VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Life in a Body: Counter Hegemonic Understandings of Violence, Oppression, Healing and Embodiment among Young South Asian Women

This study is an investigation of embodiment. It is informed by the experiences and understandings of health, healing, violence and oppression among 15 young South Asian women living in Toronto, Canada. Their articulation of the importance of, and difficulties associated with, health and healing in contexts of social inequity contribute to understandings of embodiment as co-constituted by sentient and social experience. In my reading of their contributions, embodied learning – that is, an ongoing attunement to sentient-social embodiment – is a counter hegemonic healing strategy that they use. Their experiences and insights support the increasingly accepted claim that social inequity is a primary determinant of health that disproportionately disadvantages subordinated people. Furthermore, participants affirm that recovery and resistance to violence and oppression and its consequences must address sentient-social components of embodiment simultaneously. In this study, Yoga teachings provide a framework and practice to investigate embodiment and embodied learning. Following 12 Yoga workshops addressing health, healing, violence and oppression, I conducted individual interviews with 15 workshop participants, 3 Yoga teachers and 2 counsellor / social workers. Participants discuss Yoga as a resource for addressing mental, physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of violence and oppression. They resist New Age interpretations of Yoga in terms of individualism and cultural appropriation; they also challenge both New Age and Western biomedicine for a lack of attention to the consequences of social inequity for health and healing. This study considers embodied learning as an important healing resource and form of resistance to violence and oppression. Scholarship addressing embodiment in sociology, health research, anti-racism, feminism, anti-colonialism, decolonization and Indigenous knowledges are drawn upon to contextualize the interviews. This study offers insights relevant to health promotion and adult education discourse and policy through a careful consideration of the embodied strategies used by the participants in their nuanced negotiations of social inequity and pursuits of health and healing.

Keywords: Embodiment
Young South Asian Women
Yoga
Violence
Advisor: Ng, Roxana
The Multivariable Alexander Polynomial on Tangles

The multivariable Alexander polynomial (MVA) is a classical invariant of knots and links. We give an extension to regular virtual knots which has simple versions of many of the relations known to hold for the classical invariant. By following the previous proofs that the MVA is of finite type we give a new definition for its weight system which can be computed as the determinant of a matrix created from local information. This is an improvement on previous definitions as it is directly computable (not defined recursively) and is computable in polynomial time. We also show that our extension to virtual knots is a finite type invariant of virtual knots. We further explore how the multivariable Alexander polynomial takes local information and packages it together to form a global knot invariant, which leads us to an extension to tangles. To define this invariant we use so-called circuit algebras, an extension of planar algebras which are the `right' setting to discuss virtual knots. Our tangle invariant is a circuit algebra morphism, and so behaves well under tangle operations and gives yet another definition for the Alexander polynomial. The MVA and the single variable Alexander polynomial are known to satisfy a number of relations, each of which has a proof relying on different approaches and techniques. Using our invariant we can give simple computational proofs of many of these relations, as well as an alternate proof that the MVA and our virtual extension are of finite type.

Keywords: Knot Theory
Multivariable Alexander Polynomial
Advisor: Bar-Natan, Dror
A Theory of Shared Understanding for Software Organizations

Effective coordination and communication are essential to the success of software organizations, but their study to date has been impaired by theoretical confusion and fragmentation. I articulate a theory that argues that the members of software organizations face a constant struggle to share and negotiate an understanding of their goals, plans, status, and context. This struggle lies at the heart of their coordination and communication problems. The theory proposes an analysis of organizational strategies based on four attributes of interaction that foster the development of shared understanding: synchrony, proximity, proportionality, and maturity. Organizations that have values, structures, and practices which facilitate these qualities find it easier to coordinate and communicate effectively. This argument has serious implications for traditional concepts in our literature. Project lifecycle processes and documentation are poor substitutes for informal but unscalable coordination and communication mechanisms. Practices and tools are valuable to the extent that they enable the development of shared understanding across our criteria. Co-location and group cohesion take advantage of the four criteria and therefore have direct advantages for software teams. Finally, growth is detrimental to the effectiveness of the organization because it hinders the use of small-scale mechanisms and it leads to an undesirable formalization. The theory is supported with empirical evidence collected from five case studies of a wide variety of software organizations, and it has explanatory and predictive power. The thesis links this theory to other current research efforts and shows that it complements and enhances them by providing a more solid theoretical foundation and by reclaiming the relevance of synchronous, proximate, proportionate, and mature interactions in software organizations.

Keywords: software development
coordination
communication
Advisor: Easterbrook, Steve
Iroquoian Infant Mortality and Juvenile Growth 1250 to 1700 AD

This thesis investigates changes in Iroquoian infant mortality and juvenile growth between 1250 and 1700 AD in the Lower Great Lakes region of North America. The objectives of this thesis are to investigate the tempo and quality of growth of Iroquoian infants and juveniles; to investigate the relationship between apparent neonatal and postneonatal mortality and predicted mortality ratios based on equal probability of mortality risk in the first year of life (1:11); and to investigate whether or not the ratio of neonatal to postneonatal mortality changed as a result of cultural change associated with the arrival of Europeans at around 1600 AD. These were investigated using a sample of infant and juvenile remains from twenty-one sites in upper New York state and Ontario. Tempo and quality of growth were examined by comparing femoral length at different ages to the Iroquoian adult femur length endpoint and to the growth patterns established in the Denver Growth Study and in other aboriginal North American archaeological samples. Above average infant growth is attributed to biocultural factors and infant mortality is largely caused by acute conditions. Below average juvenile growth, especially between two and seven years of age, is attributed to nutritional imbalances and overcrowding, poor sanitation, and infectious disease prevalence. Juveniles were likely chronically ill, resulting in poor attainment of stature, and this may have contributed to their deaths early in life. Apparent infant mortality was found to differ from predicted mortality, and this difference was attributed to cultural and environmental mortality biases that make interpretation difficult. Change in infant mortality ratios as a result of cultural change associated with European contact is evident in the Iroquoian context: the lack of neonatal remains in postcontact ossuaries is consistent with the ethnohistoric record, but the high proportion of neonates in precontact ossuaries suggests that observations made by ethnohistoric observers may not be applicable to our understanding of precontact burial patterns. The change in the ratio of neonatal to postneonatal remains in the pre- and postcontact periods is interpreted as evidence of changes in burial patterns rather than change in mortality risk.

Keywords: growth
children
First Nations
Ontario
bioarchaeology
mortality
archaeology
infant
Iroquoian
health
burial
Advisor: Pfeiffer, Susan
Dynamical Foliations

This thesis is devoted to the study of foliations that come from dynamical systems. In the first part we study foliations of Stein manifolds locally given by vector fields. The leaves of such foliations are Riemann surfaces. We prove that for a generic foliation all leaves except for not more than a countable number are homeomorphic to disks, the rest are homeomorphic to cylinders. We also prove that a generic foliation is complex Kupka-Smale. In the second part of the thesis we study complex Hénon maps. The sets of points U+ and U − that have unbounded forward and backwards orbits correspondingly, is naturally endowed with holomorphic foliations [special characters omitted] and [special characters omitted]. We describe the critical locus – the set of tangencies between these foliations – for Hénon maps that are small perturbations of quadratic polynomials with disconnected Julia set.

Keywords: foliations
holomorphic dynamics
Henon maps
multidimensional complex analysis
Advisor: Khovanskii, Askold
Genetic Determinants of Carbohydrate Consumption

Background: There are a number of biological pathways that affect our ingestive behaviours, including energy homeostasis, food reward, and taste. Given that carbohydrates such as sugars, provide energy and a sweet taste, examining candidate genes in each pathway may help explain differences in carbohydrate consumption behaviours. Objective: To determine whether variations in genes encoding a glucose transporter (GLUT2), a dopamine receptor (DRD2), and sweet taste receptor (TAS1R2) are associated with differences in sugar consumption in two distinct populations. Methods: Population 1 included diabetes-free young adults where dietary intake was assessed using a one month 196-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Population 2 consisted of individuals with type 2 diabetes. Dietary intake was assessed using 3-day food records administered 2 weeks apart; food record 1 (FR1) and 2 (FR2). Subjects were genotyped for the Thr110Ile variation in GLUT2 (n1=587; n2=100), the C957T variation in DRD2 (n1=313; n2=100), and the Ser9Cys and Ile191Val variations in TAS1R2 (n1=1037; n2=100) using real-time PCR. Results: In comparison to individuals homozygous for the GLUT2 Thr allele, consumption of sugars was higher among Ile carriers in population 1 (133 ± 5 vs 118 ± 3 g/d, p=0.006) and population 2 on two separate food records (FR1: 112 ± 9 vs 87 ± 5 g/d, p=0.02; FR2: 105 ± 8 vs 78 ± 4 g/d, p=0.002). For the C957T variation in population 1, we detected a significant DRD2xSex interaction with the consumption of sucrose decreasing with each T allele among men (p=0.03) and a heterosis mode of inheritance among women where heterozygotes consumed the most (p=0.01). For TAS1R2, we detected a significant TAS1R2xBMI interaction and among overweight individuals, carriers of the Val allele consumed less sugars than those with the Ile/Ile genotype (103 ± 6 vs122 ± 6 g/d, p=0.01). In population 2, carriers of the Val allele consumed less sugars than individuals with the Ile/Ile genotype (83 ± 6 vs 99 ± 6 g/d, p=0.04) on FR2. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that genetic variation in GLUT2, DRD2 and TAS1R2 affect habitual sugar consumption and suggest that selection of dietary sugars can be influenced by different biological pathways.

Keywords: Nutrigenomics
Carbohydrate
Sugars
Genetics
Polymorphism
Advisor: El-Sohemy, Ahmed
Theory and Applications of Multiconductor Transmission Line Analysis for Shielded Sievenpiper and Related Structures

This thesis focuses on the analytical modeling of periodic structures which contain bands with multiple modes of propagation. The work is motivated by several structures which exhibit dual-mode propagation bands. Initially, transmission line models are focused on. Transmission line models of periodic structures have been used extensively in a wide variety of applications due to their simplicity and the ease with which one can physically interpret the resulting wave propagation effects. These models, however, are fundamentally limited, as they are only capable of capturing a single mode of propagation. In this work multiconductor transmission line theory, which is the multi-mode generalization of transmission line theory, is shown to be an effective and accurate technique for the analytical modeling of periodically loaded structures which support multiple modes of propagation. Many results from standard periodic transmission line analysis are extended and generalized in the multiconductor line analysis, providing a familiar intuitive model of the propagation phenomena. The shielded Sievenpiper structure, a periodic multilayered geometry, is analyzed in depth, and provides a canonical example of the developed analytical method. The shielded Sievenpiper structure exhibits several interesting properties which the multiconductor transmission line analysis accurately captures. It is shown that under a continuous change of geometrical parameters, the dispersion curves for the shielded structure are transformed from dual-mode to single-mode. The structure supports a stop-band characterized by complex modes, which appear as pairs of frequency varying complex conjugate propagation constants. These modes are shown to arise even though the structure is modeled as lossless. In addition to the periodic analysis, the scattering properties of finite cascades of such structures are analyzed and related to the dispersion curves generated from the periodic analysis. Excellent correspondence with full wave finite element method simulations is demonstrated. In conclusion, a physical application is presented: a compact unidirectional ring-slot antenna utilizing the shielded Sievenpiper structure is constructed and tested.

Keywords: Multiconductor transmission lines
Wave propagation in periodic structures
Advisor: Eleftheriades, George V.
Soil Microbial and Nutrient Dynamics During Late Winter and Early Spring in Low Arctic Sedge Meadows

Microbial activity occurs year-round in Arctic soils, including during the winter when soils are frozen. From 2004 to 2008 I monitored soil microbial and nutrient dynamics in low Arctic wet and dry sedge meadows near Churchill, Manitoba. I documented a consistent annual pattern in which soil microbial biomass (MB) and soil nutrients peak in late winter, and decrease during the early stages of spring thaw, remaining in low abundance during the summer. Based on a series of experiments, resource shortages do not appear to be the cause of the microbial decline, as has been hypothesized. Observations and theoretical considerations regarding soil physical properties indicate that this decrease is driven by the influx of liquid water at thaw that brings about a rapid change in the chemical potential of water, leading to cell lysis. I have used 15N isotope tracing to show that inorganic nitrogen is taken up very quickly at thaw by the roots of the dominant plant, Carex aquatilis. This represents a critical window of opportunity for these plants, as nitrogen remains abundant only for a short time. The described annual pattern was pronounced in wet sedge sites, but some inter-annual variation is evident, for example a post-thaw soil nitrogen pulse in 2006, and low winter MB in 2008. In the dry sedge meadow, fluctuations in MB and nutrients were dampened relative to wet sites, and the annual pattern was variable, particularly after 2006. Over four years, peak winter values of soil MB and nutrient variables declined in both wet and dry sites, and this could be related to a drying trend. This work improves our understanding of the controls on decomposition and primary productivity in a system that is experiencing climate warming and increased precipitation. Changes to hydrology, carbon and nitrogen cycling, and primary productivity will have further effects on vegetation communities and higher trophic levels, including several species of migratory birds.

Keywords: microbial ecology
soil biogeochemistry
Arctic ecology
nutrient cycling
Advisor: Rowe, Locke
Jefferies, Robert L.
Linear, Discrete, and Quadratic Constraints in Single-image 3D Reconstruction

In this thesis, we investigate the formulation, optimization and ambiguities in single-image 3D surface reconstruction from geometric and photometric constraints. We examine linear, discrete and quadratic constraints for shape from planar curves, shape from texture, and shape from shading. The problem of recovering 3D shape from the projection of planar curves on a surface is strongly motivated by perception studies. Applications include single-view modeling and uncalibrated structured light. When the curves intersect, the problem leads to a linear system for which a direct least-squares method is sensitive to noise. We derive a more stable solution and show examples where the same method produces plausible surfaces from the projection of parallel (non-intersecting) planar cross sections. The problem of reconstructing a smooth surface under constraints that have discrete ambiguities arise in areas such as shape from texture, shape from shading, photometric stereo and shape from defocus. While the problem is computationally hard, heuristics based on semidefinite programming may reveal the shape of the surface. Finally, we examine the shape from shading problem without boundary conditions as a polynomial system. This formulation allows, in generic cases, a complete solution for ideal polyhedral objects. For the general case we propose a semidefinite programming relaxation procedure, and an exact line search iterative procedure with a new smoothness term that favors folds at edges. We use this numerical technique to inspect shading ambiguities.

Keywords: computer vision
3D reconstruction
shape from texture
shape from planar curves
shape from shading
single view modeling
structured light
GBR ambiguity
shading ambiguity
Advisor: Jepson, Allan
Kutulakos, Kiriakos Neoklis
The Hormonal Contol of Neuropeptide Y and Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Hypothalamic Neurons

The physiological mechanisms that control energy homeostasis are reciprocally linked to reproduction. However, the neuroendocrine circuitry that registers endocrine cues to direct homeostatic responses in energy balance and reproduction remain unknown. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons have emerged as a key central target of estrogen and leptin that are capable of modulating both reproduction and energy balance. The hypothesis was generated that NPY neuronal subpopulations act as an integration centre to regulate the effects of estrogen and leptin on these important physiological processes through specific signaling pathways. Using hypothalamic cell lines that express the leptin receptor (Ob-R), estrogen receptor (ER) and NPY, this hypothesis was tested in three aims. 17β-estradiol (E2) was previously demonstrated to biphasically regulate NPY mRNA in the mHypoE-38 neuronal cell line; where 24 h E2 exposure induced NPY gene expression that our group proposed may be involved in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) preovulatory surge. E2 also acts as an anorexigenic hormone through unknown hypothalamic targets. E2 directly decreased NPY secretion in the mHypoE-42 and mHypoA-2/12 neuronal cell lines through ER-α. The anorexigenic action of E2 was mediated through the energy sensing 5’ AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. NPY secretion was also decreased by leptin in mHypoA-59 and NPY-GFP cell models through AMPK- and PI3K-dependent mechanisms. Prolonged exposure to leptin in NPY-GFP cell lines prevented AMPK signaling and the leptin-mediated reduction in NPY secretion, indicating NPY neuronal resistance with prolonged leptin exposure. Leptin also stimulated NPY secretion in mHypoE-38 neurons, which was blocked by pharmacological inhibitors of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and PI3K pathways. Importantly, conditioned medium from the mHypoE-38 NPY neuronal cells induced GnRH transcripts in GT1-7 neurons, which was inhibited by Y1-receptor antagonists. Pharmacological inhibitors of the MAPK and PKA signal transduction pathways attenuated the NPY-mediated increase in GnRH transcription. Based upon these findings, I propose NPY neurons in the hypothalamus consist of a heterogeneous population of neurons, and provide the first evidence of intrinsically different responses to function as physiological integrators for two different systems: NPY secretion can be suppressed to decrease food intake and induced to stimulate GnRH neurons.

Keywords: Hypothalamus
leptin estrogen
Advisor: Belsham, Denise
Characterization of the Role of Elg1-RFC in Suppression of Genome Instability

Sliding clamps and their cognate clamp loaders facilitate DNA synthesis, DNA repair, and sister chromatid cohesion in eukaryotes. ELG1 (enhanced level of genome instability) encodes a member of the fourth clamp-loader-like complex identified to date, and is important in the maintenance of genome integrity. Like all clamp loaders, Elg1 is a replication factor C (RFC) homologue. I examined the roles of the unique and conserved regions of S.cerevisiae Elg1 in resistance to exogenous DNA damage and suppression of spontaneous DNA damage. The conserved RFC region of Elg1 mediates association with chromatin function. The unique C- terminus of Elg1 mediates oligomerization with Rfc2-5, a core complex present in all clamp loaders, and is essential for Elg1 function. Finally, the N-terminus of Elg1 promotes its nuclear localization and contributes to the maintenance of genome stability. The Elg1-RFC complex most likely functions in collaboration with the sliding clamp PCNA. Combining mutations in ELG1 and PCNA results in endogenous DNA damage, which activates a noncanonical DNA damage response that results in upregulation of dNTP production. Increased dNTP pools allow significant DNA synthesis to occur at hydroxyurea (HU) concentrations that prevent replication in wild type cells. However, consistent with the recognized correlation between dNTP levels and spontaneous mutation, the double mutant exhibits a significant increase in mutation frequency. These phenotypes are also detectable in the single mutants although to a lesser extent. Together, these findings suggest that spontaneous mutagenesis stimulated by endogenous DNA damage may be a general feature of the DNA damage response.

Keywords: Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Advisor: Brown, Grant