VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Evolution of Rock Discontinuity Asperity Degradation and Void Space Morphology under Direct Shear
Keywords: Asperity damage
Direct shear test
Discontinuity
FEM-DEM
Fracture aperture
Micro-CT

Rock mass discontinuities represent planes of relative weakness and enhanced hydraulic conductivity and, thus, have a substantial influence on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of the overall rock mass. While the shearing of rock mass discontinuities has been extensively studied in the past, there remains uncertainty surrounding the mechanisms by which surface asperities deform and degrade during shear and how this degradation influences the aperture distribution. Although prior studies have attempted to investigate asperity failure mechanisms, they have been hampered by the lack of appropriate visualization and modelling tools. In particular, until recently it was not possible to observe asperity damage without physically separating the joint specimen or explicitly modelling the development of damage during a direct shear test.In the last decade, X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) has emerged as an ideal tool to nondestructively characterize fractures and damage in geomaterials. Over this same period, hybrid continuum/discontiuum modelling techniques, capable of explicitly modelling fracture and fragmentation have been developed and applied to rock mechanics problems. However, to date, there has been limited application of these technologies to the study of rock discontinuities subjected to shearing. The overall goal set forth in this thesis was to combine the use of these two technologies to develop an improved understanding and confirm empirical assumptions regarding the evolution of asperity degradation and fracture geometry as a result of shearing.The adopted experimental approach involved creating a series of replicated discontinuity specimens that were then subjected to varying shear displacements under different normal loading conditions. Subsequently, micro-CT imagery of the specimens was acquired and an image processing and analysis procedure was developed to quantitatively evaluate changes in asperity damage and fracture geometry as a function of shear displacement and applied normal load.Through the use of hybrid Finite-Discrete element (FEM-DEM) modelling, the experimentally observed shearing process was then recreated numerically to glean further insight into the shearing process and the different mechanisms involved. To do so, a new calibration procedure was first developed to systematically establish suitable input parameters. Lastly, the application of FEM-DEM to problems involving larger-scale discontinuity shearing, where physical testing would be difficult or unfeasible, was investigated.
Creating Culture Change: A Study Of How Evidence Is Moved Into Practice For Implementation Of A Public Policy Initiative In Ontario
Keywords: institutional ethnography
knowledge work
multidisciplinary health teams
transfer and application

The Ontario government, in an effort to close the gap between what we know (scientific inquiry) and what we do (public policy and practice) has, since 2009, supported implementation of the enhanced 18-month well-baby visit (18-month EWBV), in primary care practices throughout the province. Informed by the evidence, the 18-month EWBV represents innovation, an opportunity to expand the current, universal, 18-month check-up to a provision of care that supports standardized assessment at 18 months of age for each child in Ontario.This thesis begins in the author's experience, as a Program Consultant (Nursing), whose work it is to coordinate the development and implementation of provincial child development programs. As seen through the case of the 18-month EWBV, the study and its research are about knowledge work. Defined as a process that sees the creation of new knowledge during the transfer of knowledge in the context of the application of knowledge to clinical decision-making (Quinlan, 2009), the study is one of empirical inquiry. Understood that knowledge alone is insufficient to change practice, the study takes seriously the social and organizational processes of work and relations, often coordinated by documents (text) that shape the everyday experience of health professionals as they "invite or reject innovation" (Kontos Poland, 2009) that the 18-month EWBV represents.Using insights from institutional ethnography (IE) (D. Smith, 1987, 1999, 2005, 2006) as its method of inquiry, the study used experience as data and documents (text) as data. In its discovery, the study offers interview and document (text) analysis and maps knowledge work as those processes of work and relationship for the cause and effect of people's activities, made visible for how things happen as they do, in real life settings, for action that is coordinated, linked in relationship through documents (text), language, ways of speaking, and discourse, to organize experience (Turner, 2003, 2008; Webster, 2009).In its conclusion, the study moves beyond appreciation of knowledge translation (KT) as a set of individual processes and moves towards a new way of looking to understand and learn of the forces and processes of work and relation that shape change in the local context.
Optimizing Audit and Feedback to Improve Quality in Primary Care
Keywords: Audit and feedback
Implementation Science
Knowledge Translation
Mixed methods
Primary Care
Quality Improvement

One of the most consistent findings in health services research relates to gaps between ideal and actual care. Audit and feedback is frequently implemented to help providers identify these gaps and to subsequently improve quality of care, with widely varying results. The overall aim of this thesis was to examine how to optimize audit and feedback interventions provided to family physicians to more reliably result in professional behaviour change that will benefit patients. A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression was conducted to determine the effect of audit and feedback interventions on quality of care and to identify effect modifiers. The review included 140 trials and found that audit and feedback works best when the source is a supervisor or colleague, it is provided more than once, it is delivered in both verbal and written formats, and when it includes both explicit targets and an action plan. Based on the latter finding and applying principles from relevant behaviour change theories, a worksheet was developed to guide feedback recipients in setting appropriate goals and action plans in response to identified gaps in care. This worksheet was tested in a pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial including 53 family physicians from 14 practices across Ontario. All participating family physicians received feedback every six months regarding the proportion of patients with diabetes and/or heart disease receiving guideline-recommended care. Family physicians in the intervention group also received the worksheet appended to the feedback reports. After two years, no significant effects differences were found between the groups, in part because of poor uptake of the worksheet. An embedded qualitative evaluation examined the barriers and facilitators to improving quality of care for chronic disease management perceived by family physicians who received the feedback reports. Findings highlighted the importance of matching the targeted behaviour change(s) with the priorities and capabilities of recipients and their organizations.
Linguistic Ambiguities, the Transmissional Process, and the Earliest Recoverable Language of Buddhism
Keywords: Buddhadharma transmission
Indian Linguistic Area
Language that the Buddha spoke
Linguistic Diffusion in India
Middle Indic koine
lingua franca
South Asian Sprachbund

The Buddha's teachings have been handed down in different Middle Indic forms (Pāli and Gāndhārī), in Sanskritized Prakrit and in Sanskrit itself, and various non Indo-Aryan languages like Tibetan and Middle Chinese. Comparing corresponding passages in the surviving witnesses uncovers linguistic ambiguities which are phonologically cognate, but semantically unclear, pointing to an earlier, underlying linguistic form of which the witnesses are translations. Sanskritizations of earlier Prakrit transmissions are particularly revealing as they fix arbitrary meanings to a more malleable, polysemous underlying speech-form. This is describable as a simplified lingua franca or koine gangétique containing elements of all dialects, but eliminating the most obtrusive dialect differences; the result was a more homogenized communication medium which allowed for rapid dissemination of the Buddha's teachings across dialect boundaries in northern India. This lingua franca was probably derived from, or had affinities with, the existing language of trade, or the administrative language of government at the time. Whether the Buddha spoke this language or not is impossible to tell, but, if we assume that he spoke an eastern Middle Indic dialect like Māgadhī or Ardhamāgadhī, his teachings were translated into this koine by his disciples, either during his lifetime or shortly thereafter. By tracing tradents' interpretations of these malleable linguistic forms, we are able to reconstruct some of the lexemic content of the koine and resolve old ambiguities or at least clarify the nature of the transmissional process. Although we can not recover the actual words that the Buddha spoke, we can, in selected instances, get back to a point earlier than the existing witnesses have recorded, which represents the earliest recoverable language of Buddhism. The final section of this study investigates the diffusional effects of indigenous, non-Indo Aryan languages on the phonological, semantic and formal structure of the Buddha's teachings in Middle Indic.
The History of Social Movements in Somalia through the Eyes of Our Elders within a Diasporic Context
Keywords: anticolonial Theory
Community
Indigenous Knowledges
Social Movement
Somali Dhaqan
Somali Diaspora

This work brings an anticolonial Indigenous reading to the history of social movements in Somalia to highlight the different moments in which Somali peoples have mobilized around key issues to seek social-political transformation. The liberation movements inspired generations of Somalis by bringing to the forefront key Indigenous ideals that constitute what it means to be Somali during the fight for independence and mobilize the masses against colonial rule. They also ignited the social consciousness of the peoples and captured their imagination, enabling generations of Somalis to lay claim to their humanity. The idea of looking at such a history is to create spaces to re-think some of the values within the contemporary moment. Sixteen Somali Elders were interviewed to draw on their experiential lived cultural capital and to engage them in processes of knowledge production as they narrated histories of the past and articulated their visions for the future. The objective of this study is to address the following questions: 1) What can we learn from the history of social movements in Somalia, both at home and in the Diaspora?; 2) How do Elders conceptualize the history of social movements in Somalia in and through Somali dhaqan (ancestral way of life) worldviews?; 3) What does the articulation of Somali history from an African trajectory offer in terms of our anticolonial struggle?; and 4) What are the implications of broaching these stories in Diaspora communities? The Elders' narratives signified the centrality of Somali dhaqan philosophies as a cultural system for Somali peoples in making sense of the current political moment. This work is devoted to explaining the ways in which Somali dhaqan could be operationalized as a cultural index to make sense of our past and present while keeping a gaze on the future.
Dissecting the Role of the Stem Cell Niche in Driving Conversion Between Pluripotent States
Keywords: BMP-Smad1
EpiSC reversion
LIF-STAT3
Microenvironment
Niche engineering
Pluripotency

Pluripotency is defined as the ability to develop into all tissues of the adult organism. In vivo, pluripotency exists only transiently in early embryogenesis. Despite its transience, remarkably, the pluripotent state can be stably maintained in vitro. While originally thought to exist stably in one state, pluripotency has recently been demonstrated to exist in at least two states; states defined by their distinct transcriptional networks and the extrinsic signals that maintain these networks. These extrinsic cues are provided either exogenously or endogenously in an autocrine or paracrine manner by the local microenvironment, or niche, composed of a heterogenous population of neighbouring cells. One state of pluripotency represents an earlier stage in development (early-stage pluripotency) than the other (primed pluripotency). While the characteristics of and the transitions between the two states are becoming better defined, the specific role of the niche remains poorly understood. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and mouse epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) as models of early-stage and primed pluripotency, respectively, we demonstrate the influence of the stem cell niche in driving the reversion of EpiSCs.
A Thin Veil of Inclusion: Sexual and Gender MIinorities in Ontario Universities
Keywords: Campus Climate
Equity and Inclusive Policies
Higher Education
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Students
Staff
and Faculty
University

This thesis seeks to address the paucity of research about the experiences of sexual and gender minority students, staff, and faculty in Canadian university settings. It does so by exploring these groups' perceptions of institutional equity and inclusion policies, and by asking what bearing does campus climate have on learning and working outcomes. I administered an online survey to elicit responses to questions on how sexual and gender minority students, staff, and faculty in 21 public universities in Ontario experience the campus climate and understand the influence of equity and inclusion policy and discourses in these university settings. The conceptual framework to guide the analysis of 447 survey participants is drawn from Astin's (1993) input-environment-outcome model (I-E-O). The I-E-O model is an established conceptual model known for its usefulness in analyzing a range of variables that may contribute to comprehensive understanding of factors that influence the educational outcomes of students and employee experiences. A positive correlational relationship is demonstrated between the campus climate and student educational outcomes (intent to persist) and employee experiences (career consequences). The analysis indicate that sexual and gender minority students, staff, and faculty were three times more likely to seriously consider leaving their university when experiencing campus environments as uncomfortable/unaccepting, and twice as likely to consider doing so when experiencing harassment based on sexual identity, gender identity, and/or gender expression. In spite of Ontario universities having equity and inclusive policies in place for some time, the findings suggest a disjuncture for some in the stated commitments to inclusion. I argue that equity and inclusive policy regimes in Ontario universities function as a thin veil of inclusion for some LGBTQ people. Such "inclusive" frameworks may disguise the limitations of equity policies and discourses (Ahmed, 2007) and fail to address covert forms of homonegativity and transphobia in universities in Ontario. By making visible the perceptions and experiences of LGBTQ students, staff, and faculty, this study offers a contribution to the literature illuminating the complex and multifaceted spaces between policy frameworks, educational outcomes and employee experiences for sexual and gender minorities in universities.
Plato the Hedonist?
Keywords: Ancient
Ethics
Hedonism
Plato
Pleasure
Socrates

Most moral philosophers agree that a happy life involves pleasure in some way. Some go so far as to claim that pleasure alone is what makes a life happy or worthwhile. In either case, it seems that any complete account of a desirable life owes us an explanation as to what pleasure is. So, what is pleasure? As the history of moral philosophy attests, answering this question turns out to be surprisingly difficult. Although we all experience pleasures of various kinds, it is by no means clear that a unified account can cover all the things we take to be pleasant. This conceptual question about pleasure has clear implications for the distinct ethical question of pleasure's value. In short, if we don't know what pleasure is, then it isn't at all clear why we should value it.Plato appreciates this. Pleasure's place in the good life is one of Plato's enduring ethical concerns, and so it should come as no surprise that he also undertakes to develop a unified account of pleasure. My aim in this dissertation is to argue that Plato arrives at a definitive answer as to what pleasure is, and that this helps us to understand his considered view as to pleasure's role in the happy life. Specifically, Plato develops an account of pleasure as a species of intentional attitude, and that this supports a particular answer to the question of pleasure's value: while Plato is not a hedonist, he holds rather that pleasure reliably tracks the good, such that the life containing the most pleasure is in fact the happiest life, albeit not because it is the pleasantest life. So while Plato clearly takes the view that certain pleasures lead us astray, he also holds that the wise pursuit of pleasure reliably hits upon the best life.
The Epigenetic Regulation of Endothelial Cell-enriched genes in the Vascular Endothelium
Keywords: DNA methylation
epigenetics
gene expression
vascular endothelium

The mechanisms which control the gene expression profile of a particular cell type are critical for maintaining homeostasis and physiological processes. A role for epigenetic processes in the regulation of gene expression of an endothelial cell (EC)-enriched gene, namely endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), has been previously demonstrated. The extent to which epigenetic mechanisms, particularly proximal promoter DNA methylation, plays a role in regulating other EC-enriched genes is not well understood. To investigate whether proximal promoter DNA methylation was important for regulating the expression of EC-enriched genes, we utilized high-resolution sodium bisulfite genomic sequencing, pyrosequencing analysis and DNA immunoprecipitation to assess the methylation status of several EC-enriched gene promoters. We identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) at the majority of EC-enriched gene promoters in ECs versus non-ECs. Inhibition of DNA methyltransferase activity resulted in an induction in mRNA expression of EC genes in non-EC types, indicating the importance of proximal promoter DNA methylation in gene silencing. We further investigated the role of the newly rediscovered cytosine modified base, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC), in the vasculature. We developed a quantitative assay - high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry with multiple reaction monitoring (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS-MRM) - to measure both 5-methylcytosine (mC) and hmC in mouse tissues, during embryonic development and in the vasculature.
Dynamic Models and Methods in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
Keywords: Dynamic Methods
Dynamic Models
Seasonality
Structural Methodology
Structural Models

Dynamic structural models capture forward looking behavior on the part of economic agents. While these models can bring new insights, the computational cost of estimating these models can be prohibitive. In the three chapters of my dissertation, I use dynamic models to capture qualitative insights into the consumer packaged goods industry, while introducing methodological innovations that expand the range of problems where dynamic models can be estimated. In the first chapter, I seek to explain counter-cyclic pricing, the phenomenon where the price of seasonal goods increases in periods of high demand. I do this by modeling consumers who may purchase without search. Consumers are more likely to purchase without search in low demand periods, which decreases estimated price sensitivity. I test this explanation using a dynamic, structural inventory model where consumers make decisions on whether to search, which reveals price promotions. I estimate this model by developing a cyclic-successive approximation algorithm, which removes the computational burden of adding cyclic variables to the state space of any dynamic model.Several recent papers develop methods to identify discount factors in dynamic models. However, in some cases, the estimation of discount factors is a computational challenge. The nested pseudo likelihood method of Agguiregabiria and Mira (2007) allows the value function to be calculated without costly contraction mapping evaluations. However, when the discount factor is being estimated, this computational efficiency is lost. In the second chapter of my dissertation, I restore this computational efficiency through an application of the eigendecomposition.The third chapter is a joint work with Ron Borkovsky, Avi Goldfarb, and Sridhar Moorthy, in which we capture the inherently dynamic nature of brand value. Firms invest in brand equity through advertising, and the value of this equity will depend on the expected decisions of rival firms. Measuring brand value then requires one to account for the current state of the market, and the evolution of the market in the future. We apply our approach by estimating brand values in the stacked potato chips industry by adapting the Pakes-McGuire quality ladder to allow firms to have a stochastic advertising decision.