VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Mode Choice Modelling Subject to Challenges Coming from Input Data Sources

Mode choice modelling is a crucial component of any demand modelling process and also a major standalone tool for policy analyses. Developing a robust mode choice model requires accurate and comprehensive data regarding different aspects of travel. However, collecting and accessing such data is almost impossible in practice. There are various sources of input uncertainty and data challenges that can contribute to uncertainty of predicted forecasts of travel demand. These challenges are often neglected in modelling practices. This thesis focuses on providing understanding and developing techniques to address selected sources of data uncertainty and challenges in the mode choice modelling context. The objective is to obtain more accurate forecasts and consequently to produce more precise policy measures and investment decisions. This thesis presents a set of empirical models for modelling mode choice behaviour, each focusing on a specific research avenue. First, a modal shift investigation is conducted as a case study, using a survey designed to capture the effectiveness of a TDM program. Next, a novel model of joint revealed preference and stated preference (RP-SP) datasets is estimated to further mitigate uncertainty and bias from the stated preference survey using an elicited confidence rating dataset. Then, an interesting joint consideration set formation model and discrete mode choice model is estimated using elicited consideration set data to capture the choice set formation process. Next, another methodology is developed to capture the probabilistic choice set formation process (without any elicitation data involved) using a novel semi-compensatory framework that combines the Independent Availability Logit and implicit Constrained Multinomial Logit models. And finally, a unique model is estimated to investigate potential mode shift behaviour using a choice-based sample of commuter rail passengers. The proposed methodology jointly models rail station access mode choice and the choice of switching to alternative modes using a Generalized Extreme Value with an endogenous latent variable model. The developed models offer useful insights into understanding mode choice behaviour and policy implications of the outcomes.

Keywords: Choice Model
Consideration Set
Data Challenges
Logit Model
Mode Choice Behaviour
SP Choice Uncertainty
Advisor: Nurul Habib, Khandker K.M.N.H
Racial Capitalism, Precarity, Necroprotraction and Sports Tourism: A Critical Feminist and Anti-Racist Ethnography of a Martial Art Destination Training Camp in Thailand

Martial art destination training camps are an emerging trend in sports tourism in which predominantly affluent western tourists travel to practice martial arts in their country of ‘origin’, such as Muay Thai in Thailand. To sell their services, destination training camps promote the commodification of race (through relations of power and otherness) and exoticness (through sea, sand, sun and ‘land of smiles’), the consumption of ‘authenticity’, and opportunities to cultivate the body. In this dissertation, I present findings from my two-and-a-half-month embodied institutional ethnography of King Cobra Muay Thai, Phuket, Thailand (Ethical Approval #36703), which consisted of a critical feminist discourse analysis, participant observation and interviews with Thai camp workers and sports tourists. This camp caters to an affluent, mainly white, western demographic because all the training is in English, it is expensive, and it requires spare leisure time and the ability to travel. Specifically, guided by critical race and gender studies, theories of authenticity and biopedagogies, surveillance and space studies, I demonstrate that camps like King Cobra reify global structures of racial capitalism, which in turn leads to physical, emotional, and economic precarity for Thai local workers. Sports tourists who attend King Cobra to work on their bodies do so because they have embraced racial capitalism and neoliberal biopedagogical practices, vis-à-vis consuming ‘authentic’ Thai ‘Others’ in an ‘exotic’ eastern locale. Unfortunately, a full life of training and working at the camp precipitates necroprotraction (dangerous long term health consequences) for local Thai trainers. I argue that a complete re-thinking of western tourist consumption, which the destination tourist camps reproduce, is needed. Based on my findings, I argue for moving towards ethical sports tourism by challenging global structures of racial capitalism that undergird this industry and suggest the possibility of alter-camps. In this dissertation, I have worked to re-centre local Thai voices from the margins so as to de-centre western colonial camp industries’ and tourists’ desires that continually act to commodify Othered global spaces for their own profit and pleasure. I believe that this dissertation contributes to the disciplinary fields of Physical Cultural Studies, Leisure and Tourism Studies, and Intersectional Studies.

Keywords: Intersectionality
Martial Arts
Necroprotraction
Racial Capitalism
Sports Tourism
Thailand
Advisor: Fusco, Caroline
Structural Insight into V-ATPase Regulation

Vacuolar-type ATPases (V-ATPases) are membrane protein complexes that function as proton pumps. V-ATPases acidify the intracellular compartments of all eukaryotic cells, making them essential for many basic cellular processes including protein biosynthesis, intracellular trafficking, and receptor mediated endocytosis. In higher eukaryotes, many V-ATPase subunits have multiple isoforms that are expressed in an organelle, cell, or tissue-dependent manner. Aberrant V-ATPase activity and mutations in specific subunit isoforms are associated with numerous diseases. V-ATPase activity can be switched off and on through reversible dissociation of the ATP hydrolyzing V1 region and the proton pumping VO region. Understanding how V-ATPase activity is regulated and how different isoforms influence V-ATPase activity would improve our understanding of the widespread functions of V-ATPase in the cell and guide the design of therapeutics that target V-ATPase.

Keywords: CryoEM
V-ATPase
Yeast
Advisor: Rubinstein, John L
Structure, Dynamics, and Therapeutic Potential of ATP Synthase

Found in mitochondria, chloroplasts, and bacteria, ATP synthases are rotary enzymes that use energy from respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The dumbbell-shaped macromolecular complex consists of a soluble F1 motor and a membrane-embedded FO motor connected by a shared central rotor. Studying the molecular mechanism of both motors and how they are coupled together to form a functional enzyme is critical for understanding bioenergetics and respiration. In this thesis, single particle electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) was employed to investigate the structure, dynamics, and therapeutic potential of ATP synthase. To improve cryoEM sample preparation and data storage, a grid freezing device and a movie storage file format were developed. High-resolution structures of both mitochondrial and bacterial ATP synthases demonstrate how proton translocation across the membrane via two proton half channels in the FO region drives rotation of the rotor. The dimeric mitochondrial ATP synthase structure also explains how the enzyme forms dimers, bends the mitochondrial inner membrane, and produces cristae—the characteristic structure of mitochondria. Structures of ATP synthase during rotary catalysis illustrate how the enzyme deforms under strain to achieve efficient coupling of the F1 and FO motors. Additionally, structures of ATP synthases bound to the tuberculosis drug bedaquiline and the antileukemia compound apoptolidin highlight the potential of ATP synthase as drug targets for treatment of bacterial infection and respiration-dependant cancer. Together, our results uncovered fundamental mechanisms that enable function of this fascinating molecular machine and explored how medicines targeting the enzyme might be harnessed to benefit human health.

Keywords: ATP synthase
bioenergetics
cancer
cryoEM
protein complex
tuberculosis
Advisor: Rubinstein, John L.
Influenza and Avian Influenza in Urban Bangladesh: Live Poultry Exposure, Seasonality, and Pandemic Risk at the Human-poultry Interface

Influenza causes a substantial global burden, and reassortment between circulating human and avian influenza viruses poses a threat for pandemic emergence. The public health risks posed by pandemic influenza are particularly high in Bangladesh where dense, rapidly urbanizing populations and intensifying poultry production sectors are bringing humans and animals in closer contact. Using a One Health approach, this dissertation presents three studies on the epidemiology of influenza at the human-poultry interface. The first study describes the development and population representativeness of a probability-based mobile phone survey measuring live poultry exposure in Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), Bangladesh. The mobile phone survey achieved a relatively high response rate (52.2%) and produced a population-representative sample, requiring only minimal post-stratification adjustment, in this urban setting. Using this weighted survey data, the second study describes the frequency and patterns of exposure to live poultry in live poultry markets (LPMs) and in homes among adults in DCC. Almost three-quarters (74.2%, 95% CI: 70.9-77.2) of the population reported exposure to live poultry in the past year, with the majority reporting weekly contact. Visiting LPMs was more common amongst males (58.9%, 95% CI: 54.0-63.5) than females (40.3%, 95% CI 35.0-45.8), but females reported greater exposure through food preparation. Finally, the third study brought together 10-years of human and avian influenza surveillance data from hospital-based and LPM-based surveillance programs to characterize influenza seasonality at the sub-national level and examine co-seasonality in Bangladesh. Influenza displayed distinct seasonality in humans, with an annual peak in June-July (peak calendar-week: 27.6, 95% CI: 26.7-28.6). However, there was regional heterogeneity in seasonal characteristics, with metropolitan regions peaking earlier and epidemic spread following a spatial diffusion pattern. Comparatively, avian influenza displayed weak seasonality, with moderate year-round transmission. Together, these studies advance our understanding of influenza epidemiology and the potential risks for pandemic influenza emergence in Bangladesh. Results indicate that there continues to be ample opportunity for spillover of avian influenza infections into humans and high potential for viral reassortment between circulating influenza viruses. Study findings can be used by public health practitioners to make informed and actionable policy recommendations to support human and animal well-being.

Keywords: Avian Influenza
Global Health
Influenza
One Health
Zoonoses
Advisor: Fisman, David N
Cognitive Control Foundations of Interpersonal Functioning

Behaviour regulation is imperative for optimally navigating one’s interpersonal spheres in the pursuit of social goals. Cognitive control, an ability that subserves behaviour regulation at large, appears to be broadly linked to interpersonal functioning. However, the association of specific subcomponents of this construct with distinct aspects of interpersonal functioning have yet to be comprehensively investigated. Therefore, two studies were carried out to examine the associations between two sub-components of cognitive control, as conceptualized within the United States National Institute of Mental Health’s Research Domain Criteria initiative, and aspects of interpersonal functioning, operationalized according to two widely accepted frameworks. Cognitive control subconstructs, one examining in-the-moment processes (Response Selection; RS) and the other examining more deliberative processes (Goal Selection; GS), were operationalized using self-report, behavioural performance, and task-based prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation. Interpersonal functioning was operationalized in Study 1 based on the Five-Factor Model of personality and in Study 2 according to the interpersonal circumplex approach. Results from Study 1 indicated that Neuroticism was associated with lower cognitive control capacity while Extraversion was associated with higher cognitive control capacity across both RS and GS. Higher Agreeableness was related to higher GS but lower RS capacity (i.e., hemodynamic response during cognitive control task). More narrowly defined interpersonal facets subsumed within the broader trait domains were differentially associated with RS- and GS-related PFC activation. Study 2 demonstrated that higher distress due to interpersonal problems was largely related to a lower capacity for engaging in cognitive control across both subconstructs at the levels of self-report and task-based PFC activation. More nuanced and less consistent associations with interpersonal efficacy were found across the two cognitive control subconstructs, their levels of measurement, and sources of interpersonal rating. Furthermore, higher nurturance and lower dominance were generally associated with greater RS- and GS-related PFC activation, albeit with some notable differences across the cognitive control subconstructs, type of interpersonal functioning, and the rating source. Taken together, these findings provide a foundation for advancing the understanding of the ways in which cognitive control processes may support and facilitate interpersonal functioning.

Keywords: Cognitive Control
fNIRS
Interpersonal Functioning
Personality
RDoC
Advisor: Ruocco, Anthony C.
Characterizing the Contribution of Pannexin-1 to Seizure Susceptibility in Mice

Epilepsy affects nearly 50 million people. Approximately one third of that population is resistant to modern treatment options. Despite decades of research, our understanding of epileptogenesis – the process by which a brain transitions from healthy activity to pathologic – remains unclear. A ubiquitously expressed, ATP-permeable, large-pore forming protein, Pannexin-1 (Panx1), has recently emerged as a contributor to neuronal hyperexcitability. Within this dissertation, I propose that Panx1 acts as a key contributor to the dynamics observed during epileptic activity. I set out to prove this largely through the electrophysiological characterization of a Panx1 genetic knockout mouse model. The electrophysiological insights are supported through additional behavioral and molecular experiments. Characterization of single-cell patch clamping reveals that cortical pyramidal neurons of Panx1 knockouts demonstrate a hyperpolarized resting membrane potential. This suggests Panx1 deficiency contributes towards a hypoexcitable phenotype. Pursuing this line of inquiry, I set out to test three distinct models of epilepsy and seizure: 1) acute electrical kindling, 2) acute injection of pentylenetetrazol in vivo, and 3) 4-aminopyridine incubated with in vitro brain slices. In each of these models, Panx1 knockouts demonstrate seizure-resistance. In this dissertation, I also explore the potential mechanisms behind Panx1-dependent excitability. In doing so, I find that purinergic receptors P2X7 and P2Y1, sensitive to extracellular ATP released by Panx1, are differentially regulated in Panx1 knockout mice. When antagonized in wild-type mice, these receptors recapitulate the Panx1 knockout phenotypic seizure resistance. Conversely, when the receptors are stimulated with ATP in Panx1 knockout mice, the animal demonstrates a return to normal susceptibility to a convulsant stimulus. In sum, this work reveals that Panx1, through the action of its permeant ATP acting on P2 receptors, is a contributor to setting an epileptic state. This highlights new avenues for therapeutic targeting of Panx1 for the development of anti-epileptic drugs.

Advisor: Carlen, Peter L
Bardakjian, Berj L
Multisensory Processing in Sensorimotor Control and Planning

Integrating sensory and motor signals is essential in perception and control of body posture. It is important for one to perceive spatially accurate and precise body parts to interact within the environment. While much is known about the integration of sensory inputs in locating one’s body part, how motor signals generated from a planned action contribute to posture position estimation is less clear. Another outstanding question is how the reweighting of different sensory information is calibrated based on the stability of the sensory signals. The objective of this dissertation was to examine these two different but related questions. In Chapter 2, in a series of three experiments, it was found that motor planning had a general effect on posture perception based on a crossed-hand paradigm. In a tactile temporal order judgement (TOJ) task, planning to cross one’s hands increased the error rates and planning to uncross decreased them. The change in error rates, however, was unaffected by the timing of the TOJ task. In Chapter 3, the contribution of visual, haptic and proprioceptive inputs to postural control in adults was studied systematically. When the stability of a sensory input (haptic or proprioceptive) was low, the contribution by such sensory input became limited while those by other sensory input (visual) became more influential. Chapter 4 reported a similar postural control paradigm by comparing younger (3 to 6 years) and older (6 to 11 years) children. Multisensory integration and reweighting were evident only in the older group. These results provided novel insights into the role of motor signals in the perception of posture, and the process of sensory reweighting in postural control in both adults and children.

Keywords: crossed-hand effect
development
motor planning
multisensory integration
postural control
Advisor: Niemeier, Matthias
Schmuckler, Mark A
Senior Government Officials' Educational Leadership Practices for Student Success Policy Making in the Government of Ontario

Policy making within government is largely influenced by the leadership practices of those working within public administration. The emergence of the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Student Success Initiative in 2003 resulted in the development and implementation of a wide range of policies and programs to support student achievement and increase the provincial graduation rate. Through a case study approach, this study examines the perceptions of educational leadership practices of 14 former Ministry of Education senior staff who contributed to Student Success policy making between 2003 and 2018. Through a review of key government documents and informant interviews, this study is analyzed through the eight phases of Ontario’s Policy and Delivery Roadmap in order to understand how these staff perceive their leadership practices have impacted Student Success policy making. Findings reveal that the leadership practices that participants ascribed to in their Student Success work included collaboration and partnership building, identifying a common vision, adopting an empathetic leadership approach, placing emphasis on data collection and analysis to inform decision making and having an intrinsic motivation to address inequities, to improve the educational outcomes of students. Participants noted that meeting the needs of students as well as supporting a political agenda resulted in conflicting tensions, highlighting the importance of managing expectations, risk taking and perseverance to achieve shared goals. Findings reveal that the leadership practices identified were bounded by the organizational culture of the government. In addition, participants highlighted that sociopolitical and temporal factors as well as formal and informal leadership development opportunities, such as knowledge sharing and observing others, had an impact on their adoption of leadership practices. This study contributes to the limited knowledge base in public service leadership in government and specifically, in the field of education. In addition, this research contributes to understanding the impact of leadership practices on policy making within public administration and reveals the potential for continuous and focused leadership development of senior public servants. Based on findings from the study, recommendations are provided for policy making in government, for Ontario’s Policy and Delivery Roadmap, for leadership development and for future research.

Keywords: Educational leadership
Educational policy
Government leadership
Policy making in government
Public administration
Student success
Advisor: Campbell, Carol
Enhancing the Safe Mobility of Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis by Advancing Approaches to Ambulatory Monitoring

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience a progressive loss of mobility and a high incidence of falls. Assistive mobility devices—such as rollators (i.e., four-wheeled walkers)—are commonly used to compensate for mobility impairment; however, their use has been identified as a fall risk factor in the MS population. This thesis examined the relationship between MS, assistive device use, and fatigue on gait performance. Three studies were conducted, which focused on understanding: 1) how MS influences spatiotemporal gait parameters; 2) how gait with a rollator differs across disability subgroups; and 3) how prolonged gait with a rollator differs as a function of time and disability. In study 1, several spatiotemporal parameters were found to have a significant linear relationship with disability (i.e., gait speed, step length, cadence, step time, step time variability, stride time, stance phase, and double-support time). As well, fallers had a reduced gait speed relative to non-fallers. These results provided reference values that could be used to assess the effectiveness of gait training programs and were consistent with the individuals with greater disability adopting a more cautious gait strategy. The second study revealed that new measures of trunk motion can differ by disability level in people with MS (e.g., roll velocity range, roll velocity variability, pitch velocity range, two-dimensional roll and pitch velocity variability). This provided insight into how the rollator could be incorporated into a deliberate strategy to achieve a more cautious gait pattern. The third and final study revealed that, during prolonged walking, trunk roll velocity variability differed in accordance with disability, whereas rollator yaw angle and yaw angle variability could distinguish between the movement strategies of distinct subgroups of people with MS in a manner that overall disability scores could not (e.g., pausing behaviour during the six-minute walk test). The clinical significance of these findings require further investigation. Some of these new rollator and trunk parameters may become plausible candidates for future therapeutic interventions and the implications for balance and stability are discussed.

Keywords: Ambulatory Monitoring
Gait
Inertial Sensors
Multiple Sclerosis
Rehabilitation
Spatiotemporal Analysis
Advisor: Mihailidis, Alex
Patterson, Kara K