VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Law, Authority, and Interpretation in the Ancient World: The Origin of Legal Obligation in Early Judaism

This study draws from legal theory to help identify a development in the authority of written law that took place in early Judaism. Since the discovery of the so-called ‘Code’ of Hammurabi, Assyriologists generally agree that the ancient Near Eastern law collections did not function as binding law. The tens of thousands of legal records preserved indicate that the practice of law operated independently from the written codes. Consequently, scholars have been grappling with the question of when written law came to be treated as legally binding. Rather than starting with the question of when law became binding, however, this study begins by asking the question of what it means for law to be binding. Furthermore, drawing from legal theory, it develops a method for identifying instances in which legal texts were treated as binding by ancient interpreters. This study claims that when a written directive is treated as law, it produces a unique normative effect within its addressees. This normative effect can be identified by the manner in which the legal text is interpreted; when a text is being treated as binding law, its interpreters will treat it in a unique and identifiable way. Drawing from Joseph Raz’s Preemption Thesis, and Lon Fuller’s inner morality of the law, this study develops seven criteria for determining when a text is being treated as legally binding by an ancient interpreter. The bulk of this study applies these criteria to four instances of legal interpretation in early Jewish sources: 1) the Temple Scroll’s interpretation of the Torah’s Day of Atonement laws; 2) The Samaritan Pentateuch’s interpretive rewriting of a series of laws from the Pentateuch, particularly the goring ox laws of Exodus 21:28–37; 3) the interpretive reformulations of the Qumran penal codes from the Dead Sea scrolls’ rule texts; 4) the depiction of Torah-obedience in Ezra 9–10, Nehemiah 8:13–18, and Nehemiah 10. In the end, this study concludes that the scribes responsible for the interpretations of the Torah in the Temple Scroll and the Samaritan Pentateuch viewed the Torah’s laws as a source of binding obligation. By contrast, the scribes responsible for the changes to the Qumran penal codes did not view the rule texts as binding law. Finally, although the community depicted in the Ezra-Nehemiah Torah-obedience narratives viewed the Torah as legally binding, they did not interpret it as such. Rather, they relied on the expert in the law to make Torah declarations, rather than relying on text-interpretive consultation of the text. While these conclusions do not fully determine when written law came to be viewed as legally binding, they provide an important first step, and lay the methodological foundation for future study.

Advisor: Metso, Sarianna
Understanding nurses' perceptions of electronic health record use in an acute care hospital setting

As Canadian healthcare organizations implement electronic health records (EHRs), nurses are expected to use the technology in their practice. Findings of a literature review suggest that usability (ease of use, functionality, navigation and impact on workload), the organizational context (support from leadership, level of training, level of on-going support, physical environment and implementation process) and individual nurse characteristics (sex, age, nursing unit, years of experience as a registered nurse, country of nursing education, years of experience using an EHR, previous EHR use and formal informatics training) influence nurses’ use of these systems. Thus, the purpose of this doctoral research was to better understand the relationships between the variables that make up usability, organizational context, individual nurse characteristics, and nurses’ perceptions of EHR use. This study was conducted using a sequential mixed methods design with two phases. Phase One consisted of a cross sectional survey that was piloted and then administered to nurses in an acute care teaching hospital in Toronto, Canada. The aim of the survey was to obtain information about nurses’ perceptions of the usability of the EHR, the organizational context, their individual nurse characteristics and their use of the system. Phase two involved focus groups to better understand the findings identified in the survey. Multivariable and hierarchical linear regression was conducted. A multivariable model made up of the variables ease of use, navigation and impact on workload, explained 13% of the variance in nurses’ perceptions of EHR use, however navigation was the only significant predictor in the model. In the data from the focus groups, nurses described how they navigated through the EHR, and which functionalities supported or hindered their use of it. Results of this study provide insights into factors that may influence nurses’ use of EHRs in an acute care hospital setting that have implications for research, nurse leaders, vendors, healthcare settings and nursing practice.

Keywords: ehealth
electronic health records
health informatics
health information technology
nursing
Advisor: McGillis Hall, Linda
Response Time Consistency: Correspondence with Cognition and the Effects of Training and White Matter Lesion Volume

Response time consistency or, intraindividual variability (RT IIV) from trial to trial, is known to increase with age and is exaggerated in people with neurological dysfunction. RT IIV is thought to index the fidelity of executive control mechanisms necessary for sustaining attention. Conventionally measured RT IIV conveys variability about the entire distribution. An ex-Gaussian approach segments distributional properties into normal distribution and exponential components; evidence shows that the portion of the distribution containing only extremely slow responses (ex-Gaussian parameter tau) is elevated with executive control deficits. Thus, tau may be a critical factor in the measurement of RT IIV. In a series of studies, I examined response time distribution indices with two main goals: the first was to explore the association with cognition (Studies 1, 2, and 4), and the second was to investigate the malleability of variability (Studies 3 and 5). In Studies 1 and 2, data from healthy participants were gathered from response time tasks and neuropsychological tests and subjected to structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM revealed strong associations between distributional parameters (mu and tau) and different cognitive domains. Study 4 investigated the role of white matter lesions in response time performance, revealing that greater lesion volume was negatively association with general slowing and extremely slow responding. For my second goal (investigating malleability of RT IIV) in Study 3, I applied a training procedure to healthy young and older adults. I found RT IIV reductions in participants who received feedback training, but not in participants who received a comparison control condition. Furthermore, the ex-Gaussian parameter tau was specifically reduced by training. Study 5 involving older adults with a range of white matter lesion severity showed non-significant effects for feedback training, likely due to low power. Visual inspection, however, revealed a pattern of tau reduction in the feedback group only. Overall, my dissertation research provides further support for the notion that RT IIV, and more specifically tau, is an indicator of executive control. The training studies suggest a potential avenue for attentional repair in both healthy and brain compromised individuals.

Keywords: aging
cognitive control
executive functioning
ex-Gaussian
intraindividual variability
response time consistency
Advisor: Anderson, Nicole D
Understanding Parenting in the Black Caribbean Population within the Context of Historical Trauma in Toronto

Maya Angelou (1993) has famously noted, â History, despite its wrenching pain cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived againâ (para. 26). This dissertation joined the ongoing conversation about generational trauma, also known as historical trauma. It argues that to understand parenting within the Black Caribbean population, consideration has to be given to their experiences with past trauma, including forced migration, physical and sexual assault suffered in slavery, segregation, and ongoing racial discrimination. Through a recognition that undesirable trajectories that have emerged in some Black parenting practices find their origin in transmitted generational unresolved traumas, those traumas can be addressed and disrupted. Using frameworks that employ an analysis of anti-Black racism, Black feminism and anti-colonialism as analytic tools, combined with literary exploration, this dissertation examines the impact of generational trauma on parenting practices among the Black Caribbean population. It contends that generational trauma exists, and has profound implications on parenting within this population, and that current routine assessments are not inclusive and considerate of historical racial experiences and the consequences of racism when they assess Black families. It reveals that the consequences of not doing so support the continuation of experiences that stemmed from the complication of racism and unresolved historical trauma, layering another burden of trauma on each successive generation. These findings recommend a critical pedagogy that educates, empowers, and mobilizes parents, professionals, and communities to recognize historical trauma as significantly present within the Black population, and to understand how this can be problematic in the functioning of Black parents and their families.

Keywords: Black Caribbean
Historical trauma
Parenting
Advisor: Wane, Njoki N
Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer: Biological and Epidemiological Observations to Improve Cancer-Free and Survival Metrics

Background: Due to very high disease-specific survival following prostate cancer treatment, disease progression (metastasis) and treatment-related complications may significantly affect a patientâ s life trajectory. Using distinct epidemiologic methodologies, this thesis sought to (1) identify novel microRNA predictors of metastasis following radical prostatectomy; (2) examine the association between local treatment modality (surgery or radiotherapy) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on non-prostate cancer mortality; and (3) study the association between radiotherapy for prostate cancer and secondary malignancies. Methods: We conducted a matched-case control study of 38 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy using bootstrapping with automated backward selection to identify miRNA sequences which were significantly associated with metastasis. To examine the association between treatment modality and non-prostate cancer mortality, we performed a propensity-score matched, population-based retrospective cohort study of 10,786 men treated for non-metastatic prostate cancer in Ontario between 2002 and 2009. We used the Fine and Gray method with generalized estimating equation survival models with a sandwich variance estimator to calculate the sub-distribution hazard ratio of treatment effect, accounting for ADT exposure in a time-varying manner. To assess the association between radiotherapy for prostate cancer and the development of secondary cancers, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis utilizing random-effects models and Mantel-Haenszel weighting. Results: We identified a panel of five microRNA which were associated with metastasis following surgery (AUC 89.5%, 95% CI 79.5-99.5). Treatment with radiotherapy was independently associated with an increased risk of non-prostate cancer mortality (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.35-1.83) though ADT exposure was not (p = 0.26 - 0.87 depending on analytic strategy). Radiotherapy was associated with an increased risk of bladder (aHR 1.67, 95% CI 1.55-1.80), colorectal (aHR 1.79, 95% CI 1.34-2.38) and rectal cancers (aHR 1.79, 95% CI 1.34-2.38) but not hematological (aHR 1.64, 95% CI 0.90-2.99) or lung (aHR 1.45, 95% CI 0.70-3.01) cancers. Conclusions: Varied epidemiologic techniques may be used to characterise outcomes following prostate cancer treatment. These data may inform patients and physicians when making decisions regarding prostate cancer treatment choice.

Advisor: Nam, Robert K
Controlling Prefrontal Attention Circuits: Neuromodulation of Cortical Layer 6 and its Local Outputs

The prefrontal cortex is critical for mediating attention. Neuromodulation by acetylcholine and serotonin exerts opposing effects on attention. Layer 6 of prefrontal cortex is an important source of cortico-thalamic and cortico-cortical output, and this layer expresses both cholinergic and serotonergic receptors. The capacity of prefrontal layer 6 to influence attention through its cortical and thalamic connections highlights the necessity to understand its neuromodulation and the underlying cellular mechanisms involved. This thesis examines the modulation of prefrontal layer 6 by acetylcholine and serotonin, and the consequences of layer 6 activity on its downstream cortical targets. Is the cholinergic modulation of layer 6 in medial prefrontal cortex distinct? Contrasting layer 6 neurons of associative and primary regions of cortex, I find significant differences in the receptor composition and strength of cholinergic responses. The stronger cholinergic response in medial prefrontal layer 6 appears driven by high affinity nicotinic receptors of the Îą4Î˛2Îą5 subtype with a modest contribution by muscarinic receptors. Functional disruptions in specific nicotinic receptor subunits are linked to attentional disruption, but what are their consequences for cholinergic modulation of layer 6? In mice with genetic deletion of key nicotinic receptor subunits, I demonstrate a compensatory upregulation in the muscarinic response, inversely proportional to the impairment of nicotinic receptor function. This compensatory plasticity partially rescues the excitatory response to cholinergic stimulation at near-threshold membrane potentials. Unlike acetylcholine, serotonin impairs attention, yet the underlying mechanisms are unclear. In medial prefrontal cortex, I show, for the first time, that serotonin suppresses of layer 6 excitability through 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. Using transgenic mice that allow for light-mediated activation of layer 6, I identify a direct, excitatory, local connection between layer 6 and layer 5 interneurons of medial prefrontal cortex. Finally, I show that suppression of layer 6 activity by serotonin inhibits the activation of downstream layer 5 interneurons. The findings in this thesis probe the receptor mechanisms underlying the modulation of prefrontal layer 6 by acetylcholine and serotonin. Furthermore, new insight is provided into the consequences of modulating layer 6 activity on its downstream cortical targets.

Keywords: acetylcholine
attention
electrophysiology
layer 6
prefrontal cortex
serotonin
Advisor: Lambe, Evelyn K
The Stroop Task Redefined: The Multiple-Item Stroop Task

A Multiple-Item Stroop Task was created with the goal of providing a sensitive and objective measure of attentional biases. It is a modification of the traditional single-item emotional Stroop task that is intended to assess the extent to which attentional biases distract participants from a colour identification task. The traditional version was viewed as having clinical relevance but that promise has been largely abandoned due to small effect sizes. The goal of this thesis was to investigate whether procedural modifications, informed by theory, might serve to increase the sensitivity of capturing attentional biases using the new Multiple-Item Stroop task. Experiment 1 demonstrated that the standard Stroop effect was observed in both single-item and multiple-item variants, with the magnitude of effect being similar as is consistent with current theories of the Stroop effect, assuming that a single item is sufficient to induce a maximal effect. The emotional Stroop effect was examined but disappointingly found absent in Experiment 2 wherein a small set of emotional words was employed. Subsequently, using a larger stimulus set and more potent taboo words, a significantly enhanced emotional/taboo Stroop effect using the new Multiple-Item paradigm was demonstrated (Experiment 3) and replicated (Experiment 4). Additionally, content relations between the observed effects and independent measures that should be related to attentional capture gave rise to a relatively consistent pattern of relation using the new multiple-item paradigm, at least relative to the traditional single-item variant (also Experiment 4). Taken together, with the use of undergraduates, these empirical results support the use of my proposed new paradigm in capturing attentional biases with healthy individuals and potentially within clinical populations. Limitations and future studies are explored.

Keywords: Attention
Attentional Bias
Stroop Effect
Advisor: Joordens, Steve
Decomposition Models for Complex Scheduling Applications

The efficient scheduling of tasks on limited resources is important for many manufacturing and service industries to keep costs low and efficiently use resources. However, scheduling problems are often difficult and common scheduling approaches are inadequate for solving problems at the scale necessary for some applications. Therefore, customized scheduling methods are important for the practical application of scheduling techniques. The central thesis of this dissertation is that the understanding of the capabilities of current scheduling technologies and the use of this knowledge to partition a problem into smaller, more manageable parts that are better suited to these technologies is effective for increasing scheduling performance. These decompositions advance the state-of-the-art scheduling methodologies and extend the capabilities of automated scheduling techniques for real-world applications. In this dissertation, three decompositions have been developed with varying levels of integration between solvers. Each decomposition addresses the limitations of a technology and improves upon the current techniques so that they can be used for specific application problems. The first decomposition model is concerned with scheduling a team of robots in a retirement home. The scheduler must consider a complex, multi-objective problem, where it must respect user preferences and schedules. The problem is partitioned into two parts that are each solved using constraint programming. This decomposition shows the improvements that can be obtained when comparing a decomposed model and a non-decomposed model. The second application studied is a large-scale data center. Here, jobs arrive dynamically and are processed on one of approximately 10,000 machines. The decomposition model makes use of techniques developed in two research areas: queueing theory and scheduling. By segmenting a problem into parts that are amenable to the techniques from queueing theory and scheduling, a state-of-the-art scheduling algorithm is crated. Finally, the third decomposition model combines different paradigms of computation, quantum and classical computation, into a cohesive algorithm for use in three different scheduling problems. The hybrid classical computing and quantum computing algorithm develops the capabilities of quantum annealing, a quantum algorithm run on specialized quantum hardware.

Keywords: Decompositions
Operations Research
Scheduling
Advisor: Beck, J. Christopher
Nejat, Goldie
Investigating Metal Oxide Nanoparticles as Photocatalysts for Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reactions

Metal oxide nanoparticles were investigated for their application as photocatalysts for the gas-phase photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to value-added chemicals and fuels. A multi-photoreactor catalyst screening system was developed to screen a broad set of nanoparticles for photocatalytic activity. Carbon-13 labelled carbon dioxide (13CO2) isotope tracing was carried out to discriminate whether the products arose from CO2 conversion or from reactions involving residual carbon contamination. A set of metal oxide photocatalysts were investigated at temperatures ranging from 80 oC to 190 oC in atmospheres containing both H2 and CO2. A nanoparticle heterostructure composed of Cu sputtered into a mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticle film was synthesized. These films showed evidence of increased hydrocarbon production under illumination, but no 13C labelled product was measured. 2 Hydroxylated indium sesquioxide (In2O3-xOHy) nanoparticles were synthesized and investigated for the photocatalytic conversion of CO2. It was found that In2O3-xOHy nanoparticles are capable of photocatalytically and thermally driving the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction at tem

Keywords: Carbon Dioxide
Catalysis
Indium oxide
Photocatalysis
Advisor: Mims, Charles A
Ozin, Geoff A
Analytic estimates for the Chebotarev Density Theorem and their applications

In this thesis, we study the distribution of prime ideals within the Chebotarev Density Theorem. The theorem states that the Artin symbols attached to prime ideals are equidistributed within the Galois group of a given Galois extension. We exhibit field-uniform unconditional bounds with explicit constants for the least prime ideal in the Chebotarev Density Theorem, that is, the prime ideal of least norm with a specified Artin symbol. Moreover, we provide a new upper bound for the number of prime ideals with a specified Artin symbol which is valid for a wide range and sharp, short of precluding a putative Siegel zero. To achieve these results, we establish explicit statistical information on the zeros of Hecke L-functions and the Dedekind zeta function. Our methods were inspired by works of Linnik, Heath-Brown, and Maynard in the classical case and the papers of Lagarias--Odlyzko, Lagarias--Montgomery--Odlyzko, and Weiss in the Chebotarev setting. We include applications for primes represented by certain binary quadratic forms, congruences of coefficients for modular forms, and the group structure of elliptic curves reduced modulo a prime. In particular, we establish the best known unconditional upper bounds for the least prime represented by a positive definite primitive binary quadratic form and for the Lang--Trotter conjectures on elliptic curves.

Keywords: Chebotarev Density Theorem
Hecke L-functions
Prime ideals
Advisor: Friedlander, John B