VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Disjunctive Dreams: An Analysis of Jean-Paul Sartre's Influence on the Modern Imagination Model of Dreaming and Why Modern Disjunctivism Would Improve the Case
Keywords: Disjunctivism
Dreaming
Imagination
Perception
Phenomenology
Sartre

There is a debate as to whether dreamed experience is similar or different in kind from perceptual experience. Proponents of the latter view, imagination model theorists like McGinn and Ichikawa, draw their arguments from Jean-Paul Sartre who argues that perception and imagination are sui generis mental activities. However, these proponents accept Sartre’s arguments without subjecting them to critical analysis. As such, they reproduce what I argue is a methodological problem that makes Sartre’s and his proponents’ argument vulnerable to critique. Sartre seeks to add aspects of relationalism to his phenomenological account of perception and imagination. He argues that perception is distinguished from imagination because only the former involves an encounter with a present and existing object. However, in making this case, he adheres to the phenomenological epoché which precludes an appeal to mind-independent reality and requires that he make his case solely upon subjective experience. As a result, his theory struggles to explain the phenomenology of presence in dreams, a point opponents of the Sartre-inspired imagination model use against it. Rather sticking with the phenomenological epoché, I propose that imagination model proponents fine-tune Sartre’s account of dreaming to include modern disjunctivist arguments. Disjunctivism distinguishes between two kinds of experiences, ones where the subject perceives her environment, and ones where she is imagining (hallucinating, dreaming, etc). It grants that an imaginative experience can be subjectively indistinguishable from perceptual experience while maintaining that perception and imagination are sui generis, something Sartre and his proponents struggle to account for. However, disjunctivism requires an appeal to mind-independent reality to make its case and is thus incompatible with the phenomenological epoché. Sartre offers a robust account of dreamed experience in contrast to perceptual experience. However, his attempt to combine a relationalist theory of perception with the phenomenological epoché presents serious challenges to his account of dreamed experience. While Sartre himself would be loath to abandon the epoché, I argue that modern imagination model proponents need not be. Adopting disjunctivism gives the view’s proponents a more solid foundation from which to defend the Sartrean claim that dreamed experience is different in kind from perception.
The Supernatural and the Modern Nation State in Japanese and Former Yugoslavian Fiction
Keywords: area studies
comparative historiography
former Yugoslavian literature
Japanese literature
nation-building
supernatural

This dissertation examines the supernatural in modern Japanese and former Yugoslavian literature in relation to the birth and continuous process of dissolution and renewal of modern nation-building projects during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The monstrous and the supernatural in these selected works expose the foundational violence, instability, and contradictions of modern nation-building projects, irrespective of their imagined position in a hegemonic geopolitical order. Violence constitutes an excess to the narrative of the modern nation-state’s alleged civility, just as the supernatural constitutes an excess to the narrative of scientific rationalism. Thus, this dissertation attends to distinct literary imaginations from Japan and former Yugoslavia that sought to create alternative understandings to conventionally accepted historical narratives about their modern nation-states. The chapters of this dissertation home in on three key moments in Japan and former Yugoslavia’s national histories: first, the inception of the nation-state, which I examine through the works of folklorists and ethnographers Yanagita Kunio and Vuk Karadžić; second, the seminal years following the nation-state’s inception, which I examine through the works of novelist and playwright Izumi Kyōka and the novelist, literary critic, and translator Milovan Glišić; and finally, the violent dissolution of post-imperial Japanese and post-Yugoslavian national consciousness, which I examine through the works of Sakaguchi Ango and Svetlana Velmar-Janković. The works of each of these writers constituted a reaction to the rapid and often violent transformations of these key moments, which shaped the national consciousness of their respective locations. I show how, in their invocation of the monstrous and supernatural, these works negotiate, grapple with, or expose the violence, instability, and contradictions at the heart of all nation-building, rendered invisible by state apparatuses. Finally, I argue that the examined literatures complicate or unsettle the stories that nation-states use to construct a coherent national narrative, which in turn is intended to construct a coherent national identity. The fiction examined in this dissertation should thus be understood as a creative engagement that seeks to propose an alternate logic and history to the nation-state—one that emphasizes multiplicity over singularity, messiness over coherence, and truth over fact.
Analysis and Control of Interconnected Infinite-dimensional Linear Systems
Keywords: Control theory
Infinite-dimensional systems
Linear systems
Network analysis
Stabilization
Synchronization

This thesis presents a theoretical framework for the analysis and control of networks of infinite-dimensional linear systems. Three main problems are addressed: synchronization analysis, feedback stabilization by finite-dimensional controllers, and distributed synchronization control by finite-dimensional controllers. In the context of synchronization analysis, sufficient and necessary conditions that guarantee synchronization are provided. These conditions are framed in a general setting and are verified for a large class of infinite-dimensional systems. In the context of feedback stabilization, by employing spectral analysis and a modified small-gain theorem, sufficient and necessary conditions for feedback stabilizability using finite-dimensional controllers are derived. Finally, leveraging on these results, distributed controllers that ensure synchronization under mild assumptions on the coupling graph are designed. In order to provide a cohesive and rigorous framework across the thesis, systems are represented as input-state-output relations. This representation has several benefits, including being closed under compositions.
Coproducing the State: Water, Power, and Citizenship in Venezuela
Keywords: Coproduction
Gramsci
Political ecology
State theory
Venezuela
Water

In this dissertation I examine the history and politics of water sector reform in Venezuela’s Chavista period or ‘Bolivarian Process’ (1999-present), focusing primarily on Caracas. Venezuela’s reforms sought to improve water services for low-income and marginalized residents through infrastructure investments and by involving them in community water management committees. The committees’ design, in turn, informed the wider Chavista effort to build a participatory ‘communal state’ run by and for ‘the people.’ Yet, over two decades on, Venezuelans are confronting a major political and economic crisis, including challenges with water scarcity and reliability. I ask: How can we explain the gap between transformative promise and disappointment? How have the reforms shaped water service equity and quality? Following geographers and anthropologists of ‘infrastructural’ or ‘hydraulic citizenship,’ how are state authority and citizenship being re(made) through water governance? What can we learn about the conditions under which participation might promote water justice and deepen democracy, in line with the ‘water commons’? I suggest that water management and water infrastructures – and their relationship with oil— shaped the direction the change process took, including its eventual political economic crisis (from 2014 onwards). Specifically, I argue that water was central to the consolidation of Chavismo’s hegemony, but also productive of the political project’s key contradictions. First, I document tensions between utopian aspirations to transform the institutions and infrastructures of the state, while relying on those same institutions and infrastructures to maintain flows of water and political legitimacy. Second, I illustrate the contradiction between a local communal state and a non-communal oil economy which relies on global flows of capital and the exploitation and degradation of both nature and low-income and Black, Indigenous, and mestiza women’s labour and bodies. These constitutive tensions, between extraction and social reproduction, and preservation and transformation, helped create the conditions for the water crisis, and made its leaders vulnerable to claims of betrayal. My analysis further shows how urban environmental injustices and global extractive capitalism are intimately interconnected in the Venezuelan context. I therefore conclude by calling for a more inclusive and spatially expansive understanding of the urban ‘water commons’ which encompasses anti-extractive struggles.
Semiotic Validity in Incomplete Aegean Bronze Age Seal Impressions
Keywords: Aegean
Bronze Age
imprints
sealings
seals
semiotics

The study of seals and seal impressions from the Bronze Age Aegean has had a stronglyiconographic leading edge, with multi-generational effort in identifying and archiving seal-face motifs at projects like the Corpus der minoischen und mykenischen siegel (CMS), now housed at Heidelberg University. However, the underlying premise that visual information, encoded in iconography, was central to the semiotic operation of sealing practice for seal users in the Bronze Age has not been thoroughly queried. Indeed, it is the intuitive quality of stamping that obfuscates the richness of its multi-modal signification, containing not only visual information, but also relationships of causality and multiplication inherent to the indexicality of the imprint. These factors constitutively generate the basis for authority and authentication in seal impressions. It is in ‘failures’ that we can see lapses in the primacy of visual information: partial impressions that lack the entire seal-face motif—but were still deemed valid and operational for Bronze Age seal users—illustrate the relative significance of indexical trace-making versus complex visually-encoded iconography. This thesis designs and demonstrates an experimental model for identifying changing rates of forms of incompleteness across more than a millennium of seal use in the Aegean. In a comprehensive study of all of the impressions archived at the CMS, forms of incompleteness were categorically systematized, then quantitatively presented in multi-site comparisons as presence/absence frequency ratios to seek patterns and test against the null hypothesis (random distribution). Special focus is given to frequencies of overlapping impressions, impressions where inadequate surface area was provided to accommodate the diameter of the seal, and voids within the bounds of the impressing surface.
Neural Networks for Mathematical Reasoning – Evaluations, Capabilities, and Techniques
Keywords: Machine Reasoning
Neural Networks
Theorem proving

This thesis investigates the potential of neural networks as a powerful approach to reasoning. It argues that neural networks can effectively leverage statistical structures to learn useful heuristics and model arbitrary action distributions, making them well-suited for reasoning tasks. To test this claim, the thesis focuses on mathematical reasoning as a well-defined domain with broad applications. The author sets up various benchmarks to define the problem and measure progress in this emerging field. Through extensive experimentation, the thesis demonstrates that neural networks can perform non-trivial mathematical reasoning tasks in both abduction and induction. Additionally, the author shows that various techniques, such as improved inductive bias design, high-level proof sketching, and self-supervised learning, can enhance neural networks' mathematical reasoning capabilities. Overall, this thesis provides compelling evidence that neural networks are a promising tool for mathematical reasoning, with the potential to surpass existing methods in the field.
From the Ends of the Earth to the Edge of the Universe: Building CMB Experiments in Extreme Environments
Keywords: Cosmic Microwave Background
Cosmology
Inflation
Stratospheric Balloon

Cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments, unlike humans, function most effectively in the absence of air and water. Because microwave radiation is readily absorbed by the atmosphere—by water vapour especially—CMB observatories tend to be placed in remote high-altitude deserts, in the stratosphere, or in space. Each location has advantages and disadvantages that must be factored into the project design. This work examines the environmental challenges faced by modern CMB experiments and presents the solutions employed by Spider, a stratospheric balloon-borne polarimeter, and the Simons Observatory, a ground-based telescope array in the Atacama Desert. Specific focus is placed on showing how the supporting infrastructure of these projects, from the hardware for the supporting structures and mechanical controls, to the software for signal processing and data management, can be designed to maximize the scientific output. Application of these ideas can be seen in the carbon-fibre structure and reaction wheel of the Spider payload, the transfer matrix for correcting instrumental effects, and the Bookbinder module for rapid on-site data archival. The Spider experiment completed its second flight around Antarctica during the austral summer season of 2022–23, while the Simons Observatory, where the Bookbinder is currently deployed, is slated to begin observations in mid-2024. Contrairement aux humains, les expériences du fond diffus cosmologique (FDC, ou CMB en anglais) fonctionnent le plus effectivement en l'absence de l'air et de l'eau. Comme les rayonnements micro-ondes sont facilement absorbés par l'atmosphère – surtout par la vapeur d'eau – les observatoires du CMB sont placés dans des déserts de haute altitude, dans la stratosphère ou dans l'espace. Chacun de ces emplacements a ses propres avantages et inconvénients qui doivent être considérés dans la conception du projet. Cette œuvre examine les défis environnementaux auxquels font face les expériences modernes du CMB et présente les solutions utilisées par Spider, un polarimètre embarqué par un ballon stratosphérique, et l'Observatoire Simons, un reseau de télescopes terrestres dans le Désert d'Atacama. L'emphase est mise sur la façon avec laquelle l'infrastructure de support de ces projets (les matériaux pour les structures et le contrôle mécanique, de même que les logiciels pour le traitement des signaux et la gestion des données) peut être conçue pour maximiser la production scientifique. L'application de ces idées peut être vue dans la structure construite en fibres de carbone et le volant d'inertie de la charge utile de Spider, ainsi que dans la matrice de transfert pour la correction des effets instrumentaux et le module Bookbinder pour l'archive des données rapide sur place. L'expérience Spider a réalisé son deuxième vol autour de l'Antarctique pendant l'été austral 2022–23, alors que l'Observatoire Simons, où est déployé le Bookbinder, prévoit le début des observations au milieu de l'année 2024.
Infectious Disease Surveillance Using Emerging Data Sources: Applications to Antimicrobial Resistance and COVID-19
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance
Antimicrobial stewardship
COVID-19
Human mobility
Infectious disease surveillance
SARS-CoV-2

The COVID-19 pandemic has reawakened public awareness of the deadly threat posed by infectious diseases in our interconnected world. We face mounting challenges in tackling both emerging diseases as well as longstanding threats like the rising tide of antimicrobial resistance. Simultaneously, the digital revolution has unleashed a vast array of data applicable to the critical task of infectious disease surveillance. In this dissertation, I explore the use of emerging data sources to answer questions about two of the most important global health crises of our time: the COVID-19 pandemic and antimicrobial resistance. In the first study, I analyzed human mobility data from a public transit app to estimate the association of mobility reductions with the COVID-19 growth rate and reproduction number during the first wave of the pandemic across 41 global cities. I found that a 10% decline in mobility was associated with a 12.2% reduction in weekly growth rate and a 0.058 decrease in the effective reproduction number. These results persisted, albeit at a smaller magnitude, in a model adjusted for epidemic timing. In the second study, I developed a novel metric to measure the responsiveness of population-level mobility to reported COVID-19 incidence in Canadian provinces and U.S. states from December 2020 to November 2021. Results suggested that responsiveness to rising COVID-19 cases was stronger in Canada compared to the U.S. and revealed a correlation between greater responsiveness and lower reported COVID-19 death rates. In the third study, I evaluated the effectiveness of an automated feedback intervention for antimicrobial stewardship among primary care physicians in Canada and Israel, using concurrent controls drawn from two large primary care databases. The results showed a reduction in the mean duration of prescribing for antibiotics in the intervention group, but no statistically significant decline in overall or indication-specific antibiotic prescribing. This dissertation showcases the potential of human mobility data and large primary care databases for enhancing surveillance of infectious disease outbreaks and shaping interventions in antimicrobial stewardship. Continued research is necessary to effectively harness new and emerging data sources to address both current and future global infectious disease threats.
Personal Support Workers’ Role in End-of-Life Care in Long-Term Care
Keywords: Case Study
End-of-Life Care
Long-Term Care
Personal Support Workers
Qualitative Research
Virtual Research

Personal support workers (PSWs) are essential healthcare workers who provide the majority of direct care for Canada’s most vulnerable populations and thus are a critical part of the health workforce in Canada. As the Canadian population continues to age, there is a growing demand for this workforce to provide direct care for Canadians, including care in the long-term care (LTC) setting at the end of life. Despite this, PSWs' role within the Canadian context, and internationally, remains unclear. The role of PSWs has evolved concurrently with greater demands for complex institutional care. Consequently, the role of PSWs is increasingly unclear, with varying levels of responsibilities and autonomy reported based on the clinical setting and geographic location. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand PSWs’ role in end-of-life care in an LTC home in Ontario, Canada. This study aimed to answer the research question: what are PSWs’, nursing staff’s, managers’, administrators’, family members’, and residents’ perspectives on the role of PSWs in end-of-life care in an Ontario LTC home? A qualitative descriptive single case study was conducted virtually to describe and understand the experiences and perspectives of participants relating to the role of PSWs in end-of-life care. A conceptual framework, named the role behaviour framework, was used as the descriptive framework to guide the design, data collection, and data analysis. Multiple forms of data were collected using virtual methods, including study site characteristics, documentation data, archival records, demographic data, semi-structured individual interviews, and observation of physical artifacts. A descriptive framework data analysis strategy using the role behaviour framework was applied to guide and construct knowledge on the role of PSWs in end-of-life care in LTC. The findings highlight that LTC residents, family members and staff acknowledge that PSWs perform tasks outside their job description when providing end-of-life care; specifically for tasks that support the “experience of comfort” and “being at peace.” These extra-role behaviours performed by PSWs were perceived to improve the quality of end-of-life care that residents receive and were found to most likely be conducted because of the familial relationship between residents and PSWs. This study's findings revealed that as the role of PSWs continues to expand and evolve, there is less time and capacity for PSWs to perform social or relational care tasks; therefore, PSWs start to perform more tasks outside their role boundary.
Assessing Institutional Internationalization: Examining Three Formal Tools and Their Representations by Universities
Keywords: Accreditation
Institutional assessment
Internationalization
Quality assurance
Strategic planning
Website analysis

Some universities use formal tools to assess and develop their internationalization. This study explored universities’ online representations of three assessment tools, which included: the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz’s Audit: Internationalisation of Universities; the European Consortium of Accreditation in Higher Education’s (ECA) Certificate of Quality in Internationalisation (CeQuInt) and the International Association of Universities’ (IAU) Internationalization Strategies Advisory Service (ISAS and ISAS 2.0). Quantitative data was collected from the websites of 100% (n=127) of the universities that had used these tools to determine: what information they were sharing about the tools and how they were sharing it; if their international strategies or materials referred to the tools; the intended audience; and whether there were emergent themes or patterns. Four university cases for each tool (n=12) were then constructed solely using universities’ direct online content in order to determine the stories they were telling about each tool, and to explore more specific details, themes, and variations on quantitative findings. Results showed that universities’ uses of these assessments were pragmatic (e.g., for branding, demonstrating quality, strategic planning, or soliciting resources), but also sometimes with more complexity (e.g., using them to develop the university as a whole or as one component of a larger strategic planning process). Some universities delved even more deeply, using the tools and assessment process to: interrogate the ethical and philosophical foundations of the institution; defend their international programming, research, and institutional priorities; develop and present institutional cultures of transparency and openness; consider their roles in colonialism and academic hierarchies; and to examine the impact of institutional values on students and local/regional/international communities. Findings also suggested that universities are not likely to increase their use of these formal assessment tools in the future, and that the tools will likely continue to evolve, just as universities develop and respond to local and global factors. Findings can encourage members of universities—including decision-makers, planners and marketing teams—as well as members of professional associations, assessment panel members and government/policy-makers to reflect and to examine their assumptions, and consider evolving approaches to assessment and internationalization.