VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
A new real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging method for neurofeedback

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows study of brain function noninvasively and, in recent years, has found its application in "neurofeedback (NF)", enabling an individual to modulate behaviour in near real time in response to brain activity. The therapeutic potential of self-regulation of brain activity has been suggested in recent fMRI NF studies. This thesis describes the initial development of a new real-time fMRI method, with the aim of improving the ability to detect small changes (i.e. sensitivity) in fMRI signal due to brain activity while providing rapid data processing that allows instant feedback display for fMRI NF experiments. To address these imaging requirements, a novel pulse sequence is developed to allow fine sampling of MR signal decay with multiple gradient echos. In addition, weighting strategies are applied to combine the multiple echo data, and motion correction schemes are used on the fMRI time-series data. The sensitivity of this new method to detect brain activity is compared with that of a conventional fMRI method. Results obtained from both methods show that their functional sensitivity is similar across multiple performance comparisons. However, the new method can additionally provide significantly reduced computational time and may offer rapid feedback display of brain activity. The potential of this work for future fMRI NF experiments is discussed.
Automated FPGA design, verification and layout

The design and layout of Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) is a time-consuming process that is currently performed manually. This work investigates two issues faced when automating this task. First, an accurate comparison of layout area between manually and automatically-generated layouts is performed. For the single commercial architecture considered, this work found that the area of an automatically-generated layout is only 36% larger than that needed for a manual layout. The second half of this work focused on the steps needed to implement a complete FPGA using automatic layout tools. New tools that aid the design and verification of an FPGA are presented and an FPGA created with those tools was verified in simulation and then sent for fabrication. This indicates that automatic layout tools can be used to design complete FPGAs in a fraction of the time required for manual design.
Prediction based guidance for real-time navigation of mobile robots in dynamic cluttered environments

Real-time motion-planning in autonomous vehicle navigation applications has typically referred to the on-line trajectory-planning problem to reach a designated location in minimal time. In this context, past research achievements have been subjected to three main limitations: (i) only the problem of interception (position matching) has been considered, whereas the problem of rendezvous (velocity matching) has not been rigorously investigated; (ii) obstacles have been commonly treated as moving with constant velocity as opposed to being highly maneuverable and following a priori unknown trajectories; and, (iii) mostly, structured indoor terrains have been considered. This Thesis addresses the abovementioned drawbacks by proposing the use of a novel advanced guidance-based rendezvous methodology in allowing an autonomous vehicle to accurately and safely maneuver in the presence of dynamic obstacles on realistic terrains. The objective is time-optimal rendezvous with static or dynamic targets. The proposed on-line motion-planning method minimizes rendezvous time with the target, as well as energy consumption, by directly considering the dynamics of the obstacles and the target, while accurately determining a feasible way to travel through an uneven terrain. This objective is achieved by determining rendezvous maneuvers using the Advanced Predictive Guidance (APG) law. Namely, the navigation method is designed to effectively cope with maneuvering targets/obstacles by predicting their future velocities and accelerations. The terrain navigation algorithm, also developed within the framework of this Thesis, computes a safe path through a realistic terrain that also minimizes the rendezvous time. All developed algorithms are seamlessly integrated into one overall vehicle guidance algorithm. Extensive simulation and experimental analyses, some of which are reported herein, have clearly demonstrated the time efficiency of the proposed rendezvous method on realistic terrains as well as the robustness of the proposed algorithm to measurement noise.
Estrogen related receptor [alpha], ERR[alpha], regulation of target genes in osteoblasts

Estrogen receptor-related receptor alpha, ERRα, is expressed in many cell types, and is especially high in osteoblastic cells, where it plays a functional role in bone development. To understand the mechanisms underlying ERRα activity in bone, I identified potential target genes of ERRα by a candidate search method. From the list of candidates, I determined which ones had promoter sequences interacting with ERRα and are potentially regulated directly by ERRα. Amongst the candidates identified, inhibition of bone sialoprotein (BSP) expression mimicked the effects of inhibition of ERRα on osteoblasts. ERRα transcriptionally up- or downregulated expression of the BSP promoter in a cell type- and estrogen-dependent manner. My data support the validity of the candidate gene search method for identification of ERRα target genes in bone, and indicate that ERRα regulates BSP expression in a cell type- and hormone-dependent manner. The data provide new insights into regulation of osteoblast expression and function.
Theoretical analysis of superficial microwave hyperthermia using a finite element approach

Hyperthermia has been shown in phase III clinical trials to improve local control of tumours when combined with radiotherapy. However, if the tumours are large, heating with conventional applicators is more difficult. In this thesis, I present a numerical model designed to aid in the development of applicators for superficial microwave heating of large tumours. This model was developed using a finite element method which utilises vector basis functions called edge elements, instead of the more commonly used scalar basis functions. The implementation of this finite element method was verified by comparing it with an analytic solution to the Mie scattering problem. Subsequently, the model was applied to the design of a novel water bolus attachment for external microwave applicators. This application was verified with measurements of heating in a muscle-equivalent phantom. A prototype bolus consisted of a large saline-filled ellipsoidal patch for increasing the size of the microwave beam and a 5 x 5 array of smaller patches for shaping the heating. The prototype design was improved using the model. The optimized bolus was predicted to increase the heating volume from a BSD MA120 applicator by 66%. In addition, when the optimized novel bolus was used in place of a conventional one for heating an “L” shaped target region, the model predicted an increase to the TD90 of the target region from 1.9 mineq43°C to 17.4 mineq43°C and a reduction in the volume of over-heated surrounding tissue from 187 cm3 to 141 cm3. Another application of the model was to calculate the temperature pattern within a patient receiving hyperthermia to the chest wall, to determine the suitability of the model for treatment planning. A three-dimensional anatomical geometry of the patient was reconstructed from CT scans. The predicted steady-state temperatures were compared with measurements in the patient during treatment. The model predicted excessive heating in areas not monitored during treatment and indicated a 90° rotation of the applicator would reduce the intensity of these hot spots. This numerical model successfully characterized and suggested improvements to the design of a novel bolus for heating applicators. In addition, the model demonstrated potential for hyperthermia treatment planning.
Sieves and reeds: Identity, cohesion, and be-longing in a glocalizing space. Young Oromos in Toronto [Ontario]

This is a qualitative study examining complex micro and macro social processes of negotiating drastic shifts in identity, cohesion, and belonging in the context of refugee displacement. A community-based small sample of 18 self-identified research participants is selected from among young Oromos living in Toronto. While most were born in Ethiopia, some were born in Somalia but all came to Canada as refugees or as children reuniting with families who fled Ethiopia as refugees. Innovative methodology was designed to capture the fluidity and complexity of micro processes as they interplay with macro processes in the wider society. Rich qualitative data were generated through loosely structured conversations, telling stories, singing songs and chanting poems, as well as evocative exercises, group reflections, and debates. Participants met every week in four one-to-one and three small group weekly sessions for an average of seven weeks in two rounds. This process built up to a larger focus group debate at the end of the second round of weekly sessions. Six events of ethnographic activity participation were completed intermittently. Data were analyzed using critically interpretive approaches and strategies of critical reflexivity. Concepts and theories from across multiple disciplinary and ontological boundaries were critically engaged and an empirically grounded conceptual framework, dispersal-affinity, was developed through constant goings back and forth between the data and the literature. Dispersal signifies globalizing movements of expulsion and dispersion for refugees while affinity signifies localizing movements of yearning to relocate disrupted social ties. Dispersal-affinity depicts a constant dialogue between the past and the future, the global and the local, the conscious and the unconscious, as well as the individual and the collective. Findings indicate that identity and cohesion are simultaneous processes neither separable from nor reducible to each other and that these processes produce a sense of be-longing simultaneously. Furthermore, they indicate that these processes are directional movements where participants long away from spaces of perceived violence and oppression towards spaces of perceived healing and liberation. The implications of these findings for social work and social justice are discussed.
Finding a voice: A study of the informal modes of governance in Mumbai's airport slums

Civil Society organizations such as non-government (NGO) and community organizations (CO) are increasingly regarded by policymakers as critical governing bodies in the arena of housing development and in the provision of related support to residents of slum settlements. The recent pursuit by governments to involve civil society in slum development and the delivery of housing to low-income communities in urban centers such as Mumbai, India, is a function of significant changes in state involvement as a result of international policies of decentralization. Governments and housing providers have minimized their involvement in the provision of housing and adopted the 'enabling' strategy, effectively changing the role of the state from "provider" to that of "enabler" in order to "bring the nongovernmental sectors into the provision of housing" (Porio 2003, 171). There are numerous studies examining this shift from centralized to decentralized governance, however, there is a gap in the literature pertaining to the impact on informal housing settlements and slum residents. Furthermore, few studies have explored the ways in which the civil society organizations in Mumbai that have assumed the responsibilities of the state, and provide services and resources to those residing in slums. Through a study of the informal housing settlements occupying the lucrative land surrounding Mumbai's International Airport, this research will address some of these deficiencies. The overall question guiding this research is: How do slum dwellers residing on Mumbai's Airport land perceive, interact with, and access civil society structures of governance?
Immunogenicity of pneumococcal vaccination in renal transplant recipients

Background. Renal transplant recipients are at increased risk for developing invasive pneumococcal disease but may have a poor response to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23). The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7), which induces a T-cell dependent response, may be more immunogenic in these patients. Methods. This study is a randomized controlled double-blind trial in 60 adult renal transplant recipients at two transplant centers. Patients between 3 months and 3 years post-transplant were given a single dose of PPV23 or PCV7. Immunogenicity was assessed at 8 weeks post-vaccination by serotype-specific antibody and opsonophagocytic assay (OPA). Results. Baseline demographics, renal function, time from transplant and immunosuppression were comparable in the two vaccinated groups. There were no serious acute adverse reactions to either vaccine. The vaccine response rate (defined as a 32-fold rise in antibody titer and an absolute titer of 31 mug/mL) was improved in the conjugate vaccine group for serotypes 23F (p = 0.046), and 6B (p = 0.067) but was not significantly different for the remaining 5 serotypes. Response to at least one serotype occurred in 73.3% vs. 53.3% respectively (p = 0.11). Mean fold increases in antibody titer were for higher with conjugate vaccine for serotypes 23F (p = 0.046) and 9V (p = 0.09). However, response rate and mean fold increase in OPA titer were not significantly different between the two groups for any of the seven serotypes. Conclusion. There was a trend towards enhanced immunogenicity for conjugate vaccine by ELISA. However, functional antibody responses were not different between the two groups.
Characterization and preferential differentiation of adult rat spinal cord precursor cells in vitro

Neural stem/precursor cells (NSPCs) self-renew and differentiate into neurons and glia. NSPC transplantation for spinal cord repair is a promising strategy for restoring or preserving neurological function. To create effective therapies and understand potential mechanisms of repair, it is essential to define the differentiation potential of NSPCs prior to transplantation. We found that cervical pericentral canal spinal cord NSPCs differentiated into radial glia (RG) (64.8%), oligodendrocytes (56.5%), astrocytes (16.7%), and neurons (5.6%). We showed using electron microscopy (EM) that differentiated oligodendrocytes produce myelin and wrap axons. EM images of NSPCs intimately apposed to radial processes suggest that spinal cord NSPCs produce RG that act as guidance scaffolds. EM also showed that NSPCs within the neurosphere can phagocytose. Spheres from the peripheral white matter produced only glial restricted precursors (GRPs), and 65% of the pericentral canal spheres were GRP spheres, since they produced only glial progeny. Brain derived NSPCs did not differ from cervical spinal cord NSPCs with respect to the percentages of neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes, but did produce 26.9% less RG. Lumbar spinal cord NSPCs produced 30.8% fewer RG and 6.9% more neurons, compared with cervical spinal cord NSPCs. Preferential differentiation of spinal cord NSPCs was achieved by treatment with PDGF and CNTF, and by increasing the time in culture, increasing the serum concentration and using collagen as a cell matrix. The current study characterized exogenously expanded adult rat spinal cord NSPCs. The purpose was to compare the region specific differentiation of NSPCs isolated from different levels of the spinal cord (cervical versus lumbar), different regions along the neuraxis (brain versus cervical spinal cord), and different regions within the spinal cord (pericentral canal versus peripheral white matter). Time in culture, growth factors, cell matrix, and serum concentration were studied to determine their effect on the differentiation potential of adult cervical spinal cord NSPCs. Overall, these findings provide a basis for understanding the region specific differentiation potential of spinal cord NSPCs and their plasticity in response to exogenous factors and manipulations of their in vitro environment, which is important for application to future NSPC transplantation trials for spinal cord injury.
A fuzzy reinforcement learning agent for quality of service routing

This thesis applies Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Fuzzy Logic to the problem of creating a robust routing algorithm for potential application in a Quality of Service environment with multiple classes of traffic. A value based RL scheme was developed that was a similar to one previously developed by Littman and Boyan [7], but whereas the latter utilized packet hop counts as a reward measure, the RL scheme employed throughout this document uses delay as the primary reward metric. Alternatively, any aggregated QOS measure can be substituted in place of delay, to suit the needs of the particular application environment. This modified scheme was applied in a 10 node network environment that generated packet traffic based on statistics collected from UTORLINK, which monitors packet activity on the back bone of the University of Toronto's networks. This thesis examined the theoretical 'best' and 'worst' topological cases for any N node network, and used these formulas to calculate long term expected hop counts.
On the performance of C4 photosynthesis at low temperatures and its relationship to the ecology of C4 in cool climates

The C4 pathway of photosynthesis occurs in fewer than 4% of plant species, but is often dominant in ecosystems that cover more than 35% of the earth's land area. C4 plants perform poorly under cool, non-freezing conditions, and these species are rare in cool climate habitats. This thesis examines hypotheses regarding the mechanistic basis for this feature of C4 plant ecology. C4 plants have been suggested to be more susceptible to photoinhibition at low temperatures than C3 species. Experiments with the high-latitude C4 grass Muhlenbergia glomerata and the co-occurring C3 species Calamogrostis canadensis indicate that there is no difference in the occurrence of photodamage between these cool-climate species. When grown at low temperatures the C4 plant increases its non-photosynthetic dissipation of light energy, and this dynamic photoinhibition is more detrimental to the carbon gain of M. glomerata than to the C3 species. A fundamental benefit of C4 photosynthesis is that high CO 2 assimilation rates are achieved with less Rubisco than in C3 plants. The in vitro capacity of Rubisco is equivalent to photosynthesis in M. glomerata below approximately 20°C, but exceeds photosynthesis above 5°C in C. canadensis. Using the C4 dicot Flaveria bidentis modified with an antisense construct to have reduced Rubisco (anti-RbcS), it is shown that the enzyme exerts nearly total control of C4 photosynthesis below 15°C, and that this control extends to approximately 25°C if the amount of the enzyme is reduced by 60%. The poor performance of C 4 photosynthesis at low temperatures is due to the lower amount of Rubisco in C4 versus C3 plants. This explanation is consistent with the need for increased photoprotection in response to low growth temperatures. Although their low Rubisco content impairs C4 photosynthesis at low temperatures, some C4 species are able to exploit cool climates. Contrary to expectations, Muhlenbergia glomerata is not restricted to the driest microsites in the fens of boreal Canada, where C4 photosynthesis should be most advantageous. This species is favoured only when flooding reduces the otherwise abundant C3 shrubs, indicating that factors affecting the ecology of cool-climate C4 plants are similar to those occurring in warm habitats.
Heterodyne detected fifth-order Raman spectroscopy of ultrafast liquid dynamics

Low-frequency motions (<1000 cm−1</super>) in liquids are directly connected to the complex many-body potential energy surfaces upon which the majority of chemical reactions take place. A detailed description of pure liquids enhances our understanding of solution phase processes such as reaction and solvation dynamics. However, the congested and featureless low-frequency spectra of liquids pose serious impediments to extracting important information related to vibrational anharmonicities and dephasing mechanisms. Since one-dimensional (single time or frequency) observables are only able to access essentially harmonic dynamics and are entirely insensitive to inhomogeneous and homogeneous contributions to the line shape, a higher dimensional observable is required. Fifth-order Raman spectroscopy is the lowest order technique capable of dissecting the low-frequency vibrational line shape, providing a sensitivity long enjoyed in NMR and electronic photon echo methods to unravel dense nuclear spin and electronic absorption spectra. The great promise of fifth-order Raman spectroscopy is accompanied by considerable experimental challenges. Separating the inherently small fifth-order signal from several competing lower-order processes required the implementation of many state-of-the-art advances in nonlinear spectroscopy. The key technological development was the use of a diffractive optic beam splitter to create the six laser beams necessary for signal generation and optical heterodyne detection. A two-color pulse sequence arranged in a particularly effective phase matching beam geometry was found to provide significant direct fifth-order Raman signal levels while suppressing lower-order contaminants. The principal finding of this work is that a modal description of liquids—that low-frequency motions can be described by independent harmonic oscillators—is incomplete. Due to the high sensitivity of the fifth-order response to anharmonicities, this work represents the first direct probe of the breakdown of the common modal description of liquid dynamics. Comparison to recent molecular dynamics simulations suggests that the dynamics leading to the fifth-order response is intimately related to the precise microscopic description of the many-body interactions in the liquid. Provided the fifth-order Raman response can be measured in interesting structured liquids, such as water, this work indicates that the extraordinary sensitivity to molecular details of this novel spectroscopic approach will substantially enhance our understanding of important dynamics in liquids.
Invisible imperialism: Race, power and the construction of the other in the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto

I argue that the Royal Ontario Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization are two museums that are part of a tradition of the imperializing racist imaginary normalized as state culture in which the racialized Other is relegated to various roles in the construction and regeneration of a white supremacist narrative of state nationalism in the exhibits and the museums' spatial forms. In the Royal Ontario Museum this is spatially enacted through a replication of imperial emblems and historical architecture, and as exhibitions affirming invasion and trade and through stereotypes of Africans and Indigenous Peoples as inferiorized Others. In the Canadian Museum of Civilization, imperialism is made invisible and affirmed in the very prominence of Indigenous content and architecture which work to provide a backdrop for white Canadian state conquest, extractive, and technological culture.

Keywords: Racism, Canada
Imperialism
Museums and minorities, Canada
Museums, Social aspects
Museums, Canada