VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
TASK- AND DOMAIN-DEPENDENT NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING FOR SUPPORTING SPOKEN DOCUMENT USE

This dissertation investigates how Natural Language Processing (NLP) can improve users’ access to spoken content in multimedia documents. Information seeking in electronic environments is a highly variable process shaped by information-seeking factors. It is shown that incorporating knowledge about these factors into the design process—task- and domain-dependent (TDD) development—leads to effective Spoken Document Support System (SDSS) prototypes. The presented field studies identify Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Sentiment Analysis (SA) as two requisite NLP technologies for supporting information seekers in the studied domain. The dissertation also demonstrates how SA models can be optimized with TDD feedback taken into account. The described optimization techniques rely on task-based evaluation, which is not commonly used in SA and ASR research. The experiments reported here identify important scenarios in which non-task-based evaluation is not correlated with the outcome of task-based appraisal. Although some task-based evaluation of SA, including the one advocated here, is no more resource-intensive than calculating intrinsic measures, others can be more expensive if they involve human-subject experimentation. This work also introduces a semi-automatic TDD measure of ASR quality that simulates human-subject experimentation, minimizing resource consumption without sacrificing empirical grounding.

Advisor: Penn, Gerald
Downlink Transmission and Caching Strategies for Backhaul-Limited Cloud Radio Access Networks

This thesis considers a downlink cloud radio access network (C-RAN) where all the base stations (BSs) are connected to a central processor (CP) via capacity-limited backhaul links. Two fundamental and different downlink transmission strategies are studied, namely the data-sharing strategy and the compression strategy. In the data-sharing strategy, the backhaul links connecting the CP and the BSs are used to carry user messages; each user's messages are sent to a cluster of BSs, called BS clustering, which locally form the beamforming vectors to cooperatively transmit the messages to the user. In the compression strategy, the user's messages are precoded centrally at the CP, which forwards a compressed version of the analog beamformed signals to the BSs for cooperative transmission. The first part of this thesis focuses on optimizing the data-sharing strategy and the BS clustering while explicitly accounting for the per-BS backhaul capacity limits in each time slot. We show that with the proposed static BS clustering algorithms, the data-sharing strategy can achieve most of the gain brought by the dynamic BS clustering. The second part of this thesis compares the performance of data-sharing and compression strategies from two different perspectives, maximizing the energy efficiency and maximizing the spectral efficiency of the network. From numerical simulations, we observe that although both data-sharing and compression strategies outperform traditional cellular downlink transmission strategies, their comparative performance highly depends on the backhaul capacity. In the final part of this thesis, we study a promising approach to improve the performance of the data-sharing strategy for C-RAN by augmenting the backhaul with BS caching, where the BSs pre-store contents of popular files. We consider a downlink C-RAN consisting of a single cluster of BSs and wireless backhaul channel, and study the optimal cache size allocation strategy among the BSs and the optimal beamforming transmission strategy at the CP such that the users' requested messages are delivered from the CP to the BSs in the most efficient way. We show that more cache sizes should be allocated to BSs with weaker channels and that it is in general not optimal to entirely cache the most popular files first. Numerical results show considerable performance improvement of the optimized cache allocation scheme over the uniform allocation and other heuristic schemes.

Keywords: backhaul
caching
cloud radio access network
clustering
compression
data-sharing
Advisor: Yu, Wei
Genetic Variation Predicting Lactose Intolerance (LCT -13910C>T), Dairy Intake, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Risk of Cardiometabolic Disease

Background: The LCT-13910C>T variant is associated with lactose intolerance (LI) in >70 ethnic populations. In Canada, the prevalence of the LCT -13910C>T variant is not known. Individuals with LI might avoid dairy, which is a rich source of calcium and vitamin D. Dairy has been associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases, but findings have been equivocal. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of LI risk genotypes in major ethnic groups living in Canada and their association with 25(OH)D levels and biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease, and to determine food predictors of calcium and vitamin D in different LCT genotypes. Methods: A total of 1,495 participants from the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health (TNH) study were used for the present study. Fasting blood samples were obtained for genotyping, 25(OH)D, biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease, and plasma proteomics. Dairy intake was assessed using a 196-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Results: Approximately 32% of Caucasians, 99% of East Asians, 74% of South Asians, and 59% of those with other ethnicities had the CC genotype associated with LI. In Caucasians, compared to the TT genotype, those with the CC genotype had lower dairy intake, and plasma 25(OH)D levels. The CT and CC genotypes were associated with lower calcium intake and increased risk of suboptimal (

Keywords: Cardiometabolic diseases
lactose intolerance
Nutrigenomics
Plasma proteome
Advisor: El-Sohemy, Ahmed
Intravenous Stromal Cell Therapy for Vascular Protection following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) results in devastating chronic impairment and disability. Although there have been many advances in medical management and patient quality of life, a greater understanding of injury pathophysiology will help to tailor treatment options as well as identify novel strategies. Specifically, as mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) offer an ethically-sourced, abundant cell type for autologous use, they may be well-suited for SCI. Therefore, this thesis aimed to evaluate the intravenous application of human umbilical cord matrix-derived stromal cells for SCI, comparing the efficacy to that of brain-derived pericytes. Considering the developmental affiliation between MSCs and pericytes, this offers insights to tissue-specific differences in cell function. Further, as the cell therapy effects were linked to the production of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and splenic localization, these components were independently assessed in the context of SCI pathophysiology. While IL-10 deficiency was found to exacerbate acute vascular damage and long-term recovery, the spleen was minimally involved. Nevertheless, the spleen was found to be important in several key stromal cell-mediated effects post-SCI. Together, this work demonstrates that intravenous stromal cell infusion may be a suitable treatment paradigm for acute traumatic SCI, with effects mediated through a rise in systemic and splenic IL-10. Most importantly, it highlights that targeting aspects of the peripheral inflammatory response can translate to changes in the spinal cord.

Keywords: Interleukin 10 (IL-10)
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs)
Spinal cord injury
Spleen
Stem cells
Advisor: Fehlings, Michael G
A Smart IGBT Gate Driver IC with Temperature Compensated Collector Current Sensing

Precision current measurement is a critical function that must be incorporated into modern high voltage and high current power systems. Conventional IGBT current sensing methods usually employ discrete sensors such as lossy shunt resistors and involve accessing the high voltage collector load of the IGBT. This would normally present difficulties for integration. In this thesis, an IGBT collector current sensing technique which only utilizes the low voltage signal at the gate terminal is presented. This technique is based on the unique Miller plateau relationship between the gate current and collector current (IG and IC) for a particular gate resistance (RG), and allows for a cycle by cycle measurement of IC during both turn-on and turn-off transients. This technique is theoretically verified, experimentally demonstrated and integrated into an IGBT gate driver IC. The presented gate driver IC has a highly configurable gate driver, an on-chip CPU for local data processing and an integrated current sensor. This IC is prototyped using TSMC 0.18µm BCD Gen-2 process. A polynomial curve fitting is implemented by the on-chip CPU to predict IC based on the digitized IG value. Measurements using a double pulse test setup at room temperature show that an accuracy of ±1 A could be ensured with a 2nd order polynomial curve fitting, within the current range between 1 to 30 A for turn-on and 1 to 50 A for turn-off. After the temperature effect is analyzed and factored in, a 3rd order polynomial curve fitting is implemented, an estimated accuracy of ±0.5 A could be achieved within the current range of 1 to 30 A for turn-on and 1 to 50 A for turn-off from 25 to 75 oC.

Keywords: IGBT Current Sensing
IGBT Gate Driver IC
Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs)
Advisor: Ng, Wai Tung
FROM TEACHER TO LEARNER AND BACK AGAIN: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO TEACHER VOICE IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

FROM TEACHER TO LEARNER AND BACK AGAIN: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO TEACHER VOICE IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Doctor of Philosophy 2018 Lena A. Glaes-Coutts Graduate Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning University of Toronto Abstract My research investigates how four experienced Ontario elementary teachers use their personal and professional knowledge to define what they consider to be personal, purposeful and relevant professional learning, or authentic professional learning (Mockler, 2013; Webster-Wright, 2009). Authentic learning is here understood to represent what the teachers themselves described as their lived experiences of ongoing professional learning, and what they identified as relevant and purposeful for their continued professional, as well as personal learning. I used a narrative approach, which takes a situated, holistic perspective in examining teachers’ lived experience and motivation for engaging in professional learning (Webster-Wright, 2009). The primary rationale for using narrative inquiry is to construct narratives of how experienced teachers describe authentic learning in the test-driven environment that dominates the Ontario educational climate today. It is important to cultivate a trust in what the teachers express. In honouring their voices, we may develop a deeper understanding of their perspective, as teachers’ professional learning is an important element of how teachers merge new knowledge with their professional practice for the purpose of improving student learning. I found that these experienced teachers seek out learning opportunities that honour their professional knowledge, integrity, and identity. While looking for a sense of autonomy in their learning they also expressed a desire to work with other experienced teachers in order to collaborate, communicate and construct new learning. As experienced teachers are a rich resource, capable of building up the educational profession in Ontario, it is vital for the educational system to capitalize on the professional capital, wisdom, and knowledge of experienced teachers. This method of understanding professional learning through the lens of experienced teachers proffers an alternative approach to gaining a deeper understanding that constitutes authentic professional learning for them.

Keywords: authentic
experienced teachers
knowledge
narrative
Ontario
professional learning
Advisor: Stagg Peterson, Shelley
Stories of Spirit and the streets: Indigenous mental health, trauma, traditional knowledge and experiences of homelessness

Indigenous people in Canada have endured many traumas as a result of the consequences of colonization observed through poor social determinants of health. Homelessness, particularly, has been noted as at a state of crisis for Indigenous people. This study seeks to understand the intersections of homelessness, traditional knowledge and mental health by interviewing sixteen Indigenous homeless people in a large Canadian city. Results revealed some psychological factors, cultural identity and external factors as being integral in the overall experiences of homelessness. The results of this study help identify a need for integrative mental health services that focus on the Indigenous culture as a strength in the promotion of healing and recovery. Specific implications are inclusive of policy and psychological approaches that are based on the needs of Indigenous homeless peoples themselves that can build and improve the current models of mental health care that embrace the Indigenous approaches to mental health and trauma. These results also provide some rich data regarding the actual lived experiences of marginalized people that have been silenced by recognizing the importance of cultural connection and the utilization of Indigenous approaches in the field of mental health and trauma service.

Keywords: homelessness
Indigenous
mental health
traditional knowledges
trauma
Advisor: Stewart, Suzanne L
Analysis and Design of Articulate Neuroendoscopic Instruments Using Contact-Aided Compliant Mechanisms

Neuroendoscopy is a form of minimally invasive brain surgery that uses millimeter sized instruments and long, thin cameras to safely access deep brain structures. These procedures significantly reduce morbidity and blood-loss as surgeons operate though small, centimeter sized, incisions. However, the design of present instruments limit the scope of diseases that can safely be treated using these techniques. Specifically, present hand-held tools lack dexterity at their tip, which prevents surgeons performing the same range of maneuvers that are used in classic, open microsurgery. This manuscript describes the development of hand-held wristed tube-shaft instruments designed to expand the dexterity of current neuroendoscopic tools. The specific tools described herein are designed to allow surgeons to perform a combined endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and endoscopic tumor biopsy (ETB) procedure from a single incision. This procedure requires surgeons to access two distinct targets located near the center of the brain, and completing this maneuver from a single opening in the skull is very challenging. Here, an analysis of this clinical problem has been simulated using three dimensional models generated from magnetic resonances (MR) images of patients from the Hospital for Sick Children. This analysis generates important design specifications for the development of dexterous neuroendoscopic instruments. Following the work-space analysis, an investigation of the design and optimization of a tube-shaft joint mechanism is described, considering surgical task and work-space requirements specific to neurosurgery. This study has led to the development of a novel contact-aided compliant joint mechanism that addresses a significant design challenge encountered in neuroendoscopic tissue manipulation. Namely, the trade-off in joint stiffness and range-of-motion when developing tube-shaft compliant joints at the millimeter scale. Here, we present a novel notch design with an accompanying kinematics and statics model. These models are verified using experimental results of physical prototypes in addition to finite element models for the mechanism. The joint design is incorporated into a hand-held neuroendoscopic instrument and the reach and function of the instrument is compared to the original simulation based design specifications. This work concludes with preliminary testing of the instrument using phantom models, and a description of the potential applications and future directions of the project.

Advisor: Drake, James M
Naguib, Hani E
Royal Harem Lives: Power, Intimacy, and Liminal Family Formation In the Late-19th Century Qajar Court

Royal Harem Lives explores the social, spatial and cultural dimensions of the women’s quarter of Nasir al-Din Shah’s court, variously referred to as his harem or andarun, during his reign (1848-1896). While this period is generally understood to coincide with the emergence of modernity in Iran, the maintenance of a large-scale royal harem is generally associated with a traditional and outdated Islamic convention. As such, the expansion of the Gulistan harem in the second half of the 19th century, concurrently with greater contact between the Qajar empire and Western modernity, presents us with an interesting paradox. This dissertation will focus on the demographic, physical, topographic, and representational dimensions of Nasser al-Din Shah’s harem, and the various social and familial relations within it, to argue that this institution was in fact one of the central loci of negotiations with modernity in late 19th century Iran. Throughout the following chapters, I examine the complex structure of this institution and the everyday life of its residents—at various points estimated to be between 700 and 2000 wives and female relatives, as well as different classes of employees¬—from physicians and translators, to servants, maids, slaves, and eunuchs. For its time, the cultural and ethnic heterogeneity within the Gulistan harem was quite unique, as it housed residents from various interregional networks, and hosted elite local and international visitors. Located within the ever-expanding Gulistan Palace, and in the heart of the Qajar capital, the Gulistan harem was physically and socially structured around a set of extremely rigid hierarchies, which were often undermined by various affective bonds, developed through relations of proximity and cunning negotiations. I explore a number of these complex relationships and the ways in which they informed familial association, court life, and the distribution of political power within the late Qajar Empire.

Keywords: gender
harem
Iran
Qajar
women
Advisor: Tavakoli, Mohamad
Branching Program Lower Bounds

A longstanding open problem in complexity theory is whether the class Polytime (P) is the same as LogSpace (L) or nondeterministic LogSpace (NL). In this thesis, we explore this problem by studying time/space tradeoffs for problems in P . As in, for some natural problem in P , does the addition of a space restriction prevent a polynomial time solution ? To begin, we prove exponential lower bounds on the size of a restricted model of branching programs called semantic read-once 3-ary nondeterministic branching programs solving a polytime computable function, in particular the polynomial evaluation problem. In the second part, we prove lower bounds against branching programs solving Function Composition. In particular, we show that the amount of space required for computing the composed function grows as is seen in the straight forward algorithm (where space grows additively). If shown true for general branching programs, this would separate L and P. We show this is indeed true in the restricted setting of nondeterministic read once branching programs, for the syntactic model as well as the stronger semantic model. We prove that such branching programs for solving the tree evaluation problem over an alphabet of size 'k' requires size roughly k^{Omega(h)}, i.e space Omega(h log k) where 'h' is the number of compositions. Then we focus entirely on general branching programs sticking to the theme of lower bounds against function composition. We give a better lower bound than is possible by using Nechiporuk's method for k-way branching programs solving a specific composition problem. Using essentially the same method we give a matching lower bound to that achievable by using Nechiporuk's method for binary branching programs. Any marginal improvement here would be consequential towards beating Nechiporuk's method for binary branching programs, a longstanding open problem. We then proceed to give some surprising upper bounds based on communication complexity protocols that are different from naive upper bounds. Our aim here is to improve our understanding of a possible approach to prove the suspected lower bound just mentioned, but the connections to communication complexity therein might themselves be of independent interest.

Keywords: Branching Programs
Computational Complexity
Function Composition
LogSpace vs PolyTime
Space Complexity
Time Space Trade-offs
Advisor: Cook, Stephen Arthur
Amanda Maier: Her Life and Career as a Nineteenth-Century Woman Violinist

Abstract Swedish-born Amanda Maier (1853 – 1894) had an impressive career as a violin soloist and composer in an era when these fields were dominated by men. Between her graduation from Stockholm’s Royal Academy of Music in 1873 and her marriage to the Dutch pianist and composer Julius Röntgen in 1880, Maier appeared as a soloist in over 100 public concerts, among them a performance of her own violin concerto with the Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestra and four recital tours throughout Scandinavia. Several of her compositions were published—a rare achievement for a woman composer of the day. Her talents as both composer and performer attracted the attention of many great musicians of her time, among them Edvard Grieg, Johannes Brahms, and Carl Reinecke. Notwithstanding her formidable achievements, Maier was virtually forgotten for a century following her death, and is largely unknown to today’s performers and researchers. This dissertation is a study of Maier’s life and career as a violinist. The introductory chapter includes a review of published research pertaining to Maier and a description of primary source documents used in my research. This is followed by a biography. In the third chapter I focus on Maier as a violinist and document her public and private performances, social music-making, and reviews in the press. I examine her repertoire in lessons, performances, and social settings in the context of the canon of violin repertoire and the programming of other violinists of the time. The fourth chapter provides an overview of women’s roles in music in the nineteenth century with an emphasis on composers and violinists. I then discuss the role Maier’s gender had on the trajectory of her career. Although this study does not include analyses of Maier’s compositions, an appendix gives information, including dates of composition and performance and publishing details, about Maier’s known works. This dissertation offers a resource for those seeking information about Maier and her work, and it adds to our knowledge and understanding of the careers of nineteenth-century women musicians, and violinists in particular, a subject that is under-represented in scholarly literature.

Keywords: Composer
Maier
Nineteenth-Century
Röntgen
Violin
Woman
Advisor: McClelland, Ryan