VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Nutrient Cycling and Water Pollution in Lake Zapotlan, Mexico

Lake Zapotlán is a small (1100 ha) endorheic lake in western Mexico that is internationally recognized by RAMSAR. It receives point source pollution from partially treated sewage from two surrounding cities, as well as non-point sources, including urban runoff, agricultural runoff, erosion and consequent deposition of sediment as a result of deforestation surrounding the Lake. The purpose of this study was to determine the severity of pollution in the Lake through measurement of nutrient and bacteria levels and assess for potential human health and ecological risks in Lake Zapotlán. Results found that nutrient levels have increased since 1994 and that they are high enough to cause eutrophication problems. Partially treated wastewater contributes over 30 tonnes of phosphorus to the Lake each year. E. coli levels were extremely high and could pose a health risk to those participating in recreational activities on the Lake.

Keywords: Water Quality
Mexico
Advisor: Shear, Harvey
The Effects of Alkaline Peroxide Treatment on Physical and Structural Properties of Low Consistency Refined Paper

Physical property data was used to test two hypotheses pertaining to the impact of a chemical pre-treatment on the qualities of low consistency refined pulp. The first objective was to determine whether the addition of a chemical treatment would effectively accelerate the refining process when compared to a regular pulp. This involved the measurement of the physical property data and how it changed with increased refining energy. The second objective was to determine how the chemical treatment affected fibre development during refining, and whether its implementation could result in enhancement of inter-fibre bondability. Theoretical models for the physical properties of paper were used to study the fibre-to-fibre bonding properties of the tested paper samples. Additionally, SEM images were obtained to study the deferences in morphology of the tested pulp samples.

Keywords: mechanical pulp
alkaline peroxide
low consistency
chemical treatment
Advisor: Kortschot, Mark Timothy
Farnood, Ramin
Comparison of Different Strategies for the Management of Febrile Neutropenia in Children - A Cost-utility Analysis

Introduction: There is uncertainty whether low-risk febrile neutropenia (FN) episodes in children with cancer are best managed in the inpatient or outpatient setting. Methods: A cost-utility model was created to compare four different treatment strategies for low-risk FN in pediatric cancer patients. Outcome measures were quality-adjusted FN episodes (QAFNE), costs (Canadian dollar), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). Results: The most cost-effective strategy was outpatient treatment with intravenous antibiotics. It was cost saving ($2,732 versus $2,757) and more effective (0.66 QAFNE versus 0.55 QAFNE) as compared to outpatient treatment with oral antibiotics. An early discharge strategy after 48 hours in hospital was slightly more effective but significantly more expensive than outpatient treatment with intravenous antibiotics resulting in an unacceptably high ICER of more than $130,000 per QAFNE. Inpatient care was the least cost-effective strategy. Conclusions: Outpatient strategies for treatment of low-risk FN in children are more cost-effective than traditional inpatient care.

Keywords: pediatric oncology
febrile neutropenia
Advisor: Sung, Lillian
A Systematic Review of Teleradiology for Remote Neurosurgical Evaluation of Patients in Facilities without Neurosurgery Specialists

Background: Teleradiology is currently being explored to enhance services for patients seeking emergency neurosurgical diagnoses in Ontario, Canada. Design: Systematic review of literature and cost-consequence analysis. Data sources: Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects. Methods: Studies published between 1950 and 2008 describing remote consultations for neurosurgical assessments were retrieved. Two reviewers selected studies through multi-staged content screening and extracted data. Results 12 of 3765 studies met the inclusion criteria: two were randomized controlled trials and ten were case series. Teleradiology [88% (207/236)] and video-conferencing [89% (213/239] consultations produced higher diagnostic accuracy than telephone consultations [64% (150/235), p<0.001]. Savings varied by location and were based on avoided costs for ground and air transportation and hospitalization. Conclusions: There is limited evidence of clinical benefit of teleradiology. Savings associated with reduction in patient transfer rates depend on transportation mode and may be attenuated by higher operational costs.

Keywords: Teleradiology
Neurosurgery
Radiology
Remote
Consulation
GRADE
Transfer
Systematic Review
Advisor: Laupacis, Andreas
Reform in Tibet as a Social Movement

Reform as a social process is underresearched in the case of Tibet. This study addresses this gap using Social Movement Theory, which sees social change as a complex process involving various Tibetan social groups and external reformers, the Communist Party of China (CPC). This approach was applied by comparing recruitment and mobilization efforts of several key internal and external reform movements in 20th century Tibetan history. Findings include that internal reform failures can be explained by their narrow social and geographic basis and limited mass appeal. Moreover, initial CPC reforms succeeded through recruitment and mobilization across Tibetan regions and social groupings. Subsequent reforms failed due to decreased attention to recruitment and mass mobilization of Tibetans. A major implication of the study is that understanding social reform in today’s Tibet requires a SM Theory approach, which currently is lacking among scholars of the Tibetan question and political representatives of both sides.

Keywords: Reform
Social Movement
Tibet
Education
Advisor: Paul, Olson
Characterizing the Role of a Novel F-actin Binding Protein in IRS1/PI3K Signaling and Glucose Uptake

Studies show that insulin induced activation and assembly of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), within remodelled actin structures is critical for GLUT4 translocation to the cell surface in muscle cells. This study identifies the F-actin binding protein, nexilin, as a novel IRS1 binding partner. Insulin stimulates nexilin to dissociate from IRS1 and interact with actin. Nexilin knockdown has no effect on insulin-stimulated IRS1 tyrosine phosphorylation, but does enhance insulin-stimulated IRS1-PI3K interaction, increasing PIP3 formation, PKB activation and glucose uptake. This study also shows that nexilin overexpression may have an inhibitory effect on PKB phosphorylation and glucose uptake in adipocytes. These findings suggest nexilin is a negative regulator of IRS1 action on PI3K and insulin-stimulated dissociation of IRS1-nexilin allows the formation of IRS1-PI3K complexes in cytoskeletal-membrane compartments. Nexilin also specifically associates with the PH domain of IRS1, and not IRS2, suggesting a mechanism for signaling specificity of these isoforms.

Keywords: type 2 diabetes
insulin resistance
Advisor: Rozakis-Adcock, Maria
Electroless Copper Deposition: A Sustainable Approach

A sustainable electroless copper coating process was developed for plating automotive fasteners shaped from AISI 9255 low carbon, high silicon steel. The objective was to minimize the ionic and organic species present in each step of the plating process. A sulfuric acid solution inhibited with quinine was defined to clean the steel prior to plating. The corrosivity of the solution was examined through electrochemical and weight loss measurements to evaluate the efficiency of the cleaning process at high temperatures and high acid concentrations. An electroless copper coating process was then developed using a simple copper sulfate chemistry inhibited with quinine to extend the possible operating window. Finally, benzotriazole was evaluated as a possible anti-oxidant coating. Accelerated thioacetamide corrosion tests were used to evaluate the corrosion inhibition of benzotriazole on copper coatings.

Keywords: copper plating
Advisor: Thorpe, Steven J.
Kirk, Donald W.
On-line Acid Measurements via Electrodeless Conductivity at High Temperatures

This M.A.Sc. work focuses on the development of a sensor to operate at industrially relevant conditions, directly in autoclaves, to generate accurate online free acidity estimates. The main goal is to obtain accurate (within 5% from titrated) free acid estimates at leach temperature while compensating for various metals in solution at high solid loadings. The electrodeless conductivity sensor and calibration technique that were developed in previous work have been improved upon for operation in slurry systems. The sensor operates at temperature on the basis of induction currents and is suitable for very concentrated solutions containing solid dispersions. Three systems have been investigated: limonitic feeds, limonite-saprolite blends, and a converter slag feed. Up to 40 wt.% solids were tested with investigation carried out from 25°C to 260°C. High quality estimates of acidity were produced for all systems studied, with the average difference between measured and titrated acidities being within 5%.

Keywords: Electrodeless Conductivity
free acid
Advisor: Papangelakis, Vladimiros G.
Distribution of Ink-jet Ink Components via ToF-SIMS and Optical Image Analysis

In this work the methodology is developed to study spreading and penetration of a custom ink-jet ink formulation, containing hydrophobic cationic crystal violet dye, ethoxylated surfactant, and ink solvent marked by lithium salt. With a new technique utilizing Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry imaging, the ink component distribution and its effect on print quality of uncoated and coated papers are evaluated. High spatially resolved images obtained by ToF-SIMS illustrate differentiation of individual ink components, with ink solvent spreading more than the dye in all paper samples. Uncoated papers show greater and more irregular spreading leading to poor edge definition and poor print quality. Large separation of the dye from the solvent in the vertical direction of multipurpose and photo glossy ink-jet paper suggests a step-wise progression of ink penetration: ink flows through a more porous structure in the x-direction before advancing to the next sublayer in the z-direction of paper.

Keywords: ToF-SIMS
ink-jet ink formulation
ink component distribution
Advisor: Acosta, Edgar
Farnood, Ramin
Sodhi, Rana
Improving Developmental Competence of Murine Preimplantation Embryos by Supplementation of Anti-apoptotic Peptides

Mammalian preimplantation embryo development is prone to high rates of early embryo demise. Two underlying causes for failed development include the effect of sub-optimal culture media and maternal lethal effect (MLE) genes. In line with the growing evidence, we hypothesize that embryo fate is determined by the outcome of specific intracellular interactions between pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins under suboptimal culture conditions such as HTF medium and oxidative stress. Characterization of Nalp5, a MLE gene resulting in 2-cell embryo arrest, also found a significantly higher expression of pro-apoptotic proteins in knockout oocytes and embryos. With the use of two anti-apoptotic peptides, TAT-BH4 and Bax-inhibiting peptide (BIP), we attempted to improve embryo development. Our results found that neither peptide was able to improve embryo development in the Nalp5 model, or the HTF model. However, TAT-BH4 is capable of significantly improving developmental competence in embryos cultured under oxidative stress. Our findings suggest that supplementation of TAT-BH4 in embryo culture medium may offer a novel and cost-effective technique to improve embryogenesis of cultured embryos. However, further studies are still required.

Keywords: preimplantation embryo
Nalp5
Bcl-xL
TAT-BH4
Advisor: Jurisicova, Andrea
Effects of Paper Properties on Xerographic Print Quality

The objective of this thesis is to better understand the impact of paper and printer types on xerographic print quality. To achieve this objective, commercially printed samples comprising of ten different paper substrates printed using three different xerographic printers were examined. The print quality of these samples was assessed in terms of print microgloss and its nonuniformity, print density, print and gloss mottle, print roughness, and visual ranking. This study showed that print mottle conducted by Fast Fourier Transform produced the best correlation with visual ranking at the size range of 0.1 - 1mm, while print gloss mottle was found to affect print quality regardless of the mottle size. Brightness, opacity, basis weight, gloss 75, and roughness of these paper substrates were found to have the most significant effect on print quality. All of the optical properties of paper included in this analysis showed a strong correlation to print quality.

Keywords: xerography
paper properties
print quality
microgloss
print mottle
visual ranking
Advisor: Farnood, Ramin
Yan, Ning
Self-assembling Peptide Based Cellular Delivery of Hydrophobic Anticancer Drug

Introduction: Cancer drug delivery has limitations of delivering hydrophobic anticancer drugs and non-targeted adverse effects to normal tissues. This work explores the self-assembling peptide EAK16-II for delivery of hydrophobic anticancer drug ellipticine in human lung carcinoma A549 cells. Hypothesis: Self-assembling peptide based nanoparticles enhance cellular delivery of the hydrophobic anticancer drug ellipticine through an endocytotic mechanism. Methods: EAK16-II and ellipiticine were formulated in water, and size and morphology determined using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The anticancer activity was evaluated by MTS assay. The cellular uptake and subcellular distribution of drug was characterized using endocytotic inhibitors and trackers. Results: EAK16-II can form nanoparticles with ellipticine and has comparable anticancer activity to ellipticine in DMSO. Nano-formulation has enhanced drug uptake through the caveolin dependent pathway. The drug localizes to lysosome and target organelles. Conclusion: EAK16-II forms nanoparticles with the drug and enhances cellular uptake through a caveolin-dependent endocytotic mechanism.

Advisor: Liu, Mingyao
Sodium Ascorabe as a Potent Stimulator of Elastic Fiber Production

The complicated problem of efficient stimulation of elastic fiber production in already developed human tissues has not yet been solved. The present study introduces sodium ascorbate (SA) as a stimulator of elastogenesis in cultures of different cell types including fibroblasts isolated from patients with elastopathy genetic diseases. We then elucidated mechanisms of elastogenic action of SA. SA exercises its net elastogenic effect only after being actively transported into the cell interior through two separate mechanisms. These are the “fast effect,” which reflects the greater stability of intracellular tropoelastin, and the “late effect,” which reflects the true enhancement of the elastin gene expression occurring after SA-induced activation of c-src tyrosine kinase and the consecutive phosphorylation of IGF-1 receptor, which triggers the downstream signals leading to activation of the elastin gene expression. In conclusion, for the first time we have established that SA is a potent stimulator of elastic fiber production.

Keywords: Elastic Fiber Production
Sodium Ascorbate
IGF-1 Receptor
Loeys-Dietz Syndrome
Williams-Beuren Syndrome
Advisor: Hinek, Aleksander
The Role of ERRγ in Longitudinal Bone Growth

Estrogen-receptor-related receptor gamma, ERRγ, is highly expressed in cartilage and upregulates the chondrogenic transcription factor, Sox9, in a chondrocytic cell line. To assess the effect of increasing ERRγ activity on cartilage in vivo, we generated transgenic animals driving ERRγ expression with a chondrocyte-specific promoter. I verified that one transgenic line exhibited 26% increased ERRγ protein at E14.5. No major morphological defects were seen at this stage, but I observed significant reduction in the size of the appendicular skeleton in P7 mice, such that all elements of the appendicular skeleton were significantly reduced by 4 – 10%. I continued the phenotype analysis at the histological level and found that the P7 animals displayed significantly reduced growth plate height, caused by deficiencies in the size of the proliferative and hypertrophic zones of the growth plate. This suggests a previously unknown role for ERRγ in regulating endochondral ossification in growth plate chondrocytes.

Keywords: Bone Development
Nuclear Hormone Receptors
Endochondral Ossification
Mouse Transgenesis
Achondroplasia
Dwarfism
Growth Plate
Chondrogenesis
Advisor: Aubin, Jane E.
Catalytic Gasification of Activated Sludge in Near-critical Water

This thesis was the report of the research done on the near-critical water gasification (NCWG) as an application for activated sludge treatment. The research started with the use of model compounds and binary mixtures of these compounds as feeds for the NCWG. High gasification yields were obtained using a commercial catalyst (Raney nickel), and it was found that interactions between model compounds in the binary mixtures resulted in lowering the gasification efficiencies. The research then shifted to the use of actual activated sludge samples and the search for novel catalysts for that application. Almost 70% of the sludge was gasified in the presence of the high amounts of Raney nickel. Hydrogen was the main product in the gas phase. However, Raney nickel lost half its activity after only 8 minutes of exposure to supercritical water. For some model compounds, novel catalysts formulated in our laboratories had better activities than the commercial ones. This was not the case for the NCWG of activated sludge.

Keywords: supercritical water
gasification
activated sludge
catalyst
hydrothermal
Advisor: Farnood, Ramin
Quantitative In Vivo Assessment of Tumour Vasculature-targeted Liposomes

Targeting angiogenic vasculature has been validated as a viable approach for cancer imaging and therapy. The tumour vasculature-specific ligand asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR) peptide targets the isoform of aminopeptidase N (CD13) expressed on endothelial cells lining angiogenic vessels. CD13 has become widely recognized as a rational target for therapeutic development and several NGR-conjugated agents are now in pre-clinical and clinical development. In the current study, a CT image-based approach is used to evaluate the in vivo performance of several NGR-conjugated liposome formulations that vary in terms of NGR density and PEG spacer arm length. Indeed, for the first time it is demonstrated that CT imaging can be used for quantitative and longitudinal assessment of the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of an actively targeted liposome formulation. In comparison to conventional methods, CT imaging enables visualization of the intratumoural distribution of liposomes and quantification of the fraction of tumour occupied by the vesicles over time.

Keywords: Molecular Imaging
Drug Development
Advisor: Allen, Christine
Lymphotrophic Nanoparticle-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Nodal Clinical Target Volume Delineation in the Radiotherapy Treatment Planning of Pelvic Malignancies: Derivation of a Class Solution Nodal Clinical Target Volume

Dextran-coated ultra-small, superparamagnetic, iron oxide particles (USPIO) have been proposed as magnetic resonance (MR) lymph node contrast agents. This thesis analyzed the topographic distributions of the pelvic and inguinal lymph nodes and quantified their spatial relations with the adjacent vascular system. We hypothesized that USPIO would facilitate identification of normal lymph nodes in a manner superior to that afforded by computed tomography or unenhanced MR, but using current clinically available scanners would be unlikely to identify microscopic nodal metastases. We have constructed a high quality nodal atlas describing probability distributions for lymph node number, size and position. Using this model, we then defined a generic three-dimensional nodal clinical target volume and a means of accurate delineation of this volume in a three-dimensional representation. This is the most quantitative assessment of the pelvic and inguinal lymphatics to date and will help to improve the successful targeting of lymph nodes for radiotherapy.

Keywords: USPIO
ferumoxtran-10
radiotherapy
clinical target volume
lymph node
Lymphotrophic nanoparticle-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging
Advisor: Milosevic, Michael
Bill C-510 and the Dilemma of Difference: Assessing the Role of Anti-violence Legislation in the Woman-protective Anti-abortion Movement

Recently, some in the anti-abortion movement have begun to assert that abortion harms women and access to abortion should be restricted or prohibited to protect women’s rights. This paper suggests that woman-protective anti-abortion (“WPA”) arguments could become more recognizable in Canada if other kinds of woman-protective legislation are adopted. In particular, this paper focuses on private member’s Bill C-510, an Act to Prevent Coercion of Pregnant Women to Abort (Roxanne’s Law). This paper suggests that Bill C-510 is problematic because its differential treatment of women reinforces historical stereotypes of motherhood and female vulnerability, the same stereotypes upon which the WPA relies. By reinforcing these same stereotypes, Bill C- 510 creates a climate in which WPA restrictions on access to abortion appear more reasonable. The paper concludes by suggesting that the existing aggravated circumstances sentencing sections in the Criminal Code already provide judges with discretionary powers to deal with offences like coerced abortion.

Keywords: abortion
stereotype
woman-protective anti-abortion
Bill C-510
law
Advisor: Reaume, Denise
Great Responsibility : Rethinking Disability Portrayal in Popular Fiction & Calling for a Multi-cultural Change

This thesis is an occasion to examine how normalcy – as a phenomenon constructed in society and so not natural but human-made – is reproduced as a hegemonic ideal through oppressive portrayals of disability in literature. Many of the fictional texts I analyze reproduce the privileging of normalcy. I therefore work to disturb normalcyʼs hold through critical analysis of a wide variety of currently popular fiction for youth and adults. Combining interpretive inquiry and personal narrative, I bring forward new understandings of normalcy, disability and culture. Along with showing how normalcyʼs supremacy is upheld within the book industry, and critiquing texts that do disability as usual (through both survey and close analysis approaches), I discuss at length several literary works that write disability in anti-oppressive, anti-ableist ways. To close this thesis, I discuss my own transformation as an author and scholar through disability studies.

Keywords: disability
fiction
multicultural
disability studies
disability portrayal
disability culture
normalcy
anti-ableism
anti-oppression
publishing
disability industry
Advisor: Titchkosky, Tanya