wing-body through a servo-operated tilting mechanism. The UAV is capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) on land and water, has high endurance and long range. The dynamics of the UAV are modelled using a built-up method with the motor-propeller data, the aerodynamic analysis data, and the computer-aided design (CAD) modelling data. For transition from hover to forward flight, a gain-scheduled altitude controller is developed to ensure minimal altitude change, and a singularity-free quaternion-based attitude tracking controller is implemented to command the pitch angle of the quadrotor-body from 0 deg to -90 deg. The dynamics and controllers are simulated using MATLAB Simulink to show successful transition. The altitude controller proposed is implemented in the ArduPilot firmware, and flight tests are conducted to validate the flight-worthiness of the proposed design and control.
Decolonizing autoethnography: Where's the water in kinesiology?
Keywords: Decolonizing
Education
Indigenous Methodologies
Spirituality
Storytelling
Water

Kinesiology is a multi-disciplinary field studying the human body in relation to movement, and, yet, water is largely taken-for-granted. This is astonishing, considering ~70% of the human body is comprised of water and access to (reliable, safe, clean) water fundamentally shapes human lives. Furthermore, identities, geographies, histories, societies, cultures, economics, and politics have been, and continue to be, shaped by water. Therefore, to enhance decolonial water education in kinesiology, this thesis is presented in three “braided streams”. First, I critically reflect on my settler colonial history and complicity in relation to water issues impacting First Nations. Next, I critique kinesiology’s research, teaching, and practices to establish “where’s the water in kinesiology?” Last, with consent and support from Grandmother Josephine Mandamin and Joanne Robertson, I am contributing to an archive and story map of the Mother Earth Water Walks (2003-2018), an Anishinabe ceremony that nourishes sacred relationships between peoples and waters.
Helping Others and Receiving Help: Refugee Children's Narration of Post-Transition Prosocial Experiences
Keywords: adverse experiences
narratives
prosocial development
refugee children

This study examined refugee children’s narratives about giving and receiving prosociality. Children and their primary caregivers (N = 86, 5 – 12-year-olds, M = 8.05, SD = 2.22, 47 girls; 55%) were asked to recount a time they provided help to someone and a time they received helped from someone else. Narratives were coded for themes (e.g., behaviours and prosocial motives) that reflected prosocial tendencies. Both children and their caregivers also completed measures assessing children’s dispositional sympathy and overt prosocial behaviour. Children most frequently reported providing direct help and receiving teaching help. The motivations children reported did not significantly differ between providing and receiving help narratives. We also found developmental differences in the types of help and prosocial motives children reported. No overt links between narrative themes with sympathy and prosocial behaviour were observed. The findings will be discussed in relation to previous research on prosocial development in adverse contexts.
Development and Evaluation of an Optical Sensor for Measuring Cognitive-Motor Function across Different Upper Limb Reaction Time Tasks
Keywords: Cognitive-motor function
Concussion
Finger tapping
Optical sensor
Reaction time
Simple and Dual tasks

The following study presents the development and evaluation of an optical sensor system to measure cognitive-motor function across different reaction time tasks involving the upper-limb movement. The unique feature of this work is the system can measure reaction time and concurrently track finger tapping to provide the quantifiable measure of fine motor performances across different upper-limb motor tasks. The preliminary configuration design conducted in this work was to test the impacts of the environmental conditions on the signals. It was found that the lighting and orientation conditions had no impact on the signal quality. The results obtained from the evaluation test in a healthy group ages ranging between 18-40 found that the optical sensor demonstrated an excellent correlation with VICON system in reaction time measure across four upper-limb tasks. The median difference between two systems across four reaction-time tasks was 48msec falling within the 95% confidence interval (-0.98, 0.171).