VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The Political Status of Nonhuman Animals
Keywords: animals
ethics
political theory
politics

In this dissertation, I make the case that other animals are political subjects and I offer new proposals for how we should understand the political statuses of different groups of animals. In part one I make the case that other animals should be seen as having full political standing. First, I argue that all conscious individuals have certain basic moral rights and I defend this position against various objections. Once we recognize these rights, I argue that protecting and upholding them requires extending to all conscious animals full political standing, which involves legal rights, legal standing, and some form of institutionalized political representation. In part two of my dissertation, I argue that adequately understanding our collective obligations to different groups of animals (wild, liminal, and domesticated) requires that we think about these groups as having different political statuses. I argue that political categories commonly used in the human case are a poor fit for the interests and unique relations humans have with different groups of animals. For wild and liminal animals, I argue that we need new political statuses that uniquely capture their interests and our relation to them. I argue that domesticated animals should be seen as our fellow citizens but that their citizenship differs in some important ways from paradigmatic human beings. I close with two important chapters that push discussion of animals in the political sphere to new areas. I consider how the citizenship of domesticated animals relates to that of humans and to claims of equality, and I defend the view that in some public policy areas the state is justified in giving limited priority to humans, while in others it is not. In the concluding chapter, I put forward detailed proposals for how human states might represent the interests of other animals in our political institutions.
A Good Place to Age in Place? Exploring the relationships between the built environment, activity participation and healthy aging
Keywords: age-friendly
Aging-in-place
automobility
built environment
geography of aging
mobilities

The concept of aging-in-place has gained growing popularity in public policy. Integrating a planning perspective on this interdisciplinary research topic, this dissertation focuses on the place where people age in place. This dissertation analyzes aging-in-place with a planning perspective, by exploring relationships between the built environment, activity participation and healthy aging in Canada. The first section analyzes spatial patterns and neighborhood contexts of aging-in-place with census data. It categorizes neighborhoods by their age structures, and compares the built environment and housing characteristics between neighborhoods with distinct age-structure types. The second section takes a closer look at aging in a car dependent built environment. By pooling multiple time-use cycles from the General Social Survey, it examines the changing travel behaviors by gender and cohorts, and the differentiated activity participation between car-users and non-car-users over the life course. Results suggest that a large percentage of neighborhoods in Canada are at the mature-stage (characterized by a high percentage of residents in the baby boomer cohorts). These neighborhoods tend to age steadily and have highly car-dependent built environments. Automobility remains important over the life course for each generations of Canadians, yet older females are more likely to travel by active modes and by transit than are their male counterparts in each cohort. Increased participation gaps (in shopping and obtaining services, active sports, socializing and social participation) are found between car users and non-car-users in older age. Shopping and obtaining services stands out as the most car-dependent activity for older Canadians. Examining the existing neighbourhood contexts of aging-in-place and the current patterns of activity participation among the aging populations is important for developing practical planning visions of a good place for aging-in-place. This dissertation is a preliminary exploration on this interdisciplinary research topic. With extensive analysis of survey data across Canada, this study integrates a planning perceptive and provides original insights on the academic discussion of aging-in-place.
Thermal conductivity of bulk electrodeposited metal-diamond composite materials for thermal management applications
Keywords: Composite materials
Thermal conductivity
Thermal management

This Ph.D research examined the feasibility of using the electrodeposition approach for the fabrication of metal-diamond heat sink materials, which can potentially be more economical compared to conventional high-temperature-high-pressure(HTHP) methods. This research also explored the heat exchange between metal and diamond, which have different major heat carriers. Initially, the thermal properties of electrodeposited metal-diamond composite materials as well as the implementation of structure-induced strengthening were of interest in this research. For this reason, the effect of the matrix grain size on the thermal and electrical conductivity of electrodeposited nickel was explored. The thermal conductivity of nickel monotonically decreased from 75W/mK to 67W/mK when the grain size changed from 47nm to 28nm. In the same grain size range, the electrical conductivity also decreased from 10.6 MS/m to 9.8 MS/m. The overall conductivity reductions are attributed to the additional scattering events at the grain boundaries. However, the grain boundary effect did not change the Lorenz numbers of the nanocrystalline nickel materials, which were ~2.35x10^-8W.Ohm/K^2. This agrees with the Wiedemann-Franz law and implies that the electrons are the major heat carriers in nanocrystalline nickel. Secondly, 66 um sized diamond particles were incorporated in the nickel matrix. Thermal conductivity enhancements were observed in polycrystalline(~600nm) nickel from 89W/mK to 129W/mK at 35.4 vol.% diamond, and 77W/mK to 200W/mK at 59.8 vol.% diamond for nanocrystalline nickel(~40nm), which provided the proof of concept in this research. Analysis of these data with the differential effective medium(DEM) model showed that the thermal boundary conductance of the polycrystalline nickel-diamond interface(7.5 MW/m^2K) was higher than the nanocrystalline nickel-diamond interface(6.6 MW/m^2K). This is likely related to the phonon transmission probability reduction due to extra grain boundary scattering. Lastly, the diamond particles were incorporated in electroplated copper matrix for achieving high thermal conductivity. Two different sized diamond particles were used: 66um and 420um. Surprisingly, only the 420um sized diamond particles exhibited an increase in the thermal conductivity, reaching 454W/mK at 68.2 vol.%. With TiC coated 394um sized diamond particles and electrodeposition process optimization, the conductivity was further increased to 557W/mK at 34.8 diamond vol.%, which is comparable with current commercial HTHP metal-diamond composite heat sinks.
Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of Strengths-Based Parenting Measures in Brazil: PICCOLO and Cognitive Sensitivity Scale
Keywords: Brazil
Cross-cultural adaptation
Observational measurement
Parent-child interaction
Reliability
Validity

The purpose of this research was to develop Brazilian-Portuguese versions of two observational instruments used in the assessment of early parenting, namely Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO; Roggman et al., 2013a) and the Cognitive Sensitivity scale (CS; Prime et al., 2015a). The first phase involved cross-cultural adaptation of the original instruments. The second phase included evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Portuguese versions of those instruments (PICCOLO-BR and CS-BR). A subsample of 156 mother-child (18-m) dyads drawn from the 2015 Pelotas birth cohort, the largest study of its kind in Latin America, were enrolled. Cross-cultural adaptation followed seven-step guidelines. Translation syntheses were tested for content validity by various participants in the process, including expert reviewers, while back translations were based on final versions and submitted to author approval. For validation purposes, the adapted instruments were tested for evidence of reliability and validity. Reliability studies confirmed acceptable levels of inter-rater agreement (PICCOLO: weighted Kappa = .40; percent agreement = 67%; CS: r = .83), intra-rater reliability (PICCOLO: weighted Kappa = .57; percent agreement = 79%; CS: r = .94) and excellent internal consistency of global scales (α = .94 for PICCOLO and CS). For construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted and the same original structure was confirmed for the adapted versions. External validity was tested in relation to other measures for convergent and discriminant validity. Correlation analyses between the PICCOLO-BR and the CS-BR were moderately strong (r = .44 for scale scores; p
Strategies to Facilitate the Eradication of the HIV-1 Reservoir
Keywords: AIDS
HIV
HIV cure
Immunotherapy

Nearly 40 million individuals are currently living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection globally and more than 70 million deaths can be attributed to the pathogen so far. HIV-1 primarily infects CD4 T cells leading to their widespread destruction that eventually manifests as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), characterized by debilitating immune failure that gives rise to opportunistic malignancies resulting in death. Daily lifelong administration of antiretroviral therapy known as HAART is the only treatment for HIV-1 infection and adds several years of life if adherence is maintained; but treatment alone does not cure infection. However, despite HAART therapy, HIV-infected individuals exhibit chronic inflammation that is negatively associated with health outcomes. Additionally, mutations give rise to drug resistant viral strains. Therefore, developing a cure remains a top priority. However, HIV-1 constantly evades the immune response and establishes a persistent lifelong viral reservoir making it challenging to cure. In this thesis, I detail three unique strategies to facilitate eradication of the viral reservoir. Specifically, we demonstrated that HIV-1 Nef blockade enhanced the elimination of latently HIV-1-infected CD4 T cells by peptide-expanded autologous CD8 T cells. Nef blockade has never been tested as means to eradicate HIV-1 and represents a novel approach. We further demonstrated that expanded CD8 T cells more efficiently recognize autologous endogenous virus from CD4 T cells undergoing bryostatin-1-mediated virus reactivation in a “shock and kill” approach. Lastly, we discovered that bnAb recognition of HIV-1 envelopes on the surface of infected cells is highly variable and particularly the V1/V2 targeting bnAbs were capable of not only recognition of targets but of induction of antibody-mediated elimination of HIV-1-infected CD4 T cells. All experiments presented here were conducted on primary human cells for physiological relevance and in order to capture the ability of ex vivo immune cells to recognize and kill virus-infected cells. The next step with each of the proposed mechanisms to eliminate the viral reservoir is to assess their safety and efficacy in vivo in order to develop a cure against HIV/AIDS.
“Summonses to Awareness": A Meditation upon Wisdom and Artful Inquiry
Keywords: Arts-Based Narrative Inquiry
Contemplative Inquiry
Holistic Education
Merton Studies
Spirituality
Wisdom Studies

In his writings Thomas Merton ponders the relation of contemplative experience and the arts within a meditation upon the spiritual life; one whose seminal character is “a life of wisdom” (Merton, 1972, p.141). With Merton as a guide post, my inquiry explores whether the kinship of wisdom and spirituality with the aesthetical, which is offered in his writings, can be extended to reinforce a relation of wisdom and artful inquiry. While the inquiry into the relation of the art and wisdom is informed by the discourse of wisdom studies (Curnow, 2015; Baltas, 2004; Walsh, 2015) it also departs from it by pondering wisdom not in relation to the text, but to the artful. Such different alignment in turn underscored by the question: While we speak of texts that are wise can we, in kindred spirit, speak of art that is wise? The exploring of such question departs from rational and empirical methodologies and instead is nested within a contemplative approach (Hart, 2004; Miller, 2006; Palmer, 1993; Zajonc, 2006); one which immerses inquiry within the life of the researcher and embraces strategies for research which are seeded by an aesthetical presence. Amongst such strategies narrative is embraced in tandem with visual retellings of aesthetical encounters both within and outside the classroom and intermingled with dialogical conversations with Merton; the latter strategy inspired by Merton’s own way of engaging with his readers and writings. The emergence into this inquiry is nested within this writer’s narrative and reflections upon the work of Merton; and draws upon the fields of holistic studies, narrative and arts based inquiry in curriculum studies and their kindred view of the presence of the personal in inquiry. While informing my methodology and nurturing reflections upon its principal question, their presence within inquiry also enriching the thesis that the promise of wisdom is one which flowers from within our selves through the unity of the personal and the aesthetical.
Expanding the Applications of Mitochondrial Targeted Delivery Peptides
Keywords: Drug Targeting
Mitochondria
Peptide

Mitochondria play a critical role in the generation of cellular energy, the organization of metabolic pathways, and regulation of programmed cell death. The study of these processes is complicated by the impermeability of the mitochondrial membrane, particularly the inner membrane, to chemical agents designed to probe the biochemistry of mitochondria. Previous research conducted in the Kelley lab has led to the development of peptide-based vectors to overcome these limitations. These mitochondria penetrating peptides (MPPs) are capable of transduction through the cell and mitochondrial membranes, concentrating within the mitochondrial matrix with high specificity. MPPs have been used to localize a number of small molecule probes and therapeutics allowing for the study of biological processes which would have previously been impossible. With the basic principles of MPP based mitochondrial study established, herein data is presented on the expansion of the breadth of compounds, organisms, and molecular targets which can be manipulated using MPP conjugates. We describe the development of a releasable linker for MPP conjugation to bioactive cargo in order to release compounds from MPPs following localization in the mitochondrial matrix. This strategy allows for the use of compounds whose activity would otherwise be impacted by MPP conjugation. The co-targeting of bacteria by MPPs based on the physiochemical similarities of bacteria to mitochondria is also investigated. The chemical properties required by MPPs for bacterial and mitochondrial co-targeting as well as methods to control relative affinity towards these targets are presented in order to allow for preferential control of delivery. Finally, initial investigations into the use of MPPs paired with a new class of in cellulo RNA secondary structure probe are presented. The combination of a secondary structure probe and an MPP could potentially lead to new avenues towards understanding the in vivo structure of key structural mitochondrial RNAs such as rRNAs and tRNAs and the biochemical basis in which disease-causing mutations affect their function. Taken together, these findings expand the potential uses for MPPs for biochemical research as well as potential therapeutic applications.
Investigation of the Mechanism of Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Liver Injury by Immune System Modulation
Keywords: Animal Models
Idiosyncratic Drug Reactions
Immunomodulation

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI) continues to be an important issue. There is increasing clinical evidence that most IDILI is immune mediated. Extensive mechanistic studies are needed to better understand these reactions; however, it is impossible to do controlled experiments in humans, and previous animal models did not properly model IDILI. If IDILI is immune mediated, and the major factor preventing liver injury in patients is immune tolerance, then a plausible method to develop an animal model of IDILI would be to impair immune tolerance. Therefore, the objectives of my research were to develop a valid animal model of IDILI, use this model to test mechanistic hypotheses, and to develop better ways to predict risk. In my first two papers I show that immunization of mice with drug-modified hepatic proteins prior to drug exposure paradoxically decreased liver injury unless immune tolerance was impaired during the immunization. In my third paper, I show that PD1-/- mice treated with anti- CTLA-4 and amodiaquine can lead to significant liver injury and liver dysfunction, which is mediated by CD8 T cells. In my fourth paper, I show that this impaired immune tolerance model is able to unlock the potential of isoniazid and nevirapine to cause increased liver injury. Finally, in my fifth paper, I show that this impaired immune tolerance model is also able to distinguish the potential for liver injury of chemically similar drugs, where one drug causes IDILI in humans and the other does not (troglitazone/pioglitazone and tolcapone/entacapone). Overall, I have shown that risk of developing IDILI may be influenced by previous exposures, and I have further developed a model of IDILI, showing its potential for other drugs and as a tool for drug screening. Further characterization and validation of these models is required; however, it is likely that they will make it possible to perform mechanistic studies that have been impossible in the past.
High-Fidelity Numerical Modeling and Analysis of Low Reynolds Number Airfoils and Synthetic Jets
Keywords: Flow control
Flow stability
Large-Eddy Simulation

The shear layer development over a NACA 0025 airfoil at a low Reynolds number was investigated experimentally and with large-eddy simulation. Two angles-of-attack (AOA) were considered: 5deg and 12deg. Experiments and numerics confirm two flow regimes. The first regime (AOA=5deg) exhibits boundary layer reattachment with formation of a laminar separation bubble. The second regime consists of boundary layer separation without reattachment. The stability equations exhibit significant sensitivity to base flow variations, making experimental-numerical comparisons challenging. Linear stability analysis suggests that the first regime is characterized by high frequency instabilities with low spatial growth, whereas the second regime experiences low frequency instabilities with more rapid growth. Spectral analysis confirms the dominance of a central frequency, and the importance of nonlinear interactions with harmonics during transition. The sensitivity of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation due to base flow deviations was investigated with a Monte Carlo-type perturbation strategy and a Chebyshev collocation method. A separated boundary layer with a nominal shape factor of H=5.9 was perturbed for both velocity and wall-normal position deviations. Wide bands of eigenvalue spectra were obtained due to both perturbations. The standard deviation of the peak growth rate and frequency was found to be independent of Reynolds number. To broaden the results, six boundary layers were investigated with shape factors H=5.9-22. Perturbations resulting in a standard deviation of 1 % of the nominal shape factor were applied. Sensitivities of the peak growth rate and frequency are more pronounced at lower shape factors. The effect of synthetic jet cavity shape was investigated numerically and experimentally. In the examination of three cavities it was found that the cavity with the sharpest nozzle-to-cavity transition transmits the most momentum at the exit. The sharp transition within the cavity results in a stronger vortex, higher self-induced inward velocity, and more room for flow to exit the cavity during expulsion. It is shown that the shape of the internal cavity plays an important role in the flow behaviour at the nozzle exit. From a computational perspective, the flow field within the cavity must be computed to obtain accurate exit conditions for the synthetic jet.
The Institutional Organization of Black Female Child Protection Workers’ (Re)construction of their Role as Carers in Child Protection: An Institutional Ethnographic Inquiry
Keywords: Black
Child
Colonialism
Female
Protection
Workers

This institutional ethnographic study explores the coordinated processes that organize Black female child protection workers’ (re)construction of their role as carers in the Ontario child protection system. This examination occurs within the backdrop of colonialism and shifting and unequal power relations in Canada. Absent from social work research is an understanding of the complex sequences of actions in every day child protection activities that authorize colonial ideologies and practices and the impact of Black female child protection workers’ negotiation of this context on their well-being. This study’s informant sample includes 9 Black female child protection workers currently employed at a child protection institution in Ontario. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews and textual analysis. The findings revealed colonialism in the child protection system is maintained through institutional patterns of exclusion and acts of dissimulation in the institutional discourse and practice. In response, Black female child protection workers resist colonial practices through their injection of acts of caring into their work. At the same time, their constant experiences of structural violence lead to institutional trauma. This research highlights a contradiction within the social work framework; the overt espousal of human rights and social justice as ethical priorities, while covertly maintaining colonialism in the child protection system, specifically towards Black female child protection workers and their communities. The findings advance social work knowledge by offering a way to identify the existence and the impact of the colonial context on Black female child protection workers as well as map out the sequences of actions or inactions that embed colonial ideologies and practices in the child protection system.