VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Fundamental Studies on Benzotellurophenes and Platinum Diethynyl Chalcogenophene Polymers

There is limited information on the properties of benzotellurophenes and platinum diethynyl chalcogenophene polymers in the literature. The first chapter of the thesis details investigation into substituted and unsubstituted benzo[b]tellurophenes. The synthesis of benzo[b]tellurophene is described, and their optical and electronic properties are discussed. Also, a detailed study examining oxidative addition and thermal reductive elimination of bromine in benzo[b]tellurophenes is presented. The second chapter presents studies on platinum diethynyl chalcogenophene copolymers, specifically platinum diethynyl -thiophene, -selenophene and -tellurophene polymers. The synthesis of monomer precursors and the novel platinum diethynyl chalcogenophene polymers is described. The fundamental electronic and optical properties of the polymers are examined, and conclusions are drawn about the influence of group 16 heavy atom substitution on these properties.

Advisor: Seferos, Dwight S
Radical Relations: Exploring Polyamory as a Transgressive Philosophy and Practice

The purpose of this research is to explore polyamory among queer women as a transgressive philosophy and practice. Through individual qualitative interviews, the daily lives, past and present experiences, relationships and life philosophies of five queer polyamorous women are considered. Interviews are analyzed with an eye towards the personal as political as well as the practical and philosophical elements involved in constructing romantic relationships consistently with one's personal ideology. A critical understanding of the link between economics and social norms shows the importance of studying alternative relationship and family models. By attempting to create relationships that are consistent with their beliefs, these women are challenging the current dominant definitions of relationships, family and community. While polyamory can be a difficult practice, participants use it as part of a broader philosophy that transgresses Western social organization in a way that creatively combines the personal and political.

Keywords: LGBTQ
Neoliberalism
Polyamory
Queer Women
Sexuality
Social Organization
Advisor: Miles, Angela
Identification of Novel Regulators of Numb Alternative Splicing

Alternative splicing (AS) is a post-transcriptional mechanism resulting in the production of multiple mRNA and protein isoforms from a single gene. The endocytic adaptor protein Numb undergoes AS of exon 9 (E9) to produce two developmentally regulated isoforms: E9-included products are expressed in progenitors while E9-excluded products are expressed in differentiated cells. A global analysis of AS events in multiple cancers identified a shift in Numb transcript and protein expression from the E9-excluded to the E9-included isoform, suggesting that misregulation of the mechanisms that control E9 inclusion may play a role in tumorigenesis. Here we describe a potential mechanism by which the splicing regulators PTBP1 and ASF/SF2 and the MAPK/ERK signalling pathway contribute to cancer development by regulating the observed Numb AS switch. We also found evidence of a functional role for the Numb AS switch in cancer, through alterations in Notch signalling target gene expression due to MAPK/ERK suppression.

Keywords: Cancer
Development
Protein
RNA
Advisor: McGlade, Catherine J
Association between Stress and Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence among Women Living with HIV in Toronto, Ontario: Assessment of Correlates, Mediation and Moderation

This cross-sectional study sought to: "Determine the association between stress, depression and ART adherence among women living with and accessing care for HIV in Toronto, Ontario, between 2007 and 2012". Using OCS data, logistic regression models were used to identify covariates of (≥95%) adequate adherence and mediators and moderators in the association between stress and adherence. Among 307 women, 34.5% and 65.5% had poor and adequate adherence, respectively. Women with poor versus adequate adherence had more reports of hazardous alcohol use, stress events and depressive symptoms. No hazardous alcohol use (aOR=2.20, 95%CI:1.12-4.32) and fewer stress events (aOR=0.56, 95%CI:0.33-0.94) were associated with increased odds of adequate adherence. The association between environmental stress and adequate adherence was attenuated among women ≤35 years (aOR=0.73, 95%CI:0.56-0.94) versus ≥45 years (aOR=0.51, 95%CI:0.34-0.77). Interventions to improve adherence and ensure levels ≥95% must address stress and promote adaptive coping strategies to reduce or eliminate hazardous alcohol use.

Keywords: Alcohol
Antiretroviral therapy adherence
Depression
HIV
Stress
Women
Advisor: Loutfy, Mona
Cooperative Localization Methods in Vehicular Networks

We present a new cooperative positioning (CP) method to increase localization accuracy in extended vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). This proposed method uses a novel semi-extended Kalman filter to fuse position data and distance ranging information of nodes in the network. We also introduce a new distance measurement method using time-difference-of-arrival in positive orthogonal codes. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms other cooperative positioning systems, both for low and high traffic densities. In addition to the proposed cooperative positioning method in this thesis, we propose a modified light version of our positioning method which has less complexity than our first method while it still performs almost as well as our first proposed method. Moreover, we introduce selection methods for scheduling the localization process for heavy traffic scenarios. These scheduling methods reduce the number of nodes that are localized at each time step and help to reduce the complexity and processing cost of the positioning system.

Keywords: Cooperative Localization
Cooperative Positioning
Kalman filter
VANET
Vehicular networks
Advisor: Valaee, Shahrokh
A High Multivitamin Diet Fed To Wistar Rat Dams During Pregnancy Increases Later Life Maternal Weight Gain and Alters Homeostatic, Hedonic and Peripheral Regulatory Systems of Energy Balance.

High multivitamin (10-fold, HV) and high folic acid diets fed to pregnant Wistar rats increase obesity and components of the metabolic syndrome in the offspring, but the effects on the post-weaning maternal phenotype are unclear. The hypothesis that methyl group vitamins are determinants of the HV diet-induced phenotype in the mother when fed a high fat diet post-weaning through alterations in homeostatic, hedonic and peripheral regulatory systems was tested. Wistar rats were fed AIN-93G diets containing either 1) recommended multivitamins (RV, control), 2) HV 3) HV with recommended folic acid (HVRF; 1-fold folic acid), or 4) RV with high methyl group vitamins (HMethyl; 10-fold folic acid, vitamin B12 and B6) during pregnancy alone. All groups were fed a RV diet during lactation until weaning and a RV high fat (60% fat) diet for 16 weeks post-weaning. Dams fed the HV, HVRF and HMethyl diet gained more weight from 2 to 15 weeks post-weaning and their weight gain was dependent on post-weaning food intake. In contrast, only HV dams demonstrated hypo-functioning of mesolimbic reward pathway and higher expression of several genes in the hypothalamus and peripheral tissues involved in the regulation of energy balance. In conclusion, HV, HVRF and HMethyl diets fed during pregnancy predispose the mother to weight gain when exposed to a high fat diet post-weaning, however the diets were not consistent in their effects on central and peripheral regulatory systems leaving uncertain the primary mechanism(s) of action of vitamin-induced weight gain.

Keywords: folic acid
food intake
postpartum
pregnancy
vitamins
weight gain
Advisor: Anderson, G. Harvey
The Geochemistry of the Marmoraton Fe Skarn and Associated Syenodiorite Intrusion, Grenville Province, S. Ontario

This research focuses on the major and trace element geochemistry of the Marmoraton Fe skarn and associated intrusive material in the Grenville Province, southern Ontario. The analytical methods used are NAA, XRF and LA-ICPMS. The plotted analytical data show clear trends and clustering, representing accurate sample collection and classification. Co is enriched in sulphide-rich samples to sub-ore grade. No consistent, significant enrichments in Au, Pd and Pt were observed; however, one Cu and Co enriched sample contains sub-ore grade Pd (~1 g/t). The intrusion geochemistry suggests that there is limited distal Au mineralization potential. The intrusion geochemistry is consistent with Marmoraton being an Fe-only skarn based on the data and plots of Meinert (1995). The REE values are not sufficiently significant to be considered of economic potential. There is a ~15 km long crescent shaped magnetic anomaly containing magnetite skarns that indicates a major sub-surface Fe (magnetite) resource. The syenodiorite intrusion at Marmoraton should be dated to establish the timing of the intrusion and associated mineralization.

Keywords: Geochemistry
Geology
Grenville
Iron
Ontario
Skarn
Advisor: Spooner, Edward
City Knowledge Patterns: A Standard for Smart City Knowledge Management

The main focus of this dissertation is to identify the concepts required to represent municipal knowledge. Based on our analysis of Toronto 311 web pages, we were able to identify nine patterns of knowledge: service, permit, organization, infrastructure, public facility, citizen, education, complaint/compliment, and species. We then used these patterns to determine the extent to which four existing reference models and ontologies can represent municipal knowledge, as defined by the Toronto 311 KB. With these patterns, it is now possible to evaluate how well a reference model or ontology meets the need of a municipality. Finally, we provide a formal representation of these patterns using OWL.

Advisor: Fox, Mark S.
Cytoarchitecture of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Patients with Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder and Major Depression

There is evidence for impaired neuron migration during development in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and we hypothesized to find evidence for this in post-mortem cortical tissue. We used layer-specific markers and novel automated cell counting methods to investigate large areas of the anterior cingulate cortex in patients with major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. We did not find profound differences, suggesting that any cytoarchitectural abnormalities are subtle. Almost no differences were seen in major depression, except for a smaller cell size in one region. Bipolar patients had increased densities and smaller cells in lower layers, and decreased densities in upper layers. This may support our hypothesis, or it could be explained by increased cell death in upper layers or decreased neuropil in lower layers. Patients with schizophrenia had non-consistent changes, which did not support our hypothesis. Thus, schizophrenia is potentially a particularly heterogeneous disease with multiple pathophysiological abnormalities.

Keywords: Bipolar Disorder
Cortex
Cytoarchitecture
Histology
Major Depression
Schizophrenia
Advisor: Wong, Albert H.C.
Journeys of East Asian Kinesiology and Physical Education Students: A 2015 University of Toronto Case Study

This study revisits Yuka Nakamura's (2004) Master’s thesis, “Finding a Way, Finding the Self: The Journeys of Nine Physical Education Students Pursuing ‘Non-Traditional’ Paths.” Semi-structured interviews were conducted with kinesiology students of self-identified “East Asian” descent. Stereotypical perceptions from peers and family members about the participants’ program are still commonplace in contrast to “realities.” According to participants, their parents did not see an inverse relationship between academic achievement and involvement in sport, and some parents served as the initial catalyst for their children’s sport participation. While many family members accepted the participants’ career paths, some parents had begun to second-guess the program quality if the participants’ peers in other programmes appear to have achieved more immediate success in more traditional programmes of study. Overall, a number of results from this study are similar to Nakamura’s (2004) findings despite the contextual changes in the faculty name and its demographic patterns.

Keywords: Asian
minority
multiculturalism
sport
Toronto
university
Advisor: Donnelly, Peter
A Fundamental Study of the Effect of Alkali Salts on Deposition in Biomass Boilers

The accumulation of deposits on tube surfaces in the superheater regions of biomass boilers is a concern as it affects boiler efficiency. This work examines the effect of alkali salts (mainly potassium chloride, KCl) on ash deposition on tube surfaces in biomass boilers using an Entrained Flow Reactor (EFR) at the University of Toronto. The effect of KCl mixed with silica, fly ash, and other oxides on deposition is studied. The deposition is found to increase with an increase in molten phase and the particles do not accumulate on the probe surface if there is no molten phase. These results are different compared to those obtained for recovery boilers. The carryover ash in recovery boilers requires a liquid content of 15 - 20% for the particles to deposit on the heat transfer surfaces. In the biomass boiler scenario, however, the deposition increases almost linearly with increasing liquid content.

Keywords: Ash Deposition
Biomass Boiler
Pulp and Paper
Advisor: Tran, Honghi
Development of Water Soluble ACP1 Analogues and Application of N-Alkyl Carbamoylimidazoles as Isocyanate Equivalents

The synthesis of soluble ACP1 analogues was carried out in order to improve the physical properties of these ClpP protease activators. Their mechanism of action is unique compared to traditional antibiotic cell membrane targets in that these compounds upregulate a caseinolytic protease (ClpP) to degrade proteins, causing inhibition of cell division, which leads to cell death. In addition, a methodology for the synthesis of carbamoylimidazoles from primary amines was developed which greatly expands the scope of this reagent class. The utility of these stable crystalline carbamoylimidazole compounds was demonstrated by their use as isocyanate equivalents. Thus, these reagents were capable of delivering access to a variety of useful functional groups including ureas, carbamates, thiocarbamates, oxazolidinones and hydantoins

Keywords: isocyanate
activators of cylindrical proteases
CDI
primary carbamoylimidazoles
Advisor: Batey, Robert A
`Drink Like a Man': How Gender Roles Impact Alcohol Use Among Emerging Adults in Canada

The current study examines how social constructions of masculinity and femininity affect alcohol behaviours among emerging adult men and women, given the recent trend in convergence (Greenfield, 2002) in which gender differences between rates of drinking have narrowed. Specifically, the impacts of gender role conformity and social context (i.e., drinking in same-gender or mixed-gender groups) on alcohol use and problems are examined among emerging adults in Canada. Several important domains of masculinity and femininity emerged as significant and positive correlates of alcohol outcomes, whereas other domains demonstrated negative relationships. Further, gender conformity variables were found to be significant correlates of drinking in various social contexts. Overall, the patterns of relationships were gender specific. Being a `playboy' (for men) and the desire to be thin and sexual fidelity (for women) were the most important correlates of alcohol outcomes. Implications of these findings are discussed from a feminist critical perspective.

Keywords: alcohol
alcohol problems
emerging adults
feminist
gender roles
Advisor: Goldstein, Abby L
The Chromatin-looping Factor ZNF143 is Genetically Altered and Promotes the Oestrogen Response in Breast Cancer

Oestrogen signalling in breast cancer (BrCa) cells relies on chromatin-loops that connect distal regulatory elements bound by the oestrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) to target gene promoters. We show that chromatin-looping factor genes, including CTCF, ZNF143 and RAD21, are genetically altered in BrCa. Expanding on the function of CTCF and cohesin in BrCa, we demonstrate that ZNF143 binds promoters of most early-response oestrogen target genes connected to distal regulatory elements in ESR1-positive BrCa cells. Its chromatin occupancy is unaffected by oestrogen-stimulation, supporting a stable three-dimensional genomic architecture within the oestrogen response. Its loss abrogates the oestrogen-induced transcriptional response and growth of BrCa cells. Furthermore, we show that the overexpression of looping-factors within ESR-1 positive BrCa patients associates with a worse clinical outcome. Overall, our results suggest that ZNF143 is a new critical effector of the oestrogen response and highlights the contribution of the chromatin looping machinery to ESR1-positive BrCa development.

Keywords: Breat cancer
Chromatin-looping
ZNF143
Advisor: Lupien, Mathieu
Pre-oxidation Strategies for Improvement of Biofiltration Performance

Biofiltration has been shown to reduce the concentration of disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors. Recent studies have examined different methods to increase the rate of organic matter biodegradation during biofiltration. One viable option is to pre-oxidize the complex organic matter into smaller molecules to increase uptake by the microbial communities on the media. This study examined the application of ozone (O3) and ozone+hydrogen peroxide (O3+H2O2) to improve the subsequent removal of DBP precursors via biofiltration. Nitrogen and phosphorus (0.5 mg/L) were added to biofilter influent and their subsequent uptake monitored to ascertain the viability of nutrient supplementation as a biofiltration enhancement strategy, both with and without preoxidation. Both O3 and O3+H2O2 enhanced biofiltration by breaking down high molecular weight humics into smaller, more biodegradable compounds. While O3+H2O2+biofiltration led to higher dissolved organic carbon removal, O3+biofiltration provided better DBP precursor reduction for both THMs and HAAs.

Keywords: Advanced oxidation processes (AOP)
Biofiltration
Disinfection by-products (DBP)
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC)
Ozone
Peroxide
Advisor: Andrews, Robert C
Front-end Building Blocks for 100+ GS/s ADCs

In this thesis IC building blocks for future 100+Gbaud fiber-optic receivers, employing high-speed ADC converters above 100 GSps, are investigated. A single-ended broadband, low-noise amplifier was designed in a 55nm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The DC-92GHz amplifier consumes 48 mW from a 2.3V supply and achieves 13 dB of gain and a noise figure of 6 dB up to 88 GHz. The circuit was measured to operate correctly up to 120 Gbps. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the lowest noise amplifier in any technology ever tested at this data rate. A high-speed track-and-hold amplifier (THA) was designed in the same technology for time-interleaved 100+GS/s ADCs. It can support 90GS/s operation (was tested up to 108GS/s), has 40GHz input bandwidth, and consumes 87 mW from 1.8V and 2.5V supplies, delivering record-breaking performance among previously published high-speed THAs.

Keywords: ADC
BiCMOS
fiber-optic
GS/s
TIA
track-and-hold
Advisor: Voinigescu, Sorin
Studies of DNA Double Strand Break Repair in Hypoxic S-phase Tumour Cells

All solid tumours contain sub-regions of hypoxia. Increased hypoxia correlates with poor clinical prognosis. Two main DSB repair pathways are homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). Our laboratory observed increased residual DNA-double strand breaks (DSBs) in hypoxic G0-G1 fibroblasts. Whether hypoxia affects DSB repair in other phases led to the hypothesis that hypoxia modifies DSB rejoining within asynchronous S-phase cancer cells. Using LN428 cancer cells, DSB induction and resolution was assessed via immunofluorescence. S-phase cells were identified using EdU and DSBs with γH2AX and 53BP1s1778. DSB resolution was assessed up to 24h post-IR. I show that DSB induction and resolution had similar kinetics in EdU-positive and total cells. Increased numbers of DSBs were observed in hypoxic S-phase 24h post-IR cells supporting my hypothesis. The discovery of a potential DSB defect in hypoxic S-phase cells may lead to novel therapeutic approaches that differentially target S-phase in proliferating hypoxic cells.

Keywords: cancer
dna
dsb
hypoxia
repair
s-phase
Advisor: Bristow, Rob G
Enhanced Vascularization of Modular Engineered Tissues Using Activated Macrophages

Enhancing the vascularization of modular engineered tissues is critical for the survival of implanted therapeutic cells and the development of large, in vivo tissue constructs. However, modular implants elicit strong inflammatory responses, impairing this process. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are effective promoters of construct vascularization in vivo, and their immunomodulatory effect on inflammation and macrophage activation was assessed by flow cytometric analysis of enzymatically digested tissues. MSC limited macrophage infiltration into tissues at day 3 and caused increased vessel densities at day 7, but did not affect macrophage activation. Modular tissues containing bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) activated to have pro- or anti-inflammatory phenotypes did not alter the course of inflammation or enhance vessel growth, but did stabilize existing vessels. Significant vessel regression occurred by day 14 in implants lacking BMDM, activated or otherwise. No effect due to BMDM activation was seen.

Keywords: activation
angiogenesis
macrophage
polarization
tissue engineering
vascularization
Advisor: Sefton, Michael V
Modulation of T Cell Distribution and Function by High-intensity Interval Training

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) may disrupt immunity. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important in restoring immune homeostasis. This study investigated the impact of acute versus 2-weeks HIIT on T-cells in active males. Six blood samples were collected: pre-exercise/pre-training (n=18), first (HIIT1) and last (HIIT6) sessions – immediately (P0) and 1-hr (P60) post-exercise; post-training (n=11). Using flow cytometry, expression levels of CD40L, CD122, and IFN-γ were elevated in stimulated T-cells at HIIT1P0. At HIIT1P60, CD69 activation receptor density was enhanced on stimulated T-cells. Percentage of suppressive receptors GARP was reduced on unstimluated Tregs; density of LAP was enhanced in stimulated Tregs. No difference was observed between HIIT1 and HIIT6. Compared to pre-training, LAP-expressing Tregs and density of CD122-expressing CD8low cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) were decreased in post-training. Upon stimulation, fewer CD122-expressing CD8low CTLs was detected. These findings suggest acute HIIT transiently perturbs immune homeostasis, while repeated HIIT persistently alters CTL and Treg functions.

Advisor: Rhind, Shawn G