VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Light Emitting Diode (LED) on the Healing of Endosseous Intraoral Implants
Keywords: LED
OsseoPulse
Osstell
photobiomodulation
Implant stability
ISQ
crestal bone
RCT

Purpose: To assess the role of photobiomodulation on bone healing around dental implants. Materials and Methods: 72 patients requiring 76 dental implants were included. All patients received dental implant(s.) Treatment group had also to apply LED to surgical sites. ISQ of implants was measured following implant placement and at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks postoperatively. Radiographs were taken after insertion and at 8 weeks postoperatively. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Stata. Results: Treatment group showed an increase in ISQ values over the follow-up period compared to control (p < 0.001). Primary effect of LED on ISQ values was seen over the first 2 weeks (p < 0.05). Treatment group showed less decrease in crestal bone height at 8 weeks (p = 0.05). Conclusions: Data suggest that photobiomodulation will allow for a continuous increase in ISQ value and may reduce crestal bone resorption following implant placement.
A Patient Opinion Survey to Identify Perceived Barriers to the Introduction of a Screening Program for Depression in a Hemodialysis Population
Keywords: Depression
Barriers
Screening
Hemodialysis

Patient-related barriers may reduce the effectiveness of screening for depression. This study aimed to explore perceived barriers to participation in a Screening Program for Depression by hemodialysis patients. In a cross-sectional study of hemodialysis patients, the Perceived Barriers to Psychological Treatment questionnaire was used to measure barriers to the Screening Program. Of 160 participants, 73.1% perceived at least one barrier (95% CI, 66.2% to 80.0%). The most common barriers were concerns about the side effects of antidepressant medications (40%), concerns about having more medications (32%), feeling that the problem is not severe enough (23%), and perceiving no risk of depression (23%). A high depression score was an independent predictor of barriers related to perceiving no benefit of the Screening Program and psychological, social, and practical barriers. We believe that patient-related barriers need to be addressed before implementing any case identification and treatment program for depression.
Magnetic Attitude Control of Microsatellites In Geocentric Orbits
Keywords: hybrid attitude control
magnetic attitudde control

Attitude control of spacecraft in low Earth orbits can be achieved by exploiting the torques generated by the geomagnetic field. Recent research has demonstrated that attitude stability of a spacecraft is possible using a linear combination of Euler parameters and angular velocity feedback. The research carried out in this thesis implements a hybrid scheme consisting of magnetic control using on-board dipole moments and a three-axis actuation scheme such as reaction wheels and thrusters. A stability analysis is formulated and analyzed using Floquet and Lyapunov stability theorems.
Parallel Sorting on the Heterogeneous AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Unit
Keywords: Parallel sorting
Radix sort
Heterogeneous computing
GPU
GPGPU
AMD Fusion
Llano
APU
Accelerated Processing Unit
OpenCL
Fusion Sort
GPU computing

We explore efficient parallel radix sort for the AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Unit (APU). Two challenges arise: efficiently partitioning data between the CPU and GPU and the allocation of data in memory regions. Our coarse-grained implementation utilizes both the GPU and CPU by sharing data at the begining and end of the sort. Our fine-grained implementation utilizes the APU’s integrated memory system to share data throughout the sort. Both these implementations outperform the current state of the art GPU radix sort from NVIDIA. We therefore demonstrate that the CPU can be efficiently used to speed up radix sort on the APU. Our fine-grained implementation slightly outperforms our coarse-grained implementation. This demonstrates the benefit of the APU’s integrated architecture. This performance benefit is hindered by limitations in the APU’s architecture and programming model. We believe that the performance benefits will increase once these limitations are addressed in future generations of the APU.
Nasometric Measurement and the Classification of Resonance Disorders: Equipment Evaluation and a Tentative Classification System
Keywords: Resonance Disorders
Nasometry
Nasalance

Resonance disorders due to cleft palate and other aetiologies are frequently assessed in conjunction with nasometry. The most commonly used instrument is the Nasometer by KayPentax. A new model Nasometer 6450 was compared to an older model 6200 using both synthetic and speech stimuli. There was a particular focus on test-retest variability of the instrument. The Nasometers were found to yield comparable results. The inter session test-retest variability ranged from six to eight points, depending on the stimulus. The Nasometer 6450 was then used to collect nasalance scores of simulated resonance disorders. A discriminant analysis was applied to these scores. The resultant formulas were moderately successful in predicting perceived resonance when applied to pre-existing data sets.
Ground Segment Software Design and Development for Nanosatellite Space Missions
Keywords: nanosatellite
ground segment
ground software
ground station
CanX-3
CanX-4/-5

For spacecraft development, realizing strong supporting ground segment software is as important as designing the actual hardware component of the spacecraft. This thesis describes the author’s contributions to the ground segment software design and development for nanosatellite space missions at the UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory. Particular emphasis is given to the ground segment software for the CanX-3 and CanX-4/-5 missions. For the CanX-3 mission, several software applications are explored, specifically ground control software for the payload on-board computer and star tracker, and mission planning software. For the CanX-4/-5 mission, its mission monitor and control software, and whole orbit data parser are discussed. For each software application, design considerations and decisions made during the development are explained. Furthermore, detailed discussions on their architectural and graphical user interface design and implementation are presented.
More Work, Less Play: Power, Household Work and Leisure Expereinces of Chinese Immigrant Women in Canada
Keywords: immigrant, woman
lesiure, household work

This thesis focuses on Chinese immigrant women’s experiences of household work and leisure in Canada. Socialist feminist perspective is used for an analysis of in-depth conversations with ten Chinese immigrant women with children. Results show that Chinese immigrant women experienced a significant increase of household work and a dramatic decrease on leisure pursuits after immigration and/or the birth of their children, implying that gender inequalities are reproduced and reinforced. Chinese immigrant women encounter and negotiate forms of tension resulted from the striking difference of being in China and being in Canada, their change in social status and their changed gender status. This thesis may contribute background knowledge for the practitioners in recreational programs and social works specialized in immigrant settlement services. Future research could be the motives for immigration, the actual experiences of immigration; a comparative study between Chinese immigrant women and women of other ethnicities is also suggested.
Control of Time-dependent Transverse Cracking in Reinforced Concrete Bridge Decks
Keywords: bridge
concrete
deck slab
CPCI
shrinkage
long term effect
cracking
crack width

Transverse cracking in bridge decks has been found to be a rising problem for slab-on-girder bridges. In response to the concern, this research examined the influence of structural parameters and developed an analytical truss model, based on finite element modelling responses, for predicting the condition of long term cracking. Crack widths predicted using the truss model are very similar to that measured in a recent survey of Ontario highway overpass bridges. The approach to control cracking in deck slabs through structural design decisions enables engineers to provide high cracking resistance at locations of the bridge deck that are most likely to crack. Recommendations were made, based on the findings obtained from two sets of parametric studies, to help ensure transverse cracking in bridge decks is properly controlled for typical slab-on-girder bridges designed using the empirical design method specified in the current Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code.
Effect of Methylphenidate on Attention in Apathetic Alzheimer’s Disease Patients and Association with Apathy Changes in a Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease
apathy
attention
methylphenidate

Emerging evidence supports the use of methylphenidate (MPH) for the treatment of apathy in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to investigate the additional effects of MPH on attention in an AD sample and the relationship between apathy and attention. AD patients enrolled in a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study to examine the safety and efficacy of MPH (10mg PO twice daily) for the treatment of apathetic symptoms were tested on attention and apathy every 2 weeks for 6 weeks. A mixed effects linear regression revealed attention change scores (endpoint - baseline) over time favouring MPH (δ=1.01, p=0.03), though there were no significant associations between apathy and attention change scores (r=-0.08, p=0.54). These results suggest that while MPH can improve both apathy and attention, the effects appear independent in this patient population. This study provides insight into the different effects MPH can produce in a heterogeneous disease such as AD.
Optimal Siting of Distributed Wind Farms in Ontario, Canada
Keywords: wind energy
spatial dispersion

Increasing wind penetration adds to the importance of enhancing the reliability of wind, to mitigate the magnitude and frequency of changes in electricity generation. This work addresses how improvements can be made to reliability through the geographic dispersal of wind farms in Ontario, Canada, using modeled North American Regional Reanalysis data. Optimal configurations of wind farm locations are determined according to two criteria. The first selects combinations of wind farms that follow temporal demand patterns, by maximizing the difference between the energy price and the cost of electricity. The second attempts to select combinations of wind farms that minimize the coefficient of variation in the aggregate output. It is found that there are no wind regimes in Ontario that match demand sufficiently for a viable development strategy, but that combinations of as few as three locations can reduce the coefficient of variation by over 30%, compared to a single region.
The Effect of 17Beta- and 17Alpha-estradiol on Myelination and Remyelination in Cerebellar Slices
Keywords: multiple sclerosis
estrogen
myelination
remyelination

Multiple sclerosis is thought to be an autoimmune disease that causes lesions and demyelination of axons in the central nervous system. A reduction in relapses is seen in the third trimester of pregnancy when estrogen levels are highest, followed by an increase in relapses in the first three months post-partum when estrogen levels drop. This thesis focuses on the effect of 17beta- and 17alpha-estradiol on myelination and remyelination in cultured rat cerebellar slices. No reproducible effect of 17beta-estradiol on myelination was detected. However, during lysolecithin-induced demyelination it had a possible protective effect in males and females, although it was not statistically significant. During myelination, 100 nM 17alpha-estradiol caused a small but significant decrease in MBP expression in females. During lysolecithin-induced demyelination, it had a possible, but not statistically significant, protective effect in males. Neither 17beta- nor 17alpha-estradiol had a reproducible or significant effect on remyelination in males or females.
PScout: Analyzing the Android Permission Specification
Keywords: Android
Permissions
Smartphone

Modern smartphone operating systems (OSs) have been developed with a greater emphasis on security and protecting privacy. One of the security mechanisms these systems use is permission system. We perform an analysis of the Android permission system in an attempt to begin answering some of the questions that have arisen about its design and implementation. We developed PScout, a tool that extracts the permission specification from the Android OS source code using static analysis and analyzed 5 versions of Android spanning version 2.2 up to the recently released Android 4.1. Our main findings are that while there is little redundancy in the permission specification, if applications could be constrained to only use documented APIs, then about 18-26% of the non-system permissions can be hidden. Finally, we find that a trade-off exists between enabling least-privilege security with fine-grained permissions and maintaining stability of the permission specification as the Android OS evolves.
Biochemical and Biophysical Studies of Human SUR1 NBD1, Rat SUR2A NBD2 and the Role of the C-terminal Extension in Rat SUR2A NBD1
Keywords: rSUR2A NBD1
hSUR1 NBD1
rSUR2A NBD2
NBDs
potassium channel
KATP channel
NBD1 phosphorylation
C-terminal extension
Tryptophan quenching
Thermal denaturation
NMR
Regulation of NBD1
Acrylamide quenching
Iodide quenching
Fluorescence
Circular dichroism
NBD1 C-terminal tail
MgATP binding

SUR2A-mediated regulation of KATP channels is affected by residues belonging to the C terminus of the first nucleotide binding domain (NBD1). We studied the C-terminal region of NBD1 by comparing experiments using NBD1 S615-D914 and NBD1 S615-K972 constructs to studies of NBD1 S615-L933 also performed in our laboratory. Our NMR data suggests that the C-terminal region of NBD1 from residues Q915 to L933 is disordered and transiently contacts the NBD1 core, which may affect NBD1 phosphorylation. Tryptophan quenching fluorescence experiments corroborate that the Q915-L933 C-terminal tail contacts the NBD1 core. Fluorescence thermal denaturation experiments suggest that NBD1 S615-D914 has a higher affinity for MgATP compared with NBD1 S615-L933, implying that the C-terminal tail varies MgATP binding. Additional experiments were performed to identify soluble constructs of hSUR1 NBD1 and rSUR2A NBD2 that would allow detailed biophysical studies of these domains. Some of the constructs studied showed improved solubility and stability.
The Saudi Tʿawuni Insurance Model: Concerns about Compatibility with Islamic law in Accomodating “Risk”
Keywords: Insurance
Islamic Law
Saudi Arabian Law
Sharia

The Saudi taʿawuni insurance model, despite claiming to be compatible with Islamic transactional rules, in fact violates the prohibition of gharar (risk) through its commercial structure. The study investigates the ways in which gharar (risk) is accommodated in modern insurance models. It argues that the most appropriate solution to comply with the doctrine of gharar, is to de-commercialize the taʿawuni model by adopting the mutual insurance model, which is capable of satisfying the requirements of sharia relating to the prohibition of trading in gharar
The Pedagogy of Existential Questioning: Finding Hope through Despair
Keywords: existentialism, pedagogy, Sartre, Heidegger, affect, hope, despair

My thesis examines existential questioning as a method towards becoming pedagogical. I argue that a pedagogy of existential questioning, as an experience of a distinctive moment characterized by growing uncertainty, is the complete opposite of what we understand the role of pedagogy in the culture of learning to be. As a result, existential questioning is uncomfortable and often unbearable. I argue through Heideggerean and Sartrean questioning, that it is precisely this feeling of discomfort that signals the beginning of becoming pedagogical. I then proceed to articulate the process of existential questioning as hopeful, developing my concept of “hopeful despair” and “desperate hope” to argue for the ambiguous and pedagogical nature of hope. I proceed to look at ways in which existential questioning can be “played” in higher education, and the ways in which the uncomfortable work of becoming pedagogical can in fact be full of wonder, gratification and utter delight.
Reframing Classroom Encounters: Teachers Making Sense of School Securitization
Keywords: securitization
school violence
surveillance
race
teacher identities

This thesis explores the discourses available to teachers in navigating and making sense of their role in the securitization of high schools. My analysis is based on semi-structured interviews conducted with nine teachers working in urban schools in Toronto. Drawing on frameworks from post-colonial, critical race, and urban education studies, I argue that school securitization is not just complicated by racism, but structured and enabled by it. While there is an urgent need to resist the implementation of particular security and surveillance measures that intensify the targeted disqualification of racialized youth, it is equally if not more important to uncover and resist the ways that racial thinking organizes a much wider range of classroom encounters and pedagogical practices. I urge teachers to interrogate their investments in the categories and subject positions that race thinking makes available, including those that are desirable and pleasurable.
How Does Job-embedded Teacher Development Influence Childrens' Experience of Mathematics?
Keywords: early childhood education
mathematics
teacher development
teacher noticing
play based learning
job-embedded teacher development

This action-based, qualitative research project involving 7 early childhood educators working in a well-established preschool child care program examined the influences of job-embedded professional development on children’s experiences of mathematics. Data was collected through observations, journals, conversations, interviews, and surveys, and then analyzed using a grounded theory model. A number of themes emerged, the strongest being those related to teachers’ increased awareness, interpretation, and support of children’s explorations in mathematics during play. This project provides an example of a successful model of teacher development for early childhood educators, and contributes to the growing field of research in mathematics education related to teacher noticing, but at the preschool level. Further, with the introduction of full day kindergarten and the emphasis on play based learning this project provides many rich examples of the mathematics present in children's every day play that can be used in future teacher development.
An Examination of the Role of Student Loan-debt Nexus in First Generation Female Students' Lives: A Case Study at One Canadian University Campus
Keywords: student loan
first generation
debt
higher education

Paying back student loans is a challenge for many Canadians. Seven female students who belong to the category of the first generation group shared their experience of student loan-debt. Since the amount of financial support is limited or unavailable, student loans are an option for those families who cannot provide financial support for their children to participate in higher education. This thesis deploys the experience of first generation women student loan borrowers as a part of the growing role of finances in higher education. It examines their stories of negotiation and challenges from the perspective of feminist social enquiry. Participants shared their present situation, future planning, and overall experience of taking student loans. Above all, this study attempts to explore those aspects of life of first generation females which are affected through the process of repaying student loans.
Learning to Teach in an Intensive Introductory TESL Training Course: A Case Study of English Teacher Learning
Keywords: Learning to teach English
TESL
TEFL
TESOL
pre-service
trainee teacher
teacher training
teacher education
ESL
second language teacher eduation
previous learning experiences and beliefs
previous teaching experiences
sociocultural theory
identity negotiation
interpersonal space
holistic orientation to curriculum
practicum
transformative pedagogy
case study
teacher learning
EFL
teacher trainer
English language teachers
English language teaching
ELT
TESL Canada

Despite a growing body of research on trainee teachers’ learning during pre-service programs, intensive introductory TESL training courses are still designed to instruct a “standard” type of trainee teacher. This research study investigates the factors that mediate trainee teachers’ learning process as well as the interaction between these factors, which either facilitate and/or hinder trainee teachers’ success during an intensive introductory TESL training course. Using a qualitative holistic single-case study, informed by an interpretivist perspective, this study explores how three trainee teachers learned how to teach during a course in Southern Ontario, Canada. An integrated conceptual framework, formed by a sociocultural perspective of teacher learning, a holistic view of curriculum, and transformative pedagogy was employed and the findings include four major factors that mediated trainee teachers’ teacher learning process and three types of interaction that facilitated and/or hindered their success during the program.
Simultaneous Protein and Biodiesel Production from Yellow Mustard Seed with Isopropyl Alcohol Extraction
Keywords: Oilseeds extraction
Biodiesel production

Aqueous extraction of yellow mustard seed recovers oil in the form of oil-in-water emulsion. In this study, the ternary phase diagram of IPA, oil and water was developed to design an effective oil extraction process of oil-in-water emulsion. A 4-stage extraction process recovered 92.3% of oil from the emulsion into virtually anhydrous IPA-oil miscella. The oil and water separation and IPA usage efficiency was improved by using recycled solvent, but the oil recovery was decreased to 86.0%. The obtained IPA-oil miscella can be used directly in biodiesel production. The use of IPA as a reactant and a co-solvent in transesterification was investigated in this study. Isopropanolysis at 1.2% KOH resulted in 54% ester content in the product. When IPA was used as a co-solvent in methanolysis, the transesterification was drastically improved. The product met the total glycerol limit of the ASTM biodiesel standard within 10 minutes, with over 99% ester content.
Investigation of Simulator Motion Drive Algorithms for Airplane Upset Simulation
Keywords: Motion Drive Algorithms
Flight Simulation
Airplane upset
Upset Recovery Simulation

Currently, it is uncertain how well a typical ground-based simulator's hexapod motion system can simulate the aggressive motion during airplane upset. To address this issue, this thesis attempts to improve simulator motion for upset recovery simulation by defining new motion fidelity criteria, implementing body frame filtering, and improving an existing adaptive motion drive algorithm. The successfully improved adaptive algorithm was used to conduct a paired comparison experiment to study the effects of trade-offs between translational and rotational motion cues on pilot subjective fidelity and upset recovery performance. Analysis of the experimental data found that pilots generally rejected motion with false lateral cues and they preferred the presence of rotational cues for moderate roll angles. Also, performance analysis suggested that roll cues helped improve lateral control. Overall, pilots preferred to have simulator motion during upset simulation and significant improvements in performance were observed when simulator motion was present.