VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Measuring Emotional Responses to Interaction: Evaluation of Sliders and Physiological Reactions

Recent work has proposed sliders as a useful way to measure self-reported emotion continuously. My dissertation extends this work to ask: what are relevant properties of affective self-report on sliders and variations? How reliable are affective self-reports? How do they relate to physiological data? What are individual and cultural differences? How can this method be applied to ehealth? Three emotion self-report tools (one-slider, two-slider, a touchscreen) were developed and evaluated in four experiments. The first experiment was within-subjects. Participants viewed short videos, with four self-report conditions (including no reporting) and physiological capture (heart rate variability and skin conductance). In a re-rating task, the sliders models were found to be more reliable than the touchscreen (Lottridge & Chignell, 2009a). The second and third experiments were between-subjects, and examined individual and cultural differences. Canadian and Japanese participants watched a nature video, while rating emotions and answering questions. Analyses were carried out within and across the datasets. Larger operation span displayed a minor benefit. Valence and arousal ratings were not strongly related to skin conductance. The Japanese performed on par with Canadians but reported worse performance. Based on the results, the recommendation was made that a single slider be used to rate valence, that arousal be estimated with skin conductance, and that slider psychometrics be used to assess cognitive load over time. In the fourth experiment, diabetic participants watched Diabetes-related videos. They clustered into usage patterns: some moved the slider very little during videos and more afterward, some hardly moved the slider, and some used it as expected. Two novel metrics facilitated these analyses: Emotional Bandwidth, an application of information entropy that characterizes the granularity of the self reports (Lottridge & Chignell, 2009b) and Emotional Majority Agreement, the amount of agreement relative to a sample’s self-reports (Lottridge & Chignell, 2009c). In summary, this dissertation contributes a method of measuring emotion through sliders and skin conductance that has been evaluated in a number of experimental studies. It contributes the empirical results, design recommendations, and two novel metrics of emotional response. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are also discussed.

Keywords: Emotion
Sliders
Skin Conductance
Design evaluation
Advisor: Chignell, Mark
Exploring the Experiences of Sexual Stigma, Gender Non-Conformity Stigma and HIV-related Stigma and their Associations with Depression and Life Satisfaction Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in South India

Marginalization and stigmatization heighten the vulnerability of sexual minorities to inequitable health outcomes. Although men who have sex with men (MSM) are at elevated risk for HIV infection in India in comparison with the general population, there is a lack of MSM-focused research—particularly regarding stigma and mental health outcomes. This dissertation aimed to explore the influence of sexual stigma, gender non-conformity stigma and HIV-related stigma on depression and life satisfaction among MSM in South India. This study used a cross-sectional survey design and was conducted with MSM (n=200) in two locations in Tamil Nadu, South India: Chennai (urban) and Kumbakonam (semi-urban). Due to multicollinearity between sexual stigma and gender non-conformity stigma, the stronger predictor of each outcome (gender non-conformity stigma) was included in regression models. Results were analyzed to identify the associations between independent (gender non-conformity stigma, HIV-related stigma), moderator (social support, resilient coping) and dependent (depression, life satisfaction) variables. Due to significant differences between locations across a substantial number of variables, block regression analyses were conducted separately for each location. Higher levels of depression were predicted by gender non-conformity stigma in both locations, and also by HIV-related stigma in Kumbakonam. Lower levels of depression in both locations were predicted by higher levels of social support and resilient coping. Higher life satisfaction was predicted by social support and resilient coping in both Chennai and Kumbakonam. Lower life satisfaction was predicted by gender non-conformity stigma and HIV-related stigma in Kumbakonam, but not in Chennai. Social support and resilient coping did not moderate the impact of stigma(s) on depression or life satisfaction in either location. The results indicate that the majority of participants experienced stigmatization based on same-sex sexual behaviour and/or gender non-conformity. Another striking finding of the study was the alarmingly high rates of depression, whereby over half of participants in each region reported moderate to severe depression scores. Practice and policy implications include the development, implementation and evaluation of: multi-level stigma reduction interventions that account for socio-environmental and contextual factors; mental health interventions that promote resiliency and build social support; and policy initiatives to advance human rights protection.

Keywords: HIV-related stigma
sexual stigma
gender non-conformity stigma
depression
life satisfaction
men who have sex with men
sexual minorities
India
Advisor: Newman, Peter A.
Large-eddy Simulation of Premixed Turbulent Combustion Using Flame Surface Density Approach

In the last 10-15 years, large-eddy simulation (LES) has become well established for non-reacting flows, and several successful models have been developed for the transfer of momentum and kinetic energy to the subfilter-scales (SFS). However, for reacting flows, LES is still undergoing significant development. In particular, for many premixed combustion applications, the chemical reactions are confined to propagating surfaces that are significantly thinner than the computational grids used in practical LES. In these situations, the chemical kinetics and its interaction with the turbulence are not resolved and must be entirely modelled. There is, therefore, a need for accurate and robust physical modelling of combustion at the subfilter-scales. In this thesis, modelled transport equations for progress variable and flame surface density (FSD) were implemented and coupled to the Favre-filtered Navier-Stokes equations for a compressible reactive thermally perfect mixture. In order to reduce the computational costs and increase the resolution of simulating combusting flows, a parallel adaptive mesh (AMR) refinement finite-volume algorithm was extended and used for the prediction of turbulent premixed flames. The proposed LES methodology was applied to the numerical solution of freely propagating flames in decaying isotropic turbulent flow and Bunsen-type flames. Results for both stoichiometric and lean flames are presented. Comparisons are made between turbulent flame structure predictions for methane, propane, hydrogen fuels, and other available numerical results and experimental data. Details of subfilter-scale modelling, numerical solution scheme, computational results, and capabilities of the methodology for predicting premixed combustion processes are included in the discussions. The current study represents the first application of a full transport equation model for the FSD to LES of a laboratory-scale turbulent premixed flame. The comparisons of the LES results of this thesis to the experimental data provide strong support for the validity of the modelled transport equation for the FSD. While the LES predictions of turbulent burning rate are seemingly correct for flames lying within the wrinkled and corrugated flamelet regimes and for lower turbulence intensities, the findings cast doubt on the validity of the flamelet approximation for flames within the thin reaction zones regime.

Keywords: large-eddy simulation
turbulent combustion
flame surface density
Advisor: Groth, Clinton P. T.
Gulder, Omer L.
Surface Templating Using a Photolabile Terpolymer to Construct Mixed Films of Oligomers and Oligonucleotides for DNA Biosensor Development

A photolabile terpolymer containing 6-nitroveratyloxycarbonyl (NVOC) protected amine, epoxy and trimethoxysilyl functionality in 1:3:2 monomer ratio was synthesized to template glass surfaces for specific site directed coupling of non-probe oligomers and probe oligonucleotides. Non-probe oligomers were introduced to the surface to control the environment of the probes by reducing probe-to-probe and probe-to-surface interactions. The trimethoxysilyl group served as the anchoring site for the terpolymer to be covalently bound to glass and silicon wafers. Amine terminated non-probe oligomers were coupled to the epoxy sites and thiolated 19-mer SMN1 probes were directed to the deprotected amine sites via the heterobifunctional linker, sulfosuccinimidyl-4-[maleimidomethyl]cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (sulfo-SMCC). Characterization of the terpolymer was done using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, MALDI-ToF and elemental analysis. NVOC deprotection was monitored by UV absorption, and surface characterization of the bound terpolymer on silicon wafers was investigated with XPS, ToF-SIMS, ellipsometry and static contact angle. Neutral polyethylene glycol (PEG), negatively charged methacrylic acid (MAA) oligomer and dC20 oligonucleotides were used as non-probe oligomers. The probe density on the surface was estimated to be 2.2 ± 0.3 x 10^12 molecules/cm2 and the presence of the oligomers on the surface did not significantly affect probe immobilization efficiency. The mixed films were functional for target hybridization and its selectivity towards partially-mismatched targets was investigated at different solution pH, ionic strength and temperature. It was demonstrated that pH can be tuned to ameliorate non-specific adsorption and ionic strength governed the selectivity of the surfaces. Improved selectivity was achieved at high salt concentration (1 M NaCl) on PEG and dC20 mixed films at room temperature. The MAA surface did not show significant improvements in selectivity. This indicated that charge of the oligomers does not dominate control of selectivity. The results suggested that the terpolymer construct played a role in depression of the melting temperature of the hybridized duplex to within 5 to 10 oC of room temperature. With the melting temperature shifted closer to room temperature, it is possible to improve selectivity for room temperature detections of single nucleotide polymorphism.

Keywords: mixed films
terpolymer
fluorescence
oligonucleotides
hybridization
selectivity
6-nitroveratyloxycarbonyl
photolabile
Advisor: Krull, Ulrich Jorg
Studies in Physisorption and Chemisorption on Si(100)-2x1

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) has been used to study the physisorption and chemisorption behaviour for three simple organic haloalkanes; 1,5 Dichloropentane (DCP), Bromomethane (CH3Br) and Chloromethane (CH3Cl)) on Si(100) 2x1, at temperatures ranging from 270 K to room temperature. The results were interpreted by Density Functional Theory (DFT) performed by collaborators at McGill University and the University of Liverpool. Physisorbed molecules of DCP were found to self assemble into stable lines aligned predominantly perpendicular to the Si dimer pair rows on the surface. A novel mechanism for line formation of Dichloropentane, termed, Dipole Directed Assembly (DDA), was elucidated by DFT calculations. For CH3Br three different patterns of dissociative attachment of reaction products (CH3 and Br/Cl) were observed, and assigned to three reaction pathways. These experimentally determined relative yields were used to obtain differences in reaction activation energy, Delta Ea, between the reaction pathways. These, in turn, were compared with computed differences in reaction barriers, Delta Eb, obtained ab initio for the same pathways by DFT. For CH3Cl, two single-molecule patterns of attachment were found, and a new reaction pathway for attaching CH3Cl in long chains of alternating CH3 and Cl was discovered. The mechanisms for chain growth were determined experimentally by examination of single molecular steps. This mechanism was explained ab initio by DFT to be the result of relative barrier heights for the possible chain-growth pathways.

Keywords: Surface Chemistry
STM
Advisor: Polanyi, John
Influence of Nickel and pH on Helicobacter pylori NikR

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gram-negative pathogenic bacterium that infects half of the world’s population. It resides in the human stomach, where it survives extremely acidic conditions. Efficient colonization by H. pylori requires urease and hydrogenase enzymes, both of which utilize nickel as a cofactor. The intracellular level of nickel in H. pylori is strictly maintained by a nickel-responsive transcription factor, HpNikR, which acts as a master regulator to control both activation of the urease genes and repression of a variety of other genes including its own. In addition to its role in nickel homeostasis, HpNikR has been implicated in the adaptive response of H. pylori to acidic environmental conditions. In this work, two representative genes, ureA and nikR, are confirmed to be regulated by HpNikR directly in response to changes in nickel concentration, with HpNikR binding to the promoter region of each gene. The binding sequences on the two promoters are distinct from each other and no consensus sequence could be identified from them. The binding affinity of HpNikR to the ureA promoter is much tighter than to the nikR promoter. Another signal that can activate the DNA-binding activity of HpNikR is a change in pH. Once HpNikR is activated by proton binding, it binds to the ureA promoter independently of nickel concentration, but still binds to the nikR promoter in a nickel-dependent manner. Several amino acids at the N-terminus of HpNikR, including Asp7, Asp8 and Lys6, are critical for the specific response of HpNikR to pH changes. In addition, the binding of HpNikR to distinct DNA sequences induces different degrees of DNA bending, which provides another possible means of gene regulation by HpNikR. The ability of HpNikR to differentially regulate distinct genes in response to several signals allows a graduated level of control of gene expression by HpNikR. In vivo studies to evaluate the physiological relevance of the above in vitro results have been initiated. Given the relatively low abundance of transcription factors in H. pylori, information about the effects of nickel and pH on HpNikR in vivo is important for understanding the multifaceted roles of HpNikR in fine-tuning the physiology of this organism. Ultimately this study may provide us with a better idea of how to control H. pylori-caused diseases.

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori NikR
nickel
pH
Advisor: Zamble, Deborah
Investigation of Nano-scale, Self-assembled, Polymeric Systems by Atomic Force Microscopy

The atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to study a series of self-assembled systems: alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM), diblock copolymer thin film, solid supported lipid bilayer membrane, and microgel with double interpenetrating polymer network. In the first system, packing and restructuring of self-assembled monolayers as exhibited by several alkanethiol systems (1-hexanethiol, 1-decanethiol, 11-ferrocenyl-1-undecanethiol) is demonstrated using conducting probe AFM (CP-AFM). Pressure is induced by an AFM tip, and simultaneously, electrical behavior is measured via detection of tunneling currents between metallic tip and substrate. The behavior is fit using a mechanical model that attempts to predict the observed junction resistance as a function of applied force with consideration for mechanical restructuring of the monolayer at higher loads. CP-AFM is also used to study self-assembled thin film of the diblock copolymer polystyrene- block-polyferrocenylsilane (PS-b-PFS) on gold substrate. Simultaneous height and electrical current imaging verify the phase separation of the two blocks of the polymer and additionally, distinguish each block due to differential conductivity. The phase separation of multi-component phospholipid bilayers (phosphatidylcholine/ sphingomyelin/ cholesterol) on supporting substrate into liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases is demonstrated using both topographical imaging, and the use of force map analysis through tip indentation and rupture measurements. The segregation and differential mechanical stiffness of the phases help to understand the important role of mechanical stability and rigidity membranes. An automated batch analysis process was implemented to facilitate the procedure. The mechanical properties of microfluidically produced microgels (cross-linked sodium alginate and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)) are measured using indentation experiments, to evaluate the suitability of these gels as cell-mimics. Nanoscale heterogeneities were avoided by using a tipless cantilever. This body of work shows that the alginate content of these microgels can be varied to tune their mechanical properties and that a platform for mechanical measurement of cell and cell-mimics is possible.

Keywords: AFM
self-assembly
nanotechnology
Advisor: Walker, Gilbert C.
Optimal and Robust Routing of Subscriptions for Unifying Access to the Past and the Future in Publish/Subscribe

A flexible, scalable, and asynchronous middleware abstract is needed for business process management, which involves thousands of tasks and a large number of running instances of large business processes. The content-based publish/subscribe system is an ideal candidate to serve as enterprise service bus for these applications. In the publish/subscribe paradigm, information providers called publishers disseminate publications to all subscribers who have expressed interests by registering subscriptions through a loosely coupled interface. However, the traditional publish/subscribe paradigm only supports stateless subscriptions, that is, event correlation is ignored. Moreover, subscribers can only receive publications issued after their subscriptions. There are many application contexts, however, where access to publications from the past is necessary,such as for replaying a business process execution to debug it. Even more interesting uses arise when data from the past can be correlated with those in the future. Therefore, new languages and new functionalities are needed in the standard publish/subscribe model in order to support business process management. A new subscription language PADRES SQL(PSQL) which can express event patterns and unify both historic and future views for subscribers. PADRES allows a subscriber to access data published both in the past and in the future. Furthermore, complex event detection happens in the broker network. The main difficulties of distributed event detection are routing a composite subscription, including where and how to decompose the composite subscription, and routing the individual parts of the subscription. Our composite subscription routing decisions are based on a cost model which minimizes the routing and detection delay. An adaptive subscription routing protocol is proposed to determine efficient location with dynamic changing workloads. PADRES also provides robust message delivery by exploring alternative paths in a cyclic overlay. Routing optimizations and efficient matching algorithms are studied to improve the performance of the extended publish/subscribe model. With the above features, we propose the Ninos system, the distributed business process execution architecture as a case study,which uses light-weight activity agents to carry out business process execution in a distributed environment. Ninos proves that decentralized business process execution is the trend for next generation products, and the publish/subscribe model is ideal to serve as an enterpriser service bus (ESB) for distributed applications.

Keywords: publish/subscribe
content-based routing
query
middleware
BPEL
workflow managment
Advisor: Jacobsen, Hans-Arno
The Experiences of Cancer Nurses’ Existential Care in Response to the Threat of Patients' Mortality within the Culture of Cure

Patients are living longer with many types of cancer; however, often they face sudden possibilities of dying, not only due to their advancing illness but due to complications of their treatment. Consequently, they can express substantial existential distress. Nurses’ close proximity to patients puts them in an ideal place to assess and engage with patients’ existential distress; yet this kind of research has been scarce. The purpose of this doctoral thesis was to explore nurses’ experiences of being with patients facing the threat of mortality. Yalom describes this threat as the fear of death, isolation, anxiety and responsibility about freedom, and meaninglessness. The study took place in a cancer setting where care is highly technological and goals of cure dominate, specifically, two bone marrow transplant units of one institution in Canada. Benner’s methodology of interpretive phenomenology guided data collection and analysis of focused observations and interviews with 19 registered nurses. The experience of fighting cancer while preparing for the possibility of letting go was the main theme. Letting go did not reflect nurses’ intents to abandon life but to release patients (if only briefly) from perceived norms of the curative culture. More specifically, the main theme was characterized by: 1) working within the culture of cure and the possibilities of patients dying, 2) concern about “bursting the bubble of hope,” 3) whether to and how to respond to patients’ distress and dying, and 4) coping with patient involvement. In the context of responsive relationships (patients and their families, and healthcare colleagues), nurses reported engaging in communication about the threat of patients’ mortality, and responding with letting be and supporting families to let go, the management of technology and prevention of technological intrusions, and striving for patients to have “easier” deaths. Results indicate a potential to enhance nurses’ supportive care constituted by their perceived responsibility to engage and respond to patients’ existential distress. Moreover, this study suggests that more attention is warranted not only to policy, education, and research that focuses on patients’ existential well-being, but to the well-being of nurses working within tensions of curing and comforting.

Keywords: existential care
phenomenology
Advisor: Esplen, Mary Jane