VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Pediatric Dentists’ Behaviour Management of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

This study assessed which behaviour management techniques, BMTs, pediatric dentists are using, and find effective in treating patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ASD and identified influences which contributed to their use. Surveys were mailed and emailed to 1669 members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Seven hundred eighty-nine (48.2%) completed surveys were returned. Nearly 60% of respondents treated children with ASD weekly or more frequently. Of the 23 listed BMTs, General Anaesthesia, Tell-Show-Do, Distraction, and Non-verbal Communication, were considered effective. Seventy percent of respondents were primarily users of classical BMTs. Pharmacological and classical techniques, are used frequently, but may not be effective. Time and costs limit the use of modern techniques. Cost efficiency and long-term patient management were the most influential factors in selecting a BMT; patient co-operation was the least influential. Pediatric dentists recognized a need for further education related to behaviour management of children with ASD.

Keywords: Autism
Dentistry
Behaviour Management
Advisor: Sigal, Michael
Friedman, Clive
Judd, Peter
Titley, Keith
Locker, David
Design and Evaluation of an Improved Patient Information Management System for Emergency Department Physicians

Designing a software interface for healthcare requires thorough domain knowledge, and effective user research and benchmark analysis. This thesis examines the requirements for an improved patient information management system for emergency medicine and describes the iterative process of designing and evaluating the system. I conducted observational study of Emergency Department (ED) physicians’ workflow and information needs, from which I derived a set of functional requirements, created scenarios, performed hierarchical task analysis, and developed a preliminary user model for the patient information management system. Based on these, I developed an interface prototype and evaluated the design with a sample of ED physicians. I review the user testing and design iterations carried out and report on the design improvements made based on the user feedback.

Keywords: human factors
healthcare
emergency department
physician
interface design
usability engineering
Advisor: Chignell, Mark
Equalization of Integrated Optical Photodiodes using an Infinite Impulse Response Decision Feedback Equalizer

This thesis examines the challenges in creating a fully integrated optical receiver. Due to the nature of silicon, 850nm light exhibits a poor impulse response when directed at an on-die photodiode. Using a modified decision feedback equalizer with an infinite impulse response filter in the feedback path allows to eliminate the long tail of post-cursor ISI that is generated by the photodiode. Due to silicide depositions over the photodiodes, making them opaque, the receiver was tested using an electrical cable with similar frequency roll-off as that of a photodiode. A data rate of 3.7 Gbps was achieved and only limited by the amount of input reflections at the transimpedance amplifier. The receiver occupies an area of 0.23 mm^2 and consumes 51.3mW.

Keywords: optical equalization
decision feedback equalizer
Advisor: Carusone, Anthony Chan
A Parallel Adaptive-mesh Method for Predicting Flows Through Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

Significant progress has been made towards developing an effective solution method for predicting low-speed flows through vertical-axis wind turbines. A Godunov-type finite-volume scheme has been developed for the solution of the Euler equations in two-dimensions on a multi-block mesh. The proposed algorithm features a parallel block-based adaptive mesh refinement scheme and a mesh adjustment procedure to enable straightforward meshing of irregular solid boundaries. A low-Mach-Number preconditioner is used in conjunction with a dual timestepping scheme to reduce the computational costs of simulating low-speed unsteady flows. A second-order backwards differencing time-marching scheme is used for the outer physicaltime discretization, and an explicit optimally-smoothing multi-stage time-stepping scheme with multigrid acceleration is used for the inner pseudo-time loop. Results are presented for various low-speed flows that demonstrate the suitability of the algorithms for wind turbine flows. Additional theory and discussion are also presented for extension of the schemes to the full Navier-Stokes equations.

Keywords: computational fluid dynamics
wind turbines
low-speed flows
Advisor: Groth, Clinton P. T.
New Portable Flow Tube Technique to Investigate the Formation and Aging of Secondary Organic Aerosol

A new portable flow tube technique, the Toronto Photo-Oxidation Tube v2.0 was developed and characterized to explore its potential to control and monitor the OH-initiated formation and chemical aging of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in-situ. The first study investigated the different operational parameters of this flow tube technique. TPOT v2.0 can generate oxidizing conditions equivalent to ambient OH exposures of 2.3 – 10.8 days. The transmission efficiency of a model organic aerosol indicated negligible losses in the oxidation tube. Differences in the residence time distribution curves measured for a gas and model organic aerosol showed that particles were subjected to approximately half of the OH exposure compared to gases. The second study examined the capacity of the TPOT technique to generate secondary aerosols due to OH oxidation. High aerosol yield was observed for H2SO4 particles, whereas a low aerosol yield was observed for α-pinene SOA.

Keywords: SOA
aerosol
oxidation
hydroxyl radical
Advisor: Abbatt, Jonathan P. D.
Extending Plasmonics in Semiconductors to Higher Operating Frequencies

This thesis examines the feasibility of using conventional semiconductors, specifically GaAs, as a plasmonic material at the operating wavelength of 1550nm, due to its many merits such as achievable low losses and mature micro-fabrication technologies. A theoretical study is performed on GaAs that yielded the condition for plasmonic behaviour at a minimum free carrier density of 7.2 x 10^20cm^-3 in bulk materials. The most feasible route to achieving this condition is determined to be intense optical excitation, and the required intensity considering a 150fs pulse at the above bandgap wavelength of 870nm is approximately 2.55TW/cm^2. A Bragg reflection ridge waveguide (BRW) using GaAs-AlGaAs is designed and micro-fabricated, and a counter-propagating pump-probe experiment is devised to test the plasmonic effect using the BRW. Results from two different ultrafast lasers include the observation of pump (870nm and 800nm) coupling to fundamental Bragg modes, and the measurement of the pump transmission spectrum.

Keywords: Plasmonics
Semiconductors
Gallium Arsenide
Surface Plasmons
Photonics
Semiconductor-metal transition
Advisor: Helmy, Amr S.
An Investigation of the Effect of Sports-related Concussion on Verbal Learning and Memory Performance in Youth

The current study was designed to investigate the effect of concussion on verbal learning and memory performance in youth hockey players. Concussed participants completed the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) prior to the start of the hockey season. Following recovery from concussion, six males (10-12 years), with one sustaining two concussions, completed a follow-up assessment. A difference score was calculated for five RAVLT index scores. Each instance of concussion was matched to two controls on age, gender, and testing protocol in order to control for the confounding influences of repeated testing sessions. Independent-samples t-tests revealed a trend towards a significant decrease in change scores for the concussed participants on the Delayed Recall Trial of the RAVLT. These results suggest that long-term verbal memory may be negatively affected by concussion; however, future studies are needed with larger sample sizes and additional follow-up points in order to better understand the impact.

Keywords: Concussion
Verbal Memory
Advisor: Keightley, Michelle L.
Romancing Reasonableness: An Aspirational Account of the Canadian Case Law on Judicial Review of Substantive Administrative Decisions since C.U.P.E. v. N.B. Liquor Corporation

This thesis surveys the last three decades of Canadian jurisprudence on the standards of review applicable to judicial review of substantive administrative decisions, with a focus on the guidance that is or is not forthcoming on the significance and practical application of reasonableness (deferential) review. My argument is that the doctrinal developments I survey trace out a burgeoning understanding of the purposes of substantive review which is at the same time a particular understanding of administrative state legitimacy. I refer to an account of legitimacy, or the legitimacy proper to law, that conceives of law as an aspirational project aimed at fostering relationships of reciprocity as between legal subjects and legal authorities. On this account (advanced in the work of David Dyzenhaus, and others), common law administrative law principles of procedural fairness and substantive reasonableness function as co-ordinate mechanisms for grounding administrative decision-making in a “culture of justification”.

Keywords: law
administrative law
Advisor: Dyzenhaus, David
Numerical Analysis of Ethylene Injection in the Inlet of a Mach Six Scramjet

A scramjet inlet was designed for use on a small scale, Mach six, ethylene-fuelled vehicle. The inlet used strut-based cantilevered fuel injectors and a well-defined mixing duct to mix fuel prior to the combustor. Designed using theoretical and numerical analyses, the resulting inlet configuration consisted of a single body shock inlet with vertical fuel injector struts and four cantilevered injectors per strut side. This inlet was 80 cm long and 42 cm high. Numerical analysis of the vehicle was conducted with computational fluid dynamics by solving the Favre-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations; turbulence was simulated using the Wilcox k-ω model. Multispecies simulations in two and three dimensions were used to evaluate the design. Analysis of the simulated flow features, thrust potential and mixing efficiency demonstrated favourable vehicle performance. In particular, the inlet allowed for complete combustion when lean equivalence ratios of less than 0.7 were used.

Keywords: scramjet
ethylene
hypersonic
fuel injection
fuel mixing
computational fluid dynamics
Advisor: Sislian, Jean Pascal
Squaramides: Investigation of Their Hydrogen Bonding Abilities and Anion Interactions

Squaramides (3,4-diaminocyclobutene-1,2-diones) are known to be strong hydrogen bond donors, and recently have been demonstrated to show unusual responses to anions and the potential to adopt secondary structures. In the first part of the project, a small molecule version of a fluorene-based poly(squaramide) was synthesized to gain insights into the mechanism of the “turn-on” fluorescence response of the polymer in the presence of mono-basic phosphate anions. In the second part, mono and dipyridyl squaramides are examined. Pyridyl squaramides were discovered to form strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds, making the folding process more favorable than their urea counterparts. They are particularly interesting as their urea analogues are capable of taking up helical conformations when folded. The folding properties of these pyridyl squaramides in a range of solvents, and the influence of added anions on the folding process, are described herein.

Keywords: hydrogen bond
anion interaction
squaramide
Advisor: Taylor, Mark S.
The F-box Protein FSN-1 Governs Presynaptic Development in Caenorhabditis elegans

Synapses are specialized sub-cellular junctions that transmit signals between neurons and their targets. In Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) the F-box protein FSN-1 and the PHR family member RPM-1 form the SCFFSN-1 E3 ubiquitin ligase, which plays an important role in regulating synaptic growth factors. This SCF complex is evolutionarily conserved across species, and regulates many cellular processes including axon outgrowth, apoptosis and synaptogenesis. This thesis focuses on identifying targets of SCFFSN-1 that contribute to synaptogenesis. Forward genetics was employed to screens and isolate mutants that exhibit genetic interactions with fsn-1. I have identified an allele of the MAPK pmk-3(hp246) and three alleles of the MAPKKK dlk-1(hp180, hp192, hp195) that suppress fsn-1 defects. In addition, I have isolated five fsn-1 suppressing alleles and evidence suggests that these suppressors are likely novel fsn-1 suppressors.

Keywords: synapse
FSN-1
carnorhabditis
elegans
neuron
Advisor: Zhen, Mei
Body Fluid Analogues and Personal Care Products as Potential DBP Precursors

Disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as organic chloramines, THMs, HAAs, and nitrosamines, are formed during mandatory disinfection processes in drinking water treatment. Many of these DBPs have been shown to be potentially carcinogenic. Extensive research has been conducted on the occurrence and formation of these DBPs. However, there has been limited research on their relationships with each other, which may be important for the understanding of their formation mechanisms, and the nature of their precursors is still relatively unknown. Ultimately, this information will be key for the development of possible improvements in treatment technologies. Results of this study improve the understanding of DBP formation in swimming pool water. Some BFAs and PCP additives were identified as potential DBP precursors. Influence of BFAs and PCP additives on DBP formation in swimming pool water was also illustrated. Results provided feasible strategies to minimize DBP formation while maintaining the efficiency of disinfection.

Keywords: Drinking water treatment
DBP
DBP precursor
Swimming pool DBPs
Advisor: Andrews, Susan
Involvement of Nlrp5 in the Maintenance of Genome Integrity in Murine Oocytes

Nlrp5, a maternal-effect gene, is required for embryonic progression and female fertility in mice. Previous work indicated an age-related decline in Nlrp5 transcripts in murine oocytes. As maternal age is associated with increased spindle organization defects, studies in this thesis focused on the analysis of meiotic spindle defects in oocytes of Nlrp5-deficient mice. NALP5 protein showed a novel kinetochore-localization pattern, which was disturbed by spindle poisons. Nlrp5-deficient oocytes displayed a higher frequency of spindle abnormalities and chromosomal misalignment. Upon fertilization, these defects translated into increased incidences of multinucleation. As these phenotypes are associated with deficiencies in genome stability, we examined spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) components. We found that numerous SAC proteins were dysregulated, implying that NALP5 may be critical in sensing oocyte-related SAC defects. We found that Nlrp5-deficient oocytes may have increased DNA damage. Thus, Nlrp5 may be an integral component responsible for preservation of genome integrity in female gametes.

Keywords: Nlrp5-deficient mice
NALP5
Metaphase II-arrested oocyte
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC)
DNA damage
Advisor: Jurisicova, Andrea
The Influence of the Physical Environment on Annulus Fibrosus Cells Cultured on Oriented Nanofibrous Polyurethane Scaffolds

Tissue engineering the annulus fibrosus (AF) for use in a functional intervertebral disc replacement is a promising alternative to current treatments of degenerative disc disease. Polycarbonate urethane (PU) scaffolds have demonstrated the ability to support AF cell attachment and matrix synthesis and are suitable for tissue engineering the AF. The present study investigates the effects of the physical and biochemical environment on AF cells grown on aligned nanofibrous PU scaffolds. First, the effect of dynamic spinner flask culture and fibronectin pre-coating on tissue formation was analyzed and then the role of scaffold fibre tension on annulus fibrosus cells was examined using a tailored culture system. The results of these studies demonstrated that AF cells are sensitive to differences in biochemical cues at the scaffold surface and their physical environment and respond by altering their cellular responses and, potentially by manipulating their microenvironments, including the physical characteristics of the PU-ADO scaffolds.

Keywords: intervertebral disc
annulus fibrosus
tissue engineering
tension
dynamic culture
nanofibre
polyurethane scaffold
Advisor: Kandel, Rita A.
Santerre, J. Paul
The Study of Metal Diffusion on Si(001) using a Nanostencil Shadow Mask

A self-aligning nanostencil mask is used to fabricate circular features of tin, indium and silver on an atomically clean Si(001) substrate. The shadow mask limits deposited material to areas under openings in the mask, leaving adjacent clean areas for material to diffuse. STM, SEM and AFM have been used to study the surface diffusion of these metals in UHV. The diffusion of tin is relatively limited in comparison to the other metals. Indium forms metal islands that dissolve over time and contribute to the spreading of a surrounding single layer film. Lastly, silver forms a film that spreads even in the absence of metal islands.

Keywords: Surface diffusion
metal films
nanostencil
shadow mask
stencil
thin films
lithography
Advisor: Nogami, Jun
Exploring New Synthetic Routes to Frustrated Lewis Pairs

Gold(I) and copper(I) imidazolium complexes were synthesized and probed for use as bulky Lewis acids in frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) with bulky phosphines and amines. Their reactivity with small molecules was investigated and the compounds were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography. Secondly, a new methylene-linked boron-sulfur Lewis acid was synthesized. Its thermodynamic properties were determined and its reactivity with terminal and internal alkynes was demonstrated. Adducts and heterocycles of this boron-sulfur system were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography. The application of these new systems for the activation of small molecules is described in this thesis.

Keywords: frustrated Lewis pairs
small molecule activation
gold
copper
imidazolium
boron
sulfur
alkynes
heterocycles
Advisor: Stephan, Douglas
Characterization of APLF in Non-homologous End-joining

APLF (Aprataxin and Polynucleotide kinase-Like Factor), a novel protein with a forkhead-associated (FHA) domain and two poly(ADP-ribose)-binding zinc fingers (PBZ), interacts with core non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair factors, Ku and XRCC4-DNA ligase IV, and facilitates NHEJ. However, how APLF functions in NHEJ is undefined. This thesis demonstrates that the Ku-binding domain on APLF is mapped to amino acid residues 180-200, where conserved amino acid residue W189 strongly contributes to the APLF-Ku interaction. Remarkably, the APLF-Ku interaction is involved in the nuclear localization of APLF. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the N-terminal region (amino acids 1-200), containing the XRCC4-Ligase IV and Ku binding domains, is required for APLF- dependent NHEJ. Collectively, these findings suggest that Ku contributes to APLF nuclear localization, and that once APLF is retained in the nucleus, the N-terminal portion of APLF, which facilitates interactions with the core NHEJ proteins Ku and XRCC4-DNA ligase IV, is required for efficient NHEJ.

Keywords: APLF
Non-homologous End-joining
Ku
nuclear localization
Advisor: Koch, Christine Anne
Dental Implant Outcomes in Patients with Osteoporosis: A Matched Cohort Study

This study evaluated differences in dental implant outcomes in patients with osteoporosis and their matched controls. Twenty-four patients, who received dental implants at the University of Toronto, were 60+ yrs and had osteoporosis at the time of implant placement, and their controls matched for age, sex and implant related features were examined clinically and radiographically. Clinical and demographic variables recorded at implant placement and follow-up examination, were analyzed. Implant survival rates of 95.1% and 100%, and success rates of 91.4% and 100% were noted in the osteoporosis and control samples respectively. All failures in the osteoporosis sample occurred in the maxilla of a single subject, raising suspicion that these were related to individual problems specific to this subject. Due to the paucity of adverse outcomes and with all the implant failures having occurred in one subject, no relationship of adverse outcomes with clinical and demographic variables could be analyzed.

Keywords: prosthodontics
osteoporosis
dental implants
outcomes
Advisor: Jokstad, Asbjorn
Surface Passivation of Crystalline Silicon by Dual Layer Amorphous Silicon Films

The probability of recombination of photogenerated electron hole pairs in crystalline silicon is governed by the density of surface defect states and the density of charge carriers. Depositions of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) in dc saddle field (DCSF) PECVD system and hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride (SiNx) in rf PECVD system forms a dual layer stack on c-Si, which results in an excellent passivation of the surface and an anti-reflection coating. Response Surface Methodology is used in this work to optimize the deposition conditions of SiNx. Optimization of the response surface function yielded deposition conditions that materialized in a surface recombination velocity of less than 4cm/s. The BACH (Back Amorphous Crystalline silicon Heterojunction) cell concept makes use of this dual layer a-Si:H/SiNx stack to form a high efficiency photovoltaic device. The high quality passivating structure can result in the BACH solar cell device with more than 20% conversion efficiency.

Keywords: surface passivation
amorphous silicon
silicon nitride
high efficiency solar cell
Advisor: Kherani, Nazir P.
Straight Kits F/or Queer Bodies? An Inter-textual Study of the Spatialization and Normalization of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Soccer League Sport Space

Sport is an inherently hegemonic hyper masculinity-building project. Therefore, tensions exist when non-hegemonic groups reclaim sport. This thesis questions how normativity is constructed and resisted in non-normative sporting spaces. Drawing from semi-structured interviews, participant observations, self-reflection qualitative methods and post-structural, spatial and post-colonial theory, I problematize how sportsmanship (sportspersonship) is “cultivated” in a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (lgbtq) soccer league . Specifically, I interrogate how queer sporting bodies negotiate (homo/hetero)normativity by either contesting or confirming neoliberal values of ‘sportsmanship.’ Five interlocking themes that emerged from my data suggest that ‘a queer muscularity’ and ‘a normative queer nationhood’ is being (re)produced by and through queer sporting bodies and sports spaces. I argue that we need to be vigilant of queer sporting spaces that claim to be or are assumed to have greater inclusivity because these spaces may actually facilitate the (re)production of dominant discourses and norms.

Keywords: queer
nation building
lgbtq
glbt
lgbt
gay
lesbian
queer sport
recreational sport
soccer
recreational soccer
transgender
bisexual
queer nation
sport space
non-normative sport space
sportsmanship
sportspersonship
homonormativity
heteronormativity
queer muscularity
queer nationhood
sporting body
sport body
sexual diversity
sexuality
recreational league
lgbt sport league
soccer league
homonationalism
Advisor: Fusco, Caroline