Open Theses and Dissertations
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Item Open Access Parallels and Divergences in Multisystem Proteinopathy Genes: Stress Granules, Autophagy, and Myogenic Deficits(2025-01-31) Pontifex, Carly Sabine; Pfeffer, Gerald; Whelan, Patrick; Shutt, Timothy; Corcoran, Jenn; Milone; Margherita; Greenway; Clive, StevenMultisystem Proteinopathy (MSP) is a disease that causes some combination of inclusion body myopathy with rimmed vacuoles, Paget’s disease of bone, and ALS/FTD. Several different genes give rise to the unique phenotypic expression of MSP. Given the variety of genes that cause MSP and the specificity of the phenotype and tissue involvement, we asked; what are the unifying pathogenic features of MSP? To address this, we examined three areas of interest: stress granules, autophagy, and myogenesis. The currently identified roster of MSP genes have several structural and functional commonalities which fall into two categories: LC3B-intracting domain containing autophagy adaptors (SQSTM1, VCP, OPTN) and prion-like domain containing stress granule proteins (HNRNPA2B1, HNRNPA1, MATR3, TIA1). Previous studies identified that a non-pathogenic variant of the non-classical MSP protein, TIA1 N357S , can act as a phenotype modifier with SQSTM1P392L leading to distal muscle weakness rather than proximal muscle weakness seen with monogenic SQSTM1 mutations. Here we show that the same TIA1 variant is able to act as a modifier with VCP R159H to produce the same distal weakness. We established three major findings: 1) The non-classical MSP gene TIA1 N357S can modify the myopathy phenotype of both VCP and SQSTM1 to produce distal rather than proximal muscle weakness at the onset of disease, and that TIA1b expression drives the increase of TIA1 expression in diseased muscle and also fails to colocalize with SQSTM1—implying that upregulation of TIA1b is important for muscle stress response and also that TIA1b stress granules have reduced clearance by autophagy. 2) VCP and SQSTM1 both exhibit lysosome accumulation, which may be an emergent feature of inclusion body myopathies. 3) Impaired myogenesis via resistance to the master regulator of myogenesis MyoD, is a feature of MSP.Item Open Access Evaluating Mass Spectrometry Approaches for Identifying Proteomic Changes in Maternal Urine in Pregnancy and Labour(2025-01-31) Sonali; Dufour, Antoine; Slater, Donna; MacDonald, Justin; Sycuro, LauraPreterm birth (PTB) is a critical global health issue, contributing to significant neonatal mortality and long-term complications. Almost half of the preterm births occur due to spontaneous preterm labour (PTL). Despite substantial research efforts, our knowledge of labour onset and progression leading to either preterm and term delivery is limited. With the intent of exploring more about the physiological processes of pregnancy and labour, we performed label-free shotgun proteomics on maternal urinary samples using two different modes of mass spectrometer – data- dependent acquisition (DDA) and data-independent acquisition (DIA). The goal was to assess what approach resulted in high quality and reproducible data by detecting and quantifying large number of proteins for a discovery study using urine samples. Comparative analysis of DDA and DIA demonstrated superior performance of DIA. DIA resulted in better data in terms of consistency of protein detection, retaining higher number of total proteins and uniquely detected proteins for downstream analysis and presence of fewer number of missing values. To investigate further, we expanded our discovery cohort and performed DIA proteomics. Proteomics data analysis revealed elevated levels of Defensin alpha 1 (DEFA1) and Kallikrein 1 (KLK1) in the Labour group while the Non Labour group showed elevated levels of Endosialin (CD248) and Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein (LRG1). To identify the proteomics changes with respect to gestational age, we compared Preterm Non Labour (PTNL) group with Term Non Labour (TNL) group. The PTNL group was found significantly enriched in Fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5) and Keratin type 1 cytoskeletal 16 (KRT16) while TNL group showed significant enrichment in Calmodulin (CALM1). Differential levels of aforementioned proteins seem to be associated with labour and changes with gestational age. Future studies are required to validate the observed trends in protein abundances in the study groups and to determine the potential of these proteins for prediction of preterm labour or preterm birth.Item Open Access Stretch-Shortening-Cycle Function and Muscle-Tendon Unit Properties in Active Pre- and Early Post-Menopausal Women(2025-01-31) Walton, Julie S. J.; Jordan, Matt; Fletcher, Jared; Doyle-Baker, Patricia; Pasanen, KatiMenopause is associated with an accelerated loss of muscle mass, strength, and power. Changes in muscle-tendon properties may contribute to these effects and whole-body locomotion. However, reliable protocols evaluating muscle-tendon properties and function in active postmenopausal females require development. Muscle-tendon properties also influence stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) function, but their contribution has yet to be quantified in active pre and postmenopausal women. PURPOSE: 1) Assess the test-retest reliability of a muscle-tendon function protocol in active pre and postmenopausal females. 2) Quantify between-group differences in Achilles tendon (AT) stiffness, cross-sectional area (CSA), stress, strain, plantar flexor strength, and SSC function by measuring the energy cost of running (Erun) and external mechanical power using countermovement jump (CMJ) testing. 3) Examine the CSA along the AT in active women not using exogenous hormone therapy. METHODS: Active pre and postmenopausal women participated in two testing sessions to assess the test-retest reliability of the muscle-tendon protocol using interclass correlation coefficients, coefficient of variation, and Bland-Altman analysis. Each session included maximal plantar flexor strength, AT stiffness, and AT CSA measurements via ultrasound and dynamometry. Erun was calculated from expired V̇O2 and V̇CO2 during a 10-minute run. CMJ testing was performed on a force plate and mechanical power was obtained through force-time analysis. RESULTS: Good to excellent reliability was reported for all selected variables. AT stiffness was significantly lower post menopause and significantly related to CMJ jump height and relative peak power. No differences were seen between groups in maximal plantar flexion strength, AT CSA, stress, or strain. Group differences in Erun and AT CSA and stress, varied significantly across the length of the AT. CONCLUSIONS: The testing protocol resulted in good to excellent reliability, supporting its use in future longitudinal research among active women. Postmenopausal women show reduced AT stiffness without a concurrent reduction in plantar flexor muscle strength, which may predispose them to tendon strain injuries. The reduction in AT stiffness post menopause may contribute to elevations in whole-body Erun. AT stiffness was associated with mechanical power, and lower AT stiffness may be a result of altered serum estrogen levels associated with menopause.Item Open Access Quantum theory of a potential biological magnetic field sensor: radical pair mechanism in flavin adenine dinucleotide biradicals(2025-02-12) Sotoodehfar, Amirhossein; Simon, Christoph; Salahub, Dennis; Oblak, Daniel; Knudsen, DavidQuantum biology is an exciting and broad field that tries to explain biological phenomena that cannot be treated via classical approaches. One interesting area of this blooming field is magnetoreception, the ability of biological systems to sense and use the Earth’s magnetic field for navigation and other functions. It is important to have a deep understanding of the mechanisms behind magnetoreception both for its fundamental interest and because of potential technological applications such as bio-inspired magnetosensors. Several models have been developed to explain magnetoreception in biological systems, and the most prominent one among them is the radical-pair mechanism (RPM), which is based on the quantum dynamics of electron and nuclear spins in pairs of radical molecules. The premier candidate for magnetoreception based on the RPM involves the protein cryptochrome. In this process, blue light triggers an electron transfer between flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and a tryptophan triad, leading to the formation of a radical pair. While cryptochrome has historically been the main candidate for RPM magnetoreception, recent experimental studies in vivo and in vitro suggest that FAD alone might also act as a biological magnetosensor. For further evaluation of these results, a detailed theoretical model for the observed magnetic field effects (MFEs) on FAD is needed. Previous models of FAD’s photochemistry under magnetic fields were based on semi-classical approaches. In this thesis, we develop a detailed quantum theoretical model that predicts the MFEs on the photochemistry of FAD for all magnetic field magnitudes. Our quantum theoretical model for the RPM in FAD incorporates Zeeman, hyperfine, and exchange interactions, with the exchange interaction depending on the distance between the radicals. We used existing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to determine the dynamic distances between the radicals in FAD over time, which we then integrated into a quantum master equation to calculate the spin dynamics under different magnitudes of magnetic fields. This quantum-based model, in contrast to previous semi-classical approaches which were limited to only low and high magnetic fields, can predict the full magnetic field dependence of MFEs. Our theoretical results of the MFEs on FAD’s photochemistry presented in this thesis are in quantitative agreement with experimental results on the transient absorption of this molecule at physiological pH values in the absence and presence of an external magnetic field.Item Open Access The role of Prebiotic Fiber supplementation in modulating Gut Microbiota and behavioral outcomes following Cesarean Delivery(2025-01-31) Biddle, Melissa; Reimer, Raylene; Shearer, Jane; Sharkey, KeithBirth by caesarean section (CS) is an increasingly common obstetrical procedure, improving both mother and infant outcomes. The long-term outcomes of this procedure for the offspring have been recognized following the emerging evidence of elevated risk of metabolic and neurological dysfunction in those born by CS, including increased risk of diagnosis anxiety or depression. The mechanism linking CS birth to mood disorders is unknown, but is thought to stem from the altered microbial exposure during birthing, which may impact offspring development. The abnormal microbiota during critical developmental windows may prime these systems for dysfunction. Prebiotic fibers promote a favourable microbiota composition, potentially attenuating abnormal microbiota development, and reducing the risk of negative health outcomes. The objective of this thesis was to examine the effect of prebiotic supplementation in early life on rat pups born by CS, to assess if it is able to rescue the unfavorable microbiota profile stemming from CS birth and reduce the risk of developing anxiety-like behaviour. Sprague Dawley rats born by CS (n=40) and VB (n=45) either divided into a control group fed regular rat chow or a oligofructose supplemented diet (5% OFS from p21-p42, 10% OFS from p42 – p115). At 11 weeks of age rats were subjected to behavioural testing to assess anxiety-like behaviour (elevated plus maze and open field test), sociability (three chamber sociability test), cognition (novel object recognition) and anhedonia (sucrose preference test). Gut microbiota composition (16S rRNA sequencing), various metabolic outcomes (glucose tolerance, body composition, and serum analytes) and amygdala gene expression (RT-qPCR). CS birth resulted in increased anxiety-like behavior in males in the EPM, differences in gut microbiota (diversity and abundance), reduced glucose tolerance, altered serum metabolite concentration, and altered amygdala gene expression. All of these metrics other than gene expression were improved with OFS supplementation. There were no differences in depressive-like behaviour (anhedonia), cognition, or social behaviour. Overall, birth by CS led to a variety of developmental alterations, many of which was preventable to OFS supplementation. This provides further evidence regarding the developmental abnormalities following CS birth, and the potential use of prebiotic supplementation to reduce these abnormalities.Item Open Access Exploring West African Immigrant Women's Experience and Perception about Domestic Violence and Related Supports in Alberta, Canada(2025-01-31) Adebayo, Oluwakemi; Archer-Kuhn, Beth; Warria, Ajwang'; Letourneau, Nicole; Gulbrandsen, CarolynDomestic or intimate partner violence among African immigrant populations in Western communities, particularly Canada, remains an overlooked public health issue. African immigrant women face compounded challenges, including social isolation, language barriers, unemployment, financial dependence, and legal obstacles, increasing their vulnerability to abuse. With the rise in scholarship exploring the incidence and prevalence of domestic violence, the specific experiences of African immigrant women remain underexplored. This qualitative study investigates West African immigrant women's perceptions and experiences of domestic violence in Alberta, Canada, focusing on definitions, coping strategies, and the influence of patriarchy, culture, and immigration on their responses to violence. Using a Radical feminist, intersectional and Gender Relations Theory in the African Context, the study examines the ways in which power and resources are distributed between men and women in society, while also acknowledging how the power imbalances compounded by culture, patriarchal ideologies, structure, racial, and immigration factors, shape these women's vulnerability to partner violence. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with six participants reveals that domestic violence is often defined as extreme, life-threatening incidents, with most non-physical violence under-recognized. Culturally influenced coping strategies and preferences for informal support services were common. The study underscores the need for culturally responsive interventions and policies to better support African immigrant women in abusive situations. This research aims to inform practitioners, policymakers, and agencies working with West African immigrant women, highlighting the importance of understanding these women’s unique experiences. The goal is to foster the development of culturally responsive programs and services that address the complexities of domestic violence among this population.Item Open Access Growth, Turnover, and Recycling of Cyanobacteria from Soda Lakes(2025-01-22) Paquette, Alexandre; Strous, Marc; De la Hoz Siegler, Hector; Hubert, Casey; Lauer, RachelCyanobacteria have been proposed as a promising resource for the next generation of industrial biotechnologies to produce high-value food ingredients and bioactive compounds. As photosynthetic microorganisms, they require only sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and essential nutrients to thrive. Cyanobacteria are remarkable for growing in non-arable land, avoiding competition with conventional crops. They can also be cultivated in seawater and wastewater, conserving precious freshwater resources and making them ideal for industrial applications in water-scarce regions. Their versatility and potential for large-scale, sustainable bioproduction make cyanobacteria key players in developing eco-friendly biotechnologies to address global challenges in food and chemicals. However, the scale-up of these biotechnologies faces significant challenges. One major challenge is cultivation, which includes carbon supply, high water requirements, and nutrient availability. This thesis explores strategies to address these challenges by investigating the reuse and recycling of waste products in a closed-loop cultivation system. The study focuses on cultivating a cyanobacterial consortium under high pH and alkalinity conditions, beginning with examining nutrient management and the reuse of spent medium (Chapter 2). The results show that the spent medium contains many essential nutrients for cultivation, but requires replenishment with nitrogen and bicarbonate before it can be reused effectively. Additionally, the spent medium can be reused for several cycles without negatively impacting biomass growth, provided such replenishment is implemented. This approach of reusing spent media reduces water and nutrient demands over multiple cycles, offering a sustainable cultivation method. Chapter 3 delves into the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of sediments in Canadian soda lakes, the natural habitat of the cyanobacterial consortium. This chapter highlights unique microbial adaptations to extreme environments and provides insights into nutrient cycling and ecological resilience. Chapter 4 analyzes waste products from anaerobic digestion, revealing their potential as nutrient sources while also uncovering contaminants such as 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, which may contribute to culture crashes. These findings underscore the need for pretreatment strategies to recycle anaerobic digestion waste in the closed-loop system.Item Open Access Benefits, If Any, of a Knowledge for Contemporary Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Identified by Academic Chairs of Business Education Programs: A Case Study at a Leading Alberta Post-Secondary Institution(2025-01-13) Warner, David; Winchester, Ian; Scott, Shelley Ann; Donlevy, James Kent; Kawalilak, Colleen; Newton, PaulAn emergent lens of the post-secondary context is one of increasing demands from governments, businesses, the community, and other key stakeholder groups for improvement of quality in teaching and learning and the general accountability from post-secondary institutions. At the institutional level, these demands have evolved expectations for improvements in leadership and management strategies and practices of teaching and learning, as well as student outcomes and experience. Across the post-secondary sector, there have been appeals for greater soundness, consistency, and coherence in teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment. The research study explored and informed of the potential benefits, if any, of academic chairs in the business education program at a leading post-secondary institution in Alberta having knowledge of contemporary Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in relation to their respective programs. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) involved the systematic study and reflection on teaching practices and student learning to improve educational outcomes. It emphasized evidence-based approaches, fostered innovation, and enhanced the quality of teaching and learning in higher education. The study endeavored to inform post-secondary institutions of potential benefits associated with strategies for hiring, policy development, and succession planning aimed at enhancing the knowledge and backgrounds of academic chairs in relation to the contemporary SoTL. The research illuminated the importance of the susceptibility, capacity, aptitude, and propensity of academic chairs in provisioning and improving the quality of teaching and learning, thereby enhancing student learning outcomes and experiences within the post-secondary context. The sample for this study comprised seven academic chairs from a leading post-secondary institution in Alberta. Academic chairs were the focus of the case study due to their direct leadership and management responsibilities and their influence over competitive business degree, diploma and certificate programs within the school. The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership model and work of Kouzes and Posner (2017) as well as the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education by Chickering and Gamson (1987) provided the foundation of this research. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews, and the data analysis procedure involved thematic categorization. The key findings that materialized emerged from the interviews and transcripts included: (1) a wide variance in the backgrounds of academic chairs, (2) a consensus among respondents that academic chairs with knowledge of contemporary SoTL are better positioned to promote teaching efficacy, (3) an indication that these chairs can foster greater faculty collaboration and the establishment of communities of practice, (4) an expressed need for professional development focused on SoTL for academic chairs, and (5) a belief that academic chairs knowledgeable in SoTL can more effectively support faculty in aligning research and professional development with SoTL principles. In this study, "academic chair background" referred to the qualifications and experiences that individuals brought to their leadership roles, including their academic credentials, teaching experience, and program administration expertise. Their involvement in curriculum development, faculty development, and educational research, including SoTL, was also considered. These findings are important and highlight the integral role that knowledge of contemporary SoTL plays in enhancing the effectiveness of academic chairs. Understanding these dynamics accentuates the necessity for targeted professional development initiatives, which can ultimately lead to improved teaching quality and better student learning outcomes in post-secondary institutions. The case study facilitated the sharing of diverse perspectives, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the research question and reinforcing the imperative for academic chairs to engage deeply with SoTL. The research advocates for institutional strategies that prioritize academic stakeholders with expertise in SoTL. By focusing on these stakeholders, institutions can noticeably enhance teaching practices and student learning outcomes. The findings are critical for making sense of the benefits, if any, for academic chairs to have knowledge of contemporary SoTL. The case study encouraged the disclosure of key findings by each respondent and their sharing of unique perspectives and experiences which, in turn, contributed to a more inclusive understanding of the research question. The findings discerned and uncovered a wide variance of backgrounds among the academic chairs. The academic chairs with a knowledge of contemporary SoTL presented a propensity and or predisposition to foster teaching effectiveness, promote scholarly activity, facilitate faculty collaboration, nurture communities of practice, and acknowledge the importance of professional development initiatives for academic chairs in SoTL. The study informed post-secondary institutions of the potential benefits of hiring, policy, development, and succession strategies that emphasize or enhance academic chairs’ knowledge and backgrounds in contemporary SoTL. The research illuminated the importance of academic chairs’ susceptibility, capacity, aptitude, and propensity to improve the quality of teaching and learning and improve learner outcomes and experiences in the post-secondary contextItem Open Access Coping Through Creativity: Artmaking During the COVID-19 Pandemic(2025-01-21) Yeganeh Farid, Sepidar; Mudry, Tanya; Domene, Jose; MacFarlane, JaneThe COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges to well-being, including heightened levels of isolation, anxiety, and stress. Even amidst social distancing measures and isolation, there was a sudden and widespread surge in artistic activities, as people turned to artmaking in the face of these unprecedented challenges. This thesis examined how self-directed artmaking aided in coping and enhancing well-being during the pandemic. While previous research has explored the benefits of art on well-being, this thesis focused on the specific role of self-directed artmaking to cope during the novel crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), I conducted interviews with five participants, including both professional and non-professional artists, who engaged in art independently without formal guidance. The analysis revealed that participants used artmaking as a crucial coping mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three overarching themes, Art for Survival, Art for Revival, and Art for Revolution, highlighted how artmaking facilitated creative connections, embodied healing, emotional processing, self-reflection, and personal discovery, while also serving as a platform for advocacy and social justice. These findings demonstrated art’s capacity to support well-being in multifaceted ways, helping participants navigate the complex challenges posed by the pandemic. Implications for government policy, education, and counselling psychology are discussed, including the potential of artmaking as a versatile, practical, and independent tool for enhancing well-being during challenging times, and importance of art-based initiatives in public health strategies and educational curricula.Item Open Access The Tuniit World in Flux: A Zooarchaeological Analysis of a Late Paleo-Inuit Household in Umingmak Nuna/Ellesmere Island(2025-01-29) Taylor, Gillian Bronwyn; Walls, Matthew; Amundsen-Meyer, Lindsay; Hayashi, Naotaka; Perić, SabrinaThis thesis explores the environmental choices and adaptive strategies of the Late Tuniit (Dorset) at the SiFi-4 site, located in Franklin Pierce Bay in northern Umingmak Nuna (Ellesmere Island). After over 3,000 years in the eastern Arctic, the Tuniit represent the culmination of generations of environmental knowledge, innovation, and experience in a challenging landscape that requires intimate knowledge and planning for periods of resource scarcity. SiFi-4, a unique site consisting of a single Late Tuniit dwelling and associated midden, represents a departure from typical Tuniit sites surrounding Pikialasorsuaq (North Water polynya) and provides a rare opportunity to study the subsistence strategies of an isolated Tuniit household at a pivotal point in time. This research involves the zooarchaeological analysis of the SiFi-4 dwelling and midden, focusing on the midden faunal remains to analyze how hunting, resource management, and environmental stewardship were practiced during this period of transformation. New radiocarbon dates suggest that SiFi-4 was occupied at the very end of the Paleo-Inuit period, contemporaneous with the arrival of Inuit ancestors in the Pikialasorsuaq area. The study offers insights into their final adaptations within their environment and reveals that, rather than passive victims of climate or social upheaval, the Tuniit made deliberate choices that reflect both a deep understanding of their environment and a proactive approach to managing resources in a changing world affected by the Medieval Warming Period, Little Ice Age, and the arrival of early Inuit and Norse in the area. The SiFi-4 site suggests a pattern of avoidance of these newcomers by this Late Tuniit family. By examining the environmental decisions made by this isolated household, this thesis sheds light on broader human-environment relationships and provides lessons on resilience and ecological creativity in the face of radical environmental and cultural change—topics highly relevant in today’s context of climate challenges.Item Open Access Multiple Autonomous Vehicle Extended Reality Immersive Control Systems: A Conceptual Exploration & Empirical Evaluation(2025-02-05) Lawton, Bryson Robert Mitchell; Maurer, Frank; Costa Sousa, Mario; Ramirez-Serrano, AlexThis research investigates the potential impacts of extended reality technologies on ground control station (GCS) interfaces for multi-vehicle operations. To do so a prototype XR software was developed, designed for multiple autonomous vehicle extended reality immersive control (MAVERIC). A usability study was then conducted to determine the comparative usability of this prototype against VCSi, a modern commercial GCS software, for accomplishing tasks in a flight route planning scenario and multi-drone management scenario. Participants' usability evaluations and feedback revealed that the prototype's XR approach offered unique advantages in enhancing spatial awareness, task performance, and user satisfaction. For both scenarios, participants perceived the MAVERIC approach as generally more intuitive as well as easier and less frustrating to use. Participants found its hands-on spatial interactions offered a more natural and intuitive approach for placing route waypoints in 3D, which they generally perceived as being faster, easier to learn, and supporting better task success compared to VCSi's desktop-style interface. Many also reported its easily scalable immersive workspaces aided situational understanding during multi-drone management workflows while also making them feel more effective at handling its complexity with less cognitive effort. Despite these strengths, limitations such as increased physical demand, ergonomic discomfort, and precise waypoint placement challenges were noted, indicating the need for iterative design improvements. Some participant feedback also indicated that cross-reality GCS interfaces could be valuable to explore, as integrating the strengths of both conventional and XR approaches may help mitigate each other's weaknesses when used together. This work's findings are hoped to inform future research in the XR and MAVERIC research domains, especially those aimed at further exploring and refining our understanding of how XR technologies may be best used to benefit the diverse civilian applications of drones and other robotic vehicles.Item Open Access Collagen structure within aneurysm tissue in bicuspid aortic valve patients(2025-01-31) Bozorgmehr, Zahra; Di Martino, Elena; Badv, Maryam; Kallos, Michael S.; Deniset, JustinAortic aneurysms pose a substantial clinical problem, especially in individuals with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease, as aneurysm formation is 50% more common in these populations. Although the exact cause of aortic aneurysms in BAV patients is still unknown, a growing body of research points to changes in the elastin and collagen composition of the aneurysm tissue as a key component influencing the course of the disease. The purpose of this thesis is to clarify collagen's contributions to aneurysm development, progression, and clinical consequences by examining its presence and type within aneurysm tissue in BAV patients and exploring the relationship between collagen content and type and its mechanical characteristics assessed on the same tissue patients. For this purpose we followed three steps including 1) developing a protocol to extract the protein from the tissue and performing ELISA tests; 2) examining the changes in the structure of the tissue before and after the tissue processing using SEM images for a representative sample, and 3) comparing the ELISA results to the mechanical properties obtained on the same tissue specimens -same region and same layer - to explore the possible correlation between the collagen content and the mechanical properties. The analysis of collagen composition and mechanical properties on the same tissues revealed some interesting results; first of all, high Wall Shear Stress (WSS) in the greater curvature region correlated with lower collagen content in Greater Curvature (GC). Further, we found that higher collagen contents correlated with stiffness but not strength. Moreover, results for both collagen-I ɑ-2 and collagen-III showed a bimodal distribution with a clear patient effect: for each patient with a high amount of collagen-III, the amount of collagen-I ɑ-2 was also high, regardless of layer and region, suggesting that collagen deposition could be different in different patients, possibly on account of the different stage/progression of the disease, as well as differences in genetics. These findings suggest a specific collagen signature associated with aortic pathophysiology in BAV patients. Further studies should clarify whether the patient-specific differences observed are associated with disease development and if lack of collagen renewal plays a role in aneurysm progression.Item Open Access Islamophobia in Canadian Nursing: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study(2025-01-08) Upal, Zahra; Jackson, Jennifer; Rankin, Janet; Ginn, CarlaMuslim Nurses in Canada are experiencing Islamophobia in the workplace as well as in educational institutions. These experiences result in increased mental distress for these nurses, social isolation at the workplace, and considerations of leaving the nursing profession. This thesis explores the experiences of Islamophobia for Registered Nurses who wear the hijab at work in Canada. This study is grounded in Critical Race Theory and aims to answer the following research question: What are the experiences of Islamophobia for female Canadian Registered Nurses who wear the hijab? A total of six participants were interviewed, and the results were analyzed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis method. Muslim nurses’ experiences were characterized by their sense of belonging. Key findings consist of the experiences of Islamophobia being related to the negative stereotypical identity of what it means to be a Muslim woman being associated with these nurses, how they discover their own identity as nurses and finally, how they reconcile their personal and social identities as Muslim women with their identity as Registered Nurses. This study adds to the literature on this topic by uncovering the internal process of self-discovery that Muslim nurses go through after experiencing Islamophobia through being assigned an identity. This process helps them to discover their own identities as well as reconcile what it means to them to be Muslim nurses, thus allowing them to be able to practice comfortably at the workplace. Recommendations of this study are that policy changes should be enacted which protect Muslim nurses and work to reduce the normalization of Islamophobia and the prejudiced beliefs about Muslims in the nursing profession to prevent incidents of Islamophobia. Secondly, more education needs be provided to nursing students as well as staff regarding anti-racism and Islamophobia to encourage the creation of supportive nursing places. Finally, more support needs to be provided to Muslim nurses who are experiencing Islamophobia at the workplace.Item Open Access Optimizing Cloud Virtual Reality Networks with Transfer Learning for Frame-size Prediction and Lossy Latent Transmission(2025-01-31) Vaidya, Sampreet; Abou-Zeid, Hatem; Krishnamurthy, Diwakar; Kim, Kangsoo; De Carli, LorenzoDespite the growing popularity of Virtual Reality (VR), its adoption remains limited due to bulky hardware and low mobility. Cloud-based VR (cloud VR) offers a promising solution but faces two major challenges: efficient network resource management and high-resolution content compression. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for cloud VR to prevent subpar Quality of Experience (QoE). Predicting network application traffic characteristics in advance offers a potential solution for the first challenge as it enables proactive resource allocation. To this end, we investigated the use of machine learning (ML) models to predict network traffic frame size data, collected from a real-world cloud VR gaming testbed. Furthermore, this thesis explored effectiveness of transfer learning (TL) in predicting frame size traffic patterns across different games and network conditions under online learning settings. The proposed TL approach reduces overall traffic prediction error by up to 54%. For the second challenge, effective compression techniques are crucial for high-resolution VR transmission. This thesis proposed a novel compression framework using Deep Neural Networks (VAE-GAN) for streaming 8K stereoscopic videos which demands significant bandwidth. By mapping latents as 3-channel RGB scenes compatible with standard encoders, the proposed method reduces bandwidth requirements by up to 45.1% across various 8K stereoscopic scenes while maintaining visual quality. Additionally, the impact of varying input frame patch sizes on client-side reconstructions and different transmission configurations for latent frames is evaluated, offering insights into optimizing high-resolution VR streaming systems. Overall, this work tackles network resource management and compression challenges in cloud VR systems, providing valuable insights for next-generation immersive VR experiences.Item Open Access Development of Eco-friendly and High-Strength Lime-Hemp Concrete (LHC)(2025-01-31) Mahmud, Chowdhury Kaiser; Kibria, Md Golam; Kantzas, Apostolos; Khoshnazar, RahilThere is a growing demand for eco-friendly alternatives to Portland cement (PC) in the construction industry, primarily driven by the global push to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Lime-hemp concrete (LHC), or hempcrete, presents a promising solution to replace traditional, carbon-intensive Portland cement (PC) based construction materials. However, its adoption has been constrained by its limited mechanical strength, with compressive strength ranging from approximately 0.4 to 3.2 MPa and flexural strength ranging from 0.06-1.2 MPa depending on dry density, as reported in several studies. Despite its impressive net carbon-negative potential (around -135 kg CO₂/m³) and other remarkable properties, this limitation has hindered its widespread appeal within the construction industry. This study focuses on developing LHC, with improved mechanical strength while maintaining its advantageous properties, including breathability, insulation, and hygrothermal performance. By incorporating Polyvinyl Acetate (PVAc) adhesive into the LHC system, we developed a mix with a weight ratio of 1:0.3:0.3:0.6 of lime, hemp stalk particles (SP), PVAc, and water. This resulted in a relatively high 28-day compressive strength of 9.9 ± 0.31 MPa and a flexural strength of 5.0 ± 0.25 MPa, demonstrating promising potential for further improvement to make it suitable for load-bearing applications in the future. The optimized LHC has a dry density of 841.61±5.22 kg/m³, dry thermal conductivity of 0.061±0.0006 W/mK, dry specific heat capacity of 1883.38 J/kgK, vapor permeability of 47.83 perm-inch, and a Moisture Buffer Value (MBV) of 1.50 g/m²%RH. Later, a composite wall block was designed based on this mix for further improvement of thermal and hygrothermal properties, which achieved a vapor permeability of 60.65 perm-inch, thermal conductivity of 0.050±0.00145 W/mK, and an MBV of 1.35 g/m²%RH. In the second phase of this project, calcined tailings from the Tailing Solvent Recovery Unit (CTSRU) were used as a lime replacement material (LRM), replacing 30 wt.% of the lime. This approach could reduce the carbon footprint, cost and environmental impact of the developed LHC further by replacing a significant portion of lime with waste calcined tailings. The substitution not only mitigated the environmental impact associated with the replaced lime production and tailings management but also preserved comparable mechanical performance, attaining a compressive strength of 9.3 ± 0.85 MPa at a dry density of 939.44 ± 11.20 kg/m³. This indicates that the material retained its mechanical performance despite the use of waste materials as LRM component. According to our study, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential thermogravimetric (DTG) analyses showed no significant pozzolanic activity in CTSRU, as no pozzolanic reaction products were observed in XRD or increased portlandite consumption by DTG analysis. Therefore, it is considered an LRM rather than a supplementary cementitious material (SCM), which requires notable pozzolanic or hydraulic activity. The comparable strength in the presence of 30 wt% CTSRU was attributed to pore refinement, evidenced by reduced porosity, a denser microstructure, a change in pore types, reduced microcracking, and enhanced interfacial adhesion between lime-hemp particles, as confirmed by X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDS) analyses. The composite wall block made from LHC core with CTSRU achieved a dry thermal conductivity of 0.052±0.000124 W/mK, vapor permeability of 44.38 perm-inch, and an MBV of 1.28 g/m²%RH. X-CT imaging revealed around 50% porosity in the composite, while SEM-EDS analysis confirmed a denser microstructure with CTSRU. This research highlights the potential of LHC as a high-strength material with improved mechanical and hygrothermal performance, offering an eco-friendly alternative for Portland cement-based wall blocks in the future, especially as load-bearing wall applications.Item Open Access Truth and Reconciliation in Comparative Perspective: Transitional Justice in the Settler Colonial Contexts of Canada and Perú(2025-01-21) Andersen, Danielle Marie; Rice, Roberta; Rice, Roberta; Policzer, Pablo; Hiebert, Maureen S.This thesis aims to address and understand the major themes of Reconciliation in Canada and Peru, focusing on their respective Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRCs). Transitional Justice is utilized as a framework to give understanding of what Reconciliation is and the tools typically used to achieve it and examines the unique historical, social, and political contexts of both countries. Ultimately this thesis identifies the political isolation and lack of Government support for Indigenous institutions as major challenges toward reconciliation in each case. In order to understand the groundwork leading to this political isolation the thesis delves into the historical legacies of colonialism and systemic violence, such as Canada's residential school system and Peru's internal conflict involving Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), both of which specifically impacted Indigenous populations. The findings reveal that both nations face significant barriers to reconciliation, in regard to weak Government support for Indigenous institutions and shows evidence that the weak formal institutions in Peru has resulted in Indigenous institutions not being supported due to their substitutionary role. Whereas the strong formal institutions in Canada have resulted in Indigenous institutions not being supported due to their competitive role. The study creates a conversation surrounding institutional design and differing paths towards reconciliation providing evidence that the strong formal institutions of the Canadian state as resulted in a top-down pathway to Reconciliation. Whereas the weak formal institutions of Peru have resulted in a bottom-up pathway. Based on these findings the thesis concludes by advocating for a hybrid model that combines top-down and bottom-up reconciliation efforts to address these deep-rooted issues.Item Open Access Engineering Design Automation via Imitation Learning and Reinforcement Learning(2025-01-31) Bozorgmehry Boozarjomehry, Ghazal; Thekinen, Joseph; Bisheban, Mahdis; Yanushkevich, SvetlanaReinforcement Learning (RL) has achieved notable success in robotics and gaming, yet its application to automating engineering design faces significant challenges, including slow training times and poor generalization. Traditional RL methods require exploring millions of design states, which is computationally expensive, especially when dealing with complex physics models. In contrast, behavioral cloning, which enables RL agents to mimic human designers based on their decision data, presents a more resource-efficient alternative. This thesis investigates the use of both RL and imitation learning to automate engineering design, using aircraft design as a surrogate task to model engineering design. We evaluate the performance of a behavioral cloning agent trained on human design decision data, employing recurrent neural networks such as GRU, LSTM, and simple-RNN. We define a metric Q-score, which quantifies design quality on a scale between 0 and 1, with higher values indicating better design quality. Our findings demonstrate that the GRU architecture outperforms both LSTM and simple-RNN in terms of accuracy, achieving a Q-score of 0.8 after training on a relatively small dataset. The GRU model strikes an optimal balance between accuracy, simplicity, and computational efficiency, making it particularly suitable for surrogate design tasks like aircraft design optimization. Additionally, we assess the performance of RL agents, specifically Proximal Policy Optimization and Advantage Actor-Critic ,in the same design task. Both RL approaches achieved higher Q-scores (up to 0.99) but incurred significant computational costs and required extensive training time. In contrast, behavioral cloning provided a faster, more computationally efficient approach, though its performance was constrained by the availability of labeled human decision data. The results suggest that while RL methods excel in exploration and optimization, imitation learning offers a faster and more resource-efficient solution, albeit with reduced exploration and adaptability.Item Open Access Investigating the magnetic susceptibility contributions of hypoxia and myelin in the mouse brain using quantitative MRI(2025-01-31) Makarowski, Ty; Dunn, Jeff; Pike, Bruce; Camara-Lemarroy, CarlosMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by demyelination and neurodegeneration, with emerging evidence suggesting a critical role of brain hypoxia in its progression. While demyelination has been well-studied, the relationship between hypoxia and myelin loss, and how these processes contribute to disease progression, remains poorly understood. This study evaluates the efficacy of quantitative MRI metrics, specifically R2* and quantitative susceptibility mapping, in detecting and differentiating hypoxia and Cuprizone-induced demyelination in the mouse brain. Using a graded hypoxia model (10% vs. 30% oxygen) and Cuprizone treatment, we acquired R2* and QSM data across the mouse brain. An advanced MRI processing pipeline enabled precise detection of regional changes. R2* was highly sensitive to hypoxia, with significant increases observed throughout the brain that correlated with elevated deoxyhemoglobin levels, highlighting R2* as a promising marker for brain oxygenation. Magnetic susceptibility changes were primarily localized to venous structures, underscoring its spatial specificity to paramagnetic compounds. For Cuprizone-induced demyelination, R2* showed a notable decrease in the corpus callosum, suggesting a homogenization effect due to myelin loss, while QSM detected no significant changes, possibly due to a lack of iron accumulation typically seen in demyelinated lesions in human studies. Comparative analyses indicated that R2* responses were more pronounced in hypoxic than demyelinated states, supporting its sensitivity to magnetic inhomogeneities related to deoxyhemoglobin. These findings suggest that R2* and QSM offer complementary insights into hypoxic and demyelinating processes, with potential for enhancing non-invasive imaging in clinical conditions like multiple sclerosis.Item Open Access B cell-mediated cancer immunoregulation in the tumour-draining lymph nodes(2025-01-31) Oo, Darellynn Mae-Yuin; Liao, Shan; Jenne, Craig; Senger, DonnaImmune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has successfully treated some cancer patients over the past decade. Several approaches have been tried to improve the therapeutic efficacy, such as combining ICIs and optimising timing and drug delivery routes. One research direction aims to enhance the efficacy and minimise the toxicity of ICI therapies by targeting drug delivery to the tumour-draining lymph node (TDLN). This approach is based on the TDLN being the first lymph node to encounter metastatic tumour cells and various tumour-derived factors, where both anti-tumour and immunosuppressive T cells can be induced. Accumulating evidence has shown that immunosuppressive T cells are activated in the TDLN before migrating to the tumour to perform their functions. The mechanism by which immunosuppressive T cells are induced in the TDLN remains unclear. While tumour-associated dendritic cells have been shown to induce immunosuppressive T cells in the TDLN, much less is known about whether other cell types in the TDLN communicate with and induce these immunosuppressive T cells. This project aimed to understand whether B cells regulate immunosuppressive T cells in the TDLN and their impact on ICI therapies. Using the E0771 breast cancer model, we observed that B cells were activated in the TDLN. However, in B cell-deficient mice (µMT), B cells did not impact E0771 tumour growth but substantially reduced the outcome of TDLN-targeted anti-PD-1 therapy. Further studies showed that immunosuppressive T cells were not induced in the TDLN in the absence of B cells. When we adoptively transferred B cells to µMT mice or depleted B cells using anti-CD20, only a small number of B cells were retained in the TDLNs. Despite this, immunosuppressive T cells were expanded in the TDLN and tumours responded to the anti-PD-1 therapy. Thus, our results suggest that B cells support immunosuppressive T cell expansion and are essential for the efficacy of TDLN-targeted anti-PD-1 therapy. Next, we attempted to understand how B cells induce immunosuppressive T cells in the TDLN. Since interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a well-characterised regulatory B cell (BReg) function, we adoptively transferred IL-10-/- B cells to µMT mice. We found that this approach did not abrogate the immunosuppressive T cells in the TDLN, suggesting that the effect is not dependent on the expression of IL-10. Alternatively, we wanted to identify the subpopulation of B cells that may support immunosuppressive T cell expansion. After B cells are activated, they can rapidly become IgM+ plasma cells to secrete low-affinity antibodies. Then, they go through a germinal centre reaction to differentiate into IgG plasma cells to produce high-affinity antibodies. IgM+ plasma cells have been recently reported as having regulatory functions. A notable observation in µMT mice that received wild-type (WT) B cell transfers was the recovery of IgM+ plasma cells but not IgG1+ plasma cells in the TDLNs. IgM+ plasma cells have been reported to be potent immunoregulatory B cells. Since B cell-mediated lymphotoxin signalling is essential for plasma cell differentiation, we transferred lymphotoxin alpha-deficient (LTα-/-) B cells to µMT mice and found this transfer abrogated both IgM+ and IgG1+ plasma cells. Furthermore, WT, but not LTα-/- B cells transfer, restored the response to anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy in µMT mice. Together, our results indicate IgM+ plasma cells are a subset of BRegs that can induce immunosuppressive T cells and augment anti-PD-1 therapeutic responses in the TDLN. Further studies are warranted to fully characterise IgM+ plasma cells and understand their role in cancer immunoregulation in the TDLN. This will provide valuable insight as to whether IgM+ plasma cells can be a potential target to augment TDLN-targeted ICI therapy.Item Open Access Symmetry Protected Topological Order As A Requirement for Measurement-Based Quantum Gate Teleportation(2025-01-20) Liu, Zhuohao; Feder, David; Sanders, Barry; Barclay, Paul; Salahub, DennisAll known resource states for measurement-based quantum teleportation in correlation space possess symmetry protected topological order, but is this a sufficient or even necessary condition? This work considers two families of one-dimensional qubit states to answer this question in the negative. The first is a family of matrix-product states with bond dimension two that includes the cluster state as a special case, protected by a global non-onsite symmetry, which is unable to deterministically teleport gates and which is characterized by a finite correlation length and a degenerate entanglement spectrum in the thermodynamic limit. The second are states with bond dimension four that are a resource for deterministic universal teleportation of finite single-qubit gates, but which possess no symmetry.