VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Slam as Methodology: Theory, Performance, Practice

This thesis study theorizes slam as a research methodology in order to examine issues of access and representation in arts-based educational research (ABER). I explain how I understand and materialize slam as a research methodology that borrows concepts and frameworks from other methodologies such as, ABER, participatory action research (PAR) and theoretical underpinnings of indigenous theory, feminist theory and anti-oppressive research. I argue that ABER and slam, as a particular form of ABER, needs to `unart' each other to avoid trying to situate slam within the Western canon of `high arts'. I apply PAR methodology to discuss participant involvement in the research process and use anti-oppressive research to speak about power and race in slam. Finally, I argue that a slam research methodology has the ability to enable critically conscious communities.

Advisor: Springgay, Stephanie
Medullary Astrocytes May Modulate the Depressed Excitability of Rat Face Primary Motor Cortex (Face-M1) Induced by Noxious Tooth Pulp Stimulation

Acute inflammatory dental pain is a prevalent pain condition that is often associated with disruption of orofacial sensorimotor functions. The aims of this project were to examine whether application of the inflammatory irritant mustard oil (MO) to the rat maxillary molar tooth pulp affects face-M1 excitability manifested as a change in intracortical microstimulation threshold intensity for evoking jaw-opening muscle electromyographic activity, and if subsequent application of the astrocytic inhibitor methionine sulfoximine (MSO) to the medullary dorsal horn (MDH) can modulate the MO-induced effects. Compared with vehicle, pulpal MO application significantly decreased face-M1 excitability. Subsequent MSO application to the MDH attenuated the MO-induced effects. These novel findings suggest that acute noxious stimulation of the dental pulp is associated with decreased face-M1 excitability that may be, in part, dependent on the functional integrity of MDH astrocytes. Therefore, cortical and subcortical mechanisms may contribute to limit jaw movements in acute inflammatory dental pain.

Keywords: astrocyte
cortex
icms
medulla
mustard oil
tooth
Advisor: Avivi-Arber, Limor
Dis-cover Canada: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Canada's Citizenship Guidebook for Immigrants and the Making of Settler Colonial Subjects

Since 2009, Discover Canada has been the only official study guide for the Canadian citizenship examination, and I argue that this guidebook is a hegemonic settler-making tool. Critical Discourse Analysis is utilized in combination with theories of subjectivity and analyses of settler colonialism to reveal how Discover Canada contains discourses exploitative to both new immigrants and Aboriginal peoples. A clear pioneer narrative is formed, in which images of Aboriginal peoples' presence and loss are used to exalt Canada and its `original' British and French settlers. Citizenship candidates are interpellated by Canada's pioneer narrative through a promise of future citizenship, even while textually positioned below the existing settler body as second-class settlers who need to prove their `earned' Canadianness constantly. This interpellation depends on the erasure of Aboriginal peoples by representing Aboriginal peoples' disappearance as mirroring a narrative of Euro-Canadian progress, and disregards structural violence done by settler colonial Canada.

Keywords: Aboriginal peoples
Citizenship examination
Citizenship guidebook
Critical Discourse Analysis
Discover Canada
Subjectivity
Advisor: Restoule, Jean-Paul
A Therapeutic Recreation Camp for Children With Congenital Heart Disease: Examining Impact on the Psycho-social Well-being of Caregivers and their Children

Therapeutic recreation camps are thought to be an effective context to improve the psycho-social functioning among children with congenital heart disease. However, there is limited research regarding their impact on caregivers. Nine caregivers participated in two interviews before and after their children attended Camp Oki. Caregivers discussed their perceptions of their children's camp experience, and identified the psycho-social utility of camp for themselves and their children. Camp allowed caregivers to let their children grow and be independent, and to engage in less restricting behaviours. Camp also provided caregivers with respite care, which alleviated their need to be `cardiac' caregivers. Lastly, camp equipped children with self-confidence and independence, and offered them the opportunity to interact with their peers and be exposed to new activities. These findings strength the case for therapeutic recreation camps and underscore the importance of expanding camp access to more families affected by congenital heart disease.

Keywords: Camp
Caregivers
Children
Congenital Heart Disease
Psycho-social Well-being
Qualitative
Advisor: Faulkner, E Guy
Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Somatic Reprogramming

In reprogramming, cellular transition to pluripotency only occurs in few cells. My thesisis focused on exploring the mechanisms underlying the successful transition of somatic cells to pluripotent stem cells. Our lab has previously reported reprogramming as a multistep process characterized by initiation, maturation, and stabilization phases based on temporal changes in gene expression. The stabilization phase marks the successful acquisition of pluripotency. Using a functional RNAi screen targeting genes specificallyenriched in cells poised to become pluripotent, I show that distinct molecular networks control the acquisition and subsequent maintenance of pluripotency. Furthermore, I also reveal the functional role of a new class of RNAs, called long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs), in the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition during the initiation phase. Next, I present a novel mouse piggybac primary reprogramming system that ismore robust and efficient than the conventional mouse secondary reprogramming systems and illustrate its utility for mechanistic studies.

Keywords: Cell plasticity
NGS
Reprogramming
Stem cells
Advisor: Wrana, L Jeffrey
Development of a Fibre Bragg Grating Sensor for Rock Deformation Monitoring

This thesis examines the theoretical and experimental performance of a fibre Bragg grating sensor for static and dynamic strain measurement in hard rock. A literature review focuses on the fundamental theory of fibre Bragg gratings, various physical demodulation schemes used to interrogate Bragg sensors with an emphasis on charge coupled device spectrometry, as well as the aliasing behaviour of Bragg gratings as sensors. A coupled numerical-analytical analysis is conducted on various sensor configurations designed for borehole deployment in order to establish the response of the strain sensors under various strain conditions. The findings of an experimental investigation of two sensors subjected to uniaxial strain within a grout and a rock specimen are presented. The experimental data confirm the feasibility of using the proposed sensor as a part of an integrated optical strain sensing network.

Keywords: Fibre Bragg gratings
Rock mechanics
Strain sensing
Advisor: Xia, Kaiwen
The Muslim Brotherhood in Power: Ideology and Governance in Post-Arab Spring Egypt

How does the political ideology of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood evolve prior to reaching power and during Mohammad Morsi's presidency in Egypt? Questions abound on the nature of the events that led to the uprisings of June 30th, the military coup of July 4th and the vast popular resentment against what was still in 2012 the most popular political movement in Egypt. Critics of the Muslim Brotherhood have mainly accused the movement of pursuing a "hidden agenda" while faking an ideological change oriented toward "moderation". Nevertheless, my research shows that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's behaviour during Morsi's presidency was consistent with the general evolution of the movement's ideology aimed toward integration in the Egyptian political system.

Keywords: Arab Spring
Egypt
Governance
Ideology
Mohammad Morsi
Muslim Brotherhood
Advisor: Fadel, Mohammad
An Accountability Reality Check: Evaluating Key Review Mechanisms for Policing and Demonstrations

When a major incident occurs between police and demonstrators where there are questionable police and state actions, there are regularly calls for corresponding accountability. This thesis analyzes the realities of potentially using civil litigation and other non-court mechanisms to achieve such accountability, especially regarding how the mechanisms reinforce "conflict-solving" or "policy-implementing" tendencies. Injunctions are also specifically examined as they commonly occur in the context of demonstrations. It is suggested that property "rights" (as defined by Hohfeld) repeatedly trump the demonstrators' "privilege" of freedom of expression. As a result of the analysis, three solutions are proposed: 1) an independent body who can initiate comprehensive reviews for a major incident when needed; 2) incorporating an independent legal advisor into the planning and incident command structure for major events to help prevent the concerns from arising; and 3) courts conducting inquiry-like hearings that incorporate the best aspects of both "conflict-solving" and "policy-implementing" approaches.

Keywords: accountability
demonstrations
litigation
policing
protests
reviews
Advisor: Roach, Kent
The Influence of Experience and Training in the Examination Pattern of Panoramic Radiographs: Results of an Eye Tracking Study

Physician training has greatly benefitted from insights gained in understanding the manner in which experienced practitioners search medical images for abnormalities. The objective of this study is to compare the search patterns of dental students and certified oral and maxillofacial radiologists (OMRs) over panoramic images. An eye tracking system was used to accrue multiple parameters for both groups searching for abnormalities on 20 panoramic radiographs. Compared with students, OMRs displayed more consistent search patterns, and spent overall less time with fewer blinks, saccades and eye fixations. As students frequently changed their search patterns between different images, undergraduate dental education programs should emphasize the need for developing systematic search strategies. Moreover, as student were often distracted by image artifacts, greater emphasis should be placed on an understanding of panoramic image artifact generation so that they are less distracted by such areas, and develop greater focus on areas of relevance.

Keywords: Dentistry
Experience
Eye-tracking
Panoramic
Radiology
Advisor: Lam, WN Ernest
Bias in Reporting of Randomized Clinical Trials in Oncology

Background:Bias in reporting efficacy and toxicity in clinical trials can influence treatment decisions. We evaluated the quality of reporting the primary endpoint and of toxicity in Randomized Clinical Trials in medical oncology.Methods:Three independent studies were undertaken. The first and second studies, identify use of spin in the reporting of the primary endpoint in the conclusion statement of the abstract and underreporting of toxicity. The third study assessed the prevalence of honorary and ghost authorship.Results:All studies met their objectives showing that the prevalence of spin in the reporting of primary endpoints, underreporting of toxicity and the incidence of ghost and honorary authors are highly prevalent in oncology literature. Conclusion:Use of spin in reporting of outcomes is common for studies with a negative primary endpoint. Reporting of toxicity is limited, especially for studies with positive primary endpoints. Ghost and honorary authorship are prevalent.

Keywords: Bias
Oncology
Quality
Randomized Clinical Trials
Advisor: Tannock, F Ian
Topical Molecular Beacons for In Vivo Image-guided Resection of Oral Carcinoma

Oral carcinoma has become a major health problem, with nearly 300,000 people diagnosed worldwide annually. The 5-year survival rate is as low as 30%, mainly attributed to poor delineation of lesions. Optical imaging approaches to identify oral carcinoma tissue during surgery are currently in trial. While decreased recurrence rates are shown, high rates of false positives occur. Expanding upon this, a molecular beacon strategy for oral carcinoma delineation was devised.The selected MMP molecular beacon consists of a fluorophore conjugated to a quencher via a disease-specific linker, activated by MMPs. The activated beacon becomes fluorescent, guiding resection. MMPs have been associated with oral tumors and several members as highly upregulated in oral carcinoma, making them an ideal target.I investigated, in vivo, the utility of this MMP-cleavable beacon in targeting oral carcinoma. Here I demonstrate its high tumor specificity and potential for integration into the clinic to improve patient outcome.

Keywords: matrix metalloproteinases
molecular beacons
molecular imaging
oral carcinoma
Advisor: Zheng, Gang
Rethinking R v Van der Peet: Western Metaphysics, Deconstruction, and Hospitality

This thesis explores the metaphysical structure underlying the Supreme Court of Canada's approach, developed in R v Van der Peet, to recognizing and affirming Aboriginal rights under s 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982. Drawing on the work of philosopher Jacques Derrida, particularly his strategy of deconstruction, I demonstrate how the Court adopts an approach that relies on metaphysical conceptions of history and culture. Specifically, the Court reduces these concepts to essential features, which elide their irreducible complexity. This study finishes with tentative solutions for better addressing that complexity. In particular, this project encourages a two-way engagement between the Court and the Aboriginal peoples of Canada that is characterized by mutual hospitality. This project also encourages continued self-reflection on the part of the Court, particularly through the use of deconstruction. Hence, this thesis promotes an approach that moves from theory to practice to theory.

Keywords: Aboriginal rights
Constitution Act
1982
Deconstruction
Hospitality
Metaphysics
R v Van der Peet
Advisor: Sanderson, Douglas
Role of Nutrition Support in Energy Delivery and Growth in Children Requiring Heart Transplantation: A Pilot Study

Heart transplantation is indicated for children with cardiac disease that is not amenable to medical or surgical interventions. These children are vulnerable to nutritional challenges, yet energy requirements and the role of nutritional interventions are unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate trends in growth, determine energy requirements and identify associations with nutrition support. METHODS: This pilot study followed children from listing for transplant to 6 months posttransplant. RESULTS: 22 subjects (36% male) were enrolled. Of the 14 (64%) transplanted, weight-for-age z-scores improved from listing to endpoint (EST: +0.74 (+0.11; +1.38), p=0.03). Percent predicted resting energy expenditure was not significantly different pre vs. posttransplant. At listing, 68% were tube feeding but oral feeding increased to endpoint (EST: 2.18 [0.97], p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Pretransplant tube feeding is prevalent but catch-up in weight-for-age and transition to oral feeding are achievable posttransplant. Medical complexity impacts growth and energy delivery; however, nutrient and energy requirements require further investigation.

Keywords: Children
Energy
Growth
Heart Transplant
Nutrition
Advisor: McCrindle, W Brian
An In Vitro Study of Anticariogenic Compounds Incorporated Into Bis-GMA/TEGDMA Copolymer

Composite resins continue to evolve and are increasingly favoured by the people. However, drawbacks such as decreased longevity, secondary caries and costs make choosing composites a dilemma. This study evaluated drug release, inhibitory growth against Streptococcus mutans and drug stability of epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCg) incorporated into dental copolymer compared to resins containing chlorhexidine (CHX). Resin discs (5mm × 3mm) were prepared from 70 mol% Bis-GMA and 30 mol% TEGDMA comonomers containing: placebo, CHX and EGCg. Two corresponding concentrations in weight% of each drug for 0.5 and 1.0 × MIC were incorporated into paste resins and tested at time points: 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, 60 days and 90 days. There is a significant difference in the 90 days drug delivery and bacterial inhibition among different drugs and drug ratios, which showed stability after 90 days. The results indicate that drug-based composites may reduce bacterial growth, which may improve its longevity.

Keywords: Cariogenic bacteria
Chlorhexidine
Dental composite resins
Green tea
Longevity
Restoration failure
Advisor: Prakki, Anuradha
Abuse of Rights Should the Investor-state Tribunals Extend the Application of the Doctrine?

Maintaining integrity of international investment regime requires the wider application of the abuse of rights doctrine. At the contemporary practice, the investor state Tribunals apply the doctrine to limit the corporate nationality planning. In this thesis, I suggest extending application of the doctrine to three scenarios (1) where an investor misuses the international investment regime; (2) where an investor exercises a right in a bad faith; and (3) where an investor commits misconduct. The extended application of the doctrine guarantees the protection of the international investment regime and corresponds to the origins of the doctrine.

Keywords: abuse of rights
investor-state arbitration
nationality planning
Advisor: Schneiderman, David
Primary Sludge Addition for Enhanced Biosludge Dewatering

Biosludge disposal is a costly challenge for pulp and paper mills. Primary sludge is often combined with biosludge, and while this is known to improve downstream dewatering, quantification of the effects of primary sludge addition is not well studied. Evaluation of sludge properties, including mechanical dewaterability, has shown that primary sludge improves biosludge dewaterability by a factor of 2-4 when combined with biosludge at levels as low as 20 wt%. The improvement follows a consistent pattern between different primary sludge types, however a model derived from filtration theory is unable to fully capture the trend. Primary sludge pretreatment is proposed as a means to improve primary sludge usage with regards to excess water and monovalent cations. Primary sludge pretreatment, particle size and nature, and field trials are areas recommended for further investigation in line with the objective of better understanding dewatering enhancement by primary sludge addition.

Advisor: Allen, Grant
Towards a Coherent Voidable Preference Regime for New Zealand

The presence of voidable preference provisions in bankruptcy and insolvency regimes is usually justified on the basis of one of several competing policy rationales: debtor deterrence, creditor deterrence, or pari passu equality. Yet policymakers often overlook the importance of wider policy objectives, such as promoting commercial certainty and enabling a distressed debtor to continue trading. Specifically, policymakers often fail to consider how these wider objectives should be traded off against the underlying policy rationales. In this paper, I argue that many of the current problems of the New Zealand preference regime stem from a lack of a clear, coherent underlying policy basis, and an inappropriate balance of the competing policies at stake. I offer insights into how policymakers should best address the difficult issue of creating a workable voidable preference regime, and suggest several much-needed reforms for improving the coherence of the policy underlying New Zealand's voidable preference regime.

Keywords: bankruptcy
insolvency
insolvent transaction
New Zealand
Voidable preference
Advisor: Duggan, Anthony
Commercial Vehicle Operations in Urban Areas: Identifying Policies to Reduce Negative Impacts

This thesis presents two methods to evaluate potential solutions to the problems caused by commercial vehicles cruising for parking and parking illegally. First, a policy evaluation tool is developed by combining a behavioural parking location choice model and a traffic microsimulation. This tool is applied to two scenarios that dedicate on-street parking spaces to commercial vehicles, and finds that both scenarios reduce the overall level of congestion. Second, a distance decay weighted regression model is estimated to identify the relationships between illegal commercial vehicle parking and the built environment. An increase in dedicated and off-street parking facilities are found to be related to reduced levels of illegal parking, while increased restrictions on current on-street spaces is found to be related to higher levels of illegal parking. Together, these methods can help policy makers develop new parking policies and measure their potential impacts on the transportation network.

Keywords: Commercial Vehicle
Freight
Parking
Policy
Simulation
Advisor: Roorda, J Matthew
The Market Town: Municipal Regulation and the Competitive Balance between Businesses

The adoption of enabling statutes granting very broad powers to be applied for very general purposes has given Canadian municipalities substantial regulatory flexibility. This move away from a traditionally narrow regulatory role is notable, since broad statutory purposes will generally permit a municipality to regulate for the purpose of adjusting the competitive balance between businesses, or even between a business and a municipal service. From an administrative law perspective, a localist view supports municipal councils being broadly enabled to adopt regulatory policies that match local preferences. However, this framework of delegation does not abate concerns regarding inefficient regulation of business at the regional level. These concerns are compounded by the increased role of municipal service provision within the marketplace. Provincial legislatures should remain prepared to impose specific statutory limits on municipalities in response to regional inefficiencies that arise as a result of regulation based on purely local preferences.

Keywords: Municipal Law
Advisor: Green, Andrew
An Evaluation of the Role of the WTO in Promoting Global Financial Stability

Global financial stability is arguably the most important goal in the regulation of international finance. The fulfillment of that goal pushes domestic regulators in two directions. One is towards strong domestic regulation arising from a desire to fix the problems within and isolate from the problems without. The other focuses on international cooperation, wherein regulators recognize the impossibility of fully isolating the domestic economy from external shocks and thus embrace a coordinated approach to combat the types of risk the global economy now faces. As a forum for international cooperation, the WTO is particularly powerful in its ability to ensure compliance, which also necessarily means a corresponding limit on domestic autonomy. This paper considers how the WTO's power affects global financial stability, and the extent to which it may be used to navigate the imperatives of strong domestic legislation along with international cooperation.

Keywords: Financial Regulation
GATS
Global Financial Stability
Systemic Risk
WTO
Advisor: Trebilcock, J. Michael