VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The Nature of the Teacher Knowledge Constructed in a Multimodal Professional Learning Community
Keywords: Discourse analysis
Hermeneutics
Teachers' dialogue
Teachers' knowledge
Teachers' professional development
Teachers' professional learning communities

This research explores the nature of teacher knowledge constructed over four years in a multi-modal environment. Fourteen K-12 teachers, from Ontario, Canada and Michigan, USA, met online for two hours during a monthly research release day, participated in online chats, a forum site called Virtual Professional Learning Community, as well as participated in four three-day summer institutes. The teachers used these times to engage in knowledge building, creating research for their specific schools/classes in a recurring cycle of learning. The data consist of multiple forms, including the online meetings, the forum, and the summer institute discussions. The research investigated what types of knowledge teachers developed and how those knowledges informed their professional learning. Grounded Theory informed the data gathering and an hermeneutical approach was used for the analyses. Three types of professional knowledge emerged, associated with the classical Aristotelian intellectual virtues: episteme, techne and phronesis. Teachersâ discourse revealed the complexity of their professional knowledge and the wide range of scope of their action â a finding that goes beyond many neoliberal conceptions of the profession. Findings provide ways to develop models of professional development with teachers leading to their sustained journey for meaningful professional learning.
DOES PERCEIVED STRESS IN PREGNANT IMMIGRANT WOMEN PREDISPOSE THEIR INFANTS TO ALLERGIC DISEASE DEVELOPMENT?
Keywords: allergy development
developmental programming
immigrants
mental health
prenatal stress
psychoneuroimmunoedocrinology

Prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) is linked with a multitude of negative outcomes in the exposed offspring, including allergic disease development. Pregnant Canadian immigrant women often experience high levels of stress; however, psychosocial contributors to PNMS and their physiologic sequelae remain understudied in this group. This pilot study prospectively examined whether PNMS in Canadian immigrant women was associated with allergic outcomes in their infants, focusing on potential mediators and underlying mechanisms. Seventy-eight women were examined in early-/mid-pregnancy, in late pregnancy, and at a minimum of one year postpartum. Assessments included questionnaires concerning PNMS and other psychosocial determinants of health, collection of saliva samples throughout the day for measurement of cortisol activity, collection of blood samples for measurement of serum cytokine levels, and administration of a skin-prick test on mothers and infants for measurement of allergic sensitization. Low levels of perceived stress in early-/mid-pregnancy were associated with a greater likelihood of allergic sensitization in infants, but this association was mediated by a lack of financial hardship (i.e., high socioeconomic status). Financial hardship and a greater number of prenatal stressful life events were associated with lowered cortisol activity in early-/mid-pregnancy. A trend was also seen for higher levels of IL-10 during late pregnancy in women reporting financial hardship. These results are limited by a small sample size that further decreased at each subsequent study (i.e., significant participant attrition). Nevertheless, the novelty of this study and the numerous strengths in its design (including women with a language barrier, objectively measuring atopy in mothers and infants, and examining underlying mechanisms) make this a unique contribution to the literature. Furthermore key facilitators and barriers to conducting health research in this group were identified that may aid future studies aiming to test these preliminary results in a larger sample size.
Representations of Muslim Cultures and Societies in Children's Literature as a Curriculum Resource for Ontario Classrooms: Promises and Prospects
Keywords: Children's Literature
Comparative
International and Development Education
Curriculum Studies
Diversity in Ontario Classrooms
Muslim Children's Literature
Teacher Education

Situated in the context of multiple challenges and possibilities faced by Muslim students and communities in the Western socio-political and educational contexts, this qualitative research examines curriculum perceptions pertaining to Muslim children’s literature and attempts to answer the major research question: “How can Ontario curriculum be enriched with curriculum resources comprising of Muslim children's literature?” This question touches several chords within curriculum studies, teacher development and schooling in general, therefore, an integrated framework combining insights and concepts from critical pedagogy, anti-racism, post-coloniality, multiculturalism, as well as, anti-orientalism are applied to guide the research’s data collection and analysis. Additionally, my own situatedness within the study as a minority Muslim woman teacher with experiences from East and West plays a critical role in engaging and deconstructing the complex webs of Muslim representations in curricular resources. The near absence of Muslim children’s literature in Ontario curriculum and paucity of the Muslim content for elementary students are investigated through a three-pronged approach: (1) Examination of the Trillium List; (2) Engaging with the voices of contemporary writers of Muslim children’s literature; and (3) Critically dissecting the contents of select literary pieces, which have potential of being used as curricular resources. The understanding created through engagement with the above exploration generate opportunities for relevant conversations and awareness for both Muslim and non-Muslim stakeholders. This research is thus a unique study of Muslim children’s literature through application of systematic frameworks to bring social justice and offers a promise of development of cosmopolitan ethics in young Canadians. It assures equipping Ontario teachers with significant knowledge to validate experiences of elementary children through stories. The use of Muslim children's literature as curricular resources has the capacity to promote bridging of cultures, create responsiveness around Muslim students' background, alleviate misconceptions in the students and promote confidence in parents of Muslim children, especially those in the public schools. The findings show limited authors writing Muslim stories, little literacy and reading culture amongst immigrant Muslims, lack of publishers and not enough recognition of Muslim literature and authors in Canada. This study helps teachers and policy makers to develop a deeper appreciation of multicultural ethos of the Canadian education system and recommends stakeholder involvement for a more inclusive holistic, authentic and credible State curriculum with pluralist Muslim representations.
KNOWLEDGE COUNTS: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE EDUCATION FOR ALL GLOBAL MONITORING REPORTS
Keywords: Bibliometric Research
Education for All
Evidence-based International Development
International Education Development
Knowledge Mobilization
Network Analysis

Empirical evidence has a vital role to play in the international development of education. However, knowledge production in development involves important issues of power and vested interests, and is often viewed as a North / South asymmetrical process where knowledge production is dominated by the Northern elite. This study examines the evidence-base informing one of the most influential publications in the field of international education development, the Education for All Global Monitoring Reports (EFA GMRs), and illuminates broader discussions in the development literature as to what knowledge counts and who gets to decide? Through the application of bibliometric methods, this study examines the combined 8271 references listed in the 12 EFA GMRs published between 2002-2015 to gain empirical insight into (a) individual and organizational knowledge actors engaged in the production and dissemination of the evidence referenced, (b) the knowledge networks, or underlying patterns of relationships between actors and organizations, (c) the extent of the influence wielded by individual and organizational actors over the knowledge network, and (d) how the EFA GMR knowledge networks changed over time. In addition to a range of descriptive statistics, this study calculated for Lotkaâ s Law of authorship distribution and Bradfordâ s law of publisher distribution, and utilized network analysis to provide a deeper look at the EFA GMR knowledge networks. Several organizations were found to be far more central to the EFA GMR knowledge networks than others, with the most central being the World Bank, UNESCO and the EFA GMR. Despite the prominence of these organizations, this study found that EFA GMR knowledge networks grew over time, with more actors (and more types of actors) joining the reports each year. However, while the knowledge networks underpinning the EFA GMRs grew over time, network density and fragmentation measures conclude these networks are not becoming increasingly interconnected. This study adds to our empirical understanding of what capacity for knowledge production and mediation currently exist, and where is it located. This in turn allows us to identify what levers exist that could potentially help create a more equitable and inclusive version of evidence-based development, particularly in the education sector.
Experimental Investigation of Heat Transfer in Laser Sintered and Wire Mesh Heat Exchangers
Keywords: Heat Exchangers
Heat Transfer
Laser-Sintered Heat Exchangers
Laser Sintering
Wire-Arc Thermal Spraying
Wire Mesh Heat Exchangers

In this thesis, an experimental investigation of fluid flow and heat transfer through open cell porous wire mesh and laser-sintered heat exchangers is presented. The thesis consists of two main sections that describe how to create a compact heat exchanger that uses open-cell porous structures. In the first part of the thesis a new method of building compact heat exchangers using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), a technology which enables heat exchangers with a predetermined, fully controlled internal geometry to be built was investigated. Laser-sintering was used to fabricate stainless steel heat exchanger channels filled with struts arranged to form either cubic, round-strut tetradecahedral or thin-strut tetradecahedral cells. The objective was to demonstrate that the effect of adding internal struts is not simply to increase surface area, but that cell geometry has a significant effect on both heat transfer and fluid flow. This section also describes the importance of the connection between the porous structures, which is used to improve the performance of the heat exchanger, to the main body of the heat exchanger. It was possible to design internal geometries that maximize heat transfer while minimizing weight and frictional losses. In the second part of the thesis, a simple method of increasing the heat transfer surface area has been developed by using a twin wire-arc thermal spray system to generate a dense, high strength coating that bonds porous structures, like wire mesh and perforated sheets, to the plain tube heat exchangerâ s outside surfaces. The porous structure and the main body of the heat exchanger must be well bonded together to minimize thermal resistance. The extended surfaces of the wire mesh and perforated sheet enhanced the heat transfer performance of the tube heat exchangers. Finding the right balance between pore density and number of screens of the porous structures is crucial for maximizing the heat transfer performance of the heat exchangers.
Multi-Camera Active-Vision for Markerless Shape Recovery of Unknown Deforming Objects
Keywords: Computer Vision
Deformable
Markerless
Multi-Camera
Reconfiguration
Shape Recovery

This thesis proposes a multi-camera active-vision reconfiguration system which selects camera poses on-line to improve the shape recovery of a priori unknown, markerless, deforming objects in dynamic environments. The objectives of shape recovery are defined as surface sampling accuracy, and shape completeness. The completeness objective is generalized for both solid and surface-based objects as the maximization of surface visibility. Thus, improving the recovered shape of target objects is shown to be analogous to maximizing the surface area visibility. This improvement is achieved through the on-line reconfiguration of multiple cameras. The system developed herein is composed of a shape recovery method, a robust tracking algorithm, and a multi-camera reconfiguration method. The shape recovery method is based on a modular fusion technique that produces a complete 3D mesh-model of the target object. The method fuses triangulation data with a visual hull to maximize recovery accuracy. The modularity of the method lies in the ability to modify data filtering techniques to improve modelling accuracy, and interchange stereo correspondence features. The adaptive particle filtering algorithm produces a deformation estimation of the recovered model from the tracking data. The algorithm automatically adapts to the quantity of tracking data available and changes in the objectâ s dynamics. The modularity of the algorithm allows modifications in terms of the number of particles and motion models for task-specific implementations. The reconfiguration method consists of a robust stereo-visibility objective function, workspace discretization, and a path planner. The complete system can improve the shape recovery of a priori unknown deforming objects in obstacle-laden environments when compared to static camera methods. To validate the proposed system, extensive simulations and experiments were conducted. The simulations tested the system in comparison to static multi-camera systems, and ideal camera placement where the object model was a priori known and the cameraâ s dynamics were unconstrained. Simulation results showed the proposed methodology outperformed static cameras and approached the performance of ideal camera placement in a dynamic, obstacle-laden environment. The experimental results showed similar improvement in shape recovery when comparison to a static camera system in an obstacle-laden environment.
Material Architectures for Improved Light and Carbon Supply in Microalgal Photobioreactors
Keywords: Biofilm
Cyanobacteria
Hydrogel
Microalgae
Photobioreactor
Waveguide

This thesis explores the use of materials to improve light and carbon supply to microalgal cultures. These resources are the primary growth factors that limit productivity and, ultimately, the cost of biomass generation. Three unifiable approaches to supply are separately studied with performance evaluations based on culture densities achieved with the cyanobacteria Synechococcus elongatus, relative to controls. The potential performance of these supply approaches are compared with conventional approaches reported in the literature. The first study explores light supplied from thin, planar, glass waveguides that illuminate surface-grown biofilms using frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR). A biofilm with uniform density (1.0 ± 0.3 × 109 mL−1) grew in a wide range of intensities that exceeded the high and low limits for suspension cultures. This extended growth regime is explained by semi-coherent, high-intensity light confinement in the waveguide, combined with intensity-smoothing by biofilm morphology. The performance suggests potential for greater growth areas and intensity ranges, with volumetric module densities on the order of 108 mL−1. However, glass and other gas-impermeable materials used in reactors to improve light supply often negatively affect carbon supply and vice-versa. The second study explores materials that permit combined waveguide illumination and CO2 permeation. Use of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) waveguides doubled the density of suspension cultures relative to impermeable waveguides, but required elevated CO2. Fixed biofilm cultures, compatible with the established light and carbon supply approaches, can provide greater photosynthetic efficiency, but productivities suffer from respiration in the dark portions of the biofilm. The third study then uses cultures fixed in calcium-alginate hydrogels to demonstrate photoactive light penetration in the low density bulk. Over time, microalgal growth within the hydrogel produces a thin, high-density surface layer due to high local light and CO2 access. This hydrogel approach presents the opportunity for partial, skim-harvesting of this top layer. The effect on production of periodically harvesting the dense top layer was quantified. Over 18 days of cultivation, productivity was greatest in hydrogels formed with 150 mM Ca2+, and subject to 3-day harvest periods – especially in the first layer. Harvested biomass yields became more uniform with additional harvests. This growth format permits thick cultures that both experience photoactive light and produce at high density. Each of these three approaches has demonstrated improvements to light and/or CO2 delivery to microalgal cultures, leveraging unique materials and approaches. Collectively, this thesis demonstrates proof-of-principle for next-generation approaches to achieving high-density microalgal photobioreactors.
Development of Novel Anti-Respiratory Syncytial Virus Therapies
Keywords: antiviral
cardiac glycoside
ion homeostasis
ionophore
Respiratory syncytial virus

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of mortality in infants and young children. Despite the RSV disease burden, no vaccine is available and treatment remains non-specific. New drug candidates are needed to combat RSV. Towards this goal, we investigated two broad strategies to control RSV infection. First, we examined the utility of delivering an anti-4-1BB agonist antibody to enhance CD8 T cell costimulation in a mouse model of RSV infection. This strategy enhanced CD8 T cell numbers, however failed to reduce RSV titers in the lung. We found that this was likely due to reduced RSV specific CD8 T cells in the lung. Overall, this strategy did not attenuate RSV associated disease outcomes and was associated with increased morbidity. Second, we screened over 2000 FDA approved compounds to identify approved drugs with novel anti-RSV activity. Cardiac glycosides, inhibitors of the membrane bound Na+/K+-ATPase, were identified to have anti-RSV activity. Cardiac glycosides diminished RSV infection in HEp-2 cells and in primary human airway epithelial cells grown at an air liquid interface. Digoxin, an FDA approved cardiac glycoside, was further able to inhibit RSV infection of community isolates of RSV in primary nasal epithelial cells. Our results suggest that the antiviral effects of cardiac glycosides are primarily dependent on changes in the intracellular Na+ and K+ composition. Consistent with this mechanism, we subsequently demonstrated that the ionophoric antibiotics salinomycin, valinomycin, and monensin inhibited RSV in HEp-2 cells and primary nasal epithelial cells. Our data indicate that the K+/Na+ sensitive steps in the RSV lifecycle occur within the initial 4 hours of virus infection, but do not include virus binding/entry. We employed an RSV mini-replicon assay allowing the independent assessment of RSV-specific RNA synthesis. Our findings demonstrated that digoxin does not alter the RSV RNA polymerase. Future studies will focus on the possibility that digoxin and other ion-modulating drugs may impact viral uncoating (i.e. release of viral nucleic acid from RNP complex).
Unpacking Social Movements' Democratizing Impact: The Case of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Travesti Movement in Brazil
Keywords: Brazil
democratization
inclusion
intersectionality
LGBT
social movements

This dissertation examines the impact of the Brazilian lesbian, gay, bisexual, and travesti (LGBT) movement on the construction of a more inclusive democracy. In order to do this, I develop a framework for assessing the “whether,” “how,” and “why” of social movements’ democratizing impact, based on an understanding of substantive democracy that sees the inclusion of marginalized groups as a central test. Substantive democratic inclusion would require the autonomous agency of the social movement fighting for the interests of the marginalized group in question; public recognition of the marginalized group via the increased visibility and more widespread toleration of its members in the public sphere; the participation of marginalized groups in decision-making institutions, by increasing their access and influence over policy-makers, as well as their presence in relevant institutional spaces; concreteness of the gains made by the movement, particularly in the form of public policies; and universality in policy effect, addressing more systemic inequalities that affect those most strongly marginalized within that population. By focusing on the period from the emergence of the LGBT movement in 1979 to the end of the first term of Dilma Rousseff’s presidency in 2014, and examining movement activity in the public sphere and actions aimed at the State (federal executive, legislative, and judiciary branches), I argue that the movement has achieved an incomplete democratic inclusion of sexual minorities. This incompleteness is characterized by headway in terms of autonomous agency, recognition, and participation, but limitations on the concreteness and universality of gains. This pattern of impact is shaped by three broad factors, namely the historical structures of marginalization, the institutional framework activists face in their engagement with the State, and the dominant regime of interest mediation. In the conclusion, I engage in a comparison with other social movements in Brazil to contextualize these findings.
Fabrication and Characterization of Linear and Nonlinear Photonic Devices in Fused Silica by Femtosecond Laser Writing
Keywords: Femtosecond laser
Glass waveguides
Optical circuits

Femtosecond laser processing is a flexible, three-dimensional (3D) fabrication technique used to make integrated low-loss photonic devices in fused silica. My work expanded the suite of available optical devices through the design and optimization of linear optical components such as low-loss (