VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Improperly collected taxes: The border between private and public law

In recent years, Professor Birks' doctrine of constitutional right to restitution has become a new supreme normative authority with respect to the issue of restitution of improperly collected taxes. Nevertheless, the new doctrine has puzzled academics. Deep questions regarding the "private law-public law" location of Professor Birks' doctrine and the current status of traditional law doctrines have arisen. This study challenges Professor Birks' doctrine and demonstrates that despite its universal adoption, the doctrine is based on weak premises. Furthermore, based on Professor Weinrib's legal philosophy, this study develops an alternative framework for analyzing the issue of improperly collected taxes. The study shows that the "private-public" puzzle and the traditional-to-improperly-collected-taxes doctrines may be coherently explained within this legal philosophy.

Keywords: Tax collection
Unjust enrichment
Restitution
Production of the autotransporter IgA1 protease [beta]-domain from Neisseria gonorrhoeae for structural studies

Most secretion mechanisms in Gram-negative bacteria rely on at least one separately encoded accessory factor for substrate translocation across the outer membrane. An exception is a large family of secreted proteins represented by the IgA, protease from Neisseria gonorrhoeae MS11. Previous work firmly established the minimal region required for beta-domain-mediated autotransporter function. Therefore, the current study aimed to produce sufficient amounts of the beta-domain to elucidate the molecular details and principles of autotransport at high-resolution by structure determination through X-ray crystallography or NMR spectroscopy. Crystallographic analysis suggested the presence of an oligomeric beta-domain structure; while NMR techniques revealed indications of a beta-domain monomer in solution. Combined with other biochemical and biophysical data, the results presented here suggest the possibility that beta-domain oligomerization may be a lipid- and/or detergent-dependent event. Implications are proposed in the context of an autotransporter secretion model, and for the continued pursuit of a high-resolution beta-domain structure.
Litho-, Chrono-and allostratigraphy of the Santonian to Campanian Milk River and Eagle formations in southern Alberta and north-central Montana: implications for differential subsidence in the western interior foreland baseland

The Santonian to Campanian succession of southern Alberta and northern Montana contains the Milk River/Eagle clastic wedge, encased in marine Colorado and Claggett/Pakowki shales. Litho- and chronostratigraphic analysis across the international border showed that the Santonian Telegraph Creek Member/Formation and the Virgelle and Deadhorse Coulee members are in lithostratigraphic continuity, and of similar age along the paleoshoreline. The Earliest Campanian saw clastic sedimentation of the Upper Eagle Member in north-central Montana, while a hiatus of up to 2.5 Ma developed in southern Alberta around Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park. Only the Pakowki/Claggett transgression during the Early Campanian was again synchronous across the study area. The Santonian Virgelle shoreline is marked by a strong dominance of storm generated sedimentary structures in an unusually thick shoreface succession exceeding 30 m. Campanian Upper Eagle sedimentation took place in a more restricted, deltaic environment that was sourced from the southwest. Based on an allostratigraphic approach, high-resolution sequence analysis enabled the subdivision of the study interval into seven allomembers. The first three allomembers, Virgelle 1, 2 and 3, are each seaward stepping from another. Following a regional transgression was the deposition of the Upper Eagle A, B and C allomembers, also in seaward stepping shingles. Upper Eagle D Allomember is a transgressive unit topped by the regional “Eagle Shoulder” sequence boundary. The hiatus developed in southern Alberta during the Earliest Campanian is reflected in the distribution of the Upper Eagle allomembers. Projection of the Upper Eagle allomembers onto structural elements of the Sweetgrass Arch shows the coastal sandstones curving around the Kevin Sunburst Dome element of the Sweetgrass Arch and paralleling its structural contours. Despite often cited basement control for the Sweetgrass Arch, aeromagnetic data does not show any direct correlation of basement lineaments with the anticlinal crest of the Kevin Sunburst Dome. However, a magnetically heterogeneous block of crest underneath the Kevin Sunburst Dome, surrounded by very highly magnetic crustal material, might have buckled under stress due to different rheological properties. This could explain the up and down movement observed in the hiatus and distribution patterns of the Milk River/Eagle interval.
Adieu: Hamlet remembered in the thoughts of Benjamin, Lacan, Levinas, and Derrida

Since the commentary on Hamlet offered by Hegel, and its subsequent introduction to English literary criticism via Andrew Cecil Bradley, the play has often been thought to be the privileged instance of modern tragedy, an instance whose privilege derives from the accent it places on character, or, as is more commonly said today, subjectivity. In recent years, the theory of the subjectum that stands in the background of Hegel's reading of Hamlet (and his dialectical philosophy more generally) has been an object of scrutiny from a variety of critical perspectives (phenomenological, psychoanalytic, deconstructive, and new historical). These perspectives have in turn proved influential for considerations of subjectivity in literary studies. The Hegelian reading of Hamlet as it was mediated to Shakespeare's scholarly readership through Bradley has been no less an object of scrutiny. That scrutiny has issued from a spectrum of critical perspectives similar to those that have informed the criticism of Hegel's theory of the subject. Notwithstanding these critical responses to both Hegel and Bradley's readings of Hamlet, the broad perception that this play in some way illustrates the psychic dilemmas faced by modern individuals persists, even and especially in those interpretations informed by post-Hegelian perspectives on the subject and its history. With that in mind, this thesis asks in what sense Hamlet may still be thought as a “tragedy of subjectivity.” The vehicle for this examination is the readings of the play to be found in the work of four twentieth century thinkers whose interpretation of the subject is explicitly undertaken in critical response to Hegel, and whose thought has been decisive for current considerations of subjectivity in the literary context: Walter Benjamin, Jacques Lacan, Emmanuel Levinas, and Jacques Derrida. All four see in Hamlet a Shakespearean affirmation of an ethical attitude in which the most primitive gesture of the subject is not closure upon itself, but opening unto the Other. For Benjamin, Lacan, Levinas, and Derrida, this opening is in the first instance temporal; it concerns the imminence of the future in the present. Providence is the name of that imminence in the theological framework that dominates Hamlet, just as God is the name for that Other to which Benjamin, Lacan, Levinas, and Derrida each in their own way attest. This dissertation will examine the thematics of “providence” as they become consequential in the readings of the play offered by Benjamin, Lacan, Levinas, and Derrida.
Primiparous rats, but not multiparous rats, exhibit dendritic atrophy in CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells of the hippocampus

Motherhood has been found to enhance performance on learning and memory tasks in the rodent and increases in the volumes of the CA1 and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus are evident in lactating rats when compared to pregnant rats. The present study investigated the effect of parity on dendritic morphology in the CA1 and CA3 hippocampal regions. Female Sprague Dawley rats who were multiparous (n = 8), primiparous (n = 7), and nulliparous (n = 7) were perfused 24–31 days after parturition and their brains stained with the Golgi impregnation technique. Camera lucida drawings were made for six CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells in each animal. Results show that primiparous rats have significant dendritic atrophy in CA3 and CA1 pyramidal cells when compared to multiparous and nulliparous rats. This is the first demonstration that parity exposure has differential effects on dendritic morphology of CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells.
Three-dimensional ray tracing to model internal reflections in off-axis lens antennas

A three-dimensional ray tracing technique for internally reflected rays is developed and applied to compute the radiation pattern of scale model integrated lens antennas. Arbitrary printed feeds for the lens antennas are modeled in the custom simulation software as distributions of off-axis current elements computed by the Method of Moments (MoM). Simulation results are compared against measured patterns at 30 GHz for the case of a twin arc-slot printed feed architecture, which reduces undesired pattern sensitivity in diagonal lateral directions when compared to a twin rectangular-slot feed. For the case of an off-axis feed displaced laterally to achieve beam steering, internal reflections are shown to make pattern contributions of up to 20 dB that cannot be predicted by first-order physical optics (PO) techniques employed in prior work. Low-directivity basis functions used in the feed model are shown to improve agreement between simulation and measurement when compared to an array factor model. A frequency sweep analysis is introduced as a method to test the sensitivity of pattern sidelobes to the fabrication tolerances of the dielectric lens, and a design methodology is presented to ensure agreement between simulated and measured patterns.
Functional characterization of intimal dendritic cells in the initiation of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which oxidized (ox) lipids, leukocytes and fibrous tissue accumulate in the arterial intima. Both innate and adaptive immune responses promote atherogenesis. Macrophages and dendritic cells (DC) take up and accumulate ox lipids, present antigen and activate T cells. Previously, we observed that DC, but not T cells, accumulate in the intima of the normal murine aorta only in regions predisposed to atherosclerosis. The goal of the current study is to determine the role of intimal DC in the initiation of atherosclerosis. The hypothesis is that in the setting of hypercholesterolemia intimal DC ingest ox lipids and produce pro-inflammatory factors. An animal model to selectively deplete intimai DC in transgenic CD11c-DTR mice was established and characterized. CD11c-DTR mice express the simian diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) under control of the CD11c promoter. We found that a single injection of diphtheria toxin depleted intimal CD11c+ DC by>98% in 24 h, with near-complete recovery within 3 weeks. Real-time RT PCR experiments using RNA harvested from the aortic intima revealed decreased CD11c and CD68 expression in lesion-susceptible regions after DC depletion, as well as decreased proinflammatory gene expression. These data suggest that DC depletion does not trigger an inflammatory response, and that DC themselves may produce proinflammatory factors in the normal aortic intima. CD11c-DTR mice were bred onto the LDLR -/- background, which is susceptible to atherosclerotic lesion development when fed a cholesterol-enriched diet. In DC-depleted mice, the surface area of 5-day atherosclerotic lesions was reduced by approximately 50% compared with control mice, indicating an important role for DC in the initiation of atherosclerosis.
Forest fragmentation effects and the cavity nest material requirements of northern flying squirrels and red squirrels in a fragmented secondary hardwood forest region of Ontario, Canada

Agriculturally induced fragmentation of hardwood forests has been extensive in southern Ontario, with important implications for biodiversity, such as the outright loss of species, contraction in species distributions, and reduced genetic diversity. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the patterns of fragment occupancy, from a metapopulation perspective, as a function of landscape-level features and to identify significant aspects of habitat use, including nest material requirements, for northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) and red squirrels ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in highly fragmented secondary hardwood forests. The occurrence of G. sabrinus was positively correlated with fragment area, while T. hudsonicus occurrence was positively correlated with the basal area of coniferous trees. Both species primarily used shredded eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) bark as nesting material, possibly due to a behavioural adaptation to reduce ectoparasite loads in the nest environment.
Study of the relationship between Parkin and Septin 5 in neurons

Current literature implicates the Parkin gene as a site of mutation in familial Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, studies show that Parkin is an E3 ubiquitin ligase capable of ubiquitinating overexpressed Septin 5 leading to its degradation. This study attempted to investigate the relationship between endogenous Septin 5 and Parkin in neurons. Initially, septin protein levels were characterized in developing brain and differentiating PC 12 cells. Here we show that while Parkin and Septin 5 levels appear to negatively correlate in PC12 cells, Parkin does not co-immunoprecipitate with Septin 5. Furthermore, Parkin and Septin 5 do not co-fractionate when separated by glycerol gradient centrifugation. Overexpressed wild type or mutant Parkin in PC12 cells has no effect on steady-state Septin 5 levels. These studies fail to provide evidence for any interaction between Parkin and endogenous Septin 5. Further studies will be necessary to explain the discrepancy between reported interactions and the results presented here.
A three-dimensional numerical model to predict temperature and degree of calcination in the solids bed in lime kilns

The lime quality and overall thermal efficiency of a kiln is strongly affected by the effectiveness of heat transfer from freeboard gases and the wall as well as the bed motion. A three-dimensional model to predict the temperature and CaCO3-CaO concentration distributions within the solids bed was developed. The model couples the axial flow data from a one dimensional bed model and bed velocity data from a two dimensional model to solve the bed energy and concentration transport equations. Significant transverse variation in the temperature and concentration distribution was observed during calcination, which could affect lime quality. A stand-alone one-dimensional bed model, validated using experimental data collected at Metso Minerals Test Facility, Danville, PA, was also developed which predicts the average bed temperature and concentration along the length of the kiln. The model offers a useful tool to analyze the effect of operating parameters and optimize kiln design.
CD36-mediated clearance of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes by rodent monocytes/macrophages

Phagocytic cells represent an important line of innate defense against malaria; however, little is known of the mechanism by which macrophages (m&phis;s) recognize Plasmodium falciparum-parasitized erythrocytes (PEs). Using m&phis;s from CD36 wild-type (WT), CD36-null, and CD36 transgenically-rescued rodents, we demonstrate a major role for CD36 in the phagocytosis of PEs. WT m&phis;s display enhanced phagocytic capacity for non-opsonised PEs compared to CD36-null mouse and rat m&phis;s. Transgenic rescue of CD36-deficient rats, restored m&phis; phagocytic capacity for PEs. Pre-treatment of WT m&phis;s with an anti-CD36 antibody inhibited the uptake of PEs as did proteolytic cleavage of CD36 ligands from the surface of PEs. Pharmacological upregulation of rodent CD36 using PPARγ-RXR agonists increased the phagocytosis of PEs. Finally, CD36-mediated uptake of PEs did not result in increased m&phis; TNFα or IL-6 secretion. These studies support the use of these rodent models to examine PE-CD36 interactions in vivo.
Parents, service integration, and engagement in early childhood

This study examined whether the degree of parental experience with preschool services predicts parental involvement during the transition to school by comparing parent involvement in kindergarten across three different types of school sites. The sites differed in the level of parents' experience with preschool services. The first type of site offered integrated, school-based preschool services as part of the Toronto First Duty (TFD) early childhood initiative; these programs foster parent involvement and provide parenting support. The second group included school sites with a single preschool program fostering parental involvement and providing support. The final group of school sites did not have preschool services. The results support the hypotheses that parents in the integrated services, TFD sites, were more likely to be engaged in school and have higher expectations for involvement and stronger feelings of efficacy. The results have implications for how parent involvement may influence children's outcomes in early childhood services and in the transition to school.
Insulin-induced actin remodelling and the localization of signalling molecules

Insulin promotes the translocation of glucose transporter isoform 4 (GLUT4) from intracellular pools to the surface of muscle and fat cells via a mechanism dependent on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase), actin cytoskeletal remodelling and the v-SNARE, VAMP2. In cells expressing receptors for the growth factor PDGF, this ligand also robustly activates PI3-kinase and induces actin remodelling, raising the question of whether it utilizes similar mechanisms to insulin in mobilizing GLUT4. In L6 myoblasts stably expressing myc-tagged GLUT4, we show that both insulin and PDGF promote GLUT4 exocytosis and glucose uptake albeit with different time courses. Interestingly, we show that insulin but not PDGF rely on the actin cytoskeleton and tetanus toxin light chain-sensitive v-SNARES for GLUT4myc translocation to the cell surface. These results suggest that insulin and PDGF rely differentially on the actin cytoskeleton and on tetanus toxin sensitive v-SNARES for the increase in surface GLUT4. In order to understand the functional role of the actin cytoskeleton in L6 cells, we tested the hypothesis that actin filament remodelling determines the location of insulin signalling molecules. We show that insulin treatment leads to a rapid rearrangement of actin filaments into submembrane structures where specific key insulin signalling molecules colocalized with the actin structures. We propose that insulin-stimulated actin remodelling may spatially coordinate the localized generation of PI-3,4,5-P3 and recruitment of Akt, ultimately leading to GLUT4 insertion at the plasma membrane. Actin remodelling is a tightly regulated process and involves a wide variety of actin binding proteins. Among such families of proteins are the Actin-Depolymerizing Factor (ADF)/Cofilins, which have been shown to be essential for regulating actin turnover in other cellular systems. We show here that insulin promotes the dephosphorylation of cofilin1 in a time- and P13-kinase-dependent manner. Moreover, insulin enhanced the colocalization of cofilin1 with the mesh-like actin structures. Knockdown of cofilin1 expression by siRNA-mediated gene silencing altered actin dynamics and inhibited GLUT4 translocation to the cell surface in insulin-stimulated cells. These results suggest that insulin regulates the activity of cofilin1 in order to promote actin remodelling and to facilitate GLUT4 translocation and fusion with the plasma membrane.
Role of innate immune responses in the control of malaria: modulating host responses to improve outcome

The pathogenesis of Plasmodium falciparum is associated with inability of the host to adequately clear parasitized-erythrocytes and excessive pro-inflammatory cytokine response to infection. The combination of these events can culminate in the development of severe and cerebral malaria (CM). We also investigated mechanism of host induced excessive inflammatory response to malaria infection and demonstrated that PfGPI exposure leads to JNK2 activation resulting in TNF-alpha production in vitro. In vivo, JNK2-/- mice infected with P. berghei ANKA had lower circulating TNF-alpha levels and higher survival compared to JNK1-/- or JNK2 +/+ infected mice. We investigated the mechanisms by which adverse innate immune responses contribute to pathogenesis of severe malaria. CD36 has been shown to mediate the sequestration of PEs to vascular endothelium. Using macrophages isolated from CD36+/+ and CD36 -/- mice, we show that CD36 plays an important role in the uptake of ring- and schizont-stage PEs. In vivo, CD36 -/- mice infected with P. chabaudi chabaudi AS had an early impaired inflammatory response, early peak parasitemia and higher parasite burden which resulted in higher mortality than CD36 +/+ mice. We then investigated whether modulating host immune responses improve outcome in an experimental CM model. We showed that rosiglitazone treated mice infected with P. berghei had significantly lower circulating TNF-alpha and higher TGF-beta production with increased survival rate compared to control mice, thus suggesting that modulating host immune responses leads to a better outcome in mice infected with lethal P. berghei malaria. In summary, we show that CD36 is an important receptor involved in activation of early immune response essential for control and clearance of malaria infection. In addition, a dysregulated innate immune response leads to the development of severe and CM, and modulation of host innate immune response is crucial in the effective resolution of experimental CM. Finally, we investigated the role of complement in the development of CM. Using C5+/+, C5 -/- and congenic mice, we found C5 and its active product C5a contributes to development of CM. C5-/- mice were protected from the development of CM and survived longer than C5 +/+ mice. Neutralization of C5a activity using monoclonal antibody protected susceptible mice resulted in increased survival.