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Exllu(gesis)
No full textExllu (2024) is a text-and-image-based digital artwork that presents as a literary publication of paranoid fiction. Set within the ubiquitous surround of U-City, Exllu plots a game-like condition that perpetually breaks down and reconstitutes itself through the quotidian effects of its intimate and remote contests, inciting far-flung and jarring ideas concerning what this strangely familiar scenario affords and obscures, promises and threatens. In Exllu's exegetical companion text, "Exllu(gesis)" (2024), I relaunch and perform the artwork's pretence of paranoid fiction while expounding on its underlying theme of gamespace and dissimulative treatment. I evince Exllu as a systems thinking and, equally, an analogical encounter with the ubiquitous, control-oriented technologies of the contemporary milieu, and a generative endeavour of unsettling dominant scopes
of world-making
History Of Psychology Courses? Influence On Students? Personal Epistemologies
No full textThis paper explored how the history of psychology course influences students’ personal epistemologies and if, and how, this alters students’ perceptions of psychological knowledge. Students’ ways of knowing, their experience in the history of psychology course, and their attitudes towards psychology were collected by open-ended interviews with students and qualitatively analyzed. The findings were largely reflected the empirical and theoretical bodies of work on personal epistemology and the history of psychology. The results suggested that a development in students’ ways of knowing and a broadening in students’ conceptualizations about psychological knowledge and institutional psychology took place following their completion of the course. The results contribute to existing personal epistemology literature which is always engaged with the role and outcome of education on students’ beliefs about knowledge. Furthermore, this research also contributed to discourse regarding the history of psychology course’s position within academic psychology, and the importance of teaching history critically
Black Feminist Geographies Of Harm Reduction: Race, Space & The Embodied Consequences Of Drug Use In Southern Ontario, Canada
No full textWith the dramatic rise in overdose deaths, harm reduction strategies are urgently needed. Limited studies centre Black women and gender-diverse people (BWGDP) and their critical insights regarding harm reduction and drug-related care. This is especially important because in Canada drug criminalization repeatedly and disproportionately subject BWGDP to heightened violence. Using Southern Ontario as a research site, I examine the impact of the current policies and legislation that inform harm reduction services in relation to the unique and complex realities of BWDGP. This research is theoretically informed by the work of Black Feminist Geographies and involved the careful analysis relevant policies, semi-structured interview, and photo data to understand the living geographies of harm reduction and embodied resistance practices of BWGDP who use drugs. I argue for solutions to the state-funded harm reduction strategies that target the systems and sources of violence, in lieu of the bodies that stand in place
Characterizing the Interactions of Aptamers with their Ligands using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry and Fluorescence Spectrometry
No full textAptamers are short single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules that are selected to bind a target often with high affinity and specificity. Some of these targets include small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, cells and tissues. Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) and Fluorescence Spectrometry were employed to characterize the binding interactions of aptamers with their ligands. This dissertation comprises two separate research projects; in the first project, ITC was used to explore how the binding affinity of structure-switching aptamers toward their ligand varies when altering the NaCl concentration. It was shown that the binding affinity of MN19, a variant of the cocaine-binding aptamer, decreases when the NaCl concentration is increased from 140 mM to 1000 mM. The affinity increases again when the NaCl concentration is increased to 2000 mM.
The next project showcases the use of fluorescence spectrometry to characterize the interactions of methylene blue with different aptamers. Methylene blue is a redox-reporter which is used in Electrochemical aptamer-based biosensing platforms. It was shown that methylene blue binds to the MN19 aptamer, and therefore, it was of interest to see if methylene blue binds to other aptamers and to explore any similarities in their aptamer structures. Fluorescence spectrometry was used to see if methylene blue binds to other aptamers by measuring the change in fluorescence intensity of methylene blue and if binding occurred, the binding affinity was quantified. It was determined that methylene blue may be interacting and binding tightly to DNA aptamer structures which includes bulges and stem-loops but may be binding very weakly to duplex DNA such as the Dickerson Drew Dodecamer and a Hexamer
Stock Price Prediction Using Sentiment and Technical Analysis
No full textWith the rapid advancement of the economy, the stock market has garnered extensive attention in both business and academic fields. Due to the dynamic, unstable, information-sensitive nature of the stock market, obtaining an accurate stock price prediction is extremely challenging. This study explores the integration of sentiment data from financial news headlines with historical stock data to predict stock prices. This research gathered historical price and trading volume data for the S&P 500 index, sourced from Yahoo Finance, along with 106,494 financial news titles obtained from Reuter. This dataset encompasses the period around the 2008 financial crisis from Oct 20, 2006, to Nov 19, 2013. Empirical implementation of the proposed methodology revealed the substantial value of incorporating sentiment and historical information to enhance the accuracy of stock price prediction
Mining Networks In The Making: River Sand And Stone Mining In South Sulawesi, Indonesia
No full textThis dissertation examines the factors and processes that have shaped sand and stone mining activities in the Jeneberang river, in South Sulawesi, Indonesia from the 1970s to 2022. My focus is the making of “mining networks” which, following Actor Network Theory, I frame as socio-material associations/processes that take provisional forms. Like other social scientific research on sand mining, I consider various political, economic and sociocultural aspects that shape who participates in mining, how and why. Additionally, I examine the material dimensions of both the geographical area that I study and the mined river materials to provide a spatially grounded analysis of the regional political economy of sand and stone mining in the Jeneberang river. I also analyze the actions that local people undertake to shape how mining happens so that they gain some benefits. Thus, this dissertation is grounded in terms of sociocultural dynamics and political economic processes but it is also place-based in terms of material features and changes.
My research questions query how material and human factors shape mining networks and with what implications for local people and local mining businesses. To account for the agency of the material and people in shaping socio-material and political economic outcomes, I draw on a materiality approach and the moral economy framework. I combine insights from recent social scientific research on sand mining, critical resource geography’s focus on materiality, political ecology’s ideas on the relationship between materiality and resource access, political economy of mining’s focus on social mobilization and resistance processes, and the moral economy framework.
I argue that material elements —including the river, water, sand, stones, topography— and human elements —such as the actions of local people— actively participate in a continuous shaping of mining networks. I also put forward the idea that mining networks can be better understood as “in the making” rather than as end products. The dissertation contributes to the sand mining literature which has generally approached the material aspects of mining settings as the contexts within which social phenomena unfold and has yet to further explore the actions of local people in shaping how mining happens
Monitoring and Modeling Long-term Environmental Influences on a Shallow Excavation Using Machine Learning: Case Study of Tomb TT95 in the Theban Necropolis, Luxor, Egypt
No full textExposure of rock in thermal cycling has been linked to reduction in intact rock sample strength at a laboratory scale and has been characterized as a potential triggering mechanism for rock falls. However, the long-term effect of climatic fluctuations on shallow rock excavations still remains unknown. This research investigates the long-term effects of climatic fluctuations on shallow rock excavations by monitoring a damaged pillar in TT95, an underground funerary chapel in Theban Necropolis, Luxor, Egypt. Using two orthogonally placed extensometers, relative displacements of the pillar were measured alongside temperature and humidity. Findings indicate that pillar displacements correlate with seasonal temperature changes, showing a 0.02 mm/year drift. Data-driven CNN models were developed for forecasting, with one extensometer model achieving high accuracy (R²: 0.98) and the other performing poorly (R²: -0.2). The study suggests that continued pillar drift could cause loose rock blocks on the chapel ceiling to detach over time
Developing A Non-Human Primate Model To Dissect The Neural Mechanism Of Facial Emotion Processing
No full textFacial emotion recognition is a cornerstone of social cognition, vital for interpreting social cues and fostering communication. Despite extensive research in human subjects, the neural mechanisms underlying this process remain incompletely understood. This thesis investigates these mechanisms using a non-human primate model to provide deeper insights into the neural circuitry involved in facial emotion processing. We embarked on a comparative analysis of facial emotion recognition between humans and rhesus macaques. Using a carefully curated set of facial expression images from the Montreal Set of Facial Displays of Emotion (MSFDE), we designed a series of binary emotion discrimination tasks. Our innovative approach involved detailed behavioral metrics that revealed significant parallels in emotion recognition patterns between the two species. These findings highlight the macaques’ potential as a robust model for studying human-like facial emotion recognition. Building on these behavioral insights, the second phase of our research delved into the neural underpinnings of this cognitive process. We conducted large-scale, chronic multi-electrode recordings in the inferior temporal (IT) cortex of rhesus macaques. By mapping the neural activity associated with the classification of different facial emotions, we uncovered specific neural markers that correlate strongly with behavioral performance. These neural signatures provide compelling evidence for the role of the IT cortex in processing complex emotional cues. Our findings bridge the gap between behavioral and neural perspectives on facial emotion recognition, offering a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms. This research not only underscores the evolutionary continuity of social cognition across primate species but also sets the stage for future explorations into the neural basis of emotion processing. The integration of behavioral analysis with advanced neural recording techniques presents a powerful framework for advancing our knowledge of social cognition and its disorders
PECSPERTS: Evaluating Telehealth and Hybrid Caregiver Training Models for Teaching Caregivers How to Implement the Communication System
No full textRoughly 30% of children diagnosed with autism do not develop functional speech. For these children, augmentative and alternative communication systems (AAC) may be used to help develop functional communication systems. One such system is the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Prior research has established professional-delivered PECS as an evidence-based AAC. However, few studies have assessed the efficacy of parent training on caregiver PECS use and there is limited research on the use of telehealth technology when implementing PECS caregiver training. This dissertation reports on two studies designed to expand our understanding of PECS caregiver training using both telehealth and in-person applications of behavioural skills training (BST) and generalized case training (GCT).
Study one evaluated the feasibility as well as caregiver outcomes of the PECSperts Caregiver Training package. Six caregivers participated in a two-week telehealth training in which they were taught how to implement the first four phases of PECS (phases 1-3b) using BST and GCT. Caregivers were taught to implement PECS with the use of structured scenarios and demonstrated their skill through roleplay with a trained mediator. Following the conclusion of the 2-week training, all caregivers had met the mastery criteria for all four phases. Caregivers maintained these treatment gains at 1- and 2-month follow-up.
Study two evaluated a second iteration of the PECSperts Caregiver Training package and included an evaluation of child outcomes and child characteristics (e.g., cognitive level) and their relations to child PECS outcomes. Nine caregivers participated in a 4-week hybrid (online and in-person) training. Participants were evaluated on their ability to implement the first four phases of PECS (phases 1-3b) with their children and their children were evaluated on their independent PECS use across five timepoints. Overall, there was a significant improvement in both caregiver PECS teaching accuracy and child PECS use accuracy between baseline and the end of intervention. Caregivers and children maintained their treatment gains at both 1- and 3-month follow-up. Baseline child characteristics were not significantly associated with PECS outcomes at the end of the intervention; however, parents reported a significant decline in autism symptom severity over the course of the intervention
Chronic Pain Beyond Measure: E-Health and the Politics of Pain Care
No full textThis is a project about chronic pain. It explores the codes, contracts, and covenants that patients living with chronic pain enter as they try to feel better. What is unique about this study of chronic pain is the focus on e-health: the use of digital technologies in health. Therefore, more narrowly, this is a project about how the digitalization of healthcare impacts people living with chronic pain. From immersive serious games to symptom tracking applications to facial coding systems that detect pain via patterns of expression, digital technologies are increasingly touted as capable of solving long-standing challenges to treating people with chronic pain. However, these tools introduce novel issues and questions about chronic pain, technology, and justice in medicine. This dissertation describes the emergence of digitality in chronic pain medicine, the ideological backdrop of this paradigm, and how technoscientific practices impact the lives of people living with chronic pain in Canada. The findings of this research rely on qualitative data and theoretical analysis. Between 2022 and 2023, I conducted interviews with people living with chronic pain across Canada, a pain specialist, and the CEO of a popular pain tracking application. I also conducted participant observation at a multimodal chronic pain clinic. This data is theoretically triangulated at the intersection of science studies, philosophy, and critical feminist scholarship. However, research on pain within the humanities is extensive. Historical, anthropological, and arts-based work also informs the discussion and analysis