VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
"You will remember this for the rest of your life": an exploration of experiential learning through performance

An important cultural objective of a music performance is to please the aesthetic senses. Performance and its preparation retain intrinsic and external educational value found in an authentic context. Performance provides an opportunity for children to learn skills particular to the art form, and in addition, offers the possibility of a transformative encounter with the arts (Greene, 1995). The essence of the arts can initiate an individual's transformation through connections with humanity, or, with oneself. Through a professional performance with children, as a teacher/researcher I sought to discover what people learn about themselves through performing. The investigation of the meaning of this performance for the children, teachers, and principal involved, through interviews and observation, itself metamorphosed into a probing of my history of performance and the arts. Using arts-based narrative research (Diamond and Mullen, 1999), I too was transformed through the exploration of this performance, and its process.

Keywords: Entertainers, Psychology
Experiential learning
Performing arts and children
Mind over matter: Using law psychology to optimize conflict resolution in health care

In recent years, the potential for conflicts has risen proportionally with the increasing complexity of service delivery in health care. Despite this evolving reality, options for dispute resolution have remained relatively unchanged across Canada. Adequate mechanisms to deal with access-to-care issues lead not only to better patient care, but also instill, to various degrees, more accountability and fairness in health care systems. This thesis seeks to answer the following question: What is the optimal conflict resolution mechanism for access-to-care issues in Canada? Access to care is the major concern in Medicare. This crucial issue arises in a context of changing expectations, economic pressures, increased scrutiny of government design and of physicians' authority as well as a call for greater citizens' participation and heightened concern about the sustainability of the system. This question is examined at the cusp of the fields of law and psychology, and of the sectors of health care and conflict resolution. The Law and Psychology Approach (LPA), a novel approach in legal scholarship, is the lens through which answers are sought. Grounded in the reality of human behaviour and decision-making, it explores how people react, based on empirical studies in psychology, to and within legal institutions and how effective these institutions are in achieving certain goals. LPA reveals important influences on human judgment and choices that are not found in other approaches. Its specific relevance for law and policy lies in its quality as a solid predictive and analytical tool. LPA works by defining a normative standard and then exploring, based on systematic biases and heuristic decision-making, to what extent that standard can be achieved. In this thesis, the normative standard is the potential for different conflict resolution mechanisms to enhance fairness and accountability in health care. This quest for optimality in conflict resolution for access-to-care issues turns out to be an intricate path of which the present work provides just a glimpse. Adversarial and less adversarial dispute resolution mechanisms---like courts and ombudsmen---end up working best in combination, and there is inherent value in mixing specialized and non-specialized mechanisms in health care.
Are provisinal remedies superseding the trial process?

The focus of this thesis is on civil procedure and the manner of dispensing summary justice in an Indian context (with a particular reference to the Bombay High Court). Given the length of a civil trial and the formality attached to the process, courts increasingly grant interim relief to keep the interests of the parties protected. This has resulted in a change in litigants' attitude towards interim relief as they look to satisfy themselves on the basis of such interim relief alone. However, interim relief cannot replace final decrees in civil actions, since they are granted on a summary basis. Limited judicial resources have also caused courts to embrace case-management and settlement techniques that makes the prospects of achieving final conclusion of civil actions more removed. I therefore delve into the question of whether in their pursuit to achieve justice, whether courts are losing sight of determining the truth.

Keywords: Summary proceedings, India
Civil procedure, India
Equitable remedies, India
Priority setting in Ontario hospitals

First, I conducted a hospital survey of 160 Ontario hospital Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) asking CEOs to self report on the fairness of their priority setting. Eight-six CEOs completed the survey (54%). 60.7% of respondents indicated their hospitals' priority setting was fair. With respect to A4R conditions, respondents indicated their hospitals performed best for 'relevance' (75.0%), followed by 'revision/appeals' (56.6%), 'publicity' (56.0%), and 'enforcement' (39.5%) conditions. Greatest room for improvement existed in meeting the 'enforcement' condition. This study expands on the likely relationship between leadership and priority setting. The overall aim of this research was to describe, evaluate and identify opportunities to improve priority setting in Ontario hospitals using Daniels and Sabin's ethical framework of 'accountability for reasonableness' (A4R). Second, I conducted interviews with 46 CEOs of Ontario hospitals, and developed a framework of leadership characteristics in hospital priority setting, involving: vision, alignment, relationships, values and process. The fledgling framework developed in this research provides, I believe, a leadership guide for decision makers to improve the quality of their leadership, and in so doing, fairness of their priority setting. Overall, the most valuable innovation of this research was the finding of an alignment between leadership concepts and concepts of ethical priority setting. Third, I conducted a policy analysis concerning the implementation of Ontario hospital accountability agreements, evaluated against A4R. Analysis suggested that government only partially met the 'relevance' condition however there was evidence of social learning and movement towards the establishment of inclusive stakeholder arrangements. Evidence suggested government eventually progressed towards meeting the 'publicity' condition. Government only partially met the 'revision/appeals' condition. Government did not meet the 'enforcement' condition, as the other conditions were only partially met. It is my view that regional governance structures in Ontario (i.e. Local Health Integration Networks or LHINs) provide an opportunity for the province to improve the fairness of their accountability agreement processes.
Constructing and challenging mixed-race identities among South Asian women in Canada

This thesis speaks to the experience of being a mixed-race woman and of South Asian descent in Canada. It is a compilation of stories (not just my own), but of other women who are half South Asian and struggling to create an identity in a Canadian context. All of the women have one parent who is Pakistani or East Indian, and all of them are living in Canada and are between the ages of 20–30. The women discuss the specific nature of their experience being mixed-race in a society that is still very hostile towards the idea of miscegenation. Being half South Asian makes this experience even more difficult for some of them, since South Asian identity is very complex and situationally specific. The impact that this has on their lives is discussed at length, as well as ideas that can enable schools to help children who are suffering from similar problems. Despite differences in experience, all of the women agree that schools need to be improved in dealing with such issues as passing, internalised racism, racial violence within families and communities, as well as racial violence in schools. By discussing these issues, we can begin to create schools which are not only more helpful for mixed-race children, but for all children in Canada.

Keywords: South Asians, Canada
Racially mixed people, Canada
Minority women, Canada
Identity (Philosophical concept)
"Where are you from Miss?": visible minority women's teaching experiences in Canadian schools

It is widely accepted that it is important to have a diverse teaching staff in schools, not only because of representation but because it enriches the educational experience of all students (George Dei, 2002; Maisy Cheng, 2002; Paul Carr, 1996). Racial and ethnic minority teachers not only enhance education in schools by bringing new cultural perspectives to the classroom, but also present alternative modes of teaching that benefit the varied needs of different students (Yasin and Albert, 1999: 6). They also serve as role models and representatives for students who are visible minorities (Solomon, 1997: 396), and act as mediators when such students become involved in conflict at school (Henry, 2000: 93). This past decade therefore, has witnessed attempts in both research and policy to remedy the problem of recruiting and retaining visible minority teachers in both elementary and secondary schools. However, little attention has been given to the struggles and challenges that these teachers face once they are hired in the school system. Factors such as race, gender, class, age, physical appearance and sexual orientation can affect how the formal authority of these teachers is perceived and received by students, and by extension the degree to which they can be effective in their profession. (Ng, 1994: 41). This is especially true if the knowledge they bring to the classroom or their teaching style challenges existing norms (such as ways of thinking and behavior) that are usually found in schools. This study therefore, seeks to examine the power dynamics that operate in the everyday lives of visible minority teachers and how these dynamics either serve to empower or disempower them in their profession. I examined here the ways in which racism, sexism, classism, ageism and other factors can drive these teachers out of their profession once they have completed their training and started their work. I use the following questions as a guide: (1) What role do visible minority teachers see themselves playing in Canadian schools? How do these teachers see their work as helping to enhance the education of mainstream and minority students? (2) What difficulties do visible minority teachers face when working in predominantly White/non-White schools? What other factors, apart from race, class and gender, pose challenges to them while teaching or participating in the school milieu? (3) How can we improve the preparation, recruitment, professional development and career progress of visible minority teachers? What role do communities, schools, boards and universities play in supporting visible minority teachers as agents of change in schools?

Keywords: Minority women teachers, Social conditions
Minority women teachers, Ontario
Minority women teachers, Attitudes
Minority women teachers, Ontario
Racism in education, Ontario
The impact of orthodontic appliances on sleep quality

Orthodontic patients are often asked to wear the headgear, frankel or twin block appliances during sleep. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of these appliances on sleep quality. Twenty-two subjects between 10–15 years of age were enrolled into a sleep study. Each subject participated in two overnight sleep studies with and without their appliance. The studies were performed at a Sleep Research Laboratory. There were 12 subjects with an extra-oral headgear appliance and 10 subjects with intra-oral appliances. The primary outcome variable was sleep efficiency (SE). Sleep efficiency was 90.7% (SD ± 7.9) and 91.6% (SD ± 4.3, p > 0.05) with and without appliances respectively. Previously, the influence of orthodontic appliances on sleep was based on descriptive subjective reports. In this study, objective criteria were examined. There appears to be no difference in sleep quality with or without the overnight use of these specific appliances.
Long-term perceptual specificity effects in recognition memory: The transformed pictures paradigm

The effects of a study/test mismatch in the viewing mode of natural scenes on recognition memory performance were examined. At both encoding and retrieval, scenes were presented either by being divided into quarters that were displayed in a sequential cumulative fashion or by scrolling the images through the screen, thereby gradually revealing the content of the images. Half of the participants were tested immediately after encoding and the other half after 48 hours. For both the immediate and delayed retrieval conditions better recognition memory was demonstrated when viewing modes matched across study and test than when they mismatched. Implications for current processing and multiple systems views of memory are discussed.
Wind energy conversion systems as power filters: a control methodology

In recent years, wind energy conversion systems have been deployed in large numbers in electricity grids throughout the world. Their impact on the operation of power systems is a growing area of research. This thesis presents a control methodology for wind turbine systems that are interfaced to the grid through power-electronic converters. It is shown that fast power fluctuations excited in the conversion system by the wind can be contained rather than transferred to the grid. Also, the use of the turbine hub's energy storage capacity for filtering slow power fluctuations is explored. It is shown that a stability limit exists on the minimum filtering cut-off frequency, and that this limit can be conservatively estimated. Application of the control methodology results in a simplified model of the wind energy conversion system as a first-order filter of the incoming wind power.
Theoretical rationales for the WTO safeguard regime

This thesis examines Article XIX of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the "safeguard" provision, which allows states that experience an unexpected disruption or downturn in a domestic industry, caused by increased imports resulting from GATT trade concessions, to temporarily suspend, on a non-discriminatory basis, the GATT obligations that caused the disruption. Alan O. Sykes, based on his application of public choice theory to the behaviour of the signatory states, has argued that the safeguard provision is a necessary component of the GATT, since without it states would have lacked the incentives to enter into the GATT, and the present agreement would unravel. By contrast, I analyze rationales for the safeguard regime from a 'two-level game' perspective, incorporating international as well as domestic incentives. I conclude that states will comply with a more restrictive safeguard regime than that advocated by Sykes, and propose reforms to the current regime accordingly.
Engineering thermodynamic stability and peptide binding properties of the Abp1p SH3 domain

This thesis investigates protein-protein interactions using the SH3 domain as a model system. The interaction between the SH3 domain of the yeast Actin binding protein 1 (Abp1p) and ligands derived from its biological target proteins is studied. Information derived from an SH3 domain sequence alignment and SH3 domain structural alignments was used to predict functional Abp1p SH3 domain residues. Eight unusual Abp1p SH3 domain residues were identified. Replacement of three of these residues significantly stabilized the domain, increasing its Tm from 60°C to greater than 90°C. These residues were not important for the in vitro binding activity of the Abp1p SH3 domain, but their location on the SH3 domain surface and role in modulating stability suggests potential roles for their function in vivo. Investigation of the functional roles of certain other unusual residues via mutagenesis experiments, in vitro peptide binding assays, and NMR spectroscopy revealed that they are involved in ligand recognition at a binding surface of the Abp1p SH3 domain that differs from the typical interaction surface. The level of Abp1p SH3 domain binding affinity for its in vivo binding sites ranged from 2 muM to 0.03 muM, and residues at either end of the ligand sequences were shown to be required for high affinity. Substitution of conserved residues on the typical interaction surface of the SH3 domain indicated that certain hydrogen bonds across this interface contribute more than others to binding energy. Replacement of Asn 53 was found to reduce binding affinity in a target-specific manner. Mutagenesis experiments indicated that this effect is related to the structural propensity of a single residue in the XP-X-XP motif of the Abp1p SH3 domain ligands, and may result from a change in binding kinetics. These studies reveal that SH3 domains can use an additional binding surface to interact with target sequences, and indicates that certain hydrogen bonds in SH3 domain interaction interfaces control binding affinity and kinetics. The utility of sequence alignment analysis in identifying residues that are important for the stability and function of SH3 domains is also demonstrated.
The effect of body mass index on the change in disability and pain in hip and knee osteoarthritis

Obesity is a risk factor for incident hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA). Few studies have examined the effect of obesity on the change in disability and pain in OA. Objective. To establish whether greater Body Mass index (BMI) predicts change in disability and pain in people with moderate-to-severe hip/knee arthritis. Methods. Data was derived from a prospective population-based study of individuals in two counties in Ontario. The WOMAC was used to assess disability and pain. Changes in disability and pain were categorized as worsening, improving, or no change based on the minimal clinically important difference. Logistic regression was used for the analyses. Results. Age, but not baseline BMI, predicted change in disability and pain after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusion. In this population with established OA, obesity was not associated with changes in disability or pain, suggesting risk factors for incidence may be different from those for progression.
The impact of lateral tongue resections on midsagittal tongue movements in speech

This study aimed to provide a description of the functional consequences of a partial lateral glossectomy. Using ultrasound, the midsagittal tongue movement of 10 patients with tongue cancer and 6 adults with normal speech was analyzed. The midsagittal tongue elevation during speech, the velocity of midsagittal tongue movements, the vowel space, and the speech intelligibility and acceptability were compared. Within-subject comparisons were made for the patients pre- and post-glossectomy. Between-subject comparisons were made for patients with local closure and those with free flaps, and for tongue cancer patients and adults with normal speech. The results indicated that the partial glossectomy patients compensated for the loss of lateral tongue tissue by elevating their midsagittal tongues to a higher level and by increasing the velocity of movement during speech. The results also revealed that the patients with higher tongue velocity had less intelligible speech than those with lower tongue velocity.
Modeling and optimization of patient flow at the diagnostic imaging department of Trillium Health Centre

Given that healthcare systems are quite complex with limited resources, it is necessary to search for ways that improve both patient satisfaction and overall efficiency. This thesis presents a study conducted at Trillium Health Centre, Mississauga, where the patient flow at the diagnostic imaging department was modeled and optimized. Trillium's imaging facility provides services to four main types of patients: emergency patients, fracture clinic patients, inpatients, and outpatients. Since outpatients have the lowest priority, they frequently wait for long periods of time to be serviced. The thesis covers the following: (1) Patient flow modeling, whereby discrete event simulation is used to model and validate the department's operations; (2) Model analysis, where patient waiting times and the utilization of staff and physical capacity are examined; (3) Potential recommendations, where sensitivity analysis is used to reduce patient waiting times and optimize the overall performance of the department.
Role of Ets1 and Ets2 in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation

Osteogenesis is a complex process that involves coordinated changes in the expression of many genes. The osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cell line provides an excellent in vitro model to study osteoblast differentiation. This intricate process is believed to be regulated by transcription factors that control the expression of osteoblast-associated genes. However, very few transcription factors and target genes have been identified in osteoblasts thus far. Ets1 Transcription factor was found to be expressed in mesenchymal cells at sites where bone formation occurs. Ets2 transgenic mice feature skeletal deformities including delayed mineralization. The central hypothesis of this thesis is that Ets1 and Ets2 transcription factors and their target genes are associated with osteoblast development and bone formation. Examination of the expression of Ets factors in MC3T3-E1 cells revealed that Ets1 and Ets2 are expressed at levels higher than any other member of the Ets family and that Ets1 is associated with proliferating preosteoblasts whereas Ets2 is associated with differentiating osteoblasts. More over Ets1 transcription factor was identified as an effector of retinoic acid and thyroxin signaling in MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts since Ets1 mRNA expression is enhanced in presence of these factors. Furthermore, the upregulation of Ets1 promoter by RA was shown to be through a functional RA response element half site. To identify osteoblast-associated genes and possible targets of Ets1 and Ets2, a cDNA microarray gene chip was utilized to monitor the expression of over 8700 genes. 252 known and unknown genes were considered to be differentially expressed in proliferating and mature osteoblasts, many of which have not previously been studied in osteoblasts. Detailed analysis of some of these genes resulted in identification of 10 genes whose expression was associated with each of the main stages of osteoblast development. The results presented here indicate that Ets1 and Ets2 play role(s) in osteoblast development and have resulted in identification of number of potential Ets target genes that may be important in osteogenesis. In addition these experiments have provided a large pool of osteoblast-related genes that may serve as the framework for further investigations in their potential roles in bone formation.
A data mining framework for AVM treatment planning in radiosurgery

An outcome prediction system has been designed that can model the effect of multiple Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) prognostic factors on stereotactic radiosurgical outcome. This system is adaptive allowing refinement in outcome predictions with the accrual of patient data. Bayesian network models (Naive Bayes, Tree Augmented Naive Bayes, Chow Liu and Domain Knowledge based) were trained on a data set containing information on 202 patients who underwent radiosurgery at Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto. These trained models form the core of the system and their predictions can be subsequently updated as new patient data is acquired. Additional system features include the provision of an electronic patient record for data collection. Variable dependency diagrams output by the system aid in disease understanding. As well, validation tools built into the system permit assessment of prediction accuracy over time. This thesis also outlines the results of analyzing quality of life data of AVM patients undergoing radiosurgery.