VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Attachment style, anxiety sensitivity and personality in the prediction of panic attacks: response to a symptom-provocation test

Anxiety Sensitivity (AS), the fear of anxiety-related sensations, is a suggested vulnerability factor in the development of Panic Disorder (PD). Individual differences in attachment security and personality have also been implicated in the expression of PD. The current study explored the relative contributions of AS, attachment and personality in the prediction of panic history and response to symptom provocation. Questionnaire data were collected from 339 undergraduates to assess history of panic symptomatology. Sixty-two individuals with no history of panic disorder were then invited to participate in a standard panic symptom induction procedure. Consistent with previous research, AS was a positive predictor of symptom severity and agoraphobic avoidance. Insecure attachment was a small but significant predictor of symptom severity and avoidance in individuals with a history of panic attacks. Contrary to previous reports, personality was the only significant predictor of response to symptom induction. Implications of these results for panic in non-clinical populations are discussed.

Keywords: Panic disorders
Agoraphobia
Attachment behavior
Anxiety sensitivity
Panic attacks
Adaptive reference generation for 1T1C ferroelectric memories

This thesis presents the design of a complete 1T1C ferroelectric memory testchip using an adaptive reference generation scheme and a time-reference read scheme. The adaptive reference generation scheme tracks the fatigue of the ferroelectric capacitors and provides equal sensing margins throughout the lifetime of the memory. The time-reference read scheme detects data based on the signal timing rather than on the voltage level. This allows for an implementation of the adaptive reference generation scheme using techniques similar to those used in timing recovery circuits. To verify the effectiveness of the adaptive reference generation scheme, a 32kbit 1T1C Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM) testchip has been designed in a 0.18μm CMOS process with a 0.35μm ferroelectric process using planar capacitors.
Inventing the Sri Lankans: Construction of ethnic identity by immigrants to Ontario

This exploratory sociological study on identity construction of Sri Lankan immigrants and their Canadian born children living in Ontario addresses three main questions: (1) the content and the nature of ethnic identification; (2) the significant differences between the observed identity types and the original Sri Lankan identity types of Sinhalese, Tamil and Burghers; and (3) the significant differences between the Canadian-born Sri Lankans and the immigrant Sri Lankans with regard to observed bases of identification.

Keywords: Ethnology, Study and teaching
Aerosol-cloud condensation nuclei closure at a semi-rural site

Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) are aerosols upon which cloud droplets nucleate. Given the importance of cloud formation to levels of incoming solar radiation and climate in general, it is essential that the aerosol-to-droplet activation process be well understood. In this study, our current understanding of cloud droplet formation is tested by comparing measured and calculated concentrations of CCN. Ambient concentrations were measured using a continuous flow thermal gradient diffusion chamber that was built and tested as a part of this work. Within uncertainties, measured concentrations are comparable to concentrations calculated using a two-component Kohler model that accounts for a varying soluble inorganic component and an insoluble organic component. Sensitivity analyses show that assumptions concerning water soluble organic compounds are not crucial but that those regarding surface tension are.
Desulphurization of hot metal and liquid steel with waste materials from the aluminum industry

Calcium aluminate fluxes have been used for the treatment of hot metal and liquid steel. These fluxes can be produced from three different raw materials: (1) high-quality bauxite, (2) residuals of aluminum dross treatment and (3) white mud from alumina production. From an environmental-friendly perspective, the latter two sources are preferred. As fluxes made from dross have already been used in industry, the main objective of this project is to examine the use of white mud as a new potential desulphurization reagent. X-Ray Diffraction and Thermogravimetric Analysis were used to study the dehydration process of white mud. Drip tests and desulphurization experiments were carried out to compare the melting rate and desulphurization performance of white mud fluxes with those of fluxes made from bauxite and dross. The results show that the white mud fluxes have the highest melting rate and the best desulphurization performance.
Overexpression of the transcription factor Zfp60 in a multipotential mesenchymal cell line and its effects on gene expression and cell differentiation potential

The mouse Zfp60 gene is a member of the tetrapod vertebrate-specific KRAB-C2H2 transcription factor family. Previous data show that Zfp60 is transiently expressed in the myogenic lineage during differentiation in vitro, as well as in the chondrogenic lineage during differentiation in vitro and during long bone development in vivo, suggesting a role for Zfp60 in regulating mesenchymal lineage decisions. To test this hypothesis, the C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal progenitor cell line was transiently transfected with Zfp60 cDNA in a CMV promoter plasmid construct. This Zfp60 overexpression model was analysed for (1) changes in mRNA steady state using oligonucleotide microarrays, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and real-time RT-PCR, and (2) changes in differentiation potential under osteogenic or adipogenic conditions, as determined by histochemical marker analysis. In the presence of Zfp60, receptor transporter protein 4 (RTP4), inducible GTPase (IGTP), interferon-inducible tetratricopeptide repeats 1 (IFIT1) and 3 (IFIT3) were up-regulated; no changes were detected in osteogenic or adipogenic potential.
Identification of differentially expressed genes in rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood. Clinical presentation of RMS is diverse with the common characteristic of skeletal muscle differentiation. Two major histologic subtypes of RMS exist, alveolar (RMS-A) and embryonal (RMS-E), each with varying clinical presentation. Despite continued improvement in multi-modal therapy, long-term survival of RMS remains 60–70% using current regimens. Molecular genetic studies in cancers have revealed a new level of understanding in tumorigenesis and have proven useful in designing novel therapeutics. Previous studies have shown that molecular genetic alterations in RMS were heterogeneous with some being subtype-associated. Since alterations of gene expression can directly lead to the onset and progression of cancer, expression analysis of RMS-A and RMS-E were studied by two different techniques: low-density cDNA expression array and Representational Difference Analysis (RDA). Using cDNA array, heterogeneous expression of paxillin was identified between RMS tumors, with an overall increased expression in RMS when compared to normal tissues. The role of paxillin, a focal adhesion protein, in RMS tumor invasion and metastasis is thus implicated. With RDA, a novel non-coding RNA, given the name NCRMS ( Non-Coding in RMS), was isolated with increased expression in RMS-A. Partial sequence identity to expressed sequence tags from various species strongly suggested functional importance, but the absence of protein-coding properties implied a mode of action at the RNA level. Alternatively spliced transcripts were also identified. NCRMS is located on chromosomal region 12g21, in-between a pair of myogenic regulators Myf5 and Myf6 and the growth factor Igf1. Striking similarity in the relative position and context of NCRMS was noted with a well-recognized non-coding gene H19 on chromosomal region 11p15. H19 is located in-between another myogenic regulator MyoD1 and the growth factor Igf2, a homolog of Igf1. Function of NCRMS may thus be postulated in relation to H19. Overall, the work in this thesis revealed additional molecular genetic alterations in RMS. These changes point to various aspects of RMS tumor development. The identification of these changes will contribute to further understanding of potential mechanisms in RMS tumorigenesis.
The role of interferon-gamma in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease is the most common cause of acquired pediatric heart disease in Canada. Stimulation of the immune system is followed by development of coronary artery lesions. Although KD is widely believed to be the result of an infectious agent, its etiology is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of IFNγ in disease pathogenesis. The kinetics of IFNγ production after disease induction was studied. RT-PCR, flow cytometry, and histology were performed on cardiac and peripheral lymphoid tissue at set time-points. In cardiac tissue, IFNγ expression was found to be biphasic. Peaks were corresponding to the first appearance of inflammatory infiltrate, and to vascular wall remodeling and aneurysm formation. The incidence of coronary arteritis was the same in IFNγ deficient and wildtype mice. Our findings demonstrate that IFNγ regulates the immune response during development of coronary arteritis, but is not required for the induction of coronary artery disease.
Fast identification of relational constraint violations

Logical constraints such as traditional integrity constraints are ubiquitous in relational databases. However, under frequent database updates, schema evolution and transformations, they can be easily violated leading to inconsistent tables and degraded data quality. We study the problem of validating collections of user defined constraints on a number of relational tables. Our primary goal is to quickly identify which tables violate such constraints. In order to enable fast identification of constraint violations, we propose to build and maintain Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) as specialized logical indices on the relational tables. We propose efficient algorithms to construct and maintain such indices in a space efficient manner, and describe a set of query re-write rules that aid in the efficient utilization of logical indices during constraint validation. Our results indicate that utilizing our techniques for constraint validation offers very significant performance advantages.
Chinese-English bilinguals' theory-of-mind development

Results from Multivariate Analysis of Covariance showed that bilinguals are more advanced in their cognitive as well as theory-of-mind development after the effects of 3 covariates (age, verbal and nonverbal abilities) were taken into account. Further analysis with Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regressions suggested that bilinguals' advantage in theory-of-mind development mostly hinges on their advantage in cognitive development (e.g., inhibitory control, reasoning, and metalinguistic awareness). Educational implications as well as suggestions for further studies were also discussed. This study investigated Chinese-English bilinguals' theory-of-mind development. It draws on the literatures of two related areas of research of young children's development: children's theory of mind and childhood bilingualism. The present study planned to verify the following statement: Bilinguals are more advanced in their cognitive as well as theory-of-mind development. The aim was achieved by comparing 31 balanced bilingual preschoolers' and 29 monolingual preschoolers' performance on 3 cognitive tasks and 4 theory-of-mind tasks. The 3 cognitive tasks employed included 1 reasoning task (Dimensional Change Card Sort Task) and 2 metalinguistic awareness tasks (Moving Word Task and Synonym Production Task).

Keywords: Bilingualism in children
Children of immigrants, Language
Children of immigrants, Ontario
Philosophy of mind in children
Chinese language, Ontario
Method of variations of potential of quasi-periodic Schröedinger equation

We study the one-dimensional discrete quasi-periodic Schrodinger equation -4n+1-4 n-1+lVx+nw 4n=E4 n, nZ In Part 1, we show that given any C 1 potential V, for large coupling constant lambda, the Lyapunov exponent L(w, E) is positive for most frequencies w and energies E. Furthermore, the eigenfunction (n) decay exponentially. To account for all the energies, we introduce the notion of variations of potential in Part II, and use it to define "typical" potential. We show that for "typical" C3 potential V, if the coupling constant is large, then for most frequencies, the Lyapunov exponent is positive for all energies E.
Creation and characterization of mutant nuclear receptors with altered dimerization properties

The retinoid X receptor (RXR) forms heterodimers with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and other nuclear receptors. The goal of this project is to alter the dimerization specificity of these heterodimers by means of mutagenesis. Two residues, corresponding to human RXRalpha E390 and K417, contribute to two salt-bridges essential for dimerization. I hypothesized that charge-reversal mutations of these residues would alter dimerization specificity. These results demonstrate the essential role of E390 and K417 for the dimerization specificity of the RXR/PPAR heterodimer. Hence, it may be possible to apply similar mutations to alter dimerization specificity of other RXR heterodimers. Results based on the RXR/PPAR heterodimer show that the K417E mutants of RXR and PPAR fail to heterodimerize with wild-type partners (PPAR and RXR, respectively), while replacing the wild-type partners with E390K mutants restore heterodimerization. However, unlike K417E, the E390K mutants remain able to form heterodimer with their corresponding wild-type partners.
Narratives of ethnic identity: experiences of first-generation Chinese Canadian students

Participant observations and interviews with students, teachers, parents, and other members of the Bay Street School community were conducted over a period of three and a half years. This research is embedded in ongoing related work examining diversity and culture in the Bay Street School context. Fieldnotes written following school visits were transcribed and filed into an archival system. This work is derived from Connelly and Clandinin's work on narrative inquiry. My autobiography as a first generation Chinese Canadian provided an important framework for this study. Children of Chinese immigrant families may experience a sometimes confusing mix of influences. My research is aimed at examining their ethnic identity in a school context. I conducted a long-term narrative inquiry of the experiences of first generation Chinese Canadian students in their classroom and elementary school context to examine ethnic identity in relation to Chinese customs, English and Chinese language proficiency, physical appearance, and length of residence in Canada. I also explored the "harmonies and tensions" (Clandinin Connelly, 2002) of the inclusion of culturally sensitive curriculum events on the Bay Street School landscape. A narrative approach contributes to an understanding of the role of schooling in shaping a sense of ethnic identity and the complexities of multicultural education. Through detailed examination of selected school events, such as the Chinese Ribbon Dance and the Boyne River field trip, teacher and student experiences revealed complexities that were not initially apparent. Curriculum development and implementation involve the intersection of teacher, student, and parent beliefs, and may evolve in ways not anticipated because individual experiences shape interpretation of curriculum events in very different ways. Through these analyses, I was able to show the extent to which ethnic identity may change over time and take on different characteristics in different situations. This study suggests possibilities for a pre-service Teacher Education curriculum for diversity.

Keywords: Chinese, Ontario
Chinese, Ethnic identity
Chinese, Ontario
Women immigrants, Ontario
Children of immigrants, Ontario
Reconciliation and balance: resolving conflicts between Charter rights and aboriginal and treaty rights within the Canadian constitutional framework

Although s. 25 of the Constitution Act 1982, contemplates conflicts between Charter rights and Aboriginal and treaty rights, it is unclear how such conflicts should be resolved. In this thesis, I have extrapolated legal principles from other constitutional contexts, in which there has been greater case law development, to develop an appropriate framework to address such conflicts. Principles relevant to resolving such conflicts are the protection of minorities, substantive equality and the reconciliation of pre-existing Aboriginal societies with Crown sovereignty. These principles are extrapolated from the context of conflicting Charter rights, conflicting group right and Charter right, and from the purpose of s. 35 Aboriginal and treaty rights. Other relevant constitutional principles are that rights are not absolute and there is no hierarchy of rights. A two-step framework is developed incorporating these principles to resolve conflicting Charter and s. 35 rights.

Keywords: Indians of North America, Legal status, laws, etc
Indians of North America, Canada
Indigenous peoples, Legal status, laws, etc
Indigenous peoples, Canada
Indigenous peoples, Government relations
Indigenous peoples, Canada
Constitutional law, Canada
Torsional fatigue profiles of ProTaper nickel-titanium rotary instruments

The torsional fatigue profiles of the original ProTaper ® F2, F3 and ProTaper® Universal F2, F3, F4, F5 nickel-titanium rotary instruments were determined using a reversible geared motor assembled according a modification of ANSI/ADA Specification No. 28. The motor was programmed to continuously deflect to a set deflection angle (DA) and then return to zero (rest) until instrument fracture occurred. Ten instruments of each size were tested at various DAs. The mean number of cycles to fracture and standard deviation were determined for each DA. All instruments cycled at larger DAs demonstrated fewer cycles to fracture than those cycled at smaller DAs. The ProTaper® Universal F2 and F3 instruments had a significant reduction in torsional fatigue at each tested DA compared to the original ProTaper® F2 and F3 instruments. Torsional fatigue is only one mode whereby a nickel-titanium rotary instrument may fracture.
Epigenetic regulation of cytokine-inducible gene expression in vascular endothelial cells

The vascular endothelium is an important target of cytokines. Previously, studies have focused on identifying the cis- and trans-factors involved in cytokine-inducible gene transcription in the vascular endothelium. However, chromatin and not simply naked DNA is the physiological substrate for the transcriptional machinery. Here, we investigated whether epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the transcriptional regulation of NOS2A and VCAM1, two cytokine-inducible genes regulated by similar trans-factors but with reciprocal expression profiles in activated endothelial cells. First, we present evidence that the hyporesponsiveness of the human NOS2A gene in endothelial cells is based, in part, on epigenetic silencing. Our data support a model in which hypermethylation of CpG dinucleotides, binding of MeCP2, and H3 lysine 9 methylation of the nucleosomes at the proximal promoter render NOS2A transcriptionally inert in endothelial cells. This contrasts with the absence of CpG and lysine 9 methylation in inducible cell types. Intriguingly, our results suggest that differential DNA methylation of the human and mouse iNOS promoters contributes to the marked difference in their inducibility. Our studies indicate that human NOS2A gene duplication and the accumulation of high-copy repetitive sequences at the NOS2A locus may be relevant to the divergence in iNOS epigenetic states between humans and rodents. Overall, our work defines a role for chromatin-based mechanisms in the control of iNOS induction. Next, we demonstrate that promoter DNA methylation and histone modifications play a role in the tissue-specific expression of VCAM-1 in endothelial cells. Intriguingly, our studies have shown that in a homogeneous population of HUVEC cells, genetically identically cells differ in their VCAM1 DNA methylation patterns, resulting in stochastic VCAM-1 induction in the absence of genetic heterogeneity. This is the first identification of an endogeneous metastable epiallele in the human genome. Another major finding is that dynamic nucleosome removal and reassembly at the VCAM1 core promoter are concurrent with RNA polymerase II recruitment and VCAM-1 mRNA induction. This is the first demonstration of a role for nucleosome removal upon promoter activation of an inducible gene in higher eukaryotes. Collectively, this thesis furthers our understanding of chromatin-based control of cytokineinducible gene expression in the vascular endothelium.
Tariff-based differentiated services networks

Quality of Service (QoS) is essential for smooth operations for real-time multimedia applications. Thus, a scalable QoS network architecture, known as Differentiated Services, is proposed. However, Differentiated Services cannot guarantee end-to-end QoS demanded by multimedia applications. To address the issue, this thesis presents a framework, Tariff-based Differentiated Services (T-DS) that provides the following functionalities: Firstly, T-DS allows applications to negotiate on network resource reservation with the networks. Secondly, T-DS enables the network authority to request running applications to adapt their sending rates for the sake of improving network efficiency. Thirdly, T-DS provides a mechanism for applications to perform real-time re-negotiation on existing reservation. Finally, T-DS maximizes users' benefits by taking monetary consideration, and uses pricing as a means of network congestion control. A new protocol, known as Service Bidding Protocol, is proposed for T-DS's operations. A prototype based upon T-DS has been built, and its functionalities and efficiency are demonstrated.
Distributed threshold RSA schemes

The intent of this thesis is to review the recent results in distributed threshold RSA schemes and propose three improvements that are needed in practice. First, a new method of using Reed-Solomon codes to add traceability is proposed. A threshold signature scheme is an anonymous scheme. That is, after a signature is generated, it is impossible to trace who signed the signature from a group of possible signers. The proposed method maintains the anonymity of the signers to the public while a group manger, if called upon, can identify the signers of a signature. Second, a randomization technique on the traceable signature is considered. This creates signatures that are resistent to replay attacks where an adversary can present message signature pairs signed by the group at a later time. Lastly, a new multi-group signature scheme is proposed where groups with different level of authority can generate threshold signatures.