VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Why Don’t We Do Something? The Societal Problematization of “Homelessness” and the Relationship between Discursive Framing and Social Change

Despite decades of public support for ending homelessness, there is little evidence that homelessness has decreased in Canada. Instead, Canadian communities continue to respond to rising numbers of people without homes through emergency response measures that do little to prevent or end the problem. In sharp contrast, research has documented that homelessness is not inevitable and can be addressed with relatively insignificant government financing. Canada has the ability to end this problem. The question is: why don’t we? This study explores Canada’s political response to this issue by tracing the social construction of “homelessness” since its emergence in the 1980s. Drawing on social problem theory, this interpretive study uses a grounded theory approach to explore the construction of this problem by homelessness advocates and the Canadian media. Triangulating this data with social policy and key events, this study proposes a stage model to explain the “career” of this social problem. This research constitutes the first comprehensive study of the development of homelessness as a social problem in Canada. Results of the study suggest that homelessness has progressed through six stages in Canada and currently stands at a crossroads between institutionalization and transformation. Over the history of this problem, understandings of this issue have shifted from an emergency/disaster framework to an economic, bureaucratic, and scientific framework. Shifts in homelessness advocacy have been crucial to this transformation and are reflected in the development of two distinct “waves” of homelessness advocacy over the course of this problem’s history. This study argues that the differences between these waves are structurally produced through each wave’s divergent class-based experiences of early twenty-first century social and political changes. This study also offers the largest historical analysis of Canadian newspapers’ coverage of homelessness to date. Analysis revealed that newspaper coverage peaked in 1999 and has since declined. Findings suggest that Canadian reporters have frequently depoliticized and individualized this issue in class-based ways, while often failing to elucidate the connections between homelessness and Canada’s economic and social policies. This thesis concludes with an analysis of the contributions of this study to social problem studies, homelessness research, and social work.

Keywords: activism
advocacy
history of Canadian homelessness
homelessness
social constructionism
social problem studies
Advisor: Hulchanski, J. David
Quantum Spin Liquids in Kitaev and Kagome Systems

Quantum spin liquids, systems in which quantum fluctuations prevent the magnetic ordering of the spin degrees of freedom down to zero temperature, have been the source of much recent theoretical and experimental interest. These systems are characterised by their long ranged entangled states, preserve symmetries down to zero Kelvin, and have been shown to exhibit fascinating properties such as a topological ground state degeneracy and fractionalised spin excitations. In this thesis, we study several of these phases. The first, Kitaev spin liquids, appear in strongly spin-orbit coupled systems, where the SU(2) spin symmetry is broken. Within our mean field approach, we study the quantum phase transition from the gapless Z 2 spin liquid to a magnetically ordered phase within the Heisenberg-Kitaev model. Beyond the mean field theory, we argue that the gauge structure of the spin liquid plays a crucial role in this transition, leading to a confinement of spinons and the generation of magnetic order. We also discuss the three-dimensional iridate compounds, where the Kitaev spin liquid phase has topologically protected bulk and surface excitations. We next discuss spin liquids appearing on the geometrically frustrated kagome lattice. First, we consider non-Kramers spin liquids, in which the spin structure of the theory is protected by lattice, rather than time-reversal, symmetry. As a result, more phases are allowed, which have different properties than those which transform as Kramers doublets. In addition, these may have positive experimental signatures in the Raman scattering intensity, offering a clear path to detect such a state. Finally, we examine possible spin liquid phases on a breathing kagome lattice, where we find a stable Z2 spin liquid to be the ground state. This may help to guide future numerical studies of the kagome lattice Heisenberg model, and may also be relevant to DQVOF, a recently discovered spin liquid candidate compound.

Keywords: Spin Liquids
Topological Order
Advisor: Kim, Yong Baek
Extracellular Matrix-mediated Lung Epithelial Cell Differentiation

Differentiation of functional lung epithelial cells from pluripotent stem cells holds the potential for applications in regenerative medicine. However efficient differentiation to proximal and distal lung epithelial cell populations remains a challenging task. The three-dimensional extracellular matrix scaffold is a key component that regulates the interaction of secreted factors with cells during development by often binding to and limiting their diffusion within local gradients. The development of matrices that can recapitulate the in vivo environment is key for directing lung lineage-specific differentiation. Here we examined the role of the lung ECM in differentiation of pluripotent cells in vitro and demonstrate the robust inductive capacity of the native matrix alone using decellularized adult lung scaffolds. The decellularization procedure was optimized and the scaffolds generated were carefully characterized to ensure complete removal of resident cells and preservation of the ECM. Lung scaffolds were recellularized with mouse and rat embryonic stem cell-derived endoderm and maintained for up to three weeks of culture at air liquid interface, in defined, serum-free medium conditions. Recellularization of lung scaffolds with endodermal cells resulted in differentiation to early NKX2-1+/SOX2+ proximal lung progenitor cells and a heterogeneous basal epithelial cell population, within seven days of culture. Extended culture resulted in robust differentiation to mature airway epithelia, complete with FOXJ1+/TUBB4A+ ciliated cells and SCGB1A1+ secretory club cells, with morphological and functional similarities to native airways. Differentiated day 21 cells contained beating ciliated cells in culture and exhibited functional CFTR protein expression. Heparitinase I, but not chondroitinase ABC, treatment of scaffolds revealed that the differentiation achieved is dependent on heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) and its bound factors on the ECM. This work demonstrates the importance of a 3-dimensional matrix environment and the role of site-specific cues for directing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to lung epithelial cells. This is a valuable step towards uncovering ECM-mediated signaling during lung specification and offers a platform for modeling lung development and airway-related diseases using pluripotent stem cells.

Keywords: Development
Epithelial cells
Lung
Regenerative Medicine
Stem cells
Tissue Engineering
Advisor: Post, Martin
Distinguishing the Role of the c-myb Proto-Oncogene in Mouse Models of Cardiovascular Disease

Despite considerable advances in our understanding of disease processes, cardiovascular diseases remain the top cause of mortality and morbidity in society today. Investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases to discover new therapeutic targets is of utmost importance. While much is known about the specific roles of transcription factor c-myb in leukocytes, comparatively little is known about c-myb in the context of cardiovascular disease. c-myb regulates vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) differentiation from embryonic stem cells, as well as the proliferation of mature VSMCs. The literature points toward several areas of opportunity to examine the role of c-myb in cardiovascular biology: first, to examine the role of c-myb in the regulation of adult vessel-resident VSMC progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation in response to vessel injury and the molecular mechanisms involved in c-myb-mediated VSMC differentiation. Second, while transgenic models manipulating c-myb have yielded significant insight in regards to homeostasis of the immune system, little is known about a role for c-myb in the regulation of baseline function of the cardiovascular system. While c-myb regulates VSMC differentiation and pathological VSMC proliferation, it is not known if it regulates VSMC contractile function and vascular contractility, and more generally, blood pressure homeostasis. Lastly, this dissertation examines the involvement of c-myb in experimental atherosclerosis, a disease model involving both leukocytes and vessel-resident cells such as VSMCs. Therefore, work of this dissertation aims to elucidate the role of c-myb in these areas and thus further the collective understanding of the mechanisms involved in cardiovascular pathophysiology.

Keywords: atherosclerosis
blood pressure
c-myb
differentiation
progenitor cells
restenosis
Advisor: Husain, Mansoor
Barometric Books: The Atmosphere in Nineteenth-century English and French Novels

“Barometric Books: The Atmosphere in Nineteenth-Century English and French Novels” examines how popular print culture mediates representations of the atmosphere in nineteenth-century English and French novels that were published within a twenty-five year span. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847) and Villette (1853), Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South (1854), Charles Dickens’s Hard Times (1854), and Jules Verne’s Vingt Mille Lieues sous les mers (1869-70) were informed by documents, such as almanacs and serials, that define the atmosphere in terms of its ubiquitous fluidity. Explained as an overarching liquid presence, the atmosphere becomes the primary medium of existence. It is invested with the capacity to unite humans to their environment, to each other, and to sensory experiences. As the nineteenth century progresses, the atmosphere’s literary representation shifts. Its chemical composition is simultaneously altered by unprecedented industrial development, and its perception changes following developments in meteorology, a newfound science that emerges at the midpoint of the century. Over the course of these transformations, the atmosphere’s planetary presence erodes—once perceived as an invisible fluid shared by every living thing on Earth, the atmosphere is gradually transformed into a commodity, its finitude forgotten and its permeating presence thrust to the background. This project recuperates popular and ephemeral print materials. In doing so, “Barometric Books: The Atmosphere in Nineteenth-Century English and French Novels” shows how current resistance to the idea of climate change is informed by a shift that fundamentally altered how the atmosphere is represented in literature.

Keywords: Almanacs
Atmosphere
Print culture
Sound studies
Advisor: Jagoe, Eva-Lynn
Data Dissemination using Information-Centric Networking

Information-Centric Networking (ICN) is a promising paradigm to answer challenges the current Internet is facing. It is a paradigm that puts content first, and inherently enables content mobility and content security. In this work, we use ICN in real world applications. We present an ICN-based data-dissemination layer for Smart City platforms. We also present a content-based publish/subscribe overlay system based on that data-dissemination layer. We are using the system to collect and publish data from various sources, including demos with Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles (UAVs) providing live transportation video. Furthermore, by promoting in-network caching, ICN is a promising paradigm to answer current challenges in the service provider's domain. This work reports on a cache placement and content routing strategy for service providers to delay the onset of congestion (time-to-exhaustion) to the extent possible in order to optimize their capital expenditure for their limited capacity planning budget. We show that even a limited deployment of ICN provides a substantial increase in the time-to-exhaustion of the network and a decrease in the number of links with high utilization. We also study the effects of homogeneous and heterogeneous caching mechanisms on the performance of an ICN based content-delivery system.

Keywords: Content Delivery
Data Dissemination
Information-Centric Networking
Internet of Things
Smart City
Advisor: Leon-Garcia, Alberto
Utilizing a Microbial Natural Product to Investigate Cellular Circuitry Governing Fungal Drug Resistance and Morphogenesis

Fungal pathogens cause life-threatening infections in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. The three most prevalent fungal pathogens are Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus. There is a limited repertoire of antifungals in clinical use, with treatment of invasive infections restricted to polyenes, azoles, and echinocandins. The emergence of drug resistance now threatens the utility of antifungals, necessitating the development of novel strategies to block the emergence of drug resistance and restore antifungal activity against resistant pathogens. My research explores the mechanisms by which the natural product beauvericin enhances azole efficacy, blocks the emergence of azole resistance, inhibits virulence traits, and renders resistant pathogens responsive to treatment in mammalian infection models. My results demonstrate that beauvericin increases azole activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae and pathogenic fungi such as C. albicans, C. neoformans, and A. fumigatus. Harnessing genome sequencing of S. cerevisiae beauvericin-resistant mutants, affinity purification of a biotinylated beauvericin analog, and biochemical and genetic assays reveals that beauvericin blocks multidrug efflux and inhibits the global regulator TORC1 kinase, thereby activating protein kinase CK2 and inhibiting the molecular chaperone Hsp90. Substitutions in the multidrug transporter Pdr5 that enable beauvericin efflux impair antifungal efflux, thereby impeding resistance to the drug combination. Genome sequence analysis of beauvericin-resistant mutants in C. albicans reveals mutations in genes encoding the transcription factors Zcf29 and Tac1. Transcriptional profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to microarray analyses reveals that Zcf29 binds to and regulates the expression of multidrug transporter genes. Beyond drug resistance, I also discovered that beauvericin blocks the C. albicans morphogenetic transition from yeast to filamentous growth, a key virulence trait, in response to diverse host-relevant cues. Thus, my work establishes that beauvericin abrogates antifungal drug resistance and blocks C. albicans morphogenesis, providing a powerful strategy for the development of combination therapy to treat life-threatening fungal infections.

Keywords: Beauvericin
Combination Therapy
Drug Resistance
Fungal Pathogens
Natural Products
Stress Response
Advisor: Cowen, Leah E
Public Health as Social Justice? A Qualitative Study of Public Health Policy-makers' Perspectives

Background: ‘Social justice’ is routinely identified as a core value for the field of public health. Yet, outside of the theoretical literature it is seldom accompanied by a robust definition or an explanation of what it requires for policy and practice. If social justice is intended to be, or ought to be, a core value in public health, its meaning and normative requirements must be understood and articulated in a way that is applicable to, and practicable for, public health policy and practice. This study takes a first step in responding to this charge by (1) exploring public health policy-makers’ perspectives on the meaning and role of social justice in their practice, (2) examining the extent to which distinct perspectives on social justice exist in different programmatic areas of public health (chronic disease prevention and public health emergency preparedness and response), and (3) analyzing these perspectives in light of existing normative social justice theory. Methods: This study involved qualitative, semi-structured interviews with public health policy-makers purposively recruited from municipal, provincial, and federal public health organizations in Canada. Twenty interviews were conducted, analyzed via thematic analysis, and subsequently interpreted in light of, and situated within the context of, normative social justice theory. Findings: Two overarching themes emerged from the interviews, in addition to three unique themes from interviews with participants involved in chronic disease prevention and three themes from those involved in public health emergency preparedness and response. Social justice was not uniformly interpreted among study participants, and the meanings and roles attributed to social justice appeared to be influenced, in part, by the perceived goals and contextual features that belong to the programmatic area of public health in which they practiced. Conclusions: The findings of this study provide an understanding of how the meaning and role of social justice is interpreted by public health policy-makers. They point to key areas in normative social justice theory where further attention ought to be directed, as well as key areas in the public health policy and practice context where normative social justice theory could enhance and refine the value’s practical interpretation and role.

Keywords: Chronic disease prevention
Health equity
Justice
Public health emergency preparedness and response
Public health policy
Social justice
Advisor: Upshur, Ross EG
School Leadership in the Provincial Philippines

This research presents the results of an ethnographic case study about school leadership on a small island in the provincial Philippines. A distributed perspective of school leadership was taken, and school leadership was defined as the ability to influence the organization. The research question was, “How is school leadership practiced in a Philippine high school in a period of educational reform?” A comprehensive literature review was conducted, and a pre-existing theoretical framework called the Four Paths (Leithwood, Patten, Jantzi, 2010) was used. Respondents took photographs of “things that improve the school,” and interviews were based on the photographs they took. The results showed that a range of individuals participated in school leadership, not just the principal. Four conclusions were reached. 1. The low socioeconomic status of the local culture limited the school community. 2. The distribution of leadership extended outside the physical walls of the school and involved district staff. 3. Use of the Four Paths framework should incorporate social context. 4. School leaders formed patron-client relationships, a social convention that made their leadership more resilient. There are five implications for future research. 1. The main focus of leaders in low socioeconomic status (SES) communities might not be academic achievement. 2. Leadership actions in low SES communities might not be divided discretely into academic and social achievement, so a holistic approach might be required. 3. Researchers might expect to see emphasis on the needs of students by school leaders in low SES communities. 4. There could be leaders outside the school walls who can help improve the school, implying that low SES schools have more leadership resources than they think. 5. The school organizational structure might be larger than the physical school.

Keywords: cross cultural education
educational administration
international education
Philippines
school improvement
school leadership
Advisor: Mascall, Blair
Identification and Validation of DLG2 as a Novel Tumor Suppressor in Osteosarcoma

Biological events including mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis are frequently well conserved within mammals. We here report a cross-species comparative genomics study across human, dog, and mouse in osteosarcoma (OS). Genomic profiling in spontaneous human and dog OS elucidated a promising tumor suppressor gene candidate, Disks Large Homolog 2 (DLG2). DLG2 copy number losses are observed in 29% of spontaneous human OS and 45% of canine OS. The tumor suppressive ability of DLG2 is then examined in vitro using human and dog cell lines, and in vivo using murine xenograft models. Restoration of DLG2 expression selectively reduces cell motility in DLG2-deleted cell lines. DLG2 expression also reduces tumorigenic capacity in multiple DLG2-deleted cell lines, as determined by soft agar assays and xenografts in NOD/SCID mice. Finally, osteoblast-specific knockout (KO) of Dlg2 gene accelerates tumor progression in a murine model of OS. RNA-seq profiling shows that DLG2 overexpression in DLG2 KO cells affect a range of cellular activities with RhoA pathway and actin-organization at the top of the list. Therefore, by leveraging biological conversation across species, we identify DLG2 as a novel tumor suppressor in OS. The principles of this project can be widely applied to other human cancers, offering an approach to shortlist potential candidate genes within large chromosomal altered regions, and prioritize their functional validation.

Keywords: aCGH
comparative oncogenomics
DLG2
mouse model
osteosarcoma
Advisor: Khokha, Rama