39339 research outputs found
Sort by
Devenir infirmière psychiatrique : Récit ethnographique d’une infirmière novice
No full textCette étude porte sur l'expérience du processus de transition entre les études et le milieu de travail de la relève infirmière en soin psychiatrique. L’étude a été menée en ayant recours à une approche ethnographique narrative et de recherche-création. Elle s’appuie sur le cadre narratologique de Bal (2017) et se fonde sur l’observation d’une unité psychiatrique hospitalière pendant 18 mois, soit d’octobre 2022 à février 2024. L'analyse a révélé deux thèmes principaux : 1) Le « formatage » perçue de la relève infirmière en psychiatrie et 2) La perspective de la relève infirmière particulièrement quant au recours à la contention mécanique dans le milieu psychiatrique. Nos résultats illustre le processus du passage de la formation infirmière vers la pratique sur le terrain tel qu’il est vécu par la relève infirmière. Cette expérience est segmentée en trois périodes : mimétisme, consolidation des acquis et intégrative. Chacune de ces périodes est caractérisée par des expériences émotionnelles distinctes et le cheminement professionnel de la personne novice. Notre étude a recours à la contention mécanique afin d’illustrer la progression de la relève infirmière à travers ces phases. Dans une démarche de recherche-création, nous avons utilisé les résultats issus de notre recherche afin de crée un scénario de court-métrage, intitulé « Division ». Ce scénario présente le soin infirmier psychiatrique du point de vue d’une infirmière novice. Cette démarche méthodologique contribue à la littérature sur la transition qui a lieu lorsqu’un.e infirmier.ère novice achève sa formation académique et entame sa pratique infirmière en psychiatrie. Elle offre également des pistes concrètes pour améliorer l’expérience de transition des infirmières et infirmiers en devenir
Microscopic Assessment of Corrosion-Induced Cracking in Reinforced Concrete Using the Damage Rating Index
No full textCorrosion of embedded reinforcement remains one of the most critical deterioration mechanisms compromising the longevity and serviceability of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The Damage Rating Index (DRI), a microscopic technique that has been employed for assessing concrete damage induced by internal swelling reactions, has not yet been applied to the assessment of reinforcement corrosion-induced damage. This study investigates the applicability and sensitivity of the DRI protocol in evaluating corrosion-induced cracking in the RC. A series of cylindrical RC specimens with two water-to-cement ratios (0.4 and 0.54) and a range of concrete cover-to-rebar diameter ratios were subjected to accelerated corrosion to achieve a target reinforcing steel mass loss of 5% embedded.
Microscopic examination and DRI quantification were conducted on polished sections of concrete, focusing on two key deterioration features: cracks in the cement paste (CCP) and cracks with reaction products in the cement paste (CCP-RP). The findings demonstrate that the DRI effectively captures variations in damage pattern and severity as a function of mixture design and cover depth. An extended DRI approach, incorporating normalized crack densities and area-based analyses, further substantiated the sensitivity of the method. A corrosion damage classification model was proposed, integrating DRI counts, normalized crack areas, and visual observations to define five progressive levels of deterioration. The results establish the DRI as a viable diagnostic tool for quantifying microstructural damage due to reinforcement corrosion, marking the first demonstration of its application beyond internal swelling reactions and underscoring its potential as a broader framework for structural durability assessment
Numerical Investigation of Flow Dynamics Over a Multi-Element Airfoil in Ground Proximity
No full textLow Reynolds number (O(10⁴)) flows play a crucial role in aviation, particularly for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), micro air vehicles (MAVs), and low-altitude flights, where aerodynamic efficiency and stability are critical. When operating near the ground, these flows become more complex due to changes in pressure distribution and wake interactions. Understanding these effects on multi-element airfoils is essential for optimizing performance during takeoff, landing, and low-altitude flight. In this study, we employ Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) with a high-order spectral element method code, Nek5000, to investigate the flow dynamics around a 30P30N multi-element airfoil in ground proximity, at a low Reynolds number of 1.27 x 10⁴ and an angle of attack (AoA) of 4°. Two-dimensional (2D) simulations are conducted for the varying ground clearance ratios, height from the ground (h) non-dimensionalized by stowed chord length (c), h/c =1, 0.8 and 0.6. The results are compared to previous work, which studied the same airfoil under free-stream conditions, to assess how ground proximity modifies the flow characteristics. The simulation reveals that the shear layer separates near the leading edge of the main element, forming a wave-like roll-up before periodically reattaching after mid-span. As the reattached flow moves further downstream toward the flap, we observe a periodic slot jet flow between the trailing edge of the main element and the flap. The separation bubble in the slat cove region is significantly smaller in ground proximity than in the free-stream case from earlier work, indicating that ground effect modifies the slat wake evolution, potentially altering transition mechanisms and downstream flow structures. Aerodynamic performance metrics, including lift, drag, and pressure and skin-friction coefficients, are analyzed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the airfoil's aerodynamic behaviour. The presence of ground effect results in increased lift and a substantial reduction in drag. Consequently, the lift-to-drag ratio ( C_L/C_D) by 28% to 68% relative to previous free-stream studies, corresponding to more than a 1.7-fold enhancement in aerodynamic efficiency
National implementation of guided self-help family-based treatment for youth with eating disorders: a study protocol
No full textAbstract Background Guided self-help family-based treatment (GSH-FBT) is emerging as a promising, more efficient alternative to traditional family-based treatment (FBT). The present study is designed to examine the real-world implementation of GSH-FBT at pediatric treatment sites across nine provinces in Canada. Methods Implementation teams at each site consisting of a GSH-FBT coach, a medical provider, and a program administrator will be formed. Clinician coaches will be trained in this new modality and supported with weekly GSH-FBT consultation. Each site will recruit ten families with an adolescent with anorexia nervosa and the parents will undergo ten virtual GSH-FBT sessions. The implementation approach will be evaluated using qualitative and quantitative methods. Outcomes of interest include (1) treatment fidelity, (2) treatment wait times, (3) change in adolescent symptoms and parent/caregiver self-efficacy, (4) change in provider readiness, attitudes, and confidence towards the intervention, and (5) the overall experience of the implementation of the intervention from the perspective of the provider teams, and participant families. Discussion The findings of this study will help to identify factors important to the acceptability and implementation of GSH-FBT in real-world clinical settings. Trial registration This study was first registered with clinicaltrials.gov (registration # NCT06851273) on February 12, 2025 (url: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06851273?id=NCT06851273&rank=1 )
The Invisibility of Violence: A Necropolitical Analysis of the National Inquiry's Final Report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG)
No full textThe National Inquiry's Final Report (2019) into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls represents one of the first comprehensive national studies that examines the acts of state-based genocide against Indigenous women and girls. The goal of this thesis is to investigate the findings of the National Inquiry to present a necropolitical insight into the heightened experiences of violence and death that affect Indigenous women and girls. Using a theoretical lens of necropolitics, as developed by Mbembe, and other scholars, this thesis provides an analysis of the National Inquiry's Final Report to see how the state is involved in the politics of death in the lives of Indigenous women and complicit in the violence against them. Where the National Inquiry made the state, practitioners, and the public responsible for addressing the murders and disappearances, this thesis highlights the limitations in this recommendation because, from a theoretical lens of necropolitics, violence, and death are inherent activities of the state. This thesis leads the path forward to welcome future research that envisions the need for community options outside of state-based operations in connecting and building community capacity
Exploring the Performance of Structured Light Modes and Novel Protocols for Quantum Key Distribution
No full textThis thesis includes two main projects that explore the use of structured light, especially photonic orbital angular momentum (OAM), in quantum key distribution protocols. Particular attention has been paid to how different modes behave in turbulent channels and how adaptive optics systems can mitigate the distortions induced in the beam. Based on the results of these experiments, we propose a new protocol designed to combine the qualities that make a light mode ideal for turbulent channels and adaptive optics systems. The security analyses and performance evaluations of this new protocol are discussed.
In the first chapter, a brief overview of the field is provided. Following that, the second chapter aims to explore the necessary background for understanding the two projects in more detail. We discuss the different degrees of freedom of light and how they can be utilised to help achieve our goals. In the third chapter, the mathematical background relevant to the first project is covered. This includes the modes investigated in the turbulent channel and AO system. In the fourth chapter, an overview of the theory of security in quantum key distribution is presented, followed by an article on a new protocol for QKD. Finally, the conclusions and outlooks are outlined in the last chapter
Next-Generation Multi-Junction Photovoltaic Design Paradigms and Adaptive Optics Techniques for Telecommunications Applications and the Global Energy Transition
No full textMulti-junction photovoltaic devices offer the best performance in both solar and laser-based photovoltaic applications but have greater complexity and higher cost than their single-junction counterparts. In this thesis I demonstrate several pathways to improve the applicability and competitiveness of multi-junction photovoltaic devices. First, I investigate multi-junction solar cells and their application to the global energy transition and niche high performance domains. I start by studying silicon-germanium-tin as a potential material to extend the indium gallium phosphide/indium gallium arsenide/germanium lattice-matched multi-junction solar cell material system. That project aims to leverage the maturity of the three-junction design while boosting device efficiency by improving current-matching through introduction of the silicon-germanium-tin subcell. Next, I examine subcell segmentation, a nascent multi-junction solar cell design paradigm. I elucidate how subcell segmentation eases the simultaneous lattice and current matching requirements for multi-junction solar cells, greatly increases the number of bandgap combinations which can achieve high performance, reduces junction growth constraints, and unlocks the potential for operation at the most extreme solar concentration factors. I then shift focus to multi-junction photonic power converters and laser-based applications. I introduce machine learning enhanced design of ten-junction photonic power converters operating at a telecommunications wavelength of 1550 nm. I show that the novel machine learning enhanced approach greatly increases the number and variety of optimal designs, reduces computational expense, and simultaneously offers a new pathway to discover and understand fundamental physics in the design space. Finally, I detail development of a cost-effective, infrared-capable adaptive optics technique. I demonstrate how a single-pixel camera with compressive sensing could be used as input to adaptive optics to overcome fast signal fading in free-space telecommunications and power-by-light systems
Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Delivery of Survival Motor Neuron Protein: A Potential Therapeutic Strategy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
No full textSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neuromuscular disorder caused by homozygous mutation or deletion of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene, leading to a low quantity of SMN protein in cells. This depletion of SMN protein preferentially leads to death of motor neurons and, consequently, muscle atrophy, in addition to defects in many other peripheral tissues. Although several disease-modifying therapies for SMA exist, there is no cure, and new therapies need to be developed. SMN protein is naturally loaded into extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are sub-micron-sized, membrane-bound particles released from all cell types and found in all bodily fluids. The innate ability of EVs to deliver cargo to recipient cells has caused these vesicles to gain interest as therapeutic delivery vehicles. In this thesis, I explore EVs as a delivery vehicle of SMN protein. The work presented herein demonstrates that adenovirus-mediated overexpression of SMN protein in HepG2 cells leads to the release of EVs loaded with high levels of SMN protein into conditioned medium. Application of this medium to recipient cells in tissue culture led to uptake of the SMN protein, which subsequently transited to the nucleus and co-localized with Gemin2 protein, forming nuclear gem-like structures similar to the native SMN protein. This work demonstrates that SMN protein can be delivered to cells through EVs, however SMN protein-loaded EVs would likely need to be administered on a daily basis to maintain a therapeutic threshold of SMN protein. Thus, I built upon this work by utilizing a gene therapy approach to engineer the liver of mice to release extracellular vesicles enriched with SMN protein, facilitating systemic distribution of the protein throughout the animal. The findings contained within this thesis demonstrate a viable approach to achieve body-wide distribution of SMN protein, which could be utilized as a potential therapeutic strategy to treat SMA. This approach could be used to deliver numerous therapeutic cargoes, holding promise as a potential therapy for patients presenting with diverse diseases
Injectable Peptide-Based Biomaterials for Cell Delivery
No full textKeratoconus is a progressive degenerative corneal disease characterized by stromal thinning and ectasia, often leading to significant visual impairment. Injectable biomaterials offer a promising minimally invasive alternative to corneal transplantation by reinforcing stromal structure and delivering therapeutic agents directly to the site of damage. This thesis focuses on the development, optimization, and characterization of collagen-like peptide (CLP)-based hydrogel microspheres as a platform for cell encapsulation and delivery in Keratoconus treatment. Building on previous work that demonstrated the efficacy of CLPs in forming on-the-spot hydrogels for tissue repair, this study adapts the formulation to a microfluidic platform for generating monodisperse microspheres suitable for cell delivery.
A library of CLP sequences was screened with some sequences optimized to fit the current applications. C30 collagen-like peptide emerged as the optimal candidate due to its biocompatibility, gelation properties, and consistent microsphere formation. Microfluidic encapsulation parameters were optimized to ensure uniform sphere morphology and high cell viability. Live/dead assays demonstrated sustained viability of encapsulated GFP+ fibroblast cells over 72 hours, with C30 microspheres outperforming agarose controls in long-term cell survival. Scanning electron microscopy and pore size distribution analysis confirmed a porous architecture suitable for nutrient and waste exchange. Additional physicochemical characterizations, including circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry, rheology, and infrared spectroscopy, validated the structural stability and peptide nature of the materials.
Together, these findings highlight the potential of CLP-based microspheres as a novel injectable platform for targeted and biocompatible therapeutic delivery to the cornea, supporting future development of minimally invasive regenerative treatments for Keratoconus
The evolving epidemiology of Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales in Canadian acute care facilities, 2010–2023
No full textAbstract Background Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality with limited treatment options and have an ability to spread rapidly in healthcare settings. We analyzed surveillance data from the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program to describe trends and the epidemiology of CPE from 2010 to 2023. Methods Participating acute-care hospitals submitted eligible isolates to the National Microbiology Laboratory for detection of carbapenemase genes. Trained infection control professionals applied standardized definitions to collect epidemiological data by chart review from 30–97 hospitals from 2010 to 2023. Results The national incidence of CPE infection (0.03 to 0.14 per 10,000 patient days; R2 = 0.76) and colonization (0.02 to 0.78 per 10,000 patient days; R2 = 0.83) increased exponentially from 2010 to 2023. We identified rapidly rising rates of healthcare-associated (HA) CPE infections from 2019 to 2023 (0.05 to 0.09 per 10,000 patient-days, p = 0.04), attributed to select hospitals (7/97) which accounted for half (53%) of all HA-CPE infections in 2023. Similarly, we identified that 2023 HA-CPE colonization rates were highest in medium (201–499 beds) and large (≥500 beds) hospitals in the Central region. Most patients did not report international travel (66%) nor receipt of medical care abroad (74%). Travel and receipt of medical care were less commonly reported among blaKPC associated cases (7.1% and 5.3% respectively) compared to blaNDM (55% and 45% respectively) and blaOXA-48 (57% and 39%) associated cases. Furthermore, blaKPC was the predominant carbapenemase among all HA-CPE isolates (62%, 950/1,534). Conclusions Surveillance data from a national network of Canadian acute care hospitals indicates that while the incidence of CPE in Canada remains low, it is accelerating at an exponential rate. Our findings suggest that nosocomial transmission is driving the recent increase in CPE incidence in Canada. Improved infection control measures and antimicrobial stewardship as well as access to newer antimicrobials are all urgently needed