VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Abelianisation of Logarithmic Connections
Keywords: abelianisation
algebraic geometry
connection
differential equation
D-modules
WKB

This thesis studies an equivalence between meromorphic connections of higher rank and abelian connections. Given a complex curve X and a spectral cover π: Σ → X, we construct a functor πab : ConnX → ConnΣ, called the abelianisation functor, from some category of connections on X with logarithmic singularities to some category of abelian connections on Σ, and we prove that πab is an equivalence of categories. At the level of the corresponding moduli spaces MX, M Σ, which are known to be holomorphic symplectic varieties, this equivalence recovers a symplectomorphism constructed by Gaiotto, Moore, Neitzke in their work on Spectral Networks (2013). Moreover, the moduli space MΣ is a torsor for an algebraic torus, so in fact π ab provides a Darboux coordinate system on MX, known as the Fock-Goncharov coordinates constructed in their work on higher Teichmüller theory (2006). To prove that πab is an equivalence of categories, we introduce a new concept called the Voros class. It is a canonical cohomology class in H1 of the base X with values in the nonabelian sheaf Aut(π*) of groups of natural automorphisms of the direct image functor π*. Any 1-cocycle v representing the Voros class defines a new functor ConnΣ → ConnX by locally deforming the pushforward functor π *; the result is an explicit inverse equivalence to πab, called a deabelianisation functor. We generalise the abelianisation equivalence to the case of quantum connections: these are ħ-families of meromorphic connections restricted to a sectorial neighbourhood in ħ with prescribed asymptotic regularity. The Schrödinger equation is a quintessential example. The most important invariant of a quantum connection ∇ is the Higgs field ∇ (0) obtained by restricting ∇ to ħ = 0 (the so-called semiclassical limit). Then abelianisation may be viewed as a natural extension to an ħ-family of the spectral line bundle of ∇ (0). That is, we show that for a given quantum connection (ϵ, ∇), the line bundle ϵab obtained from ϵ by abelianisation π ab restricts at ħ = 0 to precisely the spectral line bundle of the Higgs field ∇(0). Finally, in this thesis we explore the relationship between abelianisation and the WKB method, which is an asymptotic approximation technique for solving differential equations developed by physicists in the 1920s and reformulated by Voros in 1983 using the theory of Borel resummation. We give an algebro-geometric formulation of the WKB method using vector bundle extensions and splittings. We then show that the output of the WKB analysis is precisely the data used to construct the abelianisation functor πab.
SYNTHESIS OF POLYFERROCENYLSILANE BLOCK COPOLYMERS AND THEIR CRYSTALLIZATION-DRIVEN SELF-ASSEMBLY IN PROTIC SOLVENTS
Keywords: crystallization-driven self-assembly
polyferrocenylsilane
stimuli-responsive
uniform nano-rods in water

Polyferrocenylsilane (PFS) di-block copolymers self-assemble in selective solvents to form rod-like micelles, driven be the crystallization of the PFS block in the core. One of the unique features of these rod-like micelles is that the length can be extended upon addition of an extra amount of PFS block copolymers in a good solvent for both blocks. This process, referred to as the living crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA), has been utilized to prepare near monodisperse rod-like micelles. To further investigate the potential bio-medication application of these rods, I set out to synthesize new PFS BCPs with water-soluble thermoresponsive corona to prepare uniform nano-rods in polar media, and study their solution behavior. The first part of my thesis describes the synthesis and living CDSA of poly(ferrocenyldimethylsilane-b-N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PFS-b-PNIPAM) by a Cu-catalyzed alkyne/azide coupling reaction to covalently combine the two homopolymers. In self-assembly studies, I found that the growth rate of the rod-like micelles in alcohol solvents decreased dramatically when the number of PNIPAM repeating units was increased. Varies attempts to transfer the micelles to water were accompanied by extensive fragmentation. I attributed the phenomenon to the cononsolvency of PNIPAM corona in alcohol/water mixture. The second part describes the preparation of a photocleavable PFS-hv-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) block copolymer bearing an o-nitrobenzyl ester (ONB) group at the junction. I investigated in detail the UV light-induced cleavage of the P2VP corona chains from the rod-like micelles by GPC, TEM and multiangle light scattering. The third part in the thesis describes the formation of rod-like co-micelles with segregated coronas via living CDSA of two mixed unimers of PFS-b-PNIPAM and PFS-hv-P2VP. By controlling the epitaxial growth rate of the two competing species, the morphology of the co-micelles could be varied from patchy to block co-micelles. The fourth part describes the synthesis and living CDSA of PFS-b-poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (PFS-b-POEGMA). I explored the self-assembly condition of this polymer in different alcohol media and found a methanol/ethanol mixture as selective solvent to prepare uniform nano-rods by living CDSA. These nano-rods stayed intact after transfer to water. The thermoresponsiveness of these uniform cylindrical brushes was investigated by multiangle light scattering.
Exploring Technology, Design and Dementia: Design approaches, considerations, and implications for an emerging field
Keywords: assistive technology
cognitive work analysis
dementia
design

The majority of people with dementia live at home. Consequently, they are, to varying degrees, users of home technologies. Yet we know very little about the design of these technologies for this population, including suitable design resources and approaches, analytical tools, and other key considerations. To gain a panoramic view of this topic, three perspectives were explored: developers, people with dementia (PwD), and their caregiving significant others (SO). The first group has never been studied; and the second, in this context, only more recently. In Study I, developers were surveyed on topics ranging from design resources to technology values. Developers could name no resources dedicated to technology design for people with dementia; and technical specialists were aware of few design frameworks to support their work. Values emphasised cost, learnability, self-confidence, and usability. Emotional variability was also cited as an important consideration as was empathy. In Study II, PwD stressed usability and learnability as important technology values. Participants also discussed their emotional responses connected to technology use, particularly their frustrations. In demonstrations of phones, almost all users experienced difficulties placing a call. In Study III, SOs valued usability, learnability and self-confidence most; and highlighted user diversity, familiarity, and emotional factors as other key considerations. Over the course of the project, design factors were identified and design implications, inferred. Some implications referred to human factors and others to systems design considerations. Furthermore, a systems analysis of PwD using phones was conducted to address the question of how to analyse a home technology system in this field. Other key findings include the diversity of PwD (e.g. age, comorbidities); the importance of emotion; and the value that users place on learnable, usable designs. Finally, empathy emerged as an important design approach, both as a way to address diversity and to access usersâ emotional lives.
USING MULTIMODAL IMAGING TO EXAMINE CLINICAL AND COGNITIVE CORRELATES OF MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Keywords: Alzheimerâ s disease
dementia
depression
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
mild cognitive impairment
Positron Emission Tomography

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may interact with depression to mediate the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Investigating the relationship between depression-related and AD-associated pathological changes such as beta-amyloid (Aβ), tau, and hippocampal volume loss may help to explain the mechanistic links between depression and the cognitive and functional impairment underlying AD. We employed different neuroimaging techniques, including positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging, to investigate several in-vivo markers of AD pathology, allowing us to examine their associations with clinical (e.g. symptoms of depression) and cognitive correlates of MCI and AD. The thesis covers five themes. The first theme seeks to explore the relationship between a lifetime history of depression and cortical Aβ burden using PET. The second theme investigates the association between late-life depressive symptoms and cortical Aβ, also using PET. The third theme examines hippocampal volume atrophy to observe how depressive symptoms and progressive hippocampal volume loss mediate the conversion process from MCI to dementia. The fourth theme focuses on the longitudinal and structural trajectories of MCI patients with suspected non-Alzheimer’ disease in order to examine how their pathological and cognitive profiles differ from other MCI groups. The final theme seeks to investigate the link between usage of the psychoactive agent benzodiazepine and cerebral Aβ levels using participants’ longitudinal cognitive profile and PET. Overall, a history of depression appears to be more strongly associated with increased Aβ burden than late-life depressive symptoms. However, late-life depression, in conjunction with hippocampal atrophy, may accelerate the conversion process to AD. Furthermore, this thesis emphasizes that Aβ level is not required to promote cognitive and functional deterioration; thus Aβ levels only partially explain mechanisms underlying AD pathogenesis. Lastly, this thesis elucidates the importance of early and preventative interventions to reduce the future incidence of AD.
FleXight: Flexible Information Channel for Software-Defined Networking
Keywords: FleXam
FleXight
Sampling
SDN

The idea of separating data-path from control, introduced by Software-Defined Networking (SDN), leads to a major opportunity to revolutionize computer networks. However, the control channel in OpenFlow, the de facto SDN standard in industry and academia, becomes a bottleneck that limits the controller's access to adequate information for complex tasks. Previous attempts to solve this problem either implement such tasks in the data-path or move the controller closer to the switch. In this thesis, we propose a new approach: a flexible information channel for SDN named FleXight that is based on adaptive per-flow sampling. FleXight enables the controller to dynamically balance between the overhead of information collection and the level of detail. The core of FleXight is FleXam, our proposed per-flow sampling extension for OpenFlow that allows the controller to define which packets should be sampled, what parts of the sampled packets should be sent, and where they should be sent to. FleXam can be implemented in data-path with minimal modifications, operate at line rate with minimal overhead, and be used for creating a wide array of applications. We present two case studies of how FleXam can be used to implement network applications: elephant flow detection, and port scan detection. Naive sampling can have unacceptably high overhead. Through theoretical modeling and experimental analysis of real-world network traces, we develop multiple techniques to reduce and control the overhead of sampling in FleXight: dynamically reducing the sample rate of flows as they grow (flow triage), predicting flow completion (expedited eviction), and delaying rule installation for new flows (flow incubation). We present a detailed analysis of how each technique can reduce the overhead, and its effect on the accuracy of the collected information (e.g., flow description, size, and duration). We also present a software-defined firewall platform for home users. It is a showcase of how FleXight enables us to implement complex systems as controller applications (a task that is difficult, if not impossible, with previous solutions) with low overhead and high accuracy. For example, it can detect all horizontal port scanners and identify compromised hosts almost perfectly with only 0.75% network overhead.
Investigations into the Structural Validity and Divergent Domain Scoring Methods of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5)
Keywords: Alternative Model of Personality Disorders
construct validity
factor analysis
network analysis
Personality Inventory for DSM-5
psychometrics

The Alternate Model of Personality Disorders in the DSM-5 Section III Emerging Models and Measures presents a new model of personality pathology (DSM-5 trait model). Several different methods of measurement exist to assess these personality constructs, most prominently the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), of which there are self-report, informant-report, and two abbreviated self-report forms. This model has received extensive empirical attention. At present, however, the PID-5 has questionable structural validity, largely due to interstitial lower-order facets that relate to more than one domain. Further, there is inconsistent domain scoring across studies. Consequently, researchers are conceptualizing the PID-5 higher-order domains in different ways and scoring these domains differentially, which could influence the comparability of research findings and clinical utility of the DSM-5 trait model. The current research aims to address these issues through two studies that employ large clinical (N = 388) and undergraduate (N = 492) samples. In Study 1, the results from a network analytic approach were compared to existing factor analytic results of PID-5 lower-order structure, in efforts to clarify the optimal primary domain of interstitial facets. The combined network and factor analytic results supported the model modification of three facets to a different primary domain based on the PID-5 structure introduced by Krueger and colleagues (2012). The differences in results produced by several PID-5 domain scoring methods and two forms of the PID-5 were compared in Study 2. The findings supported instances in which a substantial difference in results occurred because of different domain scoring methods or PID-5 forms. This research contributes to ongoing efforts to validate the DSM-5 trait model and PID-5 instruments, raises awareness that these discrepancies regarding model structure exist, and offers future directions that could assist in improving inconsistent structure and communication between researchers, clinicians, and institutions utilizing the model.
Spatial Skills Activities in the Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Toolkit: The Impact of Spatial Skill Activities on Mathematical Thinking
Keywords: Mathematical Reasoning
Spatial Skill
STEM fields

This study investigated the impact of the incorporation of spatial skill activities into their pedagogical repertoire by middle school mathematics teachers on the mathematical reasoning of their students. Current research suggests that success in spatial reasoning is a strong predictor of success in STEM fields, and is known to be strong in successful mathematicians (Newcombe, 2013; Tepylo Moss, 2013; Uttal et al., 2012). In this study, teachers replaced starter activities three or more times per week with hands-on spatial skill problems that required mental rotation and spatial visualization to solve. While there have been many studies linking spatial skill to success in mathematics, there are few studies that attempt to establish a relationship through intervention in a middle school classroom. Findings suggest that incorporating spatial skill activities into mathematics lessons had a positive impact on both the teachersâ reflective practice and the studentsâ learning skills. While there was some improvement in mathematical reasoning, it was not possible to definitively attribute this to the spatial skill activities.
The Privatization Imperative: Women Negotiating Healthcare in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Keywords: critical qualitative methodologies
global health
healthcare access
healthcare privatization
Sri Lanka
Third World Marxist feminist approaches

Since the 1980s, poorer countries have shifted health reform efforts from strengthening public systems to increasing the private sector’s role in healthcare provision. Empirical research on healthcare access focuses on quantifying out-of-pocket payments or service utilization, making invisible both user experiences and how the dynamics of public and private provision are contingent on place and social relations. Historically a model for poorer countries, Sri Lanka’s public healthcare system is seeing steady privatization following decades of insufficient state investment alongside incentivized private expansion. However, little is known about what this restructuring means for healthcare access in Sri Lanka. I employed a Third World Marxist feminist qualitative methodology to explore how the presence of private healthcare shapes access for women in Kandy, Sri Lanka. I asked: Where do women go for healthcare? What are their impressions of the health services they use? How do they navigate public and private systems? And how are these questions shaped by social location? Using focus groups, interviews, meetings, and a short survey, I gathered data from 40 residents of Udawatta Division. My analysis linked macrostructures and processes of healthcare restructuring with women’s everyday experiences of utilizing healthcare. Economic exclusion and quality concerns limited the range of private healthcare ‘choices’ available to users. Almost all women mixed public and private services, with these hybrid arrangements differing by social location. Economically disadvantaged users were compelled to consume private healthcare owing to service deficits in the public system. Middle-class women mostly used private outpatient services, and exploited ‘dual practice’ to access more responsive public inpatient care. Socially disadvantaged women, particularly ethnic minorities, relied on the same pathway to avoid neglect and/or abuse within the public system. The state’s ‘withdrawal’ from healthcare provision, and its incentives for private expansion, has wide-ranging implications for users in Kandy. As women struggle to address service gaps in the public sector, hybrid arrangements stratify services along class and ethnic lines, creating opportunities for private accumulation. My findings interrogate the direction of Sri Lanka’s health reform and call into question global health advocacy for ‘mixed health systems’ as a path to achieving ‘Universal Health Coverage.’
Financial Safety Nets in Emerging Market Economies
Keywords: Central Banking
Club Goods
Emerging Market Economies
Financial Crises
Financial Safety Nets
International Political Economy

Why have financial safety nets in emerging market economies expanded dramatically in recent years? This dissertation argues that emerging market economies have increasingly turned to domestic financial safety nets as the politically viable solution to the puzzle of how to combine international financial integration and domestic credit growth with domestic financial stability. Yet the widespread proliferation of state-level financial safety nets was not an inevitable outcome, but a common response by emerging market economies to the general unwillingness of the large financial powers to provide robust international equivalents. Indeed, despite the many emerging market financial crises in the post-Bretton Woods era, international financial safety nets remained weak, or, at best, supplied as global club goods. Yet despite this common motivation and the widespread expansion in financial safety nets, there is significant variation in their size and scope across countries and across time. Three explanatory variables stand out in this regard. First, the geopolitical closeness and relative degree of financial integration with the United States sets the parameters regarding a state's relative access to an international financial safety net. A formal model and anecdotal case study evidence suggests that, all else equal, states with greater access to an international financial safety net face fewer incentives to provision an equivalent domestic financial safety net. Second, the relative degree and pace of democratization, as well as the desire for governments to legitimate their rule via high rates of private credit growth, has pushed governments to supply more expansive financial safety nets. Third, the degree of independence the agent in control of the financial safety net has from political authority has tended to boost financial safety nets. This effect was found to be operative with respect to independent central banks and resolution authorities operating with formal independence (Turkey) or with few effective political constraints (Mexico).
Governing the Lives of Immigrants: A Foucauldian Perspective on Tuberculosis Immigration Medical Surveillance in Canada
Keywords: immigrant health
medical surveillance
poststructuralism
qualitative research
social determinants of health
tuberculosis

This dissertation critically examines the experiences of new Canadian immigrants and immigration applicants undergoing immigration TB health screening and surveillance, and focuses on the social effects of this process on the health and wellbeing of newcomers. Using Foucault’s theoretical framework of governmentality, this study seeks to understand how various knowledges about health and the immigrant body are (re)produced through the articulation of immigration, public health, and biomedical discourses, and how these regimes of knowledge and power constitute social relations and structure the daily reality of newcomers to Canada. The first purpose of this study was to document the ways in which ‘medicalization’ of the immigration process shaped the migratory journeys (i.e. constrained and enabled possibilities for action) of immigration applicants. The second objective was to understand how these overlapping discourses created rationalities of governance to construct and regulate immigrant subjects, and to what effect. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews (15) with newcomers undergoing immigration TB screening and surveillance, observations of immigration TB clinic appointments (14), and observations of the TB clinic itself. The data were analyzed to determine how newcomers navigated the immigration and settlement, and immigration medical surveillance (IMS) processes, and how they negotiated power during interpersonal encounters with authorities and experts, particularly at the site of the TB clinic. The tensions arising from competing discourses and logics were found to have multiple negative effects: they create structural barriers to obtaining immigration status causing physical, psychological and emotional suffering for applicants; they produce conflicting and perceivably irreconcilable subjectivities for applicants (the ‘desirable’ immigrant vs. the ‘good’ TB patient); and they unwittingly implicate TB health care providers into the mechanism of immigration surveillance as state authorities, corroding the doctor-patient relationship and undermining their ability to provide adequate medical care to newcomers. I argue that an overemphasis on biomedical approaches to treating TB among newcomers in the name of biosecuritization does little for actually controlling TB in Canada. Instead, this study reveals the need to incorporate a social determinants of health approach, particularly one that acknowledged the immigration and settlement process itself as a determinant of TB and immigrant health.