VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Adoption of an innovation: The story behind preventive services in a community health centre

Aim. The aim of this organizational case study was to explore how the adoption of an eHealth innovation was influenced by practitioner training and organizational improvement in the delivery of smoking prevention and cessation to youth in a community health centre in Ottawa. Objectives. To examine whether the adoption of an eHealth intervention would be facilitated by a high level of coherence between: (a) the organization's level of functioning, (b) capacity to implement organizational change and (c) organizational supports for behaviour change and eHealth training. Also, to investigate whether various characteristics related to the organization, the practitioners and the innovation would influence the adoption decision process. Conclusion. Training may still be an effective intervention strategy for behaviour change when it is coupled with organizational leadership. Adoption of an innovation represents a complex interplay of characteristics of the innovation, participants and the organization. Given that collective efficacy is a potent determinant of practitioner behaviour, further research on the influence of organizational capacity on practitioner behaviour is warranted. Subjects and Setting. The study was conducted in a community health centre in Ottawa from 2004-2005 involving 12 health care practitioners and 26 adolescents (12-18 years). Results. Training did not influence practitioners' adoption of the eHealth innovation and quality improvement program as expected. Low compatibility was important as a determinant in the non-adoption-decision. The organization had deficiencies in the five critical elements required for organizational change. Practitioner self-efficacy was not a key determinant in behaviour change, while collective efficacy was a key determinant in practitioner adoption behaviour. Methods. This organizational case study had three phases: (1) Baseline: performance evaluation and needs analyses, (2) Intervention: practitioner training on using eHealth resources, and organizational improvement and (3) Maintenance. Key informant interviews and case-based interviews (Chart Stimulated Recall) were conducted. An ecological view and grounded theory were used to organize and analyse eHealth innovation determinants at the macro, meso and micro level.
A scanning electron microscope light microscope investigation of the hybrid layer

Purpose. To determine which methods of preparation for SEM best illustrate the hybrid layer (HL), then to use these methods to measure HL thickness and the degree of hybridization of five adhesives, including SBMP with DMSO added. Materials and methods. Part 1: Third molars prepared with SBMP, were longitudinally sectioned and prepared for SEM using five methods. Part 2: 50 third molars were prepared with five adhesives, and sectioned obtaining two adjacent sections. One section was critical point dried (CPD) while the other was deproteinized. Hybrid layer thickness was measured. Part 3 : Sections stained with Malachite Green and Goldner Trichrome stain were visualized under light microscopy. Results. Comparing CPD sections to adjacent deproteinized sections best illustrate the HL. HL thickness ranged from 0.5 Î¼m to 4.5 Î¼m, and the degree of hybridization from 16% to 91%. DMSO increased SBMP hybridization. Vital stains illustrated collagen at the base of the HL.
MAC-2: a MAC protocol for power control in mobile ad hoc networks

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are multi-hop wireless networks where nodes cooperatively maintain network connectivity. These networks suffer from many problems, such as high power consumption, inefficient spatial reuse, and poor Quality of Service. These problems can be remedied by developing a medium access control (MAC) scheme which reduces power consumption by sending at the minimal power needed to reach the nodes involved in a connection, and which optimizes spatial reuse by allowing as many simultaneous exchanges as possible to occur in an area. This thesis presents a comprehensive work that enhances the performance of MANETs through improvements at the MAC layer. This work is based on the IEEE 802.11a standard, which is not well suited yet for operation in MANETs. We propose a power efficient MAC layer protocol, with a physical layer extension, which makes the current IEEE 802.11a devices more suitable for operation in a MANET environment.
Predicting fatigue failure of power conductors

Natural frequency and fatigue failure lifetime of finger projections were investigated for the purpose of design of a reliable and inexpensive vibration indicator to be mounted on power transmission lines. The effect of notches on the natural frequency of the fingers was investigated. A computer script based on the Finite Element Method was developed to find the natural frequency of the notched rods. Aluminum alloy 6061-T6 material was chosen as the material of the fingers. Several fingers with different lengths and notch radii were designed and machined. An experimental setup was designed to measure the lifetime and natural frequency of the designed fingers. The optimum length and notch radius for a given frequency of 20Hz were obtained. It was found that inclusion of notch adds a random factor and large scattering to the fatigue lifetime due to the creation of random surface defects. It was also found that grinding the surface of the rod decreases the scatter of the lifetime results. The most appropriate finger that has a natural frequency of 20 Hz has a length of 670mm with no notch.
Molecular detection and characterization of emerging infectious diseases

The global movement of pathogenic microorganisms has recently been accelerated by dramatic increases in global travel and immigration. This increase in the dissemination of pathogens has been confounded by the increased use of anti-microbial agents and antibiotics in human and animal populations, driving the emergence and spread of drug resistance. As it was clearly illustrated by the recent SARS outbreak, the majority of travelers who contract tropical or emerging infectious diseases do not become ill until returning home. There, in the absence of appropriate disease screening and detection, they can become index cases of potentially catastrophic public health outbreaks. Accurate detection and appropriate treatment of an increasing number of "globalized" infectious diseases depends on the expertise of physicians and diagnostic expertise in laboratories in a traveler's home country. Although infectious diseases common in developed countries have been thoroughly described, and their detection and characterization is facilitated by standardised, sensitive, and specific assays that employ the latest technological advancements, a comparative dearth of such assays exists for emerging and "globalized" infectious diseases. To address this need, a re-emerging parasitic disease (malaria) and an emerging viral disease (SARS) have been used as models for which standardized pathogen detection and drug resistance characterization assays, as well as full genome molecular screening tools have been developed. The utility of these assays has been evaluated for routine use in clinical diagnostic settings. Emerging infectious diseases present new threats and pose increasingly complex challenges for healthcare systems and public health. In addition, escalating antimicrobial resistance requires close monitoring and continual technical improvements for enhanced detection and characterization. The availability of appropriate standardised assays to rapidly diagnose emerging disease have both clinical and economic benefits. Early detection and appropriate therapy result in decreased morbidity, mortality, and overall healthcare costs. Active surveillance with reliable tests permits early identification of epidemics and appropriate public health responses including the prevention of secondary spread within the community.
Light space adaptive removal of CCD noise in digital images

In this thesis, we propose a denoising scheme to restore images degraded by CCD noise. The CCD noise model, measured in the space of incident light values (light space), is a combination of signal-independent and signal-dependent noise regions. This model becomes more complex in image brightness space (normal camera output) due to the nonlinearity of the camera response function that transforms image data from light space to image space. We develop two adaptive restoration techniques, both accounting for this nonlinearity. One operates in light space, where the relationship between the incident light and light space values is linear, while the second method uses the image space noise model to operate in image space. Both techniques apply multiple adaptive filters and merge their outputs to give the final restored image. Experimental results suggest that light space denoising is more efficient, since it enables the design of a simpler algorithm.
Electro-thermal modeling of high frequency magnetic components

The mean surface temperature is a key design issue in a magnetic component. Conventionally, the mean surface temperature is correlated to losses using the convection coefficient. The convection coefficient is difficult to determine accurately since it depends on the surface temperature rise, orientation, shape and size of the magnetic component. Nearby elements and an enclosing chassis also affect the convection coefficient. Experimental results of a five-winding coupled inductor in a flyback converter are presented to validate the mean surface temperature---total loss expression. The poor accuracy of loss estimates is a major problem in verifying this expression because the absolute error in the analytical or empirical methods used in this thesis was comparable to the total loss. In this thesis, a simple expression is provided for estimating the mean surface temperature for a given total loss in the case of a vertically oriented magnetic component which is located in open air with no nearby element. The mean surface temperature---total loss expression along with design guidelines for engineers are obtained using coupled 2-D computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer simulations taking into account free convection and radiation. Conducting simulations in 3-D was limited due to insufficient computer memory. The impact of nearby elements on the thermal characteristics of the coupled inductor is qualitatively addressed using a pot-core encircled by either an adiabatic or an isothermal barrier. There is a critical temperature above which a nearby element can result in thermal runaway in the core temperature. An analytical method for computing this critical temperature is developed. The losses in the coupled inductor are computed from circuit simulations using the high frequency circuit model produced by a commercial software package. The circuit model does not properly capture the frequency dependence of the coupling factors which influences the shape of the secondary current waveforms. Therefore, eddy-current losses may not be calculated correctly. Subject to certain constraints, a new circuit formulation is derived in this thesis based on a magnetic component's high order differential equations. These equations should fully and correctly capture the frequency behavior of the component.
Stratospheric composition measurements in the arctic and at mid-latitudes and comparison with chemical fields from atmospheric models

The purpose of this research is to contribute to our understanding of the processes determining the Arctic stratospheric ozone budget by deploying an ultraviolet-visible spectrometer at the Arctic Stratospheric Ozone Observatory (ASTRO) located at Eureka, NU (80.1°N, 86.4°W). For four years, O 3 columns, NO2 vertical columns and profiles, and OCIO slant columns (in 2000) were measured during polar spring. The spectrometer was also deployed in Vanscoy, SK (52°N, 107°W) in 2000 and 2002 as part of the Middle Atmosphere Nitrogen TRend Assessment (MANTRA) project. The resulting O3 columns were compared with Brewer, TOMS and GOME data. The NO 2 columns, NO2 reference column density (RCD) and NO 2 diurnal variability were also determined. The Arctic measurements were analysed in detail and combined with infrared Fourier transform spectrometer measurements at ASTRO and with HNO3 measurements at Thule, Greenland (76.5°N, 68.8°W) and Kiruna, Sweden (67.8°N, 20.4°E) (in 2001-2002). To assess the chemical fields of atmospheric models, the observational data set was compared with chemical fields from the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model (CMAM) and SLIMCAT, a 3D Chemical Transport Model. The comparison of CMAM with measurements made during the warm Arctic winters (1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003) provided an excellent opportunity to test the model simulations under PSC-free conditions. Generally, the CMAM inter-annual variability is small and does not fully cover the range of the observed variability. SLIMCAT O3 columns were generally higher than the observed values. Comparison with O3 profiles from sondes indicated that O3 mixing in the lower stratosphere was too fast in SLIMCAT. A sensitivity study on the contributions of NO2 RCD uncertainty to the retrieval of NO2 profiles showed that a 10% uncertainty in the RCD changes the retrieved profile by 5-10% at northern high latitudes. This project extended the temporal-geographical range of polar stratospheric observations and strengthened Canadian capabilities in monitoring the mid-latitude and particularly the Arctic stratosphere. As part of an ongoing research program, it will provide a long-term data set in the Canadian High Arctic, which can be used for future trend analysis.
Bronchial epithelial derived relaxant factor: Airway modulation of pulmonary vascular resistance

The factors controlling the pulmonary vascular resistance under physiological conditions are poorly understood. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate whether bronchial epithelial cells release a factor (EpDRF) capable of inducing pulmonary arterial muscle relaxation. Bronchial epithelial cell cultured conditioned medium significantly relaxed pre-contracted adult but not fetal pulmonary arterial muscle in an oxygen tension-dependent manner. This response is mediated via nitric oxide involving the AKT/PI3-kinase and nNOS pathways, and significantly greater in the pulmonary when compared with bronchial muscle. Moreover, bronchial epithelial cell conditioned medium increased AKT phosphorylation in pulmonary smooth muscle cells (SMC) and reduced intracellular calcium change following ATP stimulation to a significantly greater extent than observed for the bronchial SMC. Therefore, bronchial epithelial cells release a stable and soluble factor capable of inducing pulmonary arterial SMC relaxation. I speculate that the maintenance of a low pulmonary vascular resistance, postnatally, under physiological conditions, is in part modulated by the airway epithelium through EpDRF.
Expression and regulation of prostaglandin receptors and cytochrome P450c17 hydroxylase in the late gestation ovine placenta

Previous studies in sheep reported that fetal cortisol produced in late gestation causes increased placental PGHS-2 expression and PGE 2 synthesis. It has been suggested that PGE2, acting through prostaglandin receptors, upregulates placental P450c17 resulting in altered placental steroid synthesis at term. Using a glucocorticoid-induced ovine model of preterm labour, we demonstrated significant increases in placental PGHS-2 protein expression and fetal plasma PGE2 which were associated with P450c17 mRNA upregulation after intrafetal cortisol infusion. Co-infusion with meloxicam increased P450c17 expression despite blocking PGE2 synthesis. We also localized EP1, EP3, and FP receptors to uninucleate cells of the fetal trophoblast. However, increased exogenous and endogenous (by periconceptional undernutrition) cortisol had no effect on altering prostaglandin receptor expression. Therefore, we suggest that increased PGE2 output in late gestation may not be the major pathway in regulating P450c17 and that cortisol and/or other glucocorticoid-stimulated intermediates could play a role in regulation of placental P450c17.
Palladium-catalyzed Heck reaction and tandem cross coupling reactions for heterocycle synthesis

We have obtained a tetracyclic Heck product with a formal anti-beta -hydride elimination during our post-ARO Pd-catalyzed derivatization studies of dihydronaphthalenes. We found that the yield for this Heck reaction was highly base-dependent, with DABCO being optimal. The catalyst combination of Pd2(dba)3/HP(tBu)3·BF 4 and DABCO was highly efficient for this intramolecular Heck reaction under very mild conditions. Additionally, we observed tandem double Heck reactions, which selectively functionalize two C-Br bonds intra- and intermolecularly. We further developed the concept of selective intramolecular and intermolecular cross-couplings using more general gemdihaloolefin systems, which subsequently led to the development of a variety of heterocycle forming reactions. A tandem C-N/Suzuki coupling of a gemdihalovinylaniline and organoboron reagents including aryl, heteroaryl, alkenylboronic acids (or borate esters) and alkyl boranes afforded a variety of 2-substituted indoles in good to excellent yield. This new method of indole synthesis tolerated various functional groups on all positions of the indole moiety. The orthogonal approach of the sequential copper and palladium-mediated synthesis of 1,2-diarylindoles exploited the availability of diverse organoboron reagents. This new method was successfully applied for the synthesis of three Merck KDR kinase inhibitors in very good overall yields. The Pd-catalyzed tandem couplings of gemdihalovinyl systems were further extended for the synthesis of (1) 2-carbonyl indoles via a C-N coupling, carbonylation, and Suzuki sequence, (2) 2-vinyl indoles via a C-N coupling/Heck reaction sequence, and (3) 2 alkynyl indoles via a C-N/Sonogashira coupling sequence. Furthermore, a Cu-catalyzed tandem Goldberg reaction was developed for the synthesis of imidazoindolones from amino acid-tethered gemdibromoolefins. Preliminary studies towards a modular synthesis of azaindoles from N'-Boc- N'-gemdibromovinyl pyridylamine via a sequential Suzuki/direct arylation protocol was also explored. This new tandem coupling reaction was also successfully extended to two other pharmaceutically important families of heterocycles, azaindoles and thienopyrroles. Suitable substituents (such as alkyl, Boc, and Cbz) on the amino group of the substrate were essential to prevent catalyst poisoning during the tandem process.
Modeling routing demand for early-stage FPGA architecture development

In the development of new Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), a key part in their evaluation is determining the need for routing wires. This demand is typically determined through laborious and compute-intensive experimentation which is not possible in the early stages of development. This gives rise to the need for an FPGA routing demand model that could be employed at this stage. This thesis presents an FPGA interconnect model that predicts routing demand, to guide the architect in the early stages of architecture development. The goal is to produce a model that is as simple as possible but still accurate enough so that knowledge, understanding and intuition can be transmitted by the model. The model inputs are a characterization of the logic block architecture and a set of routing architecture parameters. The output is the number of routing tracks per channel needed by that logic block and routing architecture.
Public policy, occupational pension plans, and alternative retirement savings programs

Last decade witnessed rapid growth of Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and slow decline of occupational pension plans, particularly the defined-benefit plans. Meanwhile federal Income Tax Act and provincial Pension Standards Legislations have been reformed several times. The trend from traditional defined-benefit plans to more flexible defined contribution plans and group RRSP plans has also spurred interest in its impact on labour market, employment relations, and human resource management. To date, no thorough evaluation has been done on the determinants of pension coverage in Canada. Also, research has neither comprehensively assessed the productivity enhancing features of defined benefit plans nor provided a strong test of their labour market impact in comparison to other deferred compensation arrangements. Making use of two nationally representative surveys of Canadian workers and workplaces, my program of study is intended to advance the knowledge of current pension industry and fill the above gaps in the pension literature. Major findings are: (1) Public policies, such as higher marginal taxes, earlier vesting, and more permissive eligibility rules are found to increase pension coverage, while a ban on mandatory retirement is found to have a negative yet insignificant effect, consistent with the institutional view of pensions. (2) Pension plan and hybrid plan coverage (both pension and group RRSP coverage) are found to have significant quit reduction effects, and hybrid plan coverage has the strongest impact. Group RRSPs have small, positive effect on employee quit probability. This evidence suggests that implicit contract theory and expected pension capital loss are the major mechanisms as opposed to labour market sorting. (3) Both pensions and group RRSPs are found to have productivity enhancing effects but for different reasons, and hybrid plans have largest positive impact. Productivity gains from pension plans work more through the channels of rigorous employee selection, quit reduction, and employer-sponsored training, in line with the training and shirking models, while productivity gains through group RRSPs are achieved more through layoff deterrence and greater work effort, consistent with the information asymmetric hiring/selection model.
Rapid prototyping by deposition of molten metal droplets

This thesis investigates the feasibility of rapid prototyping by the deposition of molten metal droplets. Issues, including generation of uniform molten metal droplets of various metals using a pneumatic droplet generator, deposition of droplets, formation of vertical columns, and fabrication of 3D objects by successively dispensing molten metal droplets are explored. Fundamental physics related to these processes has also been studied. Impinging molten droplets could fuse with the pre-deposited material via substrate remelting under appropriate temperature conditions. A one-dimensional model was used to predict the minimum droplet and substrate temperatures required for droplets to remelt a thin layer of the underlying substrate and fuse with it. Freestanding 3D objects of various geometries were fabricated by depositing tin and zinc droplets layer by layer while attempts to build 3D components using aluminum droplets were unsuccessful due to the difficulties in producing aluminum droplets continuously because aluminum oxidizes much faster than tin or zinc. Primary parameters affecting the generation of single uniform molten metal droplets were nozzle size, opening time of solenoid valve, and supply pressure. Oxidation of molten metal also had a significant impact on the generation of metal droplets. Stable production of uniform metal droplets using tin and zinc was achieved while continuous generation of aluminum droplets was not reliable. Droplet temperature, substrate temperature, and deposition frequency were discovered to have the strongest effect on the formation of vertical columns built with metal droplets landing sequentially on top of each other. A one-dimensional steady state conductive heat transfer model as well as a transient model in a column was developed to predict the temperature profile of the column. Droplet coalescence was best achieved when the tip temperature of a column was maintained at the melting point of the metal. Deposition frequency should be decreased as column height increases to hold the tip temperature constant.