VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Sociolinguistic correlations in the Spanish spoken in the Andean region of Ecuador in the speech of the younger generation

Studies on Ecuadorean Spanish have been hitherto limited to descriptions of phonetic, lexical and to a certain extent, syntactic features (Toscano Mateus: 1953, Arguello: 1978). Furthermore, the pronunciation of the Ecuadorean varieties has been explained in terms of costeño ( Coastal), serrano (Highland), and oriente (Rainforest) Spanish, according to the natural barriers that shaped the early towns and villages and with them, the dialects that developed. This paper will deal with a sociolinguistic study (Labov: 1966, Silva Corvalán: 2001) of two markers of the Andean variety, namely, the assibilated forms of /r/ and /J/ represented orthographically as r and rr, and yeísmo, the delateralized realizations of /λ/ represented orthographically as ll in the speech of the younger generation (under the age of thirty). Speakers are chosen from three different social backgrounds, Upper, Middle and Lower Class (education, occupation and ethnicity are included as major components of social class), and according to sex. The analysis also takes into account other independent variables such as register style and linguistic context. The results reveal that the dependent linguistic variables have in fact correlations with social factors: The Upper and Middle classes show that the assibilated features are in the process of decline, contrary to previous studies which predicted the general use of this feature by all speakers. Similarly, the Upper and Middle classes are introducing a phenomenon (yeísmo) that is new to this variety which was traditionally attributed to Costeño Spanish. There is also a correlation between the degree of assibilation of /r/ and the realization of yeísmo: The higher the incidence of the standard realization of /r/, the higher the incidence of the mid-palatal fricative realization of /j/. These phenomena may have implications in the generalisation of yeísmo in Latin American Spanish, and the eventual language levelling in Ecuadorean Spanish. Of course, there are many other linguistic features that must be studied before such large generalisations are made, however, it may be a small token in a diachronic process of language levelling with social factors as starting points.
Calexcitin B: a new calcium-sensor protein in the nervous system of the squid

Calcium ions (Ca 2+) are paramount for cell viability and function. The Ca 2+ signalling pathways utilize specialized proteins, called Ca 2+ binding proteins (CaBPs). Calexcitin (CE) is a CaBP that putatively acts as an intracellular Ca 2+ -mediated messenger. CE is expressed specifically in the nervous system, and may play a critical role in memory. In this work, I elucidated the correct primary structure of CE and characterized its biochemical and biophysical properties. CE can bind three Ca 2+ at affinities similar to other Ca 2+ -sensor proteins. In addition, I have shown that CE is a member of the sarcoplasmic Ca 2+ binding protein (SCP) subfamily of the EF-hand superfamily. Like other SCPs, CE can bind Mg 2+ and has a complex Ca 2+ /Mg 2+ interplay that affects its structure. My studies have identified the physiological role of Mg 2+ binding and has shown that CE is a two domain protein that exists in three distinct conformational states: Apo-CE, has molten-globule characteristics; Mg 2+ -loaded CE possesses one native domain and the other domain is molten-globule like; Ca 2+ -loaded CE has both domains in native configuration. This indicates that under physiological concentrations of Mg 2+ and Ca 2+, Mg 2+ -CE represents the resting state of the molecule and Ca 2+ -CE is the active state. The backbone nuclei of CE has been assigned by nuclear magnetic resonance and the results show that CE is composed of nine a-helices, eight of which form the four EF-hands and the ninth is near the C-terminus. This result clarified previous discrepancies in the literature regarding the secondary structure of CE and lays the foundation for studying the protein dynamics of CE. Models of CE, based on related proteins, show that, in agreement with biophysical data, CE is composed of two domains that do not interact considerably. Furthermore, in agreement with biophysical data, the model shows a putative recessed hydrophobic pocket that may be involved in target recognition, analogous to other Ca 2+ -sensor proteins. This thesis provides the basis for future investigations into elucidating the precise physiological function of CE. In addition, it enhances our understanding on how CaBPs work and how we can exploit their function for practical neuroprotective applications.
Isolation and characterization of a human WAC gene differentially expressed in long-term bone marrow culture

HWAC is a novel gene, differentially expressed in long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMCs), in which hematopoiesis was activated by medium changes. We hypothesize that hWAC might be uniquely involved in proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. Located on chromosome 10, this approximately 88-kb gene is highly conserved in mammals compared to other species. There were four hWAC transcripts found ranging from 3--4 kb. The level of hWAC transcription is higher (a) in bone marrow and some non-hematopoietic tissues than that in kidney, thymus and spleen, (b) in lymphoid than in myeloid cells from bone marrow, and (c) in stromal cells than HSCs in adherent layers of LTBMCs. Multiple protein domains were found in putative hWAC proteins. Our studies showed that one hWAC isoform was distributed into the nucleus, while another remained in both cytoplasm and nucleus in different cell types. However, the function of hWAC remains unknown.
Modeling sessile droplet dynamics in channel flow

Dynamics of a sessile droplet in channel flow is studied numerically. The numerical model uses one set of the governing equations combined with a volume tracking method on a fixed structured mesh to model the simultaneous movement of mass and momentum across cell boundaries. Surface tension is modeled as a body force acting on the fluid near the free surface. Two dimensional sessile droplet deformation and channel flow structures are discussed for both pinned and unpinned droplets. The effects of having a fixed contact line on the deformation and breakup of a droplet are investigated. A characteristic length is defined to compare droplet deformation due to changes in the surface tension, viscosity and density ratios. Among theses parameters, the surface tension is found to be the most important one in determining the mobility of the droplets. A breakup criterion is obtained in terms of droplet Reynolds and Capillary numbers. Next, dynamics of two spaced sessile droplets in a channel flow is investigated. Displacements of binary droplets in a channel flow are compared by studying changes in the location of the leading and trailing edges for each droplet at different droplet spacing. Deformation and displacement of leading and tailing droplets with the ones for a single droplet are presented. The thesis concludes with application of the model to study displacement of a three-dimensional droplet. Dynamics of channel flow at the presence of water droplet was investigated considering the effects of Reynolds Number, Capillary number, Bond number, droplet size, and the contact angle. Displacement was characterized based on the changes of the droplet height and the contact wetted area.
Alternative initiation of translation in prokaryotes

In prokaryotes such as Escherichia coli, initiation of translation is known to be promoted by the base pairing of a purine rich sequence (called Shine-Dalgarno, SD) on the 5′ end of a mRNA, to the 3′ end (anti-SD) of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). It has recently been shown that epsilon (ε), a sequence derived from the 5′-untranslated region of phage T7 gene 10, is also capable of enhancing (when combined with an SD sequence) translation in E. coli. Lack of sequence similarity between ε and SD sequence has indicated that ε affects translation by a mechanism different from the classical SD-anti-SD interaction. In this thesis, using chloramphenicol acetyltransferase mRNA mutational analysis we have proposed that ε affects translation by base pairing to nucleotides 458–466 (ε binding site, εBS) on 16S rRNA. Further evidence in favour of ε-εBS interaction was obtained using a CAT expression system in Agrobacterium tumefaciens in which the corresponding εBS is significantly different from that in E. coli. Base pairing between ε and εBS was also supported by a combination of computational and experimental approaches. These studies indicated a mRNA functional base pairing of 6 or more nucleotides, to various parts of a 136 nucleotide long box (box17) on 16S rRNA. Box17 extends from nucleotides 418 to 554 on 16S rRNA and coincides with the proposed εBS. Finally, using an in vivo mRNA-protein interaction detection assay, the presence of a direct interaction between ribosomal S1 protein and ε sequence was rejected.
Disability matters: expanding the community

Most academic literature on disability fails to examine the experience of adults with disabilities, and of parents of such adult children, in psychosocial rather than medical terms. Nor does it usually take into account the gendered aspect of caring for and about an adult with disabilities. Stereotypes of disability and of motherhood (persons with disabilities are dependent and inadequate; women are naturally nurturing) maintain the widely shared conviction that disability, and the mothering of children and adults with disabilities, pertain to individuals, and are not the concern of our society as a whole. Such stereotypes are detrimental to members of both groups, and do nothing to alert us to the fact that we are all interdependent, and need to support each other. This study of young adults with disabilities, and of mothers of such young adults, seeks to learn from their experience those insights which might contribute to the betterment of their lives, and the lives of all who are touched by disability. Data for this research were collected through many open-ended interviews with eight participants: four with disabilities, and four mothers of adults with disabilities who live at home with them. The persons with disabilities were in their twenties and thirties: two were wheelchair-users, one had a visual impairment, and one a hearing impairment. The mothers (who were in their fifties and sixties) had adult children with multiple disabilities, both physical and cognitive. Our in-depth conversations focussed on the participants' lived experience, on what they felt would be most important for other Ontarians to know about disability, and on how the lives of people with disabilities and their mothers might be improved. These conversations led me to posit the need for a new social movement, combining the strengths of members of the disability movement with those of mothers like the ones who participated in this research. Together with other parents like them, and feminist activists, they could form a new movement to mitigate those aspects of disability that lead to the oppression of both these groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Keywords: Children with disabilities, Psychology
Exceptional children, Family relationships
Mother and child
Discrimination against people with disabilities
Parents of exceptional children, Psychology
Modulation of cortical-limbic pathways in major depression: treatment-specific effect of cognitive behavior therapy

Objective. Neuroimaging studies of depression demonstrate response-specific changes following various antidepressant treatments. Changes associated with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) have not been reported. Results. CBT was associated with metabolic changes: increases in hippocampus and dorsal cingulate, decreases in dorsal, ventral and medial frontal cortex. This pattern is distinct from that seen with paroxetine response where prefrontal increases and hippocampal and subgenual cingulate decreases were seen. Method. Brain changes associated with CBT were examined using positron emission tomography. Seventeen depressed patients were scanned before and after 15--20 therapy sessions. A post hoc comparison to thirteen paroxetine treated responders was performed to interpret the specificity of CBT effects. Conclusions. CBT may affect recovery by modulating the functioning of specific sites in limbic and cortical regions. Unique directional changes in frontal cortex, cingulate and hippocampus with CBT relative to paroxetine may reflect modality-specific effects with implications for understanding mechanisms underlying different treatments.
Metaphor as a second language: vision and re-vision in the poetry of Pat Lowther

Patricia Louise Lowther (1935–1975) was a Vancouver poet who published four volumes of poetry during her lifetime. This thesis is both a personal and scholarly study of the special vision to be found in Lowther's poetry. In this work, the recurring themes of Lowther's poems are examined—the permanence of nature, women's sexual awakening, the power of myth and legend, and the connection between art and politics. This specific connection is examined through the influence of the Chilean poet/diplomat Pablo Neruda on Pat Lowther's writing. One of Lowther's major poems “Women on/against Snow” is examined in detail, as an example of the redemptive quality of the arts in a universe of chaos. The nature of poetry and the power of metaphor is also explored; in addition there are connections made between Lowther's poetry and a new approach to the teaching of poetry in schools. Also included are several examples of recent accessibility of the poetic arts through public performances and festivals. Through the life and works of Pat Lowther, this thesis examines the essential power of our poetic legacy, and the importance of this legacy in our re-connection and re-collection of our fundamental humanity.

Keywords: Canadian poetry
Women poets, Canadian
Fair supervisory control of discrete-event systems

Fairness in supervisory control is defined and studied for discrete-event systems when they are represented by finite deterministic automata, or correspondingly by regular languages. The notions of weak and strong fairness are adapted to address the issue of fairness in open- and closed-loop systems. It is argued that since all controllers in practice are finite-state, when synthesizing a controller one need only consider the bounded fair designs. When a bound is specified, the supremal fair restriction of a system exists in both cases and is computed in time polynomial in the state size of the system. Priority relations are reintroduced as a convenient way to describe precedence among events; however, it is shown that under priorities a supremal fair design may not exist in general. Lastly, queues are introduced as an efficient way to implement fairness hierarchically.
Cloning and characterization of the invertebrate visual iG(q)alpha: Membrane association, receptor coupling efficacy and turnover

This study reports the cloning and characterization of invertebrate visual iGqalpha membrane association, receptor coupling efficacy and turnover. iGqalpha relays signals from rhodopsin to phospholipase C leading to membrane depolarization. When its full-length cDNA from L. pealei was cloned, its deduced amino acid sequence was 77% identical to mammalian Gqalpha. Both G proteins are highly homologous and iGqalpha contained conserved N-terminal cysteine residues that can be palmitoylated, a GTP-binding motif, three SWITCH regions and a site for effector/receptor interactions in the C-terminus. The role of G protein palmitoylation remains unclear. My findings suggest that iGqalpha is palmitoylated but that this is not important for its initial membrane targeting. The palmitoylation-deficient iGqalpha(C3,4A) however, is unable to maintain membrane attachment following receptor activation. Thus activated iGga(C3,4A) could translocate from membrane to cytosol and mimicked the translocation of iGqalpha observed in intact invertebrate photoreceptors. The activation-dependent translocation of iGqalpha may act to regulate the amount of a subunits which can interact with activated rhodopsin therefore regulating photosensitivity in the invertebrate eye. While palmitoylated iGqalpha expressed in HEK 293T cells do not show any significant changes in protein levels in the basal and stimulated conditions, non-palmitoylated iGqalpha turnover, initially has a half-life of 20 hours under basal conditions and decreases to 10 hours upon agonist stimulation. Accelerated turnover of non-palmitoylated iGqalpha is attributed to increased degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasomal pathway. My findings demonstrate not only an activation-dependent and cellular localization-dependent proteolysis of a G protein, but also for the first time implicate the ubiquitin-proteasomal pathway in the degradation and turnover of a Gqalpha protein. Lastly, the receptor-interacting N-terminal domain contains a six amino acid extension MTLESI in mammalian mGqalpha that is not present in iGqalpha. I explored the function of MTLESI by testing its role in receptor specificity and efficacy. My findings suggest that the lack of MTLESI on iGqalpha increases its efficacy in coupling to G q-linked receptors but does not decrease its specificity. Furthermore, the mechanism by which the efficacy of iGqalpha is regulated appears to be at the level of guanine nucleotide exchange as demonstrated by increased GTPgamma[35S] binding of iGqalpha compared with mGqalpha.
Mobile corridors: Unpacking the global voyages of labour and leisure

As many disciplines grapple with the complexities of movement that characterize our world today, scholars are considering concepts of mobility and their interconnectedness in new ways. Although not a recent phenomenon, the conditions of globalization have facilitated a record number of people crossing international borders for work, leisure, safety and security. Among these groups, tourists and labour migrants account for the largest groups traveling worldwide. Although these two groups differ in their motivations and goals of travel, they share at least one common condition, the ability, to varying degrees, to be mobile. In this thesis I juxtapose two types of seasonal movements in order to examine the interconnections between mobility, space and identity. I examine mobility on two trajectories and in two sites: First, I ask whether contemporary forms of seasonal mobility create new transnational spaces. My second question is how seasonal mobilities contribute to the formation of subjectivities. Two groups of mobile populations form the focus of this study---seasonal tourists in Mexico and seasonal agricultural workers in Canada. A spatial ethnographic method developed for this project is utilized to map the changes occurring, while a combination of spatial and subjectivity theories provide the lens through which I analyze how our mobilities are increasingly defining who we are and where we go. Despite the rhetoric of increasing equality and access to travel, I show that mobility is neither an egalitarian experience nor a homogenous category organizing social relations. Race, citizenship, class and gender continue to shape the facility or difficulty in crossing borders and the reception received in destination countries. In addition, the ways in which these mobilities are "hailed," whether as tourists or as migrant workers, condition living and working arrangements, creating almost unparalleled liberties for one group and severely restricted controls for the other. The changing topographies of place is the second focus. The rural spaces that each of these seasonal groups resides in are undergoing major changes. From lattes and gated communities in Puerto to chipotles and school bus Fridays in Simcoe, seasonal tourists and seasonal migrant workers are creating new cultural forms and producing novel social relations that reflect their different levels of integration in the two communities.
Imaging the microcirculation with high frequency ultrasound

Imaging with high frequency (HF) ultrasound at center frequencies of 20 MHz and higher allows visualization and mapping of vessels smaller than 100 microns in peripheral tissues. The primary limitations of moving to high frequencies addressed in this work include the lack of transducer arrays, thus requiring much slower mechanical scanning of single element transducers; increased sensitivity to tissue motion; and difficulties in detecting flow in the smallest vessels due to limited dynamic range. The goals of this research are to overcome these limitations and to demonstrate that HF ultrasound can be a useful tool for mapping blood flow in the microcirculation. In this work, the HF color flow acquisition time is improved from on the order of 1 minute to 1 second by the first such application of a continuously scanned acquisition mode at high frequencies, called swept-scanning. The development of the first near real-time, HF ultrasound system based on swept-scanning for color flow imaging above 20 MHz is detailed. An eigendecomposition-based adaptive clutter filter is introduced for swept-scan data to optimally reject tissue echoes that overlap low velocity blood echoes. The color flow system is characterized though simulation, in vitro, and in vivo experiments. The use of the proposed HF color flow system is investigated for in vivo applications including mapping blood flow in the anterior chamber of the rabbit eye and in the skin. Color flow measurements are made to investigate changes in blood flow in the major arterial circle of the iris following administration of a vasoactive drug and following changes in temperature. The use of an ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) to improve the detection of flow in the smallest vessels of the microcirculation is investigated theoretically and experimentally as a means to overcome dynamic range requirements of detecting blood flow in arterioles and capillaries. To reduce angle dependency and improve flow quantification, a 25 MHz destruction/replenishment imaging mode is presented. A theoretical acoustic scattering analysis performed in the linear scattering regime for an UCA shows the possible existence of dipole resonances near 30 MHz for a 100 nm thick shell.