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Type d'Item : Item , Children and Youth's Experience with Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Undergoing CAR-T Cell Therapy: A Narrative Inquiry(Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2026-09-24) Audet-Rochon, Valérie; Chartrand, JulieBackground: Children and youth with relapsed or refractory B‑cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy have an uncertain trajectory. Aim: To explore the pivotal moments of their experience during chimeric antigen receptor T‑cell therapy. Methodological approach: A narrative inquiry methodology guided this study. Semi‑structured, age‑appropriate participatory interviews were conducted with three children and youth and two parents. Findings: Five pivotal moments were identified: (1) from "the toughest moment" to empowerment: time surrounding diagnosis of relapsed B‑ALL; (2) "one of the worst days we had in the hospital": being restrained during leukapheresis; (3) when relationships help counterbalance feeling "stuck in a room": hospitalizations; (4) "the most important part": leaving the hospital; and (5) being "more aware" of their experience when telling their story: after receiving CAR‑T cell therapy. Conclusion: Listening to children's and youths' voices provides experiential insights that may inform pediatric oncology nursing practice and research.Type d'Item : Item , What Happens After We Die? Millennials and Nonreligious Outlooks on Death and Afterlife(Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2026-09-24) Maza Aceves, Edmundo; Beaman, Lori G.The exponential growth of the nonreligious population in Canada presents new social, ethical, and institutional challenges that require scholarly attention. Despite this rapid growth, relatively little is known about this group and their perspectives on the afterlife. Far less is known about how these perspectives reflect broader ethical, moral and lifestances on death and dying. Among all demographic cohorts in Canada, millennials are the first generation for whom identifying as "nonreligious" constitutes a majority (36% identify as nonreligious). As they age and continue to consolidate their position as a leading demographic group within Canadian society, their beliefs, moral frameworks, and existential orientations will increasingly shape broader cultural, institutional, and policy landscapes. This thesis explores the intersection between the nonreligious millennial demographic, death and afterlife by asking: how do the nonreligious millennial population in Canada experience and make sense of death, dying, and the afterlife? The research draws on 35 interviews conducted with Canadian individuals who identify as nonreligious. Their ages ranged between 28 and 43 years. Participants' feelings and perspectives on death, dying, and afterlife are presented in four chapters, each describing distinct aspects of a reflexive thematic analysis. My analysis lays the groundwork for future research that can begin to address the emerging needs of a growing nonreligious population. What nonreligious individuals value can inform the provision of care and policy decisions surrounding illnesses and death. And beyond practical considerations, this study shows how examining emerging afterlife narratives can also help bridge the gap between immanent and transcendent ways of understanding life and finitude, as well as demonstrates that nonreligious populations maintain deep and structured moral stances. In sum, this thesis examines how nonreligious millennials experience and perceive the afterlife. In doing so, it sheds light on broader questions of morality, identity formation, and meaning-making outside religious frameworks.Type d'Item : Item , Groundwater Flow and Age Tracer Modeling in the Montérégie Est Bedrock Aquifer using MODFLOW, MODPATH, and MT3D-USGS(Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2026-09-24) Wang, Xuanqi; Warr, OliverGroundwater residence times and flow pathways are difficult to constrain in regional fractured bedrock aquifers because groundwater movement is controlled by heterogeneous fracture networks, variable recharge conditions, and mixing between local and regional flow systems. This study developed a numerical coupled groundwater flow, particle-tracking, and age-tracer transport model for the 9,218 km² Montérégie Est fractured bedrock aquifer system in southern Québec, Canada. The model was constructed using MODFLOW-NWT to simulate steady-state regional groundwater flow, and hydraulic head, MODPATH-7 to evaluate advective flow pathways, and MT3D-USGS to simulate the infiltration, transport and decay of tritium (³H) and radiocarbon (¹⁴C) from major recharge zones in the region. The model was developed and calibrated using hydrogeological and geochemical datasets from the 2010 PACES field campaign and was subsequently independently evaluated using groundwater samples collected during a 2025 field campaign. The 2025 sampling targeted wells located near model-derived regional flowpaths and included analyses of ³H, ¹⁴C, dissolved inorganic carbon, δ²H, δ¹⁸O, and major ions. Surface-water samples were also collected from the region's major watersheds to assess potential river influence. Simulated hydraulic heads reproduced the regional groundwater gradient well, with strong agreement between measured and modelled heads. The model also captured the main spatial patterns in groundwater age-tracer distributions. ³H simulations reproduced the overall measured–predicted relationship across the 2010 and 2025 datasets, although local deviations indicate unresolved variability in recharge, mixing, and flowpath geometry. ¹⁴C simulations showed strong agreement with measured values from 2025, supporting the model's ability to reproduce first-order regional residence-time patterns, while also highlighting the presence of water-rock interactions. Stable isotope results suggest broadly similar meteoric recharge sources between the 2010 and 2025 sampling periods, while temporal changes in ³H and ¹⁴C were site-specific, suggesting no overall temporal shift in recharge conditions. Decreases in ³H at several resampled wells are consistent with radioactive decay and reduced modern recharge signals, whereas anomalous increases in ¹⁴C at selected wells likely reflect localized surface-water influence or enhanced recent recharge. The results from the ground-truthed and validated model presented here support the main recharge-to-discharge structure previously proposed for Montérégie Est while highlighting remaining uncertainties associated with local recharge, brackish groundwater zones, and vertical borehole mixing.Type d'Item : Item , A Holistic Assessment of Trace Metal Mobility Near Abandoned Mine Sites in the Wheaton River Watershed, Yukon, Canada(Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2026-09-23) Rorabeck, Katelyn; St. Pierre, KyraThe Wheaton River Watershed, located in southern Yukon, feeds Bennett Lake and ultimately the Yukon River, and has been heavily impacted by recreation and mining activities dating back to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896). This watershed is within the Traditional Territory of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN), who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial, and hold concerns over impacts of point source contamination on broader ecosystem health. Despite the common understanding of ecosystem connectivity among locals, assessments of trace metal mobility across multiple environmental media are overlooked when approaching research using perspectives exclusively rooted in Western Science. Despite this knowledge, no assessment of trace metal mobility has been conducted in the watershed, leaving questions surrounding the extent of contaminant point source impacts on the catchment as a whole largely unanswered. Co-created with C/TFN staff and community members, this thesis took a holistic approach to assess the current distribution and potential for trace metal mobility on a watershed scale. Water, plant, scat and sediment samples collected at mine-impacted and downstream sites were analyzed for trace metals, focusing on those posing known risks to human and animal health (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Sb) to investigate the extent of metal mobility between media and throughout the catchment, supported by sequential extraction and stable isotope analyses. There were both region and metal-specific patterns of trace metal distribution and mobility, with most trace metals stored in sediments at mine-impacted sites. Metals in water samples followed similar trends to solid samples; however, lower concentrations, especially in the mainstem Wheaton River relative to mine-impacted samples, suggested either or both low mobility and dilution from other water sources as driving factors at this time. Flux analyses and yield calculations indicated that the cumulative Wheaton River trace metal exports into Bennett Lake were comparable or below western Arctic references. This thesis explores trends of multi-media metal mobility from mine-impacted sites on a watershed scale, informed by perspectives rooted in Western Science and Indigenous knowledge, highlighting the complex, connected, and dynamic nature of the watershed. Findings from this thesis will help inform land planning and stewardship initiatives led by C/TFN, remediation efforts, and guide future research in the region.Type d'Item : Item , Solving Undiagnosed Neuromuscular Disorders: Uncovering Causative Genotypes Beyond Known Genes and Beyond the Exome(Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2026-09-23) Sivasankar, Malaichamy; Lochmüller, HannsNeuromuscular disorders (NMDs) are a group of inherited diseases that are highly heterogeneous both clinically and genetically. The global prevalence is approximately 1 in 1,000. To date, ~700 genes have been identified to be associated with NMDs. The genetic cause of inherited NMDs in many families remains elusive even after extensive investigation, indicating the possibility of novel genes and genetic mechanisms that have yet to be explored. In addition, lack of a definitive diagnosis can interfere with disease prognosis, classification, and therapeutic options. This thesis aimed to identify the genetic cause of unsolved NMD cases by combining systematic genomic reanalysis with detailed phenotype assessment and functional studies. This would provide patients with a confirmed diagnosis, improved disease management, and access to therapy or inclusion in therapeutic trials. As part of this work, pre-existing NGS datasets from 101 previously unsolved NMD families were systematically reanalysed using updated bioinformatic approaches and phenotype-driven variant prioritization strategies. This led to a diagnostic yield of 16.83%, with causative variants identified in 17 families. In five cases, intronic variants in known NMD genes (COL6A3, SGCA, DOK7, DYSF, CHRND) were considered causative following in silico predictions and careful correlation with the phenotype. One case had an extended phenotype (PTPN11), and one case had a dual diagnosis (MYH2, KIF21A). A novel ATP2A2 missense variant was identified in two unrelated families, establishing ATP2A2 as a new NMD gene. This thesis also identified and characterized a distinct pathogenic mechanism underlying congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) caused by variants in the intracellular M3-M4 cytoplasmic loops of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subunits encoded by CHRND and CHRNA1. Unlike classical AChR-related CMS, these variants showed preserved surface expression and largely normal channel kinetics in conventional functional assays. However, agrin-induced clustering assays in genetically modified C2C12 myotubes demonstrated markedly impaired AChR clustering, establishing defective postsynaptic receptor aggregation as the primary disease mechanism. In addition, this work established a novel association between a heterozygous ATP2A2 missense variant and dominantly inherited recurrent rhabdomyolysis. Functional studies showed impaired SERCA2-mediated calcium reuptake and abnormal intracellular calcium homeostasis in skeletal muscle, supporting the pathogenicity of the identified variant. Overall, this thesis showed that research-based reanalysis of pre-existing NGS data improved the diagnostic yield of previously unsolved cases consistent with previous literature, reinforcing the utility of in-depth, phenotype-driven reanalysis with expert review. The findings highlight the evolving nature of genomic reanalysis and interpretation, demonstrating that previously unsolved cases may become diagnosable as our knowledge of disease genes, variant interpretation and analytical tools continues to improve.