VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Doubtful Forms: Uncertain Belief in Victorian Women’s Writing

Critical engagement with religious doubt in Victorian studies has long been determined by the linear structure of the conversion narrative as it works out across the faith/doubt binary. The doubter moves from one certain form of belief (faith) to another (doubt), usually through the paradigm of the crisis. The same shape has become the blueprint by which we identify the Victorian doubter and that, extrapolated to the social level, organizes the secularization thesis, which associates industrialization with the progressive decline of religious belief. The prevalence of this particular shape in literary studies has implications for how we understand doubt and what we register as doubt in our readings. Drawing on the resources of postsecular criticism and the recent (re)turn to formalism, my dissertation resists collapsing the dynamic interplay between faith and doubt and instead analyzes how a less stable and more mobile doubt makes itself felt in the formal dimensions of literary texts. I show that writers not only deployed but also interrogated and subverted the faith/doubt binary, displaying and developing complex alternate understandings of doubt. Refusing to conceptualize doubt as a static form, as the faith/doubt binary implies, this dissertation distinguishes doubt from disbelief, reinterpreting doubt not as a loss of faith but as a movement of uncertainty within faith. In my investigation of doubt’s role within faith, I turn to writing by nineteenth-century women, who did not encounter doubt in the same contexts as their male counterparts and, consequently, whose conceptions of doubt are often less preconditioned by the structures of the faith/doubt binary. In chapters focusing on Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s verse-novel Aurora Leigh, Christina Rossetti’s mixed-genre devotional works The Face of the Deep and Time Flies, Olive Schreiner’s experimental novel The Story of an African Farm, and Alice Meynell’s essay collections, including The Rhythm of Life, I examine how literary form interacts with religious doubt, especially by eliciting particular reading practices that unsettle readerly certainty. My dissertation contributes to postsecularism’s reconsideration of literature’s religious dimensions and showcases the diversity of nineteenth-century doubt to demonstrate Victorian literature’s potential to generate new understanding of the structural workings of belief.

Keywords: doubt
faith
poetry
realism
Victorian
women's writing
Advisor: Schmitt, Cannon
Knight, Mark
Interactions Between Gut Microbial Composition, Mucosal Immunity and Metabolism

While evidence that the intestinal microbiome contributes to host health and disease has rapidly developed, the causal mechanisms that link these microbes to disease are largely elusive. The goal of this project was to explore the complex crosstalk between the microbiome and the immune system using genetically defined mouse models under defined environmental conditions. We first aimed to identify how early-life perturbations in the microbiome alter the immune landscape of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), as well as extra-intestinal influences conferred by these perturbations. We investigated how oral administration of the antibiotic vancomycin from weaning until early adulthood affects the microbial ecosystem, intestinal immunity and serum metabolic profiles in C57BL/6 mice. Vancomycin treatment significantly altered gut microbiome composition, affected T cell and innate-like lymphocyte (ILC) populations in the small intestine, and increased levels of intestinal and serum IgA. We also report that vancomycin treatment altered serum cytokine and metabolic profiles, demonstrating that gut microbial perturbation can have extra-intestinal effects. The second focus of this project was to understand how biological sex participates in the trialogue between the immune system, metabolism, and the microbiome. We used the “four core genotypes” (FCG) mouse model which generates XX or XY gonadal females, and XX or XY gonadal males to dissect the independent and collective roles of sex hormones and sex chromosomes on these processes. We observed that during puberty, both sex chromosomes and sex hormones affect the composition of cecal microbial taxa that subsequently develops in adult mice. Gonadal sex had a broad effect on serum metabolites and bile acids, and androgens influenced gut microbial composition and immune cell population frequencies in males. Collectively, the data presented in this thesis uncover new insights into the relationship between gut microbial composition and intestinal immunity. We comprehensively immunophenotyped the GALT and demonstrated how microbial perturbation effects intestinal-associated immune subsets, highlighting a major source of control on immunity in extra-intestinal sites. Further, these data emphasize the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in analysis of microbiome-immune-metabolic interactions and reveal potential mechanisms that may influence sex differences in immune and metabolic diseases.

Keywords: antibiotics
Immunology
microbiome
microbiota
Sex differences
Advisor: Danska, Jayne
The Aesthetics of Nachträglichkeit: Traumatic Temporality and the First World War in Proust, Joyce, and Mann

I investigate the unusual temporality peculiar to modernist literature in Marcel Proust’s À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time), James Joyce’s Ulysses, and Thomas Mann’s Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain). These contemporaneous novels, written in diverse locations, by unassociated authors, share a protracted temporality that extends the narratives to unexpected lengths. Time itself is interrogated in these novels, and in criticism is often characterized as an intensely subjective and private form of time, in reaction to major contemporary shifts occurring in public time, notably the ongoing implementation of Global Standard Time. I propose that the instability of time in these novels reveals a structure of the Freudian concept of Nachträglichkeit at work, a belatedness that is a form of coping with crisis, and that the major crisis to which this peculiar temporality responds is the First World War. These novels are not ostensibly preoccupied with the war, and yet convey how deeply war affects individuals and cultural production in ways that are often unanticipated and unacknowledged. Nachträglichkeit, the inherent belatedness of trauma, shapes the temporality of modernist literature in ways previously unconsidered. In these novels, trauma appears as what Cathy Caruth calls a “missed event”: its initial iteration appears minimally or not at all, and is instead represented through flashbacks (in the case of involuntary memory in Proust), allusions (in Joyce), or a trope of ineffability (in Mann). Although the affect related to a traumatic event is deferred, this deferral is part of a coping mechanism: it is the consciousness’ strategy of self-protection through gradual exposure, and this is the crucial component of the belatedness in these novels. The various ways in which time operates in the three novels demonstrates the diverse logic of Nachträglichkeit, particularly in their respective treatment of the war. Nachträglichkeit, in various permutations, is one articulation of the broader interrogations of temporality that were ongoing in the early twentieth century, and the most compelling explanation of the strange temporality of modernist literature, particularly as it invites a reconsideration of the constellation of Proust, Joyce, and Mann.

Keywords: First World War
Freud
Joyce
Mann
Nachträglichkeit
Proust
Advisor: Comay, Rebecca
Empire of Wheat: Wheat, Bread and Staple Carbohydrates in the French Colonial Empire 1887-1939

This thesis expands the history of French bread and wheat beyond the metropole by studying the place of these dietary staples alongside local staple foods in colonial Morocco and Cambodia. The period covered spans from the formation of French Indochina in 1887 to the dawn of the Second World War in 1939. Staple foods in this context stand at the intersection of food studies, colonialism and French imperial history. By situating this study within the framework of imperial collaboration, French foodways and the global wheat market, this thesis argues that dietary staples provide a key platform through which we can deepen our understanding of the French empire and its food systems. Where Cambodia was primarily a rice-producer, Morocco was a longstanding producer of wheat. In the context of French colonization these highly valued local foods were juxtaposed against the preferred French staple; bread made of European-style wheat. As a result, Cambodian rice and breads made of Moroccan wheat were deemed less civilized by the French than bread made of European-style wheat. The urge to make bread deemed to be French readily available both in the colonies and the metropole meant that wheat provisioning was a priority for the colonial government in Cambodia. In Morocco, immense efforts were undertaken by the French administration to transition the state into a producer and potential exporter of European-style wheat which could wean the French empire off of its reliance on foreign imports. The value of Cambodia and Morocco as case studies thus rests in part on their nature as colonies, each with a contrasting relationship with wheat. By studying these colonies side by side, we gain insight into the cumbersome system which integrated Morocco and Cambodia into the French empire, one which operated with varying levels of success. As such, this thesis argues that the French empire was an empire of wheat, defined in part by its subsistence staple. The dependence of this empire on a food system tied to wheat and bread in the French colonies is a testament to the interconnectedness of empires, to their problematic natures and to their fragility.

Keywords: Bread
Carbohydrates
Colonialism
Empire
French Empire
Staple Foods
Advisor: Bender, Daniel E.
Theorizing, Conceptualizing, and Responding to the Employment Needs of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV): A Gounded Theory Study

Introduction: The impact of economic abuse among survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) can be devastating. Abusers requently engage in behaviors that interfere with, restrict, and sabotage their partners’ employment and economic well-being. Despite growing recognition of he economic consequences of IPV, research that examines employment-seeking experiences is scant. This dissertation seeks to advance a conceptual understanding of employment-seeking from the perspectives of survivors of IPV and service providers. Method: The dissertation utilized a constructivist grounded theory design to address the following research questions: 1) What are the employment-seeking experiences of survivors of IPV; 2) How do service providers respond to survivors’ employment needs; and 3) How do both groups conceptualize economic empowerment related to employment attainment? Sixteen survivors of IPV and ten service providers from IPV organizations in a large, northeastern American city were recruited to participate in in-depth individual nterviews. Theoretical sampling strategies were used to ensure a diverse sample of participants. Interviewing continueiii until theoretical saturation was reached and no new themes were identified. Through iterative stages of coding, themes were identified, linked, and developed into mid-level theory Results: Findings are organized within three distinct papers. The first paper explores the social ecological and intersectional barriers that impede employment, and the supports that facilitate employment-seeking. The second paper conceptualizes how service providers theorize and approach employment services using an intersectional and trauma-informed approach. The third paper explores and compares perspectives on economic empowerment and employment-seeking among survivors and service providers. Implications: The dissertation’s findings provide implications for research, policy, and practice. IPV survivors face multiple and intersecting forms of stigma and discrimination that prevent them from securing living wage employment. By focusing on survivors’ complex and diverse social locations, a social ecological and intersectional framework offers a more complete analysis of barriers and facilitators in the employment seeking process. Findings also suggest a trauma-informed lens to be an important component of employment service provision. The different structural forms of oppression that impact employment-seeking highlight the need for multidimensional services approaches to economic empowerment. Further research is necessary and outlined in this dissertation

Keywords: employment
grounded theory
intersectionality
Intimate partner violence
social ecological
trauma
Advisor: Alaggia, Ramona
Nature Pedagogy and the Enactment of Settler Colonialism in Ontario Forest Schools and Nature-based Kindergartens: A Study of Three Sites

Forest Schools and Nature-based Kindergartens are a trend that promotes greater connection to land-based learning for their participants. This study examines the promise of Forest Schools and Nature-based Kindergartens in the context of settler colonialism and their impact on education in Canada. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (2015) Calls to Action challenge educators to teach about the effects of colonialism on Canadian society, and to create a more equitable and just partnership with Indigenous peoples. The dissertation takes seriously this challenge and considers a comparative case study analysis of three different sites in central Ontario, focusing on the frameworks of stewardship, connection to nature, and responsibility to Indigenous communities. The study uses policy, curricula, and practice as the lenses to analyze how educators’ practices contribute to or challenge settler colonialism. Data sources includes participant observation at each of the three sites over the course of seven months, interviews with participants and experts, photos, videos, and field notes. Practices in two of the three sites indicate strong influences of western pedagogies that replicate colonial structures. The third site, in contrast, nurtured relationships with a local Indigenous community to provide meaningful, reciprocal experiences and connections for both children and Indigenous community members. This study reveals a spectrum of tensions found in the colonial representations of childhood experiences with nature that have profound implications for our ability to understand the ways settler colonialism is manifested in nature pedagogy.

Keywords: Indigenous
Settler Colonialism
White Ignorance
Advisor: Bakan, Abigail
Selective Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase A Activation in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. AD is characterized by the deposition of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ) and the formation of tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles that result in neurodegeneration, which in turn leads to cognitive impairment. Substantial neurodegeneration is prevalent by the time of clinical presentation; thus, a successful intervention must provide neuronal support, in addition to reducing the pathological hallmarks of the disease. Among the neuronal populations affected in AD, basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) undergo early and extensive dysfunction that correlates with clinical severity. One mechanism underlying the selective vulnerability of BFCNs in AD is the neurotrophic functional imbalance between TrkA-mediated survival signalling and p75NTR-mediated pro-apoptotic signalling. This thesis investigates the effects of selective TrkA activation in the TgCRND8 mouse model of amyloidosis, in which I discovered the recapitulation of AD-related cholinotrophic deficits. With consideration for clinical translation, I delivered a selective agonist for the TrkA receptor (D3) to cholinergic loci using a drug delivery modality termed MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRIgFUS). MRIgFUS was used to locally, transiently and noninvasively increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), thereby allowing systemically administered D3 to enter MRIgFUS-targeted brain regions. MRIgFUS-mediated delivery of D3 rescued cholinotrophic neuronal dysfunction in TgCRND8 mice including TrkA phosphorylation and intracellular signalling cascades, Akt, MAPK, and CREB, that compete with p75NTR-mediated pathways. In addition, TrkA activation promoted cholinergic neurotransmission in TgCRND8 mice. Repeated MRIgFUS-mediated delivery of D3 for sustained TrkA activation rescued cholinergic neuronal atrophy, axonal degeneration and dystrophy, and stimulated cholinergic tone in TgCRND8 mice. In response to neurotrophic support, cholinergic activity increased hippocampal neurogenesis; an important form of structural plasticity which is impaired in AD. TrkA activation was also accompanied by a widespread decrease in Aβ burden. TrkA-mediated neuronal resilience and plasticity contributed to improved performance in various memory tasks, cognitive flexibility and daily living activities. In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates that selective TrkA activation, combined with MRIgFUS-induced BBB permeability, can enhance cholinergic function and plasticity in the presence of Aβ-driven neurotrophic deficits, and represents a promising strategy to improve cognition in AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s Disease
Cholinergic
MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound
Nerve Growth Factor
Neuroplasticity
Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase A
Advisor: Aubert, Isabelle
An Instructional Structure to Enhance Learning in Undergraduate Laboratories

Undergraduate laboratories are an important part of engineering and science curricula, as they have the potential to help students develop and improve many skills. Concerns, however, have been raised regarding the learning achieved in laboratories. This thesis provides a means of enhancing student knowledge in traditional undergraduate laboratories through the development and evaluation of an instructional structure. The instructional structure was developed based on modified Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation and multimedia design principles. Based on the instructional structure, web-based multimedia prelaboratory and postlaboratory exercises were developed which explain related theories, justify experimental procedures, and enable students to apply gained knowledge in new contexts. In addition, the exercises provided and demonstrated utility value of experiment-acquired knowledge. The instructional structure was developed and evaluated for two experiments in a second-year chemical engineering undergraduate laboratory course using an intervention cross-over methodology. Post-test case-control study design and surveys were used to assess the efficacy of the structure on student knowledge and motivation. Findings indicated that the prelaboratory exercises enhanced student knowledge through explanation of theories and rationale for experimental procedures. Further, this phase of conceptual understanding increased student motivation and encouraged them to be actively involved in learning while performing the experiment. Though results do not indicate a statistically significant increase in knowledge due to the postlaboratory exercises, students’ responses indicated that postlaboratories provided an opportunity to apply experiment-acquired knowledge to a new situation and integrate concepts learned in lecture with concepts learned in the lab course. There was also evidence that the instructional structure enhanced student breadth of knowledge. The instructional structure thus affords instructors a way to design prelaboratory and postlaboratory exercises to enhance student knowledge and motivation in undergraduate laboratories.

Advisor: Evans, Greg
Structural and Functional Studies of the Human STAT5B Protein and its Disease-Associated Mutation

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) are a family of transcription factors that play key roles in cell growth regulation and differentiation. A full understanding of the molecular basis of member-specific STAT-mediated signaling requires examination of variations in their protein structures and polypeptide sequences. We used an approach informed by structural data to highlight how domain-specific structural variations lead to STAT differential activation mechanisms and selective behavior. Furthermore, the functional differences between STATs are best exemplified when associated with disease. Through a wide-scale review of established reports on STAT-mutant-linked diseases, we summarized the segregated effect of STATs in multiple cancers. Although it is well validated that hyper-activated STAT mutants are a high-value oncology targets for pharmacological intervention, drug development is limited by the lack of structural and functional understanding. To assist in validating this target, we examined the transforming capacity of STAT5BN642H and STAT5BY665F; two aggressive oncogenic driver mutations frequently identified in a subpopulation of leukemic patients associated with poor prognosis. Once we built an understanding for the structural and molecular mechanisms of these two disease-linked STAT5B mutations, we drew inferences to other disease-linked mutations occurring in STATs and attempted to design therapeutic strategies that will help probe these mutants. Therapeutic strategies for disrupting aberrant STAT activity have focused around targeting the phospho-tyrosine binding pocket of the SH2 domain and DNA-binding domain. We designed a functional in vitro assay in which we monitored phosphorylation of STAT5B SH2 domain by an in vivo kinase in presence of a STAT5B inhibitor. We further designed a high-affinity DNA probe that may be used in high-throughput screening and development of therapeutics that target STAT5B DNA-binding domain. In summary, our comparative studies of human STAT5B/STAT5BN642H/Y665F using structural biology, molecular simulations, cell- and transgenic-based studies alongside our protein-protein interactome studies illuminated the functional profile as well as molecular basis of STAT pathway and that in relation to disease. By designing two novel in vitro assays, we further paved the way for efficiently studying STAT biology and effectively probing their function.

Keywords: Cancer
Crystallography
Erdogan
Fettah
STATs
Structural Biology
Advisor: Gunning, Patrick T