VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Quantitation of lymphatic drainage of the central nervous system in sheep

In both sheep and rats, multiple lymphatic drainage pathways for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exist along the central nervous system (CNS) axis, but a major route involves clearance through the cervical vessels (Boulton et al., 1996; Boulton et al., 1998c). To determine the relative roles of arachnoid villi and lymphatics in the clearance of a CSF tracer we compared the plasma recovery of intraventricularly administered 125I or 131I human serum albumin (HSA) before and after lymphatic interruption. Approximately one half of the protein tracer transported from the CSF compartment into plasma was removed by extracranial lymphatics in both species (Boulton et al., 1997; Boulton et al., 1998c). Nonetheless, tracer recovery studies can be problematic. The transport of a CSF tracer to the plasma complicates measurements of the CSF tracer in lymph since the HSA that was transported from the CSF into plasma by the arachnoid villi would filter back into the lymphatic compartment resulting in an overestimate of the lymphatic contribution to CSF absorption. Arachnoid villi drainage values would also be underestimated. To overcome this problem, we developed a mathematical model that permitted estimates of volumetric CSF absorption into lymphatics using tracer recovery data in sheep. An important element in the design of the model was the ability to correct the recovery data for errors introduced by filtration. Volumetric CSF absorption by extracranial lymphatic vessels was conservatively estimated at 40-48% of the total volume of CSF absorbed from the cranial compartment (Boulton et al., 1998a). Additionally, lymphatic drainage rates of CSF were found to increase with elevations in intracranial pressure (Boulton et al., 1998b).
The interpenetration of Buddhist practice and classroom teaching

The central question posed in this thesis was whether there is an interpenetration of influences between the practice of Buddhism and teaching in a classroom at the elementary and high school levels; and if there is, what is the nature of that interpenetration. The question arose from the author's experience as a Buddhist practitioner and a teacher. Anecdotal evidence and what little literature exists in the field suggested that influences do exist, and that spiritual practice in general, and Buddhism in particular, can be of assistance to teachers in their professional lives. However, no research had been carried out examining in detail the actual lived experience of teacher/practitioners. As was discussed in the narratives, the benefits were not limited to teaching alone, but rather helped to dissolve the conceptual barriers that segment life experience, thereby benefiting all aspects of life. The narratives of the teacher/practitioners provided a rich and detailed description of the many ways the interpenetration manifests. The major themes included the centrality of the actual spiritual practices, along with other aspects of the teachers' life experience which served to support the practices. Community, study, facing professional challenges, and accepting and working with difficult life experiences were examples of some of the major supporting aspects. Teaching was examined as a profession particularly suited to the application of spirituality. The unique responsibility of the profession, with all of the challenges involved in helping young people to grow and mature, was seen to lend itself to the fostering of states of mind and ways of relating to environments that are resonant with spirituality. The presence of both the challenges that demand compassion, gentleness, energy and many other qualities that were also be seen to be developed through spiritual practice, and of a professional tradition that helps support teachers in their development, was seen to make of teaching a good career for a spiritual practitioner.
Regulation and perturbations of the p21 cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor in human cancer

p21/WAF1/CIP1/SDI1 is a putative tumour suppressor gene which may be targeted during carcinogenesis as a mechanism of evading the G1/S checkpoint. To test the hypothesis that primary human tumours have mutations in the p21 gene, which propagate the carcinogenic process, primary breast and sarcoma tumour specimens were examined for alterations in the p21 gene. Unique or acquired somatic mutations were not observed, indicating that they are not selected for during the carcinogenic process; however, two p21 sequence variants were detected. The variants occur together in apparently unaffected individuals at a frequency of 10.7%. The frequency of the variant allele (4.1%) was found to be significantly lower in DNA from people that have tumours with p53 mutations (p = 0.006) in comparison to tumours without p53 mutations (20.4%). These data suggest that the occurrence of the variants may have a direct effect on tumour development and may, in some cases, be incompatible with p53 mutations. 'In vitro' experiments from many laboratories have demonstrated that down regulation of p21 gene expression leads to the loss of normal growth suppression, differentiation, and senescence in neoplastic cells. We investigated the issue of p53-independent regulation and deregulation of p21 mRNA levels with particular emphasis on the putative role of the two variants. To accomplish this, we examined the regulation of p21 mRNA and protein expression under various conditions both 'in vivo' and 'in vitro'. This 'in vitro' system was then used to test the effects of the two variants on the post-transcriptional regulation of p21 expression. We observed that the two different p21 alleles were expressed at the same rate after induction and decayed at the same rate after transcription has stopped. The genetic differences observed between the two different alleles of p21 are not caused by changes in p21 mRNA stability, however effects on protein stability could not be ruled out. Identification of the mechanism by which a variant form of the p21 gene could modify the risk of cancer will. have wide reaching impact on understanding and management of human cancer.
Marginal literature, the overseas Chinese writers' self-images in exile

Overseas Chinese literature, a form of marginal literature, has emerged under these circumstances: the exile's complex state of mind, the ambiguity of modern Chinese nationness, and the influences of Western imperialism. It is the literature at margin that is both neglected by Chinese conventions and unrecognized in the foreign host country. Its struggles for recognition and identity are often reflected in the overseas writers' self-images in exile. The main focus of my thesis is therefore on the tragic sense of marginal writers' self-images in their work while in exile will be emphasized. I will concentrate on the continuity of the ancient exiled poet, Qu Yuan, whose tragic sense of life is projected in the self-images of two contemporary overseas writers, Zhang Cuo and Wang Dingjun. It is presented as a case study in the overseas Chinese writers' search for meaning and identity enclosed in their tragic yet heroic self-image of exile.
Polymer and surfactant self-assembled films studies by atomic force microscopy

This thesis deals with the mesoscopic structure of self-assembled polymer and surfactant films and how it relates to macroscopic properties of wettability. Mesoscopic structure is defined as the regime between molecular, and macroscopic, with a typical scale of nanometers to a few microns. Polymer and surfactant films were prepared with varying mesostructure, and the morphology of the films was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Static contact angles were then obtained in an effort to explore the effects that differing morphologies have on wettability. The particular films studied were solvent cast homopolymer, blend, and diblock copolymer films of polystyrene (PS) and polyethyleneoxide (PEO), and the surfactant used was octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS). Several substrates were used including mica, fined silica, and silicon for the polymer films, and mica for the OTS. It was found that it was possible to prepare PS-PEO films with a diverse array of morphologies. A relatively new technique, phase detection imaging (PDI), is discussed as it relates to the interpretation of film morphology The contact angle measurements performed on the films proved to be very sensitive to the quality of the film. Finally, the polymer films and some films of OTS on mica were examined using phase detection imaging to try to gain insight into the origin of the phase contrast and to determine the best parameters to use in this imaging technique.
Alternative representation of women and mental illness, Im-patients in The waiting room

This thesis inquires into how Popular theatre functions to create alternative representations to dominant discourse. It is contextualized in the writer's work on a community-based play about women and mental illness, 'The Waiting Room'. An analysis of how narratives function to. resist socially constituted identities is central. The role of the teacher/facilitator in structuring storytelling and collective theatre is examined and the agency of participants is emphasized. The thesis proposes that representing illness and wellness on a continuum, rather than as a dualism, is important in reframing how mental illness is understood and experienced. The gendering of mental illness is considered as occurring at two levels: metaphorically in the connection made between passion or unreason and essentialist notions of the feminine, concretely in the differing experiences of women and men in the mental health care system. In performance, 'The Waiting Room' suggested alternatives to stereotypical images of mentally ill women.
Vietnamese teachers' conceptions of teaching and learning

The objective of this study is to describe the models of learners' minds and learning held by Vietnamese teachers. It is an attempt to understand the folk pedagogy (Olson & Bruner, 1996) that teachers espoused amidst educational reform in Vietnam. Using qualitative research methods, 19 fourth grade teachers from four elementary schools in Hanoi were interviewed about their approaches to and perspectives on teaching and learning. Three models of learning underlie the teachers' views: the learner-centred model, the didactic model, and the imitative learning model. The first model is congruent with the principles behind the current teaching reform in Vietnam's elementary school system. However, the latter two models are more fundamental and elaborate in the teachers' thinking. Discussion includes reflection upon the research process.
The Chinese technocratic leadership, a case study of the municipal leadership of Shanghai in the reform era

This dissertation is a case study of the changing composition and characteristics of the Chinese leadership in Shanghai since the mid-1980s. Currently dominated by party technocrats with little revolutionary experience, Shanghai leadership reflects the shift to a market-oriented reform and opening-up and a more pluralistic form of socioeconornic development. The case study suggests that the new political technocratic leadership significantly differs from its Mao-era revolutionary predecessors, and is capable of conducting China's long-awaited reform and modernization. This study addresses two fundamental, interlocking questions: Who are these party technocrats? And what are the distinguishing features of the Chinese technocratic leadership? The existing scholarly literature on the Chinese political elite has established that the new political elite can be clearly distinguished from their revolutionary predecessors in terms of socio-political traits, particularly revolutionary experience and educational attainment. But studies have yet to define the functional characteristics of the new leadership. The importance of this lacuna becomes dear from the recent debate over whether the new Chinese leadership is a technocracy or a political technocracy. This study attempts to investigate the functional as well as socio-political characteristics of the new leadership. It also touches upon a series of important issues such as the legitimacy, authority, and political implications of the Chinese technocratic leadership. Based on primary and secondary sources, this dissertation examines the three main aspects of the political and administrative leadership of Shanghai in the reform era: personnel, institution, and collective conduct. The research focus is on the top echelon of the municipal leadership. The Mao-era leadership is surveyed so as to provide historical background and a basis for comparison. Post-1980 leadership transformations are then probed. The bulk of the dissertation focuses on the characteristics of the new elite, including an inquiry into their general socio-political traits and profiling of the six senior municipal leaders since 1985. In addition, two case studies of municipal leadership performance in the challenging and critical areas--urban planning and reconstruction and housing policy-making--aim to shed further fight on the new leadership's functional characteristics. The dissertation concludes that in a changing communist state, the communist-technocratic leaders, modern, cosmopolitan, and nationalist, are a driving force for institutionalization and rationalization, the principal agents of science and technology, promoting pragmatism, market-oriented reform, and modernization. The new leadership this dissertation argues is better characterized as a political technocracy rather than a technocracy.
The comorbid relationship of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents

The relationship of anxiety and depression was investigated in a sample of nonreferred East-European children aged 11 to 16. Using self-report data, confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to determine if a Three Factor (Tripartite) Model of anxiety and depression provided a better fit to the data than a One or Two Factor Model. Age and gender differences in anxious and depressive symptomology were also examined, along with evidence that anxiety predates depression. Results indicated that the One and Two Factor Models provided a better fit to the data than the Three Factor Model. Few age differences in anxious and depressive symptoms were found, although there was a significant age by gender interaction, with more older females reporting higher levels of depression than males. There was no evidence to support the hypothesized temporal relationship between anxiety and depression. Contrary to expectations, a significant age difference between anxious and depressed children was not found. In addition, significant differences in the anxiety and depression scores of both groups of children were reported. The implications of these findings, as well as the limitations of the study and the directions for future work in the area are discussed.
Architecture and CAD for speed and area optimization of FPGAs

In the thirteen years since their introduction, Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have become one of the most popular implementation media for digital circuits. Their programmability has been the key to the success of FPGAs, but this programmability also makes them ten times larger and three times slower than Masked Programmed Gate Arrays (MPGAs). This thesis investigates three aspects of FPGA architecture in order to find ways to reduce these speed and area penalties. Our investigation method is experimental--we technology map, place and route circuits in each architecture of interest and measure the resulting speed and density of the circuit. To enable this architectural exploration, we create new, flexible Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools to perform logic block packing, placement and routing into a wide variety of FPGA architectures. These CAD tools incorporate new algorithms that result in better result quality than previous approaches, and their 'flexibility' enables rapid exploration of radically different FPGA architectures in a way that was not previously possible. The three FPGA architectural issues we investigate are global routing architecture, cluster-based logic blocks, and detailed routing architecture. In the global routing architecture investigation, we determine how FPGA architects can best allocate wiring tracks to the various channels within an FPGA. We show that an island-style FPGA should make all channels the same width, while a row-based FPGA should make the horizontal channels twice as wide as the vertical channels. We also find that an island-style FPGA has 5% better area-efficiency than a row-based FPGA. In our investigation of cluster-based logic blocks, we show that any logic block composed of a cluster of one to ten look-up tables has reasonable area-efficiency. The absolute best area-efficiencies are obtained by logic blocks with 1 or with 4 look-up tables per logic block. As well, we found that the number of look-up tables in a logic block must be considered when choosing other FPGA parameters, such as the flexibility of the logic block--routing interface. Finally, we examine different detailed routing architectures--that is, how long the various wires in an FPGA should be, and how they should be interconnected. We found that it is important for FPGA routing to contain both tri-state buffers and pass transistor switches. While most commercial FPGAs use many very long and very short wires, we found that routing architectures composed of medium length lines are superior. We found that such routing architectures are 11-18% faster and require only 0-6% more area than a routing architecture modelled after that of a top-selling commercial FPGA, despite being considerably simpler.
Extracellular matrix affects mesangial cell phenotype, effect of collagen type I and heparin on mesangial cell proliferation and contractility

Accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in renal disease is accompanied by a switch in mesangial cell (MC) phenotypes. From quiescent they become proliferative, from contractile they become hypocontractile, and accumulate proteoglycans (PG) and collagen type I (collagen) among other ECM components. Heparin, a glycosaminoglycan related to heparan sulfate PGs, and collagen both suppress MC proliferation. We tested the hypothesis that heparin and collagen regulate MC phenotypes by affecting intracellular kinase cascades. Compared with growth on plastic, Matrigel, or mesangial matrix, collagen decreased cell number, total DNA per culture, mitogenic response, and 'c-fos ' induction. Intact collagen was required for these effects. Soluble collagen fragments were ineffective. Collagen decreased activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) by phorbol ester (TPA) or serum, or of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMK)-II by ionomycin. Loss of PKC activity upon trypsinization was restored in cells attached to plastic but not in cells on collagen. Collagen inhibited global phosphorylation of tyrosine in contrast to cells on plastic. Compared with plastic, cells grown on collagen were more contractile, showed a higher Ca2+ signal, and faster endothelin-1-dependent (ET-1) myosin light-chain (MLC) phosphorylation. Heparin suppressed the serum-dependent mitogenic response and inhibited the serum-stimulated entry of extracellular Ca2+ similarly to verapamil. Serum- and TPA-dependent or Ca 2+-dependent 'c-fos' induction in MCs appear to be suppressed by the ability of heparin to suppress MAPK or CaMK-II activation, respectively. MAPK activation elicited by serum or TPA was suppressed by heparin. Intracellular Ca2+ chelation prevented ionomycin-dependent ' c-fos' induction. KT-5926 and KN-93 inhibited 'c-fos' induction by ionomycin but not by serum or TPA. Heparin suppressed the development of autonomous CaMK-II activity but did not inhibit total CaMK-II activity or activation of CaMK-II 'in vitro'. Heparin did not affect MLC phosphorylation or MC contractility. Thus, while collagen increased ET-1-dependent MC contraction, heparin was without effect. These results demonstrate that both heparin and collagen suppress MC mitogenic responsiveness by affecting ' c-fos' induction and activation of MAPK and CaMK-II, and do so without compromising MC contractility.
The ecology of pollen limitation, comparative and experimental approaches

Comparative and experimental approaches were used to explore factors contributing to pollen limitation in flowering plants. First, a comparative analysis of 224 species was conducted to test predictions concerning the association between eight floral and ecological traits and the intensity of pollen limitation. Whether or not the phylogenetic relationships among taxa were considered, the capacity to self-fertilize, short plant life spans, the presence of nectar and occurrence in temperate regions were associated with reduced pollen limitation. Second, intense pollen limitation was shown in Ontario populations of ' Rhexia virginica' (Melastomataceae). Its poricidal anthers and low bumblebee visitation rates contributed to limited pollen removal from anthers, which provided a mechanism for levels of pollen limitation observed. Lastly, aspects of the reproductive biology of distylous 'Primula mistassinica ' (Primulaceae) were compared in island and mainland populations located on Lake Huron shorelines. Insularity had less influence on reproductive biology than proximate ecological factors within populations.