VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Behind the Greens: Understanding Golf Course Landscapes in Canada, 1873-1945
Keywords: Culture
Environment
Golf
History
Landscape
Nature

Between 1873 and 1945, the golf course emerged as a distinct landscape category in Canada. During this transformative period of golf development, the course, as a landscape, revealed particular human and human/non-human interactions. To explore these associations, the term `golfscape' signals the course's literal and ideological construction as simultaneously a playing field and manifestation of nature. Gendered sport identities existed within these golfscapes and reinforced class-based and racialized relationships as well as Anglo-Canadian and Canadian/American connections. Traditional British golfing canon collided with the cultural and environmental realities of Canada to create a unique social and physical space. An examination of private, public, and resort course locations across the country illustrates how clubs positioned and promoted their playing fields within an urbanizing and diversifying country. For example, golfscape game and aesthetic features prompted private and public interests to integrate golf into nature tourism within Canada's national parks during this time. Clubs, however, were held to certain appearance and playability standards, whether in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains or in the rural-urban fringe that fueled product experimentation and creation. Trends towards professionalism and expertise as well as recognition of the diversity of the country's climates and geographies created room for golf architects and agricultural scientists to position themselves as authorities with the power to experiment and disseminate knowledge and practices to the wider culture. Consequently, a North American-focused golf industry touted their products as scientifically tested and catered to local needs. An analysis of golfscape development, therefore, not only promotes a deeper understanding of the connections among culture, environments, and technology but also contributes a different vantage point from which to study the intersecting forces that shaped life in Canada during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Debating Iranians: The Discursive Practice of Munazirah and the Making of Modern Iran
Keywords: constitutional revolution
dialogism
Iranian modernity
modern Iranian history
modern Iranian literature
munazirah

Iranian modernity has chiefly been examined in the context of a dialectical antagonism between "traditionalists" and "modernists." Following this binaristic approach, early demands for reform within the country have often been (de)historicized as a theatre of national "awakening" resulting from the toils of secular intellectuals in overcoming the resistance of traditional reactionaries, a confrontation between two purportedly well-defined and mutually-exclusive camps. Such reductionist dialectics has generally overwritten the dialogic narrative of Iranian modernity, a conflicted dialogue misrepresented as a conflicting dialectic. Historical evidence suggests that in fact the heated debate over the definition of being modern and the limits of modernization was often conducted on the universally acknowledged premise of the simultaneity and commensurability of Islam with modern civilization. This defining feature of Iranian modernity has been silenced in scholarship that views modernity as the dialectic, and diametric, opposition of the old and the new. The genre that recorded the dialogue of rival discourses, the munazirah (debate or disputation), draws on a long-standing tradition in classical and religious literature. However, in the modern era the munazirah gradually transformed from a polemic between the mentor and the disciple, the wise and the haughty, to a debate between competing discourses which engaged in opposing, informing, appropriating, and complementing each other. Beyond its narrative manifestation in the form of treatises, the discursive practice of the munazirah was also present in social practices, official policies, intellectual endeavours, and cultural expressions. In each of these articulations, rival discourses had to vie for legitimacy, often with the shared but ambiguous sentiment that there is no fundamental difference between east-Islam and west-civilization. The binaries so central to the contemporary studies of modern Iranian history disintegrate into overlapping hybrids when put in historical perspective. The munazirah is the account of modern Iranian histories.
Characterization of the Gumby Protein, the First Linear Ubiquitin Specific Deubiquitinating Enzyme with Roles in Modulating Wnt Signalling and Angiogenesis
Keywords: Angiogenesis
Forward genetics
LUBAC
OTULIN
Ubiquitin
Wnt Signalling

In a forward genetic screen, our lab identified the recessive gumby point mutation, which caused facial nerve and vascular patterning defects, and mid-gestational lethality. We have mapped the causative mutation to a single point mutation in the uncharacterized gene Fam105b, which is now referred to as Gumby or OTULIN. This mutation converts a conserved tryptophan residue at position 96 to an arginine. To complement phenotypic analysis of Gumby mouse mutants being conducted in our lab, I chose to evaluate the molecular roles of Gumby as the subject of my thesis work. In collaboration with Dr. Anne-Claude Gingras' lab, I have identified Gumby-interacting proteins by affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry. One of these protein interactors, HOIP (also known as RNF31) was of particular interest as it is the catalytic subunit of the linear ubiquitin assembly complex (LUBAC), which generates atypical ubiquitin polymers through the starting methionine opposed to internal lysine residues. We have since discovered that Gumby interacts with HOIP via its N-terminal and that Gumby is the first linear specific deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB). We showed that the antagonistic regulation of ubiquitin chains is important for the regulation of TNF/NF-κB and canonical Wnt signalling and that canonical Wnt signaling is reduced in GumbyW96R/W96R embryos. I have also obtained preliminary data indicates a role for Gumby in the regulation of the non-canonical Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, suggesting that components of the PCP pathway may also be regulated by linear ubiquitination by the opposing activity of LUBAC and Gumby. Precise modulation of these pathways is important for embryonic development and the understanding of Gumby function, including substrate protein identification, may help to further our understanding of embryonic development and diseases in which the patterning of the neuronal and vascular systems are disrupted.
Motor Aspects of the Emergence of Oral Gestures for Speech: A Dynamic Approach
Keywords: articulatory
babbling
imitation
infants
phonology
speech development

Emergence approaches to speech acquisition consider speech development as a dynamic process in which the body's actions play a crucial role in the acquisition of phonological knowledge. This assumption is rooted in the hypothesis that the phylogenetic origin of speech lies in oral behaviors for feeding (e.g., smacking, chewing, and sucking). This dissertation investigates motor aspects of emergent speech from a dynamic systems approach in real-time, developmental time and across motor systems. Specifically, it examines contrasting predictions from Articulatory Phonology and Frame-then-Content theory regarding articulator control in early babbling. Infants aged 6 and 8 months were presented with an audiovisual presentation of an adult model producing lip smacks and tongue smacks. The 8-month-old infants exhibited more lip gestures than tongue gestures following adult lip smacks and more tongue gestures than lip gestures following adult tongue-tip smacks. This finding implies that 8-month-old infants are capable of producing goal-directed oral gestures by matching the articulatory organ of an adult model, which is consistent with predictions from Articulatory Phonology. The 6-month-old infants provided no evidence of significant differential responding. Instead, they showed bouts of complex oral movements involving lips and tongue, which resembled ingestive behaviors. This developmental pattern seems homologous with the development of lip smacking in monkeys, supporting the contention that speech developed from rhythmic facial expressions in phylogeny. Besides oral responses, the infants also showed manual responses to the oral gesture presentations. Compared to a baseline condition, infants increased their rate of rhythmic oral and manual (hand and arm) movements during the presentation of rhythmic oral gestures, with older infants exhibiting a higher rate of rhythmic movement events than younger infants. The findings strengthen claims of linkage between the motor systems underlying rhythmic oral and manual behavior in infancy. Overall, the results contribute to the advancement of theory on speech production and offer new directions for the investigation of precursors of speech.
The Relationship of Alcohol Dependence to Monoamine Oxidase A
Keywords: alcohol dependence
monoamine oxidase A

Background: Alcohol dependence (AD) is a substance abuse disorder characterized by compulsive alcohol seeking and intake, combined with a negative emotional state during withdrawal. AD is also associated with markers of apoptosis and/or oxidative stress across multiple organs. Monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) is an important enzyme that participates in the cellular response to oxidative stress, and is elevated during major depressive episodes, somewhat more robustly in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). It is unknown whether MAO-A levels are abnormal in AD. The current studies examine whether: i) MAO-A level is elevated in the PFC and ACC in AD in humans. ii) Chronic harman exposure, a MAO-A inhibitor found in alcoholic beverages, upregulates MAO-A in the PFC and ACC of rodents. iii) Chronic alcohol exposure upregulates MAO-A in the PFC and ACC of rodents. Methods: i) Sixteen participants with AD underwent [11C]-harmine positron emission tomography to determine MAO-A distribution volume (VT), an index of MAO-A level. ii) Rats were treated with harman for 21 days (0, 2, 5, 15 mg/kg/day) via osmotic minipump. MAO-A protein and activity levels, measured with Western blot and a spectrophotometric assay respectively, were assessed immediately and after 8-hour withdrawal. iii) Rats were exposed to alcohol vapor for 8 weeks, 17 hours per day. MAO-A protein/activity levels were assessed immediately and after 24-hour, 4-day, and 21-day withdrawal. Results: i) MAO-A VT was significantly greater in all brain regions analyzed in AD. ii) MAO-A protein/activity levels were not altered by harman administration. iii) MAO-A protein/activity levels were elevated in the PFC and ACC after 24-hour withdrawal from alcohol exposure. There were no changes at any other timepoints. Conclusion: These findings identify elevated MAO-A level as a new pathological marker present in AD that is therapeutically targetable through direct inhibition. MAO-A protein/activity levels were not changed by harman administration, suggesting chronic MAO-A inhibition does not alter MAO-A level. The human PET findings, measured in early withdrawal from alcohol dependence, were replicated in the rodent model of chronic alcohol exposure in the PFC and ACC, suggesting that alcohol exposure likely led to elevated MAO-A in AD.
In Principio: The Origins of the Glossa ordinaria on Genesis 1-3
Keywords: Biblical exegesis
Genesis
Glossa ordinaria
Hexameron
Medieval theology
prescholastic

This thesis traces the twelfth-century origins and development of the Glossa ordinaria on Genesis from the evidence of sixteen early manuscripts, focusing on the creation narrative (Genesis 1-3). The Glossa ordinaria on the Bible, a product of the twelfth-century School of Laon, was one of the most influential texts of the High Middle Ages. The Glossa on the creation narrative compiled excerpts from Genesis commentaries and Hexameral literature, explaining the scriptural basis for doctrines such as the creation of the world ex nihilo and Original Sin, and exploring the relationship between the Genesis account, Plato's Timaeus, and Aristotelian natural philosophy. The first chapter observes the manuscripts for themselves: it describes their physical characteristics and argues that the textual development of the Glossa ordinaria on Genesis depended upon mid-twelfth-century innovations in formatting and layout. The second and third chapters study the history of the two distinct versions of the text. The second chapter compares the earlier version--the Glossa primitiva-- to an anonymous Genesis commentary found in London, Lambeth Palace Library, 349, and argues that the two commentaries are built on a shared source, likely a lecture aid used in a classroom. The third chapter studies the relationship between the Glossa primitiva and the later Glossa ordinaria, arguing that they represent two stages in a process by which classroom notes were transformed into an encyclopedic reference. The fourth chapter focuses on the content of the texts: it looks at the exegetical principles and theological questions treated in the Glossa ordinaria to show that its compilers read the creation account with a hermeneutic that challenges a simplistic division between literal and allegorical readings. It concludes by observing that this, combined with the narrative structure of the gloss format, gave twelfth-century exegetes more scope for cosmological inquiry than did other contemporary genres, such as sentence collections. The thesis is supported by two appendices: one containing manuscript descriptions, the second a transcription of the Glossa ordinaria on Genesis 1-3.
Characterization and Modeling of C19MC Amplified/LIN28 Immunopositive Pediatric CNS Primitive Neuroectodermal Brain Tumours
Keywords: Brain Tumour
C19MC
CNS-PNET
LIN28

Malignant brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in children, and represent a poorly characterized, genetically diverse class of tumours for which diagnosis relies primarily on morphologic features. Central nervous system-primitive neuroectodermal tumours (CNS-PNET), which are histologically very similar to medulloblastoma (MB), clinically present as considerably more aggressive tumours that respond poorly to conventional treatment. Amplification of the oncogenic C19MC miRNA cluster and LIN28 over-expression have been linked to a highly aggressive subgroup of CNS-PNETs arising in very young children. This subgroup, called Group 1 CNS-PNETs, is also associated with a variant Embryonal Tumour with Abundant Neuropil and True Rosettes (ETANTR) histology and a primitive neural gene signature. In this study, we set out to characterize the specificity of C19MC and LIN28 as diagnostic markers, as well as examine clinical and pathological properties of Group 1 CNS-PNETs. We examined prevalence of these markers in 450 malignant pediatric brain tumours, finding that C19MC amplification was restricted to a subgroup of CNS-PNETs, whereas LIN28 immunopositivity was identified in a range of tumour types, most frequently in ATRT and high-grade gliomas. Importantly, we identified these markers in CNS-PNETs with a range of histologic groups, including ETANTR, medulloepithelioma, ependymoblastoma, and CNS-PNET with or without divergent/ependymal differentiation. Gene expression and methylation profiles distinctly segregated these tumours from other CNS-PNETs, regardless of location of CNS origin or histology, indicating these tumours represent a distinct molecular and diagnostic entity. Furthermore, we established the only cell lines of C19MC amplified/LIN28+ CNS-PNETs, which we then used to identify and validate novel targeted therapeutics for these tumours, including inhibitors of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. Additionally, the in vitro and in vivo transforming activity of C19MC microRNAs remain poorly understood, and there are currently no murine models of CNS-PNETs. We therefore examined transforming properties of the 5 most highly expressed C19MC miRNAs and examined their in vivo tumourigenic potential using the RCAS-Nestin-tv/a system of post-natal transgenesis in an attempt to make a murine model of this aggressive disease.
Regulation of Anti-viral Immunity by Dendritic Cells and Natural Killer Cells
Keywords: 4-1BB
CD137
dendritic cells
LCMV
natural killer cells
splenic atrophy

4-1BB and its ligand, 4-1BBL, are costimulatory members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)/TNF family. The 4-1BB/4-1BBL pathway has been shown to potently enhance T cell responses in models of viral infection and cancer, thereby identifying this pathway as a target for immunotherapy. In addition to T cells, 4-1BB is expressed on dendritic cells (DCs), which also express 4-1BBL. The precise nature of 4-1BB/4-1BBL expression on DCs is not known and the endogenous function of 4-1BB/4-1BBL on this cell type has remained largely elusive. Here, I show that LPS-activated bone marrow-derived DCs express both 4-1BB and 4-1BBL, and that these molecules constitutively interact on DCs. Survival, upregulation of key costimulatory molecules, cytokine/chemokine production, antigen presentation, and the ability of DCs to generate primary influenza-specific CD8 T cell responses were normal in the absence of 4-1BB and/or 4-1BBL on DCs. Thus, the biological implications of 4-1BB/4-1BBL interactions on DCs remain to be elucidated. It was previously demonstrated in the Watts lab that the 4-1BB pathway on T cells becomes desensitized during persistent infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) clone 13 through loss of the signaling adapter TRAF1. In the course of these studies, it was found that 2 months following LCMV clone 13 infection, a time point at which virus is largely cleared from the spleen and other organs, C57BL/6 mice showed dramatic splenic atrophy. Here, I show that this atrophy persists for up to 10 months following initial infection and that it does not occur with the acutely infecting strain, LCMV Armstrong. I go on to show that splenic atrophy is mediated in part by natural killer (NK) cells, and implicate NKG2D-MULT1 interactions as contributing to late-stage B cell depletion. Compared to isotype control antibody treatment, type I interferon receptor 1 (IFNAR1) blocking antibody treatment at the onset of splenic atrophy increased the proportion of NK cells in the spleen, and was correlated with exacerbated splenic atrophy. Lastly, splenic atrophy following LCMV clone 13 infection was associated with delayed clearance of a bacterial pathogen. These findings implicate NK cells in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying splenic atrophy following viral infection.
Women and Reproduction: An Exploration of Factors Affecting Folate Status and Other Select Micronutrients Involved in One Carbon Metabolism
Keywords: folate
folic acid supplementation
micronutrients
one-carbon metabolism
reproduction
women

Optimal function of one carbon (1-C) metabolism is necessary during reproduction as it supplies 1-C units for purposes of synthesis or methylation of nucleic or amino acids. Maintaining nutrient status of the methyl vitamins folate, choline, vitamins B6 and B12 is crucial to prevent the nutrient imbalances linked to increased risk of neural tube (NTD) and other birth defects. There is little understanding of whether or not pregnancy and folic acid (FA) supplementation influence 1-C metabolism--for example shunting toward DNA synthesis in pregnancy. Using red blood cell forms as a mechanism to evaluate partitioning of folate early in erythropoiesis we examined the RBC folate forms in pregnant women consuming 1 mg of FA and non-pregnant women consuming 0, 1 and 5 mg supplemental FA (n=26). We found that neither pregnancy nor level of FA altered the relative distributions of the folate in RBC indicating no preferment for DNA synthesis. We then investigated if a comprehensive list of socio-demographic and lifestyle factors would improve our ability to predict if a woman was more likely to have RBC folate concentrations associated with NTD protection in women of childbearing years (WCBY), thereby removing the necessity for a blood sample (n=101). We found that a FA supplement of 200 Âľg/d or a multivitamin consumed every other day, taking into account alcohol intake while controlling for ethnicity, can effectively discriminate RBC folate concentrations associated with NTD protection 73% of the time. Lastly, since the majority of women do not use multivitamins regularly, we systematically investigated the specific foods that contribute to dietary folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and choline intakes of WCBY using nationally representative data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2.2 (n=4308). We found heavy reliance on FA fortified foods for folate intake and animal products (37- 94%) for B6, choline and B12 intakes. The mean daily choline intake in WCBY was 238 mg with ~99 % of WCBY having intakes below Adequate Intakes. Our investigation suggests that status of the methyl nutrients is sensitive to a number of factors influencing 1-C metabolism.
Listening to the Fur Trade: Sound, Music, and Dance in Northern North America 1760-1840
Keywords: Dance
Encounters
Fur Trade
History
Music
Sensory

The fur trade in northern North America during the period of 1760-1840 introduced both Europeans and First Nations peoples to new sounds, musical forms, and dances. Permeating nearly every aspect of the fur trade's operation, from travel and transportation, cross-cultural encounters, establishing and strengthening relationships, exchanging material goods, and celebrating holidays and special occasions, a distinct soundscape and musical culture developed. First alerted to the presence of Europeans by the sounds of gunpowder, customs of saluting and signaling by firing weaponry were soon adopted and adapted by First Nations peoples in their activities and interactions with fur traders. The colonial warfare that characterized the Great Lakes for much of this period introduced military instruments such as drums, bugles, and bagpipes to the trading posts, which gradually shed their disciplinary associations and were employed instead in fur trade rituals and recreational activities. While music and dance served as a pastime for the gentlemen and servants of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and North West Company (NWC), it operated most crucially in engagements with First Nations peoples on whom they relied for their profits and livelihood. Fur traders had to navigate dances associated with the calumet pipe and war, which functioned to establish and strengthen trading relationships. Fur traders were agents of change as well as early ethnographers who described First Nations' musical traditions. They observed similarities and differences between various nations' musical traditions, while also recording instances of cultural and material adaptation. Significant locations along the trading routes elicited ritualized responses, layering meanings onto the landscape with sounds, stories, and songs. Singing regulated paddling, pushing its pace and duration while also providing a creative outlet for the expression of sensory desires. A vibrant instrumental dance music culture developed in and around the trading posts especially before the amalgamation of the HBC and NWC in 1821. After this date dances became increasingly restricted due to concerns over profitability and morality. Yet the fur trade gestated hybridized fiddle and dance styles that left a lasting legacy especially in First Nations and MĂŠtis communities.