VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Speculating Social Housing: Mixed-Iicome Public Housing Redevelopment in Toronto's Regent Park and Don Mount Court
Keywords: Don Mount Court
Gentrification
Housing
Redevelopment
Regent Park
Social Housing

This dissertation develops a multi-dimensional critique of the globally popular "socially mixed" public housing redevelopment approach, drawing on tenant experiences in Toronto's Regent Park and Don Mount Court communities. Socially mixed redevelopment involves the demolition of modernist public housing and its replacement with mixed-income, mixed-use communities; usually redesigned in a neo-traditional style and achieved via public-private partnership. This dissertation addresses three research questions and goals. First, it examines the impacts of redevelopment on tenants, who benefit from much-needed investment but endure hardship associated with relocation, gentrification, and displacement. Second, it critically examines core theoretical and planning ideas (`deconcentration' and `social mix') that serve to justify mixed-income redevelopment. These discourses rest on problematic core assumptions, and promote policies that - as I discover in a meta-analysis of nearly 200 empirical studies - do not deliver on their promises. Third, this research offers a political-economic critique of the significance and future impacts of redevelopment, placing tenant experiences in the context of local, state, and global economic restructuring. Redevelopment is presented as an example of what I call "speculative social welfare," a new and increasingly popular approach for financing former welfare state provisions in the context of global neoliberalism. Speculative social welfare replaces state expenditure with profits derived from gentrification and real estate speculation, relies on the market to allocate former welfare state provisions, entails reduced investment, and intensifies existing patterns of socio-spatial polarization. This research is based on qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews, ethnographic participant observation, and textual analysis. My analysis of redevelopment in Toronto reveals that financial motivations drive policy, trumping loftier planning, design, and equity-oriented goals. From pre-move tenant interviews, I develop a counter-narrative that challenges stigmatizing pro-revitalization rhetoric, and highlights `real' problems in Regent Park that redevelopment is ill-suited to address. Post-move interviews reveal that `old' problems are being reproduced in the mixed community, and highlight the negative political and social impacts of gentrification and displacement. My analysis of Don Mount Court points to the paradoxical outcomes of "New Urbanist" design, and challenges the `myth' of the benevolent middle class in a landscape marked by deeply uneven power relations.
Paper Index of the Mind: The Book and Printed Culture of Mathematics in England and Canada, 1830-1930
Keywords: books and printing
Britain
Canada
Macmillan
nineteenth century
typography

This thesis demonstrates how the book industry shaped knowledge formation by mediating the selection, expression, marketing, distribution and commercialization of mathematical knowledge. It examines how the medium of print and the practices of book production affected the development of mathematical culture in England and Canada during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Chapter one introduces the field of book history, and discusses how questions and methods arising from this inquiry might be applied to the history of mathematics. Chapter two looks at how nineteenth century printing technologies were used to reproduce mathematics. Mathematical expressions were more difficult and expensive to produce using moveable type than other forms of content; engraved diagrams required close collaboration between author, publisher and engraver. Chapter three examines how editorial decision-making differed at book publishers compared to mathematical journals and general science journals. Each medium followed different editorial processes and applied distinct criteria in decision-making about what to publish. Daniel MacAlister, Macmillan and Company's reader of science, reviewed mathematical manuscripts submitted to the company and influenced which ones would be published as books. Chapter four explores economic aspects of mathematical book publication. Macmillan and Company's mathematical authors profited from the successful publication of textbooks. Both author and publisher augmented their prestige, influence and image through successful author-publisher liaison. Nation building and the definition of a national identity are explored in chapter five as factors influencing the development of mathematical publishing. It is shown how the capacity to print mathematics locally was important to the development of a Canadian culture of mathematics. John Charles Fields' production of the Proceedings of the International Mathematical Congress, Toronto, 1924 is identified as a major turning point within this development. Chapter six concludes that publishers, not just mathematical authors, shaped nineteenth century British mathematics. While an increase in mathematical book production during the nineteenth century stimulated popular engagement with mathematics, British publishers perpetuated conservative mathematical values through the mass production of textbooks. In distributing these textbooks to domestic and foreign markets, publishers perpetuated a moribund image of mathematics inside and outside Britain.
Color Vision and its mechanisms in College students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Keywords: ADHD
College students
Color vision
Exogenous Covert attention

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorder that was first described medically in 1775. However, it is still unclear what the `deficit' is in this clinical condition. Current evidence suggests that its etiology is heterogeneous encompassing various factors that interact and influence each other. Most current theories posit that alterations in the prefrontal cortex and impairments in the associated executive functions and other higher-order processing underlie ADHD symptoms. However, accumulating evidence attests to anomalies in vision in ADHD that cannot be explained by existing models of ADHD. In particular, children with ADHD have been found to exhibit color perception problems (particularly blue), which may be best explained by the `retinal dopaminergic hypothesis.' The hypothesis proposes that low dopamine in the central nervous system induces a hypo-dopaminergic state in the retina, which in turn would have deleterious effects on short wave-length cones (`blue-cones'). Some support exists for this hypothesis but findings are inconsistent and have focused on only one feature of color: namely that of hue in the children with ADHD. Accordingly, for this dissertation, I sought to extend the investigation on color vision by testing two key characteristics of color (hue and saturation) in college students with ADHD using both clinical (Mollon-Reffin Minimalist Color Vision Test, Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test), and psychophysical methodologies. Specifically, I first tested hue discrimination ability in a college student population with ADHD. Upon replicating evidence of problem in blue hue discrimination in college students with ADHD, I expanded the scope of previous findings on hue discrimination ability by also examining color saturation discrimination ability. Using a psychophysical paradigm, I revealed a problem in color saturation discrimination of red and blue color in another sample of college students with ADHD - a finding which is partially consistent with the retinal dopaminergic hypothesis. Lastly, I explored role of exogenous covert attention in color saturation discrimination in that same group of college students with and without ADHD to ascertain whether attention problems might in part explain the color perception problems in ADHD. The latter study indicated that covert attention does not differentially influence color saturation/contrast sensitivity perception in college students with ADHD than healthy peers. The possibility of color perception problems in ADHD is important, given the extensive use of color in educational settings, as well as the frequent use of color stimuli in many of the standard neuropsychological tests used in the assessment for ADHD and related disorders. Most importantly, the present findings of altered color perception in ADHD highlight the need for further research on other perceptual capacities in ADHD.
Poled Fiber-based Source of Polarization-entangled Photon Pairs
Keywords: Entanglement
Nonlinear Optics
Optical Fibers
Quantum Information Science
Quantum Optics

Entanglement is a property of quantum mechanics that confounds both physicists and laymen alike, but has found practical applications in secure communications and metrology. In this thesis, I develop and characterize a telecom-band (~ 1550 nm) fiber-based source of polarization-entangled photon pairs. However, unlike other fiber-based sources, where the third-order nonlinear optical process of spontaneous four-wave mixing is exploited, the second-order process of spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) is utilized here. In particular, a type-II phase-matched SPDC process in the fiber is utilized for the direct generation of high-quality (fidelity > 96%) broadband (>100 nm) entangled photon pairs. Neither temporal compensation nor interferometric methods are employed in the production of the high-quality entangled photon pairs. Conventional step-index silica fibers do not possess a second-order optical nonlinearity due to their amorphous structure and inversion symmetry. However, through the process of thermal poling, that symmetry can be broken, creating a non-zero second-order nonlinearity. The fiber-based sources described in this thesis have been thermally-poled. The bulk of this thesis involves the development of techniques to measure the spectral and polarization-entangled natures of the downconverted photon pairs generated from poled fibers. I detail the schemes and strategies for observing the entanglement, as well as the creation of new tools to achieve that goal. Of particular interest is a spectrographic method involving a dispersive medium (20 km of SMF-28 single-mode fiber) that allows us to measure the broadband spectrum of our downconverted photons by mapping the spectral information onto the temporal domain. Spectral (non-)overlap of the two phase-matchings that give rise to the polarization-entanglement is investigated using this technique. Lastly, to demonstrate the utility of our high-quality and broadband entangled source, a poled fiber is used in an entanglement-based quantum key distribution experiment. The broadband nature of the entangled photons is exploited so that multiple users can be served simultaneously. Distributing the entangled photons over 40 km of fiber, a sifted (secure) key generation rate of more than 30 bits/sec (20 bits/sec) is obtained.
Continuing Education Needs of Health Service Executives in Ontario
Keywords: Continuing Education
Factors and Motivators
Health Leaders
Health Service Executives
Perceptions

CONTINUING EDUCATION NEEDS OF HEALTH SERVICE EXECUTIVES IN ONTARIO Laura Jean Kokocinski Doctorate of Education Graduate Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto 2015 ABSTRACT Health care has been receiving increasing attention from provincial and federal governments, the media, and the public since 2000. Health care leaders have received intense scrutiny in the ways in which they are managing their scarce resources and the effectiveness of their organizations in meeting the health care needs of the populations they serve. The education and ongoing training of health care leaders has come into question. There has been little research in Canada or Ontario regarding the continuing education needs of health care leaders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of certified health service executives in Ontario regarding continuing education, in particular, their perceptions of the factors, barriers, and benefits of continuing education. Similarities and differences in perceptions were assessed based upon the health service executives' educational preparation, role in health care, and the sizes and types of facilities in which they were employed at the time of the study. This explanatory, descriptive study incorporated a sequential, mixed methods design comprising a dominant quantitative approach (2004 mailed questionnaire) followed by a supplemental qualitative approach (2013 telephone interviews). The findings show that 5 key factors affected the health service executives' perceptions of continuing education: personal life path, work structure, career structure, changing practices, and learning needs. The study also found commonalities and differences related to the influence of these factors and their associated demographic variables. Barriers to participation in continuing education included the lack of interesting or relevant course offerings and a lack of money; benefits of participation included improved management skills and increased levels of job satisfaction. The results of this study should be of interest to health service executives, employers, educators of health professionals, education planners, professional colleges and associations, and government ministerial agencies. This study contributes to the theoretical and conceptual knowledge of continuing education for health service executives related to their perceptions of continuing education and the factors that influence their perceptions, a field in which limited research has been conducted.
Engineering Strategies and Methods for Avoiding Air-quality Externalities: Dispersion Modeling, Home Energy Conservation, and Scenario Planning
Keywords: AERMOD
Air Pollution
Building Science
EnergyPlus
Natural Gas
Resilience

Energy conservation can improve air quality by reducing emissions from fuel combustion. The human health value retained through better air quality can then offset the cost of energy conservation. Through this thesis' innovative yet widely-accessible combination of air pollution dispersion modeling and atmospheric chemistry, it is estimated that the health value retained by avoiding emissions from Ontario's former coal-fired generating stations is $5.74/MWh (using an upper-bound value of $265,000 per year of life lost). This value is combined with energy modeling of homes in the first-ever assessment of the air-quality health benefits of low-energy buildings. It is shown that avoided health damages can equal 7% of additional construction costs of energy efficient buildings in Ontario. At 7%, health savings are a significant item in the cost analysis of efficient buildings. Looking to energy efficiency in the context of likely future low-resource natural gas scenarios, building efficient buildings today is shown to be more economically efficient than any building retrofit option. Considering future natural gas scarcity in the context of Ontario's Long-Term Energy Plan reveals that Ontario may be forced to return to coal-fired electricity. Projected coal use would result in externalities greater than $600 million/year; 80% more than air-quality externalities from Ontario's electricity in 1985. Radically aggressive investment in electricity conservation (75% reduction per capita by 2075) is one promising path forward that keeps air-quality externalities below 1985 levels. Non-health externalities are an additional concern, the quantification, and ultimately monetization, of which could be practical using emerging air pollution monitoring technologies. Energy, conservation, energy planning, and energy's externalities form a complex situation in which today's decisions are critical to a successful future. It is clear that reducing the demand for energy is essential and that there are economically efficient conservation opportunities, particularly in the building sector, being missed.
Exploring The Role of microRNAs in Renal Cell Carcinoma Metastasis: Moving into a New Era of Personalized Medicine
Keywords: metastasis
miRNA
personalized medicine
Renal cell carcinoma
Targeted Therapy
tumor markers

Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) is the most common adult kidney neoplasm with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) representing the most common subtype. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is an aggressive treatment-resistant tumor. Patients diagnosed at the metastatic stage have poor prognosis with only (~9%) 5-year survival rate. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate different cellular functions and play crucial role in tumor development and progression. In this thesis we examined the role of miRNAs in RCC tumor progression and provided a preliminary evidence that miRNAs are promising RCC prognostic and predictive biomarkers. miRNA metastatic signature was identified by comparing primary and metastatic RCC tumors. We validated this signature on matched primary and metastatic RCC pairs. miR-192, miR-194 and miR-215 were significantly downregulated in metastatic RCC tumors. Gain of function study showed that restoration of the expression levels of these miRNAs decreased cellular invasion and migration in RCC cell line model. Through our experimental and bioinformatics analyses, we uncovered a miRNA network that participates in tumor progression and aggressive behavior. This network has divergent and convergent properties. Also, we examined the clinical utility of miR-215 and miR-126 as prognostic markers in ccRCC. Lower expression of either miR-215 or miR-126 was associated with significantly shorter survival. Furthermore, we tested the clinical utility of miRNAs as RCC predictive markers and we identified the differentially expressed miRNAs between mRCC patients with short and long survival under sunitinib treatment. We constructed statistical models that can accurately distinguish between the two groups. miR-221 and miR-222 overexpression was associated with poor survival under sunitinib treatment. Overexpression of these two miRNAs decreased angiogenesis and interestingly, they reduced endothelial cellular proliferation while increasing tumor cellular proliferation. Collectively, our analysis shows that miRNAs play an important role in ccRCC progression and represent promising prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Our findings can pave the way towards development of novel targeted therapies.
Planning through Spaces of Exception: Socio-spatial Inequality, Violence and the Emergence of Social Urbanism in Medellín
Keywords: Medellín
Social Urbanism
Socio-spatial inequality
Spaces of exception
Urban policy
Urban violence

Medellín, a city known as one of the most unequal and violent in the world, has recently been praised as an example of urban innovation. Grounded on claims to social justice and democracy, mayors Fajardo (2004-2007) and Salazar (2008-2011) adopted a policy called social urbanism. With this approach, Medellín expanded infrastructure and social investments to marginalized districts, instituted participatory programs, and sought to integrate precarious enclaves in the "formal" city through transit policy, public spaces, and emblematic architecture. This dissertation is about the emergence of "social urbanism." It seeks to reveal its origins, political rationalities, and tactics on the ground. Based on document analysis, semi-structured interviews with key actors, and focus group data, I examine the connections among socio-spatial marginality, conflict, urban politics, and entrepreneurial urban governance arrangements. Most crucially, I identify the gaps and ambivalences that emerge between the politics of three disparate logics at play: first, goals of development and socio-spatial redistribution; second, the pressures cities face to repair local economies and attract foreign resources; and third, the influence of violent actors, including both organized crime and the repressive arm of the state. While the promises of social urbanism are commendable and have been loudly conveyed internationally, an analysis of social urbanism at the neighbourhood scale reveals a mode of emergency planning that turns areas of intervention into spaces of exception from city ordinances and governance arrangements. Through a large-scale Urban Development Project approach, social urbanism seeks to expedite implementation and generate a swift sense of transformation. I argue that, the implications of relying on exceptions need to be carefully considered since vested interests can easily co-opt the planning process. Furthermore, violence, and social and economic dislocations in the city are still profound, particularly in areas such as Comuna 13, where non-state armed groups prevent residents from capturing many of the benefits of urban upgrading. Despite new public works projects and state presence, criminal networks have retained their territorial influence. Because Medellin's urban innovations are being implemented along the ongoing sway of illegal violent actors, governance in these spaces can be characterized as a contradictory "orderly disorder."
Multi-functional Chassis-based Antennas using Characteristic Mode Theory
Keywords: carrier aggregation
characteristic mode theory
chassis-mode antennas
handset antennas
MIMO systems
mobile antennas

Designing antennas for handheld devices is quite challenging primarily due to the limited real-estate available, and the fact that internal antennas occupy a large volume. With the need to support a variety of radio systems such as GSM, LTE and WiFi that operate in a wide range of frequency bands, multi-band, wideband and frequency reconfigurable antenna designs have been explored in the literature. Moreover, to support higher data rates, the Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) standard has been introduced, which requires supporting multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna technology and carrier aggregation (CA) on a handheld device. Both of these benefit from the use of multiple antennas or multi-port antennas, but with the limited space available, adding more internal antennas may not be easily possible. Additionally, to realize the benefits of these technologies the multiple antenna ports have to be well isolated from each other. This thesis explores the utilization of the ground plane (or chassis) of a handheld device as an antenna to meet some of these challenges. To achieve this, the theory of characteristic modes (TCM) for conducting bodies is relied upon, to determine the eigen-currents supported on the chassis. The orthogonality properties of these eigencurrents, and their corresponding far-field eigenfields (electric and magnetic) makes TCM a good tool to design multiple antennas with high isolation. This is demonstrated in this thesis via the design of four chassis-based antennas that have different functionalities. The first design is a two port MIMO antenna utilizing a combination of eigenmodes to achieve port isolation. The second design is a pattern reconfigurable MIMO antenna that can operate in two states at 2.28 GHz. The third design is a four port antenna that operates in three frequency bands, with two bands below 1 GHz for CA and the remaining two ports for MIMO communication. The final design is a five port antenna that supports MIMO operation in two frequency bands along with an additional port for CA in the third band. The four designs have been experimentally verified, validating the use of TCM as a versatile tool to design multi-functional chassis-based antennas.