VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
A Tale of Two Universities: Investigating Factors Affecting the Secondary to Tertiary Transition into Calculus for Students in STEM Disciplines

Calculus, an oft-required course for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, is frequently cited as a gatekeeper for student success. This study sought to investigate factors affecting the secondary to tertiary transition into calculus for students in STEM disciplines. Using a mixed methods approach, data from two institutions was collected: 1) large-scale student data including prior mathematics grades linked to first-year calculus achievement; and 2) semi-structured interviews with professors, instructors, and administrators associated with first-year mathematics. Both institutions are located in Southern Ontario and generally receive high-achieving secondary students into their STEM disciplines. Findings suggest that secondary school mathematics achievement is generally a positive predictor for success in first-term calculus. Second-term calculus is more consistently influenced by performance in first-term calculus. These effects are seen across many different streams of calculus for students in science, mathematics, and engineering. Qualitative data indicates that students are entering tertiary mathematics with an incongruent set of skills to successfully learn calculus. Many participants perceive that students experience mathematics in the K-12 system in a way that does not align with tertiary expectations. Further, students in mathematics courses experience many transitions including a change in identity, and consequently mental health, upon entering tertiary institutions. Many institutions are seeking to support students by streaming calculus courses by discipline and adjusting course goals to suit the academic needs of particular disciplines. Instructors are also experimenting with different pedagogies to better improve the learning experience of students. In spite of these initiatives, participants discussed pervasive challenges including large class sizes, financial constraints, and systemic barriers. This study highlights the need to specifically examine the experiences in mathematics courses that are ubiquitously taken. Additionally, the continued lack of understanding as well as a seeming lack of continuum between K-12 and tertiary mathematics must be addressed, lest any more students unnecessarily struggle and leave STEM disciplines, irrespective of their interests and capabilities.

Keywords: Calculus
Secondary
STEM
Tertiary
Transition
Advisor: McDougall, Douglas E
Examining Career Human Agency in Immigrant Professionals in Canada

This qualitative study is a secondary data analysis on interviews conducted on immigrant professionals to understand the adjustment and career-related challenges they face as part of the process of resettlement into the Canadian labour force. The main purpose of this study was to explore the effects of retraining outcomes and uncover factors that influence career human agency amongst immigrant professionals. It was discovered that most immigrant professionals have career aspirations and come to Canada to achieve these desired outcomes. Immigrant professionals often expect that they will be able to continue in their pre-Canadian vocational field in some capacity with minimal or no retraining. However, the reality is that certain contextual factors exist within Canada that serve as career barriers that prevent many immigrant professionals from reentering into their pre-Canadian professions. This includes discrimination, lack of social network, lack of local work knowledge, and non-recognition of foreign education and work experience. These barriers tend to lead to issues of unemployment, under-employment, unfair treatment, psychological distress, reduced quality of living, and negative impacts on their self-concept. Most immigrant professionals engaged in personal agentic actions as well as seek social support to cope and to overcome these difficulties. Encountering these career barriers often prompted immigrant professionals to engage in educational retraining as a self-directed career-management and career-enhancing strategy. The specific retraining experiences and career outcomes of participants were explored and discussed in detail within this study. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was employed to analyze transcripts of interviews. The essential themes of the participants’ shared experiences of career human agency were contrasted against Chen’s (2015) Career Human Agency Theory (CHAT) and the Protean and Boundaryless Career Orientation (PBCO) model (Briscoe, Henagan, Burton, Murphy, 2012). The study’s findings substantiated both the CHAT (Chen, 2015) and the PBCO (Briscoe et al., 2012) model for explaining the career development and career human agency of professional immigrants in adverse work environments. Lastly, a coherent map of the interaction and processes between internal and contextual factors, as well as with the four pillar principles of the CHAT (Chen, 2015) model was produced.

Keywords: canada
career agency
professional immigrants
Advisor: Chen, Charles CP
Examining Dropout in Youth Sport: A Developmental Perspective

The purpose of this dissertation was to better understand the dropout phenomenon in youth sport as well as youth’s developmental experiences in sport. Specifically, three studies were presented in this dissertation. Study 1 was a qualitative inquiry of stakeholders’ interpretations of the term dropout involving semi-structured interviews with 32 participants: 15 former athletes (eight males and seven females, 11-19 years of age); parents of former athletes (five mothers and five fathers, 40-55 years of age); and 7 youth sport coaches (four males and three females, 28-58 years of age). Stakeholders expressed a lack of familiarity with the term dropout in sport; specifically, their beliefs that sport is a voluntary activity and that decisions to leave sport may represent developmentally appropriate transitions for youth led to their perspectives that the term dropout did not adequately represent youth’s withdrawal experiences. Using the same data set from Study 1, Study 2 was a grounded theory of the influences that affect the nature and quality of youth’s sport experiences and withdrawal patterns. The participants’ responses revealed that youth’s subjective interpretations of personal, social, and organizational influences affected their sport experiences and withdrawal patterns. Study 3 was a narrative inquiry of youth athletes’ interactions with coaches and peers in sport and involved semi-structured interviews of 6 youth sport participants (3 male and 3 female) between the ages of 14-17 years. Stories were interpreted to suggest that often times the sport environment fostered relational dynamics with coaches and peers that failed to meet youth’s developmental needs for competence, connection, role exploration, and identity development. The current dissertation adds to the existing youth sport literature by providing a qualitative and developmental approach to exploring the dropout phenomenon and youth’s sport experiences more broadly.

Keywords: Developmentally Appropriate Sport
Dropout
Psychosocial Development
Qualitative Research
Youth Sport
Advisor: Kerr, Gretchen
Predicting Phonon Transport in Two-Dimensional materials Using First-Principles Calculations and the Boltzmann Transport Equation

The main objective of this thesis is to study phonon thermal transport in two-dimensional (2D) materials using first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the full solution of the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE). A wide range of 2D materials including graphene, 2D structures of group-VA, and recently emerged NX (X=P, As, Sb) compound monolayers are considered. Special attention is given to a mode-by-mode study of the thermal tunability via strain and functionalization. First, this thesis investigated the sensitivity of the DFT-calculated intrinsic thermal conductivity and phonon properties of 2D materials to the choice of exchange-correlation (XC) and pseudopotential (PP). It was found that the choice of the XC-PP combination results in significant discrepancies among predicted thermal conductivities of graphene at room temperature, in the range of 5442-8677 Wm^(-1)K^(-1). The LDA-NC and PBE-PAW combinations predicted the thermal conductivities in best agreement with available experimental data. This sensitivity analysis was an essential first step towards using DFT to engineer the phonon thermal transport in 2D systems. Next, DFT was used to systematically investigate the strain-dependent lattice thermal conductivity of -arsenene and -phosphorene, 2D monolayers of group-VA. The results showed that the thermal conductivity in both monolayers exhibits an up-and-down behavior when biaxial tensile strain is applied in the range from 0% to 9%. An interplay between phonon group velocities, heat capacities, and relaxation times, is found to be responsible for this behaviour. Finally, this project investigated the thermal conductivity of nitrogen functionalized - NX (X=P, As, Sb) monolayers. The results showed that the room-temperature thermal conductivities of -NP, -NAs, and -NSb are about 1.1, 5.5, and 34.0 times higher than those of their single-element -P, -As, and -Sb monolayers, respectively. The phonon transport analysis revealed that higher phonon group velocities, as well as higher phonon lifetimes were responsible for such an enhancement in the thermal conductivities of - NX compounds compared to single-element group-VA monolayers. Also, it was found that -NP has the minimum thermal conductivity among -NX monolayers, while it has the minimum average atomic mass. This thesis provides valuable insight into phonon physics and thermal transport in novel 2D materials using advanced DFT calculations.

Keywords: Density Functional Theory
Phonon
Strain
Thermal Conductivity
Two-Dimensional Materials
Advisor: Amon, Cristina
Behaviour and Modelling of ASR-affected Shear-critical Reinforced Concrete Structures

Analytical procedures for enhanced nonlinear finite element analysis of shear-critical reinforced concrete structures affected by alkali-silica reaction (ASR) are presented. The proposed models were implemented within the algorithms of VecTor2, a nonlinear finite element analysis program applicable to concrete membrane elements. Deficiencies identified in previous formulations include the degradation of the ASR-affected concrete mechanical properties and the crack-slip behaviour for cyclic load analysis. Thus, a model that addresses the directional variations in the mechanical properties of ASR-affected concrete was developed. The residual compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and tensile strength are evaluated based on the sustained long-term stress condition and on the severity of the expansion. An additional analytical objective was the development of a cyclic crack-slip model compatible with smeared crack formulations. The model considers two independent alternately-acting cracks within one element and it employs an empirically-developed cyclic degradation law. An experimental program focusing on the material behaviour of plain ASR-affected concrete was undertaken. Cylindrical cores extracted from cube specimens that were subjected to sustained long-term uniaxial and biaxial stress conditions were tested in compression and tension. The data iii were used for the development of an anisotropic model for the mechanical properties of ASRaffected concrete. A second component of the experimental program examined the behaviour of ASR-affected reinforced concrete panel specimens. Ten panels were constructed and tested to failure under pure shear loading conditions. They represent the first tests to investigate the behaviour of ASR-affected reinforced concrete subjected to pure shear. The test results were used to validate the modelling procedures and to contribute to a research area where conflicting experimental results were reported in the literature. Additionally, the cyclic test adds to the limited body of literature on cyclic degradation of ASR-affected elements. The test results showed that cracking strength was increased as a result of ASR-induced prestress, the deformation capacity of the reactive specimens was reduced compared to the control ones, and the ultimate strength was not adversely affected by ASR-induced deterioration. The validation analyses performed demonstrate that employing the proposed models results in more accurate predictions in terms of strength, ductility, and energy dissipation

Keywords: alkali-silica reaction
crack slip
direction-dependent mechanical properties
shear behaviour
strength degradation
Advisor: Vecchio, Frank J
Contributions of the B. burgdorferi Vascular Adhesin BBK32 and Endothelial Surface Receptors to Mechanical Stabilization of Bacterial – Vascular Interactions

Systemic dissemination of microbes is critical for progression of many infectious diseases and is associated with most mortality due to bacterial infection. The physical mechanisms mediating a key dissemination step, bacterial association with vascular endothelia in blood vessels, remain unknown. Lyme disease is a vector-borne disease caused by the transmission of the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi through the bite of infected Ixodes scapularis, followed by blood borne dissemination of the bacteria to distal tissue causing arthritis, carditis and neuroborreliosis. We determined that endothelial interactions of B. burgdorferi under physiological shear stress mechanistically resemble selectin-dependent leukocyte rolling. B. burgdorferi interactions are mediated by transfer of mechanical load along a series of adhesion complexes and are stabilized by tethers and catch bond properties of the bacterial adhesin BBK32. Along with BBK32, B. burgdorferi vascular interactions are known to be dependent on plasma fibronectin, glycosaminoglycans, however, the endothelial receptor involved in vascular interactions and dissemination remained unknown. We show that endothelial receptor CD44 which has been previously shown to be involved in leukocyte recruitment and T-cell homing is expressed on the surface of mature endothelial monolayers and are involved in bacterial-endothelial interactions. We have also shown that CD44 is involved in bacterial interactions with the post-capillary venules of mice, and CD44 is important for dissemination of the bacteria out of the bloodstream and into surrounding tissue to cause infection. CD44 is the first endothelial receptor identified to be important for B. burgdorferi vascular adhesion and dissemination. Our findings provide insight into the biomechanics of bacterial-vascular interactions and demonstrate that disseminating bacteria and circulating host immune cells share widely conserved mechanisms for interacting with endothelia under physiological shear stress

Keywords: Bacteria
Biomechanics
Catch bond
Dissemination
Lyme Disease
Vascular
Advisor: Moriarty, Tara J
Oskar Morawetz: The Czech Prism

Oskar Morawetz (1917 – 2007) carved out a successful career in Canada, yet he remains relatively obscure in his native Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). The complexity of his social, political and cultural background framed his identity as a person and musician. Understanding Czech–Canadian dualism is a vital component of grasping both his identity as a composer and reception of his music in the two countries. The Czech Prism is a documentation of a multidisciplinary project I developed and carried out in the years 2015 – 2019 in both Morawetz’s homelands – Canada and the Czech Republic – in order to unveil the Czech identity of the composer. It is neither an analysis nor a biography, but it contains elements of both. As such it follows Morawetz’s footsteps geographically: beginning in Europe, then moving to Canada, and finally returning to the Czech Republic. Among the most valuable contributions of this research is the discovery of a large amount of fascinating Czech correspondence in the Morawetz fonds in the Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa. The correspondence contains letters Morawetz exchanged with both his family members and others in Czechoslovakia, mostly between the years 1939 and 1995. This is the first time that this material has been examined, translated, and incorporated into a research document. In addition to the correspondence this study deals with other primary sources such as: contemporary press clippings; interviews with people from Morawetz’s generation as well as with music experts in both Canada and the Czech Republic; a documentation of lecture-recitals carried out in the Czech Republic; and a performer’s analysis of the work Fantasy in D (1948). Set in the context of Czech-Canadian social, political, and cultural background, the information unearthed during this research project is sifted, examined, and perhaps most importantly revealed here for the first time. What emerges is a large tapestry of prisms that ultimately merge into an accurate image of a more complete identity of the composer of Czech and Canadian origin, Oskar Morawetz.

Keywords: Canadian
Czech
Morawetz
Oskar
Advisor: Elliott, Robin
MULTI-DEGREES-OF-FREEDOM WIRELESS ACTUATION OF SMALL MAGNETIC MECHANISMS

Magnetic millimeter-scale robots are often actuated using externally generated magnetic fields. For most applications, these remote magnetic microrobots are located relatively far from the magnetic field generation sources. In this condition, all microrobots receive approximately the same driving magnetic field, which we term a homogeneous magnetic field. For many microrobotic tasks such as drug dispensing, biopsy tool activation or grasping, multiple system degrees of freedom (DOF) must be controlled. To achieve multi-DOF control in a homogeneous magnetic field, clever system design is required. While some progress has been made in this area allowing up to six independent DOFs to be individually commanded, there has been no rigorous effort in determining the maximum achievable number of DOFs for systems with homogeneous magnetic field input. In this work, we show that this maximum is eight and we introduce the theoretical basis for this conclusion, relying on the number of independent usable components in a magnetic field at a point. To verify the claim experimentally, we first develop an electromagnetic field generation system capable of generation all the eight independent magnetic components at a single point, followed by a simple 8-DOF demonstration mechanism, to show the feasibility of eight independently actuated motions. Next, we introduce a design process to utilize the maximum number of independently actuated DOFs on a microrobot system. We make use of four classes of microrobotic mechanisms which are commonly used in practice and allow for the creation of more complex microrobotic mechanisms with up to eight actuated DOFs. The systematic design framework is presented in the form of an optimization problem, where the designer specifies the number of magnets, and the type and quantity of mechanisms of the microdevice. The result gives the optimized position and orientation of on-board magnets and axes for mechanism motion. To verify the functionality of the design process, we utilize it to develop a 7-DOF wireless robot for drug delivery applications. Next, to investigate the feasibility of utilizing magnetic actuation methods in minimally invasive surgery procedures, a 3-DOF wireless gripper prototype and an 8-DOF two-grippers mechanism will be presented. The method and design process presented here for achieving up to eight actuated DOFs in homogeneous quasi-static magnetic fields can be applied to any microrobotic system where multiple motions and on-board mechanisms can lead to a more effective system.

Keywords: Magnetic Field
Microrobotics
Multi-DOF
Wireless Actuation
Advisor: Diller, Eric David
Playing-related Injuries and Posture Among Saxophonists

Musicians encounter a high prevalence of playing-related injuries, and within the literature there is little research specifically on saxophonists. The purpose of this thesis project is to explore Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (PRMDs) and posture among saxophonists through a large sample survey, and to gather information on PRMDs, playing posture, and injury prevention both through the sample survey and through interviews with five expert pedagogues. Topics covered through the survey and interviews are prevalence, location, and history of PRMDs; perceived risks; postural habits; playing posture; injury prevention; and information on treatments that participants have sought or were mentioned by interviewees, in addition to evidence-based treatments for musicians. Results from the survey show that 83 (76.15%) participants reported ever having a PRMD, 54 (50%) participants reported having a PRMD in the past year, 30 (27.52%) reported having a PRMD in the past month, and 23 (21.10%) reported having a PRMD in the past week. Top rated areas of pain were right wrist, neck, mouth/jaw, and left wrist. The most common self-reported postural habits were forward head position and rounded upper back, and these postures were significantly higher than all other reported postures. Postures correlated with higher pain ratings were rounded upper back and backward pelvic tilt. Results from the interviews provided six overarching themes, which are discussed throughout: unnecessary tension, the relationship between breathing and tension, awareness, ground-up model for building ideal posture, interconnectedness, and individuality.

Keywords: Injury prevention
Musicians' health
Performance-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders
Posture
Saxophonists
Woodwinds
Advisor: Thaut, Michael
Guptill, Christine
Quotquot invenire posset: Inventiones and Historical Memory in Southern Italy, c. 900-1150

This dissertation examines inventiones, that is narratives of relic discoveries, written in southern Italy between the tenth and twelfth centuries. During this period, communities dealt with sweeping changes brought on by political upheaval, invasion, and ecclesiastical reforms. Several inventiones written concomitantly to these events have received little scholarly attention. This dissertation has two goals: to enhance our understanding of the genre in general and to explore further the local circumstances that prompted their composition and copying. The following four case studies pertain to Christian communities in Naples, Benevento, and Larino, and the abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno respectively. This dissertation argues that, because of their “inventive” nature, these sources were powerful means of writing and rewriting history and, more often than not, the exercise of historical memory fueled their production. In particular, this dissertation contends that in eleventh-and twelfth-century southern Italy, as communities underwent the transition from Lombard to Norman authorities, the memory of the Lombard lords of the past was utilized in inventiones as a powerful tool to rewrite the identity of a community as it negotiated the changing political and ecclesiastical landscape. Furthermore, this dissertation argues that because of the devotional nature of inventiones, typically composed for use in the liturgy and thus potentially exposed to a large public, the history encoded within these sources was made all the more powerful. Inventiones reveal how the liturgy, ritual, and devotion were mobilized by medieval communities and display an inherent reciprocity between historical and devotional writing and thought. In order to unlock these features as well as the local conflicts and agendas that prompted the production of inventiones, both a close study of the original manuscripts of extant inventiones as well as attention to contemporary liturgical, diplomatic, and material sources are major components of each case study.

Keywords: Lombards
Memory
Normans
Sanctity
Southern Italy
Advisor: Cochelin, Isabelle