VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Essays on external shock, adjustment, finance and real exchange rates in developing countries

This thesis consists of three essays that analyze issues of external shock, adjustment, finance and real exchange rates in a group of developing countries--Sudan, Egypt, Pakistan and the Philippines. The first essay, "External Shock, Non-Adjustment and Finance: The Experience of Sudan, 1973-1990", uses the Bacha methodology of current account deficit decomposition to measure the impact of various types of external shocks and the adjustment of the Sudanese economy to them. The essay also discusses the role played by external financing in allowing Sudan to avoid an otherwise unavoidable adjustment of its expenditure and trade policies. The essay establishes that the two oil shocks of 1973 and 1979 resulted in the emergence of external resource transfers and expatriate workers' remittances as key variables affecting the performance of the Sudanese economy from 1973 onwards. The second essay, "Transfers, Workers' Remittances and the Real Exchange Rate in Sudan: A Dutch Disease?", extends Edwards' model of real exchange rate determination by including aggregate net resource transfers and workers' remittances as determinants of both the supply and demand for non-tradable goods. Since, according to the extended model, transfers and workers' remittances are likely to increase both the supply and demand for non-tradable goods and, in the case of transfers, reduce government's budget deficit monetization, their impact on the real exchange rate is ambiguous. Therefore, whether they cause Dutch Disease, real currency depreciation, or are neutral is an empirical question. The model is then tested using Sudanese annual time series data. Static and dynamic models of the real exchange rate are estimated using Engle and Granger's two step error-correction methodology. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, aggregate net transfers are associated with reverse Dutch disease--i.e. a more depreciated real currency value--in both the long run and the short run. Workers' remittances, however, appear to be associated with Dutch Disease in the short run but are neutral in the long run. The third essay, "Transfers, Workers' Remittances and the Dutch Disease: Evidence From Egypt, Pakistan and the Philippines", tests the theoretical model developed in the previous essay by estimating real exchange rate equations for three developing countries that experienced large net resource transfer and expatriate workers' remittances inflows--Egypt, Pakistan and the Philippines. The empirical evidence supports our theoretical specification, namely that whether or not transfers and workers' remittances are associated with Dutch disease is an empirical matter that cannot be determined a priori.
Hurricane properties by principal component analysis of Doppler radar data

A novel approach based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of Doppler radar data establishes hurricane properties such as the positions of the circulation centre and wind maxima. The method was developed in conjunction with a new Doppler radar wind model for both mature and weak hurricanes. The tangential wind ('Vt') is modeled according to 'Vt'[zeta]'x' = constant, where [zeta] is the radius, and 'x' is an exponent. The maximum 'Vt' occurs at the Radius of Maximum Wind (RMW). For the mature (weak) hurricane case, 'x' = 1 (' x' < 1) within the RMW, and 'x' = 0.5 (' x' = 0) beyond the RMW. The radial wind is modeled in a similar fashion in the radial direction with up to two transition radii but it is also varied linearly in the vertical direction. This is the first Doppler radar wind model to account for the vertical variations in the radial wind. The new method employs an S2-mode PCA on the Doppler velocity data taken from a 'single' PPI scan and arranged sequentially in a matrix according to their azimuth and range coordinates. The first two eigenvectors of both the range and azimuth eigenspaces represent over 95% of the total variance in the modeled data; one eigenvector from each pair is analyzed separately to estimate particular hurricane properties. These include the bearing and range to the hurricane's circulation centre, the RMW, and the transition radii of the radial wind. Model results suggest that greater accuracy is achievable and fewer restrictions apply in comparison to other methods. The PCA method was tested on the Doppler velocity data of Hurricane Erin (1995) and Typhoon Alex (1987). In both cases, the similarity of the eigenvectors to their theoretical counterparts was striking even in the presence of significant missing data. Results from Hurricane Erin were in agreement with concurrent aircraft observations of the wind centre corrected for the storm motion. Such information was not available for Typhoon Alex, however, the results agreed with those from other methods. The success of these and future tests should vindicate the PCA method as a valuable tool for the diagnosis and subsequent forecasting of hurricane properties.
Regulation studies of the human recombination activating genes, RAG-1 and RAG-2

It has been suggested that a signal transduced through the B-cell antigen receptor complex (BCR) may be required for regulating the expression of the recombination activating genes. To study this possibility, we utilized a unique set of cell variants from the human mature B cell line OCI LY8 which vary in expression of both the BCR and of the RAG-1 and RAG-2 genes. Two forms of stimulation were employed to generate a signal: either a soluble F(ab) '2 anti-[mu] fragment or the combination of PMA and ionomycin. The finding that RAG expression can be upregulated by BCR ligation may be relevant in the context of its potential role in situations where BCR + B cells may undergo secondary rearrangements for the purpose of "editing" their sIg receptors. To better understand the molecular mechanisms that may be involved in this inducible upregulation as well as in the constitutively expressed increases in RAG gene expression in RAGhi OCI LY8 variants (as compared to the parental RAGlo clone), we determined to what extent various levels of regulation were contributing to these effects. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
IndiGolog: Execution of guarded action theories

In AI, the problem of selecting (high-level) actions in dynamic and not completely predictable environments translates into the problem of designing controllers that can map sequence of observations into actions so that certain goals are achieved. One approach to high-level controllers is 'high-level programming '. Basically, we imagine a system executing a high-level program with respect to a background theory of action. Whereas the background theory describes the characteristics of the domain (action preconditions, action effects and non-effects, etc.), the high-level program provides strong, but usually incomplete, clues about what the desired sequence of actions should be like. The work presented here combines two recent, but unexplored ideas: ' Guarded Action Theories' and 'Incremental Program Execution '. The result is a new high-level programming language, which we call ' IndiGolog', whose programs, compared with previous languages, are executed in a more practical way with respect to more open-world theories. We provide a theoretical exploration of both guarded theories and program execution, and develop a Prolog implementation for IndiGolog.
Development and characterization of a graded, in vivo, compressive, murine model of spinal cord injury

In order to take advantage of various genetically manipulated mice available to study the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury (SCI) we adapted an extradural clip compression injury model to the mouse. The dimensions of the modified aneurysm clip blades were customized for application to the mouse spinal cord. Three clips with different springs were made to produce differing magnitudes of closing force (3g, 8g and 24g). The clips were calibrated regularly to ensure that the closing force remained constant. The surgical procedure involved a laminectomy at T3 and T4, followed by extradural application of the clip at this level for one minute to produce SCI. Three injury severities (3g, 8g and 24g), sham (passage of dissector extradurally at T3-4) and transection control groups were examined (n = 12/group). Quantitative behavioural assessments were done using the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) and Inclined Plane (IP) tests. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
evaluation of coumarin as an in vivo measure of CYP2A6 activity

CYP2A6, the principle enzyme involved in the inactivation of nicotine (NIC) to cotinine, is polymorphically expressed with both CYP2A6*2 and CYP2A6*3 representing null alleles. Carriers of these null alleles (homozygotes and heterozygotes) have been shown to display decreased coumarin (COU) metabolism. COU is metabolized to 7-hydroxycoumarin (7OHC) almost exclusively by CYP2A6. To test the reliability and utility of COU as an in vivo probe of CYP2A6 activity, the separation of urine and plasma 7OHC levels between genotypes was compared. The % COU excreted as 7OHC/ mg creatinine (% COU/ mg) in 2 hr. by 63 CYP2A6*1 (wildtype)/*1 (*1/*1) subjects (ss) was higher than by 3 CYP2A6 *2/*2 (*2/*2) ss (p = 0.09) and 7 CYP2A6 *1/*2 or *3 (*1/*2 or *3) ss (p = 0.23). The % COU/ mg excreted in 2/8 hr. increased the separation between *1/*1 and *1/*2 or *3 ss (p = 0.04). In a second study, 19 ss were given 50 mg COU p.o. on one day and 4 mg NIC base p.o. on a second day. Blood samples were collected over the next 90 min. Significantly more (p = 0.04) 7OHC was detected in plasma in 13 *1/*1 ss than in 4 *1/*2 or *3 ss at 45 min., however by 90 min., 7OHC concentrations were equal. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Imagining the real: Theorizing cultural production and social difference in the Cape Breton back-to-the-land community

In this thesis I review existing academic research on the back-to-the-land phenomenon and analyze texts produced by members of the Cape Breton back-to-the-land community. I consider the back-to-the-landers in light of existing social movement theory and argue that they were not a social movement, and that they had both progressive and conservative dimensions. Drawing from postmodern cultural theories I outline a theoretical approach to exploring how they both maintained and transformed social differences. I assert that the back-to-the-landers held particular ideals and engaged certain cultural practices that were informed by their class location and driven by a collective experience of alienation. In doing this, I attempt to shed some theoretical insight into our understanding of how social differences are shaped through textual representation and everyday cultural practices.
The differential effects of dietary fat in a rat model of the ketogenic diet

The purpose of this study was to examine rat tissue fatty acid profiles induced by the ketogenic diet to determine whether significant relationships exist between plasma free long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) and the seizure protection afforded by different fats in the ketogenic diet. The effects of butter, medium chain triglyceride oil (MCT), or flaxseed oil were examined in rats for 48 d. Correlations were performed between plasma n-3 PUFA and the seizure test results obtained by Musa (1999) in a parallel experiment from different rats fed the same diets. Flaxseed oil induced significantly higher levels of plasma free n-3 PUFA than the other fats (p < 0.05). Flaxseed oil also induced lower plasma and liver triacylglycerols (TG). AlI of the diet groups had similar levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the brain, despite large differences in the amount of Ã-linolenic acid (ALA) in the diets. A pentylenetetrazol seizure (PTZ) threshold test indicated that up to 50% of rats on the ketogenic diets were protected from seizures (p < 0.05). No significant association was found between the level of free n-3 PUFA in plasma or liver and the seizure parameters measured from the PTZ test.
Nano-wire fabrication using anodic aluminum oxide as the template

Anodization of aluminum in methanol solutions of $\rm H\sb2SO\sb4$ at sub-zero temperatures (0$\sp\circ$C to ${-}80\sp\circ$C) has been studied for the first time. The resulting anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) films have uniform and regular pores whose diameters are significantly smaller than those found in AAO films anodized at room-to-zero-temperature. The sub-zero temperature was successfully achieved using a novel electolytic apparatus that utilizes temperature-controlled nitrogen cooling and 1.2 M $\rm H\sb2SO\sb4$ in 3:1 (by volume) mixture of methanol and water as the electrolyte. At a constant anodization temperature of ${-}40\sp\circ$C, for example, the pores of the resulting AAO template were as small as 3.6 nm. Nonaqueous a.c. electrodeposition was then used to fabricate CdS nano-wires (of a mean diameter of 5 nm) by filling the pores of these AAO nano-templates with the semiconductor. Polarized Resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS) was subsequently used to study these CdS nano-wire arrays.
An exploration of the effects of multicultural arts on children between the ages of six to thirteen

The thesis examined the influence of multicultural arts on children between the ages of six to thirteen. The purpose of the research was to pursue an understanding of the educational value of multicultural arts in fostering cultural awareness and global respect. The study was undertaken to help prepare students to live in an increasingly diverse world. The underlying assumption was that arts education could be a powerful mechanism in bridging the cultural chasm that separates people. The results of the research indicate the richness of art as a language of human expression, which can be used effectively to teach children about the myriad people who have shaped the world. Recommendations are suggested for future studies in multicultural arts. This field must be explored further to advocate the value and importance of arts education for validating the cultures of all students in a humanizing learning environment.
A comparator and track and hold for use in a 1 GS/s, 10 bit analog to digital converter

Data converters have become an integral electronic component since they are needed to interface digital computing and signal processing electronics to the analog world. The monolithic implementation of high speed, and high resolution Analog to Digital (A/D) converters has been and will remain to be important. The focus of this thesis is the design of a Comparator and a Track and Hold for use in a 1 Giga-Sample per second (GS/s) 10 bits A/D converter in a GaInP Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT) process. Experimental results demonstrated that the comparator was functional up to 3 GHz. A BER of 10 -3 was measured with a 1 mV input signal, with d.c. offset calibration. The chip occupies 500 x 500 [mu]'m'2 of active area with the core comparator consuming 77 mW from a -6.5 V supply. Simulation results of the track and hold indicate that 8.6 ENOB is achievable at 2 GHz, with the core track and hold circuitry dissipating 512 mW from a -8.0 and -6.5 V supply.
Correspondence of distress and coping behaviour with sensorimotor transitions in infancy

The purpose of this study was to examine developing emotion expression and emotion regulation over the first year of life, addressing both normative changes and individual differences, with a focus on the timing of changes and their correspondence with cognitive stage shifts. Literature was reviewed related to normative behavioural changes in social-emotional development over the first year, and those changes were shown to exhibit features which correspond with Case's (1985) theory of cognitive development. Studies which indicated both predictable developmental changes and emerging individual differences in coping strategies were also shown to exhibit correspondences with cognitive development. In the present study, a fine-grained, longitudinal design was used to assess the timing of cognitive changes, specifically sensorimotor stage shifts, and to track developmental changes in both emotion experience and individual coping behaviours. Data were gathered from videotaped records of 12 babies. Mothers and babies were visited at home on 16 occasions, from the time each infant was 12 weeks to 55 weeks of age. On each visit, an examiner conducted two procedures. The first was a set of tasks designed to gauge the baby's cognitive development, using simple toys and moving objects to assess sensorimotor performance. The second involved repeatedly frustrating the baby with a series of toys handed to the baby and then taken away. The latter procedure was coded for distress, and for attentional engagement and motor behaviours. Changes in babies' emotional responses and distress-related behaviours were examined in relation to stage changes in sensorimotor performance. The results indicated that cognitive developmental shifts, indexed by tests of sensorimotor coordination, occurred around 4 months and 8-9 months, consistent with Case's theoretical timetable. There were corresponding changes in emotion expression, gauged by duration of distress. Distress-related behaviours in the study were not found to change systematically; results yielded little support for the expectation of discontinuous changes around the time of cognitive-developmental shifts. There were clear individual differences in coping behaviours, and speculative evidence was provided that individual differences exhibited stage-specific characteristics consistent with Case's model. Theoretical and clinical implications of the study are discussed.
Creating cultures for learning, towards a new paradigm for education

The challenge of educating for a knowledge society is the focus of this thesis in the context of technology and learning and how elements from both can support cultures for learning on the World Wide Web. Postman's three-staged cultural framework serves as a backdrop against which institutionalized educational practice and the learning theories that have impacted on it are charted. Similarly, instructional technology is reviewed as it has progressed to the currently popular constructivist model. The electronic learning environments that have evolved from this progression and their flexibility in integrating a diversity of learning principles is seen as a powerful tool for helping to develop the creative thinkers that will be required in the new millennium. Based on this premise a first iteration design that was implemented for a school-community project, the Health Promotion Learning Environment, is presented as one design experiment for attempting to create a culture for learning.
Modeling the fate of ozone-related by-products in distribution systems

This research examined the effects of temperature, pH, and ozone to TOC ratio on the formation and decay of aldehydes in the Mannheim drinking water distribution system located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Using bench-scale simulated distribution system (SDS) related experiments, models were developed to describe aldehyde and monochloramine concentrations over time. Aldehyde formation in the reservoir was typically enhanced by increases in temperature and the O3:TOC ratio, and decreases in pH. Aldehyde concentrations were found to decrease over time in SDS-related experiments. In general, aldehyde decay in SDS-related experiments was enhanced by increases in O3:TOC ratio, and decreases in pH. Predictive models were shown to be applicable to the experimental data used to generate them. Distribution system testing involved sampling the actual Mannheim distribution system. After the predictive models were adjusted to account for aldehyde removal via biological filtration (i.e. 60% to 80%), they were able to effectively predict the formation of each of the aldehydes in the reservoir. The models were also effective at predicting bulk water SDS-related aldehyde decay. Aldehyde concentrations were observed to decrease rapidly in the actual distribution system. These decreases are attributed primarily to biodegradation, reactions with pipe materials, and hydraulic effects.
Speaking the languages of citizenship

Pluralist societies, particularly those whose pluralism is the result of recent waves of immigration, are faced with a central challenge: how to respect the diverse origins of their citizens while building up their commitment to a new home? A discussion of liberalism and communitarianism with their opposing views on the nature, the boundaries and the role of community will highlight some of the contentious issues involved in trying to find an answer. Language, however, is not often discussed as an important aspect of creating a sense of community. One of the few, exceptions is the work of Habermas on discourse and social change. Drawing on his theory, the focus of the thesis is turned to the discourses that are circulating in a real community faced with a redefinition of its communal identity: Ontario's francophone minority. With the arrival of significant numbers of African and Caribbean Francophones, the composition of francophones in Ontario is changing from a traditional minority of French Canadians to a diverse group of people, the foundation of whose sense of community is only beginning to emerge. As a result, not only is a long-standing minority faced with new questions of inclusion and exclusion, but also the Canadian state itself suddenly has to deal with the convergence of its traditionally separate policies of bilingualism and multiculturalism. Samples of discourse collected over a three-year period will be presented and analyzed to document the tensions in what might be called a 'community under review'. In a final step, both from a theoretical vantage point and based on the available empirical evidence, it will be argued that a new foundation for citizenship should be explored that goes beyond liberalism and communitarianism. Building on the concept of a discourse ethics, it is argued that discourse should be considered as more than just a medium for discussing community. The universal core of discourse, combined with its flexibility in responding to diverse manifestations of human communities, may provide the ethical foundation upon which pluralist societies can build a sense of deliberative democracy that binds its citizens to procedural standards without pre-empting concrete substantive decisions.