VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Great Expectations: Maternal Ideation, Injustice and Entitlement in the Online Infertility Community
Keywords: motherhood
gender
online communities
infertility

Motherhood is one of the most enduring and consequential rites of passage to adult femininity for women. Indeed "motherhood changes everything" (Nelson 2009, p. 3, Fox 2009). However, not all women have access to motherhood. What happens then when women do not have access to the gender ideal of motherhood or to the cultural spaces that define it? How do women deal with this exclusion? In the course of this research I answer these two questions through an examination of women’s blogging in the online infertility community. Women in the online infertility community characterize their fertility challenges as unfair and unjust, wherein their expressions of desire to become mothers are made in direct relation to, and in comparison with, the women around them who are on their way to becoming mothers (i.e., pregnant) or have already become mothers. In characterizing their experience as an injustice, I argue that women begin to lay claim to motherhood as an entitlement. They do so by drawing on, engaging with, and seeking out a multiplicity of cultural and scientific discourses associated with motherhood and women’s bodies. Through an examination of these discourses, I argue that the pursuit of motherhood is a journey that is relational and comparative, and one that happens in a single-gender, homo-social environment. Conceptualizing motherhood as a gendered entitlement, rather than a gender identity achievement allows us to recognize that women’s relationality and sociality are central to how women negotiate gender norms and expectations more broadly. In the face of infertility women in the online community express incredulity about the prospect of never having a biological child of their own and become industrious in navigating their circumstances. Their industrious responses help us locate infertility as a gendered penalty in the larger context of misfortune, which is often overlooked by sociologists.
Design of Controlled Rocking Steel Frames to Limit Higher Mode Effects
Keywords: earthquake engineering
self-centring systems
controlled rocking steel frame
higher mode effects

Because conventional seismic force resisting systems rely on yielding of key structural members to limit seismic forces, structural damage is expected after a design-level earthquake. Repairing this damage can be very expensive, if it is possible at all. Researchers have been developing a new family of self-centring systems that avoid structural damage. One such system is a controlled rocking steel frame, which is the subject of this thesis. In a controlled rocking steel frame, the columns of a frame are permitted to uplift from the foundation, and the response is controlled by using a combination of post-tensioning and energy dissipation. Although previous studies have confirmed the viability of this system, they have also shown that rocking does not fully limit the peak seismic forces because of higher mode effects. If a structure is designed to account for these effects, it may be uneconomical, but if it is not designed to account for them, it may be unsafe. The purpose of this thesis is to develop recommendations for the design of controlled rocking steel frames, particularly with regard to higher mode effects. A theoretical framework for understanding higher mode effects is developed, and large-scale shake table testing is used to study the behaviour of a controlled rocking steel frame. Two mechanisms are proposed to mitigate the increase in structural forces due to higher mode effects, and these mechanisms are validated by shake table testing. Numerical modelling of controlled rocking steel frames is shown to become more reliable when higher mode mitigation mechanisms are used to limit the seismic response. In the final chapters, the thesis proposes and validates a new methodology for the limit states design of controlled rocking steel frames.
Colonization and the Institutionalization of Hierarchies of the Human through Music Education: Studies in the Education of Feeling
Keywords: music education
culture of classical music
colonization
race
class
gender
Foucaultian genealogy
music institutions
national identities

In the following study I explore the role of musical practices in the making of different sensibilities. Beginning with the founding of colonial musical institutions in the late nineteenth century in Canada and ending with a consideration of the ideals and subjectivities embodied in a 2008 concert at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, I take up the education of feeling as it is rehearsed into being through various musical practices and juxtapose notions of identity with actual material and social relations. Anchored as it is in particular physical locations, my project draws on spatial analysis, discourse analysis and historical contextualization. The study is a genealogy of music education in Canada with music education referring to the institutional settings in which professional musicians and music educators are taught; public school music programs; and public celebrations of national identity in which music is employed with the goal of enjoining participants in particular historical/political narratives and emotional responses. My concern is to track the production of Imperial subjects and the normalization of hierarchies of the human, for example, rationalities of race, gender and class, as they become embodied and normalized in colonial institutional structures and discourses of national identity. I am particularly concerned with the ways that the displacement of Indigenous peoples, along with narratives of white entitlement, are rationalized and rehearsed into being in musical contexts. I also take up the question of how the discipline of musical training might lead to increased identification of classically- and university-trained musicians with the ruling order, and passivity in “political terms of obedience”—a subjectivity Foucault refers to as “docile bodies.” I identify this mode of being as “terminal naivety” in order to draw attention to personal and societal effects, and costs, that result from positioning ourselves and our artistic endeavours as politically disinterested.
La productivité des noms composés en français du XVIIe au début du XXe siècle
Keywords: morphological productivity
morphology
lexicology
compound nouns
hapax legomenon
relative frequency
morphological family size
categorial family size

La présente thèse est une étude approfondie de la productivité des noms composés français N-N, A-N, N-A et N-de-N du XVIIe au début du XXe siècle. La productivité morphologique des mots composés demeure un domaine très peu exploré, surtout en français. Les études antérieures sur la dérivation utilisent principalement la mesure de productivité basée sur les hapax, soulevant la question de savoir si l’application d’une seule méthode est suffisamment fiable pour évaluer la productivité en composition. Dans cette thèse, la productivité des composés est calculée au moyen de trois mesures différentes : la mesure P basée sur les hapax (Baayen et Lieber 1991; Baayen 1992), la taille catégorielle de la famille morphologique (Baayen et Hay 2002) et la fréquence relative (Hay 2003). En outre, la productivité est analysée en tenant compte de la position de la tête morphologique et l’aspect régulier/irrégulier du composé. Je cherche à vérifier quatre hypothèses : 1) les composés réguliers sont plus productifs que les irréguliers ; 2) les N-N et N-de-N sont les types les plus productifs ; 3) il existe une corrélation inverse entre la productivité P et la fréquence relative ; 4) il existe une corrélation inverse entre la productivité P et la taille catégorielle de la famille morphologique. Les hypothèses #1 et #4 sont confirmées par les résultats obtenus : les formes régulières exocentriques sont les plus productives et le taux de productivité le plus élevée coïncide avec la taille catégorielle la plus basse. L’hypothèse #2 a été appuyée partiellement à cause de données lacunaires pour le type N-de-N. Toutefois, la corrélation inverse entre la productivité et la fréquence relative n’est pas confirmée en composition. La thèse a apporté plusieurs contributions : l’étude diachronique de productivité en composition, l’utilisation de différentes méthodes statistiques et un corpus original de composés français qui comporte 15 types différents.
Self-Perceptions of Adolescents with ADHD for their Problem Behaviors
Keywords: self-perception
adolescents
ADHD
positive illusory bias
attributions
stigma

The overarching goal of this dissertation was to examine the self-perceptions of adolescents with ADHD with regard to their core ADHD symptoms and associated problem behaviors. Self-perceptions were examined in relation to awareness of problem behaviors (i.e., presence of a &ldquo;positive illusory bias&rdquo; or PIB), attributions, and stigma. Study 1 examined the PIB in relation to the ignorance of incompetence hypothesis in 74 13-to-18 year old adolescents [40 ADHD; 34 Typically-Developing Comparison (TD)]. Compared to TD adolescents, adolescents with ADHD underestimated their ADHD symptoms and associated oppositional, academic, and social problems relative to parent raters, indicating that they have a PIB. Nevertheless, they were cognizant of their patterns of academic achievement and social problems. The only area in which adolescents with ADHD demonstrated limited awareness of their difficulties was for oppositional behaviors. Within the ADHD sample, adolescents with external locus of causality attributions had a higher PIB for oppositional behaviors than adolescents with ADHD with internal locus of causality attributions. Using a cross-sectional design, Study 2 examined the PIB, attributions, and stigma perceptions in 66 14-to-18 year old adolescents (31 ADHD, 35 TD) and 107 9-to-12 year old children (65 ADHD, 42 TD); cognitive immaturity as a mechanism for the PIB and developmental differences in attribution patterns and stigmatization were the focus. Although both children and adolescents with ADHD demonstrated a PIB for their ADHD symptoms, the magnitude of the PIB was reduced in adolescence (particularly for hyperactivity-impulsivity). Both adolescents with and without ADHD showed a reduction in the PIB for inattentive symptoms relative to children. Participants with ADHD viewed their problem behaviors as more pervasive, uncontrollable, and stigmatizing than participants without ADHD, and adolescents viewed their behaviors as more pervasive, uncontrollable, and stigmatizing than children. The findings offered theoretical support to the cognitive immaturity mechanism for the PIB and to Harters(2012) model of normative development of self-representations. Associations were found between the PIB and attributions. Minimal support was obtained for the ignorance of incompetence hypothesis in most domains. Future research directions and clinical implications are discussed.
The Interaction between Competition, Collaboration and Innovation in Knowledge Industries
Keywords: Collaboration
Strategy
Innovation
Science Policy
Patent Pool

The three studies in this dissertation examine the relationship between the decision of market participants to compete or collaborate on their innovation strategies and outcomes as well as the broader industry structure and technological progress. The first study analyzes the impact of modern patent pools on the innovative performance of firms outside the pool. Theories generally predict that modern patent pools have a positive impact on innovation by reducing the cost of access to the pool’s technology, but recent empirical research suggests that patent pools may actually decrease the innovation rate of firms outside the pool. Using a difference-in-difference-with-matching methodology, I find a substantial decline in outsiders’ patenting rate after the pool formation. However I find that the observed reduction is mainly due to a shift in firms’ investment from additional patentable technological exploration toward implementing the pool technology in their products. The results shed light on how the interaction between cooperation, in the form of patent pooling, and competition shapes firms’ innovative strategies by enabling opportunities for application development based on the pooled technologies. In the second study, I examine the impact of restrictive stem cell policies introduced by George W. Bush in 2001 on the U.S. scientists’ productivity and collaboration patterns. Employing a difference-in-differences methodology, I find that the 2001 Bush policy led to a decline in the research productivity of U.S. scientists. However, the effect was short-lived as U.S. scientists accessed non-federal funds within the United States and sought funds outside the United States through their international ties. The results suggest that scientists may use international collaborations as a strategic means to deal with uncertainties in their national policy environment. In the third study, I examine the effects of the fragmentation of patent rights on subsequent investment in new inventions. Using a theoretical model and an empirical analysis of the semiconductor industry, I seek to shed light on the contingency factors that shape the role of technological fragmentation in explaining the investment decisions and appropriation strategies of firms. The results provide a dynamic explanation of the interplay between firms’ R&D investment, their patenting strategies, and technological fragmentation.
Fungal Pigment Formation in Wood Substrate
Keywords: spalting
wood degradation
staining fungi
white rot fungi
fungal melanin
fungal pigment
Trametes versicolor
Xylaria plymorpha
Chlorociboria
Scytalidium cuboideum

A number of fungi produce spalted wood, which is characterized by accumulation of black pigment in fine demarcation lines, often accompanied by discoloration or staining on the wood fibers. Specific spalting fungi were identified by molecular analysis. From a total of 19 isolates and 140 clones studied, 11 fungal species were identified. The two Chlorociboria species from North America were investigated and their anamorphs were unambiguously identified for the first time. Fungal pigment formation under the influence of moisture content and pH variation was investigated in sugar maple, American beech and agar inoculated with spalting fungi. Maximum pigment production occurred at treatment with pH 4.5 for sugar maple and beech inoculated with Trametes versicolor. Xylaria polymorpha produced external pigmentation in beech treated with buffer at pH 5 and sugar maple at pH 4.5. Fungal pigmentation by Trametes versicolor and Xylaria polymorpha was stimulated at low moisture content in both wood species tested. Melanin production by Inonotus hispidus and Polyporus squamosus was stimulated above 22-28% and 34-38% moisture content in beech and in sugar maple respectively. Fomes fomentarius and Polyporus brumalis produced maximum pigmentation in beech at 26 - 41% and in sugar maple at 59 - 96% moisture content. The variation of the moisture content and pH values of wood substrates can stimulate the intensity of pigmentation of specific fungi in wood. To investigate melanin synthesis from a variety of melanin precursors, experimental research on three spalting fungi tested their reaction to catechol and L-Dopa melanin precursors in wood and agar substrate. The results indicate multiple biosynthesis pathways for melanin assembly in Trametes versicolor, Xylaria polymorha and Inonotus hispidus, and catechol produced most pigmentation in all spalting fungi investigated. Microscopic analysis by light, fluorescence, electron and confocal microscopy also indicates a bi- or multi-modal activity of melanin production and assembly by several spalting fungi. Possible variations of melanin assembly were identified based on fungal and wood species. Immunofluorescence and immunogold labelling with Mab 6D2 melanin antibody confirmed the melanin nature of the pigments produced by Oxyporus populinus, Trametes versicolor, Xylaria polymorpha, Fomes fomentarius, and Inonotus hispidus.
Biodiversity in Two Parts: Environmental Heterogeneity and the Maintenance of Diversity, and the Prioritization of Diversity
Keywords: community ecology
coexistence
diversity
conservation and management

Questions surrounding the causes and consequences of diversity lie at the centre of community ecology. Understanding the mechanisms by which species diversity is maintained motivates much experimental and theoretical work, but this work often focuses on fluctuation-independent mechanisms. Variability in habitat suitability is ubiquitous through space and time however, and provides another important path through which species diversity can be maintained. As a result, considering environmental variability has value for conservation and management. Finally, differences through space and time in the mechanisms that promote and maintain diversity produce spatially varying patterns of diversity. Spatial variation in different forms of diversity (species (SR), phylogenetic (PD), and functional diversity (FD)) creates difficult decisions about prioritization and reserve locations. This thesis uses experimental, observational, and theoretical methods to explore the causes and consequences of diversity. I show that variation in space and time has important implications for species coexistence and diversity maintenance. In microbial nectar communities, temperature variation through space and time alters the importance of priority effects on community assembly. Using models of warming temperatures in annual plant communities I show that considering temporal partitioning of flowering (a strategy to minimize competition) introduces constraints on phenological shifts: this has implications for phenological monitoring programs. Finally, I show that variability in the timing of fire events in Mediterranean shrublands contributes to coexistence between life forms, suggesting that it should be considered for fire management. In the final two chapters, I focus on conservation prioritization. Comparisons of species richness and evolutionary diversity through space in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa show that existing reserves protect Proteaceae richness, but fail to capture evolutionary distinct species. More generally, in the final chapter I suggest that SR and PD should be congruent through space when species are of similar ages, regions are depauperate, or ranges are discontinuous.
Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Mammalian Forebrain Development
Keywords: cortex
neurogensis
interneurons

While the extrinsic factors regulating neurogenesis in the developing forebrain have been widely studied, the mechanisms downstream of the various signaling pathways are relatively ill-defined. In particular, we focused on proteins that have been implicated in cognitive dysfunction. Here, we ask what role two cell intrinsic factors play in the development of two different neurogenic compartments in the forebrain. In the first part of the thesis, the transcription factor FoxP2, which is mutated in individuals who have specific language deficits, was identified to regulate neurogenesis in the developing cortex, in part by regulating the transition from the radial precursors to the transit amplifying intermediate progenitors. Moreover, we found that ectopic expression of the human homologue of the protein promotes neurogenesis in the murine cortex, thereby acting as a gain-of-function isoform. In the second part of the thesis, the histone acetyltransferase CREB-binding protein (CBP) was identified as regulating the generation of neurons from medial ganglionic eminence precursors, similar to its role in the developing cortex. But CBP also plays a more substantial role in the expression of late interneuron markers, suggesting that it is continuously required for the various stages of neurogenesis at least in the ventral neurogenic niche. Finally, similar to cortical precursors, the function of CBP in the ventral forebrain precursors is also dependent on histone acetylation. Together, these studies shed light on some of the key intrinsic players that regulate the differentiation of neural precursors in the embryonic murine forebrain, and they also suggest potential mechanisms for the pathogenesis of various cognitive dysfunctions.
Laser-Based 3D Mapping and Navigation in Planetary Worksite Environments
Keywords: gaussian process gauss-newton
state estimation
slam

For robotic deployments in planetary worksite environments, map construction and navigation are essential for tasks such as base construction, scientific investigation, and in-situ resource utilization. However, operation in a planetary environment imposes sensing restrictions, as well as challenges due to the terrain. In this thesis, we develop enabling technologies for autonomous mapping and navigation by employing a panning laser rangefinder as our primary sensor on a rover platform. The mapping task is addressed as a three-dimensional Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (3D SLAM) problem. During operation, long-range 360 degree scans are obtained at infrequent stops. These scans are aligned using a combination of sparse features and odometry measurements in a batch alignment framework, resulting in accurate maps of planetary worksite terrain. For navigation, the panning laser rangefinder is configured to perform short, continuous sweeps while the rover is in motion. An appearance-based approach is taken, where laser intensity images are used to compute Visual Odometry (VO) estimates. We overcome the motion distortion issues by formulating the estimation problem in continuous time. This is facilitated by the introduction of Gaussian Process Gauss-Newton (GPGN), a novel algorithm for nonparametric, continuous-time, nonlinear, batch state estimation. Extensive experimental validation is provided for both mapping and navigation components using data gathered at multiple planetary analogue test sites.