VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Amniote Dental Histology, Development, and Variation: Perspectives From the Fossil Record
Keywords: Amniota
Dental histology
Heterochrony
Ontogeny
Periodontium
Tooth attachment

Fossil teeth provide a wealth of taxonomic and dietary information for palaeontologists, but the evolution and development of the suite of tissues that attach teeth to the jaws in amniotes remain virtually undocumented. This contrasts strongly with the plethora of studies that have documented the development of the tooth attachment tissues (the periodontium) in modern mammals and crocodilians. The literary consensus is that mammals and crocodilians possess the most complex forms of tooth attachment, because each tooth is housed within a well-defined tooth socket and is suspended by a soft ligament. By comparison, nearly all other amniotes supposedly possess teeth that are fused to the jaws by a single bone tissue. To date, however, the homologues of the dental attachment tissues across Amniota remain unresolved. This thesis represents the first large-scale, comparative study of amniote tooth histology and development. By comparing histological sections of a large sample of modern and extinct amniotes, I establish tooth tissue homology across several major amniote groups and show that even the earliest amniotes possessed the same attachment tissues as those in mammals and crocodilians, but over millions of years, evolutionary changes in the timing of tooth tissue development have produced novel ways in which teeth can be attached to the jaws. Moreover, I show that studying dental batteries and the teeth of key fossil taxa can provide new insights into our understanding of the evolution and development of teeth.
On the integrals of the Kudla-Millson theta series
Keywords: Modular form
Symmetric space
Theta function

The Kudla-Millson theta series &thetas;km of a pseudoeuclidean space V of signature (p, q) and lattice L is a differential form on the symmetric space D attached to the pseudoorthogonal group O(p, q) that transforms like a genus n Siegel modular form of weight (p + q)/2. Any integral of &thetas;km inherits the modular transformation law and becomes a nonholomorphic Siegel modular form. A special case of such integral is the well-known Zagier Eisenstein series F(τ) of weight 3/2 as showed by Funke. We show that for n = 1 and p = 1 the integral of &thetas;km along a geodesic path coincides with the Zwegers theta function Θa,b. We construct a higher-dimensional generalization of Zwegers theta functions as integrals of &thetas;km over geodesic simplices for n ≥ 2. If Γ is a discrete group of isometries of V that preserve the lattice L and act trivially on the cosets L*/L, then the fundamental region Γ\D is an arithmetic locally symmetric space. We prove that the integral of &thetas; km over Γ\D converges and compute it in some cases. In particular, we extend the results of Kudla to the cases p = 1, and q odd.
Examining Curricular Integration Strategies To Optimize Learning Of The Anatomical Sciences
Keywords: basic sciences
clinical reasoning
diagnostic reasoning
integration
medical education
teaching strategies

Background: Integration of basic and clinical science knowledge is essential to clinical practice. Although the importance of these two knowledge domains is well-recognized, successfully supporting the development of learnersâ integrated basic and clinical science knowledge, remains an educational challenge. In this dissertation, I examine curricular integration strategies to optimize learning of the anatomical sciences. Objectives: The studies were designed to achieve the following research aims: 1) to objectively identify clinically relevant content for an integrated musculoskeletal anatomy curriculum; 2) to examine the value of integrated anatomy and clinical science instruction compared to clinical science instruction alone on novicesâ diagnostic accuracy and diagnostic reasoning process; 3) to compare the effect of integrating and segregating anatomy and clinical science instruction along with a learning strategy (self-explanation) on novicesâ diagnostic accuracy. Methods: A modified Delphi was used to objectively select clinically relevant content for an integrated musculoskeletal anatomy curriculum. Two experimental studies were created to compare different instructional strategies to optimize learning of the curricular content. In both of these studies, novice learners were taught the clinical features of musculoskeletal pathologies using different learning approaches. Diagnostic performance was measured immediately after instruction and one-week later. Results: The results show that the Delphi method is an effective strategy to select clinically relevant content for integrated anatomy curricula. The findings also demonstrate that novices who were explicitly taught the clinical features of musculoskeletal diseases using causal basic science descriptions had superior diagnostic accuracy and a better understanding of the relative importance of key clinical features for disease categories. Conclusions: This research demonstrates how integration strategies can be applied at multiple levels of the curriculum. Further, this work shows the value of cognitive integration of anatomy and clinical science and it emphasizes the importance of purposefully linking the anatomical and clinical sciences in day-to-day teaching.
Teacher Reciprocal Learning in International Professional Communities Between Ontario and Shanghai Schools
Keywords: Internationally networked PLC(INPLC)
Networked PLC
Professional learning community(PLC)
Reciprocal learning
School education
Teacher learning

This study investigates teachers’ cross-cultural professional learning in an emerging Canada-China school network that involved Ontario and Shanghai educators. Drawing on the literature of teacher learning in professional learning communities (PLCs), particularly networked PLCs, this study sheds light on teacher learning and its supportive conditions in the international setting. The educators who participated were interviewed while observational data about their cross-cultural collaboration were collected over a period of two years. This exploratory comparative study concluded with a tentative model for teacher reciprocal learning in internationally networked PLCs (INPLCs) in light of empirical data in order to stimulate future research and practice. The data shows that thematic activities and videoconferences helped teachers collaborate and learn in these INPLCs. The teachers mutually benefited from these interactions although they also encountered some setbacks associated with the international exchange. The data validates that these teachers’ learning experiences impacted their knowledge, practice, professional identity, and motivation to participate. This study also identifies six within-school and six within-network supportive organizational conditions. Based on these findings and the knowledge from the literature, suggestions are made to further develop the nascent Canada-China school network in a hope of bringing about more teacher learning. This study joins the research on international school partnerships or networks that are possibly conducive to student growth, teacher learning, and school development. Overall, this exploration reveals that given right organizational conditions it is possible to create an effective reciprocal learning space involving school educators from two places that differ educationally, culturally, and historically. Meanwhile, this study shows the potential of one comparative education that features participants’ direct interaction. With the evidence of in-service teachers’ cross-cultural professional learning in the context of Ontario and Shanghai education, it demonstrates a way of research that investigates and compares participants’ interactions and reciprocal learning in the international setting.
Mechanism of Crushing of Rocks under Dynamic Loading
Keywords: Crushability index
Crushing process
Drilling rate index
Dynamic loading
Multi-particle crushing
Single-particle crushing

In the mining and quarrying operation, rock crushing process consumes a large amount of energy. Therefore, it is necessary to generate a better understanding of the fragmentation process. Although a number of crushing tests have been reported, most of these tests are based on single particle crushing tests. Considering rock fragments in a crusher interacts with the surrounding fragments, a multi-particle crushing test is essential to simulate crushing process. Based on this motivation, a set of laboratory crushing tests was developed, which consists of single particle and multi-particle crushing tests. In the single particle crushing test, the crushing strength of two type of rocks (Laurentian granite and Kuru granite) were investigated under different loading rates. It is found that the dynamic crushing strength increases with loading rate and is much higher than the static one. In this work, we firstly designed a multi-particle crushing apparatus based on the principle of Hopkinson bar system. In the multi-particle crushing test, the relation between energy consumption and particle size reduction was examined. The multi-particle crushing test involved five types of rocks (Laurentian granite, Barre granite, Kuru granite, Norite, and Flamboro limestone), three impact velocities (2.2, 3.8, and 9.5 m/s), and three feed sizes (A: 9.5~12.7 mm, B: 6.4~9.5 mm, and C: 12.7~15.9 mm). Based on the results of these tests, a new crushability index CRIut was developed, which represents the influence of rock type, impact velocity and the feed size in the crushing process. Thereafter, an empirical model was established based on a dimensionless analysis for better understanding the crushing mechanism of rocks. In this study, a better under a better understanding of the fragmentation behaviour of rocks in crushers and its perceptibility have been achieved.
Sources of Self-efficacy, Self-efficacy for Self-regulated Learning, and Student Engagement in Adolescents with ADHD
Keywords: Achievement
ADHD
Engagement
Self-Efficacy
Self-Regulated Learning
Sources of Self-Efficacy

In the study of motivation and achievement, self-efficacy for self-regulated learning (SESRL) beliefs have been identified as a driving force behind student engagement in learning. Self-efficacy perceptions are thought to be shaped by four key sources of information: mastery experiences, vicarious learning, verbal encouragement, and emotional states. Although adolescents with ADHD exhibit deficits in motivation and self-regulation, few researchers have examined SESRL beliefs in this population, including the sources of self-efficacy and their potential influence on student engagement. Therefore, the objectives of this dissertation were to: (1) examine group (ADHD versus comparison) and gender differences in the sources of self-efficacy, SESRL, and student engagement, and (2) investigate the relations between these variables and symptoms of inattention. Adolescents completed measures of the sources of self-efficacy, SESRL, and engagement, while parents rated their childrenâ s inattention symptoms. To address objective one, participants were 98 adolescents (age 14 to 16), with 47 (30 males, 17 females) classified as having ADHD and 51 (19 males, 32 females) forming a typically functioning comparison group. To address objective two, the ADHD and comparison groups were combined to form a larger sample of 105 adolescents (53 males, 52 females). Results revealed that, relative to their non-ADHD peers, adolescents with ADHD rated themselves as having fewer mastery experiences, less positive encouragement from others, lower SESRL beliefs, and lower levels of engagement. Gender differences also emerged in the sources of self-efficacy, with male adolescents rating themselves lower than females in mastery experiences, vicarious learning, and verbal encouragement. Path analysis in the full sample showed that the sources of self-efficacy and SESRL mediated the relationship between inattention and student engagement. These results contribute to our understanding of motivation in adolescents with ADHD and shed light on how they perceive themselves and their school experiences. Clinical and educational implications involve designing interventions that not only focus on building knowledge and skills, but also on supporting adolescents in developing the confidence to succeed.
The (D)evolution and Neoliberal Restructuring of Social Housing in Canada: A Comparative Study of Municipal and Provincial Governance in Toronto, ON and Vancouver, BC
Keywords: Affordable housing
Devolution
Neoliberalism
Social housing

Neoliberal policies have been widely adopted and implemented in capitalist societies. Canada is no exception, as neoliberal strategy is evident at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. Examples of this can be found in Canadian social housing, among other areas of policy. Since the 1990s the ways in which social housing is managed and funded have changed significantly. Through devolution the federal government’s role has decreased considerably, resulting in increased responsibilities for provinces and municipalities. While most provinces now manage social housing portfolios, Ontario is the only province to subsequently devolve its responsibility to the municipal level. Given reduced levels of government funding, providers are increasingly challenged to find new and innovative ways to assist in the delivery of social housing. The purpose of this research is to examine how varying levels of devolution influence neoliberalization processes at the local level, and determine if a greater degree of downloading is linked to a more intensified withdrawal of direct state involvement and increased private sector participation. This is achieved through an in-depth comparison of Toronto and Vancouver, two of Canada’s largest cities. The results highlight how neoliberal policies are experienced differently across time and space, the complexity of policy devolution, and consider the role of local path dependencies in social housing provision. Additionally, by presenting detailed accounts of the devolution process, the introduction of new ‘affordable housing’ programs, and the expiry of federal operating agreements, this study provides a comprehensive, critical and updated review of Canada’s evolving social housing system.
Parallel Proofs for Parallel Programs
Keywords: Concurrency
Formal methods
Program analysis
Programming languages
Software verification

This dissertation addresses the problem of automated reasoning about multi-threaded programs. Multi-threaded programs are notoriously prone to error, making them an attractive target for formal methods which can be used to \emph{guarantee} that programs satisfy desirable properties. \emph{Automated} formal methods lift the burden of reasoning about concurrency from software developers onto the shoulders of machines. However, concurrency raises some significant algorithmic challenges for formal methods, particularly in reasoning about complex interactions between threads. This dissertation aims to tame this problem by developing \emph{parallel} logical foundations for multi-threaded programs. Classical approaches to reasoning about multi-threaded programs are based on developing clever ways to reason about them as if they were sequential. There are two prototypical examples of this approach: the \emph{interleaving model} and the \emph{thread-modular model}. In the interleaving model, a multi-threaded program is \emph{compiled} into a sequential program that interleaves the behaviour of all threads, after which we may reason about the program using classical techniques for sequential programs. In the thread-modular model, we reason about each thread independently as a sequential program, subject to side-conditions that enforce that the reasoning about each thread is robust under interference from the others. This dissertation takes a different tack: rather than devise a way to apply sequential reasoning to multi-threaded programs, we develop foundations for reasoning about parallelism directly. On these foundations, we build static analysis and software model checking algorithms for verifying and refuting properties of multi-threaded programs. We show that direct and explicit representation of parallelism enables tractable and precise automated reasoning.
A Novel Sensory System for the 3D Surface Profiling of Small Complex Objects
Keywords: 3D measurements
3D sensor
Fringe analysis
Sinusoidal phase shifting
Structured light
Surface profile

Structured-light (SL) techniques are noncontact approaches for measuring 3D complex objects in various applications including robotics, manufacturing and reverse engineering. An SL system is based on a triangulation configuration between the object of interest, a projector and one or more cameras. The 3D surface profile of the object is obtained from the deformation of light patterns projected onto the object. The performance of SL systems is determined by the hardware components, their triangulation configuration and the patterns used. This thesis focuses on developing, implementing and evaluating SL systems for measuring small (0.5 â 100 mm) complex objects. The contributions of this thesis are: 1) a design methodology for determining the optimal triangulation configuration to reduce reconstruction errors, and to maximize unique pixel-to-pixel correspondences and coverage of the measurement volume, 2) a design methodology for optimizing the pattern sequence to minimize random noise in 3D reconstruction, 3) design methodologies for SL system for micro-scale measurements using image focus fusion to increase the effective measurement volume, and 4) a novel calibration procedure for SL systems using robust regression models with the lowest predictive errors. Experiments are conducted with a variety of micro-scale objects to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodologies for designing SL systems for micro-scale measurements.
Heat Transfer in Metal Foam Heat Exchanger at High Temperature
Keywords: Heat Shield
Heat Tarnsfer Coefficient
Heat Transfer
High Temperature
Metal Foam
Porous Media

Heat transfer though open-cell metal foam is experimentally studied for heat exchanger and heat shield applications at high temperatures (~750°C). Nickel foam sheets with pore densities of 10 and 40 pores per linear inch (PPI), have been used to make the heat exchangers and heat shields by using thermal spray coating to deposit an Inconel skin on a foam core. Heat transfer measurements were performed on a test rig capable of generating hot gas up to 1000°C. The heat exchangers were tested by exposing their outer surface to combustion gases at a temperature of 550°C and 750°C while being cooled by air flowing through them at room temperature at velocities up to 5( m)⁄s. The temperature rise of the air, the surface temperature of the heat exchangers and the air temperature inside the heat exchanger were measured. The volumetric heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number were calculated for different velocities. The heat transfer performance of the 40PPI sample brazed with the foil is found to be the most efficient. Pressure drop measurements were also performed for 10 and 40PPI metal foam. Thermographic measurements were done on 40PPI foam heat exchangers using a high temperature infrared camera. A high power electric heater was used to produce hot air at 300°C that passed over the foam heat exchanger while the cooling air was blown through it. Heat shields were made by depositing porous skins on metal foam and it was observed that a small amount of coolant leaking through the pores notably reduces the heat transfer from the hot gases. An analytical model was developed based assuming local thermal non-equilibrium that accounts for the temperature difference between soild and fluid phase. The experimental results are found to be in good agreement with the predicted values of the model.
Dynamic Route Guidance Algorithms for Robust Roadway Networks
Keywords: Criticality
Network Science
Reliability
Robustness
Traffic Assignment
Traffic Simulator

This Thesis focuses on developing robust dynamic route guidance algorithms to reduce traffic congestion in roadway networks. While recurring traffic congestion is normally the focus in planning and investment decisions, almost half of traffic congestion is caused by non-recurring traffic disturbances, primarily caused by incidents, vehicle breakdowns, extreme weather events, etc. In order to reduce traffic congestion, we focus on the problem of understanding the effect of traffic disturbances and reducing their impact on roadway networks. We introduce a systematic framework for defining the context of robustness based on the severity, frequency and predictability of traffic disturbances and for developing a robust design for roadway networks based on network design goals. We also present methods to speed up traffic assignment algorithms through compiler optimizations and parallelism, to efficiently measure the effect of traffic disturbances, and enable real-time ITS applications including dynamic route guidance systems. Next, we introduce a hybrid metric for measuring robustness in a roadway network by extending the shortest-path betweenness metric from network science, and augmenting it with links weights based on dynamic traffic flow metrics. Finally, we implement a robust dynamic traffic assignment algorithm for roadway networks based on this metric and test it on a large-scale calibrated network model for the Greater Toronto Area. Performance results show that the robust traffic assignment algorithm reduces vehicle travel times compared to existing traffic assignment algorithms, with and without the presence of disturbances in the form of traffic incidents. This makes a strong case for traffic planners and operators to use robust dynamic route guidance systems within actual implementations of real-time ITS strategies to help proactively alleviate traffic congestion due to disturbances.