VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Negotiating "Brown": Youth Identity Formations in the Greater Toronto Area

This study problematizes the notion of a Canadian identity that is constructed within the framework of liberal multiculturalism. The primary goal of this study is to explore how a racial identity of "Brown" is conceptualized, expressed, and negotiated in the Euro- centered White space of schools. To do this, I interview five 1.5-generation immigrant youth from the Greater Toronto Area who self-identify as "Brown."This study finds that "Brown" is a fluid, multi-layered identity that is expressed differently in different contexts. Further, "Brown" youth use the identifier of "Brown" as a way to make space for their identities because "Brown" experiences are silenced in the Black/White binary in which racial conversations take place. Moreover, this study finds that although "Brown" youth encounter racism in school, they rationalize these acts. Finally, "Brown" youth invoke the hyphenated identities of "Brown-Canadian" and "South Asian-Canadian" to navigate the contradiction of being "Brown" and being "Canadian."

Keywords: Brown
Immigrant
Multiculturalism
Racial Identity
Toronto
Youth
Advisor: Todorova, Miglena
Cardiac Output is Not Associated with Plasma NGAL Concentrations Following Cardiopulmonary Bypass for Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Introduction: This study investigated the relationship between postoperative cardiac output (CO) and plasma NGAL concentration, as a potential marker of acute kidney injury, following cardiopulmonary bypass surgery in infants. Methods: Serial sampling for plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), CO and plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) occurred at baseline and regular postoperative intervals. NGAL was measured using the Triage NGAL device (Alere, Canada). Results: Fifty-nine subjects (35 males, median age 134 days, weight 4.98 kg, 54 (90%) with biventricular physiology) completed the study. Lower CO, higher plasma IL-6, inotrope score and omission of preoperative methylprednisolone were significantly associated with plasma NGAL in univariable analyses. Association with CO fell from significance (EST -0.13, p=0.055) while plasma IL-6 correlated strongly (EST 0.15, p

Keywords: acute kidney injury
cardiac output
cardiopulmonary bypass
congenital heart disease
inflammation
Advisor: McCrinlde, W Brian
The Distribution of OpenCL Kernel Execution Across Multiple Devices

Many computer systems now include both CPUs and programmable GPUs. OpenCL, a new programming framework, can program individual CPUs or GPUs; however, distributing a problem across multiple devices is more difficult. This thesis contributes three OpenCL runtimes that automatically distribute a problem across multiple devices: DualCL and m2sOpenCL, which distribute tasks across a single system's CPU and GPU, and DistCL, which distributes tasks across a cluster's GPUs. DualCL and DistCL run on existing hardware, m2sOpenCL runs in simulation. On a system with a discrete GPU and a system with integrated CPU and GPU devices, running programs from the Rodinia benchmark suite, DualCL improves performance over a single device, when host memory is used. Running similar benchmarks, m2sOpenCL shows that reducing the overheads present in current systems improves performance. DistCL accelerates unmodified compute intense OpenCL kernels, obtained from Rodinia, AMD samples and elsewhere, when distributing them across a cluster.

Keywords: Distributed
GPGPU
GPU
Heterogeneous
OpenCL
Advisor: Jerger, Natalie Enright
Bioactive Cyclic Peptides and Chemical Probes

We report herein studies in aziridine aldehyde Ugi macrocyclization of peptides and their development as protein inhibitors, as well as the study of chemical probes for epigenetic proteins. Aziridine aldehyde peptide macrocyclizations are limited to N-terminal proline substrates. To expand this scope, the reactivity of pseudoprolines and secondary amine N-terminal building blocks in cyclizations will be reported. Cyclic peptides were explored as interrogators of EED/EZH2 (embryonic ectoderm protein/ enhancer of zeste homolog 2) by surveying the druggable surface of EED. Cyclic peptides were designed to inhibit the oncogenic tyrosine kinase Bcr-Abl (Break-point cluster region - Abelson). The computational design and synthesis of chemical probes for oncogenic proteins BRD1 (bromodomain-containing protein 1) and Setdb1 (SET domain bifurcated protein 1) will be reported. Results from biochemical assays including differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF), HSQC chemical shift mapping, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and cocrystallization will be reported.

Advisor: Yudin, K Andri
Adaptive Dropout for Training Deep Neural Networks

Recently, it was shown that deep neural networks perform very well if the activities of hidden units are regularized during learning, e.g, by randomly dropping out 50% of their activities. We describe a method called "standout" in which a binary belief network is overlaid on a neural network and is used to regularize of its hidden units by selectively setting activities to zero. This "adaptive dropout network" can be trained jointly with the neural network by approximately computing local expectations of binary dropout variables and computing derivatives using back-propagation. Interestingly, experiments suggest that a good dropout network regularizes activities according to magnitude. When evaluated on the MNIST and NORB datasets, we found that our method achieves lower classification error rates than other feature learning methods, including standard dropout, and RBM. We also present the discriminative learning results using our method on the MNIST, NORB and CIFAR-10 datasets.

Keywords: deep learning
dropout
neural network
Advisor: Frey, Brendan
The Roles of Mineral Dusts and Coastal Aerosol in Cold and Warm Cloud Formation

The indirect effect of atmospheric aerosol is one of the largest uncertainties in determining the Earth's radiative budget. This uncertainty has been attributed to our lack of understanding of processes leading to cloud formation. Consequently, this thesis investigates the abilities of two main types of aerosol to form warm and mixed-phase clouds.To study the mixed-phase cloud formation properties of 24 atmospherically-relevant minerals, their deposition ice nucleation properties were studied using a single experimental method. From a set of minerals present in mineral dusts it was found that feldspars were the most efficient ice nuclei. In addition, the warm cloud formation properties, or hygroscopicity (ê), of coastal ambient aerosol and its organic components were investigated in Ucluelet, BC. While the ê of 50 nm and 100 nm particles exhibited a wide size-independent variation (0.14 - 1.08), the ê of its organic fraction was estimated to be between 0.3 and 0.5.

Keywords: Aerosol
Atmosphere
Chemistry
Clouds
Environment
Advisor: Abbatt, P Jonathan
Sharing Illness Experiences on Twitter: Conversations of Parents with Children Diagnosed with Cancer

The purpose of this research study is to identify the key themes of tweets posted by parents of children diagnosed with cancer, as well as to identify the reported motivations and benefits for using Twitter as a means to share information related to a child's cancer experience. Tweets were collected from 17 twitter accounts that belong to parents of children diagnosed with cancer, and e-mail interviews were conducted with 5 of the parents. Savolainen's framework of everyday information practice was applied in understanding the key themes of tweets posted by the parents recruited for this study. The themes include - social support and coping, casual conversations, sharing childhood cancer related facts, promoting campaigns and fundraising, raising awareness, and providing updates. The findings of this study added new information to existing research that could potentially lead to the development of a theory of online health communication during illness.

Keywords: Childhood cancer
Health communication
Information sharing
Patient generated content
Social media
Twitter
Advisor: Lyons, Kelly
Human Trunk Multi-segment Kinematics: Sensitivity to Experimental Errors

Human trunk motion analysis, using optoelectronic stereophotogrammetry with skin-mounted markers, has been used as a standard practice to evaluate trunk motion. The challenge with this method is the inherent measurement errors: instrumentation error, marker misplacement error and skin movement artifact. These errors propagate into kinematic and, further, to kinetic analysis. This thesis provides the first comprehensive assessment of the impact of these errors on the accuracy of 3D kinematic analysis of the seven-segmental trunk model in able-bodied individuals during seated bending. The findings suggest that for certain movements the marker misplacement and skin movement artifact can have a profound impact on the estimation of the trunk's 3D inter-segmental joint angles, to the extent that some measurements cannot be used to derive reliable assessments. A guideline is provided that determines which kinematic data across the trunk can be used to derive meaningful judgment and which data should be used with caution.

Keywords: Kinematic Assessment
Marker Misplacement
Sensitivity Analysis
Skin Artifact
Stereophotogrammetry
Advisor: Popovic, R Milos
Assessment of Upper Limb Spasticity after Stroke: Characterizing Resistance to Passive Stretch and the Impact on Active Control

Spasticity is a common phenomenon following stroke, characterized by involuntary resistance to passive stretch. Clinical assessments of spasticity are challenged as having poor sensitivity and do not describe the impact of spasticity on function. The purpose of this thesis was to objectively measure spasticity and establish the impact of spasticity on active, functional movement. Two studies were undertaken to A) assess kinematic variables that characterize spasticity during passive stretch and B) identify components of active, functional movement impacted by spasticity. Findings for Study 1 revealed that individuals with spasticity exhibit a measurable catch and release at fast velocities of stretch and increased resistance to passive movement at slow velocities. Findings for Study 2 revealed that stability during reaching and use of the more affected side were impacted by spasticity. This work provides a foundation for the development of a clinical assessment of spasticity that includes both passive and active components.

Keywords: Kinematics
Robotics
Spasticity
Stroke
Upper Limb
Advisor: Mochizuki, George
A Segmented Output Stage H-Bridge IC with Tunable Gate Driver

In this thesis, an integrated H-bridge is presented for continuously optimizing the power conversion efficiency over a wide range of output current. The proposed IC incorporates both segmented output transistors and segmented gate drivers. This fully segmentation approach allows to flexibly change the on-resistance of the output stage power transistors and the output resistance of the gate drivers. Dynamic adjustment of these parameters allows to investigate the best combination of output power transistor size and gate driver size for any given load current. The IC chip is fabricated using TSMC's 0.18 um BCD Gen-2 process technology. The presented design when operating as a buck converter with a load current between 0.02 A and 4 A achieves efficiency improvements of 32% and 8% at light and heavy load current, respectively. Furthermore, the dynamically adjustable gate driver output resistance allows for suppression of the peak CEMI by 5.5 dBm.

Keywords: Power Electronics
VLSI
Advisor: Ng, Wai Tung
Lanthanide-encoded Polystyrene Microparticles: Formation Kinetics and New Syntheses

To obtain a better understanding of how lanthanide-encoded polystyrene microparticles are formed during their synthesis, I carried out kinetic studies of two-stage dispersion copolymerization (2-DisP) of styrene and acrylic acid, with or without added TmCl3, in ethanol in the presence of poly(N-vinyl- 2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) as a polymeric stabilizer. Particles of narrow size distribution and micrometer diameters were obtained, allowing us to compare rates of monomer conversion, Tm ion incorporation, and growth in particle size. The most striking result was that at the higher levels of TmCl3 most of the metal ion incorporation occurred late in the reaction. I examined the syntheses of polystyrene microparticles using end-functionalized macromonomers as stabilizer via dispersion polymerization (DisP). Although the synthesis in 95 % ethanol was successful, the particles were not colloidally stable in water. I also investigated the role of the co-stabilizer TX305 on the passive adsorption of proteins onto PS particles synthesized via DisP and 2-DisP.

Keywords: bead-based bioassays
dispersion polymerization
lanthanide-encoded
mass cytometry
microparticles
monodisperse
Advisor: Winnik, A. Mitch
Experimental Aeroacoustic Study of a Landing Gear in the Unsteady Flow Induced by a Propeller

An aeroacoustic study of a two-strut, two-wheel, nacelle-mounted landing gear was conducted to investigate the effects of an upstream propeller on the radiated noise. The development of a 1:10.8 scale model based on a Bombardier Q400 aircraft, consisting of a propeller, motor, nacelle, and landing gear assembly is discussed. Comparisons are made between cases with and without an actuated upstream propeller. Far-ﬁeld microphone measurements out of the airstream are presented to characterize the acoustic effects of each model component. The main strut and wheels of the model were equipped with surface-mounted microphones to measure unsteady pressures. It is shown that the noise signature of the landing gear cannot be observed over the tunnel background noise in the far-ﬁeld. Unsteady surface pressures on the main strut show dominant peaks related to vortex shedding from the drag strut for both steady and unsteady upstream conditions.

Keywords: Aeroacoustics
Airframe Noise
Landing Gear Noise
Advisor: Lavoie, Philippe
Understanding the Progression of Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction in Lung Transplant Candidates

Understanding the Progression of Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction in Lung Transplant Candidates Skeletal muscle dysfunction has been linked to physical function limitations in lung transplant (LTx) recipients1. The purpose of this thesis research was to characterize muscle size, muscle strength, and functional outcomes in LTx candidates.Thirty-four LTx candidates (60 ± 8 years; 59% males) and 12 healthy controls (56 ± 9.5 years; 50% males) were included. All subjects underwent measures of muscle cross sectional area (CSA) and layer thickness (LT) of quadriceps, calf and biceps using B-mode ultrasound (US). Muscle strength of the corresponding muscles and functional tests were also assessed.LTx candidates had muscle weakness of lower limbs. Distal leg and upper limb strength and size were not impaired but exercise capacity of upper and lower limbs was significantly impaired when compared with controls. Thus, specific exercise training strategies such as resistance training are required pre- and post-transplant to target improvements in lower limb muscle function.

Keywords: Exercise capacity
Lung Transplant
Muscle atrophy
Skeletal muscle
Advisor: Brooks, Dina
Associations between White Matter Microstructural Integrity and Cognition in Older Adults with Coronary Artery Disease: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline. Conventional neuroimaging does not fully capture the effect of CAD on cognition. This study uses diffusion tensor imaging to determine whether subtle changes in white matter (WM) microstructural integrity can further predict CAD-associated cognitive impairment. Participants (n=49) were recruited at entry into cardiac rehabilitation. Composite Z-scores were computed for executive function and memory. Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance images were acquired. WM integrity as quantified by fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left parahippocampal cingulum was significantly associated with executive function (F(1,44)=11.43, p=.002). FA in 10 other WM tracts examined was also associated with executive function but did not survive statistical correction for multiple comparisons. No associations were observed between FA in WM tracts and memory. Subtle WM microstructural changes may contribute to pathophysiological mechanisms of cognitive decline in a population prone to early neural risk for dementia.

Keywords: cognition
coronary artery disease
diffusion tensor imaging
executive function
memory
white matter microstructural integrity
Advisor: t, L Kris
Critical Conceptions of Graffiti in Schools

The purpose of this thesis is to examine teacher and student perceptions of graffiti found in schools. This is a qualitative study based on data collected from the interviews of ten participants (students and teachers from elementary schools). The participants were asked to comment on why they believe graffiti are produced in schools, what, if anything, should be done with graffiti in schools, and if they see any educational value in graffiti. This thesis also includes a review of literature on graffiti in schools, particularly in relation to student engagement. This thesis asserts that schools can be symbolically violent places that silence the voices of students and that it is sometimes a reaction to this violence that students write graffiti. The recommendations of this thesis include infusing critical pedagogy into learning in order to democratize schools and to enact genuine and meaningful student engagement.

Keywords: Critical Pedagogy
Curriculum of Life
Democracy
Graffiti
Symbolic Violence
Advisor: Portelli, P. John
Fate of Atmospheric HOx and Peroxides in the Particle Phase

The odd hydrogen radicals hydroxy (OH) and hydroperoxy (HO2), collectively referred to as HOx, along with peroxides, play a significant role in determining the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. These oxidants are key species in the removal of many harmful trace gases in the atmosphere. When transition metal ions are present in an aqueous aerosol, they will efficiently cycle with HOx radicals and affect the rate at which sink species are formed. The plausibility of the coupling of copper and iron redox cycles is investigated using aqueous solutions of organics and transition metals to represent aqueous aerosols. The formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) has been shown to generate hydroperoxides. The yields and stability of peroxides in SOA generated and aged under a variety of conditions is investigated, with both atmospheric and indoor air quality implications.

Advisor: Abbatt, Jonathan
Energy Harvesting using PVDF Piezoelectric Nanofabric

Energy harvesting using piezoelectric nanomaterial provides an opportunity for advancement towards self-powered electronics. The fabrication complexities and limited power output of these nano/micro generators have hindered these advancements thus far. This thesis presents a fabrication technique with electrospinning using a grounded cylinder as the collector. This method addresses the difficulties with the production and scalability of the nanogenerators. The non-aligned nanofibers are woven into a textile form onto the cylindrical drum that can be easily removed. The electrical poling and mechanical stretching induced by the electric field and the drum rotation increase the concentration of the piezoelectric β phase in the PVDF nanofabric. The nanofabric is placed between two layers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that have interdigitated electrodes painted on them with silver paint. Applying continuous load onto the flexible PVDF nanofabric at 35Hz produces a peak voltage of 320 mV and maximum power of 2200 pW/(cm^2) .

Keywords: Energy Harvesting
Nanofiber
Nanotechnology
Piezoelectric
PVDF
Advisor: Mrad, Ridha Ben
Analysis of Ultra-high Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete Structures using Truss Models

Ultra-high performance fibre reinforced concrete is a novel type of cementitious material with a typical compressive strength and tensile strength of approximately 150 MPa and 7 MPa, respectively. The material has been demonstrated to carry shear in girders without the need for the addition of steel bar reinforcement. However, there is currently no method for analyzing this behaviour accurately using simple hand calculations and basic material properties. This thesis proposes a simplified method that uses truss models and stress fields to make quick and accurate ultimate load predictions. A database of shear tests conducted on UHPFRC girders was collected. It was found that the proposed truss model method for analyzing shear is more accurate than simplified methodologies that currently exist in the literature. Further work on the proposed method will consist of improved material models for tension and shear and the analysis of additional UHPFRC shear beam tests.

Keywords: Beam Database
Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
Shear Beam
Strut and Tie
Truss Model
UHPFRC
Advisor: Gauvreau, Paul
China's Embattled "Rule of Law": Paradoxes and the Breakthrough under Single Party Dominance

China's thirty years of economic development has brought on a number of crippling problems: high inequality, unbalanced development, environmental degradation and so forth. Arguably all of them coincide with China's long-enduring absence of a full-fledged legal system that could balance state power and human rights, in another word, the "rule of law". Looking into reform advancement and regression of China's legal development, this thesis argues that a "rule of law" regime as proposed by Pan Wei would either fail to come into being, or will not do the job, without constitutional and legislative reform. This thesis argues that China's centuries-old civic project is one focusing on building constitutionalism, and a Chinese Socialist Constitutional State conducive to Socialist democracy as proposed in the thesis would better reconcile the needs of the Party and society at this critical juncture, as well as in the long run.

Keywords: China
Constitutionalism
Rule of Law
Advisor: Falkenheim, C. Victor
Development Interventions and Agricultural Adaptation in a Changing Environment: A Social Network Analysis of Farmer Knowledge Transfer in Ghana

Formal social ties play an important role in agricultural knowledge exchange, particularly in developing-country agriculture with high exposure to development interventions. However, little is known about informal agrarian knowledge transfer in such an institutional agricultural information landscape and the consequences in terms of smallholder farm management in regions undergoing environmental change. Using a social network approach, I chart the structure of agrarian knowledge networks in six communities which have been differentially exposed to agriculture development intervention in the Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions of Ghana. Farmer network size, density and composition were distinctly variable, with development project affiliated and male farmers tending toward larger networks and engaging in more diverse agricultural production. Furthermore, agriculture-related knowledge sources were dependent on the type of crop species produced. As promotion of diverse agriculture systems continues as a response to environmental change, understanding such social and agroecological complexities will be important for effective agriculture interventions.

Keywords: Agriculture
Development intervention
Gender
Ghana
Knowledge transfer
Social network analysis
Advisor: Isaac, Marney