VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Hospital Readmissions among Patients who are Homeless in Toronto

Despite high interest in examining hospital readmissions, few studies have focused on readmissions among individuals experiencing homelessness, a population with complex health challenges. A cohort of 1,165 homeless adults recruited from homeless shelters and meal programs in Toronto were observed from December 6th, 2004 to March 31st, 2009 using administrative health care databases. Multivariate analyses were used to i) compare the 30-day readmission rate between the homeless participants and a cohort of low-income controls; ii) to compare the readmission rate between hospitalized homeless participants and hospitalized low-income controls, matched on age, sex and case mix group; and iii) to determine risk factors associated with readmission among the homeless participants.Homeless participants were substantially more likely to be readmitted within 30-days as compared to low-income controls, even after accounting for the primary reason for admission. Further research is needed to assess practices and interventions to reduce readmissions in this patient population.

Keywords: Administrative Health Data
Generalized Estimating Equations
Health Services Research
Homeless
Hospital Readmissions
Vulnerable Populations
Advisor: Hwang, Stephen W
Poly-ADP-Ribose-Polymerase as a Therapeutic Target in Paediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma and Paediatric High Grade Astrocytoma

Paediatric high-grade astrocytomas (pHGA) and diffuse-intrinsic-pontine-gliomas (DIPG) are devastating paediatric malignancies for which there are no effective therapies. Previous evidence found Poly-ADP-Ribose-Polymerase 1 (PARP1) over-expressed in DIPG and pHGA. Immunohistochemical and western-blot analysis was performed on pHGA and DIPG patient tumour samples and cell lines to establish PARP1 expression. Three PARP inhibitors, Veliparib, Olaparib, and Niraparib, were used to study PARP inhibition in multiple pHGA and DIPG cell lines and intracranial xenografts. PARP1 was expressed in the majority of pHGA and DIPG patient samples and cell lines and PARP inhibition in vitro resulted in growth arrest and/or apoptosis. Niraparib was the most effective monotherapeutic agent. Niraparib reduced the rate of DNA repair and sensitized cells in vitro to ionizing radiation (IR). In vivo, Niraparib when combined with IR, inhibited PARP1 and extended survival by 40%. Therefore, PARP1 may serve as a potential therapeutic target in pHGA and DIPG.

Keywords: Cancer
High Grade Glioma
Neuro-oncology
Niraparib
Paediatric
Poly-ADP-Ribose Polymerase 1
Advisor: Hawkins, Cynthia
Multi-mode Near Minimum Deviation Controller IC for High Frequency Switch-mode Power Supplies

The purpose of this thesis is to propose a versatile controller IC (integrated circuit) for dc-dc switch-mode power supplies used in volume-sensitive portable consumer devices. A novel control technique and implementation is presented which provides near minimum output voltage deviation, allowing for the reduction of reactive component sizes. The controller utilizes a simple hardware implementation to obtain accurate estimates of the output capacitor current during transients. It requires no knowledge of the converter's parameters and can be used with direct and indirect energy transfer converters. The controller is implemented on an IC and the digital logic on an FPGA. The IC was fabricated in a CMOS 0.13 um IBM process which consumes 0.0511 mm2 of silicon area and 591 uA of current. A complete IC controller solution would occupy an estimated silicon area of ~0.25 mm2 which is competitive with state-of-the-art analog or digital controller solutions that occupy ~0.2-0.3 mm2.

Keywords: digital controller
Integrated circuit
minimum deviation
Switch mode power supply
transient control
Advisor: Prodic, Aleksandar
Effects of Loop Substitutions on Bacterial Resistance Mediated by Small Multidrug Pumps

Resistance to biocides such as quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) can be conferred by membrane embedded multidrug transporters of the small multidrug resistance (SMR) family. SMRs are exemplified by EmrE from

Keywords: EmrE
Hsmr
QAC
Resistance
SMR
Advisor: Deber, Charles M
Development of Transition Metal Compound Electrodes for Supercapacitors

Many transition metal compounds are found to possess promising pseudocapacitive properties. Research on these transition metal compounds, especially Mo, V and W based materials, is still limited. This project aimed to investigate cost-effective methods utilizing inexpensive transition metal compounds to produce EC electrodes with high energy density and power capability. Mo(O,N)x was developed as a pseudocapacitive electrode material by electrodeposition of Mo oxide followed by low-temperature thermal nitridation in a N2 environment. The partial nitridation significantly improved the electrochemical properties, including capacitive behavior, power capability and cycle life. The device performance can be improved with an asymmetric configuration using an electrodeposited WO3 electrode. An electrolessly deposited V mixed oxides electrode also showed ideal capacitive behaviors and good cycle life. By tuning the fabrication methods, the electrodes (i.e. Mo(O,N)x, WO3 and VOx.yH2O) were developed with low cost processes.

Keywords: Electrode Materials
Molybdenum
Supercapacitor
Transition Metal Compounds
Tungsten
Vanadium
Advisor: Lian, Keryn
Optimization of Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures for Adult Neurogenesis Research: Exploring Pharmacological Interactions in Newborn Dentate Granule Cells

The organotypic hippocampal slice culture technique is an in vitro system for explanting the hippocampus and incubating tissue for up to four weeks. This method is useful because the tissue is maintained in a state closely resembling what is found in vivo. Previous studies have used organotypic cultures to study hippocampal physiology, but attempts to use the model specifically for adult neurogenesis research have not convincingly shown that newborn neurons can be efficiently studied and quantified.In this thesis, we optimized organotypic slice cultures for neurogenesis research. We used the model to study extrasynaptic GABAergic signaling in newborn dentate granule neurons. Following treatment with a selective extrasynaptic GABAAR agonist, neuronal differentiation and maturation was promoted in slice cultures, but this effect was abolished following treatment with a selective NMDAR antagonist. Our results highlight the benefit of organotypic cultures for studying adult neurogenesis and describe an efficient technique for future neurogenesis studies.

Keywords: in vitro
neurogenesis
organotypic
Advisor: Wojtowicz, Jan M
Living the Dream: Precarious Labour in the Live Music Industry

This thesis explores the precarious nature of backstage work within the live music industry. Live music is replacing recorded music as the economic core of the music industry. Live music is a unique sector, in that it is valued for its ephemerality. Given the ephemerality of concerts, new frameworks are required to understand technical and logistical production of live music. Labour arrangements in live music reflect sweeping trends in the labour market. Backstage workers are employed in flexible, contract and contingent arrangements leading to precarious livelihoods. This thesis argues that labour precaritization in the live music industry is part of an accumulation strategy by suggesting that employers exploit the affective, emotive and cathartic nature of live music to reduce wages and extract surplus from workers. Essentially, workers are willing to accept a psychic wage in lieu a living wage. This arrangement can be called `lifestyle labour' in that workers are willing to accept lifestyle components as part of their wage.

Keywords: Cultural Economy
Labour
Live Music Industry
Music
Precarious Labour
Advisor: Leslie, Deborah
Identification of Causal Rare Variants in an Extended Pedigree with Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common, heritable and etiologically heterogeneous neuropsychiatric disorder. Despite twin and family studies supporting genetic determinants in OCD, the discovery of causal variants remains elusive. To identify causal variants, an extended pedigree consisting of multiple affected individuals with early-onset OCD was studied. Genome-wide linkage analysis was performed using both parametric and non-parametric approaches. Whole exome sequencing was conducted on two of the most distantly related affected individuals who shared a haplotype. Variants were filtered based on their presence in both individuals, rare frequency, and location within linkage regions. Genes previously implicated in OCD were also screened. Several putatively damaging low/rare frequency variants were identified in genes involved in immune function (TRAFD1) and glutamate pathways (DLG1, CPQ, SLC1A1). Our findings identified variants within genes/pathways known to be associated with OCD and demonstrated the ability of our methodology to identify rare variants in common complex diseases.

Keywords: Exome
Genetics
Linkage
OCD
Sequencing
Advisor: Arnold, Paul D
Development and Validation of a Partially Coupled Soot Model for Turbulent Kerosene Combustion in Industrial Applications

Soot emissions are by-products of combustion that are well documented to have adverse effects on human health and the environment. Consequently, these emissions are becoming a target for stricter regulations. However, obstacles exist in the implementation of soot models in Computational Fluid Dynamics codes with complex geometry, such as ensuring carbon mass conservation as soot forms. This challenge is due to the thermochemistry interactions in turbulent codes being preprocessed (included in look-up tables), not solved for directly. This study considers the development of a soot model for kerosene combustion. Coupling is introduced between the soot and gas phase by including nucleation rates within the flamelet library, and by adjusting the concentrations of key soot precursors through additional transport equations. Validation has been performed for turbulent coflow kerosene flames at pressures of 1 and 4.8 bar. This simplified model reasonably predicts the soot volume fraction without tuning of the inception rate.

Keywords: CFD
Combustion
Kerosene
Model
Soot
Turbulent
Advisor: Thomson, Murray J
Dworkin, Seth B
From the Hands into the Eyes: An Analysis of Children's American Sign Language Story Comprehension

This thesis provides an insight into how native ASL children are making meaning and drawing upon language cueing systems, and into the commonalities of eye behaviour demonstrated when they decipher/deconstruct ASL stories on video. Studies of ASL linguistics and ASL literature are critical, but historically neglected, components of bilingual ASL-English education. While teaching ASL as a language of study in my classroom, I observed how students comprehended ASL stories. In the absence of formal standardized ASL comprehension assessments for classroom teachers, I explored Kintsch's theory of comprehension and the use of language cueing systems as a way to conceptualize ASL story comprehension. Findings show that native ASL children have a higher rate of comprehension when they are drawing upon ASL language cueing systems when deciphering/deconstructing ASL stories. Children's use of the eyebrows and eye gaze seem to be a part of their deciphering/deconstructing behaviour, and need to be explored further.

Keywords: American Sign Language
ASL
ASL assessment
ASL story comprehension
Advisor: Cummins, Jim
Low Power Building Blocks for a MM-wave Distance Sensor

Recent advances in Silicon-Germanium BiCMOS technologies have made it possible to design power efficient millimeter-wave sensors. In days where power consumption is a critical design consideration, circuit designers are looking for alternative approaches in which they can gain a valuable function at a reduced overall power intake. This thesis proposes a 60 GHz low power distance sensor transceiver building blocks for short range distance measurements based on the Doppler frequency shift effect.The transceiver takes advantage of the 55nm SiGe BiCMOS technology to combine MOSFETs and HBTs on the 60 GHz signal and LO path and thus to obtain optimal functionality in terms of output power, number of receiving/transmitting channels, bandwidth, isolation, and minimal power dissipation.The sensor is intended for integration in a portable device capable of short range distance measurements with a precision of a few millimeters.

Advisor: Voinigescu, Sorin
Visuomotor Adaptation in Anisometropic Amblyopia: A Prism Adaptation Study

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the impact of anisometropic amblyopia, a neurodevelopmental disorder of vision, on sensorimotor control. This was accomplished by adapting the manual motor system to a change in the spatial environment resulting from the placement of bilateral 20 D left-shifting wedge prisms in front of the eyes. During prism adaptation, participants initially missed the target in the direction of optical displacement but in the presence of visual feedback and with repeated pointing, they were able to adapt to this perturbation. Eleven visually-normal control participants and seven people with anisometropic amblyopia were tested binocularly on this task. People with anisometropic amblyopia displayed a significantly longer time course of adaptation than visually-normal controls, with higher variability during the strategic recalibration phase of adaptation. It is suggested that increased visual variability, temporal synchrony deficits and deficits in extra-striate visual processing in amblyopia contribute to the above findings.

Keywords: Amblyopia
Anisometropia
Manual Pointing
Perceptuomotor Control
Prism Adaptation
Sensorimotor Integration
Advisor: Wong, Agnes MF
Goltz, Herbert C
Studying Best Practices in Acquiring more Responsibly-built University Buildings in Ontario

Investment in construction and renovation projects represents long-term plans for improving and expanding the existing facilities at Ontario universities. Ontario Universities, as parts of the public sector, are committed to implement projects that are integral to their academic missions, and that provide high quality design incorporating appropriate functionality and environmental responsibility. The primary objective of this research was to examine the key success factors in the domain of public procurement, specifically in the construction of Ontario University buildings. This goal was achieved through discussing the different aspects of common universities decisions in regards to the key factors that contribute in project success. The results of this study have provided insight into Ontario universities suggested approach to construction. Although there is no single best approach for all the universities projects, recommended approach by experienced experts may help to select the best option.

Keywords: construction management
Advisor: McCabe, Brenda
Using Thermal Spray Technology to Make Heat Spreaders for LED Cooling

Thermal spray coating processes have been employed to create either copper wicks or zinc skins of the heat spreaders that were designed for LEDs cooling application. Two copper coating samples and two polymer coating samples were made using flame spray and wire-arc spray, respectively. The microstructural characteristics and the capillary effects of coating samples were studied. To study the heat transfer characteristics, two test chambers featured copper and polymer coating samples and filled with distilled water and ethanol were tested. Two composite heat spreaders featuring the zinc skins and the porous polymer wicks were created. The best thermal performance in terms of the lowest overall thermal resistance of 3.72 cm^2*K/W was achieved by the cylindrical composite heat spreader with the ethanol at a charge ratio of 51.5%. The rectangular composite has an overall thermal resistance of 4.81 cm^2*K/W with the water at a charge ratio of 53.7%.

Keywords: composite heat spreader
heat dissipation
heat pipe
LED cooling
porous polymer
thermal spray
Advisor: Chandra, Sanjeev
The Roles of Ethnicity and Family in the Career Development of Second-generation Chinese Canadians

This study explored the career development of Canadian-born Chinese individuals. Applying a qualitative framework using a phenomenological approach, ten participants who had at least one year of work experience in their chosen fields were interviewed about their career development. Specifically, the roles of ethnicity and family were emphasized. Analyses revealed that second-generation Chinese Canadians were influenced by Chinese and Western values regarding career, which affected the factors that they considered in their career development, including interests, strengths, work environment, practicality and others' opinions. Specifically, interests and financial compensation were two crucial factors that Chinese Canadians considered. Ethnicity and family intertwined to play different roles throughout Chinese Canadians' career development: while some indicated no influence from either aspect, others described influential roles particularly at the beginning stages of their career development. Practical and theoretical implications as well as future research directions are discussed.

Keywords: Career
Chinese Canadians
Ethnicity
Family
Second Generation
Advisor: Chen, P Charles
Direct Measurements of Drag Forces on a Microcrawler

In the study of the molecular origins of behaviour, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a powerful tractable model. To fully understand an organism’s behaviour, one must also understand the physics of the surrounding medium. The work discussed in this thesis focuses on the interactions of C. elegans with the environment it is most frequently observed in – a viscoelastic agar substrate covered by a thin liquid film. We have used a micropipette-based force measurement technique to directly measure for the first time the forces involved in crawling locomotion of a microorganism. We found that substrate viscoelasticity introduces nonlinearities in the force-velocity relationships, and suggested physical mechanisms for the origin of these nonlinearities. Furthermore, we applied a modification of resistive force theory to recordings of nematode body shape and were able to obtain good agreement with simultaneously recorded lateral forces exerted by a crawling subject.

Keywords: C. elegans
Fluid mechanics
Force measurement
Microorganism locomotion
Resistive force theory
Viscoelasticity
Advisor: Ryu, William
Beyond Bribery: Rethinking the Form of Corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa's Extractive Industries

Abstract: There has been a rise in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Sub-Saharan Africa's extractive industries. Currently, the relationship between graft and FDI is widely perceived as one in which FDI inflows are either positively or negatively affected by bribery corruption. With the focus on bribery corruption, legal measures have been implemented to combat graft in this area, yet less attention is being paid to other forms of corruption that relate to FDI and Sub-Saharan Africa's extractive industries. This thesis will argue that the definition of `corruption', with respect to FDI and extractives in SSA, should not be understood only as bribery corruption, but should include graft of other forms.

Keywords: Anti-corruption
Bribery
CFPOA
Corruption
Development
FCPA
Advisor: Trebilcock, Michael
Assessing The Position And Angulation Of Single Implants Restored In The Predoctoral Dentistry Program

Assessing The Position And Angulation Of Single Implants Restored In The Predoctoral Dentistry ProgramWaad M. KhederMasters of ScienceGraduate ProsthodonticsUniversity of Toronto2014AbstractObjective: to assess if single implants restored in the undergraduate clinic at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, are placed in a compromised position and angulation relative to the adjacent natural teeth. Materials and Methods: The study sample consists of 108 patients treated with single implants placed in the Implants Placement Unit and restored by predoctoral students at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. Assessing the angulation and 3D position of implant relative to adjacent teeth were conducted by using the measurement tool in the 3D scanner. Results: The highest percentage of the non-ideal implant position was for mesiodistal implant position and the lowest percentage was for the non-ideal buccolingual implant angulation. Conclusion: The placement of the implant in a non-ideal position/angulation may be due to: Gingival biotype, buccal cortical plate concavity, selected implant diameter and Implant site relation to vital anatomical structures and roots of adjacent teeth.

Keywords: angulation
Implant
position
Advisor: Alkumru, Hasan
Histopathology in Skeletal Muscle of Transgenic Mice Suggests Dual-Locus of Onset (DLO) in Kennedy's Disease

Kennedy's Disease or Spinal-Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (KD/SBMA) is a neuromuscular disease associated with a CAG tri-nucleotide repeat expansion within the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Mouse models of KD used in this investigation expressed mutant AR either in motor neurons (HB9/AR113 mice) or skeletal muscle (HSA/AR113 mice), revealing abnormalities within the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus (SOL) muscles. Reduced oxidative metabolism was observed in both HB9/AR113 and HSA/AR113 mice, while a fiber-type switch and a reduction in cell size were only observed in HSA/AR113 mice. Deficits in fiber number and endurance strength were found in HB9/AR113 mice only. These findings support the DLO hypothesis, suggesting that onset of KD involves pathology in motor neurons, and perhaps skeletal muscle. Notably, in vivo evidence of pathology in HB9/AR113 mice is an original finding of this investigation.

Keywords: Animal Models
Histopathology
Kennedy's Disease
Neuromuscular
polyQ Disorders
Spinal-Bulbar Muscular Atrophy
Advisor: Monks, A Douglas
Design, Analysis, Assembly, Integration and Testing of Mechanical Systems for Micro-Satellites and Micro-satellite Separation Systems

This document summarizes the development activities completed for the Exoadaptable Pyroless Deployer (XPOD) system, and the MiniMags, EV9 and NORSAT-1 missions. The focus is on the mechanical design, computer modelling, and assembly integration and testing of mechanical systems. The XPOD work was associated with a re-analysis and testing of the XPOD Triple engineering model such that a flight model could be produced. The MiniMags work involved creating a preliminary bus design, which was ultimately used to determine that the MiniMags payload could feasibly be flown in a microsatellite. The EV9 work included taking the EV9 bus design from a mature design stage to flight assembly. Finally, work for the NORSAT-1 mission, which is a microsatellite mission with several different payloads, took a proposal level bus mechanical design to a preliminary design such that future work could be continued in later stages of the mission.

Advisor: Zee, E Robert