VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
First year pharmacy and medical students' expectations of the role of pharmacists

Conclusion. Expectations towards the rote of pharmacists was higher among ail pharmacy students, female pharmacy students and students exposed to the pharmacy profession. No relationship was found between age and years of university. Context. Medical and pharmacy students are in the process of learning their respective roles in health care. Purpose. To measure first year University of Toronto pharmacy and medical students' expectations of the rote of pharmacists. Design, setting, and participants. A 24-item self-administered cross-sectional questionnaire survey on a Likert-type scale was administered to 120 pharmacy and 140 medical students in their first year. Methods. A previous survey was modified to determine the level of agreement with statements on the expectations of the rote of pharmacists. Exposure to the pharmacy profession, age, sex and years of undergraduate education was also measured. Results. Total expectation score for pharmacy students (59.5+/-5.2) was significantly higher (p le;0.01) than medical students' score (52.6+/-6.4).
Modern pollen spectra from mangrove ecosystems of the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago and Ciego de Avila, Cuba

Pollen analysis of peat, laucustrine and marine sediments, an established technique for investigating past environments, is facilitated by data on modern pollen/vegetation relationships. The modern pollen spectra of six mangrove dominated communities of the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago and Ciego de Avila, Cuba were investigated with multivariate statistical techniques in order to test their distinctiveness and their potential application for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was used to successfully delimit the samples into their dominant vegetation groupings. The Mantel Test, used to evaluate the correlation between similarity matrices, showed a significant relationship between the local pollen spectra and vegetation (r=0.554, p=0.001). Canonical variate analysis (CVA) was successful in separating the pollen samples into their a priori groups 100% of the time. The results indicate that the pollen rain from mangrove environments in the area is distinctive and strongly reflects the local vegetation. Hence, this dataset can confidently be used to interpret fossil pollen sequences in the area.
Procedural diversity in Ontario's non-degree sector: a study describing educational processes in a private career college and a college of applied arts and technology

Educational processes, as implemented in similar programs at each site, are described and analyzed, focusing on the similarities and the differences within the similarities. The study finds that the student experience is different in a for-profit college and that cross-site themes consistent with the literature about differences in control (public versus for-profit-ness) explain how and why the student experience is different. These themes include differences in faculty and administrative roles and responsibilities, resourcing, the accountability framework and responsiveness. The study concludes that educational processes in FPCs do represent real choice for postsecondary learners and are implemented to increase postsecondary participation and student satisfaction. However, FPCs tend to have standardized processes that must fit in a policy framework to achieve their designed benefits. The study also tests the Educational Processes Model, concluding that it may have general applicability to improve educational practices in postsecondary institutions. Ontario's competitive postsecondary non-degree sector provides the context for this study of for-profit colleges' (FPCs') contribution to procedural diversity. As well as a description of Ontario's private career college sector, the thesis includes a comprehensive review of the literature about FPCs focusing on their functions, governance and administrative practices and linking these attributes of control to procedural diversity. Given the differences in control (public vs. for-profit-ness), it follows that educational processes will be different in for-profit colleges. A best practices model of educational processes based on three research-grounded models provides the conceptual framework to investigate this hypothesis. The Educational Processes Model presents 13 neutral best practices statements categorized under the general categories of curriculum, instruction, out-of-class environment and assessment and continuous improvement. Specific research questions derive from the model, as does the methodology to analyze the data. Two best practices institutions in the sector---a private, for-profit college and a publicly funded community college---provide the sites for this comparative case study.

Keywords: Adult education
Private universities and colleges, Ontario
Education, Higher, Ontario
Occupational training, Ontario
Universities and colleges, Ontario
Wait-free linearizable queue implementations

We study wait-free linearizable Queue implementations in asynchronous shared-memory systems from other consensus number 2 types, such as Fetch Add and Swap. It was known that such implementations exist when at most two processes perform dequeue operations. We provide a new implementation, when only one process performs enqueue operations and any number of processes perform dequeue operations. We introduce the BH AR type, which has two important characteristics: only one BH AR object simulates countably infinitely many Fetch Add objects and Registers; and we can exactly quantify the flow of information in a system providing only one BH AR object. The latter might prove useful in developing an adversarial argument showing that there is no implementation of a Queue from Fetch Add objects when three processes can fully access the Queue. The B-History and Basic-Id-Queue types are restricted versions of the BH AR and Queue types, respectively. We show that implementing a Queue from one BH AR object is equivalent to implementing a Basic-Id-Queue from one B-History object. Preliminary results show that this is impossible for two restricted classes of implementations.
Quantitative, temporal and spatial features of exogenous signaling direct embryonic stem cell fate

In vivo, stem cells reside in specialized microenvironments that regulate cell fate by controlling the types, levels, timing, and spatial organization of extrinsic signals. It is not clear how stem cell fate information is encoded within these microenvironments, nor is it clear how fate is regulated during embryogenesis when cell microenvironment is in flux. Using leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) - induced self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as a model system for extrinsic control of stem cell fate, we investigated the contribution of quantitative, temporal, and spatial features of exogenous signaling to stem cell fate control. Combining quantitative single-cell immunocytochemistry, mathematical modeling of gp130 - Janus kinase - signal transducer and activator of transcription (gp130-Jak-STAT) signaling, and a computational analysis of spatial organization, we have produced a comprehensive analysis of the role of gp130-Jak-STAT signaling dynamics in the control of early ESC self-renewal and differentiation decisions. Our results demonstrate that ESC fate is directed by the quantitative, temporal and spatial features of the gp130 ligand (such as LIF) signals cells receive from their micro environment. Furthermore, ESCs employ control mechanisms including autocrine expression of gp130 ligands and dynamic regulation of gp130 ligand responsiveness via positive-feedback control of gp130-Jak-STAT pathway expression, to both alter their gp130 ligand microenvironment and adapt to it. These novel ESC control mechanisms actively regulate the ligand threshold, as well as the timing and spatial organization of self-renewal and differentiation. A consequence of the signaling interrelationship between ESCs and their environment is the formation of a fixed-location-independent autoregulatory niche controlling cell fate. These results suggest that stem cell fate can be determined and temporally/spatially regulated at the level of cell signaling dynamics rather than exclusively in downstream cell fate processes, a consequence which has implications on the process and hierarchy of stem cell fate control. This work provides mechanistic insight into extrinsic regulation of stem cell fate and thereby suggests tools and approaches for precise manipulation of stem cell fate---a necessary milestone in the development of stem cell therapeutics.
St. Augustine on divine foreknowledge

Although recent interpretations of Augustine of Hippo's (354–430 A.D.) teaching on Divine foreknowledge are helpful and sometimes successful on their own terms, they often misunderstand and misrepresent his doctrine. This is because, generally speaking, they lack breadth and a sufficient acknowledgment of the specificities of Augustine's presentation. Either too little of his treatment of praescientia Dei has been studied, or his discussions have been approached without sufficient attention to the discipline of context. To redress the aforementioned imbalances and omissions in the secondary literature, my dissertation analyzes Augustine's major and minor presentations of foreknowledge while paying attention to such matters as his audiences, rhetorical interests, choice of terminology, attempts to balance and integrate distinct intellectual traditions, and important transitions in his own philosophical development. To accomplish my larger goal of elucidating Augustine's overall doctrine, I approach his presentations in chronological order and focus a large portion of my energies on analyzing the structure of his concept of praescientia Dei as it develops over the course of his career. Augustine's teaching, I conclude, is consistent, though developing, and problematic. Consistency is present because throughout the whole of his corpus: (i) he predicates ‘foreknowledge’ of God analogously; (ii) his concept of foreknowledge is anchored in his root understanding of God and is effected by his larger philosophical interests and concerns; and (iii) his major interest in speaking of this concept pertains to elucidating God's relationship with human responsibility. It is also evident that Augustine's notion of praescientia Dei expands over the years. Due to his restructuring of his Christian-Platonism, exploration of trinitarian doctrine, re-thinking of his views on Divine election and predestination, and ever-present apologetic concerns, he comes to identify his concept of Divine foreknowledge more closely with his root concept of God. Finally, Augustine's doctrine is problematic because we find that although his developed concept of praescientia Dei relieves specific tensions and unclarities found in some of his earlier presentations, it implies a determinist-like quality which stands at odds with the teaching found in his foreknowledge-responsiblity paradigm.
The role of expertise in tagging video

The vast amounts of video that need to be tagged preclude the exclusive use of professional indexers. Thus a significant amount of video will need to be tagged by non-experts. Are the tags created by experts demonstrably superior to those of non-experts, and when non-experts have to be used for tagging, is it better to rely on tags created by those who upload videos or on others who watch the videos? This thesis answers these questions based on experimental studies. Expert tags were found to be more relevant by both experts and non-experts, with non-expert others also creating significantly better tags than did "owners" (i.e., the people who uploaded the videos). While these significant differences were observed, the mean overall judged relevance of tags was relatively low, even for experts. Thus there seems to be considerable scope for the use of tag recommendation systems that can make the tagging process more consistent.
Cortical inhibition in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a debilitating disorder that affects approximately 1 percent of the population and is characterized by delusions, hallucinations and disorganized behaviour. Dysfunction of cortical inhibitory processes has been regarded as key to understanding the pathophysiology of this condition. This evidence has been ascertained from neuropathological, cognitive, evoked-potential and neuromotor studies. Until recently, however, no direct means of determining inhibition in vivo from the cortex was available. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), cortical inhibition can be measured using at least three TMS inhibitory paradigms: short interval cortical inhibition (SICI), cortical silent period (CSP) and interhemispheric inhibition (IHI). Study 1 was designed to measure cortical inhibition in schizophrenia using the three aforementioned TMS inhibitory paradigms. Our results demonstrated that unmedicated patients with schizophrenia have deficits in cortical inhibition across all three TMS paradigms. Moreover, this deficit was reduced in medicated patients with schizophrenia. Two important questions were raised by this initial study. First, it was unclear whether greater cortical inhibition in the medicated group could be related to the direct pharmacodynamic effects of antipsychotic medications. Second, the relationship between these inhibitory paradigms remains unclear. These questions were addressed in study 2 and 3. In study 2, we explored the effects of the antipsychotics olanzapine and haloperidol in healthy control subjects using the three aforementioned TMS paradigms. Our results demonstrated that neither olanzapine, haloperidol nor placebo resulted in a significant changes in cortical inhibition at 6 and 24 hours post-administration compared to baseline across all three paradigms. In study 3, we explored the relationship between the three aforementioned inhibitory paradigms. Our findings suggest that both TCI and CSP may share common inhibitory mechanisms. In contrast, the inhibitory mechanisms mediating TCI are likely different from those mediating SICI. The results of these studies suggest that schizophrenia is a disorder that is associated with deficits in cortical inhibition that may be related to dysfunction of inhibitory interneurons. Moreover, they highlight the need for further exploration into the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia in the context of dysfunctional cortical inhibition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Video-rate stereo vision on reconfigurable hardware

This thesis describes the implementation of a stereo depth measurement algorithm in hardware on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). This system generates 8-bit, sub-pixel disparities on 256 by 360 pixel images at video rate (30 frames/sec). The algorithm implemented is a multi-resolution, multi-orientation phase-based technique called Local Weighted Phase-Correlation. Hardware implementation speeds up the performance approximately 60 to 900 times that of the same algorithm running in software. In this thesis, we describe the programmable hardware platform, the base stereo vision algorithm and the design of the hardware. We include various trade-offs required to make the hardware small enough to fit on our system and fast enough to work at video rate. We show the depth map results from the functioning hardware. Although this research is specifically focused on phase-based stereo vision FPGA realizations, most of the design issues are common to other DSP and Vision applications.
Singing out!: Canadian women in country music

This thesis explores the experiences of 30 Canadian women country music singers in order to learn more about women's lives as performers. Issues related to the subculture of country music, career path, being a woman country music singer, working lives, the role of radio, and being a Canadian woman country music singer are discussed. In spite of the unique and individual experience of each participant, common patterns emerged. Most of the singers exhibited traits similar to the ones they valued in the subculture of country music. The meaning of country music was found to be both socially constructed as well as physically and emotionally mediated: not only a consequence of what the individual brought to the music, but also a result of an engagement with the music itself. Early socialization played a significant role in choosing to pursue this career. The amount and type of musical training as well as the age of entry varied greatly. While most participants' parents were working class, the number of variables impacting on each individual artist made the issue of defining her class problematic with respect to an analysis of a career performing this genre, especially when the level of income was unknown. Gender has an effect on the life of a Canadian woman country music performer. Although most of the participants did not feel they were treated differently because they were women, some structural barriers became obvious. Many spoke of the amount of energy required to realize a career performing, while at the same time usually being held responsible for the majority of homecare and/or childcare. An analysis of some radio stations' playlists revealed that Canadian Content regulations as to content—30% Canadian programming—were fulfilled, but as to timing—when Canadian artists received airplay—were usually not followed.

Keywords: Women country musicians, Canada
Country musicians, Canada
Country music, Canada
Women singers, Canada
Women, Social aspects
Women, Canada
Post stroke "pushing": natural history and relationship to motor and functional recovery

Patients with hemiparetic stroke have impaired balance control. Some patients ("pushers") are unable to accept weight on and actively 'push' away from the non-paretic side. This research identified pushers from stroke patients with moderate to severe hemiparesis and examined changes in symptoms, level of impairment and functional independence. Patients (n = 65) were seen within 10 days post-onset, weekly for 5 weeks and at 3 months. Acutely, 63% demonstrated symptoms of pushing. In 62% symptoms resolved by 6 weeks while in 21% symptoms persisted at 3 months. Motor recovery and functional abilities at 3 months were significantly lower among pushers; however, gains made were significant compared to the 1-week scores. Pushers also had a significantly longer hospital length of stay. In light of these results rehabilitation specialists need to refine treatment approaches for the pushers in order to reduce length of stay and further improve functional outcome.
Women secondary school administrators in the province of Ontario: reflections on the past

The overall purpose of this qualitative study is to examine how retired or soon to be retired women principals, vice-principals, and heads of departments have come to understand their professional experiences as high school administrators and what unique challenges and problems they have encountered. Acknowledging a gap in the literature on women and educational administration, this study focuses on a specific cohort of women who began teaching within the mid to late 1960s, early 1970s and subsequently attained administrative positions during the 1980s and 1990s in high schools within the province of Ontario. Drawing on the interview responses of ten women administrators, heard against a growing body of literature on women educational administrators, this research problematizes existing understandings of women as secondary school administrators. Their narrative accounts are numerous but key areas include the complex constructions of their identities as teachers and administrators, and as women and mothers; the tensions existing between their experiences of power and powerlessness, and of autonomy and subjugation; their interpretations of and responses to gendered processes and practices in both the educational and the wider social sphere. What is called into question here is one uniform narrative of the administrative experience. To accommodate these multivalent experiences, a post-structuralist theoretical framework was used. These women, however, also recall the various structural constraints which have limited and shaped their professional lives, and more recently, the ways in which massive restructuring and changes to Ontario's educational system have produced schisms and conflicts to their professional identities. A structuralist theory acknowledges how, at the macro level, institutional barriers and social, political and educational forces affect people's lives in profound ways. Consequently, while not without tensions, this thesis draws from both theoretical positions. Finally, recently proposed changes to existing administrative models are given, redefining the terms and conditions upon which women are expected to function as school administrators. Based on these reforms and on these women's experiences, recommendations are provided for women seeking administrative posts and implications for policy, practice and research are proposed. Although these recommendations continue to emphasize the importance of promoting and supporting women as educational leaders, we need to begin to theorize differently about women in educational administration in light of these reforms and restructuring trends.

Keywords: Women school administrators, Ontario
High school principals, Selection and appointment
High school principals, Ontario
Sex discrimination against women
Women school administrators, Selection and appointment
Women school administrators, Ontario
Design of input signals for the identification and control of multivariable systems

This thesis presents a new approach to the design of input signals for the identification of 2 x 2 ill-conditioned multivariable systems. The proposed approach builds on the correlated input design developed by Kuong and MacGregor (1991). The input designs were implemented on a simulated distillation column. It is shown that the correlated design is more reliable at producing stable models as compared to the conventional designs (uncorrelated designs) for systems comprised of similar dynamic elements. The input designs proposed in the thesis allows for better identification results than the original input designs for systems consisting of a mixture of slow and fast dynamic elements. In order to validate the input designs, model-based controllers were developed and tested for their performance. The proposed input designs produce models for controllers that provide superior performance over the original input designs for systems comprised of similar dynamics and for systems consisting of both slow and fast dynamics.
Quasi-static strengths and failure modes of tight-fitting and round-end metal-plate wooden truss joints

An experimental study was conducted to investigate whether existing industry design procedures for tight-fitting metal-plate-connector truss joints can be applied to the design of joints made with round-end webs. Four joint configurations were tested with a range of connector-plate sizes: 45° with web in tension, 45°-45° with one web in compression and the other in tension, 45°-90° with the 45° web in compression and the 90° web in tension, and 45° with the web under compression. In total 87 tight-fitting and 171 round-end joints were tested. As expected the tight-fitting joints were stronger and stiffer than round-end joints. Both the shear strength of the metal plate connector and the teeth pullout strength were smaller in the round-end joints than in the tight-fitting joints. Design guidelines are suggested for round-end joints.