VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Assessment of acculturation and its associations with type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance and obesity in an isolated Canadian Aboriginal community

One approach used to identify causal risk factors for disease in First Nations has been a biocultural model. This integration allows for an analysis of cultural risk factors which still retains teal biologic plausibility. For this study, subscales of acculturation were developed and test of associations were made with health outcomes in Sandy Lake, Ontario. Factor analysis was performed on the data and tests for association then examined the relationship between subscales of acculturation and disease. The results indicated that (a) the risk of becoming obese or of developing IGT is lower among individuals with a diet high in traditional food, (b) the risk of developing diabetes and IGT is lower among those who report having items used for traditional rather than modern activities in their home, and (c) diabetes is less common among those proficient in Oji-Cree. These results are important in designing prevention and health promotion strategies in the community.
The elucidation of the Rana livida complex

I investigated the suspected polytypic nature of the green cascade frog, Rana livida, from southeast Asia with a multi-step approach. My initial anatomical study of specimens from Vietnam resulted in the recognition of three distinct species and five morphological groups. I tested the strength of these groupings with morphometrics and cellular DNA content analysis. Congruence among the results of morphology, morphometrics, and cellular DNA content, led me to suspect the presence of further cryptic species. I tested this hypothesis with allozyme electrophoresis, resolving 15 presumptive loci. Fixed allelic differences suggested the presence of four additional species. They also suggested that one of the new species may be two distinct species, but the evidence collected here is equivocal. I elucidated seven species of the Rana livida complex. I believe that much more cryptic diversity of this complex and other cascade ranids await discovery. This highlights the need for rigorous taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses of all cascade ranids.
Expression and purification of the nucleotide binding domains of P-glycoprotein

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an ATP-dependent drug pump that contains two nucleotide binding domains (NBDs). The domain boundaries for the NBDs are poorly defined. To determine the boundaries different N- and C-terminal domain boundaries were engineered based on sequence alignments with bacterial homologues. NBDs were overexpressed in 'E. coli' as thioredoxin fusion proteins and extracted as soluble protein in the presence of ATP. Isolation of NBD protein from the thioredoxin fusion was achieved through digestion with thrombin and gel filtration. All NBDs aggregated and precipitated throughout purification. One C-terminal NBD was analyzed to determine its biochemical characteristics. The NBD was shown to have basal ATPase activity and to exist as a large protein aggregate with some detectable secondary structure as analyzed by CD Spectroscopy. Manipulation of the purification protocol and additives such as SDS and urea had minimal effects on the aggregation state of the C-terminal protein. A new protocol must be developed to yield pure, soluble and correctly folded protein necessary for structural studies.
Environmental effects on some mechanical properties of fibre composites

This study is carried out to investigate the effects of hot water, moderately strong acid and kerosene on the polymeric composite laminates. Diffusion was studied and the effects of these environmental agents on the transverse strength, the interlaminar strength, and the fracture toughness of these composite systems were examined. It was found that the carbon-polyimide samples had lower water absorption and diffusion rates than the carbon-epoxy samples. Voids in the composites contained water, but did not fill with it. All the composites stood up well to the 60°C water treatment, but all except the NASA samples showed very significant transverse strength loss after prolonged immersion in 90°C water. The effect of 20% HCl appeared to be rather serious in the case of the carbon-epoxy, but the carbon-polyimide was less badly affected. In most cases, paraffin oil at 80°C had little effect. The CBS test method did not work very well for the wet samples.
Reconceptualizing one country, two systems in the quest for autonomy and human rights in Hong Kong under Chinese sovereignty

This thesis proceeds from a pluralistic perspective in the belief that there is a need to search for a theoretical reinforcement of Hong Kong's quest for autonomy and human rights under the "one country, two systems" formula. It focuses on the question of how the protection of human rights in Hong Kong (a) could and (b) should be treated under Chinese sovereignty and how that treatment should be related to philosophies of legal and cultural pluralism. The goal is to work through two sets of China-centered discourses abort pluralism and then see how they help inform the principles and the institutional practice with respect to Hong Kong. The first discourse, which is dealt with in Chapter Two, might be called "external" legal pluralism--namely, the (evolving) arguments China has made with respect to the need of other states and the international community to respect the particularities of China in the realm of international human rights. The second discourse, which is the subject of Chapter Three, examines how China has dealt with its own internal diversity, in terms of law, political practice and embedded philosophy. The idea is then to work from a critical account of China's approach to diversity in these two contexts to the specific normative and institutional issues that circulate within the "one country, two systems" concept relating to Hong Kong. Chapters Four and Five deal with the preservation of autonomy and human rights in Hong Kong under Chinese sovereignty. They examine, at historical and conceptual levels, the essence, scope and implications of the "one country, two systems" formula and explore how a reconceptualization of that formula could help lend normative support to a robust, separate human rights regime within Hong Kong.
A teacher's soulful inquiry, exploring professional development using The divine comedy as a guide

This is a reflexive inquiry about a teacher's story as she journeys through life and her professional teaching experiences. Dante Alighieri's ' Divine Comedy' is used to recreate a metaphorical journey towards self-understanding partly influenced by the interactions of people she meets along life's path. The voyage transcends time and space as it weaves through the three poetic realms of Dante's afterlife. Past experiences reminiscent of the poet's Hell are symbolic of the soul's desire to remove certain impediments before progress can be attained. Achieving success in this realm is never attained alone, making it necessary to have a guide to facilitate the learning process. The experiences of Purgatory represent a time of healing because understanding the human condition and ridding oneself of negativity raises the spirit towards hopefulness. Finally, the narratives of Paradise are contemplative in nature. Being capable of enjoying beauty in all that surrounds humanity and the full extent of one's individual capacities are the final vision towards the attainment of spiritual truth and a more holistic way of living life. This personal articulation of a journey driven by a teacher's practice and personal core values redefines what it means to theorize. Cole and Knowles (2000, p. 2) state that "an expression of who teachers are as people, that is imbued with the beliefs, values, perspectives, and experiences developed over the course of a teacher's lifetime." Reflexive inquiry frames the grand narrative by permitting the storyteller to give meaning to the experiences and restructure the inquiry to promote personal and professional development. The cast of characters that are presented throughout the journey are fictionalized as literary protagonists that serve to inform an understanding based on the influential power of teacher practices and beliefs. They provide support when exploring the quintessential and epistemological question of 'Who and what am I?' presented in a complex series of reflections that provide validation to the process of self-narrative. Constructing meaning from experiences and reconfiguring the processes to find hope in the face of adversity is the driving force behind this reflexive inquiry. Situating past personal experiences in the present using the literary metaphor of the 'Divine Comedy's' various chants provides a creative fluidity to emerge from the research landscape to that of personal knowledge. Providing this self-presentation is an invitation to readers to celebrate life as it unfolds. The celebration is not in finding answers to universal dilemmas, but in the validation of self-exploration. Embracing the diversity of teaching ideologies and practices became the inspiration behind the soulful inquiry that validates the search for the deepest truth of a human being's existence and the authentication of actions as a way to define a teacher's spirit and professional development.
The in vitro stability of cross-linked fibrin and fibrin/hyaluronan-coated polyurethanes in the presence of plasmin

The goal of this research was to evaluate the in vitro stability of thin fibrin coatings on polymeric materials in the presence of plasmin. The effects of cross-linking and the presence of hyaluronan in the fibrin matrix on the relative stability of the coatings were investigated. Degradation assays indicated that cross-linking significantly enhanced the stability of fibrin coatings on both Tegaderm$\sp\circler$ and PCL/HDI/Phe; however, the persistence of the coating on the woven Corethane$\rm\sp{TM}$ was not as influenced by cross-linking of the thin fibrin layer. The presence of HA within the fibrin matrix destabilized the coatings on both Tegaderm$\sp\circler$ and PCL/HDI/Phe, but enhanced the stability of the fibrin layer on Corethane$\rm\sp{TM}.$ The chromogenic substrate assay data showed cross-linking did not affect the specific plasmin activity on the coatings; therefore, the increased stability resulting from cross-linking was not likely achieved through a reduction of fibrinolysis. The presence of HA within the fibrin matrix decreased the plasmin activity on all coated samples, most probably by interfering with the ternary complex between fibrin, plasminogen and tPA that is responsible for accelerating the rate of plasminogen activation. Therefore, although HA decreased the fibrinolysis of the cross-linked fibrin coatings, it mechanically weakened the fibrin coatings, making them more susceptible to removal from their respective substrates during the degradation experiments. A thin, cross-linked, fibrin-coated polyurethane provides a theoretically attractive biomaterial for use in a wound dressing application and should be subject to ongoing research.
A multicompartment model of a hippocampal interneuron

Interneurons, approximately 10% of the neuronal population in the hippocampus, exert widespread control over brain output due to their interactions with hundreds of principal cells. Interneurons are heterogeneous in their morphologies, biophysical properties and pharmacological sensitivities. Recently, slow field rhythms (0.5-4 Hz) have been found to occur spontaneously in an intact hippocampal preparation. It is not clear how these oscillations are generated but simultaneous extracellular and patch clamp recordings reveal that summated IPSPs from coherent interneuronal networks are involved. Given this and interneuronal heterogeneity, we developed models to understand mechanisims underlying the inhibitory contribution. We developed an 84-compartment model of a CA1 oriens/alveus horizontal interneuron using NEURON. Different channel distributions were explored and dendrites were shown to act as frequency filters. Spike initiation location was found to depend on location and amount of input. Multiple synaptic sites were found to be more efficient than single sites in generating spikes and EPSPs.
Sexual conflict and the evolution of male elaboration in the water strider genus Rheumatobates (Heteroptera: gerridae)

New views of animal mating systems are increasingly focusing on the role of sexual conflict as a preeminent force in the evolutionary divergence of behaviours and morphology. In this thesis, I focus on a macroevolutionary approach to the morphological diversification in the water strider genus Rheumatobates. This genus is distinguished by a remarkable diversity of bizarre modifications of male structures, thought to evolve under sexual conflict. Observation indicates that the structures are used to overcome females, and a pair of experiments demonstrate these advantages are balanced by developmental costs. I then reconstruct the first phylogeny of the genus using a new data set of 108 morphological characters. The phylogeny reveals multiple evolutionary transitions in most modifications of males traits. Although there appears to be repeated functional convergence, it is underlain by remarkable morphological diversification. These results support the theoretical predictions of an arms race fueled by sexual conflict.
Numberical solution of the shallow-water equations on distributed memory systems

The shallow-water equations are often used as a mathematical model when numerical methods for solving weather or climate prediction problems are tested. This thesis studies the performance and scalability of numerical methods for the shallow-water equations on distributed memory systems. Time integration of the numerical methods is based on a two-time-level semi-implicit semi-Lagrangian scheme. To solve the Helmholtz problem that arises at each time-step, a fast direct solver based on FFTs is used. This technique requires a data transposition, which is a time consuming operation on a distributed memory system. The data transposition requires an all-to-all type communication. The Direct Exchange algorithm, commonly used for this task, is inefficient if the number of processors is large. We investigate a series of more sophisticated techniques: the Ring Exchange, Mesh Exchange and Cube Exchange algorithms. We compare the performance of these techniques with that of the Message Passing Interface collective communication routine. We perform an isoefficiency analysis to measure the scalability of the parallel system. The numerical experiments are carried out on a Cray T3E with 512 processors and on an ethernet-connected cluster of 36 workstations. Both the analysis and our numerical results indicate that the Cube Exchange and Mesh Exchange algorithms perform better than the other methods. However, even with the more sophisticated techniques, the parallel algorithm for the shallow-water equations remains essentially unscalable.
Insights into human cardiovascular zinc finger proteins (ZFPs): Profiling, identification and functional characterization of a novel RING ZFP (SMRZ)

The zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) are a superfamily of proteins containing at least one of several conserved zinc-binding domains. ZFPs have a wide range of biological functions and evidence is increasing that these proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiac disease. Elucidating the roles of ZFPs in the molecular regulatory dynamics of the cardiovascular system is thus becoming essential to molecular cardiology. This research project aims to profile unique ZFPs and to identify novel ZFPs in the cardiovascular system. Using an EST sequence similarity search, we established a profile of cardiovascular-based ZFPs (cvbZFPs). Structural classification divided cvbZFPs into seven types: C2H2-, C2C2-, C2HC-, C2HC4C(HD)-, C3H-, C3HC4 - and combination-types, with the C2H2-type predominating. To expand the cvbZFP profile, three domain sequences (KRAB, BTB/POZ and RING) were also used as probes to screen our EST database 'in silico'. An analysis of genomic assignments of cvbZFPs suggests that chromosome 19 appears to be enriched in C2H2-type ZFP genes. Over 90% of cvbZFPs demonstrated widespread tissue distribution as shown by ' in silico' Northern blot. Three developmentally regulated genes (HFHZ, BPOZ and SMRZ) were identified and characterized. Of these, SMRZ, containing a RING domain (a protein-protein interaction interface), was selected for further functional investigation in searching for its interaction partner. Using a yeast two hybrid system, SMT3b, a human homolog of yeast mutation suppressor of the essential centromere protein, MIF2, was identified as an interaction partner of SMRZ, and this was mediated by the RING domain. This interaction was further confirmed by 'in vitro' interaction assay using both wild-type and RING-domain mutated SMRZ. Our observation of SMRZ-SMT3b interaction taken together with evidence that SMRZ is: (1) restrictedly expressed in heart and skeletal muscle, (2) developmentally regulated in heart tissue, (3) localized in nucleus, and observation that overexpression of SMT3b inhibited C2C12 myoblast growth, lead us to conclude that SMRZ must play an important role in developmental regulation, perhaps cell cycle regulation, of striated muscle cells. The present cvbZFP study combines EST 'in silico' and conventional molecular biology approaches to provide an important first step toward understanding the ZFP regulatory network in the cardiovascular system.
The binding of proteins with modular domains to the cytoplasmic domain of the axon guidance receptor human Roundabout1

Roundabout (Robo) receptors play conserved roles in axon guidance at the midline. Here it is shown that Robo1 protein is expressed in the mouse embryo and in adult tissues. The SH3 domains of Nck, Src, and PLC-ã 1 bind the hRobo1 cytoplasmic domain 'in vitro'. The Nck SH3 domains appear to bind hRobo1 cooperatively. The Src SH3 domain binds hRobo1 at the conserved CC3 motif. hRobo1 is a substrate for Src and Abl tyrosine kinases 'in vitro' and in cells. The conserved CC1 motif is a major tyrosine phosphorylation site for Src and Abl 'in vitro' and for Abl in cells. Tyrosine phosphorylation of the hRobo1 cytoplasmic domain allows for its binding by the SH2 domains of Src, Abl, and PLC-ã1 ' in vitro'. These results suggest that modular domain-containing proteins with known roles in axon guidance can bind to the cytoplasmic domain of hRobo1.
An assessment of VLSI and embedded software implementations for Reed-Solomon decoders

Reed-Solomon decoders are used extensively in numerous applications ranging from cellular telephones to deep-space communications. This thesis examined Reed-Solomon time-domain and frequency-domain decoder implementations in both software and hardware. Thus far, there have been no clear, definitive statements in the published literature about the relative merits and limitations of each type of decoder implementation. In response, a detailed comparison is presented through tangible results from dedicated hardware and software implementations. The focus was on designing area-efficient, low-power and low-complexity decoders suitable for today's moderate rate applications. Two decoder chips were designed in a 0.18[mu]m CMOS process and they targeted a decoding rate of 160 Mbps. The time-domain decoder was fabricated and had a core area of 1.50 ' mm'2 and an overall silicon die area of 3.54 ' mm'2.
The virtue of freedom, the development and meaning of Hegel's idea of the good life

This dissertation traces the development, and reveals the meaning, of Hegel's mature answer to the question 'what is the nature of the good life?' Its thesis is that Hegel's mature idea of the good life consists of a relationship between the citizen and the modern political community such that, properly actualized, ordinary life becomes not only fully adequate to the good but also completes, in a new form, the goals of human excellence articulated in the Aristotelian virtue of 'phronêsis' (practical wisdom). However, this thesis rests on a supporting one: that the meaning of his mature idea of the good life can most fruitfully be uncovered through the failure of Hegel's earliest attempt to answer the question of the good life in terms of the very Aristotelian 'phronêsis' he would later abandon. The first Part of this dissertation shows that Hegel's three earliest substantial writings, the Tûbingen essay (1793), Berne fragments (1794), and the 'Life of Jesus' (1795), contain his first answer to the question of the good life. Here I argue that: (1) underneath the religious and Kantian language of his answer is an Aristotelian conception of human excellence defined by the exercise of 'phronêsis'; (2) this answer proves unsustainable for Hegel because he comes to see that it cannot hold together the demand for participation in a community of excellence and the demand for self-actualization; and (3) Hegel begins to equate the logic of Aristotelian 'phronêsis' with the logic of the radically autonomous will, leading him to abandon all human-centered ideas of the good life for one grounded in spirit. The second Part of this dissertation uncovers the meaning of Hegel's mature, spirit-centered answer in light of the failure of his youthful approach. Here I argue that Hegel's mature idea has three characteristics: (1) the life of the good (what Hegel calls "freedom") is only a property of the living system of relations between the citizen and the political community; (2) ordinary life activity of citizens can nonetheless be adequate to the good because it fully participates in it: this condition is "selfhood"; and (3) Hegel's account is designed to indicate the inadequacy of the modern community in its present form to the demands of freedom: Hegel's implicit solution to this inadequacy opens up new possibilities for an integrated human life as well as a new 'phronêsis' that completes the goals of the Aristotelian conception of the good life.
Legitimate constitutional change and the debate on Quebec secession

I propose a theory of what constitutes legitimate constitutional amendment in Canada. I argue that the Constitution of Canada is in essence a tradition, the continuity of which is provided by a particular set of values embodied in principles, institutions and remedies. These are informed by a certain conception of the individual; and developed over the centuries in order to further a certain understanding of human dignity. Canadians have been shaped as a people within this tradition; and political and legal legitimacy therefore depend upon continued conformity to its underlying values. Legitimate constitutional change must be in accordance with these values. Secession of a province, like any other constitutional change occurring within this tradition, must respect the relation between individual liberty and democratic governance within which our tradition's understanding of individual dignity is best realized. I suggest that the debate over Quebec secession should be framed in these terms.