VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Mapping Aversion to Controversial Scientific Technologies

Technologies in agriculture, reproduction, medicine, and elsewhere promise significant social benefits, but may also pose significant risks. Understanding which technologies will be adopted or rejected by the public—and why—is important. Across five studies assessments of risks, benefits, and acceptability of a range of technologies were examined. Two studies found evidence for a ‘clustering’ effect of technological attitudes: evaluations of risks associated with different technologies tend to vary together, and attitudes towards technologies within each cluster are differentially predicted with individual difference measures. A third study showed that manipulating processing style alters subsequent evaluations of technologies, and that the effects are different across clusters. The final two studies first replicated and expanded upon a foundational technological risk assessment study by Fischhoff et al. (1978). Together, these findings suggest the need for a more nuanced and updated paradigm for technological risk assessment that incorporates individual-level characteristics to predict technological aversion

Keywords: Judgment and Decision Making
Social Psychology
Technology
Advisor: Inbar, Yoel
Morphological Studies of Organometal Halide Thin Films for Perovskite Solar Cells

Thin film solar cells are important for making photovoltaic technologies affordable and easily fabricated. The main objective of research into thin film solar cells is to achieve high-energy convert efficiency with easy manufacturing methods and accessible elements. Thin film solar cells based on organometal halide perovskites have demonstrated outstanding efficiency among photovoltaics. The morphologies of solution-processed perovskite thin films, such as uniformity of thickness and surface coverage, have been shown to be important factors for device performance. Perovskite thin films were prepared with uniform thickness and full coverage by using vapour deposition methods. The morphology features and crystal quality of the perovskite thin films were examined to optimize the preparation conditions. Influence of the annealing temperatures was investigated to shed light on the stability of perovskite films in post-preparation treatment. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to capture high-resolution morphology changes during annealing treatment and film formation.

Advisor: Goh, M. Cynthia
Terahertz Spectroscopy for Off-gas Detection and Analysis in the Steel-making Industry

Terahertz (THz) radiation has the advantage of transmitting through gases with high particle loading. In this thesis, we introduce the use of THz spectroscopy to the measurement of water vapor at high temperatures in the combustion off-gas. We establish a high temperature water vapor measurement system where a monochromatic continuous wave THz source is used and the heating system enables the temperature of water vapor in the gas cell to go up to 500 . At high temperature, peaks at 0.67 THz, 0.88 THz emerge and grow with increasing the water concentration. Whereas major absorption peaks (0.557 THz, 0.753 THz) shrink with the increasing temperature. Plotting out the area calculated underneath the major absorbance peak against the water concentration, we observed a linear correlation. The same trend is found for the small new peak with large uncertainty however due to instrumental challenges.

Keywords: Absorption
High Temperature
New peak
Terahertz
Water
Advisor: Thomson, Murray J
Comparative Studies of C3 and C4 Atriplex Hybrids in the Genomics Era: Physiological Assessments

The C3 species Atriplex prostrata was crossed with the C4 A. rosea to produce F1 and F2 hybrids. All hybrids exhibited C3-like δ13C values, and had reduced rates of net CO2 assimilation compared to A. prostrata. The activities of three major C4 cycle enzymes were at most 36% of the C4 values. Photosynthetic CO2 compensation points (Г) were generally midway between the C3 and C4 values, and were generally accompanied by low, C3-like activities in one or more of the major C4 enzymes. Their anatomy resembled that of C3-C4 intermediate species using a glycine shuttle to concentrate CO2 in the bundle sheath. These results demonstrate the C4 cycle was disrupted in the hybrids, and that most hybrids use a photorespiratory glycine shuttle. Progeny of these hybrids should further segregate C3 and C4 traits and in doing so assist in the discovery of C4 genes using high-throughput methods of the genomics era.

Keywords: C4 engineering
C4 photosynthesis
CO2 concentrating mechanism
photosynthetic hybrids
Rubisco
Advisor: Sage, Rowan F
Failure Analysis of Alumina Reinforced Aluminum Microtruss and Tube Composites

The energy absorption capacity of cellular materials can be dramatically increased by applying a structural coating. This thesis examined the failure mechanisms of alumina reinforced 3003 aluminum alloy microtrusses and tubes. Alumina coatings were produced by hard anodizing and by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). The relatively thin and discontinuous oxide coating at the hinge acted as a localized weak spot which triggered a chain reaction of failure, including oxide fracture, oxide spallation, oxide penetration to the aluminum core and severe local plastic deformation of the core. For the PEO microtrusses, delamination occurred within the oxide coating resulting in a global strut buckling failure mode. A new failure mode for the anodized tubes was observed: (i) axisymmetric folding of the aluminum core, (ii) longitudinal fracture, and (iii) alumina pulverization. Overall, the alumina coating enhanced the buckling resistance of the composites, while the aluminum core supported the oxide during the damage propagation.

Advisor: Hibbard, Glenn D
Contending Intellectuals: State Formation and Cultural Transformations in Late 19th Century Egypt

The life and thought of the Egyptian intellectuals, Ali Mubarak and Abdallah al-Nadim, represented two intellectual trends that were emerging at the end of the century. They took shape at a critical time of history in which modernization projects gave rise to unprecedented social transformations and modern institution building. Although they both partook in the larger Arabic Nahda, and contributed in the formation of a public sphere that emerged at the intersection of state and culture, they had drastically different projects. Mubarak's intellectual project was pinned on the state institutions' intervention in educating the populace in order to achieve `national' progress modelled on European ways. Nadim's project on the other hand culminated in the need to build `national' consciousness in order to sever the economic dependency on Europe, and to create politically autonomous `Eastern' nations.

Keywords: Abdallah Nadim
Ali Mubarak
British Colonialism
Egypt
Egyptian Press and Theatre
Nahda
Advisor: Hanssen, Jens
Application of Epigenetic Techniques to Study Lactase Expression

DNA methylation is a highly studied epigenetic modification. Numerous techniques have been developed to investigate DNA methylation and its role in gene regulation. Lactose intolerance has been identified as a simple phenotype, regulated by a single gene. Due to its simple phenotype, lactose intolerance represents an ideal model to investigate the epigenetic mechanisms that govern gene expression. Here, we investigated lactase expression in aging mice, and used molecular inversion probe enrichment followed by DNA sequencing to study epigenetic modifications in segmental duplications and unique regions of the genome associated with the lactose intolerance in humans. Lactase was expressed in a mosaic pattern in the mouse small intestine, and expression significantly decreased in older mice. Molecular inversion probe enrichment of unique genomic regions proved challenging, and did not provide informative data. No associations between lactase expression levels and the DNA methylation profile of the lactase gene in segmental duplications was found.

Keywords: Epigentics
Advisor: Petronis, Arturas
McPherson, Peter
Playing Spy Games: a Surveillant Platform Study of Microsoft's Xbox 360

This thesis, a platform study of Microsoft's videogame console the Xbox 360, demonstrates how one of the defining traits of the videogame platform's design and architecture is pervasive surveillance of its users. By applying William Bogard's (1996) theory of surveillant "enclosures," this thesis will explain how the Xbox 360 uses a panopoly of methods and technologies to watch users and shape their use of the videogame system, forming them as easily governed subjects. In support of this argument, this thesis will examine not only the hardware and software layers of the Xbox 360, but also peripheral hardware and networks including the motion tracking sensor the Kinect and Xbox Live, the videogame console's online network. Of particular interest to this platform study will be an examination of how each of these layers performs surveillance, and how they collectively perform a project of governance over videogame players. References Bogard, William. (1996). The Simulation of Surveillance: Hypercontrol in Telematic Societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Keywords: Game Studies
Microsoft
Platform Study
Privacy
Surveillance
Xbox
Advisor: Shade, Leslie R
Characterizing the Role of Protein Tyrosine Kinase 7 (PTK7) in Cancer Development and Cellular Fitness

Protein Tyrosine Kinase 7 has been recently affiliated with the development and progression of various cancers. Contradictory results about its expression, localization and processing across various cancer types has left a major gap in understanding its molecular mechanism and function. In my thesis, I utilized large data sets from essentiality screens and RNAseq, as well as antibody-related tools, to investigate the role of PTK7 in cellular fitness. I observed a negative correlation between PTK7 processing and its degree of essentiality. Furthermore, I demonstrated that the PTK7 intracellular domain (ICD) is integral to its function. Treatment of mouse xenografts with PTK7 antibodies, capable of blocking PTK7 processing, inhibited tumour growth in an ICD-expression dependent manner. Lastly, mRNA profiling of PTK7-knockdown cells and ICD over-expression cells provided a list of putative downstream gene targets under PTK7 regulation. Collectively, these findings implicate PTK7 in cellular transformation and provide insight into its signaling mechanism. .

Keywords: Cancer
Fitness
Immunotherapy
Protein Tyrosine Kinase 7
PTK7
Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
Advisor: Moffat, Jason
Hippocampal Neurogenesis-mediated Forgetting in Adult Mice

New neurons are continuously generated in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus throughout adulthood. These new neurons gradually integrate into hippocampal circuitry, which likely support the formation of new memories. Once sufficiently mature, however, as they integrate into existing circuits, they may also disrupt pre-existing memories stored in those circuits. Recently, we found artificially elevating levels of adult neurogenesis through voluntary running exercise or p53 ablation after memory formation promoted degradation in contextual fear memories and spatial memories. Besides, Mice with elevated neurogenesis levels immediately after training or after a 4 weeks delay had different freezing responses to a fearful context. Only increasing levels of neurogenesis immediately but not after a long delay after training induced forgetting, suggesting that as memories age, they become less vulnerable to neurogenesis-mediated forgetting possibly due to a reduced involvement of the hippocampus in the retrieval of memories over time.

Keywords: adult neurogenesis
behavior
forgetting
memory
neural circuitry
Advisor: Frankland, Paul
Get Yours Today! On the Production and Consumption of the Televised Fatwā

This thesis explores Yastaftūnak, a program aired on Al-Resalah, an Arabic-language Islamic satellite television channel, as a prime example of the fatwā show genre. Scrutinizing Yastaftūnak from different theoretical angles, I enquire into how such fatwā programs operate, why they are made and watched, and what repercussions their increasing popularity has for Muslim worlds. Considering the utilization of fatwās as a tool of societal discipline, I examine simultaneously how such discipline is embodied and performed. These subjects feed into larger arguments concerning the role of television programs in the commodification of fatwās and concurrent establishment of an “intimate public sphere.” Throughout this, I probe into the ways a seemingly uniquely Islamic knowledge produced in the form of an unending stream of fatwās is given the impression of being objective, and contest this view, teasing the social, political, and economic out of what is presented as solely legal or religious.

Keywords: Commodification
Fatwa
Islam
Knowledge
Media
Public Sphere
Advisor: Tavakoli-Targhi, Mohamad
The Origin and Maintenance of Resident Aortic Macrophages

Macrophages maintain tissues homeostasis, while also contributing to numerous pathological processes, making them attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. Therapeutic design however, requires detailed understanding of macrophage origins, the mechanisms that maintain them, and their functional attributes in tissue- and disease-specific contexts. The origin and maintenance of vascular macrophages in the steady state and inflammation has yet to be elucidated. In the following thesis we establish that the murine aorta contains macrophages derived from embryonic and definitive hematopoietic precursors. We demonstrate that aortic macrophages are maintained locally and are able to replenish following inflammation via proliferation. Microarray analysis revealed two important traits: aortic macrophages are distinct from other tissue resident macrophages and following inflammation aortic macrophages rapidly return to homeostasis. In addition, we identify the CX3CR1-CX3CL1 axis as important for aortic macrophage survival. Taken together, this thesis provides a basis upon which future studies of aortic macrophages may be undertaken.

Advisor: Robbins, Clinton S
Relevance of Neutrophils and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome of Patients Receiving Stem Cell Therapy

Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome (BOS) is a lung complication that occurs in children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and is characterized by inflammation and airway obstruction. Currently, how BOS develops is not clearly understood and presents a challenge in improving patient outcomes. In our study, the role of neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in the development of BOS was investigated. Our studies show that biomarker candidates in serum such as cytokines and chemokines and surrogate markers such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content and neutrophil counts can signify potential changes in lung function of HSCT recipients. In addition, it is sensible to quantify NET DNA levels to determine its relevance in BOS progression. In conclusion, our study presents novel options to explore when identifying biomarker candidates for early detection of BOS and establishes a basis for further investigation.

Advisor: Palaniyar, Nades
Detailed Mineralogical and Petrological Analysis of Martian Shergottite NWA 6342

NWA 6342 is an intermediate, ultramafic, poikilitic shergottite that was found in Algeria in 2010. As the poikilitic shergottite-group meteorites are thought to have originated from the same slow-cooling magma chamber, studying samples like NWA 6342 provides us with the unique opportunity to reconstruct and analyze an igneous body on Mars, diversifying our knowledge of volcanic and impact processes in our Solar System. The relatively homogeneous composition of the forsterite grains in NWA 6342 indicates that it was located at an intermediate level within the original magma chamber. The lack of maskelynite, and complete recrystallization of plagioclase observed in the sample also indicate that it was subjected to a higher degree of post-impact thermal metamorphism than the other poikilitic shergottites, and may have experienced two impact events. This could explain how these ultramafic rocks could have been relocated close enough to the surface to be ejected to Earth.

Keywords: EBSD
Mars
Meteorite
Petrology
Planetary Science
Raman Spectroscopy
Advisor: Tait, Kim
Trait Choice and Dimensionality Alter Estimates of Phenotypic Dissimilarity in Community Ecology

The ecological niche is a multi-dimensional concept including aspects of resource use, environmental tolerance, and interspecific interactions, and the degree to which niches overlap is central to many ecological questions. Plant phenotypic traits are increasingly used as surrogates of species niches, but we lack an understanding of how key sampling decisions affect our ability to capture phenotypic differences among species. Using vegetative and floral trait data of ecologically distinct monkeyflower (Mimulus) congeners, I employed linear discriminant analysis, which uses proportional assignment of individuals to species, as an estimate of how well the traits we measure can capture phenotypic differences among species. Trait combinations that maximize species discrimination were not predictable a-priori based on the number of trait groups or inclusion of ‘key’ functional traits. Instead, high trait dimensionality consistently increased my ability to detect phenotypic differences among species. Population choice was similarly important and should be considered in trait-based studies.

Keywords: intraspecific variation
methodology
Mimulus
niche overlap
plant functional traits
species similarity
Advisor: Cadotte, Marc W
Gilbert, Benjamin
Multicomponent One-pot One-step Synthesis of 1,2,3-Triazoles via Cu/Pd Catalysis

In modern synthetic chemistry, the formation of multiple C-C bonds in a limited number of steps to access both diversity and complexity has become an important challenge. In recent years, significant research has been devoted to the synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole containing compounds in a multimetal-catalyzed domino sequence due to the remarkable biological activity and pharmaceutical potency of these compounds. Considering the increasing significance of 1,2,3-triazoles in synthetic chemistry, mixing all of the starting components in a one-pot, one-step process to create the final triazole product will be highly efficient with respect to time, cost and simplicity of performance. A number of published papers illustrated the diverse applications of 1,2,3-triazoles (e.g., palladium-mediated couplings and direct C-H bond functionalization). Similarly, this work demonstrates the development of a highly efficient and practical approach to the synthesis of these versatile triazole-containing motifs via a one-pot, one-step cascade process that involves Sonogashira, Heck and carbopalladation/annulation reactions.

Advisor: Lautens, Mark
ENDOGENOUS CELL-BASED THERAPY USING CYCLOSPORINE A PROMOTES COGNITIVE RECOVERY IN A MOUSE MODEL OF STROKE

Post-stroke executive function (EF) deficits can severely impact the quality of life. Current treatments provide limited motor or cognitive recovery. Recently, an endogenous repair strategy using Cyclosporine A (CsA) promoted neural stem and progenitor cells [collectively termed neural precursor cells (NPCs)] migration to the infarct site, tissue regeneration and functional recovery following sensorimotor stroke. Herein, we tested the efficacy of CsA in improving EF deficits in a cognitive stroke model in mice. The medial prefrontal cortical (mPFC) stroke produced long-term EF impairments in the Puzzle Box Task. CsA treatment increased the size of the NPC pool at day 7 and promoted NPC migration to the infarct site at day 60 post-stroke. Early CsA administration was not neuroprotective and did not affect neural degeneration or lesion volume. Long-term CsA treatment improved post-stroke cognitive performance at 3 and 5 weeks. We suggest CsA is a promising therapeutic candidate for post-stroke cognitive recovery.

Keywords: executive function
ischemia
medial prefrontal cortex
neural precursor cells
recovery
Stroke
Advisor: Morshead, Cindi M
Memory and Perception-based Facial Image Reconstruction

Face perception and face memory have been the focus of extensive research to investigate the mechanisms of face processing. However, the nature of the representations underlying face perception and face memory remains unclear, and the relationship between them is not well- known given that they are usually studied separately. The current work examines these issues by adopting an image reconstruction approach, to perform behavioural perception and memory- based reconstructions. Significant features underlying the representation of face perception were first derived, and then used to reconstruct face images that were visually seen and recalled from memory. Reconstructions of perception and memory data were above chance for both unfamiliar faces, faces learned throughout the experiment, and celebrity faces retrieved from long-term memory. This not only provides new insights into the content of face memory and its relationship to face perception, but also opens a new path for practical applications such as computer-based â sketch artistsâ .

Keywords: face perception
face space
image reconstruction
memory
Advisor: Lee, Andy C. H.
Nestor, Adrian
Mechanical Properties of Graded Thermodynamic Nickel Titanium Archwires in Bending and Torsion

Background: Graded thermodynamic nickel titanium (GT-NiTi) wires purportedly deliver differential force levels in different archwire regions. No studies evaluating the force delivery characteristics of such wires currently exist. Objective: To evaluate the mechanical properties of GT-NiTi wires in bending and torsion. Methods: Six samples of 0.016 x 0.022â and 0.017 x 0.025â of GT-NiTi wires were divided into incisor, premolar, and molar sections and each segment was tested in bending and torsion. The characteristics of the unloading superelastic plateau were evaluated and compared with similar segments of non-graded, control NiTi wires. Results: Statistically significant differences in mean force and moment levels were found between the three sections of GT-NiTi wires, but not in control wires. Small but statistically significant differences in length and slope were also found. Conclusion: GT-NiTi wires deliver different forces and moments in different archwire sections. Clinicians can use this knowledge to optimize force delivery for treatment.

Keywords: nickel titanium
orthodontic wires
three-point bending
torsion
Advisor: Suri, Sunjay
Small Nuclear RNA (snRNA) Transcription Elongation Regulator, ice1, is Required for Retinal Progenitor Cell Maintenance

Maintaining a discrete population of retinal progenitors in the circumferential marginal zone (CMZ) is required for proper growth of a functional vertebrate retina after embryogenesis. In the zebrafish mutant kess546, the CMZ is reduced in size, and cells no longer express markers of cycling retinal progenitors. Mutant CMZ cells have an apparent loss of epithelial integrity and increased apoptosis. There is also progressive overgrowth of the retinal-pigmented epithelium at the CMZ in mutants. We mapped this mutation to kiaa0947l/ice1, which is orthologous to Drosophila and human ICE1. Pol II-dependent transcription of snRNAs requires the little elongation complex, or LEC, whose core protein is ICE1. RT-qPCR shows that ice1 mutants have decreased levels of Pol II snRNAs, and transcriptomic analyses reveal missplicing in a subset of genes. My analysis of ice1 provides critical insight into the role of LEC dependent snRNA expression in regulating progenitor cell maintenance in the postembryonic retina.

Keywords: CMZ
ICE1
LEC
retina
snRNA
zebrafish
Advisor: Tropepe, Vincent