VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Community-engaged Theatre Audiences
Keywords: Audience
Community
Community-Engagement
Drama
Theatre

Community-Engaged Theatre Audiences is an intervention into the reception of politically motivated, community-centered plays. This thesis aims to understand how individuals make meaning or sense out of these complicated sites of performance. It asks “what can scholars and artists learn about community-engaged theatre by asking audience members about their experiences?” Community-engaged theatre is an umbrella term that contains a multitude of theatrical practices, where theatre artists work with members of a community to create performance texts that in some way depict the community, taking up the community’s concerns and grappling with the community’s future. These plays are social justice initiatives, working within dynamic communities to foster social change. This study is predicated on the understanding that communities are neither fixed nor stable, but are rather emerging and constructed. Community-Engaged Theatre Audiences offers empirical audience data to scholars and artists of community-engaged theatre in an effort to understand more fully this performance genre as it is practiced now, both in contemporary southern Ontario specifically, and in Western, English theatre more broadly. This thesis presents three case studies of new Canadian plays, each one employing a contrasting set of dramaturgical practices: verbatim theatre, physical comedy, and site-specific theatre. The plays are Stories from the Generation Gap, by Cameron Crookston,Common Boots Theatre’s The Public Servant by Jennifer Brewin, Haley McGee, Sarah McVie, ii and Amy Rutherford, and finally, A Simple Twist of Faith by Evan and Rafe Malach. Each case study presents an analytical review of audience reflections in order to offer a rich, local understanding of each play, while revealing the fluidity of belonging and the gap between the communities hailed through the performance and the lived realities of the audience members in attendance. This study investigates multiple perspectives from audience members, bringing their language and reflection to the analysis of each play. Community-engaged theatre as a genre is more deeply understood through an analysis of audience member’s responses to specific exemplars. Audiences are so often erased or simply absent from archives and theatre scholarship. This thesis centers their voices in order to understand better community-engaged theatre as an advocacy project.
The Role of SOX2 in Molecular Circadian Clock Regulation and Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Development
Keywords: behavior
circadian rhythms
RNA sequencing
SOX2
stem cell transcription factor
suprachiasmatic nucleus

The focal point of my doctoral research, Sox2, is a stem cell gene that has been extensively studied for its function in stem cell maintenance and proliferation, cellular reprogramming, neurogenesis, and tumorigenesis. Sox2 is expressed and maintained in stem cells of different tissues, including the developing central nervous system and adult neurogenic niches. When neural stem/progenitor cells terminally differentiate into neurons, SOX2 protein is usually eliminated and its gene transcription turned off, thus rendering it functionally irrelevant in most mature neurons. However, a hand full of brain regions contain fully differentiated neurons that are spared from Sox2 downregulation and retain strong Sox2 expression. One of such regions is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), that contains the mammalian central circadian clock. The 20,000 clock neurons in the SCN are responsible for interpreting photic signals and orchestrating oscillations in peripheral tissues. In this study, I demonstrated the “unusual” and “non-canonical” roles of Sox2 in these post-mitotic and differentiated clock neurons. By creating a Sox2 gene knockout specifically in the SCN, I found that Sox2 in SCN neurons is pivotal for high-magnitude expression of clock genes and neuropeptides that are critical for circadian rhythm regulation. In addition, the absence of Sox2 in SCN neurons leads to severe and widespread changes in behavioral rhythms. My study also shows that neuronal Sox2 expression is vital for defining the transcriptional landscape of the SCN and promoting its function as the central circadian pacemaker. These severe consequences of Sox2-deficiency observed in adult mutant animals are, at least in part, due to developmental and differentiation defects of the SCN.
Investigating the Underlying Biological Causes of Idiopathic Scoliosis
Keywords: Idiopathic scoliosis
ptk7
scospondin
Zebrafish

Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is a spinal disease characterized by a three-dimensional curvature of the spine that arises in the absence of observable physiological or anatomical defects. Although there has been investigation into the genetic components of IS, the underlying cell biological and molecular mechanisms for disease progression remain unknown. Consequently, treatment options are limited to bracing or surgery, which act more as preventative measures rather than a cure. Our lab has previously described the first genetically defined developmental model of IS, ptk7ahsc9/hsc9 mutant zebrafish. Homozygous ptk7ahsc9/hsc9 mutant fish display hallmark phenotypes associated with human disease, including 3-dimensional rotational spinal curvature and adolescent onset. To identify mechanisms underlying IS, I employed next generation sequencing, transgenic reporters, and pharmaceutical treatment to define the biological origins of spinal curvature in ptk7ahsc9/hsc9 mutant zebrafish. These methods revealed an unexpected up regulation of immune factors and recruitment of immune cells to the site of spinal curvatures. I also demonstrated that administration of anti-inflammatory agents to juvenile ptk7ahsc9/hsc9 fish significantly impacts the onset and progression of scoliosis. To further investigate the mechanisms underlying IS pathogenesis, I also undertook RNA-sequencing on a second zebrafish model of IS, sspodmh4/+. sspodmh4/+ fish display a consistently severe, late-onset, scoliotic phenotype. Investigation of differential gene expression in sspodmh4/+ fish also indicated an neuroinflammatory response driving scoliosis formation. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing of sspodmh4/dmh4 and sspohsc105/hsc105 embryos, which display an embryonic curly-tail down phenotype, indicated that the curly-tail down phenotype may act as a functional scoliosis surrogate model, for use in drug and chemical screens. Together, this data suggests neuroinflammation as a common factor driving scoliosis pathogenesis in multiple models of zebrafish IS, and that modulation of these inflammatory signals could provide a treatment for this disease.
Identity Affirmation, Resilience, and Cardiovascular Health Among Sexual Minority People of Colour
Keywords: Culture
heart rate variability
Identity affirmation
LGBTQ+
Psychometrics
Psychophysiology

Research with sexual minority (SM) people – especially people of Color (PoC) – has been limited in terms of depth and breadth. The existing research involving SM people has historically excluded PoC or neglected to address racialized experience as a factor in stress and wellbeing. Similarly, this body of literature rarely considers the impact of the unique experiences of sexuality (e.g., bisexual vs. monosexual) and gender (e.g., cisgender vs. gender diverse). Because SM-PoC are considered a population with conflicting identity categories, much of the literature focuses on the negative aspects of living with this identity, and rarely employs a strengths-based framework. This dissertation aimed to address these gaps in the literature by expanding on SM-PoC representation and diversifying approaches to examining mental and physical health. Study 1 involved a content analysis which examined the representation of bisexual PoC in SM mental health literature. Overall, this study revealed the underrepresentation of bisexual PoC, the most effective strategies for recruiting this population in research, and the common pathologizing of bisexual PoC in the literature. Findings highlight a great need for intersectional research that includes underserved ethnoracial groups. Study 2 involved a thematic analysis of qualitative survey responses from bisexual PoC. Participants noted novel positive perspectives on identity invisibility, in which they discussed being empowered by their identity and using their ability to pass as cisgender and heterosexual to advocate for others. Study 3 presented the development and initial validation of the Queer People of Color Identity Affirmation Scale (QPIAS), the first scale on positive attitude toward identity for this population. The QPIAS predicts resilience and empowerment beyond existing measures of sexual and ethnoracial identity affirmation. Use of this scale may provide new information on factors contributing to wellbeing in this population and be a beneficial tool in multiculturally competent clinical assessment. Study 4 explored the relationship between the QPIAS and cardiovascular regulation and reactivity in a sample of SM-PoC. QPIAS scores were found to correlate positively with both stress reactivity and self-reported physical health. High QPIAS scores were associated with flexible parasympathetic activity and vagal withdrawal during stress, which may be advantageous to health.
The Complicity of GABAergic Neurotransmission in Ictogenesis during Acute Hyperexcitabilty
Keywords: 4-AP
Artificial Intelligence
Epilepsy
Optogenetics
Seizure
Seizure Detection Algorithm

The observations of GABAergic interneurons leading the transition into seizure events is antithetical to the current framework that seizures (“ictogenesis”) manifest from excessive excitation in the brain. This study utilized optogenetic tools to investigate the paradoxical role of interneurons in mediating ictogenesis in the in vitro cortical 4-AP seizure model. It was discovered that the brief activation of GABAergic interneurons can reliably initiate ictal events in an all-or-none fashion. It was discovered that GABA-initiated ictal events were dependent on bicarbonate, likely for efflux via GABAA receptors to mediate synaptic depolarization. It was also discovered that there are multiple mechanisms to ictogenesis, co-existing at different orders of preference, in the same brain tissue. A secondary pathway to ictogenesis was dependent on K-Cl Co-transporter 2 (KCC2) activity, likely for its role in extracellular potassium accumulation which can non-synaptically depolarize surrounding neurons. Accordingly, the partial downregulation of KCC2 and carbonic anhydrase (to reduce bicarbonate regeneration) reliably thwarted ictogenesis, and most remarkably, completely restored normal activity in the in vitro 4-AP seizure model. Collectively, these findings suggest that ictogenesis can manifest from the pathologically heightened activity of GABAergic interneurons because they activate downstream GABAA receptors in parallel and cause excessive ion fluxes that result in EGABA breakdown (loss of GABA-mediated hyperpolarization) on the post-synaptic neuron. During EGABA breakdown, the subsequent activation of GABAA receptors can mediate depolarization, synaptically and non-synaptically, via downstream carbonic anhydrase and KCC2 activity. This effectively converts intrinsic feedback inhibition circuits into feedforward excitation circuits, facilitating ictogenesis. In summary, the findings in this thesis demonstrate that GABAergic interneurons are complicit in mediating ictogenesis during acute hyperexcitable conditions, such as some cases of drug-induced seizures.
Uncovering Signalling Pathways Mediating Gastrointestinal Morphogenesis and Tumorigenesis
Keywords: Development
Gastric cancer
Morphogenesis
PCP
YAP

The gastrointestinal system undergoes remarkable morphogenesis during development, in which a simple, smooth tube rapidly rearranges to form millions of finger-like projections called villi that line the entire intestinal tract. While gastrointestinal development requires precisely coordinated intercellular communication via signalling pathways, mechanisms underlying intestinal morphogenesis remain unclear. The Hedgehog signalling pathway is critical for many aspects of gut development, however, its downstream transcriptional targets allowing for complex cell behaviours during villus formation are poorly understood. By uncovering the Hedgehog targetome in vivo, we revealed GLI2 transcriptional activation of atypical cadherin and planar cell polarity genes in the mesenchyme. Moreover, by using a combination of mouse genetics, live imaging and 3D-culture based approaches, I have demonstrated a requirement for planar cell polarity in instructing organized cell migration for mesenchymal clustering, which is critical for each emerging villus. Therefore, mesenchymal planar cell polarity induced by Hedgehog signaling drives morphogenetic cell behaviours required for proper villus formation. While developmental signalling pathways are essential for instructing the formation of complex organ systems, their reactivation later in life can result in disease. Indeed, recent work has revealed reactivation of developmental signalling pathways in many human gastrointestinal cancers. YAP is a co-transcriptional activator in the Hippo signalling pathway, and is frequently upregulated in gastric cancer, however, its role in tumorigenesis is unclear. By investigating the function of activated-YAP, I have shown its ability to induce gastric adenocarcinoma in a cell type-specific manner. Moreover, Yap deletion in a pre-clinical model of gastric cancer results in suppression of tumorigenesis, implicating YAP as a potential therapeutic target. Together, my results demonstrate that Yap is a potent oncogene in stomach tissue, highlighting the importance for strict regulation of Hippo signalling during adult homeostasis. Collectively, my work has defined the mechanisms by which Hedgehog and planar cell polarity pathways mediate intestinal morphogenesis, as well as YAP in driving gastric adenocarcinoma, which contributes to our understanding of how aberrant developmental signalling can drive disease.
Rhodium(II)-catalyzed Ring-opening of Cyclopropenes for Dearomative Cyclopropanations, and Synthesis of Pro-Nematicides with Imidazothiazole Core
Keywords: cycloaddition
cyclopropane
cyclopropene
dearomative
nematicide
rhodium

The use of transition metals for the dearomative functionalization of planar aromatic systems has been applied in the synthesis of complex 3D structures that find application throughout the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry. Several reports from the Lautens group have demonstrated this concept, with a focus on the palladium- and nickel-catalyzed dearomative difunctionalization of indoles.Chapter 1 describes the rhodium(II)-catalyzed dearomative cyclopropanation of benzofurans, indoles and styrene derivatives from the ring-opening of cyclopropenes. Using cyclopropenes as the carbene precursor leads to the formation of a donor vinyl carbene, which can be difficult to synthesize by other methods. This approach offers a complementary one to the classic methods of cyclopropane synthesis, that are typically not amenable to the synthesis of vinyl cyclopropanes. The method described requires mild conditions, and the catalyst loading was further lowered on scale-up without any effect on yield or stereoselectivity. In Chapter 2, the ring-opening of cyclopropenes for the dearomative cyclopropanation of naphthols using rhodium(II) and acid catalysis is described. In contrast to the reactivity of naphthols previously reported, this methodology allows for functionalization at the 3- and 4-positions of naphthols instead of the 1-position. The various sites of reactivity in the vinyl cyclopropane products could be uniquely exploited with several transformations, forming new carbon-carbon or carbon-heteroatom bonds. Substrate modification can allow for the formation of the [4+1]-cycloaddition product between the in-situ generated rhodium carbene and ortho-quinone methide intermediates. Experimental evidence for the proposed mechanism is described. Chapter 3 describes the synthesis of imidazothiazole compounds for control of plant parasitic nematodes, an ongoing collaboration with the Roy group at the University of Toronto. The synthesis of a putative bioactive metabolite and various derivatives was conducted, and the compounds were tested against the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by the Roy group. Many analogues in the unsaturated imidazothiazole series were synthesized and tested against the plant parasitic nematode Meloidogyne incognita by the Roy group, with some derivatives showing excellent activity and selectivity towards the target organism. The lead and parent compounds in the series were synthesized on larger scale for rat oral toxicity assays.
Reproducing, Resisting, Challenging, and Changing: Intersectionality and Narratives of Women School Principals in Turkey
Keywords: Education
Intersectionality
Leadership
Narrative Approach
Turkey
Women

This dissertation explores the experiences of female school leaders in Turkey within the framework of Intersectional Feminist Theory and Bourdieu’s Theory of capital using a narrative approach and focusing on the continuum of their past, present, and future. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with fifteen women school principals from three different regions of Turkey (West, Central, and Southeast Anatolia) and demographic information form, document analysis, and fieldnotes. Age, marital status, socioeconomic status, ethnic background, political background, religious background, and social background emerged as the seven primary identity markers intersecting with gender. The study revealed that participants come from low, lower-middle, and middle socioeconomic backgrounds, with most of them from lower-middle backgrounds. Their economic and cultural capital played a significant role in their educational path and choosing teaching as a career. Despite familial and institutional support they received, household and institutional barriers hindered their leadership paths and experiences. In addition, two other significant discourses emerged, which I categorized as “being in between support or a barrier.” These discourses were significant in terms of depicting the construction of gender norms and roles and how participants hover between praise and blame for being a woman, and how they start to “act like a man,” or their hard work is praised by “seeing them as a man but not a woman.” The study also revealed that the intersection of gender with religious and political background played a significant role in participants’ leadership experiences. Besides, the old-boys’ club emerged as an important discourse regardless of time and place. In addition to its common association, the old-boys’ club is mainly expressed in relation to women’s sexuality in men’s eyes in the Turkish context. Last but not least, the participants’ narratives showed that they had complex and contradictory thoughts regarding gender roles. Regardless of their backgrounds, they can propound conflicting and complicated ideas regarding gender norms and reproduce gender stereotypes. On the other hand, they resist, challenge, and are eager to change hegemonic gender norms in society.
Distance Protection of Systems with Inverter-based Resources
Keywords: distance relay
inverter
inverter-based resources
power system protection
protective relay
renewable energy

This dissertation focuses on the challenges faced by distance relays and their supervising elements, including directional, phase-selection, and loss-of-voltage (LOV) elements, in the systems with inverter-based resources (IBRs). A comprehensive dual current control scheme is proposed for IBRs during the low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) mode to address the challenges. This method addresses the shortcomings of existing solutions and enables correct operation of distance, directional, and phase-selection elements during all types of faults. The proposed method controls the IBR to operate as a voltage source behind a virtual impedance in the positive-sequence circuit and a single inductive virtual impedance in the negative-sequence circuit, thereby emulating the phase angles of an SG's fault current. The proposed method also maximizes the active and reactive current generation of the IBR during faults and emulates the relative incremental sequence current magnitudes of an SG. It is unveiled, for the first time, in this dissertation that IBRs can jeopardize the security of the LOV detection element, which is another supervising element for distance relays. A new LOV detection method is proposed to address this problem. The proposed solution centers around the fault current signature of IBRs and performs superior to the existing LOV detection elements. This method operates reliably regardless of the type of generation units in the system and is sufficiently fast to prevent relay misoperation during LOV conditions. The impact of different implementations of distance element on protection of systems with IBRs is also investigated in this dissertation. The focus is on the relays implemented using the phase comparators and the reactance method. It is unveiled, for the first time, that the ground and phase elements of a distance relay that uses these methods are prone to under-/over-reach in the systems with IBRs. A detailed analysis on the root causes of the problems as well as the measures to alleviate them is provided. Besides, it is shown that IBRs can adversely impact the operation of not only the distance relay that protects their tie-line but also the relays of the neighboring lines. The above studies are all supported by hardware-in-the-loop testing of commercial relays.
The Neurobiological Correlates of Structural Covariance Networks
Keywords: Anatomical covariance
Connectivity
Mouse
MRI
Neurodevelopment
Structural covariance

There exist many studies examining population-level correlations between the cortical thickness or volumes of brain structures. Yet, the reasons for why these correlations—termed structural covariance—form are unclear. Current thoughts on the formation of these correlations can be broadly grouped into two hypotheses. The first hypothesis posits that regions that correlate in their structural properties do so because they are connected by bundles of neurons, and plasticity acting along this structural backbone causes regions to grow or shrink in a coordinated manner. The second hypothesis suggests that regions found to correlate in their structural properties are those that grow together during neurodevelopment. In this thesis, I examine structural covariance in the mouse brain, with the goal of comparing these two mechanisms. I show that in adult mice, structural covariance networks are associated with both structural connectivity and transcriptomic similarity, and that structural covariance is already present at birth and generally decreases over neurodevelopment. I then specifically focus on the thalamus and its connections to the cortex and show that cortical structural covariance reflects the functional organization of the thalamus, and is sensitive but not specific to structural connectivity. Additionally, I show that plasticity (resulting from exercise) decreases thalamocortical structural covariance. Finally, I show (using multiple models of agenesis of the corpus callosum) that structural covariance is preserved in the absence of structural connectivity. I end the thesis with a discussion on the plausible mechanisms underlying the formation of structural covariance, and considering all the results presented in this thesis, I make the case that it is the intrinsic coordinated neurodevelopment of structures that results in the main patterns of structural covariance seen in later life.