VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Towards Improving Access to Assistive Communication through Brain Computer Interface Technology, Interface Design, and Policy

Communication is the foundation for many daily activities. Individuals with complex communication needs often require alternative communication pathways to support self-expression, education, and enjoyment of life. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of impeded communication. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices can improve a child's development. This thesis explores strategies for improving the efficiency of and access to brain-mediated communication technology for pediatric users. Four self-contained papers are included in addition to a brief chapter discussing natural language processing models designed for pediatric communication. The first paper applied ecological interface design (EID) to investigate system boundaries and user capacity required for audible language-based communication. This research exposed unmet needs in language organization for efficient communication support and yielded a new AAC interface design. Study two evaluated the change in usability, mental workload, and information transfer rate enabled by the introduced EID interface in comparison to a commercial AAC interface. A significant improvement in communication experience during EID interface use was observed in 5 out of 7 performance measures. Study three investigated a new word selection pathway through electroencephalographic (EEG) identification of semantic priming. Above-chance accuracies in excess of 70 % were achieved in automatic word preference discrimination on the basis of 2-trial averages in a sample of pediatric participants. Findings from this study suggest that semantic priming can potentially be leveraged in a BCI system to provide automatic feedback in line with users’ language preferences. The final paper considered the distribution of and population access to brain-mediated AAC technology, by analyzing technology promotion and adoption pathways. I presented policy recommendations to ensure equity in distribution. Together, the 4 papers in this thesis contribute new knowledge about mitigating the access barriers to brain-based communication.

Keywords: BCI
EEG
Human Factors
Natural language processing
Pediatric
Public health policy
Advisor: Chau, Tom
THREE ESSAYS ON CONSUMPTION RISK AND ASSET PRICING

This dissertation contains three essays on consumption risk and asset pricing. The first essay, based on joint work with Redouane Elkamhi, develops a dynamic equilibrium consumption-based model where heterogeneous investors endogenously choose to enter/exit the stock market. Our study characterizes the equilibrium and presents a conditional consumption-CAPM. The model implies small changes in the composition of stockholders, which generate a strongly countercyclical stockholders’ amount of consumption risk. The model provides a new perspective on the main drivers of asset dynamics. It is the procyclical consumption risk-sharing implied by changes in stockholders' composition that contributes to the dynamics of risk premium, excess volatility, and price-dividend ratio. The second essay, based on joint work with Redouane Elkamhi, evaluates the performance of the conditional consumption-CAPM with stockholders' consumption in explaining equity returns. At the market level, the study finds that stockholders' consumption produces theoretically reasonable risk aversion ranging from 10 to 26 as well as strong long-term forecasting performance with promising 38% in-sample and 28% out-of-sample R^2 for the three-year horizon. The study provides explanations for why our test reverses the findings in the literature: (i) The amount of stockholders' consumption risk varies in the opposite direction to that of aggregate consumption, but in the same direction with the equity premium. (ii) Joint dynamics of the price and amount of risk in testing the consumption-CAPM substantially improves the fit to the data. The third essay, based on joint work with Redouane Elkamhi and Yoshio Nozawa, studies the implication of the long-run consumption risk model for the cross-section of corporate bond returns. The study finds that a one-factor model based on long-run consumption growth explains the risk premiums on corporate bond portfolios sorted on credit rating, credit spreads, downside risk, idiosyncratic volatility, long-term reversals, maturity, and the betas with respect to shocks to financial intermediary's capital. The estimated risk-aversion coefficient is lower when the consumption growth of wealthy households over a longer horizon is used as a risk factor, and a model with a 20-quarter horizon yields a risk-aversion coefficient of 15.

Advisor: Elkamhi, Redouane
Families of Flesh, Families of Spirit: Familial Conversions and Kinship in Medieval Hagiography (400–1200)

This dissertation analyzes the representation and discourse on familial conversions in Latin saints’ Lives written between the fifth and the twelfth centuries in western Europe. Its aim is to broaden our understanding of medieval kinship, by revisiting the significance of the biological family in medieval hagiography, and by exploring a notion of kinship created through spiritual bonds rather than filiation and marriage. The first two chapters are surveys, which highlight broad trends across a wide chronological frame while also offering close readings of each text. Both chapters begin by interrogating the saints’ origins and their entrance in the religious life. The saints’ early days might be characterized by renunciation and conflict or integration and collaboration with their birth kin. The two overview chapters then move on to the relationship between members of the same birth kin who entered the religious life. The vitae often mention the existence of these relatives who share a religious vocation, but do not always develop the relationship between them. Relatives are but one piece in the saints’ larger spiritual network. Different types of relationships (siblings, parent-children, husband-wife) are moreover explored, each of them emphasizing different themes, from equality and love to hierarchy and authority. Gender clearly shapes the portrayal of the saints and their natal kin, as the Lives of female saints and male saints present distinct characteristics. The third chapter is devoted to the cycle of Maubeuge, a group of hagiographies dedicated to seventh-century saints from the same natal kin in what would now be northern France and Belgium. Over the centuries, additional saints were attached to the original nucleus through alleged familial ties. Rather than retelling the story of a sacred bloodline, the cycle of Maubeuge stresses the importance of education for the transmission of institutional memory and practices. My last chapter focuses on the Life of Stephen of Obazine, composed in the second half of the twelfth century in the Limousin region. It explores the centrality of the language of the spiritual family in the text as a means to preserve the community’s distinct identity and to reimagine gender.

Keywords: Hagiography
Kinship
Medieval Europe
Medieval family
Monasticism
Religious life
Advisor: Cochelin, Isabelle
Examining the Adjustment and Coping Trajectories in Healthy Siblings of Children With Life-threatening Conditions

Background: Siblings of children with life-threatening conditions are often referred to as ‘forgotten’ mourners as focus tends to be on the ill child and parents. With limited knowledge about siblings’ experience, it is challenging to provide appropriate supports.Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation was to examine and expand current evidence about siblings’ experiences to guide research and clinical practice. Method: Study 1 was a scoping review to map existing literature on siblings’ experiences. Based on identified gaps in the literature, two additional studies were conducted through secondary analysis of data from the ‘Charting the Territory’ study – a unique dataset that contains bio-psychosocial information from parents, siblings, and children with progressive metabolic, genetic, or neurological conditions, known as Quadrant 3 (Q3) conditions. Seventy siblings were included in this analysis. The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was used to examine siblings’ internalizing, externalizing, and total behaviour problems. Kidcope was used to examine coping in siblings over a 12-month period. Growth curve modelling was used to examine the trajectories of siblings’ problems (Study 2) and a mediation analysis using Structural Equation Modelling framework was adopted to test coping as a mediator between siblings’ stressor and the trajectories (Study 3). Results: Gaps identified in the review included a lack of research on siblings of children with Q3 conditions and reliance on cross-sectional designs. Siblings’ internalizing, externalizing, and total behaviour problems improved over time. However, a substantial proportion of siblings (7 – 25%) had scores within the clinical range. When treatment was first sought for the ill child ≤ 1 year prior to study participation, siblings had higher levels of internalizing and externalizing problems compared with siblings who participated >1 year after treatment was sought. Factors that affected siblings’ problems were parental stress, anxiety, depression, and burden of caregiving. Mediation through active coping was significant for siblings with internalizing problems, but not externalizing and total behaviour problems. Significance: This study adds to the small knowledge base about the experience of siblings of children with Q3 conditions. The findings provide a base for future research and guidance for clinicians and parents to enhance support for these siblings.

Advisor: Widger, Kimberley
ADDRESSING THE GAPS IN ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF THE UPPER EXTREMITY IN REHABILITATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS

Regaining upper extremity function is critical following stroke and spinal cord injury (SCI). The objectives of this thesis were to develop and assess the psychometric properties of a 3D printed version of an upper extremity outcome assessment tool called the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-Hand Function Test (TRI-HFT) and to assess the feasibility of stimulating interscapular muscles using transcutaneous functional electrical stimulation (FES). The first study explored the feasibility of 3D printing the original TRI-HFT objects and assessed its inter and intra-rater reliability and convergent validity in chronic stroke. The second study focused on assessing its psychometric properties in the sub-acute and chronic SCI populations. We hypothesized that the TRI-HFT could be 3D printed and that the 3D printed test would have high reliability and validity in stroke and SCI populations. In the third study I explored the feasibility and benefits of stimulating the Lower Trapezius (LT), Serratus Anterior (SA) and Upper Trapezius (UT) along with Anterior Deltoid during forward flexion and along with Middle Deltoid during abduction in able-bodied individuals. The underlying hypothesis was that it would result in an increased range and more natural reaching movement. In the first and second study we found that all objects of the TRI-HFT could be successfully 3D printed with an error margin of less than 10% except for the Paper and the Sponge objects. The 3D TRI-HFT showed high inter and intra-rater reliability in stroke and SCI.The 3D TRI-HFT showed strong criterion validity when compared to the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility and Prehension test in the SCI population. The 3D TRI-HFT showed moderate to strong construct validity when compared to the Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment-Arm and Hand and the Fugl Meyer Assessment-Hand in chronic stroke. In the third study, the LT, SA and UT could be successfully stimulated using surface FES. The maximum reach in abduction for FES of middle deltoid along with the interscapular muscles was 51.77°±17.54° compared to FES for middle deltoid alone which was 43.76°±15.32°. This work essentially builds on the current state of assessment and FES treatment of the upper extremity in the rehabilitation domain.

Keywords: functional electrical stimulation
outcome assessment
rehabilitation
spinal cord injury
stroke
upper extremity
Advisor: Popovic, Milos R
Investigating Correlates of Athletic Identity, Coping with Concussion, and Return-To-Play Behavioural Intentions Among Healthy Young Athletes

Participation in sport is associated with several positive outcomes including improved physical fitness and mental wellbeing. Irrespective of these benefits, sport participation imparts an inherent risk for injury upon all athletes. Although defined as a mild traumatic brain injury, concussions are a cause for concern in sport considering the myriad of symptoms associated with the injury (e.g., cognitive, emotional, physical, and sleep-related) and the negative repercussions they can have on an individual’s psychosocial functioning. In the case of a suspected concussion, an athlete is expected to remove themselves from play. However, evidence suggests that for various reasons many athletes choose not to do so. To date, little research has examined the role of athletic identity and how this construct is related to how athletes think, feel and act in the context of a sport-related injury. This thesis is comprised of one scoping review and two original research studies that seek to better understand the relationship athletic identity has with respect to athlete cognitions, emotions, and behaviours following a sport-related injury. The first manuscript provides a comprehensive summary of known demographic, behavioural, psychosocial, functional, and pain-related correlates associated athletic identity following sport injury. The second study assesses healthy young athletes’ cognitive coping appraisals in response to a hypothetical concussion, and how these appraisals relate to both their return-to-play behavioural intentions and athletic identity. The third study assesses concussion knowledge accuracy among healthy young athletes and how their knowledge relates to concussion reporting behaviours, return-to-play behavioural intentions (in the context of a hypothetical concussion) and athletic identity. Research pertaining to athletic identity as a predictor of sport injury outcomes is still in its infancy. Therefore, the primary goal of this thesis is to determine if athletic identity is harmful or helpful to an athlete’s recovery following an actual or hypothetical injury. Findings from this program of research can be useful for guiding subsequent hypothesis generation, can serve as the impetus for future behavioural interventions, and may inform clinical practice(s). Most importantly, findings are useful for informing our understanding of athletes’ psychosocial response to concussion.

Keywords: athletic identity
concussion
coping
return-to-play
sport
Advisor: Kennedy, Sidney H
Use of Social Media in the Promotion of University-based Entrepreneurship Centres

The overall problem this study addressed is how university-based entrepreneurship centres (EC) are using social media to promote themselves and whether this varies based on the regional location of the EC. This study examined how ECs are connecting with internal and external stakeholders to highlight their congruence with the social and scholarly values of the university and the larger ecosystem and helps in understanding how ECs are promoting the support they provide to their key stakeholders to drive innovation and economic development. The study used institutional theory and symbolic management to analyze the social media disseminated by ECs to engage stakeholders. The study included interviews of 12 directors and/or leads of communications at ECs across Canada, followed by a website and Twitter review. The findings of this study revealed that ECs are using social media as an integral means to drive stakeholder engagement and establish themselves as legitimate players in their relevant ecosystems. Symbolic imagery was prevalent in the social media distributed by the ECs with an emphasis on successful programs and events. Targeted channels allowed the EC to build their legitimacy with appropriate stakeholders in the university and the larger entrepreneurial ecosystem. Regional location of the EC does seem to affect the stakeholders valued by an EC. All shared that their primary stakeholders were; students, the university, alumni, mentors and funders. However, ECs in smaller cities appeared to have a more local focus, where those in large cities were looking to engage on a national and international level. ECs shared that their communication tools need to reflect the audience they are looking to engage, and that this needs to align with their university to establish their perceived legitimacy in the ecosystem.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship Centre
Institutional Theory
Stakeholder
Symbolic Management
Twitter
Website
Advisor: Sá, Creso
The Clinical and Neuroimaging Correlates of Focused Ultrasound Capsulotomy

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have a lifetime prevalence of 10% and 2%, respectively, and up to 25% of patients develop treatment-resistance. Both MDD and OCD symptoms are driven by aberrant neural activity within the limbic frontal-striatal-thalamic-cortical (CSTC) system, and therefore, neurosurgical ablative procedures, targeted to interrupt this activity, are effective in some cases. Historically, anterior capsulotomy (AC) has been an effective ablative neurosurgical treatment for MDD and OCD, although its popularity was limited by concerns over neurocognitive sequelae. Recently, it has become possible to perform AC using an incisionless, radiation-free procedure, known as magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound AC (MRgFUS-AC). This work had four objectives: i) Identify neural predictors of treatment response to psychiatric surgery. ii) Study the feasibility and technical considerations involved in MRgFUS-AC. iii) Determine the safety and efficacy of MRgFUS-AC. iv) Analyze the neuroimaging corelates of MRgFUS-AC. Reviewing the literature, I discovered that across a range of disorders and treatment modalities, preoperative hypermetabolism/hyperconnectivity within the limbic CSTC has been associated with greater response. I then showed that MRgFUS-AC can be safely performed in patients with MDD and OCD, resulting in a response rate of 50%. MRgFUS-AC induced widespread network-level modulations, with reduced cortical metabolism and limbic CSTC connectivity. Preoperative hyperconnectivity within the limbic CSTC distinguished eventual clinical responders from non-responders. Skull factors, such as density, thickness, and curvature, proved crucial to determining success and efficiency of treatment. Considering the prevalence and severity of treatment-resistant MDD and OCD, MRgFUS-AC represents a promising, safe, targeted treatment.

Advisor: Hamani, Clement
Lipsman, Nir
Exploring the Impact of Early Intervention on Toddlers with ASD and their Parents

The Social ABCs is a parent-mediated intervention for toddlers with or at-risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The intervention targets children’s functional social communication skills and early positive affect sharing with a primary caregiver. Using data from a randomized control trial of the Social ABCs, the current thesis investigated the impact of the intervention on children’s disruptive behaviour, as well as parent outcomes. Study One provided a review of randomized controlled trials conducted on parent-mediated interventions for toddlers with or at-risk of ASD from 2000 to 2021. Approximately half of the included studies reported significant improvements in children’s social communication outcomes as a result of the intervention. This review highlighted the need for further research to examine the associations between child outcomes and parent factors within parent-mediated interventions to explain differences in outcomes across intervention models. Study Two examined whether participation in the Social ABCs intervention had a collateral impact on children’s disruptive behaviour. Results indicated that children in the treatment group displayed significant decreases in refusal behaviours and physical aggression following the intervention. Participants in the control group did not display similar decreases in disruptive behaviours. In addition, children’s refusals were negatively associated with their vocal initiations towards parents, highlighting an emerging association between communication and challenging behaviour. Study Three explored the relationships between child outcomes and parent variables (i.e., stress, fidelity, self-efficacy, satisfaction) within the context of the Social ABCs. Results indicated that, across groups, parents’ feelings of self-efficacy were negatively associated with feelings of parenting stress at baseline and follow-up. In addition, parents’ implementation fidelity was negatively associated with children’s physical aggression at baseline, and at follow-up, children’s ASD symptomatology was negatively associated with parenting stress. The implications of these results are discussed within the context of the Social ABCs and parent-mediated interventions more broadly. Areas for future research are discussed.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder
NDBI
parent-mediated intervention
Advisor: Brian, Jessica
A Study on Nonviolence: Constructing Narratives of Leadership

Abstract This research explores nonviolence and leadership. Based on the experiences of five narrator-leaders working with marginalized communities in India, it shows how they grounded nonviolence in their organizations, and how they mentored others to carry out work, service, and social action. Each narrator-leader sought to make social change, even though they were aware of the resistance it generated. For this reason, the narrator-leaders mentored their associates in nonviolent action to face social injustice. The primary research question that drives this research is in two parts: how do each of the narrator-leaders exemplify nonviolent leadership, and secondly, what are the areas of convergence they exhibit in relation to one another…? And the two sub-questions are: how did they learn nonviolence and nonviolent leadership practices? And how do they convey these nonviolent leadership practices to those with whom they are associated and what do learn from them? The research drew from narrative method so that the narrator-leaders could elaborate nonviolent practices both in terms of their individual, as well as in community contexts, what is referred to as co-relationship. The community contexts were made up of those ‘unheard’ voices from marginal communities. This important relationship of autonomy, both at the individual and community level, shows when individual agency combines with the power of social groups, it becomes a force for change, no matter how marginalized people are from the mainstream. Using portraiture as the method to draw out each narrator-leader’s experience, allows the reader to experience a way of being-in-the-world, which is action-based. Although they built off inherited knowledge of (Gandhi’s) nonviolence over the two previous generations, it was in their own application of nonviolence that the story revolves. By juxtaposing the stories of the five diverse narrator-leaders, some larger issues arise about peace and nonviolence. These portraits can be used for training a next generation in peace and nonviolent leadership.

Keywords: education
Gandhian nonviolent action
leadership
nonviolence
social change
women's empowerment
Advisor: Joshee, Reva