VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
A theory of criminal negligence

Is the imposition of criminal liability ever justified in cases of negligent (that is, unreasonable, but inadvertent) conduct? On a subjectivist approach, which regards the culpability of the accused as a necessary condition of criminal liability, it would not be, since only subjective intent and foresight are considered morally culpable, and thus criminally liable. An objectivist approach, however, permits criminal liability for negligence, but rejects the fundamental importance assigned by subjectivists to moral culpability. It seems, then, that we must either dismiss the significance of moral culpability in assigning criminal liability or reject negligence as a basis for criminal liability. This dissertation rejects this putative dilemma. Negligence is a legitimate basis for imposing criminal liability because, in at least some defined circumstances, it is morally culpable. According to the character theory of responsibility which this dissertation defends, negligence is culpable because we are responsible, as moral agents, not only for our actions, but for our moral characters. Specifically, we are responsible for our moral view of the world (our "moral outlook") and for any unreasonable and inadvertent actions that flow from a defect in our moral outlook (such as a lack of regard for others), particularly in situations involving serious risks to fundamental rights and interests of other persons. In these situations, we have a criminal law duty to hold these fundamental rights and interests in proper moral regard so as to avoid inadvertently harming others.
A study of resistance to Uromyces vignae, race 1, Barcl., in cultivars of Vigna unguiculata, L., Walp.

Three approaches were taken in an investigation into the nature of resistance shown by three cultivars of cowpea plants toward one race of the cowpea rust fungus: examination of the genetic basis of resistance, an exploration of the biochemical communication between the host plant and the rust pathogen, and an analysis of the nuclear response of the host plant to invasion by the pathogen. Macroscopic and microscopic examination of the interaction between race 1 of the cowpea rust fungus and the progeny of a cross between two cowpea cultivars was used to investigate cowpea rust resistance genes present in the resistant cultivar. Both the monokaryotic and the dikaryotic forms of the fungus were studied. The different levels and the inheritance of resistance patterns suggested the presence of multiple genes and the presence of dominant and recessive resistance components. Some of the resistance elements acted preferentially toward the monokaryon. Full elucidation of the different plant phenotypes was possible only after microscopic examination. Evidence for the presence of a cultivar-specific elicitor of cell death was found in intercellular washing fluids obtained from infected cowpea cultivar California Blackeye plants. Such preparations repeatedly demonstrated the ability to induce cell death in two resistant, but not in one susceptible, cultivars of cowpea. DNA laddering (visualization of DNA fragments derived from endonuclease action on DNA) associated with programmed cell death in animal cells was observed after inoculation of two resistant cowpea cultivars. The same fungus on a compatible host did not induce laddering. Cowpea plants injected with potassium cyanide (KCN) at concentrations of 100 mM and higher also induced DNA laddering. Cell death without DNA laddering was observed in tissue injected with lower KCN concentrations and at all tested concentrations of other toxic compounds, copper sulphate (CuSO4), sodium azide (NaN3), iron sulphate (FeSO4), and ferric chloride (FeCl3). These results suggested two different pathways for cell death and its induction is dependent upon the chemical agent used and not the speed at which death is induced.
Perceptions of child-witnesses in sexual abuse trials

This research was designed to clarify several issues in the child-witness literature. It has been suggested that jurors in a sexual abuse trial assume young children to be sexually naive and unable to fabricate their testimony. It has also been suggested that younger children are judged more credible than older children in sexual abuse trials because they are considered more honest. These suggestions were examined in three experiments involving mock-jurors reading and responding to a sexual abuse trial. In each of these experiments both Sexual Knowledge and Witness Age were manipulated in a 3 x 3 design. The Sexual Knowledge manipulation addressed the sexual naivete of the child-witness in three ways: A Control condition did not address the issue, a Neutral condition addressed it in an unelaborated statement that the child had sexual knowledge, while the Strong condition demonstrated her knowledge through cross-examination about a previous instance of sexual abuse. Witness Age was describe in the trial as either 6, 9 or 12 years. In the first experiment, subjects read a typical trial scenario in which the child testified against her alleged attacker. The Sexual Knowledge manipulation proved effective in that both child-witness credibility and defendant conviction rate decreased from the Control to the Neutral to the Strong conditions. This effect was mediated by judgements of the child's honesty and not of her ability as a witness. In the second experiment, the trial involved the child-witness testifying about the sexual abuse of an unconscious hospital roommate. While she provided the only eyewitness testimony, she herself was not the victim of the abuse. Sexual-Knowledge was effective in reducing child-witness credibility and defendant conviction rate, but only in the Neutral condition. This effect appeared mediated by judgements of both the honesty and ability of the child. The third experiment involved a trial scenario in which the child-witness of interest merely corroborated the testimony of the victim and provided the only source of facial identification of the suspect. No Sexual-Knowledge effect was found. No Witness-Age effects were found in any of the three experiments.
Differential operators and Nakai's conjecture

This thesis is concerned with differential operators on algebraic varieties. The main goal is to understand how the presence of singularities is reflected in the algebraic structure of the ring of differential operators. Motivated by applications to tight closure, we study varieties in arbitrary characteristic. The thesis focuses on the study of ideals stable under differential operators and applies results in this area to Nakai's conjecture and the theory of tight closure. As well, results on differential operators on étale extensions are applied to show that the ring of differential operators on a smooth variety is equal to the Hasse-Schmidt algebra. Along the way, the Hasse-Schmidt derivations are shown to extend over étale extensions. The ring of differential operators on a Stanley-Reisner ring ' R' of arbitrary characteristic is explicitly described in terms of the minimal primes of 'R'. As well, the D-module structure of 'R' is completely determined. The structure of a 'k'-algebra 'R' as a module over the ring of differential operators 'D'(' R'/'k'), the Hasse-Schmidt algebra 'HS'(' R'/'k') and the derivations algebra 'der'(' R'/'k') is investigated. In particular, the conductor of the normalization 'R'' of ' R' into 'R' is 'HS'('R'/' k')-stable and Hasse-Schmidt derivations on 'R' extend to 'R''. This is the key observation in the proof that a characteristic-free analogue of Nakai's conjecture holds for varieties whose normalization is smooth. Differential operators can also be applied to Hochster and Huneke's theory of tight closure. We show that Stanley-Reisner rings are Frobenius-split by constructing an 'explicit' splitting of Frobenius in terms of differential operators. The D-module structure of a Stanley-Reisner ring ' R' is used to easily compute the test ideal of 'R', recovering a result originally due to Cowden.
Life histories, ultrastructure, molecular biology and phylogenetic relationships of Hepatozoon species, Phylum Apicomplexa, suborder adeleorina

The life histories, morphology, ultrastructure, host-specificity and molecular biological characteristics of 'Hepatozoon' species infecting snakes from Ontario, Canada were investigated in order to elucidate typical life cycle patterns of these apicomplexan parasites, to determine which criteria are useful in describing species of 'Hepatozoon', and to formulate a phylogenetic hypothesis for species of this genus and related haemogregarines. The life cycle of a new species of haemogregarine, ' Hepatozoon' sipedon, the gamonts of which are intraerythrocytic parasites of Natricine snakes in Ontario, was observed to involve three hosts. Sporogonic development and the formation of large multisporocystic oocysts occurred in the haemocoel of mosquitoes of the genera 'Culex' and ' Culiseta' after these insects fed on infected snakes. Mature cysts containing two cystozoites, were observed in the liver of species belonging to three families of frogs and toads following the ingestion of infected mosquitoes. Two rounds of merogony occurred in various internal organs after snakes were fed frogs containing cysts of the parasite. Merozoites released after the second round of merogony entered erythrocytes and matured into gamonts. Electron microscopy revealed that both sporozoites and cystozoites contained lipid inclusions, amylopectin vesicles and a crystalloid body and that macromeronts and micromeronts were ultrastructurally similar except for the type and number of inclusions contained within immature meronts and merozoites. Host-specificity experiments showed that 'H. sipedon' and four morphologically similar forms from various regions of Ontario displayed a relatively high host- specificity for their mosquito hosts and a low host-specificity for their vertebrate hosts. Riboprinting and nucleotide sequence analysis of the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1), located between the 18S and the 5.8S ribosomal RNA genes, revealed that seven isolates of 'H. sipedon ' and similar forms from three different species of snakes in three distant localities were a single panmictic polymorphic species. A phylogenetic analysis of 'Hepatozoon' species and other haemogregarines, based on morphological, ultrastructural and developmental characters revealed that the genus 'Hepatozoon' is paraphyletic and that 'Hepatozoon' species have evolved with their arthropod definitive hosts. As well, guidelines for the preparation of 'Hepatozoon ' species descriptions, based on the evaluation of which criteria are necessary for defining species, and a systematic revision of the genera ' Hepatozoon' and 'Haemogregarina' were proposed.
Intrapartum water immersion, the relationship between timing of immersion and the incidence of dystocia

In a retrospective chart review, the relationship between timing of intrapartum water immersion and dystocia was explored. Two retrospective cohorts of nulliparous women were formed; the cervical dilatation of one group was less than five centimeters on immersion, while the second was five centimeters or greater when the tub was used. Immersion of women with less than five centimeters of cervical dilatation was associated with increased use of analgesic medication, higher rates of intrapartum transfer to the labour and delivery unit, and increased need for oxytocin augmentation of labour. However, there was no difference between the groups in the diagnosis of dystocia nor in the rate of cesarean section. The study provided base-line data that could be used to determine the sample size for a randomised, controlled trial on early versus late water immersion in labour.
NetCents protocol for inexpensive Internet payments

NetCents is a lightweight, flexible and secure protocol for electronic commerce over the Internet. It is designed to support purchases ranging in value from a fraction of a penny to several dollars, with an emphasis on micropayments. It is based on decentralized verification of electronic currency at a vendor's server with offline payment capture and policing. This is accomplished with floating scrips, or signed containers of electronic currency, that are passed from vendor to vendor. No customer trust is required, but the system does place a certain amount of trust in vendors, for example, to guard against double spending, and therefore requires a probabilistic verification scheme to limit vendor fraud to unprofitable levels. The protocol can be extended to support fully anonymous payments. An online arbiter is implemented that will ensure proper delivery of purchased goods and that can settle most customer/vendor disputes.
Delivery of neuroactive molecules from biodegradable microspheres

The defining characteristic of traumatic central nervous system injury is the inability of damaged axons to repair themselves or regenerate. Delivery of neurotrophic factors for example, may enhance axonal nerve regeneration after spinal cord injury. The aim of this project is to encapsulate and deliver neuroactive molecules, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), from biodegradable polymeric microspheres. Biodegradable polymeric microspheres were prepared from poly(lactide-co-glycolide) 50/50 (PLGA50/50), PLGA85/15, poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PCL) and a blend of PLGA50/50, the latter of which enabled the degradation rate to be tailored. Proteins (i.e. NGF and ovalbumin) were successfully encapsulated into biodegradable polymeric microspheres by the solvent evaporation technique. The release profile ovalbumin was followed by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis) and that of NGF by the NGF-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The degradation profiles of polymer microspheres were followed by changes in molecular weight, morphology and mass loss. PLGA50/50 showed the fastest degradation followed by PLGA85/15 and the blend, with PCL showing the slowest degradation. Ovalbumin, having the similar molecular weight to that of NGF, was encapsulated as a model drug for nerve growth factor in release study. The data obtained from both release and degradation studies suggested that protein release from PLGA50/50 was mainly due to degradation of polymer matrix whereas protein release from PCL was mainly due to the interconnected pore structures. The bioactivity of released NGF was assessed by adrenal rat pheochromacytoma (PC12) cell culture for up to 90 d. Results showed that after 90 d, released NGF maintained its bioactivity to induce neurite outgrowth.
The king and the law, Prerogativa regis in early Tudor England

This thesis examines the development of the royal prerogative by the legal profession through the medium of lectures or "readings" on the text 'Prerogativa Regis', between 1495 and 1549. The first readers, serjeants-elect Thomas Frowyk and Robert Constable, set the stage for the later readings. Besides beginning the process of structuring the law so that it could be more readily understood, they also established two opposing interpretations; Constable argued for an expansion of the king's rights and his ability to seize and investigate land held by his tenants, while Frowyk advocated a restriction of the king's rights to those which he believed were legitimately granted by the text. In outlining these positions the readers enunciated two conflicting interpretations of the law, and indicated the existence of two conflicting political positions. This dissertation thus follows these two themes; the development of the law within the Inns of Court and the political context within which the prerogative was working. The 1495 readings were followed by lectures on the topic in 1521, 1531, 1545 and 1549. The later readers, Spelman, Yorke, Staunford and Willoughby, ratified or rejected the conclusions reached by Frowyk and Constable in the course of their lectures, providing some insight into the process of developing the law. Frowyk and Constable lectured in response to Henry VII's fiscal policies, and their successors also reacted to the political context within which their readings were delivered, providing insight into such controversial issues as the Statute of Uses and the dissolution of the monasteries. In conclusion, this thesis examines what the process of negotiating the law, visible through the course of these readings, tells us about the law and politics of early Tudor England. It argues that the legal profession saw themselves as guardians of the laws and customs of England, and, as a group, resisted any attempt to manipulate the law for royal convenience. Though individual lawyers were susceptible to pressure, the group memory of the Inns of Court played a vital role in the development and curtailment of a highly sensitive area of royal power and thus influenced the course of Tudor law, politics and finance.
Ethnic identity, Estonian mothers and daughters in two different contexts, Estonia and Canada

In the past decade ethnic identity has been recognized as an important but neglected aspect of ego identity, especially for members of a minority group. According to Phinney (1990) ethnic identity refers to an individual's sense of self as a member of an ethnic group and the attitudes and behaviours associated with that sense. This research is an exploratory study of the possible relationships between ethnic identity, generation, environment, and personality variables among 20 mother-daughter dyads of Estonian background. Half of the pairs were born and raised in Estonia, and the other half were raised but not necessarily born in Canada. All the mothers had pursued a university education, and all the daughters were university students. Each participant was interviewed and each completed the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (HEIM), a self-report index of the salience of ethnicity in her life, and the Differential Diagnostic Technique (DDT), a visual-motor projective personality test, which yields scores of both ego strength or overall mental health, and personality structure or type. The scores obtained from these measures were subjected to correlational analyses and analyses of variance. These scores were converted into categorical data to explore their relationships using a multivariate statistical technique called dual scaling (Nishisato, 1994). From these analyses several interesting patterns emerged. As a group, Estonians in Canada reported higher scores in ethnic identity and more positive attitudes toward other ethnic groups than Estonians in Estonia, demonstrating a relationship between ethnic identity and environment. Estonians in Estonia seemed to attribute less importance to their ethnicity and to be less open to interaction with representatives of other ethnic groups than Estonians in Canada. Furthermore higher ethnic identity scores in the total sample clustered with lower ego strength and a general tendency toward loss of control, while more positive attitudes toward other ethnic groups were linked to greater control of hostile impulses. These findings illustrate the associations between ethnic identity and personality. In terms of ethnic identity and generation, the older generation showed higher scores in ethnic identity than the younger one. The results of this study are interpreted from a psychoanalytic perspective.
Some aspects of Bayesian and frequentist asymptotics

In this thesis we consider various aspects of asymptotic theory in Bayesian inference and frequentist inference. We give a detailed review of recent developments on matching priors, investigate their relationships with each other and their invariance properties, and discuss how to obtain appropriate matching priors. We investigate matching priors in the product of normal means problem (Berger & Bernardo, 1989) and suggest a class of priors. We give an introduction to the shrinkage argument and provide examples to demonstrate how to derive matching priors by using the shrinkage argument. In the scalar parameter case, we apply the shrinkage argument to derive the frequentist conditional distribution to order 'O'('n'-2) of the maximum likelihood estimate given an ancillary statistic. Using this result, we verify the 'p'* formula and Lugannani & Rice type formula, obtain a version of the renormalizing constant in the 'p'* formula and an expression of the 'p'* formula to order ' O'('n'-2) for general models, and consider constructing confidence intervals to 'O'(' n'-2). We further use the shrinkage argument in the nuisance parameter case to obtain the expansion of the frequentist conditional distribution function to order 'O'('n' -3/2) of the signed root of the conditional likelihood ratio statistic of Cox & Reid (1987) in location-scale models. We also discuss this approach for other models.
Fiber Bragg-intra grating measurement and control and their application to sensing and telecommunications

Intracore fiber Bragg grating sensors capable of truly measuring distributed strain within the grating length, are reported for the first time. Three methods are developed: the phase-based, intensity-based and Fourier transform techniques. All are used to decipher the optical response of the sensor and convert it into a strain profile measurement. Intra-grating strain measurements are demonstrated by determining the strain field caused by several devised mechanical structures: in the through-the-thickness direction of a L-shaped graphite/epoxy specimen, in close proximity to a hole in an aluminum plate, and along a cantilevered beam with slots milled through the cross-section. Issues relating to the accuracy of the Fourier transform relationship in fiber Bragg gratings are discussed. Numerical simulations using a transfer matrix solution to the coupled mode equations, relating to the accuracy of the strain measurement are presented. A tunable laser diode system to interrogate the fiber Bragg sensor is developed; different methods of sensing are identified in this scenario. Finally, a novel implementation of Bragg intra-grating control using a segmented piezoelectric stack for strain-tuning was demonstrated; the fiber Bragg grating was surface bonded to the piezoelectric stack. Different optical functionality and filter shaping was demonstrated with fiber Bragg gratings.
Nickel-catalyzed asymmetric reductive ring opening of oxabicyclic alkenes

Oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptenes were shown to undergo highly enantioselective reductive ring opening with DIBAL-H in the presence of a catalytic amount of Ni(COD)2 and BINAP. The product cyclohexenols were produced in ee's of 81-97% and yields of 50-96%. Slow addition of DIBAL-H to the reaction was found to be crucial for high ee's. Oxabenzonorbornadienes could also be enantioselectively ring opened if the reaction was conducted in THF. Dihydronaphthalenols were produced in ee's of 73-98% and yields of 50-88%. Oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octenes were shown to undergo a highly enantioselective ring opening when the reaction was conducted at >60°C. Various cycloheptenols, were produced in yields of 83-99% and ee's of 93-99.5%. Lower temperatures were found to give significantly lower ee's and low yields. This methodology has been applied to the total synthesis of the important anti-depressant sertraline. The synthesis was completed in nine steps from dihydronaphthalenol with an overall yield of 38%. The dihydronaphthalene skeleton was also found to undergo several highly selective reactions leading to polyfunctionalized tetrahydronaphthalenes. The mechanism of the asymmetric nickel catalyzed hydroalumination reaction was examined by studying the scope of the reaction and by 31P NMR techniques. A reversible hydronickelation followed by an irreversible ß-elimination from the organonickel has been proposed as the key step.