VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Transparent In-memory Cache for Hadoop-MapReduce

Many analytic applications built on Hadoop ecosystem have a propensity to iteratively perform repetitive operations on same input data. To remove the burden of these repetitive operations, new frameworks for MapReduce have been introduced, which make users follow its programming model. We propose a solution to the problem of application rewriting that newer frameworks impose. We re-architected Hadoop core to add in-memory caching and cache-aware task-scheduling.We set out to match the performance of a state-of-the-art high speed, in-memory MapReduce architecture with caching (Spark). While Spark reimplements the MapReduce paradigm, it comes with a new set of new API's and abstractions. We maintain the familiar Hadoop framework and API's, thus complete backward compatibility for any existing Hadoop-based software. This ensures no changes to existing applications code whatsoever. It guarantees no-pain installation over existing deployments while providing 4.5-12X performance improvement. We perform comparable to, and in some cases outperform Spark.

Keywords: Hadoop
Mapreduce
memory cache
persistent process
transparent cache
Advisor: Amza, Cristiana
Investigating Heavy Atom Substitution on Perylene Diimides and Morphlogy Control Using Bulky Thiophene-Selenophene Block Copolymers

The field of organic photovoltaics have seen significant growth over the last decade. In particular, bulk heterojunction devices are the currently favored device in organic photovoltaics due to the ability to optimize their active layer morphology. The active layer has the most potential for growth to produce devices with percent conversion efficiencies (PCE) in excess of 10%, which is the area that this thesis explores. For the n-type material, the atomistic substitution between S, Se and Te was investigated on a series of perylene diimide dimers linked with a 5-membered heterocycle. The optoelectronic properties are found to be virtually identical between the series with preliminary device data showing a PCE of 1.28%. Conversely, investigating morphology control of the active layer is also proposed using bulky phenyl-substituted thiophene-selenophene block copolymers. The bulky substituents are expected to compete with Se-Se and π-π interactions, which may lead to new and interesting morphology control.

Keywords: Atomistic study
Organic Photovoltaic
Perylene diimide
Advisor: Seferos, S Dwight
Ligands of the Elastin Receptor Stimulate Elastogenesis through cross-activation of the IGF-1 Signaling Pathway

It has been previously established that elastin degradation products can interact with the elastin receptor to induce elastogenesis. To elucidate this, we investigated the elastogenic potential of three separate peptides, VGVAPG, IGVAPG and a similar sequence found in the IGF-1 binding protein, VGVTAGA. Results of studies performed on cultures of human dermal fibroblasts demonstrated that each tested peptide increased levels of their elastin-encoding mRNA, tropoelastin and the deposition of new elastic fibers. Moreover, we determined that this increase in elastogenesis was induced, either after an indirect cross-activation of the IGF-1 receptor that occurred after binding of elastin-like peptides to the cell surface elastin receptor and a consequent intracellular signals involving activation of c-Src and phosphorylation of IGF-1R or after their interaction with IGF-1 binding protein that caused release of IGF-1 and a direct activation of IGF-1R, triggering the downstream pathway leading to activation of the elastin gene transcription.

Keywords: Dermal Fibroblasts
Elastin-like peptides
Elastin Receptor
IGF-1 Receptor
Regenerative Medicine
Advisor: Hinek, Aleksander
Source-level Debugging Framework Design for FPGA High-level Synthesis

HighLevel Synthesis tools have become more attractive in recent years. However, in order to be fully utilized for largescale applications, HLS tools need to address more challenges in different areas of development. This thesis focuses on one of the most crucial aspects of the normal design process which is sorely lacking in HLS tools: debugging methodologies; and presents a new source-level debugger called

Keywords: Debugging
FPGA
High-level synthesis
Advisor: Brown, D. Stephen
Attenuation of Cardiac Fibrillation Vulnerability by n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in a Rat Model of Cardiomyopathy

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) and atrial fibrillation are major health concerns. Current therapies do not treat the structural remodeling that underlies many arrhythmic conditions. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may prevent the formation of structural remodeling. Therefore, we sought to develop a rat model of cardiomyopathy, followed by characterizing the individual effect the n-3 PUFAs, docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA) in preventing VF vulnerability and the associated structural remodeling. The rat model was developed by superimposing hypertension with repeated bolus injections of isoproterenol. In the absence of n-3 PUFAs, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) that received isoproterenol for 8 weeks had higher VF vulnerability than the control SHRs. DHA partially attenuated this increase in VF vulnerability and reduced the quantity of structural remodeling. The results of this study suggested that, in this model of cardiomyopathy, DHA, but not EPA reduced the VF vulnerability manifested through attenuation of arrhythmia-promoting structural remodeling.

Keywords: Arrhythmia
Hypertension
n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
omega-3
Structural Remodeling
Ventricular Fibrillation
Advisor: Dorian, Paul
An Assessment of Unpredictability in the Design of Hydraulic Fracturing for Stress Amelioration Around Underground Excavations

In underground mining operations, stress-induced hazards such as rock bursts are more likely to occur as mining continues. In cave mining operations, stress concentrations can form around underground openings due to the redistribution of the in situ stress.Destress blasting is a common method for reducing rockbursts. Recently, hydraulic fracturing has been investigated as an alternative method for stress amelioration in underground mines, for it may provide more control of fracture geometry than blasting; however, the unpredictability in the HF governing parameters must be properly characterized and incorporated into the design and analysis of fracture arrays. Typically, in the early stages of design, parameter uncertainty is generally epistemic, and the appropriate uncertainty model should be applied. The use of deterministic estimates neglects any parameter uncertainty. It is only when additional data are obtained and the parameters are characterized more precisely that more complex methods of analysis can be applied.

Keywords: Hydraulic Fracturing
Rock
Stress amelioration
Uncertainty
Unpredictability
Advisor: Harrison, P John
Development of a Fully Monolithic Microfluidic Device for Complete Blood Count

This thesis describes a monolithic microfluidic device capable of complete blood constituent enumeration from whole blood. For the first time, on-chip sample processing (e.g. dilution, lysis, and filtration) and downstream single cell analysis were fully integrated on device to enable complete blood cell count. The microfluidic device consists of two parallel sub-systems that perform sample processing and electrical analysis for simultaneous measurement of red (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) parameters. The system provides a modular and adaptable environment capable of handling solutions of various viscosities and mixing ratios and features a new `offset' filter configuration for increased experimental duration. RBC concentration, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), cell distribution width, WBC concentration and differential are determined by electrical impedance measurements. Experimental characterization results of 97,305 WBCs and 104,735 RBCs from 10 patient blood samples demonstrate that the system is capable of performing high volume enumeration and complete blood count with accuracy.

Keywords: blood count
differential
enumeration
microfluidics
sample preparation
whole blood
Advisor: Sun, Yu
Using DIF to Examine Measurement Invariance of School Connectedness and School Supportiveness

One of the most important aspects of an assessment is its ability to reliably assess change with measurement invariance. This study examined the consistency of school connectedness and school supportiveness as measured by a set of sub-items on the COMPASS Student Question-naire (CSQ) between students in Grade 9 and Grade 12. While exploratory factor analyses (EFA) revealed that the dimensionality of these data remained consistent between Grade 9 and Grade 12 students, differential item functioning (DIF) analyses suggested evidence of measurement invari-ance. DIF analyses revealed that students in Grade 12 who attended a different school last year more readily endorsed sub-items pertaining to school connectedness with "strongly agree" and "agree" compared to Grade 9 students. Suggestions for future directions with the CSQ are provided.

Keywords: Closeness
Differential Item Functioning
Exploratory Factor Analysis
Supportiveness
Advisor: Childs, Ruth
Applying Ecological Interface Design to Improve a Radiation Therapy Interface

This study aimed to apply a human factors engineering design approach, ecological interface design (EID), to reduce human errors during the complex task of radiotherapy treatment delivery. The interface was iteratively designed based on a Work Domain Analysis previously completed. The final design was evaluated in a comparative study where sixteen radiation therapists delivered therapy to patients in simulated scenarios using both the current and redesigned interfaces. Error detection rate for two of the common errors were significantly improved using the redesigned interface. Higher-level situation awareness also improved in comparison to the current. In addition, results from a post-test questionnaire indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the redesigned interface, and overall participants preferred it to the current. Thus, the use of the EID method to design and evaluate the complex radiation therapy system improved radiotherapist performance in terms of error detection, situation awareness, and user satisfaction.

Advisor: Cafazzo, Joseph
Exploring Mechanisms of (Dis)Engagement in Health and Physical Education Class with Adolescent Boys

Currently, there remains a primitive understanding of the potential mechanisms that promote participation, disengagement and withdrawal in Health and Physical Education class (HPE) among adolescent boys. Of central concern then, and the foundation of this research, is to develop a substantive and theoretical understanding of the intersubjective and intrasubjective meanings ascribed to HPE among adolescent boys who are transitioning into their final year of institutionalized HPE in Ontario. Drawing from an ethnographic, grounded theory case study conducted at an independent elementary school for boys', this research elucidates the mechanisms of HPE (dis)engagement from 15 adolescent boys (12-14 years of age) of varying physical abilities. In conjunction with Pierre Bourdieu's conceptual tools of field, capital, habitus, practice and symbolic violence, it is proposed that a habitus of HPE (dis)engagement is formed through the reflexive observation, somatization and naturalization of the valorized forms of

Keywords: adolescent boys
physical education (dis)engagement
Pierre Bourdieu
qualitative research
Advisor: Atkinson, Michael
A Study of Car and House Ownership in the Face of Increasing Commuting Expenses (CHOICE)

This research presents the design, implementation and results of a survey of Car and House Ownership in the face of Increasing Commuting Expenses (CHOICE). The CHOICE survey is a web-based survey that combines RP and SP components, and was designed to collect information of commuting mode choices, housing and neighbourhood preferences along with vehicle ownership choices of households with cross-regional commuters in the Greater Toronto Area. Investigations of the survey data revealed that for small increases in commuting costs people are willing to change to more efficient cars. As commuting costs reach higher levels, participants choose to relocate their home in order to commute shorter distances. This study provides evidence that vehicle ownership and especially residential location decisions are a complex process and are interrelated. The findings of this study show some of the possible reactions of households in the GTA in the face of extreme increases in transportation costs.

Keywords: Greater Toronto Area
Household Survey
Residential Location
Stated Preference
Travel Cost Changes
Vehicle Ownership
Advisor: Habib, Khandker Nurul
Sail, Deployment, and Imaging Technology for a Nanosatellite Deorbit System Demonstration on CanX-7

The widespread adoption of nanosatellites will drastically increase space debris if end-of-life disposal is not performed. As the natural deorbit lifetime of these satellites can be over 100 years, a deorbit system is needed to ensure the small satellite community will comply with international standards. This thesis discusses the design and testing of the drag sail module---a device that will deploy a thin film sail to increase atmospheric drag experienced by a spacecraft---to be demonstrated as the primary payload on the CanX-7 satellite. Sail and boom technology, which includes environmental analysis, material selection, and testing, are presented in this context. Furthermore, deployment dynamics have been characterized through extensive testing prior to qualification testing. Lastly, design and testing of a miniature imaging system is presented. Imagery will be used to verify sail deployment on the inaugural flight of the drag sail module on CanX-7.

Keywords: CanX-7
Deorbit sail
Drag sail
Sail material
Space debris
Advisor: Zee, E Robert
Investigating Serum Dairy Fatty Acid Biomarkers and their Association with Type 2 Diabetes and its Underlying Disorders

Growing evidence suggests that dairy intake is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes risk, however current literature is inconclusive and few studies have evaluated dairy's effects on the underlying disorders of the disease. This thesis aimed to investigate the relationship between the dairy specific serum fatty acid biomarkers pentadecanoic acid (15:0) and

Keywords: Beta-cell dysfunction
Cohort
Dairy
Diabetes Mellitus
Type 2
Fatty acids
Insulin resistance
Advisor: Hanley, J Anthony
Solution Processed Organic Light Emitting Diodes

Solution processed approaches provide numerous advantages for producing low cost, large area displays. This Master's thesis investigates the suitability of solution processed ITO anodes for the fabrication of organic light emitting diodes. To that end this work has demonstrated that solution processed ITO films fabricated by spin casting, when subjected to rapid thermal annealing with temperatures up to 450°C can exhibit significantly improved conductivity. Furthermore when inkjet printed silver mesh was incorporated between two layers of ITO, the sheet resistance of the overall structure exhibits comparable performance to commercially available ITO. The effects of rapid thermal annealing on the organic semiconducting materials PEDOT:PSS and MEH:PPV layers are also investigated and shown to improve the performance and efficiency of the devices. Finally OLED devices were fabricated on ITO/Ag mesh/ITO stack and the device performance is comparable to devices fabricated on commercially available ITO.

Keywords: Inkjet Printing
OLED
Solution processing
Transparent conducting anodes
Advisor: Helmy, S Amr
Renegotiating Normalcy: Gender and Marginality in the Fiction and Film of Recessional Japan

This thesis explores the various ways economic stagnation has challenged normative gender roles in contemporary Japan. Since the beginning of Japan's prolonged recession, individuals living lives that do not correspond to the standards of mainstream society have faced increased scrutiny in the mainstream media and popular discourse. Such individuals are often categorized as new phenomena and labeled with terms that emphasize their failure to adhere to economically productive models of selfhood. In order to challenge such categorizations, this paper focuses on contemporary, fictive representations of social nonconformity, while drawing parallels with earlier texts that articulate many of the same problems. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate how marginalization of large segments of the population destabilizes the supposedly universal tenets of capitalist modernity and allows for the production of less rigid models of normalcy.

Keywords: Gender
Japan
Literature
Normalcy
Recession
Advisor: Sakaki, Atsuko
Estimating and Correcting Bias in Stereo Visual Odometry

Stereo visual odometry (VO) is a common technique for estimating a camera's motion; features are tracked across frames and the pose change is subsequently inferred. This method can play a particularly important role in environments where the global positioning system (GPS) is not available (e.g., Mars rovers). Recently, some authors have noticed a bias in VO position estimates that grows with distance travelled; this can cause the resulting estimate to become highly inaccurate. In this thesis, two effects are identified at play in stereo VO bias: first, the inherent bias in the maximum-likelihood estimation framework, and second, the disparity threshold used to discard far-away and erroneous observations. To estimate the bias, the sigma-point method (with modification) combined with the concept of bootstrap bias estimation is proposed. This novel method achieves similar accuracy to Monte Carlo experiments, but at a fraction of the computational cost. The approach is validated through simulations.

Keywords: Mobile Robot Navigation
Sigma-point
Stereo Visual Odometry
VO Bias Correction
VO Bias Estimation
Advisor: Kwong, H Raymond
Exploring Risk Factors of Substance Use Behaviours in a School Sample of Young Adolescents from Ontario

Studies show that a substantial number of North American adolescents are engaging in drug and alcohol experimentation prior to the completion of high school. Substance use (SU) initiated during early adolescence, can lead to long-term effects on adolescents. Using cross-sectional data, the objectives of the study were two-fold: 1) determine the characteristics that differentiate substance using adolescents from non-substance using adolescents and 2) identify factors associated with early adolescent SU, while controlling for the relative effects of multiple covariates. Data on a community sample of 787 grade 7 and 8 students from Ontario, Canada was collected. Results indicate, when controlling for the effects of multiple variables associated with SU, grade (OR= 0.63), school closeness (OR=0.79), peer SU (OR=0.44), externalizing disorder symptoms (OR=1.41), depression symptoms by sex, and whether an individuals parent(s) were born in Canada by region were significantly associated with early adolescent SU.

Advisor: Beitchman, Joe
Efficacy of Nutrition and Physical Activity Counseling for Pre-adolescent Children in a Dental Setting: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Pediatric dentists have the potential to make a positive impact on overweight/obesity in children. Objectives: To determine efficacy of brief counseling for healthy weight at dental visits and evaluate assessment of children's weight status. Methods: 168 children (6-11-years old) were allocated to test and control groups. Children's weight status was determined using WHO and simplified overweight screening tables. Parents completed a questionnaire regarding their child's nutrition, physical activity, and screen time. Parents in the test group received the brief counseling intervention. Data measurements were repeated at the recall appointment. Results: Screen time was the only outcome that changed due to counseling. At baseline, the prevalence of healthy weight status was 65.5%. The simplified overweight screening tool had 80% agreement with the WHO BMI tables. Conclusions: This exploratory study indicates the potential for effectiveness of short counseling upon screen time and usability of the overweight screening tool.

Advisor: Nainar, Hashim
Characterizing the Forest Fire Initial Attack System in Northeastern Ontario, Canada

The objective of this research was to study the forest fire initial attack system in northeastern Ontario using historical fire data for the period from 1960 to 2012. Exploratory data analysis and cleaning operations were carried out to both assess and enhance the quality of the data before studying initial attack time components of interest, in particular, the response time and its two components, the getaway time interval and the travel time. Weibull and Gamma distributions fit the getaway time interval and the travel time reasonably well. Logistic regression analysis of factors that may influence the probability that initial attack begins on the day that a fire is reported indicated that the daily fire load, the time of day that a fire is reported and the initial spread index were statistically significant.

Advisor: Martell, L David
Adoption of Insulin Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitors: Patient Perceptions of Utility and Usability

This thesis aims to capture patient perceptions of adoption and use of insulin pumps (IP) and continuous glucose monitors (CGM). The first two phases were dedicated to identify barriers and benefits of adoption of IP and CGM respectively. Four themes were identified in the insulin pump study: 1. the lack of value add to management, 2. the psychosocial impact, 3. requirement of a support structure during adoption, 4. need for behavioural readjustment for success. In the CGM phase, three themes were identified: 1. frustrations, 2. data promotes and proactivity, 3. cost/benefit analysis as a substantial barrier to adoption.In the third phase, a usability study of the five insulin pumps on the North American market was conducted. Ultimately, the Tandem pump caused the fewest use errors that could result in significant safety risk. Based on the results, recommendations to manufacturers and for tailoring diabetes training protocols were made.

Keywords: continuous glucose monitors
insulin pumps
type 1 diabetes mellitus
Advisor: Cafazzo, Joseph
Copy Number Variation in Han Chinese Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental conditions with a demonstrated genetic etiology. Rare copy number variations (CNVs) account for a proportion of the genetic events involved, but their contribution in non-European ASD populations has not been well studied. This thesis examines rare CNVs detected in a cohort of Han Chinese individuals with ASD. Using the Affymetrix CytoScan HD platform, we genotyped DNA from 104 ASD trios from Harbin, China. Of the probands, 8.6% had one or more

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Copy number variations (CNVs)
Han Chinese
Microarray diagnostic testing
Advisor: Scherer, W Stephen