VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Hereditary subalgebras of certain simple non real rank zero C§*-algebras

It is shown that the 'K'0 group together with the scale [Sigma], 'AffT'+, the space of continuous affine functions on the trace space denoted by 'T'+ together with the scale 'Aff'' and [lambda], the pairing between 'K'0 and the trace part of the invariant, is a complete invariant for a certain class of hereditary subalgebras of simple AI algebras. Also, the range of the invariant is determined.
The bureaucratization of creativity, the British Arts and Crafts Movement and its impact on Ontario education, 1880-1940

This thesis focuses on the cultural influences undergirding the construction and development of technical education in Ontario between 1880 and 1940. Specifically, it examines the ways in which the British Arts and Crafts Movement's social-aesthetic philosophies and practices were embraced by English-Canadian technical education advocates. Arts and Crafts ideas were adopted in large part to fight the encroaching dehumanization of industrialization and urbanization. This groundswell of discontent within the tightly-woven aesthetic communities of British-born and Anglo-phile patriots across Canada was expressed in an on-going critique of contemporary Art and design. Adherents strove to construct a classed, racialized, and gendered moral rhetoric which represented technical education as an "noble artisanal calling." In the wake of societal, industrial, and urban transformation and the decline of the apprenticeship system, the new technical worker became an important part of Canada's economic policy, and according to Arts and Crafts advocates, the resurrected artisan of old. Artisanal procedures and production became defining features of the technical education rhetoric and curriculum. As a case study this dissertation examines the Art Department at Central Technical School (CTS) in Toronto, in particular its artist-teachers, curriculum, mandate, and its dynamic relationship to educational, business, and cultural communities. Fundamental issues arise, such as the nature of artistic production in Ontario schools, the cultural and educational impact of "Art" on national identity, and the capacity of individuals and groups to impose and redefine intellectual premises and educational structures at critical historical junctures. Within this broader context, the thesis focuses on a series of incidents involving artist-teacher Peter Haworth of CTS's Art Department where many of these issues came to a head in 1931 and percolated for a generation thereafter. Haworth was charged by local stained glass companies with unfair business practices for allegedly using student assistants, school supplies, and taxpayers' property to undertake his own, private artistic commissions. Of particular importance is the role of the Toronto Board of Education in negotiating with these contradictory educational visions.
Textiles and textile imagery in Old English literature

As in many other cultures, textiles and textile production figured significantly in the everyday life of the Anglo-Saxons. The literary result of this important craft was the use of textile imagery, in particular, textile metaphor in Old English literature, including the following: peace-weaving, death-weaving, fate-weaving, creation- and water-weaving, word-weaving, and spider-weaving. While the occurrence of textile metaphor in the Old English corpus has been noted in the past, this study is unique in that it seeks first to analyze and reconstruct the material culture of textile production among the Anglo-Saxons from archaeological and textual records as a crucial step in understanding the full range of Old English textile metaphors and what they might have meant to the Anglo-Saxons. This study is also unique in that it compiles the Old English textile metaphors and analyzes their resonance in direct relationship to the material culture of textiles. In the dissertation, I compile a number of the significant analogues which may or may not have influenced the development of textile metaphor in Old English literature. This dissertation argues that textile metaphors and images in Old English literature are linked by a common resonance which may be the product of an understanding of the material culture of textiles of Anglo-Saxon times as a visual analogue. The examination of Old English textile imagery has interesting implications for textile imagery which occurs in great profusion in virtually all cultures which have cotidiarian contact with textile production.
Importance of protein adsorption in the blood compatibility and biostability evaluation of poly etherurethanes (PEUs) containing surface modifying macromolecules (SMMs)

Polyurethanes (PEUs) have been the materials of choice for the manufacturing of conventional blood-contacting devices. Nevertheless, biostability and blood compatibility, are still among the obstacles that limit their applications. Recent studies investigating the development of protective coatings for PEUs have indicated that biostability of the base polymer can significantly be improved by the use of different fluorinated surface modifying macromolecules (SMMs). It is therefore hypothesized that PEU surfaces modified by SMMs may also exhibit superior blood compatibility. To determine the blood compatibility of the PEU containing SMM, a series of 'in vitro' experiment were designed to first study the pattern of protein adsorption from plasma, as well as to assess the nature of platelet adhesion and activation on each of the substrates. In the second aspect of this thesis, fibrinogen was used as a simple model to study the influence of plasma proteins on the biodegradation of polymers by he biodegradation of polymers by a macrophage derived enzyme, cholestrol esterase (CE). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Community and school in an era of demographic change, a study of immigrant minority group partnerships with a Canadian elementary school

This study was initiated to identify a process by which a policy could be designed to address relationships within problematic school areas. The premise was that a policy be developed for the study population, school and its community, responsive to the wishes and interests of the stakeholders. The framework for this policy was developed via an analysis of information collected regarding school/community relations between a Canadian elementary school and its immigrant minority community. The data analysis involved the qualitative research method of critical action research with a sub component of critical ethnography. The study population was purposive: educators of the school community and immigrant minority group individuals whose first language was not English. The sample was stratified: set criteria with respect to cultural background and language were used to determine immigrant minority participants. Representatives of staff, students and parents of the school community contributed to the collection of data for this study. To identify school/community perceptions, expectations and needs, the researcher employed interviews, collaborative focus group sessions and self-reflective narratives with participants. The information was analysed through interpretational qualitative methods that included the characteristics of language (communication and culture), categorization of patterns, frequency of occurrences, and establishment of relationships. The researcher compiled recommendations into a policy for the school. The significance of the study was the development of a policy created to address relationships within this immigrant minority group school area.
Modulation of Ã-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) receptors by a novel organic nitrate ester

Positive modulators of the excitatory amino acid receptor Ã-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) has been shown to enhance memory and learning tasks performed by rodents and by human subjects. A new class of AMPA receptor modulators has been recently synthesized. These compounds belong to the class of organic nitrate ester of the nitroglycerine family and are designated GT-21-005, GT-11-013, GT-21-038, and GT-21-022. GT-21-005 was found to enhance AMPA receptor-mediated responses. The structure of this drug is simple compared to the various positive modulators of the AMPA receptor that have already characterized. GT-21-005 enhanced kainate-evoked currents in cultured and acutely isolated hippocampal neurons. It also enhanced glutamate-evoked currents by reducing desensitization at the receptor and increasing the rate of recovery from desensitization. The presence of GT-21-005 also prolonged the decay of spontaneous miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). This shows that GT-21-005 can enhance synaptic responses that may be responsible for encoding memory and learning in the hippocampus. GT-21-005 also has inhibitory effects on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and ã-aminobutryic acid (GABA) receptors in the same concentrations that enhance AMPA receptors. This thesis reports the characterization of the effects of GT-21-005 on AMPA receptors using electrophysiological techniques on cultured and acutely isolated neurons from the hippocampus.
L'affect en cachot, la sémiotique des passions et le théâtre québécois d'enfermement chez Michel Marc Bouchard, Normand Chaurette et René-Daniel Dubois

L'écriture et l'enfermement captent l'imagination. Le théâtre québécois contemporain ne fait pas exception à cette observation, car on peut y trouver des exemples de drames claustrophiles à toutes les époques. Malgré cela, les années quatre-vingt marquent une véritable période d'engouement pour l'espace clos au théâtre. Michel Marc Bouchard, Normand Chaurette et René-Daniel Dubois livrent une suite d'univers clos où l'espace et l'émotion se conjuguent au sein d'un sujet passionnel. Dans cette thèse, j'étudie la manière dont l'enfermement au théâtre façonne non seulement l'émergence d'un sujet affectif, mais aussi l'être du sujet empreint de passion. Menée à l'intérieur des paramètres établis par la sémiotique théâtrale, telle que développée par Ubersfeld et Pavis, entre autres, et par la sémiotique de l'affect, surtout celle présentée par Greimas et Fontanille dans 'Sémiotique des passions' (1991), mon étude illustre que le sujet théâtral sert de lien sensible entre une dimension affective à l'intérieur et un espace clos dans lequel il est situé. En effet, chacune des pièces à l'étude met en scène la problématique de la scission entre lêtre et le paraître, et ce de façon presque systématique par une mise en relation du système spatial avec l'économie affective propre à chaque pièce. La première section comporte trois chapitres et constitue la mise en contexte théorique de l'étude. Je tâche de montrer: (1) que l'économie théorique greimassienne, 'a fortiori ' formelle, procède d'une "idéologie de la forme"; (2) que le sujet passionnel est un lieu d'instabilité actantielle, ce qui occasionne le parcours passionnel; (3) les implications et les applications théâtrales de ces deux derniers points. La prochaine section traite in extenso de ce que l'on convient d'appeler la "scène passionnelle". J'aborde l'articulation spatiale en termes de ' géométrisation', étudiant les manifestations de ce procédé sous trois formes: (1) les territoires affectifs; (2) la crypte; (3) le théâtre dans le théâtre. Dans la dernière partie de la thèse, je me tourne vers l'art de la scène afin d'observer la manière dont le clos et la passion sont articulés sur les planches.
Shear design of reinforced concrete members under axial compression

The failure of the Sleipner offshore oil platform in 1991 indicated that serious deficiencies exist in the current design procedures for shear design of reinforced concrete members subjected to axial compression. The current design requirements of the ACI code are based on a few tests conducted with relatively low strength concrete in the 1960s. To investigate the shear behaviour of reinforced concrete members subjected of high levels of axial compression and shear, twenty four tests were conducted on lightly reinforced members subjected to different levels of axial compression and shear. The main variables in the study were the ratio of axial compression-to-shear, stirrup reinforcement ratio, concrete strength and specimen width. The results clearly indicate that the current detailed ACI procedure for shear design of members subjected to axial compression can be unconservative for members under moderate and high levels of axial compression. It is recommended that the detailed procedure be eliminated from future editions of the ACI code. The simple alternate method specified by the ACI code was able to predict the experimental results conservatively with more consistency than the detailed method. The AASHTO-LRFD procedure was able to predict the strength as well as the mode of failure consistently. More detailed procedures based on the modified compression field theory were able to predict not only the strength but also the deformation behaviour of the test specimens with good accuracy. No beneficial influence of increasing the strength of concrete beyond 70 MPa was observed in the tests. Specimens with very high strength concrete of over 80 MPa were found to be weaker than similar members with 60 MPa concrete. The current analysis and design procedures do not account for this anomaly. It is postulated that the reduced "aggregate interlock" capacity due to smoother crack surfaces for higher strength concrete partly contributes to the reduced shear capacity. Fifteen "push off" type of shear friction tests were conducted in the study to evaluate the influence of fracture of coarse aggregate particles on the crack surface. The results indicate that the shear friction capacity of cracked concrete with fractured aggregates on the surface was substantially lower compared to concretes with no fractured aggregates on the surface. Based on the experimental results a simple model to account for the reduction in shear capacity due to fracture of coarse aggregates is suggested. Specimens under very high levels of axial compression usually fail at first cracking. Based on well known tests by Kupfer a simple strain based model for reduction of the concrete cracking strength under conditions of combined compression and tension is proposed. The proposed models were incorporated into a simplified sectional analysis program that is based on the modified compression field theory. The models improved the predicted behaviour for members under higher levels of axial compression.
Cloning, regulation, and promoter analysis of the cadA gene in Dictyostelium discoideum

The 'cadA' gene encodes the 'Dictyostelium discoideum ' cell adhesion molecule DdCAD-1 which mediates cell-cell adhesion during the early stage of development. My earlier work showed that the ' cadA' gone has a unique pattern of expression which is influenced by the prestarvation factor (PSF), cAMP, and different growth conditions. These observations suggest the presence of both PSF and cAMP response elements in the promoter region of the 'cadA' gene. To further characterize the details of 'cadA' gene regulation, I have cloned the ' cadA' gene. A total of ~4 kb of genomic DNA, which contains the complete coding region, 2.5 kb of 5'-upstream sequence, and 400 bp of 3'-flanking sequence, was sequenced. ' cadA' is a single copy gene. It contains two introns and has 3 major transcription initiation sites. A 631 bp 5' flanking sequence is sufficient to confer both cAMP and PSF responsiveness. Deletion analyses show that an 80 bp region of the promoter sequence is essential for cAMP- and PSF-responsive gene expression. Gel mobility shift assays show that this 80 bp region can shift a nuclear protein specifically. The amount of shifted protein increases when cells are treated with cAMP pulses. An 18 bp G-rich sequence (box2) within this 80 bp region also effectively shifts a nuclear protein. Mutation of the box2 sequence leads to a dramatic decrease in the amount of bound nuclear protein. Efforts were also made to distinguish between the cAMP response and the PSF response element.
Changing sexual behavior and women's risk for HIV/AIDS in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the fourth wave

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the historical, socio-cultural, and economic context of sexual behaviour and sexual networking in Ghiang Mai, Thailand, and specifically how these factors put women at risk for HIV. To address the potential for risk, several areas will be investigated including men and women's perspectives on sexual behaviour, their acceptance of pre-marital and extra-marital sex with commercial sex workers, and perception of risk for HIV. By 1995, it was estimated that approximately 2% of all sexually active adults in the country were infected with HIV (Koetsawang and Auamkul 1997). The HIV epidemic in Thailand has been described as a succession of waves with the first wave sweeping through the drug injecting population, the second wave consisting of the commercial sex workers, with the third wave currently acting as the gateway to the general population through the clients of commercial sex workers (Ungphakorn 1993). These clients can potentially infect their girlfriends and wives, the fourth wave of the epidemic. Epidemiological studies in northern Thailand have confirmed the explosive nature of the epidemic among commercial sex workers with seroprevalence rates as high as 40% (Celentano 1994). Thailand is in the midst of a social transition and undergoing economic turbulence. This study will demonstrate that Western influence as well as the response to the AIDS epidemic has resulted in changes in sexual behaviour and gender role expectations. The retention of old traditions, such as commercial sex work visitations coupled with an increasing acceptance of pre-marital sex is fuelling the AIDS epidemic. Paradoxically, the emergence of HIV in Thailand has made individuals re-evaluate previously held socio-cultural axioms involving pre-marital and extra-marital sex with commercial sex workers. Semi-structured ethnographic interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussion, participant observation, educational material from public health campaigns, and archival data have been collected to contribute to the understanding of the epidemic in Chiang Mai. A model of transmission is proposed based on data analysis. Additionally, recommendations for future AIDS prevention programming and research are offered.
Genetic polymorphism of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase UGT2B7 and in vivo glucuronidation of oxazepam, a genotype-phenotype comparative study

In this study, oxazepam was used as a probe drug to study a genetic polymorphism in UDP-glucuronsyltransferase UGT2B7. The S/R oxazepam glucuronide ratio (S/R ratio) of 203 subjects after an oral dose of (RS) oxazepam was bimodally distributed, with approximately 18% of the population possessing S/R ratios below an antimode of 1.66. An allele specific amplification assay that has the ability to distinguish between the wildtype and variant alleles of UGT2B7 was established in this study. Genotyping of 114 individuals demonstrated that the allelic frequency of the variant and wildtype alleles within the population is 0.474 and 0.526, respectively. The genotype of 8 individuals who had previously been phenotyped demonstrated that a homozygous variant genotype is associated to an atypical phenotype, whereas, heterozygotes as well as homozygotes for the wildtype allele are phenotypically normal in regard to the S/R ratio. This is the first study that has demonstrated an association between a genetic polymorphism in the UGT2B family and variations in the in vivo glucuronidation of a drug.
Painting and visual imagery in literature, three contemporary Latin American novels

The relationship between visual representations and verbal language within the context of three contemporary Latin American novels constitutes the main concern in this thesis. The three novels I discuss here are: 'Elogio de la madrastra' (1988), by Mario Vargas Llosa; 'El siglo de las luces' (1962), by Alejo Carpentier; and 'La carne de René' (1952), by Virgilio Piñera. In recognizing that these novels address an interdisciplinary exchange with visual practices, I begin this thesis with a chapter that broadly examines various issues and questions concerning pictorial representations within the context of art history and criticism. With this chapter my aim is to show not only some of the theoretical approaches to pictorial imagery but also, the difficulties that verbal language faces when entering the realm of visual imagery. Throughout the following chapters, I shall examine how in the interaction image/text the pictorial becomes contextualized to serve the purpose of the text. Within these contexts, moreover, I shall try to show how the pictorial, as images invested with their own historicity and cultural values, serves as a source of knowledge, generates new meanings and, above all, broadens the reading perspective of these novels. At the same time, as I underlie in my first chapter, I have no intention of analyzing the works of art according to the intentions of the artist. Nor do I subscribe to the claim that a proper contextualization of a work of art, that will lead us to the work's initial context of production, is the basis for correct interpretation. Rather, I shall address and interpret the works of art within their present textual context while recognizing their historical and cultural values. What is to emerge out of this thesis is the view that the pictorial image invites discursivity. Yet, that it would be deceptive to equate the verbal with the visual because in the interrelation image/text, the pictorial image, recognized for what it shows in itself, acts independently of the written text.
Magnetic and transport properties of FeGe¦2

We have measured the electrical resistivity and the elastic and inelastic neutron scattering cross-sections of the itinerant antiferromagnets FeGe 2 and Fe(Ge.96Ga.04)2FeGe2 has a tetragonal structure with a collinear antiferromagnetic phase below ' TC'-IC = 263 K, and an incommensurate spin density wave (SDW) phase between 'TC'-IC and the Néel temperature (289 K). The ordering wavevector is along the ' a'-axis and the moments are ferromagnetically aligned along the 'c'-axis. We determined the phase diagram of FeGe2 for basal plane fields up to 16 T using resistivity measurements. The incommensurate phase is much more stable (up to ~30 T) in a magnetic field than theory predicts (1 T). Quantum oscillations appeared in the resistivity below 4 K for a ' c'-axis magnetic field above 7 T. The resulting effective carrier mass is 0.45 ± .05 'me', and the frequency is 190 ± 10 T. We used elastic neutron scattering to study the magnetic phases of Fe(Ge .96Ga.04)2'TC' -IC = 183 K and this transition is clearly first-order. The low-temperature phase consists of a commensurate SDW with a long-wavelength modulation along the 'a'-axis with weaker magnetic scattering reflections which are not displaced along the 'a'-axis. Resistivity measurements show that the low-field commensurate phase is destroyed at temperatures below 20 K by a 12 T basal-plane magnetic field. Inelastic neutron scattering on FeGe2 at 11 K up to energy transfer ('E' = 540 meV shows magnon dispersion that is well described by a classical Heisenberg spin-wave model. The exchange constant along the 'c'-axis, 'SJFM' = 68 ± 5 meV, is 15 times higher than along the 'a'-axis, ' SJAFM' = 4.4 ± 1.0 meV, making FeGe2 a unique example of a quasi-one-dimensional itinerant magnet. Up to 350 meV the 'c'-axis magnon linewidth can be described by ã(' E') = (2.7 ± .6) * 10-3 MeV -1'E'2 (E2 dependence of a hydrodynamic model). We measure ã values several orders of magnitude larger than localised models predict, presumably due to itinerant effects which also lead to a continuum of scattering above ~350 meV. At higher temperatures the peak height and lifetime of the 'c'-axis magnons decrease, changing rapidly between 'TC'-IC and 'TN'. Magnon-like excitations persist to 600 or 700K as might be expected for a 1-D system without long-range order.