VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
River terrace development of the lower Saugeen River Valley, Southern Ontario

Following the retreat of glacial ice from southern Ontario $\sim$12.5 ka BP, a river channel has continually occupied the Saugeen Valley. The Saugeen River, initially a laterally unstable glaciofluvial channel, has repeatedly adjusted to fluctuations in relative baselevel generated by glacioisostatic rebound and lake level changes. These adjustments included channel incision and, in consequence, the formation of river terraces. The Saugeen River Valley has four levels of river terraces preserved in its lower 40 kilometres. Each terrace, T1 through T4, reflects adjustments to former lake levels in the Huron Basin--Algonquin, Nipissing, Nipissing II, and Algoma respectively. However, glacioisostatic rebound is of greater importance in their formation than lake level change. Created when the rate of glacioisostatic rebound was large, the highest and oldest terrace, T1, is the only continuous one throughout the study area. Large rates of rebound required the T1 paleochannel to adjust its gradient significantly and did not allow the channel to reestablish grade. After $\sim$6 ka BP, the duration of each post-glacial lake became successively greater and the rate of rebound decreased. The combination of these two factors resulted in T2, T3, and T4 terrace surfaces that do not have gradients significantly different from that of the modern channel. Their respective channels were able to reestablish graded conditions. Unlike the other three terraces, the T4 is present only in the lower half of the valley because the rate of rebound during its creation was relatively small. Lake level changes only affected channel reaches near the river mouth. The existence of the three terrace surfaces younger than $\sim$6 ka (T2, T3, and T4) suggests three post-glacial lakes occupied the Huron Basin since 6 ka BP.
Vector competition analysis, a model for evaluating interspecific plant growth and nutrient interactions in cropping systems (Picea mariana, Leuceana leucocephala)

Vector competition analysis, a model for elucidating interspecific plant growth and nutrient interactions, was developed and validated using two case studies representative of contrasting agro-ecosystems. The first case study involved evaluating interactions between nutrient loaded and conventionally fertilized black spruce ('Picea mariana' [Mill.] BSP) seedlings with neighboring natural vegetation on various forest sites in northern Ontario. The second case study involved interactions between 'Leuceana leucocephala ' tree hedgerows inter-cropped with maize in an alley cropping system in western Kenya. In the first study, vector competition analysis revealed seedling growth was limited primarily by competition for N on competitive sites, while competition for light and or moisture was greater after fertilizing the same sites. However, nutrient loading countered weed competition on most sites. Similar analysis in the second study revealed competition for N limited maize production at low tree density (8 m wide alleys) while moisture and or light competition was greater at higher tree density (2 m wide alleys). Maximum maize performance was obtained at intermediate tree density (4 m wide alleys), and was associated with increased N uptake presumably due to N mineralized from added mulch. These results demonstrated the usefulness of vector competition analysis to quantify interspecific plant growth and nutrient interactions in a simplified and systematic framework. Since response parameters were compared relative to standardized reference treatments, a wide range of ecological conditions and management regimes could also be quantified and ranked.
Self-knowledge, moral freedom, and the passions in Descartes

This dissertation has as its focus a tension at the heart of Descartes' theory of the passions, one which defines and therefore problematizes his final ethic. As he sees it, the passions can both contribute to our good and prevent us from seeing it perspicuously. It is not so much the presence of this tension itself in Descartes' thinking which is noteworthy--the tension is an old one in the history of philosophy--but his ' epistemological' treatment of it, the fact that it emerges within and can only be resolved through the new philosophy of ideas. I explore this fundamental tension as it relates to two closely related themes, both of which are of major importance to Descartes throughout his career. The first is the problem of knowledge or truth, the second that of freedom. As I argue, the account of freedom in Meditation Four is canonical for Descartes. This means that the ideal formal relation between intellect and will which that account lays down applies in all spheres of prospective knowledge acquisition--from metaphysics to morals. The intersection of truth and freedom in Meditation Four is well-known: only when the will's operations are spontaneously directed by the "light" of the intellect can our beliefs or actions be fully free. However, Descartes' mature ethic, contained almost exclusively in 'The Passions of the Soul', presents that doctrine of freedom with a good deal of conceptual trouble. For although it is quite clear what the object of moral knowledge is--the good of the composite self--it remains difficult to specify exactly how the passions can reveal this object for what it univocally is. This is, I claim, due to the inherent "opacity" of passion-ideas, their irreducibly problematic status as representational entities. They are, it would seem, both the only means to self-knowledge and moral freedom and a persistent hindrance to this dual ideal. Nevertheless, with the concept of generosity, Descartes claims to offer us a clear picture of what it means to achieve the ideal. The criterion of self-knowledge employed by the generous agent is that of "control": she is aware of the degree of control she is capable of exercising over people and things external to herself, and she structures her desires accordingly. But this result is, allegedly, not obtained at the cost of suppressing the passions. The generous agent thus combines, in optimal measures, the pleasures afforded by the passions with full rational control of the will. I close with some sceptical reflections on the ideal of generosity thus construed.
An idle threat: Epiphenomenalism exposed

This thesis involves a consideration, and rejection, of the claim that recent varieties of non-reductive physicalism, particularly Donald Davidson's anomalous monism, are committed to a new kind of epiphenomenalism. Non-reductive physicalists identify each mental event with a physical event, and are thus entitled to the belief that mental events are causes, since the physical events with which they are held to be identical are causes. However, Jaegwon Kim, Ernest Sosa and others have argued that if we follow the non-reductive physicalist in denying that mental features can be reduced to physical properties, then we must regard mental properties as being causally irrelevant to their bearers' effects. In short, the non-reductive physicalist is said to be committed to the belief that while there are mental causes, they do not cause their effects in virtue of being the types of mental state that they are. It is in this sense that non-reductive physicalists are thought to represent a new form of epiphenomenalism. After a brief survey of the history of epiphenomenalism, and its mutation into the contemporary strain that is believed to afflict non-reductive physicalism, I argue against the counterfactual criterion of the sort of causal relevance that we take mental features to enjoy. I then criticize the "trope" response to the epiphenomenalist threat, and conclude that much of the current debate on this topic is premissed on the mistaken belief that there is some variety of causal relevance that is not simply a brand of explanatory relevance. Once this is seen, it will seem much less plausible that mental properties are excluded from relevance to the phenomena of which we typically take them to be explanatory.
Dialectical elements in the novels of Jane Austen

This thesis traces and identifies dialectical elements in Jane Austen's six completed novels and analyzes the working of such elements in the learning process of the protagonists. It investigates and makes clear the extent to which contrary, if not contradictory, elements function in her narrative. In doing so, it aims to offer a comprehensive view of Jane Austen's novels. The thesis begins with an introductory chapter outlining the generic change of dialectic both as an approach to and as an integral part of discourse, logic and knowledge. It then sketches relevant aspects of the political, social and literary scene in England about the time of the French Revolution, and characterizes Austen's dialectical stance which enables her to learn from both conservative and reform-minded writers of the time. The six chapters that follow discuss how these dialectical elements affect aspects of character, plot and structure in Austen's fiction, how they generate the intellectual complexity therein, and how they challenge our understanding of her vigorous and comprehensive intellect. The analysis shows that Jane Austen is concerned with a moral and philosophical regeneration of the mind of individuals within existing social structures, and that her viewpoint is subtly conveyed through her art of dialectic.
Obsolete Occitan loanwords of the French language

This thesis examines Occitan words that were used in French but are now obsolete. I show which factors have led to the disappearance of these words and which of these factors are the most important for lexical obsolescence. In the first chapter the problematic is exposed. During the course of its history, the French language has borrowed words from other languages, including the Occitan language. This language is still spoken in the south of France, but in the Middle Ages a thriving culture and literature supported it. Today Occitan is a minority language, still spoken by about two million people. Many foreign words in French have been studied extensively. Karl Gebhardt (1974) made an extensive study of Occitan loanwords in French, and he left the door open for further research by including a list of obsolete Occitanisms of the French language in his book 'Das Okzitanische Lehngut im Französischen '. This thesis examines those obsolete words. The second chapter is devoted to background information. Neologisms are examined first. Loanwords are like neologisms in that both are creations: the former come from outside the language; the later are created internally. Next, bilingualism is examined. The presence of loanwords from language B in language A usually implies a certain number of bilingual speakers who are able to bridge the two languages. The bulk of this chapter is devoted to lexical borrowing and word loss. Chapter three contains a list of the obsolete words and biographies of the obsolete words. Each word is examined individually. A number of dictionaries are used, both historic and current, to shed light on each word's history in the language. The words are classified according to semantic category. Chapter Four is the analysis. There are nine causes of obsolescence--five external reasons, three internal reasons plus one category called Other. Next, my hypotheses are tested. Do the following have any bearing on lexical obsolescence: semantic fields and the core periphery distinction? Scale of intimacy means that each word can be placed on a scale going from least intimate to most intimate, from public life to social life to private life. In theory, the more intimate a loanword is, the more likely it will be retained. By core/periphery distinction, I am referring to the extent to which each word functions in the centre or on the surface of the language. Words that are common to all human societies, such as 'fire, hand' and 'daughter ', are considered a part of the core vocabulary. Words that are part of the specific culture of a society, such as 'lawyer' and ' lawnmower' are part of the periphery. Loanwords are usually a part of the periphery, but may work their way towards the core. Chapter Five is the conclusion. I show that even though each word has its own history, it is possible to group the causes of obsolescence according to patterns. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Old offenders, Loyalists in the lower Delmarva Peninsula, 1775-1800

The Delmarva Peninsula consists of the state of Delaware and the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Virginia and forms part of a distinctive geographical subregion along the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Now considered to be, from an ethnographic perspective, the least changed area in the United States, replacing Appalachia for that distinction, it has become a favorite area of study for cultural anthropologists. During the Revolution, this area--already considered a backwater by many contemporaries--distinguished itself by the level of apparent Loyalism among its inhabitants: accurate statistics are impossible, but estimates have put the number from a third of all residents to an absolute majority. As Norman Risjord has pointed out, the reasons for Delmarva being a hotbed of Tory sentiment have "never been fully explored." To generate possible explanations, this thesis examined wartime loyalism in all three states composing the peninsula. By doing so, it was intended to extend the investigation of Delmarvan loyalism by such authors as Ronald Hoffman, Keith Mason, Adele Hast and Harold Hancock, who concentrated their studies on a single state. Through the examination of both primary and secondary material, it would appear that the single most important cause lay in the region's geographical and cultural isolation. Levels of disaffection varied from one county to another, becoming concentrated in forested and marshy districts which diverged most sharply from the dominant "tobacco culture" of Chesapeake society. Disaffection manifested itself both in persistent large-scale rioting which was an outgrowth of a type of gang warfare endemic to the area before the war, and in "picaroon" raids in Chesapeake and Delaware bays. Local Whigs were consistently unable to crush resistance, and had to rely on military assistance sent from the outside. The thesis also explores why the vast majority of wartime loyalists were able to remain in their homes after the war. It contends this was largely due to the sheer numbers of Tories, the difficulties involved in their prosecution, the degree of consensus that existed between them and the very conservative Whig leadership, and shared post-war concerns over indebtedness and geopolitical equality.
Texture measurements as a basis for heuristic commitment techniques in constraint-directed scheduling

The central thesis of this dissertation is that an understanding of the structure of a problem leads to high-quality heuristic problem solving performance in constraint-directed scheduling. Our methods for gaining an understanding of problem structure focus on 'texture measurements': algorithms that implement dynamic analyses of each search state. Texture measurements distill structural information from the constraint graph representation of a search state which is then used as a basis for heuristic decision-making. To enable the rigorous empirical investigation of the above thesis in the context of real-world scheduling problems, we define the ODO framework for constraint-directed search. The framework allows us to implement scheduling algorithms and their components, and to compare them both from the perspective of static similarities and on the basis of empirical performance. In this dissertation, we extend the scope of scheduling problems that can be addressed, in general, by constraint-directed techniques. Specifically, we develop the concept of a generalized measure of constraint criticality that enables the construction of dynamic, opportunistic heuristic commitment techniques. Based on an analysis of the requirements of a measure of constraint criticality, we suggest the probability of breakage of a constraint as such a measure. The investigation of our thesis focuses on three classes of scheduling problems: job shop scheduling, scheduling with inventory, and scheduling with alternative activities. In each of these problem classes we empirically demonstrate that, as a problem becomes more complex, knowledge of its structure has a dominant role in guiding heuristic search to a solution.
Time division multiplexing of a serial fibre optic Bragg grating sensor array

A method of multiplexing fibre optic Bragg grating strain sensors is developed. The proposed design is shown to be capable of meeting the requirements demanded by applications in modern civil engineering constructions. The system is implemented using a mode-locked erbium doped fibre laser as the interrogation source and an electro-optic modulator to demodulate the strain encoded sensor information. Both experimental and theoretical analysis is used to examine the system performance. The requirements of civil engineers for multiplexing fibre optic sensors were identified and the proposed system was shown to meet them. Some of the particular advantages of the system include simple integration with existing single grating sensor measurement methods, a sensing range capable of monitoring many structures up to the failure point, relaxed demands on the manufacture of the grating sensors and high sensor spatial resolution.
MLK-3, identification and characterization of a protein kinase involved in mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathways

Protein kinases are key mediators of cellular responses to environmental signals. A novel protein kinase was identified, designated mixed lineage kinase-3 (MLK-3), from human thymus using RT-PCR and cDNA library screening. The deduced open reading frame, derived from sequencing a 3.5 kb cDNA, encodes a protein of 847 amino acids with several structural features. These include an SH3 domain, tandem leucine zippers adjacent to a basic region, a Cdc42/Rac interactive binding motif, and a proline-rich tail. By northern blot analysis, MLK-3 mRNA was found to be widely expressed. The role of MLK-3 in the pivotal mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways was examined. In transient transfection experiments, expression of MLK-3 induced increased phosphorylation and activation of SAPK. Moreover, this induction was found to be mediated via the SAPK activator, SEK1: MLK-3 phosphorylated SEK1, both 'in vivo' and ' in vitro', at known regulatory serine/threonine residues. Expression of MLK-3 also resulted in phosphorylation of the p38 activator, MKK3. Corroborating this result, MLK-3 stimulated the activity of a physiological p38 target, endogenous MAPKAPK-2, and this effect could be abolished by treatment with a p38-specific inhibitor. In contrast, MLK-3 expression had no effect on the ERK pathway. Collectively, these results indicate that MLK-3 is an activator of the stress-responsive (but not the mitogenic) MAPK pathways via its action as a MAPK kinase kinase, placing MLK-3 in a key position to control the activation of the stress-activated protein kinase pathways in mammalian cells. The MLK-3 sequence contains multiple consensus phosphorylation motifs for MAPKs. In agreement with this observation, the MLK-3 proline-rich region was found to act as a substrate of ERK, SAPK, and p38 MAPKs 'in vitro'. Furthermore, activation of MAPK pathways 'in vivo', either by overexpression of signalling components or by extracellular stimulation by phorbol ester or osmotic shock, induced retarded electrophoretic mobility of MLK-3. Specific phosphorylation of MLK-3 by MAP kinases was indicated by analyses of tryptic phosphopeptide maps. Furthermore, the 'in vitro ' kinase activity of MLK-3 towards SEK1 was downregulated when MLK-3 was immunoprecipitated from ERK-activated cells. Therefore, these results suggest MLK-3 may receive multiple signals that direct its activation of the SAPK and p38 pathways.
SARA is a novel anchoring protein essential for TGF-ß signal transduction

In this study, I identify a novel human gene, which is the homolog of a Xenopus gene. I present the molecular cloning and characterization of the protein product of this gene, which is, called SARA (S_mad A_nchor for R_eceptor A_ctivation). SARA is a novel component of the TGF-ß signal transduction pathway. It interacts directly with Smad2, a cytoplasmic mediator of TGF-ß signalling and functions to recruit Smad2 to specific subcellular sites of action. I also demonstrate that TGF-ß receptors localize to these regions in the cell and show a physical association of SARA with receptor complexes. I characterize the SARA domains required for proper subcellular localization and Smad2 interaction, and demonstrate that a mutant version of this protein blocks Smad2 signalling. Based on these characterizations, I propose that SARA functions to recruit Smad2 to the TGF-ß receptor by controlling its subcellular localization.
Natural priority in the metaphysics of Thomas Aquinas

Aquinas uses the concept of "natural priority" in many aspects of his thought, especially in his metaphysics. This study defines the concept in its various usages, traces its philosophical heritage, and applies it to the principles of 'esse' and form within Aquinas' metaphysics. In particular, the study attempts to prove, against modern "existentialist" Thomists (especially Carlo, Gilson and Fabro), the absence of natural priority of esse to form. The thesis has three conclusions: First, that there is no natural priority of either form or 'esse' as metaphysical principles; second, that God alone is naturally prior among all beings and principles of being, and third, that Aquinas' principle of similitude between God and creature is not alone but the analogical sense of act as both form and ' esse'. The study contains five chapters. The first chapter presents the views of three modern "existentialist" Thomists, and indicates the motivations and consequences of these views. The second chapter traces the notion of natural priority to Plato and Aristotle, and resolves a metaphysical tension within their usages of the notion. The third chapter examines Aquinas' transformation of the Greek use of the concept in his theory of causal order and creation. Aquinas' use of five general types of natural priority, viz. as "separability", as "absolute", natural priority in "being", "in reference to a principle" and in "origin", are argued to coincide in the unique candidate for natural priority, namely, God. Chapter four applies the concept of natural priority to the realm of finite substance, and concludes to the lack of any type of natural priority of esse to form once again. Chapter five replies to the three aforementioned existentialist Thomist positions, and argues that their views misinterpret Aquinas' metaphysics of causes, in addition to implying a natural priority of esse to form on both the transcendental and finite levels. Finally, an examination of both the infinite and created orders reveals the positive and necessary role of form, and the combination of both transcendent and immanent elements of natural priority in God according to Aquinas.