VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The efficacy of a double handrail configuration for stair ascent of subjects with simulated disabilities (hobbled subjects)

Climbing stairs is a challenging activity for many frail older adults. A double handrail system was developed to make stair ascent safer and less effortful for such individuals. The effort of stair ascent using the double handrail system was investigated using healthy subjects given the simulated disabilities of lower extremity weakness and grip strength loss commonly found in frail older adults. The apparatus consisted of instrumented stairs and handrails, and a motion capture system. Ten healthy younger subjects wore simulation devices and climbed the stairs under a variety of conditions. Joint torques, generated forces and perceived exertion results show promise for the rails in minimizing effort. The device simulating lower extremity weakness was effective its simulation and the device simulating grip strength loss showed potential as a hobbling device.
Block in entry of enteric adenovirus type 41 in 293 cells

Enteric adenoviruses 40 and 41 (Ad40/41) have a penton base lacking the RGD motif required for binding to host integrins. This feature suggests a different entry pathway from the well-characterized Ad2/5 and likely contributes to poor infectivity of Ad41 in conventional cell lines. The working hypothesis is that poor infectivity of Ad41 is due, in part, to a block in virion entry/trafficking/genome delivery. Intracellular trafficking of Ad41 and Ad5 was compared in 293 cells by fluorescence microscopy, using Cy3-labeled virions, and by electron microscopy. Two partial blocks in Ad41 entry were identified: internalization from the cell surface and penetration from vesicles (not containing LAMP-1, cathepsin-B or caveolin-1). In addition, most Ad41 virions, unlike Ad5, were associated with caveolae-like pits, and incoming Ad41 virions failed to colocalize with fluorescent dextran, which is internalized by clathrin-mediated endocytosis. These results suggest that Ad5 and Ad41 enter 293 cells by different pathways.
Pathophysiological interactions between respiration, posture and the cardiovascular system during sleep in patients with heart failure

In summary, there exist significant interactions in human CHF between sleep and the cardiovascular system, mediated in part through CSR-CSA and sleeping posture. It is speculated that the rhythmic oscillations in autonomic tone brought about by CSR-CSA may ultimately contribute to the sympatho-excitation and increased mortality long observed in patients with CHF and CSR-CSA. Conversely, avoidance of the LLD position may be a self-protective mechanism by which these patients attenuate hemodynamic or autonomic compromise. The conceptual model of congestive heart failure (CHF) has evolved over the last two decades to emphasize over-activity of the autonomic nervous system as one of its cardinal features. However, little attention has been paid to the potential for excitation or inhibition of the autonomic nervous system in patients with CHF by phenomena that are exclusive to sleep. This dissertation explores two such phenomena: (1) Cheyne-Stokes respiration with central sleep apnea (CSR-CSA), a sleep-related breathing disorder, and (2) sleeping posture. Patients with CHF were found to spend significantly less time sleeping in the left lateral decubitus (LLD) position than in the right lateral decubitus position. Avoidance of the LLD position was correlated with the severity of heart failure: less time was spent sleeping on the left side by those with larger hearts, higher cardiac filling pressures and lower cardiac output. To test the hypothesis that CSR-CSA exerts acute effects on the autonomic nervous system, its effects on a number of cardiovascular phenomena, including heart rate, blood pressure, atrioventricular (AV) conduction, and ventricular ectopy were investigated. During CSR-CSA, heart rate and blood pressure oscillated in association with respiratory oscillations. In patients with atrial fibrillation, ventricular rate again oscillated in association with CSR-CSA despite the absence of normal respiratory arrhythmia. Comparison of RR-intervals during CSR-CSA indicated that this breathing disorder exerts this effect on ventricular rate by inducing cyclical changes in AV conduction properties. Ventricular premature beats (VPBs) were found to occur more frequently during the hyperpneic phase than the apneic phase of CSR-CSA. VPB frequency was also found to be higher during periods of CSR-CSA than during periods of regular breathing.
Structural and functional studies of the Polo like kinase Sak/Plk4

The four mammalian Polo like kinases (Plks), Plk1, Plk2, Plk3, and Plk4, are regulators of cell cycle progression. Plks are distinguished by the presence of an N-terminal Ser/Thr kinase domain and one or two conserved C-terminal polo box motifs. Plk4 (also known as Sak), the most distant family member, possesses one polo box motif whereas Plk1, Plk2, and Plk3 possess two. Sak plays essential roles in cell cycle regulation, namely in centriole duplication and late mitotic progression. Unlike Plk1, Plk2, and Plk3, the phosphorylation substrates of Sak are not known. Consequently, the question of how Sak regulates centriole duplication and late mitotic progression remains to be determined. The tandem polo boxes of Plk1 mediate Plk1 subcellular localization and autoinhibits its kinase domain. It is not known if the single polo box of Sak regulates kinase catalytic function or mediates localization. I have determined the x-ray crystal structure of the Sak polo box and shown that it constitutes an autonomously folding domain, which we termed the polo domain. As observed by others for Plk1, the Sak polo domain is sufficient for Sak subcellular localization to centrosomes and the cleavage furrow. I also find that the Sak polo domain does not regulate the catalytic activity of the adjacent kinase domain in the manner observed for Plk1. I have identified a novel domain present in Sak, and not in Plk1, Plk2, Plk3, or any other known protein, which I have termed the kinase interacting module (KIM). The KIM domain can mediate Sak subcellular localization to mitotic structures, can interact with the adjacent kinase domain, but does not affect catalytic efficiency in vitro. Finally, I have characterized the target phosphorylation consensus of the Sak catalytic domain to be Æ -- [Ile/Leu/Val] --Ser/Thr- phis;- phis;-x-Æ/Pro (where residues in brackets are selected against, phis; denotes a hydrophobic residue, and Æ denotes a charged residue dependent on the context of the surrounding sequence). I posit that this consensus will help in the identification of in vivo Sak substrates, which will in turn be key to understanding how Sak mediates centriole duplication and exit from mitosis.
Modelling and characterization of PLGA bioscaffolds for tissue engineering applications

The use of bioabsorbable bioscaffolds for tissue engineering is a promising treatment for patients who have damaged tissues. For this thesis, a study on poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) bioscaffolds fabricated using a gas foaming/salt leaching technique was performed. First, a parametric study showed that highly porous bioscaffolds were fabricated. The morphology was well-controlled by the salt particle and was found to vary with material composition. Second, for the degradation study, the initial pore size had little effect on degradation rate, which was mainly dependent on the medium, as the bioscaffolds degraded faster in the distilled water than in phosphate buffered saline. Third, a constitutive model was developed to predict the stress-strain behaviour of a scaffold under a compression loading condition and was verified by comparing it to empirical data. Finally, a finite element model was built to analyze the bioscaffold under compression, and this model was also verified using empirical data.
Subject spaces: A data model for state-persistent publish/subscribe systems

Publish/subscribe is a messaging paradigm that lets publishers disseminate information and allows subscribers to filter out irrelevant information. The publish/subscribe paradigm has wide applicability in many application domains. However, there is a lack of theoretical foundation for studies of publish/subscribe systems. This thesis proposes the subject space model, a data model for state-persistent publish/subscribe systems. The objective of the subject space model is for representing information and describing behavior of publish/subscribe systems. This data model subsumes conventional models into a unified model and overcomes their limitations. Major contributions of this data model include the introduction of state-persistence into publish/subscribe systems and its symmetrical treatment of data and query. This research also presents the index structures and matching algorithms for implementing publish/subscribe system supporting the subject space model.
Orthogonal and symmetric Haar wavelets on the sphere

The efficient representation of signals defined over spherical domains has many applications. We derive a new spherical Haar wavelet basis (SOHO) that is both orthogonal and symmetric, rebutting previous work that presumed the nonexistence of such a basis. The key to obtaining the basis is a novel spherical subdivision scheme that defines a partition acting as the domain of the basis functions. We also derive basis transformation matrices that permit the rotation of a signal represented in our new basis. The elements of these matrices can be computed analytically, in contrast to previous work that required numerical computations. Experimental results for the approximation and rotation of spherical signals verify that the superior theoretical properties of the SOHO wavelet basis also have practical benefits over previous representations.
Resting energy expenditure in stroke patients who are dependent on tube feeding

Energy requirements of chronic stroke patients are not known. We sought to determine the energy requirements of stable stroke patients who are tube fed. We measured the resting energy expenditure (REE) of tube fed, chronic stroke patients using indirect calorimetry and, measured fat free mass (FFM) using bioelectrical impedance to determine the relationship between FFM and REE. The results of 10 participants were compared to a healthy control group. FFM was significantly lower in the stroke group (42.1 +/- 7.7 kg) than the controls (50.9 +/- 11.2 kg) (p
Three essays on the impact of child custody law on child educational attainment

I examine in this thesis the impact changes in Child Custody Law can have on children of differing family structures in terms of their educational attainment, and intergenerational educational mobility conditional on parental educational attainment and income. I then explore a possible theoretical explanation for these effects. Chapters 2 and 3 studies the empirical impact of the regime shift from maternal preference to joint custody in custody dispute adjudication in the United States during the 1980s using the one percent Integrated Public Use Microsample Series (IPUMS) of the decennial Census for the decades from 1970 to 1990. Focusing on children between the ages of 15 to 18 who were living with a single divorced and separated parent and of intact families, I found first using cross state and year variation in the timing of adoption of those laws that the children of single parent households living in states which adopted joint custody had a higher probability of high school graduation at age 18. However, children from intact families suffered a decrease in the same probability. This suggests that the law has important unintended negative effects that had thus far been neglected in the literature. The results were robust to the use of the IPUMS Current Population Survey Sample, and Stochastic Dominance Tests. Next using a new distributional overlap measure I found evidence of reduction in alienation between children of intact and single parent families, and particularly between divorced and separated parent families compared with children of widowed parents. This accords with intuition since widowed parent households would not have been affected by the changes in family law. In general, there seem to be a move towards greater intergenerational mobility as a result of joint custody law adoption. In Chapter 4, I model familial choices in labor supply and investments in the quality of children in the shadow of evolving child custody legislations, from the perspective of differential fecundity. The model is able to explain why child support payment rose with joint custody law adoption, and emphasizes the impact the law can have on equilibrium marriage, remarriage and divorce rates.
Structural specialization: Canada-U.S. relations and Canada's place in the world

The study of international relations generally presupposes that the structural context within which states interact is 'anarchic;' meaning, without an overarching authority to preside over a common, comprehensive body of law. Systemic theorists have accordingly been content to assume that only the anarchic context is of relevance when hypothesizing about the predominant patterns of state behaviour. This study breaks with tradition and investigates the implications of hierarchical structures forming within the broader international anarchy. In so doing, it opens two unexplored areas of international relations to systemic theorizing: (1) the high political interactions between super- and subordinate states; and (2) the behaviour of subordinate states in the international system. The predominant patterns of these seemingly distinct, though fundamentally related areas of international relations are revealed and explained through the analysis of six case studies in Canada-U.S. relations: the Vietnam War (1954-1973); the Cuban Missile Crisis (1961-1962); Nuclear Weapons (1954-present); Missile Defence (1984-present); The War on Terror (2001-present); and Transnational Security After 9/11. These cases affirm two counterintuitive hypotheses. The first is that high political interactions between super- and subordinate states follow a non-linear (as opposed to straightforward) pattern towards contradictory (as opposed to mutually beneficial) policy outcomes. This is due to the fact that in intra-hierarchical high political interactions, the dual structural contexts of anarchy and hierarchy combine to push and pull super- and subordinate states in contrasting directions, ultimately leaving a contradictory imprint on their policy outcomes. The second is that subordinate states carry out specialized roles in the international system not fitted for great powers as an alternative to traditional means (balancing against superordinate power through alliance formation or arms build-up) of ensuring their sovereign survival. Like individuals in domestic society, subordinate states must specialize in order to survive as independent sovereign units in the international system. The study concludes by drawing out further areas in which structural specialization is likely to matter, before setting down the grand strategic implications of the findings for Canada-U.S. relations and Canada's place in the world.
An exploration of responsiveness to change of psychosocial, quality of life and pain measures to supportive-expressive group therapy intervention, improvement in mood and progression of disease in women with metastatic breast cancer

Responsiveness, the ability of a measure to accurately detect change when it has occurred, was evaluated in six questionnaires used in the "Breast Expressive-Supportive Therapy" study in metastatic breast cancer: Profile of Mood States (POMS), Impact of Event Scale, Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS), EORTC QLQ-C30, Mental Adjustment to Cancer and a pain visual analog scale. We assessed responsiveness to change in three scenarios: the effect of supportive-expressive group therapy (SEGT), improvement in mood by more than a small effect size in POMS Total Mood Disturbance score and progression of disease. At the group level, POMS was the most responsive to SEGT but for progression of disease, EORTC QLQ-C30 and PAIS were the most responsive. PAIS psychological and EORTC QLQ-C30 emotional subscales showed small to moderate effect sizes for improvement in mood. At the individual level, POMS was associated with the largest proportion of patients who improved with SEGT.
Hybrid youth: discourses of ethnic difference and style

Ethnic identity is central in shaping how we understand and perceive ourselves in relation to others. It is a complex and ever-evolving construction that takes place within a myriad of social relations and daily experiences. Based on an empirical qualitative study conducted with nine classmates from a Toronto high school, this research seeks to better understand how teenagers experience ethnic identity and understand the differences that surround them at school. I look in particular at the role of music and fashion styles as key sites for the construction and expression of ethnic identity, as well as vehicles to cross cultural borders. The participants' discourses reveal that popular cultural styles are used to challenge and surpass fixed versions of ethnic belonging, situating individuals as hybrid beings. Hybrid cultural identities, however, are highly structured and constrained at the school by a contradictory discourse that emphasizes authentic roots and stable identities.

Keywords: Youth, Ontario
Cultural fusion, Ontario
Multicultural education, Ontario
Ethnicity, Ontario
Popular culture, Ontario
Teenagers, Ontario
"Cracks in the facade of liberty": The resort to habeas corpus to enforce part XX.1 of the Criminal Code

In 1992, Parliament enacted sweeping changes to the mental disorder provisions of the Criminal Code (Part XX. 1). These changes were intended to mark a new era of dignity, respect for liberty and balance between the safety of the public and the assessment-treatment needs of mentally disordered persons. However, in Ontario, many people were unlawfully held in jail in spite of orders that they be placed in hospital to receive assessment or treatment under the new regime in Part XX. 1. A number of accused people began to seek the extraordinary remedy of habeas corpus in Superior Court to enforce regular orders for placement in hospital. The ten-year string of threatened, aborted and decided habeas corpus cases in Ontario reveals a gap between the progressive goals of Part XX. 1 and the reality of its implementation in Ontario. I propose a twofold response to eliminate the need for resort to habeas corpus. The first is the recognition and reconciliation of the need for collaboration among the institutions responsible for forensic justice in Ontario. The second is a proposal for a specific legislative response for the timing of in-hospital assessments, to ensure alignment with the policy aims within Part XX. 1.

Keywords: Habeas corpus
Liberty
Criminal law, Canada
"I want to talk to my lawyer": the right to counsel of detainees suspected of security offences in Israel

The right to counsel has been recognized in Israel as an important right in the criminal procedure and was elevated to a constitutional status. Accordingly, the protection of the right and limitations on it are regulated by law. This legislation differentiates between treatment of the right to counsel in the context of security offences and other offences. In the security context the right can be delayed for significantly longer durations. This different framework is an application of an 'Accommodations' model, which allows modifications of the ordinary framework, inside the bounds of legality, due to security needs. I argue that this differentiation can be justified, as the interests in this context lead to a different balance; however the specific framework that is set in the Israeli legislation is not proportionate. The current duration of delay of the meeting should be re-evaluated and minimized, and alternative forms of meeting should be added.

Keywords: Right to counsel, Israel
Detainers (Criminal procedure), Israel
Subversive activities, Israel
Academic excellence, devotion to the church and the virtues of womanhood: Loretto, Hamilton 1865-1970

This study of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary's (IBVM) convent school in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is a microhistorical examination of the teaching Sisters and their students. Loretto Hamilton is both a mirror and a window. It offers a reflection of a Loretto convent school in Ontario throughout the nineteenth and twentieth-centuries and a view into the operations of the Sisters, students and school. Forty students attended in the school's first year, 1865; the following year, enrollment surged to 100 pupils. Loretto Academy closed in 1970 with a capacity of almost 400 students. It remains the longest continuously operating private girls' school in the city's history. This study contributes to and substantially revises the existing body of historical research by examining the IBVM's critical role in the process of establishing convent schooling in Hamilton, Canada West, in 1865. Without the diligent work of women religious, and in particular that of the Loretto Sisters (the name by which the IBVM were known colloquially), the history of higher education of Hamilton girls in the late-nineteenth and early twentieth-centuries would have been markedly different. This study adds to our understanding of nineteenth and twentieth-century education by examining the experiences of those students and teachers who participated in the day-to-day life of Loretto Hamilton. It enriches in minute detail how the Academy functioned in terms of the pedagogy and curriculum of a secondary school. There was a distinct difference in the goals the Loretto Sisters established for their school, and those desired by the local public high school that had as its goals preparation for the world of work and civil obedience. Yet, in order to survive, Loretto Hamilton had to parallel its local public high school in curricular offerings and building expansions in order to retain and attract students. When it could no longer compete, the school closed.

Keywords: Learning and scholarship, Religious aspects
Academic achievement, Religious aspects
Nuns