VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Renegades and Inquisitions: Sense, Interiority, and Conversion to Catholic Subjecthood in Early Modern Italy
Keywords: Catholicism
conversion
Inquisition
interiority
Islam
sensory history

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, hundreds of penitent renegades—Christian converts to Islam who sought to become Catholic—approached local tribunals of the Roman Inquisition for absolution in the Italian peninsula. This dissertation examines 240 renegade reconciliations from the cities of Rome, Naples, and Livorno in the years 1552-1697 to explore how inquisition officials adjudicated these conversions. The study challenges much of the literature on renegades and early modern religious conversion by arguing that renegades’ “identity” or sense of self was not at stake in depositions and sentencing. What was at stake—what was, in fact, changing in these rituals—was the nature of the renegade’s membership or belonging with the Catholic communion. The foundation of that belonging lay in the renegade’s ability to perform, publicly and before the local inquisition, as an obedient juridical subject of the Catholic Church. After sketching the local historical contexts and personnel for the three Inquisition tribunals, the dissertation compares how each engaged sensory behaviours (Chapters Three and Four) and interiority (Chapter Five) to demonstrate how expectations for that performance intensified over time in Naples and Livorno but not in Rome. While Roman officials consistently required only a perfunctory statement affirming Church teachings on apostasy, Neapolitan inquisitors increasingly emphasized bathing, dietary, and praying habits, and tied them to matters of intention, at the turn of the century. In its later cases, tribunal leaders focused on eliciting affirmations of Catholicism’s exclusive salvific worth. Livorno’s officials, on the other hand, stressed Catholic speech and dietary regimens in the tribunal’s early years and demanded renegades acknowledge links between action and belief in its later ones The dissertation explores how local leadership, religious dynamics, and regional geo-political conflicts may have shaped these varied approaches to addressing a shared goal: molding converts into obedient Catholics whose conduct was unlikely to cause public scandal. It makes original contributions to scholarly discussion of early modern religious conversions and inquisitions, and argues that centring inquisitions’ pragmatism toward “voluntary” penitents rather than the institutions’ repressiveness can help scholars write broader histories of social discipline that make room for local particularity.
Fast Radio Burst Localization with very Long Baseline Interferometry
Keywords: Fast Radio Bursts
Radio astronomy
Radio instrumentation
Radio interferometry
Radio transients
Very Long Baseline Interferometry

This thesis covers the development of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) localization techniques for Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). FRBs were discovered only in the 2000s and have revolutionized the radio transient field due to their unknown and complex emission mechanisms, their brightness, and the potential use as probes of the Universe's cosmology. The aim of this thesis project is to enhance the localization potential of Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) in order to identify galactic hosts, which are necessary to precisely measure redshifts of FRBs. The VLBI prototype station chosen, was the Algonquin Radio Observatory (ARO) 10-m telescope a decommissioned radio dish from the 1960s. During the first two years of PhD studies, a complete refurbishment of the system was done, which included an update on the analog signal chain and a new acquisition system. While upgrades were on their way, CHIME Fast Radio Burst Project (CHIME/FRB) detected its first FRB in 2018, and today more than thousand have been observed. The ARO 10-m telescope has proved to be robust and stable over the years, with scientific results since its functioning on 2019 until the completion of this thesis (February 15th, 2022). Observations of at least three bright radio bursts have been recorded and analyzed at the ARO 10-m telescope, which have paved the way for the upcoming CHIME/FRB Outriggers project. A VLBI study has been carried out with the ARO testbed, including a new fringe fitting correlator model and a new method to phase calibrate using pulsars, particularity developed for the 400--800 MHz low frequency bandpass. The upcoming CHIME/FRB Outriggers project will have multiple baselines across North America in order to localized thousands of FRBs in the next years, to 50 mas precision, which no other experiment has been able to accomplish. Therefore, these results will open a new era in transient astronomy and unlock the unknown matter content of the Universe.
Integrating Prediction and Portfolio Optimization
Keywords: convex optimization
neural networks
portfolio optimization
regression
statistical learning

The fundamental objective of portfolio optimization is the determination of next period's optimal asset allocation under conditions of uncertainty. In most settings the portfolio optimization inputs, such as risk and return, are unobservable at decision time and must be forecasted using observable feature data. Traditionally, predictive forecast models are optimized independently of their use in the downstream portfolio optimization. While a perfect prediction model would lead to optimal decision-making, in reality, all prediction models do make some error. As such, an inefficiency exists in the traditional `predict then optimize' paradigm: prediction models are optimized with unique prediction-based objectives and are therefore unaware as to how those predictions will be used in the downstream portfolio optimization. This thesis aims to address this shortcoming and presents an alternative integrated prediction and optimization (IPO) framework. In contrast to a traditional estimation approach, the IPO framework optimizes prediction models in order to minimize the final downstream decision objective. We first consider the integration of linear regression prediction models in a mean-variance optimization setting and derive closed-form analytical expressions for the optimal IPO coefficients. We then consider IPO estimation for more general prediction and portfolio optimization problems. We make use of recent advances in neural network architecture and provide a first-order gradient descent framework for optimizing prediction model parameters to minimize downstream portfolio objectives. Experimental results demonstrate that IPO prediction models can result in lower out-of-sample decision error and improved economic performance. The IPO parameter estimation process, however, can be computationally demanding, particularly when the number of decision variables is large. We address these computational challenges in the medium to large scale limit and present an alternative differentiable neural network architecture for constrained quadratic programming. We conclude by demonstrating that the IPO frameworks developed and studied herein are generalizable to alternative forms of prediction and optimization modelling. We present a gradient boosting algorithm for integrating general additive prediction models with downstream convex quadratic cone decision optimization. Experimental results comparing with state-of-the-art IPO methods demonstrate improved reduction in out-of-sample decision regret.
Light by Design: Generating Arbitrary Scalar and Vectorial Optical Fields in Simple, Inhomogeneous and Anisotropic Media
Keywords: Diffraction
Imaging
Interference
Optical trapping
Structured light
Wavefront shaping

The ability to design and realize arbitrarily chosen optical fields without modifying the medium's index of refraction remains an elusive but much-desired capability with applications in various fields such as optical micromanipulation, imaging, microscopy, remote sensing, and data communications, to name a few. With the recent advances in spatial light modulators and metasurfaces, this long-sought goal has become more tangible. Toward that end, researchers have demonstrated control over different light properties such as the field's intensity, orbital angular momentum, and polarization state, each of which plays a crucial role in one or more of the aforementioned applications. While a tremendous effort has been dedicated to structuring the previously mentioned properties, the focus has been mainly on homogeneous and isotropic media due to their simplicity, which is a severe limitation considering that most applications involve more complicated media. In this dissertation, we establish a systematic method to design and realize optical fields (scalar or vectorial), where properties such as intensity, trajectory, spot shape, orbital angular momentum, and polarization state can be controlled "at-will" inside a simple, inhomogeneous, or anisotropic medium. Using different ideas from PDE-constrained optimization, the developed framework provides the closest realizable optical field to the pattern of interest. In addition to providing systematic tools for designing optical fields for different applications, the developed framework sheds light on some of the interesting physical dynamics of these optical fields.
Enabling Consistent Workspaces Across Contexts For Information Workers
Keywords: Arm-anchored UIs
Cross-device interaction
Human-computer interaction
Mixed reality
Pen-based interface
Spatial awareness

Working with multiple physical and digital devices has become a commonplace activity today. Though every device within its own walled garden can be easily 'connected', users encounter gaps between the physical and digital world, fragmented storage solutions across devices, inconsistent interface designs, and a lack of mutual state awareness facilitating mixed-use. Modern operating systems often employ a device-centric model; as a result, operations are restricted to a particular device, leaving users without a sense of 'home' that manages their unified digital world. There is also a lack of consistent design guidelines across contexts that are equivalent to the desktop metaphor and WIMP interface in the multi-device environment. This dissertation presents an organizing principle of information to fill this gap and proposes a series of interaction techniques to demonstrate a consistent workspace across contexts. In particular, we highlight the values of the physical reality, arm-anchored interaction space, and unified shell interfaces managing personal information and devices. We first present a thorough examination of background literature, including investigations on how people work with physical and digital devices, theories and experiments on the proprioception and peripersonal space, and a summary of interaction techniques, frameworks, and hardware infrastructures adopted by existing work. Next, we explore the fusion of physical and digital documents via two experiments and a series of MR interactions that augment physical artifacts with rich, dynamic virtual content and combine the benefits of being physical and digital. We then conduct a study to investigate how users interact with an arm-anchored interface and examine a data-driven approach to optimize the layout of 3D UI controls surrounding the user's arm. We further present our design of a shell interface that enables consistent, spatially-aware access to information anytime and anywhere.
In Violation of International Law: The War on Terror and Anticipatory Self-defence
Keywords: 9/11
anticipation
international law
self-defence
use of force
war on terror

As Darryl Li writes in the Universal Enemy, this new world order is characterized by two forms of armed conflicts: national ethnic wars and a “globally threatening militant Islam.” The latter characterization is attributed to the attacks of September 11, 2001 against the United States, after which the figure of the ‘Muslim’ evil ‘terrorist’ was designated as the enemy of all humankind. In light of this, the present paper tells a story of the development of the international legal regime in the realm of counter-terrorism, focusing on the doctrine of anticipatory self-defence that was introduced by the United States’ National Security Strategy in 2002. The paper argues that the novel doctrine of anticipatory self-defence introduced by the Bush administration not only undermines the principles of necessity and proportionality that govern the use of force under international law, but it also represents a neo-colonial extension of earlier colonial legacies of domination.
Development of Electrochemical and Bio-electrochemical Technologies for Environmental Applications
Keywords: ceramic
fuel cell
membranes
microbial
nanoprobe
sensor

Electrochemical and bioelectrochemical processes have recently emerged as intriguing options for sensing and wastewater treatment. There is an urgent need for the development of a sensing device capable of multiplex detections, as well as being cost-effective, quick, sensitive, portable, and selective. As nanotechnology advances, nanocomposites are emerging as model modifier components for meeting the aforementioned needs and amplifying electrochemical detection mechanisms via electrochemical sensors. In addition, bioelectrochemical systems are a novel bioengineering technology that combines electrogenic microbes with electrochemical methods to improve the microbes' reducing or oxidising metabolism. Power is generated in bioelectrochemical systems due to the oxidation reactions at the anode and reduction reactions at the cathode via electron transfer between electron acceptors and donors. Recently, microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has emerged as a promising hybrid platform for the simultaneous removal of organic contaminants from wastewater and the generation of green energy using microorganisms already present in the wastewater.Cost-effective polyaniline-based nanocomposite modified graphite paste electrodes for simultaneous detection of phenolic pollutants such as benzenediol isomers and endocrine disrupting phenolic pollutants were developed. Furthermore, novel nanocomposites were developed to investigate the use of electrochemical sensors beyond environmental research by detecting biomolecules for clinical diagnosis, food safety, and the beverages industry. The feasibility of the developed sensors was also tested by analysing real-world samples of human urine, canned juice, hair dye, and wastewater. Finally, the dissertation focused on the fabrication of low-cost clay-based ceramic membranes, as an alternative to more expensive polymeric Nafion proton exchange membranes in MFC application. Ceramic membranes modified with plant-based organic waste such as durum wheat semolina (DWS) were developed. The DWS acted as a pore-forming agent and was used for the first time in the fabrication of novel porous ceramic membranes that improved MFC performance. This dissertation focused on the selection and optimization of electrode modifiers in conjunction with various electrochemical methods. It also concentrated on novel ceramic membrane modifiers, as well as the design and fabrication of nanocomposite-modified electrochemical sensors and MFCs. Finally, this dissertation elaborated on the concepts of electrochemical devices which have potential for miniaturisation and mass production.
Structural Identification of Production Functions
Keywords: Production functions
Structural identification
Technology spillovers

This thesis addresses important questions about the theory of endogenous growth using micro-economic modeling, empirical studies and structural econometric identification. The thesis comprises three distinct but related chapters. The first chapter of the thesis highlights the importance of technology spillovers by developing a simple tournament model. The equilibrium demonstrates that technology spillovers have negative incentives effects on firms R&D investments, yet spillovers have several benefits: they potentially reduce R&D investments costs, and they impact positively aggregate variables such as industry-level prices. This chapter demonstrates that the level of social welfare and the performance of competitive markets depend upon the concentration of the market and the magnitude of technology spillovers. Consequently, the effectiveness of antitrust policies designed to increase social welfare or market efficiency is subject to the magnitude of technology spillovers. The second chapter of the thesis advances a dynamic structural econometric model to measure returns of R&D investments and the magnitude of technology spillovers. A key feature of the structural model is that both productivity and the number of patents granted are determined endogenously. In this model, externalities of technology are incorporated into the R&D investment problems. The parameters of the production function and the parameters of the equation of motion of productivity are identified. The novel estimator for production functions accounts for simultaneity, attrition, functional dependence and the reflection problem. The chapter provides empirical evidence for the theory of endogenous growth: R&D investments and technology spillovers are determinants of productivity heterogeneity across firms. The third chapter is the most important and advances a fundamental econometric result: the endogeneity problem is not well-defined, and it is not the source of identification issues in regression models. This chapter demonstrates that reduced-form models cannot be transparently identified because cross-moments between factor inputs and the residual are unknown. Subsequently, it is clearly established that controversial assumptions required for identification of production functions using control functions are not necessary. Identification of production functions parameters can be achieved using Euler-equations. The main assumptions of this original approach are profit-maximization and rational expectations.
Kēdzéntēdé Kedzedı̨̄: Aunties, Disestablishment, and the Making of Communiversitea
Keywords: beneviolence
communiversitea
Dena Au'Nezen
Denagogy and ecogogy
Land + and Ecocentric relational identity
methodolotea

This work is an exploration of identity in relation to land+, language, nation, community, clan, and family; or what I call my ecocentric relational identity and relational-determination. Weaving my identity through stories and language, this work reflects on a lifelong journey of learning and applying the teachings of Dena Au’nezen (the highest law of the Kaska Dena) and Dena K’eh (the Dena way) in my community and work. From the perspectives and experiences of being a long-time advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit+ people and their families and survivors in the Yukon, nationally, and internationally, I articulate and examine tacit aspects of colonialism, ‘beneviolence’, and violence and speak to Indigenous experiences of resistance, antifragility, and survivance. This work, nested in the Kaska Dena community, seeks to rematriate Indigenous learning models and modalities, and introduces the concept of Denagogy1 (learning and leading from Dena K’eh), ecogogy (learning and leading from the land+), and ecocentric relational identity as foundational concepts. The dissertation in practice is presented in two parts: a narrative storytelling, and a digital educational model. Through the practice of dän känàdän äch’e (teaching) and känídän (learning) simultaneously, and the sharing of tea and stories, I have been gifted with the privilege of having a role in restory-ing the future through sharing a theory of decolonial living. This work introduces the practice of methodolotea as a formal research tool, deconstructing western approaches to teaching and learning while articulating the ways these have impugned and aspersed Indigenous teaching and learning methodologies and spaces as an act of genocide. Echō (Elders/highest teachers of Dena K’eh) often say Kēdzéntēdé Kedzedı̨̄ (we are all learning together) which is the conceptual midwife for introducing the model for what I call communiversitea in Kaska homelands. _____________________________________1 Auntie Dorothy Smith, witnessing, 2022
Tracing Eugenics: The Rise of Totalizing Psychiatric Ideology in Canada
Keywords: Critical Mental Health
Disability Studies
History of Psychiatry
Interpretive Sociology
Mad Studies
Psychiatric Legitimacy

This dissertation explores constructions of psychiatry as accurate, effective, and necessary by tracing supposedly objective psychiatric facts to their subjective roots. I focus on post-WWII Montreal, where the discursive shift from “mental hygiene” into “mental health” signified a new era of psychiatric alignment with science and medicine in order to question the ostensible and self-proclaimed certainty of psychiatric philosophy and practice. I explore the purposeful association of psychiatry with medicine, foregrounding the ways that a totalizing ideology (Arendt, 1951) was used to buttress psychiatric expansion while simultaneously abstracting individuals into groups and types of mental health problems. By constructing the subjective opinions of professionals as objective reality, the facticity of psychiatry is rooted in eugenics hierarchies that are mobilized towards creating a particular version of desirable citizens. Using archival data from the National Committee for Mental Hygiene (Canada) and related organizations, I read expert-centered accounts against the grain, tracing ideologies, logical leaps, constructions of facticity, and overarchingly, tracing objective facts to their subjective situatedness. Focusing on the ways that undescribed and abstracted behaviours were used to funnel many individuals into a few problem-types, I show how constructions of contemporary mental health ideology are bound to social context. Specifically, I point to a psychiatric totalitarianism where all human suffering and problems become interpreted through a psychiatric lens and judged against problematic ideals of desirable citizens that bear direct overlap with eugenic ideals. This limited and limiting version of ‘the human’ rules Western social and economic hierarchies, defining both normalcy and abnormality as grounded in eugenic-based gradations that favour a white supremacist, patriarchal, and capitalist view of mental health. As such, the ideology propagated by psychiatry becomes increasingly further removed from people’s experiences of distress, defining each citizen as either participating and helping with Canada’s “mental health crisis” or else as being part of the problem and becoming categorized through the problem groups and types taxonomized within psychiatry. In this way, I show how psychiatric hegemony represents a medicalized approach to human suffering and problems that works to depoliticize distress and stunt social justice-informed change.