VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Investigating Occupants’ Hold Behaviours on Smart Thermostats using Data Mining and Machine Learning
Keywords: data mining
machine learning
occupant behaviour
smart thermostat

This thesis investigated three aspects of hold behaviour on smart thermostat. First, the behavioural patterns of occupants’ settings were discovered by using association rule mining. The results suggest that it is very common for users to continuously use holds to adjust indoor temperature rather than using pre-set schedules of setpoint temperatures. Second, logistic regression and clustering analysis were adopted to determine the potential environmental and context factors that drive occupants to create a hold. It was found that the indoor or outdoor temperature are the most common and important potential driving factors. Last, the energy impact of hold behaviours is investigated by using predictive models. The results shows that the runtime increase due to holds is possibly linearly related to the Setpoint Temperature Demand Change, a metric that considers both temperature change and length of a hold.
Using Accelerometers to Score a Multi-domain Return-to-play Assessment for Youth Post-concussion
Keywords: Concussion
Machine learning
Rehabilitation
Return-to-play
Wearable sensors

Clinical guidelines recommend using multi-domain assessments to determine when youth may return-to-play after a concussion. However, multi-domain assessments are rarely used as they are difficult for clinicians to administer and score. This thesis describes the ideation, development, and evaluation of a system to identify movements-of-interest during a return-to-play assessment for youth (R2Play) with the aim of reducing clinician cognitive load. The system uses a low-cost accelerometer, a threshold-based algorithm, and two classifiers to automatically log initiation times, movement errors, and hesitations. To facilitate development, data was collected from 15 adults performing tasks simulating these movements. The developed algorithms achieved an ICC of 0.892±0.064 for initiation time, and F1 scores of 0.621±0.148 and 0.422±0.224 for hesitations and movement errors. Preliminary validation was performed on youth athletes (n=3) during R2Play. The system developed in this research is a step toward consistent scoring and lowering clinician cognitive load in multi-domain assessments.
Reinforcement Learning Approach for Solving the Optimal Stopping Problem
Keywords: Markov Decision Process
Operations Research
Optimal Stopping
Reinforcement Learning
Stochastic Control

The optimal stopping problem is concerned with finding an optimal policy to stop a stochastic process to maximize the expected return. This problem is critical in stochastic control and can be found in many different fields, such as operations research and finance. In this thesis, we model the optimal stopping problem as a Markov decision process and propose to solve it via a model-free value-based reinforcement learning approach, named delta-V. We consider two types of optimal stopping problems: the standard optimal stopping and the regenerative optimal stopping, which differ in their transition dynamics once the stopping action is executed. Then, we incorporate the unique structural properties of the optimal stopping problem into our algorithm design. We test our proposed approach in three cases and compare with three existing reinforcement learning algorithms. The results show that our delta-V method is able to outperform benchmark algorithms in all three cases.
Ultimate Response of Viscoelastic-plastic Damping Systems for Tall Buildings
Keywords: damping
hysteretic
links
steel
viscoelastic

The viscoelastic coupling damper (VCD) was developed to provide supplemental distributed damping to all modes of vibration and provide a multi-hazard design solution for tall buildings. The VCD system consists of viscoelastic damper panels that are bolted to steel beams, cast in the concrete structure. In seismic regions, ductile shear links are incorporated in the VCD system. During large earthquakes, the VCD exhibits a viscoelastic-plastic response as the steel links yield, limiting the forces imposed on the structure. Full-scale specimens were designed and tested to validate the ultimate response of the VCD links fabricated with conventional North American grades of steel. Numerous design details were also investigated to maximize the deformation capacity of the steel links. The experimental program showed that the VCD links are able to achieve more than the required inelastic link rotation while developing values of overstrength that are similar to those achieved by typical shear links.
Cortical Excitability and its Relationship with Clinical Symptoms in Alzheimer’s Dementia
Keywords: Alzheimer's Dementia
cognition
cortical excitability
neuropsychiatric symptoms
transcranial magnetic stimulation

Electroencephalography (EEG) studies of Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD) have shown evidence of cortical hyper-excitability, however, its relationship with cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) remains unclear. Objectives: First, we conducted a system review and meta-analyses to quantitatively synthesis the evidence of cortical excitability in AD and its relationship with clinical symptoms. Next, we compared dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) excitability between AD and older healthy individuals using transcranial magnetic stimulation paired with EEG and assessed its relationship with cognition and NPS in AD. Hypothesis: We hypothesized increased cortical excitability in AD would be inversely associated with cognition and positively associated with NPS. Results: There is increased motor cortex and DLPFC excitability in AD as compared to healthy individuals. Additionally, DLPFC excitability was inversely associated with global cognition and executive functioning, and positively associated with NPS burden in AD. Conclusions: These findings help in understanding the mechanisms underlying AD and its associated clinical symptoms.
Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Content for a Decision Aid for Implant Dentistry
Keywords: Dental Ethics
Dental Implants
Patient-Centred Care
Prosthodontics
Shared Decision Making

Implant-based therapies are a reliable treatment for the replacement of missing teeth based on decades of research and clinical use. Treatment planning is a complex process, and patients would benefit from information designed to facilitate their decision-making; however, no evidence-based decision aids exist in this field. This project aims to investigate patient and clinician perspectives on the relative importance of items to include in a decision aid for implant dentistry using an online two-round modified Delphi survey of patients, prosthodontists, periodontists, and oral surgeons across Ontario, Canada. Results report clinicians and patients identify multiple variables as important to include in a decision aid; however, significant differences exist between groups on the relative importance of items. This study suggests that development of a decision aid to meet the needs of all participant groups may be challenging, and involve further collaboration in order to address the collective needs of patients and clinicians.
Mechanisms of Lipotoxicity by Palmitate in ß-cells
Keywords: Innate immunity
Obesity
ß-cell insulin resistance
ß-cell lipotoxicity
Saturated FFA
Type 2 diabetes

Obesity chronically elevates circulating saturated free fatty acids which can mediate ß-cell dysfunction. The roles of ß-cell insulin signaling and ß-cell nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-1 receptor in this process remains unclear. First, upregulation of insulin signaling with bisperoxovanadate in islets partially prevented palmitate-induced reduction in insulin secretion and AKT activation in vitro, revealing a role of ß-cell insulin resistance in palmitate-induced ß-cell dysfunction. Next, we generated ß-cell specific NOD1-null mouse (ßKO) to investigate role of NOD1 in palmitate-induced ß-cell dysfunction. Disposition index (DI) was reduced in ethylpalmitate-infused control mice, while DI of ethylpalmitate-infused ßKO was comparable to DI of vehicle-infused mice. Islets isolated from JNK1-null mice were protected from NOD1-induced ß-cell dysfunction in vitro. These data reveal a role of NOD1-JNK1 axis in palmitate-induced ß-cell dysfunction. These findings reveal ß-cell insulin resistance and innate immunity receptors as novel mechanisms that could be targeted for manipulation in preserving ß–cell function.
News Media Framing of Climate Change in Canada: A Provincial Analysis of 2015-2018
Keywords: Canadian Regionalism
Climate Change
Climate Discourse
Discourse Analysis
Frame analysis
News Media

This thesis analyzes the framing of climate change in the most circulated news titles from six different Canadian provinces. While previous scholarship on Canadian news framing of climate change has focused on nationally circulated news media, this provincial analysis shows there are significant differences in the framing of climate change between different provinces and nationally circulated media. Some of these differences follow regional patterns, particularly in terms of a West-East divide in the use of business and industry voice, article balance, and environment as an issue theme. The use of risk and benefit frames was particularly unique in Alberta’s Calgary Herald, wherein regional economic interests were emphasized more so than in any other news title looked at. News articles were also qualitatively analyzed to reveal important differences in narrative construction between articles with identical frame use. This highlights the importance of combining quantitative and qualitative methods in this research area.
Revealing the Secrets of Small Talk: Can Adult Language Learners Be Taught This Sociolinguistic Skill?
Keywords: pre-test/post-test design
small talk
teaching

The purpose of this study was to determine whether it is feasible to teach adult second language learners in instructional settings how to make small talk in a pragmatically appropriate manner. Making small talk is a way to express friendliness in English. It creates stronger social bonds between people (Laver, 1975; Malinowski, 1923). Newcomers can experience difficulty becoming socially integrated when they are not familiar with expected rituals, including how to make small talk. This study’s intervention was seven lessons on making small talk delivered to five adult learners of English in the greater Toronto area. The study’s data came from small talk interactions between participants and an actor. Learner performance on small talk measures improved after the intervention, interactions were shorter, and participants used a wider variety of common ground strategies including telling more stories. Implications for educators and policymakers include prioritizing the pragmatic competence of adult English learners.
Shifted-beam Array of Coils for Highly Focal Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Keywords: Brain stimulation
Coil design
Field focusing
Focality
Transcranial magnetic stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive method of brain stimulation which uses electromagnetic induction to excite currents in the brain. This technique is useful in treating a wide range of psychiatric disorders and is extremely well-tolerated by patients. In neuroscience, TMS is also used as a tool for studying brain connectivity and mapping the cerebral cortex. The principal goal of TMS is to generate a focal E-field spot at a desired target region; however, this is greatly complicated by the physical properties of brain tissue as well as hardware limitations. As a result, highly focal TMS has remained an active area of research since the technique was first developed. This thesis presents a new method of TMS E-field focusing using principles based on shifted-beam antenna arrays, resulting in focality superior to effectively all currently realizable designs. Practical considerations for implementing the proposed designs are also discussed, as well as possible directions for future work.
Contraceptive Use and the Risk of Ovarian Cancer among Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutation
Keywords: BRCA
contraception
intrauterine device
ovarian cancer
risk factor

BRCA mutation carriers face a high lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer. Oral contraceptives are protective in this high-risk population; however, the impact of other types of contraception (e.g. intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants, injections) is unknown. This study evaluated the relationships between type of contraception and risk of developing ovarian cancer among women with a BRCA mutation. Ever use of any contraceptive was significantly associated with reduced risk of ovarian cancer, which was driven by significant inverse associations with oral contraceptives and implants. We observed a similar albeit non-significant effect with use of injections and IUDs. No significant associations were observed between patterns of IUD use and risk of ovarian cancer. These findings support a protective effect of oral contraceptives and implants on risk of ovarian cancer among women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. The possible reduced risk with use of injections and IUDs requires further evaluation.
Learning to Detect Slip Using Barometric Tactile Sensors
Keywords: Deep Learning
Grasping
Perception for Grasping
Tactile Sensing

The ability to perceive object slip through tactile feedback allows humans to accomplish complex manipulation tasks. For robots, however, detecting key events such as slip from tactile information is a challenge. This work explores a learning-based method to detect slip using barometric tactile sensors that have many desirable properties; they are durable, highly reliable, and built from inexpensive components. We collect a novel dataset specifically targeted for robustness, and train a TCN to detect slip. The trained detector achieves an accuracy of greater than 91% on test data while displaying robustness to the speed and direction of the slip motion. When tested on two robot manipulation tasks involving a variety of common objects, our detector demonstrates generalization to previously unseen objects. This is the first time that barometric tactile-sensing technology, combined with data-driven learning, has been used for a manipulation task like slip detection.
Sleep Fragmentation, Astroglial Activation, and Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults
Keywords: astrocyte activation
cognitive impairment
older adults
rna sequencing
sleep fragmentation

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other dementias are a growing public health concern. Emerging evidence suggests that sleep disruption may contribute to the risk of dementia. In model organisms, sleep disruption can lead to astrocyte activation and impaired cognition. However, whether this is true in older humans is uncertain. We tested the hypothesis that sleep fragmentation is associated with astrocyte activation and downstream cognitive impairment. We used published human single nucleus RNA-seq data to identify marker genes for human activated astrocytes, and quantified the expression of these genes from bulk RNA-seq of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex tissue from 1080 older adults. We related this to antemortem sleep fragmentation measured by actigraphy and to cognitive function. Greater sleep fragmentation was associated with greater expression of activated astrocyte marker genes, which was in turn associated with worse cognition. This is compatible with the hypothesis that astrocyte activation may link sleep fragmentation to cognitive impairment.
Molecular Doping of Conjugated Polymers
Keywords: Conjugated polymers
Molecular doping
n-Doping
Organic semiconductors
p-Doping
Polychalcogenophenes

Described in this thesis are positive and negative molecular doping of conjugated polymers. These projects present various strategies to increase free charge carriers within a polymer-dopant system and investigate their structure-property relationships.Chapter one is a broad introduction of doping of organic semiconductors. This chapter defines what doping of organic semiconductors is and provides common examples of doping of conjugated polymers and organic semiconductors. Chapter two presents the first two strategies to increase electrical conductivity of polythiophene analogues. First, the heteroatom of poly(3-alkylchalcogenophenes) is changed from S to Se, to Te which impacts the doping efficiency. Secondly, the dopant counter anion size also impacts the doping efficiency. Morphology is discussed to explain theses trends. Chapter three investigates the negative-doping of poly(benzotriazole). This chapter explores the attempts and challenges of n-doping of negative-type homopolymers which includes using different types of dopants as well as synthetic routes to novel fluorinated of poly(benzotriazole)s.
Optimizing Gestational Weight Gain in Twin Pregnancies
Keywords: Gestational Weight Gain
High Risk Pregnancy
Multiple Pregnancy
Obstetrics
Preterm Birth
Twin Pregnancy

INTRODUCTION: Data on the optimal gestational weight gain (GWG) in twin pregnancies and the implications of inadequate GWG on pregnancy complications in this population are limited.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the implications of inadequate GWG in twin pregnancies, identify the optimal range of GWG, and develop and implement a new care pathway aimed at optimizing GWG in this population. METHODS: We conducted the following separate (but strongly related) projects to address the objectives described above: (1) A systematic review and meta-analysis; (2) A retrospective cohort study; (3) A national survey among Canadian maternal-fetal-medicine specialists; (4) A new care pathway aimed at optimizing GWG in twins. RESULTS: (1) The meta-analysis revealed that over half (56.8%) of women with twins experience GWG outside of recommendations. Low-GWG was associated with preterm birth, while high-GWG was associated with preeclampsia. (2) Our retrospective study confirmed the findings of the meta-analysis in our local population. In addition, we identified new, outcome-based optimal GWG range in twins, which had better correlation with outcomes compared with current guidelines. (3) Through the survey we identified considerable inconsistencies and potential barriers for optimal GWG in twins; (4) We designed and implemented a new care pathway to optimize GWG in our Twins Clinic at Sunnybrook. CONCLUSIONS: GWG is an important and modifiable risk factor for preterm birth and other pregnancy complications in twin gestations, making its optimization an important goal of antenatal care in this population.
Analysis of Biomarkers following an Aerobic Exercise Intervention for Individuals Recovering from Concussion
Keywords: Active Rehabilitation
Blood Biomarkers
Concussion
Concussion Management

There is growing evidence documenting the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise following concussion, however, the biological underpinnings contributing to these positive outcomes are less well understood. To date, no empirical studies in humans have examined the exercise-mediated neurotrophic and neuroinflammatory responses following concussion. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to examine neurotrophic, inflammatory, and axonal injury blood biomarkers in those exposed to a structured aerobic exercise (AE) protocol and those exposed to a usual care (UC) protocol. No significant difference between the two groups were identified at 21-days post-injury (PI). Additionally, the change in blood biomarker concentrations from 7- to 21-days PI for all biomarkers analyzed was not significantly different between groups. These findings suggest that blood biomarker profiles do not appear to be significantly different between those exposed to structured aerobic exercise or usual care protocols acutely following concussion.
Characterization and Relative Efficacy of Muscarinic Receptor Antagonism at the Hypoglossal Motor Nucleus to Block Inhibition of Tongue Motor Activity
Keywords: Genioglossus
Hypoglossal
Muscarinic receptor
Obstructive sleep apnea
omadacycline
oxybutynin

The hypoglossal motor nucleus (HMN) is the origin of motor output to the tongue, with decreased activity in sleep precipitating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in humans. Our laboratory has identified that muscarinic receptor antagonism at the HMN increases tongue motor activity in sleep. A clinical study also showed that oxybutynin (a muscarinic receptor antagonist) combined with atomoxetine (a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor) greatly reduced OSA severity; however, their site of action is unknown. Accordingly, we hypothesized that oxybutynin is an effective muscarinic receptor antagonist at the HMN, and characterized its relative efficacy with other muscarinic receptor antagonists. We recorded tongue muscle activity of anesthetized rats in response to the microperfusion of HMN with several muscarinic receptor antagonists during (i) muscarinic receptor stimulation and (ii) increased endogenous acetylcholine elicited by eserine. This thesis identifies that oxybutynin prevents tongue motor suppression due to increased endogenous acetylcholine by antagonizing muscarinic receptors at the HMN.
Evaluating the Adequacy and Potential Use of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in Punjabi Communities
Keywords: Brampton
Inequality
Mental Health
Mental Health First Aid
Peel
Punjabi

Mental health first aid (MHFA) is a psycho-educational intervention aimed at promoting mental health and training lay populations to intervene during mental health crises (Mental Health Commission of Canada, no date). Despite its increasing popularity, little research has been conducted into evaluating the adequacy of MHFA with ethno-racialized communities. Peel region, Ontario, is considered an ‘ethnic enclave’ for Canada’s South Asian migrant populations, with a distinctive presence of Punjabi communities (Qadeer, Agrawal and Lovell, 2010). This study critically considers the adequacy of MHFA and its application to Punjabi communities in Peel region. Through an approach based in Critical Race Theory (CRT), this study presents the obstacles and facilitators to MHFA, its perceived adequacy and use with an ultimate view to improving mental health outcomes for Punjabi communities. This study concludes that MHFA is generally perceived as adequate, its applicability is limited in the contexts of research participants.
“A tug of war”: Perspectives on Masculinities in Canadian Men’s Ice Hockey
Keywords: Athletes
Hegemonic masculinity
Ice Hockey
Male athletes
Masculinity
Sport

This study’s purpose was to explore masculinities in male university hockey players. A total of seven Canadian male university athletes participated in semi-structured interviews. The anonymous interviews covered experiences and perceptions of masculinity in hockey. Two types of masculinities were reportedly experienced. The first more salient form, resembled hegemonic masculinity, and reflected certain expectations and pressures for male hockey players to conform to. The second less dominant form, reflected a challenge to the hegemonic norm, characterised by respectful and inclusive qualities. These findings are interpreted to suggest that men may conform to hegemonic masculinity due to multiple factors, specifically external pressures. The embodiment of the secondary form of masculinity may be encouraged by factors such as team culture. These findings support recent literature highlighting the complicated relationship between hegemonic and competing masculinities. Future research is needed to identify enabling influences for male athletes to embody more progressive and positive masculinities.