VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Sound localization with side information for robot navigation

The first part of this thesis proposes an application of the microphone-array-based sound localization technique, known as SRP-PRAT, for navigating an acoustic mobile robot, called Trilobot. Experiments show that the average localization error of Trilobot is 7 cm close to the array and 30 cm far away from the array. The second part of the thesis introduces a new sound localization technique for mobile robots, known as Sound Localization with Side Information or simply SLSI. The advantage of the proposed technique over SRP-PRAT is that it uses prior knowledge of the words spoken by the robot. SLSI is also tested on Trilobot. The experiments show that SLSI outperforms SRP-PHAT. The reduction of the sound localization anomalies, that SLSI is able to achieve, is in the order of 20% and 25% for SNRs bigger than 2dB using a mechanical speaker and 10% at SNR equal to 10dB using Trilobot.
The role of emotional expressiveness and ambivalence over expression in romantic relationships

The current investigation was designed to examine the role of emotional expressiveness and ambivalence over emotional expression in romantic relationships. Self-report data from 156 participants in current romantic/intimate relationships were used to predict participants' levels of relationship satisfaction from their levels (high vs. low) and type (i.e. positive vs. negative) of emotional expressiveness and ambivalence over emotional expression. There was a modest, yet significant positive relationship among emotional expressiveness and relationship satisfaction. There was a negative relationship among ambivalence over expression and relationship satisfaction. Emotional expressiveness and ambivalence were inversely related. Multiple regression analysis indicated that lower negative emotional expressiveness and higher ambivalence over emotional expression are best predictors of decreased levels of relationship satisfaction. These findings are discussed with respect to previous research that suggests that emotional expressiveness and ambivalence over emotional expressiveness are important factors to consider when evaluating relationship quality.
On the classification of simple C*-algebras which are inductive limits of continuous-trace C*-algebras whose spectrum is the closed interval [0,1]

A classification is given of certain separable nuclear C*-algebras not necessarily of real rank zero, namely, the class of simple C*-algebras which are inductive limits of continuous-trace C*-algebras whose building blocks have spectrum homeomorphic to the closed interval [0, 1] or to a finite disjoint union of closed intervals. In particular, a classification of those stably AI algebras which are inductive limits of hereditary sub-C*-algebras of interval algebras is obtained. Also, the range of the invariant is calculated.
Connections between automatizability and learnability

Given a set of values of instances from a concept class, we say that we PAC-learn the concept class if we can find a function that, with high probability, evaluates random instances from that concept class with small error. We describe algorithms for the PAC-learnability of decision trees, DNF formulas and small degree polynomials. We show a connection between automatizability and PAC-learnability of DPLL versus decision trees, resolution versus DNF formulas, and polynomial calculus versus small degree polynomials. Proof systems are a method of proving unsatisfiability of CNF formulas, based on the syntactic form of the CNF, rather than the semantic one. Automatizability of a proof system implies an algorithm that finds a proof in that proof system in time polynomial in the size of the shortest proof. In the end, we give a somewhat simpler proof of [AR01] that resolution is not automatizable under complexity assumptions.
Genetic and molecular analysis of the insulin dependent diabetes 4 locus in the NOD mouse

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a disorder in which pancreatic beta cells are destroyed by autoimmune attack. The NOD mouse recapitulates many steps in the pathogenesis of the human disease. More than 20 Idd loci have been linked to T1D susceptibility in the NOD model and, of these, only three are defined at the gene level. Progressive islet infiltration (insulitis) results in T1D in 85% of NOD females but only 10--40% of NOD males by 6 months of age. Cyclophosphamide (CY) treatment accelerates onset in NOD males and females but not other laboratory strains. My PhD work aimed to identify genetic underpinnings of CY-accelerated T1D in the NOD mouse. First, genetic analysis of the CY response in NOD compared to the genetically related, Idd1 identical, but T1D-resistant NOR strain was performed. Progression to severe insulitis was linked to Idd4 and Idd9/11 . Idd4, Idd9/11, Idd5 and Idd13 congenic strains were then generated on both genetic backgrounds and examined for CY-T1D. On the NOR background, NOD-derived Idd4 or Idd9/11 increased T1D susceptibility in both males and females. NOR-derived Idd4, Idd5 or Idd9/11 intervals conferred protection from CY-T1D in females, but only the NOR Idd5 or Idd9/11 interval effectively protected males. High-resolution physical mapping of Idd4 confirmed its sex dependent behavior and revealed at least two loci within this region. Both Idd4.1 and Idd4.2 were refined to 1.4 Mb intervals containing 52 and 47 genes, respectively. Idd4.1 displayed its strongest effect in males, whereas Idd4.2 influenced mainly females. Analysis of all candidate genes in the Idd4.1 locus using expression profiling and functional annotation was then performed. Eight genes, including proteasomal subunit Psmb6, were differentially expressed in a tissue-specific manner from strains congenic at this locus. Sequencing of Psmb6 revealed multiple nucleotide variations between NOD and NOR. Coding regions were also sequenced for several immunologically relevant genes that were equally expressed in NOR and NOR. NOD-Idd4 . A putative functional variation in the transmembrane chemokine Cxcl16 has been identified. Due to the central role of Psmb6 in antigen presentation and Cxcl16 in lymphocyte trafficking, both are excellent candidates for the Idd4.1 locus.
A cross-sectional study to compare caries and fluorosis in 7-year-old schoolchildren from a fluoridated area with those in a neighbouring non-fluoridated area in Ontario

Dental surveys of 1047, 7-year-olds matched by SES from the two cities were completed. Parental questionnaires on oral health determinants were returned by 411; home drinking water samples for analysis of fluoride concentration, by 384. Data were entered into SPSS ver 12.0, and adjusted odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression. A 2001/02 oral health survey of children conducted in Peel Region, Ontario, Canada, found that 50% from non-fluoridated Caledon had dental caries compared to 37% in fluoridated Brampton. This study was undertaken to confirm the difference in dental caries found in the 2001/02 survey and determine what factors, including fluoridated water, might explain the difference. We found that 61% of Caledon children and 64% of Brampton children had deft + DMFT = 0. The mean deft + DMFT scores were 1.07 and 1.14, respectively. The effect of fluoridation on caries in these two communities was not evident.
Autonomous climbing and descending of stairs and slopes by a mobile robot

Mobile robots have been developed for surveillance, reconnaissance and inspection as well as to be effective in hazardous operations. Some are intended to explore not only natural terrains but also artificial environments, including stairs and ramps. This paper will explore algorithms to autonomously climb and descend slopes and stairs which were constructed and implemented for a specific mobile robot with the ability to traverse such obstacles by changing its configurations. Furthermore, algorithms have been developed for conditions under which the mobile robot halts its motion before flipping over or falling down. The technical problems related to implementation of these functions have been identified and analyzed, and their solutions validated and tested. The algorithms and solutions were validated experimentally, illustrating the effectiveness of autonomous climbing and descent.
Design and analysis of fuel tank baffles to reduce the noise generated from fuel sloshing

Fuel slosh inside an automotive fuel tank was found to generate unpleasant noise. This thesis presents the analysis of several baffle designs on suppressing the fuel slosh by using a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics software, FLOW-3D®, and performing slosh experiments. Estimated mean kinetic energy and average turbulent kinetic energy of the fluid obtained from the computer simulations were used to compare with sound measurements obtained from the slosh experiments. The slosh experiments were recorded using high-speed video equipment enhanced with a data acquisition system to take sound measurements. The simulation results showed that approximately 70% energy reduction from the No-baffle configuration could be achieved with the best baffle configuration. The experimental results demonstrated that at low fluid level, the performance of different baffle configurations was about the same. At high fluid level, the best baffle configuration can reduce the sound level by approximately 15 decibels.
Examination of the role of exchange protein directly activated by cyclic AMP (Epac) in proglucagon gene expression, glucagon synthesis and secretion in pancreatic alpha cells

Although the second messenger cAMP was initially shown to mediate its intracellular actions through PKA, many recent studies demonstrated that Epac-2 molecules are also important cAMP effectors. Our laboratory recently demonstrated that Epac-2 signaling is involved in cAMP mediated proglucagon expression via the EpacRas/Rap-MEK-ERK pathway in intestinal proglucagon producing cells. I have examined Epac-2 expression in both gut and pancreatic proglucagon expressing cells and made Myc tagged dominant-negative (Epac-2DN) expression plasmid. Epac-2DN expression in intestinal and pancreatic cell lines attenuated the stimulatory effect of Forskolin/IBMX on proglucagon promoter activation. Furthermore, Epac specific cAMP analogue (8-CPT) induced proglucagon mRNA expression, while Epac-2DN repressed the Forskolin/IBMX induced proglucagon mRNA expression in InRl-G9 cells. Additionally, 8-CPT stimulated glucagon synthesis in InR1-G9 cells but it was unable to stimulate glucagon secretion. My observations collectively suggest that in pancreatic a cells, Epac mediates the effect of cAMP in stimulating glucagon production but not its secretion.
Japanese-Canadian education during the world War II internment

This study is a study of the history of Japanese-Canadian education during World War II. In British Columbia where the Japanese Canadians were concentrated, they had been discriminated against for half a century since 1895. Shortly after Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they were forcibly interned in Hastings Park in Vancouver. A little later, starting in April 1942, the majority of them were sent to interior housing projects in the ghost towns in the interior of British Columbia, operated by and supported by a new Federal Government agency, the British Columbia Security Commission. The Japanese-Canadian children's education was abruptly stopped. When they moved into ghost towns which were scattered around the interior of B.C., schooling there was not ready at all. While the federal and provincial governments were bickering about who was responsible for the schooling of the children, and about what grades would be taught in the schools, some older second generation Japanese Canadians, who had not had any Normal School training, started unofficial schools there. The Federal Government took over the schools and hired the inexperienced nisei teachers for Grades 1 to 8, but it never did provide either kindergartens or high schools. Therefore, some religious groups came in and started both kindergartens and high schools. After the war, the Japanese-Canadian children who remained in Canada with their parents went to the public school in towns to which they had to move, mostly in Eastern Canada. They did very well there, thus showing how successful the schools in the internment camps had operated, despite limited school supplies and very inconvenient facilities.

Keywords: Japanese, Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
Japanese, British Columbia
World War, 1939-1945, Japanese Canadians
World War, 1939-1945, Concentration camps
World War, 1939-1945, British Columbia
Japanese, Education
Japanese, British Columbia
Japanese, Civil rights
Japanese, Canada
Japanese, History
Japanese, British Columbia
Developing a confidence measure for protein-protein interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Advances in high throughput techniques for the generation of protein-protein interactions have produced a wealth of data. Inherent to these techniques is a large amount of false positive results necessitating careful analysis of the data. In order to pursue further analysis of the interaction data without propagating false positive data into subsequent studies it is vital that researchers are able to filter interaction data to retrieve only the high quality records. Taking a subset of curated yeast interactions from BIND, Dip, MINT and IntAct as a high confidence set of interactions we collated a set of features that characterize the interaction. A randomly generated protein interaction subset serves as our low confidence or negative set. We developed a probabilistic framework for assigning confidence to binary protein interactions by training an SVM to deduce the likelihood, or confidence score, of a binary interaction based on its set of features.
Fourth-order implicit Runge-Kutta time marching using a Newton-Krylov algorithm

Two time-marching schemes are investigated for accuracy and efficiency in solving the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations. The time-marching methods considered are the 2nd-order backwards differencing formula and the 4th-order explicit first stage, single diagonal coefficient, diagonally implicit Runge-Kutta method. The efficiency of approximate factorization and Newton-Krylov algorithms are investigated for solving the nonlinear problem arising at each iteration. Laminar two-dimensional flows around a cylinder and an airfoil are studied. The relative efficiency of the methods varies with the grid resolution. The backwards differencing method with approximate factorization dual time stepping is very efficient on the coarse grid, whereas the implicit Runge-Kutta scheme combined with the Newton-Krylov algorithm is the most efficient on the finer grids and when lower errors are required. The combination of the implicit Runge-Kutta method with the Newton-Krylov algorithm is shown to be very efficient for high-fidelity time-accurate simulations.
Limited data rate in control systems with networks

The use of networks in control systems connecting sensors/actuators to controllers has become common practice in many applications. Motivated by this new technology, we study the effective use of limited data rate in the communication of such systems. The underlying theoretical interest is to find the minimum data rate necessary to achieve given control objectives. Of the issues related to data rate, our focus is on time sequencing of messages over the networks and on quantization. In the first part of the thesis, we develop a time sequencing technique for a distributed control system where a network cable connects local controllers. A simple network model which incorporates some features of practical protocols is proposed, and stabilizability of such systems is addressed. It is shown that the use of a network can enlarge the class of plants to be stabilized. Moreover, we confirm the intuition that properly increasing the data transmission rate over the network can enhance the capability of the systems. The second part of the study deals with a control system which uses a finite data rate channel in the feedback loop. We propose design methods for a continuous-time, linear plant to achieve quadratic stability in the continuous-time domain. As a first step to model such a channel, we consider the sampled-data setup where simply a sampler and a hold are put into the loop. Our approach is based on the use of control Lyapunov functions. The solution for this problem is the basis for the extension to a system that has, in addition, a quantizer in the controller. A fairly general treatment of quantizers is developed, and this enables us to compare the data rate necessary for different types of quantizers in an example. To further reduce the data rate, we also show several variations of the quantized sampled-data system.
On value: the Japanese history of capitalism

This is a brief description of the Japanese history of capitalism from the premodern through the postmodern period. This is to question why one social paradigm reaches a sort of structural deadlock calling for a revolution through the examination of the Japanese history of capitalism in terms of the change of the law of value. The social situation of present Japan has become unsettled since the bubble economy collapsed. And it is believed that nowadays it is hard to predict the picture of the future or even to grasp the present state of the world. What I would like to insist throughout this thesis is that this chaotic or speculative tendency of society underlies the very characteristic of capitalism in both economic and philosophical senses.
Ecological and social interactions in sustainable agroforestry management: Cocoa in Ghana

Farm management strategies in regions of high ecological and economic risk require solutions for enhanced agroecosystem functioning and sustained rural livelihoods. This may be achieved with agricultural diversification employing agroforestry principles. Accordingly, my research investigates ecological and social interactions in agroforestry systems at multiple scales: from the farm to the community. This thesis involves a social-ecological systems approach, employing cocoa-shade agroforestry systems in Ghana as a case study, to (1) empirically examine biomass production, and nutrient and non-nutrient resource interactions in both early growth and mature agroforestry systems, and (2) examine the transfer and use of local knowledge pertaining to agroforestry practices in agrarian communities. Through vector analysis, I found nearly consistent non-competitive nutrient interactions between cocoa and shade trees during both the early stages of growth, as well as in mature plantations. When fertilizers are undesirable or unavailable, intercropping of appropriately selected shade trees will not competitively suppress early growth of cocoa, but will improve light regulation, sustain nutritional status of cocoa saplings and increase on-farm cocoa biomass as the farm matures. Evidently, target species productivity and nutrition is dependent on dynamic farmer management. Social network analysis showed that locally derived and externally sourced information on farm management circulates through distinctly structured informal advice networks. Such knowledge, particularly ecologically-based on-farm indicators, informed farm management decision making for sustainable resource-use systems. As an analytical concept, management processes offer an entry point into the understanding of human interactions with the environment. Therefore, results were incorporated into a conceptual framework which affords a systematic basis for promoting sustainable and decentralized agroforestry management. This framework also presents an approach for scaling-up results to the landscape level. This research provides effective strategies for agroforestry system productivity, diversity, and resilience by employing a social-ecological approach to sustainable local and regional agrarian practice.

Keywords: Ecology
Forests and forestry
Soil science
Travel writing by couples in nineteenth-century France

One way for women to travel in the nineteenth-century was to leave home in the company of a male relative. Occasionally, couples would write separate or collaborative accounts of their journey. This thesis studies the travel writing of 8 francophone married couples in the nineteenth-century and demonstrates how travel writing as a genre, when shared by heterosexual couples, not only reinscribes the prescribed gender roles specific to each sex, but also contributes to their construction and perpetuation. The first chapter situates the topic by reviewing current research and presents the theory of gender that informs this thesis, based on that outlined by Teresa de Lauretis in Technologies of Gender. Chapter two introduces the eight couples studied: Louis-Claude and Rose de Freycinet, Xavier and Adèle Hommaire de Hell, Charles and Lina Beck-Bernard, William and Caroline Barbey, Marie de Ujfalvy-Bourdon and Charles-Eugène de Ujfalvy, Marcel and Jane Dieulafoy, Ernest and Mme. B. Chantre, and Paul and Raymonde Bonnetain. Chapter three shows how the work of travel writing was shared by each couple. While most of the male travellers wrote scientific accounts of their expeditions, the women typically dealt with topics such as the picturesque, social exploration, foreign women, and the quotidian. The recording of these topics was generally considered peripheral to the main purpose of the journey, but I demonstrate that the topics played an important role, nonetheless, when read in conjunction with their husband's texts. The fourth chapter describes the pattern of collaboration between the spouses: the male travellers lent their authority to their wives, enabling them to travel, write and publish their accounts; the women attempted to bolster their partner's authority and renown by praising his professional accomplishments and by popularizing his scientific writings. In the final chapter I contrast the reception of the couples' travel writing by their contemporaries and that of re-editions of their work in the 1990s. The thesis concludes that, while women travelling in couples often reinscribed the hegemonic discourse in their texts, they did, nonetheless, serve as role models for younger women, encouraging them to travel and write.
Comparison of fracture toughness measurement techniques in brittle rocks

The fracture toughness values of rocks have been found to have large variation even after the standardization of the fracture toughness measurement techniques by International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM). A comprehensive testing program was devised to investigate the ISRM suggested fracture toughness measurement techniques using three rock types. The objective was to determine the best suggested method for determining fracture toughness of rocks and to determine the consistency of the fracture toughness values for the same rock type. Detailed statistical analyses were conducted to analyse the test data. It was found that the fracture toughness values were fairly consistent provided special care was taken in selecting specimen size and handling anisotropy issues. The major difference in the fracture toughness values from Chevron Bend 'CB' and Cracked Chevron Notch Brazilian Disc 'CCNBD' methods was due to an error in the formula used for calculation in the CCNBD case. The suggested improvement of empirical specimen size requirement equation, used to estimate the minimum required diameter of specimen in the CB test, worked fine. This was not so for the improvement in dimensionless parameter calculation, used for calculating fracture toughness values from the CCNBD test.