VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Multivariate Analysis of Variables Affecting Thermal Performance of Black Liquor Evaporators

Multiple Effect Evaporators (MEE) are used in kraft pulp mills to concentrate black liquor. In order to verify if the MEE is operating at an optimum condition, thermal performance of evaporators is calculated. Due to the interconnection of many variables involved, this can be a challenging task. Thus, this work involved the study of operating data from two Canadian pulp mills using Multivariate Data Analysis (MVDA) techniques: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares Analysis (PLS). Moreover, the evaporation system was modelled using a dynamic simulation software called CADSIM. MVDA determined that the thermal performance of the evaporators was positively correlated with the weak black liquor flow rate and negatively correlated with the steam pressure (to the first effect). The CADSIM model confirmed these findings. Therefore, these two techniques show to be useful tools in identifying operating variables that may be adjusted to improve thermal performance of evaporators.

Keywords: Multivariate Analysis
Black Liquor Evaporators
Advisor: Tran, Honghi
Accelerating an Analytical Approach to Collateralized Debt Obligation Pricing

In recent years, financial simulations have gotten computationally intensive due to larger portfolio sizes, and an increased demand to perform real-time risk analysis. In this paper, we propose a hardware implementation that uses a recursive analytical method to price the Collateralized Debt Obligations. A novel convolution approach based on FIFOs for storage is implemented for the recursive convolution. It is also used to address one of the main drawbacks of the analytical approach. The FIFO-based convolution approach is compared against two different convolution approaches outperforming them with a much smaller memory usage. The CDO core designed with the FIFO-based convolution method is implemented and tested on a Virtex-5 FPGA and compared against a C implementation, running on a 2.8GHz Intel Processor, resulting in a 41-fold speed up. A brief comparison against a Monte Carlo based hardware implementation for structured instruments yields mixed results.

Keywords: FPGA Application
Credit Derivative
acceleration
CDO
Advisor: Chow, Paul
The Loss Half-life of Arachidonic Acid in Rat Brain Phospholipids Following 15 Weeks of n-3 PUFA Adequate or Deprived Feeding.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) comprise a significant portion of mammalian brain tissue, and are involved in neural signalling and cellular homeostasis. One brain PUFA, arachidonic acid, represents an attractive target for manipulation, with evidence suggesting it plays a role in the pathology of several neurological diseases. In this study, we fed rats a 15-week diet of an n-3 PUFA adequate or deprived diet, and then injected 3H arachidonic acid into the right lateral ventricle and measured its rate of loss over time. The half-life was 44 and 46 days for the n-3 PUFA adequate and deprived dietary groups, respectively. We compared the rate of loss with a predicted rate of loss (~45 days). We concluded that plasma unesterified AA is quantitatively a major source of brain phospholipid AA. Furthermore, we demonstrated selective regulation of brain PUFA by showing AA, unlike DHA, is not conserved in n-3 PUFA deprivation.

Keywords: arachidonic acid
brain
pufa
kinetics
Advisor: Bazinet, Richard
Web-based Calculator for Residential Energy Conservation

A large Canadian financial services institution (FSI) is planning to develop a web-based application aimed at helping homeowners calculate the financial and environmental impacts of potential energy conserving upgrades to their dwellings. The algorithm for this calculator, the questions to be posed to the homeowners, and how the homeowners can access some of the scientifically-inclined energy-related information is presented. The potential upgrades considered were: furnace efficiency, heat-pump efficiency, programmable thermostats, window-efficiency, building insulation, lighting efficiency, and refrigerator efficiency. The algorithm developed was used to demonstrate that changing just one of the input variables can, in certain cases, have a drastic effect on the resulting output: upgrades with positive net present values (NPV) can drop to negative NPV, and in certain cases CO2 emissions can increase as a result of the upgrade considered. The effect of future changes in fuel prices, and the price levied on CO2 emissions is also demonstrated.

Keywords: energy conservation
calculator
carbon dioxide
homeowner
Advisor: Paradi, Joseph C.
A New Technology for the Anaerobic Digestion of Organic Waste

The development and patenting of a new technology for the anaerobic digestion of solid waste is described. The design basis is explained and justified by extensive reference to the literature. The technology was specifically designed to be versatile, robust and affordable and is directly derived from other proven processes for organic waste management. The ways in which environmental regulations directly affect the development and commercialization of organic waste processing technologies are described. The great differences in regulations between Europe and North America are analyzed to explain why anaerobic digestion is common in Europe and rare in North America and why this is the result of waste management economics which are driven by these regulations. The new technology is shown to be competitive in the Province of Ontario in particular and North America in general; a detailed financial analysis and comparison with European technologies is provided in support of this conclusion.

Keywords: Organic waste
Anaerobic digestion
Advisor: Goodfellow, Howard
Model Based Prediction of Physiology of G. sulfurreducens by Flux Balance and Thermodynamics Based Metabolic Flux Analysis Approaches

The development of genome scale metabolic models have been aided by the increasing availability of genome sequences of microorganisms such as Geobacter sulfurreducens, involved in environmentally relevant processes such as the in-situ bioremediation of U(VI). Since microbial activities are the major driving forces for geochemical changes in the sub-surface, understanding of microbial behavior under a given set of conditions can help predict the likely outcome of potential subsurface bioremediation strategies. Hence, a model based lookup table was created to capture the variation in physiology of G. sulfurreducens in response to environmental perturbations. Thermodynamically feasible flux distributions were generated by incorporating thermodynamic constraints in the model. These constraints together with the mass balance constraints formed the thermodynamics based metabolic flux analysis model (TMFA). Metabolomics experiments were performed to determine the concentration of intracellular metabolites. These concentrations were posed as constraints in the TMFA model to improve the model accuracy.

Keywords: Physiology, G. sulfurreducens, Flux balance analysis
Advisor: Mahadevan, Radhakrishnan
The Effects of Calorie Information on Food Selection and Intake

Proposed legislation in the United States and Canada would require calorie information to be presented on the menus/menu boards of restaurants. To test the possible impacts of such legislation, the present study examined the effects of calorie information on the food selection and intake of restrained and unrestrained eaters. Female students were presented with a menu containing two items, a salad and a pasta dish, for which calorie information was either present or absent. Results of the present study indicate that the provision of calorie information does not alter food choice but does influence the amount people eat. Although the salad and pasta contained the same number of calories, calorie information decreased consumption of pasta, but increased consumption of salad.

Keywords: eating
calorie
Advisor: Polivy, Janet
Distributed Control for Vision-based Convoying

This thesis describes the design of a vision-based vehicle-following system that uses only on-board sensors to enable a convoy of follower vehicles to autonomously track the trajectory of a manually-driven lead vehicle. The tracking is done using the novel concept of a constant time delay, where a follower tracks the delayed trajectory of its leader. Two separate controllers, one linearized about a point ahead and the other linearized about a constant-velocity trajectory, were designed and tested in simulations and experiments. The experiments were conducted with full-sized military vehicles on a 1.3 km test track. Successful field trials with one follower for 10 laps and with two followers for 13.5 laps are presented.

Keywords: Vehicle following
Control system
Vision-based convoying
Autonomous
Advisor: Francis, Bruce
Barfoot, Timothy D.
Development of Bark-based Environmental-friendly Composite Panels

Due to increasing shortage of wood supply and higher environmental concerns with the depletion of forest resources, in recent years, there is a strong interest in using forest and agricultural residues for development of value added products. Bark is a mill-waste residue, available in plenty, having limited uses and causing disposal problems. Bark possesses a large amount of phenolic compounds, which can act as an adhesive in making panels, however only limited research has been done in this area. The main objective of this project is to develop bark-based environment-friendly panels with and without synthetic resins, using mountain pine beetle infested lodgepole pine barks. Analysis of bark constituents, barkboard development, mechanical properties evaluation, characterization and improvement tests were performed. Various results support the possibility of bark utilization for barkboards production; however, more research is required for further improvements and feasible commercial production process.

Keywords: Barkboard
Bark
Forest Residue Utilization
Advisor: Yan, Ning
Novel Approaches for Synthesis of Polyols from Soy Oils

A method for synthesis of polyol from soybean oils has been developed using a two-step continuous route. The method involved epoxidation of soy oils and subsequent hydroxylation to produce polyols. The epoxidation was carried out using biphasic catalytic system (Na2WO4 / H2WO4) with 50 % hydrogen peroxide. The major advantages of this approach are that; the use of biphasic system allows easy separation of the products, does not require any chlorinated solvent (more environment-friendly), can be conducted at room temperature and requires relatively lower catalyst load. The functional groups of soy-polyol were identified using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. This confirmed complete disappearance of the signature of the C=C double bonds, formation of the epoxy linkage following the epoxidation process, its further disappearance and incorporation of hydroxyl groups after the hydroxylation process. The hydroxyl number, hydroxyl functionality, acid value, iodine value and viscosity of the synthesized polyols were also determined.

Keywords: Forestry
Biocomposites and Biomaterials Processing
Advisor: Sain, Mohini
The Curious Case of Civil Procedure Reform in Canada, So Many Reforms Proposals With So Few Results

The subject of my thesis is one which has been subject of many reports of reform of civil justice system across Canada. I consider that the reform of civil justice system is of fundamental importance for our society affecting all the citizens of our country and is, also, a fascinating topic. This thesis examines the changes proposed by Honourable Judge Coulter Osborne through the lens of the reform in civil procedure rules operated in the U.K.as a result of Lord Wolfe’s report because the Canadian justice system is founded upon Anglo-Saxon common law principles. My conclusion is that any substantial reform of the civil justice system must start with an increased role of the judge over the case, in the way promoted in U.K’s Civil Procedure Rules, and that Justice Osborne’s civil justice project still doesn’t propose a much needed overhaul change of Civil Procedure Rules in Ontario.

Keywords: civil procedure reform
Advisor: Sossin, Lorne
Evaluation of Chemiluminescence as a Measurement Option for Industrial Flame Monitoring and Process Control

Ultraviolet-visible chemiluminescent emission features in laboratory-scale flames have been shown by several researchers to correlate well with the flame's equivalence ratio, and it has been suggested that this relation could be used to actively control flames. This study investigated the feasibility of extending this knowledge to the industrial setting. Radiative emissions from basic oxygen furnace (BOF) and thermal generating station burner flames were mainly characterized by thermally-induced greybody spectra; emissions from electronically excited species of OH*, OH*, and CO2* were generally weak and did not offer any unique information that could be used as part of a flame diagnostic system. A sub-study which assessed the impact of biomass cofiring demonstrated that emissions of SO2, NOx, and fossil-CO2 could be reduced with direct fuel replacement. The sensor system could be used as a pyrometer, and as part of a burner balancing strategy to counter increased CO emissions and decreased efficiency.

Keywords: chemiluminescence
flame monitoring
pyrometry
basic oxygen furnace
biomass
combustion
Advisor: Thomson, Murray J.
Updating Systematic Reviews: The Policies and Practices of Health Care Organizations Involved in Evidence Synthesis

Background: Systematic reviews (SRs) should be kept up-to-date to maintain importance in informing health care policy and practice. However, updating policies and practices of health care organizations (HCOs) that fund or conduct SRs are either unclear or non-existent. Objective: To examine updating policies and practices of relevant HCOs. Primary Research Design: An exploratory Internet survey of 195 HCOs within the international SR community. Results: The completed response rate was 58% (n=114) across 26 countries. Although 57% of organizations reported to have a formal updating policy, 59% reported updating practices as irregular. Moreover, 54% estimated more than half of their respective SRs were likely out dated. Resource constraints were a prominent barrier. Most (70%) supported centralizing updating efforts across institutions or agencies. Significance: This research provides a baseline glimpse of the state of updating among HCOs globally involved in evidence synthesis and therefore adds to a limited body of knowledge.

Keywords: systematic review
updating
evidence synthesis
survey
methodology
Advisor: Skinner, Harvey
The Relationship of the Lingual Nerve to the 3rd Molar Region: A Three Dimensional Analysis

The objective of this study was to: (1) model the course of the lingual nerve (LN) in the third molar region using digitized data and (2) investigate landmarks to aid in predicting the position of LN. A MicroScribe 3-DX digitizer and Autodesk® Maya® 8.5 were used to create 3-D in-situ models of LN for seven human cadaveric specimens. Regression analysis demonstrated that an anteriorly positioned lingula is directly proportional to the vertical distance of the LN relative to the alveolar crest (p < 0.05). A superiorly positioned mylohyoid ridge was also directly proportional to the vertical distance of the LN relative to the alveolar crest (p < 0.05). The LN is positioned closer to the alveolar crest in specimens where the mylohyoid ridge is positioned superiorly (p = 0.001). This study demonstrated a novel way of quantifying the relative position of the LN using 3-D computer modeling.

Keywords: Lingual Nerve
Computer Modeling
3D modeling
Human Anatomy
Lingual Nerve Injury
Mandibular third molar region
mylohyoid ridge
lingula
third molar surgery
lingual paresthesia
Advisor: Agur, Anne M. R.
Identifying Novel Protein Interactors of the Glucagon Superfamily of Receptors

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been shown to act as part of GPCR associated protein complexes (GAPCs) which are required to appropriately transduce downstream signaling pathways leading to specific cellular actions. I hypothesize that there are distinct molecular effectors that couple to the glucagon superfamily of B-class GPCRs (glucagon, GLP-1, GLP-2, GIP receptors) to effect the myriad of reported actions in numerous target cells including regulation of insulin secretion, intestinal growth and appetite suppression. GLP-1R, GIPR, GLP-2R and GCGR were screened using a newly developed membrane-based split-ubiquitin yeast two-hybrid (MYTH) system to reveal 181 novel candidate protein interactors associated with signal transduction, transport, metabolism and cell survival. Each candidate was validated using yeast two-hybrid prey retransformation tests and by co-purification to confirm coupling to each receptors. The present work is the first demonstration of a split-ubiquitin interaction screen using in situ membrane expressed GPCRs of the secretin-like B class.

Keywords: GPCR
protein-protein interaction
glucagon
B class GCPR
GLP-1
GIPR
GLP-2R
GCGR
Advisor: Wheeler, Michael
"Off-label" Prescribing of Gabapentin: An Exploratory Study

“Off-label” use occurs when a medication is prescribed for non-approved purposes. This case study explored physician experiences with prescribing gabapentin off-label. Semi-structured interviews with 10 specialists in the Greater Toronto Area provided data that were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Specialists described prescribing gabapentin off-label as common practice and few expressed concerns about its safety. Knowledge from various interconnected sources influenced off-label prescribing decisions. These included: social knowledge, scientific knowledge, knowledge of the drug, knowledge of the patient, and experiential knowledge. Findings were similar to previous studies examining physician prescribing behaviour. Furthermore, lack of provincial-government reimbursement for off-label uses of gabapentin (knowledge of drug coverage) was a significant barrier to prescribing. Off-label prescribing differs from other types of prescribing since there is often a lack of scientific evidence for off-label uses. The complexities of the off-label prescribing process and the degree of importance between the various influences require further exploration.

Keywords: off-label
gabapentin
Advisor: Kohler, Jillian Clare
University Reserach Data: A Coasian Approach to Determining Rights

There is a problem with determining rights to research data created or compiled in science research labs at Canadian universities. Unlike many copyright and patent issues that arise on university campuses, the law is unsettled with respect to rights to research data. This is primarily due to two factors: the uncertain legal status as to facts, which would include research data, and the differences in norms and academic traditions that exist. Some universities have implemented polices in an attempt to resolve the issue. However, the policy response has been confusing and inadequate. This thesis considers a new theoretical approach to the problem. The Coase Theorem is analyzed to determine what lessons can be applied to a university environment. The conclusion is that from the three main parties who would normally have claims to rights in research data – a professor, graduate student(s), or the university itself, the default rule should be to assign the initial ownership rights to the professor with a right of use to the graduate student(s), for research and publication required as part of her degree/program. The acquisition of additional rights would be the subject of negotiations between the parties.

Keywords: Intellectual Property
Advisor: Katz, Ariel
Theoretical and Practical Problems of Metaconstitutional Review

It is the purpose of this Thesis to start an analysis of metaconstitutional review, understood as the process through which an entity such as a Constitutional Court or Supreme Court reviews the compliance of the acts of the Constituent with superior values or fills constitutional gaps with such values. This, in order to explain its separate nature from constitutional review, to determine whether it is compatible with the traditional conception of popular sovereignty as the ultimate source of power and the legitimizing element of the constitutional system and to determine whether or not metaconstitutional review could prevent social change by entrenching certain values.

Keywords: Constitutional Theory
Constitutional Review
Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments
Theory of Law
Advisor: Weinrib, Lorraine
Role of Extracellular Fluid Volume in Inducing or Aggravating Obstructive Sleep Apnea-hypopnea in Patients with Resistant Hypertension

Accumulating evidence suggests that volume overload in drug-resistant hypertension (RH) may contribute to the high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAH). Upon recumbency, leg fluid volume moves rostrally causing an increase in nuchal and peripharyngeal fluid content, subsequently obstructing airflow. Rostral fluid displacement following lower body positive pressure (LBPP) application and occurring spontaneously overnight were evaluated in subjects with RH (n = 25) and controlled hypertension (n = 15). In both groups, the reduction in mean upper airway cross-sectional area with LBPP strongly related to the amount of fluid displaced from the legs (R2 = 0.41; p<0.0001), although its magnitude was greater in the RH group (p=0.001; adjusted for propensity score). In both groups, the apnea-hypopnea index strongly related to the amount of fluid spontaneously displaced from the legs during sleep (R2 = 0.56; p<0.0001), although its magnitude was greater in the RH group (p=0.01; adjusted for propensity score).

Keywords: Hypertension
Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea
Advisor: Logan, Alexander
Long-term Outcomes in Young Adult Survivors of Colorectal Cancer: A Population-based Study

Introduction: This study evaluated long-term outcomes of young survivors of colorectal cancer including survival, development of acute illnesses, and childbirth. Methods: Persons aged 20-44 diagnosed with colorectal cancer and surviving at least five years were identified using the Ontario Cancer Registry and compared to randomly selected controls. Outcomes included death, admission to hospital for acute illness, and childbirth in women, determined by linkage to provincial administrative data. Results: There were 917 cancer survivors in this study. Survivors were more likely to die (HR 8.2, 95%CI [5.8, 11.6]), and require admission to hospital for acute illness (rate ratio 3.4, 95%CI [2.9, 4.1]) than controls. There was no difference in admissions for childbirth in women (HR 0.6, 95%CI [0.3, 1.4]). Conclusions: Five-year survivors of colorectal cancer remain at high risk of long-term death and illness. Aggressive surveillance for recurrent malignant disease is necessary to mitigate risk of death.

Keywords: colorectal cancer
population-based study
survival
Advisor: Baxter, Nancy
Urbach, David Robert