VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Image segmentation for stylized non-photorealistic rendering and animation

This thesis approaches the problem of non-photorealistic rendering by identifying segments in the image plane and filling them using algorithms to render in artistic styles. Using segments as a 2D primitive for non-photorealistic styles is a natural extension of techniques artists often implicitly employ for purposes such as abstraction of unnecessary detail. The problem of segmenting an arbitrary 3D scene in a 2D view using geometric scene information is presented, and a solution based on spectral clustering is proposed. With an acceleration technique, segmentation can be performed in near real-time for interactive, artistic environments. This approach is automatic beyond the setting of segmentation parameters by a user, and it can be extended to temporally coherent non-photorealistic animation by segmenting adjacent frames together. A number of artistic rendering styles are applied within this segmentation framework to demonstrate the effects that such a system makes possible.
Identification of the deleted gene(s) associated with the Philadelphia rearrangement responsible for poor outcome in ~20% of patients with CML

Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) we found that a significant percentage of CML patients with a poor clinical response have submicroscopic deletions resulting in loss of sequences adjacent to the ABL and BCR on the derivative chromosome 9, suggesting that the presence of genomic deletions in the vicinity of the ABL/BCR gene on der(9q) have prognostic significance. Similar deletions, adjacent to the breakpoints, were identified in other recurrent chromosomal rearrangements of leukemia. Analysis of sequence data from the each of breakpoint regions suggested that submicroscopic deletions occur in regions with a high density of Alu repeats. We then used real time quantitative (Q-PCR) analysis to determine the frequency of more localized hemizygous genomic deletions in the region of the ABL/BCR gene associated with poor outcome in CML and to map the minimal deleted region (MDR) critical for adverse outcome. We have identified an additional 10–15% of CML patients with hemizygous deletions in the region of the ABL/BCR fusion gene that would not have readily been detected by conventional FISH methods. Our data defined for the first time the MDR on the der(9), extended for about 120 kb 5 ′ of the ABL gene but excluded all sequences telomeric of the BCR gene on chromosome 22. The MDR included the PRDM12 gene, that is predicted to function as a tumor suppressor gene, and its haploinsufficiency could promote oncogenesis, and affect outcome in CML. Our mapping of PRDM12 within the MDR on der(9) strongly suggests that PRDM12 is a specific target of deletions associated with the Philadelphia translocation. We have also evaluated the deletion status of CML patients receiving ST1571 using Q-PCR. Our study demonstrated a strong association between the presence of deletions in the ABL/BCR region and poor cytogenetic response to ST1571. Despite extensive research and knowledge in the area of CML there is still no reliable predictor of clinical outcome and treatment response. We propose that the presence of deletions in the 5′ ABL region of CML patients at diagnosis can serve as a new valuable prognostic marker that can be used in guiding the management of CML patients.
Putting participation into perspective: The experiences of participants and their family members involved in a novel gene transfer trial

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand from the perspectives of participants and their family members their experiences related to involvement in the NORTHERN Trial, a novel gene transfer trial for people with severe heart disease who were no longer eligible for conventional treatments. Ten people participated in this study: 8 were participants in the NORTHERN Trial; 2 were family members of these participants. Telephone interviews were conducted with each of these individuals. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and then analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The resulting theory describes how, through a process of putting participation into perspective, these individuals initiated and sustained their commitment to participate in the NORTHERN Trial. In particular the findings draw attention to how people continually formulated assessments of the risks and benefits throughout their engagement in the trial and the considerations that they took into account to formulate these assessments.
Environmental sustainability: understanding young adults' learning, thinking, and actions

This thesis explores the ways in which young-adults' environmental learning and experiences influence their decision to live sustainably. In particular, this thesis focuses on young adults' environmental and sustainability learning. It elaborates on young peoples' views about environmental and sustainability issues, such as climate change, the sources for their learning about these issues, and how young adults' learning encounters, in turn, affect their actions toward environmental protection and decision-making. Through a series of in-depth individual interviews with 18 young adults from three universities in southeastern Ontario, this qualitative study provides in-depth insight into young adults' understanding, learning experiences, and actions in relation to environmental and sustainability issues. Employing a Contextual Model of Learning framework the narratives of the young adults in this study are analyzed and discussed within three overlapping environmental learning contexts: personal, sociocultural, and physical settings. This framework allows for an examination of the complex interactions and relationships that shape how and where environmental learning occurs. The findings in this study suggest that the three overlapping learning contexts, that is the personal, sociocultural, and physical play an important role in shaping young adults' learning about environmental and sustainability issues. The data reveal that despite the unavailability or near-absence of environmental studies and education within the formal school curriculum (particularly at the elementary and high school levels), the young adults rely on other locations for learning, such as the internet, environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs), television, and family. In light of this, the research participants suggest the re-introduction of environmental programs and content in the school curriculum. Finally, the results of this study demonstrate the centrality of knowledge and experience in relation to environmental and sustainability issues in the actions and thoughts of the young adult research participants. This study makes an important contribution to the field of environmental and sustainability education by demonstrating the critical role of learning in a knowledge society. It illuminates the implications of various learning contexts for a sustainable global environment and future. Furthermore, it provides insight into the views of young adults regarding the future of the global environment and current sustainability initiatives in a world that faces ever-greater challenges.

Keywords: Health education
Science, Study and teaching
Curriculum planning
Secure two-party computation and communication

In this dissertation, we address several issues that arise in protecting communication between parties, as well as in the area of secure function evaluation. Intuitively, the notion of secure function evaluation is clear and natural: several parties wish to compute some function of their inputs without revealing any information about the inputs, other than what is implied by the value of the function. Research included in this dissertation follows three main directions, briefly described below. The first direction (Chapters 3 and 4) is the design of efficient protocols for concrete functions of interest. Specifically, we present new, more efficient protocols for securely computing the Greater Than (GT) function on the inputs of two parties. Secure evaluation of GT is frequently needed in financial transactions. We introduce new primitives, which are convenient building blocks for more complex tasks, and generalize our GT solutions to satisfy them. Based on this, we construct secure auction protocols, protocols for determining whether an integer lies on an interval, and others. The second direction (Chapter 5) is a fundamental approach to secure evaluation of any function, given as a boolean circuit. We present a very efficient information-theoretic (IT) reduction from the problem of secure evaluation of a polysize formula (or, equivalently, a log-depth boolean circuit) to Oblivious Transfer (a fundamental well-researched cryptographic primitive). Our cost of evaluating each gate of the formula is quadratic in its depth, while in previous reductions it was exponential. Our constructions imply efficient one-round protocols for evaluation of polysize formulas on the players' inputs. We extend our solutions to evaluation of polysize circuits, at the cost of having only computational security. The third direction (Chapter 6) is research on key exchange (KE). In contrast with the previous two directions, here the goal is for two parties to protect their communication against eavesdropping and active interference of an external attacker. KE is a basic procedure, frequently used to establish secure channels between parties. It is a prerequisite to a large number of protocols, including those of the above two directions. We demonstrate a subtle flaw in a previous family of KE protocols and give new KE definitions for the following practical "bank" setting. Here, a server wishes to exchange a key with a client. They have a shared password, and the client carries a "bank card", capable of storing several cryptographic keys. Finally, we present new, more efficient KE protocols for this setting, and prove their security.
Investigation of near infrared spectroscopy as an access modality for individuals with severe motor disability

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been investigated as a potential brain computer interface. It was hypothesized that a comprehensive study of NIRS discriminatory features would yield faster detection of volitional activation. This thesis investigated the potential to discriminate between motor cortical activation and baseline activity in ten neurologically healthy individuals executing an overt and a covert motor task. It identified three time domain features exhibiting differences (p
Modelling of enhanced anaerobic biodegradation of trichloroethene

COMPSIM, a three phase groundwater fate and transport model, was used to simulate experiments of trichloroethene (TCE) biodegradation, performed in experimental soil columns under different contamination scenarios. A simplified first-order approach was applied to model the sequential reductive dechlorination of TCE to its dechlorination products, thereby minimizing the number of calibrated parameters. The contamination scenarios varied in terms of TCE DNAPL presence, TCE aqueous concentration and presence of sulfate in water. The effect of soil properties on DNAPL distribution was investigated. The first-order dechlorination rates were determined to be in accordance with rates reported in the literature and gave insight into the effect of each contamination pattern modelled. However, the limited number of calibrated parameters fails to give information on fundamental parameters involved in the process and to incorporate the effects of rate limited dissolution, kinetic sorption, variation in dispersivity, changes in the microbial population and substrate availability.
Photosynthetic pathway and hydraulic architecture in higher plants

In terrestrial plants, large quantities of water evaporate from leaves during photosynthesis, an inevitable dilemma for plants to open stomata to allow CO2 entry into mesophyll cells. Evolution of C4 photosynthetic pathway resulted in enhanced water use efficiency (WUE) compared to C3 plants. C4 plants have 2- to 4-fold lower stomatal conductance and potentially lower transpiration rates per unit carbon gain than C3 species of similar ecological function. Consequently, for equivalent rates of photosynthesis in identical climates, C4 plants do not need to acquire and transport as much water as C3 species. Because the structure and function of xylem reflect a balance between water demand by the leaf canopy and resistance to xylem embolism under high tension, variation in water transport requirements due to changes in WUE could affect the evolution of xylem characteristics. In a comparison of xylem hydraulic conductivity and vascular anatomy between numerous C3 and C 4 species, it was found that C4 plants consistently have lower hydraulic conductivity per unit leaf area than similar C3 species. The majority of C4 species also exhibited lower specific conductivity, water flow per unit wood area, compared with C3 counterparts. C4 species generally produced shorter and narrower vessels, indicating the xylem of C4 plants is less prone to cavitation. The resistance of xylem to cavitation in C4 compared to C3 species was confirmed in five pairs of C3 and C4 species. In every case, C4 species showed 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity at relatively lower pressure potential of the xylem. Because the C4 xylem is less prone to cavitation induced by water stress, and some C 4 species can produce high biomass and exhibit an arborescent habit, this research indicates C4 species could be developed into productive wood fibre crops in semi-arid and arid regions of the world where production by C3 species is poor and uneconomical. In addition, because WUE differences between C3 and C4 plants are proposed as the cause of the changes in xylem properties, our results suggest that other environmental factors affecting WUE, namely atmospheric CO 2 content, could be important modifiers of wood anatomy in higher plants.
Developmental and physiological insights into the role of lymphatics in cerebrospinal fluid absorption

The primary pathway of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) absorption involves the movement of CSF through the cribriform plate foramina and into the lymphatics of the olfactory turbinates. The time of development and the physiological properties of the lymphatic-CSF connections became the objectives of investigation. The issue of development was studied in two species; one in which CSF synthesis begins before birth (pigs) and one in which CSF secretion is up-regulated within the first week after birth (rats). The results suggest that the CSF-lymphatic connections develop around the time of CSF secretion. Presuming that lymphatics are connected to the CSF space, intracranial pressure and intralymphatic pressure should be related. The impact of elevated intracranial pressure on cervical node pressures was investigated in the rat. These data are consistent with the view that CSF-derived water that convects into the lymphatics is absorbed into the blood vessels to establish equilibrium of Starling's forces.
Intercellular mechanotransduction through adherens junctions in fibroblasts

Cells in mechanically active environments form extensive intercellular junctions that are important in tissue remodeling and differentiation. Currently, it is unknown how cells transmit mechanically-induced signals through intercellular junctions. The objectives of this thesis were to: (1) develop an in vitro model system that facilitates study of intercellular adhesion and communication in cells from soft connective tissues; (2) use this model to study how physical forces directed through intercellular adherens junctions mediate force-induced calcium signals. To study the formation of intercellular adherens junctions and gap junctions, I developed a model in which suspended human gingival fibroblasts were plated on established homotypic monolayer cultures. These cells rapidly formed adherens junctions (∼15 min.) mediated by cadherins. Distinct gap junctional complexes were evident within 3 hr. of cell-cell contact. Intercellular cadherin-binding induced calcium influx through membrane channels and release of Ca2+ from internal calcium stores. These [Ca2+]i changes were temporally correlated with increased recruitment of intercellular junctional proteins into the cytoskeleton and movement of GFP-actin to sites of cell-cell contact. Buffering intracellular Ca2+ with BAPTA/AM significantly inhibited intercellular adhesion as well as recruitment of cadherins and β-catenin to the actin cytoskeleton. Depolymerization of actin filaments by cytochalasin D dramatically reduced intercellular adhesion and recruitment of cadherins and catenin to the actin cytoskeleton. These results indicated that calcium signals regulate intercellular adhesion through remodeling of cortical actin and recruitment of cadherins and β-catenin into intercellular junctions. To study intercellular mechanotransduction, controlled mechanical forces were applied to intercellular junctions by electromagnets acting on cells containing internalized magnetite beads. Force application induced robust Ca2+ transients (65 ± 9.4 nM above baseline) that depended on influx of extracellular Ca2+ through mechanosensitive channels as both Ca2+ chelation and gadolinium chloride abolished the response and MnCl2 quenched fura-2 fluorescence after force application. Similar Ca2+ transients were induced by force application to anti-N-cadherin antibody-coated magnetite beads. At intercellular contacts, force application induced accumulation of microinjected rhodamine-actin which was inhibited by buffering intracellular calcium fluxes. My results indicate that mechanical forces applied to adherens junctions activate stretch-sensitive calcium-permeable channels and increase actin polymerization. Consequently I conclude that in fibroblasts, N-cadherins are intercellular mechanotransducers.
The role of Plk4

Plk4, formerly known as Sak, is a member of the polo-like family of kinases (Plks). In recent years, the Plks have emerged as critical regulators of cellular division. Plk4, the most divergent member of the Plks, is essential for cell cycle progression in metazoans (Hudson et al., 2001). Cell cycle regulatory proteins are commonly dosage dependent and therefore, mice and cells carrying one copy of a targeted deletion of Plk4 (termed Plk4+/- ) are examined to determine the requirement for adequate Plk4+/- ) to maintain replicative fidelity. Elderly Plk4+/- mice spontaneously develop primary cancers of the liver and lung at much higher rates that wild type littermates. Plk4+/- murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) exhibit cytokinesis failure, and increased polyploidy in vitro. Plk4+/- MEFs display insufficient activation of RhoA in telophase, a critical mediator of cleavage furrow localization. Cytokinesis failure leads to centrosomal amplification, errors in spindle formation and DNA segregation, observed at a 5 fold greater frequency in Plk4+/- compared with Plk4+/+ MEFs. In a partial hepatectomy (PH) model of liver regeneration, Plk4+/- hepatocytes display a significant delay in cell cycle entry, with loss of p53 activation and loss of precise mitotic cyclin regulation. Plk4+/- ) binds p53 and phosphorylates it at serine 392 in vitro, and Plk4+/- ) MEFs are deficient in UV mediated apoptosis. Lastly, loss of Plk4+/- ) in p53+/- mice accelerates tumorigenesis, indicating a role of Plk4+/- ) in p53 mediated tumor suppression. Plk4 +/- ) haploinsufficiency leads to a complex phenotype of chromosomal instability and carcinogenesis.
The effect of fibre orientation on the modulus of natural fibre reinforced composites

In this study, the post processing fibre length and orientation distributions in natural short fibre reinforced polymers have been characterized using a Skyscan 1172 X-ray microtomograph. The resulting 3D reconstructed image stacks were analyzed using ImagePro Plus, and models that relate the microstructural parameters to the composite modulus were evaluated. Orientation distribution functions of fibres were calculated and also the predicted tensile and flexural moduli were computed using a mixture of Cox's shear lag theory and simple bending theory. These calculated mechanical properties were compared to the experimental data and the results were found to be consistent.
Size doesn't matter ... or does it? Conundrums of power and personal experience in a non-dieting program

Weight and weight management are complex phenomena for many women in our society. There are multiple and conflicting discourses that limit how women are able to conceptualize their weight and therefore, themselves. This study explores how women in a "non-dieting" or "health at every size" weight management program at a Community Health Centre participate with and negotiate the dominant weight discourses of biomedicine and the dieting/beauty industries as well as the alternative discourses of feminism and size acceptance. Participant observation was used to collect data in the form of fieldnotes from the program sessions. Modified autoethnography was used to explore the program content, the understandings of weight that the women brought to the program, and the dynamics of the program sessions. This exploration revealed many inherent conundrums within the non-dieting paradigm; I offer suggestions to reframe the non-dieting approach to enable facilitators and participants to identify and overcome these challenges.
Transmission analysis of presynaptic and neurodevelopmental candidate gene variants in schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder

Schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder are common psychiatric illnesses that exhibit strong heritability, yet are complicated by a polygenic mode of transmission with evidence of significant genetic heterogeneity. Despite decades of research, little replicated evidence has accumulated to suggest direct, causative mutations or pathways predisposing to illness. Abnormal neurodevelopment is implicated in these disorders through studies showing morphometric changes in various brain regions in affected individuals, together with alterations of cell density, alignment, and connectivity. This investigation tested the hypothesis that sequence variation at presynaptic and further candidate loci would demonstrate linkage disequilibrium with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder based upon misexpression, functional studies, genetic linkage/association, and involvement in neurotransmission, as specific for each analysis. Alleles and haplotypes were evaluated within 10 genes in schizophrenia, and 4 in bipolar disorder, including: SNAP25, STX1A, VAMP1, SYN2, SYN3, NSF, SNAP29, COMT, NOTCH4, and GSCL, with analyses based on sex, suicidality, symptom onset, medication response, and epistasis (gene-gene interaction) considered vital for examination of putative contributions to the psychiatric phenotype. Among the findings of this research, significant association was detected between SNAP25 alleles, haplotypes, and suicide attempts with bipolar disorder, SNAP29 and GSCL (in Portuguese) alleles with schizophrenia, NOTCH4 alleles and haplotypes in African-Americans with schizophrenia, genotypes of SYN3 and STX1A with schizophrenia symptom onset, and SNAP25 genotypes with antipsychotic drug response. Further research on SNAP25 in depressive disorders and neuroleptic response is warranted, together with examination of STX1A and other presynaptic molecules as phenotypic modifiers. These findings can be applied to risk evaluation and treatment decisions, as well as constitute a framework for the study of other biological systems and complex neuropsychiatric disorders. Many post-mortem and expression microarray-based investigations have identified misexpression of central presynaptic molecules in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the absence of associated degenerative processes or abnormal cell density/morphology. Three critical presynaptic molecules controlling neurotransmitter release are SNAP-25, synaptobrevin/VAMP, and syntaxin1a, forming a complex whose assembly (regulated through numerous accessory proteins) allows fusion of the synaptic vesicle with the plasma membrane, and subsequent release of neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft.