VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Outcomes and Processes of Care Among Trauma Centres Caring for Injured Children

Introduction: We evaluated the association between mortality and trauma centre type to elucidate the optimal care environment for injured children. Secondly, we assessed whether centres that perform well in one domain of quality perform similarly in other domains. Methods: Hierarchical regression was used to evaluate the association between centre type and in-hospital mortality. Kappa statistics were used to evaluate the consistency of centre-level performance across quality metrics. Results: Children had higher odds of death when treated at adult (OR 1.57 (1.15-2.14)) or mixed (1.45 (1.05-2.01)) trauma centres versus pediatric trauma centres. Kappa statistics showed no significant agreement of centre performance across quality indicators (-0.01 (-0.07, 0.06)). Conclusions: Efforts to determine what processes of care result in lower mortality among injured children treated at pediatric trauma centres are required. Furthermore, the inconsistency in centre-level performance across quality indicators should be considered as strategies for measuring hospital quality are developed.

Keywords: Injury
Mortality
Pediatrics
Quality Improvement
Quality Indicators
Trauma Systems
Advisor: Nathens, Avery B
Investigation of Suitability and Feasibility of Home Dialysis

There are several aspects affecting home dialysis uptake: clinical, patient, and financial perspectives. The comprehension of these viewpoints can lead to a more encompassing plan to increase uptake. This thesis tries to assess each of the perspectives. The clinical perspective compares the clinical characteristics of patients receiving care at home to ones at facility, showing that nearly all patients should be able to be sent home. The patient perspective looks at the reasons provided by patients for not being able to or wanting to receive care at home, indicating that a significant number of patients could benefit when infrastructural and/or educational reasons are alleviated. The financial perspective compares the annual cost of a patient receiving their entire care at home to one at facility. Based on preliminary estimates, the results highlight that the annual cost of a home patient is less than half of the cost of a facility patient.

Keywords: Data Analysis
Economic Evaluation
Home Dialysis
Kidney Failure
Patient Perspective
Advisor: Carter, Michael W.
Development of Multiple J-aggregate-gold Nanoparticle Probes for SERRS Multiplexing

Development of multiple J-aggregate-gold nanoparticle probes is necessary to utilize their significantly enhanced Raman scattering for biological diagnostics. As Raman probes have the potential for concurrent imaging of a much higher number of biomarkers than fluorophores, development of the maximum variety of Raman probes is required to take full advantage of their multiplexing. Herein it is reported the decorating of gold nanoparticles with a number of J-aggregate dyes, through development of a negatively charged facilitator assembly and use of an established short chain positive linker. Significantly bright probes were silica encapsulated and demonstrated a notable decrease in fluorescence background. To target these particles to biomarkers, a means of antibody functionalization was explored.

Keywords: Biomarker
J-Aggregate
Multiplexing
Nanoparticle
SERRS
SERS
Advisor: Walker, Gilbert
Anti-thrombogenic Study of Ultrathin Monoethylene Glycol Adlayer on 316L Stainless Steel against Whole Human Blood

Implantable biomaterial made from austenitic 316L stainless steel have been widely used in a variety of clinical applications. However, exposure of foreign surfaces to blood can initiate platelet adhesion and trigger blood coagulation, leading to life-threatening consequences. In order to prevent undesirable surface platelet adhesion, we have developed an ultrathin anti-thrombogenic coating based on monoethylene glycol (MEG-OH) silane chemistry. Surface characterization of major surface modification steps are done by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and supplemented with contact angle goniometry. End stage anti-thrombogenicity assessment after 20 min blood exposure at 100 s-1, 300 s-1, 600 s-1, 750 s-1, and 900 s-1 shear rate has shown significant reduction (> 90%) of platelet adhesion, aggregation and thrombus formation on MEG-OH surface modified 316L stainless steel, compared with untreated ones. This finding is confirmed by real-time surface evaluation of 60 min blood exposure at 100 s-1, 600 s-1, and 900 s-1 shear rate.

Keywords: 316L
Anti-thrombogenic
Monoethylene Glycol
stainless steel
Whole Human Blood
Advisor: Thompson, Michael
Life Experiences and Patterns of Distress in Chinese-Canadian Women with a History of Suicidal Behaviour

Recent studies have highlighted higher rates of suicidal ideation and behaviour and associated themes of gender role stress in Chinese women residing in North America (Chung, 2004). Through qualitative interviewing and analysis, this study explores the experiences, stressors and beliefs of Chinese-born women living in Canada with a history of suicidal behaviour. They describe restricted patterns of emotional communication, feelings of lack of agency, experiences of victimization and oppression and stress related to traditional gender expectations and those related to social change. Expectations of immigration often go unmet and stress arises from financial, educational and family pressures. As the women struggle to endure this distress, they experience a negative view of self, worsening depressive symptoms and hopelessness. They come to a "breaking point" leading to suicidal behaviour that can be understood as an escape from pain, a strategy to communicate distress and a consequence of pervasive hopelessness.

Keywords: Chinese
Immigration
Mental Health Care
Qualitative Research
Recovery
Suicide
Advisor: Links, Paul S
Identifying the role of RGMc in an animal model of Multiple Sclerosis

The Repulsive Guidance Molecule a (RGMa) has recently been implicated in the development of Multiple sclerosis (MS). We report for the first time that the third member of the RGM family, RGMc, is downregulated in the sera of mice induced with Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE), a well-characterized animal model of MS. Treatment with soluble RGMc (sRGMc) significantly delayed the onset of EAE and reduced the clinical severity of disease. Furthermore, RGMc knockout animals developed a stronger disease progression than wild-type controls. In vitro binding studies outlined a mechanism by which soluble RGMa and RGMc competed for interaction with their shared receptor, Neogenin. Finally, we demonstrated that administration of soluble RGMc halted leukocyte infiltration by interfering with the RGMa-mediated RhoA permeabilisation of the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB). Overall, we show that RGMc treatment alleviated the clinical severity of EAE by enhancing BBB integrity and preventing leukocyte infiltration.

Keywords: Blood Brain Barrier
Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
Hemojuvelin
Multiple Sclerosis
RGMa
RGMc
Advisor: Monnier, Philippe PP
Targeting the Phosphatidylinositide-3 Kinase Pathway and the Mitogen-activated-protein Kinase Pathway through Thymosin-beta4, Exercise, and Negative Regulators to Promote Retinal Ganglion Cell Survival or Regeneration

The phosphatidylinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) and mitogen-activated-protein kinase (MAPK) pathways mediate cellular survival in the presence of apoptotic stimuli. These pathways are known to promote the survival of injured retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), central nervous system neurons that project visual information from the retina to the brain. Injury to the optic nerve triggers apoptosis of RGCs. This work demonstrates that Thymosin-beta4, a peptide involved in actin sequestration, both enhances RGC survival after injury and increases axonal regeneration. Moreover, Thymosin-beta4 modulates the PI3K and MAPK pathways. In addition, this study demonstrates that exercise reduces apoptosis of injured RGCs, and explores the function of the PI3K and MAPK pathways in this process. Finally, small peptides are used to interfere with the functions of PTEN, a negative regulator of the PI3K pathway, as well as Erbin and BCR, negative regulators in the MAPK pathway. These peptides enhance RGC survival and axonal regeneration after injury.

Keywords: CNS Neuron Survival
CNS Regeneration
Exercise
Mitogen-Activated-Protein Kinase
Phosphatidylinositide-3 Kinase
Retinal Ganglion Cells
Advisor: Koeberle, Paulo D
Morshead, Cindi M
Traffic Jam Controls the Architecture of the Ovarian Germline Stem Cell Niche

Cap cells, a major component of the germline stem cell niche in the Drosophila ovary, are organized in a cluster underneath a terminal filament (TF) stalk. The large Maf transcription factor Traffic Jam (Tj) is expressed in cap cells but not in TF cells. Here I show, first, that loss of Tj causes TF cells to form at the expense of cap cells and expression of Tj in TF cells induces cap cell marker expression. Second, reducing Tj affects cap cell organization and leads to an increase in integrin and a decrease in DE-cadherin expression in cap cells. Moreover, I show that alterations in integrin and DE-cadherin expression cause changes in the position and organization of cap cells, respectively. Taken together, my data suggest that Tj regulates the specification of cap cells and controls the morphogenetic behaviour of cap cells by regulating the adhesive properties of these cells.

Advisor: Godt, Dorothea A
Development of an Organotellurium Tag Compatible with Mass Cytometry to Probe Senescence-associated beta-Galactosidase Activity

Fluoresence-based flow cytometry has found great use in investigating biomarker composition in cell samples. Its reliance on fluorophores, however, restricts the technology from comfortably performing multiparametric experiments. Mass cytometry (MC) has emerged as an alternative, capable of simultaneous quantification of multiple parameters over zero background. However, the antibody-conjugated mass tags commonly used as probes can only detect presence of analyte, and do not provide direct information regarding activity of enzyme targets. Therefore, we developed an activity-based small molecule probe compatible with MC, with senescence-associated beta-galactosidase as a target and tellurium as the mass tag. The stabilities of various organotellurium functionalities were compared to determine the most optimal candidate for incorporation into probes compatible with MC, with the tellurophene exhibiting the best characteristics. Various generations of the senescence probe were evaluated in vitro, with the tellurophene-containing derivatives showing the most promise. Preliminary studies in senescent cell culture have yielded encouraging results.

Keywords: aging
beta-galactosidase
cancer
chemical biology
senescence
tellurium
Advisor: Nitz, Mark
The Role of Nutritional Factors in Acute Respiratory Tract Infections

Children 1-17 years with laboratory-confirmed influenza were recruited in a multi-center setting over two consecutive influenza seasons. Influenza was more severe among underweight (n=9), stunted (n=4), and wasted (n=4) children compared to normal counterparts (P

Keywords: anthropometry
diet quality
nutritional risk factors
respiratory tract infection
vitamin D
Advisor: O'Connor, Deborah L
Tran, Dat
Anemia Mediated by an Anti-erythrocyte Antibody is Not Closely Linked to the Amelioration of Murine Passive Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by platelet destruction. A first line therapy for ITP is Rh immune globulin (anti-D) which reacts with erythrocytes and can cause anemia. Nine antibodies reactive with murine erythrocytes were evaluated for their ability to induce anemia and ameliorate murine ITP. Several anemia-inducing antibodies did not ameliorate the ITP and no antibody which did not induce anemia ameliorated ITP. The glycophorin A specific antibody (TER-119) was found to be able to induce anemia and ameliorate ITP. TER-119 was able to ameliorate ITP before it could induce significant anemia, and had no therapeutic effect 4 days after its administration when it induced maximal anemia. This work demonstrates that while the ability of an antibody to induce anemia could be an important attribute of an effective antibody, it seems unlikely that the anemia itself is necessary for therapeutic activity in murine ITP.

Keywords: anemia
Anti-D
erythrocytes
Immune thrombocytopenia
platelets
TER-119
Advisor: Lazarus, Alan H
Serotonin Receptor Electrophysiology in Cortical Neurons Critical for the Response to Antidepressants

The gold standard for treating depression is a class of medicines known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Recent research identified a subgroup of layer V pyramidal neurons in the cerebral cortex important for the antidepressant action of SSRIs. Using transgenic mice that have these p11-expressing neurons labeled with GFP, I characterized these neurons and their neighbours under control conditions and after chronic treatment with the SSRI fluoxetine (FLX). Experiments were conducted with a particular focus on serotonin (5-HT) responses, using whole-cell recording in acute brain slices of motor and prefrontal cortex. Further investigation explored the effects of chronic FLX treatment in a mouse model of stress. I found that chronic FLX treatment has significant effects on neurons in both motor and prefrontal cortices, that p11-expressing neurons differ subtly in their response to 5-HT, and that there is evidence of an interaction between stress and FLX treatment in p11-expressing neurons.

Keywords: Electrophysiology
Fluoxetine
Motor Cortex
Pyramidal Neuron
S100a10
Serotonin
Advisor: Lambe, Evelyn K
Leukemic Stem Cell-targeting Auger Electron Radioimmunotherapeutic Agent for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

A leukemic stem cell (LSC)-targeting Auger electron-emitting radioimmunotherapeutic agent for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) comprising the monoclonal antibody CSL360 with high affinity for the LSC CD123+/CD131- immunophenotype modified with indium-111 and a nuclear localization sequence peptide (111In-NLS-CSL360) was constructed and evaluated. Methods: CD123 immunoreactivity of 111In-NLS-CSL360 was measured. Toxicity and anti-leukemic effectiveness of a three-dose regimen of 111In-NLS-CSL360 were assessed in a NOD/SCID mouse model of AML. Results: Immunoreactivity of 111In-NLS-CSL360 was preserved. 111In-NLS-CSL360 was found to be non-toxic. While leukemic engraftment in the bone marrow was paradoxically increased by 111In-NLS-CSL360, splenic engraftment in mice with low disease burden was significantly lower than in mice treated with a control radioimmunoconjugate. Conclusion: 111In-NLS-CSL360 remains a promising investigational therapeutic agent for targeting LSCs, but due to complications with the NOD/SCID mouse model, an alternative strain of mice is recommended for future studies.

Keywords: Auger electron
Cancer
Leukemia
Radioimmunotherapy
Stem cell
Advisor: Reilly, Raymond M
Experience, Struggle and Change: Saudi Women Studying in a Canadian Context, under the King Abdullah Scholarship Program

This study will trace the impact of the King Abdullah Scholarship Program KASP on Saudi women currently studying in Canada, as well as the academic and socio-cultural complexities that participating in this scholarship program entails. In particular, issues of religion and gender are explored, with an emphasis on the experiences, struggles and changes elicited through the educative process.

Keywords: Lived experiences
Religion
Saudi students
Scholarship
Transformation
Women's studies
Advisor: Hayhoe, Ruth
The Effect of Nanoparticle Size on the Properties of Selectively Transparent and Conductive Photonic Crystals (STCPCs)

Selectively transparent and conducting photonic crystals (STCPCs), a recently proposed new class of photonic crystals, are comprised of alternating layers of nanoparticles and transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films. This thesis explores how the properties of STCPCs vary with respect to the nanoparticle size. STCPCs with different TCO layers (ZnO:Al and ITO) were fabricated and it was found that the sheet resistivity dropped for ITO based STCPCs from 15.1 ohms/sq to 13.5 ohms/sq as the nanoparticle diameter (6 nm, 8 nm, 12 nm, and 20 nm) decreased while the optical properties changed minimally. When single ITO films were deposited on nanoparticle films, it was found that the sheet resistance increased with nanoparticle size. Using TOF-SIMS, the diffusion of ITO into the nanoparticle films was observed irrespective of the order of film deposition. Further, it was found that Na+ from the nanoparticle solutions diffuses towards the interfaces between the different layers.

Advisor: Kherani, Nazir P
Regulation of Metabolism in Early Drosophila Embryos by the Smaug RNA-binding Protein

Smaug is a RNA-binding protein that regulates translational repression and/or degradation of its targets, and is required for the elimination of a large number of maternal transcripts in early Drosophila embryos. Here, I explored a novel role of Smaug in regulation of Smaug in early embryos. Previous experiments identified mRNAs encoding glycolytic enzymes as associated with Smaug. I found that mRNAs encoding these enzymes have predicted Smaug recognition elements (SREs) and are destabilized by Smaug. Furthermore, I performed enzyme activity assays and showed increased activity of several glycolytic enzymes in smaug mutants. Experiments comparing the metabolome of wild-type and smaug mutant embryos implicated Smaug in an array of metabolic pathways including glycolysis.

Keywords: drosophila
embryo
metabolism
Advisor: Lipshitz, Howard
Effect of Adsorption on Interfacial Energy Transport Across Solid-vapor Interfaces

We have studied the energy transport across solid-vapor interfaces. An experimental apparatus was designed and built to maintain the temperature at the top of the vapor phase at a constant value and the temperature at the bottom of the solid at smaller value. The vapor was water, and three substrates with differerent thermal conductivities were examined: Teon, gold and silica. At the intervening solid-vapor interface, temperature discontinuities were observed. Furthermore, the amount of water vapor adsorbed on gold was compared with the adsorbed amount of water vapor previously measured on Teflon and silica surfaces. The experimental results show that an increase in the amount of vapor adsorbed was observed to decrease the temperature discontinuity and to enhance the thermal energy transport across the solid-vapor interface. We found that for the substrates considered, it is the interfacial energy transport that controls the total energy transport rather than thermal conductivity.

Advisor: Ward, Charles A.
Methods for the Identification of Biomarkers in Prostate and Breast Cancer

Given the high incidence rate of both prostate cancer and breast cancer, it is crucial to identify early which individuals have cancer and moreover, which ones are at risk for their diseases. Currently available markers are either overly invasive or are insufficiently sensitive/specific. The goal of this project is to create effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for prostate and breast cancer. Two separate but complimentary approaches have been taken. In prostate cancer, we developed a set of circulating DNA (cirDNA)-based biomarkers using a supervised machine learning approach. Using methylation patterns in cirDNA, we were able to predict whether a sample was cancer or normal with good sensitivity and specificity. Similarly, a set of prognostic candidates was derived using copy number aberrations (CNAs) in breast cancer samples.

Keywords: biomarker
breast cancer
prostate cancer
Advisor: Boutros, Paul C
Thermally-activated Mechanical Failure from Point Defects in Two-dimensional Material Systems

The phenomenal mechanical properties found in graphene have inspired interest in other two-dimensional materials, such as hexagonal Boron Nitride (h-BN). However, the pristine lattice that contributes to its strength is rarely manufactured in practice; instead, point defects are common. Using atomistic simulations, we analyzed defective structures to understand the failure mechanisms and determine failure properties. We analyzed the role of temperature and strain-rate on failure in point-defective graphene using molecular dynamics (MD). Activation energy barriers were obtained by Arrhenius relationships and used to predict realistic strengths. Thereafter, MD was used to evaluate thermally-activated failure from point defects in h-BN. Athermal simulations were performed with density functional theory to obtain the theoretical strength of h-BN. The overall contribution of this thesis allows us to predict realistic strengths of graphene with point defects and shows us that h-BN has the potential to exhibit phenomenal strengths that have been experimentally determined in graphene.

Keywords: Failure Mechanism
Graphene
h-BN
Molecular Dynamics
Point-defects
Thermal-activation
Advisor: Singh, Chandra Veer
Airway Nucleases and Surfactant Protein D in Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Clearance

Neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) to trap and kill invading pathogens. However, NETs can damage host cells. A mechanism of NET clearance in the airways has not been established. We investigated whether NETs are cleaved by airway nucleases. Our study showed that nucleases are present in murine airways and that genomic DNA and NETs are cleaved in a magnesium/calcium- and calcium-dependent manner, respectively. We also found that these nucleases function optimally at specific pH ranges, such as near neutral pH and acidic pH. We also assessed the role of SP-D in NET clearance. We found that SP-D-deficient mice are defective in NET clearance compared to WT mice. SP-D supplemented to NET-alveolar macrophage (AM) cultures had fewer remaining NETs. Thus, we conclude that SP-D enhances the clearance of NETs by AMs. Overall, we conclude that nuclease digestion and SP-D are involved in the clearance of NETs in the airways.

Keywords: airway nucleases
alveolar macrophages
neutrophil extracellular traps
surfactant protein d
Advisor: Palaniyar, Nades
Identifying Molecular Mechanisms of Progesterone-responsive Mammary Stem Cell Expansion

Progesterone is a key mediator of cellular changes in the mammary gland. These changes occur naturally during the reproductive cycle and likely underlie the correlation between ovarian hormone exposure and breast cancer risk. This study utilizes microarray gene expression profiling to study the effects of progesterone on distinct mammary epithelial subsets, under defined hormone conditions. Through these transcriptomic analyses, we yield critical information that enables us to better understand molecular mechanisms underpinning progesterone-driven actions in the mammary gland. In this study, we combined bioinformatics approaches ranging from pre-processing to functional analyses, with wet lab techniques such as clonogenic assays and

Keywords: Bioinformatics
Hormones
Mammary Gland
Microarray
Stem Cells
Advisor: Khokha, Rama
Effects of Filtering Visual Short Wavelengths on Circadian Photic Phase Resetting

The mammalian circadian system relies on retinal photoreceptors to entrain the master circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) to environmental light-dark cycles. Non-visual light responses, including acute physiological changes and circadian phase resetting, demonstrate a spectral sensitivity to visual short wavelengths (450-480 nm). In this thesis, I examine the effects of filtering visual short-wavelengths from polychromatic white light(~100µW/cm

Keywords: circadian rhythms
light
masking
short-wavelength light
suprachiasmatic nucleus
Advisor: Casper, Robert F