VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Development, Analysis, and Validation of Parabolic Equation/Ray-Tracing Techniques in Railway Environments

The deployment of modern communication-based train control (CBTC) systems in railway networks requires a thorough understanding of the radio-wave propagation characteristics. Parabolic equation (PE) and ray-tracing (RT) are well-known techniques for generating propagation models. RT is versatile yet computationally expensive for long guiding structures whereas the PE method is efficient yet considers only forward propagation. Thus, for railway applications, it is of central interest to hybridize the two methods, to obtain a computationally efficient and versatile model.In this thesis, a higher-accuracy PE solver is developed. Compared to traditional methods, it offers significantly better accuracy at no additional cost. Moreover, a systematic study of the numerical error and the relative performance of the PE methods is presented.Finally, a hybrid modeling technique, combining the RT and PE methods, is presented. This hybrid model is validated against measured data of canonical tunnels and an actual deployment site of CBTC systems.

Keywords: Applied Electromagnetics
Channel Modeling
Hybrid Model
Parabolic Equation
Ray Tracing
Wave Propagation
Advisor: Sarris, D. Costas
Mind the Justificatory Gap: Fairness in Administrative Law through the Rule of Law as a Normative Exercise in Reviewing Regulated Conduct

Regulatory regimes alter the legal obligations on parties that engage in regulated conduct. Three claims are made: (1) In the sphere of regulated activities, the default assumption the law makes about one's ability to take any action is altered from a presumption that one is at liberty to perform an action to a presumption that one requires permission insofar as that action is within the regulated sphere of activity; (2) This changed presumption about the lawfulness of conduct calls for a higher degree of justification; and (3) Oversight of administrative action, whether through appeals, legislative revision to regulation, or judicial review, requires an understanding of the Rule of Law as a normative exercise. These claims are examined through three case studies: (i) Administrative Monetary Penalty Regimes and their enforcement; (ii) Unauthorized Practice Applications/Prosecutions by regulatory bodies; and (iii) exercises of the public interest jurisdiction by the Ontario Securities Commission.

Advisor: Green, Andrew
Assessment of Endothelial Function in Humans: Observations Concerning the use of Low Flow-mediated Constriction and the Vascular Effects of Nebivolol

We first examined the effect of inflammation-induced by injection of Salmonella typhi vaccine on endothelial function. This was performed using flow-mediated dilation (FMD) combined with low flow-mediated constriction (FMC). We believe that combining these two endpoints would increase the sensitivity and specificity of endothelial function assessment. Unfortunately, after completion of the study, manufacturer of the vaccine announced that several batches of its typhoid fever vaccine, including the batch used in this study, had been recalled due to concerns of inadequate antigenicity. We then investigated the ability of the third generation beta-blocker, nebivolol, to protect against endothelial dysfunction associated with ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury. Using the FMD technique, we demonstrated that the acute administration of nebivolol has a pharmacologic preconditioning effect, providing protection against IR-induced endothelial dysfunction. We also proposed to examine the ability of nebivolol to protect against nitrate tolerance and nitrate-induced endothelial dysfunction. Unfortunately, this proposal could not be completed due to shortage of time.

Advisor: Parker, D. John
Open Secularism And The Place Of Religion In Public Education: A Historical Analysis Of Quebec's New Ethics And Religious Culture Program

As a Spiritual and Community Animator with the English Montreal School Board, I have been fascinated by the fact that even though Quebec has marched forward in the school secularization process, it has chosen to provide mandatory religious instruction in a normative framework. This vision of secularism, namely "Open Secularism," has been espoused by recent (1999-2008) government educational policies. The main question for this thesis is as follows - Why is religion still in the mandate of public education in Quebec? This thesis will follow the secularization process of the Quebec educational system which ultimately led to the establishment of the Ethics and Religious Culture (ERC) program in 2008. Using the conceptual lens of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of Social and Cultural Reproduction this thesis will also examine how the school system itself perpetuates dominant class structure - an aspect of the Quebec secularization story that is missing from the educational historiography.

Keywords: Ethics and Religous Culture Program
History
Quebec
Religious Education
Secularization
Social Policy
Advisor: Sandwell, Ruth
Body (Im)Potent: Culture, Capitalism, and the Afrodescendant's Fight for her Body

In 2000, the United Nations emphasized a number of Millennium Development Goals, to include, `Promot[ing] gender equality and empower[ing] women.' For women of African heritage residing in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean the promise of equity is belied by socio-political realities which propagate the marginalizing of Black women. `Body (Im)potent: Culture, Capitalism, and the Afrodescendant's Fight for Her Body,' considers the extent to which the trans-Atlantic slave trade located the Black woman's body as a unit of work. Further, this thesis explores the ongoing disparities between the Black woman's view of her own body, and pervading discourses which define that body according to the needs of a dominant class--a Marxist perspective which posits that the potential of human self-actualization is often sacrificed on the altar of capital. `Body (Im)potent' highlights that the promise of empowerment and equality must also be considered from the perspective of those unique West African-inspired cultural movements which informed Black resistance, and which continue to influence the self-image of the region's Afrodescendants. Moreover, `Body (Im)potent' considers the extent to which the milieux created by globalization contribute to the evolution of the Afrodescendant's concept of her body, and perceptions of that body by the world at large.

Advisor: Walcott, Rinaldo
Making Sense of National Socialism: Linguistic Ideology and Linguistic Practices in Germany, 1933-1939

This work approaches the question of how to make sense of German National Socialism from a joint political economic and linguistic perspective. It charts the historical emergence of Nazism and its linguistic ideology before analysing its linguistic practices in the fields of law, the mass media, and education. Plying these two strands together, it is argued that a racially-inflected understanding of language as "mother-tongue" informed the Nazis' re-envisioning of German community, while certain practical uses of language contributed to the Nazi state's attempt to make this community both discursively and materially real. Finally, the possibility is raised of extending the mode of enquiry modelled here to Italian Fascism and Spanish Francoism, but also to the linguistic ideologies and practices that characterise global capitalism, in an attempt to make sense of the present.

Keywords: discourse analysis
history
language
linguistic ideology
National Socialism
political economy
Advisor: Heller, Monica
Generating Circuit Current Constraints To Guarantee Power Grid Safety

Verification of the chip power distribution network is a critical stepin modern IC design. Vectorless verification, developed as analternative to simulation-based methods, requires user-specified current constraints and checks if the worst-case voltage drops at all grid nodes are below user-specified thresholds. However, obtaining/specifying the current constraints remains a burdensome task for design teams. In this thesis, we define and address the inverse problem: given a grid, we will generate circuit current constraints which, if satisfied by the underlying logic, will guarantee grid safety. This approach has many potential applications, including various grid quality metrics, and power grid-aware placement and floorplanning. We give a rigorous problem definition and develop some key theoretical results related to maximality of the current space. We then develop two constraints generation algorithms that target key quality metrics like the peak total power allowed by the grid and the uniformity of the temperature distribution.

Advisor: Najm, N Farid
Design and Evaluation of a Portable Cost-Effective Biomechanics Analysis System Using Multiple Kinect Sensors

Homecare workers have difficult jobs that place them at high risk of back injury. They perform challenging patient handling activities alone in confined spaces with limited equipment. We need to better understand the postures and techniques homecare workers utilize in order to develop effective solutions to reduce their risk of injury. Existing biomechanical tools require complex equipment and/or lengthy processing time. This work describes the design and evaluation of an inexpensive portable biomechanics evaluation system based on multiple Kinect sensors that addresses these limitations. Caregiver's joints are tracked and posturally-induced spinal loads are calculated. The Kinect system was compared to a gold standard Vicon system and was found to be very accurate overall, with RMS errors (SD) as low as 1.11° (0.97°), 0.86° (0.84°), and 1.80° (1.28°) for flexion, lateral bend, and twist respectively. Pilot tests conducted in simulated bathroom and bedroom settings demonstrated that the system is feasible to use in confined spaces.

Keywords: Back Injuries
Biomechanical Analysis
Kinect
Motion Capture
Spinal Load Estimation
Trunk Rotation
Advisor: Fernie, Geoff
The Democratization of Financing

This thesis seeks to contribute to the existing literature on equity crowd funding in Canada by putting forward the proposal that effective regulation of equity crowd funding offers a solution to counter Canada's poor track record of productivity and innovation vis-à-vis other developed nations. The equity crowd funding market is the future of early stage financing for start-ups. This emerging market presents an opportunity for the Canadian securities regulators to expand the exempt market in a cost-effective manner. For this market to succeed it is vital that a workable model is established, which is compelling to both investors and entrepreneurs, to realize significant benefits to the Canadian economy.

Keywords: Crowdfunding
Entrepreneurship
Securities
Advisor: MacIntosh, Jeffrey
Determining the Effects of Fructose on Glycemic Control and Insulin Sensitivity in Individuals With and Without Diabetes using Meta-Analytical Tools

The objective was to conduct two systematic reviews and meta-analysis of controlled feeding trials to investigate the effect of fructose on measures of glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, in humans. The glycemic control analysis of 58 trials (n=1021) showed a clinically significant reduction in HbA1c when fructose was isoenergetically substituted for other carbohydrates, without adverse effects on fasting glucose or insulin. When fructose supplemented the background diet, providing excess energy, fasting glucose was elevated. Similarly, the insulin sensitivity (IS) analysis (45 trials, n=791) found a tendency for improvement in whole-body IS with fructose substitution, with no change in hepatic IS or HOMA-IR. Fructose supplementation, however, impaired hepatic IS with a trend for impairment in whole body IS and HOMA-IR. Overall, the results suggest that replacement of moderate doses of carbohydrate with fructose may have a beneficial effect on glycaemia and IS, although this effect may be negated with excess calories.

Keywords: Fructose
Glycemic Control
Guidelines
Insulin Sensitivity
Intervention Trials
Meta-Analysis
Advisor: Jenkins, JA David
The Status Theory: a Corrective Justice Account of the English Law of Unjust Enrichment

This thesis presents a corrective justice theory, which will be referred to as the "status theory," of the normative foundations underlying the English law of unjust enrichment. According to the status theory, the right to restitution responding to an unjust enrichment is a Kantian status right, which is granted to the plaintiff following the violation, by the defendant, of a particular proprietary right belonging to the plaintiff. This proprietary right is a right to set the agenda over value owned by the plaintiff and comprising the enrichment. The Kantian status right resulting from the violation of the plaintiff's right to set the agenda over his property may then be used to force the defendant to disgorge unjust gains, comprised of either value or in rem rights.

Advisor: Benson, Peter
Who Monitors Biobanks? The Need for an Oversight Authority

Biobanks are essential for developing innovative solutions to address human health challenges. At the same time such biobanks pose unique legal and ethical challenges, and raise many as yet unanswered questions, including how the collection of biological samples and information should be governed. I suggest that biobanks should have a clear regulatory structure and oversight system. I examine, in particular, the need for an oversight authority, arguing that the self-governance trend is not sufficient enough to ensure that all biobanks have proper governance practices, and that some formal regulation is needed to protect the integrity of research participants and to guarantee the security and confidentiality of the participants' information. I suggest that robust biobank governance mechanisms require not only their own governance system but that these must necessarily involve a formal oversight body by the state for licensing and monitoring and which has the power to impose sanctions.

Keywords: Biobanks
Privacy
Research
Advisor: Lemmens, Trudo
Conditional p53 Deletion Promotes Adult Neurogenesis and Improves the Acquisition and Clearance of Contextual Fear Memory

We crossed Nestin-CreERT2 mice and p53 flox mice to produce mice with heterozygous or homozygous p53 deletion in a tamoxifen (TAM)-dependent manner (named iKO-p53+/- and iKO-p53-/- mice, respectively). Result showed that dividing Ki-67+ cells and immature DCX+ neurons in the dentate gyrus were increased in iKO-p53+/- and iKO-p53-/- mice 4 weeks after the TAM injection. To study the retrograde effect of p53 deletion on behaviors, mice received TAM after the training in the CFC and was tested 4 week later. iKO-p53+/- mice displayed degraded contextual fear memory. To study the anterograde effect of p53 deletion on behaviors, mice received TAM 8 weeks before the training in the CFC and was tested o1 day after the training. Results showed a trend of increased contextual fear memory. Therefore the result provide evidence that increased adult neurogenesis is associated with improved acquisition and clearance of hippocampus-dependent contextual fear memory.

Keywords: adult neurogenesis
conditional p53 deletion
contextual fear memory
dentate gyrus
immunohistochemistry
Advisor: Frankland, Paul
Late Quaternary Tectonics, Incision, and Landscape Evolution of the Calchaquí River Catchment, Eastern Cordillera, NW Argentina

In this study we use field investigations, analysis of longitudinal river profiles, and 10Be-derived erosion rates and paleo-erosion rates to examine the Quaternary landscape evolution of the Calchaquí River Catchment of the southernmost Eastern Cordillera, in NW Argentina. The spatial distribution of erosion rates, normalized steepness indices, concavity indices, and knickpoints reflect active tectonics and resistant lithologies exposed along preexisting structural heterogeneities. Shortening is distributed across multiple structures and controls local baselevels. Field studies document active faults and ~100m of channel incision in

Keywords: Cosmogenic Nuclide Chronology
Eastern Cordillera
Longitudinal River Profile Analysis
Advisor: Schoenbohm, M Lindsay
Transmitted Pressure and Resulting Crack Network in Selected Rocks from Single-hole Blasts in Laboratory-scale Experiments

Fragmentation of rock due to blasting occurs in two stages; stress-wave propagation, and explosion gas-penetration. Single-hole laboratory scale experiments were conducted in four rock types by placing copper liner in the borehole to study the first stage of fracture creation by the stress-wave. The effect of borehole parameters such as borehole-diameter (6.4mm, 9.5mm), charge-weight (3g/m, 5.3g/m, 10g/m PETN) and coupling-medium (air, water) on the magnitude of transmitted pressure were studied with embedded carbon gauges. The resulting crack-patterns were analyzed using dye-impregnation technique, and fragment size distribution by sieve analysis. Both transmitted pressure and crack-density increased with depth from the borehole collar. The borehole wall pressure in water-coupled boreholes was estimated to be 448 MPa compared to air-coupled case of 193 MPa with 5.3g/m detonating cord in 9.5mm borehole in Laurentian granite. The fragment size distribution was strongly influenced by both shape and size of test samples, resulting in wedge-shaped fragments.

Keywords: Crack density
Detonating cord
Fragmentation
Rock blasting
Single-hole
Transmitted shock pressure
Advisor: Mohanty, Bibhu
Excuse Me, are You the Teacher?: The Experiences of Racialized ESOL Teachers in Private-language Schools in Toronto

Like other service workers, racialized English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers in private-language schools are judged on their embodied traits, which are their (perceived) language proficiency and race, sometimes along with other social markers. Research has suggested that because they are not the ideal White, native-English-speaking instructor, racialized teachers usually experience awkward, confusing, and discriminatory encounters in their workplaces. These interactions are racial microaggressions because they send insulting messages to these teachers. Employing a critical race methodology, this study examines the microaggressions that 10 racialized teachers experience in various private ESOL schools in Toronto. Moreover, it looks at how these microaggressions impact the teachers' professional identities. The findings highlight how the teachers experience a range of microaggressions that occasionally go beyond issues of language and race, all of which promote internal and external identity work. Furthermore, these findings provide the impetus to prevent microaggressions in the ESOL context.

Keywords: embodiment in service work
native and 'nonnative' speakers of English
private-language schools
professional identity construction
racialized ESOL teachers
racial microaggressions
Advisor: Mirchandani, Kiran
Investigating In Vivo Efficacy of Novel ALN-EP4a Conjugate Drugs for the Treatment of Post-menopausal Osteoporosis

Current treatments for post-menopausal osteoporosis are mainly anti-resorptive, which decrease osteoclastic bone resorption but show little bone-building effects to reverse bone loss. The current study employs a conjugate approach in which an anabolic agent (EP4 receptor agonist) is covalently linked to an anti-resorptive agent (alendronate) to create two novel conjugate drugs: C1 and C2. The rationale is that when administered systemically, C1 and C2 will be target delivered to bone through alendronate's ability to bind to bone mineral, thereby decreasing side effects associated with systemic administration of the EP4 agonist. This study investigated the in vivo efficacy of the C1 and C2 conjugates for the treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis in a curative experiment using the ovariectomized rat model. Results showed that the C1 conjugate dose-dependently stimulated new bone formation in both cortical and trabecular bone, while the anabolic effects of the C2 conjugates were not observed in any skeletal sites.

Keywords: Anabolic Bone Therapy
Animal Model
Biomechanics
Bone biology
Conjugate Drug
Osteoporosis
Advisor: Grynpas, Marc
Examining Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Diabetic Individuals with and without Psychotic Illness

Aim: To measure cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in diabetic individuals with and without a psychotic illness and healthy controls and determine whether the presence of psychosis increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).Methods: CRF was assessed using the six minute walk test (6MWT) and self reported questionnaires assessed physical activity, quality of life and perceived exertion. Results: Individuals with T2DM and a comorbid psychotic illness had a significantly lower CRF when compared to people with T2DM alone. CRF in both T2DM groups was significantly lower compared to previously-collected data on healthy Canadians. Conclusion: CRF is reduced in T2DM and the co-occurrence of psychotic illness reduces fitness further. More attention needs to be directed at improving CRF in this population, in both primary care and psychiatric settings. Success in improving fitness in this vulnerable population may reduce medical comorbidity, improve quality of life, and prolong lifespan.

Keywords: 6 Minute Walk Test
Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Psychosis
Type 2 Diabetes
Advisor: Ganguli, Rohan
Identifying Protein Interactions Amongst DNA Damage Repair Proteins in Yeast

Mapping protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is crucial for understanding cellular systems. PPIs can be studied with binary or co-complex methods. A major economical binary method is the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) system. However, current Y2H is still very time-consuming for studying large protein matrices. Here, I applied a new technology developed in our lab, Barcode Fusion Genetics Yeast Two-Hybrid (BFG-Y2H), to study ~69,000 protein pairs amongst 263 yeast DNA damage repair proteins. BFG-Y2H combines Y2H, DNA-barcoding, barcode-fusion genetics and next-generation sequencing to increase the current throughput of Y2H. I demonstrated that BFG-Y2H screens are reproducible and of comparable quality to a previously published high-quality Y2H dataset. In addition, I also discovered and confirmed five novel Y2H interactions amongst the top scores with the BFG-Y2H screens when compared to all previously published literature. Thus, BFG-Y2H can be used to more efficiently capture PPIs.

Keywords: High-throughput
Protein interactions
Yeast two-hybrid
Advisor: Roth, Frederick
Decreased Face Primary Motor Cortex (Face-M1) Excitability Induced by Noxious Stimulation of the Molar Tooth Pulp is Dependent on the Functional Integrity of Face-M1 Astrocytes

Acute inflammatory dental pain is a prevalent orofacial pain condition that is often associated with altered orofacial sensorimotor functions. The underlying motor cortex mechanisms are unclear. The aims were to examine whether application of the inflammatory irritant mustard oil (MO) to the rat maxillary molar tooth pulp affects face-M1 excitability manifested as a change in intracortical microstimulation threshold intensity for evoking jaw-opening muscle electromyographic activity, and if subsequent application of the astrocytic inhibitor methionine sulfoximine (MSO) to the face-M1 can modulate the MO-induced effects. Compared with control, pulpal MO application induced significantly decreased face-M1 excitability. Subsequent MSO application to the face-M1 attenuated the MO-induced effects. These novel findings suggest that acute noxious stimulation of the dental pulp is associated with decreased face-M1 excitability that is, at least in part, dependent on the functional integrity of face-M1 astrocytes and may be related to mechanisms underlying limited jaw movements in acute pain conditions.

Keywords: Astrocytes
Dental Pain
Glial cells
Motor Cortex
Pain
Advisor: Avivi-Arber, Limor