VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The Anarchist Peril: Industrial Violence and the Propaganda of Fear in Turn of the Century America, 1886-1908
Keywords: anarchist
fear
Propaganda by Deed
social control
spectacle
violence

Between 1886 and 1908, in the crossover between the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, people all across America felt the growing pains wrought by the second industrial revolution. Overproduction, exploitative working conditions, labor shortages, and increased rural and foreign immigration all made the country ripe for civil unrest to burst through the cracks of the Gilded Age. In particular, assassinations and bombings followed by murmurs of anarchist conspiracies within the labor movement gave social elites cause to fear for the stability of their nation-building project. The Anarchist Peril examines five sets of violent outbursts that disrupted the status quo: the 1886 Haymarket bombing, the 1892 assault on Henry Clay Frick, President William McKinley's assassination in 1901, the assassination of Frank Steunenberg in 1905, and the 1908 anarchist scare. In reaction to these events, journalists, police officers, court officials, and state and federal legislators, who feared the effects of the anarchist tactic of Propaganda by Deed, used their powers to shape public opinion against anarchy. These acts of violence, which were endorsed by a minority within radical circles, took on greater significance when emerging ranks of middle-class professionals reshaped the meaning of anarchists' deeds to legitimize their own competing claims to power. Since they placed so little value on anarchism's political critique, social elites ignored the class implications of anarchists' words and deeds and instead examined their bodies for signs to marginalize their actions, silenced them in the courtroom, and legislated against further acts of violence. While this approach did disrupt the propaganda of their deeds, it did not deter further acts of violence.
Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus for the Treatment of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: Combination with Chemotherapy and Targeted Radiotherapy
Keywords: chemotherapy
colorectal cancer
combination therapy
oncolytic viruses
targeted radiotherapy
vaccinia virus

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent a novel class of cancer biotherapeutics currently under clinical development for treatment of a range of malignancies. OVs are ideal candidates for treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) due to their high tumour specificity, excellent safety profile and suitability for peritoneal delivery. OVs are unlikely to be delivered alone but rather as part of a combination therapy regimen. The research presented in this thesis provides two examples of novel combination treatment strategies for improving oncolytic VV treatment of colorectal PC. Delivered as a monotherapy, vvDD efficacy was associated with mice that had well-vascularized and highly proliferative tumours. When combined with first-line colorectal cancer chemotherapy drugs, oxaliplatin and irinotecan (CPT-11), we observed synergistic improvements in in vitro tumour cell death and improved in vivo survival in tumour-bearing mice (with CPT-11). Synergy was attributed to sensitization of cells to drug treatment due to VV-induced S-phase arrest. In addition to combinations with chemotherapy, we examined the use of VV-mediated somatostatin receptor (SSTR) gene transfer using the radiolabeled somatostatin analogue 177Lu-DOTATOC. vvDD-SSTR led to tumour-specific accumulation of 177Lu-DOTATOC with minimal effects on normal tissue biodistribution in a xenograft model of colorectal PC. Radiovirotherapy was well tolerated and significantly improved survival over monotherapy. Our findings could have important implications for the design of future VV clinical trials and the treatment of colorectal PC. The proposed mechanism of synergy between vvDD and CPT-11 suggests that this combination therapy could represent a treatment option for patients with chemoresistant disease. Radiovirotherapy has wider potential applicability; any VV susceptible tumour could be made a target of SSTR-directed therapy. Continued investigation of the mechanisms of interaction between these treatment modalities will provide a better understanding of potential improvements to therapy delivery as well as the clinical setting in which they have the greatest impact.
Low Temperature Performance of Leading Bioenergy Crops Utilizing the C4 Photosynthetic Pathway
Keywords: C4 photosynthesis
cold acclimation
freezing tolerance
Miscanthus
photoinhibition
sugarcane

The use of bioenergy has been considered one of the most important solutions for the reduction in the dependence on fossil fuels and to mitigate global climate change. C4 perennial grasses stands as the best alternative for biofuel feedstock and Miscanthus x giganteus has shown outstanding performance in cool climates. In addition, sugarcane has a history of high productivity and success in the biofuel industry of Brazil. The high photosynthetic rate at low temperature (14º to 20ºC) and radiation use efficiency of M. x giganteus allow this plant to build a vast canopy early in the spring, allowing it to intercept high amounts of solar radiation once temperature rise in summer, obtaining high yields of biomass by the end of growing season. It is unclear, however, how Miscanthus will tolerate the severe winter cold and frequent episodic frost in the spring of higher latitudes, like Canada. Here, I show that rhizomes of diploid Miscanthus can tolerate temperatures above -14ºC if sub-zero acclimation is allowed, while allopolyploid Miscanthus are tolerant to temperatures above -6.5ºC. Also, in contrary to M. sinensis, shoots of Miscanthus hybrids were killed when exposed to sunlight at temperatures below 10ºC in the spring. However, triploid Miscanthus showed great recovery and three weeks later plants had a vast and closed canopy while M. sinensis plants had a poor canopy. Lastly, I show that upland and lowland Hawaiian sugarcane grown at two moderate temperatures have little variation in temperature response and acclimation to low temperature. Because of its high productivity, Miscanthus should be considered in areas where it can securely be grown. According to the results found here, rhizomes of diploid Miscanthus have the potential to be grown up to 60ºN, but the frequency of episodic chilling events should also be taken into consideration. Here, I show that the genepool of the Miscanthus genus has the potential to increase cold tolerance in the most productive lines, which will increase the range for this crop. Sugarcane is still restricted to tropical and subtropical zones, but higher cold tolerance can be achieved by hybridizing this plant with Miscanthus.
Antiretroviral Therapy Access, Acceptance and Adherence among Urban Indigenous Peoples Living with HIV in Saskatchewan: The Indigenous Red Ribbon Storytelling Study
Keywords: Aboriginal
AIDS
Antiretroviral
HIV
Indigenous
Therapy

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can be managed effectively with antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. However, Indigenous peoples living with HIV (IPLWH) in Canada are less likely than non-Indigenous peoples living with HIV to access and adhere to ARV therapy. To date, most studies examining this issue aim for statistical generalization and do not focus enough on contextual factors. To investigate this imbalance, a collaborative research effort called the Indigenous Red Ribbon Storytelling Study (IRRSS) was developed by the study investigator and 11 community partners. The purpose of the IRRSS was to examine how IPLWH construct and understand their experiences of ARV therapy use. The study used an Indigenous qualitative research design, critical ethnography, and a community-based participatory research orientation. Study participants included adults from two cities in Saskatchewan. Informed consent was obtained from all study participants, who also accepted a traditional offering of tobacco. The study involved two Indigenous sharing circle interviews comprising a total of 15 key informants including IPLWH, 20 individual IPLWH interviews, six IPLWH participant observation sessions, and a survey of socio-demographic and health information. Thematic data analysis was conducted using the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use and sensitizing concepts within the context of critical Indigenous qualitative research. Themes included holistic health care, culture, family and friends, and the value placed on respect and trust. The majority of IPLWH live with three interacting dimensions of social vulnerabilities. Their identity living with HIV is compounded by their substance use disorder and their social contexts as a culture-sharing group impacted by relations with the Nation State of Canada. Nonetheless, they are able to adapt positively to adversity, especially when appropriate underlying socio-structural mechanisms are in place to support their resilience. Recommendations were developed to improve the lives of IPLWH, most notably to involve IPLWH in anything that affects their lives, including needle exchange programs and holistic health care that is founded on Indigenous values, cultures and beliefs. Any consideration of access to, acceptance of and adherence to ARV therapy among IPLWH should view biomedical, behavioural and social aspects of care for IPLWH as an integrative system.
Drug Delivery to the Brain by Focused Ultrasound and Microbubble Mediated Blood-brain Barrier Disruption: Vascular-level Investigation using Two-photon Fluorescent Microscopy
Keywords: Brain Diseases
Drug Delivery
Focused Ultrasound
Microbubble
Two-photon Fluorescent Microscopy

The use of focused ultrasound (FUS) in combination with microbubbles (MBs) to transiently and noninvasively disrupt the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been an active research topic which could ultimately revolutionize the way drugs are delivered into the brain parenchyma for treatment of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies. Stemmed from its prospective clinical application, the overarching goal of this research is to explore the underlying physical mechanisms and fundamental biological effects via the use of two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM). In addition, this research aims to draw the connection between the kinetics of blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD) and the localized drug deposition in the treated brain. To provide a robust solution for dorsal approach of FUS exposure and in vivo 2PFM imaging of the cerebral microvasculature, a ring-shaped transducer has been designed and characterized. Two modes of vibration (thickness and height) were investigated for their effectiveness at inducing BBBD in a rat model. By operating the transducer in thickness mode, we induced BBBD at different acoustic pressure levels and delivered fluorescent dyes into the rat's blood circulatory system while capturing a series of 2PFM images. These microscopic data allowed for quantitative measurement of the enhanced permeability of blood vessels upon BBBD. The dependency of the vascular permeability on the substance size and the applied acoustic pressured was established. We identified two types of leakage kinetics - fast and slow - that exhibit distinctive permeability constants, temporal disruption onsets, and pertinent vessel diameter. To translate these preclinical findings into the clinical setting, we developed a mathematical framework that depicts the kinetics of BBBD and rendered the spatio-temporal distribution of the intended drug at a targeted brain region. Here, we considered Doxorubicin (Dox) as the drug of choice. The constructed model predicts Dox concentrations within the plasma, extracellular and intracellular compartments that are governed by various transport processes. By examining several clinical treatment parameters, our simulation outputs were validated against experimental findings in a rat model. Considering the flexibility of the FUS+MBs assisted BBBD technique, this simulation study can be adapted for other drugs to assist the treatment planning process for different CNS conditions.
Transgressing Boundaries Of Izzat: Voices Of Punjabi Women Surviving And Transgressing "Honour" Related Violence In Canada
Keywords: Gender based violence
Honour-related violence
Izzat
Narrative Inquiry
Punjabi Women
Second-generation South Asian Women

This study is an act of witnessing second-generation Punjabi women who have survived displacement/excommunication/exile from their family and/or community after transgressing boundaries of izzat. Izzat is a cultural construct that holds particular importance in the Punjabi community of Northern India and is translated into English as meaning "honour". The life histories collected in this study are a result of in-depth interviews through narrative inquiry with 5 second-generation Punjabi women living across Canada. The women's stories speak to the complexities of "honour" related violence in the West, they challenge the dominant discourses that frame family violence in South Asian communities, and they allow the reader to hear how they resisted/reclaimed izzat while challenging/surviving layers of heteropatriarchy, violence and racism throughout their lives. This study aims at shifting dominant discourses that use "honour" related violence as a tool to justify Orientalism/war and cultural racism towards South Asian bodies and it does so through the use of stories. Critical race theory, post-structural feminist theory and narrative inquiry are the lens through which the central question is asked, how can second-generation Punjabi women's voices be heard and contribute to change inside their families and community, while challenging dominant discourses surrounding "honour" related violence? As the researcher, my story and autoethnographic voice is layered throughout the writing and I share my own story of displacement/exile/excommunication throughout this study. In order to understand the history of izzat and violence in the Punjabi community I conduct a genealogy of izzat and trace its development from Northern India to Canada, from a system of morality to a tool of violence against women. Finally, action research informs the final aim of this study. The women gathered and created a piece of collective writing to raise critical consciousness in the Punjabi community, as well as in dominant Canadian society, about the impact of izzat on their lives. Their words and action push us to question how we engage with violence in our communities and instill the importance of listening to young second-generation women's voices and stories of everyday survival against racism, colonialism and heteropatriarchy
Fluorotelomer-Based Acrylate Polymers as an Indirect Source of Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylates
Keywords: Environmental Fate
Fluorinated Polymers
MALDI-TOF
Method Development

Fluorotelomer-based acrylate polymers (FTACPs) are a class of side-chain fluorinated polymers that have been widely used as surface protectants in textile, upholstery and paper industries. Despite FTACPs constituting the largest fraction of commercial fluorotelomer products, little is known about their environmental fate. This dissertation investigates the development and application of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry to directly analyze the environmental fate of model FTACPs, which was hypothesized to be a significant indirect source of perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs). MALDI-TOF methods were developed using a homologous series of FTACPs with fluorotelomer and hydrocarbon acrylates. The relative degree of FTACPs fluorination was demonstrated to influence the sample preparation protocol for MALDI-TOF analysis. Application of the MALDI-TOF method was used to directly determine the biodegradation of the model FTACP, poly(8:2 FTAC). Alterations to the characteristic repeat pattern of poly(8:2 FTAC) suggested biodegradation, which was consistent with the indirect analysis of PFCAs by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The biodegradation half-life of poly(8:2 FTAC) ranged from 8 to 111 years. Further MALDI-TOF method development demonstrated that FTACPs could be directly quantified using the matrix signal as an internal standard. Direct MALDI-TOF quantification measured the model FTACP, poly(8:2 FTAC-co-HDA), to within 25% of the theoretical concentration in aqueous media. Off gassing of residual fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), and as the first degradation product of FTACPs supports atmospheric long-range transport (LRT) of volatile precursors as a principal mode for the global distribution of PFCAs. A collection of surface soils obtained from areas with little human impact showed PFCAs, as well as perfluoroalkanesulfonates (PFSAs), were distributed consistent with the atmospheric oxidation of volatile precursors. The principle goal of this dissertation was to directly analyze FTACP degradation. The qualitative MALDI-TOF results strongly suggest that FTACPs will degrade under environmental conditions, and likely represent a significant indirect source of PFCAs.
Deliberate Orientation and Transition Practices as Part of a Broader Student Success Strategy: A Comparative Study of Three Large Urban Ontario Colleges
Keywords: CCSSE
Ontario colleges
Pan Canadian Study of First Year College Students
student development
student engagement
student success

DELIBERATE ORIENTATION AND TRANSITION PRACTICES AS PART OF A BROADER STUDENT SUCCESS STRATEGY: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF THREE LARGE URBAN ONTARIO COLLEGES Doctor of Philosophy, 2015 Wayne Poirier Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to examine institutional behaviour concerning orientation and transition efforts for first year college students. This case study examines three large urban colleges in Ontario focusing on the orientation and transition approach at each institution and studied the extent to which each is using known best practices in the field of orientation and transition in their effort to generate increased student success. Informed by the related literature with an emphasis on Canadian and Ontario specific content, the study examined findings in relation to the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) thematic framework and the implications and recommendations drawn from the Pan-Canadian Study of First Year College Students to uncover similarities and differences. The case study employed a document analysis and qualitative interview analysis to examine the extent to which orientation and transition efforts are part of college wide strategic planning and ingrained within the institutions. The information is cross referenced between the document analysis and participant interviews and comparisons are drawn from the key themes identified within the literature. The findings shed further light on the efficacy of the CCSSE survey instrument and its themes and identify areas for further study in the Ontario college context. The analysis conducted indicate that there is good model fit with the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) thematic framework of Educational Effective Practices in the three colleges that participated within this case study. While this study is not generalizable, the findings of this study adds further qualitative evidence that the CCSSE thematic framework is applicable to the three large urban Ontario colleges studied and, in combination with the 2010 Mandarino and Mattern HEQCO study, provides evidence that the CCSSE thematic framework is a reasonable tool to plan and assess orientation and transition practices as part of a broader student success strategy for colleges with similar characteristics. The efficacy of the CCSSE tool can be improved by supplementing it with a survey designed to account for the findings of the 2007 Pan Canadian Study of First Year College Students.
Bunkhouse Drama: An Examination of Control and Agency among Migrant Farm Workers in Ontario, Canada
Keywords: Migrant farm workers
Qualitative Research
Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Theatre of the Oppressed
Worker agency

This thesis examines workers' experiences of control and agency at the micro-political level of the dormitory/workplace in the context of Canada's Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP). I ask: 1) How are individual migrant workers responding to workplace and (im)migration policies and practices that aim to produce a flexible and compliant workforce; and 2) what forms of creative research strategies are best suited to documenting and examining the private, largely hidden lives of migrant farm workers? The thesis sheds light on the daily forms of resilience, opposition and survival among an entrenched, yet largely hidden workforce on the margins of Canada's labour market. I conducted my fieldwork in the town of Leamington, Ontario, a well-established hub of Canada's greenhouse industry, and as such a significant terminus for SAWP workers. In order to fully engage workers in the research process, I incorporated a qualitative, embodied, active and participatory approach to research grounded in life history, personal narrative, and drama-based methods. Through my interactions with workers I explore in detail how colonial attitudes operate alongside Canada's official policy of multiculturalism in the context of migration and employment among `low-skilled' guest workers. Throughout the thesis I examine workers' stories through the conceptual lenses of worker agency, workplace relations and worker emancipation. My research reveals that in tightly controlled and surveilled workplace environments workers learn to be intensely competitive and to distrust each other as a means of survival, resulting in a deep sense of isolation among workers, thus stifling potential opportunities for building group solidarity. However, I found that workers' participation in non-work related activities during leisure hours produced small breaches in the accepted norms of control, offering potentially rich opportunities for critical reflection and dialogue. I argue that an analysis of complex and even contradictory worker subjectivities that are developed and performed in everyday life among Canada's SAWP workers offers a more nuanced understanding of worker solidarities, collective social movements and the potential for labour education at the margins of Canada's labour market.
Functional Polymer Foams from In-situ Fibrillated Polymer Blends
Keywords: blends
extrusion
fiber
foam
open-cell
polymers

Polymer foams are utilized in a range of applications such as absorption, mechanical cushioning, thermal and sound insulation, and medical devices. In comparison with amorphous polymer foams, foams of semicrystalline polymers are desirable in applications that require higher service temperatures and chemical resistance, but preparing foams of semicrystalline polymers is challenging due to their weak melt strength near processing temperatures. Blending of immiscible polymers has emerged as a convenient route to tune the viscoelastic and crystallization properties of polymers. Here we show that the in-situ generation of a fibrillar morphology during physical blending of immiscible polymers can broaden the foam processing window of semicrystalline polymers. These results formed the basis for a W.O. Patent. We anticipate that these results will help in the development of alternative polymer formulations and optimization of existing ones for the large-scale manufacture of semicrystalline polymer foams with unique properties for advanced applications. For example, novel superhydrophobic and oleophilic open-cell foams were obtained from polypropylene (PP) containing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibrillar dispersed phases in a fully scalable extrusion process. These open-cell foams are technologically promising for applications such as oil-spill cleanup, organic pollutant removal, and field water remediation.