VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Emotions in everyday life, their occurrence in expectant and non-expectant couples

A cognitive-emotional model of first pregnancy was proposed that identified four psychological goals. According to the model, emotions play a functional role by linking physiological and psychological factors and by focusing attention on goal-relevant events. Oatley and Johnson-Laird's (1996) position on the functionality and goal-relatedness of emotion was put to the test as the model predicted emotional patterns based on goals during the pregnancy and the postpartum. Two comparative studies were used to examine the predictions of the model. Study one examined the emotional experiences of primiparous couples in early pregnancy, late pregnancy, and the postpartum. It focused on the prediction that women's emotions would differ from those of men by being distinctive and phase specific. Women's emotions were found to be distinctive and somewhat phase specific as women reported higher emotional variability, a higher level of global sadness, a higher level of postpartum depression, and a higher level of global anxiety than men. Women's thought patterns differ from those of men. Study two compared the emotional experiences of primiparous couples in mid-pregnancy, late pregnancy and the postpartum with those of engaged and married couples. It focused on predicted differences between the groups. A number of group differences were found as primiparous couples reported lower overall emotional variability, higher levels of global anxiety, and more concentrated thought patterns than the other couples. Interestingly, happiness was the most frequently reported emotion for all participants at all times. Overall, the studies suggested that primiparous women's emotions were distinctive and somewhat phase specific. In addition, primiparous women's thought patterns provided the first empirical support for Winnicott's (1960) theory of "primary maternal preoccupation."
Detection of heterogeneity in allele sharing of affected relatives

Linkage analyses based on allele sharing of affected relatives are less powerful when genetic heterogeneity exists among sampled families. To test for heterogeneity, we propose using family-specific non-parametric linkage (NPL) scores and family-level binary covariates that describe variability in symptoms, prevalence, and/or age of onset of the disease. First, we extend the linkage likelihood of Kong and Cox (1997) to include a family indicator covariate and formulate a likelihood ratio test and efficient score test. Simulation results show that under the null hypothesis of no heterogeneity, the empirical distributions of these test statistics do not always follow that specified by standard asymptotic theory. Alternatively, we compare mean NPL scores between two covariate-defined family subgroups using both asymptotic and permutation methods. Applied to simulations, permutation tests have nominal 5% type I error. Power decreases when the size of family subgroups is reduced or becomes unbalanced.
Resolving ambiguity in computational stereo

Stereo matching is a difficult problem to solve due to its computational cost and ambiguity, which is illustrated by the "False Targets Problem". Various methods have been proposed to reduce the computational cost, such as multi-resolution matching, filter-based matching, etc. Few algorithms address ambiguity explicitly. In this research, it is claimed that ambiguity manifests as multiple peaks on the similarity curve, that is, multiple candidates for the best match. An algorithm is proposed to select a set of candidate matches based on the similarity curve, such that the size of the set represents the ambiguity present. An iterative feedback loop selects the best candidate from the set to resolve the ambiguity. The well-known techniques, multi-resolution matching and left-right consistency constraint enforcement, are integrated. Also presented is an analysis of the use of color cues for ambiguity resolution. Comparative tests show a significant improvement over two other well-known algorithms.
Portraits of nursing knowledge, contemplating nurses' lives

How do nurses know? Review of extant nursing literature suggests that nurses are informed by multiple sources of knowledge, including knowledge arising in clinical practice experiences. What is not clearly and sufficiently described, however, is how knowledge arising in nurses' life experiences outside the clinical realm informs their nursing knowledge. Through exploration of one nurse's life, I reveal that nursing knowledge is life-informed and contextual. Nurses interact with other human beings in times of joy and sorrow, in harmony and stress, and during experiences of crisis and recovery. They have encountered these experiences of life, experiences that inform how they know, in similar and dissimilar ways in their own lives. It has, however, been suggested that nurses can separate personal and professional experiences of life, somehow holding their lives outside the clinical practice setting at arm's length. I demonstrate that this cannot be the case, that we must begin to consider life-informed knowledge that nurses bring to their nursing care. Life history method is used to reveal the life and practice of Patty, a nurse on a palliative care unit in a large urban center. The use of life history method reveals the richness of Patty's life and knowledge embedded therein, while enabling consideration of how that knowledge is expressed in the particular practice context in which she nurses. Over a period of nine months, Patty shared with me, stories of her life. Rich points, those elements repeatedly brought forth with great emotion, formed the basis of understanding the life-informed nature of Patty's nursing knowledge. Observational experiences provided the opportunity to understand how that knowledge is delimited by the context of practice. Ultimately, what is revealed is a rich, thick description of Patty's life, the knowledge embedded within, and through juxtaposition with her clinical practice, insight into life-informed knowledge as an aspect of nursing knowledge. A framework for nursing education, reflexive practice, is proposed to bring forth this aspect of knowledge in a mindful and deliberate manner.
A molecular and phenotypic analysis of traffic jam, a key regulator of gonad morphogenesis

I show by the molecular analysis of 'traffic jam' (' tj') that it encodes a large Maf transcription factor, a member of a subfamily of basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors. Traffic Jam is the only large Maf transcription factor in 'Drosophila melanogaster ' and appears to be specifically required for gonad morphogenesis. Mutations of 'tj' result in complete sterility in both males and females, and they produce a complex phenotype where the intermingling of somatic cells and germ cells is disrupted, and the spatial arrangement of the different cell types within the larval gonad is disturbed. ' tj' is expressed in somatic cells that associate with the germ cells throughout development and in a subset of somatic cells called swarm cells, which undergo migration during the rearrangement of cell types in the larval ovary. Without TJ function in these specific somatic cells the morphogenesis of the gonad is disrupted leading to tiny malformed gonads and a loss of the germline. Thus, 'tj' is a key regulator of gonad morphogenesis.
The behaviour of GFRP-reinforced concrete beams in shear

The research and experimental program presented in this thesis had as objectives: To investigate the behaviour of GFRP reinforced concrete beams in shear. To investigate the sensitivity of GFRP reinforced concrete to size effect. To evaluate the applicability of existing and newly developed design and analysis methods such as the American ACI 440, the Canadian CSA S806, the interim 2000 AASHTO and Response-2000. The following conclusions were derived from the results of the experimental program. (1) The shear behaviour of GFRP reinforced beams is highly sensitive to the amount of longitudinal reinforcement. (2) The location of rupture of the transverse reinforcement is partly dependent on the number of layers of longitudinal reinforcement. (3) Beams reinforced with GFRP reinforcing bars are more sensitive to size effect than equivalent steel reinforced concrete beams. (4) The ACI 440 and CSA S806 recommendations are conservative estimates. AASHTO and Response-2000 were able to predict the behaviour more accurately than the ACI 440 and the CSA S806 methods.
Reading and listening comprehension in university students with and without reading disability

The objective of this study was to see if it was possible to develop a comprehensive profile of the psychological process that underlies the deficient reading achievement of otherwise highly able university students who have a previous diagnosis of reading disability (dyslexia). The elements measured were those identified in the current literature on reading and on dyslexia as critical to the reading comprehension process. Linguistic ability was assessed through the measurement of listening comprehension under four conditions; ability in word identification and phonological coding was measured with both standardized and non-standardized instruments; and issues related to timed performance in the verbal recall of stimuli were assessed in reaction time and rapid automatized naming conditions. Vocabulary knowledge was tested using standardized instruments while inventories used in previously reported studies assessed levels of exposure to print. The potential for the existence of phonological and surface subtypes of dyslexia was considered, as was the hypothesis that adults with dyslexia are not a discrete, homogeneous group but part of a continuum of all readers. A group of 41 university students with a previous diagnosis of dyslexia was compared to a control group of 20 university students with no history of reading disability. The study found that the students with reading disability were generally poorer than the control group at all language based tasks, though not on the one performance based test, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, Block Design subtest. However, the students with reading disability could be considered as two heterogeneous but somewhat distinct groups, one of poor comprehenders with particularly weak linguistic skills, and one of compensated readers who nevertheless continue to exhibit weaknesses in phonological coding. Indications that a small group of adult readers continue to resemble the surface dyslexia subtype are discussed. A brief exploration of whether the findings can be used to provide some empirical underpinning for the types of accommodation provided to students with reading disability at the university level is included in the final summary.
Guiding dimensions of the wilderness canoe trip

This project explored, from a phenomenological perspective, the leadership experiences of eight women who guide wilderness canoe trips, in order to compare the theory of outdoor leadership to their lived experience. The self-perceptions, struggles and supports that these women experienced as outdoor leaders were identified through thematic analysis of the face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The major findings indicate that women outdoor guides value the interpersonal skills differently from the technical skills of outdoor leadership, prefer a protracted model of leadership development and a participant-centered leadership style. As well, gender-biased perceptions both delay and challenge leadership credibility and the enjoyment of the leadership experience. The implications of the study were especially relevant to Outdoor Administrators and Outdoor Leadership Instructors.
An examination of phonological and surface subtypes of readers and their relationship to subtypes of the double deficit hypothesis

The traditional dual route model of word recognition (Coltheart, 1978; Coltheart, Curtis, Atkins, & Haller, 1993; Humphreys & Evett, 1985) suggests that there are subtypes of poor readers who have deficits in either phonological processing (called phonological dyslexics) or orthographic processing (called surface dyslexics). In contrast the double deficit hypothesis suggests that there is a subtype of poor readers who have deficits in phonological processing only, naming speed only, or both (Wolf and Bowers, 1999; Wolf, Bowers & Biddle, 2000). Subtypes derived from the double deficit hypothesis are based on the assumption that the naming speed deficit in poor readers is: (a) an independent predictor of reading disability--that is, independent of phonological processing--and cannot be subsumed under a phonological processing deficit and, (b) related to orthographic processing. The present investigation examined the validity and possible correspondence between the two alternative subtype classification scheme in adult poor readers. Based on performance on phonological, orthographic, and naming speed measures, dual route subtypes received a greater degree of validation compared to double deficit subtypes. Furthermore, there was no correspondence between the two subtype conceptualizations. Specifically, the surface subtype based on the dual route model did not show a naming speed deficit, as assessed by rapid automatized naming (RAN). Furthermore, the naming speed subtype based on the double deficit hypothesis did not exhibit problems in orthographic processing, irregular word reading, or have slower reading speed for connected text. Finally, to test the assumptions from which double deficit subtypes are derived, a series of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that RAN did not explain unique variance in word recognition over and above that explained by phonological awareness, and orthographic processing in adult poor readers. This latter finding suggests that RAN is not an independent predictor of reading disability. RAN's failure to track poor reading performance in adult readers is attributed to the fact that RAN shares a considerable amount of variance with phonological awareness, suggesting that RAN is related to phonological awareness rather than orthographic processing. Together these findings undermine the double deficit conceptualization of subtypes, at least for adult poor readers.
Robustness measures for linear time-invariant time-delay systems

Time delays which occur between the inputs and outputs of physical systems are often found in industrial systems, and the presence of such time-delay makes the design of feedback controllers for a system more demanding, since time-delay may tend to destabilize a system. This thesis studies robust measures for characterizing such time-delay systems; in particular, it studies stability robustness of and controllability/stabilizability robustness of linear time-delay systems. The first part of the thesis, analyzes the stability robustness of two types of objects: (1) quasipolynomials, and (2) matrices for linear time-invariant time-delay systems of the retarded and neutral type. In the case of (1), we consider quasipolynomials with affine uncertainties. A general solution for this problem is then obtained by using tools from convex analysis. In the case of (2), we consider a system described by a stable state space model, and we define the real stability radius of a stable system as being the distance of the perturbed system matrix to the set of unstable systems. The results obtained extend the real stability radius for linear time-invariant finite dimensional systems to the case of linear time-invariant infinite dimensional systems. The second part of the thesis, deals with controllability/stabilizability robustness of linear time-invariant finite dimensional systems and spectral controllability/stabilizability robustness of linear time-invariant infinite dimensional systems. We define the real controllablity radius and the real stabilizability radius as being the distance from the nominal system matrix to the set of uncontrollable matrices, and the set of unstabilizable matrices, respectively. The method of solutions for these problems is carried out based on matrix perturbation theory. A number of examples and application studies are included in the thesis to illustrate the type of results which may be obtained.
Social change and community-based literacy programs

This work seeks to examine the claims made by community-based adult literacy programs in Toronto about social change in relation to adult literacy work. The study focuses especially on the claims made by the staff of community-based literacy programs. Based on discussions with five other literacy practitioners, I question the possibilities of social change and literacy, often called "critical literacy" or literacy from a critical perspective. While I started by asking how social change is possible and looking for concrete answers for practice, I "ended" by examining why we even claim to engage in social change, and grappling with a framework that is more about processes.
Quantum electrodynamics of a driven three-level atom near the edge of a photonic band gap

In the first part of this thesis, the coherent control of spontaneous emission for a three level atom located within a photonic band gap (PBG) material is demonstrated. Spontaneous emission from the three level atom can be totally suppressed or strongly enhanced depending on the relative phase between the steady-state control laser coupling the two upper levels and the pump laser pulse used to create an excited state of the atom in the form of a coherent superposition of the two upper levels. Unlike the free space case, the steady-state inversion of the atomic system is strongly dependent on the externally prescribed initial conditions. This non-zero steady state population is robust to decoherence effects provided that the Rabi frequency of the control laser field exceeds the rate of dephasing interactions. As a result, such a system may be relevant for a single-atom, phase sensitive, optical memory device on the atomic scale. Provided that coherence can be maintained between the two upper atomic levels, the model system can also act as a qubit to encode information for quantum computation. In the second part of this thesis, the resonance Raman scattering of light from a three-level atom in the [Lambda] configuration embedded in a photonic band gap material is studied as a direct experimental probe for the photon-atom bound state discussed in the first part. The one particle spectrum of the system is demonstrated to consist of either a continuous part with energy lying outside the gap or a single discrete mode with energy lying inside the gap. The discrete mode, which occurs when both of the allowed atomic transitions lie inside the gap, can be treated as a photon-atom bound state in which the radiation is localized in the vicinity of the atom. In the case of the continuous spectrum, the Rayleigh and Stokes lines are shifted as well as narrowed (or broadened) as the corresponding transition frequencies are shifted relative to the upper band edge, providing a distinctive experimental signature of atom-photon interactions near a photonic band edge.
A phenomenological study of the imagining body, toward a conception of imagination as a mode of being in the body

This thesis is concerned with a conception of imagination as a mode of being in the body. In Western philosophical traditions, imagination is conceived as a mental faculty, and thus it has a tendency to leave us at the abyss between what is and what could be. In this thesis, I explore the possibility of an imagination that can actually yield gentle changes in life patterns. Exploring 'the imagining body,' which is the subtle sensibility that arises in the bodily engaged process of imagination, and examining it form a major part of the thesis. CHAPTER ONE offers my biographical background from which this study had taken off. I was at an impasse in my attempt to create a more harmonious way of living. CHAPTER ONE clarifies the theoretical assumptions that underlay my conventional attitude toward change. From CHAPTER TWO on, I explore an alternative concept of imagination. CHAPTER T WO focuses on the aspect of descending in the imagining process, in which the body begins to loosen and we notice what was not noticed before. CHAPTER THREE is an attempt to define 'the imagining body.' It presents the pilot research that I conducted on bodily experiences during painting, where I first encountered this sensibility. CHAPTER FOUR deals with the ascending aspect of the imagination. It is the aspect in which we integrate what has unfolded with our selves and our relations to the world. CHAPTER F IVE focuses on understanding the open nature of 'the imagining body.' The issue of time and space is also delved into, since the boundaries in time and space are observed to dissolve in the imagination. In CHAPTER SIX, I gather conceptual insights generated in this inquiry. I then reflect upon some shifts in my own awareness and attitudes toward change and imagination. My words in this work reflect the various logical spaces that I move through in the process of inquiring. The phenomenological, metaphorical, analytical, and conceptual modes of writing follow one another. This criss-crossing happens because I am exploring within the presence of the body.
Torontology

This thesis reads Toronto-based literature since 1968 against the theory of psychogeography, as used by Iain Sinclair. I begin with Gwendolyn MacEwen as a tutelary psychogeographer, and follow her totemisation of the CN Tower into more recent speculative fiction. The consideration of the parallel between buildings and books opens into consideration of Toronto's literary landscape as marked by alterity, working backwards to paradigmatic psychogeographical texts 'In the Skin of the Lion' and 'Civil Elegies', which map the whole city as alternate. Drawing a theoretical statement for each chapter from psychogeography encyclopedia 'city a-z', the thesis is divided along identity politics lines, considering different literary representations of the city, represented by carnivalesque, queer, Caribbean and adolescent Toronto(s), as they map onto different geographical areas. Following a coda on the career and mythology of Daniel Jones, the conclusion restates the literary ideation of Toronto itself as marginal, inclusive and proliferate.
Parallel alpha-beta search on shared memory multiprocessors

The alpha-beta algorithm is a well known method for the sequential search of game trees. Two methods, young brothers wait concept and dynamic tree splitting, have been used successfully in parallel game tree search. First, this work introduces the notion of an exponentially ordered game tree as a model for the game trees encountered in practice. Second, exponentially ordered trees are used in the study of the tree splitting methods used by young brothers wait concept and dynamic tree splitting. Finally, a new tree splitting method based on neural networks is introduced and is found to outperform the other two methods on certain types of trees.