VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Power Training and Functional Performance in Older Women
Keywords: Functional performance
Muscle power
Muscle strength
Older women
Power training
Training frequency

Age-related difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL) are more prevalent in women, and might be associated with differences in muscle performance between older men and women (e.g., women demonstrate earlier declines in muscle strength compared to men across the lifespan). Power training (PT) has been shown to be an effective resistance training (RT) strategy for improving muscle performance and functional outcomes in older adults, however, with significant gaps in our understanding of the effects of manipulating training frequency and/or intensity. The current work sought to investigate the effects of PT intensity and weekly frequency on lower body muscle power and functional performance in older women. The first study, a systematic review, provides evidence that PT utilizing light, moderate, or heavy training intensities can all lead to significant improvements in muscle strength, power, and functional performance in older adults. Having demonstrated the longer-term reliability of test-retest muscle power and functional performance in older women (Study 2), the impact of PT frequency (1, 2, and 3 days/week) on these outcomes was investigated in a randomized controlled trial (Study 3). In these older women, PT 1 day/week did not produce significant gains in muscle power, however, all PT frequencies demonstrated improvements in muscle strength and functional performance post-study. Given the variable changes observed in each group after PT, an investigation of the individual responses in muscle power and functional performance was performed (Study 4), where a large variability in response was found for each measure and for each individual across measures. Study 4 demonstrated that every participant improved in at least one measure after PT, supporting the importance of including multiple outcomes when assessing the effectiveness of an exercise program. This work extends previous findings of the benefits of low-intensity PT 3 days/week with support for 1 and 2 sessions/week for improvements in muscle strength and functional capacity, and 2 weekly sessions for gains in muscle power in healthy, older women. The evidence presented herein expands viable training options for a broader range of individuals, including clinical populations, for whom higher training intensities and/or frequencies are not possible or preferable.
Revolution in the Red Chamber? The Senate of Canada in the 21st Century
Keywords: Canada
Parliament
Reform
Senate

This dissertation investigates the extent and effect of a series of reforms made to the Canadian Senate by the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau beginning in 2015. Previous attempts to reform the Senate have proven almost completely unsuccessful despite widespread and longstanding dissatisfaction with the institution. This failure has largely been the result of an inability to unify the federal and provincial governments behind a particular understanding of the Senate's role in Canadian democracy and federalism. This has led to a corresponding inability to generate the constitutionally required level of support behind any specific reform proposal. In this dissertation, I seek to answer a series of related questions: What institutional changes has this government made to the Senate? How have these changes affected the Senate in the way it carries out its work? And why were these reforms successfully implemented when almost every other attempt at reform failed? I conclude that the reforms were successfully implemented because, when compared to many of the more sweeping changes which have been proposed for the Senate in the past, these reforms are inherently limited. As a result, they did not require provincial consent. At the same time, however, these reforms are the most significant ever made to the Canadian Senate and among the most significant changes ever made to any part of the Canadian Parliament. Furthermore, these reforms entrench a coherent vision of the Senate's role in the Canadian democratic process. These reforms institutionalize and prioritize to an unprecedented degree the enhanced representation of women, Indigenous people, and racialized minorities in the Senate. The reforms are also designed to support the Senate as a complementary chamber of independent second thought. This leads to one last important question: how successful have these reforms been in implementing the Trudeau government's stated goals for the Senate? I find strong evidence of increased descriptive representation for women, Indigenous people, and racialized minorities. Finally, while the reforms have made the Senate a more active complementary legislative chamber, I find mixed evidence of increased senatorial independence.
Defect Characterization in a Steel Plate Using AC Magnetic Flux Leakage (AC MFL)
Keywords: AC Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL)
Defect Characterizations
Finite Element Simuations
Magnetic Dipole Model
Non-Destructive Testing
Sensor Design

Aboveground Storage Tanks (AST) are usually used to store chemical and petrochemical products in the oil and gas industries. Regular inspection of tank floors is vital in order to detect any threat to the tank integrity and prevent economic and environmental loss. In this thesis, an AC Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) system is developed to improve inspection services for nondestructive evaluation of tank floors. Much has been written on analytical models, numerical algorithms, and experimental measurements of DC MFL systems. Therefore, in this thesis DC MFL systems are first examined to be used as a basis for development of an AC MFL system model. The magnetic dipole model is the most widely used mathematical technique to predict the MFL from defects in ferromagnetic materials in DC MFL system. In this thesis, coarse approximations made by researchers using magnetic dipole model are evaluated. A finite element model of an AC MFL system is developed for two common defect shapes located on the far-side of a 1018 steel plate with 6.35 mm thickness used in typical AST floors: lake-shaped and rectangular (slot) defects. A signal processing algorithm based on AC MFL signal skewness is developed to distinguish between lake-shaped and rectangular defects. A two-step algorithm is then proposed to estimate the depth of the rectangular and lake-shaped defects using an AC MFL system. In the first stage, the defect is classified as either “shallow” or “deep” based on the amplitude of the maximum MFL signal. In the second stage, the depth is estimated to within ± 10% of the total plate thickness. To do so, the frequency of the applied magnetic field is increased starting from f=0 (Hz) until the maximum MFL signal is decreased by a percentage P of its maximum value at f=0 (Hz). That frequency (f_P) is an indicator for the depth of the defect. A sensor system with a filter and amplifying stage is designed and manufactured to measure the DC and AC MFL from defects. Experimental verification of both proposed algorithms is then carried out. The experimental results are consistent with the proposed algorithms.
Inclusion and Representation in Rehabilitation Research and Practice of Adults with Traumatic Brain Injury and Comorbid Depression: A Knowledge Translation Perspective
Keywords: Comorbidity
Depression
Evidence Based Practice
Knowledge Translation
Qualitative
Traumatic Brain Injury

Background: Depression is highly comorbid with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Adults with TBI and depression experience poorer health outcomes, greater disability, and unmet healthcare needs. Depression commonly precludes individuals from clinical trials; it is unknown how well they are prioritized throughout the evidence-to-practice pathway of knowledge translation (KT). Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation is to examine inclusion and representation of adults with comorbid depression in evidence-based TBI rehabilitation research and practice. Methods: Three studies and one conceptual paper were completed: 1) scoping review of the TBI rehabilitation sciences literature that measured depression to describe the representation of the target group; 2) critical analysis of two Canadian TBI clinical practice guidelines to examine how the target group is included in guideline development, recommendations, and evidence base;3) qualitative descriptive study to understand the target group’s experiences of their TBI rehabilitation; and, 4) conceptual paper to examine how the predominant evidence-based practice (EBP) model applies for the target group. Results: Adults with TBI and depression are underrepresented in the TBI rehabilitation sciences literature and under-included in the TBI clinical practice guidelines given the prevalence rates of post-TBI depression. The 13 qualitative study participants expressed values, preferences, and meaningful outcomes of rehabilitation in response to largely negative healthcare experiences, indicating a lack of patient-centred care. A re-conceptualized zonal EBP model with a lens of inclusion and representation was proposed and illustrated using adults with TBI and depression. Conclusions: Comorbid depression is rarely included and represented throughout the evidence-to-practice pathway. Providing evidence-based rehabilitation for adults with TBI and depression is difficult; patient values and perspectives should be emphasized. The zonal EBP model can be applied to comorbid groups to support clinical and KT approaches that are evidence-based and patient-centred.
Teacher Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges in Detracked Grade 9 Mathematics
Keywords: Detracking
Mathematics education
Secondary education
Teacher beliefs
Teacher challenges
Teacher perceptions

While research has identified a wide range of effective instructional strategies for improving students’ mathematical performance in secondary schools, not all Ontario students are benefitting equally. This study investigates teachers’ perceptions, practices, and challenges in teaching the detracked Grade 9 mathematics course and refines the Ten Dimensions of Mathematics Education framework for detracked secondary mathematics programs. Using a qualitative multiple-case study approach, it investigates the ways in which four mathematics secondary school teachers approach teaching detracked classrooms. The major findings are: (1) believing in the purpose and benefit of detracking practices and the belief that all students can succeed is key to teaching detracked mathematics programs; (2) teacher collaboration and self-directed professional development, which includes learning research-based teaching methods, is an important component of teaching detracked math programming; (3) administrator support and teacher autonomy during the planning process is crucial for a successful implementation; (4) teachers differentiated instruction by using tasks that have open-ended questions and range in complexity to meet students’ individual needs; and (5) assessment practices included gathering multiple sources of evidence and grading students within the Grade 9 level expectations rather than holding them to higher standards based on teacher beliefs. The findings extend our understanding of how we can better support teachers as they implement Grade 9 detracked mathematic courses. An emerging model of the Ten Dimensions of Mathematics Education is presented with recommendations for the mathematics education research community.
Rhythm Training for People with Stroke: A Tool to Enhance Neurorehabilitation
Keywords: gait
music therapy
physical therapy
rehabilitation
rhythm
stroke

Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) is a promising therapy to improve spatiotemporal gait parameters after stroke. However, RAS is not equally effective for everyone; an individual’s response to RAS is likely partially mediated by rhythm abilities, specifically beat perception and production. If rhythm can be trained post-stroke, there is potential to enhance response to RAS among people with poor rhythm, which could make RAS more effective for a wider range of people. Furthermore, there are many stroke therapies implemented using telerehabilitation. If rhythm is important for some of the therapies being conducted online, it is necessary to determine if it is feasible to test and train rhythm abilities online as well. This work aims to answer these queries with three studies. Based on the framework of co-design, Study 1 involved collaborating with relevant stakeholders (i.e., people with stroke, musicians/music therapists/teachers, and physiotherapist specializing in neurorehabilitation) to gain insight on how to develop music programs for people with stroke. Four topics were identified as important to consider when designing music programs for people with stroke including: 1) goals of music in stroke rehabilitation, 2) therapeutic interactions with music, 3) individualizing components of music programs, and 4) logistics of music program development and delivery. Study 2 involved evaluating the feasibility of testing rhythm online with the Beat Alignment Test (BAT), a rhythm assessment often used in the stroke population. Completing the BAT online was more feasible for neurotypical adults than people with stroke. BAT components had poor to good test-retest reliability and there were no learning effects when the BAT was completed three times online. Lastly, Study 3 was a pilot study of a rhythm training program for people with stroke that was delivered in-person and online. Rhythm training was well tolerated regardless of delivery method, with minimal changes in BAT scores pre-post intervention. The lack of consistent pre-post changes in rhythm abilities may explain why there were no changes in immediate gait response to RAS pre-post intervention. Future work is needed to investigate dose of rhythm training required to cause meaningful changes in rhythm abilities after stroke.
Evaluating Burden of Care for Caregivers of Children with Intestinal Failure on Long-term Parenteral Nutrition
Keywords: informal caregiver
Intestinal failure
Pediatric

The objective of this thesis was to evaluate burden of care for caregivers of children with intestinal failure (IF) on long-term parenteral nutrition (PN). This was completed with two comprehensive reviews of IF and caregiver burden and three projects that add knowledge to the current literature. Pediatric IF is a complicated chronic medical condition. There have been considerable advancements over the past two decades resulting in improved survival rates. The majority of care after their primary hospitalization takes place in the home setting provided by family caregivers. There are significant gaps in the understanding of the impact of this care on caregivers in order to identify opportunities for interventions and supports. The first project qualitatively described the experiences of caregivers of children with IF describing common themes identified related to caregiving being a 24/7 commitment, facing the constant risk of death, chronic illness creating difficult feelings and emotions and adapting to chronic illness as a family. Caregivers also quantified the volume of care being provided to their children within the home setting. The second project evaluated stress, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in caregivers of children with IF compared to caregivers of healthy children. The results demonstrated that IF caregivers had increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression and lower HRQoL. The final project evaluated sleep in caregivers of children with IF compared to caregivers of healthy children. This study demonstrated caregivers of children with IF achieve significantly less sleep than their peers. In summary, there are multifaceted impacts of providing a significant volume of care for caregivers of children with IF. Caregivers provide a tremendous amount of care to ensure their children’s health remains optimized and highlights the need for ongoing advocacy to ensure adequate supports for respite and mental health supports are put into place.
The Early Muslim Brotherhood: Tarbiyah as the Foundation of Hasan al-Banna’s Project of Islamic Revival and Reform
Keywords: Egypt
Hasan al-Banna
Islam
Islamism
Muslim Brotherhood
Reformism

In Egypt in the early 20th century, an era of great political and social change defined by the growth of nationalisms, modernization, and colonialism, the Muslim Brotherhood (al-Ikhwān al-Muslimūn) emerged as an Islamic movement that sought to challenge secularizing trends and promote Islamic practices, ethics, and values in society, with the ambition of eventually establishing an Islamic state. This dissertation is an analysis of the thought of the movement’s founder, Hasan al-Banna, from the formation of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928 to his death in 1949. As the movement’s principal thinker, his ideas remain central to the organization’s ideology and structure until today. While his political goals are often the focus of academic analysis, I bring attention to a central aspect of his thought which is tarbiyah (education and training) as the foundational element of his ideas on Islamic revival and societal reform. In al-Banna’s articles, religious tracts, manuals, and pamphlets, he promoted an Islamic theory of progressive change based on tarbiyah - defined by forms of ethical self-cultivation, spiritual refinement, and physical discipline - as an important step to Islamizing Egyptian society. My research demonstrates that Al-Banna married traditional Islamic ideas of the refinement of the soul to modern colonial and Arab theories of reform which linked the success and strength of the nation-state to the customs, habits, and ethics of its citizenry. The basis of his theory of social regeneration was the notion that cultivating modern, pious, Muslim subjects would be the means through which the Muslim Brotherhood could transform the social body in Egypt and Islamize the nation. He translated these ideas into elaborate training programs aimed at the membership of the Brotherhood, and forms of preaching and outreach directed at the wider community. My project draws on historical, textual, and ethnographic research with the conceptual tools of the self-cultivation paradigm, alongside emic Islamic concepts from the premodern Islamic philosopher al-Ghazali, to examine al-Banna’s conceptualization tarbiyah and social change, the various technologies of the self developed by the early Muslim Brotherhood, and the aims of the organization’s training programs within their long-term Islamist project.
Transforming Sparse Matrix Computations
Keywords: Compilers
Linear Algebra
Linear System Solvers
Numerical Optimization
Parallel Programming
Sparse Matrix

Sparse matrix computations are at the heart of many scientific applications and data analytics codes. The performance and memory usage of these codes depend heavily on their use of specialized sparse matrix data structures that only store the nonzero entries. However, such compaction is done using index arrays that result in indirect array accesses such as A[B[i]] where A and B are both arrays. Numerical libraries can provide high-performance code for an individual sparse kernel however they must be manually tuned and optimized for different inputs and architectures. Alternatively, compilers are used to optimize codes that provide architecture portability. Due to these indirect array accesses, memory access information is unknown at compile-time, and thus it is challenging to vectorize a sparse matrix method or run it in parallel cores.To automate the generation of code for efficient execution of sparse code, several compile-time and runtime techniques are required. Existing techniques are either not efficient or need manual effort to extend to different sparse matrix computations. Consequently, in this dissertation, I address the problem of automating the optimization of sparse matrix code on parallel processors with a specific focus on sparse linear solvers and numerical optimizations. This dissertation presents a set of code transformations and algorithms, all implemented in a novel code generator called Sympiler, that automates the optimization of sparse matrix codes on parallel processors. Sympiler takes a sparse method, arising from a sparse linear system or sparse numerical optimization, and decouples information related to the computation pattern of the method, i.e., symbolic information, and uses this information to transform the code to vectorizable and parallel code. Sympiler also enables the reuse of symbolic information when the computation pattern remains static for a period of time in the simulations or for when it changes modestly. Evaluation results show the automatically generated code by Sympiler provides between 1.2–3.1× speedup compared to highly optimized sparse linear solver libraries. It also improves the performance of sparse numerical optimization such as Quadratic Programming between 1.7–24.8× compared to highly efficient solvers.
Cyber-Psychopathy Revisited: Theorizing Contextual Gaps in Offending between Online and Offline Spaces
Keywords: Cyber Criminology
Cybercrime
Cyberspace
Internet
Online Offending
Technology

Cybercrime scholarship has historically relied on traditional criminological theories to explain online offending and victimization. However, the Internet represents a social context with unique structural conditions including anonymity, asynchronicity, fewer non-verbal cues, and less salient norms that may afford different criminal opportunities than face-to-face environments. From this perspective, I propose new theorizing frameworks that explicitly consider how the structural differences between online and offline spaces may underlie different offending outcomes between these contexts. In particular, I offer an application of “context-congruent” theorizing by revisiting my original cyber-psychopathy theory, which hypothesizes that some people respond to different opportunities and constraints on the Internet by dissociating into a deviant persona that favours online offending. I argue that this process can involve a shift in one’s online personality expression toward higher levels of primary and secondary psychopathic traits, such as a lack of empathy and greater impulsivity. I also show that this theory can improve our understanding of “contextual gaps” in which online misbehaviours are deemed more acceptable and/or are more likely to be performed than similar offline transgressions. Ultimately, this dissertation outlines my efforts to improve and validate the measurement of cyber-psychopathy and then to empirically test whether this theory can explain outcomes related to both online offending and contextual gaps in offending. My data come from two web-based surveys collected via Amazon Mechanical Turk (N=314) and a Qualtrics online panel (N=960). Quantitative analyses address the following: 1) the possibility of between-context differences in one’s psychopathic trait expression, 2) the predictors of online increases in these traits, 3) the effects of cyber-psychopathy on the acceptability and likelihood of online offending, 4) the role of cyber-psychopathy as mediating the relationship between structural-level predictors and online offending outcomes, and 5) whether online increases in psychopathic traits predict wider contextual gaps. While many results provide evidence in favour of the cyber-psychopathy theory, others introduce complexities that need to be unpacked in future research. Alongside these findings, I demonstrate the value of developing new theories that consider the criminological affordances of cyberspace and I highlight some practical implications arising from thinking “structurally” about online offending.