VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Ideomotor Coding: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study

Ideomotor theory holds that motor plans producing action and the sensory effects of the actions are cognitively represented in a functionally similar way. The response-effect (R-E) association is considered bidirectional and automatic in nature. The current research project was designed to test the hypothesized bidirectional nature of R-E associations by determining if motor codes were activated following perception of an effect. The automaticity of motor code activation was investigated via TMS–induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs) following the presentation an after-effect. To this end, participants completed a training phase in which they learned a specific R-E association. During the testing phase, the effects were presented prior to the imperative and TMS stimuli. Behavioural results replicated previous research; participants preferred to execute the response associated with the presented effect. MEP data, however, did not support the initial hypothesis. These results are discussed with relation to ideomotor theory and experimental design.

Keywords: Ideomotor
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Advisor: Welsh, Timothy N.
Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Automotive Aluminum Cross-car Beam Assembly

Aluminum Cross-Car Beam is significantly lighter than the conventional steel counterpart and presents superior energy absorption characteristics. The challenge is however, its considerably higher cost, rendering it difficult for the aluminum one to compete in the automotive market. In this work, using material distribution techniques and stochastic optimization, a Multidisciplinary Design Optimization procedure is developed to optimize an existing Cross-Car Beam model with respect to the cost. Topology, Topography, and gauge optimizations are employed in the development of the optimization disciplines. Based on a qualitative cost assessment, penalty functions are designed to penalize costly designs. Noise-Vibration-Harshness (NVH) performance is the key constraint of the optimization. To fulfill this requirement, natural frequencies are obtained using modal analysis. Undesirable designs with respect to the NVH criteria are gradually eliminated from the optimization cycles. The new design is verified by static loading scenario and evaluated in terms of the cost saving it offers.

Keywords: Cost Optimization
Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
Cross-Car Beam Assembly
Topology Optimization
Topography Optimization
Size Optimization
Aluminum Intensive Vehicle
MDO
CCB
Advisor: Behdinan, Kamran
The Regulation of TiPARP by the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor, the Platelet-derived Growth Factor Receptor, and the Estrogen Receptor Alpha

TiPARP is a PARP-like mART that is induced by and negatively regulates AHR transactivation. Despite these insights, not much is known about TiPARP. This study aimed to characterize the regulation of TiPARP by AHR, PDGFR, and ERα, and investigate potential receptor interplay. Gene expression studies revealed that coactivation of AHR and PDGFR can enhance TiPARP expression after 3 h relative to activation of either receptor pathway alone. Gene expression and ChIP studies demonstrated that while co-activation of AHR and ER enhanced AHR, ARNT, and ERα recruitment to the regulatory region of TiPARP, TiPARP mRNA levels were not potentiated by co-activation relative to activation of either pathway. Dissection of the 5’ regulatory region of TiPARP using reporter gene assays revealed that a putative AHRE cluster and an ERE half-site were functional. Lastly, overexpression of TiPARP with an estrogen-responsive reporter revealed that TiPARP can repress ERα signalling and requires its catalytic activity.

Keywords: Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor
Estrogen Receptor Alpha
TCDD
TiPARP
Gene Regulation
Advisor: Matthews, Jason
Age-related Crown Thinning: Common but not Universal in Tropical and Temperate Forest Trees

Gap dynamics theory proposes that forest canopy gaps provide the high light levels needed for regeneration. Little attention has been given to more gradual alternatives; however, recent studies have demonstrated declines in within-crown leaf area index with tree size in temperate forest trees. Our project builds on this previous research by assessing the prevalence of this age-related crown thinning phenomenon. We quantified crown openness for 18 dominant tree species in temperate and tropical forests (n = 1786 trees). Separate pooled groupings of tropical and temperate species showed significantly positive relationships between openness and DBH (p<0.001). Of the 9 sampled species showing positive relationships, significance (p< 0.05) was detected in 3 out of 10 tropical species and 1 out of 8 temperate species. Two temperate species showed significantly reduced canopy openness with size. These trends highlight the role that very large trees play in influencing light availability for understorey regeneration.

Keywords: gap dynamics
crown thinning
age-related
size-dependent
moosehorn
Advisor: Thomas, Sean C.
Seismic Imaging of Shallow Carbonate and Shale Hosted Massive Sulphide Deposits: A Feasibility Study

Seismic imaging of shallow sediment hosted massive sulphides has not been studied in detail. In this research two shallow sediment hosted massive sulphide deposits (one deeper and larger than the other) were modeled and synthetic seismic data generated using a 2D elastic wavefield finite difference code. F-k filtering can be used to attenuating surface waves (conventional processing). This requires small trace spacing so that spatially aliasing of energy is avoided. An alternative to this involves avoiding the surface wave using an optimum offset window technique. Both of these approaches, attenuation and avoidance, produce a high amplitude image of the deeper larger orebody. For the smaller, shallower orebody, conventional processing produced only a weak image of the orebody. However, there is a significant amount of shear wave energy from this target, and therefore multicomponent geophones should be used to capture this energy.

Keywords: seismic
massive sulphide
Advisor: Milkereit, Bernd
An Argument against Immigration Detention in Canada

This thesis will provide an argument against the use of immigration detention for asylum seekers. The thesis will critically analyse the law and policy of immigration detention in Canada. It will argue that the current policy of immigration detention in Canada does not comply with international human rights and obligations. The current policy of immigration detention does not reflect the values enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedom, and the policy of mandatory detention should be abolished immediately. Immigration Detention should be a last resort, only enforced after alternatives to detention have been considered. There should be regular reviews of detention, equally applicable to all immigrants, and detention should last for as brief a period as possible.

Keywords: immigration
detention
Advisor: Macklin, Audrey
Efficient Abstractions in Hierarchical Supervisory Control of Discrete-event Systems

In this thesis we study two problems in hierarchical supervisory control of discrete-event systems. The first problem is controller reduction, which is to find smaller abstractions of hierarchical controllers for easier understanding. The second problem is controller design, which is to find smaller abstractions of systems for high-level controller design. We employ natural projections to generate abstractions, thus incorporate the two problems into one optimization problem in which we try to minimize the size of the observable event set of the abstractions, subject to the constraints that the abstractions still achieve maximally permissive and nonblocking control. An optimal solution is proposed for the controller reduction problem, and a suboptimal solution is proposed for the controller design problem.

Keywords: Dicrete-event systems
hierarhical control
Advisor: Wonham, Murray
On the Benefits of Network Coding in Multi-party Video Conferencing

The widespread use of personal multimedia-rich devices and multi-party video conferencing have made face-to-face communication among multiple users a promising feature. This thesis presents a multi-party conferencing solution with network coding naturally embedded. Our fundamental goal is to study if network coding brings benefits to multi-party conferencing. In this thesis, we first review an existing network coded solution for multi-party conferencing. Then, this solution is evaluated in our framework of evaluating a new transmission protocol for multi-party conferencing. Also, an investigation is set up to dive into the bottlenecks of this network coded solution. Next, an improved solution targeting conferencing services is proposed by tackling the bottlenecks of the existing solution. Based on our experiment results, it is found that network coding does bring benefits in the context of multi-party conferencing.

Keywords: Network Coding
Multi-party Video Conferencing
Advisor: Li, Baochun
Elite Athletes' Experiences of Athlete-centred Coaching

Athlete-centred coaching is proposed to enhance performance (Lyle, 2002), develop life skills (Kidman &amp; Lombardo, 2010), and prevent athlete maltreatment (Kerr &amp; Stirling, 2008). Despite the consistent recommendation, very little is known empirically about athlete-centred coaching, the extent to which it is implemented, or athletes&rsquo; experiences with this style of coaching. The purpose of this study therefore was to examine recently retired elite athletes&rsquo; perspectives on their most athlete-centred coach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight male and female recently retired Olympians. The findings of this study provided mixed evidence for coaching behaviours characterized as athlete-centred coaching as defined within the literature. Specifically, at least half of the coaches did not use stimulating questions, one of the most central athlete-centred tenets. Explanations for the mixed findings are discussed and a continuum of athlete-centred coaching is proposed. Lastly, suggestions for future research and practical implications are presented.

Keywords: Coaching
Elite Athletes
Athlete-Centred
Advisor: Kerr, Gretchen
The Influence of Tonality on Sight-reading Accuracy

The present study investigated how knowledge of tonality is used in sight-reading by comparing sight-reading accuracy across three tonal constructs: major, minor and atonal. It was hypothesized that sight-reading performance would be the worst in instances with no tonal information, as participants would be unable to generate appropriate top-down expectancies to guide their sight-reading. To test this, twelve pianists sight-read major, minor and atonal versions of monophonic, homophonic and polyphonic excerpts. The results indicated that pianists performed the major excerpts with greater accuracy than the atonal excerpts. Furthermore, the errors made within the major excerpts were significantly biased towards diatonicism, and there was a global shift towards tonality in participants’ atonal performances, providing a clear demonstration of how pianists’ expectations might have contributed to their sight-reading performance. The diatonic bias was not found in the minor excerpts, suggesting that the minor hierarchy does exert as strong of an influence during sight-reading.

Keywords: Music performance
Sight-reading
Tonality
Expectancies
Top-Down Processing
Advisor: Schmuckler, Mark
Sport and the Making of World Cities: A Case Study of South Africa

This thesis explores two distinctive ways in which sport is deployed as a development strategy in South Africa, and specifically considers how sport may play a role in the configuration of the nation’s cities. First, a case study of the sporting mega-event, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is presented. It is posited that this tournament was a speculative world-making strategy aimed at elevating host cities and the nation to world-class status. Second, a discourse analysis of South African policy documents regarding the reintroduction of physical education is performed. It is argued that despite the fundamental neoliberal elements of physical education, there is a possibility that if the government maximizes certain opportunities, it could be a way of forging ordinary cities that are based upon equitable access to sport for South African children. These assessments suggest that sport can play a role in both the spatial and symbolic development of cities.

Keywords: Sport
Development
South Africa
Mega-events
FIFA World Cup
Physical education
Cities
Advisor: Narayanareddy, Rajyashree
Geographic Access to Breast Reconstruction and the Influence of Plastic Surgeon Availability

Background: We evaluated geographic patterns for immediate and delayed breast reconstruction (IBR, DBR) in Ontario. The influence of plastic surgeon availability on rates and service provision was determined. Methods: We examined IBR and DBR from 2002 through 2011 across Ontario counties. Regional availability of plastic surgeons was described. Geographic patterns were examined using funnel plots, random-effects models and migration indices. Results: Over ½ Ontario counties have no plastic surgeons. IBR ranged from 0 to 21.5% across counties and differences in plastic surgeon availability explained 41% of variation (p < 0.0001). For DBR there was less variation. 5/45 counties performed ¾ of BR, however rates among local residents were not highest. Interpretation: Nearly 1/3 of the population has limited access to plastic surgeons, contributing to low rates of BR. Geographic access is a major determinant of IBR but is less important for DBR, however service provision for both was highly regionalized.

Keywords: Health services research
breast reconstruction
Advisor: Baxter, Nancy
Zhong, Toni
The Influence of Body-related Envy on Psychophysiological Response of Stress In Young Women

Body-related envy is an understudied emotion that may be linked with adverse psychophysiological outcomes such as stress (Smith & Kim, 2007). The purpose of this study was to explore body-related envy and psychophysiological response of stress among young adult females. Participants (N = 47; Mage = 21.6 ± 1.8 yrs) completed a weeklong assessment of phenomenological body-related envy, trait body image constructs and an acute laboratory stress-induction task. Findings support the hypothesis that negative body image constructs predict experiences of body-related envy (R2 = 0.17 - 0.54), and that envy can be reliability assessed using phenomenological ratings. Body-related envy was a significant predictor of psychological appraisals of stress (R2 = 0.24 - 0.31), but the proposed associations with physiological stress were not supported. Considering the adverse health outcomes associated with envy (Smith, et al., 1999) and stress (Anderson, 1998), this study has important implications for women’s psychological and physical health.

Keywords: body image
emotions
stress
women's health
Advisor: Sabiston, Catherine
Less Talk, More Action: Ending the Futile Debate on a Canadian Securities Regulation to Focus on Resolving the Real Issues

It has been endlessly demonstrated that the provinces will stand in the way of successful negotiations towards a common or national securities regulator in Canada. While there are many flaws in the current regulatory system, there are aspects of a decentralized model that can be valuable, particularly in a country with such regional diversity. Moving forward, policy development should focus on strengthening the current system while realizing the political realities that persist. By retaining various aspects of a decentralized model, yet also cooperating with the federal government to overcome issues that a national regulator might have resolved, there is potential for Canada&rsquo;s system to prevail.

Keywords: securities
regulation
Advisor: Anand, Anita
Southern African Climate Dynamics and Archaeology during the Last Glacial Maximum

There is little consensus on what forced the climate of southern Africa to change during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Because of southern Africa's latitudinal position, changes in seasonal precipitation can help resolve the influence of internal climate factors such as groundwater and external climate forcers such as large scale atmospheric circulation patterns. This paper presents a simple model of groundwater discharge based on permeability and topography in comparison with general circulation model precipitation results and paleoenvironmental proxy records. Results show that during the LGM the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) likely weakened and moved slightly further south while the westerlies likely expanded slightly northward, with no significant change in strength. The climate and groundwater results were compared to the distribution of LGM and pre-LGM archaeological sites. Results show that the Later Stone Age peoples of southern Africa were likely inhabiting a relatively wet environment rather than an arid one.

Keywords: South Africa
paleohydrology
atmospheric circulation
Last Glacial Maximum
archaeology
Advisor: Cowling, Sharon A.
The Screening of Biomaterials to Support Long-term Growth and Maintenance of Human Embryonic Stem Cells in Xeno- and Feeder-free System

Current feeder-free culture systems employing undefined Matrigel are still more effective in maintaining human embryonic stem (ES) cells than defined surfaces using extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. While the role of substrate stiffness in stem cell fate is becoming increasingly evident, all previous culture systems use ECM proteins on rigid polystyrene surfaces. Here, we used factorial designs to screen and evaluate combinations ECM proteins and substrate stiffness for their effect on short-term pluripotency and self-renewal. Using optimal conditions determined from our screening experiments, defined and near xeno-free culture systems maintained CA1 human ES cells for over 10 passages in Essential 8 (E8) medium. Under these conditions, we found that human ES cell self-renewal was greater on soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates than on rigid polystyrene dishes. The culture systems and screening tools developed in this project will help develop robust and defined xeno-free culture systems that incorporate both biochemical and biomechanical factors.

Keywords: Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Biomaterials
Extracellular Matrix Proteins
Design of Experiments
Long-term maintenance of pluripotency and self-renewal
Advisor: Simmons, Craig Alexander
Hospital Wide Roll-out of Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Stepped Wedge Randomized Controlled Trial

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of an antimicrobial stewardship intervention in six non-intensive care services. A review of all patients on their 3rd and 10th day of broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was conducted at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre using a stepped&ndash;wedge randomized design. The primary outcome was broad-spectrum antimicrobial utilization in the intervention period compared to the control period. Despite high volumes and uptake of stewardship recommendations, a non-significant reduction in targeted antimicrobial utilization was achieved; however, median length of stay of the patients included was ~4 days, limiting the ability of the intervention to make a significant impact on inpatient antimicrobial utilization. Careful consideration of the targeted patient population is, therefore, warranted when planning and implementing antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Future work may focus on intervening earlier in the course of therapy.

Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship
Advisor: Walker, Scott
An Examination of Community-based Meal Programs for Homeless and Under-housed People in Five Canadian Cities

The provision of free or low cost meals is an integral component of community services working to address problems of poverty and homelessness in Canada. However, there has been little systematic examination of how they function relative to clients&rsquo; nutrition needs. The objective of this research was to investigate the scope and nature of meal programs by examining an inventory of charitable food provisioning activities, created between 2010 and 2011, in five Canadian cities. Of 290 agencies offering meal programs, 548000 meals were served every month. However, service scheduling varied throughout the week, and the majority of agencies were reliant on volunteer labour, donated food supplies, and experienced difficulties managing the current demand for food assistance. Findings from this study highlight the strengths and limitations of the current food provisioning system and a need to improve the capacity of agencies to respond to populations experiencing food insecurity in Canada.

Keywords: food insecurity
community responses
homelessness
public policy
Advisor: Tarasuk, Valerie
Undergraduate Dental Students’ Experiences and Perceptions in the Provision of Dental Treatment to Persons with Disabilities

This study was undertaken to evaluate undergraduate dental students’ clinical experiences in a hospital-based dental clinic (D-clinic), and their influence on students’ comfort with providing dental care to persons with disabilities (PWDs). Dental students from a single class at the University of Toronto (n=94) were recruited to complete a survey: (I) close to the start, and (II) near the end of their rotations in D-clinic. Focus group data were used to write and revise survey questions. There was no significant difference in the students’ comfort with providing dental care to PWDs between phase-I and phase-II. Previous experience with PWDs was a positive predictor of comfort (P<0.001). Students in phase-II were less willing to provide dental care to individuals with developmental delay compared to students in phase-I (P=0.018). The majority of phase-II students (71%) valued D-clinic; 55% desired additional clinical experience to increase their comfort with providing dental care to PWDs.

Advisor: Dempster, Laura
Bioactive Chitosan Nanoparticles and Photodynamic Therapy Inhibit Collagen Degradation in vitro

This study evaluated the ability of photodynamic therapy (PDT), chitosan nanoparticles (CSnp), or their combination, to inhibit bacterial collagenase-mediated degradation of collagen. Rat type 1 fibrillar collagen matrices were untreated or treated with 2.5% glutaraldehyde (GD), 2.5% GD followed by 1% CSnp, 1% CSnp, PDT, or 1% CSnp followed by PDT. Samples, except untreated controls, were exposed to Clostridium histolyticum collagenase. The soluble digestion products were assessed by hydroxyproline assay and the remaining adherent collagen was quantified by picrosirius red (PSR) staining. Collagen treated with CSnp, PDT, or a combination of CSnp and PDT, exhibited less degradation than controls. The abundance of posttreatment residual collagen correlated with the extent of degradation. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis showed that PDT treatment enhanced collagen cross-linking. Immunoblotting of sedimented CSnp indicated that CSnp and collagenase bound with low affinity. However, CSnp-bound collagenase showed a significant reduction in collagenolytic activity compared with controls.

Keywords: dentin
chitosan
nanoparticles
collagenase
photodynamic therapy
Advisor: Kishen, Anil