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Social work in oncology
No full textThis 450-hour advanced practicum took place with the Supportive Care Program (SCP) at
the Northeast Cancer Centre (NECC) in Sudbury, ON. The social workers of the SCP provide
emotional and practical support to individuals with a cancer diagnosis and their families. My
learning focused on knowledge acquisition; improving direct practice skills; self-reflection; and
was inspired by the question: how can I support cancer patients on an individual level, as well as,
a systemic level? A generalist-eclectic approach was used during one-on-one counselling
sessions in order to address the complex and varying needs of the cancer patients seeking
services. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of these sessions occurred via telephone
or videoconference in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines and reduce the rate of
transmission. In addition, a literature review was conducted exploring the impacts of systematic
concerns within the Canadian healthcare system, as well as, the principles required to practice
cultural humility and person-centred care. Social workers have a crucial role within oncology
settings by supporting patients and encouraging the treatment of the patient as a whole in order to
improve overall quality of life. The development of assertiveness skills are necessary to
effectively advocate for patients, families, structural change, and the expertise of the social work
profession. Social workers must also have an understanding of the historical systemic concerns
present within our healthcare institutions informed by the core concepts of cultural humility.Master of Social Work Progra
Les impacts des ateliers sur le climat de travail et son incidence sur le bien-être des employés offerts aux professionnels, employés et étudiants du domaine de la santé et des services sociaux dans le nord de l'Ontario: présenté par une travailleuse social inscrite
No full textCet essai porte sur un stage spécialisé à la maîtrise en service social qui a principalement
été réalisé à Horizon Santé Nord (HSN) à Sudbury. Nous avons développé et animé des
ateliers sur le concept du climat de travail et son incidence sur le bien-être des
professionnels, des employés et des étudiants du domaine de la santé et des services
sociaux du nord de l’Ontario. Nous nous sommes ainsi spécialisés sur les étapes de la
veille documentaire et informationnelle (axe 1) et sur la préparation, l’animation et
l’évaluation d’ateliers éducationnels en service social (axe 2). Ce projet est innovant
puisqu’il réussit à démontrer le plein potentiel d’un travailleur social-animateur et agent
de veille documentaire et informationnelle au sein des organisations du secteur de la
santé et des services sociaux.Maîtrise en service social (MSS
Investigating the potential of the Novel Anti-Cancer compound CTR 20 in enhancing the sensitivity of MDA-MB-231 cells to NK-92 cell-based immunotherapy
No full textTriple negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15-20% of all breast cancers and is
currently limited to treatment with chemotherapy administered at the maximum tolerated dose
(MTD). However, due to the severe toxicity and the frequent development of chemoresistance,
chemotherapy has shown limited therapeutic benefit for TNBC. Various agents with
combinational strategies are under current investigation to better target TNBC and improve
clinical outcomes. Increasing evidence suggests that anti-cancer agents possess
immunomodulatory properties even at lower doses, rendering tumour cells susceptible to
immune detection and attack. Recent findings suggest that chemotherapy-induced stress can
upregulate natural killer (NK) cell-activating ligands on tumour cells, enhancing their
susceptibility to the attack by NK cells of the innate immune system. Therefore, this study
investigated the immunogenic potential of two anti-cancer agents in combination with the highly
cytotoxic NK-92 cell line: doxorubicin – a widely used anthracycline for breast cancer and CTR
20 – a novel, less-toxic chalcone-based compound synthesized by the Lee laboratory. The overall
aim of this study was to determine the therapeutic potential of low-dose chemotherapy in
enhancing the presentation of ligands for the NKG2D activating receptor of NK cells, to increase
MDA-MB-231 cell susceptibility to NK-92 cell-mediated tumour cell killing. Results
demonstrated that low-dose CTR 20 treatment was unsuccessful in rendering MDA-MB-231
cells susceptible to attack by NK-92 cells. Conversely, low-dose doxorubicin treatment
successfully upregulated NKG2DL presentation, rendering MDA-MB-231 cells susceptible to
NK-92 cytotoxicity without affecting NK-92 degranulation capacity. NK-92 cytotoxicity alone
was responsible for inducing a maximum area of tumour cell death of ≈11,000 µm2
/image, whereas the maximum area of tumour cell death following combination therapy with low-dose doxorubicin was ≈13,000 µm2/image, a synergistic increase of 2,000 µm2/image. The findings from this study demonstrate the potential of low-dose doxorubicin treatment to be used incombination with NK-92 cell-mediated immunotherapy to deliver an improved anti-tumour response against TNBC while achieving favourable levels of toxicity.Master of Science (MSc) in Biolog
La pensée critique en supervision pédagogique des stagiaires en éducation physique et sportive: nature, rôle et modalités de son développement selon des conseillers pédagogiques.
No full textCette étude qualitative descriptive à caractère exploratoire s’inscrit dans le contexte de la formation pratique des futurs enseignants d’EPS à l’ISEPS de Brazzaville en République du Congo. Elle poursuivait un double objectif : 1) identifier et décrire les conceptions de la nature et du rôle de la pensée critique (PC) des conseillers pédagogiques (CP) dans le contexte de la supervision pédagogique des étudiants-stagiaires en EPS, 2) identifier et décrire les conceptions des conseillers pédagogiques en regard aux modalités de développement de la PC des étudiants-stagiaires en EPS. Pour ce faire, huit (08) CP ont participé à l’étude via un entretien de groupe. L’analyse du corpus recueilli s’est faite à partir des catégories de conceptualisation de la PC selon Kpazaï et Attiklemé (2012). Les résultats obtenus révèlent que les conseillers pédagogiques conçoivent la PC à la fois comme un processus cognitif évaluatif et une attitude. Concernant son rôle, quatre fonctions lui sont attribuées en supervision pédagogique au niveau des étudiants-stagiaires : a) permet l’approfondissement des connaissances, b) favorise le développement des compétences professionnelles, c) catalyse l’autonomie intellectuelle et d) promeut la confiance en soi. Quant aux modalités de développement de la pensée critique des étudiants-stagiaires en supervision pédagogique, trois modalités ont été évoquées comme condition à mettre en place par les CP : 1) une attitude d’ouverture, 2) des stratégies de communication centrées sur les stagiaires et 3) la mise en place d’un climat humaniste lors des échanges post-enseignement.This exploratory qualitative descriptive study was conducted in the context of the practical training for the prospective SPE Teachers at the ISEPS in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. Its purpose was twofold: 1) Identify and describe Pedagogical Advisors (PAs)’s conceptions of the nature and role of Critical Thinking (CT) in the context of pedagogical supervision of SPE Trainees, 2) identify and describe Pas’ conceptions of the modalities for CT development in SPE Trainees. To do this, eight (08) PAs participated in the study via a focus group. The data analysis was done by using the conceptualization categories of CT according to Kpazaï and Attiklemé (2012). The results revealed that the PAs conceive CT as both an evaluative cognitive process and an attitude. Regarding its role, four functions are attributed to it in pedagogical supervision at SPE Trainees’ s level: a) allows for the deepening of knowledge, b) promotes the development of professional competencies, c) catalyzes intellectual autonomy, and d) promotes self-confidence. As for the modalities for developing CT among trainees in pedagogical supervision, three modalities were mentioned as conditions to be put in place by the PAs: 1) an attitude of openness, 2) communication strategies centered on the trainees, and 3) the establishment of a humanistic climate during post-teaching exchanges
Fermentation CO2 biosequestration by microalgae for the production of health beneficial natural compounds
No full textIn this work, three different microalgal strains were investigated for effective biosequestration of CO2
generated by beer (yeast) fermentation. They were a culture collection Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and
two bioprospected strains, Coccomyxa sp. (P-918) obtained from a polishing pond at an operational smelter
(pH 2.8) and Chlamydomonas sp. (M-23) obtained from a low pH abandoned mine site (pH 3). The three
strains were investigated for use in beer fermentation CO2 fixation and their production of both lipid and
protein. The pH of beer fermentation CO2-enriched Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cultures varied between
4.5 and 7.3 throughout the experiment. For the Chlamydomonas sp., pH varied between 4.6 and 7.1 and
for Coccomyxa sp. between 5.3 and 7.4. As expected, during higher fermentation activity (day 1 to 3 for
each beer kit), more CO2 was released to the microalgal cultures causing a drop in pH. When the rate of
fermentation slowed in day 4, there was an increase in pH.
For all three microalgal cultures which were grown only under atmospheric CO2 (controls), the pH
increased continuously along with microalgal growth over 16 days of experiment. Chlamydomonas
reinhardtii control culture pH was 6.7 at the start of the experiment and reached 8.7 at day 16. For the
Chlamydomonas sp. control culture, pH increased steadily from 6.6 to 8.4, and for Coccomyxa sp. from 7
to 8.6. Experimental results indicated that the bioprospected Coccomyxa sp. adapted well to the low pH created
by sparging in beer fermentation CO2. Its volumetric biomass productivity was 0.124 gdwL-1
day-1, which was higher than both Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (0.072 gdwL-1day-1) and bioprospected Chlamydomonassp. (0.086 gdwL-1day-1). The Coccomyxa sp. when exposed to fermentation CO2 reached a maximum specific growth rate of 0.167 day−1, which was 29% higher than achieved without sparging in fermentation CO2. Moreover, its carbon fixation rate increased from 122.1 to 227.9 mgCO2 L1day-1 with fermentation CO2.
However, lipid synthesis occurred more rapidly and efficiently in Chlamydomonas sp. and Chlamydomonas
reinhardtii rather than Coccomyxa sp., reaching 39% and 35% of biomass dry weight after 16 days of beer
fermentation CO2 exposure. Whereas the amount of lipid in Coccomyxa sp. was 26% of the biomass dry
weight at 16 days. This would indicate that the bioprospected Chlamydomonas sp. was a better candidate
for biofuel production as its dry weight lipid content increased from 20% to 39% when exposed fermentation CO2. While the lipid content of Chlamydomonas sp. culture that grew under atmospheric CO2
reached 24% of biomass dry weight at the end of experiment (day 16) from its initial 20%. It was found
that protein content with fermentation CO2 was 42.5% of Coccomyxa sp. biomass dry weight. Protein
content of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlamydomonas sp. dry weight were 30.7% and 27.4%,
respectively.Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc) in Engineering Scienc
Exploring the retention factors that contribute to the satisfaction and well-being of foster parents in an Indigenous child and family well-being agency in Northeastern Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThis study aims to better understand foster parent satisfaction and well-being by
exploring factors contributing to foster parent retention in an Indigenous Children’s Aid Society
in Northeastern Ontario. The research methodology used for the study includes a web-based
survey, individual interviews, and traditional talking circles. Utilizing Hanlon et al.’s (2021) five
major findings that contribute to foster parent retention, the study examines these findings
through the Indigenous medicine wheel quadrants defined as Personal Attributes [and skills] in
the East (the starting place), Relationship to Child Welfare System in the South (where
relationships reside), Material Resources [financial support and access to services aka ‘practical
needs’] in the West (representing knowledge and respect), and Training and Peer Support in the
North (a place of spirituality and healing), with the centre of the wheel being Indigenous foster
parent satisfaction and well-being. Notably, the study occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic,
which increased parental stress and added a layer of complexity to an already complex role of
fostering. Foster parents identified physical and cultural isolation as predominant themes during
the COVID-19 pandemic.Master of Social Wor
Outcome-based judgement categorization of the Supreme Court of Canada
No full textOutcome-based judgement categorization of the Supreme Court of Canada
(SCC) focuses on the multidisciplinary field of computational law. Regarding
court hierarchy, the SCC is the highest court in Canada. Decisions from this
court generally bind any lower court. Since court decisions are in a textual
format, it is possible to correctly categorize outcomes of the SCC utilizing
Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. The experiment contained
shows algorithmic categorization performance F1 greater than 60. This result
is significant given the binary nature of case outcomes (allow, dismiss) that an
individual unfamiliar with the law should be able to guess 50% of the time
correctly. This work is a preliminary study of future work to indicate the
possibility of outcome forecasting in the judicial branch of the government.Master of Science (MSc) in Computational Science
2SLGBTQ+ community health needs: an advanced practicum report
No full textThis Advanced Practicum Report outlines activities, learning goals, and experiences of an
advanced practicum placement working with the Public Health Sudbury & Districts (PHSD),
part of the Ontario provincial chain of health agencies that oversees public health. This paper
summarizes the unique experience of a Master of Social Work Student Working as a Queer
research assistant, conducting data analysis and policy development for 2SLGBTQ+ population
community health within a public health agency.
Roles of the student while working for PHSD included: analysis of secondary data from a
study of 2SLGBTQ+ community health conducted the previous fall, scanning of existing policies
of PHSD for any that pertain to this population, suggesting policy and programing to promote the
safety of 2SLGBTQ+ people, writing briefing notes and researching training programs and
creating presentations to promote new policy development and programing.
This experience highlighted community and individual health disparities for 2SLGBTQ+
people. The lack of useful policies and programs within the PHSD indicated a clear need for
better public health approaches for health service agencies in Northern and rural geographic
locations like Sudbury and Districts.
The outcome of this placement was a clearer knowledge of the needs of queer
populations in rural and Northern Ontario, a stronger insight into the relationship between social
justice and health equity in public health programing and policy, and a better vision of Social
Workers’ roles in promoting health equity and social justice in the development of public health
policy.Master of Social Work (MSW
Fine-tuning a general transformer model on story-lines of IMDB movies database
No full textRecent transformer-based language models pre-trained on huge text corpora have shown great
success in performing downstream Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks such as text
summarization when fine-tuned on smaller labeled datasets. However, the impact of fine-tuning
on improving the performance of pre-trained language models in summarizing movie storylines
have not been explored. Moreover, there is a lack of extensive labelled datasets containing movies
storylines to allow pre-trained language models delving deeper in this realm. In this research work
we propose a novel labelled dataset containing IMDB movie storylines alongside their summaries
for teaching pre-trained language models how to perform text summarization on movie storylines.
Furthermore, we showcase the potential of this dataset by fine-tuning a T5-base model with the
use of this dataset. Our results show that fine-tuning a T5-base model on this dataset can
significantly improve the performance in summarizing movie storylinesMaster of Science (M.Sc.) in Computational Science
Darning the community fabric: an architectural language of healing and repair
No full textThis thesis investigates a language of development in rural Ontario communities
using a process of architectural darning. Through the analysis of metaphor as a human
process, landscape is understood through a method of weaving and understanding the
embodiment of place through process. Colonial understandings of land and cadastral
mapping practices reduce place to a unit of economic power, severing the connection
between it and the person. This thesis argues that place is the process of living
memory and the creation of agency through shared experience. Applying the darning
process to the region Grey County, Ontario, tears in the fabric can be observed as a
consequence of colonial extraction and a landscape of violence applied to Indigenous
peoples. Manifesting place in learning begins the journey to reconciliation, utilizing
the approaches in two-eyed seeing and the agency in continuous local learning. The
journey of the healing process takes place within the people who engage in site and
add to the body of knowledge.Master of Architecture (M.Arch