VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Are There Sex-specific Changes Post Concussion? – Exploring Alterations in Neural Organization and Impact on Time Away From Work

Interest in concussion has prompted an explosion of scientific literature, yet prominent gaps persist in research. This doctoral work has utilized an integrative sciences approach to investigate sex- and assault-specific differences post concussion across neural organization and functional outcomes respectively. Our scoping review confirms that the exploration of ‘sex’ as a biological variable and its influence on outcomes post concussion remains under-investigated. To date, only 0.7% of the adult concussion-related neuroimaging literature (n=669) has completed sex stratified analyses. Given the dearth of sex-stratified evidence and the lack of consideration for contextual factors, sound interpretations of subgroup vulnerability estimates are challenging. Next, through an original study, we provide evidence using a large sample (n=111) of post concussive individuals that sex-specific alteration in large-scale neural networks exist across both sexes; but that these alterations occur in distinct networks. Finally, a macro-scale population-based approach was employed to understand the sex-specific ‘functional’ impact of concussion within the context of days off work using an administrative claims database (n=3,129). Given the paucity of research regarding assault, as a mechanism of injury, after characterizing the sample by sex based on demographic and workplace variables and then explored whether workers who sustained work-related-mTBI-assault were more likely to take days off work, compared to those injured from other mechanisms; and if there was a sex-specific effect. We found that assault independently predicted time away from work but there were no statistical differences between sexes. We discuss the need to re-examine the complexities of the person-work-environment within the context of assault-related concussions and issue a call for practitioners to consider mechanism of injury as a possible influencer of outcome. This doctoral work has extensive applications for rehabilitation sciences, including consideration of sex-tailored remediation interventions and consideration of sex and mechanism of injury in clinical guidelines for concussion.

Keywords: concussion
gender
neural networks
neuroimaging
sex
work-related TBI
Advisor: Colantonio, Angela
Aberrant chloride homeostasis and inhibitory synaptic transmission in Huntington's disease

Huntingtonâ s disease (HD) is primarily characterized by progressive motor incoordination and involuntary movements that result from neurodegeneration of the striatum. However, cognitive impairments and learning and memory deficits involving the hippocampus emerge in the early stages of the disease and precede the motor impairments by ~15 years. Despite the critical role of GABAergic inhibition in learning and memory, inhibition has not been studied in detail in the HD hippocampi. In my PhD thesis, I have presented three novel pieces of evidence that collectively demonstrate the causative role of Cl- homeostasis in hippocampal-related learning and memory deficits in HD mice. First, the reduced expression of the Cl--extruding cotransporter KCC2, and the increased expression in the Cl--importing cotransporter NKCC1 together result in excitatory GABAergic transmission in the hippocampi of the R6/2 transgenic mouse model of HD. Second, inhibition of the Cl--importing transporter NKCC1 with the FDA-approved drug bumetanide restores hyperpolarizing GABAergic inhibition and rescues the performance of R6/2 mice on hippocampal-associated behavioral tests. Third, the strength of overall hippocampal inhibition is altered at both the presymptomatic and symptomatic stages of the disease, and involves the disruption of both presynaptic and postsynaptic components. Taken together, my PhD work not only significantly increases our understanding of a less recognized aspect of HD, but also for the first time describes the involvement of Cl- homeostasis in a neurodegenerative disease.

Keywords: Chloride regulation
GABA
Huntington's disease
Inhibition
KCC2
NKCC1
Advisor: Woodin, Melanie A
Low-Power Multi-Level Flying Capacitor Converters - Modeling and Control

The work presented in this thesis focuses on overall volume reduction of the dc-dc power supplies used in low-power applications, processing from fraction of watt up to tens of watts. In particular, applicability of multi-level flying capacitor topologies widely used in high-power kilowatt and megawatt ac-dc, ac-dc, ac-ac and dc-dc applications is investigated. It is shown that flying capacitor multi-level topologies can be attractive alternative to the conventional 2-level buck converter predominantly used in low-power applications through a quantitative analysis of passive volume and losses. Also, the dynamic behaviour of these converters is analyzed and related control challenges are presented. A novel dynamic model and additional insight into the physical behaviour of these converters are shown. A set of different control methods, grouped in different chapters, applicable in low, as well as in high power, applications are introduced. The control methods are developed using synthesizable Verilog code suitable for IC implementation. Their effectiveness, has been experimentally verified with several low-power multi-level dc-dc converters processing up to 50 W of output power.

Advisor: Prodic, Aleksandar
Pericyclic Reaction Development and Synthetic Studies Aimed at Select Tryptamine Derived Alkaloids

The initial section of this thesis entails pericyclic reaction development. Chapter 1 details development of a combined Winstein Rearrangement and Tsuji-Trost allylic substitution reaction. Chapter 2 chronicles development of a domino dibromocyclopropane ring opening and carboxylate cyclization reaction route towards the xanthanolide and guaianolide natural products. The latter section of this thesis entails synthetic studies aimed at select tryptamine derived alkaloids. Chapter 3 describes a Diels-Alder and Xia photoredox oxidative cleavage strategy to access the iboga family of the tryptamine derived alkaloids. Chapter 4 summarizes a palladium catalysis approach to the stemmadenine family of the tryptamine derived alkaloids. Chapter 5 delineates a biomimetic route to the akuammiline family of the tryptamine derived alkaloids.

Keywords: Allylic Azides
Pericyclic Reactions
Total Synthesis
Advisor: Batey, Robert A
Project Social [Fan]Work: Online Fandom Communities and the Identity Development, Social Support, and Resilience of Sexual and/or Gender Minority Youth

Emerging research indicates sexual and/or gender minority youth (SGMY) may actively use internet-enabled information and communication technologies (ICTs) to engage in important developmental tasks and resilience-building activities. There remains a substantial research gap, however, addressing particular online communities and contexts popular amongst the population. Underpinned by an integrated theoretical framework, Project Social [Fan]Work employed samples (n = 4942, n = 3665) drawn from an online mixed methods survey of SGMY (ages 14 – 29) across the United States and Canada to investigate the relationship between participation in online fandom communities and SGMY’s identity development and well-being. This dissertation is comprised of an introduction, three distinct papers, and a conclusion. Paper 1 uses mixed methods to explore the relationship between participation in online fandom communities, coming out, and self-identification – comparing the experiences of fandom participating versus non-fandom participating SGMY. Participating youth were younger, reached identity disclosure (i.e., coming out) milestones earlier and more rapidly, and identified with more complex identity labels. Paper 2 qualitatively investigates the influence of participation in online fandom communities on the identity development activities of SGMY. The overarching thematic framework emphasizes individualized experience based on personal developmental trajectory, as well as needs and preferences. Fandom offered unique opportunities for safe and anonymous identity discovery, exploration, and experimentation – encouraging validation, normalization, authenticity, and self-acceptance. Paper 3 uses mixed methods to examine online fandom communities as a source of social support, as well as the potential of fandom to facilitate resilience and positive adjustment for SGMY. Fandom participation had the potential to increase connectedness, provide opportunities for support and mentorship, facilitate navigation of challenges, and encourage feelings of strength. The first empirical, mixed methods study of SGMY’s experiences in such communities, this dissertation provides a coherent, emerging picture of the impacts of contemporary SGMY’s participation in online fandom. Results emphasize that the online contexts of fandom communities, rather than simply permitting recreational media production and/or consumption, provide crucial opportunities for SGMY to engage in developmental activities, access social support, and foster resilience and positive adjustment. Implications are proposed for multi-level social work practice, and directions for future research are recommended.

Keywords: Fan Culture
Fandom
Gender Minority
Identity Development
Resilience
Sexual Minority
Advisor: Craig, Shelley L.
Development of an AFM System for Imaging inside SEM

For imaging nano-scaled samples, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are two complementary techniques that have become indispensable in nano research. A hybrid SEM-AFM instrument can enable in-situ complementary imaging, fast sample navigation down to nanometer scale, SEM-guided nanoindentation, live monitoring of AFM tip condition, and visually guided nanomanipulation. A closed-loop operated AFM system was developed for use within an SEM, which would significantly benefit nano-structure and nano-materials research. Electron irradiation from SEM induces significant fluctuations in the AFM force sensor readout, which compromises the AFM functionality. To enable truly simultaneous SEM-AFM imaging, an active drift reduction method was proposed to overcome this problem, which is based on the junction field-effect transistor (JFET) model of the piezoresistive AFM cantilever. The experiment results showed that the proposed method was effective, reducing the drift by about 2000 times down to

Keywords: AFM
EBID
piezoresistive cantilever
SCSG
SEM
temperature compensation
Advisor: Sun, Yu
The Hermeneutics of Desire in Medieval English Devotional Literature

This dissertation explores the way medieval English devotional writers utilized the hermeneutics of contemporary biblical exegesis, in order to frame their depictions of an erotic and embodied encounter with the divine. The way they manipulate the construction of literal to allegorical realities enables—rather than constrains—the relationship of flesh to spirit, so that the desiring body does not disappear into discourse, but rather, language operates in service of the flesh, articulating a profoundly incarnational devotion, not divested of the body that produced it. My first chapter explores these themes in Aelred of Rievaulx's (died 1167 CE) De institutione inclusarum and De Iesu puero duodennni, where I examine the way Aelred constructs an economy of affect through his manipulation of readers' desire through the focalization of their gaze on the body of Christ. In my second chapter, I analyze John Whiterig's (died 1371 CE) Meditacio ad Crucifixum, and notably his erotic semiotics, and erotic interpretation of the Crucifixion, following a four-fold biblical exegesis. Third, I look at the way the The Cloud of Unknowing (late 1300s CE), as part of the “negative” or apophatic tradition, deconstructs some of the typical ideas of cataphatic devotion, positing its own way of accessing the indescribable divine, through darkness, silence, binding, and even anal eroticism. In this chapter, I use modern BDSM (bondage, domination, and sado-masochism) as a comparative context with which to compare the Cloud's use of bondage and denial to achieve transcendence. Finally, I analyze the parable of the Lord and Servant in Julian of Norwich's (died 1416 CE) Long Text, in which I argue that Julian constructs her own “exegesis,” which both responds to and critiques the dominant hermeneutical modes of her day. Julian's parable demonstrates a metonymic structure of relations, in which the literal and spiritual levels are not hierarchized, but united.

Keywords: devotional literature
gender sexuality
medieval exegesis
medieval literature
Advisor: Townsend, David
Targeting Viral RNA Processing to Control HIV-1 Infection

Resistance to current drugs requires innovative strategies to control HIV-1 infection. We aimed at developing novel inhibitors of HIV-1 replication by targeting viral RNA processing—a stage dependent on conserved host proteins. We identified 12 members of the digoxin family (cardiotonic steroids, CSs) that impede HIV growth in HIV-infected PBMCs from patients at concentrations (IC50s: 1.1-1.3 nM) that were 2-26 times below those used to treat people with heart conditions. I hypothesized that the response to CSs was due to activation of intracellular signaling pathways initiated upon binding to the Na+/K+-ATPase. CSs suppressed HIV-1 gene expression in part through MEK1/2-ERK1/2 activation, independent of the Ca2+-overloading mechanism responsible for their toxicity. Supporting this hypothesis, Na+/K+-ATPase depletion and MEK1/2-ERK1/2 activator addition also inhibited HIV-1 expression. All CSs tested induced oversplicing of HIV-1 RNAs, reducing unspliced (Gag) and singly spliced RNAs (Env/p14-Tat) encoding critical HIV-1 structural/regulatory proteins. Consequently, all CSs induced nuclear retention of genomic/unspliced viral RNAs, supporting viral RNA processing as the underlying mechanism disrupting HIV-1 replication. Concomitantly, CSs induced modification of SRp20 and Tra2β (whereas digitoxigenin caused de-modification of these splicing factors), which could account for responses observed. Consistent with this hypothesis, overexpression of SRp20 altered HIV-1 RNA processing in a similar manner as CS addition. In expanding this approach to other viruses dependent on RNA processing, we identified the splicing-modulator 5342191 as both an inhibitor of HIV-1 and Adenovirus replication (IC50: 750 and 900 nM, resp.). In contrast to CSs, 5342191 inhibition of HIV-1 expression also included proteasomal degradation of Tat, low perturbation of host gene expression (

Keywords: Alternative splicing
Antiretroviral therapies
HIV/AIDS
RNA processing
Signaling
Small molecules
Advisor: Cochrane, Alan W
Lingwood, Clifford A
Can Uninformed Voters Pick the Right Party? A Theory Explaining Individual and Contextual Differences in the Voting Calculus

The dissertation investigates the relationship between political sophistication and vote choice. First, it discusses in detail the concept of political sophistication. It develops a framework that focuses on knowledge heterogeneity and the intrinsic benefits of political knowledge. This stands in contrast to previous approaches which stressed the instrumental benefits of political knowledge. This model provides a more detailed explanation for the high variance of political sophistication in the population and reconciles the theory with new findings from the discipline of psychology. The predictions of this theoretical model are tested using data from the Canadian Election Study (CES). The analysis confirms the predictions of the theoretical model. It also identifies that linguistic minorities exhibit lower levels of political knowledge. This finding raises concerns regarding the democratic representation of minorities. Second, the dissertation investigates how political sophistication impacts the political behaviour of voters. Using data from the CES as well as an original experiment, it assesses whether voters at different levels of political sophistication make their voting decisions in a similar manner. Results show that political sophistication does not alter the impact of party identification, leadership evaluations, and economic competence in the voting decision. However, the impact of ideological proximity in the vote varies with political sophistication. This variable has a stronger impact on the vote of those who are more informed about politics. This result is confirmed in both survey and experimental data. Third, a similar analysis is undertaken in comparative scope using data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES) as well as the New Zealand Election Study (NZES). Results obtained in the comparative analysis confirm the results obtained in national scope, which is that ideological voting is stronger among sophisticated voters. The results also identify electoral institutions which accentuate or mitigate this effect. Proportional electoral systems accentuate the gap in ideological voting across voters with different levels of political knowledge, while majoritarian systems diminish it. These results suggest a trade-off between maximizing average ideological voting in the general public and minimizing differences in ideological voting across political sophistication.

Advisor: Loewen, Peter J.
What Role does the Built Environment Play in Determining School Travel in Ontario?

Given declines in physical activity among youth, active school travel (AST) is of increasing policy, practice and research interest. The effectiveness of the current interventions to promote AST is modest. Moreover, the current literature has little support on the associations between the built environment and AST. Therefore, to inform future interventions, this research program assesses in whom particular built environment attributes promote AST. My research program consists of three studies. The first study is a systematic review that identifies current knowledge on the associations between GIS-measures of the built environment attributes and AST and methodological limitations in the literature. Then, the second study identifies the prevalence, and individual, household, and environmental correlates of AST i) in the morning and ii) in the afternoon in Ontario, Canada. The third study identifies how objective measures (GIS-measures) of built environment attributes relate to AST and whether age, gender, and time of travel moderate such associations. The systematic review concluded that the associations between the GIS measures of the built environment and AST were weak except the distance to school. A number of methodological limitations contributed to these inconsistencies. The prevalence of AST varied by period of time (morning vs. afternoon) and across Ontario. Being involved in the decision-making process on school travel was an important individual correlate of AST. Moreover, a school neighbourhood with high residential density, and well connected street network with the presence of sidewalk and traffic controls around school was associated with walking school trips but such associations depend on age, gender, and time of travel. Future interventions should involve youth as advocates to promote AST. Moreover, intensifying school neighbourhoods, constructing well-connected street networks, and minor infrastructure improvements such as sidewalk and traffic control installment are recommended environmental strategies to promote AST together alongside interventions to address the age, gender, and temporal differences.

Keywords: Adolescent
Built Environment
Children
School Transport
Traffic Safety
Walkability
Advisor: Faulkner, Guy
Reluctant Subjects: The Place of Gay Men in Canadian Media Discourse on HIV

This dissertation maps the struggles for gay menâ s inclusion into the national and global health imaginaries of HIV/AIDS over the past three decades. I order to do so, the author analyzes three instances of public discourse on vulnerability and risk, and their representation in the continuum between individual and collective victimhood and responsibility in the aftermath of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as reported in Canadian media. The central claim is that national and global health discourses are underpinned by the double helix of biopolitical and humanitarian imaginations, which I argue, require the production of morally worthy subjects for anchoring political and material responses to the pandemic. This is the case because biopolitical and humanitarian imaginations nurture specific ways of collecting, understanding, reporting, and responding to epidemiological data. Equally important, these ways of imagining morally worthy subjects nurture the symbolic, that is, political and cultural moves that inform priority setting and shape resource allocation for different populations.

Keywords: Biopolitics
Gay men
HIV
Humanitarianism
Prevention
Responsibilization
Advisor: Korteweg, Anna
'Staking a Claim': Legal and Illegal Cannabis Markets in Canada

This study explores the emergence of the legal medical cannabis market in Canada and examines its impact on the wider medical cannabis market. The growing research investigating entrepreneurship and emerging markets have often failed to consider the identity narratives of the entrepreneurs across legal and illegal spaces and the importance of contextual influences, including wider social and political contexts. Drawing on a case study of cannabis entrepreneurs from illicit Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (MCDs) and legal Licensed Producers (LPs), I use 63 in-depth interviews, fieldwork, and primary and secondary sources, to provide a detailed account of the new industry’s emergence in 2014, which challenged an existing model of medical cannabis access. I explore the emergence of that market on a number of levels. In the first paper, I describe the rich history of medical cannabis access in Canada and the central role of MCDs in that process. By using the policy window framework to analyze two local-level responses to MCDs, I highlight the theoretical utility of using this approach to examine local-level drug policy initiatives and reform. The second paper investigates how MCDs have survived in Canada for two decades without legal or mainstream public support as “corestigmatized” organizations. By looking at the strategies MCDs employ to buffer stigma, share knowledge informally across organizations, and shelter themselves from police enforcement, I demonstrate how, compared to legal core-stigmatized organizations, MCDs must also navigate a host of legal risks because of their illicit status, which is tied to the source of their core stigma. In the third paper, I center on the experiences and narratives of the key players from both MCDs and LPs. I examine how these entrepreneurs understand and respond to the competitive landscape and draw on boundary work to claim jurisdiction over the medical cannabis market. Taken as a whole, I shift attention away from a moral assessment of the good itself (cannabis) and focus on the “practice of trade” (Anteby 2015: 631). I also strive to highlight the complex nature of medical cannabis access in Canada and how wider social, historical and political contexts matter to the landscape as it exists today. Finally, I bring the entrepreneurs’ experiences to the forefront. In particular, MCDs are often dismissed in larger debates because of their illicit status. Important policy implications for non-medical cannabis legalization and drug policy in Canada are also discussed, providing insight into the market and the cultural dynamics which could lead to successful reform and integration of long-standing players.

Keywords: Canada
cannabis
emerging markets
entrepreneurship
illegal markets
marijuana
Advisor: Kruttschnitt, Candace