VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Making them behave, cognitive models for computer animation

For applications in computer game development and character animation, recent work in behavioral animation has taken impressive steps toward autonomous, self-animating characters. It remains difficult, however, to 'direct ' autonomous characters to perform specific tasks. We propose a new approach to high-level control in which the user gives the character a behavior outline, or "sketch plan". The behavior outline specification language has syntax deliberately chosen to resemble that of a conventional imperative programming language. In terms of functionality, however, it is a strict 'superset'. In particular, a behavior outline need not be deterministic. This added freedom allows many behaviors to be specified more naturally, more simply, more succinctly and at a much higher-level than would otherwise be possible. The character has complete autonomy to decide on how to fill in the necessary missing details. The success of our approach rests heavily on our use of a rigorous logical language, known as the 'situation calculus'. The situation calculus is well-known, simple and intuitive to understand. The basic idea is that a character views its world as a sequence of "snapshots" known as situations. An understanding of how the world can change from one situation to another can then be given to the character by describing what the effect of performing each given action would be. The character can use this knowledge to keep track of its world and to work out which actions to do next in order to attain its goals. The version of the situation calculus we use incorporates a new approach to representing epistemic fluents. The approach is based on interval arithmetic and addresses a number of difficulties in implementing previous approaches.
Pyruvate improves myocardial functional recovery after ischemia and reperfusion

The major cause of perioperative morbidity and mortality after heart operations is intraoperative myocardial ischemia damage. Increased free radical production has been implicated in ischemia-reperfusion injury and pyruvate has been shown to provide protection to the ischemic heart. To investigate the role of free radical injury and pyruvate's antioxidant protection, isolated hearts from adult New Zealand rabbits were perfused in Langendorff mode with Krebs-Henseleit buffer with or without pyruvate. Hearts that were perfused with pyruvate before ischemia showed significant functional recovery after 30 minutes of reperfusion. When pyruvate was added to the buffer after ischemia, heart function was not different from the controls. The effluent and tissue aldehyde concentrations (byproducts of lipid peroxidation) were the same in all the groups implying no change in lipid peroxidation. The tissue and effluent hydroxyl radical concentrations were not different from the controls. Myocardial total non-diffusible nucleotide (ATP+ADP+AMP+IMP) levels were significantly higher after 30 minutes of reperfusion when pyruvate was administered before ischemia but not when pyruvate was added at reperfusion. In this study we found that ischemia-reperfusion in the rabbit heart does not result in the production of hydroxyl radicals or lipid peroxidation. Pyruvate contributes to the heart's functional recovery by providing metabolic support. Protection is provided when pyruvate is present before the induction of ischemia.
Slipping the bonds, a narrative inquiry of women elementary educators in leadership roles

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of women teachers as they moved into principal or vice principal positions. I wanted to find out what motivated them, what choices they made, what challenges they encountered, and where they found their support. The meaning they make of these experiences has a significant effect on how they carry out their work with students and staff in the past, present and future. It also influences their role in encouraging other teachers, particularly women, to consider administration. I chose elementary women teachers as participants because of my close connections with this group through my employment. Narrative inquiry is useful because of the detail with which participants describe their experiences. The detail contributes to our understanding of how they experience their work. More important, through narrative, participants re-examine significant experiences in their lives and restory their lives as they draw meaning from their experiences. It is useful for people in leadership roles to understand their own beliefs, values and professional knowledge, rather than simply adopting those of someone else. Through their stories, the four women in this study have explored new ways of understanding themselves and of sharing this personal and professional knowledge. Reading about how they have come to new understandings may be useful for others who want to become more aware of their own professional knowledge. A significant issue for each woman was her increased sense of power as she moved into her new position. Two women described their efforts to share power as they each tried to work more collaboratively with their staffs. Dealing with change was another theme. First I looked at intended personal change as they moved to new careers and then worked with colleagues to implement new ways of managing the school. These explorations led me to speculate how each woman might deal with change over which she has little control, which is increasingly a possibility currently facing educators. Metaphors have sprung to my mind and to the minds of my participants as we sought to story their experiences. For me, the metaphor of flight gave me perspective and direction as I came to slip the bonds of current ideas and explore unknown territory. As pilot for this journey, I realized I was in a typical female role--planning ahead, being flexible, changing course when necessary, and feeling responsible for everyone on board.
Suspension and light, the films of Víctor Erice

This thesis is a study of Víctor Erice's cinematic style through a close analysis of his three feature films: 'El espíritu de la colmena' ['The Spirit of the Beehive'] (1973), ' El sur' ['The South'] (1982) and 'El sol del membrillo' ['The Quince Tree Sun'] (1992). It examines stylistic choices made in editing, sound, mise en scène, camera movement and structure, focusing on the elements which contribute to the ambiguous and meditative quality of Erice's films. Despite the years separating Erice's three films and their different genres, these films are very much unified in theme, tone and style. Four elements stand out as constants in Erice's work: an acute sense of the passage of time, ambiguity, luminosity and reiterative structures. This is demonstrated through a methodology which begins by assessing the reception of the film before analyzing intrinsic and extrinsic norms. Chapter 1 argues that the diversity of interpretations of 'El espiritu' points to the use of ambiguity as an experience in itself rather than as a mystery to be resolved. I examine how the film's ambiguity is developed by a focus on objects, the use of ekphrasis, internal parallels and ellipsis, as well as the parodic repetition of James Whale's ' Frankenstein' (1931). In Chapter 2, I argue against the Freudian readings that have been applied to 'El sur', seeking to wrest the film away from a totalizing interpretation by demonstrating its open and ambiguous nature. Through an analysis of the soundtrack, I demonstrate the complexity of the film's use of music and sound, paying particular attention to the striking use of silence. Chapter 3 contextualizes 'El sol del membrillo', an exploration of the creative process of realist painter Antonio López García, within the documentary tradition. I argue that 'El sol' communicates an experience of time, in which repetition, ellipsis, music, sound and dialogues all serve to transport the viewer into the contemplative time of the artist. A concluding chapter gathers up the elements discussed into a tentative poetics of Erice's cinema.
Adaptive Antennas in Multipath Wireless Communications

With the ability to null interference and reduce fading in multipath environments, adaptive antennas have emerged recently as an attractive means to increase the capacity of wireless systems without consuming extra spectrum. Typically, the signals received at the different branches of an adaptive antenna are the multipath superposition of signals transmitted from a desired user and many co-channel interferers, plus thermal noise. For a small adaptive antenna, the branch signals are statistically correlated because of lack of independent wave propagation paths, direct electromagnetic coupling between antenna elements, and electromagnetic proximity effects of nearby disturbing objects. The successful design of an adaptive antenna in a cellular or personal communication application depends on how realistically its multipath performance can be predicted in the presence of many interferers and under the condition of correlated fadings. In this thesis, adaptive antennas are studied as diversity antennas with optimum combining (i.e. with adjustment of both amplitude and phase). First, an approximate analytical cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the antenna output signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) is derived and expressed in terms of elementary functions, which enables quick and accurate evaluation of the antenna SINR performance at any probability level in most cases. The electromagnetic interaction between antenna elements enters into the CDF primarily through the correlations among the branch signals. With the CDF thus available in terms of elementary functions, the average bit error rate (BER) performance for coherent binary phase shift keying (BPSK) is derived, a technique that can be extended to other modulations. Furthermore, a simple approximation and an optimization criterion for antenna performance are developed, which are useful in the analysis and design of adaptive antennas where correlations between branch signals are non-zero. The impacts of antenna-element mutual coupling and array geometry on the signal correlations and hence the SINR performance are studied for small adaptive antenna arrays. When integrated into the electronics of modern transceivers or operating within buildings, adaptive antennas are subject to proximity effects of nearby disturbing objects, which may severely degrade antenna performance. The mechanisms of proximity effects are identified and several case studies with basic configurations are carried out to illustrate the phenomenon, quantify it, and point the way to its mitigation. Combined with electromagnetic modelling tools, the obtained analytical results are used in the design of a small three-element adaptive antenna for an indoor base station, and in the study of proximity effects on a small two-element antenna. These theoretical results are verified experimentally at 900 MHz in an indoor environment using a digital beamforming testbed especially developed for this purpose.
Effect of chronic exogenous hyperinsulinemia and basal lipolysis on very low-density lipoprotein-triglyceride production

This thesis examines the rate of synthesis of new fatty acids (FAs) in plasma triglycerides during chronic carbohydrate supplementation and chronic hyperinsulinemia, and basal hydrolysis of very low density lipoprotein triglycerides (VLDL-TG). Using a stable isotope technique, we have measured the fractional synthetic rate (FSR) of palmitate in rat plasma triglycerides. FSR greatly increased in both glucose and fructose supplementation. Administration of exogenous insulin for two weeks stimulated FA synthesis. Moreover, the positive correlation between FSR and the ratio of apoB48/apoB100 indicated a preferential incorporation of newly synthesized FAs in apoB48 containing lipoproteins. The effect of hydrolysis of VLDL-TG under basal conditions was investigated by blocking hydrolysis with a non-ionic detergent Triton WR1339. The composition of plasma triglycerides in the rat was characterized before and after blocking lipolysis with Triton WR1339. The study shows that plasma triglycerides containing linoleic acid are preferentially hydrolyzed, exhibiting both positional and substrate specificity.
Control of C¦4 photosynthesis at low temperatures in high-elevation grasses

Current surveys and paleodistributions indicate that C$\sb4$ species favour warm, subtropical regions. Some factors may account for the low-temperature sensitivity of C$\sb4$ plants: Pyruvate P$\sb{\rm i}$-Dikinase is inactivated below 12$\sp\circ$C and damage to Photosystem II may also occur. The gas-exchange and biochemical results in this study demonstrated that in the C$\sb4$ montane grasses Bouteloua gracilis and Muhlenbergia montanum, the activity of Rubisco correlated with photosynthesis below 20$\sp\circ$C during both short- and long-term chilling. Neither Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase nor Pyruvate P$\sb{\rm i}$-Dikinase activities indicated that these enzymes limit CO$\sb2$ assimilation below 20$\sp\circ$C. During long-term exposure to chilling conditions, the photosynthesis rate above 25$\sp\circ$C improved in M. montanum indicating that cold-acclimation in some C$\sb4$ species can occur. Additionally, prolonged cold treatment had little effect on Photosystem II in this specie. Rubisco activity appears to limit C$\sb4$ photosynthesis at cooler temperatures, and thus may have prevented the expansion of C$\sb4$ flora to cooler habitats.
Total Quality Principles in education, a framework for restructuring

This study was initiated to stimulate thought and foster a greater understanding in the educational community regarding the effectiveness of Total Quality Principles as a framework for restructuring education. As educators face growing public and political pressures to review and renew the way in which they conduct business and deliver quality services, it is essential that a framework for restructuring, which reflects both a focus on quality and the needs of all stakeholders in education, be in place. Total Quality Principles, which have gained global status as a guide for restructuring business and industry, are now emerging as an effective framework for the restructuring of education. It is critical that educators, charged with the responsibility for managing quality and restructuring, study the effectiveness of these principles and the modifications required to accommodate the needs of the educational community. Research for this thesis has been conducted through: interviews with leaders in the field of Total Quality, interviews with educational leaders involved with school restructuring on a T.Q. framework and in-depth review of library texts and periodicals dealing with education's restructuring efforts throughout North America.
Integrating multicultural arts across the curriculum

This study is ethnographic interpretive research that seeks to investigate the types of multicultural artworks produced by senior students at the secondary level and discover the reason(s) for this/these form(s) of expression. The literature supports arts education that is inclusionary because of its role in building the self concept of students. There is little or no Canadian research or curriculum design in the area of multicultural arts. This study is the first in a series to be done by this researcher that will seek to integrate multicultural philosophy into the arts and other curriculum areas.
Acyl Transfer in Chemical Synthesis of Oligosaccharides

The most commonly used method of stereoselective synthesis of 1,2-trans glycosidic bonds is protection of the second position of the donor with a participating acyl group. The most commonly used participating group is an acetyl group. However, it has been found that the group at O-2 transfers to acceptors by a transesterification reaction, thus lowering the yields of the desired products. In order to find a way to eliminate this transfer we synthesized five tribenzylated donors each having a different acyl group at O-2, ie., formyl, acetyl, levulinyl, pivaloyl or benzoyl. The results of the reactions with the acceptor (polyethylene glycol polymer MPEGDOXOH) indicate that presence of the benzyl groups (or absence of acetyl groups) at O-3, 4 and 6 eliminates transfer in the case of benzoyl and pivaloyl groups and reduces it significantly when acetyl and levulinyl groups are present (formyl group transfers significantly). It would be synthetically very useful if only one benzyl group was sufficient to prevent acyl transfer. To investigate this idea I synthesized three triacetylated donors with benzyl groups at O-3, 4 or 6 and one dibenzylated donor with benzyl groups at O-3 and 6 and reacted these donors with MPEGDOXOH. I found that the transfer of the acetyl group was reduced in all cases compared to the tetraacetylated donor but it was significantly higher than from the tribenzylated donor.
Gallager codes for CDMA applications

In this thesis, we develop a new coding system for direct sequence code-division multiple access (DS-CDMA) that supports more multiple users than many previously reported DS-CDMA systems. The most important distinctive feature of this new approach is the use of powerful short frame Gallager codes for data error protection. These codes combine strong protection against multiple access interference (MAI) and channel noise with small data delays. This combination makes these Gallager codes an excellent choice as an error-protecting scheme in speech-oriented CDMA applications. We investigate the theoretical performance of Gallager codes with maximum-likelihood decoder and derive new block error probability bounds for short frame Gallager codes. We show that these bounds are smaller than block error probability bounds for many orthogonal and superorthogonal convolutional codes that were previously suggested for similar applications. We propose a new construction for Gallager codes that results in a significant performance improvement for short frame Gallager codes and hence makes them strong candidates for CDMA applications. We discuss low complexity iterative decoding algorithms (suboptimal a-posteriori probability (APP) algorithms) for Gallager codes. We show that the decoding complexity of Gallager codes obtained in the proposed construction is lower than the decoding complexity of turbo codes and other Gallager code constructions, a feature that leads to implementation of fast software-oriented decoders for Gallager codes. We also investigate decoder hardware implementation issues that exploit inherent parallelism of the decoding algorithm. We present simulation results for Gallager codes in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and fading channels. We show that the strong performance of Gallager codes in AWGN channels successfully combats multiple access interference in CDMA systems. Gallager codes also exhibit good performance in fading channels making them particularly suitable for mobile environment. We conclude that Gallager codes are strong candidates for wireless CDMA systems that are emerging recently as a communication system of choice for the rapidly developing PCS market.
Student transfer from Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology to university in Ontario, an examination of student characteristics and motivations

Ontario supports a dual system of post secondary education comprised primarily of two distinct institutional types; 17 degree granting universities, and 25 Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs). Until now, there has been no system-wide structure to coordinate higher education in general, or to allow student mobility between the sectors. There has been tremendous change within Ontario in the 30 year period since the creation of the college system. The new face of Ontario includes a changing provincial demographic profile, greater competition for provincial funds, and the need for an adaptable work force capable of integrating the use of new technologies and generic skills. These recent demands have rekindled the recurring debate over student mobility within the post secondary education sector. The research in this thesis adds information unique to Ontario in that it describes the demographic and educational characteristics, as well as the motivational factors that led more than 1000 respondents to seek full-time university studies in Ontario. The analysis of the data makes extensive use of cross tabulations using four variables: gender, CAAT academic division, length of time lapsed after college, and self-reported secondary school grades. The findings provide useful background information for provincial planners and educational policy makers.
The ferret, a potential in vitro small animal model for the study of osteogenesis and osteoclasis

It has recently been shown that the ferret may be employed as an in vivo model for the study of metabolic bone diseases (Mackey et al., 1995). Unlike the rat, the ferret exhibits BMU-based remodeling that parallels the in vivo remodeling of human bone and further displays similar physiological responses to PTH administration and estrogen depletion. Induction of bone loss by estrogen depletion can occur either via ovariectomy or, uniquely, by reducing lit photoperiods. However, the ability of ferret marrow explants to function as an in vitro osteogenic and osteoclastic source is an essential step in demonstrating the overall utility of this species for future metabolic bone studies. Modifying a stromal cell culturing technique developed for the rat (Maniatopoulos et al., 1988), ferret marrow explants from 11-13 week old young males were cultured in $\alpha$-minimal essential medium containing 15% fetal bovine serum, antibiotics, and combinations of: ascorbic acid, Na-$\beta$ glycerophosphate and/or dexamethasone. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Studies involving measles virus receptor interaction and inhibitors of virus-mediated membrane fusion, a prelude to a small animal model and antiviral agents directed against measles virus

The recognition and entry of virus into the host cell is a significant step in viral infections. Our laboratory is interested in studying these early stages of viral infections as well as developing antiviral agents that can prevent these events. The viral model used in our laboratory is MV and with the discovery of its host cell receptor, CD46, the production of an animal model for MV was undertaken. Four transgenic mouse lines, expressing CD46, were produced were screened for CD46 expression. Infection of the transgenic mice with wild type and Edmonston strains of MV was carried out. A rodent cell line was also used to express high levels of the receptor for MV. The purpose of this cell line was to study the apparent lack of production of infectious MV particles in rodent cells. Small hydrophobic peptides such as Z-D-Phe-L-Phe-Gly have been shown to inhibit the entry of MV into the host cell and syncytia formation. The fusion protein of MV mediates these two processes and its possible interaction with Z-D-Phe-L-Phe-Gly was examined. Other peptides to a specific region of the fusion protein were also tested for their ability to inhibit MV entry.