VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
From Sarasvat¢i to Benzaiten

Sarasvati¢ is known in India as the beautiful ' vi¢n&dotbelow;a¢' (zither)-playing goddess of knowledge. In China little remains of her presence. In Japan, on the other hand, she, under the name of Benzaiten XXX, enjoys widespread popularity as a goddess associated primarily with wealth, and depicted either as playing the ' biwa' (lute) or carrying weapons. This study traces the path from Sarasvati¢ to Benzaiten, using the Indian background to elucidate what is found in China and Japan, and resorting to information gathered from China and Japan to detect changes on the Indian front. The conceptual development of Sarasvati¢ from India to Japan is examined here through textual sources, artistic representations, inscriptions, and historical records of India, China, and Japan. The time period covered in India spans from ca. 1500 B.C.E. to ca. 700 C.E.; in China, primarily from the fifth to eighth century; and in Japan, from the seventh to the ninth century. This study is divided into five parts. The first part on the Vedic Sarasvati¢ examines the depiction of the goddess in the 'R&dotbelow;g, Atharva ', and 'Yajur Veda Sam&dotbelow;hita¢s', as well as in the Bra¢hman&dotbelow;as. It revolves around the gradual transformation of the river goddess into the goddess of knowledge. The second part on the Epic and Puranic Sarasvati¢ covers the 'Maha¢bha¢rata ' and the early Pura¢n&dotbelow;as. In the discussion of the ' Maha¢bha¢rata', the resurgence of the importance of the river, alongside the goddess of knowledge, and the proliferation of its ' ti¢rtha'-related myths are taken up. In the Pura¢n&dotbelow;as, the fully developed Brahma¢-Sarasvati¢ myth, the names, worship, and iconography of the goddess are discussed. The iconography of the goddess then leads into the third part on the early Indian images of Sarasvati¢ where Hindu, Jain, and possibly Buddhist images are introduced. The Buddhist Sarasvati¢ is then discussed in the fourth part, which extends from India to China to Japan through the 'Sutra of Golden Light' and its repentance ritual. In the fifth part on the Chinese and Japanese images of Sarasvati¢, the two principal forms of the goddess are discussed and further Japanese developments are summarized.
Gender and African education, a critical analysis of the literature

This thesis is a theoretical and conceptual analysis of research on gender issues in African education. Most women in Africa still receive less schooling than men despite the expansion of educational opportunities after independence. The gender gap becomes more apparent beyond primary level where men greatly outnumber women in schools. Currently research on gender issues in African education shows that the educational structures tend to perpetuate the existing order rather than address gender disparity. This thesis suggests that educational systems and policy makers in Africa will have to consider the problems associated with gender inequality in education and respond appropriately. The conclusion raises questions of what approaches should be adopted to study female education in Africa and what additional research is required in this field. It also suggests strategies, directions and a conceptual model for the future.
Automatic object layout using 2D constraints and semantics

Object layout is a time consuming part of modeling. Previous efforts to simplify the task for users have focused upon reducing the number of degrees of freedom (DOF) that users are exposed to, using six DOF input devices, or using pseudo physics. Despite these efforts, modeling large, complex scenes remains difficult because users must still manually lay out the objects in a scene one at a time. This thesis describes a system which makes more feasible the modeling of large, complex scenes. A set of intuitive placement constraints is developed to automatically place large numbers of objects. In addition, semantic information is attached to objects. The semantic information allows automatic generation of placement constraints, resulting in two important capabilities. First, we can automatically populate a scene with hundreds of objects. Second, we can automatically generate default object manipulation options. This will allow an existing scene to be quickly manipulated by automatically redistributing objects to various semantically acceptable locations in the scene. Using the techniques developed, we show that the generation and placement of a complex scene involving 300 objects can be placed in less than 10 minutes.
Expression of the transcriptional cofactors/histone acetyltransferases CBP and P300 during mouse development and their functional interactions with Gli transcription factors

Normal embryonic development requires precise regulation and coordination of different signaling pathways. One of these signaling cascades, the hedgehog (Hh) pathway, has been of major interest for developmental biologists. Sonic hedgehog (Shh), a vertebrate Hh protein, is involved in patterning several tissues during embryogenesis. Gli transcription factors (Gli1, Gli2, Gli3) mediate Shh signaling in vertebrates. In vertebrates there are two co-factors CBP and p300 that interact with several transcription factors and modify their activity. They are thought to act in the cell nuclei as integrators of different signaling pathways. Evidence for co-operation between vertebrate Gli proteins and CBP/p300 comes from phenotypes of human developmental disorders and studies in ' Drosophila'. Mutations in Gli3 cause Greig cephalic polysyndactyly syndrome (GCPS) in humans, which is characterized by limb abnormalities and craniofacial defects. A similar phenotype is observed in Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS) patients, who have a mutation in CBP gene suggesting functional interactions between Glis and CBP. Furthermore, 'Drosophila ' CBP, dCBP, was shown to interact with the 'Drosophila' Gli homologue Cubitus interruptus (Ci) and was required for activation of Hh target genes. The research presented in this thesis contributes to a better understanding of the roles of transcriptional cofactor CBP/p300 in vertebrate development and in activation/modification of Gli protein function. I describe in detail how CBP and p300 proteins are expressed during mouse neurogenesis and organogenesis providing the first evidence for developmentally regulated expression of CBP and p300 in the thesis. Interestingly, there is a good correlation between CBP/p300 expression and phenotypes in mutant mice lacking CBP or p300 function and in patients with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome. These studies indicate that CBP and p300 are coexpressed with Gli genes in the limb mesenchyme, dorsal neural tube and craniofacial mesenchyme. However, absence of CBP/p300 expression in some Shh responsive tissues like in the floor plate suggests that CBP/p300 is not always required for Shh signaling. I further demonstrate that p300 functions as a transcriptional co-activator for all Glis. I also examined whether CBP directly interacts with Gli1, Gli2 and GIB in vitro. I could not detect any interaction between Gli proteins and CBP-CREB binding domain.
Planetary-wave-induced transport in the stratosphere

The global mass circulation in the stratosphere is constrained by the downward control principle (Haynes et al. 1991). Stratospheric wave drag, produced by the breaking and dissipation of planetary waves, acts as a pump, drawing tracers from the equator to the pole and resulting in the observed Brewer-Dobson circulation. At present, the theoretical understanding of this process has limitations. It can be shown that for linear, small-amplitude waves, the Lagrangian mean velocities and the transformed Eulerian mean velocities are the same and are a direct result of the wave drag. However, it is not clear that this relationship holds in general; in particular, the stratosphere is clearly a nonlinear system with breaking planetary waves in the surf zone. Thus, while the existence of the wave-induced circulation is not under debate, its quantitative determination remains problematic. The purpose of this work is to include the effects of nonlinear, breaking waves by using a 3d primitive equations model to study the effect of the wave forcing on the traditional diagnostic quantities (the Eliassen-Palm flux divergence and the residual circulation) and to use off-line particle advection to quantify the resulting Lagrangian transport. Attention is deliberately focused on a weak forcing regime, so that sudden warmings do not occur, in order to test the theory in the cleanest possible context. It is shown that while the theory holds for small-amplitude and weakly nonlinear regimes, discrepancies arise in the strongly nonlinear regime. While the EP flux divergence is largely negative in the stratosphere, regions of reversed potential vorticity gradient lead to a positive EP flux divergence. Positive EP flux divergence can be associated with regions of dynamical instability, wherein there is in-situ generation of wave activity. Furthermore, the correspondence between the meridional residual and transport velocities becomes poor in regions where the flow is permitted to develop smaller scales through wave breaking. This is less true for the vertical transport and residual velocities, which seem to show better agreement, even in the surf zone and in regions of large amplitude waves. This is especially the case wherever particle paths are coherent, so that diabatic dispersion is minimized. The results from the primitive equations model are compared with those from the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model to test the robustness of the results.
Stability of a flapping wing micro air vehicle

An experimental investigation into the stability of a flapping wing micro air vehicle was performed at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies. A three-degree of freedom force balance was designed and constructed to measure the forces and moments exhibited by a set of flapping wings through 180° of rotation at varied free-stream velocities. The same apparatus was also used to test two tail configurations. A two-dimensional simulation program was written using MATLAB software to identify stable vehicle configurations at or near the hovering condition. A total of four case studies were performed, and each revealed the vehicle had inherent stability. The presence of a tail on the vehicle produced only marginal effects. Of crucial importance was the placement of the vehicle center of gravity with respect to the wings. A preferred distance of 3.5 cm from the c.g. to the leading edge of the wings allowed for stable flight under all cases studied.
A qualitative inquiry into the development and use of knowledge in paediatric occupational therapy

Current occupational therapy literature focuses on empirical knowledge instead of the everyday knowledge used by practising therapists. Therefore, a qualitative approach was needed to inform therapists about the other types of knowledge essential to best practice. This study utilised a grounded theory approach and constant comparative method of analysis, to examine the processes and factors that influence infant feeding evaluations from the perspective of occupational therapists. In-depth, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were carried out with thirteen experienced occupational therapists practising in the Greater Toronto Area. Three main themes emerged from the data: (a) the art of occupational therapy feeding evaluations, (b) relational aspects of the infant feeding evaluation and (c) environmental influences. Therapists described a holistic approach where their own knowledge development directly influenced their practice. By validating the intuitive, interpersonal and experiential knowledge embedded in therapists' practice, this study highlights the skilled everyday knowing of occupational therapists.
Personal, professional, and cultural influences on the career choices of school principals

This study explores the explanations offered by individuals for choosing to become a school principal, focusing specifically on the personal, professional and organizational, and community and cultural influences on making that choice. A review of the literature was used to hypothesize these broad categories of potential variables as a conceptual framework for exploring the possible influences on choice. Interviews were the primary means of data collection. Principals were engaged in conversation through a focused interview technique to gain insight into the nature of their choices. A pre-interview questionnaire was also provided to principals. Field notes were kept for each interview, and local documents relating to local district policy, rules, and procedures were collected. Seventeen elementary school principals selected through purposeful sampling from one school district in the province of Ontario took part in this study (nine women and eight men). Nine individuals had five years or less experience in the role (seven women and two men), Eight participants had more than six years experience (two women and six men). The findings suggest that making a career choice is a process involving the interaction of multiple variables in patterns unique to each individual. Despite complex and sometimes uncertain working conditions associated with the role, the participants were apparently confident prior to entering the role that they could be effective principals. In most cases, perceptions of the role changed upon entry to the position. Some aspects of the role were unanticipated and some were unattractive. Despite these negative conditions, principals were apparently satisfied with the position, believed they had made a good career choice, and would readily choose the role again. The reasons for choosing to become a principal were the result of a collection of influences--influences grounded in experiences and the influence of others--over time. Four general patterns of choice making emerged for choosing to pursue an administrative position. These are: a long-range goal to become a principal, a natural progression towards the role, the role as the next step in their careers, and other people's suggestions regarding the pursuit of the role. Very few differences were apparent in the explanations offered by recently appointed and veteran principals, and between men and women.
Child welfare in a multicultural context, definitions, values and service issues

Researchers have generally assumed that families from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds require differential assessment and intervention in the provision of child welfare services. Failure to recognize variations in child-rearing practices, definitions of maltreatment, cultural values and norms, help-seeking behaviours, and environmental contexts can result in inappropriate services to families from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. The lack of empirically-based studies that provide understanding of the child-rearing practices of specific ethnic and racial groups and of the child welfare system's approaches to these groups further undermines the development of appropriate services. This study explores the parenting practices of 29 South Asian-Canadians and the experience of 14 child welfare professionals in providing services to this cultural group. Questionnaire responses and focus group discussions reveal that South Asian-Canadian parents and child welfare professionals do not differ significantly in their definition of child maltreatment. However, differences in child-rearing norms and values, difficulties in cross-cultural communication, and the lack of resources for client referral adversely affects the quality of assessment and intervention that child welfare professionals can offer South Asian-Canadian families. The findings and results of this study are also relevant to the experience of families from other diverse ethnic and racial groups, particularly those who are more recent immigrants to Canada.
Inter-island genetic and cultural variation in the Thick-billed Vireo (Vireo crassirostris)

Patterns of divergence in two evolutionary pathways, cultural and genetic, are assessed in the West Indian Thick-billed Vireo (Vireo crassirostris). Spectrographic assay of songs of 140 males recorded on eight islands formed three clusters: 'Cayman' cluster (Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac); 'Bahama' platform cluster (Abaco, Andros and New Providence), and the 'trench' cluster--birds on islands separated by deep sea trenches (San Salvador and Turks and Caicos). Genetic variation was assessed by sequencing 389 bp of the control region, Domain I (mtDNA) which revealed 22 transitions among 17 haplotypes commensurate with recent speciation events, c. 110,000 ybp. The Turks and Caicos and Cayman populations show genetic and memetic differentiation, in contrast to the northern Bahamas which are characterized by the mixing of thick-bill populations. This study has shown that geographic distance and isolation from potential colonization sources promote the activation of the micro-evolutionary processes which yield intraspecific variation.
Role of the PTEN phosphatase in regulating T cell function

While an important role for the PTEN phosphatase in the modulation of TCR signaling is suggested by many lines of evidence, little is known about the biochemical mechanisms whereby PTEN impacts on TCR function. To address this issue, affinity chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to isolate and identify T cell proteins representing binding-partners for PTEN. This approach led to the identification of seven potential PTEN ligands including the SET, PHAPI2b, PHAPI, tubulin beta-1, eta and theta subunits of chaperonin containing T-complex protein 1, nucleolin and moesin proteins, with apparent molecular weights of 23, 28, 30, 50, 55, 67 and 67 kDa, respectively. An analysis of PTEN roles in T cell activation was also undertaken and the results revealed PTEN to be inducibly tyrosine phosphorylated consequent to cross-linking of the T cell antigen and CD28 receptors. AKT phosphorylation was also observed following TCR/CD28 costimulation and was found to be relatively increased in thymocytes lacking the SHP-1 tyrosine phosphatase. These results suggest that the PI3K/AKT signaling cascade plays a role in TCR-elicited T cell activation and that this pathway is regulated by SHP-1. As PTEN plays a critical role in downregulation the coupling of TCR engagement to AKT phosphorylation/activation, these results raise the possibility that dephosphorylation of PTEN represents a mechanism whereby SHP-1 inhibits TCR signaling.
Learning anatomy from rotating three dimensional virtual models, do more views of an anatomical object improve understanding its spatial characteristics?

Models that rotate in virtual 3D space provide many non standard views of an object. This study compared spatial learning with a computer carpal bone model horizontally rotating at 10$\sp\circ$ views (MVI), to the same model rotating at 90$\sp\circ$ views (SVI). 33 male and 16 female first year medical students entered a randomized controlled trial conducted over 1 1/2 hours on computer workstations. The main measure of spatial learning were 36 created multiple choice items, also separated into groups near, mid and far based on the proximity to standard views. In men there was no significant differences in the main measure, however MVI men tended towards higher group far scores then SVI men (t31 = 1.87, p = 0.07). MVI women tended towards lower carpal bone spatial ability than SVI women (t14 = -2.03, p = 0.06). Providing more views did not improve spatial knowledge. The possibility of gender differences in anatomy spatial learning should be further studied.
Toward a new harmony of money and reciprocity, community currencies in a gendered economy

Intentional movements to redesign the local economy can disrupt conventional patterns of gender relations as can non-intentional change and crises. New practices can give rise to various types of gender politics, including moves to re-valorize the feminine, to re-position marginal masculinities, and to create relationships less governed by oppositional gender categories, as well as moves to reproduce gender divisions and hierarchies. Taking community currencies as social experiments, the thesis examines the multi-faceted gender politics that arise as new forms of money relations interact with the gendered economy. The study draws on research literature on gendered economic institutions: economic thought, paid and unpaid work, consumption, and the "gift economy." Interpretive analysis of gender politics in community currency projects is based on participant observation in LETS over three years and 40 intensive interviews with participants in LETS, HOURS and WomanShare in six cities in Ontario and New York State. Community currency relations are direct, personal and motivated by ideals of community, cooperation and reciprocity. Many exchanges involve monetizing work that was previously unmarketed. Also, all members must actively balance their earning and paying over time within the network. These aspects of community currency relations are in tension with gender asymmetries in the wider economy, including the undervaluation of "women's" work, female care-giver/male breadwinner ideologies and gender divisions of consumption and production. The tensions may constrain what the movement can achieve, but they also serve as a resource for members seeking new ways to "do gender."
Floating-point to Fixed-point Compilation and Embedded Architectural Support

Recently, software utilities for automating the translation of floating-point signal-processing applications written in ANSI~C into fixed-point versions have been presented. This dissertation investigates a novel fixed-point instruction-set operation, Fractional Multiplication with internal Left Shift (FMLS), and an associated translation algorithm, Intermediate-Result-Profiling based Shift Absorption (IRP-SA), that combine to enhance fixed-point rounding-noise and runtime performance when supported by a utility that directly targets the instruction set. A significant feature of FMLS is that it is well suited to the latest generation of embedded processors that maintain relatively homogeneous register architectures. The IRP-SA algorithm enhances this by exploiting the modular nature of 2's-complement addition, which allows the discarding of most-significant-bits that are redundant due to inter-operand correlations. Rounding-noise reductions equivalent to carrying as much as 2.0 additional bits of precision throughout the computation and speedups of up to 13 percent are demonstrated.