VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Constitutional reform in Hong Kong: Problems and solutions

The debate over constitutional reform in Hong Kong has hit a brick wall when the Legislative Council rejected the fifth proposal set out by the Constitutional Task Force in October 2005. Various stratum of the society has yet to alleviate their differences and foster a workable consensus in constitutional development. This thesis attempts to argue that while the plea for universal suffrage direct election is a crucial factor to constitutional reform, it is not the only factor. The institutional framework also limits the opportunity for people to participate and be represented. Moreover, the relationship between executive and legislative branches leads to questions of legitimacy and administrative inefficiency. Ultimately, as the Central People's Government maintains the constitutional authority to veto any changes, improving Sino-Hong Kong relationship is a crucial component in alleviating the stalemate of constitutional reform.
Orientations to English academic language learning among Chinese high school students in a technology-supported learning environment in Canada

This study identifies the orientation to English academic language learning among ESL students in a technology-supported learning environment, by investigating Chinese students' intuitive negotiation of the components of their ESL instruction that they considered most effective in the Canadian educational setting. Twenty-four Chinese ESL students and five ESL teachers in a high school in Toronto participated in the study. A mixed factorial design, with one between-subject variable (student groups) and three within-subject variables (time, conditions, test versions), investigated the impact of technology-supported scaffolding on vocabulary acquisition. Repeated-measures ANOVAs assessed the students' vocabulary learning in two reading conditions across two English proficiency groups. Descriptive and qualitative analysis of questionnaires, interviews with teachers and students, and classroom observations established students' strategy profiles. Students subconsciously adopted a resource-orientated functional approach in search of strategies to optimize vocabulary learning by taking advantage of available resources. They predominately used bilingual resources to compensate for the mismatch between their preferred learning strategies and those promoted within their classroom ESL instruction. The students acquired more vocabulary with technology-supported scaffolds that were congruent with their preferred learning strategies than they did under non-technology-supported learning conditions. The rate of students' vocabulary acquisition related to their L2 proficiency. Significant variations were found between students' understanding of word meanings in English and Chinese across conditions and groups. Further research is recommended to examine the distinction between generic learning strategy frameworks (such as that proposed by Oxford, 1990) and the specific culture-based strategies that students actually utilize. Such generic frameworks did not adequately capture important aspects of students' learning strategies in the present study. Also, it may be useful to explore the potential benefits of providing a structured set of obligatory scaffolds within a technology-supported environment as opposed to letting students choose from a variety of available scaffolds. The latter approach may work well for more advanced learners; for beginners a more structured tutorial route may be advantageous.

Keywords: English language, Study and teaching
English language, Study and teaching
English language, Canada
English language, Study and teaching
English language, China
Chinese students, Language
Chinese students, Canada
High school students, Language
High school students, Canada
Academic language, Study and teaching
English language, Computer-assisted instruction
Monte Carlo simulations of biomolecular reaction networks modeled on physical principles

Understanding and engineering complex biomolecular networks in the cell are the goals of systems and synthetic biology. The effects of localization, spatial heterogeneity and molecular noise in biomolecular networks are not well understood. In this research, a theoretical approach to accurately simulate large biomolecular networks using the Monte Carlo method was introduced. Incorporating this theory, a computational tool named Monte Carlo Biomolecular Simulator (MBS) was developed, enabling studies of biomolecular kinetics with both spatial and temporal resolutions. The accuracy of MBS was verified by comparison against the classical deterministic approach. Furthermore, the effects of localization, spatial heterogeneity and molecular noise were studied in three simulated systems, showing their huge impact on the overall reaction kinetics. Lastly, the MBS was used as an engineering tool to create and fine-tune a synthetic protein network analogous to a D-latch memory unit commonly used in electrical circuits.
Novel genes in the pathogenesis of aggressive fibromatosis

We have discovered mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene or beta-catenin in the mesenchymal neoplasm, aggressive fibromatosis (AF), and demonstrated beta-catenin mediated TCF-dependent transcriptional activation in this tumor. To study how this mechanism causes AF, I investigated the differentially expressed genes in AF. My hypothesis is that differentially expressed genes in AF are involved in the neoplastic development of AT. In order to identify genes that may be involved in this process, suppression subtractive hybridization was used to compare gene expression differences between cells derived from an AF tumor with an APC mutation to the same cells after transfection with wild-type APC. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and a novel gene, DRIF-1 (d barbelow;own-r barbelow;egulated i barbelow;n f barbelow;ibromatosis-1), were found to be differentially expressed in AF. PAI-1 expression was higher in AF tumors compared to the control tissues. PAI-1 deficiency reduced the number of AF tumors formed in a mouse model of AF, and was associated with a decrease in cell proliferation and motility. The full-length of the DRIF-1 gene has been sequenced, and its putative protein structure contains a sterile alpha motif (SAM) domain at its amino terminus. DRIF-1 is located on the human chromosome 7q21.2 with a 5' upstream adjacent predicted paralogous gene (DRIF-2) in the head-to-tail orientation. DRIF-1 was ubiquitously expressed in human tissues. However, its expression was lower in AF tumors and some cases of breast and colon cancers, when compared to normal control tissues from the same patients. The putative protein of DRIF-1 locates to the cytoplasm of living cells. The expression of DRIF-1 in SW480 cells reduced, while deficiency of DRIF-1 in SW480 cells increased the tumor volume formed in immune deficient mice. In vitro data suggests roles for DRIF-1 in cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis. The role of PAI-1 in the pathogenesis of AF discovered in this thesis supports my hypothesis and suggests a new therapy for AF. The gene structure and potential functions of DRIF-1 investigated in this thesis provide the foundation for further research on this novel gene.
Thermodynamic investigation of the solubility of physical blowing agents in polymer melts

This thesis is intended to present a theoretical approach based on the thermodynamic models for a thorough understanding on the solubility of physical blowing agents in polymer melts under plastic foam processing conditions. The reliable solubility data of blowing agents in polymer melts are not only useful for the development of next generation blowing agents but also are critical parameters for the optimization of plastic foam fabrication process. As a gravimetric method, the magnetic suspension balance (MSB) was used to measure the sorption of blowing agents in polymer melts under high temperature and pressure. The proposed theoretical approach based on thermodynamic models, i.e., SL-EOS, SS-EOS, and SAFT-EOS, is applied to account for the volume swelling during the sorption and to determine the phase equilibrium or solubility afterwards. The phenomenon about the induced crystallization in PC by the high-pressure CO2 is also studied. The kinetics of high-pressure-gas-induced crystallization in PC was investigated based on the sorption measurements. It was observed that either admitting a higher content of dissolved CO 2 or raising the crystallization temperature could successfully promote the increased mobility of the molecular chains. Consequently, the degree of crystallinity, the melting temperature, and the crystal growth rate were all increased. A comprehensive investigation on solubility was conducted in this study. Various blowing agents (HFC 134a, HFC 152a, CO2, N2, n-Butane) are used in a large number of polymers (linear PP, branched PP, HDPE, LDPE, PS, Engage material, Nylon, polylactide). A novel research methodology is also setup for the investigation on the solubility of gas blends in a polymer melt. It is observed that the linear and branched molecular chain structure exhibits a different behavior in terms of swollen volume and solubility. It is believed that the branched molecular chain structure causes a higher amount of entanglement among the molecular chains which can generate a higher resistance to volume expansion. Therefore, the molecule with branched chain structure generates less accommodation for the small gas molecules to dissolve in the polymer melt and exhibit less swollen volume than molecule with linear chain structure does.
A parallel multigrid method for predicting compressible flow in turbomachinery

A parallel multigrid method is developed for solving two-dimensional inviscid compressible flows on body-fitted multi-block mesh. The method utilizes a Godunov-type up-winding scheme, exact and approximate Riemann solvers and limited reconstruction to achieve higher-order spatial accuracy. The computation is carried out on a quadrilateral grid that is divided into blocks to facilitate scalable performance on parallel computers. A Full Approximation Storage multigrid scheme is employed to accelerate the convergence of an explicit multistage time integration scheme. Several example cases, including the flow about NASA rotor 67, are used to validate the parallel algorithm and to investigate its convergence and parallel performance. The effectiveness of the multigrid method is demonstrated and good convergence acceleration is obtained, particularly for problems of increasing complexity. The parallel efficiency of the method is found to be dependant on the problem size. The potential of the algorithm for solving large scale and three-dimensional problems is indicated.
On convergence of numerical methods for pricing convertible bonds

In this thesis two frameworks are considered to value convertible bonds with credit risk: the TF model (Tsiveriotis and Fernandes) and the AFV model (Ayache, Forsyth and Vetzal). Both models are associated with a pair of coupled partial differential equations (PDEs) with free boundary constraints. In practice, the projected overrelaxation method and the penalty method are widely used to solve such free-boundary value problems, and the Crank-Nicolson time-stepping scheme is adopted as the underlying discretization method to achieve quadratic precision. However, due to the complexity of the PDEs in these two models and discontinuities in practice present in the boundary conditions, only linear convergence is observed in many cases. The objective of this thesis is to investigate the difficulties related to convergence and stability when solving these coupled PDEs with the Crank-Nicolson scheme, and to suggest some modifications of the basic schemes to improve stability and restore quadratic convergence.
Law and authority in Upper Canada: the justices of the peace in the Newcastle District, 1803-1840

In frontier Ontario, the system of criminal justice administration relied heavily on the services of appointed magistrates who were untrained in law. Justices of the Peace performed many duties that would later become the responsibility of professional police and legally-trained officials. Despite the importance of the roles they performed, magistrates been the subject of few detailed studies, and those tend to examine only a particular aspect of their activities. This study explores more generally the functions that magistrates performed in criminal justice administration and the meanings of those roles in the broader social context. Using the court records of the Newcastle District, this dissertation describes and analyzes the activities of the magistrates at the pre-trial stage, in matters over which they had summary jurisdiction, and at the intermediate court of Quarter Sessions. It shows that justices actively carried out their responsibilities, and they did so in ways which demonstrated knowledge about the law and the effects that their actions had on others in their communities. Evidence suggests that magistrates acted to mitigate the effects of the criminal law on those who came into contact with the justice system. This study also sheds light on aspects of the social and political history of Upper Canada. Settlers in frontier Upper Canada were remarkably litigious. Their willingness to use the criminal justice system and the services that magistrates performed within that system suggests a degree of popular legitimacy that some historians have argued was lacking in the upper courts. That the authority of most magistrates was viewed as legitimate might explain why most people did not become so alienated from the regime that they participated in the rebellion in 1837.
Adipokines, the metabolic syndrome and incident type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal Canadians

The purpose of this thesis was to determine the incidence of type 2 diabetes and associated risk factors in Aboriginal Canadians exposed to rapid epidemiological transition in conjunction with unique genetic susceptibility to the disease. The 10-year cumulative incidence of type 2 diabetes was 17.5%, and the incidence increased with age. High adiposity, high triglyceride, hypertension, hyperglycemia and the metabolic syndrome at baseline were associated with increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes. Low adiponectin was associated with increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes after adjustment for metabolic syndrome variables. Combinational effects of adiponectin with leptin, C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), and/or serum amyloid A (SAA) did not improve diabetes prediction. In conclusion, the metabolic syndrome is a predictor of incident type 2 diabetes, and low baseline adiponectin is associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes independent of leptin, CRP, IL-6, SAA, and metabolic syndrome variables.
Design and synthesis of 2'-fluororibonucleotide inhibitors of orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase

Orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase is an efficient enzyme that catalyzes the decarboxylation of OMP to generate UMP. There are several proposed mechanisms of this decarboxylation, which occurs without the help of metals or cofactors. The ODCases from different species have been the targets in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, various infections and inflammatory disorders. This is accomplished by the design and synthesis of inhibitors that closely mimic the substrate OMP. Here, a modification of the carbohydrate moiety through substitution of a fluorine atom for the 2'-hydroxyl group is outlined and several probe molecules were synthesized to investigate their inhibitory potential against ODCase. The final compounds in nucleoside and nucleotide forms underwent biological activity evaluation and inhibition studies, respectively. Although the fluorine moiety mimics a hydroxyl group in its electronic character, and enhances the stability of the modified nucleosides, the inhibitory potential associated with these nucleosides against ODCase did not improve significantly.
Imagining holiness: a source-critical, historical and thematic study of collections of Hasidic tales with particular focus on the works of Israel Berger and Abraham H̲ayim Simh̲ah Bunem Michelson

A literary and historical study of traditional collections of Hasidic tales, as a contribution to the cultural history of Judaism, with a focus on the work of two prolific Hasidic collectors in the decade before the First World War. The Introduction includes a review of scholarship and disputed issues. For example, some scholars depict Hasidic tales as sacred literature while others dismiss them as trivial entertainment. Part I addresses this question among others, while placing the tales in historical and literary context. A nuanced view of the status of Hasidic tales within their own culture is advanced. Martin Buber's still prevalent decontextualized idealization of Hasidic stories and their values is shown to be inadequate, while some conclusions of more recent scholarship are problematized. In particular, criteria for “authenticity” proposed in Joseph Dan's writings on Hasidic tales are shown to be unworkable. Part II explores the tales' relationship with earlier Jewish texts. Chapter 1 shows how Talmudic sources inform the language and structure of many tales, creating an equivalence between the Hasidic Rebbes and the Sages of rabbinic Judaism. Chapter 2 notes tensions between halakhah (Jewish Law) and the central narrative figure of the Rebbe whose personal freedom and supernatural powers may clash with legal norms. Chapter 3 examines whether the early mystical Hekhalot texts can be seen as models for tales of Rebbes' ascents into heaven. Part III finds a key to the stories in the theme of corporeality, with the holy body of the Rebbe as a focal point (chapter 1), the material world as an area of difficult spiritual struggle (chapter 2, taking food and eating as an example) and the presence of strong female characters as a disruptive factor (chapter 3). Chapter 4 of this part extends the scope of the study by looking at a narrative response to the destruction of Jewish bodies on an unimaginable scale during the khurbn (Holocaust). Finally, Part IV analyzes one story in depth, finding, in keeping with previous chapters, that the tales express tensions in Hasidic and general Jewish culture that could not be communicated more directly.
Leadership practices that build trust: a closer look at trust and its importance in the principal-teacher relationship

This study was designed to determine the nature of leadership practices that build principal-teacher trust and how those practices come into being. The central goal of the study was to provide a clearer understanding of the key leadership practices that establish higher levels of trust between school principals and teachers. The key qualities or characteristics of trustworthiness, benevolence, competence, integrity, openness and reliability were studied in relation to levels of trust building in schools. The qualitative study included interviews from six principals and 18 teachers carried out in one large school district. This study has informed our knowledge about how trust develops between principals and teachers and the practices that contribute to trust. It also provides principals with knowledge about the importance of establishing trusting relationships before embarking on large scale change projects.
Pseudo-Linear Attitude Control and Estimation System (PLACES)

Design of small and midsize spacecraft is the focus of many future low-budget missions. Hence, the demand for an efficient and effective autonomous algorithm for attitude and rate estimation is more prominent than ever. This thesis investigates the performance of a Pseudo-Linear Kalman Filter (PLKF) with continuous-time dynamics for attitude and rate estimation. The PLKF differs from the traditional Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) with its continuous-time dynamics performing estimation using a pseudo-linear state-dependent dynamic model. Both quaternion-based and vector-based measurements have been considered and the dynamic model of the spacecraft accounts for external environmental disturbances. The theoretical background of the PLKF will be summarized. Using computer simulations, the designed filter is shown to overcome large initial errors and yield accurate estimates. The performance indices used for evaluation are based on robustness against plant, measurement and initial estimate errors, as well as rejection of different sensor noise levels. While the EKF remains more robust for some cases of angular velocity estimation, the PLKF, in general, outperforms the EKF in attitude estimation.

Keywords: Space vehicles, Attitude control systems
Kalman filtering
Social capital and aboriginal economic development: opportunities and challenges

Two main concerns animate this dissertation. On a theoretical and methodological level, it investigates the analytical utility of social capital, a concept that has gained prominence in recent years. I examine the different levels of social capital—strong, bonding ties with primary reference groups; intermediate, bridging relations between such groups; and weak, linking networks with networks of power. Associating them to geographic scales, I reinforce the analytic framework with which social capital terminology may be employed. Moving away from the uncritical celebration of social capital as a panacea to all types of social ills, I also examine issues, such as accessibility and control of resources, historical constraints and the dysfunctional potentials of social networks themselves. At the same time, as an empirical and practical study, this dissertation explores the history and future of economic development in three Northern Ontario Aboriginal communities. Canada is among the most affluent countries in the world, ranked highly on quality of life indices. Yet its First Nations share this prosperity only to a small extent. Policies aimed at improving Native peoples' lives focus on the promotion of one economic development strategy in particular, entrepreneurship. My research examines the role social capital plays in entrepreneurial success or failure. I suggest that geographical isolation segregates individuals and communities from linking and bridging networks; reliance on bonding networks in such locales often results in limited access to financial and human resources. In places where networks extend beyond the community, larger pools of resources are accessed. The dissertation highlights, however, the potential detrimental role that such external networks can play in the daily lives of marginal communities. Analysis of the colonial legislative framework which guided twentieth century policy makers in Canada examines how assimilative policies have interfered with various levels of social capital, and the consequential effect of such interference to economic and social development. My analysis, which offers some insights into the major determinants of present-day social and economic hardships in Aboriginal communities, also suggests ways in which lessons learned in the Aboriginal framework may be transposed elsewhere. At the same time, I offer a critique of social capital theory and propose ways of refining its concepts and extending its applicability.