VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
"To be and not to be" :$bthe politics of parody in Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, and Doris Lessing (Zimbabwe)

Parody functions in different ways, of course, in these authors' various texts. In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison uses parody to interrogate how race is learnt and to challenge the position of African-American literature in relation to the American canon. Margaret Atwood uses parody to negotiate contradictory contemporary models of subjectivity. In Lady Oracle, Joan succeeds in telling her life story through self-parody. She constantly reveals to the reader that she is and is not what she writes. Parody emphasizes process as it takes finished texts and turns them into part of the process of creating a new text. Atwood and Lessing's highly self-reflexive novels The Blind Assassin and The Golden Notebook exploit this aspect of parody to reflect the incessant process of writing a woman's life. Lessing's parody of the terrorist group in The Good Terrorist and of Comrade Johnny in The Sweetest Dream enact a critique of Communism's limited focus on class as the primary explanatory foundation of social structures. Parody enables these writers to position themselves simultaneously inside and outside discourse, a position Carolyn Heilbrun identifies particularly with women and captures in the image of the threshold. Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, and Doris Lessing are all on the threshold or margin of their national cultures. For different reasons, these writers share a similar goal: to contribute to their national literary canon while critiquing the national values installed in that canon. Parody is an appropriate strategy by which to achieve this goal. Despite significant differences between these women's political use of parody, they all turn to parody as an alternative to what they perceive as the very real threat of silence. Parody emerges as a strategy that enables these women writers to acknowledge that they are writing in a "man made language," to borrow Dale Spender's phrase, but to critique that language from within. They use parody to link the literary to the political and material.
Theorizing the transnational public sphere: space, scale and the Third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City

The re-scaling of the state and the increased significance of international agreements and institutions has challenged traditional concepts of the public sphere, suggesting a need to theorize a transnational public sphere. Through an investigation into the protests surrounding the Third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in April 2001, this paper proposes that any attempt to theorize the transnational public sphere must be informed by a consideration of the spatiality of public life. An exploration the social movement organizing surrounding the Third Summit of the Americas provides insight into the challenges associated with creating inclusive arenas for public life capable of influencing decision making at a transnational scale. It also illustrates the critical function physical spaces play in the constitution of the public sphere, suggesting that any conception of the transnational public sphere must wrestle with its attendant question, what does transnational public space look like?
"To exclude or not to exclude" examining the psychological assumptions made in similar fact evidence law

The psychological validity of assumptions made in similar fact evidence law was examined in a series of 3 studies. The primary assumption under investigation was that jurors are able to moderate their use of similar fact evidence. Assumptions regarding the prejudicial value of this type of evidence were also investigated. All studies employed a mock jury paradigm using a written trial adapted from a real court case. The trial was modified for the experiments to include similar fact evidence in varying degrees of similarity to the crime for which the defendant was charged. In all of the studies, the negative impact of the similar fact evidence against the defendant was assessed by various measures of guilt. Prejudicial inferences made about the defendant were examined to determine whether or not the jurors were misusing the evidence. Results from Study 1 indicated that as the similarity of the evidence increased juror ratings of the defendant's guilt also increased. Unexpectedly, once the evidence surpassed a certain degree of similarity, its negative impact against the defendant reached a plateau, indicating that increasing similarity beyond this point did not change the effects of the evidence. Study 2 investigated perceived collusion between witnesses as a possible explanation for this plateau of effects. The results indicated that possible witness collusion did not differentially affect mock jurors. However, the negative effects of the evidence again reached a plateau at a certain degree of similarity. Study 3 examined possible effects of the cogency of the evidence. As expected, similar fact evidence of a proven conviction had more negative effects against the defendant than did similar fact evidence of a mere allegation. Furthermore, results from studies 2 and 3 indicated that mock jurors were making prejudicial inferences about the defendant based on the similar fact evidence even though they had been prohibited from doing so by judicial instruction. The results are discussed in terms of social cognitive theory regarding human judgment making, balancing the probative value of the evidence against its prejudicial impact, and the implications of excluding or admitting similar fact evidence into a trial. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
The Wetland Object Model (WOM): a geographic object-based simulation framework for studies in wetland ecohydrology

The complexities of intra-wetland hydrological processes have not yet been adequately addressed using traditional hydrological modelling tools. These processes demand the development and testing of a new spatially explicit simulation framework for modelling wetland ecosystems that exhibit multi-scale heterogeneities. The purpose of this work was to design a prototypical, ecohydrological modelling framework specific to wetland environments using numerical and spatial modelling techniques. The Wetland Object Model (WOM) was developed entirely in Java, an object-oriented programming language. Object-oriented principles and design patterns enable the development of fundamental data structures that serve as interchangeable building blocks for constructing fine-scale models of wetland hydrology. These data-structures were used to illustrate three examples of non-topographically driven hydrodynamics in a simulated wetland environment. An overview the WOM prototype is provided with emphasis on how the object model can be used for the characterization of complex structure, function and hydrological boundary conditions within wetland environments.
Factors affecting students' interest in mathematics at the elementary level

This thesis sought to explore some of the factors that may affect student interest in mathematics at the elementary level. Perceptions of students' attitudes towards mathematics were gathered using semi-structured group interviews of students. A questionnaire consisting of eight open-ended questions was also used to collect the data. Results of the study indicate that students are aware of their attitudes towards mathematics, they can identify factors that affect how they think and feel about mathematics, and they have ideas about how the process of teaching mathematics could be modified in order to improve student learning. Analysis of the results suggests four factors identified by the students, namely: (i) conceptions of mathematics, (ii) exciting or interesting activities, (iii) unpopular or boring activities, and (iv) students' ideal of a mathematics curriculum. Furthermore, analysis of the results shows that the factors identified by the students represent only a small component of factors identified in the literature.

Keywords: Mathematics, Study and teaching (Elementary)
School children, Attitudes
A genetic link between dBiP and Dakt1 in the regulation of cell growth and the unfolded protein response

Akt/PKB significantly regulates growth and metabolism in response to hormones and growth factors, including insulin. Genetic analysis in Drosophila has led to the identification of key components of the insulin signaling pathway. A genetic screen has implicated BiP, a major regulator of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, as an interacting partner of Akt in Drosophila (Dakt1). Our results include a mechanism for the interaction between dBiP, the Drosophila homologue of BiP, and Dakt1. In particular, dBiP was found to contribute to the phosphorylation and hence activation of Dakt1. Further investigation of dBiP revealed that it is a major regulator of growth, and that it functions upstream of Dakt1 in growth control. A novel biological function for Dakt1 in the regulation of ER stress was also elucidated. In particular, Dakt1, in addition to dBiP, significantly repressed ER stress. Overall, our genetic data suggests a close mechanism between BiP and Akt in Drosophila.
Socio-economic disparities in food purchasing patterns among Canadian households: Implications for food policy

Market-based interventions to improve diets in the population have been the focus of some recent developments in Canadian food policy, but their impact on different population subgroups is not well understood. The goal of this research was to characterize the food purchasing patterns of Canadian households in relation to socio-economic factors through analyses of data from Statistics Canada's Family Food Expenditure Surveys (FOODEX). An analysis of data from the 1996 FOODEX revealed that income and education have independent effects on food selection. Higher income and higher education (particularly a university degree) were both associated with selecting a more nutritious array of foods. Income thresholds, below which food purchasing appeared to be severely constrained, were apparent for several food groups, and an income gradient was observed for vegetables and fruit indicating the impact of income on this food group is similar across the income spectrum. An examination of trends over time (1986-2001), using data from four different waves of FOODEX, revealed income-related disparities in the nutritional quality of food selections that have persisted over time and, in some cases, widened. One notable exception to these trends was the nutrient folate. The positive income gradient in folate (independent of energy) observed in the time periods prior to mandatory folic acid fortification was no longer apparent in 2001, post-fortification. The insights gained from the aforementioned analyses were applied to a current policy issue: the reduction of trans fats in the Canadian food supply. In an analysis of data from the 2001 FOODEX, a higher income was associated with paying a higher price for foods that are major sources of trans fat. These findings raise concerns about the effectiveness of current interventions based on voluntary measures by food manufacturers, given the literature suggesting that such measures are likely to be restricted to higher priced products. This research importantly adds to our limited knowledge of Canadian food consumption patterns, providing insight into the potential impact of some recent changes in food policy on food consumption patterns, and highlighting the need to monitor the impacts of food policy on different population subgroups.
The effect of cholesterol esterase on fluoride release and biostability of compomers: an in vitro study

Compomers are widely used in Pediatric Dentistry due to their handling characteristics and fluoride-release capability. Their degradation and fluoride-release in the presence of esterase-activity similar to human saliva is unknown. Sample pellets of Dyract-AP, F2000 [compomers] and Z-250 [composite-resin] were prepared and incubated in either PBS or PBS with cholesterol-este rase [CE] for periods of 8, 16 and 24 days. Methacylic-acid production was detected in all samples in both incubation medias. Bis-hydroxy-propox-yphenyl-propane was detected in Dyract-AP and Z-250 in higher amounts in the presence of CE. TCB resin from Dyract-AP was identified in higher concentrations in CE-incubated samples. Glyceryl dimethacrylate was identified in F2000 samples incubated with-and-without CE. Fluoride-release was increased in CE-incubated samples. The increased degradation from compomers could be attributed to their hydrophilicity, and may indicate an increased rate of their intra-oral breakdown. Fluoride-release in the presence of esterase may contribute to a clinical effect of reduced-rate of recurrent-caries.
Realizing vertical bipolar transistors in a standard CMOS technology for the design of low-cost BiCMOS integrated circuits

This thesis describes the realization of isolated vertical npn transistors in generic CMOS technologies. An improved layout for these parasitic transistors is proposed. The electrical characteristics and modelling of the proposed device are presented. The design, realization, and fabrication of a high-speed open-loop preamplifier using these bipolar transistors are also presented. The preamplifier was found to have more than a 1 GHz bandwidth as well as less than -35 dB THD, as was verified using die-probe measurements. The amplifier achieved 10.4 dB gain and a 0 dBm IIP3. The collector-base and the collector-emitter breakdown voltages are 14.8V and 9V, respectively. The output impedance and noise characteristics are comparatively good. The measured current gains, on the order of 20, are less than what would be preferred, but not excessively so, and the unity-gain frequencies on the order of 4 GHz, are much less than would be the case for a vertical npn in a typical BiCMOS process, but still are adequate for many applications.
Elements of cyclic syntax: agree and Merge

Chapter III shows how Merge composes with Agree in the derivation to give both movement and copy-raising. The Merge step is constrained by the Agree step because Agree transmits the variable names needed to interpret movement in Heim Kratzer (1998). Differences between movement and copy-raising reduce to the Binding Theory and copy-deletion in the result, forcing copies in local domains and pronouns in non-local domains. English tough -movement exemplifies copy-raising whose pronoun tail is an A-operator. This thesis explores the dependency-forming featural operation Agree and its interaction with the structure-building operation Merge in the local, derivational framework of Chomsky (2000). Chapter V investigates what happens to the goal under Agree, from the standpoint of Case and deactivation. It proposes a theory where Agree affects the goal by assigning it a shell consisting of the category of the probe, interpreted as Case. The hypothesis derives the fact that deactivation can be partial, that shells ("Cases") can be stacked, and that the same category can assign different Case depending on how its phiv;-probe has been affected earlier in the derivation. Chapter II develops a theory of cyclicity where individual instances of Merge can change the search-space of a probe. Such dynamic cyclicity is motivated from cyclic displacement phenomena where search-space expands downwards from one cycle to the next through evacuation of interveners, and the ergative displacement phenomenon in Basque where search-space expands upwards through cyclic construction of the phrase marker. Chapter IV explores the ontology of Agree, departing from Chomsky (2000) where Agree in weak agreement languages manipulates features rather than atoms and has no further consequences. It shows that in strong agreement languages Agree apparently does satisfy the EPP and is visible to the Binding Theory. It demonstrates that the weak/strong distinction does not reflect an ontological difference in Agree; rather, strong agreement languages make available expletives with phiv;-features (overtly manifested in Czech), yielding more visibility upon base-generation than expletives of weak agreement languages. The ontological ramifications of Agree manipulating subatomic features but interacting with the structure-building Merge are discussed.
Target-selected gene inactivation and gene expression patterns of ETS transcription factors in Caenorhabditis elegans

The involvement of the ETS transcription factor family in human cancer has highlighted the importance of investigating their role in normal biology. We created deletions in three Caenorhabditis elegans ETS-related genes (C33A11.4, F19F10.5 and F57A8.1) to investigate their biological significance. An additional ETS mutant (F22A3.1) created by the C. elegans Gene Knockout Consortium was also analyzed. Our phenotypic analysis found the mutants lacked any discernable abnormalities, suggesting that there may be functional redundancy amongst C. elegans ETS genes. Additionally, transgenic worm lines were generated for four C. elegans ETS genes (F22A3.1, C33A11.4, F57A8.1 and C42D8.4) carrying transcriptional green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter constructs to analyze their gene expression patterns. Our results revealed hypodermal-specific, neuronal-specific, ubiquitous and neuronal-specific expression profiles, respectively. This highly restricted pattern of expression suggests that ETS genes in C. elegans may be involved in regulating the differentiation of specific cell lineages.
Drawing the lines: Gender, *class, race and nation in Canadian editorial cartoons, 1840–1926

Editorial cartooning arrived in Canada shortly after the appearance of Britain's Punch in the 1840s, and has remained a mainstay of print journalism ever since. Different from other forms of cartooning by virtue of its essential task of praising or (more often) blaming figures in the public eye, these cartoons provide insight not only into the minutiae of Canadian history, but also into the graphic terms by which the artists created their moral valuations. This study explores the principal visual codes that informed editorial cartooning in Canada from its inception until 1926, when it achieved a recognizably modern form. That development is traced through a close examination of thousands of cartoons from each of five major evolutionary periods, as the art evolved and expanded from a handful of ephemeral, specialty journals to the front page of most urban dailies from coast to coast. The analysis focuses particularly on how these graphic codes of shaming were applied to representations of gender, race, and class relations, and the manner in which those visual narratives may have impacted Canada's self-imagining as it wended its way from colony to nation. The study confirms that not only was there such a 'deep code' of graphic representation in circulation, but that it was both rooted in real cultural practices and served to reinforce those practices and the world view upon which they were based. Insofar as these historical techniques of graphic shaming continue to inform editorial cartooning today, they are far from being an ephemeral historical oddity. Rather, they lie at the heart of, and provide critical political insight into, the mechanisms by which graphic artists continue to propose certain people or groups as being better or worse than some unspecified, but always implied, ideal Canadian. From this perspective, editorial cartooning is revealed as a potent agent of the dominant group's cultural hegemony rather than the free expression of popular opinion, as it is usually considered.
Making photons talk to each other - nonlinear optics in the quantum domain

I present experimental and theoretical work on extending nonlinear optical effects to the quantum domain. First, I experimentally demonstrate an incoherent nonlinear effect linked to the amplification stage of photon detection in a single-photon counter. The detector, in the high-efficiency regime, does not follow Glauber's quantum mechanical model for photodetection and, as a result, quantum interference effects are observable in the singles rate of one detector. I then go on to theoretically describe and experimentally demonstrate two coherent nonlinear optical effects at the single-photon level. In both experiments, the usually weak nonlinear optical properties of a common nonlinear crystal are enhanced by over 10 orders of magnitude using interference. The first of these coherent processes uses interference to frequency double all photon pairs from a couple of very weak laser beams (containing, on average, less than one photon per pulse). I show how this nonlinearity might be used for “phase-sum” entanglement swapping and an experimental demonstration of Hardy's paradox. The second coherent effect is the dispersive analogue to the first; instead of frequency doubling all of the photon pairs, all photon pairs experience an additional nonlinear phase shift. It is analogous to an immensely enhanced Kerr nonlinearity. This effect is applied to the problem of Bell-state discrimination and can be used to entangle and disentangle the polarization states of a pair of photons under certain conditions. The final experiment in this thesis is a demonstration of a technique for creating coherent superpositions of zero and one photon based on the detection of a single, “trigger” photon.
Male Aboriginal identity formation in urban areas: a focus on process and context

This study is concerned with how Aboriginal men primarily raised or living in urban areas struggle to maintain an Aboriginal cultural identity. Their narratives present a complex picture of how their Aboriginal cultural identity is shaped through relationships with the people they encounter every day--their families, other Aboriginal people and non Aboriginal people alike. This study found that Aboriginal cultural values are the primary foundation of personal Aboriginal identity and they tend to remain stable over time from generation to generation. The outward expression of these values changes to suit the environment one lives in. Aboriginal people in urban areas carry the same values as their ancestors but express them in new ways. When conducting Aboriginal cultural identity research, considering context is important. This study demonstrated that examining the contexts when Aboriginal identities become salient provides a more complex picture of how urban Aboriginal identities develop. Education experiences, community participation, family influences and stereotypes all affected the research participants' choices to express, hide, contest, or speak their Aboriginal identities. In contrast to definitional approaches that assign variables to authentic Aboriginal identity, as in John Berry's urban Aboriginal identity article in the Canadian Journal of Native Studies, an approach focusing on context demonstrates the continued vibrancy of Aboriginal identity in urban spaces. The thesis supports the theoretical work of Carl James, Stuart Hall and other cultural studies literature that conceives of identity as a dynamic process. The study employed learning circles, an Indigenous method of healing, as the method of data collection. Circles were conducted in the manner described by Michael Hart and were chosen to provide a respectful and safe atmosphere for Aboriginal people to share their life stories. This culturally appropriate methodology has rarely been used in the study of Aboriginal identity. A key exception is the Learning Circles Synthesis Report prepared by Kathy Absolon and Tony Winchester for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Based on its success in this study, circle approaches are recommended for researchers looking for a respectful method of social inquiry in future studies with Aboriginal people.

Keywords: Indians of North America, Ethnic identity
Indians of North America, Ontario
Identity (Psychology)
Men, Identity
Indians of North America, Urban residence
City dwellers