VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
A component skills approach to adult ESL reading, evidence from native speakers of Farsi

The role of basic language processing components, in general, and that of lower-level phonological and orthographic processing skills, in particular, is not well understood in second language reading. Most research in second and foreign language (L2) reading has followed top-down models, focusing almost exclusively on the role of higher-level processes such as background knowledge and the knowledge of syntactic and semantic structures in processing text. Therefore, the lower-level dimensions of text, particularly phonological and orthographic processes, have not received attention relative to more top-down processes. The present study addressed this gap in current knowledge by investigating basic language processing skills in adult English as a second language (ESL) readers who were native speakers of Farsi. Measures of lower-level phonological and orthographic processing skills in conjunction with higher-level syntactic and semantic processing skills were used while controlling for aspects of cognitive ability relevant to reading such as working memory and speed of lexical access. Participants were 60 advanced ESL readers (all adult native speakers of Farsi residing in Canada). Three measures of reading were criterion variables: reading comprehension, silent reading rate, and the ability to recognize individual words out of context. Data were analyzed using correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions. Correlational analyses revealed that both speed and accuracy on second language phonological, orthographic, syntactic, and semantic measures correlated significantly with each other and with various indices of ESL reading proficiency. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that efficiency in phonological and orthographic processing contributed to the prediction of individual differences on the reading measures. In particular, efficiency in orthographic processing contributed unique variance to the reading measures over and above the variance contributed by higher level syntactic and semantic skills. The results challenge the common assumption in L2 that the availability of higher-level processes in L2 reading comprehension reduces significantly the contribution of lower-level processes. They also challenge the idea that proficient L2 readers, that is, those with a basic command of L2 vocabulary, syntax, and discourse markers, move away from using lower-level skills and rely instead on higher-level semantic and syntactic skins. Rather, the results indicate that in addition to more general language proficiency indices such as semantic and syntactic knowledge, individual differences In ESL reading need to be understood in respect to individual differences in lower-level processes, particularly, the efficiency with which readers process phonological and orthographic information. The role of these processes should not be overlooked in ESL reading even when readers are proficient adult L2 readers.
Image classification using eigenpaxels

The intelligent control of robotic is a major limiting factor in the utilization of current robotic technology. Although the technology to accurately position robotic manipulators is well developed, practical applications are often limited by the controller's ability to interact with a complex environment. Central to this plight is the integration of sensory signals, such as vision, into the control structure. Recently, a number of promising approaches to visual information processing have been developed using artificial neural networks (ANNs). These approaches, however, are often tailored to particular applications and are therefore disparate and limited in scope. In contrast, biological neural networks perform a wide range of visual tasks yet this behavior arises from a single integrated neural structure. The work presented in this thesis details a biologically inspired image processing algorithm and its application to an image classification problem. Based on the organization of cells in the primary visual cortex of primates, this algorithm utilizes key neural mechanisms to produce efficient representations of images. Dubbed the "eigenpaxel" algorithm, excellent results are obtained despite the relative simplicity of the method. In addition, the relationship between the algorithm and biological vision may help to shed light on the processing occurring within the brain and the basis of the organization found therein.
Text unity and cohesion of Dostoevsky's Writer's diary

This is the first monographic study of Dostoevsky's 'Writer's Diary'. Fyodor Dostoevsky dedicated ten years of his life to the ' Diary', which is about 1,200 pages long, and is one of his most important works. The key problem of its study is the problem of textual unity and cohesion. The writer repeatedly referred to this work as a single text and a unity; but at the same time the 'Diary' consists of chapters, sections and short stories which are different in style, message and form. In the thesis, I make an attempt to solve this problem and to prove that the 'Diary ' is a cohesive text, including its concept (Chapter One), references (Chapter Two), structure (Chapter Three) and semantics (Chapter Four). The first chapter is dedicated to the history of the 'Diary's ' creation and major concepts of its organization including early approaches to its general concept; thee treatment of this work as a unity; history of Dostoevsky's taking the work at 'The Citizen'; and the 'Diary' after 1875. The second chapter investigates relatedness of reference, including time, space, and narration type. The third chapter presents the analysis of structural coherence, in particular, inter-textual and extra-textual references and links. The fourth chapter proves the unity of journalism, fact and fiction in ' A Writer's Diary' by F. Dostoevsky. In the conclusions I argue that Dostoevsky developed in his ' Diary' a genuinely new form in Russian literature which may be identified as fictional journalism.
Systematic review of caregiver support for the treatment of a postpartum depression

The Cochrane Collaboraton aims to prepare and maintain systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials of the effects of health care, and to make this information readily available to decision-makers at all levels of health care systems. The objective of this systematic review for the Cochrane Library was to obtain unbiased estimates of the effectiveness of professional and/or social interventions in the treatment of postpartum depression on indicators of maternal, infant and family morbidity. Relevant trials were identified in the Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Specialized Register of Controlled Trials and through Index Medicus. Studies were included if the purpose was clearly defined as evaluation of support as a treatment for postpartum depression, with acceptable methods of randomization. Results suggest that treatment of postpartum depression with support is beneficial, but these results must be viewed with caution due to the small sample sizes and wide confidence intervals. As only two trials have evaluated the use of social support in the treatment of postpartum depression, further study in this area is needed.
A phosphorylation site in the Ftz homeodomain is required for segmentation in Drosophila

The 'Drosophila' homeodomain-containing protein Fushi tarazu (Ftz) is expressed sequentially in the embryo, first in alternate segments, then in specific neuroblasts and neurons in the central nervous system and finally in parts of the gut. During these different developmental stages, the protein is heavily phosphorylated on different subsets of Ser and Thr residues. This stage-specific phosphorylation suggests possible roles for signal transduction pathways in directing tissue-specific Ftz activities. The objective has been the testing of the importance of a single phosphorylation site for Ftz activity in the embryo. This was done by mapping Ftz phosphorylation sites, mutating the relevant Ser or Thr residues to Ala and Asp, and then testing the ability of the mutated proteins to rescue ' ftz' mutant embryos. My analysis has focused on T263, which is in the N-terminus of the Ftz homeodomain. This site is phosphorylated 'in vitro' by ' Drosophila' embryo extracts and by purified protein kinase A. In the embryo, mutagenesis of this site to the non-phosphorylatable residue Ala results in segmental defects. Conversely, replacement of T263 by Asp, which is also non-phosphorylatable, but which successfully mimics phosphorylated residues in a number of proteins, rescues the segmental phenotype. This suggests phosphorylation of Ftz on residue T263 is required for function in the ectoderm. In the CNS however, both T263A and T263D mutant proteins function normally, indicating that the requirement for T263 phosphorylation is stage-specific. in terms of molecular properties, mutation of T263 to Ala and Asp does not affect Ftz DNA binding activity 'in vitro', nor do the mutations affect transcriptional activity in transfected S2 cells. I conclude that T263 phosphorylation is most likely required for a homeodomain-mediated interaction with an embryonically expressed protein.
Detection of fish by larval and adult Zygoptera, the use of visual and chemical cues to assess predation risk

The indirect effects of predation have been the focus of many studies on predator-prey interactions. One way in which predators can indirectly affect prey life history is by altering habitat selection. For prey that occupy different habitats as adults than as larvae, it is likely important for adults to consider potential predators of their offspring when selecting a suitable place to lay their eggs. I studied the ability of adult 'Enallagma' damselflies to detect fish, which, for some species, are important predators of damselfly larvae. I found that adult 'Enallagma ebrium' could detect and avoid fish during visits to a site, but that oviposition frequency and duration were unaffected by fish presence. Subsequently, I attempted to establish how adults of three 'Enallagma' species detect fish, but was unsuccessful in determining whether visual presence or chemical cues were used in predator detection. As well, I performed additional experiments on these three species to determine whether fish chemical cues would affect the number of eggs released by females during oviposition. For each species, I found that the number of eggs released was not affected by the presence of fish chemical cues. Other researchers have established that larval damselflies are capable of visual predator detection, but there is also evidence that damselfly larvae can detect predator chemical cues if they are paired with the cues of dead conspecifics. Therefore, I designed a study to determine the relative importance of visual and chemical cues to predator detection by larvae. Frequency and duration of larval behaviours were reduced by visual fish presence and by fish chemical cues. As well, the season in which the experiment was performed produced a significant difference in the frequency of behaviours, with a higher frequency in the spring than the fall when the larvae are in diapause.
Comparative structure, development and evolution of photosynthetic tissues in C¦3 and C¦4 cyperaceae

C4 Cyperaceae have an unusual version of 'Kranz' anatomy with cell layer(s) intervening between PCA and PCR tissues. Relative abundance of tissue types in mature leaves of Cyperaceae were quantified and compared to the Poaceae. Absolute distances between PCA and PCR tissues indicate that the extra layers in the Cyperaceae do not increase the length of the diffusion pathway required for efficient metabolite transfer. The greater proportion of intercellular space within PCA tissue in the Cyperaceae may have played a role in the evolution of PCR tissue in the unique position of inner border parenchyma. Identification of the zones of leaf extension, cell division, elongation, and differentiation in developing leaves of ' Cyperus eragrostis' indicate that the morphological pattern of leaf development is similar to, but more condensed than, that found in the Poaceae. A study of ontogenetic derivation of photosynthetic tissues in C4 Cyperaceae found that PCR cells are derived from procambium and are usually homologous to inner border parenchyma cells of C3 vascular tissue, unlike C4 grasses. Results indicate that key developmental signals for cell determination are positional. The position of PCR cells may be a consequence of evolutionary selection for a position that isolates them from greater intercellular space present as a result of adaptation to wet habitats by the Cyperaceae. A study of the differentiation of photosynthetic tissues and the immunolocalization of photosynthetic enzymes resulted in finding differences in the spatial and temporal coordination of photosynthetic tissue differentiation in C4 Cyperaceae and Poaceae. Development, distribution and evolutionary history of C4 photosynthesis in the Cyperaceae were addressed in a study that mapped C4 photosynthetic types onto existing phylogenies and correlated patterns with developmental history. Cladistic analyses indicate that the C4 pathway has evolved at least four times in the Cyperaceae, with variations on a general developmental pattern different from that found in other C4 families, reflecting homoplasies both within and between families. These results indicate that multiple functional and environmental selective pressures operating on different C3 ancestors have resulted in different versions of C4 anatomy and biochemistry in different plant families while key elements of C4 anatomy are universally present.
Environmental adult education, two case studies of Thai non-governmental organizations promoting green consumerism

This research explored the nature of environmental adult education for urban consumers organized under two Thai non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working to promote green consumerism. The 'Project for Development of Alternative Agriculture Producers-Consumers Network in Upper Northern Thailand ' ('PRO-CON Network') and the 'Traditional Medicine for Self-Reliance' ('TMSR') 'Project' were selected for the purpose of the study. Three main research objectives are as follows: (1) explore the underlying assumptions of NGOs regarding their promotion of green consumerism; (2) describe the characteristics of the environmental adult education programs provided for urban consumers within the context of the two NGO projects; (3) examine whether environmental adult education embedded in the two NGO projects help influence changes in the nature of the personal, social, and structural relations. A multiple-case study design was applied. Data, collected by various methods, i.e. semi-structured interview, participant observation, survey and documentary research, was analyzed and presented in the form of the two individual case studies. The study found that green consumerism promoted by the two NGOs incorporates social dimensions which include farmers' economic self-reliance, care for the land and the environment, fair trade, farmers' and consumers' health and general well-being, and increasing environmental awareness among urban consumers. Environmental adult education for urban consumers was organized on the basis of mutual benefits for consumers and farmers in green consumerism. It was used in an effort to create a network of alliances between urban consumers and farmers, who are both from differing socio-economic backgrounds, and to use the network as an opportunity to create learning moments for both groups. It was approached from a holistic point of view which sees all issues as interconnected and impacting on each other. It is a process of learning wherein one's self-interests are redefined to include other social dimensions. The study also found that in the two projects urban consumers gained new understanding about farmers' lives and started to see the interconnections between their health, agriculture, and the farmers' overall well-being. Farmers began to ask critical questions about the benefits of modern farming methods and the role of experts in knowledge production. Learning tools in the form of printed materials and study tours appeared to work well for urban consumers. Farmers, on the other hand, learned primarily from horizontal learning networks and from study tours. Face-to-face, informal exchanges of knowledge between and within the two groups not only occurred on a frequent basis but proved to be fairly productive for both groups.
An efficient Monte Carlo method for the computation of likelihoods in genetic linkage analysis

In genetic linkage analysis, the aim is to locate genes contributing to a trait, by analysing the evidence for cosegregation of the trait with known genetic markers within a pedigree. This is done by testing for linkage with known markers for candidate genes. In any genetic model, the trait of interest is modelled against some genotypic values or parameters and, by using statistical methods, evidence of linkage is assessed and the model parameters are estimated. The common approach to statistical inference in genetics is the likelihood function. Since only the phenotypes of the individuals are observed, calculation of likelihoods involves consideration of all compatible configurations of genotypes. The number of compatible genotypic configurations on a pedigree is immense. It increases as the size of the pedigree and the number of markers increase. Thus many of the likelihoods are computationally infeasible. Where exact likelihoods cannot be computed, Monte Carlo estimates of likelihoods may provide a satisfactory alternative. Two basic approaches are contemplated in genetic linkage analysis. One is the Simple Random Sampling and the other is Gibbs Sampling. In the simple random sampling without conditioning on data, the likelihood is estimated by simulating genotypes from its genotype distribution under the model and averaging the values of the penetrance probabilities, probabilities of data given genotypes, for the realized values of genotypes. This does not work well since the realized genotypes are almost certain to be inconsistent with data, phenotypes. In this thesis, we investigate the feasibility of a new simple random Monte Carlo method for calculating the likelihood. In our method, the sampling of genotypes is done without conditioning on data. A form of importance sampling is used to calculate the likelihood. The efficiency of this approach is studied both theoretically and empirically. Our method is developed for Mendelian traits mapped against a map of linked markers. The method is applied to simple and complex pedigrees. Comparative studies of linkage analyses are performed at the end that compare our method to other methods that have been used.
Lives of the most notorious criminals, popular literature of crime in England, 1675-1775

This dissertation provides the first comprehensive study of the vast body of criminal literature--ranging from individual "lives" and "Last Dying Confessions" of the condemned, to longer collections of trials and criminal biographies--which proliferated in England in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. Traditionally considered to "fall below the dignified historian's horizon line", significant only insofar as it constituted an antecedent to realist fiction the novel, this literature has only in the last decade or so attracted serious academic interest. However, recent studies have tended to use this material selectively, focusing on the extent to which it can be seen as a "fit" for the preoccupations and (largely subconscious) emotional requirements of its audience, telling us less about the "real" lives of criminals than the society which produced them. However, this thesis demonstrates not only the importance of distinguishing between the different genres of criminal literature and the way in which they changed over time, but of acknowledging the degree to which such texts were invested with multiple meanings. Indeed, both the inherent ambiguity of such literature and the seemingly insatiable public interest in the lives of early eighteenth-century criminals facilitated a certain freedom of expression on the part of the condemned--who were often able to shape or even appropriate the medium of the "Last Dying Confession" for their own ends. This thesis argues that criminals themselves were willing to subscribe to a definition of crime as an individual failure of a moral order and as a product of universal human depravity--which, in the context of a world in which all people were rogues or sinners but where only a few were called upon to expiate their crimes, could be not only empowering but even faintly subversive. This relatively open forum was to close over the course of the eighteenth century as interest in the individual lives of "common" criminals waned and criminality was gradually redefined in environmental terms; however, for a brief period, the highwayman or petty pilferer was cast, not only as "Everyman", but as a principal actor in his/her own life.
Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity of plane curves and a conjecture of K. Pardue

In this thesis I study problems related to the Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity of projective varieties, in particular projective plane curves. For a homogeneous form 'f' &isin;'S' = ' k'['x'1,···,' k'n] of degree 'd', we define a ' GLn'('k') invariant <math> <f> <g>w</g>&isin;<blkbd>R</blkbd></f> </math>, the Frobenius index, of 'f'. For curves defined by ' zd' - 'f' ('x, y'), we then can express the Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity as a quadratic polynomial in the Frobenius index of 'f' ('x, y') (Theorem 3.3.3). This enables us to determine explicitly the Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity in the case where 'f' ('x, y') has a factor of multiplicity at least 'd'/2 (Corollary 3.3.4). For a form <math> <f> <it>f&isin;<blkbd>Z&sqbl0;<it>x,y,z&sqbr0;</it></blkbd></it></f> </math> of degree 'd' and content 1, the scheme Spec <math> <f> <blkbd>Z&sqbl0;<it>x,y,&sqbr0;/f</it></blkbd></f> </math> over Spec(<math> <f> <blkbd>Z</blkbd></f> </math>) has <math> <f> <blkbd>Q&sqbl0;<it>x,y,z&sqbr0;/f</it></blkbd></f> </math> as its generic fiber and <math> <f> <blkbd>F<inf><it>p</it></inf></blkbd>&sqbl0;<it>x,y,z&sqbr0;/ <a><ac>f</ac><ac>&d4;</ac></a></it></f> </math> as the special fiber over a prime 'p' (<math> <f> <a><ac>f</ac><ac>&d4;</ac></a></f> </math> is the reduction of 'f' over <math> <f> <blkbd>F<inf><it>p</it></inf></blkbd></f> </math>). The behavior of the Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity may be difficult to understand for some special fibers. But is there an intrinsic way to determine these invariants for "most" fibers? Along this line of thought we make a conjecture (Problem 4) for smooth curves and verify it for diagonal curves 'xd' + 'y d' + 'zd' by applying the Han-Monsky algorithm to them. In the last chapter we investigate numerical approaches to the Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity of plane curves. In particular following our work in [3] we prove a conjecture of K. Pardue (Conjecture 1). This yields a nice structure theorem for minimal free resolutions of the Gorenstein ideals ('xq', ' yq', 'zq') : ' f' with 'f' a smooth cubic (section 4.7). In fact in this case we are able to prove that the degrees of minimal generators of the ideal are given by a linear function in 'q'. Numerical experiments show that this is a general phenomenon and a general result along this line would settle at least the rationality problem for the Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity of plane curves.