title: Investigating the role of memory alveolar macrophages in early innate immune control of pulmonary tuberculosis

contributor:
Xing, Zhou
Medical Sciences

subject:
Immunology
Infectious disease

abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is the causative agent of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Over 25% of the world’s population is estimated to be infected with tuberculosis, yielding over 10 million new cases and over 1.5 million deaths in 2017 alone. This is all despite the near universal implementation of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination across TB endemic areas. BCG is capable of preventing childhood disseminated forms of disease but fails to induce potent immunity within the lung. We expect this to in part play a role in the lack of protection against pulmonary TB. Our lab has developed a human adenovirus serotype 5 vaccine expressing the M.tb antigen Ag85A (AdHu5Ag85A). When delivered directly to the respiratory mucosa (RM), AdHu5Ag85A has proven to be safe and immunogenic, generating both CD4 and CD8 T cell responses within the lung. We have found that RM AdHu5Ag85A vaccination also generates a long-lasting population of memory macrophages in the airway and lung, that are primed to better control early M.tb infection. Importantly, this was a vaccination route-dependent mechanism. Memory macrophages express a trained innate immune phenotype as they express high levels of MHC II, are highly glycolytic, and produce more IL-12 upon re-stimulation. Importantly, utilization of an in vivo T cell depletion approach allowed us to show that these memory macrophages are capable of limiting early M.tb infection independent of T cells. Our findings indicate that RM vaccination may be advantageous to parenteral routes by not only drawing antigen specific T cells into immunologically restricted lung mucosa but also generating a memory macrophage population within the lung. Induction of memory macrophages within the airway helps overcome early innate immune suppression by M.tb.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Health Sciences (MSc)

abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) is a pulmonary disease responsible for 10 million new clinical cases and more than 1 million deaths annually. Over one quarter of the world is believed to be infected with TB. This is despite the near-universal administration of bacille Calmette-Guérin, a preventative TB vaccine, and an effective, but lengthy antibiotic treatment. With antibiotic resistance on the rise, developing a protective vaccine against TB is more important than ever. Tuberculosis has confounded researchers for decades and has thus escaped development of a more effective vaccine. One of the ways to improve a TB vaccine would be to inhale it, to have local effects at the main site of TB infection in the lung. We found that by aerosolizing our vaccine, we can impact local immunity within the lung in a way that has never before been described, opening new avenues for TB research.


title: Active Sonar Tracking Under Realistic Conditions

contributor:
Kirubarajan, Thia
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject: Active sonar tracking; Realistic conditions; Bayesian framework

abstract:
This thesis focuses on the problem of underwater target tracking with consideration for realistic conditions using active sonar.
This thesis addresses the following specific problems: 1) underwater detection in three dimensional (3D) space
using multipath detections and an uncertain sound speed profile in heavy clutter, 2) tracking a group of divers
whose motion is dependent on each other using sonar detections corrupted by unknown structured background clutter,
3) extended target tracking (ETT) with a high-resolution sonar in the presence of multipath detection and measurement origin
uncertainty.

Unrealistic assumptions about the environmental conditions may degrade the performance of underwater tracking algorithms. Hence, underwater target tracking with realistic conditions is addressed by integrating the
environment-induced uncertainties or constraints into the trackers. First, an iterated Bayesian framework is formulated using the ray-tracing model and an extension of the Maximum Likelihood Probabilistic Data Association (ML-PDA) algorithm to make use of multipath information. With the ray-tracing model, the algorithm can handle more realistic sound speed profile (SSP) instead of using the commonly-assumed constant velocity model or isogradient SSP. Also, by using the iterated framework, we can simultaneously estimate the SSP and target state in uncertain multipath environments. Second, a new diver dynamic motion (DDM) model is integrated into the Probability Hypothesis Density (PHD) to track the dependent motion diver targets. The algorithm is implemented with Gaussian Mixtures (GM)  to ensure low computational complexity. The DDM model not only includes inter-target interactions but also the environmental influences (e.g., water flow). Furthermore, a log-Gaussian Cox process (LGCP) model is seamlessly integrated into the proposed filter to distinguish the target-originated measurement and false alarms.
The final topic of interest is to address the ETT problem with multipath detections and clutter, which is practically relevant but barely addressed in the literature. An improved filter, namely MP-ET-PDA,  with the classical probabilistic data
association (PDA) filter and random matrices (RM) is proposed. The optimal estimates can be provided by MP-ET-PDA
filter by considering all possible association events. To deal with the high computational load resulting from the data association, a Variational Bayesian (VB) clustering-aided MP-ET-PDA is proposed to provide near real-time processing capability.

The traditional Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB), which is the inverse of the Fisher information matrix (FIM),
quantifies the best achievable accuracy of the estimates. For the estimation problems, the corresponding theoretical bounds are derived for
performance evaluation under realistic underwater conditions.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A Search for Supernova Light Echoes in NGC 6946 with SITELLE

contributor:
Welch, Douglas
Physics and Astronomy

subject: Supernova Light Echoes

abstract:
Scattered light echoes provide a unique way to engage in late-time study of supernovae. Formed when light from a supernova scatters off of nearby dust, and arrives at Earth long after the supernova has initially faded from the sky, light echoes can be used to study the precursor supernova through both photometric and spectroscopic methods. The detection rate of light echoes, especially from Type II supernovae, is not well understood, and large scale searches are confounded by uncertainties in supernova ages and peak luminosities.

We provide a novel spectroscopic search method for detecting light echoes, and test it with 4 hours of observations of NGC 6946 using the SITELLE Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer mounted on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Our procedure relies on fitting a sloped model to continuum emission, and identifying negatively-sloped continua with the downslope of the emission component of a highly-broadened P-Cygni profile in the H$\alpha$ line, characteristic of supernova ejecta.

We find no clear evidence for light echoes from any of the ten known Type II supernovae in NGC 6946, and only one light echo candidate from potential historical supernovae predating 1917. We do however, present an upper limit in H$\alpha$ brightness of \SI{5e-17}{erg/s/cm^2/arcsec^2} for light echoes within this galaxy. We discuss extensions of our methodology, as well as viability of this type of study in other objects, and with other instruments.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: "None of us can go it alone": The Informal Caring Experiences of LGBT Older Adults

contributor:
Griffin, Meridith
Health and Aging

subject:
LGBT
Informal Caregiving
Aging
Caregiving
LGBT Older Adults
Qualitative Research in Caregiving
Gerontology
Queer Studies

abstract:
This paper examines the caring experiences of 7 LGBT older adults in Southwestern Ontario. Up to 2 90-minute interviews were conducted with 7 participants which were then transcribed and analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Participants described life histories of discrimination and isolation, as well as contemporary experiences of medical discrimination. As a result, participants were highly skeptical of the formal care system, with only one indicating they would be willing to enter long term care.
Analysis was conducted according to four themes that were identified while engaging in the interpretive phenomenological process. The research was influenced by life course theory and cultural scripts: specifically, that the current cohort of LGBT+ older adults is perhaps the first to age openly in their identity and as a result lack cultural scripts as to what they should do as they age. Questions were open-ended and asked participants about their experiences giving or receiving care, life histories of discrimination, and how their care experiences influence their plans for the future. Although no questions were directly asked about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the legacy of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on contemporary LGBT older adults became a major theme of this paper. Other themes identified include the role that stigma and concerns about autonomy play in their plans for the future, the importance of political advocacy and community caregiving for LGBT older adults, and how LGBT older adults have developed resiliency and the practice of holding loved ones in personhood in order to cope with medical issues and death.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)

abstract: This paper examines the experiences of LGBT older adults giving and receiving informal care for physical or mental health conditions. It highlights themes of stigma and autonomy, the relationship between community caregiving and political advocacy, the legacy of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and how LGBT older adults hold each other and the dead in personhood. Seven LGBT older adults from Southern Ontario were interviewed about their experiences with care, and the relationship between social structures and discrimination and their personal experiences with the medical system.


title: The Role of Protein Quality and Physical Activity in Skeletal Muscle Protein Turnover in Older Adults

contributor:
Phillips, Stuart M.
Kinesiology

subject:
Protein
Resistance exercise
Aging
Disuse
Skeletal muscle
Protein synthesis

abstract: Recent recommendations are that older adults increase their dietary protein intake to intakes higher than are currently recommended to mitigate sarcopenia-induced muscle loss caused in part by anabolic resistance. Protein supplementation may serve as an effective strategy to meet protein intake goals; however, protein supplements vary in their quality, which may impact muscle protein turnover. Protein quality is determined by the digestibility and content of essential amino acids in a protein source and may play an important role in mitigating the loss of muscle mass and muscle protein synthesis (MPS) during energy restriction (ER), acute reductions in physical activity, which we modeled using enforced step reduction (SR), and during recovery from SR. We aimed to determine whether the quality of a protein supplement – whey protein (higher quality) versus collagen peptides (lower quality) – would impact the reduction in fat-free bone-free mass (FBFM) and MPS (Study 1), and also to compare differences in functional variables: strength loss in men and women, and single fibre function with SR in men (Study 2). In Studies 1 and 2 we compared supplementation with whey protein (WP) and collagen peptides (CP), higher and lower quality proteins respectively, as part of a higher protein diet provided to older adults during one week of ER (-500 kcal/d), two weeks of step reduction (< 750 steps/d) (ER+SR) and one week of recovery (RC). Two weeks of ER+SR significantly reduced FBFM in both the WP and CP groups with greater FBFM recovery with WP. MPS was significantly reduced following ER in both groups and did not decrease further during ER+SR. MPS was increased above ER+SR following 1 week of RC in the WP group only. ER+SR significantly reduced maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) in both men and women; however, following RC men fully recovered their strength and women did not. In Study 3, we aimed to determine the impact of WP and CP supplementation combined with unilateral resistance exercise (RE) to augment the acute and longer term MPS response in healthy older women. Acutely, rates of MPS were elevated following WP+RE and with WP alone while MPS was elevated only in CP+RE. Six days of supplementation increased MPS in WP and WP+RE with no increase in MPS with CP or CP+RE. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that protein quality is an important variable to consider in selecting a protein supplement for older adults and for recovering from inactivity.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Science  (PhD)

abstract: At the end of the 5th decade of life, adults will have lost an appreciable amount of muscle mass and strength versus what they had in their 3rd decade of life. This age-related loss of muscle mass and strength is known as sarcopenia. Additionally, as they age, adults will experience brief periods of reduced physical activity due to illness, injury, or recovery from surgery. Such periods are associated with a rapid loss of muscle and strength creating a brief period of ‘accelerated sarcopenia’. Strategies to combat the loss of muscle and strength in these periods include increasing protein intake and even periodic exercise which may help to reduce the negative impact of physical inactivity. In particular, higher quality protein sources (protein derived from animal sources or soy) and weightlifting may better help muscles recover from inactivity. Our main findings were that consuming high quality protein (whey protein) stimulated the process of muscle building that is normally reduced with inactivity. Importantly, when combined with resistance exercise, we were able to increase the rate at which healthy older women built muscle with whey protein in comparison to a lower quality protein source (collagen peptides). These findings provide novel and insightful information for the recommendations of protein supplement types to older adults to increase daily protein intake to preserve muscle mass with age.


title: Characterizing the Role of the Growth Arrest Specific p20K Lipocalin in Chicken Embryo Fibroblasts

contributor:
Bedard, Andre
Biology

abstract: Cell cycle progression is regulated by complex processes which determine whether cells can continue dividing or enter a nonproliferative state. Cells exit the cell cycle and are able to enter a reversible state of growth arrest called quiescence. A subset of genes involved in mediating cellular quiescence are referred to as growth arrest specific (Gas) genes, however their mechanisms and regulatory characteristics require further analyses. The p20K lipocalin, a Gas gene, is involved in lipid transport is induced upon conditions, such as contact inhibition and hypoxia, in chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF). The purpose of this study is to characterize the role of the p20K lipocalin upon quiescence in CEF. P20K expression was downregulated in CEF, and the cells were cultured under conditions of contact inhibition and hypoxia. There was a decrease in cell accumulation and an increase in apoptosis in CEF which downregulated p20K when placed in hypoxic conditions.  Additionally, there were increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in hypoxic CEF with p20K downregulation. These results suggest that p20K regulates cellular stress by promoting cell survival and mitigating oxidative stress, however the mechanisms by which these functions are carried out remain unknown. The study also focused on characterizing the relationship between the lipocalins p20K and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4). FABP4 is a Gas gene that is expressed in contact inhibited and hypoxic conditions of quiescence. FABP4 expression was analyzed in CEF with p20K downregulation in conditions of quiescence. The mis-expression of p20K impaired FABP4 expression in contact inhibited and hypoxic CEF, and the ectopic up-regulation of p20K impaired FABP4 expression in contact inhibited CEF. These results suggest that p20K and FABP4 are co-regulated in conditions of contact inhibition and hypoxia. Overall, the p20K lipocalin is involved in cell survival and mitigating oxidative stress in quiescence which can help explain its role in lipid metabolism and the novel “Membrane Stress Response”.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: Cell cycle progression is regulated by complex processes, and when cells exit the cycle, they enter a reversible state of growth arrest called quiescence. A growth arrest specific (Gas) gene, the p20K lipocalin, is involved in lipid transport is induced upon certain quiescence conditions in chicken embryo fibroblasts. The study focuses on characterizing the role of p20K upon quiescence and its relationship with the fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4). Overall, the p20K lipocalin is involved in cell survival and mitigating oxidative stress in quiescence which helps explain its role in lipid metabolism and the novel “Membrane Stress Response”.


title: Integrated Control of Multiple Cooling Units

contributor:
Down, Douglas
Badawy, Ghada
Computing and Software

subject:
Data Centre
Cooling
Zone
Power Consumption

abstract: Data centres are an integral part of today's technology. With the growing demand for data centers to meet computational needs, there is pressure to decrease data center-related costs. By reducing the amount of power needed to cool servers, the overall power consumption can be decreased. Efficient cooling of data centres involves meeting temperature constraints while minimizing power consumption. By exploring the opportunities that may be available through controlling multiple cooling units, we can avoid issues such as overcooling (some parts of the data center being cooled more than necessary) or warm air recirculation (return of exhausted hot air to inlets of servers). Currently, in data centres with more than one cooling unit, each of the cooling units is controlled independently. This mode of operation results in each cooling unit needing to be set for the worst case, which results in over cooling and is not energy efficient. Coordinating cooling units has the potential to decrease the power consumption of a data centre by eliminating this over cooling. Furthermore, coordinating with workload management may help mitigate cooling unit power consumption. This research is concerned with exploring what is feasible within the options discussed above. It contains two main parts. In the first part, we present an algorithm to minimize power consumption of cooling units while keeping all the server cores below a temperature threshold. In the second part of this thesis, we derived a data-driven model for server outlet temperature.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Null Subjects in Brazilian Portuguese: A Unified Model

contributor:
Kučerová, Ivona
Cognitive Science of Language

subject: syntax, brazilian portuguese, null subjects

abstract:
Null subjects in Brazilian Portuguese display a puzzling distribution that has not been
fully accounted in current literature. In short, null subjects are seen in different patterns
in matrix and embedded clauses. Furthermore, declaratives and questions also show a
different distribution of null subjects, and WH movement seems to play a part in blocking
null subject licensing in questions. This work aims to propose a solution to this puzzle
by presenting a model centered around φ-feature and discursive (δ) feature interaction at
the Left Periphery. The main historical assumption being that BP displays properties of
a discursive-oriented language, an hypothesis based on the extended contact the language
had with Bantu throughout its history.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: ACTION ICU: Measurement of Physical Activity and Function in the Intensive Care Unit

contributor:
Kho, Michelle
Rehabilitation Science

subject:
Physical rehabilitation
Critical care
Critical illness

abstract:
Critical illness can lead to profound physical morbidity that persists for years post-intensive care unit (ICU) discharge. Rehabilitation started in ICU can mitigate morbidity and improve outcomes, however, there are gaps in existing research. This thesis includes manuscripts addressing three areas: primary research reporting, patient-reported outcome measures (PROM), and research intervention implementation.
	The first manuscript was a scoping review of ICU rehabilitation interventions. Previous systematic reviews assessed the effectiveness of ICU rehabilitation to improve functional outcomes, and identified conflicting results and deficiencies in study reporting. I conducted a scoping review to describe the types, amounts, and reporting of rehabilitation interventions in ICU studies. I identified 117 prospective ICU rehabilitation studies from database inception to 2016 and assessed the completeness of study and intervention reporting using standardized reporting guidelines. Results identified adequate overall study reporting, however important reporting deficiencies in intervention and control groups, limiting future trial development and clinical implementation.
	The second manuscript evaluated the psychometrics of the Patient-Reported Functional Scale-ICU (PRFS-ICU) – a new PROM for ICU survivors in acute care. I demonstrated the PRFS-ICU was feasible, reliable, responsive, and valid in medical-surgical ICU patients able to follow commands. Results suggest the PRFS-ICU warrants future research and may be useful to assess and monitor patient perceptions of their functioning over time.
	The final manuscript was a self-administered electronic survey of frontline therapists, assessing barriers and facilitators to implementing a novel rehabilitation intervention in the context of research. Respondents implementing CYCLE, a trial of in-bed cycling with mechanically ventilated patients, identified two primary barriers to implementing the protocol: time required to conduct the protocol and concerns for provision of equitable service to all patients on their caseload.
	Together these manuscripts provide an important foundation to guide development, implementation, and evaluation of future ICU rehabilitation trials.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: Critical illness requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission can lead to physical disability lasting years post-ICU. Exercises started in ICU can reduce disability. However there are important gaps in the research addressed by my thesis: 1) Summaries of studies found different results on the effects of exercise on disability, and details of exercises were sparse. I reviewed over 3 decades of exercise research for ICU patients and determined reporting must improve; 2) ICU patients had no standard way to report their own level of movement in hospital. I evaluated a measure, which may be useful to assess how patients think they are functioning; 3) ICU therapists reported challenges delivering exercises to patients in research studies. I conducted a survey and learned therapists needed more time to provide these exercises. My findings can inform future ICU exercise studies, assess how patients feel they are functioning, and optimize exercise delivery.


title: Sexualized Violence is a Citizenly Issue: Rethinking Feminist Prevention Approaches Under Neoliberalism

contributor:
Dean, Amber
English and Cultural Studies

subject:
Sexualized Violence
Neoliberalism
Feminist Prevention Approaches

abstract: Sexualized violence is a citizenly issue. It is a phenomenon that, in the Canadian context, is formed and informed by the settler-colonial nation-state. Yet, as the spike in attention to instances of sexualized violence in news media suggests, sexualized violence is also a sociopolitical ill, one that causes harms to persons who experience it and those who care for them. How, then, might we ensure that sexualized violence is no longer a possibility? Feminist anti-sexualized violence advocates have created or contributed to several identifiable approaches to sexualized violence prevention: education about consent, teaching self-defence, and implicating bystanders in the continuation of sexualized violence. In this dissertation, I focus on two of these approaches to sexualized violence prevention – consent discourse and fighting strategies – and consider how their amenability to a normative form of rationality that governs conceptions of citizenship – neoliberalism – might not only limit the preventative efficacy of such approaches, but also work to (re)produce the very conditions that allow sexualized violence to occur in the first place. Analyzing these prevention approaches through close readings of academic theories of prevention and practical mobilizations of these approaches (i.e. a poster campaign, a short independent film), I ultimately argue that while neoliberalism’s idea(l)s of individualism, personal responsibility, and normative interpretations of ‘equality’ function to potentially limit or contradict a feminist anti-sexualized violence goal of emphasizing the structural causes of sexualized violence, it is also the case that these theoretical and practical projects can produce alternative understandings of what it means to be ‘human’ and to ‘live together.’

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: Today, one can scarcely turn on a television, open a newspaper, or visit an online news source without some mention of a case of sexualized violence. What are we doing to prevent this social ill? In this dissertation, I analyze two approaches to sexualized violence prevention: strategies that encourage the import of communication during intimate encounters (consent discourse) and strategies that encourage persons most vulnerable to sexualized violence to engage in defensive measures (fighting strategies). Through an investigation of academic theories and practical mobilizations of these prevention approaches, I consider their connection to dominant conceptions of the human and what it means to ‘live together.’ From these analyses, this dissertation ultimately argues that we must be attentive to the ways we think about, talk of, and implement prevention strategies so that we do not inadvertently reproduce the very oppressive conditions that enable sexualized violence to occur in the first place.


title: Insights on Immigration, Personality and Language Use

title: IMMIGRATION, PERSONALITY AND LANGUAGE USE: INSIGHTS FROM THREE LARGE-SCALE ANALYSES

contributor:
Kuperman, Victor
Cognitive Science of Language

subject: Immigration Personality Language BigFive

abstract: The goal of this thesis is to gain insight on the psychology of migratory populations. Immigrants and non-immigrants show differences throughout some dimensions of the Five Factor model of personality. We conducted three large scale empirical studies to address different questions about immigration, personality and language use. In Chapter 1, we use personality scores and geographical information from more than 1.5 million responders to investigate which traits can predict different migration distances within and across national borders. Our results highlight the mechanisms of how one’s transitory psychological configuration can assist, accompany or interfere with the act of migration. In Chapter 2, we examine how one’s migration affects their levels of openness, and how this relationship is modulated by other known determinants of personality traits such as age and gender. Our findings shed light on the psychological effects of immigration and consider how these effects are modulated by people of different age and gender. Finally, in Chapter 3 we use demographic, psychological and textual data from Facebook to determine how differences in personality of immigrants and non-immigrants are reflected in their language use on Facebook. The comprehensive exploration carried out in Chapter 3 gives insights on how language use distinguishes people of different immigration status. Taken together, our results contribute with both new evidence and insights to the knowledge about the psychological components of immigration and differences in language use among immigrants and non-immigrants.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: The goal of this thesis is to gain insight on the psychology of migratory populations. We conducted three large scale empirical studies to address different questions about immigration, personality and language use. Immigrants and non-immigrants show differences throughout some dimensions of the Five Factor model of personality. We observed which personality traits can predict different migration distances, but also how one’s migration affects their levels of openness. Finally, we examined whether differences in personality of immigrants and non-immigrants are reflected in their language use on social media. Taken together, our results contribute with both new evidence and insights to the knowledge about the psychological components of immigration and differences in language use among immigrants and non-immigrants.


title: Pattern-of-life extraction and anomaly detection using GMTI data

subject:
Ground moving target indicator
Pattern-of-life
Clustering
Anomaly detection
Traffic
Classification
Simulation
Model

abstract:
Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) uses the concept of airborne surveillance of moving ground objects to observe and take actions accordingly. This concept was established in the late 20th century and was put to test during the Gulf War to observe enemy movement on the other side of the mountain. During the war, due to limitations of technology, information such as enemy movement were usually observed through human readings. With the improvement of surveillance technology, tracking individual target became possible, which allows the extraction of useful features for advance usage. Such features, known as tracks, are the results of GMTI tracking. Although the quality of the tracker plays a crucial role in the system performance of this paper, the development of the tracker is not discussed in this paper. The developed system will use simulated ideal GMTI tracks as input dataset.
This paper presents an end-to-end system that includes Anomaly GMTI (AGMTI) track simulation, Pattern of Life (PoL) extraction and Anomaly Detection System (ADS). All the subsystems (AGMTI, PoL and ADS) are independent of each other, so they can either be replaced or disabled to resemble different real-world scenarios. The results from AGMTI will provide inputs for the rest of the subsystems. The results from PoL extraction will be used to improve the performance of ADS. The proposed ADS is a semi-supervised learning detection system in which the system takes prior information to support and improve detection performance, but will still operate without prior information.
The AGMTI tracks simulator will be simulated with an open-sourced software called Simulation of Urban Traffic (SUMO). The AGMTI tracks simulator subsystem will make use of SUMO's API to generate normal and anomaly GMTI tracks. The PoL extraction will be accomplished by using various clustering algorithms and statistical functions. The ADS will use combination of various anomaly detection algorithms for different anomaly events including statistical approach using Gaussian Mixture Model Expectation Maximization (GMM-EM), Hidden Markov Model (HMM), graphical approach using Weiler-Atherton Polygon Clipping (WAPC) and various clustering algorithms such as K-means clustering, Spectral clustering and DBSCAN.
Finally, as extensions to the proposed system, this paper also presents Contextual Pattern of Life (CPoL) and Grouped Anomaly Detection. The CPoL is an extension to the PoL to enhance the quality and robustness of the extraction. The Grouped Anomaly is extension to both AGMTI track simulator and ADS to diversify the possible scenarios. The results from the ADS will be evaluated. Details of implementation will be provided so the system can be replicated.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Development of a Control System for a P4 Parallel-Through-The-Road Hybrid Electric Vehicle

contributor:
Emadi, Ali
Mechanical Engineering

subject:
Control System
Hybrid Electric Vehicle
P4
P4-P0
Rule-Based
Adaptive
EcoCAR
EcoCAR Mobility Challenge

abstract:
This thesis outlines the development of a control system for a P4-P0 Parallel-Through-The-Road Hybrid Electric Vehicle. This project was part of the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge, an Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, MathWorks and General Motors. The McMaster Engineering EcoCAR team is participating in its second iteration, re-engineering a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer to suit a car-sharing service located within the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area. The proposed architecture uses a 1.5L Engine together with a Belted Alternator Starter motor connected to the traditional low voltage system. The rear axle is electrified containing an Electric Machine, a power oriented Battery Pack and team-designed gear reduction as well as a clutch. The whole rear powertrain is operating at high voltage and has no connection to the traditional low voltage system. Fuel economy improvements up to 12% can be expected while maintaining stock performance targets.
A vehicle simulation model was built to accompany the vehicle design process. This includes a mathematical representation of all powertrain components, the development of energy management algorithms, the design of the Hybrid Supervisory Controller structure, and validating and discussing gathered results. Furthermore, all necessary controllers were chosen and communication within them was established by designing the serial data architecture.
The developed energy management algorithm is customized to utilize the strengths of all components and this specific architecture. A simple rule-based algorithm is used to operate the engine as close as possible to its most fuel efficient operation point at any time. The P4 and P0 motor are used to apply supportive torque to the engine or load the engine with a negative torque. In that way the energy can be regenerated inside the powertrain and charge sustaining operation
v
can be achieved. Fuel economy and performance targets are used to discuss the assumed performance of the vehicle once re-engineered. The set targets range from city and highway fuel economy to IVM – 60 mph acceleration time.
Overall the developed control system suits a car-sharing service with its ability to adapt to the occurring driving situations ensuring a close to optimal operation for any known or unknown driving situation. It focuses on modularity, simplicity and functionality to allow a working implementation in future years of the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)

abstract:
During the re-engineering of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle different expectations must be considered, for example set government fuel economy regulations, defined performance targets, novelty in innovation, stakeholder expectations as well as the used vehicle platform and the available components. The re-engineering process will be done according to the vehicle development process of the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge. Summarized expectations are the use of this vehicle inside a car-sharing service for the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area targeting “Millennials” while focusing on fuel economy improvements and a low cost of ownership.
The research shown in this thesis is set by the requirements derived from the expectations mentioned above. One point of interest is achieving a working control system able to operate close to an optimal state to maximize fuel efficiency and ensuring stock vehicle performance targets. Therefore, the control system has to use the electrification components in an intelligent way. Defining what intelligent control of the engine and the electrification components was one of the main challenges.
This thesis outlines how developing a control system for a Hybrid Electric Vehicle can be realized while ensuring that all included interests are met. The object of this research contains choosing the necessary controllers, building a sufficient vehicle simulation model, developing the energy management algorithm, validating the model performance and evaluating the gathered results.


title: Determining the Repeatability of Low Flow Mediated Constriction and Total Vessel Reactivity in the Brachial Artery of Humans

contributor:
MacDonald, Maureen
Kinesiology

abstract: Endothelial function is the ability of an artery to vasodilate and can be assessed using a flow mediated dilation (FMD) test. While FMD is a useful tool for assessing endothelial function, it has been argued that it does not capture overall vascular function. Two novel measures, low flow mediated constriction (L-FMC) and total vessel reactivity (TVR) have been introduced to compensate for the potential limitations of FMD. Unfortunately, little is known about the repeatability of brachial artery L-FMC and TVR. Additionally, it is unclear how L-FMC and TVR might be influenced by age, sex and the presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or CVD risk. Therefore, the main purpose of this investigation was to assess the day-to-day repeatability of FMD, L-FMC and TVR in the brachial artery. The secondary purpose was to assess if FMD, L-FMC and TVR were associated with age and if this relationship was influenced by sex or the presence of CVD or CVD risk factors. 375 participants (age:37±22) were included in the study, 98 participants (age:34±19) underwent two FMD tests and were included in the repeatability analysis. For all participants brachial artery endothelial function was assessed using a FMD test. The day-to-day repeatability of FMD was substantial (ICC=0.68), L-FMC was slight (ICC=0.01) and TVR was moderate (ICC=0.50). Age was associated with FMD and TVR (ρ=-0.24, ρ=-0.19, p<0.005), however there was no relationship between age and L-FMC. The relationships between age and FMD and TVR persisted in individuals with CVD and CVD risk factors, and sex did not moderate the relationship between age and any of our vascular outcomes. These results indicate that brachial artery FMD and TVR are relatively repeatable, however L-FMC is not repeatable. As well, it appears that age is associated with a decrease in FMD and TVR, but not related to L-FMC.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Queer Indifference: Solitude, Film, Dreams

contributor:
Clark, David L.
English and Cultural Studies

subject: queer theory; cinema; film; AIDS; solitude; dreams; critical theory

abstract: This dissertation develops an existential-aesthetic theory of the subversive power and lure of limited and recessive forms of social intimacy that it calls queer indifference. By putting queer concerns with the normative politics of identity, visibility, and inter-relationality in conversation with philosophical concepts of indifference, it responds to expectations of the self-evident value of active bodies, personal recognition, and mutual experience for meaningful social political agency, and argues that recessive relations experienced and cultivated in the fortuitous spaces of “shared-separation” constitute a queerly-imagined rapport with alterity rather than being the source of social deprivation. Queer indifferences, I argue, effect their own ethical engagements beyond the self that are not reducible to readily legible connections to the social, while they may be continuous with such modes of connection. Drawing on a number of critical resources from queer theory, poststructuralist philosophy, film criticism, dream science, and the history of AIDS activism, this dissertation seeks to discover the generative impasses in perception, consciousness, and connection articulated by queer aesthetic media that make themselves seen and heard through the involutions of social legibility and recognition. In social postures such as solitude, techno-mediated encounters with cinematic worlds, and the creative automation of dreamlife, this dissertation locates aesthetic-ethical expressions of justice oriented towards the defiant persistence of queer life. Films such as Brokeback Mountain and Last Address, and the dream diaries of American artist and activist David Wojnarowicz, access and communicate a certain inaccessible and incommunicable core of self and intimate expression that elicits relations with the other in appearances of isolation or remoteness, and that generates creative and imaginative possibilities for justice ahead of indeterminate futures.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: This dissertation explores a series of limited and obscure relations marshalled under the concept of “indifference” to develop what I call a theory of queer indifference. By bringing concerns from queer theory about socially compulsive forms of inclusion and connection in conversation with philosophical concepts of indifference, this dissertation expands the political, ethical, and aesthetic potential of such ways of being to challenge existing relations of power. It argues that the dissident force of indifferent relations generates the queerly critical, imaginative, susceptible, and hospitable capacities inherent to doing justice. Experiences of solitude, film-viewing, and dreaming illustrate the social lure of indifferent relations as practices or embodiments that can be understood otherwise than as a source of deprivation. From the un-belonging spaces of solitude, to the film camera’s technological gaze, to the unwitting intelligence of dreamlife, this dissertation examines the “space of shared-separation” between self and other, viewer and camera, and waking and sleeping selves as a type of existence that produces queer relations to social order and that nurtures creative orientations to indeterminate futures. The films Brokeback Mountain and Last Address, and the dream diaries of American artist and activist David Wojnarowicz, are the aesthetic core of this dissertation’s investigation of and experimentation with ways of being that are queerly at odds with the way things are.


title: Synthesis of Catalytic Membrane Surface Composites for Remediating Azo Dyes in Solution

contributor:
de Lannoy, Charles-Francois
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Catalytic Membranes
Nano Zero-Valent Iron
Carbon Nanotubes
Azo Dyes
Chlorinated Organic Compounds
Methyl Orange
Conductive Membranes
Partial Least Squares Regression

abstract: In the past 30 years zero-valent iron (ZVI) has become an increasingly popular reducing agent technology for remediating environmental contaminants prone to chemical degradation. Azo dyes and chlorinated organic compounds (COCs) are two classes of such contaminants, both of which include toxic compounds with known carcinogenic potential. ZVI has been successfully applied to the surfaces of permeable reactive barriers, as well as grown into nanoscale particles (nZVI) and applied in-situ to chemically reduce these contaminants into more environmentally benign compounds. However, the reactivity of ZVI and nZVI in these technologies is limited by their finite supply of electrons for facilitating chemical reduction, and the tendency of nZVI particles to homo-aggregate in solution and form colloids with reduced surface area to volume ratio, and thus reduced reactivity. The goal of this project was to combine reactive nanoparticle and membrane technologies to create an electro-catalytic permeable reactive barrier that overcomes the weaknesses of nZVI for the enhanced electrochemical filtration of azo dyes in solution. Specifically, nZVI was successfully grown and stabilized in a network of functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and deposited into an electrically conductive thin film on the surface of a polymeric microfiltration support membrane. Under a cathodic applied voltage, this thin film facilitated the direct reduction of the methyl orange (MO) azo dye in solution, and regenerated nZVI reactivity for enhanced electro-catalytic operation. The electro-catalytic performance of these nZVI-CNT membrane surface composites to remove MO was validated, modelled, and optimized in a batch system, as well as tested in a dead-end continuous flow cell system. In the batch experiments, systems with nZVI and a -2 V applied potential demonstrated synergistic enhancement of MO removal, which indicated the regeneration of nZVI reactivity and allowed for the complete removal of 0.25 mM MO batches within 2-3 hours. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) modelling was used to determine the impact of each experimental parameter in the batch system and provided the means for an optimization leading to maximized MO removal. Finally, tests in a continuous system yielded rates of MO removal 1.6 times greater than those of the batch system in a single pass, and demonstrated ~87% molar removal of MO at fluxes of approximately 422 lmh. The work herein lays the foundation for a promising technology that, if further developed, could be applied to remediate azo dyes and COCs in textile industry effluents and groundwater sites respectively.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: MACHINABILITY COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT GRADES OF TITANIUM ALLOYS UNDER DIVERSE TURNING AND COOLING CONDITIONS: Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr

contributor:
Veldhuis, Stephen C.
Mechanical Engineering

subject:
Ti-64
Ti-555.3
High-Pressure Coolant
Machinability
Titanium
Aerospace

abstract: The machining of a new alloy often presents a challenge. While useful assumptions can be drawn from materials of similar properties, there will always be unpredictable outcomes. Titanium alloys have been employed in the aerospace industry due to their high mechanical properties and good strength-to-weight ratio. Ti-64 (Ti-6Al-4V) was the standard choice until recently, when Ti-555.3 (Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr) began to take its place. Ti-555.3 has improved resistance to fatigue and higher mechanical properties compared to Ti-64 and is able to maintain its strength when exposed to high temperatures, which warrants its acceptance for many applications. However, its chemical reactivity, low thermal conductivity and high mechanical properties are known to cause challenges when cutting this alloy. Making use of both experimental procedures and computational resources, this work presents a comparison between these two aerospace alloys under different process conditions, setting the ground for further academic development and optimization strategies. Determining that these alloys are substantially different from a machinability standpoint (lower tool life, abrasion & chipping as dominant wear mechanisms and nonuniform chip formation for Ti555.3 versus Ti-64). Based on this further investigation should be carried out for optimal tooling selection to improve the machining of Ti555.3.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Professional Identity Formation of Surgical Residents Over Their First Year of Postgraduate Training

contributor:
Sonnadara, Ranil R.
Health Science Education

subject: professional identity formation; medical education

abstract: Professional identity is defined as the internalized values of a profession as a representation of the self, and is formed through a process of socialization, or how a student learns to become a member of their profession. As medical students transition to residency, new social environments, clinical experiences, and curricular emphases can impact how they identify as professionals. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how professional identity formation (PIF) occurs in surgical residents over their first year of postgraduate training. Twenty-four surgical residents were interviewed at the start of their postgraduate training. Questions explored participants’ understanding of what it means to be a medical professional. Six months later, residents completed a follow-up interview to investigate how their experiences in their training programs have influenced their professional identity. Thematic analysis was utilized to identify themes in responses. Central to participants’ understanding of their professional identity was their relationships with patients and the public, other healthcare professionals, their training program, and their own expectations for themselves. After six months, less emphasis was placed on the influence of the public and one’s own personal expectations. Factors such as patient encounters, a team-based work environment, time constraints and high volumes of work, and being prepared for all situations were all identified as crucial to professional development. It is important for medical education programs to consider their impact on the development of students, especially regarding the transition to competency-based medical education (CBME) that is currently occurring in medical education. This change could impact the social environment and formal curricula of these programs. The explicit study of PIF is important not only for students as they develop into independent health professionals, but also to ensure the proper care of the patients these surgeons will be working with.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Quercetin Inhibits β-catenin Transcriptional Activity During  Kidney Development and Reduces the Severity of Renal Dysplasia

contributor: Medical Sciences (Growth and Development)

subject:
kidney development
beta-catenin
renal dysplasia
quercetin

abstract: M.Sc. Thesis Dissertation, August 2019, McMaster University

abstract: Renal dysplasia, defined as the abnormal development of kidney tissue, is the leading cause of kidney disease in children. While there are numerous causes of renal dysplasia (i.e. genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors), there is no cure to this abnormal defect. Kidney development occurs by two main processes: branching morphogenesis, which forms the collecting duct system, and nephrogenesis, which generates the nephrons, the functional units of the kidney. Our previous studies have demonstrated that β-catenin, a dual-function protein involved in cell adhesion and gene transcription, regulates branching morphogenesis and nephrogenesis. Furthermore, we discovered that nuclear β-catenin levels are increased in kidneys from patients with renal dysplasia, suggesting β-catenin can be a potential therapeutic target to modulate kidney development and renal dysplasia. Quercetin is a flavonoid that reduces β-catenin levels and inhibits its transcriptional activity, leading to improved outcomes in cancer and in kidney fibrosis. The role of quercetin in kidney development and in abnormal defects that arise during kidney development is yet to be examined. Using embryonic mouse kidney organ culture, I found that quercetin treatment resulted in a dose-dependent disruption in branching morphogenesis and nephrogenesis. In addition, quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR revealed a decreased expression of β-catenin target genes essential for kidney development (i.e. Pax2, Six2 and GDNF). Immunohistochemistry for β-catenin demonstrated that quercetin reduced nuclear β-catenin expression and increased cytoplasmic and membrane-bound expression in a dose-dependent manner. These results were confirmed by Western blot analysis. These novel findings demonstrate that quercetin treatment resulted in decreased levels of nuclear β-catenin, resulting in a decrease in its transcriptional activity which manifested in alterations in kidney developmental processes, suggesting quercetin is effective at reducing nuclear β-catenin in wild-type embryonic kidneys. Next, to determine whether quercetin has any effects on renal dysplasia, I utilized transgenic mice models that overexpress β-catenin in select cells of the embryonic kidney. These models recapitulate the defects observed in human renal dysplasia, including disorganized branching morphogenesis and disrupted nephrogenesis. Quercetin treatment of embryonic dysplastic kidneys resulted in a partial rescue of renal dysplasia which was evident in marked improvements in branching morphogenesis and nephrogenesis, as well as an increase in the number of properly-developing nephrons in the kidney tissue. Analysis of β-catenin expression in quercetin-treated dysplastic kidneys revealed a decrease in nuclear levels and an increase in cytoplasmic and membrane-bound levels, resulting in a reduced expression of target genes (Pax2, Six2, and GDNF). Finally, this partial rescue of renal dysplasia was associated with an improved and organized E-cadherin expression in quercetin-treated dysplastic kidneys, suggesting a possible molecular mechanism of quercetin action in resolving abnormal kidney development. Overall, my findings demonstrate, for the first time, that quercetin reduces β-catenin transcriptional activity in normal and dysplastic kidneys and reduces the severity of defects in renal dysplasia.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS)


title: Quantitative Metallography, Optimization of HVHPC Process and Modelling Solute Homogenization During Solutionizing of Al-4Zn-1Mg-1.2Fe-0.1Ti Alloy

contributor:
shankar, sumanth
Mechanical Engineering

subject:
metallography
structural casting
high pressure die casting
alloy development
aluminum alloy

abstract:
High pressure die casting (HPDC) is both a cost-efficient and high throughput method for making near-net shape castings. 7xxx series aluminum alloys are excellent candidates for manufacturing structural components for significant light-weighting opportunities in the automotive industry. This project explores the development of a new 7xxx series aluminum alloy with iron additions to improve castability. The main objective of this project is to develop an optimized heat treatment process for the new Al-Zn-Mg-Fe alloy to achieve solute homogenization in the primary Al grains.
The rationale behind adding iron as an alloying element was presented, as well as an analysis of the Al-Fe intermetallic phases to show their mitigating effects on hot tearing.
A detailed analysis of the casting quality was carried out, including detailed microstructural analyses of defects and defect-free castings, correlating process parameters, shot profiles, uniaxial tensile properties, and fractography. Improvements on casting conditions and parameters were suggested.
Solution heat treatments were carried out between 0.25 and 24 hours and quenched with forced air. Bulk hardness measurements were obtained following solution heat treatment to determine the arrest times for the precipitation reactions during natural aging. The uniaxial tensile properties of the alloy in the F- and T4-tempers were presented. Microstructural analyses of the alloy were carried out by optical and electron microscopy (SEM), including phase identification, phase fraction, average grain size, and distribution.
A predictive model for the homogenization of the solutes in the Al matrix was developed using a one-dimensional diffusion model with spherical geometry, and a MATLAB code was developed to time for complete homogenization. Electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) line scans were carried out on the F and T4 samples (0.25-2h) and the concentration profiles of Zn and Mg (the diffusing solutes) were extracted and analyzed. The models were verified and validated with experiment data.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Characterization of the Role of Shroom3 in Nephron Formation

subject: Shroom3

subject: Kidney

abstract:
Proper development of the nephron, the functional unit of the kidney, is essential for
kidney function. The nephron develops from a pool of cap mesenchymal cells, as defined
by a cluster of cells adjacent to the ureteric bud tips of branching ureteric epithelium,
giving rise to two subset populations: the self renewing cells and the nephron progenitors.
These nephron progenitors undergo mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) to develop
into polarized renal vesicles (RV), and eventually fuse with the epithelial tubule to
develop into a mature nephron. Although these processes are essential for the formation
of functional kidneys, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate them.
In this study, we characterize several steps during cap mesenchyme and renal vesicle
formation using our Shroom3 knockout mouse kidney as our model. Previous researchers
have associated Shroom3 with chronic kidney disease. Detecting and analyzing the
genetic components of CKD is needed to improve our understanding of its pathogenesis.
Shroom3 encodes an actin-binding protein that regulates cell shape changes through
induction of apical constriction. However, there is a lack of evidence about Shroom3’s
expression pattern and functional role upstream of developed nephrons. Here, I defined
the spatial and temporal expression of Shroom3 within the cap mesenchyme region. I
investigated the nephron progenitors between Shroom3 wildtypes and mutants. Lastly, I
analyzed the renal vesicle polarity in mutants, by analyzing apical membrane markers on
RVs to characterize any abnormalities in their orientation and establishment of polarity.

abstract: Thesis


title: QUANTIFYING THE CONTRIBUTION OF PASSIVE STRUCTURES IN FINGER INDEPENDENCE

contributor:
Keir, Peter
Kinesiology

subject:
surface electromyography
intertendinous connections
finger independence

abstract: Mechanical and neural factors have been suggested to limit finger independence.  Fingers producing involuntary movement or force production during intended actions of another finger are considered “enslaved” to that finger.  The purpose of this thesis was to quantify the contribution of passive mechanical factors to this enslaving effect, in particular, the contributions of the intertendinous connections between extensor tendons.  Twenty participants (10 men, 10 women) performed Master and Slave Tasks in three wrist (30° extension, neutral, 30° flexion) and two metacarpophalangeal (MCP) (straight and 90° flexion) postures.  During the Master Task, the ring finger was the intended or “master” finger.  Three 10 s isometric ring finger extensions were performed at 25% of maximum voluntary contraction.  Finger force and surface electromyography of the 4 extensor digitorum (ED) bellies were recorded.  In the Slave Tasks, the middle and little fingers (“slave” fingers during the Master Task) each performed three 10 s isometric finger extensions at their mean activation levels during the Master Task.  Hypothetical mechanical contribution (HMC) was determined for the middle and little fingers.  The HMC was defined as the difference between the involuntary force (from the Master Task) and the voluntary force (from the Slave Task) relative to the involuntary force.  A small proportion of the HMC values (Middle: 39%; Little: 15%) were within the expected range of 0 to 100%, suggesting that the equation developed in this study provided a limited representation of the contribution of passive intertendinous structures.  Index finger forces increased with MCP flexion, suggesting the importance of juncturae tendineii in finger independence.  Higher ED activity during wrist extension, than neutral or flexed postures, with straight MCP supports previous evidence in the literature.  The complex phenomenon of enslaving in different wrist and MCP positions warrants further research for quantifying the mechanical contribution in finger independence.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science in Kinesiology


title: Aspiring Physicians from Low-Income Backgrounds: Experiences of Barriers and Facilitators to a Career in Medicine

title: Low-income Barriers and Facilitators to a Career in Medicine

contributor:
Vanstone, Meredith
Health Science Education

subject:
medical education
low-income
medical school
diversity
medical students
inequality
higher education
widening access
post-secondary education
underrepresented groups
qualitative
inclusion
admissions
equity
post-secondary
university students

abstract:
INTRODUCTION:  Students from low-income backgrounds (LIB) have been underrepresented in Canadian medical schools for over fifty years. Despite our awareness of this problem, little is known about the experiences of aspiring physicians from LIB in Canada who are working towards medical school admission. As a result, we do not have insight into the barriers and facilitators that may be used to increase the representation of students from LIB in Canadian medical schools.
METHODS: This thesis describes a qualitative description interview study aimed at understanding the experiences of aspiring physicians from LIB as they attempt to gain entry to medical school. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 participants at different stages of their undergraduate, master’s, and non-medical professional education.
RESULTS: We used the theories of intersectionality and identity capital as a theoretical framework for identifying barriers and facilitators to a career in medicine. Participants experienced social, identity-related, economic, structural, and informational barriers to a career in medicine. Intrinsic facilitators included motivation, self-confidence, attitude, strategy, information seeking and sorting, and financial literacy and increasing income. Extrinsic facilitators were social, informational, financial, and institutional in nature.
CONCLUSION: This study fills existing gaps in the literature by identifying the pre-admissions barriers and facilitators encountered by aspiring physicians from LIB. This information will be useful to medical schools, organizations, and researchers interested in supporting underrepresented groups. Given that medical students from LIB are more likely to serve underserved populations, this is relevant to Canadian medical schools’ social accountability commitment to producing physicians that meet the health needs of marginalized and vulnerable patients.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract:
GOALS: This thesis describes an interview study aimed at understanding the experiences of aspiring physicians from low-income backgrounds (LIB) as they attempt to gain entry to medical school. Interviews were conducted with 15 participants at different stages of their undergraduate, master’s, and non-medical professional education.
CONTRIBUTIONS: This study fills existing gaps in the literature by identifying the pre-admissions barriers and facilitators encountered by aspiring physicians from LIB. Participants experienced social, identity-related, economic, structural, and informational barriers to a career in medicine. Intrinsic facilitators included motivation, self-confidence, attitude, strategy, information seeking and sorting, and financial literacy and increasing income. Extrinsic facilitators were social, informational, financial, and institutional.  This information will be useful to medical schools, supportive organizations and researchers interested in supporting underrepresented groups.


title: Words in the Wilds

subject:
affect
concreteness
corpus linguistics
cognitive corpus linguistics
stereotype accuracy
national character stereotypes
semantic prosody
constual level theory

abstract: affect, concreteness, corpus linguistics, cognitive science, cognitive linguistics, stereotype accuracy, national character stereotypes, semantic prosody

abstract:
Increasing use of natural language corpora and methods from corpus and computational linguistics as a
supplement to traditional modes of scholarship in the social sciences and humanities has been labeled the
"text as data movement." Corpora afford greater scope in terms of sample sizes, time, geography, and subject
populations, as well as the opportunity to ecologically validate theories by testing their predictions within
behaviour which is not elicited by an experimenter. Herein, five projects are presented, each either exploiting
or taking inspiration from natural language data to make novel contributions to a subject matter area in
the psychological sciences, including social psychology and psycholinguistics. Additionally, each project
incorporates notions of word meaning grounded in psycholinguistic and psychoevolutionary theory, either the
affective or sensorimotor connotations of words. This thesis ends with a discussion of the necessity of taking
both experimental and observational approaches, as well as the challenge of how to link natural language
data to psychological constructs.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract:
The internet and modern computers are changing how scientists study the mind. Instead of doing experiments
within a laboratory, it is more and more common for cognitive scientists to observe patterns in online language
use. These patterns in language use are then used to comment on how the mind works. Online language
use is created by diverse people as they go about their lives. This is valuable for scientists studying the
mind. Our experiments are often limited by how many people and which people do experiments. Sometimes,
experiments can be misleading because people don't act in the real world like they do in a lab. This thesis
has five studies, each using online language use to comment on some part of how the mind works. Also, each
study involves how words make people feel, or whether a word refers to something you can see or touch.
Studying real people as they communicate offers new perspectives on old ideas or unanswered questions.


title: The Role of Resistin-like Molecule Alpha in Oncostatin M-mediated Lung Inflammation

contributor:
Richards, Carl
Medical Sciences

subject:
gp130 cytokines
pulmonary inflammation
resistin-like molecule alpha
alternatively activated macrophages
extracellular matrix

abstract: Resistin-like molecule alpha (RELMα) is a secreted protein implicated in murine models of allergen-induced asthma, bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and helminth infection. Transient pulmonary overexpression of Oncostatin M by Adenovirus vector (AdOSM) induces lung inflammation biased toward Th2 cytokines, eosinophil and alternatively activated (AA/M2) macrophage accumulation. In AdOSM-treated C57Bl/6 and BALB/c mice, we observed RELMα mRNA and protein markedly induced. RELMα is recognized as a marker of AA/M2 macrophages, and we observed by chromogenic in situ hybridization that RELMα mRNA co-expresses with the macrophage marker CD68, and RELMα mRNA was also highly induced in columnar airway epithelial cells upon AdOSM treatment. Assessing IL-6 as a comparator gp130 cytokine, AdIL-6 induced RELMα at significantly lower levels, however maximal induction of RELMα by AdOSM in C57Bl/6 mice required IL-6, assessed in IL-6–/– mice. Maximal induction of RELMα by AdOSM also required IL-33 in C57Bl/6 mice but not in BALB/c mice, assessed in IL-33–/– mice. We investigated functions of RELMα in response to OSM, in RELMα–/– mice. Inflammatory cell infiltration and Th2-associated cytokine responses were not altered in RELMα–/– in comparison to wildtype mice. However, RELMα-deficiency resulted in less accumulation of CD206+ AA/M2 macrophages, IFNγ+ Th1 cells in the lung, reduced induction of extracellular matrix gene mRNAs for COL1A1, COL3A1, MMP13, TIMP1, and reduced parenchymal alpha smooth muscle actin. RELMα–/– mice also showed less airway epithelial hyperplasia, increased epithelial cell damage/death (assessed morphologically) and increased LDH and soluble CK18 in response to AdOSM. Our findings suggest that RELMα does not modulate Th2 cytokines, but does participate in matrix deposition, airway remodelling mechanisms, and protection from inflammation-induced damage due to OSM-overexpression in lungs of C57Bl/6 mice.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: The Electrodynamics of Quantum Materials: Quasicrystals, Semimetals, and Poor Metals

contributor:
Timusk, Thomas
Physics and Astronomy

subject:
physics
quantum materials
optical spectroscopy
solid-state physics
condensed-matter physics
quasicrystal
Dirac/Weyl semimetal
poor metal

abstract: In this thesis, I examine three very diﬀerent solid-state systems that are all poor conductors when compared to elemental metals. The physics of canonical metals, such as the alkali and noble metals, is well known and is usually idealized in the free-or nearly free-electron picture. Their electron band structures are characterized by parabolic-like bands that cross the Fermi energy and possibly d-bands with ﬂatter dispersions a few eV away. These well-behaved systems lend themselves to the use of simple analytic relations. Each of the three systems that I examine here diﬀers signiﬁcantly from the nearly-free parabolic band-picture of the electronic structure and require more complex analyses. In the ﬁrst system of quasicrystals and approximants, we will discover that the electrons are undergoing anomalous diﬀusion depending on the size and symmetry of the lattices. Of course, as is well known, the details of these atomic lattice are what determine the nature of electronic band structures and how electrons may propagate in solids. In the second system, I ﬁnd great agreement between my NbAs measurements and calculations on the closely related NbP compound. Incidental to this, I ﬁnd that a reading of band structures shows that claims of measuring the linear band dispersion in Weyl/Dirac semimetals are not supported by the experimental and theoretical band structures. Finally, in the metallic regime of Nd_(1−x)TiO_3, we ﬁnd that the Fermi liquid b coeﬃcient is not within the bounds allowed by present models in samples with x = 0.2 and x = 0.15. It is suggested that the approximations used in current models may be why theory and experiment disagree.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Quantum Effects in the Hamiltonian Mean Field Model

contributor:
O'Dell, Duncan H.J.
Physics and Astronomy

subject:
Long-range interactions
quantum
many-body
toy model
dispersive waves
Gross-Pitaevskii

abstract:
We consider a gas of indistinguishable bosons, confined to a ring of radius R, and
interacting via a pair-wise cosine potential. This may be thought of as the quantized
Hamiltonian Mean Field (HMF) model for bosons originally introduced by Chavanis
as a generalization of Antoni and Ruffo’s classical model.
This thesis contains three parts: In part one, the dynamics of a Bose-condensate are
considered by studying a generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GGPE). Quantum
effects due to the quantum pressure are found to substantially alter the system’s
dynamics, and can serve to inhibit a pathological instability for repulsive interactions.
The non-commutativity of the large-N , long-time, and classical limits is discussed.
In part two, we consider the GGPE studied above and seek static solutions. Exact
solutions are identified by solving a non-linear eigenvalue problem which is closely
related to the Mathieu equation. Stationary solutions are identified as solitary waves
(or solitons) due to their small spatial extent and the system’s underlying Galilean
invariance. Asymptotic series are developed to give an analytic solution to the non-
linear eigenvalue problem, and these are then used to study the stability of the solitary
wave mentioned above.
In part three, the exact solutions outlined above are used to study quantum fluctuations
of gapless excitations in the HMF model’s symmetry broken phase. It is found that
this phase is destroyed at zero temperature by large quantum fluctuations. This
demonstrates that mean-field theory is not exact, and can in fact be qualitatively
wrong, for long-range interacting quantum systems, in contrast to conventional wisdom.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract:
The Hamiltonian Mean Field (HMF) model was initially proposed as a simplified
description of self-gravitating systems. Its simplicity shortens calculations and makes
the underlying physics more transparent. This has made the HMF model a key tool in
the study of systems with long-range interactions.
In this thesis we study a quantum extension of the HMF model. The goal is to
understand how quantum effects can modify the behaviour of a system with long-range
interactions. We focus on how the model relaxes to equilibrium, the existence of
special “solitary waves”, and whether quantum fluctuations can prevent a second order
(quantum) phase transition from occurring at zero temperature.


title: Design and Optimization of Membrane Filtration and Activated Carbon Processes for Industrial Wastewater Treatment Based on Advanced and Comprehensive Analytical Characterisation Methodologies

contributor:
Latulippe, David
Chemical Engineering

subject:
PROCESS DESIGN
ANALYTICAL CHARACTERISATION
INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT
ACTIVATED CARBON PROCESSES
MEMBRANE FILTRATION
MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION

abstract:
Aevitas is an industrial wastewater treatment plant that receives about 300 m3/day of mixture of wastewater from different industries. The chemical oxygen demand of higher 600 ppm and the variety of the chemical constitution of industrial wastewater are two significant problems on Aevitas. Therefore, there is a strong need for developing advanced analytical techniques that can identify the specific compounds that are the source of COD. During 10 months, about 75  industrial samples were characterized using a battery of tests including GC/MS, COD, TOC, and pH to identify the chemicals that are main source of COD in the industrial wastewaters. Results showed that the COD of 87% of 75 provided samples from Aevitas plant was higher than 600.
At the first step of process design, activated carbon was used to eliminate the identified organic chemicals from the wastewaters. The maximum and minimum of COD removal (depends on the chemical composition) of the wastewaters were obtained as 94 and 24%, respectively. Moreover, the amount of COD and TOC that can be adsorbed on the surface of 1 gram of the activated carbon were 25 and 7 mg, respectively. Although activated carbon is capable to reduce the COD, its capacity of adsorption is limited. To overcome this problem an alternative process, membrane filtration was applied for COD removal.  Two types of crossflow NF  (NF270,  NF90,  NFX,  NFW,  NFS,  TS80,  XN45,  and
SXN2_L) and RO (BW60 and TW30) membranes in two modules of the spiral wound and flat sheet were used. The filtration results of 11 different industrial wastewaters showed that NF90, TS80, NFX, and NFS were effective in COD removal. However, in terms of output flux NFX and NFS flat sheet were better than others were. Similar to the activated carbon process, the COD removal in filtration process was between 30 and 90%.  The obtained results can be used to scale up the membrane filtration process at Aevitas.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Chemical Engineering (MChE)

abstract:
Aevitas is an industrial wastewater treatment plant, which is situated at the City of Brantford.
Every day, this plant receives about 15 trucks of the mixture of wastewaters from many different industries. The input wastewater into the plant should be treated and meet the environmental standard so that it can be discharged into a municipal wastewater plant. Currently, the maximum allowable chemical oxygen demand (COD) for discharging the treated wastewater from Aevitas to the municipal wastewater treatment plant is 600 ppm. Despite the fact, the current system in Aevitas is not efficient to meet this criterion. Thus, we strive to design efficient processes to overcome the problem. To this end, 75 samples were collected from Aevitas to observe the kind of chemicals that are the source of COD and then, two processes including activated carbon adsorption and membrane filtration were used for further reduction of COD. Although activated carbon can reduce the COD, the limited adsorption capacity was a major concern for its long-term application, especially if the COD of influent wastewater is higher than 2000 ppm. Membrane filtration was used as an
alternative for activated carbon and the results showed that membrane could reduce the
COD below 600 in 48% of the cases.


title: Experimental Investigation of the Mate Choice Theory of Menopause with Drosophila Melanogaster

title: MATE CHOICE AND THE ORIGIN OF MENOPAUSE

contributor:
Singh, Rama
Biology

subject: mate choice; Drosophila melanogaster; menopause; evolution; mating

abstract: Menopause, the complete cessation of menstrual cycles, apparently is a detrimental trait, yet all women experience it. Numerous theories have been proposed to explain the origin of menopause, but none has been satisfactory. In 2013, Morton et al. proposed a mate choice hypothesis to explain menopause and, using a computational model, showed how a bias in mating (i.e., older men preferring younger women) could have allowed such an otherwise detrimental trait to evolve neutrally through accumulation of female fertility-reducing mutations. To investigate whether biased mating could affect fecundity and fertility in a real system, two experimental populations were established using Drosophila melanogaster. Older males were mated with younger females and vice versa. Information was obtained, including data on fecundity, fertility, ovariole and matured egg chambers, and lifespan, for experimental, age-restricted-mating and control populations. A negative effect on the fecundity and fertility of the younger-mating sex was observed in restricted-mating compared to control populations. Age-restricted mating had no effect on longevity. Menopause could evolve according to the mate choice hypothesis.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: All animals are expected to remain fertile until they die. Menopause is an enigma and an unsolved problem in evolutionary biology. Numerous theories have been proposed to explain menopause, but there is no clear understanding of how this fertility reducing trait evolved in the human population. It has been proposed that biased mate choice i.e., preference for younger females can lead to accumulation of fertility-reducing mutations and the evolution of menopause. In this study, mate choice theory was tested using altered (biased) mating schemes with Drosophila melanogaster and the results support the mate choice theory of menopause.


title: Serotonergic Antagonists Affect the Activity of Breast Tumor Initiating Cells in Human and Mouse Models of Breast Cancer

title: ON SEROTONERGIC SIGNALING AND BREAST TUMOR INITIATING CELLS

contributor:
Hassell, John A.
Medical Sciences

subject:
Serotonin signaling
Breast tumor initiating cells

abstract:
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (2019)

McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Medical Sciences)

TITLE: Serotonergic antagonists affect the activity of breast tumor initiating cells in human and mouse models of breast cancer.

AUTHOR: William D. Gwynne, BSc

SUPERVISOR: Dr. John A. Hassell

NUMBER OF PAGES: XXI; 255

abstract:
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death amongst women worldwide. The relatively unchanging breast cancer-associated mortality rate is in part due to the existence of rare tumor cells (breast tumor initiating cells; BTIC) that possess stem-like properties permitting them to survive therapy and initiate disease recurrence. Hence, identifying agents capable of eradicating these cells would be a favourable therapeutic strategy to improve the durability of breast cancer remissions. To achieve the latter objective our lab screened over 35,000 small molecules for their capacity to inhibit the viability of BTIC-enriched mouse tumor cells. Unexpectedly, several antagonists of the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) transporter and select receptors were among the hit compounds identified in the screen.
This thesis aims to establish a connection between serotonergic activity and BTIC. We accomplished the latter by assessing whether components of the 5-HT signaling system are expressed in mouse and human breast tumor cells and whether inhibition of their activity affects BTIC frequency using multiple orthogonal assays.
Our data suggest that breast tumor cells of both mouse and human origin express the components necessary for 5-HT synthesis, activity and metabolism and that inhibition of these proteins with selective antagonists reduces the capacity of these cells to form tumorspheres. We demonstrate that highly selective antagonists of SERT and HTR5A target BTIC as established ex vivo cell transplantation assays. We also discovered that these agents synergize with chemotherapy in vivo to affect the growth of mouse breast tumor allografts and human breast tumor xenografts. To validate the molecular targets of these agents, we attempted to phenocopy their effects in functional assays by knocking out their respective genes using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Collectively, this thesis contributes to an understanding of how 5-HT signaling affects BTIC and identifies serotonergic antagonists as novel anticancer agents.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: Despite improvements in screening technologies and the development of targeted therapies breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related death among Canadian women. Whereas the current standard of care is effective at treating the majority of patients diagnosed with breast cancer, there remains a substantial proportion of patients that experience relapse after undergoing therapy. Recurrence is due in part to the existence of rare, stem-like tumor cells, termed breast tumor-initiating cells (BTIC) that are insensitive to existing anticancer agents. Hence, identifying drugs capable of targeting these cells is a desirable goal. To pursue the latter, our lab screened approximately 35,000 compounds for their capacity to affect the growth of BTIC-enriched tumor cell populations. Among the hit compounds were antagonists of the serotonin transporter and serotonin receptors, including FDA-approved psychiatric medications. Here, we explore a connection between serotonin-related proteins and BTIC activity with the aim of identifying novel therapeutic agents.


title: Topological Weyl Superconductivity

contributor:
Kallin, Catherine
Physics and Astronomy

subject:
Weyl semimetal
Weyl superconductivity
Topological phases
Fermi arcs
BCS
FFLO

abstract: The topological aspects of superconductivity on doped Weyl semimetals are investigated.

abstract: Topological phases of matter have sparked significant experimental and theoretical interest due to the topologically robust edge modes they host, as well as their classification through rich mathematics. An interesting example of a topological phase in three dimensions, the Weyl semimetal, can exhibit topological ordering through the existence of Fermi arcs on the surfaces of the material. For the doped Weyl semimetal, we investigate possible resulting Weyl superconducting states --- both the inter-Fermi surface pairing state following Li and Haldane, and the intra-Fermi surface pairing state following Burkov --- in this thesis, and study their topological properties by computing the gapless Weyl-Majorana edge modes they host. The results obtained in Ref. \cite{LH} for the inter-Fermi surface superconducting state are reproduced, and the bulk and edge properties of the intra-Fermi surface pairing superconducting state are studied in detail.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: In this thesis, we study an interesting class of topological materials called the Weyl semimetal as well as its associated superconducting phases. A description of the Fermi arcs on Weyl semimetals are given, and the topological properties of the inter-Fermi surface and intra-Fermi surface pairing states are studied in detail.


title: Development of High Throughput Screening Approaches to Target TN1549 and F Plasmid Movement

contributor:
Wright, Gerard D.
Chemical Biology

subject:
high throughput screening
antimicrobial resistance
conjugation
mobile genetic elements
Tn1549
F plasmid

abstract:
The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis, where new antibiotic discovery is not keeping pace with the emergence of resistant pathogens, is driven by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). MGEs can autonomously transfer between bacteria, along with AMR genes. The widespread use of antibiotics in the clinic, in agriculture, and animal husbandry, has accelerated the MGE-mediated transfer of AMR genes in the environment. However, despite playing such an important role in the AMR crisis, the dynamics and mechanisms behind the transmission of genes are poorly understood. Furthermore, which natural and man-made compounds inhibit or promote their movement in these environments is unknown.
One method to combat the rise in AMR is to identify small molecules as probes to understand the molecular basis of transmission and apply this information to prevent MGE-mediated resistance dissemination. Since conjugation is the main mechanism for AMR gene transfer, targeting MGEs that use conjugation, such as conjugative plasmids (e.g. Tn1549) and conjugative transposons (e.g. F plasmid), has the potential to prevent the emergence of multi-drug resistant pathogens. In this work, a high throughput assay modeled after Tn1549 excision was screened against a library of known bioactive compounds to find modulators of the integrase and excisionase activity. Several fluoroquinolone antibiotics including ciprofloxacin were identified as dose-dependent inhibitors of excision, which acted by changing supercoiling levels in the cell. Ciprofloxacin enhanced conjugation frequency of Tn1549 at sub-MIC concentrations relative to an untreated control and inhibited conjugation frequency at higher concentrations. A second project was focused on a high throughput conjugation assay based on the separation of the lux operon between a donor and recipient cell, such that only transconjugants produce luminescence to reflect active gene transfer. This work furthers our understanding of the development of assays to target MGEs and screening for inhibitors of their movement.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: Antibiotics are small molecules that cure bacterial infections. However, their efficacy is fading as a result of the ability of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) to spread antimicrobial resistance genes between bacteria. Conjugative plasmids (CPs) and conjugative transposons (CTns) are two of the major types of MGEs that contribute to the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in pathogens. The goal of this research is to search for inhibitors of CTns and CPs in order to prevent the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria. High throughput assays were designed to model both a CTn (Tn1549) and a CP (F plasmid) to find small molecules targeting their movement. A screen of the Tn1549 excision assay identified fluoroquinolone antibiotics that inhibit excision in a dose-dependent manner and indirectly inhibit the integrase used to excise the CTn. Ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, inhibited the conjugation frequency of Tn1549. Future work will focus on identifying new inhibitors of these MGEs and their characterization.


title: Formability of AA7075 Aluminum Sheet at Elevated Temperatures for Automotive Hot Stamping Applications

contributor:
Jain, Mukesh
Mechanical Engineering

abstract:
Sheet metal forming is a process in which sheet materials are stretched,
drawn and bent into complex shapes by use of a forming press fitted with a
die set and punch suitable for forming a part. There are several ways to form
sheet including hot and cold stamping. If the material to be formed is ductile,
commonly, the cold stamping process is utilized. However, if the material has
low formability in its room temperature state, hot stamping can be employed
to avoid fracture and significant part spring-back. In this thesis the hot
stamping feasibility of aluminum AA7075-F (as-fabricated temper) was
investigated.
The formability of AA7075-F sheet was assessed for elevated
temperature forming by means of the in-plane Marciniak test. Although
common at room temperature, development of an elevated temperature
Marciniak test was necessary. ABAQUS® FE suite was used to create an
accurate finite element model (FEM) to assist in understanding material flow
during experimental testing. Upon development of an elevated temperature
Marciniak test, strain maps were produced through digital image correlation
(DIC) to create forming limit curves (FLC). In addition, the resulting samples
were observed for their microstructure, plastic flow, necking and fracture
behaviour. Macroscopic strain field inhomogeneity, surface roughening
characteristics, and ductile void damage as a function of strain, strain path
and temperature were also analyzed in an attempt to correlate formability and
fracture behaviour to the material microstructural, damage development and
surface characteristics in the deformed state.
FLC prediction of AA7075-F sheet were made using the laboratory-based
FE simulation models of in-plane Marciniak test. For this purpose, strain-rate
dependant data for AA7075-F sheet was obtained through elevated
temperature tensile tests for use as material model input data. The predicted
FLCs were compared with the experimental FLCs, and good general agreement
was observed.
Lastly, a die was designed to replicate the hot stamping die quenching
process through forming annealed AA7075 sheet. Tensile samples were cut
from hot stamped parts to evaluate the process feasibility. Supplementary
tests were performed to evaluate the impact of cooling rate on material
strength.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: On the Performance Analysis of the Best Effort Online Power Control Policy for Energy Harvesting Communications

contributor:
Chen, Jun
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract:
Recent advances in energy harvesting techniques have enabled the development of self
sustainable systems that are powered by renewable energy sources in the environment.
In this ﬁeld, designing power control policies that can achieve high throughput is a
signiﬁcant problem. In this thesis, we analyze the long-term average throughput of
Best Eﬀort Policy in energy harvesting communications under a Bernoulli energy
arrival process. We provide a limit and an order’s upper bound of the diﬀerence
between throughput induced by limited battery and throughput induced by unlimited
battery for two Bernoulli cases respectively when battery capacity approaches inﬁnity.
Besides, some other energy harvesting processes are considered, their characteristics
of throughput are discussed by numerical simulation.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: IMPROVING MATERNAL AND FETAL PREGNANCY OUTCOMES BY PREVENTING POSTPARTUM HAEMORRHAGE AND MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV IN PREGNANCY

contributor:
Lehana, Thabane
Health Research Methodology

subject:
Prevention
Post partum haemorrhage
Mother to child transmission of HIV
Misoprostol

abstract:
Background and Objectives:
Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and mother to child transmission (MTCT) of the Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) are major threats to maternal and foetal health, especially in low and middle income countries. This thesis addressed two main objectives: 1) to investigate strategies for the prevention of PPH, with a focus on misoprostol; 2) to investigate strategies for prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, with a focus on the male partner.
Methods:
We employed a number of study designs including a cross sectional design, a retrospective chart review, and a systematic review which included Classical and Bayesian approaches of meta- analysis. Key methodological issues addressed include the use of propensity score matching methods to address channeling bias; comparison and combination of evidence from different sources; sensitivity analysis in health research; and methods for developing new tools for measurement in health research.
Results and Conclusions:
Our findings suggests that an oxytocin-misoprostol combination is better than the current standard of care of oxytocin-only which is recommended by the World Health Organisation for the prevention of PPH. Secondly, effectiveness data from well-designed observational studies may be used to inform clinical decisions on misoprostol in the prevention of PPH. Thirdly, using a new tool we have created, it is possible to objectively identify HIV positive women who lack the support of their male partners in adhering to PMTCT recommendations.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Anterolateral Versus Medial Plating for Comminuted Intra Articular Distal Tibia Fractures: A Biomechanical Assessment

contributor:
Quenneville, Cheryl
Biomedical Engineering

subject:
biomechanics
pilon fracture

abstract:
Pilon fractures are a result of high energy impacts to the ankle joint causing comminution to the tibia. Open reduction and internal fixation is the current method of treatment, which involves reducing the fracture and placing an anterolateral or medial plate along the tibia to secure the bone fragments during the bone healing process, but these have frequent complications for patients. No previous studies have investigated the biomechanical performance of these plates using a model that consists of the tibia, fibula and the syndesmotic tissue. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical effectiveness of these plates using cadaveric specimens.
Eight pairs of cadaveric specimens were anatomically aligned and potted proximally. A typical fracture pattern was created in each specimen and then one from each pair treated with an anterolateral and the other with a medial plate. A materials testing machine applied an axial load to the specimen to determine the construct stiffness, followed by a ramp load to failure. An optical tracking system was configured to track the motion of the bone fragments in 3D space. The medial plates tended to provide superior results when compared to the anterolateral plate; however, no statistical difference was found.
This represents the most complex fracture and comprehensive evaluation of the plating options available for this type of injury and may inform surgeons to help reduce the poor outcomes for patients.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)

abstract:
Severe distal tibial fractures (pilon fractures) occur during motor vehicle collisions and falls from a height and are typically treated with one of two fracture fixations. The evidence supporting the use of the fracture fixations is limited and research has yet to be done using cadaveric specimens.
To assess the fracture fixations, six cadaveric specimens were subjected to compressive loading to determine the stiffness. An orthopaedic surgeon then simulated a pilon fracture and repaired each specimen with one of the two fixations. The specimens were then subjected to compressive loading to determine the repaired stiffness and then loaded until failure. During failure testing, an optical tracking system was used to assess the overall motion of the fracture fragments.
Based on preliminary results from stiffness, strength, and relative motion evaluations, the medial plate showed superior results; however, the differences were not found to be statistically significant.


title: Quantum Information Dynamics: A Perspective From Free Fermion Models

contributor:
Sorensen, Erik
Physics and Astronomy

subject:
Quantum information
Quantum statistical mechanics
Statistical physics

abstract: Equilibration, thermalization and scrambling appear to be intimately related, however their exact relation is unknown. As presented  in the introduction these fields are at their current stages still quite popular and new directions are appearing regularly. We first put the fields into focus in the introduction and then the following chapters present three manuscripts as my contributions to these fields during my Master of Science project. Further introductions and background are presented in the manuscripts and my contributions are summarized at the beginning of each chapter.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Storytelling as a Fundamental Form of Acting

contributor:
Brown, Steven
Psychology

subject:
storytelling
acting
narrative
character
role playing
prosody

abstract: Acting is a process of pretending to be someone who the actor is not. While acting is often considered to be a specialized skill of trained professionals, a simple and perhaps universal form of acting occurs during oral storytelling, in which the storyteller acts out the characters of the story during the moments of dialogue and self-reflection. In order to examine this skill experimentally, we had both trained actors and untrained novices read four fairy tales aloud. The stories contained a series of contrastive characters that spanned age, gender, and species. The major dependent variables were the vocal parameters of pitch height, loudness, timbre, and speech rate. The results demonstrated that participants created distinguishable acoustic profiles for each character within a story, regardless of the story’s familiarity. Monotonic trend analyses revealed the sequential changes in vocal parameters that were produced as a function of the age, gender, and species of the represented characters. Linear mixed-effects models showed a significant effect of acting training on character portrayal, with actors showing more-expansive pitch depictions than novices. We argue that portraying characters during storytelling is one of the most fundamental forms of acting in human life.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: Acting is a process of pretending to be someone who the actor is not. It is often thought of as a skill of trained professionals. We propose that oral storytelling is a form of everyday acting. When a storyteller reads aloud, they act out the characters of the story during moments of dialogue—when the characters themselves are speaking in the story. We explored the vocal portrayal of contrastive characters by both trained actors and non-actors as they read fairy tales aloud. The results revealed that participants, regardless of acting experience, portrayed the characters as predicted, performed the characters uniquely from each other, and remained consistent in their portrayal across a story. Actors were found to use a larger pitch range than non-actors, specifically for high-pitched characters. We argue that portraying characters during storytelling is one of the most fundamental forms of acting in human life.