VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Discovering the limits of empowerment, transformational pedagogies and the challenge of teaching

This thesis employs autobiographical narrative and critical analysis to examine three perspectives within the general area of transformational pedagogy: reader-response theory, critical pedagogy and feminist pedagogy. This work constitutes a response to the preponderance of success narratives (personal and theoretical) that pervade educational literature and focuses on some of the realities of failure and uncertainty that occur within the educational experiences of teachers and students. Through "The Susannah Story", the author reflects upon her own teaching practice and evidences the larger pedagogical dilemma that despite best intentions, teachers, in seeking to empower students, often disempower, and, in promoting diversity of perspective and questioning of thought, often indoctrinate. Examinations of the three transformative pedagogies, particularly their conceptualizations of the teacher, reveal that theory by itself cannot help teachers to differentiate clearly between instruction and indoctrination, to determine degrees of responsibility for learning outcomes, or to come to conclusions about how to teach well. 'The tendencies within these perspectives to ignore the exclusionary claims or totalizing features of their own frameworks indicate both the need for consistent and actual self-critique and the intellectual and psychological difficulties with which the practice of self-critique confronts both the teacher and the educational theorist. The potential of these theories to "harm" or to "fail" because they create a conception of teacher and student which does not exist in reality and which is neither "complex" nor "fluid" enough to allow contemplation of their own limitations is the reality experienced by the author in "The Susannah Story". Reconsideration of that narrative through an existentialist perspective that encourages recognition of the limitations of subjectivity and knowledge, names the risk, struggle and uncertainty of learning, and calls for a commitment to live with, more than to theorize about, the uncertainties of experience offers an opportunity to confront the realities and dilemmas of teaching that have been identified. To acknowledge and to consider the negative, as well as positive, impact that teachers have on students is crucial in order to encourage personal and professional growth in teachers and to meet the personal and educational needs of students.
Structure/function relationships in the Ca²§+-binding domain of SERCA1, the sarco(Endo)plasmic reticulum Ca²§+-ATPase

The Ca2+-ATPase of fast-twitch skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SERCA1) is a 110 kDa integral membrane protein which contains ten membrane spanning sequences. This protein couples the hydrolysis of one molecule of ATP to the transport of two Ca2+ ions from the cytoplasm into the lumen of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The identification of six Ca2+-binding residues, located in tran membrane helices M4, M5, M6 and M8, provided a starting point for the studies presented in this thesis. Scanning mutagenesis was performed on all amino acids in the four transmembrane sequences, revealing "patches" of sensitivity to mutation on one face of each of helices M4, M5 and M6. These patches revealed the presence of a six residue motif, E/D-G-L-P-A-T/V, in M4 and M6. Elements of the motif could also be discerned in M5, but reading in the reverse direction. Analysis of M8, however, revealed only a single mutation-sensitive residue. This lack of mutation-sensitivity indicates that M8 plays a peripheral role in Ca2+ binding and translocation. Scanning mutagenesis revealed faces on helices M4, M5 and M6 which are likely to form the Ca2+ binding pore. Site-directed disulfide mapping was used to orient these faces relative to each other. Two Cys residues were introduced simultaneously, one in each of two helices. Formation of disulfide cross-links between the two Cys residues was detected by gel electrophoresis. Assays for phosphoenzyme formation by these mutants indicated that both Glu 309 and Asn796 contribute to the more cytoplasmic Ca 2+ binding site while Gly310 impinges on the first, "deeper" site. Cross-linking in mutants E309C/N796C and G310C/D800C established reference points for the orientation of helices M4 and M6, while the pattern of cross-links formed from top to bottom was consistent with the association of M4 and M6 as a right-handed coiled-coil. The proposed association of M4 and M6 provides a possible explanation for the mutation-sensitivity of several pairs of residues in these helices and supports a new "side-by-side" model for the orientation of the two Ca2+ binding sites.
Identification of the tonoplast-associated 170-kDa protein from Beta vulgaris

A Beta vulgaris 170-kDa tonoplast-enriched membrane fraction protein was selected for purification and sequencing based on its biochemical association with the Na$\sp+$/H$\sp+$-antiport activity of the vacuolar membrane. The 170-kDa protein was purified from the tonoplast-enriched membrane fraction of Beta vulgaris cell suspension cultures and root storage tissue. N-terminal sequencing of the PVDF-blotted protein was not successful because of blockage to Edman chemistry at the N-terminal amino acid. Chemical and enzymatic methods of protein cleavage were employed to generate peptides that would provide internal protein sequence information. The post-digest purification of these peptides did not provide adequate quantities for Edman sequencing. The purified 170-kDa protein was submitted in gel for internal protein sequencing and two peptide sequences were obtained. The similarity of these peptide sequences to the predicted amino-acid sequence of a protein from Glycine max strongly suggests that the 170-kDa protein is the clathrin heavy chain. The possible connections between clathrin heavy chain and Na$\sp+$/H$\sp+$ antiport activity and salinity are discussed.
Production of a human monoclonal antibody reactive against verotoxin-1

Verotoxins are produced during E. coli O157:H7 infections and are associated with hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The elderly and very young children are most likely to develop complications such as HUS, which can lead to severe renal damage or death. HUS is too infrequent to justify the expense of immunizing entire populations, however, the development of an immunotherapy would be very useful during E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks in closed populations such as daycare centres and nursing homes and for isolated cases of E. coli O157:H7 infections. Passive immunization of people at risk of developing HUS would be made possible by the development of human monoclonal antibodies directed against verotoxins. In this study, immunoglobulin (Ig) genes from human antibodies specific for verotoxin-1 were subcloned during the construction of a combinatorial library of Ig heavy and light chains using a recombinant phage antibody system. This is the first step in the production of human monoclonal antibodies that may have therapeutic value in the treatment of E. coli O157:H7 infections.
Substitute teachers in elementary schools and their professional discourse

This thesis examines the views and perceptions of substitute teachers regarding their employment in the elementary schools of several public Boards of Education in various urban cities and regions, within and beyond the Metropolitan Toronto Area. The narratives that emerged from semi-structured interviews of ten substitute teachers of both sexes, and of diverse ethnic backgrounds, educational accomplishments, and years of teaching experience reveal similar perspectives of their work as substitute teachers. The pattern of common beliefs and experiences that became apparent throughout the interviews is presented and examined against the vast body of literature in teachers' careers, cultures, communities and work.
The life history and host specificity of Hepatozoon clamatae, Apicomplexa, adeleorina, and its-1 nucleotide sequence variation of species of hepatozoon of certain frogs and mosquitoes from Ontario

The life cycle of Hepatozoon clamatae Stebbins 1905 was studied in green frogs (Rana clamitans melanota), bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), Northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens), and the mosquito, Culex territans. Gametogenesis, fertilization, and sporogonic development occurred within cells of the Malpighian tubules of laboratory-reared C. territans that had fed on laboratory-reared bullfrogs, green frogs, and leopard frogs fed sporocysts 35-70 days previously. Gamonts of H. clamatae induced nuclear fragmentation in host erythrocytes. The life cycle, morphological, and morphometric features of H. clamatae are compared with Hepatozoon catesbeianae, a parasite of bullfrogs and green frogs in the region. Nucleotide sequence analysis of these sympatric species revealed that only 6 nucleotide sites of their 129 base pair ITS-1 regions of the SSU RNA genes were variable among 4 isolates of H. clamatae and 2 isolates of H. catesbeianae. Hepatozoon clamatae is redescribed based on data from this study and from Stebbins' original description.
Analysis of densities

A fully Bayesian method is developed for modelling the distribution of probability density functions across a population. Probability densities for individual subjects are modelled as samples from a "parent" distribution. The probability density functions for these subjects are modelled as mixtures of Dirichlet processes. A common baseline prior distribution for the mixing distribution is assumed. The similarity between density estimates for different subjects is controlled by the precision parameters of the subject-specific Dirichlet processes. The common baseline prior is also estimated using a mixture-of-Dirichlet-processes model. For this second Dirichlet process, the precision parameter controls how much detail from the individual density estimates is captured in the estimate of the parent distribution. Most of the effort is computational involving non-conjugate priors and a large Gibbs-sampling scheme to obtain samples of predictive densities from their posterior distribution. To measure how far any density deviates from the average, the Hellinger distance is used. The presentation of results is graphical: distances based on predictive densities sampled from their posterior distribution are used to highlight key observations and other structure in the data being modeled.
Pre-operative hip abductor muscle function in osteoarthritis, a comparison with healthy asymptomatic individuals

Hip abductor muscle function was examined in 17 young healthy males (YN), nine older healthy individuals (ON) and 11 patients with hip osteoarthritis (HOA). Tensor Fascia Latae (TFL) and Gluteus Medius (Gmed) electromyography during isokinetic hip abduction and ambulation were recorded. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index was used as a measure of clinical status. Isometric (ISO), concentric (CON) and eccentric (ECC) hip abductor muscle strength were decreased in HOA patients (p $<$ 0.005) when compared to ON individuals. Increased activity of TFL and decreased activity of Gmed were observed during the stance phase of gait in HOA patients. Gait velocities were decreased in HOA patients (p $<$ 0.03). Patients spent proportionately less time in single support and more time in double support during the stance phase of gait. Significant positive correlations between gait velocity and CON hip abductor strength (r = 0.56, p = 0.013) and between gait velocity and ECC hip abductor strength (r = 0.54, p = 0.016) were found. WOMAC signal measures 'pain' and 'difficulty' while walking significantly related to CON (r = $-$0.94, p = 0.0001, r = $-$0.66, p = 0.027) and ECC (r = $-$0.84, p = 0.0003, r = $-$0.60, p = 0.048) hip abductor strength. Although a relationship exists between pain and hip abductor muscle strength, and between gait velocity and hip abductor muscle strength, the relationship between pain and gait velocity requires further investigation.
A theoretical and experimental study of the polarization states of a Nd³§+:YAG laser

In this work, a model describing the polarization states of a Nd 3+:YAG, single frequency laser is developed. Based on the symmetry of the Nd3+ site in the crystal, and the selection rules for electric dipole transitions in Kramers degenerate states, the phase relationships between the components of the electric dipole moment are found, without the use of the double group. Summing over the six sites of the crystal, the response of the gain material to an applied electric field is found, and the polarization behavior is determined to all orders in the electric field through a vector extension of the mean field model, similar to work done in gas lasers. The result is 16 coupled non-linear differential equations describing the polarization state of the laser. The predictions of the model are compared with results in the literature. While the model can explain most of these results, it is found that the effective output mirror model used to describe polarized feedback is inappropriate for a microchip laser with a long feedback path. New experiments are performed in the low birefringence regime, and for the case of elliptically polarized pump light. The predictions of the model are in semi-quantitative agreement with the low birefringence, experiments, while for the case of circularly polarized pump fields, it is found that some of the approximations of the model become inappropriate. New experimental results on the bistability of the Nd:YAG microchip laser with polarized feedback are presented and briefly discussed. Suggestions for future experimental work and refinements to the model are presented.
Exploring the role of the laterodorsal tegmentum in reward-relevant tasks

Cholinergic mesopontine neurons of the laterodorsal tegmentum (LDT) monosynaptically activate dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area and the substantia nigra. In this study, various drugs were infused into the LDT of male rats to explore the role of the LDT in reward-related behaviors. The lipophobic muscarinic antagonist N-methyl-scopolamine (NMS) increased locomotion in a dose-dependent fashion. This was consistent with previous research in which lesions of LDT eliminated the locomotion induced by systemic injections of scopolamine. Doses necessary for the induction of locomotion with NMS were an order of magnitude smaller than doses of scopolamine that were previously used to elicit a similar effect. It can thus be inferred that scopolamine-induced locomotion is, at least in part, due to the blockage of inhibitory muscarinic receptors found near LDT. However, NMS had little effect on intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) rate-frequency curves, a measure which is purported to assess reward. Furthermore, NMS seemed to shift rate-frequency curves to the right (reward inhibition), not to the left (reward facilitation). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Environmental factors that influence variability in nursing workload in a medical setting

Ongoing research investigating the complexities of nursing care is necessary to clearly capture and articulate the work of nurses. This study builds upon the ongoing program of research exploring the environmental complexity on a medical unit by examining and identifying factors in the work environment that influence variability in nursing workload. Data were collected both qualitatively and quantitatively. The goal of data analysis was to identify the environmental factors that influenced nursing workload on a medical unit, and the degree of significance in explaining the variability in nursing time. Results indicate environmental issues, specifically system and supply issues, that could be improved upon in the working environment to enhance the quality of nursing care. The environmental complexity in this study explained 3-4% of variation in nursing workload. Results from this study provide direction for future research and have relevance in improving the present work environment.
Retention of a posterior resin-bonded fixed partial denture with a modified design, an in vitro study

In vitro retention of a RBFPD made with a modified design (MD) was compared to that of a current design (CD) using five experimental groups (G). G1 (CD) included proximal grooves (PG), occlusal rests (OR) and lingual wings (LW). G2 and G3 (MD) were similar to G1 however PG were replaced with retentive slots (SL). G4 had only SL. G5 had OR, LW and non-retentive SL. Air abraded castings (nonprecious alloy) were cemented with Cement-It (G1, G2, G4 and G5) and Panavia 21 (G3). Following storage (7d), prostheses were subjected to compressive load cycling and then separated in tension. Mean separation forces in N were: G1: 360.9 - G2: 525.4 - G3: 562.2 - G4: 448.6 - G5: 417.1. Statistical analysis showed that G1 and G5 had separation values significantly lower than the value achieved for G2 and G3. It is concluded that the added means of retention significantly increased RBFPD resistance to dislodgement.
The mythology of war, how the Canadian daily newspaper depicted the great war

Over 470,000 Canadians served overseas during the Great War. Still, for the bulk of Canada's wartime population, the conflict was an imagined event, depicted in letters, books, newspapers and theatres, but not experienced directly. Based on an intensive analysis of a wide array of texts sampled from a group of ten representative daily newspapers, this study examines how the press helped shape the public imagination of the Great War. Daily newspapers enjoyed enormous potential influence during the war, since they were the predominant purveyors of news, views, entertainment and advertising in most Canadian homes. Despite facing severe wartime economic challenges, the business elite which controlled these dailies remained determined to use this influence for patriotic ends. Most daily publishers and editors saw their newspapers as key instruments in the maintenance of the national will to fight. In an effort to reassure their readers, dailies advanced a series of traditional myths to explain the purposes of the war, the nature of military combat and death, the place of modern technology in battle, and the construction of class and gender in a society at war. Critics of these myths existed, but most were ignored, belittled or condemned in the daily press. Alone among Canadian dailies, 'Le Devoir' remained a haven for those who rejected the dominant mythology, but even 'Le Devoir''s split from the standard interpretations of war and Canadian society was far from complete. Such was the enduring power of the conventional mythology that even some would-be critics were unable to avoid accepting aspects of the very myths they sought to attack. In the end, Canadian dailies were more than simply effective wartime propagandists on behalf of the allied cause; they also ensured the continuing cultural hegemony of the dominant pre-war myths about warfare and about Canada itself. Without an appreciation of how this hegemonic mythology was sustained by Canadian dailies throughout the war, one cannot fully understand how mass support for the Great War was mobilized and maintained by power elites in Canada, or, indeed, elsewhere.
Therapeutic mechanisms of propylthiouracil in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a common and serious disorder that responds poorly to treatment with conventional pharmacological therapies. The antithyroid drug propylthiouracil (PTU) has been shown to ameliorate ALD in both rodents and humans, however the mechanism of action has not been clearly defined. The present studies examined several possible mechanisms that may contribute to the cytoprotective properties of PTU. Induction of the microsomal enzymes cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) and NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CYP-reductase) may be involved in the pathogenesis of ALD, since they can generate fire radicals and reactive metabolites, and contribute to oxygen depletion. Initial studies examined the potential of PTU to inhibit CYP-reductase, a rate-limiting enzyme in P450-catalyzed reactions, as a potential mechanism underlying the hepatoprotective effect of PTU. Liver microsomes isolated from chronic ethanol-treated rats showed increased levels of CYP2E1 and enhanced rates of oxygen consumption, hydroxyl radical formation and ethanol oxidation. These effects were attenuated in the microsomes of rats treated with PTU, in parallel with reductions in the levels and activity of CYP-reductase. Neutrophil infiltrates in the liver and elevated levels of circulating neutrophils are characteristic of ALD. Neutrophils can injure host cells by releasing reactive oxygen species and proteolytic enzymes. Studies were conducted to determine whether PTU could lower circulating neutrophil counts and thereby protect against liver injury. Chronic intragastric ethanol infusion resulted in liver injury accompanied by an increase in circulating neutrophils. Administration of PTU to ethanol-fed rats did not alter circulating neutrophil counts. Studies further examined the potential of PTU to modulate neutrophil oxidant formation and proteolytic enzyme activity. Myeloperoxidase is a neutrophil enzyme that generates reactive oxygen species and renders cells more susceptible to proteolytic injury by inactivating Ã1-proteinase inhibitor (A1PI). Studies with rat neutrophils showed that, at clinically relevant concentrations, PTU was a potent inhibitor of myeloperoxidase and prevented both the formation of hypochlorous acid and the inactivation of A1PI by neutrophils. These studies indicate that the ability of PTU to (a) counteract the induction of CYP2E1 via CYP-reductase down-regulation and (b) limit the toxic potential of neutrophils are probable mechanisms contributing to the drug's therapeutic effect in ALD patients.