VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Weather on Substellar Worlds: A Study of Clouds, Variability and Binarity at the L/T Transition
Keywords: brown dwarfs

A study of clouds and variability in brown dwarf atmospheres is presented, with a focus on understanding the mechanism by which condensate clouds are dissipated at the transition between L and T spectral types. The results of a large J-band variability survey of over 60 mid-L to T dwarfs, and related observations are presented. We find statistically significant evidence (at the 95% confidence level) for an increase in large amplitude variability (peak to peak variations larger than 2%) within the L/T transition (L9-T3.5 spectral types), suggesting that the disruption of dust clouds by weather phenomena may contribute to the rapid decline in condensate opacity and J-band brightening observed to occur in this regime. Alternatively, the large amplitude variability observed could be the result of increasing contrast between discrete cloud features and the underlying atmosphere, rather than the development of cloud holes. We highlight the discovery of a T dwarf with 26% variability, and provide a detailed comparison with atmosphere models in order to infer the nature of cloud features responsible. Results are consistent with both the presence of thick storm features or cloud holes in our target's atmosphere, but are inconsistent with the presence of magnetic spots. Supporting work related to clouds in L dwarf atmospheres, and the L/T transition binary fraction is presented. From studying an unusually blue L-dwarf companion to a nearby M-dwarf star we infer that thin or patchy condensate clouds, rather than low metallicity and/or high surface gravity, are most likely responsible for its peculiar colors. The discovery of significant variability for a different blue L dwarf in our large variability survey provides further evidence for this hypothesis. Finally, combining our own high contrast imaging observations for 8 L/T transition targets with previous results we infer a resolved L/T transition binary fraction of 14(+7-6)%, consistent with that inferred for the general brown dwarf population. This latter result suggests that the L/T transition sample is not highly contaminated by unresolved multiples.
The Construction of Masculinity in Propertius
Keywords: Latin Poetry
Propertius
masculinity
Augustan literature

The gendered characterization of the Propertian lover-poet does not fit comfortably into either the role of a traditionally masculine elite male Roman or that of an effeminate elegiac lover. This dissertation argues for a lover-poet whose gender role draws on and reacts to elements from both of these pre-existing roles with the end result of a character that disidentifies with Roman gender roles and exists outside of the binary oppositions that they provide. The lover-poet’s characterization is intimately bound to that of his elegiac puella, usually identified in the poetry as Cynthia, and as such the focus of this dissertation is on the poems in which the lover-poet and Cynthia interact. Propertius explores tensions inherent in the gendered roles and relationships of elegy through his exposure of the limits of elegiac fides and his interaction with non-elegiac fides as part of the language of Roman social relations. These tensions are further exposed through his use of women’s speech, which depicts women as critical of both the elegiac scenario and of mainstream Roman values. Propertius uses the common elegiac trope seruitium amoris to consider issues of freedom, speech, and patronage both within and without the elegiac world and differs from the other Latin love poets in his presentation of his puella as possessing a measure of mastery. He also uses the equally common trope militia amoris to portray the elegiac world as morally superior to that of traditional militia, including epic poetry and contemporary conquest and empire-building. The existence of similar themes and critiques in the non-Cynthia poems, especially those that ostensibly praise Augustus, suggests the importance of further investigation into the connection between Propertius’ construction of masculinity and the social, cultural, and political change of the Augustan era.
Improving our Understanding of Bioaccumulation in Humans, Fish and Surrogate Lipid Systems
Keywords: Environmental Chemistry
Bioaccumulation
Polychlorinated Biphenyls

The accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into humans was described using CoZMoMAN, a mechanistic multimedia fate and transport model coupled to a human food chain model. Model results demonstrated that concentration-age relationships for population cross-sections and individuals over time are not equivalent and that, under steady-state conditions, the lipid-normalized concentration of PCBs in an individual does not monotonically increase with age. By considering the decades-long emission history of PCBs in the model simulations, it was shown that an individual’s concentration mostly depends upon when she/he was born relative to the peak in emissions. Similarly, the two most influential factors controlling the shape of cross-sectional concentration-age trends obtained in human biomonitoring studies are the time lapse between the peak in emissions and sample collection and chemical elimination half-life. As a result, it should be possible to deduce information on these two factors from the shape of cross-sectional concentration-age trend. Reproductive behaviours (parity, age at birth, breastfeeding) were shown to potentially have a significant impact on exposure (and can contribute substantially to the observed variability in biomonitoring studies) though the mother’s reproductive history has a greater influence on the prenatal and postnatal exposures of her children than it does on her own cumulative lifetime exposure. A case study of the influence of dietary transitions in a hypothetical Arctic community demonstrated that dietary transitions are an important factor underlying the variability in PCB body burdens within and between subpopulations in addition to partially explaining the observed temporal trends. Comparison of PCB partitioning to various lipid materials suggested that 1) triolein is a good surrogate for human storage lipids; 2) liposomes are not an appropriate surrogate for human storage tissues; and 3) that partitioning into human MCF-7 cells is dominated by the storage lipids rather than by membrane lipids. Finally, a new bioenergetically-balanced bioaccumulation (3B) fish model is presented. Comparison of results from the 3B model with that of existing models revealed that feeding and growth rates used by previous fish bioaccumulation models were not bioenergetically consistent. Differences in biomagnification factors with fish size and temperature as a result of differing energetic requirements demonstrated the importance of the assumptions regarding growth rate and feeding rate.
Demystifying the Commodification of Social Relations in the Ontario Child Protecton System: A Marxist Approach to Textual Analysis
Keywords: Marxism
child protection
textual analysis

Demystifying the Commodification of Social Relations in the Ontario Child Protection System: A Marxist Approach to Textual Analysis Susan Elizabeth Preston Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Social Work University of Toronto 2013 In the space of quiet and disquiet, another read is possible. Abstract Capitalism invades all aspects of society, including the welfare state. Capitalist notions of the market appear to be encroaching into social services, wherein we see the “businessology” of social work; however, little empirical attention has been given to how capitalism appears to be replicated within social services. This research aims to make the invisible visible in order to agitate for radical change in the organization and practice of social service provision. In this inquiry, focusing on the child protection system in Ontario I examine some of the documentary actualities of the ruling apparatus of regulated parenthood and childhood by exploring the textualities of the state. Specifically, through the critical lens of Marxism and feminism, and drawing on my own experience of a classed and gendered world, I critically deconstruct the regulatory texts closest to the state, the legislation of the Child and Family Services and the regulations that expand the legislative intent. I also explore the procedural document of the Ontario Risk Assessment Model as an enacted text that operationalizes the legislation and regulation. By reading and re-reading these texts, at the surface but also above and below the surface, positioning the documents in context and recalling my social work practice, I seek answers to questions of how texts replicate capital, and commodify social relations through the ruling apparatus of the state. This work queries how the text itself in its active use of language has implications for social work, in practice, in research and in education.
High School/College Transitions: A Case Study Examining the Impact of a Dual Credit Program at Fleming College
Keywords: Dual Credit
transition
engagement

The purpose of this study was to explore how Dual Credit (DC) programs at Ontario high schools impacted the persistence of students when they are in college and what specific features of these programs affected the participating students’ academic performance. This study focused on the Dual Credit students enrolled full-time at Sir Sandford Fleming College who successfully completed one full-time semester of academic study. Fleming College is one of the 24 Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts & Technology. This was a case study based on both qualitative and quantitative data collected by a number of methods including survey questionnaires, audio-recorded phone and face-to-face interviews, and document analysis. There were a number of findings related to persistence at College. For example, the DC student group persisted at the same rate as did all College students and DC students who enrolled in a College program that was “related” to their DC program were more likely to persist at college. Although there was no attempt to compare the data for the two groups because of uncontrollable variables, this study found that DC students (as a group) did not achieve academically quite at the same level, as did all Fleming College students. However, considering that the DC target group was “at risk” students, the overall academic achievement (64%) of the DC students (2011) was similar to the academic achievement of all College students (68%). The participants in this study recommended that the DC program be as much like college as possible. This study supports previous research, which indicates that the DC courses should be delivered at the college campus (rather than in the high school) and DC students should be integrated with other college students. Although this was a case study of DC students at only one Ontario College and the findings are not generalizable to other sites, the findings of this study will partially address a gap in the research literature and add to the body of knowledge about the impact of DC programs in the areas of student engagement, integration and persistence with respect to DC programs elsewhere.
Development of a New Mid-infrared Source Pumped by an Optical Parametric Chirped-pulse Amplifier.
Keywords: Laser amplifier
nonlinear optics
mid-infrared
ultrafast

The mid-infrared (MIR) system presented in the thesis is based on a sub-100-fs erbium-doped fiber laser operating at 1.55 µm. The output of the laser is split in two, each arm seeding an erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The output of the first amplifier is sent to a grating-based stretcher to be stretched to 50 ps before seeding the optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier (OPCPA). The output of the second amplifier is coupled to a highly nonlinear fiber to generate the 1 µm needed to seed the a neodymium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride (Nd:YLF) system. This work represents the first time this synchronization scheme is used, and the timing jitter between the two arms at the OPCPA is reduced to 333 fs. The pump laser for the OPCPA is a regenerative amplifier producing 1.6 W followed by a double-pass amplifier, for a final output power of 2.5 W at 1 kHz. Etalons were inserted into the cavity of the regenerative amplifier to stretch the pulses to 50 ps The OPCPA consists of two potassium titanyl arsenate crystals in a noncollinear configuration. With three passes, the gain is 3.8 · 10 6 . Using a grating compressor, the pulse duration is reduced to 140 fs, with a power of 300 mW. Because of the reduction of the timing jitter, the amplitude stability is 1 %, which is a great improvement compare to existing systems. To generate ultrafast light in the MIR, an optical parametric amplifier is used, pumped ii by the output of the OPCPA and seeded with its 3-µm idler. Two crystals were tested, both in a single-pass configuration. For the first crystal, a 4-mm thick silver thiogallate, an efficiency of 7.4 % was reached, with 8.76 mW in the signal and 7.2 mW in the idler. For the second crystal, a 2-mm thick lithium gallium selenide, the efficiency was higher, reaching 10.8 %. The power for the signal was 11.5 mW, and for the idler, 11.11 mW. Using this new scheme, energies on par with current systems are achieved with much higher efficiencies.
Women's Experiences of Embodied Joy: Resisting the Cultural Dictate of Bodily Dissatisfaction
Keywords: women
joy
embodied
body
bodily
satisfaction
dissatisfaction
joyful
resistance
resisting
qualitative
interviews
feminist
grounded
women's experiences
Joy in the body
Joyful body experiences
psychology

Among women in North America, body dissatisfaction is prevalent and well documented. Women are often unhappy with their bodies and strive to change their bodies to fit the dominant cultural ideal of beauty and femininity. Within this context, in which women are expected to focus tremendous resources, time, and energy on bodily striving and body dissatisfaction, some women are able to resist these expectations. They experience joy with their bodies—joy that is not contingent on their appearance, size, or weight. With respect to women’s embodied experiences of joy, a number of significant gaps exist in the research literature. The current study examined women’s experiences of embodied joy through the use of qualitative research methods, including individual interviews and a focus group. A feminist constructivist grounded theory frame was utilized. The findings of this analysis indicated the presence of four core dimensions of women’s joyful body experiences as a form of resistance to bodily dissatisfaction. The first core dimension addressed the experience of embodied joy, which included attunement, growth, liberation, and thriving. The second core dimension addressed participants’ active creation of environments that nurtured joy, including: creating spaces that facilitated embodied joy, creating internal openness to the experience of joy, and seeking supportive social relationships. The third core dimension addressed enacting joy in the context of resistance and struggle, specifically when navigating the imposition of the other’s external gaze. This core dimension included the themes of media deconstruction, disengagement from problematic relationships, personal practices of resistance, and critical political consciousness. The fourth core dimension involved enacting joy in the context of resistance and struggle as a journey towards joy, which included reclaimed childhood experiences, disruption and reconnection, and guiding other girls and women. The present study has implications for clinical work as well as for health promotion. Ultimately, women’s experiences of embodied joy both reflected their resistance to cultural dictates and further enabled them to resist the dictate of bodily dissatisfaction.
&ldquo;Was wird sich dein Gesang aus Satans Kindern machen?&rdquo;Cantata BWV 210: &quot;O holder Tag, erw&uuml;nschte Zeit&quot;: A Response by Bach to a Changing Musical Aesthetic
Keywords: Bach
Cantata
Enlightenment
galant
gallant
O holder Tag
BWV 210
BWV 210a
Scheibe
polyphony
homophony
eighteenth century
Germany
aesthetics

As the Enlightenment took hold in Europe, all aspects of eighteenth-century society felt its effects. Musical tastes, caught in this ideological shift, began to move from the more codified complexity of counterpoint toward the more simplified aesthetic known as galant. Johann Sebastian Bach, now in the most mature phase of a musical career rooted in the contrapuntal style, came under growing public criticism from proponents of galant who were increasingly dismissive of counterpoint as an out-dated compositional method. In 1741, during this time of growing censure, Bach created the wedding cantata BWV 210, O holder Tag erw&uuml;nschte Zeit, based on an earlier cantata but with significant changes that are unique within this oeuvre. Rather than the typical celebratory libretto characteristic of his other wedding cantatas, Bach mounted a strong rhetorical argument in defense of music, deftly combining irony, humour, and pointed barbs to make his point. The rationale for this has not received significant scholarly attention. This dissertation explores the idea that Bach used BWV 210 as a specific personal response to his critics who favoured the changing musical aesthetic of the era, and as a defense of a contrapuntal style cherished by him but no longer valued by many advocates of the galant. This claim is supported through an aggregation of extant research linking the cantata to the circumstances in which it was created. Particular attention is given to the ideological conflict represented in the aesthetic shift of the eighteenth century, and Bach&rsquo;s reactions evident in written documents, his compositions and in his unique synthesis of compositional styles intersecting the aesthetics of his era. The circumstances under which the cantata was written provide context for the significant libretto revisions undertaken to adapt the cantata from its closest known counterpart, BWV 210a. Finally, Johann Scheibe&rsquo;s published criticism against Bach is explored as an important flashpoint for Bach&rsquo;s use of BWV 210 as a musical rebuttal. Not only is a better understanding of a lesser-known cantata achieved, but a glimpse into the mindset of Bach is also realized through the unusually personal response included in BWV 210.
Altering the Crystal Packing of Boronsubphthalocyanine Derivatives through Molecular Engineering
Keywords: Crystal Engineering
Boronsubphthalocyanine
Intermolecular Interactions
Pi-stacking
Pseudohalides
Organic Electronic Materials
Chromophore
Halogen Bonding

There are currently three known crystal packing motifs of boronsubphthalocyanine derivatives. Each motif is associated with a particular class of BsubPc derivatives, and none are ideal for organic electronic applications according to the criteria we defined for evaluation: having a continuous pathway for charge-carrier conduction in the solid-state, resistance to hydrolysis, good electrochemical and optical properties, and possession of a robust crystal form. In this thesis, we present five methods for altering the crystal packing structure of phenoxy-BsubPc derivatives in order to meet the above four criteria. We find that neither addition of steric bulk to the axial derivative nor changing the symmetry of the compounds is sufficient for creating a new crystal packing motif. We do find that reducing the symmetry of the axial group does increase the solubility greatly, however. We identify a new motif for BsubPc crystals that occurs when the intermolecular interactions between the axial phenoxy segment and the BsubPc ligand are increased. We present two methods for achieving this new motif, one is through addition of a π-Br interaction and the other is through creation of a strong π-acid/ π-base stacking by making the axial phenoxy more π-electron rich. Unfortunately, the p-bromophenoxy-BsubPc forms this new motif as a kinetic product, isolation of which is unreliable. Attaching a naphthol fragment axially to the BsubPc creates a stable version of this new motif. We also synthesized a new class of BsubPc pseudohalides based on sulfonate derivatives. Of the derivatives in this new class, we found that mesylate-BsubPc forms into a crystal packing structure that possesses a one-dimensional pathway for charge carrier mobility, but is still resistant to hydrolysis under the conditions tested. Overall, we show four compounds that meet the criteria for further study as organic electronic materials: p-methoxyphenoxy-BsubPc, α-naphthoxy-BsubPc, β-naphthoxy-BsubPc, and mesylate-BsubPc.
System Level Energy Optimization Techniques for a Digital Load Supplied with a DC-DC Converter
Keywords: power management, dc-dc converter, adaptive body-biasing, dynamic voltage scaling , minimum energy point, integrated SMPS

The demand to integrate more features has significantly increased the complexity and power consumption of smart portable devices. Therefore extending the battery life-time has become a major challenge and new approaches are required to decrease the power consumed from the source. Traditionally the focus has been on reducing the dynamic power consumption of the digital circuits used in these devices. However as process technologies scale, reducing the dynamic power has become less effective due to the increased impact of the leakage power. Alternatively, a more effective approach to minimize the power consumption is to continuously optimize the ratio of the dynamic and leakage power while delivering the required performance. This works presents a novel power-aware system for dynamic minimum power point tracking of digital loads in portable applications. The system integrates a dc-dc converter power-stage and the supplied digital circuit. The integrated dc-dc converter IC utilizes a mixed-signal current program mode (CPM) controller to regulate the supply voltage of the digital load IC. This embedded converter inherently measures the power consumption of the load in real-time, eliminating the need for additional power sensing circuitry. Based on the information available in the CPM controller, a minimum power point tracking (MiPPT) controller sets the supply and threshold voltages for the digital load to minimize its power consumption while maintaining a target frequency. The 10MHz mixed-signal CPM controlled dc-dc converter and the digital load are fabricated in 0.13µm IBM technology. Experimental results verify that the introduced system results in up to 30% lower power consumption from the battery source.