VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The role of education in violent conflict and peacebuilding in Rwanda

Schools are an important factor in constructing group identities and attitudes toward the other, yet are understudied by scholars of conflict and peacebuilding. This dissertation comparatively examines how the structure and content of ordinary education contributed to both ethnic conflict and peacebuilding in Rwanda. It suggests specific social-structural and psycho-cultural mechanisms that situate education among the causes of violence, and potentially and more tentatively, sustainable peace. Findings are based upon approximately 100 one-on-one interviews conducted in Rwanda and Belgium, and documentary analysis of curriculum and archival material.

Keywords: History
Political sociology
Educational sociology
Decreasing the confusion of diabetes: focused education and management risk reduction strategies aimed at decreasing cardiovascular risk for patients with type 2 diabetes

Objectives of this thesis included gaining an increased understanding of the barriers and enablers associated with type 2 diabetes cardiovascular risk factors (including obesity, hypertension, lipid abnormalities, blood sugar, and smoking) and assessing the efficacy of utilizing education and tailored, self-management strategies/tools for type 2 diabetes management. The dominant barriers identified were competing health issues, mental health, and lack of knowledge. The dominant enablers included education, having a focused plan and demonstrated benefits. The ultimate goal is to implement a technological intervention within the family medicine clinic minimizing errors, increasing the provision of a high level of care, and reducing health care expenditures. Recommendations have been provided based on this research for the quality improvement team in developing a type 2 diabetes strategy and automated module within the clinic including team-based processes, dedicated diabetes education sessions and incorporation of reminders, education, feedback and decision support into the module.
Structural studies of the chloroplastic [beta]-carbonic anhydrase from the common garden pea Pisum sativum

Carbonic anhydrases, enzymes that catalyse the reversible hydration of CO2 to HCO3−, occur in three families (designated α, β and γ) that are evolutionarily unrelated to one another. The structures of α- and γ-carbonic anhydrase have previously been determined. This work describes the determination of the structure of the β-carbonic anhydrase from the dicotyledenous plant Pisum sativum at 1.93Å resolution. The structure was determined using a combination of multiple anomalous diffraction off the active site zinc ion and non-crystallographic symmetry averaging. The molecular fold is novel, with a four stranded Rossman fold-like module being supplemented by a five helical subdomain and an extra antiparallel β-strand. The molecule assembles into an octamer using a novel dimer of dimers of dimers arrangement such that one interaction surface mediates two different types of interaction. The active site is located at the interface between two monomers, with Cys160, His220 and Cys223 binding the catalytic zinc ion and residues Asp162, Gly224, Gln151, Val184, Phe179 and Tyr205 interacting with the bound substrate analogue, acetic acid. Within β-carbonic anhydrases, two distinct patterns of conservation of critical active site residues are observed, implying two—potentially mechanistically distinct—classes of β-carbonic anhydrases. Comparison of the β-carbonic anhydrase active site with that of α-carbonic anhydrase reveals that the substrate binding groups have a one to one correspondence. Eleven atoms with corresponding functionality in the two active sites can be superimposed with an root mean squared deviation better than 0.4Å, but only if the mirror image of one of the active sites is used. Therefore, despite differing folds, α- and β-carbonic anhydrase have converged upon a very similar active site design and likely share a common mechanism.
Of social and economic rights and neo-liberal constitutions

I examine a possible method of deriving social and economic rights from the existing constitutional text by implying a broad social interpretation to rights that are currently perceived as civil and political. This thesis grapples with the status of social and economic interests in South Africa, Canada and Israel. By comparing these three states I wish to examine the possibility of implementing social and economic rights in Israel and Canada. I argue that the test created by the South African Constitutional Court to scrutinize social and economic policy in South Africa—a reasonableness test—may suit an application of social and economic rights in Canada and Israel. I argue that the current political atmosphere in Israel and Canada prevents the possibility of entrenching social and economic rights in the Constitutions of Canada and Israel (either by amending the Constitution or by entrenching a separate social and economic charters of rights).

Keywords: Social rights, Israel
Civil rights, Israel
Social rights, Canada
Civil rights, Canada
Social rights, South Africa
Civil rights, South Africa
Second language learning motivation from an activity theory perpsective: longitudinal case studies of Korean ESL students and recent immigrants in Toronto

In order to establish a non-reductionistic and genetic L2 motivation theory based on individuals' unique histories, I investigated the trajectories of Korean ESL learner's second language (L2) learning motivation, from an Activity Theory (AT) perspective. To date, neither the psychometric tradition nor newer sociological approaches have fully investigated the dialectical nature of L2 motivation. Based on Vygotskian Sociocultural Theory and AT, I define L2 learning motivation as an L2 learner's realization of the personal significance of an L2-related activity, resulting from the learner's sense of participation in L2 activity systems. Over a period of 12 months, I collected data from 10 Koreans who had recently arrived in Toronto: five ESL visa students and five immigrants. To highlight their paths of motivational development, I focused on four participants who showed similarities in age, previous educational background, and work experience. I collected data using five methods: participant background profiles, semi-structured interviews, L2 learning autobiographies, class observations, and photo-cued recall tasks. Of these methods, interviews received most of my attention, since I conducted them monthly. Eight motivational components emerged out of a series of NVivo analyses. The findings of this thesis imply that the quality of L2 interaction is equally important as the quantity in creating and maintaining L2 learning motivation, and that interviews are not only a research tool but also a learning tool for enhancing learners' metacognitive awareness. I argue that (a) needs, motives, and motivation should be differentiated within an AT perspective, (b) motivation is the transformation of a motive integrated with specific, concrete goals and a sense of participation, (c) demotivation is the gradual disintegration of motive, goal, and sense of participation, whereas amotivation is the total disintegration of the above three elements, (d) L2 learners' beliefs may play a crucial role as mediational tools in activity systems, and (e) the interpretation of participants' data cannot solely depend on its face value but requires close reference to each participant's unique L2 learning history.

Keywords: English language, Study and teaching
Koreans, Language
Koreans, Ontario
Motivation in education
Activity coefficients
Safety of vitamin D3 intakes: Towards defining an upper limit of intake for vitamin D3

Optimal 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations have not been defined, but are believed to be 75-80 nmol/L for bone health. Little is known about efficacy of higher 25(OH)D concentrations mainly because higher serum 25(OH)D and higher doses have not been evaluated. We demonstrate in a population of adolescents (10-17 y) that supplementation with the upper limit (UL) of intake for vitamin D3, 50mug/d, produces mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations of 135 nmol/L. These 25(OH)D concentrations were safe, with no effect on calcium measures or production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. In adults we show that mean 25(OH)D concentrations of 386 nmol/L can be obtained safely and in one individual that 1000 nmol/L can be achieved before any effect on calcium measures are seen. These results support the safety of intakes of vitamin D3 much greater than the current UL and are applicable to the upward revision of the UL for vitamin D3.
Corrosion properties of nanocrystalline Ni and Co electrodeposits

Nanocrystalline electrodeposits show tremendous improvements in many physical and mechanical properties compared to their conventional polycrystalline counterparts. While they show great potential as wear resistant coatings, one particular concern for this application is their intrinsic resistance to corrosive environments. In this thesis, the corrosion behaviour of nanocrystalline Ni and Co, produced by electrodeposition, was investigated in solutions with various pH values. Using potentiodynamic testing, it was shown that the passive region for the nanocrystalline Ni electrodeposits was greatly reduced compared to conventional polycrystalline Ni200 in sulfate solutions with pH
Merger-related productivity gains in the Canadian banking industry

In this study, merger-related productivity growth in a Canadian bank is investigated using non-parametric frontier techniques. Employing Data Envelopment Analysis, efficiency improvements achieved through the merging of retail-banking branches are assessed by (i) calculating the pre-merger branch efficiency in 1999--2000, (ii) calculating the post-merger branch efficiency in 2002--2003, and (iii) comparing the pre- and post-merger results. Malmquist indices are calculated and decomposed to measure technical efficiency change and technological change. The results indicate that, on average, branches experienced technical efficiency gains after the merger. Also, in the majority of cases, branches that were closed and merged with surviving branches became more scale efficient. Moreover, branches that were directly affected by merger activities experienced greater efficiency and productivity gains than branches that were not directly affected. The results suggest that the newly merged bank has been able to capitalize on the opportunity to reduce operating costs, optimally re-allocate staff and realize synergies.
DJ-1 regulates tumour suppression by PTEN and cellular responses to oxidative stress in Parkinson's disease

The cell survival pathway mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase (PI3'K) and its downstream effector protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) is crucial for many developmental processes. The tumour suppressor gene PTEN negatively regulates this pathway, however the regulation of PTEN itself is not well characterized. Using a Drosophila-based genetic screen to identify genes that modulate PTEN activity, we isolated the DJ-1 gene as a putative negative regulator of PTEN. The mammalian orthologue of this gene protected against various cellular insults in a PTEN-dependent manner through activation of the PI3'K-PKB/Akt signaling pathway. Profiling of the transcripts and proteins expressed in samples from lung and breast cancer patients indicated that DJ-1 expression correlated with high levels of PKB/Akt activation and in breast cancers, low PTEN expression, implying that DJ-1 has an epigenetic effect on PTEN function. Furthermore, a higher level of DJ-1 transcripts in tumour tissues of non-small cell lung cancer patients correlated with a poor prognosis, suggesting a novel role for DJ-1 as a molecular marker of aggressive cancers. Concurrent with our characterization of DJ-1 as a gene involved in PTEN regulation and tumorigenesis, others identified loss-of-function mutations in the DJ-1 locus in patients with autosomal recessive, early-onset Parkinson's disease. To examine this phenomenon and to clarify the physiological role of DJ-l, DJ-1 deficient mice were generated by gene-targeting. DJ-1 knockout (DJ-1-/-) mice were viable and fertile and did not show any gross or neuronal abnormalities. However, neurons cultured from DJ-1 -/- mice were abnormally susceptible to oxidative (but not non-oxidative) insults. Significantly, DJ-1-/- mice were hypersensitive to the Parkinsonian neurotoxin 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), showing increased neuronal degeneration in the substantia nigra and striatum. Adenovirus-mediated introduction of the wild type DJ-1 gene into DJ-1-/- mice resulted in protection against toxin-induced neurodegeneration and rescued the susceptibility of these animals to MPTP. The two complementary studies on DJ-1 function embodied in this thesis have demonstrated the role of the regulator DJ-1 in normal cell survival and death pathways, and in the pathological processes of tumorigenesis and neurogeneration.
Role of sympathetic post-ganglionic neurons in cutaneous wound healing in Rattus norvegicus

Taken together, the results obtained from this research project demonstrate for the first time that the sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in cutaneous wound healing in the rat at both the epidermal and dermal levels. This information provides important new insights into the understanding of the pathophysiology of wound healing and could lead to new healing and could lead to new modalities for the management of impaired wound healing in conditions such as paraplegia, diabetes, skin diseases, and after radiotherapy for neoplasia. Cutaneous wound healing is a complex multifactorial process which occurs in three overlapping and yet distinct phases: inflammation, repair, and remodeling. The peripheral nerve system composed of C-fiber sensory afferent neurons and sympathetic post-ganglionic neurons (SPGNs) which innervate the skin is known to induce neurogenic inflammation following skin injury. However, little is known about the role of these peripheral nerves in cutaneous wound healing at the present time. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of SPGNs on cutaneous wound healing. A full-thickness incisional wound was created on the dorsal skin of the rat and left to heal by secondary intention. Cutaneous wound healing was assessed at the epidermal and dermal levels up to 15 days post-operatively, using the transcutaneous electrical resistance method and wound breaking strength test, respectively. Chemical sympathectomy significantly reduced epidermal healing in rats by 37% compared with vehicle-treated controls. On the other hand, chemical SPGN stimulation by injecting a sympathomimetic dose of 6-OHDA on days 0--3 post-operatively significantly accelerated epidermal healing by 35% and dermal healing by 43%, compared with time-matched controls. The endogenous peptide bradykinin (BK) can potently trigger the neurogenic inflammatory reaction and mimic the neurogenic inflammation caused by low dose 6-OHDA. Thus, using the same injection paradigm as in the low-dose 6-OHDA treatment described above, it was observed that BK treatment significantly accelerated epidermal healing by 31% and dermal healing by 19%. Furthermore, using the BK B2 analog, RMP-7, epidermal healing was accelerated by 34% and dermal healing increased by 16%. The effects of BK and RMP-7 were demonstrated to be dependent on SPGNs using chemical sympathectomy.
Distinct behavioural and neurochemical effects of wild type and mutant forms of human alpha-synuclein in mice

Parkinson's disease (PD)-like behavioural impairments were probed in alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) transgenic mice in which the Syrian hamster prion (haPrP) promoter controls expression of human wild type (WT) or missense mutant alpha-syn (A53T and A30P) transgenes. We discerned neuromotor performance deficits in adult A53T-Tg and A30P-Tg animals. Fear conditioning and novel object recognition memory tests revealed deficits in A30P-Tg and A53T-Tg animals. Behavioural endophenotypes were accompanied by Tg- and region-specific alterations in constitutive stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK/JNK) activity and by reductions in synaptophysin, a marker of presynaptic vesicles. Catecholamine levels were differentially affected by expression of the Tgs. Although over-expression of WT human alpha-syn can lead to PD in humans, expression of the WT-Tg had no clearly deleterious effects on mice. Our data suggest that haPrP-driven expression of mutant human alpha-syn yields mice with tractable behavioural and neurochemical phenotypes that recapitulate features of human PD.
Three-dimensional dynamic modeling, control synthesis, and controllability analysis for FES-assisted paraplegic standing

This thesis presents the dynamic analysis of a human double-support stance in order to investigate the feasibility of closed-loop control of functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted standing for paraplegics. Through the application of the dynamics and control of redundant robotic systems, several issues of the dynamics of the double-support stance that must be overcome for the implementation of a practical FES system for paraplegic standing were addressed. Stability analysis for the developed three dimensional dynamic model, which has twelve degrees of freedom (DOF) in the lower limbs demonstrated that the proposed nonlinear dynamic model can achieve asymptotic stability with only 6-DOF out of 12-DOF, assuming the remaining 6-DOF are not actuated. Simulation results suggested that the dynamic redundancy of the biological bipedal stance system allows the selection of an ideal subset of six DOF in a particular patient to design a neuroprosthesis for standing.
Youth videomaking projects: a spoken word study

The focus of this praxis-oriented PhD thesis is on the work done in publicly-funded, community-based youth videomaking projects (YVPs), the conditions and spaces in which it occurs, and what it means to youth and others involved with YVPs. This is a 'spoken word' study; it presents and studies the 'talking about' YVPs on an interactive two-disc DVD. DISC 2 includes five videos produced by YVP participants. Both discs contain excerpts from 16 individual videotaped interviews with these youth participants and others involved with the organizing and funding of these projects. The videomaking process enables youth to make critical statements about issues they care about, tell their stories, and comment on their world. This research contributes to the growing body of work on digital storytelling and multimodality in the fields of youth studies, ethnography, and education by theorizing the semiotic work and radical potential of YVPs. YVP work can potentially reframe the oppressive ways in which dominant discourses about youth have been produced as 'passive'/'active'; 'at risk'/'a risk'; media-'savvy'/'vulnerable'; media-'producers'/'consumers'. Starting with video histories, Lefebvre's (2000/1974) typology of social space, and feminist theorizing of the 'public' (Fraser, 1990; Dean, 2001), I propose an ontology of YVP spaces and look at the kinds of spaces YVPs occupy within civil society. YVPs might be considered spaces of representation created by subaltern counterpublics as well as 'communities of practice' (Lave & Wenger, 1991), whose members practice both media education and art. I consider the pedagogical implications of YVP work for media education in and out of schools. This research project advocates for YVPs while bringing into sharp focus critical questions about these projects, including the ethical implications of using video to show and tell 'youth stories' and qualitative research data. I have considered this project as a possible new, spoken word form of genealogy (Foucault 1971/1984) that pays attention to post-colonial concerns. The other major methodological contribution of this spoken word study is to explore the use of DVD authoring and digital video editing as both research methods and as methodology that evoke discourse analysis.
Three essays on Bayesian choice models

This dissertation presents Bayesian choice models that handle choice dynamics and heterogeneity in choice models from a new perspective. In particular, this dissertation proposes three new models in order to (1) capture choice dynamics by estimating time-varying regression coefficients, (2) estimate individual-level nonlinear utility functions, and (3) recover an unknown heterogeneity distribution in a more general way. Chap. 2 aims to demonstrate that an essential element of choice or utility dynamics can be captured by directly modeling changes in the regression coefficients. Consumers' dynamic choice behavior results from a change in their utilities over time, which may be generated by a change in variable importance weights. Toward this end, a Bayesian dynamic logit model is proposed. The proposed model is designed to capture choice dynamics by estimating a vector autoregressive process for the regression coefficients, including intercepts of households' linear utility functions. Chap. 3 presents a new model to capture consumer-level nonlinear utility functions without any parametric assumption on these functions. In particular, heterogeneous consumer-level utility functions are estimated by introducing splines under an additive regression setting. Chap. 4 discusses a more flexible nonparametric mixture model, a Dirichlet process prior with normal mixtures, to capture a heterogeneity distribution.
The Chx10 regulatory pathway in eye development

Chx10 is a retinal transcriptional factor necessary for normal eye development in humans and mice. Mutations in Chx10 result in multiple severe ocular defects, suggesting that Chx10 lies near the top of a putative eye development pathway. To elucidate the Chx10 pathway, my approach was to identify upstream enhancers and downstream targets of Chx10. Microarray experiments identified eight differentially expressed genes between wild-type and Chx10-mutant mice; two of these genes, Lin-28 and Id4, are putative transcriptional targets of Chx10, with roles in proliferation and differentiation. Transgenic experiments established the existence of distinct retinal progenitor and adult bipolar cell enhancers of Chx10. The bipolar enhancer, localized to within 3.5kb upstream of Chx10, drives reporter gene expression specifically in Chx10-positive mature bipolar cells. Furthermore, four regions upstream of Chx10, identified as being conserved between mouse, human and pufferfish genomes, are candidate retinal progenitor cell enhancers of Chx10.