VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Differential responding to the internal and external facial features, holistic and part-based processing

We investigated earlier claims (e.g., Moscovitch et al., 1997) that recognition of upright (same and different) and inverted faces relies upon holistic and part-based decompositional processing strategies associated with the face- and object-recognition systems, respectively. Viewers made a same-different judgment of two faces presented either sequentially or simultaneously on screen. Whereas responding to upright same faces appeared to rely upon holistic or configurational processing strategies, responding to upright different and all inverted faces was instead mediated by part-based processing strategies. Moreover, attending to the internal features alone was sufficient to form a discrimination judgment for upright different and all inverted faces; the same was true for upright same faces when attention was focused on the internal features alone at study. By contrast, viewers relied upon both the internal and external features to form a discrimination judgment for upright same faces when attention was focused on the entire face at study.
Effect of particle impact velocity on carryover deposition

Carryover deposition by inertial impact on heat transfer surfaces causes severe operational problems in kraft recovery boilers. This work investigates within an entrained flow reactor the effect of particle impact velocity and particle size on deposition rate and characterizes the dynamic sticking behavior of synthetic carryover particles upon impact on a surface. The results show that the deposition of 210 [mu]m particles is independent of velocity over the range 1.8 to 12 m/s, however, for larger particles of 390 [mu]m an increase in velocity decreases the deposition rate. The effect of particle size on adhesion efficiency is negligible at very high velocity for partially molten particles over the 90-425 [mu]m size and 1.8-12 m/s velocity range studied. A portion of partially molten particles rebound off the probe and in some cases the solid part of particles rebound while the liquid part freezes on the surface. All molten particles spread and freeze on the surface.
Direct effects of glucocorticoids and serotonin on developing hippocampal cells

We hypothesized that dexamethasone, corticosterone/cortisol and serotonin exposure would modify GR and MR mRNA expression within fetal mouse and fetal guinea-pig hippocampal cell cultures. In mouse cultures, 4 day exposure to dexamethasone or corticosterone (10nM or 100nM) down-regulated levels of GR mRNA within neurons and exposure to serotonin (100nM) significantly up-regulated expression of GR mRNA. MR mRNA levels were unaffected by any of the treatments. Dexamethasone, corticosterone or serotonin exposure did not alter expression of GR mRNA within glial cells. In guinea pig cultures, 4 day exposure to dexamethasone or cortisol (100nM) down-regulated levels of GR mRNA within neurons and exposure to serotonin (100nM) significantly up-regulated expression of GR mRNA. Finally, multi-drug resistance (MDR1a) gene expression excludes dexamethasone from the brain. We found that the MDR1a gene is expressed in the hippocampus, dentate gyrus, specific thalamic nuclei and cortex of the fetal brain. Patterns of MDR1a changed during development.
An 8-Bit, 1-Gsample/s Folding-Interpolating Analog-to-Digital Converter

This thesis deals with the design and implementation of an 8-bit, 1-Gsample/s folding-interpolating analog-to-digital converter using a conventional 0.5 [mu]m self-aligned, double polysilicon bipolar process with maximum unity gain cutoff frequency fT of 25GHz. The high-speed and high-resolution A/D converter has applications in direct IF sampling receivers for wideband communications systems. The folding-interpolating architecture offers an optimum solution for Gsample/s, high-resolution A/D converters in terms of system complexity, power dissipation and chip area. The use of a silicon bipolar process allows the integration of Gsample/s ADCs with DSP systems usually realized by silicon CMOS or BiCMOS processes. The 8-bit, 1-Gsample/s A/D converter consists of a reference ladder; four folding blocks for the fine quantizer and one folding block for the coarse quantizer; interpolation resistive strings; a comparator array; a digital encoder including an EXOR array, an error-correction stage, and a 31-to-5 OR ROM; and a coarse quantizer. All circuit blocks are integrated on one chip. The chip area of the circuitry is 2.5mm x 3.5mm including bonding pads. The converter exhibits a better than 7-bit ENOB with an input signal frequency of 200MHz and at a sampling rate of 1-Gsample/s The maximum power dissipation of the ADC is 2.5W using a 5-V power supply.
Monitoring changes in aortic diameter by one-dimensional (1-D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of perpendicular diameters

The thesis introduces a method, diameter scanning, for monitoring the cross-sectional size of blood vessels rapidly. Diameter scanning creates a one-dimensional (1-D) profile of a strip along the diameter of a vessel using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The strips in diameter scanning are chosen to be much wider than pixels in a typical two-dimensional (2-D) image to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. A second strip perpendicular to the first and imaged sequentially allows the detection, estimation, and correction of errors in diameter measurements resulting from a difference between the prescribed centre and the true vessel centre. In both phantom and volunteer studies, the diameter measurements derived from 1-D profiles agree with measurements derived from 2-D images. Diameter scanning is nearly an order of magnitude faster than 2-D MRI and has the potential for real-time implementation.
Expression and recombinase activity of RAG 1 and two splice variants of RAG 2 in mature human primary tonsilar B lymphocytes

RAG 1 and RAG 2 are required for the rearrangement of both the immunoglobulin (Ig) and T cell receptor genes. Their expression was first thought only to occur during the immature stages of B and T cell development. Studies in our lab using a human mature B cell line OCI LY8 and a unique set of its variants demonstrated variation in expression of both the BCR and the RAG 1 and RAG 2 genes. Evidence employing mouse models demonstrated an unexpected re-expression of the RAG genes in mature mouse B cells activated 'in vitro' and in peripheral lymph node germinal centres of immunized mice, indicating the potential for further Ig gene rearrangements. In this thesis, I describe experiments aimed at establishing whether re-expression of the RAG genes occurs in humans. A Reverse Transcriptase - Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) assay was developed and optimized to determine expression of the RAG genes in human peripheral lymphoid tissue. I found that RAG 1 transcripts, as well as transcripts of two RAG 2 splice variants were detectable in human tonsilar B lymphocytes and are considered to be responsible for the dsDNA breaks observed in these cells under linker-mediated PCR (LM-PCR) analysis.
Feeding and swimming behaviour of Bythotrephes cederstroemi Schoedler

Predatory zooplankton detect prey with mechanoreception, visual cues or chemoreception. The objectives were to quantify swimming behaviour of ' Bythotrephes cederstroemi' under the influence of prey, prey kairomones, and light and to model 'Bythotrephes'' encounter rate with prey from Harp Lake. I used video capture and motion tracking to measure ' Bythotrephes' swimming behaviour with 'Daphnia, Daphnia' kairomones and 'Polyphemus' as prey. I also measured ' Bythotrephes'' reaction distance to prey under different light levels. ' Bythotrephes' swam fastest and in a more directed fashion in the presence of light and prey than in treatments with light or prey only. Also, ' Bythotrephes'' reaction distance increased in higher light levels and thus is likely to use vision as a detection mechanism. Results from the encounter model show that small, slow-moving prey faced the greatest risk from 'Bythotrephes.'
An a-posteriori finite element error estimator for adaptive grid computation of viscous incompressible flows

In this thesis, an à-posteriori error estimator is presented and employed for solving viscous incompressible flow problems. In an effort to detect local flow features, such as vortices and separation, and to resolve flow details precisely, a velocity angle error estimator 'e' [theta] which is based on the spatial derivative of velocity direction fields is designed and constructed. The à-posteriori error estimator corresponds to the antisymmetric part of the deformation-rate-tensor, and it is sensitive to the second derivative of the velocity angle field. Rationality discussions reveal that the velocity angle error estimator is a curvature error estimator, and its value reflects the accuracy of streamline curves. It is also found that the velocity angle error estimator contains the nonlinear convective term of the Navier-Stokes equations, and it identifies and computes the direction difference when the convective acceleration direction and the flow velocity direction have a disparity. Through benchmarking computed variables with the analytic solution of Kovasznay flow or the finest grid of cavity flow, it is demonstrated that the velocity angle error estimator has a better performance than the strain error estimator. The benchmarking work also shows that the computed profile obtained by using 'e'[theta] can achieve the best matching outcome with the true [theta] field, and that it is asymptotic to the true [theta] variation field, with a promise of fewer unknowns. Unstructured grids are adapted by employing local cell division as well as unrefinement of transition cells. Using element class and node class can efficiently construct a hierarchical data structure which provides cell and node inter-reference at each adaptive level. Employing element pointers and node pointers can dynamically maintain the connection of adjacent elements and adjacent nodes, and thus avoids time-consuming search processes. The adaptive scheme is applied to viscous incompressible flow at different Reynolds numbers. It is found that the velocity angle error estimator can detect most flow characteristics and produce dense grids in the regions where flow velocity directions have abrupt changes. In addition, the 'e' [theta] estimator makes the derivative error dilutely distribute in the whole computational domain and also allows the refinement to be conducted at regions of high error. Through comparison of the velocity angle error across the interface with neighbouring cells, it is verified that the adaptive scheme in using ' e'[theta] provides an optimum mesh which can clearly resolve local flow features in a precise way. The adaptive results justify the applicability of the 'e'[theta] estimator and prove that this error estimator is a valuable adaptive indicator for the automatic refinement of unstructured grids.
The forward problem of EEG source localization using Current Density Imaging

The inverse problem of electroencephalography (EEG) is to use electric potentials measured on the skin to determine the configuration and distribution of the bioelectric sources within the brain. To solve the EEG inverse problem, one must be able to solve the related forward problem. This problem critically depends on the shape and electrical conductivity of the head. All present methods use an assumed head model to solve the forward problem. The assumptions and rough approximations about tissue conductivity and head geometry have lead to large errors in source localization. In this thesis, we use a new MRI method called Current Density Imaging (CDI) to replace the assumed head model with measurements. By using CDI, we aim to measure the lead fields of the skin electrodes. Knowledge of the lead fields allows the skin potential to be easily computed without any assumptions about the head model. The contribution of this thesis is to show that the forward problem of EEG source localization using current density imaged lead fields is more accurate than the conventional methods based on assumed head models.
Design and evaluation of personal digital assistants in diabetes management

The objective of this thesis was to design and evaluate the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) in diabetes management. Diabetes requires patients to record daily blood sugar levels and insulin doses, causing it to be an extremely data intensive disease. Clinicians can better manage and educate patients if they have access to all this data. Results of this study showed that the technology was able to transfer significantly more data to the clinician than was possible before the technology was implemented. A time study analysis showed that the technology has potential to significantly decrease the amount of staff time spent collecting patient data. Although the results of this study can not yet be applied to the entire diabetic population, it has shown that PDA technology is a tool that can assist clinicians to more efficiently provide intensive therapy for diabetic patients.
From the Chinese religious ecstatic to the Taiwanese theatre of ecstasy, a study of the wu

Ecstasy, often described as an ineffable experience, is the locus of discussion in this study of the 'wu' that begins by examining early Chinese texts, and ends with a Taiwanese contemporary dance drama called the 'Nine Songs' ('Jiuge') (1993) by Lin Huaimin. The study of early Chinese texts and a dance drama are joined together by the role of the 'wu'. Using Richard Schechner's theories of religious performance and transformation (1976, 1985, and 1990), I compare how the texts and a dance drama refer to the 'wu' as a religious and theatrical performer. Continuing in the direction of Richard Schechner, this religious study of the 'wu' examines how contemporary performance reinvents classical texts, poetry, rituals and the aesthetics of transformation. My understanding of Lin Huaimin's dance drama has been guided by Martha Graham's "theatre of ecstasy," a technique that uses dance movement and imagery to stir the performer to exaltation and joy. Following Lin to the study of the 'wu' in traditional texts, I introduce the definitions of religious ecstatics and the dance drama, and append to my thesis copies of the program and colour pictures. A video is also available. Then, I examine the religious roles the 'wu' performs in Confucian and Moist texts, as well as in Daoist texts. After that, I discuss the ' Nine Songs' and how it details the role of the religious ecstatic through imagery. Later on, I explore how the 'wu' performed early dances and exorcisms, and how the 'wu''s role changed over time. I discuss how Lin Huaimin's contemporary 'Nine Songs' is a reinterpretation of the original 'Nine Songs' and also of the 'wu''s role in Chinese antiquity, using the technique of the "theatre of ecstasy" to perform some of the roles of the ' wu' in Chinese texts. Lin's 'wu' also demonstrates through movement and imagery the importance of transformation in ecstatic religious performance. In this way, Lin's drama, which is also political allegory, is blended with popular religion to evoke the power of religious ecstasy.
Is there behavioral relevance for the topographical organization of mammalian hippocampal formation?

The idea that memory is constituted of a number of fundamentally different processes has been investigated using the concept of memory systems. Memory subsystems are hierarchically subordinate components distinguished on two criteria: kinds of information they process, and neuroanatomical substrates. It is generally accepted that the hippocampal formation is the site of a memory system dedicated to learning relationships among cues of various kinds. Anatomical, neurochemical, and physiological organization of this structure suggests that it may be subdivided into several memory subsystems. The work presently described investigated this possibility by studying the function of septal vs. temporal hippocampal areas in spatial learning in the water task, context conditioning, and conditioned place preference. Results indicated that both dorsal and ventral hippocampus are involved in spatial navigation, although the former is a better substrate for this process. In contrast, these networks were equally involved in comparing contexts with different affective valence. Third, dorsal hippocampal lesions impaired, while ventral hippocampal lesions enhanced performance in conditioned place preference. Taken together, these data demonstrate a dissociation between the functions of dorsal and ventral hippocampal areas. This distinction is made according to behavioral paradigms rather than kinds of information processed. Acquisition of spatial information, stimulus-affective response associations, and comparison among cues connect the three tasks employed, but the dorsal/ventral hippocampal lesions affected them differentially. This suggests that a more useful criterion for defining memory subsystems may be task requirements. From this perspective, the hippocampal formation may include three different memory subsystems. The first, important for spatial navigation, is based on activity of dorsal hippocampal area, and is connected to medial entorhinal cortex, septum and lateral nucleus accumbens. The second, involved in modulation of interaction with amygdala memory system, is based on activity of ventral hippocampal and is connected to medial nucleus accumbens. The third is relevant for comparison among cues presented simultaneously, utilizes the hippocampal longitudinal network, and is likely connected to lateral entorhinal cortex.
Attempts to characterize the structure and molecular chaperone functions of calnexin in vitro

Class I molecules are composed of three subunits, an integral membrane glycoprotein referred to as the heavy chain, a soluble noncovalently associated protein referred to as ß2m, and an 8 to 10 amino acid peptide fragment. These molecules function on the cell surface to display peptide fragments from the degradation of cytosolic proteins. They are scrutinized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes to assist in the detection of viral infection. The molecular chaperone calnexin is intimately involved in the biogenesis of class I molecules. Although calnexin release from folding proteins is frequently correlative with folding or assembly events, the event that results in the dissociation of calnexin from class I remains elusive. It is suspected that binding of the peptide fragment to the class I heavy chain-ß2m heterodimer triggers this release since the association is prolonged in the absence of peptide. Furthermore, peptide binding causes the release of another molecule that binds to class 1, the transporter responsible for translocating these peptides, TAP. This thesis attempts to further address the issue of what triggers calnexin release from class I heavy chains using a number of ' in vitro' systems that reconstitute both calnexin interactions and assembly of class I subunits. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Long-term care reform in Ontario, the influence of ideas, institutions and interests on the public/private mix

This research focuses on the reform of community-based Long Term Care (LTC) services in Ontario between 1985 and 1996 during which the three major political parties governed. Each introduced its own reform of LTC. The five models that were proposed, are analyzed from a public policy perspective, and an understanding of the factors that influenced policy formation is provided. The thesis focuses on two issues: policy content (an analysis of the design decisions of financing, delivery, and allocation) and policy process (an analysis of the interacting influence of ideas, institutions, and interests on reform). Prompted by concerns of an aging population its associated medical costs, reform began as a need to improve services for seniors to enable them to live at home for as long as possible. However, with improvements in medical technology and pharmaceuticals and concurrent hospital restructuring, care formerly provided by physicians and in hospitals increasingly shifted to the home where it was no longer covered by the 'Canada Health Act'. Underlying the debate were the following: (1) the appropriate role of the state, (2) the public-private axis in financing, (3) models of delivery (not-for-profit versus for-profit), and (4) approaches to allocation (centrally planned, command and control decisions versus market-type mechanisms). To account for the shifts in models, a neo-institutional framework is adopted which argues the importance of considering the relative and interacting influence of ideas, interests, and institutions to account for policy development and change. None alone is sufficient. Unlike other health policy domains, the LTC policy sector was comprised of a strong state and a loose network of under-resourced societal interests, which allowed the ideas and interests of the government to predominate over societal interests. Institutions, rather than constraining government actions, were marshalled to facilitate state ideology and interests. The analysis of the shifting public/private mix in LTC reform has broader implications for the future complexion of health care in Canada. By considering all three constructs--ideas, interests and institutions--an understanding is not only provided of the changes in the LTC sector, but also a heuristic for comprehending policy development in general.
Women academics blending private and public lives

This study examines the interconnections between the personal and professional lives of women academics. Through in-depth interviews with nineteen women professors drawn from across various faculties at one Canadian university, I compare and contrast the generational experiences among assistant, associate, and full professors. Additionally, using a critical feminist theoretical approach, I explore interlocking systems of oppression in the women's lives based on gender, race, and class. The women's stories reveal the ways in which privilege influenced their ability to embark on an academic career, the obstacles to full employment for women in academe, the problems associated with combining children with the pursuit of tenure and promotion, and the approaches to celebrating women's contributions to the academy. Generally, the women reported that the academic profession does not allow a basis for the interconnection between women's private and public lives. Women's personal lives--especially issues surrounding childbearing, childrearing, and other aspects of caring--are not considered to be part of women's life course for the purposes of career progression; rather, women are expected to fit into the traditional male life course. The women that I interviewed also noted that issues of privileged lives and contradictory experiences are not part of the legitimate discourse in the halls of academe. In conjunction with the women's stories, I use feminist theory to develop a conceptualization of the taboos that the women professors in this study encounter in the academy. Moreover, I combine feminist theory with the women's thoughts for improving academic careers to provide a vision of woman-centered academic careers. I conclude by calling attention to how the process of transformation requires a greater sensitivity toward women's personal lives in the public domain of the university.