VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Design of an optical access engine for combustion research

Previous research has shown that direct injection of natural gas in a compression ignition engine is not feasible without some form of ignition-assist device. The placement of the ignition assist device and the injector nozzle design, among other combustion chamber configuration considerations, are of paramount importance towards the attainment of consistent and reliable combustion. An engine with optical access to the combustion chamber was designed to visualise the in-cylinder events and to evaluate the effectiveness of various combustion chamber configurations ('e.g'., the location of the ignition-assist device). Due to the difficulty in modifying the combustion chamber configuration inside the optical engine, a combustion bomb was developed as a preliminary tool to screen various combustion chamber configurations to be employed in the optical access engine. A laser shadowgraph system was developed for visualisation of gaseous injection and the air-fuel mixing process. The images produced by the shadowgraph system were captured using an ICCD detector and were subsequently analysed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
A comparison of 3-dimensional calcium phosphate scaffolds for candidate bone tissue engineering constructs

Many materials are available for osseous repair of which calcium phosphates (CP) are generally considered materials of choice, and have been adopted as scaffolds for the restoration of bone stock through bone 'tissue engineering ' (TE) strategies. However, the ideal CP scaffold for a bone TE construct has yet to be found. It was hypothesized that one essential criterion for a successful CP-TE scaffold is a fully interconnecting macroporosity that would permit three dimensional tissue growth. Thus, five different types of porous CP scaffolds, obtained from Zimmer International Inc., CAM Implants, and School of Materials Engineering, Yeungnam University, Korea, ['CPP'], having different macroporosities, were investigated for their suitability as TE constructs. The highest degree of interconnecting macroporosity was found in the CPP scaffold-types. The Zimmer and CAM Implant scaffolds possessed macropores but little, or no, interconnecting macroporosity. All CPs supported bone growth ' in vitro'. However, the CPP scaffolds demonstrated bone growth throughout their porous network, while bone growth was on the Zimmer and CAM Implant scaffolds was restricted to their outer surfaces.
Siblings of children with autism, psychological adjustment and the evaluation of group intervention

The present study1 examined whether siblings of children with autism were at risk for experiencing psychosocial adjustment difficulties, and whether severity of the child's disability and siblings' knowledge of autism were related to siblings' adjustment. This study also systematically evaluated the effectiveness of a sibling support group. Participants included 31 siblings of children with autism, between ages 6 to 16, that received group intervention. Results indicated that these siblings exhibited significantly more internalizing problems than average, but did not show more externalizing behaviours, total problem behaviours, or poor self-concepts. In this group, there were no significant relationships between severity of the child's disability and siblings' knowledge of autism with siblings' psychosocial adjustment. However, siblings did significantly improve their self-concepts and knowledge of autism from the beginning to the end of the sibling support group. Clinical implications are discussed and directions for future research are presented. 1These data were collected as part of the ongoing study, "Sibling Groups for Siblings of Autistic Children" of the Treatment, Research and Education for Autism and Developmental Disorders (TRE-ADD) Program at Thistletown Regional Centre, investigated by Dr. Adrienne Perry and her collaborators.
The control of salivary glands in the stick insect, carausius morosus

Immunohistochemistry in Carausius morosus reveals that the salivary glands are innervated by two paired neurons, the SN1 and SN2, located in the suboesophageal ganglion. The SN1 stain for tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity, while the SN2 stain for serotonin-like immunoreactivity. Dopamine and serotonin cause a dose-dependent increase in cyclic AMP levels in the salivary glands, indicating cyclic AMP may play a role as a second messenger. A partial pharmacological profile of the receptor shows that the dopamine receptors are similar to vertebrate D$\sb1$-like receptors, while the serotonin receptors are similar to vertebrate 5HT$\sb2$ or 5HT$\sb7$ receptors. Electrical stimulation of the salivary nerve also elevates cyclic AMP levels in the salivary glands, an elevation that can be partially inhibited by 0.1 mM SCH-23390 and cyproheptadine. Immunohistochemistry also reveals that the salivary glands of Carausius receive GABA-like immunoreactive projections from the salivary nerve. The GABA-like immunoreactive axon branches over the acini, where many varicosities are seen along the length of the axon. GABA potentiates dopamine-induced increases in cyclic AMP content of the salivary glands, although it has no intrinsic activity. The potentiation is completely blocked when the salivary glands are preincubated in 2 $\times$ 10$\sp{-4}$M 2-hydroxysaclofen, a potent GABA$\sb{\rm B}$ channel blocker. It would appear that GABA may serve as a neuromodulator in the salivary glands of Carausius.
Study of the effects of fly ash on alkali-silica reaction in concrete

It is generally accepted that low-calcium fly ashes (Class F) are more effective than higher-calcium fly ashes (Class C) in suppressing expansion due to alkali-silica reaction (ASR). This thesis presents the findings of five separate studies. The intent of these studies was to examine the relationship between fly ash composition and level of replacement and various fundamental aspects of ASR such as expansion, pore solution composition, hydrate composition, and the nature of reaction products. In addition, the role of calcium in reaction and expansion was investigated to provide insight into the mechanisms of expansion and the suppression of expansion. Ternary blends using combinations of fly ash and silica fume were studied as a viable solution to providing adequate protection from ASR. Finally, a microstructural examination by scanning electron microscopy was conducted to provide insight into the effect of fly ash on the distribution, composition, and morphology of reaction products in concrete specimens. It was determined that fly ash's CaO content and level of replacement influence its ability to mitigate expansion due to ASR. Generally, reductions in expansion and pore solution alkalinity were observed with decreasing lime contents and increasing replacement levels. Pore solution alkalinity was found to be a governing mechanism in ASR expansion, especially at 25% replacement. The influence of other factors, such as ash composition, was more marked at 50% replacement. Effective suppression of expansion was observed for all ashes, regardless of composition, at 70% replacement. Combinations of fly ash and silica fume to effectively suppress ASR expansion is viable. It was demonstrated using mortar bar tests and microscopy that the availability of Ca(OH) 2 is necessary to produce damaging reaction.
Estimation and testing of structural parametric sealed-bid auctions

In this thesis I examine various aspects of structural parametric sealed-bid auctions. Structural models are attractive to estimate because they allow the econometrician to recover the parameters of the private signals of the bidders. These parameters can be used to simulate different auction forms enabling a seller to compare her expected revenue from these and determine which one is optimal. Estimation and testing of structural parametric auction models is difficult since the support of the data depends on the parameters of the distribution of the private signals of the bidders; standard asymptotic theory breaks down in this scenario. This thesis takes a Bayesian approach to estimation and testing of structural auction models since the Bayesian approach is unaffected by the dependence of the support on the parameters. In the first chapter, I develop a posterior odds ratio method to decide whether the symmetric parametric structural common-value or the independent private-values model is more probable once data on winning bids is observed. This method is applied to the low-price, sealed-bid auctions conducted by the Indian Oil Corporation to purchase crude-oil from the international market. In the first chapter I had data on winning bids across auctions; I was unable to obtain data on bids. In the second chapter I examine whether an empirical researcher is 'always' losing expected information about the parameters of the distribution of the private signals of the bidders when she has data only on winning bids across auctions. I then provide a ' link' between the loss of expected information in having data on just the winning bids instead of all the bids, and specification of reference priors under the two scenarios. In the third chapter I provide a statistical analysis of the bidding decision of the sawmills participating in the sales conducted by the county of Simcoe in Southern Ontario for standing timber in the woodlots that it owns. These auctions violate key assumptions made in Chapters 1 and 2: a ' single', indivisible object is auctioned; bidders are symmetric and they bid 'competitively'.
Performance management systems as an enabler or inhibitor to learning in organizations

One of the most prevalent and influential systems in organizations today is the performance management system. This thesis examines the impact of the major process components of this system on individual, team and organizational learning in three Canadian organizations--Xerox Canada, Northern Telecom Ltd. and De Havilland Inc. Data was collected using a combination of focus groups and interviews which were then sorted and analyzed using a grounded theory methodology. The primary finding from this research is that systemic factors in performance management systems have a significant affect on individual and team learning in organizations. These systemic factors create the environmental conditions, including infrastructures and processes, that allow learning enablers to emerge and learning to occur. There was insufficient data to determine the link to organizational learning.
Collaborative dialogues in the zone of proximal development, grade eight French immersion students learning the conditional tense

This research investigates how focusing on the linguistic form and meaning of the French conditional during collaborative dialogues (CDs) improves the accuracy of learners' second language. A sociocultural framework, based on the work of Vygotsky (1978), is used to observe the development of second language learning (SLL) of four dyads in a grade 8 French immersion classroom. The research questions follow: (1) Do students within their respective ZPDs demonstrate internalization (self-regulation) of the French conditional following intervention to address its use in hypothetical contexts? (2) What linguistic knowledge do peers co-construct during CDs (other-regulation) related to the conditional? (3) During other-regulation do peers co-construct accurate linguistic knowledge related to the conditional? This descriptive classroom-based study involves a pretest, posttest, delayed-posttest design, with two samples of eight students, one in a study group and one in a comparison group. The dialogues of four dyads were transcribed during the course of a 4-week teaching unit. Evidence of the product and process of learning is sought through various tests and peer dialogues. The study group outperformed the comparison group on all five measures of the original teaching unit's tests (Day, Collins, Rioux, & 1989) at posttesting. In addition, tailor-made test items based on each dyad's dialogues were designed. A feature of the study was to match up identical conditionals from these tests with pretest items from the unit's tests. The study group showed progress from pretesting to posttesting and maintained high scores during delayed-posttesting on these identical conditionals. The peer talk was analyzed in two ways. First, the content was analyzed in relation to conditional-related episodes (CREs). The linguistic information the peers provided to each other in 345 CREs was divided into three categories: formal features (39%), tense selection (39%) and lexical meaning (23%). Second, there was an in-depth qualitative examination of two CRXs (including one or more CREs). The dialogues and tests of two learners were analyzed using the five levels of transition in the ZPD (Aljaafreh & Lantolf, 1994) and in relation to Swain's output hypothesis (1985; 1997) to describe the learning of the conditional. The interactional data combined with the test data provide evidence suggesting that these learners can and do resolve linguistic problems by jointly constructing linguistic knowledge during their CDs and applying this knowledge in subsequent SL use.
Cooling characteristics and thermal properties of kraft recovery boiler smelt

An accurate prediction of smelt thermal state is crucial in the cooling of kraft recovery boiler smelt in order to prevent smelt-water explosion and shorten the cooling time. The smelt cooling process was systematically investigated in this study. A laboratory-scale experimental apparatus was constructed and used to conduct field experiments in a kraft mill with a running decanting floor recovery boiler. The molten smelt samples were collected from a smelt spout, and cooled in the experimental apparatus. By measuring the internal temperature histories, the cooldown characteristics were obtained and analyzed. The results showed that smelt cooling involves a slow heat transfer process and is mainly controlled by the rate of heat conduction within the smelt interior due to the low thermal conductivity of smelt. A transient 3-dimensional heat transfer model was also developed to analyze and predict the smelt cooling process. The results showed reasonably good agreement with the experimental data. Both experimental and simulation results indicated that the thermal conductivity of frozen smelt is well around 0.6 W/m°C.
Refiner mechanical pulping of kenaf

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), consisting of two fibrous components, long fiber bark and short fiber core, is being promoted because of its high fiber quality. The objective of this research is to analyze the fundamental aspects of kenaf refiner mechanical pulping (RMP) to provide scientific information on the behaviour of non-woods for newsprint production particularly in countries experiencing wood shortfall. The data obtained from the refining of bark containing 22% core (bark22) at various consistencies and raw material soaking temperature indicate that the temperature had no effect on pulp properties except on the fibrization energy. Kenaf RMP properties indicate that the tear and burst indices are better than the kenaf thermomechanical pulp (TMP) as reported earlier. Bark22 RMP has shown better strength properties than black spruce RMP, while bark RMP is superior to black spruce TMP. Core refined separately provides a soft, bulky and poorly bonded sheet; thus core refining needs to be modified to enhance its papermaking properties. Strength and surface properties can be further improved if the percentage of unrefined core fibers and bundles are reduced considerably by modifying refiner plate pattern. Kenaf and bark22 pulps have shown high bleaching efficiency and can be bleached to the newsprint brightness level (around 65%) with small dosages of H2O2 and NaOH. The unique finding of this study is that the core fibers are protected when refined in the presence of bark fibers. It has also been observed that the fiber length is independent of refiner plate gaps. Microscopic study indicates that the thick cell-walled bark fibers responded positively to bar actions to develop adequate papermaking properties. A relationship between fiber coarseness, and sheet density and stiffness provides a better understanding of wet fiber flexibility. It has been demonstrated that the lignin removal pattern and fiber surface analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer explains fiber development during refining in a better way. This study clearly shows that newsprint with adequate strength and optical properties can be produced from kenaf RMP, while bark RMP can be used for value-added applications e.g. lightweight-coated grade, because of its having strong papermaking properties.
The association between later life career disruption and self-rated health in older Canadian workers (aged 45-64)

The contemporary workplace is witnessing a marked increase in older workers leaving career-type labour force participation, a phenomenon here termed later life career disruption (LLCD). As 'baby boomers' age into later life, stress from career instability is expected to become an increasingly significant issue with consequent impact on health. Little research to date has investigated the relationship of LLCD and health in Canada. This study, using existing data from the 1994 General Social Survey (GSS) - Cycle 9, was designed to profile work patterns of both female and male older workers in Canada and to investigate the association between LLCD and self-rated health. A sample of 2,592 subjects aged 45-64 years was selected from the GSS for analysis. Eligible subjects were those who had worked full-time/part-time at some time in their lives. Results showed that a large proportion of older Canadian workers had experienced LLCD. In multivariate analysis, controlling for age, education, body mass index and activity limitation, being not employed or early retired was found to be significantly associated with poor self-rated health, as were experience of job loss and job interruption over the prior five year period. Number of months worked was significantly related to good self-rated health but no significant association was found between self-rated health and total number of jobs held or change in occupational status.
The effect of sucrose and safflower oil preloads on satiety, mood and memory

The hypothesis of this research was that sucrose preloads, compared to safflower oil preloads, more strongly induce satiety, and improve mood and memory in young males. In the first and second experiments 0, 100, 200 and 300 kcal of sucrose and safflower oil, respectively were fed. The final experiment compared the effects of 300 kcal treatments of sucrose and safflower oil. Dependent measures were made during the 60 minutes following treatments. In experiment one sucrose suppressed appetite and food intake dose dependently. In experiment two, only 300 kcal of safflower oil suppressed food intake. When compared directly, sucrose suppressed appetite and food intake more than safflower oil. Neither macronutrient modulated mood or memory relative to control. However, compared to sucrose, but not control, safflower oil improved delayed recall. It is concluded that sucrose is more satiating than safflower oil, but compared to control. treatments, neither macronutrient affects mood or memory.
A Welsh perspective on language rights: The governance of minority language education in a revival context

Welsh-medium education has attracted much attention from international experts in the fields of education and socio-linguistics because of its success as a means of language transmission and of reviving a minority language in areas in which it had almost disappeared from use. However, little attention has been paid to the ability an education system grounded in ordinary legislation and administrative law principles to give effect of the legitimate interests of the linguistic minority in Wales. In this thesis I draw on the work of Canadian authors to demonstrate the inability of the Welsh-medium education system to provide the numerous instrumental and intrinsic benefits that flow from minority group control and management of its education system. In doing so, I discuss the legislative framework that governs the provision of Welsh-medium education and the political negotiations that have been central to the development of this system. I then propose a new governance model for Welsh-medium education at the local level. In undertaking this task I draw attention to the particular context of language revival that exists in Wales. The language revival context impacts upon our understanding of the interest that underlies minority language rights and forces us to re-consider the manner in which group boundaries should be drawn in situations of linguistic conflict.
Variation in teacher compensation among Canadian provinces and its probable reasons

The purpose of this study was to: (1) determine the extent of variation in average teacher compensation among ten provinces; (2) explain inter-provincial variation in teacher compensation in terms of related independent variables; (3) determine and explain variation in teacher compensation within Ontario; (4) establish statistical models to estimate teacher compensation at the inter-provincial level and the census division level in Ontario. After reviewing related literature, it was hypothesized that the dependent variable, average teacher salary, would be affected by eight independent variables: population density, family income, farm land price, population growth, union influence, teacher supply and demand, unemployment rate, and weather. Data were collected about these variables for ten provinces and for Ontario census divisions. Eight hypotheses were formed and tested with data. Bivariate correlation, scatterplot, partial correlation and multiple linear regression procedures were used. There was considerable variation among provinces in average teacher salaries in 1995 reflected in the standard deviation of $3,248. Average family income and average farm land price, as hypothesized, had a positive association with teacher salaries. Contrary to the hypotheses, teacher surplus and unemployment rate had a positive relationship with teacher salaries. No reliable association was observed between teacher salaries and population density, population growth and weather. There is inadequate information about unions' influence on teacher salaries. Among Ontario census divisions there was some variation in average teacher salaries in 1995-1996 school year indicated by a standard deviation of $1,680. Family income and farm land price in a census division, as hypothesized, had a positive association with teacher salaries. Also as hypothesized, weather had a negative impact on teacher salaries. Contrary to the hypotheses, population growth had a negative relationship with average teacher salaries, and unemployment rate had a positive association with teacher salaries. No relationship was detected between teacher salaries and population density. This study helps to gain a better understanding of the variation in teacher compensation both among provinces and among census divisions within Ontario. What is revealed in the study contributes to the knowledge in educational administration and may also serve as a basis for further exploration.