VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Switching Control Applied to Multivariable Systems

In this thesis, a family of adaptive control problems is examined and solved using robust self-tuning switching controllers. The motivation for using this type of controller is that, often in practise, no suitable mathematical model of the system to be controlled is available; conventional methods of adaptive controller design generally require specific a priori plant information (e.g. it may have to be known if the plant is minimum phase), and thus cannot be implemented if such a knowledge is not known. In contrast, this thesis shall generally assume that very little a priori plant information is known--the main assumption being that the plant can be modelled by a finite dimensional linear time invariant (LTI) system. More specifically, for the adaptive control problem of a family of not necessarily strictly proper multi-input multi-output (MIMO) plants, a switching mechanism which requires less a priori system information than previously considered is proposed. Utilizing this framework, various new self-tuning controllers then are presented, which solve the adaptive stabilization problem and the robust servomechanism problem for potentially unknown MIMO systems. The proposed controllers appear to be quite attractive in their overall improved tuning transient response when compared with earlier results. Real-time experimental results of one particular class of switching controllers when applied to a multivariable hydraulic apparatus are presented, and illustrate the feasibility of applying such adaptive controllers to industrial process control problems.
Econometrics of dynamic censored models

Censored models arise in various dynamic settings. Due to the intractable likelihoods of these dynamic censored models, the existing literature shows little research in this area. Drawing on all the advances of the modern Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques, this dissertation considers three broad classes of dynamic censored models which are studied separately in three chapters of this book. Chapter I starts with a simple class of dynamic censored models - dynamic Tobit models. The major obstacle of tackling these models, the intractability of their likelihood functions, is solved by developing a simulation-based estimation procedure. The major statistical innovation is a sampling scheme of the censored (latent) data, which involves the crucial step of applying the Gibbs sampler with data augmentation. The method is examined and demonstrated by means of a Monte Carlo experiment, and applied to a regression model of Japanese exports of passenger cars to U.S. subject to a non-tariff trade barrier. Censored mechanisms can be more complex. Chapter II offers an empirical perspective on the open market operations (of the Federal Reserve System in the United States) by developing a dynamic friction model. Friction here denotes this kind of censored structures that depicts the behavior of reluctant interventions of the open market Desk (the Desk). Various inferential procedures are derived. Results show that: (1) the Desk's interventions are highly discretionary with the intention of market signaling; (2) the operation projections made by the Fed's staff members significantly capture the dynamic effects of the Desk's daily actions; and (3) the Fed's operating procedure experienced a major shift immediately after the stock market crash of October 1987. Censored data can also arise in GARCH processes. Two censored GARCH models, motivated in Chapter III, are developed to address the significance of price limits in futures markets. I compare, through exploiting the posterior draws by the Griddy Gibbs sampler with date augmentation technique, the relative performances of the censored GARCH models and the pure GARCH counterpart in terms of both in-sample fit and out-of-sample predictability. A technique for computing Bayes factor for censored models and the modification of the concept of predictive Bayes factor are developed. Based on U.S. Treasure bill futures data over a period of high volatility and frequent limit moves, my empirical findings conclude that: (1) limit rules in futures markets do matter in GARCH processes of futures returns; (2) a pure GARCH model systematically underestimates the conditional volatilities of futures returns; and (3) there is no evidence showing a distortionary effect of the price limits and the imposition of the limit rules in futures markets seems to be empirically justified.
A parametrix for stable step two hypoelliptic partial differential operators

The purpose of this thesis is to calculate a parametrix for step two hypoelliptic partial differential operators which are defined on a manifold and satisfy a stability hypothesis. The calculations are based on the classical Hadamard-Kodaira method for elliptic operators which involves reducing the problem to solving a first order nonlinear Hamilton-Jacobi equation and first order linear transport equations. However, for the method to succeed in the step two hypoelliptic case, two major modifications must be made: first, the parametrix must be expressed as an integral over the characteristic variety in which case the integrand rather than the parametrix itself is reduced: second, in order to solve the Hamilton-Jacobi equation by the classical action integral method, complex initial conditions must be supplied to the Hamiltonian system. These two variations on the classical procedure together introduce numerous technical difficulties. The procedure is first applied to find a fundamental solution for the left-invariant model case. The results for the model case are then perturbed to give a parametrix for operators satisfying the hypotheses which are sums of squares of vector fields. Finally, the results are extended to operators of the above type with lower order terms.
Partition calculus for topological spaces

The subject matter of this exposition is the study of partition relations for particular topological spaces. For topological spaces X and Y, and for a positive integer n and a cardinal k the notation $X\longrightarrow(Y)\sbsp{k}{n}$ means that for any partition f of $\lbrack X\rbrack\sp{n}$ into k pieces, there is a subspace H of X homeomorphic to Y and f is constant on $\lbrack H\rbrack\sp{n}.$ In contrast with the ordinary partition calculus in this area very few positive results are known. For example, it is consistent that for $n > 3$ and for any space X, we have $X\not\longrightarrow(Y)\sbsp{2}{n}$ for every topological spaces Y in which not all the points are isolated. Even in the case of $n = 3$ if the space Y is complicated enough the relation fails to be positive. It seems that the cases $n = 1$ and 2 are the cases where there exists some positive relations for non-trivial space Y. The spaces considered in this exposition are the followings: Ordinal spaces, Reals, Rationals, Cantor Cubes, $\Sigma$-products, Cech-Stone compactification of the integers, Alexandroff compactification of discrete spaces and the countable sequences converging to a point in the sense of an arbitrary ultrafilter of ${\rm I\!N},$ denoted by $\omega\cup\{p\}.$ We will present and review many techniques for proving topological relations when $n = 1.$ Then we shall use a stepping-up procedure to obtain results for higher dimensions $n > 1$ when possible. Using ordinary axioms of set theory (ZFC), we will establish some positive relations for the space $2\sp\kappa$ such as $2\sp\kappa\longrightarrow(2\sp\kappa, \doubq)\sp1,\ 2\sp{c}\longrightarrow(\omega\cup\{p\})\sbsp{\omega}{1}$ and $\Sigma\sb{\aleph\sb2}\not\longrightarrow(\aleph\sb2)\sbsp{3}{1},$ where $\Sigma\sb{\aleph\sb2}$ denotes $\Sigma\sb{\aleph\sb2}\{0,1\},$ the sigma-product of $\aleph\sb2$ copies of the two point discrete space $\{0,1\}.$ Beyond ZFC, we introduce and apply the method of elementary submodels and use the SPFA and some of its consequences to establish the consistency of $2\sp{\omega\sb1}\longrightarrow(\omega\sb1 + 1, B(\omega\sb1))\sp1$ as well as the consistency of $2\sp{\omega\sb1}\longrightarrow(\omega\sb1 + 1,\omega\sb1)\sp1.$ The additional axiom SPFA has a considerable large cardinal consistency strength, but we shall establish that the large cardinal assumption is necessary for the consistency of the positive relation $\Sigma\sb{\aleph\sb2}\longrightarrow(\omega\sb1)\sbsp{2}{1}.$ The techniques of forcing and iterated forcing are used to define generic partitions for some spaces leading to the independence of the partition of the form $\Sigma\sb{\aleph\sb2}\longrightarrow(\omega\sb1)\sbsp{2}{1}.$
Territoriality among health care workers, opinions of nurses and doctors toward midwives

This study examines the opinions of doctors and nurses regarding the newly legalized profession of midwifery in Ontario. My study is based on conflict theory which examines the power differences in society. My thesis is that the move to legalize midwifery as an autonomous profession, independent of the two other professions of medicine and nursing has engendered and continues to engender resistance from doctors and nurses. The legalization of midwifery in Ontario in 1993 was the result of the concerted effort of many women over approximately 20 years to create an independent and autonomous profession for the management of childbirth. Although the practice of midwifery has existed throughout history and was initially the role of older experienced women, in recent centuries it has come under the control of the medical profession. Both gender and professional forces have together conspired to wrest control of the childbearing from women, and in so doing has medicalized it into an activity that must occur only in hospitals, and almost without exception, be interrupted by some form of medical intervention. Interviews with key individuals involved in the movement to legalize midwifery and a survey of doctors and nurses in Metro Toronto confirm the continued existence of ambivalence, resistance and even hostility to the 'new' profession. This continued opposition appears to be based on the 'disease theory' of the management of pregnancy and childbirth, loss of professional control, loss of territorial control and feared loss of income and job-security.
Behavioural versus claimed self-handicapping, underlying motivations and attributions following failure

This research examined the motivations for behavioural self-handicapping and claimed self-handicapping and the relative effectiveness of each strategy in protecting against losses in self-perceived ability and self-esteem following failure. Study 1 examined whether individuals behaviourally self-handicap solely for purposes of self-presentation or whether self-protection is also a motive. After receiving contingent or noncontingent success feedback, subjects were given the opportunity to behaviourally self-handicap by selecting performance-enhancing or -impairing music to listen to while taking a second test. Privacy of tape choice and expected privacy of posttest scores were varied. Results indicated that male subjects self-handicapped more after noncontingent than contingent success. Females did not behaviourally self-handicap. There was no main effect or interaction of privacy on subjects' self-handicapping behaviour. These results suggested that, for males, behavioural self-handicapping is motivated, at least in part, by the desire to preserve one's own estimates of ability and not just those of an audience. Study 2 was conducted to determine whether claimed self-handicapping is also employed for purposes of self-protection or whether it is strictly a self-presentational device. After receiving contingent or noncontingent success feedback, subjects were given the opportunity to behaviourally self-handicap or claim a handicap. Privacy of handicap and posttest scores were varied. Results indicated that subjects claimed a handicap more after noncontingent than contingent success in public and in private. There was no main effect or interaction of privacy on claimed self-handicapping scores, suggesting that claimed self-handicapping is also a self-protective strategy. The behavioural effects found in study 1 failed to replicate. Study 3 examined the self-perceived ability and self-esteem protection afforded by behavioural and claimed self-handicapping. All subjects received noncontingent success feedback and were given the opportunity to behaviourally self-handicap, claim a handicap, or no opportunity to self-handicap. Subjects' performance expectations and perceived impairment were assessed (in private) just prior to taking a second test, which all subjects failed. Subjects' performance attributions and state self-esteem were assessed subsequently. Results indicated that subjects in the behavioural and claimed self-handicapping conditions were less likely to attribute failure on test 2 to ability than control subjects. There were no differences in mean self-esteem scores.
A conceptual fluency framework for the teaching of Italian as a second language

An emerging theme in the study of second language acquisition (SLA) in recent years has been the degree to which learners of a second language (L2) acquire the capacity to express themselves in the target language using culturally appropriate figurative language. The capacity to metaphorize--what Danesi (1988) has aptly termed metaphorical competence (MC)--is an integral part of human communication and cognition. Lakoff and Johnson (1980) have posited that underlying our linguistic system is a conceptual system (CS) which is fundamentally metaphorical in nature. Through the analysis of language, we can find evidence of the existence of the CS and its structure. In light of this model, Danesi (1994, 1995) calls the unconscious ability to access and use the inherent conceptual system of a language system conceptual fluency. Just as languages vary significantly across cultures, CSs will differ along cultural and hence linguistic lines. In light of conceptual fluency theory, grammatical and lexical fluency are merely the first step for adult learners since these competencies alone can not guarantee production of appropriate utterances. Many of the difficulties learners face may not be linguistically based at all, rather, they may stem from differences between the native and the target conceptual systems. Thus, in order to realize the full potential of the language learning process, adult learners must also acquire the CS of the L2. To date, little work has been done in quantifying the ability of L2 learners to interpret, understand and to create appropriate L2 metaphors when either speaking or writing in the L2. The present thesis thus explores the theoretical assumptions of this model, placing them in an historical context, and seeks empirical evidence either to sustain or to refute its assumptions. The central questions are: Can the target conceptual system be taught and therefore learned, and, to what extent does the typical adult learner acquire the conceptual system of the target language, if at all? The ultimate, practical aim of this research will be to determine how educators might facilitate this process.
General linguistic competency in the Deaf, a prerequisite for developing a theory of mind?

Recently it has been argued that the "standard" empirical tests of a theory of mind may be troubled by linguistic performance constraints (Freeman, Lewis, & Doherty, 1991). As a result, children may understand false beliefs but may be unable to demonstrate their capacities because of the methodologically imposed and computationally complex linguistic demands. This is particularly true for Deaf children whose linguistic competence is often limited. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to ascertain if language is constitutive of a developed theory of mind, by determining if Deaf participants display characteristics of a theory of mind even when tested with linguistically simple tasks. Two non-verbal tasks that were designed to measure characteristics of a theory of mind were administered to Deaf children 3 to 10 years of age. It was hypothesized that if human language is not necessary for a theory of mind, then Deaf children whose language is delayed but who otherwise are cognitively intact would perform as well as their age equivalent Hearing counterparts on such non-verbal tasks. If language competence is constitutive of a theory of mind, Deaf children's performance on such tasks would be impaired. Results from three experiments suggest that older Deaf children's ability to demonstrate characteristics indicative of a theory of mind is more closely associated with their general linguistic competence than their chronological age. As Deaf and Hearing children are otherwise cognitively similar (Martin, 1993; Rodda & Grove, 1987), the poor performance of linguistically limited Deaf children on these non-verbal tasks suggests that language proficiency is constitutive of a developed theory of mind.
Intergenerational transitions in parenting practices

This is a qualitative study in which six women were interviewed about their childhood and childrearing experiences. The primary goal of this study was to use an Attachment theory framework to explore intergenerational transitions in parenting for families in which there were emotionally rejecting parenting styles in one generation, but more accepting styles in the next. In particular, I was interested in whether my participants were raised in emotionally rejecting environments, whether intergenerational transitions in parenting were made, what aspects of parenting styles were changed, and how those changes occurred. I provided operational definitions of various parenting styles based on power differentials in families. Emotional acceptance and rejection were defined in terms of those power differentials. I suggested that power can be discerned by (1) limits set for children and children's roles in those limits, and (2) the kind and amount of availability and involvement parents have in their children's lives. I created a new interview tool modelled after the Adult Attachment Interview, the Working Model of the Child Interview, and Rohner's Parental Acceptance-Rejection Interview Schedule. My interview tool is unique in its focus on feelings about parenting behaviours and styles. I also created a coding scheme, complete with a cycle graph for plotting parenting styles. Through narratives and cycle graphs, I provided evidence that all six of my participants moved toward more accepting styles than was true of their families of origin, and showed which areas of parenting were changed for each woman. I also provided an account of how intergenerational change occurred. Some sources of change were in common with those found in previously existing literature on families in which there was movement away from Abuse or Neglect; other sources were unique to my study. Identified sources of change included participants' emotional and cognitive awareness of the effects of childhood, the types of emotions associated with parental limits and availability, and the role of significant others.
The generation of 1683, war and knowledge in the holy Roman Empire of the German nation, 1658-1741

Between 1658 and 1741, three Habsburg emperors (Leopold I, Joseph I, and Charles VI) fought a series of wars, during which a modern standing, professional Imperial military institution emerged. In particular, from 1683 to 1721, these emperors kept a military force of unprecedented size in the field almost continuously. This thesis is a study of the general officers of this army, and in particular of those promoted general between 1686 and 1723. This group includes many "ordinary" officers who never served as commanders. They cannot be studied as captains or as strategists, but instead, must be approached as the managers of war. Accordingly, particular attention is paid to the quotidian duties of campaigning, in particular to the relationship between operations and the contemporary agricultural economy, with its associated knowledge and skills. Consideration of the "little war," siege and transportation work, and especially foraging, reveals these officers as scientifically educated, rational, and capable. These Habsburg generals, although of numerous nationalities, prove to have been overwhelmingly noble, Catholic, and native to regions of the Empire which had close connections to the Habsburg dynasty. This is true of military staff, engineer, and artillery generals as well as the regulars. Of particular importance was the "Generation of 1683," officers recruited during the military buildup of 1683, who pioneered the novel career of professional general. The demographic impact of this tight age group was considerable. In particular, their disappearance in the 1730s prepared the way for Maria Theresa's military reforms after 1748. These, although taken as Enlightened changes to the previously customary and unreflective practice of warfare, emerge upon examination as the bureaucratic formalisation of military capabilities which had evolved long since. The generals of the Generation of 1683 were as rational as Saxe, Guibert, and Clausewitz, or their Habsburg counterparts, many of whom are identified in this thesis. Literary advocacy of various reforms emerged from a range of motives, often having little to do with the changes themselves. It was the nature of war in an agricultural age, rather than the presence or absence of certain military reforms, which determined the character of ancien regime warfare.
Growth and physiological adjustments of conifer seedlings in response to drought and chilling

Changes in growth, water relations and ABA accumulation were studied in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill) B.S.P.) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) seedlings under drought and root chilling. When soil dried gradually from the surface downward growth of the lower part of the root system increased, although a partial drought inhibited root elongation of black spruce in the upper soil layer. This redistribution of root growth under surface drought increased new root length and hydraulic conductivity, which allowed stomatal conductance and shoot growth to be maintained. By contrast, drying of the whole root system significantly decreased shoot growth and gas exchange. Although repeated drought treatments in root misting chamber did not increase stomatal sensitivity to another drought, preconditioning promoted stomatal reopening during recovery, which was unrelated to the rapid increase in shoot water potential. Levels of xylem ABA paralleled the reduction in shoot growth and stomatal conductance. A common mechanism also occurred under root chilling, similar to those observed under drought, because chilling-induced water deficits and ABA accumulation were correlated with changes in root growth, hydraulic conductivity, and gas exchange. ABA accumulation would explain the increase in hydraulic conductivity under both drought and chilling because ABA increased root growth in moist soil under drought and promoted root branching under chilling which would help to maintain shoot growth, stomatal conductance and gas exchange under stress. Changes in root growth and gas exchange, when unstressed seedlings were treated with exogenous ABA resembled those occurring under drought and chilling. Root growth could be inhibited, promoted, or remain unchanged, depending on the species and ABA levels applied. However, gradually increasing ABA concentration in the treatment solution stimulated both root elongation and initiation. After ABA treatment, jack pine adjusted root growth and stomatal conductance more rapidly than black spruce. The difference between species in the ability to tolerate stress was correlated to their responses to ABA suggesting that ABA is involved in the root and shoot adjustments under stress. Rather than a single change, physiological and morphological adjustments to stress were integrated in a manner that increased plant stress tolerance.