VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Feasibility of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation as an Adjunct to Physiotherapy in Children and Youth wth Acquired Brain Injury
Keywords: Acquired Brain Injury
Inpatient Rehabilitation
Pediatric
Physiotherapy
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Background: Children and youth with subacute moderate to severe acquired brain injury (ABI) experience plateaus in gross motor recovery toward the end of inpatient rehabilitation. Thus, novel treatment adjuncts may be used to enhance recovery. The primary objective of this dissertation was to evaluate the feasibility of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an adjunct to inpatient physiotherapy in school-aged children and youth with ABI. Methods: A chart review was conducted to establish the gross motor change associated with inpatient ABI. A systematic review was undertaken to determine if motor evoked potentials (MEP) are an appropriate neural outcome for tDCS protocols involving motor intervention in healthy individuals. A tDCS feasibility trial was conducted at the author’s pediatric rehabilitation centre where participants were randomized to receive either 20 minutes of sham or active anodal tDCS immediately prior to their existing inpatient physiotherapy sessions for up to 16 sessions. Results: The chart review provided an estimate of gross motor change for inpatient ABI rehabilitation with two of the outcome measures implemented in the feasibility study. The systematic review revealed that MEP outcomes varied considerably across tDCS studies and were therefore not measured in the feasibility study. Feasibility study eligibility and retention were lower than the a priori targets. Over 21 months, six children were eligible for the study, four enrolled in the study, three commenced the study protocol, and one completed all study sessions. Symptom ratings before and after each tDCS session suggest that the participants tolerated tDCS. Physiotherapy session documentation and analysis detailed the motor learning strategies content of the physiotherapy sessions accompanying tDCS. Conclusions: This dissertation established gross motor outcomes associated with inpatient pediatric ABI rehabilitation and identified the limitations of MEPs as a neural outcome. While eligibility and retention were barriers to tDCS study feasibility, our study processes (including differentiating between ABI symptoms and tDCS side effects, analyzing the physiotherapy session content paired with the tDCS, and evaluating gross motor outcomes with a complementary set of outcome measures) were feasible and can be applied in future tDCS research in pediatric ABI.
Promoting Higher Education Institutes: Issues and Practices
Keywords: Education Marketing
Higher Education Marketing
Higher Education Promotion
Marketing Higher Education
Promoting Higher Education
Promoting University

The purpose of this research is to examine how universities promote themselves. In particular, it explores why these institutions engage in promotional activities, the promotional strategies they adopt, the challenges they face in promoting themselves, as well as the outcome of the promotional activities. The literature review examined each of the elements of promotion mix (advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, personal selling, digital marketing/social media and public relations) in the context of universities. Most of the studies conducted earlier were theoretical in nature. This study enriches the existing literature by empirically examining all of the elements of promotion mix together in the context of universities. The methodology used was qualitative. Data was collected by interviewing eight departmental staff members who are directly involved in the promotional activities of their respective departments within a university. The findings suggest that the universities engage in promotion activities to promote their ranking as well as to establish their positioning as a reputable brand which helps to increase student enrollment and revenue either in the form of more tuition or in the form of non-governmental funding. Implications for practice are discussed, highlighting the advantages as well as the challenges practitioners may face while executing a promotion mix strategy. For example, research highlights the advantages of TV advertising in reaching a wide range of audiences, yet it also tells the practitioner to be careful of the high cost of TV advertising which may not be suitable for one’s budget. Similarly, while social media marketing is very effective in reaching a wide audience, marketers need to be careful of the user generated content which may or may not be suitable for an organization’s promotional efforts. Lastly, directions for future research are also discussed guiding the readers on how to further enhance research on this topic by either conducting a quantitative study and/or developing an international study to enhance generalizability of this research.
Who Should I Trust? Uncertainty and Risk for Knowledge Transfer from Multiple Sources in Reinforcement Learning Domains
Keywords: Bayesian Inference
Deep Learning
Ensemble
Reinforcement Learning
Risk
Transfer Learning

Despite the recent success of reinforcement learning (RL) in simulated domains and industrial applications, sample-efficiency remains a fundamental limitation of many model-free algorithms. Transfer learning mitigates this problem by using prior knowledge obtained by solving one set of tasks in order to accelerate the convergence on future tasks. However, while many frameworks have been proposed to successfully transfer different kinds of knowledge representations between tasks, existing transfer learning approaches remain largely incognizant to risk and uncertainty during transfer. In this thesis, we identify two sources of risk that must be addressed in order to make transfer learning from multiple knowledge sources more reliable and autonomous: epistemic uncertainty arises due to a lack of uncertainty about the model predictions, while aleatory uncertainty arises due to the stochastic nature of the environment. We address epistemic uncertainty by leveraging Bayesian model combination (BMC) to quantify and utilize uncertainty over the selection of knowledge sources for transfer, and we develop novel analytical techniques to efficiently tackle approximate Bayesian inference to train such models. We demonstrate the success of the proposed framework by transferring value functions, policies, and raw demonstrations between tasks. Next, we begin our treatment of aleatory uncertainty by highlighting some of the challenges in accounting for such risks during transfer, namely the lack of computationally tractable solutions that also provide theoretical assurances on the quality of transfer and control of risk. To mitigate this problem, we begin with two transfer learning approaches that have been highly successful in risk-neutral transfer -- namely potential-based reward shaping and successor features -- and extend them to the risk-sensitive setting. We empirically validate all our contributions on standard RL benchmarks, where they are shown to outperform other state-of-the-art transfer learning approaches in terms of robustness to noise and covariance shift in the training data, risk-sensitivity, and ease of interpretation.
Misconduct Mismanagement: Independent Oversight, Accountability, and the Rule of Law
Keywords: Accountability
Case Study
Independent Oversight
Police Misconduct
Regulation and Governance
Rule of Law

Over the last few decades, there has been increasing interest in research and theory on police oversight. Likewise, different types and layers of oversight mechanisms have been introduced to advance the democratic policing ideal. Unfortunately, the endless cases of police wrongdoing, oversight decisions that are almost always stacked against members of the public, and a series of civil protests across the Western world against police brutality and abuse of power suggest that the added layers of external oversight have yet to deliver the promised outcome. Some elements of democratic policing—such as the use of minimal coercion, respect for human rights, justice, equality, and responsive policing—explicitly relate to how policing services are delivered through the behaviours and decisions of individual police officers. Others—such as independent oversight, accountability, and the rule of law—are directly relevant to the control mechanisms that moderate their discretionary authority. Most existing studies on police oversight, such as those focused on social psychological theory of procedural justice, lack conceptual clarity on these elements. The majority of studies on this topic overlooks the role of institutional design and dynamics in relation to the overarching aim of democratic policing as they primarily focus on individual-level subjective evaluations and the willingness to obey. My dissertation conducts a case study of Ontario, Canada. It takes a qualitative approach using primarily case law, governmental reports, and semi-structured interviews with the oversight officials and other key stakeholders as data sources. I analyze the practices and implications of having heterogeneous external oversight mechanisms within the same regulatory space for democratic policing. I outline several inconsistencies within the democratic policing framework and shortcomings of the police oversight system that relies on a heterogeneous network of arm’s length authorities. I find that both the rules and values enshrined in the oversight system—however all-encompassing and -promising they may sound—permit considerable room for interpretation; and the same logic and formula that failed the previous oversight regime continue to paralyze the new oversight arrangements.
Insight into the Neurophysiology of Major Depressive Disorder in Youth and its Treatment Via Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Keywords: Adolescence
Depression
Electroencephalography
Major Depressive Disorder
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Youth

Approximately 30 – 50% of youth with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) do not respond to conventional treatments. Accordingly, novel treatments are needed for this population. A greater understanding of the pathophysiology of youth MDD may help guide the development of such treatments. In adults with MDD, theta burst stimulation (TBS) applied to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been found to be clinically effective. However, the clinical and neurophysiological effects of TBS for youth MDD have not been investigated. It was hypothesized that youth with MDD would exhibit excessive DLPFC cortical reactivity, as probed by combined transcranial magnetic stimulation-electroencephalography (TMS-EEG), relative to healthy youth. It was also predicted that for treatment of youth MDD, bilateral DLPFC TBS would be clinically effective, and would reduce DLPFC cortical reactivity. Finally, it was hypothesized that baseline cortical inhibition of the DLPFC would predict treatment response to TBS. In study one, cortical reactivity of six cortical sites (bilateral DLPFC, motor cortex, and inferior parietal lobules (IPL)) was assayed in healthy youth and youth with MDD. In accordance with our hypothesis, youth with MDD exhibited significantly greater cortical reactivity in the bilateral DLPFC relative to healthy youth; no differences were found in the motor cortices or IPLs. In study two, youth with MDD underwent ten sessions of bilateral DLPFC TBS. This treatment was found to be safe, feasible, and effective in significantly reducing depressive symptoms. In study three, the neurophysiological effects of bilateral DLPFC TBS were assessed in youth with MDD. DLPFC cortical reactivity was not modulated by TBS treatment. However, cortical reactivity of the right IPL was significantly reduced. In study four, the association between baseline cortical reactivity and treatment response to bilateral DLPFC TBS treatment were assessed. Only cortical reactivity measures related to cortical inhibition and excitation at the left DLPFC were found to be predictive of treatment response. Excessive cortical reactivity of the DLPFC, as probed through TMS-EEG, may be critical in the pathophysiology of MDD in youth. Furthermore, TBS applied to the DLPFC may be a promising novel treatment for youth MDD.
Getting Down to Brass & Wax: The Material Culture of Physics at Canadian Universities, 1890-1939
Keywords: Canada
collections
material culture
physics
science
university

This thesis explores the scientific apparatus of physics at Canadian universities from 1890 to the onset of World War Two. It is divided into two complementary sections. The first section adopts a collections and material culture approach to analyze the accumulations of historical apparatus that emerged at departments of physics. Through considering how artifacts in these environments avoid destruction, how they come to form collections, and the implications of these processes for the surviving artifacts as evidence of the scientific past, it complicates existing accounts of these narratives. It examines the close and definitive relationship these collections have to their home department and how they are shaped over time, most notably by technical members of staff. This dissertation concludes that collected sets of surviving artifacts at university departments form a particularly rich historical source due to their shared history, while simultaneously noting the importance of fully considering these collections’ formations and evolution through to the present day. The second section of the dissertation offers a materially-focused history of experimental and practical physics as it emerged and matured in Canada. Informed directly by the material remnants of each university’s physics programme and the discussion in the first section, it traces shifts in thinking about teaching and research in physics relevant to both Canadian and international contexts. This includes the use of imported instruments to establish legitimacy away from scientific centres, the early influence of engineering and technical programmes, the rapid developments in research and teaching in the period following the First World War, and the central importance of department workshops, technical skills, and makers throughout this period. Together, these themes contribute a history of physics in Canada in which materiality, in the form of equipment and laboratory spaces, played a definitive role. This dissertation demonstrates the ability of large sets of seemingly mundane scientific artifacts to contribute a useful narrative history, and reveal new details about less-well recorded elements of the history of science, such as the role of technical staff. As such, it represents a model for future work examining the large quantity of historic scientific material at university departments.
The Cello Exercise Index: Considering Technique Resources for Cello Teachers and Students
Keywords: Cello
Cello Exercises
Cello Pedagogy
Index
Technique

This dissertation is an analysis and codification of technical exercises written for the cello. The research aims to investigate this repertoire, understand its value, and consider the relevance of exercises for contemporary cellists. Technical exercises have been a mainstay of cello pedagogy but are rarely indexed in detail. This lack of indexing prevents cellists from effectively and efficiently using exercises for teaching, learning, and practicing cello technique. To address this issue, I created a traditional “back of the book” index not just for one book, but for a representative majority of the exercise repertoire. To build this “Cello Exercise Index,” I individually analyzed, tagged, and entered data for the contents of exercise books, ultimately creating a resource that allows users to search for, browse, and filter exercises according to their needs. This document serves as a guide to the Cello Exercise Index. Interested musicians could simply use the Index, but those who wish to learn about the methodology behind its creation, the potential benefits of this resource, and consider the general value of exercises will find discussions of these topics in this dissertation. After an introduction to the project in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 is a review of existing literature, including both historical information about the cello’s development and precedents in the form of analyses of pedagogical material. Chapter 3 details the methodology for the creation of the Index, including selection of sources and organization. Chapter 4 is a guide to using the Index, along with a summary of some difficulties encountered during its creation and their solutions. Telling a more complete story about the cello technical exercise meant discovering how and why contemporary cellists use exercises in their performing and teaching. To get a snapshot of the role of exercises in today’s cello studios, I conducted a series of semi-structured interviews to hear perspectives and opinions from four prominent cello teachers. Chapter 5 is a description of the interview component, including methodology and emergent themes. To conclude, Chapter 6 summarizes the project and considers directions for future research.
Remodeling of Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis in Staphylococcus aureus for Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity and Novel Drug Discovery
Keywords: antibiotic
cell wall
infectious disease
peptidoglycan
Staphylococcus aureus

Multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a prevalent opportunistic pathogen with limited treatments available. The development of antibiotic resistance in S. aureus requires new therapeutics and a clearer understanding of its drug-resistant properties at the cellular level. In this work, I have discovered a novel class of antibiotics known as the lasso peptides that targets lipid II, the main precursor molecule for building bacterial peptidoglycan. I show that WalKR, an essential two-component system that regulates peptidoglycan remodeling, is key to understanding antibiotic susceptibility and resistance in multidrug-resistant S. aureus. Mutations in walR confer a hypersensitive reaction to tunicamycin, albeit resistance to all other cell wall targeting antibiotics. I have conducted a comprehensive biochemical and transcriptional profile of this phenomenon whereby a downregulation of peptidoglycan recycling is the indirect cause of the wal mutant phenotype. I show that in vivo studies of tunicamycin treatment can restrict the growth and dissemination of wal-mediated S. aureus infections while clinical antibiotics available cannot. This study highlights the important need for new antimicrobial matter and a new indirect mechanism wal mutations confer on S. aureus.
The Orchestral Symphonies of Charles-Marie Widor: Context, Form and Performances
Keywords: orchestra
organ
performance
sonata form
symphonies
Widor

This dissertation studies the five orchestral symphonies of Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937), who was an organist and composer highly regarded in his own time. These works have been severely neglected by major studies of French Romantic symphonies, by symphony orchestras, and by the organ world (three of the orchestral symphonies also include organ), even though his solo organ works have remained popular in the repertory. Following an introduction that surveys the relevant extant literature, Chapter 1 situates the symphonies in the context of Widor’s long and successful professional career and within the context of symphonies by other composers in the French Romantic symphonic tradition, such as Gounod, Saint-Saëns, and Franck. In Chapter 2, I study Widor’s orchestration manual and its relation to orchestration in the five orchestral symphonies and his Symphony for organ and orchestra, Op. 42bis, a transcription of three movements from his symphonies for solo organ (Nos. 2 and 6). Chapter 3 provides a substantial study of form, addressing thematic layout and key scheme, both within and across movements, as well as the borrowing of pre-existing musical material from sacred sources (Gregorian chant and Lutheran chorale). The chapter chronicles two trends from early symphonies to late: the increasing complexity of inter-movement (cyclic) thematic relationships and the increasing sense that the final movement is the culmination of a formal trajectory that spans the entire symphony. I make a case that in the later symphonies Widor is experimenting with two-dimensional sonata form (Vande Moortele 2009), in which a multi-movement work has sonata forms within one or more individual movements and a large-scale, overarching, sonata-like trajectory that encompasses the whole piece. Chapter 4 addresses performance issues. It surveys Widor’s own comments on performance practice, provides practical considerations for performing symphonies with organ, and studies tempi choices in Widor’s recorded performance of his famous organ Toccata. The chapter concludes with a case study of Symphony No. 1, which relates form to performance, compares tempi strategies in extant recordings of the work, and communicates some personal performance ideas based on my experience performing the work with the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Chapter 5 is a brief epilogue that reviews the main conclusions of the thesis and points to ideas for future research.
The Coloniality of Data Work: Power and Inequality in Outsourced Data Production for Machine Learning
Keywords: coloniality
crowdsourcing
data
machine learning
platforms

Many research and industry organizations outsource labour-intensive processes of data generation, annotation, and algorithmic verification—what this dissertation refers to as data work—to workers worldwide through digital platforms. A subset of the gig economy, these platforms consider workers independent users with no employment rights, pay them per task, and control them with automated algorithmic managers. This dissertation focuses its study on the data worker population in Venezuela—a Latin American country experiencing a socioeconomic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and where a significant number of data workers in the Global South are located—to understand the coloniality of data work, or the historical patterns of power that define contemporary data production. This dissertation looks at how power imbalances are reproduced in outsourced data work through a configuration of actions, discourses, and objects—the “data production dispositif”—by which platform companies profit from marginalized workers in a socioeconomic condition characterized by high disembeddedness, or a lack of regulations and protections on the population. Social inequalities are reproduced through the data production process and local worker communities mitigate these power imbalances by relying on the support of family members, neighbours, and colleagues online. Furthermore, the data production dispositif ensures that workers’ voices are suppressed in the data annotation process through algorithmic management and surveillance, resulting in datasets generated exclusively by clients, with their worldviews encoded in algorithms through training. The coloniality of data work is thus characterized by an extractivist method of generating data that privileges profit and the epistemic dominance of those in power. This dissertation argues that data production is a process and that the quality of data and artificial intelligence algorithms depend on incorporating a plurality of workers’ voices and the decommodification of their labour away from market dependency. This process is multifaceted and requires the responsibility of the computing industry, policy centred on worker communities, and support of local worker-led initiatives.