VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The every day as sacred: trailing back by the spiritual proof fence in the academy

Fifteen racially minoritized faculty from different disciplines, ethnicities and spiritual traditions participated in this qualitative based study which employed a spiritually based epistemological framework. I interviewed these scholars using an open ended format for approximately three to six hours each and collected documents such as life notes, curriculum vitae, published articles and syllabi constructed by participants. I analyzed this sacred data using a combination of theoretical frameworks, including anti-colonial, indigenous knowledge, critical faith-based and sacred subjectivity perspectives. The purpose of my research is to understand how a socially diverse group of spiritually-minded activist scholars integrate their spirituality into their academic activities in the Canadian university context. My primary goal here is to make visible the experiences of spiritually minded academics as they integrate spirituality into academic spaces in the face of hegemonic structures, thus revealing the role of spirituality in social transformation within and outside the academy. I found that spiritually-minded activist scholars were engaging in a spiritual praxis to transgress the norms of the academy in their academic practices. A spiritual praxis (1) encompasses a spiritual worldview, ways of knowing, and a way of being in the every day world; (2) recognizes that being spiritual is a difficult process that involves engaging with and preventing the daily oppression of oneself and others (human and non-humans). This involves recognizing spirituality as the source of healing or as a way of being grounded in a philosophy of possibility; (3) recognizes one's agency has spiritual roots. I examine and provide examples of how a spiritual praxis was operationalized in the context of teaching inside and outside the classroom, in research practices, academic theorization, development of curriculum and assignments, activism within the academy, resisting academic capitalism and individual productivity, and undoing student harassment. I end with a discussion of the scholarly implications of this research, and strategies and recommendations for centring spirituality in the academy.

Keywords: Spirituality
Education, Higher
Scholars
Political activists
Singular value decomposition techniques for multiuser detection receivers

Designing multiuser detection (MUD) receivers with low complexity and near single-user performance has generated a great deal of interest in code division multiple access (CDMA) systems. This thesis proposes novel approaches, primarily based on the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), for designing multiuser detection receivers for CDMA systems with and without the use of multiple antennas. A new transmitter precoding scheme is proposed for the uplink of a single-input single-output (SISO) direct spread (DS) CDMA Rayleigh fading channel where non-orthogonal spreading codes are used. This technique is based on the SVD and can be analytically shown to achieve the single user bound. The application of the SVD to a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) DS-CDMA Rayleigh fading channel with forward error correction (FEC) codes is subsequently investigated. An iterative (turbo) multiuser detection algorithm is proposed for this MIMO multiple access system. The proposed MUD receiver is of low complexity when compared to the optimal MUD receiver and has near single-user performance in the presence of long-term power control. The salient feature of our iterative MIMO MUD receiver is that it combines SVD filtering, FEC coding and spreading codes. It is demonstrated that the proposed iterative MIMO MUD receiver can also be derived by applying the sum-product algorithm to the corresponding factor graph. The extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) chart analysis is shown to be accurate in studying the convergence behaviour and estimating the coded bit error rate (BER) for the iterative MIMO MUD receiver. A gear-shift MUD receiver is then introduced where the receiver is allowed to iteratively select a particular algorithm from a group of MUD algorithms in order to achieve a target performance level in the least amount of time.
Firearms control in Canada: Bill-C-68 and its amendments to the forfeiture of firearms and weapons provisions in the Criminal Code

This thesis presents a history of firearms control in Canada in an effort to provide an understanding of the views held by opponents of increasingly stringent firearms control legislation. It examines the most common arguments forwarded by the opponents and concludes that the Canadian courts have not followed their reasoning. Attempting to provide a more fruitful means of protecting the fundamental rights of lawful owners of firearms, the author focuses on the post-Bill C-68 mandatory forfeiture provisions in s. 491 of the Criminal Code of Canada. The author demonstrates that the mandatory forfeiture provisions infringe upon the s. 8 Charter right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures. The author then engages in a s. 1 Charter analysis and concludes that the limit on the s. 8 Charter right is not reasonable and demonstrably justified, and proposes that the provision be declared unconstitutional under s. 52(1) of the Charter.

Keywords: Firearms, Law and legislation
Firearms, Canada
The politics of market reform in India: The fragile basis of paradigm shift

This thesis poses two related questions: why, in 1991, did the Indian government set upon a program of market reform that signalled a major break from the country's long-held commitment to a heavily statist development strategy, and why, furthermore, has this radical initiative persisted, despite several changes in government since its inception? In contrast to purely state-centric and society-centric perspectives on the question, I offer a layered explanation that adds a crucial global dimension. I point to the decisiveness of the international financial institutions' role in orchestrating the policy change---decisive because, in the absence of the IFIs' influence, it is unlikely the policy shift would have amounted to a shift in paradigm, which implies a fundamental transformation in the hierarchy of policy goals. ...

Keywords: Economics, India
Nature of science portrayals in historical accounts within a sample of Canadian biology textbooks

The nature of science portrayed in history of science narratives/vignettes within biology textbooks were analyzed to examine the nature of science portrayed in history of science narratives/vignettes within them. This was carried out through a qualitative analysis and content analysis of topics within fourteen secondary school biology textbooks used in Canadian high schools covering a majority of Canadian jurisdictions. Criteria for inclusion in this study were based on the recommendation of the various provincial ministries of education. Provincially approved or authorized list of resources for use in the classroom or recommended resources were consulted and a list of textbooks was derived. Qualitative analysis and content analysis indicated a heroic, ideal and rationalist and realist view of the nature of science within historical vignettes. Recommendations for more authentic nature of science are discussed.
Functional MRI studies of pain and cognition interactions

The two-way interaction of pain and cognitive performance has both scientific and clinical importance. This thesis sought to determine how: (1) cognitive and emotional load modulate pain ratings and activity in specific regions activated during acute pain; (2) acute pain affects cognitive-related activity and performance; (3) individual characteristics affect pain and cognitive interactions; (4) pain and cognitive functional networks interact. Experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy humans were carried out to assess the interaction effects of experimental pain and cognitive load. In separate sessions, subjects repeated experiments performed in the fMRI studies, but this time gave pain intensity and/or unpleasantness ratings. Several questionnaires (Neuroticism-extraversion-openness (NEO) Personality Index, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, McGill Pain Questionnaire) were completed to assess individual differences. Activity in several pain-related areas was attenuated by concomitant performance of a task during pain, including primary and secondary somatosensory cortices, and anterior insula. In one study, this modulation was dependent on the strategy employed by the subjects, whereby subjects who attended more to the task showed attenuated activity in pain-related areas, and those who were distracted by pain did not. Pain ratings were not greatly affected by cognitive load, nor was task performance affected by pain, and cognitive- and pain-related activity were minimally affected by pain or cognitive load, respectively. Pain enhanced activity in a task-related whole-brain network supporting focused attention. Pain catastrophizing was associated with increased activity in areas involved in interoception, awareness, and pain affect during mild pain (anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex), and a lack of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation in moderate pain. The findings suggest that pain-related activity can be modulated by cognitive load, but this modulation could depend on behavioural strategy. Pain catastrophizing also affects the pain experience and this is mediated by areas involved in awareness and affect, or a lack of descending pain control. Behavioural and imaging results suggest that overall pain- and cognitive-related activations are robust and the two processes can occur simultaneously. Finally, that pain enhances activity in a network related to attentional focus implies a potential mechanism for impairment of cognitive function in people with chronic pain.
Maternal transcript instability in early Drosophila development

Early embryonic development in all metazoa is directed by maternally provided transcripts. Precise spatial and temporal control of maternal mRNA expression is essential for the establishment of the embryonic axes and in the specification of cell fates. In early Drosophila development, a subset of maternal transcripts is eliminated from the bulk cytoplasm within the first few hours of embryogenesis. Prior to this research, how and why these maternal mRNAs were specifically eliminated during early Drosophila development was unclear. Understanding the mechanisms of maternal transcript instability has been the primary focus of my Ph. D. dissertation. Here, I have uncovered both a trans-acting factor and a cis-acting element that are major players in specifying maternal transcript instability. With respect to understanding how SMG specifically recognizes its target transcripts, I present a detailed examination of one of SMG's target transcripts, Hsp83. Through cis-mapping approaches, I show that Hsp83 messages are regulated via redundant degradation cis-elements. One of these destabilization elements, the Hsp83 mRNA instability element (HIE), is a 615 nt fragment which resides in the coding region and functions in a SMG-dependent, but translation-independent manner. Future delineation of the minimal functional unit of the HIE as well as the exploration of the molecular interactions between SMG and the HIE would provide additional clues as to how both an mRNA degradation signal and its cognate RNA-binding factor can coordinate the spatial and temporal control of maternal mRNA expression during Drosophila embryogenesis. In my genetic search for trans-acting factors, I have identified SMAUG (SMG) as an RNA-binding protein that triggers maternal mRNA turnover through the removal of the 3'-polyadenylated tail. Both genetic and biochemical analyses indicate that SMG interacts with multiple components of the CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex. Thus, I have uncovered a mechanism of SMG's post-transcriptional function, namely, that SMG recruits the deadenylase complex to its target mRNAs which is sufficient to mediate transcript deadenylation, and consequently, degradation of the mRNA body.
Return to work in precarious employment: the experiences of nurses with work-related musculoskeletal injuries

Nurses are at high risk for musculoskeletal damage and occupational injury. The high incidence of work-related musculoskeletal injury and absence from work in Canadian registered nurses points to the need for careful analysis and understanding of factors that influence successful return to work in this occupational group. Precarious employment may be an important factor influencing prognosis following musculoskeletal injury in nurses due to its known negative effect on the occupational health of individuals, and on cohesion and social relations in the workplace. In this applied ethnographic study, interviews with eight hospital-based nurses in precarious employment were conducted to learn about their experiences of musculoskeletal injury, rehabilitation, and return to work in a hospital-based Transitional Work Program. The results suggest that the model of return to work used by the hospital may be problematic in patient-focused health care settings, due to the professional ethos and workplace culture in nursing.
Medico-legal jurisdiction over human decision-making: a philosophical constructionist analysis of mental competence

The socio-medico-legal practice of assessing mental competence, or decision-making capacity, provokes fundamentally important conceptual, (bio)ethical and political questions given that judgments of incompetence result in the deprivation of human rights. The dominant rationale for competence assessments, based on the view that competence is an intrinsic cognitive feature of a person, is that this practice promotes autonomy and best interests. I argue that this prevailing view is mistaken and its moral and socio-political harms are profound. I demonstrate that while the concept of (in)competence has a descriptive component, it is essentially normative or value-laden insofar as it refers to the meeting, or failure to meet, a certain standard, criterion or norm of competence. I also show that (in)competence is socially constructed, by which I mean that “competence” or “incompetence” does not refer solely to an intrinsic biological property of an individual (e.g., cognition); rather, it refers to the relationship between the individual and a variety of social factors. While certain biological properties are necessary conditions of mental competence, they are not sufficient conditions because (in)competence is relational between a biological individual and social factors. Within a feminist philosophical bioethics framework, I develop a typology of causal social construction involving five different forms. Using this typology I argue that, when incompetence is properly understood to be causally constructed, there are a number of indications that women—especially elderly women, women with disabilities, and women in particular socioeconomic positions—may face excess risk of being assessed for competence and judged to be incompetent. I further develop my feminist constructionist analysis of mental competence in terms of the historical and current (bio)medicalization of human decision-making. I argue that (bio)medicalization and medico-legal control of decision-making through the practice of competence assessment constitutes an intolerable assault on moral integrity, civil rights and social justice. On moral and political grounds, I argue for demedicalizing decision-making, dismantling the practice of competence assessment by practitioners in health care contexts, and radically altering formal legal assessment practices. I provide objectives and recommendations for research, education, policy and practice.
Exploring the use of Virtual Field Trips with elementary school teachers: a collaborative action research approach

This research examines how elementary school teachers, when supported, use Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) to address the curricula in meaningful ways. I conducted a qualitative study with six teachers, in a collaborative action research context over a six month period. The teachers, five males and one female, all taught either grade five or six and utilized Virtual Field Trips within a variety of curricula areas including science, social studies, music and language arts. In addition, the thesis examines resulting integration of technology into the regular classroom program as a product of the utilization of Virtual Field Trips. The process of collaborative action research was applied as a means of personal and professional growth both for the participants and the researcher/facilitator. By the end of the research study, all participants had learned to integrate Virtual Field Trips into their classroom program, albeit with different levels of success and in different curricula areas. The development of attitudes, skills and knowledge for students and teachers alike was fostered through the participation in Virtual Field Trips. A common concern regarding the utilization of Virtual Field Trips was the time spent locating an appropriate site that met curricula expectations. Participation in the collaborative action research process allowed each teacher to grow professionally, personally and socially. Each participant strongly encouraged the utilization of a long term project with a common area of exploration as a means for positive professional development. Implications and recommendations for future research on the utilization of Virtual Field Trips, as well as the viability of collaborative action research to facilitate teacher development are presented.
La femme errante dans le roman français contemporain

Sans doute en raison d'une sensibilité croissante à la condition des femmes dans la société, la femme errante, qui se déplace seule et en continu à travers l'espace, a accédé à une position centrale dans divers romans contemporains publiés en France. Or, la prise d'importance de ce personnage en littérature ne peut être que signifiante, si l'on considère que la femme errante détient une fonction strictement emblématique dans la fiction européenne traditionnelle. Elle y prend même une valeur négative comme symbole de faute et de déchéance. Face à la représentation classique de ce personnage, plusieurs questions se posent. Comment la figure de la femme errante devenue protagoniste se présente-elle dans le roman français du vingtième siècle? Doit-elle nécessairement représenter une déviation par rapport à «la bonne habitude»? Quelle peut être la portée de son errance? Ce sont justement les questions que nous abordons au cours de cette thèse, car notre principal objectif est d'étudier la représentation et l'apport de ce personnage dans quelques ouvrages contemporains. Nous nous proposons d'analyser différentes mises en discours de l'errance au féminin, pour ensuite poser, dans sa complexité, la question de l'impact de l'errante dans le roman français depuis 1960. Nous entreprenons d'abord de construire un modèle des principales structures discursives tenues pour indispensables à l'étude du personnage ambulant. Pour ce faire, nous faisons appel aux considérations de l'espace, du temps, du déplacement, des relations sociales et de la causalité, puis aux théories de l'énonciation et de la figurativisation. En fonction de ce modèle heuristique, nous nous attachons, ensuite, à la construction et à la signification de différentes actualisations littéraires contemporaines de la mouvance au féminin. Si nous identifions en premier lieu les dimensions constitutives de la mise en discours de l'errance, c'est que ces dimensions nous permettent de passer au niveau de l'interprétation pour révéler non seulement la pluralité des représentations que l'on peut faire de la mobilité physique au féminin, mais aussi la diversité des problématiques qui se greffent à l'errance—problématiques telles que la criminalité, la folie et la migration ou la dérive de l'identité.
Becoming fashionable: Actresses, fashion, and the development of American consumer culture, 1893--1919

This dissertation examines the convergence of the theatre and fashion industries in New York City between 1893 and 1919 and considers the extent to which a heightened emphasis on accurate and expensive costuming in contemporary society drama, vaudeville, and the revue transformed the commercial theatre into a fashion showroom. Bridging recent work in theatre history, cultural studies, film history, fashion history, and women's history, I argue that this "revolution in modern gowns" facilitated a new and complicated dynamic among actresses, theatre managers and producers, female audiences, fashion designers, and beauty product manufacturers. My goal in exploring this dynamic is to demonstrate how turn-of-the-century concerns about gender, class, and race became intertwined with the development of mass consumption and the cult of celebrity. The "revolution in modern gowns" set into play a series of complex and contradictory processes that redefined what it meant to be a professional actress, intensified competition between "stage-struck girls" and established theatrical performers, changed the way audiences---predominantly women---went to the theatre, gave managers an opportunity to strengthen business relationships with advertisers, influenced the American fashion industry, and fostered the development of a cult of celebrity. ...

Keywords: Consumption (Economics), United States
Consumers, Attitudes
Fashion, History
Fashion, United States
Health as a bridge to peace: CISEPO as a case study

This thesis examines the hypothesis that narrowly focussed health-for-peace projects have a greater chance of success than broadly-based undertakings, acknowledging that the measures used may be different in each case. A conceptual understanding of health being more than the absence of disease and peace more than the absence of war is outlined by reviewing literature in health, philosophy and international relations. A case-study of the Canada International Scientific Exchange Program (CISEPO) was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis. Key workers representing planners and frontline workers from each arena of CISEPO's activities in the Middle East and Canada were interviewed. Their views revealed agreement that both narrow and broad understandings of health and peace were vital but not necessarily self-exclusive as originally suggested. Features unique to CISEPO's activities are highlighted, and both its work and the concept of broad and narrow definitions are examined in the light of the world literature.