VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Translation regulation of apolipoprotein BmRNA

Apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB) is a protein synthesized by the liver which facilitates the transport of VLDL and LDL in plasma. The link between hepatic insulin signaling and apolipoprotein B (apoB) production has important implications in understanding the etiology of metabolic dyslipidemia commonly observed in insulin resistant states. The role of PKC, mTOR, and PI-3K signaling molecules was investigated using signaling drugs. Treatment of HepG2 cells with the PKC activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), increased luciferase expression of apoB 5' UTR constructs, and also demonstrated increased newly synthesized apoB-100 protein. These effects were confirmed to be translational in nature based on in vitro translation studies of T7 apoB UTR-luciferase constructs transcribed and translated in vitro in the presence of HepG2 cytosol treated with insulin or signaling modulators. Mobility shift experiments using cytosol treated with either PKC inhibitor (Bis-I) or activator (PMA) showed parallel changes between translation of apoB 5' UTR-luciferase constructs and the binding of a protein doublet migrating around 110 kDa to the apoB 5' UTR. Using dual luciferase constructs, internal ribosomal entry (IRES) of the 5' UTR of apoB mRNA was examined. The 5' UTR demonstrated 2-fold higher IRES expression relative to an empty construct, and 4-fold less than the positive HRV viral control IRES. Various signaling activators and inhibitors did not have any significant effects on IRES expression. Using several affinity and gel extraction methods, preliminary purification and identification of the trans-acting factors which bind to the 5' UTR using LC-MS analysis of eluted affinity fractions identified several potential 110-kDa RNA-binding proteins. Deletion constructs of the UTR regions of apoB and immunoblotting revealed that the 5' UTR was necessary and sufficient for insulin to inhibit synthesis of apoB 15. Metabolic radiolabeling and in vitro translation experiments in the presence of protease inhibitors confirmed that the effect of insulin on the apoB 5' UTR was translational in nature. Using deletion constructs, the 1-96 construct retained the highest level of luciferase expression of all the deletion constructs and localized the insulin-responsive between nucleotides 1-64.
Tumor-specific loss of human kallikrein 10 (KLK10/NES-1) by CpG Island hypermethylation in breast, ovarian and prostate cancers

The human kallikrein 10 (KLK10)/normal epithelial cell-specific-1 (NES-1) gene is highly expressed in normal mammary, ovary and prostate cells, but its expression is dramatically decreased in cancer. We have examined the role of CpG island hypermethylation in the tumor-specific loss of KLK10 expression within breast, ovarian and prostate cancers. We treated cancer cells with the demethylating agent 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine, and monitored for changes in KLK10 mRNA and hK10 protein expression. Up-regulation of KLK10 mRNA levels was observed through the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which was accompanied by an increase in hK10 protein concentration. Genomic sequencing of sodium bisulfite-treated DNA demonstrated that CpG sites within the KLK10 gene were highly methylated. The data suggests that CpG island hypermethylation is one factor that may be implicated in the down-regulation of kallikrein 10 expression in a subset of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer cells, however, other mechanisms seem to be implicated.
Accelerating bridge building between intertwined paths: legal governance of the delivery and financing of health care services in the context of crown-aboriginal relationships in Canada

Health care governance in the context of Crown-Aboriginal relationships in Canada is often dysfunctional and individuals continue to suffer unconscionable harms as a result. I argue that emerging tripartite agreements between Aboriginal nations and the federal and provincial governments have the potential to ameliorate this situation if they are conducive to the integrated pursuit of reconciliation between the Crown and Aboriginal peoples and protection of individual rights in publicly financed health care. Judicial supervision can ensure that individual rights/health are not compromised during the reform process, while potentially accelerating the negotiation and implementation of tripartite arrangements that are effective and sustainable, which I argue requires: (1) integration of health policy planning responsibility; (2) consistency with Aboriginal rights to self-government; and (3) a recognition of the on-going relevance of legal accountability mechanisms as between (a) the Crown and Aboriginal peoples and (b) institutions responsible for health care policy and Aboriginal citizens.

Keywords: Medical care, Law and legislation
Medical care, Canada
Health facilities, Finance
Health facilities, Canada
Indians of North America, Health and hygiene
Indians of North America, Canada
Case studies in organizational healthcare ethics: Healthcare foundations, business development, and the commercialization of research

Organizational ethics is a relatively new concept in healthcare for which most literature is either commentary or philosophical analysis. The purpose of this research is to contribute an empirical evidence base from which a conceptual framework for evaluating and improving organizational effectiveness can be developed. Three areas of organizational ethics in healthcare were investigated across 13 organizations using qualitative case study methods. In each area the aim was to determine what the organizational ethics issues were, describe the strategies used to address these issues, and learn how effective these strategies were. The three areas examined are: (1) the ethics of fundraising and hospital foundations; (2) business development; and (3) commercialization of research. Descriptions of the three issues are useful guides to recognizing organizational ethics issues where they may have been previously undetected, and determining what perceptions of good practices are for dealing with them.
CanX-2 and generic nanosatellite bus mission operations, simulation and testing

The focus of this thesis is the system level design and testing of the CanX-2 and Generic Nanosatellite Bus (GNB) satellites at the Space Flight Laboratory (SFL). Specific focus was placed on the design of the CanX-2 on-orbit operations plan and implementation of the plan in actual on-orbit commissioning and operations of the mission. Detailed analysis of CanX-2 on-orbit operations is provided with emphasis placed on the main CanX-2 mission goals, such as attitude determination and control and the nanosatellite propulsion system. Thermal Vacuum testing for CanX-2 is described in detail along with the results obtained explained. Component level testing of GNB components that will be used on future SFL and the results of testing are detailed. Additionally mission level simulations were designed for the CanX-4/-5 formation flying mission. Detail is given on the GPS aspect of the CanX-4/-5 mission and how GPS position locks affect the entire mission.

Keywords: Aerospace engineering
Excavating the history of counterhegemonic (and Thermidorian) subjectivity in Kensington Market: The rise (and fall) of Toronto's Jewish Left (1881--1956)

This thesis explores the ascent and implosion of the Jewish Left in Toronto's Kensington Market from the turn of the twentieth century to the postwar age: particularly through the lens of the problematic of hegemony (Gramsci), the production of space (Lefebvre), and the notion of Thermidorian subjectivity (Badiou). It is argued that the strategies and tactics employed by the Jewish Left's fraternal organizations on the (urban) terrain of everyday life created the conditions for radical subjectivities to flourish in Kensington: up to, and including, the interwar period. It is further contended, however, that both an "objective" conjunctural change, along with the "subjective" application of a constellation of four reactionary procedures (trasformismo, Thermidor, fraternite, and the movement inward) conspired--along with the rise of Conservative Judaism and the increasing dominance of Zionism in the Jewish imaginary--to bring about an untimely end to the world of the Jewish Left in postwar Toronto.
Structural and functional studies of folylpolyglutamate synthetase

Folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) catalyzes the polyglutamylation of folates and antifolates. FPGS is an essential enzyme, required in bacteria for folate biosynthesis and in mammals for folate retention in cells and in organelles, and itself is also a potential drug target for cancer chemotherapy and treatment of microbial infection. I have undertaken structural and functional studies of FPGS with the goal of gaining better understanding of the mechanism of FPGS. Using Electronic Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) and the site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) technique, I detected conformational changes of FPGS upon binding ATP or folate. This study not only complements the crystal structure data but also provided dynamic information on FPGS in the solution state for the first time. I have characterized the conserved residues at the active site of Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) FPGS, using site-directed mutagenesis, enzyme assays and kinetic experiments. This study provided biochemical information for the folate- and glutamate-binding sites of FPGS and determined the functional roles for each mutated residue. The difference between the L. casei FPGS and E. coli enzyme lies in the fact that the former has only FPGS activity and the latter functions as both FPGS and dihydrofolate synthetase. I have made chimeric proteins of L. casei and E. coli FPGS and characterized them using enzyme specific activity assay, equilibrium dialysis and fluorescence. This study showed that there is no additional domain required for DHFS activity. In addition, it provided information on the structural determinants for folate substrate specificity. I have characterized an essential glutamate residue of FPGS (Glu143 in L. casei FPGS), which has been proposed to coordinate the Mg 2+ ion in the crystal structure of L. casei FPGS. Using site-directed mutagenesis, equilibrium dialysis and Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) assay, I was able to show that the glutamate mutant had increased ATPase activity and was defective in transferring the gamma-phosphate of ATP to folate. This result not only demonstrated the importance of Glu143 in FPGS function, but also shed light on the working mechanism of enzyme catalysis.
Perceptions of the General English Proficiency Test and its washback: a case study at two Taiwan technological institutes

Results indicated that the GEPT had a minute or no impact on teaching at both schools, except for courses at School B which were germane to the school's GEPT policy. Although the GEPT generated various degrees of washback on English learning at both schools, there was an absence of long-term systematic preparation for the test. A handful of students prepared for the GEPT two months before the test, whereas some students had no preparation whatsoever. Some teachers believed that the GEPT was valid and reliable, whereas others had neutral or negative perspectives on these issues. Participating students believed that the GEPT had gained public credibility. However, they still pointed out several issues and problems with the test. This case study research investigated stakeholders' perceptions of the Taiwanese General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) as well as its washback on schools' policies, teaching, and English learning. The research sites were the applied foreign language departments of a university of technology (School A) and an institute of technology (School B). The latter required day-division students to pass the first stage of the GEPT intermediate level or the school-administered make-up examination, whereas the former did not prescribe any GEPT requirement. In each department, I reviewed its records and interviewed the department chair, 2 to 3 teachers, 14 to 15 students, and 3 parents or spouse of 3 participating students. I also observed one of the courses taught by each interviewed teacher as well as the self-study center 2 hours weekly for 8 selected weeks out of one semester. One exception was a GEPT Preparation course at School B which I observed for a whole semester. The results of the study indicate that the existing theories or models do not fully explain the washback of tests on learning. I therefore propose a new, tentative washback model of students' learning to delineate this subject. Moreover, although results seemed to discourage using the GEPT as a degree requirement or other gate-keeping purposes, I suggest several guidelines for those schools which, out of some considerations, have to adopt the GEPT for these high-stakes purposes.

Keywords: Educational tests and measurements, Taiwan
School management and organization, Taiwan
English language, Study and teaching (Higher)
English language, Taiwan
Characterizing the origin and long-range transport behavior of persistent organic pollutants in the North American atmospheric environment using passive samplers

Monitoring is recognized as an essential tool for identifying status and spatial and temporal trends of persistent organic pollutant (POPs) in the atmosphere. To investigate the origin and long-range transport behavior of POPs in air, a novel passive air sampler (PAS) was developed based on the polystyrene/divinylbenzene co-polymeric resin XAD. The PAS was characterized by sorption measurements of chlorobenzenes onto XAD at various temperatures, wind tunnel experiments and computer simulations of the uptake kinetics, and field calibration experiments under Arctic and temperate conditions. The performance of this PAS was evaluated by comparing PAS-derived concentrations with those measured by conventional HiVol samplers. These studies demonstrated the usefulness of XAD-based PAS for atmospheric POP monitoring. A PAS network was established across North America, consisting of 40 stations covering 72 degrees of latitude (10° to 82°N) from the Arctic to Costa Rica and 72 degrees of longitude (53° to 125°W) from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island. Four of these stations constituted an altitudinal transect in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains, covering an elevational range of more than 1500m. Annually averaged air concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in 2000/2001 at these stations, as was the enantiomeric composition of chiral OCPs. The distribution patterns of the POPs were found to depend on their physical-chemical properties, their emission history, and the environmental conditions. Evidence for global fractionation along latitude and altitude was observed. Multivariate statistical analysis allowed for a better understanding of the observed composition patterns of PCBs and PBDEs. Estimation of the long range transport potential of OCPs, empirically from network concentrations, and theoretically from model calculations yielded a comparable classification. In order to have consistent input data for these model simulations, a complete set of partitioning properties (aqueous solubility, octanol-water partition coefficient, vapor pressure, Henry's law constant, octanol-air partition coefficient) for fourteen OCPs was derived by compiling, evaluating, selecting, and adjusting all measured values reported in the literature. Large scale PAS networks are suitable for monitoring compliance with, and effectiveness of, regulatory control measures, and for establishing experimentally the atmospheric long-range transport behavior of POPs.

Keywords: Persistent pollutants, Canada
Air sampling apparatus
The legal supervisory mechanism of Chinese listed companies

As a still-transitioning business system, China's publicly listed companies are experiencing a significantly adjusting stage. In 2001, a series of exposed stock frauds relating profits manipulation triggered the impending issue to reform corporate governance in the Chinese listed companies. This thesis attempts to review one aspect of this issue---the supervisory mechanism for the publicly held companies in the Chinese context. It mainly addresses the current situations and improvements concerning the certain legal supervisory mechanism. This paper first gives a brief retrospect on the related theories, China's unique institutional settings and relating practices at present, then it examines both the internal and external supervisory mechanism for China's listed companies, at last it analyzes and evaluates the above-mentioned disciplinary mechanism from the perspective of comparative studies and some appropriate institutional choices.

Keywords: Government business enterprises, Law and legislation
Government business enterprises, China
Government business enterprises, State supervision
Government business enterprises, China
Guidance of eye movements during conjunctive visual search: the distractor-ratio effect

The distractor-ratio effect refers to the finding that search performance in a conjunctive visual search task depends on the relative frequency of two types of distractors if the total number of items in a display is fixed. The current study examined the mechanisms underlying the distractor-ratio effect by monitoring participants' eye movements during the search process. Experiment 1 replicated the distractor-ratio effect with a color x shape conjunction search task. A quadratic change in search performance as a function of distractor ratio was found with several measures such as response time, number of fixations per trial, and initial saccadic latency. Specifically, search performance was worse when the ratio between the two types of distractors approximated 1:1 and gradually improved as the ratio deviated from 1:1, with performance being best at extreme distractor ratios (i.e., very few distractors of one type). Analysis of the spatial distribution of saccades indicates that participants selectively searched through the smaller subset of distractors and flexibly switched subsets on a trial-by-trial basis. Experiment 2 examined the influences of stimulus discriminability on the distractor-ratio effect. The quadratic change in search performance was observed when the shape dimension was highly discriminable but was largely eliminated when less-discriminable shapes were employed. Experiment 3 extended the distractor-ratio effect to a color x color within-dimension conjunction search task by demonstrating that saccades were consistently biased towards the smaller subset of distractors. Results from the first three experiments suggest that the distractor-ratio effect is largely due to the bottom-up processing driven by the salience of distractors. Experiment 4 examined the influence of top-down controls induced by instructions on subset-selective search strategies or by visual context within which search displays are presented. Faster response, fewer fixations, shorter fixation duration, and stronger saccadic bias were observed on those trials that were congruent with instructions, or visual context, than on the incongruent trials. Thus, visual guidance is not solely based on the information gathered from the current trial, but also modified by the instructional and contextual manipulations. Implications of the present findings for visual search theories and eye-movement research are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
The perceptual and cognitive contributions to spoken language comprehension by young and old listeners

The presented studies attempt to further our understanding of spoken language comprehension as the interaction of the perceptual and cognitive systems. To do so, we used noise-vocoded speech (Shannon et al., 1995) in which the amplitude envelope of speech is preserved but the tine structure cues within specified frequency bands is oblierated. In study one, older adults were only able to identify as many vocoded words as younger if the words were presented with the ability to use envelope cues cumulatively. In study 2, we examine how comprehension benefits from two types of contextual support, predictability and repetition of sentence context, when identifying words in noise-vocoded sentences. Younger and older adults benefited from both types of supportive context independently and interactively, but older adults benefited even more than younger adults in all conditions. The findings suggest that younger and older adults differ in the processes used to comprehend spoken language.
List method directed forgetting: a time-share rehearsal account

Directed forgetting is the goal-oriented intentional forgetting of previously learned information; the directed forgetting effect is the poorer memory for information that we are instructed to forget (F) than for information that we are instructed to remember (R). The successful directed forgetting of F items is typically attributed to inhibition of those items, however encoding mechanisms may also contribute to list method directed forgetting effects. A series of four experiments explored the role of time-share rehearsal---the continued processing of only the R items during available rehearsal opportunities---in list method directed forgetting. In Experiments 1 A-1D instructions to remember and to rehearse items were varied and time-share rehearsal patterns were evident in serial position analyses of recall. In contrast to a R cue, a F cue effectively stops rehearsal of the to-be-forgotten list one, and a new rehearsal set is initiated with list two. Subsequent differences in list two recall---the directed forgetting benefits---stem from a marked primacy effect following an F, but not R, cue. Experiment 2 extended this finding by demonstrating that when self-reported time-share rehearsal strategies are held constant directed forgetting benefits are eliminated. In Experiment 3, longer time-share rehearsal opportunities during a delay revealed that high memory individuals selectively rehearsed the items that they needed to remember. Warning participants that F items would have to be recalled after a delay resulted in time-share rehearsal of both the R and F items, reducing the directed forgetting effect; otherwise, only the R items were rehearsed and the magnitude of the effect increased relative to the standard no delay condition. In Experiment 4, direct manipulation of rehearsal opportunity during a delay corroborated the findings, and opportunities/incentives to rehearse both R and F items decreased the directed forgetting effect. Taken together, the results provide evidence that encoding processes contribute to list method directed forgetting effects. Specifically, the differential time-share rehearsal of R and F items contributes to directed forgetting effects. It is argued that theories of list method directed forgetting should be modified to include a rehearsal component.