VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Janus: A Post-processor for VecTor Analysis Software

VecTor is a suite of computer programs developed for the nonlinear finite element analysis of reinforced concrete structures. Due to the substantial nature of output data produced by the programs, accessing pertinent analysis information is not easily accomplished. A graphics-based post-processor would greatly improve the overall utility of the VecTor programs by allowing the multitude of information to be visually displayed and manipulated for the purposes of data synthesis and rapid verification of results. The intent of this manual is to demonstrate a post-processor program which reads and displays the results of VecTor-based analyses in a robust and straightforward manner. The proposed post-processor program, named Janus, will provide the user with the capability to display both local and global response characteristics. Janus will allow the user to comprehensively recall and manipulate structural analysis results on a model-wide basis as well as display pertinent information for individually specified elements of interest.

Keywords: Finite Element Method
VecTor
Reinforced Concrete
Civil Engineering
Post-Processor
Structural Analysis
Advisor: Vecchio, Frank J.
The Multi-Ligament Quality of Life Questionnaire (ML-QOL): Development and Preliminary Testing of Measurement Properties in Patients with Multi-Ligament Knee Injuries

Despite the existence of numerous knee-joint specific patient-reported outcome measures, the content contained within such instruments does not completely capture the spectrum of injury and impairments experienced by multi-ligament knee injured patients. Based on this shortcoming, the overall objective of the current study was to develop, and to test the reliability and validity of a novel disease-specific quality of life instrument for patients with multi-ligament knee injuries. The World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health was used to guide content development. Using a mixed methods approach (surveys, patient focus groups, expert interviews), the final Multi-ligament Quality of Life (MLQOL) instrument was comprised of 52 items distributed over 4 domains. This instrument demonstrated excellent content validity, test-retest reliability, and construct validity. Future work will evaluate the responsiveness of the MLQOL and will implement its use in randomized trials.

Keywords: Multi-ligament Knee Injury
Quality of Life
Disease-specific
outcome instrument
Advisor: Davis, Aileen M.
Thermo-acoustic Velocity Coupling in a Swirl-stabilized Gas Turbine Model Combustor

The research presented herein describes the coupling of acoustic and heat release fluctuations in a perfectly-premixed swirl-stabilized combustor by analysis of simultaneous high-repetition-rate laser diagnostics data. Nine cases are studied, varying the thermal power and the equivalence ratio. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) of the velocity data shows that cases with higher amplitude thermoacoustic oscillations have flow fields containing helical vortex cores (HVC); these cases are further analysed to determine the driving mechanisms of the oscillations. Flow and flame statistics are compiled as a function of both the phase in the thermoacoustic cycle and a phase representing the azimuthal position of the HVC relative to the measurement plane. These data are used to spatially map the thermoacoustic energy transfer field, as described by the Rayleigh integral. It is found that periodic deformations of the HVC cause large-scale flame motions, resulting in regions of positive and negative energy transfer.

Keywords: Thermo-acoustic coupling
Combustion
Advisor: Steinberg, Adam
Conceiving a Feminist Legal Approach to Frozen Embryos: Exploring the Limitations of Canadian Responses to Disposition Disputes and Donor Anonymity

This thesis advances a feminist critique of Canadian legal responses to disputes over frozen in vitro embryos and embryo donor anonymity. It argues that current laws that provide spouses or partners with joint control over the use and disposition of embryos created from their genetic materials, that mandate the creation of agreements setting out these parties intentions in the event of a disagreement or divorce and that protect donor anonymity without providing mechanisms to allow donors, recipients and donor offspring to voluntarily exchange information do not adequately account for the lived experiences of women who undergo in vitro fertilization treatment or who serve as embryo donors. This thesis provides recommendations for how Canadian laws and policies might better support the express objectives and intentions of Canadian federal and provincial statutes to protect the rights, interests and health of women who seek to build their families through assisted reproductive technologies.

Keywords: In Vitro Fertilization
Embryo Donation
Family Law
Health Law
Feminist Theory
Donor Anonymity
Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Advisor: Reaume, Denise
Behaviour and Analysis of Steel and Macro-synthetic Fibre Reinforced Concrete Subjected to Reversed Cyclic Loading: A Pilot Investigation

The benefits of fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) have been thoroughly investigated. Much of this work has focussed on steel FRC subjected to monotonic loads. Data on the structural behaviour of macro-synthetic FRC or FRC under cyclic loads is scarce. A pilot investigation on the shear behaviour of macro-synthetic FRC and on the behaviour of FRC under reversed cyclic in-plane shear loading was carried out. Five in-plane shear panel tests were performed. The parameters under study were the fibre material type (steel or macrosynthetic) and loading protocol. Additionally, a number of compression, direct tension, and flexural tests were performed to determine the material properties of the concretes for comparison. The material response of 2.0% by volume of macro-synthetic FRC matched closely with 1.0% steel FRC. Finally, building upon an existing steel FRC model, a model for macro-synthetic FRC in tension was proposed and a short verification study was undertaken.

Keywords: fibre reinforced concrete
macro-synthetic
polypropylene
steel
behaviour
tension
shear
analysis
reversed cyclic
loading history
constitutive
modelling
Advisor: Vecchio, Frank J.
Chemical Modeling of Iron(II)/(III) Solutions in Hydrometallurgy Using OLI

Iron is the most common impurity in hydrometallurgy which is usually removed by precipitation of insoluble iron compounds, such as hematite and jarosite. The knowledge of iron solubility in multicomponent solutions is important for design and optimization of the iron removal steps. The OLI Software package is a chemical modeling tool that incorporates the powerful mixed-solvent electrolyte (MSE) model capable of performing simulations of multicomponent electrolyte solutions from the freezing point up to the limit of fused salt and near the critical temperature of the solution. Literature or experimental solubility data was fitted on the OLI MSE model to improve the performance in simulating multicomponent Fe(II)/Fe(III) solutions. The particular focus of this work aimed at developing simulation capability for the FeCl3-MgCl2-HCl-H2O system through experimental solubility measurement and modeling, relevant to atmospheric processing of saprolites by HCl using MgCl2 brines.

Keywords: Chemical Modeling
Hydrometallurgy
Iron
OLI
Thermodynamics
Advisor: Papangelakis, Vladimiros G.
Comparison of Radiofrequency Coil Configurations for Multiple Mouse Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Multiple-mouse MRI (MMMRI) accelerates biomedical research by imaging multiple mice simultaneously. To date, MMMRI has been explored in three ways: shielded transmit-receive coils, shielded transmits coil with separate unshielded receive coils; and finally shielded transmit-receive coils with independent gradient coils. However alternative transmit coil configurations and possible benefits of eliminating shielding have not yet been explored. The goal of this thesis is to test possible radiofrequency configurations with and without shielding for the purpose of improving image quality for MMMRI. Results demonstrate that using an unshielded transmit-receive coil array provided a 20% improvement over an identical shielded coil. A new unshielded 7-coil MMMRI array is presented, minimizing the ghosting between image overlap using mutual inductance minimization and a sensitivity encoding (SENSE) reconstruction. The final array provided high resolution images (90µm) of up to seven live mice simultaneously with appropriate signal-to-noise for automated analysis.

Keywords: Radiofrequency Coil
Mouse MRI
Advisor: Nieman, Brian
The Effects of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 on Human Megakaryocytes and Platelets

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in type 2 diabetes. Short-term studies of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-targeted therapies suggest potential beneficial effects on cardiovascular outcomes. The mechanism behind this unexpectedly rapid effect is not known. In this study, full-length human GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) mRNA was cloned and sequenced from a human megakaryocyte cell line. Quantitative RT-PCR results showed that expression levels were comparable to other GLP-1R expressing tissues. Furthermore, incubation with GLP-1 and the GLP-1R agonist exenatide elicited a cAMP response in these cells. As megakaryocytes are the cellular precursors of platelets, the effect of GLP-1 and exenatide were studied in gel-filtered human platelet aggregation, where they were both shown to have an inhibitory effect on thrombin-stimulated platelet aggregation. Platelet inhibition by GLP-1 and GLP-1R agonists presents a potential mechanism for the reduced incidence of atherothrombotic events thought to be associated with GLP-1-targeted therapies.

Keywords: GLP-1
platelet function
type 2 diabetes
cardiovascular disease
Advisor: Husain, Mansoor
Ni, Heyu
Nanoporous Carbons: Porous Characterization and Electrical Performance in Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitors

Nanoporous carbons have become a material of interest in many applications such as electrochemical double layer capacitors (supercapacitors). Supercapacitors are being studied for their potential in storing electrical energy storage from intermittent sources and in use as power sources that can be charged rapidly. However, a lack of understanding of the charge storage mechanism within a supercapacitor makes it difficult to optimize them. Two components of this challenge are the difficulties in experimentally characterizing the sub-nanoporous structure of carbon electrode materials and the electrical performance of the supercapacitors. This work provides a means to accurately characterize the porous structure of sub-nanoporus carbon materials and identifies the current limitations in characterizing the electrical performance of a supercapacitor cell. Future work may focus on the relationship between the sub-nano porous structure of the carbon electrode and the capacitance of supercapacitors, and on the elucidation of charge storage mechanisms.

Keywords: Supercapacitor
EDLC
Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitor
Microporous Materials
Subnanoporous Materials
Aqueous Electrolyte
Surface Adsorption
Specific Surface Area
Specific Pore Volume
Nanoporous Materials
Average Pore Size
Advisor: Jia, Charles Q.
Regulation of Midwifery in Puerto Rico

Scholars and midwives agree that women’s autonomy over decisions related to birth is not being respected in a country where there is mainly one birth setting and one type of provider, in particular, when this setting and provider are often link to the use of unnecessary and excessive medical interventions. This is the case of Puerto Rico. I argue that midwifery could be an answer to this problem. Midwifery in Puerto Rico is not yet regulated, but I claim that in order to promote Puerto Rican women’s autonomy, midwifery regulation has to be well thought. This thesis includes an analysis of a bill proposed in Puerto Rico that pretended to regulate midwifery. Submissions presented to the legislature are also analyzed and criticized in this thesis. Some recommendations are provided on how Puerto Rico can enact a sensible scheme of midwifery regulation that would enhance midwives autonomy and therefore women’s autonomy.

Keywords: midwifery
regulation
Advisor: Rogerson, Carol
A Preclinical Assessment of Lithium to Enhance Fracture Healing

Delayed or impaired bone healing occurs in 5-10% of all fractures, yet cost effective solutions to enhance the healing process are limited. Lithium, a current treatment for bipolar disorder, is not clinically indicated for use in fracture management, but has been reported to positively influence bone biology. The objective of this study was to identify lithium administration parameters that maximize bone healing in a preclinical, rodent femur fracture model. Using a three factor, two level, design of experiments (DOE) approach, bone healing was assessed through mechanical testing and &mu;CT-image analysis. Significant improvements in healing were found at a low dose, later onset, longer duration treatment combination, with onset identified as the most influential parameter. The positive results from this DOE screening focuses the optimization phase towards further investigation of the onset component of treatment, and forms a crucial foundation for future studies evaluating the role of lithium in fracture healing.

Keywords: Fracture Healing
Lithium
Wnt Pathway
Design of Experiments
Biomechanics
Torsion Testing
Microcomputed Topography
Stereology
Preclinical
Femur
Advisor: Whyne, Cari
Nam, Diane
The Regulation of RhoGEF LFC by Dyenin Light Chain Tctex-1

Lfc is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that activates the small GTPase RhoA, and its GEF activity is tightly regulated through protein-protein interactions, phosphorylation, and cellular localization. Lfc is anchored to microtubules through its interaction with the dynein light chain Tctex-1, which results in inhibition of Lfc's GEF activity. Here we present a crystallographic structure of Tctex-1 in complex with Lfc with residues 143-155 of Lfc bound at the Tctex-1 dimer interface. Structural alignment of our structure with Tctex-1 in complex with the dynein intermediate chain (DIC) shows the binding site of the DIC peptide and Lfc substantially overlap. Biochemical evidence, NMR perturbations assays and intrinsic fluorescence provide structural validation and support an extension of the Lfc binding site to the α-helices that may accommodate additional contact points with Tctex-1. We postulate a potential mechanism for Lfc’s recruitment to the microtubules through a tripartite complex with Tctex-1 and DIC.

Keywords: Lfc
Tctex-1
GEF
Dynein
Structure
Advisor: Ikura, Mitsuhiko
Public-private Partnerships and Prison Expansion in Ontario: Shifts in Governance 1995 to 2012

This research explores the changing role of the private sector in provincial prison infrastructure expansion in Ontario. After contracting out the operations of a new prison and facing much resistance, the provincial government began delivering prisons by maintaining public operations but financing them privately through public-private partnerships. To understand the political and economic impacts of these changes, I analyzed relevant government documents and interviews I conducted with 15 key informants from government agencies, firms and other organizations involved in creating, implementing and resisting prison expansion policies between 1995 and today. I show how changes in infrastructure governance were shaped by contestation between the state, international financial investors, private firms in Canada, labour and others involved in prison systems. Through public-private partnerships, the role of government shifted towards that of market facilitator, and as infrastructure was placed on global debt markets, international financial capital played a new part in prison development.

Keywords: public-private partnerships
prisons
neoliberalism
Ontario
infrastructure
Advisor: Siemiatycki, Matti
Cowen, Deborah
The Effect of Salvia hispanica L. Seeds on Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

There is growing interest in the potential role of omega-3/fibre-rich seeds in attenuating obesity and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Preliminary data suggests that consumption of white Salvia hispanica L. (Salba&reg;) seeds prolongs satiety and may aid weight loss. This randomized, double-blind, parallel study assessed the efficacy and safety of Salvia hispanica in overweight/obese individuals with T2DM on weight, body composition, glycemic control and other CVD risk factors. Fifty-eight participants consumed a hypocaloric diet including Salvia hispanica or an energy-and-fibre-matched control over 24 weeks. Greater reductions in weight, waist circumference and inflammation occurred in the Salvia hispanica group versus control. There were no significant between-group differences in safety parameters, glycemic control or other CVD risk factors. Salvia hispanica seeds may support weight loss in overweight/obese individuals with T2DM. Further research is needed to determine whether these effects are maintained.

Keywords: obesity
omega 3 fatty acids
type 2 diabetes
inflammation
nutrition
functional foods
Advisor: Vuksan, Vladimir
Biodegradation of Dental Resin Composites and Adhesives by Streptococcus mutans: An in vitro Study

A major cause for dental resin composite restoration replacement is secondary caries attributed to Streptococcus mutans. Salivary esterases were shown to degrade resin composites. Hypothesis: S. mutans contain esterase activities that degrade dental resin composites and adhesives. Esterase activities of S. mutans were measured using synthetic substrates. Standardized specimens of resin composite (Z250), total-etch (Scotchbond-Multipurpose, SB), and self-etch (Easybond, EB) adhesives were incubated with S. mutans UA159 for up to 30 days. Quantification of a bisphenol-glycidyl-dimethacrylate (BisGMA)-derived biodegradation by-product, bishydroxy-propoxy-phenyl-propane (BisHPPP) was performed using high performance liquid chromatography. Results: S. mutans were shown to contain esterase activities in levels comparable to human saliva. A trend of increasing BisHPPP release throughout the incubation period was observed for all materials and was elevated in the presence of bacteria vs. control for EB and Z250 (p&lt;0.05) but not SB. Conclusion: biodegradation by cariogenic bacteria could compromise the resin-dentin interface and reduce the longevity of the restoration.

Keywords: Dental resin composites
Biodegradation
Advisor: Finer, Yoav
Development and Validation of an Experimental Apparatus for the Characterization of Soot in a Laminar Co-flow Diffusion Flame Using Laser-induced Incandescence

The current study represents the first application of commercial laser-induced incandescence (LII) instrumentation at the University of Toronto Combustion Research Laboratory, for the characterization of soot in atmospheric laminar co-flow diffusion flames. An experimental apparatus was designed to accommodate the optical diagnostic, and to provide the means to probe various regions of the flames. An experiment with a well-characterized non-smoking ethylene-air diffusion flame was carried out to validate the performance of the LII instrument. Three measurement heights were analyzed; those at 40, 50, and 60 mm above the fuel exit. The soot volume fraction results were found to be in good agreement with those from the literature. The highest value was found to be 8.3 ppm at a height of 40 mm. While the instrumentation could report primary particle diameters, it was determined from the validation trial that the results were still premature. Further work is needed to validate the results of the instrument, especially for the particle size data.

Keywords: Laser-Induced Incandescence
Soot
Atmospheric
Ethylene
Laminar
Co-flow
Diffusion flame
Advisor: Thomson, Murray J.
Tree Roots in Agroforestry: Evaluating Biomass and Distribution with Ground Penetrating Radar

The root systems of five tree species (Populus deltoides × nigra clone DN-177, Juglans nigra, Quercus rubra, Picea abies, and Thuja occidentalis) are described following non-intrusive imaging using ground penetrating radar (GPR). This research aimed to 1) assess the utility of GPR for in situ root studies and 2) employ GPR to estimate tree root biomass and distribution in an agroforestry system in southern Ontario, Canada. The mean coarse root biomass estimated from GPR analysis was 54.1 ± 8.7 kg tree-1 (± S.E.; n=12), within 1 % of the mean coarse root biomass measured from matched excavations. The vertical distribution of detected roots varied among species, with T. occidentalis and P. abies roots concentrated in the top 20 cm and J. nigra and Q. rubra roots distinctly deeper. I evaluate these root systems based on their C storage potential and complementary root stratification with adjacent crops.

Keywords: belowground biomass
tree-based intercropping
carbon concentration
fine roots
Advisor: Thomas, Sean C.
Isaac, Marney E.
An Investigation of Nonlinear Control of Spacecraft Attitude

The design of controllers subject to the nonlinear H-infinity criterion is explored. The plants to be controlled are the attitude motion of spacecraft, subject to some disturbance torque. Two cases are considered: the regulation about an inertially-fixed direction, and an Earth-pointing spacecraft in a circular orbit, subject to the gravity-gradient torque. The spacecraft attitude is described using the modified Rodrigues parameters. A series of controllers are designed using the nonlinear H-infinity control criterion, and are subsequently generated using a Taylor series expansion to approximate solutions of the relevant Hamilton-Jacobi equations. The controllers are compared, using both input-output and initial condition simulations. A proof is used to demonstrate that the linearized controller solves the H-infinity control problem for the inertial pointing problem when describing the plant using the modified Rodrigues parameters.

Keywords: H-infinity control theory
modified Rodrigues parameters
spacecraft attitude control
control theory
Advisor: Damaren, Christopher John
Pavel, Lacra
Development of an Electrochemical Immunosensor for the Detection of HIV Antibodies Using Surface Modification of SU-8

The negative epoxy-based photoresist of SU-8 has a variety of applications within microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and lab-on-a-chip systems. Herein, SU-8 was functionalized with antigenic peptides to HIV-1 gp41 or HIV-2 gp36 and the detection of antibody against HIV-1/2 was carried out by an electrochemical immunoassay combining an alkaline phosphatase conjugated secondary antibody and p-aminophenyl phosphate. The by- product of the reaction (p-aminophenol) was quantitated electrochemically using differential pulse voltammetry, and the current derived from the oxidation of the hydrolysis product increased linearly over a wide primary antibody concentration range (0.001 – 1 μg/mL), with a detection limit of 1 ng mL-1 (6.7 pM) for both HIV-1 and HIV-2. This level of sensitivity is clinically relevant, and feasibility of this approach for clinical sample testing was also evaluated with HIV clinical patient samples.

Keywords: Immunosensor
Electrochemistry
HIV
Antibody
SU-8
Advisor: Kelley, Shana O.