VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Development of a Real Time Hearing Enhancement Algorithm for Crowded Social Environments

A novel hearing enhancement algorithm was developed particularly for real time processing within crowded social environments. Binaural microphone array steering provides initial estimation of sound source location. Parallel noise gating is then applied to reduce crowd noise. This system is adaptive to environmental changes due to an adaptive noise bank, noise identification and selection utilizes Amplitude Modulation pitch tracking as well as pitch and formant continuity checks. The algorithm has been verified through both signal processing metrics as well as a formal listening experiment consisting of 10 subjects. It can achieve up to 10 dB Signal to Noise Ratio improvement on a near-zero dB SNR sound segment containing a target speaker immersed in crowd noise. Signal distortions as well as digital artifacts are significantly reduced with our method, improving target speech intelligibility. The listening experiment demonstrates a 39% accuracy increase in target speech recognition over the original noised segment, and a 31% accuracy increase over conventional binary masking noise reduction method. The algorithm has a computational speed that allows for real time processing.

Keywords: crowd noise
hearing enhancement
noise gating
noise reduction
pitch tracking
real time
Advisor: Wong, Willy
Formation of Interfacial Species by Deposition of MoO3 on Organic Semiconductors

Transition metal oxides (TMOs), such as molybdenum tri-oxide (MoO3), have been used in organic optoelectronic devices due to their effectiveness at providing excellent charge transport and reducing charge injection barrier at an interface. By utilizing an inverted device deposition order, whereby the TMO is deposited on-top of the organic semiconductor, as used in organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs) as well as inverted organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), a full description of the physical and electronic interaction is resolved by use of photoelectron spectroscopy. Significant band bending by way of charge transfer from organic to MoO3 and diffusion into the underlying organic film is observed. The relative extent of the diffusion is extracted by a simple electron attenuation by over-layer model. Universal energy level alignment rule is shown to be consistent even under inverted deposition order, indicating the significant role between TMO and organic semiconductor to form charge transfer species.

Advisor: Lu, Zheng-Hong
Characterizing the Dual Roles of Versican in Angiogenesis and Wound Repair

While appearing to be disparate processes, wound healing and tumor progression utilize many similar molecular mechanisms. In particular, versican, a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan is understood to be upregulated in both contexts. Given its versatile role in the extracellular matrix, we studied versican as a coding and non-coding gene. Firstly, the V2 isoform coding sequence was stably transfected into a human glioblastoma cell line. It was shown that this isoform could play a proangiogenic role, in both in vitro and in vivo models. Secondly, we examined versican in cutaneous wound healing by overexpressing the 3'-untranslated region in murine fibroblasts and a transgenic mouse model. By binding to endogenous miRNAs, overexpressing 3'-UTR regions or using similar miR sponging techniques could be used to assess genetic networks and observe any functional roles for non-coding RNA. Understanding the coding and noncoding roles that versican plays will be valuable in understanding this versatile proteoglycan.

Advisor: Yee, J Albert
The International Law of State Immunity: An Exception for Torture?

The absence of an international provision, governing State immunity in civil cases based on the extra-territorial torture, has made the issue a disputed area in the law of State immunity. In recent years, national courts mostly ruled in favor of State immunity and denied to hear claims of torture victims. Although being compatible with States preference not to be prosecuted before foreign courts, this norm would accord the States the effective freedom to avoid accountability for torture. In the unlikely emergence of a new State practice, the only possible way to move the practice in a direction that is responsive to States' obligation in international law would be to adopt an exception to the United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property that expressly drops States immunity in cases of torture.

Keywords: fair trial
foreign state immunity
international law
jus cogens
torture
united nations
Advisor: Fadel, Mohammad
The Effect of a Low n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Diet on the Rate of Loss of Arachidonic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid from Rat Brain Phospholipids

Arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the predominant n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the brain, and alterations in their metabolism are thought to play a role in several neurological disorders. This thesis investigates how lowering dietary n-6 PUFA affects the rate of loss of ARA and DHA from rat brain phospholipids. Rats were fed a low (2% linoleic acid) or high (24% linoleic acid) n-6 PUFA diet for 15 weeks post-weaning. Baseline brain phospholipid fatty acid, eicosanoid and docosanoid concentrations were then measured. The remaining rats underwent intracerebroventricular infusion of 3H-ARA /3H-DHA and the loss of radioactivity was measured over time to determine the rate of ARA/DHA loss. Low (vs. high) n-6 PUFA rats exhibited slower loss of ARA and more rapid loss of DHA. These changes in PUFA metabolism may provide insight into mechanisms of dietary-lipid-driven treatments, particularly low n-6 PUFA, for neurological disorders.

Keywords: brain
eicosanoids
intracerebroventricular infusion
n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid
phospholipids
rate of loss
Advisor: Bazinet, P Richard
Assessing the Petroleum Fiscal Regimes of Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon

Petroleum extraction is a lucrative source of tax revenue for many governments in Sub- Saharan Africa. However the generation of oil tax revenue can be limited by the need to attract and incentivize oil companies to conduct exploration and extraction activities. This thesis assesses how three African countries - Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon - administer the tradeoff between maximizing tax revenue for the state and attracting investment. It uses a four-point framework to examine the inputs or design of each country's regime by focusing on: the state's dependence on oil revenue; the stage of development of the oil industry; the government's financial position; and the extent of state participation in the oil sector.

Advisor: Prado, M Mariana
De Facto Exclusive Dealing, Foreclosure, and Market Share Discounts

In recent years a number of cases have come before the courts in which market share discounts - arrangements in which a seller offers a buyer a lower price for its goods on the condition that the buyer purchases a specified minimum share of its requirements from the seller - have been alleged to have operated as unlawful de facto exclusive dealing arrangements. Almost all of these challenges have failed at the first hurdle of persuading the court that the discount arrangement forecloses competition. This paper identifies shortcomings in the courts' foreclosure analysis and, adopting the appropriate inquiry into foreclosure established in other de facto exclusive dealing cases, shows that market share discounts are capable of foreclosing competition. This paper also advocates for the use of a discount attribution test - similar to that employed in bundled discount cases - to determine whether a given market share discount forecloses competition.

Keywords: All-or-Nothing Policies
Antitrust
De Facto Exclusive Dealing
Foreclosure
Market Share Discounts
Advisor: Iacobucci, M Edward
Selecting and Implementing Rich Mathematics Tasks in the Middle School

This collective case study of two middle school mathematics teachers examines how teachers select and implement rich mathematics tasks. The research revealed that these two teachers tend to select rich mathematics tasks from a variety of sources that meet individual needs, conform to assessments and align to characteristics of rich mathematics tasks. These two teachers perceive rich mathematics task to be open-ended, cross-curricular, student-centered, to have multiple steps, to encourage a variety of solutions and solution strategies and to support high-levels of cognitive thinking processes. Factors identified to support rich mathematics task implementation include connecting procedures with mathematical concepts, modeling student-made solutions, enforcing scaffolding strategies and pressing for justification. Factors identified to inhibit rich mathematics task implementation include teachers overlooking opportunities to press for conceptual understanding, student behavior issues, appropriateness of the task, teachers comfort with mathematics and time.

Keywords: mathematics tasks
middle school math
rich tasks
Advisor: McDougall, Doug
Virtualizing FPGAs for Cloud Computing Applications

Cloud computing has become a multi-billion dollar industry, and represents a computing paradigm where all resources are virtualized, flexible and scalable. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have the potential to accelerate many cloud-based applications, but as of yet are not available as cloud resources because they are so different from the conventional microprocessors that virtual machines (VMs) are based on. This thesis presents a first attempt at virtualizing and integrating FPGAs into cloud computing systems, making them available as generic cloud resources to end users. A novel architecture enabling this integration is presented and explored, and several custom hardware applications are evaluated on a prototype system. These applications show that Virtualized FPGA Resources can significantly outperform VMs in certain classes of common cloud computing applications, showing the potential to increase user compute power while reducing datacenter power consumption and operating costs.

Advisor: Chow, Paul
Functional Connectivity within Frontal Executive Networks after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is a sub-type of stroke, with up to 83% of patients exhibiting serious cognitive impairment, particularly within the domain of executive function. This study used resting-state fMRI to investigate how aSAH alters functional connectivity within brain regions involved in executive function and to determine whether abnormalities relate to patients' executive deficits. It was found that patients with executive impairment displayed significantly increased functional connectivity between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the right precuneus, covarying significantly with Mood scores. These patients also exhibited significantly increased connectivity from the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to the left superior frontal gyrus - this connection covaried significantly with composite scores of executive function. The present study suggests that abnormal resting-state connections from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may underlie aSAH patients' executive deficits. Resting-state fMRI could be used as a potential diagnostic tool to identify cognitively impaired patients to better inform rehabilitation.

Keywords: Aneurysm
Brain
fMRI
Neuroimaging
Stroke
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Advisor: Schweizer, A Tom
Termination of Employment in England and Canada

This paper provides an introduction to the legal regimes relevant to dismissal in England for a Canadian audience, and vice versa. It examines the law on termination of employment in England and Canada, including both common law and legislation and in respect of both unionised and non-unionised workplaces, and assesses the employment protection offered under those regimes. It argues that, in England, where the common law of wrongful dismissal and the unfair dismissal statute have interacted, the result has been to limit protection for both unionised and non-unionised employees. In Canada, more limited statutory regulation of dismissal has coincided with a more protective development of the law of wrongful dismissal, and interaction with statutory intervention, in the form of minimum notice periods, has operated to increase, rather than limit, employment protection. Unionised employees in Canada benefit from a wholly separate regime for dealing with dismissal disputes.

Keywords: Canada
Comparative law
Dismissal
England
Unfair dismissal
Wrongful dismissal
Advisor: Langille, A Brian
J-aggregate Nanoparticles as Photoacoustic Contrast Agents for Prostate Cancer Imaging

Management of early stage prostate cancer (PCa) is plagued with the dilemma between active surveillance that risks progression, and aggressive treatments of potentially indolent disease that significantly reduces quality of life. This results from the inability of current diagnostic techniques to accurately distinguish between indolent and aggressive disease, which has resulted in overtreatment of PCa. Photoacoutic imaging allows for imaging of specific molecular constituents in tissue. To enable for its use in PCa imaging, we designed a novel organic nanoparticle that combines the unique spectral properties and efficient photon capture of nature's photosynthetic apparatus with the stable and specific delivery offered by nanoparticles. These Jaggregate nanoparticles are shown to produce an intense, narrow photo acoustic signal and to have nanoparticle-dependent photonic properties that enable for assessment of the state of the particle. Preliminary assessment of their use in an orthotopic PCa model showed accumulation in and delineation of the tumor boundary.

Keywords: imaging
nanoparticles
prostate cancer
Advisor: Zheng, Gang
Longitudinal Assessment of Maxillary and Mandibular Molar and Incisor Dentoalveolar Heights and Growth Rates in Class I Subjects with Varied Craniofacial Growth Patterns as Classified by Directional and Proportionate Methods

Objective: To determine if significant differences exist in dentoalveolar heights and dentoalveolar height growth rates, among skeletal Class I subjects that exhibit differing craniofacial growth patterns.Methods: One hundred and five subjects with cephalograms available at 9, 12, 14, and 16 years were categorized into directional (change in Y-axis angle) and proportionate (UFH:LFH) growth pattern groups. Maxillary and mandibular molar and incisor dentoalveolar heights and dentoalveolar height growth rates were determined. Comparisons were made by mixed model and ANOVA.Results: Neither dentoalveolar heights, nor growth rates differed significantly among directional classification groups in either gender. All dentoalveolar heights differed significantly among all proportionate classification groups at all ages in both male and female subjects. Conclusions: No statistically significant differences were found in dentoalveolar heights or dentoalveolar height growth rates of different directional growth pattern groups. Statistically significant differences were found in all dentoalveolar heights of different proportionate growth pattern groups.

Keywords: craniofacial growth
dentoalveolar height
growth rate
longitudinal
orthodontics
Advisor: Suri, Sunjay
Characterization of Changes in Extracellular Matrix and Cellular Phenotypes in Early Calcific Aortic Valve Disease

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a prevalent disease associated with severe clinical outcomes and without an effective medical treatment. While advanced disease is well- characterized, there is an unmet scientific need to understand the active pathobiological processes that promote eventual calcification and stenosis of the valve. Using a porcine model of early CAVD, histological staining was used to identify the changes that occur in the extracellular matrix (ECM) with a focus on proteoglycan content. Putatively more advanced lesions were morphologically dense with increased biglycan, decreased hyaluronan, and higher ApoB score and Sox9 fraction. These microenvironmental changes were used to delineate populations of valve interstitial cells (VICs) for microarray analysis. Differentially upregulated genes from the top of lesions and non-lesion fibrosa were related to lipid accumulation, inflammatory response, osteochondrogenesis, and ECM remodeling. An improved understanding of early CAVD microenvironment and VIC phenotypes lays the foundation to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Keywords: aortic valve disease
histology
microarray
porcine model
proteoglycan
Advisor: Simmons, A Craig
Archiving War: Iran-Iraq War and the Construction of "Muslim" Women

The Iranian state's archiving of the ideological constructions of the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-88 have been prolific. This was was the longest military conflict of the 20th century, and an important stepping ground in the formation of Iran's theocratic state, which had assumed power less than two years before the war: the Islamization of the old monarchical state was anchored in the war effort. Women were assigned a special role in the war during which the idea and model of "Muslim woman" was constructed and propagated. These constructions have taken the shape of popular culture, film and theater, literature, as well as sights and events of commemoration. By locating these productions within the framework of the nation building project of cultural nationalism, this thesis aims to provide an analysis of this body of state memorialization of the Iran-Iraq War through the lens of the experiences of Iranian women. As well this research aims to add to the field of critical adult education through an analysis of the topic of women, war, and learning.

Keywords: Adult Education
Cultural-Nationalism
Iran
Iraq
War
Women
Advisor: Mojab, Shahrzad
Investigating Differential Expression of MicroRNAs Related to Recurrence in the Luminal Breast Cancer Subtype

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and patients with the luminal subtype have a range of outcomes unable to be predicted by current clinical methods. My hypothesis was that microRNA (miRNA) expression profiling might provide a method of discriminating tumours of this subtype into good and poor prognosis groups, and reveal miRNAs involved in recurrence.Expression profiling revealed nine miRNAs significantly differentially expressed in luminal tumours from patients with recurrence compared to patients without recurrence. Four, miR-135a-5p, miR-140-5p, miR-218-5p, and miR-200a-3p, selected for technical validation were confirmed as differentially expressed. Functional analysis in an in vitro breast cancer model revealed a reduction in cellular migration when miR-218-5p was ectopically overexpressed in two different assays, suggesting a possible association of miR-218-5p with metastasis, an important factor in recurrence. The expression of these miRNAs may allow improved prognostication in luminal tumours, and provide avenues of further research in breast cancer pathology.

Keywords: breast
expression
luminal
microRNA
prognosis
recurrence
Advisor: Andrulis, Irene L
MECP2e1 Mutation Reduces the Dendritic Complexity of Rett Syndrome Patient iPS Cell-derived Neurons

The gene MECP2 that is commonly mutated in Rett Syndrome (RTT) can be alternatively spliced in neurons into MeCP2e1 and MECP2e2 isoforms. Fibroblasts from a patient with a MECP2e1 mutation were reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) and differentiated into neurons with an EB-based directed differentiation protocol. I employed methods to analyze neuronal complexity with respect to numbers of terminal dendrites, higher order dendrites, intersections by Sholl analysis, and total dendrite length in RTTe1 compared to wildtype neurons. My results show that neuronal complexity is reduced in the RTTe1 neurons, indicating that the MECP2e1 isoform is essential for healthy neuronal morphology. Wildtype and RTT iPS cells from a MECP2 null and R306C patient were also differentiated into neurons with a one-step protocol by exogenous expression of Ngn2 in iPS cells. RTT neurons did not recapitulate dendritic defects, suggesting that these phenotypes may be masked by Ngn2 overexpression.

Keywords: dendrite complexity
induced pluripotent stem cells
MECP2e1
Ngn2
Rett Syndrome
Advisor: Ellis, James
Determining Rational Planning Target Volume Margins for Intracranial Stereotactic Radiotherapy

Radiation treatment techniques, such as those used in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), have been shown to improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for metastatic brain cancer patients. Intracranial SRS relies on highly accurate positioning and invasive immobilization to deliver ablative doses of radiation to the target. Relocatable immobilization allows fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) delivery increasing treatment options for patients with multiple brain metastases. To ensure adequate target coverage in SRT, a planning target volume (PTV) margin is added to the target volume to account for inter- and intra-fraction uncertainties over treatment. The methods used in applying margins in SRT are associated with various assumptions, and do not necessarily have widespread applicability. This thesis aims to develop a PTV margin calculator for intracranial SRT as a method to manage geometric uncertainties, potentially improving local control by ensuring a higher degree of treatment accuracy.

Keywords: Brain Metastasis
Planning Target Volume Margin
Stereotactic Radiotherapy
Advisor: Jaffray, A David
Characterization of Electrodeposited Nanocrystalline Ni Microtrusses

Polymer microtrusses with nanocrystalline nickel coatings can exhibit excellent mechanical performance, which is greatly dependent on the thickness distribution of the coating. The dependence of coating thickness distribution on the electrodeposition parameters was investigated by numerical modeling. From the models, it was found that the coating thickness distribution on the struts tends to become more uneven with the increase in plating time and current density. A method has been established to predict the coating thickness distribution at different times. Experimental characterization methods were also developed. First, X-ray tomography was used for characterizing the thickness distribution. It was found that the surface roughness of the starting template greatly influences the coating thickness distribution of plated materials. Second, a mechanical test fixture was developed to accurately measure the inelastic buckling resistance of the core struts in compression. The reliability of the test method was investigated using microtrusses consisting of various numbers of unit cells and unit cell sizes.

Keywords: coating thickness distribution
microtruss
nickel coating
Advisor: Hibbard, D Glenn
The Effects of Design Parameters on Nanoparticle Cellular Uptake, Nuclear Transport and Accumulation

Studying the effects of the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials on cellular uptake, toxicity, and exocytosis can provide the foundation for designing safer and more effective nanoparticles for clinical applications. However, an understanding of the effects of these properties on subcellular transport, accumulation and distribution remains limited. The present study investigates the effects of surface density and particle size of semiconductor quantum dots on cellular uptake as well as nuclear transport kinetics, retention, and accumulation. The current work illustrates that cellular uptake and nuclear accumulation of nanoparticles depends on surface density of the nuclear localization signal peptides with nuclear transport reaching a plateau at 20% surface nuclear localization signal peptide density in as little as 30 minutes. These intracellular nanoparticles have no effects on cell viability up to 72 hours post treatment. These findings will set a foundation for engineering more sophisticated nanoparticle systems for imaging and manipulating genetic targets in the nucleus.

Keywords: ligand density
nanoparticles
nuclear transport
particle size
quantum dots
Advisor: Chan, Warren C. W.