VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Indigenous Knowledge, colonialism and epistemological violence: the experience of the Oromo people under Abyssinian colonial rule

Theorists of higher education such as Friere. Asante and Dei have emphasized that colonizing Eurocentric knowledge admits of only one view of the world, judging all others as epistemologically invalid. These authors have proposed ways in which this dominant view of higher education can be ruptured through the centring of Indigenous knowledges (IK). This thesis takes up this project with respect to the Oromo people. The Oromo are an Indigenous people, the majority population in present-clay Ethiopia. Until recently, the history of this part of Africa has been written from a Euro-Abyssinian-Arab perspective, although accounts centring IK have appeared in the writings of Holcomb and Ibssa, Hassan, Bulcha, Jalata and the Oromo Studies Association. My research is based in this subjugated. African-Oromo history which is being reclaimed. I am an Oromo born in the Horo-Guduro district knowledgable about Oromo IK. Although I grew up under Abyssinian rule, obtaining a Eurocentric postsecondary education, my family and my circumstances have allowed me to resist their colonizing effects. This research has thus been borne in the suffering of my people and the documentation and analysis of their experiences of oppression and success in nurturing Oromo ways of life. Based on interviews with 20 Oromos in the Diaspora as well as my own experiences, this thesis re-constructs the way in which Abyssinian-Oromo relations are understood. As I show in my analysis of historical documents produced by authors in various locations and times, Eurocentric thinking has been part of the representation of Abyssinia as a large, Christian empire that performed a 'civilizing' role in Africa, acting on behalf of European empire-builders. But my research and writing ruptures this image by detailing the life experiences of Oromo who fled their homeland because of torture, imprisonment, loss of economic livelihood and denial of their identity and ways of being through three Abyssinian regimes: Haile Selassie (1920-1940 and 1945-1974); the Marxist Derge (1974-1991); and the Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front (TPLF, since 1991). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Mutual recognition in the third pillar of EU law: a shaky cornerstone

Recent years have seen a marked increase in legislative activity in the Third Pillar of the European Union -- Cooperation in Police and Judicial Matters. The author argues that the Union's development in this area is symptomatic of its approach to human rights generally, whereby they are subordinated to the goal of economic integration. There is, in particular, an inherent tension between human rights and the principle of mutual recognition of judgments, the so-called "cornerstone of cooperation" in the Third Pillar. This internal market principle compromises the Union's capacity to ensure that human rights are protected in criminal law and procedure, and causes "irritation" in the law itself. Using examples of mutual recognition measures already adopted in this area, the author demonstrates that mutual recognition does not work and that it hinders effective human rights protection. He suggests that the EU focus instead upon harmonising national standards whilst protecting human rights.

Keywords: Human rights, European Union countries
Police, European Union countries
Judicial assistance, European Union countries
Judgments, Foreign, European Union countries
The TRC of South Africa: A dialectical critique of its core concepts

Despite the length of time that has passed since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa (TRC) declared its duties done, it continues to have far-reaching consequences for the understanding and treatment of the issues of forgiveness, justice, memory, truth, and reconciliation within South Africa. This legacy, however, also extends beyond the South African context. Since other such Commissions have sprung up elsewhere in the world, it is imperative that the TRC, currently regarded as paradigmatic in the approach now taken for granted in dealing with post-conflict reconciliation, be thoroughly examined in order that its legacy may prove more positive and expansive.

Keywords: Literature
Religion
Political science
The career and students of Peter Lombard (France)

The consistent focus on the Sentences in scholarship on Peter Lombard has not allowed enough light to be shed on other aspects of his life, career, and writings. Peter came to France to complete his theological training thanks to the support of Uberto, bishop of Lucca, and Bernard of Clairvaux, two powerful figures who at the time were working to ensure the acceptance of Innocent II in the papal schism of the 1130's. In France, Peter gained entry into the canons of Notre Dame at a time when the number of masters in the chapter was growing. Peter, of non-aristocratic and non-French background, was in the minority in the chapter, but this helped ensure his gradual rise to the bishopric of Paris, since he was a comparatively neutral figure, without ties to the divisions that had marked the canons in the first half of the twelfth century. The school of Peter Lombard emerges clearly because we know when, where and whom he taught. His sermons show how he presented theological material to an audience, and also give a flavour of his personality. They are most notable for tight, developing structures, and warm exhortation. Peter's students, although their careers and writings went in different directions, showed considerable loyalty to their master after his death. This took the form of ensuring that his works would be read, understood and copied. Peter Comestor prepared a commentary on the Sentences, and an abridgement for the use of a wider audience. There are echoes of Peter's school in the work of William of Tyre. Also, some of the students defended Peter's work when attempts were made to condemn it. Herbert of Bosham prepared an edition of Peter Lombard's commentary on the Psalms at a time when allegations about Peter's christological teachings were at their most dangerous. Herbert's manuscript refers to christology and is intended to underline Peter's orthodoxy on this issue. Adam of Wales, another pupil, defended Lombard's christological teachings before the pope, in the lead up to the Third Lateran Council.
"The universe embraced by consciousness": Vladimir Nabokov's philosophical domain

Nabokov's frequent and often elusive philosophical declarations, expressed in his fiction, autobiography, and discursive writings, are engaged in a direct dialogue with some of the most significant philosophical debates of his time. The most intriguing of these declarations, and one upon which criticism invariably stumbles, is his assertion that he is an “indivisible monist” who does not believe in the “split” between “mind” and “matter.” His unconventional views also include his conviction that nature is based on magic and deception, and his intuitions about the designedness of the cosmos. My introduction reconstructs the intellectual climate that shaped Nabokov's declaration, showing how “monism” dominated philosophical discourse in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Russia, turn-of-the-century Cambridge University (which Nabokov attended), and early twentieth-century European and American philosophy. Chapter 1 argues that Nabokov's “indivisible monism” closely resembles George Berkeley's immaterialist idealism, which Nabokov would have encountered in the works of Bergson and Lenin. Chapter 2 explores Fyodor Godunov-Cherdyntsev's and his father's intuited metaphysics, and discusses their direct opposition to the materialist monism of Chernyshevski and his successors. In chapter 3, I argue that Nabokov wrote Invitation to a Beheading as an illustration and refutation of Chernyshevski's, Bogdanov's, and Lenin's theories of knowledge, which he encountered while drafting Fyodor's biography of Chemyshevski. Nabokov's metaphysics are examined in chapter 4, with a particular emphasis on Bend Sinister, “The Vane Sisters,” Pale Fire, Ada, and Transparent Things. The levels of design in these novels, the complex relationships between space, time, and matter, and the tension between fate and free will reach their most complex form in Ada, which is discussed in terms of its hidden Berkeleian subtext. The final chapter addresses the tension between subjectivity and truth, and the subtle union between philosophical realism and idealism in Nabokov's epistemology. The fundamental premise of my thesis resides in Nabokov's rejection of “matter” in its traditional Cartesian conception. Though controversial, it provides a coherent and convincing way of reconciling Nabokov's metaphysical and epistemological statements, and a more philosophically rigorous way of approaching texts where philosophical ideas play a formative role.
The political uses of hero cult at Olympia and Delphi [Greece]

This dissertation examines how the mythology and cult of specific heroes was manipulated at Olympia and Delphi from the 6th to the 3rd century BC to achieve a variety of political purposes. The heroes examined include Pelops and Hippodamia at Olympia and Neoptolemus at Delphi. Their mythology, cult place, worship and local significance explain why they were employed in political propaganda concerning domestic and international affairs. Chapter Three enumerates various uses of the hero in inter-state affairs. Genealogy was the operative factor and alliances could be cemented through kinship diplomacy based on common ancestors. Such heroes could also be used in disputes about land ownership or hegemony. Chapters Four and Five examine the situation at Olympia and Delphi which, because of their international stature, needed to negotiate both domestic and international relations to ensure prosperity and security. Heroic propaganda allowed them to do this with great flexibility. Chapter Four examines the myth and cults of Pelops and Hippodamia at Olympia where the Eleans used them for numerous political purposes from the 6th to the 4 th century BC. Chapter Five provides a similar analysis of Neoptolemus at Delphi but illustrates that he held vastly different significance from Pelops and Hippodamia. While they were integral to the religious and political life of Olympia and Elis, Neoptolemus was never embraced locally. However, other Greek states used the hero to mediate their relations with Delphi. Public propaganda concerning heroes might persuade a group that a particular course of action was correct and defensible through tradition but, to be effective, had to be employed in conjunction with concrete measures that addressed pragmatic concerns. Access to a sanctuary such as Olympia or Delphi offered advantages in financial resources, religious authority and strategic location. Without such assets, propaganda based on heroes such as Pelops, Hippodamia and Neoptolemus would cease to be effective. Chapter Two explains the ways in which hero cult could be used in domestic affairs. The primary concern was security which included consolidation of territory and the establishment of borders. However, heroic propaganda could also be used to express factionalism, establish a new government or promote changes to a constitution. The first chapter provides a brief introduction to the qualities, powers and worship of heroes and analyzes factors that suited heroes to political manipulation. These included the hero's divine heritage, supernatural powers and multilocality yet close connection to his place of worship. Being an ancestor of the community connected to local aitiologies also contributed to his political potency.
Limiting the DNA damage checkpoint response at telomeres and DNA double-strand breaks

The DNA damage checkpoint responds to both endogenous cell stresses such as replication fork collapse and DNA lesions resulting from exogenous sources such as ionizing-irradiation or exposure to mutagenic chemicals. In response to these stresses, the checkpoint normally arrests or slows down cell division so that repair of DNA damage can occur. Following accurate repair, the cell cycle resumes progression. In this work, I used the budding yeast S. cerevisiae as a model system to examine the mechanisms by which checkpoint activation is alleviated following repair of DNA damage at a defined double-strand DNA break. I also investigated how cells are able to keep the checkpoint system from triggering cell cycle arrest in response to the ends of linear chromosomes, which, in their most basic form, also resemble a double-strand break. I report the identification and characterization of two protein complexes---Pph3-Psy2-Psy4 and KEOPS---that regulate re-entry into the cell cycle following activation of the DNA damage checkpoint, and the integrity of telomeric function, respectively. Pph3-Psy2-Psy4 functions to dephosphorylate histone gamma-H2AX and its mutation results in a hyper-activation of key checkpoint kinases and a prolonged cell-cycle arrest. In contrast, the KEOPS complex functions to promote telomere elongation and single-stranded DNA accumulation following telomere dysfunction. I conclude that cellular viability and genome integrity require the limitation or attenuation of the checkpoint response in both space and time.
Knowledge elicitation techniques and application to nuclear plant maintenance

The new millennium has brought with it the opportunity of global trade which in turn requires the utmost in efficiency from each individual industry. This includes the nuclear power industry, a point which was emphasized when the electrical generation industry began to be de regulated across North America the late 1990s and re-emphasized when the northeast power grid of North America collapsed in the summer of 2003. This dissertation deals with reducing the cost of the maintenance function of Candu nuclear power plants and initiating a strong link between universities and the Canadian nuclear industry. This dissertation ultimately speaks to the great opportunity being presented by this approach at this time: of capturing the baby-boom generation's huge pool of knowledge before those people retire. It is expected that the protocols and procedures referenced here will have applicability across the many disciplines where collecting expert information from a similar age group is required. Various forms of RCM (reliability-centred maintenance) have been the tools of choice in industry for improving the maintenance function during the last 20 years. In this project, pilot studies, conducted at Bruce Power between 1999 and 2005, and reported on in this dissertation, lay out a path to implement statistical improvements as the next step after RCM in reducing the cost of the maintenance. Elicitation protocols, designed for the age group being elicited, address the much-documented issue of a lack of data. Clear, graphical, inferential statistical interfaces are accentuated and developed to aid in building the teams required to implement the various methodologies and to help in achieving funding targets. Graphical analysis and Crow/AMSAA (army materials systems analysis activity) plots are developed and demonstrated from the point of view of justifying the expenditures of cost reduction efforts.
Gender, unemployment and female laid-off workers in state enterprises in contemporary China: case studies of Beijing and Changzhou

This study aims to explore the lives of female laid-off workers in China based on field work in two cities: Beijing and Changzhou. The major issues raised are social and economic causes and consequences of female attribution in paid labor force since the mid 1980s, when the state enterprises were reformed from a planning to a marketing system. This study employs field interview in two factories in two cities, as well as survey of statistics and the documentary materials. In other words, the study includes both participant observation and secondary data analysis. This studies, in addition, goes beyond evidences generated by field research in two factory. Through a historical review and a macro analysis of the national government's policies regarding lay-offs, women's experience and their family lives are situated in an historical, specific time: the era of the reforms.
A classification of the finite dimensional, indecomposable representations of the Euclidean algebra e (2) having two generators

The Euclidean algebra e (2) is the Lie algebra of the group E(2) of Euclidean transformations of the plane. This thesis examines the finite dimensional representations of e (2) having two generators. Given a representation with a fixed pair of generators we associate a graph: the graph is dependent on the choice of generators and for each isomorphism class of representations there are infinitely many possible graphs. In term of graphs, we give a criterion for the indecomposability of such representations and describe an invariant for the indecomposable representations. Next, we classify the finite dimensional, indecomposable representations of e (2) having two generators. We describe a procedure that enables us to select a single graph for each isomorphism class. This graph uniquely identifies the class.
Microfabrication of radiation-pressure based devices for single cell manipulation

This thesis presents the development of a system for single cell manipulation using radiation pressure generated forces. Two methods of cell manipulation techniques were investigated: laser tweezing and laser guiding. In laser tweezing, single mode tensed fiber, microfabricated using a molecular fluorine (F2) excimer laser system, were used to trap live biological cell. The lens fibers were designed according to an ASAP2005 optical simulation using beam propagation method (BPM) and a MatLab surface profile modelling. In the second part, an integrated microfluidic device was designed and fabricated for the cell guiding experiment. The device consists of microfluidic channels interconnected with optical waveguides. The radiation pressure carried by the light propagating in the waveguide deflected cells into a transverse microfluidic channel perpendicular to the original direction of flow.
Are we ready to read the brain? Limitations in the assessment of brain coordination dynamics through the use of synchronization analysis in extracranial recordings

Brain function results from the coordinated activity of neurons and neural populations. This paradigm has to be verified with the help of bivariate analysis, mathematical tools that focus on interrelations. In particular, phase synchronization is a powerful candidate. The primary interest of the neuroscientist in analyzing synchronization of brain signals is to discover functional couplings between neural populations and their role in cognition. Mostly every result in the field has tacitly assumed that synchronization between signals recorded at two sensors imply synchronization between the cortical areas underlying the respective sensors. That is, sensor synchronization must map source synchronization. Can we guarantee that this simple equation is true? Are we ready to attach physiological meaning to brainwave synchronization? In this thesis it will be shown by analytical and numerical means the limitations associated with the estimation of neural synchronization from extracranial recordings due to field superposition and specific referential montages.
A computational analysis of high speed particle-laden flows

Particle-laden flow has been acknowledged as an important phenomenon integral to many technological and natural systems. Analysis of a high speed particle-laden flow typical of those in the high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) process is presented in this thesis. Since the particulate flow in this process includes a large variety of particle suspension, the Lagrangian and Eulerian approaches have been applied in parallel to simulate the two-phase flow associated with the process. Effects of attaching a cylindrical shroud to the end of the supersonic HVOF nozzle on gas and particle flows have been analyzed. It was found that the shroud significantly reduces the oxygen content in the field by protecting the supersonic jet from ambient air entrainment. The validation experiments were performed for the majority of process parameters such as shock formation, particle conditions, and coating oxygen content. The thesis concludes with application of the numerical models in designing a nozzle that provides improved performance in the areas of deposition efficiency, particle in-flight oxidation, and flexibility to allow coating of ceramic powders. And finally, the new nozzle was built, and successfully tested with several coating materials including metallic, carbide, and ceramic powders.
Complementary comparativism: A jurisprudence of justification

This thesis addresses one of the central normative questions in comparative constitutional law as it applies to adjudication: why should courts resort to comparative law in constitutional adjudication? It presents a normative justification for the use of comparative law based on its role in the judicial decision-making process. This theory is called complementary comparativism . Complementary comparativism is contrasted with existing theories of the use of comparative law in constitutional adjudication and focuses on the critical connection between comparative method and theory. The theory of complementary comparativism is applied to three case studies: decisions of the highest courts for constitutional matters in Israel, South Africa and the United States. The central argument of complementary comparativism is that it provides a strong measure of accountability for the exercise of judicial power by requiring courts to articulate the basis for their decisions in a more open and transparent manner.

Keywords: Constitutional law
Comparative law
Enhancing the performance and processibility of rice hull - high-density polyethylene composites

Wood Fiber Reinforced Plastic (WFRP) represents an expanding segment of the plastic and composite market. However, the poor stress transfer resulting from the incompatibility between polyolefin and natural fibers limits this material's use in structural applications. Interface modifiers and viscosity modifiers are often used to enhance mechanical and rheological properties respectively. This study investigates the interaction between these interfacially active additive chemistries in high-density polyethylene composites containing rice hulls. A design of experiments was performed to investigate four functionalized polyethylene-based interface modifiers and four viscosity modifiers and their interactions. Synergistic as well as antagonistic interactions were observed between various compounds from these two classes of additives. Synergy between acrylated maleated polyethylene-based interface modifier and partially halogenated polyethylene-based viscosity modifier was further investigated to elucidate molecular level interactions. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), and chemical analysis of the WFRP were carried out to explain the mechanisms of interaction. Application of response surface method (RSM) for the optimization of WFRP formulation is also demonstrated.