VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Tools for Electronic Surveillance of Testicular cancer (TEST): Understanding patient perspectives on access to electronic medical record (EMR)-based technology in a cancer follow-up context

Purpose. To understand the suitability and perspectives of testicular cancer surveillance patients regarding disease-specific EMR-based technology. Method. Mixed methods including a descriptive survey of 106 surveillance patients and a qualitative focus group study using grounded. Results. Quantitative: The majority of respondents agree that face-to-face encounters and physical exams are important. 91% of respondents use the internet, 75% for health information. Most respondents are interested in accessing test results online. Qualitative: Practicality, meaning of information, patient-doctor relationship, risk of recurrence, and role of technology are key factors in how surveillance patients regard disease-specific EMR. Each factor operates through the central theme of reassurance, and all may be influenced by temporality. Conclusions. Prevailing models of technology acceptance understate the complexity of the patient user and implications of online access to health information. Reassurance is the overriding element influencing attitudes of surveillance patients and needs to be considered to maximize the likelihood of technology acceptance and use in this context.
The development of a functional comorbidity index

Background. Physical function is an important measure of success of many medical and surgical interventions. Ability to adjust for comorbid disease is essential in health services research and epidemiological studies. Prior comorbidity indices, however, have been developed and designed to predict mortality, administrative outcomes, or for use in specific populations only. Research design. Diagnoses for inclusion in the index were generated through a review of the literature (including prior indices), and focus groups of patients, physicians, nurses, and rehabilitation therapists. The index was developed using two databases: A cross-sectional, simple random sample of Canadian adults and a sample of US adults seeking treatment for spine ailments. Subjects. The mean age of the 9,423 Canadian adults was 62.1 years (range 25--103; +/-SD 13.4) with a mean of 1.68 comorbid illnesses (SD +/- 1.65). The 28,349 US adults had a mean age of 49.0 years (range 18--97; +/-SD 15.3) and a mean of 1.71 (SD +/- 1.87) comorbidities. The databases were significantly different on all key variables including mean age, number of males and females, physical function scores and number of comorbid illnesses (p
Sex differences in the relationship between peer and family variables and multisystemic therapy outcome

Multisystemic therapy (MST) is an effective treatment for adolescent boys' aggression, however, it is not known whether MST works to reduce aggression in adolescent girls. To investigate MST in girls, questionnaires and interviews were administered to parents of 66 aggressive adolescent boys and girls (46 boys and 20 girls; mean age = 13.92) before and after MST. Sex differences in the relationship between pre- to post- changes in three predictor variables (parental monitoring, deviant peer affiliation and family functioning) and pre- to post- changes in aggression were examined. Both boys and girls exhibited less aggression when there was a positive change in family functioning. An improvement in parental monitoring was only effective in reducing girls' aggression. There was no association between change in deviant peers and change in aggressive behaviour. Interestingly, a significant decrease in aggression was found in boys, however, girls' aggression failed to reach subclinical levels at post-treatment. Findings are interpreted in terms of sex differences in the influence of relationships with peers and parents during adolescence. Other variables that may predict a reduction in externalizing behaviour in girls are considered.
Ex exemplis illustribus: the influence of gender on the vitae fratrum and the vitae sororum

This thesis examines the effects of gender on two Latin vitae compilations—the Vitae fratrum ordinis Praedicatorum (The Lives of the Brethren of the Order of Preachers) written by a Dominican brother, Gerard de Frachet, between 1256–1260 and the Vitae sororum (The Lives of the Sisters) written by a Dominican nun, Katherina of Unterlinden, between 1300–1320. The holy lives celebrated in these two texts highlight the different pathways to sanctity taken by thirteenth-century men and women in the Dominican Order. The first chapter focuses on the men. The first section places the Vitae fratrum in its historical and literary context. The second traces the development of the rules that guided the men in the Order of Preachers, and the third part examines how the rules were incorporated into the vitae, and how this material promoted a masculine model of sanctity according to the Dominican way of life. The second chapter focuses on the women in the same format. The first segment provides the historical and literary background of the Vitae sororum. The second details the rules and constitutions that guided the Unterlinden women. The third part of the chapter documents how the law codes were reflected in the Vitae sororum and how its inclusion encouraged the emulation of the perfect Christian feminine life according to Dominican praxis. The third chapter analyses the most important differences found in the two hagiographical collections. Particular attention is given to the structure of the texts, approaches of the authors, and the way in which Dominican men and women are portrayed as identifying with Christ, cultivating virtue, and achieving sanctity. The conclusion suggests that the gender of the authors and their subjects was one of the most important influences on the form and content of the vitae of Dominican men and women of the thirteenth century.
Six case studies of professed sisters who left the same religious congregation between 1977-2003

Current literature related to retention within women's religious congregations focus on specific circumstances that result in membership withdrawal from a congregation. This current study goes beyond preceding studies and contributes to the existing literature by considering tensions between charism fundamentals and other influences as probable factors related to membership withdrawal. The study analyzes participants' perceptions of the congruence or dissonance between charism fundamentals and specific influences that may have conflicted with a woman's ability or desire to remain in a religious congregation after she made final vows. Thirteen former members of one Canadian women's religious congregation, identified by the pseudonym of The Sisters of Elizabeth Thomas (SET) provide data by participating in questionnaires and interviews. These women withdrew from the congregation between 1977 and 2003. Insights associated with this research were gained by examining the personal values and ideologies of each research participant. This research also considers the possible impact that a religious congregation, society, and the Roman Catholic Church, may have on participants' decision to withdraw from a congregation. Findings reveal that participants share numerous commonalities. First are their personal experience, knowledge and affiliation with SET. The second is the process related to the participants' withdrawal from the congregation. The third commonality relates to their continued interest in SET'S current and future undertakings. Fourth are the firm opinions participants have regarding the congregation's charism fundamentals. The fifth, and last commonality, is that each participant believes that her withdrawal from SET was personally necessary. Analysis of the data reveals that tensions between the charism fundamentals of SET and various influences, within and outside the congregation, result in members' withdrawal from the congregation. This study concludes that the congregation's focus, function and viability are maintained through the preservation of its charism fundamentals as the congregation's founder intended these to be enacted.

Keywords: Ex-nuns, Attitudes
Monasticism and religious orders for women
Consistent with dopamine supersensitivity in psychosis, amphetamine sensitization elevates CaMKIIbeta but reduces RGS9 expression

The biological causes of schizophrenia are unknown, but genetic and environmental factors are involved particularly during the brain's earlier development and maturation. While multiple genes contribute to the disease process, no single gene appears to exert a dominant effect. Thus animal models of psychosis may be helpful in identifying susceptibility genes. Recent studies have indicated that upregulation of CaMKII and downregulation of RGS9-2 may play an important role in amphetamine-induced dopamine release and are associated with increased expression of high-affinity state dopamine D2 receptors. Therefore my objectives were to determine whether mRNA levels of CaMKIIalpha, CaMKIIbeta and RGS9-2 are modified in amphetamine-sensitized rat striata, as well as look at RGS9-2 expression in post-mortem human schizophrenia brain tissues. My results suggest that modified levels of CaMKIIalpha, CaMKIIbeta and RGS9-2 in both animal model and post-mortem human brain tissues provide strong evidence implicating CaMKII and RGS9-2 as candidate genes in schizophrenia.
Galectin-3 mediates porcine endothelial xenorecognition, adhesion, and activation of human monocytes

Delayed xenograft rejection (DXR) remains the principle immunological barrier to successful xenotransplantation. A feature of DXR is the early recruitment and accumulation of monocytes to the xenograft. Naive human monocytes can recognize and adhere to un-stimulated porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAEC) more than human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC), partly due to endothelial expression of the xenoantigen galactose-alpha(1,3)galactose-beta(1,4)GlcNAc-R (alpha-gal). Galectin-3 is a candidate molecule on the monocyte involved in the initial recognition, subsequent activation, and adhesion of human monocytes to PAEC. It is present on the surface of human monocytes with larger intracellular stores that can be secreted to the extracellular space. Galectin-3 binds highly to PAEC compared to HAEC. Furthermore, exogenous Galectin-3 activates monocytes themselves in an autocrine/paracrine manner. Blocking or removal of Galectin-3 on human monocytes reduces their activation upon co-culture with PAEC. Thus, inhibition of human Galectin-3 in pig-to-primate xenografts could diminish some of the manifestations of DXR.
Sustainability in graduate business curriculum: Implications for business schools

A recent wave of environmentalism has begun to wash over many parts of the world. This wave has affected much of the consumer society which is increasingly asking the business community to show how the products and the services they provide have less of an impact on the environment and human health. This has caused a ripple effect in the corporate business community with businesses needing to change the way they draw on resources, manufacture goods and run their businesses. To make this change, businesses will require employees that have a new skill set focused on sustainability. One place that these employees can gain this new skill set is as part of their graduate business education. This thesis reviews and analyzes the literature around business and sustainability and curriculum and examines why, and in what ways, business schools are educating their students about environmental sustainability.

Keywords: Sustainable development, Study and teaching (Graduate)
Sustainable development, Canada
Business schools, Curricula
Business schools, Canada
Business education, Curricula
Business education, Canada
Business, Environmental aspects
Business, Canada
Business ethics, Study and teaching (Graduate)
Business ethics, Canada
Utterance verification using competing hidden Markov models in isolated speech recognition interfaces

Speech recognition interfaces provide an alternate medium for communication with computing devices. In this work, we explore the design of a small-vocabulary speech recognition interface. A major problem with such interfaces is the detection and correct rejection of words that lie outside of the command vocabulary. Given the limited resources provided to an interface, any method that is used to detect out-of-vocabulary (OOV) words should ideally require minimal computational resources. A new utterance verifier is proposed which detects OOV words efficiently based upon competing Hidden Markov Models (HMM) from different word models. We find that this approach outperforms several existing techniques by reducing the error rate by 5--20%. Our approach can be generalised to work with existing techniques and was shown to reduce the error rate by 3--15%.
Is resting energy expenditure elevated in children newly diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma?

Our hypothesis was that children diagnosed with NBIV have an increased REE, which normalizes with cancer treatment. In addition, to observe changes in nutritional status from time of diagnosis in response to nutritional support. REE, measured by indirect calorimetry, and nutritional evaluation were obtained three times: at diagnosis prior to starting treatment, where tumour burden is expected to be highest; after two courses of chemotherapy where some response to treatment is expected; and after surgical excision of the primary tumour, where there was presumably minimal residual disease. Ten subjects completed the study. Mean age at diagnosis was 3.8 ± 1.5 years. REE was not increased, and there was no significant difference between phases (p = 0.29). Therefore, malnutrition observed at diagnosis is not due to an elevated energy expenditure, but likely due to decreased intake because of the intra-abdominal mass and anorexia resulting from the disease.
Penetration of anticancer drugs in solid tumors as a function of cellular adhesion and packing density

The penetration of anticancer drugs has been shown to be limited to the tumor periphery or the few cell layers proximal to the nearest blood vessel, excluding many of the viable cells distant from blood vessels in the tumor core, thereby reducing chemotherapeutic efficacy. Modifiers of cell-cell adhesion and ECM have been shown to enhance the distribution and the chemotherapeutic efficacy of a number of anticancer drugs. The development of multilayered cultures (MCC), in which tumor cells are grown on a semi-permeable Teflon support membrane, has facilitated the quantification of drug penetration through solid tissue. We compared the properties of MCC grown from two epithelioid (E) and round (R) sub-clones of HCT-8 colon carcinoma cell lines that generated MCC with different packing density. The penetration of methotrexate, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and 5-fluorouracil were shown to be greater through MCC derived from the loosely packed HCT-81R1 and Ra sublines compared with the tightly packed parental HCT-8E11 and Ea sublines. In MCC treated with doxorubicin, we observed greater survival in the tightly-packed than the loosely-packed cell lines. The results reported in this thesis support the initial hypothesis that cellular adhesion and packing density limit the penetration of chemotherapeutic agents in solid tumors, and that the administration of agents that modify cell adhesion and/or packing density can enhance drug penetration and chemotherapeutic efficacy. Tumor xenografts established from HCT-8 sublines exhibited significant differences in cellular packing density: greater packing density was observed in the HCT-8E11 and Ea than the HCT-81R1 and Ra tumors respectively. Doxorubicin distribution was observed to be significantly greater in the loosely packed HCT-81R1 and Ra tumor xenografts compared to the tightly packed HCT-8E11 and Ea tumors. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib was used to modify the tumor microenvironment. Bortezomib pre-treatment was shown to reduce cellular packing density, improve drug penetration, and enhance the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin and gemcitabine in MCC derived from HCT-8Ea and E11 cell lines. In vivo administration of bortezomib was shown to reduce interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) and to enhance doxorubicin distribution in HCT-8E11 and Ea tumor xenografts.
Extensional resistance of associative polymer solutions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extensional resistance of associative polymer solutions. The Trouton ratio was measured using two methods for an industrial polymer, RM2020, in various concentrations. The first method measured Trouton ratios using a filament stretching rheometer, which ranged from 4.4 to 18.2, and which decreased with extensional rate and concentration. These measurements confirmed that the associative polymer solutions were only weakly elastic in extension. The second method calculated an equivalent Trouton ratio based on filament breaking length. The latter results corresponded well with those of the first method for a 20 wt% solution, but showed large deviations for 10 wt% and 15 wt% solutions. The mode of filament failure was investigated to explain the discrepancies. A linear polymer was added to the RM2020 solutions to increase elasticity, which had a larger effect in shear than in extension.
Challenging the limits of the grounds of discrimination: towards a flexible, contextual approach

While previously the grounds of discrimination presented a barrier to recognizing more complex inequalities, such as those occurring from an intersection of characteristics, I argue that this no longer need be the case. The problem lies not with the grounds themselves, but with the way in which they are interpreted. The grounds tend to be treated rigidly, with their content seen as static and incapable of changing to respond to new situations. I argue that this rigid approach can be avoided through a flexible, contextual approach to the grounds in which the three-stage inquiry of the Law test is approached holistically, so that each stage is examined contextually. It is only then that we will we be able to identify and examine the social systems that construct and maintain certain individuals and groups in positions of disadvantage, as well as explore the ways in which these systems of disadvantage interlock to create unique experiences of inequality for certain groups.

Keywords: Discrimination, Law and legislation
Discrimination, Canada
Discrimination, Law and legislation
Equality before the law, Canada
The effect of a low glycemic index diet on blood glucose control in women with gestational hyperglycemia

Evidence based dietary guidelines for individuals with gestational hyperglycemia (GH), have not been established. Therefore, 47 participants with GH were randomized to a control or low glycemic index (GI) diet group. A significant difference in GI and glycemic load and was obtained between groups. Low GI starches did not increase symptoms and were rated "good" by participants. Despite this, there was no difference in blood glucose (BG), serum insulin and lipids or maternal weight gain between groups. Pre-pregnancy BMI significantly influenced how diet affected postprandial BG after breakfast. The postprandial BG of those on low GI was lower when BMI ge; 25 (mean BMI of sample was 26). Insulin treatment affected weight gain and gestational age affected infant birth weight. Infant birth weight was 206 grams less in the low GI group (ns); 210 participants would be needed to detect a significant difference of this magnitude. Further studies are warranted.
Learning among adults in online courses

Both courses were similar in the frequency and distribution of interactions, but individual learners displayed distinct patterns in the time and organization of interactions. In responding to the instructor, learners described their current understandings, provided examples of applications to classrooms or schools, and suggested implications for practice. Many of the responses of learners to other learners involved connecting with others' belief statements and supporting or challenging those beliefs through examples of applications in classrooms or schools from their own experiences. Those interactions that featured improvable ideas, epistemic agency and diversity of ideas supported progressive discourse. This study examined learning among adults taking research-based professional development online courses. Individual learners' activities were chronicled as learning pathways, captured in course transcripts. The learners within a course interacted by reading and/or responding to each others' postings. A subset of those interactions can be characterized as progressive discourse, resulting in learning. The data were drawn from the transcripts of two computer-mediated courses for teachers. Patterns of course activity across all learners were examined. In addition, the learning pathways, interaction patterns, and the content and nature of the discourse were investigated for several students from each course.

Keywords: Computer-assisted instruction, Ontario
Teachers, Training of
Teachers, Ontario
Computer conferencing in education, Ontario
Under the microscope: 'race', gender, and medical laboratory science in Canada

Canada's third largest health profession, medical laboratory science, is a feminized and largely invisible profession in which the practitioners are not permitted to claim the knowledge that they create in their everyday work. My research documents inequitable practices as they can be seen in the experiences of medical laboratory technologists as well as in the institutionalized practices that discount their work. I describe my historical document analysis and survey of practitioners, situating myself as an insider making use of a critical feminist perspective. I address the social and historical foundations of the profession, issues of race and gender in laboratory work, and the implications of these findings for professional change in medical laboratory science. I advocate several means of re-visioning of medical laboratory science to acknowledge the role of medical laboratory technologists in knowledge creation. As well, I suggest that research on the professions encourage inquiry into intersecting racist, sexist and classist practices; that researchers on race enhance their awareness of the potentially disadvantaging assumptions built into certain research practices; and that health policy-makers address the issue of toxic work environments, unvalued health care workers, and inequitable policy-making practices in order to safeguard health practitioners and the quality of patient care. My historical analysis reveals that laboratory work and the division of labour in the laboratory arose within racist, sexist and classist practices of nineteenth-century science and medicine; my discussion lays out the relations of dominance by the medical profession that characterized the health professions throughout the twentieth century. I discuss 'race', gender and medical laboratory science, showing how men's and women's experiences in the profession differ in terms of their educational attainment, career advancement, workplace activities, and participation in part-time and contingency work. The racialized division of labour becomes apparent when laboratory workers above and below medical laboratory technologists are considered. My analysis of the experiences of medical laboratory technologists during health care restructuring demonstrates the impact of reductionist ideologies of cost and efficiency on the lives and work of laboratory practitioners, revealing the shift of control over laboratory work from the medical profession to administrators and corporate interests.

Keywords: Women medical technologists, Canada
Sex discrimination in medicine, Canada
Sex discrimination against women, Canada
Race discrimination, Canada