VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Procedural Fairness and Citizen Control: Addressing the Legitimacy Deficit in the Canadian Administrative State

The Canadian administrative state has changed significantly since the first half of the twentieth century, but legal scholarship has paid scant attention to how such changes might affect the administrative stateâ s legitimacy. This thesis argues that the traditional mechanisms for legitimating the increasingly complex and diffuse administrative state are no longer sufficient, particularly in the context of delegated law-making. It uses a republican model of legitimacy to argue for the necessity of citizen control over administrative decision-making. It is incumbent on Canadian administrative law to help provide this citizen control. A concern with legitimacy is consistent with the first principles of administrative law and judicial review, and the doctrine of procedural fairness is well placed to further the participatory vision of legitimacy the thesis employs. Further, the history of procedural fairness shows that legitimacy of decision-making has always been a core concern of the doctrine. However, more recent developments, including a fixation on adjudicative decision-making and the refusal to apply procedural fairness to delegated law-making, mean that Canadian administrative law does not sufficiently facilitate citizen control. This is inconsistent with both the internal values of Canadian administrative law and the civic republican vision of legitimacy. There is, however, a separate line of bylaws jurisprudence which more generously extends procedural fairness to delegated law-making. The thesis argues this bylaws jurisprudence is a good starting point to build from. The experience of comparative administrative law makes it even clearer that Canadian administrative law is able to do this legitimating work. The United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia all provide broader participation rights in the law-making sphere with weaker tools than are available in Canada. Further, the domestic aboriginal law duty to consult and accommodate make it clear that the Canadian courts are already comfortable imposing broadly applicable procedural rights. Building from this comparative and cognate jurisprudence and the bylaws cases mentioned above, the thesis argues that it is possible with only limited substantive changes to the law to develop the doctrine of procedural fairness to provide broad participatory rights in the delegated law-making sphere, thereby securing the legitimacy of the administrative state.

Keywords: Administrative Law
Canadian Law
Civic Republicanism
Comparative Law
Law and Democracy
Advisor: Dyzenhaus, David
Memory as Politics: Narratives of Communism and the Shape of a Community

This work traces how the past is politicized in post-transition spaces, how it enters the political language, and what effects it produces. Expanding the framework of collective memory literature and anchoring the story in Poland, I argue that the narratives of past communism structure political competition and affect the present-day imaginary of common belonging - that is, they determine political positions of players and they reveal who is included in and excluded from the conception of the ‘we.’ First, I develop the concept of mnemonic capital - a politically productive symbolic resource that accrues to political players based on their turn to, and judgment of, the past - and demonstrate how the distribution of that capital results in sharply differentiated political identities. (I identify four positions generalizable to other post-transition settings.) Second, I trace how narratives of the past constitute the boundary of the ‘we’. I find that in their approaches and judgments of communism, the current political elites conflate communism and Jewishness. In doing so, they elevate the nation and narrow its meaning to ascriptive, religion-inflected, ethnicity. Third, I argue that the field of politics and the field of belonging interact and do not simply exist on parallel planes. I develop a concept of a mnemonic procedure - a patterned and relational way of narrating the past - to show how the narrative techniques performed for present-day political payoffs, constrain the vision of a polity. The concepts of mnemonic capital and mnemonic procedure intervene in the literature on transitions to democracy in that they help to apprehend how a politics contines to be organized by the repudiated ancien régime, now inserted into the political space as a productive symbolic trope. In other words, the concepts explain how the past continues to haunt and affect the quality of post-transition democracy and post-transition belonging.

Keywords: collective memory
electoral politics
mnemonic capital
nationalism and ethnicity
Poland
Advisor: Jung, Courtney
The role of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells in pancreatic cancer growth

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers characterized by local invasiveness, early metastasis, recurrence and high resistance to current therapies. Extensive stroma or desmoplasia is a key histological feature of the disease. Interactions between pancreatic cancer cells and tumor stroma are critical for pancreatic cancer development and progression. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are multipotent stromal progenitors that exhibit preferential tropism to primary and metastatic tumor sites. While MSCs represent a potential source of pancreatic cancer stroma, their contribution to pancreatic tumor growth remains poorly known. Here, we show that bone marrow MSC (BM-MSC) significantly contribute to pancreatic cancer growth in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, MSC create a pro-carcinogenic microenvironment through the release of key factors mediating growth and angiogenesis including IL-6 and VEGF, and activation of STAT3 signaling in tumor cells. IL-6 released by MSC was mainly responsible for the pro-tumorigenic effects of MSC. In fact, knockdown of IL-6 expression in MSCs by small interference RNA (siRNA) abolished MSC-growth promoting effect in vitro reducing tumor cell proliferation and clonogenic potential. In addition, blocking of IL-6 classic- and trans-signaling by anti-IL-6 receptor antibody Tocilizumab or IL-6 trans-signaling by transfusion protein sgp130Fc in a heterotopic nude mouse model of human BxPc3 xenografts abrogated MSC mediated tumor-promoting effects delaying tumor formation significantly. In addition, Tocilizumab inhibited cancer growth remarkably resulting in smaller tumors compared to MSC control groups and tumor alone group. Moreover, anti-IL-6 therapy inhibited the profibrogenic effects of MSC leading to a significant reduction in tumor fibrosis in comparison to MSC control groups. Our data demonstrate that IL-6 produced by stromal cells plays a pivotal role in pancreatic cancer growth and is a new potential therapeutic target for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Keywords: interleukin-6
mesenchymal stromal cells
pancreatic cancer
STAT3
stroma
tumor stromal interactions
Advisor: Keating, Armand
Understanding the Role of Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Status on Adherence Behaviors Among Women with Abnormal Cervical Cytology

The discovery of oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) as the precursor to cervical cancer is a significant advancement in public health. However, the use of HPV testing has increased the complexity of cervical screening, as it is associated with elevated psychosocial burden and perceived risk of cancer in some women. What remains to be seen is if knowledge of oneâ s oncogenic HPV status impacts on adherence to follow-up recommendations for cervical screening abnormalities, a modifiable health behavior that is strongly associated with the primary prevention of cervical cancer. Insomuch as adherence rates remain low in women with cervical screening abnormalities, it is crucial that we understand which factors impact on adherence to follow-up recommendations across a range of clinical manifestations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to: 1) to identify if clinical, demographic or psychosocial factors predict non-adherence with recommended follow-up after initial consultation; 2) to identify clinical, demographic and psychosocial variables associated with HPV related burden and; 3) to describe the clinical and demographic characteristics of participants according to pre-post smoking and HPV vaccine immunization patterns. This study examined 186 women referred to a large Toronto colposcopy clinic. The HPV Status Adherence Conceptual Framework was used to guide survey development and to contextualize results. The findings suggest that non-adherence to colposcopy follow-up exists and is problematic. Specifically, younger women (OR=0.73, p

Keywords: Cervical Cancer Prevention
Cervical Screening
Colposcopy
HPV testing
Human Papillomavirus
Advisor: Metcalfe, Kelly
Normative Reconfiguration and Practitioner Innovation: Explaining the rise of targeted killing, coercive interrogation, and private military contracting

This dissertation advances a new theory of normative transformation. It explains ‘norm change’ when previously prohibited practices become widespread and institutionalised, but without the obvious rise or fall of any single specific norm covering them. Three prominent cases, all in the recent history of US counter-terrorism and defence policies, offer an empirical puzzle this theory solves: the emergence of a targeted killing programme, the use of torture during interrogations, and the employment of armed private military and security contractors. In these cases, there has been no obvious demise of a given norm—against assassination, torture, or mercenarism—but it is clear that something changed the once-impermissible into an entrenched practice. To specify the causal processes underlying these cases, I shift the focus of analysis from ‘norms’ to ‘normative configurations’: unfolding relational arrangements of practices establishing values, principles, and rules. Drawing on pragmatist and relational sociology, I propose that normative configurations transform via three mechanisms, driven by innovative practitioner attempts to cope with new strategic and ethical pressures—by creative problem-solving. The first is convention reorientation, a change in the regulations and standards that define a given action. The second is technological revision, a change in the means by which an action proceeds. The third is network synthesis, a change in the relationships or organisational structures that grant and circumscribe authority. By tracing how these mechanisms worked in the three cases, I find that prohibitions on assassination, torture, and mercenarism still exist, but their referents changed due to new political and military pressures, along with the innovations that actors have developed to cope with them. This finding clarifies scholarly debates over whether/how the US’s war on terrorism is counter-normative. More broadly, my approach contributes to the literature on international norms and practices. It dereifies ‘norms’ into their ontological constituents, enabling a granular, agency-centric look at how actors and institutions transform as a result of creative action. It thus widens scholarly discussions of norms to admit a broader range of sociological approaches, opening up the origins and effects of normativity to new kinds of theories.

Advisor: Adler, Emanuel
CCL5-CCR5 Interactions in Breast Cancer Regulate Cell Metabolism

Chemokines are chemotactic cytokines that recruit and activate leukocytes. It is now apparent that they also participate actively in the neoplastic process in cancer. This thesis describes the importance of the activation of CCR5 by the inflammatory chemokine CCL5/RANTES in the context of cancer metabolism. Specifically, CCL5-CCR5 interactions promote anabolic metabolism in breast cancer cells and enhance cell proliferation. CCL5 activation of CCR5 invokes the mTOR/AKT signaling pathway and, within minutes, induces phosphorylation of downstream substrates, including GSK-3Î˛ and 4E-BP1. Using a panel of CCR5-expressing breast cancer cells, we show that CCL5 also increases surface GLUT-1 expression, glucose uptake, ATP production and the glycolytic capacity of these tumor cells. Using metabolomics, we demonstrate that the metabolic signature of primary mouse mammary tumor cells that express CCR5 is altered by CCL5 treatment and reflects enhanced anabolic metabolism, resulting in the accumulation of biosynthetic precursors. Concomitant with enhanced anabolic metabolism, we show that CCL5 increases the proliferation and invasive capacity of breast cancer cells. Moreover, in an immune-deficient tumor transplant mouse model, we identify a direct correlation between reduced tumor proliferation and decreased metabolic activity, specifically associated with the absence of CCR5 expression by tumor cells. Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry imaging, we provide evidence that the rapid early growth of CCR5+/+ triple negative breast cancer cells in vivo is attributable to increased levels of glycolytic intermediates required for anabolic processes, in contrast to the slower growth rate of their corresponding CCR5-/- cells, that exhibit reduced glycolytic metabolism. Collectively, these studies suggest that CCL5-CCR5 interactions in the tumor microenvironment modulate metabolic events during tumor onset to promote tumorigenesis.

Keywords: Anabolism
Breast Cancer
CCL5
CCR5
Chemokine
Metabolism
Advisor: Fish, Eleanor N
Finding the Voice of the Early Author: The Impact of a Self-Authoring Program Among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Preschool Children and Families

This study examined the impacts of implementing a self-authored, dual language identity text program into an existing Aboriginal Head Start preschool program. First Nation, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) preschool children and families, and educators were co-researchers in the blended Indigenous influenced, participatory action research study which spanned a one-year school timeline and research phase. This study includes an autoethnographic account of a non-FNMI, or a settler author’s personal journey of consciousness and understandings related to surfacing issues of a non-FNMI person doing research with FNMI peoples. The study was underpinned by theoretical frameworks centred on valuing the interconnectedness of the familial and contextual environment of children. Moreover, this research embraces the notion that knowledge is socially constructed to create meaningful change. With this in mind, the study was framed to acknowledge the children’s participatory contributions to the study, guided by Indigenous knowledge and Collaborative Frameworks (2012), Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1968), the Academic Expertise, and Societal Power Relations Empowerment (Cummins, 2001), and Cummins’ and Early’s Literacy Engagement framework (Cummins Early, 2011). Through cyclical reflective practices, the co-researchers in this study found suggestive evidence of the positive impacts of the project for the children, their families, the staff, and the original author with regards to sense-of-self and cultural identity. This study can inform practice in early childhood education, specifically with respect to the provision of culturally relevant educational resources and programming for FNMI children.

Advisor: Cummins, James
Metal-Organic Frameworks of Pyrazolate Derivatives: Synthesis and Applications for Chemical Sensing, Gas Separation, and Catalysis

In this work we examine the structure and applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) synthesized from pyrazolate derivatives. In total, six pyrazolate ligands were examined: 4-(4-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)phenyl)pyridine (HL), 1,1’-methylenebis(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazolyl-4-carboxylic acid) (H2BPM), triethyl-1,1',1''-methanetriyltris(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate) (TPM-1), triethyl-4,4',4''-(methanetriyltris[3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole-1,4-diyl])tribenzoate (TPM-2), 1,1',1'',1'''-(propane-1,1,3,3-tetrayl)tetrakis(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid) (H4TPP), tetraethyl-1,1',1'',1'''-(1,4-phenylenebis[methanetriyl]) tetrakis(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate)pyridinephenylpyrazole (TPX). These ligands were used to synthesize a variety of MOFs that were subsequently investigated for luminescent sensing, gas storage, and catalytic performance. In Chapter 2, three MOFs synthesized from the reaction of HL and CuX (X = Br, I) were investigated. These materials were found to form MOFs which contained the luminescent trinuclear Cu(I) pyrazolate unit. Only CuBr and HL alone resulted in a MOF of sufficient purity and stability to permit evaluation as a luminescent sensor. Experiments with various volatile organic compounds revealed turn-on (luminescence enhancement) behaviour for ethyl acetate, pentane, and benzene and turn-off (luminescence quenching) behaviour for diethyl ether and chloroform for this material. In Chapters 3 and 4, ten MOFs are described. These were synthesized from H2BPM and metal-acetate salts. Chapter 3 encompassed two MOFs: [Ni(BPM)]n∙xDMSO and [Cd(BPM)]n∙xDMSO. These MOFs are isostructural, microporous materials. Evacuation of the pores led to collapse of the [Cd(BPM)]n∙xDMSO material but [Ni(BPM)]n∙xDMSO proved to be permanently porous. Further investigations revealed [Ni(BPM)]n∙xDMSO selectively adsorbed methane over nitrogen indicating it may serve as a porous material for coal mine methane capture. Chapter 4 investigated the many other structures H2BPM can assume in the presence of manganese, cobalt, iron, copper, and europium. Cobalt in particular proved highly tunable with 4 separate structures being synthesized such as [Co2(BPM)2(H2O)4(Bpy)0.5]n∙2DMF∙2(H2O). This was achieved through varying the synthetic conditions. [Co2(BPM)2(H2O)4(Bpy)0.5]n∙2DMF∙2(H2O)and [Eu(BPM)(OAc)]n were further investigated for the oxidation of olefins and luminescence respectively. In Chapter 5, metal complexes Mo(TPM-1)(CO)3, Mo(TPM-2)(CO)3, Pd2(H4TPP)Cl4, and Pd2(TPX)Cl4 were synthesized. The catalytic performance of Mo(TPM-1)(CO)3 was evaluated and found to be effective for the oxidation of olefins. MOF synthesis was attempted with all four compounds but was ultimately unsuccessful. Although one MOF was produced from Mo(TPM-1)(CO)3, large scale synthesis was not possible preventing full investigation of its properties.

Keywords: Catalysis
Gas Separation
Luminescence
Metal-Organic Frameworks
MOFs
Volatile Organic Compound Sensing
Advisor: Song, Datong
Exploring the Synthesis and Reactivity of Electrophilic Phosphonium Salts

Phosphorus compounds have a rich chemical history as Lewis donor ligands in transition metal and organometallic chemistry. In this chemistry, they have typically played auxiliary roles, permitting critical breakthroughs in catalysis centred at transition metal active sites. Phosphorus based Lewis acids, which can themselves serve as a primary locus of activity, have been studied to a lesser extent. Previously, the Stephan Group reported the preparation and Lewis acidity and consequent reactivity of the fluorophosphonium cations [(C6F5)2PhPF]+ and [(C6F5)3PF]+. This reactivity has been attributed to their energetically accessible Ď *(P-F) acceptor orbitals. This original system requires strongly electron-withdrawing perfluoroaryl substituents, thus limiting potential structural variations. The present work focuses on maintaining potent Lewis acidity at a fluorophosphonium centre while avoiding perfluoroarenes. In this dissertation, the preparation of several dicationic phosphonium salts is discussed. In addition, the versatility of this synthetic approach is investigated. To this end, phosphenium cations supported with triazole, chiral, and cAAC-carbenes were prepared. These dicationic phosphonium salts exhibit remarkable Lewis acidity in stoichiometric reactions and act as effective Lewis acid catalysts. These systems effect the hydrodefluorination of fluoroalkanes, hydrosilylation of olefins, deoxygenation of ketones, and the reduction of phosphine oxides and amides. Attempts to perform the Michaelis-Arbuzov rearrangements and subsequent reductions led to the catalytic generation of PH3, as well as primary and secondary phosphines from air stable phosphoethers and phosphoesters. Finally, the preparation of tricationic and tetracationic phosphonium salts was investigated. Three synthetic strategies were explored, viz. preparation of a phosphenium dication, a 4,5-phosphinoimidazolium cation, as well as two linked carbene stabilized phosphenium cations. Subsequent oxidation of these species led to unexpected results, which are further discussed in Chapter 5.

Advisor: Stephan, Doug W
SMELT DROPLET-WATER INTERACTION IN THE KRAFT RECOVERY BOILER DISSOLVING TANK

In the dissolving tank of a recovery boiler, violent interaction between smelt droplets and water can cause the tank to rumble and tremor, and in severe cases, a dissolving tank explosion accident. A laboratory apparatus was constructed to visualize smelt droplet-water interaction with high speed imaging, and to examine the effects of various dissolving tank operating parameters on the explosion characteristics of synthetic smelt droplets composed of sodium carbonate and sodium chloride. The results show that smelt droplets are more likely to explode when 1) the water temperature is low, 2) the smelt composition approaches the eutectic composition, 3) the droplet size is large, and 4) there is an external disturbance. Experiments were also conducted using real kraft smelt and green liquor. The results show that real smelt behaves in a similar manner as synthetic smelt, and that replacing water with green liquor promotes droplet explosions. A 1-D heat transfer model of smelt droplet-water interaction was also developed to explain the explosion mechanism. The modeling results suggest that whether a droplet explodes or not depends on the thickness of the solidified layer formed on the smelt droplet surface at the moment the vapor film around the droplet collapses. Experimental results from this study also show that explosions that occur on the water surface generate less sound and tank vibration than explosions that occur beneath the water surface, and that droplet explosions promote smelt dissolution. To improve dissolving tank safety and efficiency, it is important to avoid accumulation of a large amount of smelt in the dissolving tank.

Keywords: Dissolving Tank
Kraft Recovery
Recovery Boiler
Smelt
Vapor Explosion
Advisor: Tran, Honghi
Bussmann, Markus