VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Women Directors of Education: Policy Consequences, Gender Perspectives and Leadership Strategies
Keywords: Education
Educational Leadership
Gender
Leadership
Policy
Women

This study presents a qualitative analysis exploring how women Directors of Education in Ontario (English) public school boards manage the pressures of leadership. Alongside this analysis is a concurrent exploration of the effects the Ontario government’s 1993 PPM 102: Affirmative Action/Employment Equity for Women Employees policy had on women Directors of Education in Ontario (English) public school boards. Data collection includes 12 interviews of women Directors of Education in Ontario (English) public school boards. The study revealed a complex relationship between women Directors of Education in Ontario (English) public school boards and their discrimination experiences. Participants denied experiencing discrimination, despite describing instances of clear discrimination. Dropping out of the study or altering their original interviews silenced some women. Gender microaggressions were also apparent throughout the interviews. Additionally, participants denied ever experiencing pressures associated with their gender. Strategies for coping with the pressures of leadership are designed to deal with pressures associated with the board of trustees, board staff, the public and church clergy. Strategies Directors of Education used to manage these pressures were categorized into three groups: strategies for personal success; micropolitical strategies in the workplace and strategies for managing home life and professional life. Fifty percent of participants described formal/informal hindrances in managing the pressures of leadership, while 100% of participants described formal/informal supports, which aided their management of the pressures of leadership.The study also revealed that most participants identified either an indirect effect or a direct effect of PPM 102 on their career; seven noted an indirect effect, and 1 a direct effect. Four noted no effect at all on their career.
Raced and Gendered Subjectivities in the Diasporas: Exploring the Role of Generationally Transferred Local ‘Subjugated’ Knowledges in the Education of Canadian Ismaili Women of Indian East African Heritage
Keywords: diaspora
intergenerational
Ismaili Muslim
patriarchy
racism
women

Ugandan Canadian Ismaili Muslim women are often subsumed within the larger immigrant ‘South Asian’ (Brown) women collective and pathologized as passive or docile victims of oppressive systems rather than actors who express a feminist commitment. This thesis is an inquiry that transforms this stereotypical image by examining the local forms of agency exhibited by fifteen twice/thrice immigrant East African Ismaili women who trace their roots to the Indian subcontinent. Through life narratives of five triads of three generations of women from the same families – Grandmothers, Mothers and Daughters – I historicize the experiences of the women of the first two generations in two different geographical locations, East Africa and Canada, to demonstrate how the encounter between a) traditional gender role expectations, b) the modernizing policies and gender reform strategized by the third and fourth Aga Khans, and c) newer influences in the places of settlement cause these women to experience contradictions in their multiple subject positions in their intersectional locations of gender, race/colour, class and religion. As a result, these Ismaili women create, utilize and transmit local knowledges, based on a local ideology, to subsequent generations of women that enables them to negotiate cultural patriarchy and White hegemony to establish home and belonging in places of settlement. This local ideology teaches them to be mindful; to practice ethics of hard work, diplomacy, and resourcefulness; to make investments in family and community and not physical places or material things; and to attain self-sufficiency through formal education and financial independence. Through the locally constructed covert and overt resistance technologies women create and utilize, these Ismaili women demonstrate that their agency is endemic to their diaspora history, taking subtle and ambivalent forms as the women negotiate at the margins of power, at times constrained but also resisting and undermining power relations to survive and even thrive in diaspora space.
Heart rate variability and concussion: Exploring neurophysiological variation in youth athletes
Keywords: concussion
heart rate variability
mTBI
recovery
symptoms
youth

Sport participation makes a significant contribution to youth development, but place youth at an increased risk for sustaining a concussion. Neurocognitive testing and the monitoring of self-reported concussion symptoms have been the anchor in making return-to-activity decisions. While these methods have been purported to add clinical value, their trajectory may not overlap with the physiological mechanisms at play following concussion. Multi-modal assessments corroborate objective physiological measures with traditional subjective symptom reporting. Heart rate variability is a non-invasive physiological indicator of the autonomic nervous system, capturing the reciprocal interplay between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The first study examines the relationship between heart rate variability and subjective symptom reporting in a healthy population of youth; a significant relationship between daily reported cognitive symptoms and a decrease in HRV was found, while considering age and sex. The second study is a longitudinal, matched control study that explores the physiological trajectory of heart rate variability across days post concussion; the relationship between concussion symptoms and HRV was found to vary across days post injury, when considering symptom status and a comparison to controls. The third and final study is a pilot and feasibility study that aims to bridge physiological and functional outcomes by exploring the role of mindfulness-based yoga in youth with persistent concussion symptoms; here, preliminary trends of increased self-efficacy and physical activity mirrored increases in HRV. The thesis concludes with a novel conceptual model, highlighting the various person, occupation and environment factors which influence concussion recovery, irrespective of the pathophysiological characteristics of the injury. Taken together, this doctoral work identified significant trends in a novel, physiological measure which traversed, healthy, concussed and persistent concussion samples. This thesis provides a foundation for the study of physiological stress responses in concussion - a non-specific, complex injury, which is experienced at high rates by an understudied population.
Principal as Performer: Crafting Public Personae
Keywords: Leadership
Persona
Principal
Role
Theatre techniques

This study explored how principals craft various public personae as part of their principal leadership practice within elementary schools. Interviews of 15 elementary school principals across the province of Ontario generated data that indicated why principals perform for others in public. Follow-up telephone conversations and email messages also communicated how they craft personae in a variety of circumstances and the processes they use when employing theatrical techniques to accomplish these character manifestations. Study findings suggest principals assume different types of personae when interacting with members of the school community, and use common persona types to generate specific outcomes. Results also indicate that principals use specific theatrical techniques to navigate the many predictable and unpredictable circumstances in their daily work. Throughout the study, participants described how they use, or depend upon, voice and body—including reading body cues and voice cues from others—in their work, despite not having actively developed these techniques.
Technical Performance and Patient Outcomes in Surgery: Another Piece of the Puzzle
Keywords: Gastric cancer
Non-technical performance
Patient outcome
Surgery
Surgical skills
Technical performance

Introduction: Patient outcomes depend on a variety of variables related to patients themselves, to disease or treatments. In surgery, operations are the mainstay of management and the operating room is a high-stakes, high-risk environment where the surgeon plays an invaluable role. Extensive literature demonstrates how the aforementioned variables affect patient outcomes, however when it comes to surgeon technical skills, the existing evidence is limited. Therefore the main goal of this thesis was to provide evidence and to emphasize the importance of technical skills and to strengthen the current literature. Material and Methods: Research designs contained within this dissertation include: (1) a systematic review to summarize the existing evidence, (2) a retrospective technical skills analysis, (3) a survey study to define the participants in the operating room and a (4) prospective observational study to determine the relationship between technical and non-technical intraoperative performances. Results: Four research studies were completed. The systematic review demonstrated that technical performance affects patient outcomes, however the quality of evidence is low. The retrospective skill analysis addressed the main methodology deficiencies identified in the review and confirmed that technical performance does affect patient outcomes in laparoscopic gastric cancer operations. The survey study identified that although technical skills have been shown to be important, trainees do not routinely perform the main steps of these operations. Finally, the prospective observational study demonstrated that technical and non-technical performances are related and both are important complements to each other. Conclusion: Technical performance affects patient outcomes. Technical and non-technical performances are related. Ongoing assessment and enhancement of these skills, using modern strategies such as structured feedback, deliberate practice, coaching etc., might improve patient outcomes. Future studies should perform a comprehensive assessment of the operating room and design educational interventions for all participants, regardless of their level of training or experience.
Using Electronic Medical Records to Examine Childhood Obesity Outcomes in Community-Based Primary Care
Keywords: Children
Electronic Medical Records
Health services
Obesity

Childhood obesity has become a global public health priority. Obesity leads to increased risk of several co-morbid health conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and mental health problems. Growth monitoring is the long-standing child health practice to identify children who fall outside healthy growth parameters. It has been proposed as a key activity for prevention of obesity in children. Growth data is now predominantly stored in primary care electronic medical records (EMRs). However concerns about data quality have limited its use for public health and research. Five inter-related studies were conducted to better understand the feasibility of using routinely collected anthropometric data from primary care EMRs for childhood obesity surveillance and outcomes. In our survey on current growth monitoring practices, only 21% of primary care providers reported using a length board to measure length in infants less than two years of age. Growth measurements were reported to be performed most often during scheduled well-baby/child visits, but rarely during sick visits. Encouragingly, intra- and inter-observer reliability of height/length, and weight was found to be acceptable when using appropriate equipment and measurement methods. Body mass index z-score data in EMRs was found to be 90% complete and 97% accurate. The main inaccuracies were due to recording measurements with inconsistent units and data entry errors. Using reliable data from EMRs, it was found that preschool-aged children (2 to
Excitonics for Organic Electronics
Keywords: Degradation
Diffusion
Exciton
OLED
Organic Electronics

Organic semiconductors have immense potential as replacements for traditional inorganic materials in optoelectronics applications, in particular for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). At the core of the device physics governing the stability and efficiency of OLEDs are tightly bound electron-hole pairs known as excitons. Here, the link between OLED excitonics and operational stability is studied in active OLEDs. First, the exciton distribution is investigated in active OLEDs with doped and undoped emissive layers. In both types of OLEDs, a surprisingly narrow exciton formation zone was measured given the bipolar nature of the materials used. Next, the influence of defects on exciton diffusion is investigated. The effective singlet exciton diffusion length is measured as a function of defect concentration and operational conditions and described in a unified model. Exciton-defect interactions are central to the efficiency and stability of OLEDs; consequently, quantifying these interactions under realistic operating conditions is a major step towards a comprehensive understanding of OLED excitonics. Finally, building on these results, a simple model for singlet exciton driven degradation in OLEDs in presented. This model accounts for the time and current density dependence of the host and defect emission in degrading OLEDs and is thoroughly validated using new experimental data, as well as literature data from leading academic and industrial research groups. Results of a first look at applying these conclusions to photovoltaic devices are also included. There exists an abundance of evidence in the literature suggesting singlet exciton driven degradation is a major degradation mechanism. Undoubtedly, providing mathematical tools to quantify this process will be invaluable.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms in HIV Disease: Results from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study, 2007 to 2014
Keywords: Adherence
Gastrointestinal
Health related quality of life
HIV
Symptom
Viral load

Patient-reported gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, bloating, loss of appetite, weight loss/wasting) were explored among 1826 people living with HIV enrolled in the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study, from 2007 to 2014. At first annual questionnaire, participants had a median age of 45 years, 64% were men who have sex with men, 56% Caucasian, were diagnosed with HIV for 10 years, on average, with 82% on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), 78% undetectable viral load (
Becoming a Principal in Chile: Learning the Role of School Improvement
Keywords: Chile
Educational Leadership
Mixed Methods
Novice Principals
School Improvement
Socialization

This study is concerned with the ways in which newly appointed public school principals in Chile learn to understand and lead school improvement. Using a mixed methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative data sequentially, this study contributes to exploring the characteristics and perceptions of principals starting their careers, looking into their previous trajectories and work experiences before and after appointment, the actors and institutions supporting their learning about the role, as well as their understandings about leading school improvement. The design involved 12 qualitative interviews followed by the application of a survey (n=121). Findings suggest new principals enter the job with vast experience about the public school system, having occupied different leadership roles prior to appointment. In spite of previous trajectory and formal preparation, new principals still acknowledge the great difficulties and challenges confronted in the transition to the role, in five cases perceiving that ‘nothing really prepares you for the job’. In learning about leading school improvement, they value the supports of students and professionals in their personal networks, perceiving local authorities to have a less preponderant role, as they participate actively during selection processes, and less consistently after appointment. The study also explores the influence of principals’ individual characteristics and school context (i.e. gender, age, education, school size, urban context, SES) within the process of learning about their role. This study also illustrate how new principals understand and learn about their role in school improvement, and suggests that a great majority of them conceptualize school improvement as limited and influenced by the current education policy context and work experience, restricting their views to unidimensional notions related to students’ results. Finally, findings are discussed to provide comparison with the international socialization research of new principals, suggesting that Chileans novices share perceptions about a ‘shocking’ transition with principals in other countries and differ greatly in the importance given to local school authorities instead.
E-MENTORING AS A SOCIALIZATION STRATEGY FOR NEW GRADUATE NURSE ROLE TRANSITION AND WORKPLACE ADJUSTMENT
Keywords: E-mentoring
Mentoring
New Graduate Nurse
Role Transition
Virtual Mentoring
Workplace Adjustment

Background: Nursing turnover is a critical issue in Canadian hospitals and the transition period from student to RN has been identified as extremely stressful. Mentorship has the potential to address transitional issues and could impact retention in the first year of employment. Further, e-mentoring may address socialization limitations noted in existing mentoring programs, however the optimum design for an e-mentoring intervention is unknown. Study Objectives: To identify socialization needs, barriers and facilitators for effective role transition and workplace adjustment and understand the state of science on mentorship to develop evidenced-based recommendations for components and design features of an e-mentoring intervention. Methods: A complementarity mixed method design was used; guided by Van Maanen and Schein’s Socialization Theory and Kalbfleish’s Mentoring Enactment Theory. Phase 1: Scoping Literature Review. Phase 2: In-depth interviews with key informants using content analysis and an exploration of e-mentoring as a possible socialization tactic. Phase 3: Intervention Recommendations for components and design features identified, synthesized and triangulated with scoping review findings. Recommendations were reviewed for acceptability by stakeholder panel of new graduate and experienced nurses. Results: Mentoring has been lost in preceptoring translation and new graduate nurses are exposed to social shock experiences; entrenched in unwelcoming and hierachical work cultures with cliques and bullying. A relatable mentor, however, may support role transition and foster workplace adjustment to professional practice. Further, e- mentoring may be a viable platform to provide support and address the limitations of traditional face-to-face mentoring such as a lack of time to meet with the mentee, mentor burnout, lack of commitment on the part of the mentor, and scheduling constraints. Evidence-based recommendations for components and design features of an e-mentoring intervention were developed. Discussion/Conclusion: Preceptor programs for new nursing graduates are not providing adequate social supports to assist with role transition and workplace adjustment within the first year of employment. Study findings have advanced Van Maanen and Schein’s Socialization Theory and Kalbfleish’s Mentoring Enactment Theory by uncovering the phenomenon of new graduate nurse social shock. In addition, this study has contributed to the design of an evidence-based and relevant e-mentoring intervention for new nursing graduates.
LEADERS OF STUDENT GROWTH: A LOOK AT THE IN-SCHOOL TEAM STRUCTURE IN ONTARIO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Keywords: figured worlds
holistic education
inclusive education
in-school teams
leadership
students experiencing difficulties

This qualitative study explored the in-school team (IST) structure found within Ontario public elementary schools. The IST is a problem-solving approach implemented to support students, especially those identified as experiencing difficulties within schools. Five elementary principals were interviewed for this research and it is through their voices that deeper understandings about ISTs are shared. Five case studies are included to highlight the experiences of these leaders as they implemented the IST within their schools. This research has many layers within it. It sits within holistic education to emphasize the importance of teaching the whole child, not just addressing his or her mind in isolation from his or her body, heart, and spirit. At the school level, a holistic and inclusive mindset are integral to the implementation of efficient and ethical ISTs within schools. At the societal level, the figured worlds theoretical framework is used to problematize some of the more covert implications of the IST on students experiencing difficulties. This is where identity construction comes into question within this work because it calls educators to be reflective about the practices and discourses they use when attempting to help students who may be struggling. Likewise, this study highlights the need for holistic practices to be implemented when intervening to help students. In addition, limits of this study are discussed, some suggestions for improvements are provided, as well as, implications for future research.
The T Cell-Intrinsic Role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Delta in T Cell Development and Effector Function
Keywords: Effector function
PPARdelta
T cell
T cell development

The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARd) is a sensor of fatty acids and functions as a transcriptional regulator of various processes. PPARd has been shown to have anti-inflammatory activities in the immune system by promoting alternative macrophage activation; however, the role of PPARd in the T cell compartment is not well understood. This thesis aimed to investigate the role of PPARd in T cell development and effector function. To this end, we generated mice where PPARd was deleted specifically in T cells starting at either the CD4-CD8- double negative (DN) 2 stage or double positive stage of thymocyte development, and used them as tools to study the function of PPARd in the T cell compartment. First, this work uncovered a novel role of PPARd in T cell development. We found that either whole body PPARd-deficient mice or mice with PPARd-deletion starting at the DN2 stage had reduced thymic cellularity that was evident from the T cell receptor (TCR)-b selection step and onwards. This loss in thymocyte cell number related to defects in the ability of PPARd-deficient thymocytes to undergo repeated cell division at the DN3 stage. Our work further revealed that PPARd was required for promoting the expression of genes involved in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, the electron transport chain and lipogenesis. This study is amongst the first to demonstrate a direct role of a PPAR family member in T cell development. In the second part of this study, we used mice where PPARd was deleted at a later stage in thymocyte development to study the role of PPARd in mature T cells. These studies revealed that these T cell-specific PPARd-deficient mice had a normal thymus, but developed more severe T helper (Th) 17-mediated inflammation during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis. This more severe disease related in part to PPARd-deficient T cells being more prone to differentiate towards the Th17 lineage. Together, our research highlights the T cell-intrinsic role of PPARd in supporting T cell development and suppressing central nervous system autoimmunity, making this molecule an attractive therapeutic target for treatment of Th17-mediated diseases.