VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
L’Identité en Question dans les Romans d’Ananda Devi

L’identité est, selon Stuart Hall, l’auteur de Questions of Cultural Identity, un des termes les plus débattus et controversés aujourd'hui. À la question «qui a besoin de l’identité?», Hall répond que l’identité fait partie de ces concepts qui ne sont plus bons à penser dans leur forme originaire et première mais que, faute d’une nouvelle ou d’une meilleure terminologie, elle demeure un concept clé et incontournable, en particulier dans le domaine des littératures postcoloniales où la question de l’identité continue à être posée de manière pressante. Pour les écrivains mauriciens, elle constitue l’une, sinon la préoccupation majeure en raison d’une prééminence de l’ethnique dans le discours identitaire mauricien. À travers une lecture de quatre romans d’Ananda Devi, Le voile de Draupadi, Moi, l’interdite, Pagli et La vie de Joséphin le fou, cette étude se propose d’examiner comment l’écriture de cette auteure parvient à problématiser la pensée binaire héritée de la colonisation et à ouvrir le débat identitaire vers une acception plus large et plus inclusive de la notion d’identité. Notre approche postcoloniale des romans nous permettra d’établir les contours d’une poétique de l’hybridité et de l’ambivalence qui, à travers l’amorce d’un mouvement vers un tiers espace non-identitaire ou a-identitaire, propose un discours alternatif au cloisonnement et au repli identitaire dans la société de référence où la tendance est aux identités fortes, distinctes ainsi qu’aux revendications identitaires prononcées et concurrentielles. À partir d’une perspective postcoloniale qui invite à réfléchir sur la situation d’entremêlement dans les ex-colonies, le caractère fictif et illusionniste d’un retour aux sources ou à une essence pure et originelle, la nécessité d’une prise de conscience sur le caractère construit et discursif de l’identité ainsi que les stratégies de sortie du schéma binaire (néo)colonial, nous proposons de suivre ce mouvement vers un devenir-imperceptible qui, loin d’aboutir à une néantisation ou abdication de soi, participe d’une réflexion en acte vers la décolonisation des imaginaires et la création de lignes de fuite hors du schéma binaire (néo)colonial où l’Autre est sans cesse ramené à une essence fixe et déterminée une fois pour toutes.

Keywords: Ananda Devi
roman mauricien
identité
postcolonial
hybridité
ambivalence
tiers espace
para-naturel
Advisor: Tcheuyap, Alexie
The Contributions of First and Second Language Skills to Reading Comprehension in English Language Learners

This study examined the language and cognitive factors underlying the development of reading comprehension in 120 elementary school English language learners (ELLs) from typologically different language backgrounds (Chinese and Spanish). The study first examined the validity of an extended Simple View of Reading (SVR) model for ELLs that includes cognitive skills (phonological awareness, rapid naming speed) and word reading fluency in addition to decoding and oral language skills. Hierarchical linear regression was used to investigate the contributions of Grade 1 English cognitive skills, and word reading fluency, in addition to the SVR components, to Grade 4 English reading comprehension. The validity of the extended SVR framework with ELL children in both language groups was supported. The second part investigated the contribution of parallel early L1 and L2 skills to English reading comprehension. There was no cross-language transfer of skills in Chinese ELLs; however, Grade 1 cognitive skills assessed in Spanish made significant contributions to Grade 4 English reading comprehension. The results underscore the importance of complementary theoretical perspectives. The "central processing hypothesis" is clearly relevant for Spanish speakers, but for Chinese ELLs, no additional information is gained by adding the L1 measures. These differences can be attributed to typological differences and differential contribution of L1 processing skills to L2 reading comprehension. The third part examined individual growth trajectories as predictors of Grade 4 reading comprehension in English. Hierarchical linear modeling and hierarchical linear regression were used to investigate the developmental trajectories of early predictor variables and the contribution of individual differences to these trajectories. The rate of growth on the cognitive variables (phonological awareness and rapid naming speed), SVR variables (receptive vocabulary and word reading), and word reading fluency made significant contributions to reading comprehension skills in Grade 4. The final model, consisting of non-verbal ability, the initial status of cognitive skills, cluster of the SVR skills, and of word reading fluency and the rate of growth on the SVR skills, explained 59% of the variance in reading comprehension three years later. These results show that the same English cognitive and linguistic skills play critical roles in ELL's development of English reading comprehension, despite the typological differences between L1 backgrounds.

Keywords: Cross-linguistic Transfer
English Language Learners
Reading Comprehension
Simple View of Reading
Advisor: Geva, Esther
Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Cycle Regulation in Pancreatic α- and β-cells that Control Glucose Homeostasis

Pancreatic islet cell mass is achieved through a rapid surge of neogenesis and proliferation during embryogenesis. However, this plasticity declines significantly in the postnatal period, resulting in the majority of mature islet cells, which permanently exit from cell cycle and are incapable of regenerating in adulthood. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern both neogenesis and proliferation in islet cells is paramount for treatment of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In this thesis, genetically modified mice were used to investigate molecular mechanisms of specific cell cycle regulators in - and -cell homeostasis under physiological and experimentally-induced diabetes. Specifically, in Chapter IV, I describe the consequences of deleting the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) in proliferating islet progenitor cells. I show that loss of Rb increases - to -cell ratio by regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and survival, leading to improved glucose homeostasis and protection against diabetes. In Chapter V, I demonstrate that a central role for Rb, but not its family member p107, in the dual effects of GLP-1 on - and -cells in governing islet cell proliferation and survival. In Chapter VI, I show that the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is critical for in vivo pancreatic -cell viability and function through regulation of insulin signalling, actin dynamics and granule trafficking. Thus, studies in this thesis define novel functions of cell cycle regulators, Rb, p107 and FAK in regulating pancreatic - and -cell fate. Together, the results presented in the thesis provide novel mechanisms for enhancing islet mass and integrity, which may lead to new strategies to combat diabetes.

Advisor: Woo, Minna
An Emergent Form of Life: Advanced Cancer Patients' Active Search for Life-extension through Treatment

Despite the risks of side effects or the lack of prognostic benefits, patients with advanced cancer sometimes search for biomedical treatments intended to extend life. The current literature suggests that these individuals may be in denial of their poor prognosis or passively reliant on healthcare providers for such treatments. Drawing on a Foucauldian theoretical framework, this study generated a deeper understanding of how individuals might actively generate their own therapeutic possibilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the types of discourses that constitute the search for life-extension. The second purpose was to characterize the types of subjectivities that are produced by these discourses. Using case study as a methodological approach, seven cases were collected that included 20 semi-structured interviews (with patients, family, a natural healer, nurses, and physicians), 30 documents, and observations. Four major discourses were in operation: (1) Biomedicine, (2) Self-Care, (3) Palliative Care, and (4) Self-Healing. Eight types of subjectivities were identified: (1) The Cancer Expert, (2) The Proactive, (3) The Productive, (4) The Mistrusting, (5) The Model Patient, (6) The Positive Thinking, (7) The Suffering, and (8) The Challenged Clinician. Produced by the tensions between discourses and the incompatibility between subjectivities, this study characterized an emergent "form of life" that was governed by the difficult task of prolonging life despite having an incurable disease. Participants described much suffering as a result of this elusive pursuit. More than procuring treatment, the search for life-extension became an aesthetical process of shaping the self in order to become robust subjects that survive cancer. Relying on their own curative capacities, this emerging category of the chronically dying often challenged the traditional arrangements of bio-scientific knowledge and curative treatment practices. Generating social tensions in the clinical setting, participants exercised power/knowledge relationships with healthcare providers in increasingly assertive ways.

Keywords: Advanced Cancer
Case Study
End of Life Treatments
Palliative Care
Poststructuralism
Subjectivity
Advisor: Peter, Elizabeth
Factors Affecting the Fracture Strength and Fatigue Resistance of Molar Crowns Produced Using a Zirconia-based System

Zirconium-oxide ceramic was introduced as a potential restorative material for posterior teeth due to its superior mechanical properties. However, zirconia is opaque and needs to be masked with an esthetic veneer. Short-term clinical studies showed a high rate of veneer chipping/delamination for zirconia-based posterior crowns. This may be attributed to either inferior strength of the veneering porcelain or weakness in the zirconia-veneer bond. The aims of this in-vitro project were to analyze some of the factors that can influence the performance of zirconia-based molar crowns and to characterize the zirconia-veneer interface. The project consisted of four parts. The first part aimed to evaluate the effect of total thickness, core thickness and veneering technique on fracture mode and strength of zirconia-porcelain specimens of simple geometry. Results indicated that all three variables significantly affected mean fracture load, while only two (total thickness and core thickness) affected fracture mode. The second part aimed to assess the effect of core design and thickness on fatigue resistance, fracture strength and fracture mode/extent of zirconia-based molar crowns. Results indicated that core thickness, but not core design, had a significant effect on fracture strength. The anatomically-shaped core design reduced the size of the veneering porcelain fracture. In the third part, the effect of core design and two different CAD-CAM-produced veneering materials on fatigue resistance, fracture load and fracture mode of zirconia-based molar crowns was examined. Results indicated that the veneering material, but not core design, had a significant effect on fracture load and mode. The fourth part aimed to characterize the zirconia-porcelain interface using modern surface analysis techniques (Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)). Results indicated chemical changes of zirconium along the interface. In conclusion, improving the strength of the veneering layer by using pressed veneering porcelain can enhance performance of posterior zirconia-based crowns in comparison to manual build-up technique. Furthermore, fusing a CAD-CAM-produced veneering layer to the underlying zirconia core is a promising technique that can augment veneering porcelain strength and enhance zirconia-porcelain bond. Modifying core design, crown thickness and core thickness can improve performance of zirconia-based molar crowns.

Keywords: Ceramic
Crown
zirconium oxide
Fracture
Fatigue
Advisor: El-Mowafy, Omar
Genetic Factors Contributing to Body Weight in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder (ED) with substantial morbidity and the highest mortality among psychiatric disorders. Low body mass index (BMI) is the sine qua non of AN, and behaviours associated with reaching it are the primary reason for AN's high morbidity and mortality. Low BMI is also the main criterion diagnostically separating AN from bulimia nervosa (BN). The aim of this dissertation was to determine the role of genes regulating weight and appetite in BMI in AN and BN. Study 1 utilized carefully selected DNA samples to explore the role of markers in the leptin, melanocortin, and neurotrophin system genes with known or putative function in AN, BN, and controls, as well as in lifetime BMIs in EDs. Study 2 investigated dopamine pathway genes and FTO in weight regulation in a large sample of AN cases. The results revealed that an MC4R variant linked to antipsychotic-induced weight gain was underrepresented in AN, and AGRP and NTRK2 genetic variants were linked to minimum BMI in AN and maximum BMI in BN, respectively. In Study 2, a significant association between FTO and BMI at recruitment was observed. To our knowledge, this is the first study to utilize two distinct but complementary genetic approaches in the study of weight in EDs. These genetic findings may serve as an important first step toward gaining a better understanding of weight regulation in AN and BN, as well as having the potential for developing more effective treatment options and providing a highly specific target for novel medications. Alongside this work, other ED genetic studies utilizing different clinical phenotypes were also carried out during my PhD, and the papers published are inserted as appendices for reasons of thematic unity.

Keywords: anorexia nervosa
bulimia nervosa
eating disorders
genetics
candidate gene
body weight
Advisor: Kaplan, Allan Saul
Kennedy, James Lowery
Investigating the Cerebral Cavernous Malformation 3 (CCM3) Pathway in a Zebrafish Model of CCM Disease

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular anomalies of the central nervous system characterized by enlarged, thin vascular channels that can result in hemorrhage, stroke, and death. 40% of CCMs are familial and arise due to mutations in genes encoding three unrelated proteins: CCM1 (KRIT1), CCM2 (Malcavernin/OSM) and CCM3 (PDCD10). Biochemical and mutant studies suggest that CCM1 and CCM2 act as part of a physical complex to regulate vascular morphogenesis and integrity, while mouse Ccm3 mutant and cell culture data suggest an independent role for CCM3. There is currently no pharmacological treatment available to reverse lesion formation due to an incomplete understanding of the molecular pathways that lead to familial or sporadic CCMs. Here, I examine the role of ccm3 in cranial vessel development using the zebrafish model system. I establish a new vertebrate model of CCM disease, where inhibition of ccm3 leads to dilation and mispatterning of cranial vessels, resembling the human disease pathology. I show that zebrafish ccm3 plays a role distinct from ccm1/2 in cranial vascular development and acts via Stk25b, a GCKIII kinase previously shown to interact with CCM3. Further, I provide the first characterization of the zebrafish striatin proteins, which are members of the large STRIPAK complex along with CCM3 and STK25. I demonstrate an important role for striatin1 in cranial vascular integrity, which suggests it may be an effector of CCM pathogenesis. My investigation of the cellular mechanisms responsible for observed cranial vasculature defects indicates aberrant vesicular trafficking in ccm3 and striatin1 morphants. Resulting defective localization of factors important for vascular integrity, such as RhoGTPase Cdc42, may be responsible for the observed ccm3 and striatin1 phenotypes. Together, this research demonstrates important functional relationships between three members of STRIPAK complex CCM3, GCKIII, and striatin, and therefore suggests a role for STRIPAK in vascular integrity.

Keywords: Vascular Malformations
Zebrafish
Angiogenesis
CCM3
Advisor: Scott, Ian
NLF-1 delivers a sodium leak channel to regulate neuronal excitability and modulate rhythmic locomotion

Neuronal excitability is determined by complex interactions between a repertoire of ion conductance across the membrane. The sodium and potassium leak conductance primarily establish the resting membrane potential (RMP) and excitability of the neuron. However, the molecular identity of the ion channel carrying the sodium leak remains a mystery until recently. A conserved cation channel, NALCN in mouse and NCA in Caenorhabditis elegans, in association with auxiliary subunits UNC-79 and UNC-80, contribute to the sodium leak, and affect the RMP and excitability of neurons. In my study, I first describe the identification and characterization of a novel, functionally conserved and dedicated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein NLF-1 (NCA Localization Factor-1) that regulates neuronal excitability by promoting the axon localization of the NCA channel. The loss of either NLF-1 or NCA leads to a reduced sodium leak current, a hyperpolarized RPM, and decreased activity in premotor interneurons. Next, I describe the functional conservation of NLF-1. The mouse NLF-1 is localized to ER when expressed in C.elegans neurons and mammalian cell lines. In C. elegans, it functionally substitutes for NLF-1. In primary mouse cortical neuron cultures, shRNA-mediated knockdown of mNLF-1 leads to reduced sodium leak and hyperpolarized RMP. mNLF-1 physically interacts with NALCN in vitro. Lastly, I show that restoring NLF-1 in C. elegans premotor interneuron circuits alone significantly restores the animal’s rhythmic locomotion, defining a critical role of the premotor interneuron network in the initiation or maintenance of rhythmic locomotion. Collectively, a sodium leak channel, delivered to axon membranes by a dedicated ER protein, constitutes a conserved molecular mechanism that underlies the excitability of a neuronal network critical for the initiation and maintenance of rhythmic locomotion.

Keywords: leak channel
neuronal excitability
channel trafficking
rhythmic locomotion
Advisor: Zhen, Mei
The State of T Cell Immunity against Influenza Virus in Humans and Exploration of Potential Strategies to Enhance Cell-Mediated Protection from Influenza Infection

There is great interest in developing a broadly efficacious influenza vaccine, as current antibody-eliciting formulations require annual re-immunization and are not effective in those most susceptible to influenza-related mortality. In contrast to antibody responses, influenza-specific CD8 T cells are broadly cross-reactive between strains, and previous reports have indicated that cellular immunity is a better correlate of protection than neutralizing antibody titers. However, little is known about the state of influenza-specific cellular immunity in humans. To address this, we examined the CD8 T cell responses of humans of different age, vaccination, and infection history to determine whether any of these factors alter the functionality of cell-mediated immune memory. We identified distinct phenotypic changes in influenza-specific T cells from older subjects, which were predictive of their antibody responses upon influenza vaccination. However, the inactivated vaccine itself had no discernible immediate or persisting effects on influenza-specific CD8 T cell responses of young or old humans. Furthermore, adults (mean age 44) who acquired natural influenza infections of the 2009 pandemic strain also had similar influenza-specific CD8 T cell responses 8-10 months after infection compared to controls. From these results, we concluded that influenza infection and vaccination do not result in significant long-term boosting of pre-existing influenza-specific CD8 T cell responses and that a lifetime of acute influenza infections can result in a senescent phenotype similar to chronically stimulated dysfunctional cells. These data suggested that boosting functional influenza-specific CD8 T cells in middle age that endure into old age could enhance protection in the elderly. To test this, we evaluated a murine prime/boost model using the 4-1BB costimulatory pathway to induce persisting CD8 T cell responses. 4-1BBL signals during boost immunization resulted in superior numbers and function of persisting influenza-specific CD8 T cells. Since TRAF1, an adaptor molecule for 4-1BB signaling, is polymorphic in humans, a preliminary investigation was undertaken to assess the effect of TRAF1 polymorphisms on T cell responses. Although a range of TRAF1 expression was detected, all donors exhibited enhanced T cell activation with anti-4-1BB, suggesting that targeting this pathway has therapeutic potential in a human T cell-stimulating influenza vaccine.

Keywords: influenza
CD8 T cells
immune memory
vaccination
immune aging
human immunology
Advisor: Watts, Tania
Multiscale Modeling of Nano-Reinforced Aerospace Adhesives

In this work, the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube reinforced structural adhesives are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical investigations employ a novel multiscale modeling technique that integrates the governing atomistic constitutive laws in a continuum framework. This technique takes into account the discrete nature of the atomic interactions at the nanometer length scale and the interfacial characteristics of the nanotube and the surrounding polymer matrix. Fundamental to the proposed concept is the notion that atomic bonds between two atoms act like load-bearing continuum elements, whereas individual atoms can be represented by nodes of the related structure. Molecular dynamic interatomic potentials were used to derive the constitutive behavior of the finite elements thereby reducing the computational complexity of the problem while maintaining the accuracy of the model. The governing formulations were developed to allow for the atomistic-based continuum modelling of nano-reinforced structural adhesive bonds on the basis of a nanoscale representative volume element that accounts for the nonlinear behaviour of its constituents; namely, the reinforcing carbon nanotube, the surrounding adhesive and their interface. This model was used to evaluate the constitutive response of carbon nanotubes with varied chiral indices, the load transfer and the strengthening mechanisms between the nanotube and the surrounding adhesive as well as their interfacial properties. The newly developed representative volume element was then used in analytical (Mori-Tanaka) and computational (finite element) micromechanical modeling techniques to investigate the homogeneous dispersion of the reinforcing element into the adhesive considered upon its mechanical properties. In this way, the model allowed for the prediction of the full constitutive response of the bulk composite. The work is further extended experimentally to establish the relative merits of using carbon nanotubes as mechanical reinforcements in structural adhesive bonds. In this part of the research, we identified an appropriate dispersion methodology to achieve a uniform distribution of the nanotubes in the epoxy matrix and evaluated its mechanical properties. Scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy techniques were routinely used to characterize the quality of the dispersion, the geometrical properties of the nanotubes, and the fracture surfaces of the test specimens.

Keywords: Nanocomposites
multiscale modeling
carbon nanotubes
atomistic based continuum
aerospace
adhesives
micromechanics
Advisor: Meguid, Shaker