VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Lateral Cerebellum Decreases Cognitive Cerebello-cerebral Functional Connectivity

Previous studies using continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) applied to Crus I of the lateral cerebellum have demonstrated an inhibition of the contralateral motor cortex and connections in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) pathway. The aim of this thesis was to determine the effects of lateral cerebellar cTBS on cognitive and motor cerebello-cerebral networks using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). Functional connectivity between four cerebello-cerebral seed pairs constituting the cognitive network [Crus I – Brodmann area (BA) 7, Crus I – BA8, Crus I – BA9, Crus I – BA39] and one cerebello-cerebral seed pair constituting the motor network (Lobule V hand area – BA4 hand area) were measured before and after cTBS in 12 healthy subjects. As hypothesized, lateral cerebellar cTBS induced a significant decrease in functional connectivity within the cognitive network, while motor functional connectivity remained unaltered. These results provide further insight into the effects of cerebellar cTBS at the network level.

Keywords: Cerebellum
fMRI
Parkinson's Disease
Resting State Networks
TMS
Advisor: Chen, Robert
Traffic Microsimulation of Illegal On-street Parking in Downtown Toronto

This research investigates the effect of vehicles parked illegally on-street on the performance of city streets during the AM rush hour in Downtown Toronto. Illegally parked vehicles effectively block a lane on a street, forcing traffic to merge onto a single lane. This problem might be inconvenient at uncongested times of day, but it creates significant delays to drivers, buses, streetcars and cyclists as roadways are already operating near or at capacity during the rush hour. A traffic microsimulation model that integrates illegal on-street parking into the Toronto Waterfront Network Paramics Model was generated to measure the effect of illegally parked vehicles on the flow of traffic. The study concluded that illegal on-street parking significantly increases link delays, link travel times, and reduces link flows and link speeds. The results imply that illegal on-street parking reduces the level of service of Downtown Toronto streets during the AM rush hour, and that existing traffic microsimulation models underestimate the vehicle travel times in the network for that period.

Keywords: Downtown
Enforcement
Illegal
Microsimulation
Parking
Toronto
Advisor: Roorda, Matthew
In Situ Treatment of 1,1,1-trichloroethane by Guar Gum-stabilized Zero Valent Iron Injection: A Field Study

1,1,1-Trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) is one of the most commonly identified pollutants in contaminated soil and groundwater at hazardous waste sites. Hydraulic injection of granular zero valent iron (ZVI) stabilized with guar gum was performed at an active field site contaminated with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (cVOCs) including 1,1,1-TCA, 1,1-dichloroethane (1,1-DCA) and chloroethane (CA). Approximately 17,000 kg and 20,000 kg ZVI was injected and backfilled into the source zone. cVOC concentrations were monitored at the site before and after injection. Microcosm batch studies prepared using site groundwater indicated biodegradation occurs in the presence of ZVI and indigenous microbial communities were capable of biodegrading 1,1,1-TCA to CA. Reducing conditions were present nine months after injection. Concentrations were reduced from 37 to 94 percent. Quantification of groundwater samples for microbiological analyses demonstrated abiotic and biodegradation occurred following injection. This study demonstrates potential for application of guar gum-stabilized ZVI injection in the removal of 1,1,1-TCA.

Keywords: 1
1
1-trichloroethane
biodegradation
injection
in situ
remediation
zero valent iron
Advisor: Sleep, Brent E
Tending the Wilted Flower: The Role of Psychological Need Fulfillment in Treatment for Depression

The present research integrated the principles of self-determination theory (e.g. Deci Ryan, 2000) with the cognitive mediation model of depression (e.g. Whisman, 1993). Participants with a SCID-IV diagnosis for major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to 16 weeks of cognitive therapy or anti-depressant medication. They also completed indices of depression severity, neuroticism, and psychological need fulfillment, at four assessment points (pre-treatment, week 4, week 8, and week 16). Psychological need fulfillment increased over the course of treatment and was negatively correlated with depression severity. Increases in psychological need fulfillment predicted decreases in depression severity over and above the effects of time, neuroticism, and negative cognitions. The temporal association between changes in psychological need fulfillment was bidirectional, and significantly more pronounced in the cognitive therapy condition. The association between changes in psychological need fulfillment and changes in depression severity was not mediated by reduced negative cognitions.

Keywords: Cognitive Therapy
Pharmacotherapy
Psychological Needs
Self-Determination Theory
Advisor: Fournier, Marc A
Imaging the Development of Sex Differences in the Brain

Sex differences are pervasive in the brain and affect many behaviours and disorders, such as psychiatric disorders. However, current studies investigating sex differences in neuroanatomy are primarily cross- sectional, focal examinations. This thesis aims to study sex differences in the whole brain, as they develop, beginning in early life. Male and female C57BL/6 mice were longitudinally scanned at nine time points with in vivo manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. An investigation of the three canonical sex differences in the brain reveal different developmental trajectories amongst areas. Next, a linear mixed effects model centred at each time point revealed widespread patterns of larger areas in males predominating in early life, while larger areas in females predominate in post-pubertal life. Finally, k-means clustering of sexually dimorphic development across life reveals an area in the cortex larger in females, and the coordinated growth of a sexually dimorphic network of structures related to vomeronasal circuitry.

Keywords: Brain
Development
Sex
Advisor: Palmert, Mark R
Lerch, Jason P
Detection of Placental Pathology Based on Umbilical Artery Wave Mechanics

Abnormally pulsatile umbilical artery (UA) Doppler waveforms (characterized through the UA pulsatility index) are widely used as a screening tool to detect intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) due to placental disease. However, the sensitivity of UA Doppler in detecting IUGR is quite poor. One explanation for this is that the pulsatility in the UA consists of intermixed cardiac and placental signals. Here, we overcome this limitation with a new ultrasound approach in which the observed UA Doppler waveforms are decomposed into forward propagating waves (developed by the fetal heart) and reverse propagating waves reflected back from the placental circulation. A proof-of -principle experiment was conducted in mice. Results show that the patterns of reflected waves in the UA parallel the variations in the downstream fetoplacental morphology and are more sensitive to these variations than the UA pulsatility index. Thus, this methodology has the potential to improve the detection of placental-mediated IUGR.

Keywords: intrauterine growth restriction
placenta
pulsatile flow
reflected wave
ultrasound
wave decomposition
Advisor: Sled, John G
Implementation and Investigation of a Local Correlation-based Transition Model in a Parallel Newton-Krylov-Schur Algorithm

Aircraft with significant regions of natural laminar flow provide the opportunity for reduced fuel consumption. However, many conventional computational fluid dynamics algorithms assume that the flow is fully turbulent, which limits the development of natural-laminar-flow designs. A three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes flow solver has been expanded to include the prediction of laminar-turbulent transition. This was achieved by coupling the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model with the Îł - ReÎ¸t local empirical correlation-based transition model. The stability and robustness of the solution algorithm was optimized in order to obtain efficient and reliable convergence. The performance of the algorithm was investigated through application to several two-dimensional verification and validation cases, including flat-plate test cases, natural-laminar-flow airfoils, and a multi-element high-lift airfoil configuration. The results demonstrate the ability of the model to predict locations of transition in complex flow regimes which match experimental results for cases involving natural and separation-induced transition.

Advisor: Zingg, David W
Ziisabaakodakaan: The Place Where Sugar is Made

One of the most pressing environmental challenges facing people around the world is climate change. Climate change scientists have pointed out that in 100 years the maple trees will no longer produce sap for making maple syrup. Sugar Maple trees (Ninaatigoog) are not adapting to the warmer climate. There are cultural practices of the Anishinabek that revolve around participating and producing natural foods such as Ziiwaagamide that are dependent on the environment. This thesis looks to address the following questions through research conducted with a family based practice of the Ziisabaakodakaan in Wiigwaaskinigaa. What then will be the social and cultural impacts of the disappearance of Ziisabaakodakaan practices on Anishinabek well-being? How have changes of Ziisabaakodakaan practices influenced Anishinaabemowin? How can Anishinaabe Gkendaasowin assist Anishinabek in coping with ecological changes due to climate change? Anishinaabe knowledge is complex and vast and it gathered from a lifetime of observation and engagement on the land. The research findings suggest that Anishinaabe elders are witnessing, the poor health of Sugar Maple trees and this may influence cultural and community resiliency and thus adaptation to climate change.

Keywords: Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe Gkendaasowin
Maple Syrup
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Ziisabaakodakaan
Advisor: McGregor, Deborah
Electrophilic Phosphenium and Phosphonium Cations: Synthesis and Reactivity of Perfluoro- & Perchloroaryl Phosphorus Systems

Electrophilic phosphonium cations (EPCs) have shown great promise in Lewis acid catalysis typically only mediated by transition metals. The application of EPCs as catalysts has been limited by their air and moisture intolerance, leading to catalyst degradation. Bulkier perchlorinated-aryl substituents (C6Cl5) have been previously incorporated into electrophilic boranes yielding compounds with increased stability to air and moisture as compared with their perfluorinated-aryl (C6F5) substituted counterparts. In this work, the synthesis of C6Cl5-substituted EPCs is described and the Lewis acidity and air stability of these compounds is tested, demonstrating that C6Cl5 incorporation is a viable approach to air-stability. Moreover, the capacity of some of these EPCs to act as frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) with weak or strong Lewis bases towards the activation of H2 or CO2 is probed. The development of a highly electrophilic N heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-stabilized phosphenium cation and its performance as a Lewis acid catalyst is also described.

Keywords: Air stable
Catalysis
FLP
Lewis acid
Phosphenium
Phosphonium
Advisor: Stephan, Douglas W
Tailoring the Bending Stiffness of Elastomeric Dual-matrix Composites

Aircraft structural design is becoming increasingly oriented towards multifunctional structures, which are capable of supporting large loads while exhibiting additional functional capabilities; morphing is an example. Composite materials provide the perfect testbed for such morphing technologies. Dual-matrix composites are being investigated by a number of researchers, primarily for use in deployable structures. This work investigates a more load-intensive application in aircraft cabin interiors. A morphing composite meal-tray table prototype is fabricated and tested. The macromechanics of dual-matrix laminates are investigated, with the focus being the tailoring of the bending stiffness of such laminates. The cross-section anticlastic deflections of +-45 degree layups, due to high Poisson ratios, are shown to increase the bending stiffness of the laminate, resulting from an increased second moment of area. A predictive model for bending stiffness is constructed, compared with FEA and experiments, and its limitations in predicting woven-fabric composite behaviour are discussed.

Keywords: Anticlastic
Composites
Dual-matrix
Morphing
Advisor: Steeves, Craig A
An Exploration of Adverse Experiences in Mindfulness Meditation

Although the benefits of mindfulness continue to be affirmed by empirical evidence, an emerging area of research has begun to document its potential for eliciting adverse psychological and physical effects. However, the psychological, social, cultural, and historical variables that give rise to these experiences and the individualâ s ability to successfully integrate them remain unclear. The present study addressed this increasingly relevant gap in the literature by conducting exploratory in-depth inter-views with eight participants who experienced adverse events brought on by their engagement in mindfulness. The interviews explored, 1) participantsâ experience of adverse events, 2) the contextual factors surrounding these experiences, and 3) how they coped with these experiences. The data was analyzed using a grounded theory approach to explore the common themes that arise from these participantsâ experiences. The findings provide a better understanding of experiences of distress precipitated by mindfulness meditative practices and how counsellors can support practitioners in coping with adverse events.

Keywords: Adverse
Experiences
Meditation
Mindfulness
Negative
Qualitative
Advisor: Moodley, Roy
Coaches' Perspectives on the Use and Effectiveness of Exercise as Punishment in Interuniversity Sport

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use, frequency, and perceived effectiveness of exercise as punishment (EAP) in interuniversity sport. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight (four male and four female) interuniversity head coaches; half of the participants coached individual sports and the other half team sports. Data were analyzed inductively and thematically. Results revealed that EAP and shame were methods often used to modify athletic behaviours. When examining coaches' perspectives, three broad themes emerged: the nature of punishment, coaches' conceptualization of punishment, and shame and reintegration. Participants perceived EAP to be effective and were unable to suggest alternative, non-punitive strategies to modifying athletes' behaviours. The findings are interpreted using Goffman's (1961) Total Institution, Hughes Coakley's (1991) Sports Ethic, and Braithwaite's (1989) Shame and reintegration theory. Future recommendations include: further research on EAP in sport, development of educational initiatives and reframing punishment within the relational maltreatment framework.

Advisor: Kerr, Gretchen
Interference-facilitated Photon Pair Separation in Integrated Quantum Circuits

The implications of integrated coupler dispersion for interference-facilitated photon pair separation (IFPS) are explored. As the photon pair non-degeneracy is varied, near-perfect separation fidelities can be preserved by anti-symmetry in the central wavelength splitting ratios, even though the coupler response may differ greatly from that of an ideal 50:50 splitter. Active coupler tuning can assist in achieving this anti-symmetry. Coupler dispersion is shown to produce new features such as novel interference visibility behaviour and entanglement-sensitive performance. When only a single input path is utilized, tailoring of spectral correlations in the post-selected output state becomes possible. A source of path-entangled bunched states based on the Bragg reflection waveguide (BRW) platform is designed for use in IFPS experiments, and a roadmap for testing IFPS behaviour is presented. This work informs the design and characterization of quantum circuits for achieving universal photon pair separation for states with highly tunable spectral and polarization properties.

Keywords: couplers
integrated
interference
photonics
photons
quantum
Advisor: Helmy, Amr S
Removal of Particulate Fines from Organic Solvents Using Water as Collector Droplets

A PDMS-based microfluidic aspiration device was developed to carry out a systematic study of the capture of particles suspended in an organic liquid by using water as collector droplets. By applying a suitably strong negative pressure at one of the inputs relative to the port delivering the particles, a water drop was trapped at the constriction and then head-on and glancing collisions were implemented between particles and a water drop. The capture efficiency of particles was determined by a multi-particle tracking code developed in MATLAB. Simulations were performed to obtain a measure of particle interaction time with the drop surface. It was observed that at low capillary numbers O (10^-4 ) , hydrodynamic drainage was not the rate limiting step for particle (O(10 um) ) capture. The possibility of other hydrodynamic or thermodynamic processes such as bridge formation and contact line motion in particle capture, are discussed. The relationship between particle capture efficiency and velocity and radius of the collector droplets was mapped out. This work aims to provide insight into the feasibility of the use of an aqueous phase for collecting and separating fines from bitumen- solvent mixture by obtaining statistical data for particle - drop impingement process. Current methods for the removal of particulates such as centrifugation and solvent evaporation are energy-intensive, and carry potential emission hazards. Removal of fines using a water drop is much more energy efficient than the traditional methods. The device from this study will lead to fundamental investigations that will provide design guidelines for a mixer for effective particle removal in the oil sands industry.

Keywords: bridge formation
capture efficiency
collector droplets
Microfluidic aspiration
oil-sands
Particulate removal
Advisor: Ramchandran, Arun
CAD Tools and Architectures for Improved FPGA Interconnect

The FPGA routing architecture consists of routing wires and programmable switches which together account for a significant fraction of the fabric delay and area, making interconnect optimization a key topic for FPGA architects. Moreover, the rapid growth of wire RC delay with process scaling has increased the importance of efficiently using the different layers available in the metal stack. We enhance architecture models and tools to allow exploration of interconnect topologies that use a mix of wire types connected in complex ways. We use our enhancements to investigate interconnect hierarchies that take advantage of routing on the upper layers of the metal stack, and show 5-13\% delay improvements compared to previously-published routing topologies. To promote insight and fast routing architecture design iteration, we develop Wotan, an analytic tool to estimate interconnect routability without benchmarks; we show that Wotan is in good agreement with the full VPR CAD flow while requiring much less compute effort.

Keywords: Architectures
CAD Tools
FPGA
Interconnect
Metrics
Advisor: Betz, Vaughn
Molecular Dynamics Studies of Load Transfer in Nanocomposites Reinforced by Defective Carbon Nanotube

This study is concerned with the development of relatively more accurate numerical simulations than those adopted in the literature to investigate the considerable discrepancies between experimental findings and theoretical predictions of the interfacial shear strength (ISS) of nano-reinforced thermoset composites. In this work, extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to examine the ISS and buckling behavior of carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced epoxy composites. We considered different types of defects such as vacancy, Stone-Wales defect, carbon adatom, and phenyl functional group. Pull-out and compressive load simulations were performed via the consistent valence forcefield (CVFF) on a representative volume element comprising a single-walled CNT embedded in an epoxy matrix. Our results revealed that different defects can, to some extent, either enhance or degrade the properties of nanocomposites. The findings will assist in improving our understanding of the toughening/weakening mechanisms associated with nanoscopic reinforcement and the load transfer capability in epoxy-based nanocomposites.

Keywords: Buckling
Carbon Nanotube
Defect
Interfacial Shear Strength
Molecular Dynamics
Nanocomposite
Advisor: Meguid, Shaker
A Meta-analytic Review of Selected Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) of Long-term Prescription Opioids for Chronic Non-cancer Pain (CNCP)

Background: Opioids are considered one of the most effective analgesics. However, knowledge on opioid adverse drug events (ADEs) is limited and the current state of the literature has remained elusive. Purpose: This meta-analytic review focused on five selected adverse drug events (SADEs) (misuse, abuse, addiction, overdose, and death) of prescription opioids to surmise the overall state of this literature and evaluate quality of reporting and risk of bias. Methods: Studies were acquired from research databases, including: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and Business Source Premier. Results: Ninety studies satisfied inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included. Quality of reporting of SADEs, determined via McHarm, risk of bias, assessed using a Cochrane guideline, and overall event rates of SADEs are reported. Conclusion: Results revealed that quality of reporting was poor and risk of bias was high. Findings suggest that quality of reporting of SADEs and risk of bias must be improved.

Keywords: Adverse Drug Events
Adverse Drug Reactions
Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
Meta-analysis
Opioids
Prescription medication
Advisor: Furlan, Andrea
Shifting The Balance between Pattern Separation and Pattern Completion

Are peopleâ s memories influenced by neurocognitive states? If so, what establishes them? Theoretical models suggest that after detecting familiarity, as opposed to novelty, the hippocampus is biased towards pattern completion due to decreased cholinergic input. I investigated the behavioral implications of this theory by designing a paradigm which assesses how recent familiarity influences aspects of memory retrieval that differentially depend on pattern completion: associative retrieval and item recognition. I found that recent familiarity selectively benefited associative retrieval (Experiment 1). I then measured the time course of this mnemonic state by varying the ISI between retrieval trials (Experiment 2). I found that recent familiarity robustly benefited associative retrieval at short ISIs, but that the benefit decreased at long ISIs. This decay is consistent with the timescale of cholinergic modulation of the hippocampus. Thus, I used a subtle, biologically motived manipulation to bias basic memory computations.

Advisor: Duncan, Katherine