VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
David Thompson's writing of his Travels, the genetics of an emerging exploration text

This thesis is a textual study of the 'Travels' of David Thompson (1770-1857). The 'Travels' describes Thompson's activities as a surveyor and fur trader between 1784 and 1812 and also treats of the geography, history and Native peoples of the West; it is steadily gaining appreciation as one of the finest works in early Canadian literature. But despite growing recognition of the 'Travels'' importance, the work is still poorly understood. Composed between 1845 and 1850, it exists in multiple draft versions and was left unfinished. While it has been edited for publication three times, by J. B. Tyrrell (1916), Richard Glover (1962) and Victor Hopwood (1971), none of these editions adequately reflects the text that Thompson wrote. The main undertaking of this thesis is to study the 'Travels' manuscript itself. Using the methods of textual analysis and genetic criticism, the thesis describes the work's genesis and development, first assessing the five definable states in which the 'Travels' existed during the years of composition, and then looking at the evolution of several specific areas of the text: opening passages, writings on the Cree, the versions of Thompson's 1811 journey to the Pacific, an essay on the Plains and the final material composed in 1850. This analysis of the text's evolution casts new light on several of the critical problems that the 'Travels' presents, including shifts in authorial voice, an often disjunctive structure and a perceived lack of a unity. The thesis argues that these characteristics stem from the author's dual persona of surveyor and storyteller, and from the differing, and not always complementary, narrative strategies and organizational schemes which he employed over the course of composition. The struggle to understand the essential nature of the work reflects a problem of assimilation that Thompson himself never fully resolved. The thesis then returns to the problems of editing Thompson. It examines in detail the editions of Tyrrell, Glover and Hopwood, and concludes by considering how scholarly editing might better serve this key work.
Multi-antenna systems and interconnection strategies for CDMA wireless access networks

The main objective of this thesis is to utilize antennas in novel ways so as to achieve performance benefits at the system level through spatial interference management. To this end, we study CDMA multi-antenna wireless access networks (where the transmission and reception are through multiple antennas distributed in the service area), and compare their performance with that of the conventional networks where only one central antenna (CA) exists. We first demonstrate that by using CDMA distributed antenna (DA), the power control dynamic range can be reduced significantly; this yields a notable reduction in the outage. The DA system simulates a hypothetical optimal CA system; therefore, even though the capacity of a DA system may be considerably higher than that of a CA type, the capacity is still low per antenna element (AE). In order to overcome this shortcoming, we present the sectorized distributed antenna (SDA) system, where each AE is connected to a separate feeder. We further suggest a novel nonlinear power control algorithm which balances the SIR in SDA systems. We demonstrate analytically and through simulations that in a CDMA SDA system the reverse link capacity increases approximately linearly with increasing numbers of AE's. This increase is still valid, despite the overlapping antenna patterns and non-uniform traffic, due to the joint decoding (enhanced macrodiversity) capability of the SDA system, and also to the effective power control algorithm used. Therefore, the reverse link capacity of an SDA system with ' L' AE's is higher than that of an 'L'-cell duster serving the same region. In order to achieve maximum performance from the SDA architecture, the interference picked up by an AE for a user should be uncorrelated with those picked up by other AE's. To this end, the conditions, under which the correlated interference occurs, are evaluated, and the effects of the system parameters on the correlation are analyzed. Finally, AE interconnection strategies are studied in order to determine cost-efficient as well as robust and flexible interconnection architectures, by using results from the theory of minimal networks, especially those on Steiner trees.
Development and initial evaluation of an evidence-based in-office decision aid to improve the assessment and treatment of patients with acute low back pain in primary care practice, the Peterborough Back Rules Template

This thesis reports the development and initial evaluation of an in-office decision aid to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the management of acute low back pain. The decision aid (a chart template and postural advice/prescription tear-off) was developed with local physician opinion leaders in the City of Peterborough Ontario in the context of a guideline implementation project. A survey answered by 70% of practising primary care physicians in the city showed that 98% were aware of the implementation project, but the acceptability of the chart template was low, 10/63 physicians (15.9%) reported using it with more than 50% of their new patients with low back pain. Opinions about the usefulness of the chart template were mixed: very useful (8%), useful (20%), somewhat useful (17%), not useful (13%), can't judge (32%). The qualitative part of the evaluation revealed that many physicians did not see the need for a decision aid in dealing with acute low back pain, and were reluctant to change their current office and charting practices. to accommodate it.
Real-time control of Trussarm Mark II

Trussarm Mark II is a four-bay trussarm with 12 degrees of freedom. In this thesis, a control system for Trussarm Mark II was designed. Only two bays were actuated for 6-degree-of-freedom control. The two-bay kinematics was implemented and the writing application and visual control were designed. System performance was evaluated and the controllers were calibrated to minimize the effects of the structural defects. A four-bay control for Trussarm Mark II is still under development. This and other improvements will be made in the future.
Beliefs, practices and concerns about authentic assessment, five case studies of secondary mathematics teachers

This is a qualitative study of five secondary school teachers as they attempt to employ authentic assessment strategies in their instructional practice. The study emerged after a review of research on the use of authentic assessment in secondary school mathematics and a recognition of a marked lack of detail in the literature concerning the beliefs, practices and concerns of secondary school mathematics teachers as they endeavour to, change their assessment practices to align with current forms of instructional practice. Such detail, is needed if educators are to understand the value, successes and difficulties of employing authentic assessment in a secondary school mathematics program and thus be able to offer appropriate assistance. A qualitative approach, combining interviews, logs, collection of sample assessments, and classroom observation was used to gather the data over a one year period and to describe the five cases. These case studies record what the teachers are doing and why they are doing it, as well as the dilemmas and support that they encounter. Their use of authentic assessment includes a wide variety of techniques including journals, performance rubrics, checklists, and peer- and self-evaluation. The key messages that voice include the necessity for a problems-based curriculum, the importance of developing a collaborative teacher culture, and the important role that administrators can play in facilitating change in assessment practices. Thus, the study has significant implications for teachers and for those concerned with the professional development and growth of teachers in the area of assessment.
The formation and demise of royal houses in the period of the Southern Dynasties, a history of the Xiao family during the Song, Southern Qi and Liang (and later Liang) Dynasties, 420-581

This thesis is an exercise in exploring the official dynastic histories to reconstruct the history of the Xiao family during the period of the Southern Dynasties. It narrates the political events of the three dynasties in which the Xiaos were active, outlines the "normative" process of usurpation and presents the various instruments Of legitimation by which each dynastic founder justified his accession to the throne. Much of this material is presented in English for the first time. Though the members of the Xiao are recognized for their political and literary accomplishments, their rise to power originated in their military background and their fortuitous relationship to an earlier branch of the family which had married into a royal house (the Lius of the [little] Song dynasty). The Xiao family was unique in founding two dynasties (the Qi and Liang). This thesis suggests that by virtue of being outside the same mourning group, the founder of the second Xiao dynasty (Liang) was in technical conformity with Heaven's command regarding a "change of surname" when he destroyed the preceding Xiao dynasty (Qi). Members of the royal families never succeeded in developing a sense of themselves as part of a larger whole. Half-brother relationships and the practice of sending young sons to regional garrisons undermined a sense of cohesion. In addition, the existence of two conflicting rules of succession, one through the fine of the eldest and the other through the "most senior" surviving brother, unleashed centrifugal forces within the family itself. In the wake of the devastating rebellion of Hou Jing, the royal princes were unable to form a central rallying point for the loyalist cause. This destroyed their political prestige and brought the end of the Xiao family as a political force, though they were honoured as one of the great families of this period following reunification of the empire a few decades later.
A comparative study of human service professionals' perceptions of minimum child protection entry points for neglect, an Ontario perspective

In North America, neglect is more prevalent than child abuse. In Ontario, neglect is a significant factor in the leading cause of death for children: unintentional injuries. Yet, recognition of neglect as a serious danger to children and clear child protection service (CPS) definitions are lacking. Despite the critical features of neglect and the key role human service professionals (HSP) hold as referral sources and gatekeepers of CPS, there has been a paucity of research on what HSP perceive as the minimal point at which CPS is warranted i.e. the minimum CPS entry point or intervention line (MIL). The objective of this secondary study was to analyze secondary survey data on 679 Ontario HSP perceptions of the MIL for nine forms of neglect and test whether regional socioeconomic (SES) variance and agency type influenced perceptions. An explanatory approach was taken and Adaptation-level (AL) theory used to guide understanding about individual, group and community adaptation to contextual factors, as well as expand Wolock's (1982) American test of AL theory. Secondary analysis used nonparametric tests, non-directional hypotheses and an alpha level of p < .05. The secondary survey data were obtained from a convenience sample of six Ontario CPS agencies that had independently surveyed CPS staff and community HSP regarding the minimum CPS entry point for 24 Reasons for Service. All six regions used the same CPS eligibility tool (intervention Spectrum) and the same survey method. Regional SES findings were mixed, as differences in HSP perception of entry points appear to exist (p < .02), but only with some forms of neglect. Suggested rationale for the lack of support for AL theory may be this study's large sample unit (region) and the study effects of more extreme SES polarization in the United States compared to Canada. No differences between agency type (investigating and noninvestigating agencies) were found. Overall, the analysis suggests that the construction of neglect is not a static phenomena within and across agencies and regions and Canadian child welfare may differ from American experiences. Additional research is needed to better understand which factors, in particular contextual ones, influence HSP decisions about child neglect in Canada.
Toleration, diversity and global justice

This dissertation is an examination of the problem of global diversity and justice within a liberal framework. Specifically, it considers how two current influential but competing interpretations of liberalism, political liberalism and comprehensive liberalism, fare with respect to this problem. At another level then, this work is an evaluation of the important debate between these two conceptions of liberalism. Despite the current popularity and influence of global liberalism, liberal theory continues to be plagued by internal difficulties and tensions. For instance, what is the limit of liberal toleration? Should a liberal global order accept as legitimate nonliberal ways of ordering political society? And can a liberal global theory accept the idea of the rights of peoples? That is, to what extent can an individualistic political morality endorse collective rights? These two related sets of questions are the motivating concerns of this work. Political liberalism and comprehensive liberalism offer different responses to these questions. While much of the current debate between these two views of liberalism has been within the context of a single state, I believe that extending this discussion to the global context will provide us with the basic concepts with which to clarify the global questions of concern to us. Moreover, and very interestingly, it seems to me that thus extending this debate will give us a new setting against which to further test each of these liberal conceptions, allowing us therefore an extra measure by which to evaluate this important contest within liberal theory. I argue that comprehensive liberalism provides an interpretation of liberal political morality which is more faithful to the basic liberal ideal that individuals be at liberty to form, pursue and revise their conceptions of the good life. By contrast, political liberalism, I contend, fails to give due weight to individual liberty. While this shortcoming is most vividly exposed in its global application, I show that it stems ultimately from political liberalism's mistaken stress on toleration as the fundamental liberal principle.
A comparison of visually evoked saccadic inhibition and visually evoked potentials

Participants read black text on a white background that was replaced for 33 ms with an irrelevant transient image, at random intervals of 300-400 ms. Visually evoked saccadic inhibition caused the frequency of saccades to be reduced in a narrow interval after the display change. A series of 7 experiments investigated the influence of stimulus characteristics of the display change on the latency and strength of the inhibition, and contrasted these with similar effects on visually evoked potentials (VEP). Display changes included luminance, contrast, color, spatial frequency content, and displacement. Size of the display change and the area of the visual field (foveal or peripheral) were also manipulated. Inhibition was evoked by all visual stimuli employed but not by an auditory stimulus. The fastest and strongest inhibition was evoked by large luminance changes. This inhibition began within 68 ms and suppressed up to 79% of saccades. Weaker and slower inhibition was evoked by displacement, changes in high frequency content and low contrast and isoluminant color changes. Latency of inhibition was longer for display changes in high-frequency content compared to changes in low-frequency content. The magnitude of inhibition increased and its latency decreased for higher contrast stimuli and for larger displacements. Saccadic inhibition was only weakly dependent on stimulus size, with latency increasing and magnitude decreasing only for small stimuli. Unlike VEP, saccadic inhibition did not scale as a function of cortical area activated by the stimulus. The effects of stimulus characteristics on saccadic inhibition appear to be similar to those reported for VEP when the source of these effects is subcortical rather than cortical in origin. These findings are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that the neural locus of saccadic inhibition is the superior colliculus.
Aromatic amino acid metabolism in the human, estimation of tyrosine requirement in the neonate and adult

Tyrosine is indispensable in the neonate. The provision of an adequate source of tyrosine in the parenterally-fed neonate however, is complicated by its poor solubility. While some of the presently available parenteral amino acid solutions have compensated with increased phenylalanine levels, paediatric amino acid formulations have not. Using a 24h primed, continuous intravenous infusion of isotopically labelled phenylalanine and tyrosine, aromatic amino acid metabolism was examined in neonates (n = 16) receiving total parenteral nutrition, containing high or modest levels of phenylalanine. Neonates responded to increased phenylalanine intake by elevating phenylalanine hydroxylation and oxidation rates. Neonates also increased urinary excretion of aromatic amino acids and alternate metabolites of phenylalanine and tyrosine catabolism. These data suggest that phenylalanine supplementation may not be the most appropriate approach to meeting total aromatic amino acid needs of the parenterally-fed neonate. To improve the aromatic amino acid intake of the moderate phenylalanine-containing amino acid solution, tyrosine requirement was estimated in neonates (n = 13) using graded intakes of glycyl-L-tyrosine as a soluble source of tyrosine. It was hypothesized that a tyrosine requirement could be estimated by partitioning the oxidation of phenylalanine to a two-phase linear regression analysis whereby the intersection of the lines would be representative of the mean requirement. Identical methods to the previous study were used. The mean tyrosine requirement was 74 mg·kg-1·d-1 and the corresponding safe level of intake (upper 95% confidence limit) was 94 mg·kg-1·d-1 representing 3.1 and 3.9% of total amino acids, respectively. Using a similar study design, but with an oral isotope protocol, an estimate of the tyrosine requirement within healthy adult male volunteers (n = 6) receiving a fixed phenylalanine intake was estimated. The mean tyrosine requirement was found to be 6 mg·kg-1·d-1 and the corresponding safe intake was 7 mg·kg-1 ·d-1. The ideal intake of the aromatic amino acids was found to be in a phenylalanine to tyrosine balance of 56:44 to 60:40. This is very different from that provided to parenterally-fed neonates. Data from these studies form the foundation upon which new parenteral amino acid formulations can be developed.
Creating a 350 kilobase deletion within the imprinted region of mouse distal chromosome 7

Genomic imprinting is a fascinating biological phenomenon that does not appear to obey the genetic principle of equivalence. Imprinting is essential for eutherian development and has been implicated in disease processes. This thesis describes an approach to understand genomic imprinting and its mechanisms. The imprinted region under investigation is mouse distal chromsome 7 which contains many maternally and paternally imprinted genes that are essential for development. The experiment applies recent mouse molecular technology by creating precise deletions and duplications in embryonic stem cells. Using a combination of gene targeting and the Cre-loxP system, I have created a 350 kb deletion between 'Mash2' and 'Ins2'. By studying the phenotypic effects of paternal and maternal inheritance of these rearrangements in mice, one may identify novel genes and cis-acting regulatory elements. Furthermore, mice and cell lines derived from this experiment can be used for future analysis of this imprinted region.
The potential embryoprotective role of superoxide dismutase and catalase and the involvement of Ras in reactive oxygen species-initiated teratogenesis

Embryonic bioactivation and formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in the mechanism of phenytoin teratogenicity. We investigated in pregnant CD-1 mice whether' in vivo' maternal administration of the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase. (SOD) and/or catalase conjugated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) could reduce phenytoin teratogenicity. PEG-SOD alone or combined pretreatment with PEG-SOD and PEG-catalase was not embryoprotective. However, pretreatment with PEG-catalase alone produced a dose-dependent increase in both maternal and embryonic catalase activity and a dose-dependent decrease in phenytoin-initiated teratogenesis. These studies demonstrate the first evidence that maternal administration of PEG-catalase can substantially enhance embryonic activity, and that 'in vivo' phenytoin teratogenicity can be modulated by antioxidative enzymes. Since ROS play a crucial role in cell signaling pathways, phenytoin-initiated teratogenesis may be mediated through ROS-initiated aberrant cell signaling. We evaluated the role of the Ras pathway in phenytoin-initiated teratogenesis in both CD-1 and A/J embryos. In embryo culture, blocking the downstream function of Ras proteins using a farnesyl protein transferase inhibitor, protected both CD-1 and A/J embryos from phenytoin-initiated embryotoxicity. Although in embryo culture, a therapeutic concentration of phenytoin did not cause mutations in codon 12 of the K-' ras' gene, a teratogenic dose of phenytoin caused a substantial increase in the 'in vivo' levels of active GTP-bound Ras protein in both CD-1 and A/J embryos. These results suggest that Ras proteins may be involved in the teratogenicity of phenytoin, but the mechanism is not mediated by mutations in codon 12 of the K-'ras' gene. Since the mechanisms mediating teratogenesis and carcinogenesis may overlap, and since the teratological potential of the carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is unknown, we investigated ted the teratogenicity of NNK. Although not statistically significant, NNK alone increased fetal anomalies which were significantly enhanced by phenobarbital pretreatment along with NNK-initiated fetal postpartum lethality. In embryo culture, NNK was significantly embryotoxic however no mutations in codon 12 of the K-'ras' gene were detected. This is the first evidence for NNK teratogenicity and embryotoxicity, the molecular mechanism of which appears to differ from for that for its carcinogenicity.
Implementation of multigrid for aerodynamic computations on multi-block grids

A multigrid algorithm to accelerate the convergence of the computation of compressible aerodynamic flows on multi-block grids is presented. The diagonal form of an approximately-factored time-marching method is employed in each block to advance the solution to steady state. Block interfaces are treated by overlapping the blocks by one column of points and using halo points. In the multigrid cycle, there is communication between blocks at all levels. Turbulent viscosity is calculated using the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model. A wide variety of tests are studied, including viscid flows around single airfoils for C-mesh and H-mesh topologies. Two multi-element test cases are investigated, the NLR-7301 airfoil and flap, and case A-2 from the AGARD Advisory Report No. 303. Good performance is shown in all test cases. Compared to the single-grid solver, multigrid converges to steady state in one-third to one-sixth the time.