VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Expansion and Characterization of Human Double Negative Regulatory T Cells

A subset of αβ-T cell receptor (TCR) positive, NK lineage marker negative, CD4−CD8− double negative regulatory T cells (DN Tregs) comprise only ~1% of peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Clinical applications of DN Tregs in humans are limited by their scarce number and the lack of effective expansion method. Herein is described a protocol for large-scale ex vivo expansion of functional and pure human DN Tregs. In vitro, expanded DN Tregs induce a cell-contact dependent immunosuppression of autologous T cells and B cells, and are cytotoxic towards various lung cancer, and leukemic cells. In vivo, infusion of DN Tregs delays an onset of xenogeneic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in humanized mouse model. Furthermore, short treatment of expanded DN Tregs with rapamycin augments their suppressive function. Taken together, these results indicate a dual function of ex vivo expanded DN Tregs and suggest their therapeutic potential in suppression of allograft rejection and treatment of malignancies.

Advisor: Zhang, Li
Determination of Air Voids, Capillary, and Gel Porosity in Hardened Concrete using Mass-Based Saturation Techniques

The pore size distribution of concrete has a significant effect on its properties and durability. Three types of pores were investigated in this project: capillary pores, gel pores, and air voids. The percentage of each type of porosity in eight concrete mixtures was determined using various saturation/mass-based techniques. This involved vacuum, pressure, and solvent saturation. The effect of slag, silica fume, and w/cm ratio on each type of porosity was investigated. Results of porosity obtained by saturation techniques were compared to results of ASTM C642: Standard Test Method for Density, Absorption, and Voids in Hardened Concrete, and results of air content obtained by saturation techniques were compared with microscopic air void analysis results. The overall results indicate greater saturation obtained by the test protocol followed in this project as compared to the standard test. The results also indicated the significant effect of mixture design on the gel and capillary porosity.

Keywords: capillary
concrete
gel
porosity
SCM
vacuum
Advisor: Hooton, Douglas
Study of Ignition in a Direct Injected, Compression Ignition Natural Gas Engine with Modified Hot Surfaces

The ignition of direct injected natural gas coupled with modified glow plug ignition assist technologies was explored in a single cylinder, optically accessible, compression ignition engine. The geometric effects of injector nozzle tip and glow plug shield opening orientation were significant due to the presence of a small window of combinations that produce repeatable combustion. A novel diamond pattern glow plug shield design was implemented and compared to the standard single hole shield design on the basis of ignition delay and engine performance. The ignition delay for the new shield design was found to be longer than the standard shield design due to engine swirl momentum aggravating poor fuel jet impingement on the glow plug shield surface. The longer ignition delay caused combustion with the diamond pattern shield to occur at longer durations in the engine cycle, resulting in a reduced degree of work output and fuel conversion efficiency.

Advisor: Wallace, James S
Comparative Assessment of Ceramic Media for Drinking Water Biofiltration

Biofiltration is an effective drinking water treatment step for the degradation of organic and inorganic constituents. A Lake Ontario pilot-scale study evaluated the performance of an engineered ceramic media as a potential biological media. Overall, the ceramic media was a good alternative to anthracite in terms of biological accumulation and organic carbon removal, especially in cold-water conditions. However, granular activated carbon was superior for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and disinfection by-product formation potential (DBPFP) removal. A second biofiltration pilot-study at Lake Erie investigated the removal of inorganic and organic constituents across biological and conventionally operated anthracite filters. The biological filters and conventional treatment effectively removed manganese and iron. However, shifts in water chemistry and extreme turbidity events contributed to manganese leaching from the biological filters. No differences in DOC and DBPFP removals were observed.

Keywords: adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
biofiltration
ceramic media
disinfection by-products (DBPs)
dissolved organic carbon (DOC)
manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe)
Advisor: Andrews, Robert C
Systematic Design of a Microwave GaN Doherty Power Amplifier

Doherty PAs are the standard for efficient transmission of amplitude modulated signals. However, its design process varies tremendously across use case, frequency range, power range, and device technology. Due to this, the design procedure of a Doherty PA is often subjected to tuning and optimization. A step-by-step systematic approach in designing a Doherty PA is introduced in this thesis as a consequence of a novel method to match devices to their optimum terminations. The design methodology introduced in this thesis can be applied to any use case irrespective of the operating conditions. To display the functionality of this procedure, a microwave GaN Doherty PA is designed from simulations using Agilent's Advanced Design System (ADS). It is then fabricated and measured for performance. Good agreement between measured and simulated data is demonstrated.

Advisor: Eleftheriades, George V
Optimization of Air Sparging and In-line Coagulation for Ultrafiltration Fouling Control

This research examined various strategies for ultrafiltration (UF) membranes fouling control. Continuous sparging (sparging during permeation and backwash) increased fouling rates when compared to sparging only during backwash. This was attributed to the removal of a the protective layer on the membrane when sparging continuously. Coagulating for only the first half of the permeation cycle (phased coagulation), which would lead to reduced coagulant and sludge disposal costs, did not negatively impact membrane performance in terms of fouling and organics removal when compared to continuous coagulation. The difference in concentration factor (CF) between bench and full-scale UF systems may limit the applicability of bench-scale trials. Membrane resistance and permeate quality were compared between bench-scale trials conducted with CF=1 water and elevated CFs. The results indicate that the use of the same feed water as used at full-scale (CF=1) is appropriate to evaluate bench-scale fouling in UF systems operated in deposition mode.

Advisor: Andrews, Robert C
BĂŠrubĂŠ, Pierre
Citizens of the World: Global Citizenship and the Internationalization of Canadian Higher Education

This thesis argues that there is a contradiction between the theoretical foundations of Global Citizenship (GC)—a philosophy promoting a universal conception of citizenship and a duty to ameliorate global inequality—and its implementation by Canadian higher education institutions (HEIs). Canadian HEIs are presently “internationalizing”: attracting international students and faculty, partnering with HEIs and businesses around the world, and building international campuses. The teaching of GC is often considered one aspect of this process, and is growing increasingly popular. This thesis provides a conceptual clarification of GC by tracing its roots to the cosmopolitanism of Kant and Greek and Roman philosophers, and analyzes the internationalization activities of Canadian HEIs from this vantage point. It shows that at least some Canadian HEIs are employing business practices that are at odds with GC. Proponents of GC must confront these contradictions if they hope to fulfill the ethical promise of the philosophy.

Keywords: Global Citizenship
World Citizenship
Cosmopolitanism
Philosophy of Education
Global Citizenship Education
Higher Education
Community Colleges
Internationalization
Internationalization of Higher Education
Philosophy of Cosmopolitanism
Immanuel Kant
Greek Cynics
Greek Stoics
Roman Stoics
History and Philosophy of Cosmopolitanism
Kantian Moral Philosophy
Cross Border Higher Education
Internationalization of Higher Education
Advisor: Portelli, John
Molecular Regulation of Muscle Protein Synthesis at Rest and Following Endurance Exercise

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether protein consumption after endurance exercise modulates postprandial fraction-specific muscle protein synthesis. In crossover trials, eight trained men received a primed continuous infusion of L-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine to measure changes in myofibrillar (MyoPS) and mitochondrial (MitoPS) protein synthesis in response to 20g of egg protein with 50 g carbohydrates at rest and after 1 h of treadmill running at 70%VO2peak. Muscle biopsies were obtained while fasted and at 0, 1 and 5h after beverage ingestion to determine Myo/MitoPS (LC/MS/MS) and intracellular signaling (Western blotting/immunofluorescence). We demonstrate that MitoPS is uninfluenced by feeding and exercise whereas MyoPS is primarily nutrient sensitive over a 5h postprandial period at rest and after endurance exercise, which may be underpinned in part by enhanced mRNA translational capacity mediated through an increase in 4E-BP1 phosphorylation and secondary to an increase in mTOR/Rheb colocalization and reciprocal decrease in TSC2/Rheb colocalization.

Keywords: dietary protein
endurance exercise
intracellular signalling
mTOR
muscle protein synthesis
Advisor: Moore, Daniel
Metabolism of Intrinsically Labeled Egg Protein at Rest and After Endurance Exercise

The aim of the present study was to examine dietary protein digestion and absorption kinetics, leucine oxidation rates, and postprandial net leucine balance at rest and after exercise. Seven young trained men received a primed constant infusion of L-[1-13C]leucine and ingested a beverage containing 20 g of egg protein intrinsically labeled with L-[5,5,5-2H3]leucine and 50 g of carbohydrate at rest and after 1 h of treadmill running. We demonstrated that 20 g of protein (providing ~1.6 g of leucine) co-ingested with 50 g of carbohydrate improved whole body net leucine balance at rest and during recovery from endurance exercise. Moreover, despite significant increases in markers of gut damage during exercise, dietary protein digestion and absorption kinetics were not altered during recovery. However, the protein dose was not sufficient to replace oxidative leucine losses incurred during the exercise period, which resulted in a net negative total leucine balance during recovery.

Keywords: dietary protein
endurance exercise
leucine
metabolism
Advisor: Moore, Daniel
Estimating the Effect of Phenological Mismatch on the Success of Assisted Gene Flow

Adaptation to changing environmental conditions and subsequent recovery in population growth through evolutionary rescue is critical for many declining species, but it relies on populations having sufficient genetic variation. Assisted gene flow provides a solution to low genetic variance by introducing gene flow between distinct populations, allowing evolutionary rescue to proceed. Assisted gene flow, however, requires that these populations can interbreed. Many populations are divergent in reproductive phenology, reducing hybridization rates. The potential for hybridization between plant populations can be estimated from flowering schedules, but for these estimates to be useful they must be proven accurate. In a pair of two-generation experiments, I compared prospective estimates of hybridization, derived from flowering schedules, to retrospective estimates, derived from an analysis of offspring, using flowering time as a genetic marker. In both cases, hybridization was asymmetric. The prospective and retrospective strongly agreed under controlled pollination conditions, but less so under natural pollination in the field.

Keywords: Assisted Gene Flow
Conservation
Flowering Time
Hybridization
Phenology
Reproductive Isolation
Advisor: Wies, Arthur E
Life Cycle and Supply Assessment of Aviation Biofuels in the Canadian Context

The aviation industry established a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target of 50% by 2050. With aviation biofuels expected to play a key role, this work evaluates the feasibility of achieving this target in terms of potential supply and GHG reductions of aviation biofuels from Canadian oil feedstocks. A life cycle assessment is conducted comparing aviation biofuels derived from used cooking oil (UCO), camelina, carinata, and canola. The results demonstrate significant potential GHG reductions, between 55 and 80 kg CO

Keywords: Aviation biofuels
Canada
Life cycle assessment
Oil feedstock
Supply assessment
Advisor: MacLean, Heather L
Estimating Grassland Chlorophyll Content for a Mixed Grassland: Exploring the Performance of the Empirical-statistical and the Physical Modeling Approach

This thesis investigated the performance of two existing approaches for retrieving chlorophyll content for a mixed prairie grasslands located at the Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada. The empirical-statistical approach was first explored to estimate chlorophyll content at multiple spatial scales from 144 published broad- and narrowband vegetation indices. The best performing indices were different for each year and between years at the leaf and canopy scale. The SPOT-5 based Simple Ratio and CASI-550 based Renormalized Difference Vegetation Index were used to generate chlorophyll maps with accuracies of 63.56% and 78.88% respectively. The physical modeling approach was then explored using the Soil-Leaf-Canopy model to retrieve leaf chlorophyll content through a lookup table inversion. Leaf chlorophyll content for a green canopy (50 - 54 g/cm

Keywords: heterogeneous canopy
hyperspectral
multispectral
radiative transfer model
remote sensing
spectral vegetation index
Advisor: He, Yuhong
Characterization and Segmentation of Acoustic Swallowing Signals Collected Concurrently with Dual-axis Accelerometry

Dysphagia, a physiological impairment that involves difficulty swallowing, can arise due to a variety of differerent disease and injury processes. The current gold standard in assessment for dysphagia is the use of videofluoroscopy (VFS). Due to the need for radiation exposure in VFS, of the development of valid, noninvasive screening technologies is desirable. In this thesis, acoustics were explored as a potential means of screening for dysphagia. The foundation of this work requires pinpointing swallow segments in acoustic signals, which was done through the implementation of a novel acoustic swallow segmentation algorithm. The application of this algorithm to data from 44 healthy participants swallowing water samples resulted a sensitivity of 86%, 94% and 92% for detecting 10mL, 5mL and saliva swallows, respectively. Moreover, this work analyzed the suitability of different signal features for characterizing acoustic swallows and artifacts.

Keywords: Acoustics
Characterization
Machine Learning
Segmentation
Signal Processing
Swallow
Advisor: Steele, Catriona
The Quagga Mussel (Dreissena Bugensis) Byssus: A Proteomics Approach to Investigate Underwater Attachment Proteins in a Freshwater Mussel

The European freshwater mollusk Dreissena bugensis (quagga mussel) adheres to a plethora of surfaces underwater via the byssus: a proteinacious 'anchor'. We propose to reveal the proteins responsible for underwater adhesion and their corresponding molecular mechanism in order to create bioadhesives for medical and dental applications, and to develop targeted anti-fouling coatings. We report here sequence data for fifteen novel byssal proteins and two previously known byssal proteins. We also report here the first genomic information available for the quagga mussel species. Proteins were separated and identified using Tris-Bis SDS-PAGE, and proteins were localized at the plaque interface using MALDI-TOF MS. We created a foot transcriptome library using next-generation RNA-sequencing technologies and de novo assembly. We determined the primary sequence of byssal proteins by LC-MS/MS to fingerprint protein sequences from our transcriptome library. We now have a list of adhesive protein candidates for further characterization.

Keywords: Bioadhesion
Biomaterials
LC-MS/MS
MALDI-TOF MS
Quagga mussel
Transcriptome sequencing
Advisor: Sone, Eli D
The Impacts of Xylitol Production from Hemicellulose Residues: Process Design, Life Cycle, and Techno-economic Assessment

Cellulosic ethanol is a promising low-carbon replacement for transportation fuels. The viability of commercial cellulosic ethanol production is restricted by high process costs. The inclusion of xylitol as a high-value co-product was investigated as a strategy to offset the high process costs and provide additional environmental benefits to the production of cellulosic ethanol. Two pathways for xylitol production are studied: chemical hydrogenation and biological fermentation. Additional scenarios based on process structure and performance are constructed for both pathways to assess the assumptions and limitations of the process designs. Results show that while xylitol hydrogenation can improve the environmental performance of cellulosic ethanol, fermentation may have the greater potential for improvements, pending the development of inhibitor tolerant organisms, though results are location dependent. Both hydrogenation and fermentation have the potential to improve the techno-economic performance of cellulosic ethanol, though hydrogenation may offer greater improvements in the near-term.

Keywords: Bioproducts
Life cycle assessment
Xylitol
Advisor: Saville, Bradley A
MacLean, Heather L
Does Spatial Context Come First? Examining the Temporal Dynamics of Episodic Autobiographical Memory

This study examined the temporal dynamics of episodic autobiographical memory (EAM) and the role spatial information plays in retrieval. We cued participants with familiar items consisting of locations and non-locations, and assessed the time taken to recall a memory, the first thing that came to mind when recalling the event, and the vividness of the memory. We found that location cued memories were recalled more quickly than non-location cued memories and that participants were more likely to select a location as the first thing that came to mind. Furthermore, the likelihood of selecting a location as the first thing that came to mind was associated with better self-reported trait memory functioning, as measured by the survey of autobiographical memory (SAM). The current study demonstrates that spatial information plays an early and fundamental role in memory retrieval and recollection, and that the experience of remembering can be manipulated by using different cues.

Keywords: Autobiographical Memory
Hippocampus
Parietal Lobe
Reaction Times
Scene Construction
Temporal Dynamics
Advisor: Gilboa, Asaf
The Effect of Ultrasound on Orthodontic Tooth Movement

Various strategies have been employed to accelerate the rate of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) in order to decrease treatment time and the associated risks such as periodontal disease and caries. This study investigated whether low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) could accelerate the rate of OTM. Orthodontic patients requiring bilaterally symmetric extraction of first premolars were recruited. During extraction space closure, LIPUS was applied to one side of the dental arch for 20 minutes a day while the contra-lateral side acted as the control. The size of the extraction space was measured throughout treatment. A total of eight patients were considered compliant. The results revealed no significant changes in the rate of OTM with LIPUS during space closure. The findings were contrary to previous studies on dogs and could be related to the dosage or compliance with the coupling gel. Further investigations are needed to determine whether LIPUS application can influence the rate of OTM.

Keywords: extractions
faster
LIPUS
orthodontics
teeth
ultrasound
Advisor: Tompson, Bryan
Gong, Siew-Ging
Nucleophosmin Mediates Intracellular LPS Signaling in Lung Epithelial Cells

Introduction: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) internalization, mediated by intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), has been demonstrated in lung epithelial cells. We hypothesized that nucleophosmin (NPM) facilitates downstream signaling by interaction with intracellular ICAM-1. Methods: Monodansylcadaverine was used to inhibit LPS internalization and the subsequent IL-8 production in human lung epithelial cells. Co-immunoprecipitation and direct protein-protein binding assays were performed to assess whether NPM interacts with ICAM-1. NPM siRNA was transfected into lung epithelial cells to specifically examine NPM-mediated intracellular LPS signaling. Results: LPS stimulation in lung epithelial cells was associated with IL-8 production that was completely attenuated by inhibition of LPS internalization. ICAM-1 interaction with NPM was associated with intracellular LPS-induced IL-8 production and cytotoxicity. This LPS-induced inflammatory response was facilitated by NPM-mediated regulation of c-Fos expression. Conclusion: Intracellular LPS that stimulates the downstream NPM signaling may contribute to ongoing inflammatory responses in Gram-negative sepsis.

Advisor: Zhang, Haibo
Quality of Dying and Death in a Residential Hospice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the QODD of terminally ill patients who passed away in residential hospice and to identify correlates of QODD in this setting. Hypothesis: Better QODD is associated with prior receipt of palliative care, poorer QODD is associated with shorter length of residential hospice stay (a length of stay of a week or less). Methods: Caregivers of deceased patients who died in residential hospice were recruited 4-6 months after death of the patient. QODD was measured with the Quality of Dying and Death questionnaire, with scores reported on a scale of 0-100. Results: The overall QODD score was 68.7+13.3 which is in neither the "good nor bad" range (i.e. 30-70) of the scale and no deaths were rated in the "terrible to poor" range (i.e

Keywords: End-of-life care
hospice
Palliative Care
Advisor: Rodin, Gary
Effects of Heparin on Mouse Pregnancy and Human Trophoblast Cell Lines

Severe preeclampsia (sPE) is a life threatening pregnancy disorder originating from the placenta. The exchange surface in the placenta is formed by a layer of syncytiotrophoblast (SCT) cells, which are formed and rejuvenated via terminal differentiation of the underlying proliferative villous cytotrophoblast (VCT) cells. The balance of VCT proliferation and differentiation is thought to be abnormal in sPE. Heparin, classically an anticoagulant drug, decreases recurrence in women at risk of sPE by 50% via unknown mechanisms. We studied the effects of heparin on proliferation and differentiation on trophoblast cells using human cell lines and mice. Heparin caused upregulated expression of PCNA, a proliferation marker, in choriocarcinoma BeWo cells as a model of VCT cells. Heparin in mice caused upregulated expression of suspected trophoblast progenitor markers (Eomes, Sca1), without altering syncytial differentiation. Hence we suspect that heparin improves pregnancy outcome by promoting VCT cell proliferation.

Keywords: Cellular Differentiation
Gene Expression
Placenta
Pregnancy
Proliferation
Trophoblast
Advisor: Kingdom, John C.P
Adamson, S. Lee