cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
title: Role of Mitochondria in Postmortem Proteolysis and Meat Tenderness
Creators: name: Dang, David Son
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2022

description: Among all eating quality characteristics in beef, tenderness is regarded as one of the most important traits. Previous research indicates that consumers are willing to pay a premium for beef guaranteed to be tender. Yet, tenderness is difficult to control and predict as it is influenced by a multitude of factors. Among these factors, meat aging has been shown to be a strong determinant of tenderness. Meat aging describes a process in which muscle tissue is broken down by other proteins within the muscle, resulting in a more tender product after cooking. Two well-recognized proteins that participate in the breakdown of muscle tissue are known as calpains and caspases. The process of breaking down muscle tissue is necessary to achieve the desirable palatability that consumers seek in beef and is an essential phenomenon for converting muscle tissue into edible meat. However, even knowing this, issues with producing meat products that are consistently tender still exist. This suggests that there are other factors that are influencing the aging process that we do not quite understand. Known as the “power house” of a cell, mitochondria are responsible for generating a large portion of the necessary energy that is required for organisms to live. Mitochondria are often ignored for their role in the conversion of muscle to meat due to requiring oxygen to function. However, these organelles can participate in other functions that do not require oxygen, such as sequestering calcium and signaling for cell death in the muscle. Interestingly, these two events are associated with calpain and caspase activities, and hence, could potentially partially explain the variation observed with meat tenderness. Therefore, we hypothesize that mitochondria influence the aging process by limiting available calcium for calpains momentarily but later enhancing tenderness by participating in cell death. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the effects of calcium uptake by the mitochondria on tenderness, different muscle characteristics and proteins of steaks that vary in tenderness, and the ability of the mitochondria to initiate cell death in meat.
Our results showed that mitochondria could influence meat tenderness by controlling cellular calcium levels, and subsequently, calpain activity. Furthermore, muscles that possess less mitochondria appear to positively impact meat tenderness. Although the results suggest that more mitochondria negatively impact tenderness, our results also indicated that mitochondria could improve tenderness by participating in cell death by activating the caspase system. In conclusion, this project demonstrates that the improvement in meat tenderness may be partly regulated by the presence of mitochondria in the muscle, yet it is important to consider that the observed effects may be species, breed, and muscle dependent.
An Opportunity for Sport or an Opportunity for Development: Is Special Olympics Perceived as Contributing to Psychosocial Development and Social Inclusion?
Creators: name: Inoue, Chiaki
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2011
Subjects: Special Olympics
Positive Youth Development
Social Inclusion
Exclusion
Life skills
disability sports
disabled sports
intellectual disability
developmental disability
disability
psychosocial development
Special Olympics Canada
social exclusion
PYD
adolescent

description: Sport is a cultural phenomenon that has spread throughout the world (Harvey & Houle, 1994). For youth, sport is perceived as a context that can play a major role in person’s psychosocial development across their life-span (Danish, Petitpas, & Hale, 2007). However, despite the increase in research in this field, very little work has examined how sport may play a role in the psychosocial development of youth with intellectual disabilities (ID). Moreover, an area of study that has also grown related to the lived experiences of individuals living with a disability including ID is social inclusion (SI). Similar to research related to psychosocial development, very little research has been conducted to examine whether the context of sport can foster social inclusion for youth with ID. Special Olympics Canada (SOC) is an organization “dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadians with an intellectual disability through sport” (SOC, 2010, “SOC Mission Statement”, para.1) and may be an organization that has the potential to positively impact the lives of its youth participants. Thus, the purpose of this research was to examine whether stakeholders perceived SO as impacting the psychosocial development and social inclusion. The results indicated that SO, by all stakeholders, is perceived as an organization that is facilitating the psychosocial development of its athletes through the incorporation of strong social support networks and the development of life skills. In addition, SO was perceived as facilitating social inclusion for youth, particularly in the context of school and their surrounding community.
Behaviour of Prestressed Ultra-High Performance Concrete I-Beams Subjected to Shear and Flexure
Creators: name: Ali, Alameer
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: UHPC
Prestressed UHPC
Shear
Flexure

description: Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is a new type of concrete developed by selecting the particle sizes and gradation in the nano- and micro-scales targeting the highest possible packing. The resulting concrete with very high density is called UHPC. UHPC has very low permeability and hence it is very highly durable compared to traditional or high performance concrete (HPC). Micro reinforcement of UHPC by random distributed steel-synthetic fibers results in superior mechanical properties such as very high compressive and tensile strengths, high ductility, and high fatigue resistance. The material selection and early age curing processes, use of fiber reinforcement, and very high quality in production resulted in a very high initial cost of UHPC structures. In order to enable the mass production and cost effective use of the material, performance based design and optimization of UHPC structural members are required. This study is part of an NRC Canada research project to develop innovative, cost effective, and sustainable bridge structural systems using UHPC and other innovative materials. In this study, the estimation of shear and flexural capacities using the available approaches of international design guidelines of UHPC structures are comprehensively compared to a proposed truss models, linear and nonlinear finite element models. Several design trials intended to allow for an optimized use of the materials and a maximum load capacity was conducted for simply supported beams with one or two external loads, and having rectangular or I cross sections. Linear and non-linear finite element models are developed and their results were compared to the available international design recommendations. Truss models are proposed to simplify the stress analysis in the shear zone of the prestressed UHPC beams. It is found that prestressed UHPC I-beam section gives the highest possible load capacity with minimum use of materials. The study shows that for the case of no stirrups, massive flexure and shear cracks initiate and propagate suddenly where a diagonal shear crack is fully developed and sudden collapse may expected. The proposed truss model gives very good match to nonlinear finite element analysis results for almost all the truss members. The results are significantly improved when additional struts are considered for both cases of beams with or without shear reinforcement. The study shows the importance of future experimental investigatinons to calibrate the proposed models.
A Study of Darter (Percidae) Assemblages in Several Tributaries of the Ottawa River, Québec, Canada
Creators: name: Proulx, Catherine
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: Age
Distribution
Growth
Habitat
Species at Risk

description: The purpose of this study was to examine the habitat preference (or use), distribution and growth of darters (Channel Darter Percina copelandi, Logperch Percina caprodes, Fantail Darter Etheostoma flabellare, Tessellated Darter Etheostoma olmstedi and Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum) in tributaries of the Ottawa River, Québec, Canada. The Channel Darter’s habitat can be characterised by coarse heterogeneous substrate with water velocities greater than 0.25 m/s in zones with low bank slopes. Its distribution is limited to five tributaries of the Ottawa River, downstream from the first physical barrier. The Logperch and Fantail Darter’s habitats were similar to that of the Channel Darter, although the Fantail Darter was present in shallower waters. The Tessellated Darter was spatially partitioned from the others; the species seems to be a habitat generalist. The Johnny Darter was the least abundant darter and seems to prefer coarse heterogeneous substrate. The majority of growth in length was attained during the first year in all species. Growth rates were affected by the presence of parasites in the Channel Darter and Fantail Darter, non-parasitized individuals growing faster than parasitized individuals. Growth rates also differed among males and females in the Channel Darter, males growing faster than females.
Fatigue Behavior of 3D Braided Composites Containing an Open-Hole
Creators: name: Liang, Shuangqiang
name: Zhou, Qihong
name: Mei, Haiyang
name: Chen, Ge
name: Ko, Frank K.
Publisher: name: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Year: 2020

description: The static and dynamic mechanical performances of notched and un-notched 3D braided composites were studied. The effect of longitudinal laid-in yarn was investigated in comparison with low braiding angle composites. The specimens were fatigue tested for up to millions of cycles, and the residual strength of the samples that survived millions of cycles was tested. The cross-section of the 3D braided specimens was observed after fatigue loading. It was found that the static and fatigue properties of low angle 3D braided behaved better than longitudinally reinforced 3D braided composites. For failure behavior, pure braids contain damage better and show less damage area than the braids with longitudinal yarns under fatigue loading. More cracks occurred in the 3D braided specimen with axial yarn cross-section along the longitudinal and transverse direction.
Electronic Supplementary Material for Meik et al.: Climatic temperature and precipitation jointly influence body size in species of western rattlesnakes.
Creators: name: Meik, Jesse M.
name: Watson, Jessica A.
name: Schield, Drew R.
name: Perry, Blair W.
name: Francioli, Yannick
name: Guss, Hannah
name: Mackessy, Stephen
name: Castoe, Todd A
Publisher: name: The Royal Society
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 310499
subject: Evolutionary biology not elsewhere classified

description: Includes extended methods, supplemental figures, supplemental tables, and appendix of specimens examined.
Analysis of selected climate protection scenarios for European countries
Creators: name: Duscha, Vicki
name: Wachsmuth, Jakob
name: Donat, Lena
Publisher: name: My University
Year: 2017

description: Core prerequisite for reaching global ambitous climate targets is a nearly carbon-free economy by mid-century. In this context a number of EU member states have developed long-term climate scenarios and thus initiated first discussions on national and European level. However, based on national circumstances, political orientation and differences in national starting points, the scenarios differ from each other in the targeted ambition, the methodological approach and the coverage of the studies. This paper presents a detailed analysis of six country studies. Quelle:http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/
Supplementary document for High-speed object detection with a single-photon time-of-flight image sensor - 5409762.pdf
Creators: name: Mora, German
name: Turpin, Alex
name: Ruget, Alice
name: Halimi, Abderrahim
name: Henderson, Robert
name: Leach, Jonathan
name: Gyongy, Istvan
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Supplement Document (Overleaf project) for Manuscript.
The Impact of Two Introduced Herbivores on the Population Ecology of Lythrum Salicaria: Implications for Plant Performance, Reproduction and Community Diversity
Creators: name: St. Louis, Excedera
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: Lythrum salicaria
Galerucella calmeriensis
Nanophyes marmoratus
Purple loosestrife
Biological control
Invasive species

description: The release of biological control agents into the environment is inherently risky: assessment of those risks through on-going, post-release monitoring is very important. Herbivores have the potential to inflict multiple impacts on a host plant’s performance and reproduction. Previous research demonstrates that the effects of herbivory on plants include changes to plant architecture, biomass allocation, flowering time and reproductive success, to list a few. Moreover, when herbivory significantly impacts the population ecology of a dominant community member, other species can be indirectly affected, ultimately influencing plant community ecology. Here I describe an investigation into the impacts of two introduced herbivorous biological control agents: the leaf beetle Galerucella calmariensis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and the flower-feeding weevil, Nanophyes marmoratus (Coleoptera: Brentidae) on several characteristics of the host plant species, invasive purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), and its surrounding community. I collected data on 18 invaded communities from around eastern Ontario, including information on feeding damage and the density of each species of biological control, along with data on purple loosestrife’s height and biomass, inflorescence length, inflorescence number and fruit production. The history of each site’s colonization by Galerucella was also considered. I discovered that the density of both Galerucella and Nanophyes at a site was negatively associated with Lythrum fruit production. However, herbivore density was not significantly associated with Lythrum biomass, height or the species richness of the surrounding plant community. This study, conducted 20 years after the initial Ontario release of Galerucella, demonstrates that although vegetative traits of Lythrum do not appear to be significantly impacted by the presence of Galerucella or Nanophyes, reproductive traits are. Twenty years is likely too short a time period to adequately assess the impacts of the release on community species richness, although my data indicate that communities with smaller Lythrum plants tend to have higher species richness. This study covered a small geographical area and data collection was conducted for a single season only; adding additional years and/ or sites is recommended.
Design collaboration using a 3D virtual environment: a pedagogic case study
Creators: name: Wyeld, Theodor G.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Researchers are beginning to explore the role of digital design collaboration within multi-user 3D virtual environments. In the latest installment of an ongoing remote digital design collaboration project with the Sydney University Key Centre of Design Computing and Cognition (KCDC), the University of Queensland Information Environments Program (IEP) co-coordinated an online production of T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party in a 3D virtual world environment. This paper describes the process and pedagogical outcomes of early learners collaborating remotely in digital 3D media.
Seasonal Incomes and Food Insecurity in Rural Costa Rica: Food Consumption Patterns, Availability and Access
Creators: name: Pearson, Emily
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Access
Food Security
Seasonal
Availability
Costa Rica

description: This study is based on ethnographic research that was conducted in the villages of Santa María de Rivas and San Gerardo de Rivas in the coffee farming region of Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica. While these two villages are in close proximity to each other, the economy of San Gerardo is based more on tourism than the economy of Santa María, although both towns still engage in agricultural activities. Within each village, I conducted 15 preliminary interviews, followed by ten follow-up interviews with the main food preparers of the households. From in depth discussions, I found that food consumption patterns of people in both towns were being affected by seasonal variations in incomes due to the cyclical nature of employment in both tourism and agriculture. A number of households from these villages were experiencing periods of food worries throughout the year that were linked to the seasonality of tourism as well as agriculture, and in particular coffee production. Seasonal availability of particular food items also shaped consumption patterns; however, perceptions of food insecurity in this context appear to be primarily related to problems of access.
A Qualitative Exploration of International Students’ Experience of Counselling Services at University
Creators: name: Najmi, Setareh
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: International Students
Counselling International Students
University Counselling Services
Integrated Etic-Emic Approach
Phenomenology
Qualitative

description: This phenomenological qualitative study aimed to forefront international students’ experiences of receiving counselling services in a university setting. Three international students, recruited from two universities in eastern Canada using criterion sampling, were interviewed. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed for analysis. In this phenomenological qualitative study, within- and between-person analyses were conducted for three transcribed interviews, from which eight main themes emerged: (a) openness towards seeking counselling, (b) hesitancy towards seeking counselling, (c) helpful aspects of counselling, (d) hindering aspects of counselling, (e) positive aspects of therapeutic relationship, (f) hindrances to therapeutic relationship, (g) counsellor’s cultural awareness, and (h) counsellor’s limited cultural awareness. The themes can be understood, and are explicated along four dimensions: seeking counselling, perceptions of counselling effectiveness, therapeutic relationship, and culture in counselling. The results from this study provide insight into international students’ counselling needs, expectations, and experiences. Special attention is given to the perceived expression of in-session counsellor cultural awareness and discussed using the integrated etic-emic framework. Implications for counsellors and university counselling services, limitations of the study, and recommendations for future research are provided.
Automatic generation of analyzable failure propagation models from component-level failure annotations
Creators: name: Grunske, Lars
name: Kaiser, Bernhard
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Model-driven and component-based software engineering methodologies are currently key factors for the successful construction of complex software systems. To effectively apply these methodologies to mission- and safety-critical systems, component-based models should also support hazard analysis techniques and enable the automatic construction of safety cases. This paper outlines a technique, which annotates components with modular failure mode assumptions, described in the Failure Propagation Transformation Notation (FPTN) and generates an analyzable failure propagation model for the complete system. Based on this technique, a model-based safety evaluation is possible, which enables the automatic generation of safety cases based on system models. Consequently, a consistency between the safety case and the system model can be ensured, even if the system's architecture is changed.
Characterizing the Biochemical and Toxicological Effects of Nanosilver in vivo Using Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and in vitro Using Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Creators: name: Massarsky, Andrey
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: Nanosilver
Toxicity
Fish
Oxidative stress
Stress response
Cell signaling

description: Many consumer and medical products contain engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) due to their unique properties arising from their small size of <100 nm in at least one dimension. Although ENMs could greatly improve the quality of daily life, concerns for their health and environmental safety emerged in recent years because the same properties that make ENMs beneficial may also render them toxic. The small size allows ENMs’ entrance into the cell where they may attach to biological molecules and membranes, disrupting their function and/or leading to oxidative stress and/or damage. This thesis focused on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Several articles demonstrated that during washing AgNPs are released from the AgNP-impregnated fabrics and could pose a risk to aquatic species. Given that the toxicity mechanisms of AgNPs are yet to be clearly understood this thesis investigated the effects of AgNPs from ‘oxidative stress’ and ‘endocrine disruption’ points of view, using both in vivo and in vitro model fish systems. A 4 d exposure of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos to AgNPs increased mortality, delayed hatching, and increased oxidative stress. The silver ion (Ag+) was more effective in eliciting these effects at equivalent silver concentrations. Moreover, the Ag-chelator cysteine reduced the toxicity of both Ag-types. Despite these effects AgNPs or Ag+ did not affect the ability of zebrafish larvae or adults (raised to adulthood in Ag-free water) to increase cortisol levels, but there were differential effects on the expression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-related genes, suggesting that other physiological processes regulated by CRF may be impacted. Furthermore, a 48 h exposure of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) erythrocytes and hepatocytes to AgNPs or Ag+ increased oxidative stress, but Ag+ was more potent. Moreover, AgNPs elevated lipid peroxidation, while Ag+ increased DNA damage, suggesting different modes of action for the two Ag-types. Cysteine treatment reduced the toxicity of Ag+ and AgNPs, while buthionine sulfoximine, which inhibits glutathione synthesis, increased it, suggesting the importance of glutathione in silver toxicity. Finally, AgNPs increased glycogenolysis in trout hepatocytes independently of the beta-adrenoreceptor or the glucocorticoid receptor.
ZnS wurtzite via the Two-Step Sintering process: effects on ceramic density and microstructure
Creators: name: Salernitano, Elena
name: Grilli, Selene
name: Whiffen, Radenka Krsmanovic
name: Magnani, Giuseppe
name: Mazzanti, Francesca
name: Montone, Amelia
name: Pilloni, Luciano
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: ceramics
zinc sulfide
two step sintering
pressure-less sintering
wurtzite

description: Pyrolectric materials are able to harvest energy both from naturally and artificially occurring temperature changes. These materials could be the right way to recover some of the enormous amount of energy wasted as heat and help to develop new devices for harvesting thermal ambient energy. In this work it was investigated the development of bulk, dense pyroelectric ceramics, ideally with a highly developed texture and small grain size, using a micron-sized powder of the ZnS wurtzite phase as precursor material. The Two-Step Sintering (TSS) process is a useful method to obtain high sintered density and to limit the grain growth associated with the final stage of the sintering process. One of the main advantages of this method is the lowering of the sintering temperature. The microstructural, morphological and electrical properties of TSS-ZnS were determined and compared to ZnS produced by the conventional sintering process, performed at 1250°C. TSS-ZnS showed comparable density and a finer microstructure than conventional ZnS (five times lower grain size). It was demonstrated that the TSS process is a pressureless, simple and cost‐effective sintering method to obtain high density materials with controlled grain growth, without using a dopant or binder. The TSS produced ZnS ceramic was tested for pyroelectric energy harvesting. It is expected that the efficiency of the ceramic in harvested energy could be further improved by decreasing the grain size down to the nanoscale. Acknowledgement: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 797951.
title: Cohort-specific Boolean models highlight different regulatory modules during Parkinson’s disease progression
Creators: name: Ahmed Hemedan
name: Venkata Pardhasaradhi Satagopam
name: Reinhard Schneider
name: Marek Ostaszewski
Publisher: name: LCSB
Year: 2024

description: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a multifaceted neurodegenerative disorder characterised by complex molecular dysregulations and diverse comorbidities. It is critical to decode the molecular pathophysiology of PD, which involves complex molecular interactions and their changes over time. Systems medicine approaches can help with this by a) encoding knowledge about the mechanisms into computational models b) simulating these models using patient-specific omics data. This study employs the PD map, a detailed repository of PD-related molecular interactions, as a comprehensive knowl- edge resource. We aim to dissect and understand the intricate molecular pathways implicated in PD by using logical modelling. This approach is essential for capturing the dynamic interplay of molecular components that contribute to the disease. We incorporate cohort-level and real-world patient data to ensure our models accurately reflect PD’s subtype-specific pathway deregulations. This integration is crucial for addressing the heterogeneity observed in PD manifestations and responses to treat- ment. To combine logical modelling with empirical data, we rely on Probabilistic Boolean Networks (PBNs).These networks provide a robust framework, capturing the stochastic nature of molecular interactions and offering insights into the variable pro- gression of the disease. By combining logical modelling with empirical data through PBNs, we achieve a more refined and realistic representation of PD’s molecular land- scape. The findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of PD. We identify key regulatory biomolecules and pathways that differ significantly across PD subtypes. These discoveries have substantial implications for the development of precise medi- cal treatments. The study provides hypothesis for targeted therapeutic interventions by linking molecular dysregulation patterns to clinical phenotypes and advancing our understanding of PD progression and patient stratification.
A high performance ATM switch architecture
Creators: name: Chen, Hong Xu
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: ATM is based on the efforts of the ITU-T Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network (B-ISDN) standard. It was originally conceived as a high-speed transfer technology for voice, video, and data over public networks. The ATM Forum has broadened the ITU-T's vision of ATM for extended use over public and private networks, multi-protocol support and mobile ATM. There are also some ATM applications in High Performance Computing (HPC). ATM is a packet switching technique based on a virtual circuit mechanism. Data flows are statistically multiplexed and communication resources are dynamically shared. Therefore the high performance ATM switch is essential for quality of services (QoS). This thesis introduces typical ATM switch architecture design and analyses design problems. The research objective is to propose a switch architecture design that can solve or improve those existing problems to achieve a superior performance. The research goal is an integrated ATM switch architecture that will handle both unicast and multicast packets. Unlike the usual design for the multicast ATM switch which concentrates on a cell copy network with a unicast switching network, the proposed switch architecture processes the network packets in a single switching block, and allows unicast and multicast packets to co-exist without competing. The switch design has a simple topology and operation principle and is easy to implement. Furthermore, no copy network is required. Three major components are proposed to form the core of the new switch architecture: the parallel buffering strategy for improved buffer performance, the fast table lookup algorithm for packet duplication and routing, and the relay ring controller for solving the contention problem associated with multiple packets destined for the same output port. A mathematical model is presented and its numerical results are analysed. In addition, the simulation algorithms for the proposed switching design are presented and compared against the switching design with input and output buffering strategies. The simulation results are also compared and analysed against the numerical results. A multicast traffic model is also presented. Its performance calculation for the proposed switch is achieved through simulation. Performance analysis is compared against the output buffering switch under the same multicast traffic model. The performance analysis shows that the proposed switch architecture achieves high throughput with low cell loss rate and low time delay. Its performance can be as good as the output buffering strategy or better. Therefore the proposed switch design has solved the problems associated with input and output buffering. This thesis also analyses the complexity of the proposed switch architecture and suggests a topology to build a large scale ATM switch. The suitability and feasibility for production implementation are also addressed.
Non-parametric and Non-filtering Methods for Rolling Element Bearing Condition Monitoring
Creators: name: Faghidi, Hamid
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: Bearing fault detection
Condition monitoring and vibration analysis

description: Rolling element bearings are one of the most significant elements and frequently-used components in mechanical systems. Bearing fault detection and diagnosis is important for preventing productivity loss and averting catastrophic failures of mechanical systems. In industrial applications, bearing life is often difficult to predict due to different application conditions, load and speed variations, as well as maintenance practices. Therefore, reliable fault detection is necessary to ensure productive and safe operations. Vibration analysis is the most widely used method for detection and diagnosis of bearing malfunctions. A measured vibration signal from a sensor is often contaminated by noise and vibration interference components. Over the years, many methods have been developed to reveal fault signatures, and remove noise and vibration interference components. Though many vibration based methods have been proposed in the literature, the high frequency resonance (HFR) technique is one of a very few methods have received certain industrial acceptance. However, the effectiveness of the HFR methods depends, to a great extent, on some parameters such as bandwidth and centre frequency of the fault excited resonance, and window length. Proper selection these parameters is often a knowledge-demanding and time-consuming process. In particular, the filter designed based on the improperly selected bandwidth and center frequency of the fault excited resonance can filter out the true fault information and mislead the detection/diagnosis decisions. In addition, even if these parameters can be selected properly at beginning of each process, they may become invalid in a time-varying environment after a certain period of time. Hence, they may have to be re-calculated and updated, which is again a time-consuming and error-prone process. This undermines the practical significance of the above methods for online monitoring of bearing conditions. To overcome the shortcomings of existing methods, the following four non-parametric and non-filtering methods are proposed: 1. An amplitude demodulation differentiation (ADD) method, 2. A calculus enhanced energy operator (CEEO) method, 3. A higher order analytic energy operator (HO_AEO) approach, and 4. A higher order energy operator fusion (HOEO_F) technique. The proposed methods have been evaluated using both simulated and experimental data.
The Selection of Aptamers to CD20 and Their Application as Inhibitors of Complement Dependent Cytotoxicity
Creators: name: Al-Youssef, Nadia
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: aptamer
CD20

description: CD20 is an important oncological B-cell marker. Immunotherapy, using anti-CD20 antibodies, has revolutionized the treatment of B-cell cancers. Aptamers are highly specific DNA ligands, raised to identify virtually any target molecule through an iterative process known as SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential amplification). Aptamers rival antibodies in both binding affinity and specificity. We developed a novel CD20 specific SELEX method, using a lentiviral system to transfect CD20 cDNA into HEK293 cells. Selection using CD20+HEK cells evolved pools of aptamers with stepwise increases in binding affinity for the transfected cell line. Sequenced aptamer clones exhibited an antagonistic effect with anti-CD20 antibody; and in a biological assay possessed a protective capacity, limiting the extent of antibody induced complement dependent cytotoxicity. Overall, genetic transfection is a novel targeted approach of ligand generation, producing aptamers endowed with both physical and biological capabilities
Suzetrigine: First Approval
Creators: name: Keam, Susan
Publisher: name: Adis Journals
Year: 2025
Subjects: Medicine

description: Declarations
Funding The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.
Authorship and Conflict of interest During the peer review process the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on the article. Changes resulting from any comments received were made by the authors on the basis of scientific completeness and accuracy. Susan J. Keam is a contracted employee of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature, and declares no relevant conflicts of interest. All authors contributed to this article and are responsible for its content.
Ethics approval, Consent to participate, Consent to publish, Availability of data and material, Code availability not applicable
Additional information about this Adis Drug Review can be found here.
Abstract
Suzetrigine (JOURNAVX™), an oral, non-opioid analgesic that is highly selective for the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.8 relative to other NaV channels, is being developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. for the management of acute and neuropathic pain. NaV1.8 is expressed in peripheral pain-sensing neurons but is not expressed in the brain. Suzetrigine prevents transmission of pain signals by blocking NaV1.8 channels located along peripheral pain-sensing neurons, inhibiting the normal action potential. On 30 January 2025, suzetrigine was approved for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain in adults in the USA. Suzetrigine is the first NaV inhibitor to be approved in this new therapeutic class of non-opioid analgesics. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of suzetrigine leading to this first approval for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. 
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025
Mechanical Modeling of Human Platelets Membrane
Creators: name: Sayeur, Mathieu
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Platelets
Mechanics
Constitutive Model
Micropipette Aspiration
Energy Strain Relationship
Mechanical Properties

description: In an effort to help understand the mechanical properties of human platelets, their deformations were measured using micropipette experiments over an aspiration pressure range of 1-5 cmH2O, in steps of 1 cmH2O. The experiments confirmed the previously reported linear relationship between deformation and pressure. The experimental results were used to determine the material constants of a thin-axisymmetric shell model based on a strain-energy constitutive relation to describe the platelet deformations under aspiration. The model was successful in capturing the experimental deformations. It also suggested that the mechanical properties of human platelets are not significantly influenced by their volumes, but do vary depending on the platelets’ undeformed shape ratios. In addition, the model suggested that platelet membrane ruptures due to micropipette aspiration may be strain-related. The limitations of the experimental methods arising from direct contact with reactive cells such as platelets are highlighted, prompting the need for developing new methods which will not require the use of inhibition agents that alter the platelets’ mechanical properties. Afin d’approfondir les connaissances des propriétés mécaniques des plaquettes humaines, leurs déformations ont été mesurées lors d’expériences avec des micropipettes pour des pressions d’aspiration de 1-5 cmH2O, par intervalles de 1 cmH2O. Les expériences ont confirmé la relation linéaire entre les déformations et la pression d’aspiration telle que précédemment publié. Les données expérimentales ont été utilisées pour déterminer les constantes matérielles d’un modèle de membrane mince axisymétrique basé sur une loi de comportement caractérisant l’énergie de déformation. Le modèle simule bien les déformations des plaquettes sous aspiration; il suggère également que les propriétés mécaniques des plaquettes humaines ne sont pas influencées significativement leur volume, mais varient en fonction de leurs formes avant déformation. De plus, le modèle suggère que les ruptures de la membrane des plaquettes sous aspiration seraient reliées aux déformations. Les limites des méthodes expérimentales utilisées, du fait du contact direct avec des cellules aussi réactives que les plaquettes sont soulignées, et mettent l’emphase sur le besoin de mettre au point de nouvelles méthodes ne requérant pas d’agents d’inhibitions qui altèrent les propriétés mécaniques des plaquettes.
Opinion Dynamics and the Effect of Time-varying Opinions: A Simulation Study
Creators: name: Yan, Kai
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Opinion dynamics
Time-varying

description: Opinion dynamics is extensively used in studying large-scale social, economical, political and natural phenomena that involve many interacting agents. It also can be used to model the evolution of teams of autonomous vehicles operating in a coordinated fashion with civilian and military applications, when arbitration among individual goals needs to be negotiated. Recently, research was conducted on how opinion dynamics can be the core of collective decision-making mechanisms for swarm robotics. Opinion dynamics with a time varying opinion space, which is the set of all possible opinions an agent may have, is a relatively recent research topic. In this work, the Deffuant-Weisbuch model (DW model), which allows to model opinion dynamics in shrinking opinion spaces, was applied. In simulating this class of systems and in extracting information from them it is crucial to establish reliable algorithms and criteria for counting the numbers of clusters, as this ultimately affects the determination of the steady state of the system. A method was applied to combine Fuzzy c-means clustering and subtractive clustering to check convergence of the system and avoid negative influence of outliers. Different scenarios are simulated to study the influence of characteristic parameters on the formation of opinions, which is quantified by the formation of clusters in the opinion space. Additionally, we simulate the scenario of a two dimensional opinion space in which one side shrinks, and evaluate how the rate of shrinking influences the steady state opinion space. This is a simplified model to gain some insight on the effect of extreme changes of opinions in multi-dimensional opinion space.
Development of a Multimodal Human-computer Interface for the Control of a Mobile Robot
Creators: name: Jacques, Maxime
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2012
Subjects: RGBD
Kinect
BCI
Mobile Robot
NXT
Human-computer interface

description: The recent advent of consumer grade Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) provides a new revolutionary and accessible way to control computers. BCI translate cognitive electroencephalography (EEG) signals into computer or robotic commands using specially built headsets. Capable of enhancing traditional interfaces that require interaction with a keyboard, mouse or touchscreen, BCI systems present tremendous opportunities to benefit various fields. Movement restricted users can especially benefit from these interfaces. In this thesis, we present a new way to interface a consumer-grade BCI solution to a mobile robot. A Red-Green-Blue-Depth (RGBD) camera is used to enhance the navigation of the robot with cognitive thoughts as commands. We introduce an interface presenting 3 different methods of robot-control: 1) a fully manual mode, where a cognitive signal is interpreted as a command, 2) a control-flow manual mode, reducing the likelihood of false-positive commands and 3) an automatic mode assisted by a remote RGBD camera. We study the application of this work by navigating the mobile robot on a planar surface using the different control methods while measuring the accuracy and usability of the system. Finally, we assess the newly designed interface’s role in the design of future generation of BCI solutions.
Maßnahmen zur Optimierung der Entsorgung von quecksilberhaltigen Gasentladungslampen und anderen Lampenarten
Creators: name: Sander, Knut
name: Schilling, Stephanie
name: Wagner, Jörg
Publisher: name: My University
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Abfallentsorgung
subject: Gasentladungslampe
subject: Glühlampe
subject: Abfall | Ressourcen

description: Die Entsorgung von Altlampen erfolgt nach dem Gesetz über Elektro- und Elektronik-Altgeräte (ElektroG) seit 2005 weitgehend in Verantwortung der Hersteller. Dabei sind für die Erfassung der Altlampen aus den privaten Haushalten primär die öffentlich-rechtlichen Entsorger verantwortlich. Zusätzlich haben verschiedene Hersteller freiwillige Rücknahmesysteme aufgebaut. Die Funktionalität der meisten Gasentladungslampen ist an die Verwendung von Quecksilber als Leuchthilfsmittel gekoppelt. Gerade wegen ihres Quecksilbergehaltes sollten die anfallenden Altlampen möglichst vollständig und bruchsicher erfasst und sachgerecht behandelt werden. LED enthalten kein Quecksilber, fallen jedoch ebenfalls unter die Regelungen des ElektroG und müssen daher nach Gebrauch - wie die Gasentladungslampen - getrennt erfasst und verwertet werden. Ziel des durchgeführten Projektes war die Ermittlung des Standes bei der Entsorgung von Gasentladungslampen (GEL) und anderen Lampenarten wie Leuchtdioden (LED) sowie die Erarbeitung von Empfehlungen für eine ggf. sinnvolle Optimierung. Glühlampen waren nicht Gegenstand des Vorhabens. Angesichts der derzeit anfallenden sehr geringen Mengen von LED im Abfallbereich kann der Status Quo der Entsorgung als ausreichend angesehen werden. Allerdings erscheint es aufgrund des starken zukünftigen Mengenzuwachses bei LED-Lampen notwendig, schon jetzt Verfahren zur Separierung von LED bzw. zur Rückgewinnung von enthaltenen Wertstoffen (strategische Metalle) zu entwickeln.
Incremental deployment of new ECN-compatible congestion control
Creators: name: Qazi, Ihsan Ayyub
name: Znati, Taieb
name: Andrew, Lachlan L. H.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Congestion control can be improved by using more accurate congestion feedback from the network. However, when new protocols either do not obtain information from all congested network elements, or share resources with existing congestion control protocols, it is possible for one or other to obtain unfairly low throughput. This paper investigates the performance of Binary Marking Congestion Control when deployed in conjunction with SACK and Drop-Tail or ECN routers. We propose and evaluate solutions that allow for a fairer bandwidth sharing between BMCC and SACK flows in these cases. The proposed solutions can also applied to other protocols which use explicit feedback from the network.
Robust Self-Calibration and Fundamental Matrix Estimation in 3D Computer Vision
Creators: name: Rastgar, Houman
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: computer vision
3D reconstruction
Structure from Motion
robust estimation
self-calibration
autocalibration
fundamental matrix

description: The recent advances in the field of computer vision have brought many of the laboratory algorithms into the realm of industry. However, one problem that still remains open in the field of 3D vision is the problem of noise. The challenging problem of 3D structure recovery from images is highly sensitive to the presence of input data that are contaminated by errors that do not conform to ideal assumptions. Tackling the problem of extreme data, or outliers has led to many robust methods in the field that are able to handle moderate levels of outliers and still provide accurate outputs. However, this problem remains open, especially for higher noise levels and so it has been the goal of this thesis to address the issue of robustness with respect to two central problems in 3D computer vision. The two problems are highly related and they have been presented together within a Structure from Motion (SfM) context. The first, is the problem of robustly estimating the fundamental matrix from images whose correspondences contain high outlier levels. Even though this area has been extensively studied, two algorithms have been proposed that significantly speed up the computation of the fundamental matrix and achieve accurate results in scenarios containing more than 50% outliers. The presented algorithms rely on ideas from the field of robust statistics in order to develop guided sampling techniques that rely on information inferred from residual analysis. The second, problem addressed in this thesis is the robust estimation of camera intrinsic parameters from fundamental matrices, or self-calibration. Self-calibration algorithms are notoriously unreliable for general cases and it is shown that the existing methods are highly sensitive to noise. In spite of this, robustness in self-calibration has received little attention in the literature. Through experimental results, it is shown that it is essential for a real-world self-calibration algorithm to be robust. In order to introduce robustness to the existing methods, three robust algorithms have been proposed that utilize existing constraints for self-calibration from the fundamental matrix. However, the resulting algorithms are less affected by noise than existing algorithms based on these constraints. This is an important milestone since self-calibration offers many possibilities by providing estimates of camera parameters without requiring access to the image acquisition device. The proposed algorithms rely on perturbation theory, guided sampling methods and a robust root finding method for systems of higher order polynomials. By adding robustness to self-calibration it is hoped that this idea is one step closer to being a practical method of camera calibration rather than merely a theoretical possibility.