VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The intersection of social work and the arts: Gleanings from creative writers and social workers on spirituality, eros, and creativity for knowledge and practice

The vision of social work as both art and science (e.g., H. Goldstein, 1990) has often been eclipsed by efforts of social work to define official knowledge according to "hard scientific" models. This technical rationality dichotomizes experiences of mind-body, and disregards spirit. But calls for arts' inclusion have yet to stimulate a sustained research program; no empirical work exists in social work directly inquiring into committed artists' experiences as a basis for enhancing social work knowledge and practice---the central objective of the present study. Participants' rich accounts illustrated the arts' intersection with social work, suggesting integrated, nondual epistemologies and nonconventional linguistic categorization. The arts-inclusive social workers drew on their complex experiences illustrative of the limits and benefits of such inclusion. Participants invoked a reconceptualization of "self," "subjectivity," "authenticity," "relations and "communication" and "voice." Some participants spoke of spirituality, eros and creativity as merged in respect of the oneness of life, creator and created aspects, and everyday relating, transformation and healing. Eros was generally defined as the passion and desire for connection that also fueled the artist's experience and vitality in social workers and clients. Creativity, pursuing new truth, drew upon spirit and eros in disrupting routines or subjugation (cultural suppression of spirit, eros and creativity). Many spoke of how the arts, spirituality and eros foster social work's critical and community practice. The proposed arts infusion approach to knowledge and practice calls upon an enlarged view of human reality for social work within an ongoing ethic of care. Taking creative writing as exemplary art, this inquiry gathered artists' and social workers' accounts of key constructs related to the arts---spirituality, eros and creativity---and proposed an "arts infused" approach for social work. A phenomenological-hermeneutic methodology (M. van Manen, 1997), with purposive sampling, was used. The first group of participants included 15 creative writers and 2 teachers of creative writing and the second group, 12 "arts-inclusive" social workers and 3 social work researchers, all of whom participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews (N = 31). All were experienced, credentialed or published in their respective areas.
Value elimination: a new algorithm for bayesian inference

Based on the paradigm of backtracking search, Value Elimination (ValElim) is a new algorithm for inference in Bayesian networks. It represents an advance over previous algorithms in the sense that it can achieve all of their performance guarantees (up to a constant factor) while provably achieving an exponential speedup on some problems. Also, by incurring only a small (polynomial) extra cost, ValElim offers considerably more flexibility in terms of its ability to exploit context specific structure, logical reasoning, and dynamic variable orderings. Moreover, ValElim provides the same space-time tradeoff as Recursive Conditioning. An initial implementation of ValElim demonstrates very promising performance, often being one or two orders of magnitude faster than a commercial Bayesian inference engine, despite the fact that it does not as yet take advantage of context specific structure.
Optimizing expansion of low variable cost capacity in competitive electricity markets: Valuation of wind generation using stochastic complementarity programming

We study capacity expansion in imperfectly competitive electricity markets by presenting two decision support models formulated as complementarity programs, with wind capacity as the expansion technology. WCAPCOMP 1.0 is a deterministic model with a single-price wind capacity market and separate electricity market, the latter approximating a year of competition. WCAPCOMP 2. WOM is stochastic with nuclear capacity uncertainty between the two markets, and an added "wind output market" (WOM) for contracts-for-difference, where conventional gencos can buy financial rights to wind output from a wind entrant competitor. All gencos behave strategically, anticipating how other gencos will react to their decisions, using an anticipation approach. Results show that conventional gencos with coal on the margin have incentive to purchase WOM contracts and reduce their coal output to the market, and that this increases the total amount of wind capacity constructed, the ratio of coal energy displaced to wind energy added, and profits for the wind entrant.
The Drosophila usher cadherin gene Dcad99C, a novel target of the hedgehog signaling pathway in wing imaginal discs

Cadherins are Ca2+-dependent cell adhesion molecules that are important regulators of cell and tissue architecture. I analyzed the expression and regulation of the Drosophila cadherin Dcad99C. In the wing imaginal disc, Dcad99C is highly expressed in a stripe of anterior cells along the anterior/posterior compartment boundary. Genetic experiments showed that Dcad99C is upregulated by the Hedgehog signaling pathway through the transcriptional activator Ci Act, which initially suggested that Dcad99C might be mediating cell sorting at the compartment boundary. However, Dcad99C overexpressing clones respect the compartment boundary and do not sort out from wild-type wing disc cells, indicating that Dcad99C is not sufficient to induce cell sorting. Subcellularly, Dcad99C is localized in the apical plasma membrane of epithelial cells and restricted to microvilli in follicle cells during mid-oogenesis. Interestingly, the overexpression of Dcad99C induces apical cellular protrusions. Therefore, Dcad99C might have a function in microvilli morphogenesis like its mammalian orthologue, Protocadherin 15.
Application of multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) to Canadian rural and urban sites

A novel technique: Multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) was used for the first time in urban Canada to gain information on the vertical and spatial distribution of airborne pollutant species. Spectra at several elevation angles were collected at six different sites over the time period August 2005--August 2006 and resolved into differential slant column densities (DSCDs) using the DOAS technique. DSCDs of NO2, O3, HCHO and O4 were analyzed as a function of location, time of day, elevation angle and azimuth using average DSCD values. Correlations were found between daily DSCD averages and independent measurements of the same species. Mixing height information was elicited via radiative transfer modeling for two days, one in an urban environment and the other in a rural environment. The results demonstrate that MAX-DOAS can be used as a low-cost, automated tool to obtain useful information on pollutant variability in multiple dimensions.
Social movement learning: the case of Frente Civico

The negative impacts of neoliberal corporate globalization are becoming more obvious across Latin America. A specific example of this in México was the purchase and destruction of a local cultural, architectural, archaeological, community heritage site in downtown Cuernavaca by the Costco corporation in order to build two mega-stores. In response to this, a social movement formed called the Frente Civico Pro Defensa del Casino de la Selva (the Civic Front in Defence of the Casino in the Jungle). This is a case study of Frente Civico and the social movement learning that occurred within and as a result for movement members, the general public and for other social movements. Although this movement did not self-identify as a popular education movement, they did use many of these principles and techniques. This movement was successful in that it resulted in significant learning for participants, as well as knowledge creation and recovery.
Positioning the elementary core French teacher: an investigation of workplace marginality

In Ontario, core French is a compulsory course until the end of Grade 9. The subject usually begins in Grade 4 and is provided in 20–40 minute daily segments. It has been suggested that teaching French at the elementary level in this fragmented manner puts one at risk for being treated as an outsider, and as a result, increases a teacher's propensity to leave teaching or move away from teaching core French. Drawing on tenets from critical and interpretative traditions and standpoint epistemology, and using qualitative methods, this thesis explores whether there is empirical evidence to support the notion that high teacher attrition rates in elementary core French are associated with elementary core French teachers' systemic marginalization. The thesis reviews the historical background and contemporary context of core French teaching in Ontario as well as relevant literature on teachers' work. Structural and ideological arguments are presented in order to show how elementary core French can be regarded as a marginalized subject. The focus then shifts to how these broader forces play themselves out in everyday life. Using the symbolic interactionist notion that one's identity as teacher is realized, in part, through interaction with other people, elementary core French teachers are asked to discuss how they believe others in the school system—students, teachers, parents, and administrators—see them. The intent was to discover whether or not these teachers regard their identity as compromised or marginal on the basis of these reflected perceptions. Twenty-one participants with a variety of elementary core French experience each took part in a 90-minute, semi-structured interview. The data show that the majority of participants do view themselves as marginal in the teaching community. Yet viewing the elementary core French classroom as a site of oppression is not the only reaction to being positioned as “other.” In some instances participants are able to reorder and subvert established forms of power and thus liberate themselves from their material and ideological subjugation. A typology of responses is constructed. Some practical strategies for dealing with the marginality of the elementary core French classroom are also put forward.

Keywords: French language, Study and teaching (Elementary)
Comparing the affective and cognitive/behavioural processing tendencies of women with comorbid eating and substance related disorders to women with only eating or substance related disorders

This investigation examined the intra-individual affective and cognitive/behavioural processing tendencies of women with comorbid eating and substance related disorders and compared them to those of women with only eating or substance related disorders. Thirty-five women with eating disorders (ED group) and 35 women with substance related disorders (SRD group) were compared to 52 women with comorbid eating and substance related disorders (Comorbid group), all recruited through community-based advertisements. Analyses compared the 3 groups on 5 measures of affective and 5 measures of cognitive/behavioural processing tendencies. Affective processes examined included: avoidant and problematic emotion-oriented coping, soothing receptivity, negative affect, and affect intensity. Cognitive/behavioural processes examined included: alexithymia, dissociation, impulsivity, and task oriented coping. Results showed that there were significant differences between the three groups with respect to affective and cognitive/behavioural processing tendencies. These differences were significant even after controlling for childhood trauma, perceived social support, and highest level of education completed. The Comorbid group scored significantly higher than the ED group on affect intensity and impulsivity. The Comorbid group scored significantly higher than the SRD group on affect intensity, negative affect, avoidant and problematic emotion-oriented coping, and negative cognitive attitude. A discriminant analysis of the 3 groups showed that the Comorbid group displayed the highest use of ineffective affective and cognitive strategies to manage psychological distress. Furthermore, findings suggested that difficulties related to mood and emotional response (involving both affective and cognitive processing mechanisms) may be more closely associated with disordered eating and comorbid symptomotologies than with substance related symptomotology alone. Alternatively, cognitive/behavioural processing tendencies related to impulsivity may be more closely associated with substance related and comorbid symptomotologies than with disordered eating symptomotology alone. This study suggests that an understanding of the specific intra-individual affective and cognitive/behavioural processing tendencies of women with comorbid eating and substance related disorders could provide a basis for improving assessment and treatment approaches for the women who struggle with these disorders. Additionally, the results confirmed the relevance of employing a multi-dimensional framework in trying to understand comorbid symptomotology and the differences between individuals with eating, substance, and comorbid symptomotologies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Transport phenomena in microfluidic devices

Both experimental and numerical studies about the transport phenomena in microfluidic devices are presented in this thesis. The transport phenomena of interest are pressure driven flow and electroosmotic driven flow with a Reynolds number on the order of unit, and the associated mass transport phenomena. The studied microfluidic devices include fused silicon capillaries, in-house made glass microchannels and a glass chip with a crossing-linked microchannel etched into its surface. The hydraulic diameter ranges from 20 mum to 200 mum. The on-chip sample injection processes are studied both experimentally and numerically. Fluorescent dyes are employed here as the sample and the sample injection (loading and dispensing) processes on a microfluidic chip are visualized using an in-house developed laser visualization system and techniques. The experimentally measured sample injection process is compared with the numerical simulation results. Reasonable agreements were found between the model predictions and experimental measurements. The model is further developed in order to improve the simulation accuracy and save significant computation time as compared with the previous model. A general model capable of simulating general on-chip injection processes is finally developed to make the numerical analysis tools complete. This general model considers the electrical conductivity difference present at microfluidic applications, which is not considered normally due to its complexity. The electroosomotic flow is commonly applied in microfluidic devices as a pump, therefore, the flow rate determination is of particular interest. An experimental setup and corresponding data acquisition system are developed to measure electroosmotic flow rate by employing solution displacement process and current monitoring technique. A theoretical model is developed to improve the accuracy of this technique. A numerical model is developed to simulate this displacing process and to obtain flow rate. Good agreements between numerical simulations and experimental measurements verified the developed model. The electrokinetic transport phenomena of pressure driven flow in microchannels are studied based on a simultaneous solution to the developed pressure driven flow model. It is found that the flow characteristics of microchannels differ significantly from that in macrosized devices showing high viscous effects. The numerical results are compared with the experimental measurements and good agreement verified the developed model.
Effect of pressure on the rate of evaporation

Classical kinetic theory has been traditionally applied for calculating the rate of evaporation, but recent results have indicated an inconsistency in this theoretical approach. A new method based on Statistical Rate Theory (SRT) for predicting the evaporation rate has been recently proposed. The method has been applied to predict the evaporation rate with surprising results. It is predicted that the evaporation rate is highly sensitive to the vapour-phase pressure. An experimental apparatus has been constructed to study this prediction. It is found that the evaporation rate from half closed capillaries in a container that includes a bulk liquid phase varies as a function of interface position within the capillaries. The interface position variation corresponds to a pressure difference at the interfaces in the order of magnitude of mPa; still, the evaporation rates are measurably different. The accuracy of the SRT expression for predicting the rate of evaporation may be examined by comparing the predicted vapour-phase pressure to that measured. Since the pressure can not be measured directly with an accuracy greater than approximately 3 Pa, a new method to determine the vapour-phase pressure is proposed. The validity of the method is established in two experiments under completely different environments. The vapour-phase pressure determined from this method was then used to examine the predicted pressure from the SRT. The agreement between the two pressures was within 4 mPa which is four orders of magnitude better than has been reported before.
XEN cells: An in vitro model of extraembryonic endoderm

Three stem cell types can be derived from the mouse blastocyst; embryonic (ES), trophoblast (TS), and eXtraEmbryonic eNdoderm (XEN). XEN cells express markers of primitive endoderm lineage and its derivatives: visceral and parietal endoderm (VE and PE). Anterior VE provides signals that influence cells of the epiblast towards neural fate. The availability of distinct stem cells offers new tools to analyze in vitro the interactions between different lineages in development. To study the influence of XEN cells on ES differentiation I co-cultured XEN and ES cells in mixed embryoid bodies (MEBod). I found that XEN and ES cells sort out from each other but could not detect any influence of XEN on ES differentiation towards anterior neural fate. To promote more biologically relevant interactions I screened exogenous factors in an attempt to drive XEN cells toward VE-like phenotype. Treatments with Activin-A or BMP-2 lead to expression of VE specific markers.
Biochemical characterization of ISG15-specific USP18 protease

The goal of this project was to characterize the deubiqutinating enzyme USP18 (ubiquitin-Specific Protease) in terms of its biochemical properties, activity and specificity. This project was part of ongoing studies in our laboratory that are targeted towards describing human genes involved in the response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. USP18 gene was found to be one of them and is thought to play a role as an endogenous suppressor of the immune response. The USP18 deubiquinating enzyme has dual functions. It can act as a protease to specifically remove ubiquiting-like protein (Ubl) ISG15 conjugates from other proteins, and it can block the interferon receptor signalling pathway by preventing phosphorylation of Jak1 kinase. I focused on cloning, expression and purification of the human ISG15 and USP18 proteins in order to characterize their properties. USP18 presented a particular challenge because of its low solubility and instability. An in vivo assay was developed to monitor USP18 activity in bacterial cells based on a fusion of the USP18 natural substrate ISGI5. This assay was used to characterize the interaction between USP18 and ISG15, which was found to share properties similar to other USPs and ubiqutin.
"All that the heart breaks while it bears": The conceptual mourning of Hemans, Landon, Barrett, and Rossetti

The space in between praise and criticism, connection and displacement, is where Felicia Hemans, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Elizabeth Barrett, and Christina Rossetti conceptualize mourning. This study of six elegies explores the ambivalence between women poets and their dead and how it creates opportunities for poetic repositioning and revaluating in terms of both form and gender. For the nineteenth-century woman poet, elegy becomes a shared space of contention, even as it reveals an urgency to speak to the dead, to each other, to their poetic heirs. This elegiac discourse addresses cultural and literary loss via the intersections of knowledge and revelation, the tensions between self-construction and self-exposure, and the constitution of poetic subjectivity through processes of mourning and desire. Sometimes bounded in sympathy, sometimes bitingly critical, sometimes both, Hemans, Landon, Barrett, and Rossetti respond to the complications and crises that arise from transgressing the boundary of "woman" to become "poet."
Preparation of salt triple fortified with vitamin A, iron and iodine

A triple fortified salt (TFS) containing vitamin A, iron and iodine was produced and studied under two controlled climatic conditions: 40°C 60% and 100% relative humidity (RH) for three months. The highest vitamin A stability was observed in premixes made with Dry Vitamin A Palmitates (250 CKCWD, 250 Food and 500; BASF Corporation, NJ, USA). In our best formulation TFS retained of 65 ± 2% vitamin at 40°C, 60% RE The highest vitamin A retention at 40°C and 100% RH was 45 ± 1%. The TFS containing vitamin A acetate retained a maximum of 48 ± 5% vitamin at 40°C, 60% RH. Introduction of all three micronutrients into one premix particle resulted in reduced vitamin A retention to ∼7% at 40°C, 60% RH. Vitamin A was more stable with ferric NaEDTA than with any other iron compound. The source of iodine did not significantly affect vitamin A retention.
Battles at the ford: an introduction to the tradition of "Comrac Fir Diad", with editions of the later versions of the tale

This thesis is an introduction to the Old Irish tale Comrac Fir Diad, commonly known as "The Fer Diad Episode" from Tain Bo Cuailnge. The thesis introduces the reader to critical issues concerning the tale as it exists in the context of the larger Irish work and as it exists as a self-standing tale in later manuscripts in the context of the Cuchulainn saga. Appended to the thesis and referred to in the introduction are four editions of the tale as it exists in later manuscripts and one self-standing version of "Feidhm as mo," a poem from the tale. These editions include a new edition of the tale as it appears in MS University College Dublin A25, as it appears in MS British Library Egerton 106, as it appears in MS British Library Egerton 150, and as it appears in MS Royal Irish Academy 24L20. First, the thesis presents a history of scholarly criticism surrounding the tale and its inclusion within Tain Bo Cuailnge . Second, the thesis describes the various recensions of the tale and the manuscripts containing those recensions and offers a comparative chart for all versions of the tale. Third, the thesis examines the historical, mythological, onomastic and literary roots of Comrac Fir Diad by comparing it with similar episodes and tales in early Irish manuscripts in terms of character functions and by examining the relationship between the earliest extant manuscripts. Fourth, the thesis relates the tradition of the tale as it appears in the early recensions of Tain Bo Cuailnge and points out areas where an outside version of the tale has influenced "The Fer Diad Episode" in Tain Bo Cuailnge. Fifth, the thesis examines three, heretofore unexamined, later versions of Comrac Fir Diad from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries and their inclusion in the new context of the Cuchulainn saga of tales. Finally, the thesis suggests a number of areas for further scholarship concerning the tale, particularly in relation to its later versions.