VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The expression of the Notch receptors, Notch ligands, and the Fringe genes in hematopoiesis

Hematopoiesis is a complex process of self-renewal and differentiation in which totipotent stem cells give rise to all the mature blood cell types throughout the lifetime of an organism. How these cells undergo fate selection, however, is not fully understood. The Notch signalling system is known to mediate cell-fate decisions of multi-potent precursors in a wide range of tissues of all organisms throughout development. Thus, we wanted to determine if Notch also plays a role in hematopoiesis. Described here is an analysis of the expression of the Notch receptors, Notch ligands, and the Fringe genes in cells of the blood system. The expression of the four Notch receptors, Dll1 and mJagged-1 (ligands for Notch), and the Fringe genes (regulators of Notch:ligand binding) was tested by RT-PCR in adult mouse whole bone marrow. All of these genes were found to be expressed in whole bone marrow. The expression of transcript for mNotch1, mNotch3, mNotch4, Dll1, mJagged-1, Manic Fringe, and Radical Fringe was examined on a lineage precursor blot containing amplified cDNAs from a hierarchy of hematopoietic precursors, maturing blood cell populations, and three fibroblast cell lines. Distinct transcript expression patterns were found for mJagged-1 and Manic Fringe. To be able to perform functional experiments the cDNA for mJagged-1, not described in literature, was cloned.
Growth and apoptosis in surface epithelial ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancy. 80-90% of ovarian cancers in the adult originate from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). We hypothesize that the majority of ovarian cancers originate from OSE lined inclusion cysts which fail to be eliminated in the stroma. To identify the naturally occurring ligands that are involved in activating the mechanisms by which inclusion cysts are normally eliminated, we examined the ability of anti-Fas mAb, known to activate the Fas receptor, to induce apoptosis in two cell lines, HEY and Caov-3, derived from ovarian carcinomas of surface epithelial origin. Treatment of each cell line with anti-Fas mAb caused chromatin condensation, nuclear segmentation and apoptotic body formation, morphological changes indicative of apoptosis. Furthermore, we have shown that anti-Fas mAb activates the sphingomyelin-ceramide signal transduction pathway. Treatment of Caov-3 cells for 30 min caused a 40% decrease in the total sphingomyelin content. The six most abundant sphingomyelin species identified in Caov-3 cells were 34:1, 36:1, 40:1, 41:1, 42:1, and 42:2. Specifically three of these species, 34:1, 40:1 and 42:2, were significantly reduced upon treatment with anti-Fas mAb. Treatment of these cell lines with ceramide, a product of sphingomyelin hydrolysis, using a cell permeable analogue C$\sb2$-ceramide, also caused the above cells to undergo apoptosis. The ability of anti-Fas mAb and C$\sb2$-ceramide to induce apoptosis was also observed in ovarian cancer cells derived from ascites fluid of a patient with ovarian cancer. Therefore, the Fas ligand/receptor system acting through the sphingomyelin-ceramide pathway, provides a mechanism by which ovarian surface epithelial cancer cells can be induced to undergo apoptosis. Thus, the lack of proper functioning of this apoptotic mechanism can lead to ovarian tumorigenesis. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
The game is on for world television

This thesis seeks to shed some light on how local broadcasting regulations, international trade law and space law interact with each other in regard to direct-to-home television. An overview of the birth of direct-to-home technology, its popularity and potential as well as a historical account of the development since the sixties of the international regulatory framework applicable to the use of space and radiowaves are presented. Canada's domestic broadcasting regulatory regime is put forth as a case-study.
The applicability, usefulness, and limitations of the PREVENT model, as demonstrated by modeling the effects of alcohol consumption interventions on coronary heart disease mortality, Canada, 1992-2040

Coronary heart disease is a major cause of death in Canada. For health care planning, it is important to be able to anticipate future trends in CHD mortality and assess the potential effect of interventions. PREVENT is a population disease model designed to project the effect of interventions in terms of future morbidity and mortality. This paper seeks to provide some evidence for the validity of PREVENT projections by performing sensitivity analyses in the context of estimating the potential effect of interventions on alcohol consumption for projected CHD mortality in Canada. Variables examined are relative risk values, lowest risk category, time spread of the intervention, age group versus cohort analysis, and starting year of the intervention. The results of the analysis do not refute the validity of the model and suggest that PREVENT has the potential to be a useful population disease modeling tool. Suggestions for further refinements are offered.
La variation grammaticale en géolinguistique, les pronoms sujet en roman central

This thesis deals with subject pronoun variation in the geolinguistic continuum which extends throughout Northern Italy and much of Southern France. The subjects of finite verbs can be identified by pronouns (as in French $\underline{je}$ parle 'I speak') or by verbal morphology (as in Italian parl$\underline{i}$ 'I speak'). It has been postulated by Perlmutter 1971 and Chomsky 1981 that this distinction reflects the two possible settings of an innate parameter: human grammars must be either ($-$null subject), like French, or (+null subject), like Italian. The nonstandard linguistic varieties studied here, however, include grammars which do not fit neatly into either of these two categories. After general considerations concerning the importance of variation in linguistic theory, a methodology is developed to deal with data from traditional linguistic atlas surveys. Although almost completely ignored by 'theoretical' linguistics, the Atlas Linguistique de la France (Gillieron & Edmont 1902-1908) and the Sprach- und Sachatlas Italiens und der Sudschweiz (Jaberg & Jud 1928-1940) provide invaluable data for the investigation of morphosyntactic variation. Data are coded from a total of 438 points appearing on 101 maps from each of these atlases. These data are then synthesized in 15 different thematic maps, according to grammatical person and a variety of other linguistic factors. The quantitative analysis of this database also forms the foundation for some generalisations about the nature of subject pronoun systems. First, the evidence does not point to an abrupt transition, as the parametric hypothesis would predict, but rather towards a gradual transition zone. Secondly, the typology of subject pronoun systems is not completely unconstrained, since certain clear tendencies emerge among the intermediate varieties. Subject pronouns are least likely to occur in the first person singular or plural, and the second person plural, and most likely to occur in the third person singular or plural and (especially) the second person singular. Such morphological asymmetries cannot be readily represented in syntactic or featural terms, much less by parametric theory. Furthermore, many linguistic factors, including verb type and tense, clause type and position, other pronouns and negation, all contribute to the conditioning of subject pronoun usage. These facts strongly suggest that subject pronoun paradigms reflect complex morphosyntactic 'interface' phenomena (Chomsky 1995) rather than a straightforwardly syntactic parameter.
Classical limit Bohmian trajectories

Bohmian dynamics has been studied for three systems: a wave packet of hydrogenic eigenstates localized in the radial coordinate, a wave packet of hydrogenic eigenstates localized on a Kepler orbit, and a Gaussian wave packet in Henon-Heiles potential. The gradient of the quantum potential has been found to be a chief criteria responsible for the differences between Bohmian and classical trajectories. The correspondence between classical ensemble average and an individual Bohmian trajectory has been shown for hydrogenic systems in one and two dimensions. In addition, evidence of chaotic Bohmian dynamics is presented for the Henon-Heiles system.
Expression of CFTR mRNA in nasal epithelium and vas deferens

The gene responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF), called the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), encodes the cAMP-regulated chloride channel found in the apical membrane of secretory epithelial cells. A higher than expected frequency of mutations in the CFTR gene has been identified in men with congenital absence of vas deferens and men with epididymal obstruction. In particular, these individuals have been found to have a significantly higher incidence of the 5-thymidine (5T) variant of the CFTR intron 8 polypyrimidine tract (IVS8-T tract) compared to normal or CF populations. The 5T variant results in less efficient splicing of CFTR exon 9 compared to the more common 7T and 9T variants and therefore produces less normal, full-length CFTR mRNA. The protein produced by the CFTR transcript lacking exon 9 fails to function as a cAMP-dependent chloride channel. The fact that these infertile males have no other clinical signs of classical CF suggests that the epithelia of the male reproductive tract may have the highest requirement for CFTR function or, alternatively, splicing of CFTR mRNA in the reproductive tract is less efficient than the other CF-associated organs. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Resource allocation for multicast connections, policies and performance

Given a set of receivers and their end-to-end quality of service (QoS) demands in a multicast session, QoS requirements have to be divided among the participating links so that call admission control can be applied and resources reserved. We characterize the optimal solution for a static multicast session by partial first derivative test (PFDT) and propose an iterative algorithm to divide the end-to-end QoS optimally. Each node in the multicast tree is assigned a cumulative QoS (CQoS) value and is adjusted in each iteration until no more resource can be decreased. Each iteration attempts to optimize locally with a virtual source and receivers and can be done from the source to the receiver or vice versa. The proposed algorithm can also be implemented distributively. Two properties at optimal allocation were revealed as the result of the characterization. A simple resource allocation policy that increases the joining probability of new receivers is given. The optimal and the proposed simple algorithm are compared against a recently reported Equal Allocation with Reclaim (EAR) algorithm. Finally, simulation studies are also done for evaluating the performance.
Blind equalization with differential detection for channels with ISI and fading

Using coherent detection with carrier tracking and adaptive equalization with training sequence can achieve good performance in equalizing time-varying channels at the expense of complexity and feasibility. Thus, differential detection and blind equalization, which eliminate PLL and training sequence, are proposed. Decision feedback is also added to equalize null and fading channels. In this thesis, Godard and Modified Constant Modulus Algorithms (MCMA) are used. New systems are set up by combining coherent and noncoherent detection with these two algorithms. It is found that the use of noncoherent detection degrades the system performance. For MCMA, as it can track the carrier, neither noncoherent detection nor PLL is required. Contrarily, Godard needs either noncoherent detection or PLL to correct phase error. Thus, the proposed system combining differential detection, blind equalization and decision feedback can indeed equalize different channels, though the robustness of the system is compromised. Further investigations must be done to deal with this problem.
Comparative analysis of empirical and theoretical access walking distances using geographical information systems

Access walking distance is an important input in the transit service planning process which has not been given sufficient study. This work examines the usage of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software in this area. Using travel survey data obtained from the 1986 Transport Tomorrow Survey (TTS) and street and transit network information, the access walking distances for several transit routes in Metropolitan Toronto were determined using the GIS software ARC/INFO. Also, this study seeks to compare the results of access walking distance distributions obtained from both empirical and theoretical datasets representing transit users' origins. This was undertaken to determine if the usage of uniformly distributed points in a transit service area by transit planning departments adequately represents the actual distribution of the origins of transit users.
The influence of choral works by Canadian women on senior female secondary students in Ontario

This study surveyed female students and their vocal music teachers from ten senior vocal music classes in the public high school system in ten Ontario regions. Senior female students commented on their views of the choral repertoire, career aspirations, role models in a choral music setting and experience composing music. The vocal music teachers described criteria used in the repertoire selection process, their inclusion of compositional skill development components and their views of including works by Canadian women in their vocal programs. Conclusion of the findings from this study show that music teachers do not use gender as a criteria when selecting vocal repertoire and that female students can be inspired to pursue careers in music composition through the study of works by Canadian women in their vocal music programs.
Cloning and partial characterization of the 5'-flanking region of the human topoisomerase IIß gene

Mammalian DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) is an essential nuclear enzyme which changes the topology of DNA by passing an intact helix through a transient double-stranded break made in a second helix followed by religation of the DNA break. These interactions with DNA are important in almost every aspect of DNA metabolism, including replication, transcription, recombination and repair. Topo II is also the cellular target of several clinically relevant anti-cancer drugs. There are two isoforms of topo II, $\alpha$ and $\beta,$ each differing in biochemical properties, cell-cycle expression, and sensitivity to antineoplastic agents. Various drug-resistant cancer cell lines demonstrate both qualitative and quantitative differences in both the $\alpha$ and $\beta$ isoforms. To date, only the 5$\sp\prime$-flanking region of the $\alpha$ isoform has been isolated and characterized. In order to investigate elements governing the expression of DNA topo II$\beta,$ the 5$\sp\prime$-flanking region of human topo II$\beta$ has been cloned and partially analyzed. The transcription start site, 1183 bp of 5$\sp\prime$-flanking sequence, and fifty-six potential putative regulatory elements have been identified. Whether these regulatory elements are functional or important, remains to be explored.
Feasibility of wood fueled district heating in a remote community

This study investigates the feasibility of a wood fuelled district heating system in the remote native community of Wunnumin Lake from both an economic and environmental perspective. Located in northern Ontario, this community is not connected to either the electric or natural gas grids, consequently heating costs are significant. Residential buildings are heated with radiant woodstoves and electric space heaters, while non-residential buildings are heated with oil-fired furnaces. This method of heating costs approximately $82/MWh. The proposed district heating system is to be fuelled by woodchips produced from forests surrounding Wunnummin Lake. It was found that operation of the heating system would require 1 500 green tonnes of woodchips in the first year and 2 300 tonnes in the twentieth year. Within a twenty year time period, 78 ha of forest would need to be harvested, based on a productivity of 143 m$ sp3$/ha, to meet the heating demands of the community. The 900 ha of forested land within 5 km of the community, on reserve land, could supply woodchips on a sustainable basis if regeneration occurs. In the initial year (1996) of implementing a district heating system it will cost \$124/MWh to produce and distribute heat energy and by the twentieth year the cost decreases to $29.75/MWh. At this costing level, the conventional method of heating will exceed the cost of the proposed heating system during the year 2000.
Soft decision trees

Soft Decision Trees (SDT's) are a new class of semi-parametric methods for classification and regression. They attempt to retain the features that made tree-like techniques widely popular (interpretability, graphical summary of the result, automatic variable selection and interaction detection, etc.) while improving their predictive performance and making the model more believable. This is done by employing "soft", or stochastic splits which result in blurred partition boundaries and a continuous prediction surface. The parameters are fitted via Maximum Likelihood, using the EM algorithm. Simulation experiments indicate that the SDT's are indeed more powerful predictors. Real data analysis shows that SDT's can also aid in interpretation.
Propofol and benzodiazepine modulation of GABA[subscript]AR function

The general anaesthetic, propofol, has multiple effects on the GABA$\sb{\rm A}$R: it potentiates GABA-evoked responses; it activates the receptor, and it alters the kinetics of receptor desensitization. In contrast, sedative benzodiazepines only potentiate GABA-evoked responses. It is not known if the multiple effects of propofol on the GABA$\sb{\rm A}$R are mediated by distinct binding sites or which effect accounts for propofol's anaesthetic properties. The whole-cell patch clamp method was used to study the effects of benzodiazepines and propofol on GABA$\sb{\rm A}$R's present in cultured, murine hippocampal neurons. The concentration of propofol that activated the GABA$\sb{\rm A}$R (EC$\sb{50}$ = 24.3 $\pm$ 3.4 $\mu$M) was significantly greater than that which decreased receptor desensitization (EC$\sb{50}$ = 1.15 $\pm$ 0.33 $\mu$M). Furthermore, midazolam potentiated propofol-induced currents but did not alter propofol-induced changes in receptor desensitization, suggesting that receptor activation and desensitization were mediated by distinct mechanisms. Low concentrations of propofol (1 $\mu$M) and midazolam (0.5 $\mu$M) interacted in a superadditive manner to enhance GABA (0.3 $\mu$M)-evoked responses and isobolographic analysis suggested a synergistic interaction. In contrast, higher concentrations of these drugs produced an additive interaction. As low concentrations of propofol and midazolam interact synergistically to produce hypnosis and higher concentrations do not interact synergistically to induce anaesthesia, our results suggest that hypnosis and anaesthesia may be mediated by distinct changes in GABA$\sb{\rm A}$R function.
Canada's foreign ownership policy in an era of trade in telecommunications services

Like a stone dropped into an early-morning pond, the birth of a new world trade order has sent ripples through many once carefully guarded economic sectors. Foremost among these is telecommunications, where the recent inclusion of basic telecommunications to the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework has been greeted both as a gesture of boundless promise, and a harbinger of cultural apocalypse. Foreign ownership restrictions were among the most controversial of issues at the WTO negotiations on basic telecommunications. Indeed, they continue to be a sore point between Canada and its major trading partners. Despite a general trend toward greater market access in the developed and developing worlds, Canada has refused to relax its discriminatory stance on ownership. The result is a policy approach at odds with the spirit of the multilateral trade framework, the needs and interests of Canadian corporate and residential consumers, and the economic well-being of the country as a whole.
Antagonistic stirring effects in nonlinear chemical systems, experimental and numerical studies

A little investigated aspect of stirring effects in nonlinear chemical systems in flow reactors is the appearance of qualitative differences such as shifts of steady states in opposite directions, between feeding modes, i.e. premixing or nonpremixing of the feedstreams. It is demonstrated by numerical simulations and experiments that these antagonistic stirring effects, as we refer to them, exist for characteristic properties of a bimolecular reaction, the bistable bromate-sulfite system and the ferrocyanide oscillator. This phenomena is explained by the different ways in which feedstream mixing, the mixing of reagents, and bulk mixing, the global homogenisation of the fluid, affect reaction rates. Necessary conditions for the appearance of antagonistic stirring effects in a kinetic model are established. It is shown that the presence of incomplete macromixing can introduces qualitative differences with respect to stirring effects due to incomplete micromixing alone. An experimental result was thus ascribed to incomplete macromixing.