VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Building High Performing Globally Dispersed Teams: Challenging Inequality to Establish Trust

This thesis explores barriers to the establishment of trust needed for high performing teams due to inequality in the context of a global economy. Postcolonial Theory is introduced to illustrate how inequality is a key aspect of diversity in the current context of the global workplace. Different philosophies underlying the values and norms in organizations are examined to make sense of contemporary approaches to diversity management in terms of how power, difference, and identity are addressed. This provides an understanding of the context of current team development praxis in working with diversity. Using autoethnography, the author tells personal stories of working in diverse teams to convey the complex ways in which power, difference, and identity coalesce in real-life experience. Some theoretical foundations are developed for facilitating the building of team trust in contexts with different philosophical approaches to diversity. Addressing social justice in Organization Development work is considered.

Keywords: global workplace
Organization Development
team development
team facilitation
equity
inequality
diversity
diversity management
Postcolonial Theory
autoethnography
storytelling
personal stories
globally dispersed teams
high performing teams
trust
conflict
social justice
virtual
power
difference
identity
Advisor: Laiken, Marilyn
Jackson, Nancy
Widely-linear MMSE Receivers for Linear Dispersion Space-time Block-codes

Space-time coding techniques are widely used in multiple-input multiple-output communication systems to mitigate the effect of multipath fading in wireless channels. An important subset of space-time codes are linear dispersion (LD) codes, which are used for quasi-static Rayleigh flat fading channels when the channel state information (CSI) is only available at the receiver side. In this thesis, we propose a new receiver structure for LD codes. We suggest to use widely-linear minimum-mean-squared-error (WL-MMSE) estimates of the transmitted symbols in lieu of the sufficient statistics for maximum likelihood (ML) detection of these symbols. This structure offers both optimal and suboptimal operation modes. The structures of the proposed receivers in both modes are derived for general LD codes. As special cases, we study two important subsets of LD codes, namely orthogonal and quasi-orthogonal codes, and examine the performance of the proposed receivers for these codes.

Keywords: multiple-input multiple-output communication systems
space-time coding techniques
linear dispersion (LD) codes
Advisor: Konstantinos, Plataniotis
The Role of Human Leukocyte Antigen-G in Heart Transplantation

Primarily expressed by trophoblast cells, human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) plays an essential role in maintaining maternal-fetal immune tolerance. Having previously been detected following heart transplantation, we sought to establish the value of HLA-G in identifying freedom from moderate or severe rejection post-heart transplant, and the capability of its expression in vitro. After assessing myocardial HLA-G expression through immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated that it was significantly more prevalent in non-rejecting than rejecting heart transplant recipients. Utilizing vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell culture models, we also determined that while HLA-G expression remains tightly regulated, its expression in vitro can be induced following progesterone treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Hence, HLA-G may reliably identify patients with a low immunological risk of developing subsequent clinically significant rejection post-heart transplant. Furthermore, HLA-G expression can be induced in cultured endothelial and smooth muscle cells, which might represent a strategy to protect against allograft rejection and vasculopathy.

Keywords: Heart Transplantation
HLA-G
Advisor: Rao, Vivek
Structural and Functional Insights on Regulation by Phenolic Compounds

The shikimate pathway is a primary metabolic pathway involved in the synthesis of aromatic compounds in plants, fungi, apicomplexan parasites and microbes. The absence of this pathway in animals makes it ideal for the synthesis of antimicrobial compounds and herbicides. Additionally, its branching into indole hormone synthesis and phenylpropanoid secondary metabolism makes this pathway attractive for metabolic engineering. Here, the focus is on the first step of the shikimate pathway catalyzed by DAHP synthase. This step consists of the condensation of phosphoenol pyruvate and erythrose-4-phosphate to make DAHP, which undergoes another six catalytic steps to synthesize chorismate, the precursor of the aromatic amino acids. Arabidopsis thaliana contains three DAHP synthase isozymes, which are known to indirectly regulate downstream pathways in response to wounding and pathogen stress. The model presented here proposes that DAHP synthase isozymes are regulated by the end products tyrosine, tryptophan and phenylalanine.

Keywords: aromatic amino acid synthesis
metabolic regulation
Advisor: Christendat, Dinesh
The Inhibitory Effect of Kell Blood Group Antibodies on Erythroid Progenitor Cell Growth

The clinical manifestations of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn mediated by anti-K, an antibody of the Kell blood group system, are distinguishable from the classical form of the disease. Affected fetuses have low numbers of circulating reticulocytes and antibody titers and bilirubin levels are not reliable predictors of anemia. These observations suggest that antibodies to Kell glycoprotein lead to anemia through suppression of erythropoiesis. This study established a liquid erythroid progenitor cell culture model in which to perform analyses on the mechanism of the suppressive growth effect of anti-Kell glycoprotein. Using this culture model, this study demonstrated the requirement for co-ligation of Kell glycoprotein by a bivalent antibody for growth suppression. The absence of markers of apoptosis in cell cultures treated with anti-Kell glycoprotein suggests that the mechanism of growth suppression is distinct from programmed cell death and necrosis. Furthermore, this growth suppression cannot be rescued by erythropoietin.

Keywords: hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn
Kell
Advisor: Denomme, Gregory
Analyses of Host Specificity, Immune Interactions and New Virulence Candidates of Pseudomonas syringae

We studied the host specificity, interactions with plant immune systems, and virulence factors of the phytopathogenic Type III secretion system-carrying bacterium Pseudomonas syringae. In studying host specificity, we ran growth and pod assays using seventeen pathovars of P. syringae on kidney bean hosts. We tracked bacterial growth numbers over six days and compared pathovar growth patterns. To study immune interactions with host plants, we performed effector-triggered immunity induction and suppression assays with individual effectors in Arabidopsis thaliana to determine whether effector evolutionary age was related to resultant plant immune responses. No correlations were observed. To generate candidate virulence effectors, we sequenced mRNA from seven P. syringae pathovars grown in inducing media and pulled out hits to virulence-related genes.

Keywords: host specificity
Pseudomonas syringae
immune interactions
Advisor: Guttman, David S.
Adaptive Processing in High Frequency Surface Wave Radar

High-Frequency Surface Wave Radar (HFSWR) is a radar technology that offers numerous advantages for surveillance of coastal waters beyond the exclusive economic zone. However, target detection and tracking is primarily limited by ionospheric interference. Ionospheric clutter is characterized by a high degree of nonhomogeneity and nonstationarity, which makes its suppression difficult using conventional processing techniques. Space-time adaptive processing techniques have enjoyed great success in airborne radar, but have not yet been investigated in the context of HFSWR. This thesis is primarily concerned with the evaluation of existing STAP techniques in the HFSWR scenario and the development of a new multistage adaptive processing approach, dubbed the Fast Fully Adaptive (FFA) scheme, which was developed with the particular constraints of the HFSWR interference environment in mind. Three different spatio-temporal partitioning schemes are introduced and a thorough investigation of the performance of the FFA is conducted.

Keywords: Adaptive Processing
Radar
HFSWR
Low Complexity
Multistage
Advisor: Adve, Raviraj
Neuropsychological Contributions to Symptomatology in Eating Disordered Patients

The present study examined the claim that neuropsychological deficits in set-shifting and emotional decision making are present in eating disordered patients, and to what extent these deficits relate to specific aspects of disordered eating. Sixteen eating disordered patients and 38 controls were given a battery of neuropsychological measures, as well as questionnaires measuring disordered eating. Compared to controls, patients demonstrated poorer performance on tasks of set-shifting, but not decision making, psychomotor speed, working memory, or IQ. Across groups, poor set-shifting was correlated with food-, shape-, and weight concerns, and restricting, whereas poor decision making was correlated to restricting. The study demonstrates that set-shifting deficits are present in eating disordered patients, and that specific relations exist between cognitive performance in different domains and disordered eating.

Keywords: eating disorders
neuropsychology
set-shifting
decision-making
Advisor: Nussbaum, David
Utility of the Cytochrome Oxidase I gene (COI) for Species Identification and Phylogeographic Analysis in Black Flies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

A short sequence of ca. 658-bp of the mitochondrial gene COI was used to investigate its utility as a DNA barcode in the medically important Simuliidae or black flies. Sixty-five species and species complexes were tested. Results indicate that the barcoding gene discriminated among morphologically distinct species with nearly 100% of efficacy and proved useful for revealing cryptic diversity. The DNA barcoding gene was also tested for revealing phylogeographic patterns in the western cordilleran Prosimulium travisi and the Prosimulium neomacropyga species-group. Phylogeographic analyses on these species revealed areas that acted as glacial refugia, postglacial history, cryptic speciation episodes and timing of the events that lead to their present-day distribution. The results obtained concur with other phylogeographic studies on similarly-distributed cordilleran organisms. In conclusion, the barcoding gene not only resulted useful for species discrimination in black flies but also for studies at the population level, providing value-added to this molecular marker.

Keywords: DNA Barcoding
Simuliidae
Phylogeography
Population Genetics
Advisor: Currie, Douglas C.
The Role of South Asian Traditional Healers in Counselling

The current study’s aim was to explore and document the role of South Asian traditional healers residing in Toronto as it has been observed that South Asians tend to approach these traditional healers for assistance with their physical, psychological and spiritual distresses. These healers were interviewed about their background, training, the South Asian traditional healing processes and their thoughts on collaboration with Western Mental Health practitioners. The data was analyzed using Grounded Theory. The results revealed that these traditional healers closely followed the South Asian traditional healing theories and cultural norms in their practices. The healing processes reflected the ideas of holism, planetary effects and religious healing. The traditional healers also expressed eagerness to associate with the Western Mental Health care services to benefit their clients. The findings suggest that South Asian traditional healers play a major role in the lives of South Asians.

Keywords: Counselling Psychology
South Asian
Traditional Healers
Traditional Healing
Advisor: Moodley, Roy
Early Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) limits survival after heart transplantation. CAV is caused by damage to the allograft endothelium, resulting in occlusive intimal lesions. Administration of ex vivo cultured early endothelial progenitor cells (eEPCs) enhances endothelial repair and inhibits intimal hyperplasia. However, engraftment rates of eEPCs remain low. We examined changes in eEPC adhesion molecule expression during ex vivo cultivation, and how these changes affect their ability to adhere. Compared to their parent cell population (freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, PBMCs), eEPCs had decreased expression of integrins necessary to form firm adhesions with endothelial cells. Despite this eEPCs showed an enhanced ability to adhere under static conditions compared to PBMCs. However, under conditions of physiological flow, eEPC rolling adhesion was reduced compared to PBMCs. We hypothesize that low eEPC retention rates observed in vivo may be due to impaired eEPC rolling resulting from ex vivo culture.

Keywords: Endothelial Progenitor Cell
adhesion
Advisor: Rao, Vivek
Synthesizing Agents and Relationships for Land Use/Transportation Modelling

Agent-based microsimulation models of socioeconomic processes require an initial synthetic population derived from census data. This thesis builds upon the Iterative Proportional Fitting (IPF) synthesis procedure, which has well-understood statistical properties and close links with log-linear models. Typical applications of IPF are limited in the number of attributes that can be synthesized per agent. A new method is introduced, implementing IPF with a sparse list-based data structure that allows many more attributes per agent. Additionally, a new approach is used to synthesize the relationships between agents, allowing the formation of household and family agents in addition to individual person agents. Using these methods, a complete population of persons, families, households and dwellings was synthesized for the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton.

Keywords: Transportation
Urban Planning
Civil Engineering
Advisor: Miller, Eric
Attitude Sensing, Actuation, and Control of the BRITE and CanX-4&5 Satellites

An attitude control system for the BRITE and CanX-4&5 nanosatellites is developed. BRITE and CanX-4&5 are research satellites based on the Space Flight Laboratory’s Generic Nanosatellite Bus, devoted to the study of star brightness and formation ﬂying, respectively. Novel low-cost testing procedures are developed and used to characterize satellite sensor and actuator performance. The algorithm governing the pointing of CanX-4&5 is enhanced based on preliminary simulation results. A linear-time invariant controller architecture, applicable to both BRITE and CanX-4&5, is designed based on simulation of several competing controllers. Testing information is combined with control laws and controller to simulate the attitude performance of the satellites throughout their missions.

Keywords: Attitude
Control
Satellite
Sensing
Advisor: Zee, Robert E.
The Role of GABAA Receptor-mediated Neurotransmission in Ventilatory Acclimatisation to Hypoxia

Exposure to chronic hypoxia (CH) leads to ventilatory acclimatisation to hypoxia (VAH) which is a time-dependent increase in breathing. This study examined the role of the GABAA receptor in establishing VAH. Rats were exposed to CH or control (normoxic) conditions for 10 days during which the GABAA receptor antagonist, bicuculline, was infused systemically or directly into the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). Acute breathing trials were then performed to measure resting ventilation and ventilatory chemoreflexes. Systemic administration of bicuculline caused reductions in breathing during acute hypoxia and acute hypercapnia in the control but not the CH animals. Continuous infusion of bicuculline in to the NTS caused a reduction in the acute hypoxic ventilatory response in animals exposed to CH but not in the control animals. The results indicate that exposure to CH alters the GABAA-mediated regulation of acute ventilatory chemoreflexes both in the NTS and elsewhere in the brain.

Keywords: GABAA
Chronic Hypoxia
Ventilatory
Acclimatisation
Advisor: Reid, Stephen G.
Applications and Orbit Scenarios for a Multistatic InSAR Formation Flying Microsatellite Mission

The Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies is currently designing CanX-4 and CanX-5, a pair of formation-flying nanosatellites that will target centimeter-level position determination and sub-meter control. Once formation flight has been demonstrated, future missions can carry payloads designed to exploit these capabilities. Earth Observation is one such application that can benefit greatly from the availability of multiple platforms with precise position determination and attitude control. This work explores multistatic interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) as a particularly promising implementation of formation flight. Several mission scenarios are considered, including three commonly proposed InSAR constellation configurations, namely the Cartwheel, the Cross-Track Pendulum, and the Car-Pe configuration, as well as three large ( kilowatt) SAR transmitters (L-, C- and X-band) and one microsatellite transmitter (X-band, 150W). Using a framework of STK and MATLAB simulation and analysis tools, each case is evaluated with respect to the available interferometric baselines, ground coverage, resolution, and utility for selected applications including digital elevation modeling, moving target detection, and superresolution imagery. The “large” X-band transmitter is found to produce the most favorable operating area and resolution, and the Car-Pe configuration provides the greatest utility and flexibility for a combination of the three selected applications.

Keywords: microsatellites
InSAR
Advisor: Zee, Robert E.
Fotopoulos, Georgia
High-thoughput Screen to Identify Small Molecule Inhibitors of the Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

Wnt signaling is important in human development and disease, thus dysregulated beta-catenin constitutes an attractive target for drug intervention. The few functional inhibitors currently available target transcriptional activation, therefore, identifying novel upstream modulators would be of tremendous importance to elucidating the mechanisms involved in regulatingbeta-catenin activity. To achieve this, I developed a high-throughput screen to assess beta-catenin stability in mammalian cells using a luciferase tagged beta-catenin molecule. This assay was used to screen three chemical libraries to identify small molecule modulators of the pathway. Identified inhibitors/activators of the pathway were investigated via secondary assays. The most promising inhibitor, 21H7, significantly attenuated activated beta-catenin signaling in colon cancer cells, decreasing beta-catenin stability. The inhibitory effects of 21H7 and a structurally similar compound were shown to not only inhibit Wnt target gene expression in colon cancer cells, but also prostate cancer lines. Thus, 21H7 represents an attractive lead compound for further study.

Keywords: Wnt signaling
Small molecule screen
Advisor: Attisano, Liliana
Design and Analysis of a Tensioner for a Belt-driven Integrated Starter-generator System of Micro-hybrid Vehicles

The thesis presents the design and analysis of a Twin Tensioner for a Belt-driven Integrated Starter-generator (B-ISG) system. The B-ISG is an emerging hybrid transmission closely resembling conventional serpentine belt drives. Models of the B-ISG system's geometric properties and dynamic and static states are derived and simulated. The objective is to reduce the magnitudes of static tension in the belt for the ISG-driving phase. A literature review of hybrid systems, serpentine belt drive modeling and automotive tensioners is included. A parametric study evaluates tensioner parameters with respect to their impact on static tensions. Design variables are selected from these for an optimization study. The optimization uses a genetic algorithm (GA) and a hybrid GA. Results of the optimization indicate the optimal system contains spans with static tensions that are significantly lower in magnitude than that of the original design. Implications of the research on future work are discussed in closing.

Keywords: B-ISG
Micro-hybrid
belt drive
tensioner
automotive
integrated starter-generator
belt-driven integrated starter-generator
ISG
model
genetic algorithm
optimization
parametric analysis
hybrids
equations of motion
Advisor: Zu, Jean W.
Modified-hyaluronan and Elastin-like Polypeptide Composite Material for Tissue Engineering of the Nucleus Pulposus

Degenerative disc disease is a common ailment with enormous medical, psychosocial and economic ramifications. This study was designed to investigate the utility of a thiol-modified hyaluronan(TMHA) and elastin-like polypeptide(EP) composite material as a potential tissue engineering scaffold to reconstitute the nucleus pulposus in early degenerative disc disease. TMHA and EP were combined in various concentrations and cross-linked using poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate. Resulting materials were evaluated biomechanically and biologically. Confined compression testing revealed that the addition of EP to TMHA-based gels resulted in a stiffer construct, but remained an order of magnitude less stiff than native nucleus. The in vitro cell culture experiments with human intervertebral disc cells demonstrated 70% cell viability at three weeks with apparent maintenance of phenotype. The addition of EP did not have a significant biologic effect. An in vivo pilot study demonstrated biocompatibility of the TMHA-based hydrogels; additional power is required to adequately assess treatment effect.

Keywords: Tissue Engineering
Intervertebral disc
Spine
Nucleus Pulposus
Hyaluronan
Elastin
Biomaterial
Biomechanics
Advisor: Yee, Albert
Whyne, Cari
Performance Measurement of Water Distribution Systems (WDS). A Critical and Constructive Appraisal of the State-of-the-art

Water supply and distribution infrastructures are vital for current life. They have a significant role in public health, providing safe water for drinking and human consumption as well as for essential non-potable uses such as fire fighting. These diverse objectives create challenges for everyone who must address in some way the actual performance of the system. This research critically evaluates all common objectives of conventional design approaches and evaluates the advantages and drawbacks of various performance measures. New ideas for a more realistic and comprehensive approach to the design, operation assessment of WDS are proposed. A new approach, called a Risk-based Performance Assessment, for hydraulic performance evaluation is tentatively proposed. It is based on integration of reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability as three basic operational indices in the operation of WDS. Furthermore, the Total Life-cycle Cost evaluation approach is tentatively proposed based on considering all major costs of a WDS.

Keywords: Water Distribution Systems
Performance Measurement
Advisor: Karney, Bryan William