VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Object segmentation in image sequences using motion and color information

Accurate segmentation of moving objects in image sequences is of paramount importance for many object based multimedia applications. In this thesis, we present a novel automatic, multi-frame, region-feature based object segmentation technique. It combines the advantages of feature based methods and gradient based methods. Salient region features are extracted from the first two frames of an image sequence and are tracked over a number of frames. Trajectory clustering is then performed to group these features into putative objects, from which a set of motion models are estimated. Final segmentation result is obtained by region classification based on these motion models. The proposed technique uses both static and motion information to precisely localize object boundaries. It provides reliable and coherent interpretation of the scene over time by exploiting temporal information from several frames. Experimental results on a variety of image sequences clearly show its advantages over traditional techniques.
Give us something good, defining effectiveness in teacher education

The overall purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how teacher educators and teacher candidates involved in the "everyday" dynamics of learning to teach defined and evaluated effectiveness in teacher education. Interpretive methods of inquiry were used to gain knowledge of setting-specific images of effective teaching and learning. Short-term case studies in three Curriculum and Instruction courses supported a discussion of the contextual features of each setting. Open-ended interviews with four educators and seven candidates illuminated the variety of meanings that each participant attached to their experiences of, and visions for, effective teacher education. Findings were examined in relation to the relevant literature on teacher education. The limitations of traditional paradigms of effectiveness were identified. Conclusions indicate the need for greater emphasis on setting-specific strategies for change. Further research is needed to identify strategies that will support educators' and candidates' efforts to realize ideal teaching and learning models.
An optimizing interpreter for Concurrent Transaction Logic

Concurrent Transaction Logic is a new deductive database language that integrates queries, updates, and transaction composition in a simple logical framework. The language supports all the properties of classical transactions, and also the properties found in many new transaction models, such as nested transactions, concurrency within individual transaction, and fine-grained control over abort and rollback. This thesis describes a Prolog implementation of Concurrent Transaction Logic. The prototype supports functionality in several areas including database queries, backtrackable updates, transaction definition, execution schedules, serial and concurrent execution of transactions. Two optimizations have been developed with this implementation: backtracking elimination for non-interacting processes, and query compilation. We illustrate the language and the implementation through a series of examples. The implementation is freely available on the Web.
Synthesis and reactions of protected aminoacyl ethyl phosphates

Aminoacyl adenylates are enzyme bound intermediates in the synthesis of aminoacyl t-RNA's. Aminoacyl t-RNA's are then used by the cell in protein biosynthesis. Aminoacyl ethyl phosphates, analogues of aminoacyl adenylates, have been prepared as a means to study the reactivity of this class of compounds. Aminoacyl ethyl phosphates react with amines and alcohols, making them excellent candidates for potential use in aqueous peptide synthesis and the chemical aminoacylation of t-RNA. Aminoacyl ethyl phosphates can be produced by using dicyclohexylcarbodiimide to couple N-protected amino acids with tetraethylammonium ethyl phosphate. The tetraethylammonium cation can then be replaced using ion exchange procedures. Different salts of aminoacyl ethyl phosphates were examined for their potential use in peptide synthesis and for the chemical aminoacylation of t-RNA. The sodium salt of N-t-Boc-alanyl ethyl phosphate reacts rapidly with alanine in aqueous solution to from the dipeptide N-t-Boc-alanyl-alanine in high yield. Sodium N-t-Boc aminoacyl ethyl phosphates also react with lower alcohols and diols in water to form the corresponding amino acid esters. Divalent metal ions increase the reactivity of aminoacyl ethyl phosphates toward alcohols in aqueous solution. This may provide a route to the chemical aminoacylation of t-RNA.
A topology model for glutamate receptor subunit, GluR6

The topology of GluR6, a glutamate receptor subunit, was determined using mutagenesis, expression in HEK293 cells, and in vitro proteolysis. The amino acid sequence I-E/D-G-R, which is foreign to the native protein and recognized by factor Xa protease, was inserted into hydrophilic loops of GluR6. Mutants showed that three fXa protease sites in tandem are required for successful proteolysis. Exposure of intact and lysed HEK293 cells expressing GluR6 mutants, and subsequent immunodetection of GluR6 suggested the sidedness of the mutation site with respect to the plasma membrane. A three tandem fXa site at valine 570 was intracellular, since the mutant protein was cleaved only when cells were lysed but not intact. On the other hand, an insertion at alanine 644 was extracellular, since the mutant protein was also cleaved when the cells were intact. These results support a three transmembrane domain model that has been proposed for ionotropic glutamate receptors.
Publishing culture in eighteenth-century Japan, the case of the Edo publisher Tsutaya Jûzaburô, 1751-97

During the ideological program of the Senior Councillor Matsudaira Sadanobu of the Tokugawa 'bakufu' government, Tsutaya Jûzaburô's aggressive publishing venture found itself on a collision course with Sadanobu's book censorship policy. The result was the confiscation of half of Tsutaya's wealth. This thesis explores the social background leading to this conflict and proposes to examine this conflict not in the context of ideology, but rather in that of a social metamorphosis. In this context, Tsutaya and Sadanobu were in fact inseparable in the creation of the reality of eighteenth-century Edo. The author concludes that Tsutaya as a social figure should not be viewed as an ideological antagonist of Sadanobu, thus making Tsutaya an illegitimate citizen of the Edo 'bakufu' and Sadanobu an illegitimate citizen of the Edo townspeople world; rather, Tsutaya's success and his eventual failure were genealogically linked to the political tradition of his counterpart.
Photosensitivity of planar silica waveguides and bulk silica to 157-nm laser radiation

The photoinduced refractive-index changes in planar silica waveguides and bulk fused silica are reported for the first time at a record short wavelength of 157 nm. Selectively changing the refractive-index in these materials permits fabrication of complex two-dimensional photonic devices. In this report, the F2 laser is shown to induce strong one-photon photosensitivity responses in germanosilica and fused silica. Maximum index changes of 8.6 * 10-4 are photoinduced in 3% GeO2-doped planar waveguides at 157 nm after a radiation dose of 4.5 kJ/cm2. In UV grade fused silica (Corning 7940), an index change of 1.1 * 10-4 is observed after 1.2 kJ/cm2 of 157-nm laser radiation. For planar waveguides with low germanium doping the photosensitivity response at 157-nm is increased by an order of magnitude compared with irradiation at 193 nm. An even larger increase in the photosensitivity response (3 orders of magnitude) is observed for fused silica samples irradiated with 157-nm compared with 193-nm radiation. These rapid index changes are achieved without any of the preprocessing techniques used to increase the photosensitivity response of optical materials to longer wavelength sources (i.e. 248 nm, 193 nm). To measure the photoinduced-index changes, three precise methods are developed. Index changes in planar waveguides are determined from propagating mode angles coupled to the waveguide though a prism. The diffraction efficiency of photoimprinted Bragg gratings is used to determine the index modulation of the gratings in planar waveguides as well as fused silica. Lastly, the index changes in fused silica are determined from the diffraction pattern of a photoinduced long period grating.
Work, worker, and injury factors associated with reporting and workers' compensation claims for low-back pain among automobile manufacturers

Recent data collection efforts among automotive workers provides an opportunity to investigate factors associated with low-back pain that explicitly involve complex social processing, namely reporting symptoms to the workplace and filing a worker's compensation claim. Risk factors were categorized into 'clusters' representing the worker, the work (psychosocial and biomechanical), and the injury. Workers reporting LBP to nursing stations were compared to a symptomatic control group randomly selected from the working population, while among those reporting, workers' compensation claimants were compared to non-claimants. Results indicate that workers reporting low-back pain to the workplace have more physically demanding jobs and more disabling pain symptoms. Claimants appear to have less control over job tasks, but feel empowered in the workplace against possible negative consequence of filing a claim. These results suggest that while biomechanical demands are important in determining who reports symptoms to the workplace, psychosocial factors are important in filing a claim.
Population axiology

This thesis deals with population axiology, that is, the moral value of states of affairs where the number of people, the quality of their lives, and their identities may vary. Since, arguably, any reasonable moral theory has to take these aspects of possible states of affairs into account when determining the normative status of actions, the study of population axiology is of general import for moral theory. There has been a search underway for the last thirty years or so for a theory that can accommodate our intuitions in population axiology. The object of this search has proved surprisingly elusive. The classical moral theories in the literature all have perplexing implications in this area. Classical Utilitarianism, for instance, implies that it could be better to expand a population even if everyone in the resulting population would be much worse off than in the original. A number of population axiologies have been proposed in the literature that purport to avoid counter-intuitive implications such as the one mentioned above. The suggestions range from introducing novel ways of aggregating welfare into a measure of value, revising the notion of a life worth living, challenging the way we can compare and measure welfare, to counting people's welfare differently depending on the temporal location or the modal features of their lives. We investigate the concepts and assumptions involved in these theories as well as their implications for population axiology. In our discussion, we propose a number of intuitively appealing and logically weak adequacy conditions for an acceptable population axiology. In the last chapter, we consider whether it is possible to find a population axiology that satisfies all of these conditions. We prove that no such axiology exists.
Targeted microdomain competition, using homologous peptides to disrupt P-glycoprotein function

Drug resistance is the most significant block to the effective treatment of metastatic cancer. Tumour cell expression of a cell-surface, energy-dependent pump called P-glycoprotein (Pgp) is, at least in part, responsible for most cases of multidrug resistance (MDR) to anticancer drugs. Pgp acts by pumping a broad range of compounds from intracellular compartments, thereby protecting them from cytotoxic attack. The specific inhibition of Pgp would significantly improve the prognosis of patients with tumours expressing the protein. In a novel approach coined "Targeted microdomain competition" (TMC), a short peptide, homologous to the TM6 region of Pgp was used to inhibit native intramolecular protein-protein interactions crucial to the structure, and function of the pump. I have shown that expression of the TM6 homologue in MCF-7/AdrR cells is able to cause a remarkable inhibition of Pgp. The presented work may be a useful starting point for the development of a clinically relevant peptidomimetic drug for the treatment of MDR tumours.
Regulatory expropriation, investment protection and international law, when is government regulation expropriatory and when should compensation be paid?

Investment protection obligations in bilateral investment agreements and the investment chapter of the 'North American Free Trade Agreement' provide that states must pay compensation for measures tantamount to expropriation. The scope of this obligation is controversial because international law has failed to develop clear rules for determining when a government measure is expropriatory. This thesis analyzes the international law governing expropriation and the scope of foreign investment protection under international law. It argues that states should have significant autonomy in the regulation of foreign investment, even if regulation significantly impairs the value of an investment. An international minimum standard of investment protection should require compensation for appropriations of property, national treatment, respect for state contracts and protection against arbitrary and opportunistic state conduct. The thesis then analyzes the scope of expropriation under Chapter Eleven of the NAFTA and the effect of international investment obligations on domestic regulatory authority.
Towards the development of a fibre-optic nucleic acid biosensor, considerations for the quantitative transduction of hybridization of immobilized DNA

Thermal denaturation profiles were obtained for polythymidylic icosanucleotides, (dT20) hybridized with dA20, d(A9GA 10), d(A9G2A9), d(A18G 2), d(G2A16G2) and (G5A 20G5) in bulk solution by UV-absorption spectrophotometry. Thermal denaturation profiles were also obtained for dT20 covalently immobilized to the surface of fused silica optical fibers via flexible hexaethylene glycol linkers with different packing densities (DNA biosensor configuration based on Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence). The immobilized dT 20 was hybridized with mixtures of fluorescein-labeled and unlabeled dA20 and d(A9GA10). Each thermal denaturation of dA20 and d(A9GA10) at the surface of the optical fibers was accompanied by a 2-3 fold reduction in standard enthalpy change, relative to values determined for denaturation in bulk solution. Additionally, the deviation in observed 'Tm' arising as a result of the presence of a centrally located single base-pair mismatch (SBPM) was significantly larger for thermal denaturation occurring at the surface of the optical fibers ([Delta]'Tm' = 6-10°C) relative to that observed in bulk solution ([Delta]'Tm' = 3.8-6.1°C). These results suggest that hybridization at an interface occurs in a significantly different physical environment in comparison to hybridization in bulk solution.
The deimination of myelin basic protein as a post-translational modification contributing to the pathogenesis of demyelinating disease

Myelin basic protein (MBP) consists of a family of charge isomers generated by post-translational modifications. Deimination is one such modification which results in the conversion of arginyl residues to citrulline producing a net loss of positive charge within MBP. The enzyme considered to be responsible for the deimination of proteins is peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD). Citrullinated MBP has been found to be the major charge isomer present early in development (in infants up to 2 years). An increased amount of citrullinated MBP has also been noted in both the brains of patients with MS and in the brains of ND4 mice (an animal model of demyelinating disease). Citrullinated MBP has been found to be more susceptible to proteolytic digestion by cathepsin D such that the rate of digestion increased 0 citrulline < 6 citrulline < 18 citrulline. In this study, MBP containing various numbers of citrullinyl residues was generated using PAD 'in vitro' and the rate of digestion slowly increased at low numbers of citrulline (less than 4) but increased rapidly at 7 mol citrulline/mol protein. The effect of methylation at arginine 106 (bovine sequence) on deimination was examined by mass spectroscopy. Methylated MBP was found to be less susceptible to deimination by PAD ' in vitro' and citrullinated MBP isolated from MS brains was found to be less methylated suggesting that methylation of arginine 106 (107 of human sequence) may protect against deimination. Methylation of arginine 107 (human sequence) was found to result in a compaction of the molecule (as shown by molecular modelling) perhaps rendering MBP less accessible to PAD. In this study, the developmental changes in PAD and citrullinated MBP were studied in normal and ND4 mice. The amount of citrullinated MBP was affected by the amount of PAD but this relationship appeared to be subject to a number of other influences such as myelin compaction, methylation of arginine 106 and the increased rate of proteolytic digestion of citrullinated MBP. In order to decrease the amount of citrullinated MBP generated in demyelinating disease, an inhibitor of PAD activity 'in vitro' (paclitaxel) was identified.
Dissecting the roles of ParA ATP binding and hydrolysis in P1 plasmid partition

The partition system of the P1 bacteriophage ensures proper segregation of daughter plasmids at each division of the host 'Escherichia coli ' cell. It consists of ParA, ParB, and a 'cis'-acting site called 'parS'. ParA regulates expression of the ' par' operon and has an undefined, yet indispensable role in partition. Nucleotide binding and hydrolysis mediate ParA's regulatory and partition functions. I made 'parA' mutants to dissect the roles of ATP binding and hydrolysis. All of the mutants were defective for partition but could be divided into two subtypes with respect to repressor activity: class I strong repressors and class II partial repressors. Biochemical data showed that while all of the mutant proteins possessed reduced ATPase activity, the class I ParA's bound specifically to the 'par' promoter in a nucleotide-dependent manner whereas the class II ParA's did not. My data demonstrate that ATP hydrolysis is not required for ParA repressor activity but is essential for partition.
Temperature gradient-driven Marangoni convection of a spherical liquid-liquid interface under reduced gravity conditions

NASA's KC-135 parabolic flight aircraft was used to conduct reduced gravity experiments of the present study. Silicone oils with different viscosities were used to study the effect on the magnitude of the fluid movement around the liquid-liquid interface. Photochromic Dye Activation method was employed for the visualization of fluid movement, results obtained under reduced gravity condition are compared with those obtained under ground-level condition. Experimental interfacial velocity reached as high as 18.93 mm/sec for a 2.83 K/mm temperature gradient along the interface of the 20-cSt silicone oil-water system under normal gravity condition. Results obtained under reduced gravity conditions (~0.01 G) were 20% higher than those under normal gravity condition. Results from numerical simulation were 22% higher than the experimental results. For the water-silicone oil system, the interfacial velocity increased as the viscosity of the silicone oil decreased. Previous research and a Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation also support the experimental results.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) calorimetry for tissue ultrasound (US) absorption measurement

The renewed interest in the use of high intensity focused ultrasound (US) for minimally invasive, MRI guided thermal therapy has stimulated a review of the interaction mechanisms of high intensity US with tissue. In particular, the variation of ultrasound absorption with frequency and temperature needs to be well understood to apply this technique optimally. While the study of US properties of tissues has been conducted extensively, agreement on the measured value of tissue US absorption are poor. Available data from various studies show as much as a four fold variation in the US absorption coefficient for the same frequency and tissue at room temperature. This is largely a result of experimental assumptions and the use of invasive thermocouples to measure tissue temperature elevation, which themselves, alter the heating and absorption properties of the tissue. A new approach to measure US tissue absorption has been studied here. It is based on a form of MRI calorimetry which allows non-invasive energy measurement. Validation data show excellent agreement of this method with the actual energy delivered. Calorimetry for US heating of freshly-excised bovine liver tissue sample has been conducted. This, together with hydrophone measurement of the incident US field, has led to a measured US absorption coefficient of 0.0581/cm or 0.504dB/cm (at 1 MHz and room temperature). As this approach can be applied over a range of frequencies, tissues and temperatures, it should provide a much improved means of measuring absolute tissue US absorption coefficients to improve US therapy planning, future transducer design and US dosimetry models.
Intestinal absorption and availability, a vascular perfusion study of the rat small intestine with benzoic acid

The overall systemic bioavailability of drugs is influenced by the intestine, a tissue capable of absorption, metabolism and secretion (exsorption). To date, modeling of these concomitant processes in the intestine is scarce, and there is no existing approach that can describe the well noted observation of route-dependent intestinal metabolism--a greater extent of intestinal metabolism for oral over intravenous dosing. The purpose of the current work is to inter-relate carrier-mediated absorption, metabolism, and exsorption in the overall absorption of drugs with use of a recirculating ' in situ' rat small intestine preparation. Benzoic acid (BA) was chosen for study since the substrate is known to undergo uptake, metabolism and efflux by the intestine--uptake is mediated by the H+/monocarboxylic acid transporter 1 (MCT1), metabolism is by glycine conjugation, and exsorption is also by MCT1. Metabolism was, however, absent in the present systemic and oral studies, but luminal secretion of BA was noted. The development of a physiologically-based model further addressed the manner in which absorptive, exsorptive and metabolic events are inter-related. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
The constitutional requirement of legality in limitation of human rights

A striking feature of the post-WWII model of rights-protection is the separation of rights and limitations. This thesis concerns the preliminary step in the limitations enquiry, that of legality. It briefly examines aspects of the drafting histories of the relevant constitutional documents. Then, with reference principally to the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, the Canadian Supreme Court and the South African Constitutional Court, it assesses the coherence of judicial representations of the role of legality within the two-stage process of rights adjudication. It goes on to identify categories of public power in relation to which the legality question arises, and to analyse judicial treatment thereof, with particular attention to whether the rule of law and democracy principles underlying the requirement are promoted by the courts. In so doing, it suggests that consistent and principled adherence to the demands of legality can intensify democracy and foster rights-protection.