VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Social and Cultural Capital of Ukrainian University Students in Canada and their Educational Experience

This qualitative research involved semi-structured interviews with Ukrainian international and immigrant university students in Canada to get an insight into their educational experience using the concept of social and cultural capital put forward by Pierre Bourdieu. Ukrainian students constitute an under-researched group of diverse students in Canada and it is important to understand their specific attitude towards education, adaptation and achievement. I found that Ukrainian students possess high levels of social and cultural capital. Social capital showed low level of portability due to the weak ties between Ukrainian students and Ukrainian Canadian community. While more equal approach to the availability of print, access to extracurricular activities and enriched curriculum provided Ukrainian students with advantage in Canada, they experienced obstacles due to the lack of presentation skills and dissatisfaction with curriculum. These results will enable educators and administrators to get an insight into educational patterns and expectations typical of Ukrainian students.

Advisor: Farmer, Diane
Claiming Teacher Voice through Personal Narratives: Exploring Teacher and Student Agency for Learning in Classrooms

AbstractAs demands increase for classroom teachers, they must not only meet and maintain expected ministry and board-wide standards, but also find a place for their own voices and their pedagogical visions and ideals. This study demonstrates that lived experiences and individual narratives play a crucial part in shaping teacher and student identities. Subsequently, this self identification within educational settings informs personally relevant experiences for teachers and students within various curriculum areas. As teachers find a place for their narratives within the pedagogical realm, they will gain a greater sense of agency to carry out their practice with greater significance. Similarly, as students' learning is shaped by the merit of their own experiences and interests, there will be greater investment in their learning both within the school community and beyond. Ultimately, when teachers and students recognize that they have choice in shaping their experiences within the education system, they feel valued and an increased sense of empowerment to commit their efforts in establishing and/or contributing to unique learning communities.

Keywords: Choice
Identity
Lived Experiences
Narrative
Student Voice
Teacher Voice
Advisor: Kooy, Mary
Intellectuality for Liberation: Exploring Anti-oppression, Praxis, and Care

This thesis will argue that liberal education is inadequate for anti-oppressive praxis. I aim to explore notions of knowledge, intellectuality, praxis, and care that are compatible with anti-oppressive praxis. While intellectuals often traverse the academy, the task of the anti-oppressive intellectuals is to situate themselves such that they can understand and articulate the material conditions of oppressed people. The anti-oppressive intellectual's role is to develop and communicate understandings of the world that contribute to the liberation of people from oppressive conditions. This thesis aims to explore and promote notions of care and integrity that I argue can undergird and guide a viable approach to genuine anti-oppressive intellectual praxis.

Advisor: Portelli, P John
Systematic Analysis of Protein-Protein Interactions Between the ErbB Family of RTKs and a Complete Set of Human Phosphatases

This thesis has created a resource describing interactions between the ErbB family receptor tyrosine kinases and human phosphatases using the Membrane Yeast Two Hybrid system (MYTH). A total of 55 phosphatases form 109 unique interactions between active and inactive (via peptide chain mutations) ErbB family members. The 29 interactors of ErbB2 were chosen for further study based on their rates of mutations across various cancer studies reported on CBioPortal. PTPRB, TPTE2, TNS3, EYA1, and SSH1 had the highest incidences of mutation and were analyzed for their effect on ERK1/2 phosphorylation when over-expressed in a mammalian system. While PTPRB could not be stably expressed in the system, the four other phosphatases all exhibited deregulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation. TPTE2 overexpression showed a decrease in ERK1/2 phosphorylation time, as did SSH1, which also lowered maximum ERK1/2 phosphorylation. TNS3 over-expression delayed the onset of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, while EYA1 lowered the maximum level of phosphorylation. This thesis highlights new potential players in ErbB family and signaling regulation.

Keywords: EGFR
ErbB
ERK1/2
Interactome
Kinase
Phosphatase
Advisor: Stagljar, Igor
Navigating the Canadian Immigration Process: A Study of International Students' Experience and Interactions with the Student Services Provided by Their Host Universities

Canada views international students as potential skilled immigrants. The country has implemented multiple immigration streams to retain these students post-graduation in order to remain competitive in the global knowledge economy. However, research investigating these students' experiences holistically was lacking. This study addressed this gap in literature by looking at: (1) how international students decided on Canada as a study-abroad destination, (2) how they ultimately decided on seeking Canadian permanent residence, and (3) which on-campus services and resources they sought and/or utilized to help navigate the immigration process, and what their experiences with these services were. Six former international students who graduated from Canadian universities, and had since applied for or obtained Canadian permanent residence, were interviewed in this narrative inquiry. Bronfenbrenner's developmental ecology theory was used to situate interviewees' experiences in the broader contexts, and Schlossberg's transition theory was used as a framework to holistically study their experiences with transitions.

Keywords: Canada
Immigration
International Students
Student Experience
Student Services
Universities
Advisor: Seifert, Tricia
Collective Memory Work and Poltical Activist Ethnography: A Synthesis of Two Modes of Enquiry in Social Movements

Collective Memory Work (CMW) and Political Activist Ethnography (PAE) are two modes of social enquiry that developed out of the second-wave feminist movement. Based in a Marxist-feminist perspective on social movements, they discuss the relationship between the everyday life experiences of activists, and the social circumstances which form those experiences. While both take everyday experience to be their point of departure, PAE reaches out ethnographically to explore the textually mediated relations of ruling that organize those experiences. CMW uses textual accounts of activists' memories to investigate how they participate in their own oppression. This study explores whether the two modes enquiry are compatible and can be used alongside each other. Completed memory work and political activist ethnography research in social movement contexts will be analysed and synthesized to understand the compatibilities, and contradictions between the two modes of enquiry, as well as the limits and potential benefits of their combination.

Keywords: feminist methodology
social movements
Advisor: Sawchuk, H Peter
Conquest through Benevolence: the Indian Residential School Apology and the (Re)making of the Innocent Canadian Settler Subject

This thesis offers a critical discourse analysis of the Canadian government's 2008 apology to the former students of the Indian Residential School system. The Indian Residential School apology claims to begin to pave the way for healing and reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and other Canadians, and, I argue, it makes this claim while reiterating colonial narratives of settler innocence, entitlement to land, and moral-ethical superiority. The apology claims to right wrongs that are discursively situated in a remote and distant past, without addressing ongoing colonial violence or the historic and contemporary benefits both the state and its citizens have inherited from colonialism. I contend that the apology enables a celebratory national narrative that allows the state and its citizens, and not the Indigenous peoples to whom it was putatively addressed, to recover from (and re-cover) a violent and traumatic past (and present) while repudiating responsibility on both an individual and state level.

Keywords: Apology
Canadian Identity
Discourse Analysis
Indian Residential Schools
Reconciliation
Settler Colonialism
Advisor: Restoule, Jean-Paul
Joint Inspection and Inventory Models for k-out-of-n Systems

The objective is to study the relationship between maintenance and inventory for a k-out-of-n system. The component's failures are hidden and follow a non-homogeneous Poisson process. Two types of inspections are performed to reveal the failed components: periodic inspections and opportunistic inspections which are performed at system failure times (when n - k + 1 components are down at once). The failed components are, depending on their state, either minimally repaired or replaced with spare parts from the inventory. Our goal is to find the inspection frequency and the inventory replenishment policy such that the total cost is minimized over a finite planning horizon. Two models are considered. First we will assume that the periodic inspections and the inventory replenishments are performed simultaneously. Then we will relax this assumption and allow independent inspections and inventory reviews. A simulation model is developed and heuristic search methods are used to find the optimal solution.

Keywords: Inspections
Inventory
k-out-of-n system
Maintenance
Optimization
Reliability
Advisor: Jardine, KS Andrew
The Role of Primary Cancer Diagnosis in Determining Costs and Caregiver Burden Associated with Palliative Home Care

Community-based palliative home care (CBPHC) has been repeatedly endorsed for expansion in Ontario. The objective of this thesis is to assess the role of primary cancer diagnosis in the costs and caregiver burden associated with CBPHC.Patients from two Ontario CBPHC programs were categorized using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (10th Ed.), differentiating tumour sites (i.e. breast) rather than tumour type (i.e. carcinoma). Diagnosis was integrated into econometric models alongside other important covariates, identified by conceptual frameworks of cost and burden, in order to ascertain its role in both. Findings suggest that there are differential care demands associated with recipients of CBPHC that are related to primary cancer diagnosis. Several tumour sites emerged as significant drivers of costs and caregiver burden. This is useful for the level of care and associated strain that can be expected upon admission into CBPHC, the maintenance CBPHC and its unpaid caregivers, and the personalization of care.

Keywords: cancer
caregiver burden
cost
home care
palliative care
Advisor: Coyte, C. Peter
Task Complexity, Task Type, and Learner-learner Interaction: A Replication Study with Adult ESL Learners

Motivated by Robinson's Cognition Hypothesis (2001), research has investigated whether increasing task complexity leads to a higher number of interaction-driven learning opportunities, including language-related episodes (Swain Lapkin, 1998), which may lead to L2 learning (Kim, 2009; Robinson Gilabert, 2007; Nuevo, 2006). Kim (2009a) reports that both task type and proficiency play a role in mediating the relationship between task complexity and the occurrence of such opportunities. However, replication studies are needed to improve the generalizability of results particularly in studies with small sample sizes (Porte, 2012). This study is a conceptual replication of Kim (2009a). Sixteen pairs of adult ESL learners received pre-task modeling and completed four English language tasks differing in their complexity. The results partially confirm Kim's (2009a) findings while also highlighting the potential mediating effects of pre-task modelling on the relationship between task complexity and learner-learner interaction.

Keywords: ESL
Learner-learner Interaction
Replication
SLA
Task-based learning
Task Complexity
Advisor: Spada, Nina
The Role of Genetic Variation across IL-1B, IL-2, IL-6 and BDNF in Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain

Background: Antipsychotics with high weight-inducing propensities influence the expression of immune and neurotrophin genes, which have been independently related to obesity indices. Thus, we investigated whether polymorphisms across interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, IL-6, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes are associated with antipsychotic-induced weight gain (AIWG).Methods: Nineteen polymorphisms were genotyped using Taqman® assays in 188 schizophrenia patients on antipsychotic treatment for up to 14 weeks. Mean weight change (%) from baseline was compared across genotypic groups using ANCOVA. A replication sample was used to validate findings.Results: In Europeans, IL-1 rs16944*GA (p=0.013), IL-1 rs1143634*G (p=0.001), and BDNF Val66Met (Val/Val, p=0.004) were associated with greater AIWG, as were IL-1 rs4849127*A (p=0.049), and IL-1 rs16944*GA (p=0.012) in African Americans. Epistatic effects were observed between BDNF Val66Met and IL-1 rs13032029 (Val/Met+TT, P

Keywords: antipsychotic-induced weight gain
BDNF
cytokine
genetics
IL-1B
side effect
Advisor: Mueller, J Daniel
Mechanisms of Septin-mediated Inhibition of Neurotransmitter Release

Neurons communicate at chemical synapses via exocytosis of synaptic vesicles containing neurotransmitter, a process mediated by SNARE proteins. SEPT5, a predominantly brain-specific member of the septin family of GDP/GTP-binding cytoskeletal proteins, binds the SNARE STX1A. Furthermore, SEPT5 inhibits exocytosis and has been implicated in the organization of synaptic vesicles within the presynaptic active zone. However, a mechanism underlying the inhibition of exocytosis by SEPT5 is unknown. Using pull-down and yeast two-hybrid assays, the current study further characterized the SEPT5-STX1A interaction. Binding of STX1A required SEPT5 to be GDP-bound and occurred via a region of SEPT5 encompassing a sequence similar to the SNARE VAMP2. Furthermore, an interaction between the STX1A binding partner Munc18-1 and SEPT3 indicates that the SEPT5-STX1A interaction may be part of a larger septin-STX1A-Munc18-1 complex. This study thereby advances understanding of potential mechanisms regulating the organization of synaptic vesicles and exocytosis of neurotransmitter.

Advisor: Trimble, William
Determining the Role of Cin85 and CD2AP in Septin-mediated Cytokinesis

Septins are a family of GTP-binding proteins implicated in mammalian cytokinesis. Our lab has shown that the N-terminal region of SEPT9 is critical during the later stage of cytokinesis - abscission. The N-terminal region of SEPT9 contains two atypical proline-rich motifs targeted by certain SH3 containing proteins such as adaptor proteins Cin85 and CD2AP. Therefore it is possible that Cin85/CD2AP interacts with SEPT9 to complete cytokinesis. I have presented immunofluorescence microscopy images and abscission defect quantification data which strongly suggest that Cin85 and CD2AP function during cytokinesis. Through biochemical means, I have shown that the first three SH3 domains of Cin85 and CD2AP are required for their interaction with SEPT9 in vitro and in vivo. Lastly, the SEPT9 mutant that can not bind Cin85/CD2AP failed to rescue the abscission defect observed when SEPT9 is depleted. These results suggest that the interaction between Cin85/CD2AP and SEPT9 is required for abscission.

Keywords: CD2AP
Cin85
mammalian cytokinesis
protein-protein interaction
Septins
Advisor: Trimble, S William
The Case for an African Centered Education System in Africa: A Case Study on African Leadership Academy, South Africa

This thesis makes a case for education reform in Africa. It argues for an education system that is African centered and poised to develop Africans who can serve as the agents and leaders of Africa's transformation.Through a case study of the leadership institution - African Leadership Academy (ALA), South Africa whose goal is to develop the next generation of African leaders that will transform Africa, this thesis illustrates the potential of an African centered education system in bringing about development in the continent. Also, the dreams, aspirations, and views of an important but often neglected group in deliberations about how to develop Africa - the average African (especially African youth) are presented. In so doing, the thesis provides a framework upon which an African centered education system in Africa can be developed from.

Keywords: African Leadership Academy
African Leadership for development
African youth for Africa's Development
Afrocentric Education in Africa
Education for Social Change in Africa
Education Reform in Africa
Advisor: Portelli, P John
African Indigneous Food Crops: Their Roles in Combating Chronic Diseases in Ghana

AbstractAfrican Indigenous Food Crops (AIFCs) face eminent extinction due to negative perceptions about them (Voster et al., 2007a). The decline in consumption of AIFCs has been implicated in the emergence and spread of chronic diseases in Africa (Rasche et al., 2007). In view of this, the objectives of this thesis are to establish the links among food, culture and politics, to determine the consequences of changing food habits in indigenous communities in Ghana, and also to examine the potential of AIFCs to address chronic diseases in Ghana. Using the theoretical prism of Indigenous knowledge, this thesis employs the methodology of document analysis. The findings of this thesis include the presence of numerous AIFCs and food habits that could be harnessed to address chronic diseases in Ghana. The study recommends education and promotion of AIFCs in Ghana, and further studies to investigate toxic metabolites that may be hidden in uncommon AIFCs to ensure safe consumption.

Advisor: Dei, J. S. George
Topology Control in an Indoor Wireless Sensor Network using Realistic Propagation Models

This thesis considers the problem of designing an energy-efficient communication backbone for a wireless sensor network deployed in an indoor environment. We propose and implement a Topology Control scheme to determine optimal sensor node transmission power levels that maintain a desired level of network connectivity. Power optimized singly connected network is constructed using a Minimum Spanning Tree based formulation. To achieve fault-tolerance, we employ a Matroid Intersection based approach to construct a Minimum Cost Rooted k-Outconnected Spanning Subgraph, basis for the computation of a Minimum Power k-Connected Spanning Subgraph, k > 1. Realistic wireless channel assumptions are made to construct the optimized network topologies. Field measurements are performed in an indoor office setup to characterize the channel parameters and hence evaluate the accuracy of various path loss models suitable for such propagation environments. Network simulations validate the necessity of exercising Topology Control to achieve network longevity.

Keywords: Channel Measurements
Channel Modelling
Energy Efficiency
Performance Evaluation
Topology Control
Wireless Sensor Networks
Advisor: Hatzinakos, Dimitrios
Quenching H2O2 Residuals Using Granular Activated Carbon: Effect of pH and Biodegradation

This thesis has two parts:Part IResidual H2O2, dissolved oxygen and pH data were observed for quenching of H2O2 by virgin, 1 year and 2 years old GAC in pilot columns. All GACs completely quenched 4 mg/L of H2O2 but not 10 mg/L H2O2. Active reaction sites in the columns were concentrated near the top for virgin and middle for aged GAC. Part IIPseudo first order reaction constant, k, for H2O2 quenching was measured for six different GACs, at three different age levels, in the pH range: 6.50 - 12.50. We observed a marked increase in k values above pH 11.00.H2O2 quenching by sand showed an increase from ~5% to ~10% in k value and from ~3% to ~10% in percentage quenching between week 3 and week 10 of bench scale experiments suggesting that biofilm was able to induce H2O2 quenching ability in an otherwise inert media.

Keywords: Biofilm
GAC
Hydrogen Peroxide
pH
Quenching
Advisor: Hofmann, Ron
Targeting the Mitochondrial Processing Peptidase as a Therapeutic Strategy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous disease characterized by a wide variety of cytogenetic abnormalities. Treatment has been largely unchanged for the past two decades and prognosis is still poor; thus, new therapeutics is needed for this disease. Here, we explore the possibility of targeting the Mitochondrial Processing Peptidase (MPP) as a potential therapeutic target for AML. MPP is a heterodimeric zinc metallopeptidase that cleaves presequences following the import of nuclear encoded matrix space precursors. We demonstrate that MPP-α is overexpressed in a subset of AML patient blood and stem/progenitor populations. MPP-α is ubiquitously expressed in human tissues and strongly expressed in heart and brain. Furthermore, AML cell lines are differentially susceptible towards genetic knockdown of MPP-α with OCI-AML2 having the greatest decrease in cell viability and proliferation while K562 and TEX have moderate effects. These results warrant further investigation of MPP as a therapeutic target for AML.

Keywords: Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Mitochondrial Processing Peptidase
Mitochondrial protein import
NanoString
shRNA
Advisor: Schimmer, Aaron
Navigating Paradigmatic Waters: Using Concept Mapping As A Tool for Paradigm Dialogue Amongst Emerging Qualitative Researchers

Emerging educational researchers are often faced with significant challenges as they enter into and navigate the expansive qualitative research field. Growing evidence supports the claim that increased focus needs to be placed on paradigm and methodology in order for educational researchers to make informed choices, situate their research, and to justify their methodological choices. On a wider scale, there is a call for a collaborative research culture and paradigm dialog[ue] amongst researchers to strengthen the qualitative inquiry community. As a result, this study reports on the findings of a socio-constructivist, collaborative concept mapping activity that was conducted in a graduate level introduction to qualitative inquiry course as a means of paradigm dialogue. Results of the analysis reveal the significant role of social interaction and storytelling as a lens for understanding qualitative inquiry. The study also addresses limitations and potential of both to face-to-face and online concept mapping applications.

Keywords: collaboration
concept mapping
methodology
paradigm
qualitative inquiry
social-constructivism
Advisor: Brett, Clare