VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The economics of attention and the fate of scholarly concerns

Attention is a cognitive resource competed for by scholarly and other concerns. This thesis reports on three exploratory studies into the allocation of attention to scholarly and other concerns by undergraduates, graduates, and faculty during instances of direct (face-to-face) and mediated (print, radio, video) interaction with other minds. Data on the allocation of attention during ordinary social interactions were obtained by using an electronic beeper to signal informants at randomly selected times to complete a questionnaire. Sixty informants (24 undergraduate, 17 graduate, 19 faculty) provided data about their interactions during a single day. In a self-administered beeper study, I collected similar data over 43 randomly-selected days. Data on the allocation of attention during instances of extraordinary scholarly interaction were gathered by interviewing 57 beeper study informants about encouraging and discouraging scholarly interactions. Results from both beeper studies showed that when informants were engaged in ordinary scholarly interactions, they were significantly (' p' < .0001) more likely to be acting in accord with their intentions than was the case with all other concerns. When this comparison was made between ordinary scholarly and social bond interactions, the sixty-informant study revealed a similar ('p' < .0002) difference. The self-administered study revealed no difference in this regard. The extraordinary scholarly interaction study showed a significant difference ('p' < .0008) around the object of attention. In encouraging interactions, 34 of 57 informants reported their attention was drawn to something in the world. In discouraging interactions, 42 of the 57 reported their attention was drawn to themselves or their productions. Informants mentioned social bonds significantly ('p' <.0001) more often when speaking of discouraging interactions. The predominant pattern of discouraging interaction variables was found to be correlated with the experience of shame. Discussion of the results explored the competition for attention between scholarly and social concerns. Application of the findings focused on ways to better address the social concerns around the regard that others have for us that, unaddressed, can be a potent source of discouragement to novice academic writers.
Muconic acids in bleach plant effluents

The reactions of lignin model compounds with chlorine dioxide were used to better understand what happens to residual lignin during chlorine dioxide bleaching of wood pulp. Muconic acids were the major reaction products. Muconic acids in bleach plant effluents were found for the first time, and the high molecular weight material in the effluents was shown to contain muconic acid type structures. The study on the reaction products of guaiacol reaction with chlorine dioxide resulted in identification of 17 compounds. The major products from this reaction were methoxy-'p'-benzoquinone, two isomeric muconic acid methyl esters and two isomeric furanones. The reaction of 4-methylcatechol with chlorine dioxide resulted in one major product, a chlorinated cyclopentenone carboxylic acid. The reaction of vanillin with chlorine dioxide produced one major product, methyl(2-hydroxy-6-oxo-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-3-ylidene)acetate. In addition to the major product, five other compounds were identified. Vanillic acid underwent decarboxylation during reaction with chlorine dioxide and consequently gave the same products as were obtained from guaiacol. Twelve compounds were identified as products of the reaction of ' p'-hydroxybenzaldehyde with chlorine dioxide. The formation of most of the products involves a step where the aldehyde group is eliminated, suggesting that the aldehyde group can be oxidized to carboxylic acid under the reaction conditions used in this study. In this work muconic acids were found to be present at significant concentrations in all four acidic stage (D-stage) bleach plant effluents studied, and in one of the four alkaline extraction stage (E-stage) effluents. High molecular weight (HMW) material was isolated from the bleach plant effluent samples by ultrafiltration. The isolated material was characterized using general parameters, such as COD, TOC, elemental composition, methoxyl-, methyl ester-, and carboxylic acid group content. A method for quantifying muconic acid-type structures as moieties of the HMW-material was developed in this work. The method is based on the pH dependent cyclization of muconic acids and quantitative 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry in aqueous solution. 20-40% of the carboxylic acids in HMW-material were found to be of the muconic acid-type.
Towards functional complementation cloning of the gene for the plasmalemmal carnitine transporter defect, selective media development and initial transfections

Patients exhibiting a carnitine deficient state in tissue or blood can have a number of underlying etiologies. The primary systemic carnitine deficiency syndrome is characterized by early infantile onset with cardiomyopathy, hypotonia, recurrent hypoketotic hypoglycemic encephalopathy, weakness, very low serum and tissue carnitine concentrations and a dramatic clinical response to high dose oral carnitine supplementation. Biochemical and uptake studies suggest that the defect present in these patients is a defective plasma membrane carnitine transport protein. A functional complementation based protocol was attempted to try and obtain the cDNA for the transporter A selective growth medium (RPMI-1640 minus asparagine, with 15% fetal calf serum, 5 mM galactose, 100 [mu]M BSA/100 [mu]M palmitate and 40-80 [mu]g/ml Hygromycin B) was developed which effectively suppressed the growth of primary carnitine deficient patient cell lines in contrast to normal control cell lines. As lymphoblasts express the transporter defect, a cDNA library, originally prepared from lymphoblast mRNA, was used to transfect mutant lymphoblast cell lines. Following growth in the selective medium for various periods of time, the cDNAs from the surviving cells were shuttled into 'E. coli', isolated individually, and characterized by sequencing. The sequences were BLAST searched against the NIH/NCBI Genbank database and those clones containing strongly homologous sequences were eliminated from further analysis Screening of 700 clones revealed 467 with inserts, 367 of which were sequenced and 92 of which were retained for future analysis.
Regulation of prostaglandin H¦2 synthase type-2 enzyme by cortisol and progesterone

Prostaglandins (PGs) play an important role in the initiation and progression of labour in sheep. Increased levels of PGs in maternal and fetal plasma precede parturition in the sheep. The steroid hormones, progesterone and cortisol, have been implicated in the regulation of the PGHS-2 enzyme prior to and during the onset of labour. To examine the relationship between these steroids and ovine intrauterine PG synthesis by the PGHS-2 enzyme, at the mRNA and protein level, we used two models of pharmacologically induced preterm labour. In the first study, we infused glucocorticoids into the fetus and in the second study, the anti-progestin, RU486, was administered to the pregnant ewe. We found PGHS-2 mRNA and protein expression were upregulated in fetal placenta trophoblasts after cortisol treatment and in fetal placental trophoblasts and endometrium after RU486 treatment in the absence of changes in systemic steroids and P450C17 expression. These results indicate, that both cortisol and progesterone play a role in regulating the PGHS-2 enzyme in the initiation and progression of labour.
Theory of mind in preadolescence, connections among social understanding, self-concept, and social relations

The investigation of the ability to attribute mental states to others and to see them as the basis for people's actions has been referred to as "theory of mind" (ToM) research. That is, ToM research attempts to explain how children come to understand social action in both themselves and others. Despite the rising interest in this approach to social understanding, empirical evidence gleaned from the early adolescent years remains sparse. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to assess social understanding in preadolescents from a ToM perspective, and to determine if such understanding relates to concepts of self and social relations differently in girls and boys. It was hypothesized that preadolescents' ability to understand thoughts and emotions in others would be associated with their sense of self and their social-relational ability. One hundred and twenty-eight preadolescents ('M' = 11;9 years; 64 girls, 64 boys) completed a self- concept questionnaire, vocabulary tasks, peer social competence ratings and participated in an interview that involved two ambiguous social narratives followed by questions to assess social and self-understanding. Teacher ratings of the participants' classroom behaviour were also collected. Based on composite social story scores, results indicated positive associations between children's social understanding and (a) perceptions of their behavioural conduct, (b) ability to understand their own mental states and feelings and (c) social competence ratings. Separate gender analysis revealed different correlational patterns among the variables. More specifically, multiple regression and multivariate analyses showed that among girls, global self-worth (i.e., reported personal happiness) acted as a moderator between social understanding and social competence ratings whereas this was not found for boys. Results are discussed in relation to (1) individual differences in social understanding, self-concept and social relations and (2) effects of socio-cultural context. Educational implications include theoretical foundation for developments in holistic curriculum for preadolescents. In conclusion, the present findings may increase educators' awareness of the inner world of girls and boys in the sixth grade which in turn may further the discourse on social cognition and holistic education.
The sound of the rustling of the gold is under my feet where I stand, we have a rich country, a history of aboriginal mineral resources in Ontario

This dissertation analyzes the inherent Aboriginal Title to mineral resources, including oil and gas, under the land and land under water in the context of a long and continuous Native knowledge and use of these resources, which were never relinquished by First Nations in Ontario. Some individual Natives shared their mineral knowledge with the newcomers entering their lands. NonAboriginal mining activities eventually led to disputes between First Nations and the outsiders who, in many cases, attempted to remove minerals without Aboriginal consent and without paying compensation. Under these circumstances, First Nations vigorously petitioned and visited the colonial and settler governments for redress and the negotiation of Treaties, which the governments were reluctant to make. Government inaction prompted numerous Chiefs, First Nation citizens and their allies into disrupting, blocking or otherwise stopping nonNative mining operations in the province thus, precipitating the Treaties which they had demanded. This was the context in which the largest Treaties in Ontario were concluded. First Nations negotiated strong, open-ended Treaties which protected their rights and provided for future economic development and sovereignty. But, because the government unilaterally added and deleted provisions in its printed Treaties, the actual Treaties which First Nations had orally negotiated and agreed to have been obscured. This appears to have been deliberate because the settler government and its successors wanted control of and beneficial interest in the same resources which Native Peoples had retained as the base of their economy: minerals, timber, game, fish, water etc. Following the Confederation of Canada in 1867, Ontario fought to gain control of this largesse. Federal/provincial disputes over ownership and monetary interest in minerals led to numerous court battles, legislation and agreements which upheld the provincial position at the expense of First Nations and Canada. This study demonstrates that First Nations have an inherent Title to minerals, that they have never yielded this and that this Title continues to this day. First Nations have acted consistently to protect and develop these resources which are a part of their birthright. The colonial government and its successors, including Ontario, have behaved inconsistently both admitting and denying Aboriginal ownership and beneficial interest in minerals. These governments have consistently failed to respect Treaty promises. Canada, in particular, has badly mismanaged mineral development on Reserves in Ontario.
Proteins physically interacting with the Swi6 cell cycle regulatory transcription factor

Entry into the mitotic cell cycle is a highly regulated event which integrates both extra- and intracellular signal inputs. In the budding yeast, ' Saccharomyces cerevisiae', entry and commitment into the mitotic cell cycle is marked by the Start transition point in late G1. It is likely that entry into the cell cycle at Start is catalyzed by a subset of genes that are transcriptionally induced at the Start transition. In budding yeast, two transcription factor complexes are known to regulate transcription at Start: the SBF and MBF complexes. SBF and M13F are heterodimers that respectively contain the Swi4 and Mbp1 DNA binding subunits. Swi6 is a common subunit in both complexes and likely plays a regulatory role. In this thesis, I describe my approach to studying the regulation of transcription at Start through studying the Swi6 subunit. The presence of protein-protein interaction motifs in Swi6, with no attributable function, prompted me to study Swi6 regulation through identifying novel proteins that physically interact with Swi6. In this thesis, I describe two interacting proteins, Hrr25 and Stb1, and the significance of their interactions with Swi6. In Chapter 2, I describe the interaction between the Hrr25 and Swi6 proteins. I show that this interaction may reflect a role for Hrr25 in phosphorylating Swi6. I describe experiments which suggest that Hrr25 may regulate Swi6 to induce repair genes in response to DNA damage. In Chapter 3, I describe the interaction between Stb1 and Swi6. I show evidence to suggest that this interaction reflects a role for 'STB1 ' in transcriptional induction at Start. Stb1 is a substrate for the Cdk, Cdc28, associated with the Cln G1 cyclin regulatory subunits. I suggest that phosphorylation of Stb1 by Cln-associated kinases activates ' STB1'-dependent transcription at Start.
The contributions of residual function and cross coupling to the horizontal angular vestibulo-ocular reflex after bilateral horizontal semicircular canal plugs

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) functions to stabilize most of the retina during head movement. The eye movement produced by the lateral and medial recti, which is primarily a response to activation of the horizontal semicircular canals, will be called the horizontal angular VOR (hVOR). Several factors may contribute to the hVOR produced by rotation after plugging both lateral canals. One is residual function. This arises from the remaining transducing properties of the plugged canal. Another, cross-coupling, is the term given to the neural connections that produce a horizontal eye movement as a result of stimulation of the four intact vertical canals. By studying the eye velocity produced as a result of sinusoidal oscillation about an Earth-vertical axis in the dark, one can attempt to separate these factors. After plugging both horizontal canals, a response was observed that is consistent with a physical model for residual function. That is, the response occurred predominantly at high frequencies and consistently showed a phase lead. In both cats, we believe that cross coupling was also observed. In one animal, the input of cross coupling increased its efficacy after plugging.
Losing yourself to AIDS, the meaning of euthanasia and assisted suicide

A qualitative research study was conducted with 32 people with HIV/AIDS in order to develop a theory of decision making regarding euthanasia and assisted suicide. The participants were enrollees of the HIV Ontario Observational Database (HOOD) and were contacted using a novel anonymous recruitment technique. The participants were interviewed and the audio-tapes of the interviews were transcribed and analysed using grounded theory methods in order to determine the process of decision making, factors that affect people's decisions, and the meaning of the experience of deliberating about euthanasia and assisted suicide. The resulting theory describes a process of deliberation that involves the origin of consideration about euthanasia and assisted suicide, reflection on these options, either alone or with others, formation of specific goals and the development of plans and strategies designed to realize the goals. The main factors that influence these deliberations are the individual's disintegration and loss of community. These factors give rise to a perceived loss of self, which in turn gives rise to existential suffering. Euthanasia and assisted suicide can be understood as means of limiting the loss of self. These findings suggest that decisions regarding euthanasia and assisted suicide are primarily metaphysical in nature, as opposed to ethical. The findings also challenge the appropriateness of the prevailing medical conception of euthanasia and assisted suicide that is apparent in existing policies and legislation.
Wyman sector wave collapse in the Nonsymmetric Gravitational Theory, an application of small-scale numerical relativity

A brief account of the current state of the Nonsymmetric Gravitational Theory is given, with emphasis placed on the formal and interpretational obstacles that might interfere with the acceptance of the theory as a model of gravitational physics. The 3 + 1 decomposition of the theory is reviewed, along with the reduction to the spherically-symmetric Wyman sector. Following a reparameterization, a connection is made between the field equations of the spherically-symmetric, Wyman sector, and a Klein-Gordon field coupled to Einstein gravity. Possible slicing conditions and gauge choices are discussed. A numerical investigation of both the initial-value problem and the evolution problem for the spherically-symmetric Wyman sector is undertaken. Conditions on the well-posedness of the initial-value problem are discussed. Gravitational wave pulses are evolved for various field strengths, and critical behaviour is observed in the collapse of certain pulses. The stability of a static, spherically-symmetric solution to the field equations is studied. It is shown that the solution is unstable, and consequently cannot be the endstate of a generic collapse. It is demonstrated that the only two possible solutions that have a regular origin or an event horizon are the Minkowski space solution and the Schwarzchild solution, respectively. It is then argued that any spherically-symmetric, Wyman sector gravitational wave collapse must end in a standard Einsteinian configuration or a nakedly singular alternative.
Metaphysical groundwork of the Five ways of St. Thomas Aquinas

The Five Ways are not an instance of what is nowadays understood as the ' cosmological argument'. The reason is that the First Cause, or God, to which St. Thomas' arguments conclude is "the proper cause of the act of being." ('Summa Contra Gentiles', II, 21, 4) But the 'cosmological' inquiry, in any of its aspects, does not deal with the act of being. The First Cause encountered in cosmology is insufficient for understanding the God of St. Thomas. Consequently, St. Thomas' arguments for God's existence must be viewed in the context of the intellectual activity that deals with the act of being. This is metaphysics. More specifically, it is the metaphysics centered around existence as the highest act, and as the act exercised by the effects of the First or Proper Cause of the act of being. Therefore, the context of the Five Ways is that of a philosophical activity in which one tries to reach the ultimate cause in an actual thing of that which ultimately gives it actuality. For St. Thomas, the act of existence is the actuality of all acts, and is therefore that which gives real things their actuality. But if God is the proper cause of that which makes things in the world actual, then their dependence on the First Cause must first be seen along the lines of their act of being or existence. It will not do, as many contemporary cosmological interpretations of the Five Ways attempt, to read St. Thomas as arguing only for the ultimate cause of motion or efficient causality in the actual things in the world. The Five Ways are an instance of an existentially metaphysical argument.
Shattered work lives, older workers, the breakdown of traditional employment relationships, and the new corporate culture of uncertainty

Current attempts to target the older worker during company downsizing campaigns have brought to the fore issues concerning how this group may be uniquely affected by the stresses associated with the uncertainty of organizational retrenchment. 'Study objectives'. The objectives of the present study were: (1) to explore contextual features of the downsized workplace and how these are perceived by older workers targeted by the early retirement incentive program (ERIP), and (2) to determine both the type and extent of differences in employer-directed attitudes related to use of the ERIP as a downsizing mechanism. 'Research design'. Secondary survey data derived from the University of Toronto's Issues of an Aging Workforce (IAW) Project were used to examine the comparative perspectives of employees of two large North American financial service institutions. One of the companies had undergone a series of downsizings using the ERIP, while its counterpart had managed to keep its workers relatively insulated from the threat of layoff. Employees at each company were compared on four dimensions of commitment to the 'implicit career contract', a conception based on the unique life histories of older workers. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)