About MacSphere

MacSphere is McMaster University's Institutional Repository. MacSphere brings together the institution's scholarly works under one umbrella to preserve and provide ongoing open access to them. MacSphere works have been selected and deposited by members of the McMaster community as part of our collective committment to sharing our knowledge with the world.

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Recent Submissions

Findings of the 2025 McMaster Textbook Affordability Survey
(2026-04) Bekele, Rebecca; Harding, Katie; Kehoe, Joanne
Textbook prices have increased significantly over the past few decades at a rate that has been well above the rate of inflation. In addition to textbooks, other course materials such as online homework platforms and required software may also be unaffordable for students. Students often must make difficult decisions about whether to purchase course materials, and these decisions can have serious consequences for their learning and their grades. High course materials costs can lead to inequity in the classroom, with some students able to afford access to important learning resources and others going without. In Fall 2025, we surveyed undergraduate students from all faculties at McMaster to determine how much money McMaster students are spending on course materials, whether they are forgoing purchasing required textbooks and other required course materials, what they are doing instead, and how they are affected by high course material costs. This report documents our findings about the affordability of textbooks and other course materials based on the 2,757 responses received from undergraduate students at McMaster.
Anemia-Induced Bleeding Risk and Red Blood Cell Transfusion Strategies in Acute Leukemia
(2026) Modi, Dimpy; Arnold, Donald; Health Sciences
Characterization of Lanthanide Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticles Using Time-Resolved Fret
(2026) Ziyue (Joyce) Xie; Hildebrandt, Niko; Engineering Physics
The Accuracy and Usability of a Novel Continuous Non-Invasive Wearable Vital Signs Monitor
(2026) Ouellette, Carley; McGillion, Michael; Clinical Health Sciences (Nursing)
Background. Postoperative changes in vital signs (VS) can signal impending complications. While continuous, non invasive wearable monitoring can support frontline nurses’ detection of patients’ physiologic deterioration, current clinical grade wearables are often limited by restricted multiparameter monitoring, cumbersome designs, insufficient regulatory clearance for ambulatory use, and limited user centred development. Objectives. To validate the accuracy of the multiparameter Vitaliti™ Continuous Vital Signs Monitor (CVSM) against regulatory reference standards (e.g., International Organization for Standardization) for heart rate (HR), continuous non invasive blood pressure (CNIBP), SpO₂, pulse rate (PR), respiration rate (RR), and temperature in ambulatory healthy adults, and to assess device usability and wearability among surgical patients, caregivers, nurses, and physicians in Canada and Norway. Methods. Thirty-nine adults wore the Vitaliti™ CVSM alongside Health Canada approved reference devices during 60-second, time synchronized sessions across static (sitting, standing, supine) and active (walking, head motion) conditions. Sample size requirements varied by VS (18–23 participants). Agreement was assessed using Bland–Altman analysis. User testing (N = 65) included structured task analyses, while Canadian patients wore the device for up to 72 hours postoperatively. Usability outcomes and qualitative interview feedback were analyzed. Results. HR met regulatory accuracy criteria across all conditions. CNIBP met regulatory requirements in seated, supine, and head motion conditions but did not meet sample size requirements in all analyses. PR and SpO₂ met validation thresholds in static and most motion conditions. RR showed acceptable agreement under metronome paced breathing conditions but reduced precision with movement. Temperature measurements demonstrated acceptable agreement when seated; however, accuracy thresholds were exceeded in supine conditions. User testing demonstrated high task completion and perceived clinical value, with device removals primarily due to sleep related discomfort from the earpiece sensor and fit. Conclusions. The Vitaliti™ CVSM demonstrated promising regulatory aligned accuracy and was well received across user groups. Further validation and iterative design refinements informed by end-user feedback are required prior to clinical implementation
TSLP Mediated Regulation of Airway Inflammation: Associations of Genetic Polymorphisms with Clinical Heterogeneity in Respiratory Diseases
(2026) Ranjbar Maral; Gauvreau, Gail; Medicine
Airway epithelial cells are key regulators of immune responses in respiratory disease through the release of alarmin cytokines, including thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). As an upstream mediator of type 2 inflammation, TSLP is elevated in asthma and inducible during viral respiratory infections. Genetic variation within the TSLP locus has been associated with asthma susceptibility; however, how these variants influence epithelial inflammatory responses across disease contexts remains unclear. This thesis investigated whether TSLP polymorphisms are associated with variation in airway epithelial inflammation during viral infection, asthma severity, and allergen-induced responses. Associations between TSLP genetic variants (rs2289276, rs3806933, rs1837253) and systemic inflammation were first examined in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Genotype frequencies did not differ by infection status or disease severity. However, minor alleles of rs2289276 and rs3806933 were associated with lower circulating TSLP levels, suggesting a modulatory role in epithelial responses to viral infection, although not a major determinant of COVID-19 severity. In asthma cohorts, rs2289276 and rs3806933 were associated with reduced odds of asthma. rs2289276 carriers were more likely to have mild rather than moderate–severe disease and exhibited lower long-form TSLP expression and reduced sputum TSLP protein levels, alongside decreased eosinophilic inflammation. Sex-stratified analyses revealed lower TSLP levels in female carriers. In an allergen challenge model, variant carriers demonstrated attenuated inflammatory responses, including reduced IL-5, IL-4, and eosinophilia, as well as improved lung function recovery. RNA sequencing further showed that rs3806933 was associated with reduced expression of genes involved in epithelial–immune signaling and cytokine pathways following allergen exposure. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that TSLP polymorphisms are associated with context-dependent variation in airway inflammation, linking genetic regulation of epithelial responses to molecular, cellular, and physiologic features of asthma.

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