VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
From Policy to Reality: A Study of Factors Influencing the Employment Trajectories of Internationally Educated Professionals

Over the past decade there has been a changing policy landscape in Ontario that aimed at assisting foreign-trained immigrants to integrate into their intended professions. However, many foreign-trained immigrants continuously face barriers in the labour market such that their employment experiences are often contrary to their expectations. This study explores and examines the factors influencing the employment trajectory of Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs) in Canada. In particular, the study focuses on selected Filipino immigrants and IEPs from other cultures, and examines their employment trajectories and shifts in professional status. Recent literature indicates that there is a widening gap between the policies of immigrant inclusion and equity in many Western countries and the social realities of immigrants in the workforce. This study is an interpretive qualitative research with a critical orientation using Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction as a lens. A total of 30 participants were divided into three categories according to their year of arrival in Canada. Interview data were analyzed using critical discourse analysis and grounded theory. Findings reveal four broad sets of factors (socio-demographic, individual, sociolinguistic and contextual) influencing the employment trajectories of IEPs and their resulting shifts in professional status. Government immigration policies and economic conditions at the time of participants’ arrival were found to be important influences on IEPs employment success. The contented IEPs and struggling IEPs who had both different years of arrival experienced frequent changes in employment. High achieving IEPs who arrived in Canada between 1988-1994 and 2002-2008, had successfully navigated the employment trajectory with frequent job changes. However, low achieving IEPs, were also found among immigrants arriving between 2002-2008 who experienced less and/or no movement in their occupations. Findings are discussed in relation to relevant policy implications for the economy, educational practice, curriculum, theory-building and new knowledge construction for socioeconomic equity.

Keywords: employment
foreign-trained immigrants
immigration
labour market access
social inclusion and integration
socioeconomic equity
Advisor: Gagne, Antoinette
The Determinants of Participation in Aerobic Exercise Early After Stroke

Aerobic exercise is recognized as an important part of comprehensive stroke rehabilitation in best-practice and clinical guidelines. However, many individuals remain physically inactive during their hospitalization and do not engage in physiotherapy that is intense enough to provide an aerobic training benefit. Participation in aerobic exercise may be particularly important in the subacute period of recovery, i.e. within 3-months post-stroke, given that the rate of recovery is greatest in this stage and any gains may augment all aspects of rehabilitation. The main objectives of this work were to identify: 1) patient characteristics and 2) patients’ and physiotherapists’ perceptions that influence participation in aerobic exercise within in-patient stroke rehabilitation. Overall, people with stroke and physiotherapists valued the role of aerobic training early after stroke. Patient characteristics that limited enrollment in a structured aerobic exercise program included cardiovascular and musculoskeletal comorbidities. Although physical deficits did not limit participation in aerobic exercise (study 1), both patients and physiotherapists perceived that physical impairments limited participation (studies 2 and 3). In addition, patients perceived the fear of falling, inability to perform aerobic exercise, lack of support from a spouse and family, and lack of information on how to perform aerobic exercise as barriers. Furthermore, physiotherapist perceptions differed between rehabilitation centres with and without a structured aerobic training program. Specifically, physiotherapists reported the lack of resources and continuing education as key barriers at centres without a structured program. In contrast, physiotherapists identified concerns for patients’ cardiac and cognitive status as well as insufficient time as key barriers at centres with a structured program. Based on these perceptions there is a need to provide physiotherapists with appropriate equipment and ongoing training on assessment and aerobic exercise prescription using a standardized approach. Future work should examine ways to better educate and engage people with stroke and their caregivers in structured aerobic exercise programs.

Keywords: delivery of health care
exercise
inpatients
physical activity
rehabilitation
stroke
Advisor: Brooks, Dina
McIlroy, William E
Staying in the Workforce with Fibromyalgia

Remaining employed with fibromyalgia can be difficult in the increasingly precarious work world, where employees are expected to be healthy and able to consistently meet their job demands. Fibromyalgia also lacks medical legitimacy, which brings a risk of damaged workplace relationships and potential workplace discrimination for people with this illness, affecting mostly women. Their home lives may also impact their ability to remain employed, in conjunction with their impairments. Yet, despite varying degrees of pain, fatigue, and other health issues, 44% of Canadians with fibromyalgia remain in the workforce. How do they do it? This thesis aimed to understand how, given the challenges of remaining employed, these women stay at work. It also considered other stakeholders in the women’s employment and what discourses underlie the accounts of all three groups. The thesis comprised two studies. First, a critical discourse analysis of fibromyalgia information materials found that they generally portray employment as incompatible with fibromyalgia and, when they very rarely mention work, employees are seen as responsible for self-managing their symptoms on the job. The second study sought the perspectives of women with fibromyalgia, their family members and workmates on how the women remained employed. That study found that employed women with fibromyalgia improvised disclosure dances to respond to everyday disclosure risks in workplace relationships. They and their family members and workmates portrayed the women as normal, valuable employees who had not ‘given in’ to their fibromyalgia. Social relationships, from empathetic to conflicted, figured prominently in these two identity-management strategies, through which participants tried to stop the stigma process. The thesis findings highlight the importance of workplace social relations to job retention for employees with invisible impairments. Implications for work disability literature, research using the triad/dyad data-collection method, workplace practice, internal and state workplace policy, and rehabilitation practice are discussed.

Keywords: chronic illness
disclosure
employment
fibromyalgia
identity management
triad data collection method
Advisor: MacEachen, Ellen
Stress Corrosion Cracking of Ni-Fe-Cr Alloys Relevant to Nuclear Power Plants

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of Ni-Fe-Cr alloys and weld metals was investigated in simulated environments representative of high temperature water used in the primary and secondary circuits of nuclear power plants. The mechanism of primary water SCC (PWSCC) was studied in Alloys 600, 690, 800 and Alloy 82 dissimilar metal welds using the internal oxidation model as a guide. Initial experiments were carried out in a 480 °C hydrogenated steam environment considered to simulate high temperature reducing primary water. Ni alloys underwent classical internal oxidation intragranularly resulting in the expulsion of the solvent metal, Ni, to the surface. Selective intergranular oxidation of Cr in Alloy 600 resulted in embrittlement, while other alloys were resistant owing to their increased Cr contents. Atom probe tomography was used to determine the short-circuit diffusion path used for Ni expulsion at a sub-nanometer scale, which was concluded to be oxide-metal interfaces. Further exposures of Alloys 600 and 800 were done in 315 °C simulated primary water and intergranular oxidation tendency was comparable to 480 °C hydrogenated steam. Secondary side work involved SCC experiments and electrochemical measurements, which were done at 315 °C in acid sulfate solutions. Alloy 800 C-rings were found to undergo acid sulfate SCC (AcSCC) to a depth of up to 300 µm in 0.55 M sulfate solution at pH 4.3. A focused-ion beam was used to extract a crack tip from a C-ring and high resolution analytical electron microscopy revealed a duplex oxide structure and the presence of sulfur. Electrochemical measurements were taken on Ni alloys to complement crack tip analysis; sulfate was concluded to be the aggressive anion in mixed sulfate and chloride systems. Results from electrochemical measurements and crack tip analysis suggested a slip dissolution-type mechanism to explain AcSCC in Ni alloys.

Keywords: Alloy 600
Alloy 800
Corrosion
Cracking
Nuclear
Oxidation
Advisor: Newman, Roger C
Investigations of Earth-abundant Metal Oxide Nanomaterials for Solar Fuel Generation

Developing renewable energy technologies to mitigate anthropogenic climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. Making use of the Sun’s bountiful energy is society’s best hope for achieving cheap, efficient renewable power on a global scale. Solar-assisted conversion of abundant resources such as CO2 and H2O into valuable hydrocarbons is an attractive proposition in this respect. This work investigates the synthesis and characterization of nanoparticulate metal oxides based mainly on abundant iron and copper, and their application as photocatalysts for CO2 reduction and H2 evolution from water. We begin by presenting a general introduction to artificial photosynthesis and a brief literature review of progress in the field. The synthesis, characterization, and hybrid properties of novel Fe2O3/Cu2O hetero-nanocrystals are then described. These nanoparticles represent one of the few examples of colloidal oxide-oxide hetero-structured nanocrystals in the literature. In subsequent work, we explore Cu2O nanocubes as a semiconducting scaffold for the synthesis of multi-component photocatalytic architectures. This work then led us to study the activity of metallic Cu on TiO2 as a model H2 evolution system and examine the effects of alcoholic scavengers on product distribution in water splitting experiments. Finally, we discuss iron-copper delafossite CuFeO2 which was found to be an active catalyst for the light-assisted hydrogenation of CO2 to CO. We conclude by summarizing some of the lessons learned over the course of this work in trying to develop cheap, efficient artificial photosynthesis catalysts, and attempt to provide useful guidelines that may aid future researchers in this pursuit.

Advisor: Ozin, Geoffrey
Choroid Plexus Tumours: Elucidating the Genomic Complexity of Rare Pediatric Brain Tumours

Choroid plexus tumours (CPTs) are rare intraventricular neoplasms, most commonly found in children, with variable clinical presentation and patient outcome. CPT biology is poorly understood largely due to limited tumour availability and the lack of accurate in-vitro and in-vivo models of disease. My thesis work focused on elucidating the molecular alterations of these rare tumours using high-throughput approaches that enabled the identification of recurrent alterations affecting CPTs and facilitated the classification of clinically and molecularly distinct CPT subgroups. Chapter 1 describes the current clinical and biological understanding of CPTs, providing a background on what’s currently known and identifying research gaps addressed in future chapters. Chapter 2 describes the molecular landscape of CPTs, achieved by defining patterns in copy number, gene expression and DNA methylation, as well as telomere lengthening mechanisms observed in these tumours. Chapter 3 describes the creation of a novel mouse model of CPC and the identification of novel oncogenes involved in CPC development using a cross-species genomics approach. Chapter 4 examines future directions in choroid plexus research and suggests novel avenues to pursue in order to improve our collective understanding on the mechanisms driving CPC development and how to best approach the clinical management of patients with CPC. The aim of this thesis is to highlight recent advances in CPT biology and to provide the molecular framework on which to build an evidence-based treatment strategy to effectively diagnose and treat patients affected by the disease.

Keywords: brain tumours
cancer genomics
choroid plexus tumours
pediatric cancer
Advisor: Malkin, David
Cytoskeletal Regulation of the Myofibroblast Phenotype: Central Effects on the Primary Cilium and Redox State

The myofibroblast is a contractile cell which arises from progenitors to elicit wound healing. Dysregulation of these events are the basis of fibrosis, a feature of chronic kidney disease. During myofibroblast transition (MyT) there is the activation of a myogenic program in progenitor cells. This includes reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in generation of stress fibres. Stabilization of the actin cytoskeleton mobilizes the Myocardin Related Transcription Factor (MRTF) which influences cell fate through expression of the CArGome, a group of myogenic genes containing CArG elements. Here we report that MyT is also characterized by changes in the tubulin network, namely alterations in the primary cilium. The cilium is a cellular antennae and emergence of the myofibroblast results in deciliation both in-vitro and in-vivo, causing a phenotypic shift. Contractility, by myosin, underlies axoneme abscission. During MyT myosin expression is induced by MRTF, while phosphorylation is dependent upon Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) from the NADPH oxidase Nox4. Nox4 is a permissive, fibrotic factor and dependent upon the TGFβ effecter Smad3. Analysis of the Nox4 promoter revealed a CArG element present raising the potential of regulation by MRTF. In the second part of my thesis, we demonstrate that Nox4 promoter activation, mRNA levels, and protein expression are all dependent upon MRTF. Thus mobilization of MRTF during myofibroblast generation manifests in alteration of the primary cilium through expression and activation of myosin by Nox4 derived ROS. Finally, we extrapolate our core findings and apply it to the context of mitosis. The primary cilium is derived from the mother centriole and must be reabsorbed prior to cell division. This is dependent on signaling involving HEF1, Aurora Kinasa A and HDAC6. We demonstrate that these genes contain CArG elements and further that HEF1 expression is dependent upon MRTF. Suppression of MRTF via siRNA is sufficient to block cilium reabsorption and arrest the cell cycle. We define MRTF as a regulator of the primary cilium via two different pathways: It enables scission by promoting contractility and is necessary for reabsorption by regulating HEF1. Its novel role in HEF1 expression, distinguishes MRTF as a permissive mitogenic factor.

Keywords: Cilium
Cytoskeleton
Fibrosis
Kidney
MRTF
Myofibroblast
Advisor: Kapus, Andras
Modelling Precessing Binary Black Hole Systems

Gravitational waves are one of the most exciting predictions of General Relativity. Due to their compactness, binary black hole (BBH) systems are likely sources for gravitational waves detectable by ground-based interferometric detectors such as Advanced LIGO. Distinguishing a true signal from noise requires accurate models of gravitational waves from BBH systems. In the last decade, numerical relativity has been instrumental in generating these models. The Spectral Einstein Code (SpEC) developed by the SXS Collaboration has been used to investigate many aspects of BBH systems. Generically, the spins of the black holes in the binary are misaligned with the orbital angular momentum, causing the orbital plane and the spins to precess. Such systems are of particular importance as they exhibit interesting dynamics and large modulations of the gravitational waveform. In this thesis, we explore the problem of modelling precessing BBH by extending the capabilities of SpEC both in the construction of initial data and in dynamical evolution. We thereafter compare numerical relativity results to Post-Newtonian theory to assess the accuracy of precessing dynamics in Post-Newtonian theory. We begin this dissertation by examining the problem of robustly constructing initial data for high mass ratio, high spin precessing BBH. We discuss many technical improvements that now enable the construction of constraint-satisfying initial data for a much larger region of the parameter space. Next, we discuss the implementation of an important technical improvement that permits the evolution of arbitrarily precessing BBH systems; in particular, those where the orientation of the orbital plane changes by more than 90 degrees. We then compare the results of precessing BBH simulations done with SpEC to PN theory. We find generally good agreement between PN and NR precession dynamics, supporting the creation of phenomenological waveforms constructed using rotated non-precessing waveforms. Finally, we examine a case of transitional precession in NR, where the total angular momentum changes drastically during the inspiral, and once more find good agreement with PN predictions.

Keywords: binary black holes
gravitational astrophysics
numerical relativity
Advisor: Pfeiffer, Harald P
An Exploration of Transient Protection of Pressurized Pipelines using Air Valves

The transient response associated with systems experiencing pump power failure having undulating profiles and containing air vacuum valves (AVVs) is systematically explored to characterize the critical high points where placing AVVs has the maximum influence on the resulting transient pressures. For this purpose, this work seeks to understand the principal function of AVVs and their relation to the geometry and hydraulic characteristic of the system. Semi-analytical formulas are developed for the time of air cavity growth and collapse, maximum air cavity growth, and the secondary transient pressures due to cavity collapse at AVV location. Such relations are developed considering an undulating pipeline with an exaggerated high point at an intermediate location with the assumption of sudden upstream flow curtailment. Through these semi-analytical formulas, it is shown how the presence of AVVs at particular high points influences the system’s transient response. Key characteristics of the high point – namely, its elevation and distance from the upstream and downstream boundaries – are explored and those values that lead to the most severe transient response are identified. In order to numerically investigate those parameters most influential to a system’s transient response, the sensitivity of hypothetical pipeline systems to different input and design parameters is systematically explored. To this end, a numerical model is developed to solve the water hammer governing equations in conjunction with the AVV boundary equations by application of the method of characteristics. This numerical model is also coupled to a Monte Carlo simulation procedure. Monte Carlo Filtering is applied to help isolate and understand the most influential parameters. Also, a variance-based method is applied to explore the main and interaction effects between the influential parameters and to map these as a function of the terms defining the AVV properties and the high point location.

Keywords: Air Management
Air Pocket
Air Valve
Pressurized Pipelines
Secondary Transient Pressure
Sensitivity Analysis
Advisor: Karney, Bryan W
Managing Privileged Knowledge about Identity in Language Comprehension

A central claim in research on language comprehension is that assumptions about other’s knowledge are essential to guide language users’ understanding of utterances in both interactive conversations and fictional narratives. Past studies have suggested that listeners or readers are able to suppress privileged knowledge about the existence of entities from the earliest moments of processing. In the present dissertation, it is investigated whether this ability extends to cases where comprehenders possess privileged knowledge about the identity of an entity. This question is motivated by the central role played by identity in various semantic phenomena, as well as children’s well-documented difficulties in managing “identity” discrepancies in theory of mind tasks. Using a visual world eye-tracking paradigm, Experiment 1 shows that knowledge that is in conflict with an object's outward features (e.g., knowing that the object that looks like a lightbulb is actually a candle) is readily accessible to comprehension systems as listeners hear object descriptions unfold in time. Experiment 2 then verifies that, without the foreknowledge, the visually-misleading objects are identified in terms of their outward appearance. The validated stimulus objects are then used in Experiments 3 and 4, which evaluate the extent to which listeners suppress their privileged knowledge about object identity during real-time conversation. Similarly, Experiments 5 and 6 are conducted to explore whether listeners suppress privileged knowledge about the identity of entities during the comprehension of fictional narratives. In this case, interpretation patterns are examined as listeners hear the discourse “spoken” by fictional characters whose knowledge states are again varied. The results from both kinds of tasks reconfirm previous findings showing that language users rapidly take into account a speaker’s awareness of the existence of a referential entity. In contrast, however, the experiments show that comprehenders do not suppress private knowledge about the identity of an entity during referential processing—an effect that occurs even when the perspective of another individual is emphasized and regardless of whether the context involves conversational interaction or fictional narratives. Together, the results reveal important differences in the way in which distinct types of perspective-based cues are integrated in real- time language comprehension.

Keywords: Appearance-reality distinction
Common ground
Conversation
Discourse
Perspective-taking
Real-time comprehension
Advisor: Chambers, Craig G.
Daneman, Meredyth