VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Active Radar Tag Arrays in 22nm FDSOI CMOS

This thesis explores the system specification and partitioning, building block topologies, and the transistor-level implementation of an active repeater tag array for 76 – 81 GHz OFDM radar signals, which has been designed and fabricated in the 22nm FDSOI CMOS technology. To the author’s knowledge, the active tag array is the first IC to integrate this new function. This also marks the first published work to utilize a passive, CMOS pass gate single-sideband modulator at W-band, whose linearity was optimized the handle OFDM radar signals. The array includes 4 separate lanes, each consuming 25 mA from an 800mV supply, for a total power consumption of 80 mW. The individual lanes in the active tag array achieve a conversion gain of 10 – 20.5 dB, better than 50 dB image rejection, and a peak SFDR and SNDR of more than 40 dB and 29 dB, respectively, sufficient for the intended application.

Advisor: Voinigescu, Sorin
Exploring the Possibilities of Settler Filipino Food Sovereignty in Toronto: Theory, Filipino Farmers, and Accountability to Indigenous Sovereignty

This thesis aims to understand the possibilities of settler Filipino food sovereignty in right relation to Indigenous sovereignty in Toronto. On the surface, food sovereignty for a settler community seems incompatible with Indigenous sovereignty due to on-going settler colonialism. Through interviews with six Toronto-based Filipino farmers, literature and personal experience, this thesis highlights how farming, gardening, seed keeping, and food sovereignty activities is as a portal of relationship building with Indigenous Peoples and with the land as diasporic people. Further, through farming, farmers are preserving and promoting Philippine foodways amongst their communities in Toronto, and with this tangible land-based work invokes transformative responsibilities that ultimately challenge ongoing-settler colonialist paradigms in Toronto and surrounding areas. This thesis thus, positions growing food and land relationality as a crucial tool in Indigenous-Filipino relationship building and in building decolonial food systems.

Keywords: Filipino-Indigenous solidarities
food sovereignty
food systems learning
land relationality
Toronto
urban farming
Advisor: Sumner, Jennifer
Sex Differences and Predictors of Post-stroke Depressive Symptoms and Achieving Recommended Physical Activity Target Levels

Post-stroke depressive symptoms (PSDS) and low physical activity (PA) levels are common sequelae of stroke, with some evidence that PSDS influences PA. Yet, there is limited research on sex differences and sex-specific predictors of these stroke sequelae. The objectives were to determine sex differences and predictors of PSDS at entry to cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) through a retrospective database analysis and develop a study protocol of sex differences and predictors of achieving PA recommendations post-stroke. Studies included multivariate analyses to determine predictors in all patients, and women and men separately. Retrospective study findings revealed women were disproportionately affected by PSDS in bivariate and multivariate analyses, indicating timely screening and management of PSDS is needed, especially for women. There were mostly unique predictors of PSDS between women and men, indicating tailored interventions are needed. Lower cardiorespiratory fitness (V̇O2peak) predicted PSDS, indicating sex differences and predictors of PSDS may influence achieving PA recommendations.

Keywords: Physical activity
Post-stroke depression
Rehabilitation
Sex difference
Stroke
Advisor: Marzolini, Susan
Brooks, Dina
Representation Theorems for Mereologies

In non-classical mereologies, not every pair of underlapping elements has a sum. Hence, it begs the question as to what types of elements have sums, as well as its relationship to mereologies. Beyond intrinsic academic value, these questions are also of pragmatic interest - previous works have shown that non-classical mereologies are essential and not just optimal for the representation of gene sequences, time intervals, and machine scheduling plans. The goal of this thesis is hence to provide a new representation theorem for extensional and classical extensional mereology, for the purposes of clarifying the relationship between classical and non-classical mereologies. We provide a total of 5 representation theorems, utilizing algebra, set theory and graph theory for finite models of extensional mereology and classical extensional mereology, as well as a conjecture to guide future work in infinite models of classical extensional mereology.

Keywords: graph
mereology
partial ordering
representation theorem
simplicial complex
strong supplementation principle
Advisor: Gruninger, Michael J
A Qualitative Study to Understand the Lived Experience of Socially Frail Older Adults

Background: Social frailty is an important public health priority among older adults, but its risks and challenges are not well understood. This study sought to understand the lived experience of socially frail older adults. Methods: A qualitative description study was conducted with 17 socially frail or at-risk older adults. A “Life Map” approach that considers six areas of a person’s life was used to explore the social frailty experience. Thematic analysis (qualitative data) and descriptive statistics (quantitative data) were performed. Results: Participants perceived their lived experience of social frailty as: (1) a life event that triggered their social frailty state, (2) leading to consequences and challenges, which (3) prompted the use of a range of coping strategies and supports to overcome challenges. Conclusion: This study contributes to the understanding of how older adults experience social frailty. Results can be used to create an intervention to reduce, prevent, or reverse social frailty.

Keywords: aging
older adults
qualitative study
social frailty
Advisor: Kastner, Monika
The Discovery and Investigation of the Role of Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 alpha in Controlling the Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cell Metabolism

Kidney transplantation is the optimal treatment for end-stage kidney disease. Normothermic ex-vivo kidney perfusion (NEVKP), a method of kidney storage prior to transplantation, results in superior graft function in porcine auto-transplantation models. We determined that key mitochondrial proteins were preserved following NEVKP. We predicted these proteins to be regulated by Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4-alpha (HNF4α), a transcription factor expressed in the proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) of the kidney. We sought to determine the effect of HNF4α inhibition on PTEC gene expression, viability, and metabolic function. We demonstrated that inhibition of HNF4α with a pharmacological inhibitor resulted in increased cytotoxicity and an altered expression of HNF4α gene targets. HNF4A knockdown resulted in decreased oxygen consumption rate and glycolysis, measured using Seahorse, and the effects were more pronounced over time. These data suggest that inhibition of HNF4α changes the expression of metabolic proteins and influences metabolic function and cell viability.

Keywords: Ischemia Reperfusion
Metabolism
Mitochondria
Nephrology
Nuclear Receptor
Transcription Factor
Advisor: Konvalinka, Ana
Comparing Scope of Practice Policies in Intrauterine Device Insertion and Removal to Analyze Task Sharing Conditions in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom

This case-based comparative policy analysis investigated task sharing in family planning by comparing scope of practice policies in intrauterine device (IUD) insertion and removal in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Informed by the “3I+N” conceptual framework and modified Donabedian model, I analyzed legislation, policy documents, and key informant interviews across regulatory bodies, professional associations, and governmental agencies involved in determining scope of practice for physicians, nurses, and midwives. Jurisdictions delegating scope of practice policymaking to specialized, centralized, and interdisciplinary authorities enabled task sharing the most in IUD services. Institutional structures surrounding legislation, funding models, and accreditation processes influenced the possibility for and impact of multidisciplinary approaches to IUD services. Uptake of task sharing policies at local levels with accompanying cultural shifts away from physician-dominated hierarchies was essential to task sharing, regardless of institutional structures. Task sharing was an important contributor to system equity, particularly in rural and remote areas.

Keywords: Family Planning
Health Policy
High Income Countries
Interprofessional Collaboration
Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices
Task Sharing
Advisor: Miller, Fiona
The Effects of Pegylated Interferon-Lambda Treatment on SARS-CoV-2-specific T Cell Responses

Interferon lambda (IFN-λ), a type III interferon, is a key component of the innate antiviral immune response. Type III IFNs use a receptor with limited expression to epithelial cells. However, it has recently been shown that specific immune cells, including T cells, express the receptor. We recently completed a randomized clinical trial using pegylated IFN-λ (PEG-IFN-λ) to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and demonstrated accelerated viral clearance with treatment. Whether IFN-λ influences virus-specific T cell responses and whether this contributes to its antiviral activity are unknown. SARS-CoV-2-specific responses in PEG-IFN-λ trial patients towards the spike, nucleocapsid, and membrane proteins were measured in this study. PEG-IFN-λ did not affect the magnitude or breadth of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells, however we identified a delay in T cell responses in older patients. Overall, our results demonstrate that the accelerated viral clearance observed in our clinical trial was not the result of an enhancement in SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses.

Keywords: COVID-19
IFN
Interferon
SARS-CoV-2
T cell response
Viral immunity
Advisor: Feld, Jordan J
Gehring, Adam J
Exploring the Experiences and Perceptions of Early Childhood Educators in Ontario's Full-day Kindergarten Program

Ontario’s Full-Day Kindergarten (FDK) educator team consists of an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) and an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT). While the Ontario Ministry of Education (OME) describes this partnership as collaborative (e.g., Becker & Mastrangelo, 2017; OME, 2016; OME, 2022), others problematize the hierarchy and power dynamics in this relationship (e.g., Abawi, 2021a; Langford et al., 2016). This study uses intersectionality, gender, and critical race theories to explore how five ECEs’ identities shape their experiences in FDK. Findings suggest that a hierarchical dynamic exists, and cannot be considered in isolation of ECEs’ gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Hegemonic perceptions about Ontario ECEs are observed across six mediating spaces (kindergarten teacher, students, parents/caregivers, school community, administration, and board/ministry) that influence ECEs’ experiences. For students to benefit from the ECE-OCT union, educators, administrators, and policymakers must engage in self-reflective practice to become cognizant of their roles in influencing the challenges experienced by ECEs.

Advisor: Manion, Caroline
Targeting Drug Tolerant Persisters (DTPs) in Colorectal Cancer via Anti-apoptosis Inhibition

Chemotherapy resistance presents a major challenge to successful therapy in colorectal cancer (CRC). Non-genetic processes can drive drug resistance, and drug tolerant persister (DTP) cells are emerging as key players. DTPs are slow-cycling cancer cells and represent a reversible state, where upon removal of treatment they resume growth yet remain sensitive to therapy. We demonstrate that patient-derived CRC tumours exposed to chemotherapy (CPT-11) and cell cultures exposed to its active metabolite (SN38) survive by entering the DTP state. This project reveals increased expression of autophagy and anti-apoptotic genes, and increased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL, in SN38-induced DTPs. Annexin V/PI analysis reveals SN38 treatment in combination with an anti-apoptotic (ABT-263) and autophagy (SBI) inhibitor significantly increases cell death. Furthermore, only cultures treated with SN38, ABT-263, and SBI in combination failed to regrow following a 28-day drug holiday, suggesting the autophagy and anti-apoptotic pathways work together to promote DTP survival.

Keywords: Apoptosis
Autophagy
Colorectal cancer
Drug tolerant persisters
Advisor: O'Brien, Catherine A
A Fast Electromigration Simulator for Integrated Circuit Power Grid Verification

Electromigration (EM) is a failure mechanism mostly present in integrated circuit power grids due to the uni-directional current flowing inside the metal lines. This phenomenon is aggravated by the high current density levels and narrow lines in these grids. It is therefore important for today’s power grid verification software to include an accurate EM checking tool. In this work, we present a complete electromigration simulator using a new equivalent RC circuit model, along with an accurate void model. This equivalent model is simple to use, and leads to a system matrix that is easy to analyze. Furthermore, this circuit model allows us to use known circuit analysis techniques to describe the stress inside the metal lines in terms of equivalent node voltages. Finally, since this system is based on circuits, there are immediate ways to speed up the method, using circuit intuition and priorliterature for circuit model order reduction.

Keywords: Computer methods
Electromigration
Electronic Design Automation
Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI)
Advisor: Najm, Farid FN
Determining how Specialized Actin Networks are Generated to Drive Distinct Cellular Functions

The actin cytoskeleton is a dynamic cellular structure that is heterogenous, being composed of actin filaments in different organizational states. One clear example of this is observed during cytokinesis where a β-actin network, generated by the formin DIAPH3, is restricted to the cytokinetic furrow to drive furrow ingression; whereas the γ-actin network, generated by the formin DIAPH1, is cortical and regulates plasma membrane tension. To determine how DIAPH3 generates β-actin networks I generated DIAPH1 and 3 chimeras and discovered that the ~19 amino acid linker region in the actin nucleating FH2 domain of DIAPH3 was responsible for β-actin filament polymerization. I then exploited this information to generate cells expressing DIAPH3 and DIAPH1 chimeras that mis-target β-actin and γ-actin networks during cytokinesis. In these cells cytokinesis fails. These data suggest that spatially distinct actin isoform networks must be generated to drive specific localized biochemical pathways required for essential cellular processes.

Advisor: Wilde, Andrew
Shared Affects: Chinese Canadian Engagement and Community Building in Subtle Asian Traits

This study investigates the participation of Chinese Canadian youth in the Facebook group Subtle Asian Traits and how meaning is derived from humourous posts, such as memes, shared in the group. There are three sections to this study: a survey, a semi-structured interview, and content analysis of material shared to the group. A survey was first circulated across 19 Chinese Canadian community organizations with the goal of seeking respondents who fit the criteria of being a Chinese Canadian youth aged 18-30 in the group Subtle Asian Traits who would be open to being interviewed. Six respondents volunteered to participate in semi-structured interviews and were asked to bring between 1-10 memes they found memorable. The results of this study provide a framework for understanding digital community-building amongst Asian diasporic youth, as well as identifying key themes in contemporary Asian North American discourses online.

Keywords: Chinese Canadian Studies
Community
Diaspora
Facebook
Identity
Memes
Advisor: Phu, Thy
Weakly Supervised Perturbation Based Method for 3D Brain Tumour Segmentation

Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have become an essential tool in the medical imaging-based computer-aided diagnostic pipeline. However, training accurate and reliable CNNs requires large fine-grained annotated datasets. To alleviate this, weakly-supervised methods can be used to obtain local information from global labels. This work proposes using perturbations as a weakly-supervised solution to extract segmentation masks of brain tumours from a pre-trained 3D classification model. Furthermore, we propose a novel optimal perturbation method that locates the most relevant area for a given classification using a U-net architecture-based generator. We show our method can be used to extract both regions of interest and also can be used as a classification explainer.

Keywords: Brain Tumour Detection
Explainable AI
Perturbation
Segmentation
Weak Supervision
Advisor: Khalvati, Farzad
Simulation of a Three-dimensional Lid-driven Cavity at High Reynolds Number with the Lattice Boltzmann Method

There has been recent success in combining Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) for simulating turbulent incompressible flow. Limitations in computational resources which can make simulation of flows at high Reynolds numbers infeasible (due to inaccuracy resulting from insufficient grid refinement) can be overcome with GPU-based parallelization of the LBM. A multi-node multi-GPU strategy for parallelization of the LES-LBM is developed for simulation on SciNet’s Mist GPU-cluster. An in-house C++ code is constructed implementing the scheme in a CUDA-aware MPI framework using up to sixteen GPUs on the cluster distributed over four nodes. Simulations of the 3D lid-driven cavity are performed up to a Reynolds number of $10^5$ using single and multiple-relaxation collision operators for comparison. Coherent structures in the generated flow fields are visualized with isosurface plots of various vortex identification criteria and ranges of energy scales are illustrated with power spectral density plots.

Keywords: GPU Parallelization
Lattice Boltzmann Method
Lid-Driven Cavity
Turbulent Flow
Advisor: Sullivan, Pierre
The Role of Dynorphin and Kappa Opioid Receptors in Chronic Pain-associated Memory Impairment in Mice

The endogenous opioid peptide, dynorphin A, is upregulated throughout the central nervous system in chronic pain conditions. It also induces memory deficits when exogenously infused in the rodent hippocampus. However, whether the dynorphin/kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) system is involved in chronic pain-related memory impairment remains unknown. I used the spared nerve injury (SNI) model of chronic neuropathic pain in mice to investigate memory deficits using the 8-arm radial maze and the novel object recognition tasks. Short-term memory (STM) was impaired in SNI mice while long-term memory (LTM) was not. STM impairment correlated with increased expression of dynorphin A and KORs in the hippocampus of SNI mice. One systemic or bilateral intrahippocampal injection of nor-binaltorphimine, a KOR blocker, reversed the SNI-induced STM deficit for at least 2 weeks. These results suggest that the upregulation of dynorphin/KOR system in the hippocampus may contribute to memory deficits in chronic neuropathic pain patients.

Keywords: chronic pain
long term memory
memory
neuropathic pain
pain
short term memory
Advisor: Martin, Loren J
Reassembling the Play: Navigating Dramatic Literature in Postdramatic Milieu

The common usage of the word “play” possesses a double meaning that encompasses objects such as books and scripts, as well as the specific live performance events they inspire or record. This paper argues that the double meaning of play reflects premodern understandings of performance, print and publication, and has implications that persist through contemporary theatre practice. This auto-ethnographic and research-based project employs the concept of performance-as-surrogation articulated by Joseph Roach, and Diana Taylor’s framework of the archive and repertoire, to propose an artistic strategy that “reassembles” the double-meaning of play. It examines the implications of such a practice and presents experiments using documents of performance by STO UNION, Public Recordings and Evan Webber and Frank Cox-O’Connell.

Keywords: Archive and repertoire
Performance
Play publication
Postradamatic theatre
Public Recordings
STO UNION
Advisor: Carter, Jill
Pillow Placement during Robotic Bed-Making using Classical and Learning-based Methods

Bed-making is a common chore completed in various living environments to promote user comfort, hygiene, and well-being. Unfortunately, the physical and tedious nature of the act makes it challenging to complete, and thus the opportunity arises to develop robots to automate the task. However, despite the opportunity's importance and positive impact, there is very little research on developing robotic bed-making systems. The aim of this thesis is to start addressing this gap by proposing methods to accomplish pillow placement, a major part of the bed-making task. This thesis proposes a pillow placement process that uses both classical and learning-based methods. The robot was able to place pillows at desired poses fully successfully in 89\% of the runs. The results of this thesis serve as a foundation for future work, where the methods could be tested in more complex environments.

Keywords: AI
Bed-Making
Household Robotics
Machine Learning
Object Detection
Robotics
Advisor: Goldenberg, Andrew
Using Passive Cooling to Improve Thermal Resilience: Evaluation of a First Nations Housing Prototype Design

There is a need for new culturally-appropriate housing for First Nations communities. Passive cooling technologies may be well suited to this new form of housing as it can align well with the First Nations’ traditional holistic ways of knowing and may be able to address the risk of overheating, which is already apparent through the 2021 heat waves in BC and only increasing under climate change. Thermal resilience performance via passive cooling through operable windows was examined for a prototype housing design created for ʔaq’am First Nation, a community in southeastern BC. Passive cooling improved thermal resilience, although active cooling was still required to meet the BC step code thresholds for overheating hours. Future consideration is needed to improve thermal resilience practices in high performance development, and more research and discussion is required to integrate First Nations thinking into the design of mechanical systems installed in First Nations communities.

Keywords: First Nations
Indigenous
Operable Windows
Overheating
Passive Cooling
Thermal Resilience
Advisor: Touchie, Marianne
Three Dimensional Musculoaponeurotic Architecture and Innervation of the Human Flexor Digitorum Superficialis and Flexor Digitorum Profundus: Functional Implications

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in Canada. Up to 80% of stroke survivors develop post stroke spasticity that results in pain, stiffness and joint contractures that negatively impacts quality of life. Botulinum toxin injection into the target muscle is essential for effective and safe treatment of muscle spasticity. Flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscles are commonly affected, however, the recommended sites of injection vary. The aim was to construct a volumetric 3D model of the contractile and connective tissue elements of the digital bellies FDS and FDP to determine their functional characteristics and optimal botulinum toxin injection sites. The musculoaponeurotic architecture of FDS and FDP, and intramuscular innervation of FDP, were defined in 3D space. This thesis elucidates the morphology, relative functional capabilities, and optimal botulinum toxin injection sites of the digital bellies of FDS and FDP.

Keywords: architectural parameters
flexor digitorum profundus
flexor digitorum superficialis
muscle architecture
muscle modelling
muscle morphology
Advisor: Agur, Anne M