VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Non-Markovian radiative phenomena in photonic band-gap materials

We present theoretical analyses of coherent and incoherent radiative phenomena from active materials embedded within photonic crystals (PCs). Fluorescence in PCs is described in terms of the local density of electromagnetic modes (LDOS) at the position of the active elements. We derive expressions for experimentally measurable quantities and test our formalism using various models of the LDOS. The radiative emission of a classical dipole oscillator in a PC is then described by coupling the system oscillator to a large but finite set of discrete oscillators describing the reservoir density of modes within a PC. This classical analysis motivates the study of radiative emission from microwave PCs. We next discuss the collective emission of light from N two-level atoms with a resonant frequency near the edge of a photonic band-gap (PBG). Mean-field theory shows a macroscopic atomic polarization in the atomic steady state. This suggests the existence of an associated coherent radiation field localized about the atoms, in the absence of an external cavity mode. The effects of quantum fluctuations on collective emission dynamics are shown to differ strongly from those in free space, due to the non-Markovian atom-field interaction near a photonic band-edge. A classical noise ansatz is introduced that simulates the effect of the temporally correlated quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic reservoir. The laser-like properties of superradiant emission near a photonic band-edge lead us to hypothesize that a band-edge laser system may exhibit a reduced laser threshold and a laser field that will exhibit phase diffusion significantly different from that in a conventional cavity laser. Finally, we propose as a unit of quantum information (qubit) the single photon occupation of a localized field mode within an engineered network of defects in a PBG material. Qubit operations are mediated by optically excited atoms interacting with these localized states of light as the atoms traverse the connected void network of the PBG structure. We describe conditions under which this system can have independent qubits with controllable interactions and very low decoherence, as required for quantum information processing.
Enhanced engraftment of genetically modified bone marrow stromal cells

Transplantation of marrow stromal cells (MSC) shows promise as a vehicle for gene therapy. However, engraftment efficiency must be improved. To enhance homing and hence engraftment, we expressed VLA-4 on MSC to elicit interactions with adhesion molecules on marrow stem and stromal cells. Electroporation was used to transfect murine stromal cells with VLA-4 Ã chain cDNA. Cell surface VLA-4 expression and functional binding to VCAM-Ig were demonstrated by flow cytometry. Male MSC were infused into untreated or irradiated female Balb/c recipients with or without co-infusion of marrow cells. Male donor cells were detected by FISH or PCR for Y chromosome specific sequences. The highest level of MSC engraftment was with transfected MSC co-infused with marrow cells. The data show that stromal cell engraftment can be improved by almost 50 fold over infusion of unmodified stromal cells alone and suggest that this approach may have clinical utility.
Factors affecting outcome of treatment of craniofacial pain conditions, 1. temporomandibular disorder and smoking, 2. posttraumatic headache and neuropsychological function : a pilot study

The objectives were to determine, (1) the effects of smoking on the response to treatment of TMD symptoms; (2) the presence of reduced cognitive function in PTH; (3) whether cognitive impairment can be used to predict poor treatment outcome for PTH; and (4) to perform a descriptive assessment of the prevalence of signs and symptoms of TMD in the PTH population. Hypotheses, (1) non-smokers will respond better to treatment for TMD than smokers; (2) poor neuropsychological test results are predictive of poor treatment outcome in a PTH population; and (3) patients with PTH will demonstrate signs and symptoms of TMD. I found that smoking may be a modulator of pain in a TMD population and hence interfere with recovery. The prevalence of TMD signs and symptoms was lower than expected in a PTH population. The neuropsychological tests demonstrate a trend indicating possible use as predictors of treatment outcome.
Mechanisms supporting the initiation of T cell activation, the fundamental role of basal kinase activity and cellular localization of Lck

Optimal T cell activation involves the coordination of signals generated through the TcR/CD3 complex and the major co-stimulatory molecule CD28. Results presented in this thesis address the signaling mechanisms that culminate in T cell activation, as well as how accessory activation molecules and growth factors may regulate these signals. The pivotal role of the Src family protein tyrosine kinase, p56Lck, in mediating T cell activation is highlighted, specifically in terms of its activity and cellular localization. The study presented in Chapter 2 illustrates the ability of IL-2 to functionally uncouple TcR from CD3 signaling. Following propagation in IL-2, a CD4 + T cell clonal variant was unresponsive to mAb-mediated TcR stimulation. Although the subcellular distribution of Lck was unaffected, TcR unresponsiveness was correlated with the presence of catalytically inactive membrane-bound Lck and the absence of pp21[zeta]-ZAP-70 or pp21[zeta]-TcR complexes. These observations suggested that the basal composition of the responsive TcR complex was partially primed for signaling, validated by similar observations derived from primary CD4+ T cells. However, further studies with infectants overexpressing either wild-type Lck or double cysteine mutated Lck, which cannot associate with CD4, revealed that, if necessary, basal Lck activity and the presence of pp21[zeta] complexes were not sufficient for TcR responsiveness. Rather, the results presented in Chapter 3 demonstrate that the non-CD4-associated pool of Lck regulates basal Fyn activation within the lipid rafts, which in turn may predicate permissive TcR responsiveness. These results are consistent with a model of sequential Src kinase interaction initiated upon TcR ligation involving the activation of Fyn by Lck, specifically by the non-CD4-associated pool of Lck. The results presented in Chapter 4 addressed the contentious role of Lck in CD28 signaling. These studies formally demonstrated that the non-CD4-associated pool of Lck was required to mediate both CD28 co-stimulation, as well as a novel form of TcRÃß-independent CD28 signaling. The overarching conclusion drawn from these studies is that the non-CD4-associated pool of Lck is critical for optimal T cell activation as it functions in two domains: initiation of the most proximal signals emanating from TcR and more distally in support of CD28-mediated co-stimulation.
A transient numerical algorithm to predict temperature and liquid content of carryover in kraft recovery boilers

Deposition of carryover, the molten or partially molten smelt particles, in kraft recovery boilers is primarily a function of velocity, temperature, and liquid content of the carryover upon impact on heat transfer surfaces. In this study, an algorithm to track the velocity, temperature, and liquid content of carryover was developed and integrated within a commercially available computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package. The algorithm was used to track Na2SO4-NaCl-K2SO4 containing particles numerically seeded within CFD simulations of the gas flow through an EFR and a simplified model of the upper furnace of a kraft recovery boiler. The predicted particle velocity, temperature, and liquid content results agreed well with the EFR impact and deposition experimental data. The upper furnace particle temperature and liquid content results predict, under the simplified conditions considered, that deposits will form primary on the first and second platens of a clean boiler while in a fouled boiler deposits stop growing on the first platen but continue to grow on the second platen. In both boiler cases, smaller particles deposit uniformly across the height of the tubes in superheater section while larger particles preferentially deposit on the upper part of the tubes and the top wall. These results are in agreement with literature and other numerical studies.
Mother's previewing of shared goals and child's autonomous performance during a limit-setting-interaction task

The purpose of the study was to describe and examine the concept of mother's previewing and its relationship with the preschool child's autonomous performance during a limit-setting-interaction task. Mother's previewing was presented as a developmental phenomenon, interpersonal mechanism and parent-child communication system that allows dyadic responsivity and development of the child's sense of self. A total sample of 44 mother-child dyads participated in the study: 25 were classified as resistant and 19 as nonresistant. Results suggest that a positive association between the mother's previewing of shared goals and the child's autonomous performance was related to the quality of mother's responsiveness to the child's need for autonomy (i.e. dyadic synchronicity) and the child's level of participation. In general, the results support a reciprocity theory of socialization. Also the findings suggest the need to re-examine the limit-setting interaction as a dialectic context of the child's and parent's developing sense of dialogic selves, through mastery experiences.
Unchartered territory, fundamental Canadian values and the inherent right of Aboriginal self-government

Those who seek judicial accreditation, under Canada's constitution, of meaningful rights of aboriginal self-government face two competing challenges. They must strive to maximize constitutional space for aboriginal difference by opposing all unnecessary mainstream interference with the use of such rights. At the same time, they must demonstrate that courts will be able, even after accepting self-government as a constitutional right, to ensure that its exercise does not compromise the arrangements and values fundamental to the mainstream constitutional order. Without such assurance, Canadian courts almost certainly will not take responsibility for declaring such rights to be constitutional rights. The present work suggests a way of meeting and reconciling these two challenges. In doing so, it does not rely on the Charter of Rights, because the Charter most probably would not govern the exercise of aboriginal rights of self-government, and would not meet either challenge adequately if it did.
Acceptance of Web Technology Based Education by Professors and Administrators of a College of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario

This research examines the extent to which the diffusion factors proposed by Fullan (1991), Rogers (1995), Clinton (1971), and other sources are useful in predicting the acceptance of innovative educational Web technology in a college setting. Analysis of the data revealed that access to information, which is emphasized by Fullan is the most crucial of all the diffusion factors. Among the various types of access to information, training was found to be the best facilitator of successful adoption of educational Web technology by mangers and professors. It was also found that the administrators were generally more accepting of the Web based educational innovation than the professors. Another major outcome of this research is the development of a new system for categorizing diffusion factors to improve user perception of Web technology based educational innovations. One hundred and nine professors and administrators of a community college in the province of Ontario were studied. Quantitative data were gathered concerning their perceptions of diffusion factors, levels of acceptance of Web technology based educational innovations, and choices of the top five factors contributing to diffusion of these innovations. Analysis of the data supported the following conclusions: (1) the more positive the perception of the diffusion factors for Web technology based educational innovations, the higher the acceptance or adoption of innovations; (2) there is no relationship between years of service at the college and user acceptance of innovation or user perception of diffusion factors; (3) there is no relationship between years of computer usage and user acceptance of innovation or user perception of diffusion factors; (4) there is no relationship between age and acceptance of innovation; (5) there is a relationship between the computer knowledge of the adopter and acceptance of innovation. The diffusion factors that were identified as crucial to the diffusion of Web technology based educational innovations can be grouped into two categories, namely (a) Primary Diffusion factors (most crucial) consisting of (i) access to information; (ii) efficiency; (iii) trialability; and (iv) community pressure/support/apathy/opposition; and (b) Secondary Diffusion factors (crucial) consisting of (i) association with teaching; (ii) relative advantage; and (iii) complexity/ease of use.
The quest for an authentic feminine identity, innovations in the narrative by Clarice Lispector and Carmen Boullosa

This doctoral dissertation is a study of the narrative techniques utilized by Clarice Lispector and Carmen Boullosa to overcome the socio-cultural bonds of language imposed on women in their respective cultures. In order to do so both authors approach the problematic of writing within a markedly patriarchal environment by subverting traditional narrative discourse. It is within this fluid narrative structure that feminine identity is explored from the philosophical perspective of alterity: to know one's self one must also know one's Other. Therefore, dialogue is the instrument through which there is potential for the discovery of identity and it is through a fragmented narrative structure that both Lispector and Boullosa provoke the reader to surpass limitations of prejudgements, semantic or otherwise. The main works examined include: 'Água Viva, A Paixão Segundo G. H.,' and 'A Hora da Estrela' by Lispector, and 'Papeles irresponsables', "Blancanieves," and ' Isabel' by Boullosa. My approach in examining these works has been primarily textual hermeneutics based on the writing of Paul Ricoeur and Mario J. Valdés. As a result, my hermeneutic inquiry focuses principally on the textual function of narrative and how this influences the text-reader relationship. Part of the text-reader relationship is the recognition that each reader brings with him/her a prefigurative store-house of specific categorical preconceptions. Although the focus of this dissertation is on the process of conscientization of feminine identity it should be clear that both Boullosa's and Lispector's work incorporates the universality of the experience with the other and not the isolation of the self. Thus, the overall perspective of this study is not strictly speaking one of feminist criticism but a philosophical investigation of women's struggle for an authentic identity within a male-dominated environment that rejects self-expression by women outside the prescribed norms.
Factors that limit exercise performance and the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in adult survivors of the Mustard procedure

'Objectives'. The aim of this study is to describe resting and exercise hemodynamics in a large adult population of patients with the Mustard procedure and to determine whether angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors improve exercise power. 'Methods'. Eighty-four adults with the Mustard procedure who have had cardiopulmonary exercise tests were identified. Magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiographic studies were obtained in order to assess right ventricular size, function and hemodynamics. 'Results'. Patients achieved lower maximum oxygen uptake (VO2peak), maximum heart rate, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second and oxygen saturations at maximal exercise compared to a healthy population. Within the ACE group, there were trends indicating an improvement in VO2peak and a reduction in maximum systolic blood pressure pre and post ACE initiation. 'Conclusion'. Patients after the Mustard procedure have subnormal exercise capacities. Within the ACE group, some patients improved their VO2peak and reduced their maximum blood pressure.
Phallic worship in Japan, celebrating the phallus

Throughout Japan, the phallus has been venerated and celebrated for many centuries. Modern day festivals still preserve aspects of the phallic symbols from early Japanese literature and the agricultural practices of the Yayoi Period. However, considerable variation in phallic form among excavated artefacts from the Jomon Period has led to disparate interpretations of their influence on modern practices. Furthermore, our understanding of phallic worship is limited by its scant record in early Japanese literature. Investigation of the current phallic festivals and sites in Niigata, Gifu, Nagano, and Aichi Prefectures, revealed that although the practices of this tradition vary from region to region, one consistent distinction can be made between natural phallic forms and manufactured phalli. While former are primarily concerned with man's physical health (e.g. prevention of disease, easy childbirth, etc.), the latter are worshipped to inculcate agricultural success.
pH homeostasis of the Golgi complex

The Golgi apparatus, a juxtanuclear complex of flattened cisternae and tubulo-vesicular structures, is involved in processing and sorting of proteins and lipids. While indirect evidence suggested that lumenal pH has an essential role in the function of this organelle, its relative inaccessibility to exogenous probes, and the lack of appropriate techniques made pH measurements elusive. In addition to its normal physiological role, the Golgi complex can also be involved in the infectivity process of bacterial toxins, in particular those belonging to the AB family. After internalization, these toxins follow a retrograde route through the secretory pathway before reaching the cytoplasm. The aim of this thesis was to characterize the retrograde transport of the receptor-binding B subunit of verotoxin 1 and cholera toxin (VT1B and CTB, respectively), and to use them to investigate the determinants of the pH of the Golgi complex (pHG). VT1 and CT were found to follow a similar retrograde route in Vero cells, which is independent of endosomal acidification and F-actin polymerization. The internalization mechanism of both toxins, however, differs. While VT1B can be alternatively internalized by clathrin-coated pits or caveolae, CTB is only internalized through caveolae. The two toxins were also found to be internalized independently from each other, indicating that their receptors are not clustered jointly. pHG was measured by harnessing the retrograde route of VT1B and CTB to selectively deliver a pH-sensitive fluorescent probe to this organelle. Measurements of labeled cells were performed using dual-excitation ratio imaging. The mildly acidic pHG (~6.5) was found to be the result of a balance between the activity of the H+-vacuolar ATPase and a "leak", which main component was identified as a voltage and Zn2+-sensitive H+-conductance. The effect of E5, the main oncoprotein of bovine papilloma virus type 1, on pHG was also assessed. This protein is small hydrophobic polypeptide that localizes predominantly to the Golgi complex of infected cells. We demonstrated that E5 induces the dissipation of the H+ gradient in the Golgi by direct inhibition of the V-ATPase. Moreover, a correlation was observed between the alteration of pHG and the transforming activity of the oncoprotein.
Towards an Australian republic, constitutionalising indigenous land rights

Australia's Indigenous people have been dispossessed of their ancestral lands since colonisation began in 1788. Most Australians were unprepared for the High Court's decision in the 1992 Mabo case that established native title in Australia, despite the fact that such title had been recognised much earlier in other common law jurisdictions. However, the more that spiritual connection to the land is asserted by Aboriginal claimants, and requirements for the land's protection and ownership, the less the legal system will acknowledge it, as illustrated in the ridiculing of "secret women's business" in the Hindmarsh (Kumarangk) Island matter. As Australia is contemplating becoming a republic, it is timely to consider whether a new constitution would better protect Indigenous land rights. If we consider Aboriginal rights in Canada's constitution, the protection of individual rights in the United States constitution and developments of Indigenous peoples' rights at the international level we may understand more clearly whether constitutional entrenchment would be a suitable solution for Australia.
Altered expression of Angiopoietins after cerebral trauma

Angiopoietin-1 stabilizes vascular endothelium by activation of the endothelial Tie-2 receptor, and Angiopoietin-2 is a competitive antagonist of Angiopoietin-1/Tie-2 interaction. The role of these ligands in blood-brain barrier breakdown and cerebral angiogenesis post-trauma was studied in the rat cortical cold-injury model by examining their spatial and temporal mRNA and protein expression over a time-course of 6 hours to 6 days. Increased Angiopoietin-2 relative to Angiopoietin-1 mRNA and immunoreactivity was observed in the early phase post-injury. This suggests a role in blood-brain barrier breakdown and vascular remodeling. Two to 6 days post-injury, the progressive increase in Angiopoietin-1 and decrease in Angiopoietin-2 mRNA coincides with cerebrovascular angiogenesis, maturation of neovessels, and restoration of blood-brain barrier. There was no change in the basal Tie-2 mRNA and immunoreactivity after cold-injury. These results suggest that Angiopoietins are one of the factors regulating blood-brain barrier integrity and cerebrovascular angiogenesis post-injury.
Optimization of a model IV fluidized catalytic cracking unit

Maximization of a profit function related to a fluidized catalytic cracking unit model combined with a four-lump yield model is carried out by Luus-Jaakola optimization procedure. The 108 nonlinear algebraic equations and 9 ordinary differential equations are grouped into a set of 105 simple equations and a set of 12 difficult algebraic equations. Despite the low sensitivity and the existence of several local optima, the global optimum was obtained quite easily. When the air blowers were constrained to operate at their maximum capacity, the optimum was 1% lower than the global optimum when the air flow rates were allowed to be free variables. The results show that profit from the unit can be increased by 2.7% by operating the unit closer to the regenerator combustion constraint.