VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Simulation and implementation of a genetic non-inverting amplifier

A synthetic genetic circuit that behaves analogously to an electronic non-inverting amplifier was assembled in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The design of the circuit is similar to the yeast two-hybrid system that is ordinarily used to detect the presence of protein interactions. The circuit consists of an input fusion protein that can be controlled by an external source of galactose. Another fusion protein, already in the cell, interacts with the input protein. This interaction activates transcription from an amplifying promoter bearing eight operator sites. When tested experimentally, the desired amplifying behaviour was observed. Variants of the circuit, tested to investigate a method to adjust amplifier gain (output/input), did not show the desired behaviour. Stochastic and deterministic models were developed for the amplifier. The amplifying promoter was modeled using a statistical thermodynamic approach. Results from the simulations revealed that the number of operators play a key role in the performance of the amplifier.
Conflicts and challenges of testing: Differences between novice and experienced teachers' preparation practices for large-scale assessments

Grade 3 teachers in Ontario were surveyed using an on-line questionnaire and semi-structured interviews about how they would prepare their students for provincially mandated large-scale assessments. Results show that teachers report a wide array of attitudes and beliefs concerning appropriate test preparation, and their approaches depart from guidelines set by the educational measurement community. The level of teacher experience, one factor that contributes to these differences, is examined, and the implications for large-scale assessments are discussed.

Keywords: Educational tests and measurements, Ontario
Academic achievement, Testing
Academic achievement, Ontario
Mathematics, Study and teaching
Mathematics, Ontario
Reading, Evaluation
Reading, Ontario
English language, Written English
English language, Ontario
Teaching, Ontario
Elementary school teachers, Attitudes
Elementary school teachers, Ontario
Expression and regulation of prostaglandin receptors in human fetal membranes and placenta

I have shown the presence of PG receptors (EP1-4 and FP) in placenta and fetal membranes using immunohistochemistry and Western Blot analysis. Labor associated changes were observed in EP1, EP3 and FP receptors both in fetal membranes and placenta at term. Betamethasone treatment increased EP1, EP3 and FP receptor protein expressions at early gestational ages. Chorioamnionitis was associated with a decrease in all the receptor subtypes that were expressed in the fetal membranes. Western Blot analysis revealed that proinflammatory cytokines can upregulate EP3 and FP expression in the absence or presence of prostaglandins in both JEG-3 cells and primary chorion trophoblast cells, respectively. Finally, EN was down-regulated and EP3 was upregulated in preeclamptic placentas. Exposure to decreased oxygen tensions mimicked the same results. Preterm birth is a leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Despite the advances in medical care, we still cannot prevent the long or short term consequences of preterm delivery such as cerebral palsy, respiratory problems, deafness, blindness and complications of neonatal intensive care. PGs are considered as the key mediators of parturition in most mammalian species including human. The actions of PGs are mediated through distinct G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Prostaglandin receptors are divided according to functional data as DP, EP, FP, IP and TP for the natural occurring prostanoids, PGD2, PGE2, PGF2alpha, PGI2 and TXA2, respectively. The short-term objectives of this thesis were (i) to describe the distribution of PG receptor subtypes (EP 1-4 and FP) in intrauterine tissues at term and preterm birth, and to understand the mechanisms that control the expression of PG receptors in vivo; (ii) to define the effect of cytokines on PG receptor expression; (iii) to identify the effect of different oxygen tensions on PG receptor expression in placenta in vivo and in vitro. We suggest that the differential expression and regulation of PG receptors in the fetal membranes and placenta during term and preterm parturition may contribute to breakdown of the membranes, and alter the generation of bioactive glucocorticoids, with later effects on PG synthesis and metabolism.
Characterization of anaerobic benzene-degrading cultures

This dissertation describes several studies of anaerobic benzene degradation by microorganisms and fulfills four objectives. The first and second objectives were to characterize microbial populations in two benzene-degrading consortia (one methanogenic and one nitrate-reducing) on a physiological and molecular level. The shortest doubling times, 8 to 9 days, were observed in nitrate-reducing cultures. The highest substrate concentration utilized, 1000 muM, and maximum absolute rates of benzene degraded, 75 muM/day, were observed in methanogenic cultures. Five Bacterial 16S rRNA sequences, one of which resembled a clone previously found in a sulphate-reducing benzene-degrading culture, were identified in the methanogenic culture. Four Bacterial and no Archaeal 16S rRNA sequences were identified in the nitrate-reducing culture. One clone comprised 70% of the culture and was phylogenetically 93% similar to both Azoarcus and Dechloromonas species. The third objective was to isolate and characterize pure cultures capable of anaerobic benzene biodegradation. Two co-cultures called Dechloromonas co-culture (DCC) and Azoarcus co-culture (ACC) were successfully isolated from a nitrate-reducing enrichment culture. DCC is sim;99% Dechloromonas sp. and sim;1% an unidentified eubacterium clone. ACC is sim;98% Azoarcus sp. and sim;2% Pseudomonas sp. Both co-cultures were capable of anaerobic benzene, toluene and benzoate degradation under nitrate-reducing conditions. The isolated Pseudomonas sp. was capable of aerobic benzene degradation and hydrogen utilization under nitrate-reducing conditions. The isolated unidentified eubacterium clone did not exhibit growth on any of the substrates tested. The Dechloromonas and Azoarcus organisms are responsible for anaerobic benzene degradation. The fourth objective was to identify the key metabolic steps in the anaerobic benzene degradation pathways. 13C6-benzene experiments were conducted with the methanogenic and nitrate-reducing enrichments. Under methanogenic conditions a maximum of 8 muM 13C6-phenol and 3 muM 13C6-benzoate were detected. These results indicate that under methanogenic conditions a pathway where benzene undergoes hydroxylation to phenol and further transformation to benzoate exists. Under nitratereducing conditions a maximum of 90 nM 13C6-toluene, 120 nM 13C6-benzoate and no phenol were detected as intermediates of benzene degradation. This is the first evidence for a pathway where benzene undergoes methylation to toluene and further transformation to benzoate.
Community service learning at Canadian universities: emerging models of social change

This research paper is based upon the contention that service learning programs are best able to contribute to the process of social change if they utilize a critical pedagogy. The paper begins with a review of the current literature with respect to service learning programs in the United States and Canada, and suggests that those programs that utilize a critical analytical approach to service learning prepare students to become active and engaged citizens and agents of social change. An exploratory study of seven Canadian universities engaged in service learning activities---included as part of this study---enhances our understanding of the current panorama in Canada as well as helps to synthesize the findings of both a literature review and the exploratory study. In the end, it is asserted that service learning programs that utilize a critical approach to understanding systemic issues that adversely affect communities are in the best position to educate their students to become effective agents for change.
Identifying counselling process variables relevant to recovery from childhood abuse: a qualitative study of client and counsellor perspectives

This qualitative study investigated the counselling experience from both the client and the counsellor point of view. The objective of this research, was to examine the process of recovery from childhood abuse as it unfolded over several counselling relationships. Previous research has often consisted of single retrospective analyses of client perceptions of their counselling experiences, whereas the current work explored counselling as a bilateral endeavor and on an ongoing basis. The current study focused upon eight counselling dyads consisting of seven women and one male client, and six female counsellors who used a variety of counselling perspectives and techniques. The client participants were all students who had presented with a variety of childhood abuse issues, at a university counselling center. To attract participants, all incoming clients were provided with information about the study at intake, and there were also postings around the university regarding the nature of the research. Recent research and theory pertaining to abuse, recovery, and therapy processes, facilitated the development of post-session questionnaires which were completed by both the clients and their counsellors shortly after each session. The five post-session questions resulted in a total of 640 written responses for analysis. Each questionnaire also included a 10 point likert style rating scale pertaining to session helpfulness. A qualitative data analysis was performed on the written responses collected in this study. Several expectations were supported including: that the kinds of problems dealt with by the clients would demonstrate congruence with post-trauma symptomatology; that recovery would unfold in a series of identifiable stages; that client and counsellor perceptions would have a high degree of similarity; that the acquisition of client insight would be important to the participants; that certain type of trauma related cognitions would emerge during counselling; and finally; that differences in client and counsellor responding would most likely be related to their differential roles. The findings of this study suggest that the acquisition of insight was of paramount importance to both the clients and their counsellors who participated. Aspects of the therapeutic alliance was stressed somewhat less often than the acquisition of insight, especially by the clients who tended to discuss specific kinds of insights on a regular basis. Nonetheless, the results fit with and augment other studies that suggest the necessity of a healthy alliance for the promotion of the change and relief that clients seek and that their counsellors strive to facilitate. The discussion relates the findings to the current literature and suggests some of the limitations and implications of the current work.

Keywords: Child abuse
Adult child abuse victims, Counseling of
Counselor and client
Counseling, Techniques
Counselors, Rating of
Space-time block coding and channel estimation using Kalman filter under time-selective fading channels

This thesis studies space-time block codes (STBC) over time-selective fading channels for known and estimation-assisted channel state information at the receiver. First, we examine STBCs over known time-selective fading channels and show the effects of time-selectivity on orthogonal STBCs. Alternate detectors are then introduced that are capable of mitigating the effects of time-selectivity, and are thus more robust to changes in fading rates. Next, we examine STBCs over estimation-assisted time-selective channels, where we present a novel adaptive scheme that performs joint channel estimation and data detection at the receiver. The channel is modeled as an autoregressive random process and estimated using the Kalman filter. Various components of the adaptive algorithm such as, initial conditions, pilot symbols, fading rate, and detection strategy, and their respective impacts on performance are examined. Using this scheme, we also show the effect of channel estimation errors on performance. Finally, we propose a modified joint adaptive estimation and detection algorithm that is robust to inaccurate initial conditions, at the expense of greater complexity at the receiver.
Hiraizumi Kiyoshi (1895--1984): 'Spiritual history' in the service of the nation in twentieth century Japan

Why and how can some Japanese remain "un-repentant" about their wartime history and even reaffirm the righteousness of Japan's military actions during the Second World War? Both Japanese and foreign observers have been puzzled by "outrageous" statements and "unjustifiable" historical interpretations, often concluding that Japan is unable to come to terms with its recent past. While liberal and Marxist historians in Japan have made pioneer studies of the consequences of Japan's military actions and the victims of Japan's wartime ideology, few have tried to identify the source of the logic underlying "Japan's un-repentant" views or to pursue the subject critically and constructively, neither blindly romanticizing nor dogmatically condemning it. This dissertation examines the role of "spiritual history" in the service of the nation in 20 th century Japan. More specifically, it identifies a view of medieval history which state authorities actively promoted in the prewar period as the "ethical, moral, historical, and religious" backbone of "Japan's un-repentance" in the postwar period. It locates the source of this view of medieval history in the 19 th century, when the Japanese government promoted the ethical and moral principles underlying the "southern court" view of history (Nancho seit o ron shikan), a 17 th and 18 th ethical and moral interpretation of 14 th century Japan (and a core component of spiritual history), as guiding principles for the moral education of imperial subjects. This set of principles was applied to the relationship between individuals and the state. It set Japan's overseas expansion within the context of Japanese mythology and shaped Japan's perceptions of the war until 1945. Despite American efforts to erase Japan's prewar values, some wartime proponents of the southern court view of history preserved these principles and used them to influence national debates in the postwar period. This set of principles continues to function as a source of the logic behind the illogicality of Japan's "un-repentance" today. The thesis follows the life of "spiritual" historian Hiraizumi Kiyoshi (1895-1984), chief professor of the Nation's History at Tokyo Imperial University from the late 1920s to Japan's defeat in 1945. Hiraizumi played a key role in the inheritance (before 1920s), revitalization (1920s and early 1930s), application (1930s), reinforcement (1940s), and continuation (from 1945 to 1984) of these principles in the service of the imperial nation. The study places him in the centre of the intellectual history of 20 th century Japan, using empirical methods to determine a cause of the ongoing postwar historical controversy. The study is intended to serve as a model for the future study of Japanese national history from inside.

Keywords: History
Geophysical signature of small to midsize terrestrial impact structures

Impact cratering represents a unique geological process where the initial pressure and temperature (P-T) conditions are well known, and consequently, it is possible to predict their evolution through numerical modelling. However, due to the complexity of the processes involved, it needs to be treated as a 3D problem. The time-scale of cratering excavation and modification is practically instantaneous, as compared to any other geological processes. As most of the terrestrial impact craters have been obliterated by tectonic processes, and 35% of them are buried, geophysics plays an important role in their exploration. This research evaluates the validity of scaling laws and numerical modelling predictions to constrain the different morphometric parameters that describe an impact structure and its initial P-T conditions during the crater formation, with special emphasis in small to mid-size craters. In order to achieve that, 3D modelling was used while P-T conditions were linked to the geological processes that control the observed geophysical response. Gravity and magnetic exploration methods were selected because of the petrophysical links established with the P-T distributions obtained from numerical modelling. Since the distance to the magnetic and gravity sources is critical for the resolution of the methods, new data had to be acquired as close as possible to the targets. Three impact craters were analyzed: Monturaqui (northern Chile, 350 m diameter, 100 ka old), Lake Wanapitei (northern Ontario, 7 km diameter, 37 Ma old) and Lake Bosumtwi (Ghana, 10.5 km diameter, 1.05 Ma old). Field expeditions were conducted across all three craters in order to obtain the necessary data for the research (gravity, magnetics, geology, and petrophysics). After the data integration, a 3D geophysical model was built for each crater. In the case of Lake Bosumtwi, the model was calibrated with borehole data, petrophysics and seismic data. All the models support less efficient cratering processes that create thinner than expected impactite units. This corroborates the recent observations of a breakdown of the established scaling laws for smaller size craters.
Circadian variations in auditory perception and aging

Temperature was not correlated to performance on any task, except for the absolute identification paradigm, where participants who had higher average temperatures immediately prior to the start of the task had better overall performances. The influence of time-of-day on measures of auditory processing was assessed for a group of 'evening-type' younger adults, a group of 'morning-type' older adults and a group of 'morning-type' younger adults during 3 experimental sessions each lasting approximately 1.5 hours between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the same day. The auditory measures included auditory gap-detection experiments to assess peripheral and central auditory processing, an 'absolute identification' paradigm measuring channel capacity intended to assess higher auditory functioning, and a task measuring auditory memory for dialogues presented against a background of babble. Temperature was measured at the beginning of each experimental session and prior to the beginning of each experimental task to obtain the time-of-day dependent change in average temperature for each group, and to assess the correlation between performance and body temperature. There was a clear change in temperature across sessions in all groups, with temperatures rising across sessions. However the change in temperature did not occur differently between the 'evening-type' and 'morning-type' groups. There were no significant time-of-day effects, and no significant interactions of Session and Group on the between-channel gap-detection paradigm, the absolute identification paradigm, and auditory memory. There was a significant effect of time-of-day on within-channel gap-detection thresholds, with the lowest thresholds obtained in the morning session for all participants. However this effect is unlikely due to an influence of circadian rhythms on auditory processing and was likely caused by other factors not accounted for by the current experiment. It was concluded based on the current results that there is no evidence to support an impact of circadian rhythms on auditory perception and aging.
The effect of barley beta-glucan concentrate on LDL-cholesterol and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease

Conclusions. These studies suggest that although the beta-glucan concentrate used in these studies may have beneficial hypoglycemic effects when administered in a beverage, long-term intake could not lower LDL-c relative to placebo. Background. beta-glucan, a soluble dietary fibre found in barley, can reduce postprandial glycemia and serum lipids, thereby lowering risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is not clear however what amount of beta-glucan is required to significantly improve glycemic response and lipid profile, and further how the mode of administration affects the physiological response. The current thesis examines the dose-dependant effect of a barley beta-glucan concentrate on postprandial glycemia and lipid profile, and whether this affect is dependant on the mode of administration. Results. Study 1 demonstrated a dose-dependant effect of a beta-glucan beverage in attenuating postprandial glycemic response. In study 2, multiple doses of beta-glucan given in bars had no effect compared to control. In study 3, two doses of beta-glucan resulted in no effect on lipid profile. Design. To address these objectives, two double-blinded, acute, crossover randomized clinical trials (RCTs) (study 1 2) were conducted in healthy individuals and one long-term doubleblinded, two-centre, parallel RCT (study 3) was conducted in hypercholesterolemic individuals. In study 1 and 2, different doses of beta-glucan were examined using different modes of administration. In study 3, the effect of 6-week intake of different doses beta-glucan was examined.
A Kantian perspective on fiduciary relationships (Immanuel Kant)

This thesis argues that fiduciary relationships have a coherent and principled rationale grounded in freedom. Specifically, it is argued that fiduciary relationships may be understood in terms of Kant's third category of private right, rights to persons akin to rights to things. The fiduciary duty of loyalty, the conflict and profit rules, the role of deterrence and the effects of consent and disclosure in the law of fiduciaries are all explored and are argued to fit within the logic of this right. The argument put forward here implies that the classification of the fiduciary obligation is categorically distinct from that of contract and property.

Keywords: Obligations (Law)
Trusts and trustees