VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Modern Islamic Messianism: Eschatology to Teleology

In this dissertation, I use primary and secondary sources to trace the development and transformation of the concept of Mahdi in Iran from the early 1900s to the late 1970s. I provide an alternative historiography of the Mahdi that has been missing from the Mahdist scholarly work arguing that there was a significant discursive shift regarding the Mahdi in Iranian religious writings from a distant figure in the early period to a revolutionary figure of future hope and justice in the late 1970s. In the early period, intellectual circles did not focus on the urgency of the Mahdi’s arrival, content to maintain the Mahdi’s distance. This changed in the early 1940s where the Mahdi took on a revolutionary aura and writings regarded his imminent arrival as critical for the revolutionary ethos to reach its logical conclusion in religious and political emancipation. In this dissertation, I argue that this discursive shift occurred due to a number of factors which caused contemporary Iranian society to question the idea that emancipation would come from the constitutional revolution. This shift also occurred due to rising divergences among intellectual circles including leftists, secularists, and nationalists whose criticisms of religion forced the religious figures out of their intellectual comfort zones. I am mainly focused on unpacking the nature of this factor by charting discursive treatments of the Mahdi through this period among these various intellectual milieus.

Keywords: Iranian Studies
Islamic history
Messianism
Middle East
Shi'ism
Advisor: Tavakoli-Targhi, Mohamad
‘Don’t Under React’: The Limits of Compassion and Risk Management in Toronto School Safety from 1999-2007

The purpose of this dissertation is to situate school safety policies within the emergence of organizational risk management. I argue that the turn to a risk management of everything re-shapes safety and discipline in the school system. Concomitantly, the compassionate and pastoral aspects of schooling re-shapes risk management. This is important because risk management and school discipline practices are often described as cold exclusionary turns whereas my research shows that the inclusionary pull and dream of mandatory education, if never fully realized, impacts how risk management is achieved in the school system. The main question addressed by this dissertation is how does the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) manage risk to students, educators and its reputation by looking at three distinct areas: 1) the disappearance of zero-tolerance policies; 2) the role of the centralized Safe Schools Office in handling student discipline; and 3) the organizational responses to school shooters via lockdown and threat assessments. As part of this turn to risk management, institutions are becoming insular to external research so I had to rely on creativity to collect data. I attended training seminars and received resources normally reserved for school principals and conducted by senior administrators in the TDSB. I augmented the data from the training materials with TDSB policy and procedural memoranda; debates by politicians (School Board Trustees and Members of Provincial Parliament) and the work that emerged from two TDSB led task forces on discipline and safety. The research provides greater nuance to the literature by focusing on how inclusivity and compassion have implications for risk management strategies. The research also suggests how to approach and stifle purely exclusionary policies.

Keywords: compassion
pastoral power
risk management
school lockdowns
school safety
zero-tolerance
Advisor: Hannah-Moffat, Kelly
Toward an Understanding of the Novelistic Dimension of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Emile

The multi-genre combination of philosophic and literary expression in Rousseau’s Emile provides an opportunity to explore the relationship between the novelistic structure of this work and the substance of its philosophical teachings. This dissertation explores this matter through a textual analysis of the role of the novelistic dimension of the Emile. Despite the vast literature on Rousseau’s manner of writing, critical aspects of the novelistic form of the Emile remain either misunderstood or overlooked. This study challenges the prevailing image in the existing scholarship by arguing that Rousseau’s Emile is a prime example of how form and content can fortify each other. The novelistic structure of the Emile is inseparable from Rousseau’s conception and communication of his philosophy. That is, the novelistic form of the Emile is not simply harmonious with the substance of its philosophical content, but its form and content also merge to reinforce Rousseau’s capacity to express his teachings. This dissertation thus proposes to demonstrate how and why the novelistic dimension of the Emile belongs to it not mechanistically, but integrally. To illustrate this central idea, this dissertation is divided into three sub-themes, each of which is motivated by a corresponding major research question: (1) Rousseau as a writer of a novel: What is the function of the novelistic structure of the Emile? (2) Rousseau as an appropriator of a novel: To what end does Rousseau use (and abuse) novels in the Emile as part of Emile’s and Sophie’s pedagogical programs? (3) Rousseau as a fictional character in a novel: What is the function of Rousseau’s fictionalized self-representation in the Emile as Jean-Jacques the tutor? The findings of each chapter prompt a re-thinking of Rousseau’s novelistic technique in the Emile as it relates to the substance of his broader philosophical teachings.

Keywords: eighteenth century
Enlightenment
politics and literature
Rousseau
state of nature
theories of education
Advisor: Orwin, Clifford
Continuous-time Latent-variable Models for Time Series

Time series data play a crucial role in many applications, such as biology, medicine, economics, engineering and others. One of the most powerful approaches for time series is latent-variable models, thanks to their ability to handle multi-dimensional data with complex interactions. Typically, these models represent a timeline as a sequence of discrete states and therefore assume that observations occur at regular intervals. However, this assumption does not always hold. An illustrative example is medical records, where a patient is screened only when the need arises, resulting in the irregularly-spaced and possibly sparse time series. In this type of time series, the time intervals between the observations can provide valuable information about the time series, such as patient's health condition. To bridge the gap between the data and the available models, a common approach is to convert a continuous timeline into a discrete one by aggregating observations into a sequence of discrete clusters. However, this transformation erases a lot of the temporal structure of the data and prevents us from utilizing the data to its full potential. In this thesis, I present latent-variable models for continuous-time data across several application domains. First, I present a method for ordering cancer mutations on a linear timeline and use a mixture model to summarize them into a set of trajectories over time. Thanks to this ordering, I perform a more fine-grained discretization of the cancer timeline in comparison to the previous methods and can more accurately detect the changes in cancer dynamics. Next, I introduce Latent Ordinary Differential Equations (Latent ODE) -- a framework that allows to model time series as a solution of a differential equation, in other words, as a continuous function over time. Unlike the previous models, this approach does not require any discretization of the data and can naturally handle irregularly-spaced time points. I showcase the potential of the model on the interpretable dataset. I demonstrate that the Latent ODE model has better extrapolation properties and is more robust to noise compared to existing sequential models. Finally, I improve the Latent ODE model by proposing an ODE-based recognition model. I demonstrate that, by preserving the observations on a real-values timeline and modelling them as a continuous function, we can get improvement in a variety of tasks, such as forecasting, imputation and classification.

Keywords: Cancer evolution
Latent-variable models
Neural ODE
Time series
Advisor: Morris, Quaid
Managing the Surface of Infrared Colloidal Quantum Dots for Photovoltaics

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are a thin film technology that has been used in optoelectronic devices such as lasers, light emitting diodes, photodetectors, and solar cells. CQDs exhibit size-dependent absorption and are capable of harvesting light beyond the bandedge of many traditional semiconducting materials, making them of interest as the back cell in multijunction solar cells. Specifically, using CQDs with an exciton peak positioned beyond 1100 nm – IR-CQDs – allows short-wave infrared (SWIR) absorption beyond silicon’s bandgap. The aim of this thesis is to understand how passivation is achieved in IR-CQDs; and to use these insights to create IR-CQDs that advance IR harvesting performance. The crucial performance metric to be advanced is IR power conversion efficiency (IR-PCE) – the power points added by harvesting light transmitted by a silicon solar cell. I began by tackling the problem of improving CQD colloidal stability, an advance necessary to the fabrication of high-quality films. I developed a halide re-shelling exchange that stabilizes the IR-CQDs in polar solvents. The resulting solar cells increased the IR-PCE to 0.76%, greater than the IR-PCE of 0.4% achieved in the best previously-reported ink-based IR-CQD solar cells. Different halide passivants were the focus of my next effort. Using a mixed lead halide (MPbX) PbS ligand exchange, I improved both passivation and transport in CQD solar cells. MPbX-PbS solar cells reached an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 80% at their exciton at 1210 nm and an IR-PCE of 1.17%. I then went on to study how smaller-bandgap (0.7 eV) IR-CQDs could be used to fabricate solar cells. A blade coating strategy was developed to fabricate micrometer thick films capable of harvesting 60% of available solar photons. The resulting IR-CQD solar cell reached an EQE exciton peak of 80% at 1670 nm, resulting in a record IR-PCE of 1.57%. This thesis presents a suite of strategies to passivate IR-CQDs. The techniques developed in this work offer routes to liquid-processed optoelectronic devices in solar energy and beyond.

Keywords: Infrared
Nanotechnology
Photovoltaics
Quantum Dot
Solar Cell
Advisor: Sargent, Edward H
Morphology and Connectivity Impairments in Rett Syndrome Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 1 in 10,000 females born, leading to early progressive loss of developed language, cognition and motor skills. RTT is primarily caused by heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in the X linked gene encoding the global transcriptional regulator methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2). MECP2 undergoes alternative splicing of its exon 2 resulting in the MECP2e1 and MECP2e2 isoforms, whose functions in the brain remain unclear. MECP2 is also alternatively polyadenylated to yield MECP2 short and long 3’-UTR isoforms that can undergo post-transcriptional regulation during neurodevelopment. In this thesis, I modelled RTT using human neurons differentiated from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (ESCs/iPSCs) to study perturbations of MECP2. The overall hypothesis is that MECP2 mutations or changes of its isoform levels in human cortical neurons cause impairments in morphology and electrophysiology. In the first part of this thesis, I studied how modulation of MECP2 level can alter cell size and established a platform for evaluating the functional connectivity of neurons. I demonstrated that iPSC-derived neurons from an RTT patient with an MECP2e1 isoform-specific mutation have soma area defects that were rescued by expression of MECP2e1, while remaining unaffected by MECP2e2. I also showed in control ESC-derived neurons that over-expressed PUM1 consistent with destabilization of the MECP2 long 3’-UTR isoform led to phenocopy of the smaller soma area observed in RTT. Although an automated morphology-based approach for phenotyping neurons was not robust, I established a micro-electrode array (MEA) platform for assessing the network activity of control excitatory neurons. In the latter part of this thesis, I used isogenic gene edited and RTT patient reprogrammed stem cell-derived neurons to evaluate a range of phenotypes associated with different types of MECP2 mutations. I investigated the consequences of a functionally mild MECP2 L124W mutation in RTT patient neurons and used MEAs to identify novel network circuitry impairments in MECP2 null excitatory neuronal cultures. In summary, this work provides insights into RTT using human stem cell-derived neurons to reveal a wide spectrum of severe and core shared morphological and circuitry changes associated with MECP2 dysfunction.

Keywords: neuroscience
Rett syndrome
stem cells
Advisor: Ellis, James
The Effect of Empagliflozin on Left Ventricular Mass and Myocardial Extracellular Volume in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Background: The sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors improve cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and established CV disease (CVD) but the mechanism driving their cardio-benefit remains poorly understood. Specifically, whether SGLT2 inhibitors have direct cardiac effects remains unknown. Objective: To evaluate the effects of the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin on left ventricular (LV) mass index (LVMi) and myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) in individuals with T2DM and CVD. Method: We randomized 97 participants with T2DM and CVD to receive empagliflozin 10 mg daily or placebo for 6 months in addition to standard of care therapy. The primary outcome was change in LVMi from baseline to 6 months determined by cardiac magnetic resonance. Other outcomes included change in indexed LV end diastolic volume (LVEDVi), end systolic volume (LVESVi) or ejection fraction (LVEF) and in circulating N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and troponin I. For our sub-study with 74 participants we assessed ECV, indexed intracellular and extracellular compartment volume (iICV, iECV), the fibrosis biomarkers soluble suppressor of tumorgenicity (sST2) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2). Results: In the primary study, change in LVMi from baseline to 6-months was -2·6 (7·8) g/m2 for the empagliflozin group and -0·01 (5·7) g/m2 for placebo (adjusted difference between groups -3·4 g/m2; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), -5·9 to -0·8; P=0·01). There were no significant differences between groups for LVEDVi, LVESVi, LVEF nor in NT-proBNP and troponin I. In our sub-study, empagliflozin reduced ECV compared to placebo (adjusted difference: -1.4%; 95% CI, -2.6 to -0.14; P=0.03). This reduction in ECV in the empagliflozin group was observed after 6 months, alongside the reduction in LVMi. Empagliflozin therapy compared with placebo, also reduced iECV (adjusted difference: -1.5 mL/m2; 95% CI, -2.6 to -0.5; P=0.006) with a trend towards reduction in iICV (adjusted difference: -1.7 mL/m2; 95% CI, -3.8 to 0.3; P=0.09). Empagliflozin had no difference in impact upon circulating levels of MMP-2 or sST2 when compared to placebo. Conclusions: In patients with T2DM and CVD, empagliflozin therapy was associated with a reduction in ECV in parallel to a reduction in LVMi which may contribute to its CV benefits.

Keywords: cardiac magnetic resonance
cardiac structure
empagliflozin
left ventricular mass
myocardial extracellular volume
sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors
Advisor: Verma, Subodh
Recreational Sport Programs for Emerging Adults with a Disability: Exploring Quality Experiences and the Social Environment

Recreational sport provides leisure and community opportunities to many individuals. Specifically, recreational sport can provide continuity during the transition from adolescence to adulthood when many life changes occur (e.g., school, work). For individuals with a disability, this transitional period (ages 18 – 25 years) may be extremely important as there is an abrupt ending to community programming after adolescence. This doctoral research program explored the social and transitionary experiences of emerging adults with a disability in recreational sport programs. Study 1, a scoping review of the peer-reviewed literature, identified limited research and a lack of explicit discussion of peer interactions in recreational sport programs for emerging adults with a disability. Study 2 used a mixed methods approach to observe and explore the peer interactions that occur for emerging adults with a disability within recreational sport programs. Conducted in communities across Ontario (two women, six men, and three sport programs), Study 2 combined dynamic systems and qualitative approaches to highlight the non-normative ways individuals with a disability may interact and achieve a sense of belonging on a recreational sports team. Finally, Study 3 presents a case study of a recreational paddling program for individuals with an intellectual disability. All persons involved in the program (i.e., administration, coaches, athletes, and parents) engaged in a multi-method, two-month case study of the social environment, development, and experiences of participating in such a program with attention focused on the role peers may (not) have. Study 3 highlights issues of disablism – socially-imposed barriers to full participation – that occurred within the paddling program and the necessity of coach training regulation to ensure coaches understand foundational coaching strategies along with disability-relevant knowledge (e.g., communication strategies). Overall, this doctoral research program highlights the individuality in social experiences within recreational sport contexts, the extended role of parents in their adult children’s lives, and the role that recreational sport can play on the transitionary experiences of emerging adults with a disability.

Keywords: Disability
Participation
Peers
Qualitative
Recreational Sport
Social Environment
Advisor: Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Kelly P
Health in all Policies (HiAP): A Realist Multiple Explanatory Case Study Examining the Implementation of HiAP

Health in All Policies (HiAP) is a health promotion strategy that aims to improve population health and equity through a whole-of-government approach to the development and implementation of public policy. This dissertation tests the hypotheses about factors that shape implementation of health in all policies in multiple jurisdictions. The study: (1) through a narrative review, reviewed public health perspectives on HiAP, focusing on the role of politics in implementation, (2) using a single explanatory case study, advanced theory about buy-in for HiAP in California, and (3) through a multiple explanatory case study, advanced theory about the influence of non-state actors in HiAP implementation in a number of jurisdictions, namely, California, Norway, Ecuador, Thailand, and Scotland. Data for the narrative review were obtained from the peer-review literature and data for the explanatory case studies relied on primary data collected during 2012 to 2015 and secondary data extracted from the HARMONICS (HiAP Analysis using Realist Methods On International Case Studies) study at the St. Michael’s Hospital Centre for Urban Health Solutions. The narrative review provided broad perspectives on political considerations in the HiAP literature, while the realist explanatory case study methodology advanced theories of the mechanisms involved in the implementation of HiAP in multiple jurisdictions. These methodologies were complemented by the systems framework which serves as a heuristic tool to aid policy makers and HiAP researchers better understand how government sectors implement HiAP initiatives, and how non-governmental actors shape implementation. Primary findings are multifaceted. First, the narrative review revealed a paucity of political considerations in the public health literature on HiAP implementation. Second the findings revealed strong evidence on the factors that contributed to buy-in in California. We found buy in for HiAP occurs when: 1) there is a history of prior experience, 2) governments employ knowledge translation, 3) governments employ sectoral language, 4) governments use dual outcomes, 5) governments use expert advisors and, 6) governments employ consensus building. Third, the findings of the cross-case analysis of non-state actors influence on HiAP implementation found weak support for the influence of supranational institutions, medium support for private sector, low support for civil society.

Advisor: O'Campo, Patricia
Uncoupled Base Rocking and Shear Mechanisms for Controlling Higher-mode Effects in High-rise Buildings

While modern seismic design philosophies prioritize life safety under major earthquakes, structural damage is not precluded. As for high-rise buildings, earthquake-induced damage can be rather extensive and exacerbated as a result of higher-mode effects. This may lead to repair and replacement being infeasible or uneconomical. A large body of research has been conducted on low-damage systems for high-rise buildings. Concepts involved in these systems essentially fall into three categories including rocking mechanisms, seismic isolation, and the combination thereof. While rocking systems have limited efficiency in limiting higher-mode effects, , base isolation can also be challenging for high-rise buildings due to base isolators being overloaded axially while undergoing significant lateral deformations. Combining both concepts by allowing base-isolated structures to rock at the base as well cannot fully resolve all these problems, leading to design and implementation challenges. This dissertation proposes a novel system consisting of uncoupled rocking and shear mechanisms incorporated at the base of RC core-wall buildings. Acting in parallel, the dual mechanism allows for an independent control of the flexural and shear responses of structures and an effective mitigation of the higher-mode response. A physical implementation is developed for the proposed system after the fundamental kinematics defining the system are understood. This physical embodiment is then designed, detailed, and numerically validated using a reference 42-storey benchmark building. Results of extensive nonlinear dynamic analyses indicate that the proposed system is efficient in mitigating higher-mode effects and minimizing damage to RC core-wall high-rise buildings. To generalize the design of the proposed system, closed-form analytical studies and parametric nonlinear time history analyses are conducted. Based on these analyses, general procedures are developed for the preliminary design of the proposed system.

Keywords: High-rise buildings
Higher-mode effects
RC walls
Rocking mechanism
Seismic resilience
Shear mechanism
Advisor: Christopoulos, Constantin