Properties And Applications Of Sensory Outcome Measures In Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Derek Km Cheung

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis aimed to determine the psychometric properties and applications of sensory threshold tools and outcome measures in patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). The first chapter is a psychometric study that defines clinically important difference (CID), construct validity and responsiveness of touch and vibration threshold tools and in the Symptoms Severity Scale (SSS). The study found the CID for the PSSD and for the SSS was 0.15g/mm² and 0.50 respectively. The study also found that the Vibrometer was more representative of hand function and responsive compared PSSD. The second objective of this thesis was to determine the feasibility …

Impact Of Bioparticle Recirculation In A Circulating Fluidized Bed Biofilm Reactor On Simultaneous Organic And Nitrogen Removal, Ming Li

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Circulating Fluidized Bed Biofilm Reactor (CFBBR), a bioparticle technology designed for biological nutrient removal, has been implemented to achieve considerable biodegradation efficiency and low sludge production, compared with activated sludge system and typical biofilm technology. The inherent advantages of bioparticle technology are enhanced substantially by the CFBBR, for example, decoupling of hydraulic retention time (HRT) from solids retention time (SRT), large specific surface area, ideal conditions for biofilm ecosystem.

In this work, bioparticle recirculation, as a novel control method for bioparticle system, was demonstrated in CFBBRs. To verify the impact of bioparticle recirculation on the reactor performance, bio-kinetics and …

Development Of A Compact Piezoworm Actuator For Mr Guided Medical Procedures, Khaled El Bannan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this research, a novel piezoelectric actuator was developed to operate safely inside the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. The actuator based on novel design that generates linear and rotary motion simultaneously for higher needle insertion accuracy. One of the research main objectives is to aid in the selection of suitable materials for actuators used in this challenging environment. Usually only nonmagnetic materials are used in this extremely high magnetic environment. These materials are classified as MRI compatible materials and are selected to avoid hazardous conditions and image quality degradation. But unfortunately many inert materials to the magnetic field do …

Production Of Bio-Coal And Activated Carbon From Biomass, Diana C. Cruz

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The slow pyrolysis of different biomasses (maple wood, birch bark, switch grass, coffee pulp and corn stalk) was studied with the aim to produce a solid pyrolysis product (bio-coal) with promising properties and potential for use in traditional fossil-coal applications. Batch pyrolysis experiments were conducted in a Mechanically Fluidized Reactor (MFR) at temperatures ranging from 143 to 665 ^oC, which includes the torrefaction temperature range (200-300 ^oC). The effects of temperature and holding time on bio-coal mass yields were determined. The bio-coals were characterized in detail and a highly-controlled study on bio-coal hygroscopicity is presented. Optimal conditions for …

Fractional Condensation Of Bio-Oil Vapors, Akhil Tumbalam Gooty

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The research project described in this thesis deals with an investigation on the fractional condensation of bio-oil vapors to improve the separation of some of the key components of the bio-oil and, consequently, improve the properties and the value of each of the separated product streams.

In the first part, the separation of a mixture of three model compounds of bio-oil from a vapor and carrier gas stream was investigated with the help of a series of three condensers maintained at different temperatures. The practical performance of the fractional condensation train was improved by comparing the experimental results with the …

Topographic Influences On Trends And Cycles In Nutrient Export From Forested Catchments On The Precambrian Shield, Samson G. Mengistu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation explored topographic controls on spatial and temporal patterns in water yield and nutrient (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus) export from forested headwater catchments in the Turkey Lakes Watershed in central Ontario, where other factors contributing to differences in water yield and nutrient export, including climate, geology, forest, and soils, are relatively constant. Topographic characteristics, including (a) hydrological flushing potential (expansion of water table into nitrate-N producing areas); (b) hydrological storage potential (area of wetlands, which can alternatively allow water and nutrients to bypass wetlands when storage capacity is filled with water or to trap them when not filled); and …

Experimental Investigation Of The Fluid Temperature Field And The Thermal Performance Of Insert Devices In A Flat-Plate Solar Collector, Gurveer Singh Sandhu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An experimental study on the thermal flow behavior inside a flat-plate collector and the impact of insert devices (passive heat transfer enhancement techniques) on the thermal performance of the collector is presented. Temperature fields were obtained for different Reynolds numbers (250-650) and at different inclination angles of the collector. The results show that a stratified flow is developed inside the collector and the warmer fluid restricts itself to the upper portion of the collector only. Various new configurations of the conventional insert devices were tested over a wide range of Reynolds number (200-8000). Comparison of these devices show that in …

Investigating The Therapeutic Potential Of Salivary Proteins For Oral Diseases, Dusa Vukosavljevic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

ABSTRACT

Saliva is responsible for the formation of the acquired enamel pellicle (AEP), a protein

integument formed as a result of selective adsorption of salivary proteins to the enamel

surface. The AEP demonstrates an important role for modulating dental erosion as a

result of its physical properties, along with its salivary and exogenous protein

composition (Chapter 2). In addition, individual proteins that comprise the AEP have

important physiological functions. Histatin 5 (H5) has potent antifungal effect against C.

albicans, the yeast responsible for the initiation of oral candidiasis. We designed an in

vitro model and found, for the first time, …

Preparation And Formulation Of Powder Coating For Application Of Enamelled Wire, Liuyin Xia

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Enamelled wire is a conductive wire coated with a very thin layer of insulation, widely used in the field that requires tight coils of wire. The traditional enamelled wire is produced by liquid paint, which consists of resins, solvents, pigments, and additives. Organic solvent takes a relatively high content, normally of 75% to 90% by weight. Many efforts have been made to decrease the percentage of solvent in the insulation paint. On the other hand, increasing the solids content of given enamel results in the viscosity rises significantly, making it harder to flow. Therefore, powder coating technology as an alternative …

Quantitative Evaluation Of Pulmonary Emphysema Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging And X-Ray Computed Tomography, Amir M. Owrangi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality affecting at least 600 million people worldwide. The most widely used clinical measurements of lung function such as spirometry and plethysmography are generally accepted for diagnosis and monitoring of the disease. However, these tests provide only global measures of lung function and they are insensitive to early disease changes. Imaging tools that are currently available have the potential to provide regional information about lung structure and function but at present are mainly used for qualitative assessment of disease and disease progression. In this thesis, we focused on …

Calcium Phosphate-Based Resorbable Biomaterials For Bone Regeneration, Daniel O. Costa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Bone defects are a prevalent problem in orthopedics and dentistry. Calcium phosphate-based coatings and nanocomposites offer unique solutions towards producing scaffolds with suitable physical, mechanical and biological properties for bone regeneration.

We developed a novel method to synthesize hydroxyapatite (HA) particles with high aspect ratio using sol-gel chemistry and hydrothermal treatment. We obtained tunable pure-phase carbonated-HA in the form of micro/nanorods and nanowires (diameters 25-800 nm). To mimic the structure of bone, HA nanowires were homogenously mixed within poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) to produce nanocomposites with improved mechanical properties as determined by uniaxial tensile testing.

Surface chemistry and topography of biomaterials play …

Subsynchronous Resonance In Wind Farms, Akshaya Kumar Moharana

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Large-scale integration of wind farms in transmission networks has led to several challenges; one of which is the need for increased transmission capacity to transport a bulk amount of wind power. Series compensation is an established means of enhancing the power transfer capability of existing transmission lines and is being increasingly considered for integrating large wind power plants. However, series compensated transmission lines may cause subsynchronous resonance (SSR) in turbine-generators, which can lead to electrical instability at subsynchronous frequencies and potential turbine-generator shaft failures.

This thesis deals primarily with the potential of subsynchronous resonance in induction generator based wind farms …

Monotonic And Cyclic Behaviour Of Steel Fibre-Reinforced And Frp-Steel Fibre-Reinforced Helical Pulldown Micropiles, Mahmoud Meckkey M. El Sharnouby

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Helical piles are a deep foundation system that can be used to support pipelines, telecommunication and transmission towers, and low- and medium-rise buildings. Advantages of helical piles include: short installation time with minimal noise and vibration levels; can be installed with ease in limited accessibility site; and onsite quality control by measurement of installation torque.

The main objective of the current research is to assess the performance of steel fibre-reinforced helical pulldown micropiles (RHPM), and fibre-reinforced polymer-steel fibre- reinforced pulldown micropiles (FRP-RHPM) under axial and lateral monotonic and cyclic loading conditions.

The research methodology involved conducting full scale field testing …

Comparison Between Three Types Of Cable Stayed Bridges Using Structural Optimization, Olfat Sarhang Zadeh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Cable stayed bridges have good stability, optimum use of structural materials, aesthetic, relatively low design and maintenance costs, and efficient structural characteristics. Therefore, this type of bridges are becoming more and more popular and are usually preferred for long span crossings compared to suspension bridges. A cable-stayed bridge consists of one or more towers with cables supporting the bridge deck. In terms of cable arrangements, the most common type of cable stayed bridges are fan, harp, and semi fan bridges. Because of their large size and nonlinear structural behaviour, the analysis of these types of bridges is more complicated than …

Nano Tio2/Graphene Composites For Photovoltaic And Photocatalytic Materials, Nasrin Farhangi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Graphene has been recognized as one of the most exciting carbon based materials of the present decade due to its unique electronic, mechanical and thermal properties. High surface area exfoliated graphene sheets with controllable surface functionality is an attractive two-dimensional surface for attaching different metals and semiconductors for improving the performance of catalysts, sensors, photoelectronic and energy conversion devices. Graphene is an ideal material which can be used for improving various metal oxide properties such as those of titania (TiO₂). TiO₂/graphene composites have shown excellent properties compared to bare TiO₂ in various applications. In high …

Hydrogel-Based Nanocomposites And Laser-Assisted Surface Modification For Biomedical Application, Pei Yin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Hydrogels can be used in contact lens, wound dressing, drug delivery and tissue scaffolds due to their good biocompatibility. However, the poor mechanical properties and non-specific protein adsorption of hydrogels limit their applications. The adverse effects of protein adsorption in hydrogels include biofouling, inflammation, or even body rejection. In this project, two different hydrogel materials, co-polymer 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate with a low amount of 2-aminoethyl methacrylate, p(HEMA-co-AEMA) and silicone hydrogel were fabricated by photo-polymerization; the former has hydrophilic surface and the latter is hydrophobic. The silica (SiO₂) nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels have been developed by using in situ polymerization. The dispersion …

Simultaneous Particle Agglomeration And Attrition In A High Temperature Fluidized Bed, Mithun Saha

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Fluid Coking^TM is a major refining process to upgrade heavy crude oil or bitumen from oil sands. In Fluid Coking^TM bitumen is atomized with steam and sprayed inside a high temperature fluidized bed of coke particles where it thermally cracks into smaller molecules. Fluid Coking^TM is a carbon rejection process as solid carbon residues are formed during fragmentation into lighter hydrocarbon vapors. New coke deposits over existing coke particles and, consequently, the particle size increases. In addition, particles agglomeration occurs when the injected liquid does not disperse uniformly on individual hot coke particles but reaches, instead, local …

Influence Of Oceanic Forcing On Fate Of Nutrients In A Near-Shore-Aquifer, Nawrin Anwar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A reactive groundwater transport model has been developed to investigate the fate of nutrients (ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate) in a near-shore coastal aquifer subject to oceanic forcing (tides and waves) and their subsequent discharge to coastal waters. The model is developed by combining the variable-density groundwater flow model SEAWAT-2005 with the reactive multi-component transport model PHT3D v2.10. The influence of tides and waves are typically neglected in prior studies that have examined the transport and transformation of nutrients in coastal aquifers. Oceanic forcing however can induce a highly dynamic surficial salt-freshwater mixing and reaction zone in a near-shore aquifer and …

Improvement Of Total Sulphur Measurement Techniques For Management Of Reactive Mine Tailings, Adnan Hossain Khan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A sample preparation method for total sulphur measurement in reactive mine tailings was developed by ultrasound assisted digestion (USAD) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) technique. KZK-1, asericite schist, was selected as the certified reference material (CRM) and Musselwhite gold mine tailings were used as tailings sample. Experimental factors (i.e. digestion time, temperature and acid-oxidant combination) were studied in two steps. In the first step, a two-level and three-factor (2³) full factorial design of experiment was applied and the total sulphur was measured by USAD and ICP-OES technique. The best result at 95% confidence level (P …

Metrics For Evaluating Surgical Microscope Usage During Myringotomy, Arefin M. Shamsil

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Abstract

Although teaching and learning surgical microscope manoeuvring is a fundamental step in middle ear surgical training, currently there is no objective method to teach or assess this skill. This thesis presents an experimental study designed to implement and test sets of metrics capable of numerically evaluating microscope manoeuvrability and qualitatively assessing surgical expertise of a subject during a middle ear surgery called myringotomy. The experiment involved performing a myringotomy on a fixed cadaveric ear. As participants, experienced ear-nose-throat (ENT) surgeons and ENT surgical residents were invited. While performing the procedure, their microscope manoeuvring motions were captured as translational and …

Quantification Of Bone And Cement Strains Surrounding A Distal Ulnar Implant With Varying Cement-Stem Interface Conditions, Sayward R. Fetterly

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Implant loosening following joint replacement surgery is a health-care concern. The role of implant-cement debonding on the propensity of loosening has received limited attention. This thesis examines changes in strains within the cement mantle and bone surrounding distal ulnar implants, as a function of cement-stem interface bonding.

A method to embed strain gauges within the cement mantle of the restrictive distal ulnar canal was developed. This technique was applied in 8 cadaveric distal ulnae, where strains were quantified at 2 internal and 5 external (i.e., bone surface) locations under torsion and bending loads with bonded and de-bonded cement-stem interfaces. …

Preoperative Planning Of Robotics-Assisted Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Under Uncertainty, Hamidreza Azimian

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis, a computational framework for patient-specific preoperative planning of Robotics-Assisted Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (RAMICS) is developed. It is expected that preoperative planning of RAMICS will improve the rate of success by considering robot kinematics, patient-specific thoracic anatomy, and procedure-specific intraoperative conditions. Given the significant anatomical features localized in the preoperative computed tomography images of a patient's thorax, port locations and robot orientations (with respect to the patient's body coordinate frame) are determined to optimize characteristics such as dexterity, reachability, tool approach angles and maneuverability. In this thesis, two approaches for preoperative planning of RAMICS are proposed that …

Disinfection Of Low Uv Transmittance Fluids: Fundamentals And Applications, Housyn Mahmoud

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Modern consumer demands for tasty, safe and healthier liquid foods and beverages. Chemical preservatives are usually added to foods to extend their shelf life and to protect against food borne pathogens. Application of ultraviolet (UV) light is gaining more attention as an alternative technology to disinfect fluids with low UV transmittance replacing classical chemical or thermal procedures due to growing negative public reaction over chemicals added. UV light irradiation has a positive consumer image as it is a physical non-thermal method efficient against microbial hazards, chemicals free cost effective and energy efficient methods and has been approved by regulatory agencies. …

Numerical Simulation Of Catalytic Ozone Decomposition Reaction In A Gas-Solids Circulating Fluidized Bed Riser, Lei Kong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of catalytic ozone decomposition reaction in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) riser using iron impregnated FCC particles as catalyst is carried out. The catalytic reaction is defined as a one-step reaction with an empirical coefficient. Eularian-Eularian method with kinetic theory of granular flow is used to solve the gas-solids two-phase flow in the CFB riser. The simulation results are compared with experimental data, with the reaction rate modified using an empirical coefficient to provide better simulation results than the original reaction rate. Moreover, the particle size has great effects on the reaction rate. Studies on …

Synthesis Of Silicide Nanomaterials Using Chemical Vapour Deposition Method, Hamid Norouzi Banis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Recent research has evidenced that nanotechnology may bring about a material revolution which sweeps through different scientific fields and leads to dramatic changes in the use of natural resources and our everyday life. Compared to their bulk counterparts, the nanomaterials may exhibit significantly improved physical properties by shrinking their size to nanometer scale. Metal silicide are distinguished by their features of combining advantages of both metals and semiconductors which promises superior performance various fields. Despite the progress in the synthesis methods of nanomaterials, it still remains a big challenge in controlled synthesis of 1D silicide nanostructures due to the difficulties …

Solar And Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis For Sacrificial Hydrogen Generation And Water Detoxification With Chemically Modified Ti02, Pankaj Chowdhury

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Photocatalysis is a recognized approach where light energy is employed to excite the semiconductor material producing electron/hole pair which eventually involves in the detoxification of pollutants and/or water splitting producing hydrogen. Existing photocatalysts suffer from poor activity or no activity in visible light irradiation which restricts them from solar light utilization. This work is focused on two key applications of photocatalysis (i) sacrificial hydrogen generation, and (ii) phenol degradation in visible and/or solar light. Platinum was loaded on TiO₂ photocatalyst by solar photo-deposition method. Eosin Y dye was used as a sensitizer for sensitization of platinum loaded TiO_{2 …}

Biomechanical Modeling For Lung Tumor Motion Prediction During Brachytherapy And Radiotherapy, Zahra Shirzadi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A novel technique is proposed to develop a biomechanical model for estimating lung’s tumor position as a function of respiration cycle time. Continuous tumor motion is a major challenge in lung cancer treatment techniques where the tumor needs to be targeted; e.g. in external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy. If not accounted for, this motion leads to areas of radiation over and/or under dosage for normal tissue and tumors. In this thesis, biomechanical models were developed for lung tumor motion predication in two distinct cases of lung brachytherapy and lung external beam radiotherapy. The lung and other relevant surrounding organs geometries, …

An Automated Lab-On-A-Cd System For Parallel Whole Blood Analyses, Tingjie Li

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Medical diagnostics plays a critical role in human healthcare. Blood analysis is one of the most common clinical diagnostic assays. Biomedical engineers have been developing portable and inexpensive diagnostic tools that enable fast and accurate tests for individuals who have limited resources in places that require such field applications. The emergence of Lab-on-a-CD technology provides a compact centrifugal platform for high throughput blood analysis in point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. The objective of this thesis work is to develop a Lab-on-a-CD system for parallel quantitative detection of blood contents.

Blood separation is a key step in blood analysis. By integrating out-of-plane microvalves …

Chiral Separation Of Racemic Mandelic Acid By The Coupling Crystallization Process And Simulated Moving Bed Technology, Shimin Mao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Chirality is a major concern in the modern pharmaceutical, food and agricultural industries. The importance of enantiopure drugs has risen dramatically in recent years due to FDA regulations requiring that all chiral bioactive molecules must be isolated and tested for the efficacy and safety, and have to be as pure as possible containing a single pure enantiomer. There are essentially three strategies that can be applied to obtain single pure isomers: (a) extraction from plants and animal materials (b) enantio-selective asymmetric synthesis so that only one isomer is formed in the first place, or (c) making a racemate and finding …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Graphene-Polymer Nanocomposites Via Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain-Transfer Polymerization, Renpeng Gu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Graphene has emerged as a subject of tremendous scientific interest due to its exceptional electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. When incorporated into a polymer matrix, graphene sheets can significantly improve the properties of the host polymer. However, the dispersion of pure graphene throughout a polymer matrix is not homogeneous, due to the strong van der Waals interactions between graphene sheets and the difference in surface compatabilities. To prevent agglomeration of these graphene sheets, surface functionalization is required. The goal of this thesis was to develop a facile approach for growing polymer chains from the surface of graphene sheets via reversible …