VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Variation in the growth and bioenergetics of Ontario's walleye (Sander vitreus) populations: studying the influence of prey abundance and size

Walleye exhibit moderate among-population variation in life history across Ontario. Recent studies have explained this variation using easily measured abiotic environmental variables. I broadly examined the effects of prey abundance and size on walleye growth potential and energy budgets using a new biphasic growth model and a linked mercury mass balance and fish bioenergetics model respectively. Among lake variation in prey abundance, though statistically significant in a subset of lakes (remaining lakes when a group of outliers with unusually low growth were removed), was not a strong predictor of variation in walleye growth potential. I detected no systematic variations in walleye growth efficiency as a function of available prey sizes. Consequently, these measures of prey size and abundance do not represent practical easily measured environmental correlates of walleye growth. A potential reason is large inter-annual variability in the prey abundance and size variables.
A reconstruction of pollen-stigma interactions in basal angiosperms

Pollen tube pathway distribution and composition of the transmitting tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) in carpels of Kadsura longipedunculata, a member of the basal angiosperm taxon Schisandraceae, was chararacterized and compiled with other data to reconstruct features of the transmitting tissue that might have been important for pollen-carpel interactions in ancestral angiosperms. The pollen tubes of K. longipedunculata grow on adaxial carpel margins between unfused carpels along an extragynoecial compitum to subsequently enter an adjacent carpel. Histo- and immunochemistry of K. longipedunculata indicated that transmitting tissue ECM was not freely flowing. Rather, the ECM was similar to a dry-type stigma whereby a cuticular boundary with associated esterase activity confined by a matrix containing methyl-esterified homogalacturonans. Schisandraceae, along with a growing number of basal angiosperm taxa, demonstrates a transmitting tissue ECM similar to a dry-type stigma, thereby challenging traditional views that the ancestral pollen tube pathway was similar to a wet-type stigma.
Food security and the 'biofuel panacea': A case study of the Barbados 'fuel cane' project

Over the past decade there has been a renewed interest worldwide in biofuels. Much of the optimism for biofuels stems from its potential to achieve multiple goals simultaneously---biofuels are seen as a way to increase energy supply, improve rural livelihoods and mitigate climate change. Thus biofuels are often promoted as a panacea, or a solution to all problems. The main questions examined in this paper are whether biofuels can achieve all of these goals, and whether biofuels may have unintended consequences on other types of agriculture, particularly food production. It is revealed through a case study approach that in Barbados there are numerous limitations of the 'fuel cane' project, which is currently being implemented in Barbados. In particular, biofuels in Barbados may have long-term consequences for food security on the island.
Syntheses and reactivities of novel palladium beta-diiminate compounds

Beta-Diiminate ligands (the most studied of these being the ones derived from acetyl acetone and commonly called "nacnac") have lately received increasing attention. The interest in Pd-nacnac chemistry in particular lies in the potential for the development of new polymerization catalysts. However, the general Pd-nacnac chemistry is still undeveloped. The recent synthesis of a well-defined, versatile starting material, [Pd(Ph 2nacnac)(mu-Cl)]2, has open up this field. This complex exhibits reactivity at both the chloride bridge (reacting with neutral monodentate ligands to afford mononuclear Pd species) and at the nacnac backbone. The goal of this research is to investigate fundamental organometallic reactions of the monomeric and dimeric Pd-nacnac complexes, such as transmetallation and ligand substitution, and using the knowledge gained from this investigation to develop a catalyst for olefin polymerization.
The hidden curriculum of web portals: shaping participation in online networks

The World Wide Web (WWW) is an important site of and for learning, but it is necessary to deconstruct the kinds of learning the Web encourages. Web portals are a common entry point to the online world. Portals have gained in popularity in recent years, as their general utility as sites of reference has led to their commercial and educational use. As the term portal implies, these sites are intended to serve as launching points from which users may enter the World Wide Web. Web portal users log on with a username and password, then customize or personalize the datastructure that will be presented to them. As key sites of informal learning about and with technology, portals may influence how habits of technology use are encouraged--and conditioned--as people learn to use portals in their everyday lives. This thesis examines several types of web portals, and theorizes the informal learning commensurate with a public pedagogy of popular culture. ...

Keywords: Web portals
Consumers, Research
Consumer behavior
Consumer profiling
Online information services
Computer literacy
Telecommunication in education
Non-stick surfaces for digital microfluidics

Digital microfluidics (DMF) is a promising technique for carrying out miniaturized, automated biochemical assays, where discrete droplets of reagents are actuated on the surface of an array of electrodes. A limitation for DMF is non-specific protein adsorption to device surfaces, which interferes with assay fidelity and can cause mechanical problems. A quantitative analysis of protein adsorption on DMF devices by means of confocal microscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry are presented. This study resulted in a simple and effective method for preventing protein adsorption: the use of low concentrations of Pluronic F127 as a solution additive. This strategy facilitated the actuation of droplets containing 10,000x higher protein concentrations than is possible without the additive. A DMF-driven protein digest assay using large concentrations of protein substrate was implemented to illustrate the benefits. This technique makes non-stick surfaces in DMF a reality, which greatly expands the range of applications that are compatible with this technology.
Placing the 'natural' edges of a metropolitan region through multiple residency: landscape and urban form in Toronto's 'cottage country'

This study examines certain 'cottage' or water-oriented second-home settings of central Ontario to assert that they have effectively become part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), a major metropolitan region now undergoing rapid population growth. The central thesis is that this so-called 'cottage country' must be considered part of the primary life-space for many individuals and households based in the GTA. Multiple residency---the social-spatial practice by which households live in more than one dwelling---is examined to make sense of what now comprises the Toronto-centred urban territory or 'metapolis' and its housing markets, while also enabling us to 'place' the 'natural' edges of this metropolitan area in at least two important ways. It first helps to demonstrate certain spatial qualities of the GTA as an unevenly urban territory. At the same time, the waterfront components of 'cottage country' are 'living edges' in landscape ecology terms and significant sites or 'places' that enable individuals and households to situate themselves within abstract notions of 'nature' and the 'wilderness'---ideas about land and landscape that have long held sway in Canadian cultural discourses. The mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology employed here includes a generalised social history, a detailed questionnaire (n=200), and in-depth interviews with cottage users (n=30) in three discrete second-home settings. These case study areas are situated within broader discourses and processes of transformation, exploring certain dynamics of urban form, structure, and metropolitan growth while also examining important dimensions of how people think about space, place, landscape, and what has been called the 'sense of region'---all of which are arguably revealed by 'cottaging' as a culturally meaningful social practice. Conceptually, the research presented here is thus a dialogue between markets and meaning. Beyond its empirical contributions, this study is intended to assert the importance of an epistemological approach to landscape and urban form---the domains of cultural and urban geography, respectively---in concert. Such an approach is needed if we are to substantively examine abstract processes, narratives, and/or conceptualisations of space and landscape without neglecting to systematically ground them in place and in the materiality of urban form.
God is dead, go study abroad: Adopting an intentional Nietzschean pedagogy of Study Abroad

Study Abroad programs are often thought of as a panacea for the demands of globalization. However, what are the ethical and epistemological outcomes of these programs? Do they create a distorted view of the world whereby the traveller sees merely reflections of herself? Are programs reinforcing stereotypes when the student mistakes her limited experiences for the multitude of experiences and diversity offered by the hosts? Are we perpetuating forms of oppression when we take knowledge from our hosts without reciprocating?This thesis explores pedagogic practices involving study abroad programs, turning to Friedrich Nietzsche for the foundations of an intentional pedagogy of study abroad. From this foundation, I ask what it would look like to inquire successfully from locations foreign to us. Congruous to Nietzsche's philosophy, a nuanced reading of Maria Lugones' concept of 'world-travelling' provides strategies that allow the student traveller to respond positively to the challenges of study abroad.

Keywords: Foreign study, Philosophy
Critical pedagogy
Discrimination in education
A numerical study of axisymmetric droplet impact of a shear thinning fluid

An axisymmetric model has been developed to simulate the droplet impact of a shear thinning fluid. The volume of fluid (VOF) method is used for interface tracking, and a constant contact angle is applied at the contact line. A generalized Newtonian constitutive equation is implemented, and the Cross model is used to model shear thinning. Validation results are presented for the flow of a power law fluid in a lid driven cavity, and Newtonian droplet impact. Results are presented for both Newtonian and shear thinning impacts at a variety of Reynolds numbers, Re, with the Weber number, We, and contact angle, theta, held constant (We = 27 and theta = 90°). To compare the maximum spread, zeta max, a modified Reynolds number, Rem, is defined for shear thinning impacts. Furthermore, a representative strain rate is identified that closely collapses the curves of zeta max vs. Re for Newtonian and shear thinning fluids. This suggests that Newtonian analytical modes can predict zeta max, for shear thinning fluids by using Rem.
Shear in wide reinforced concrete members

Large, wide reinforced concrete beams and thick slabs are frequently used as economical transfer elements where the total structural depth must be kept to a minimum. Both systems supply large cross-sections to resist shear forces. However, major North American building codes are not consistent in their treatment of shear in wide beams and in slabs, as compared to narrow beams. The objective of this study was to establish the significant parameters for predicting sectional shear capacity for wide reinforced concrete members. The results of 30 tests on large specimens are reported. For members without web reinforcement, tests results showed that member width or the inclusion of temperature reinforcement did not influence the shear stress at failure. The shear stress at failure decreased as the member depth increased and as a measure of the member axial strain increased. The CSA A23.3-04 shear provisions provided more consistent estimates of capacity than the ACI 318-05 provisions, by considering these influences. When web reinforcement was well distributed across the width of a wide member, the shear stress at failure was in good agreement with the shear capacity models. However, the shear capacity decreased as the spacing of web reinforcement legs across the width increased. A limit on the spacing over the width was proposed as the lowest of d, every 4th longitudinal reinforcing bar in a layer, or 600 mm. An improvement to the CSA A23.3-04 model was proposed, to directly consider the longitudinal spacing of the web reinforcement. The influence from supports or loading widths narrower than the member width was investigated. The shear capacity of members with and without web reinforcement decreased as the partial-to-full width ratio decreased. A linear model was developed to adjust existing sectional capacity predictions for this influence. A system of manufactured headed bar assemblies was evaluated as web reinforcement for one-way shear. Specimens incorporating these assemblies and failing in shear were predicted well by the sectional shear capacity models.
Use of reflection in implementing learning from a continuing education course into occupational therapy practice

It is assumed that reflection is central to the implementation of learning from continuing education (CE) into practice. However, there is little empirical research to establish if reflection is used by health professionals, and if it is used, how it facilitates the implementation of learning from CE courses in clinical practices. Using a multi-method approach, qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from occupational therapists who participated in a CE course as they attempted to implement learning into practice. It was determined that the participant occupational therapists used reflection discriminatively. Reflection was typically used when learning was complex; the integration of basic skills into practice rarely required the use of reflection. Grounded theory method was used to generate two models explaining how reflection was used, and influences upon its use. Reflection was used prior to, during, and after participating in the CE course and was influenced by a variety of factors.
Rhodium-catalyzed coupling reactions of multisubstituted alkenes, arylsubstituted allylic amines, esters and alcohols with arylboronic acids in aqueous media

This thesis is divided into three parts. Chapter 1 gives a brief introduction to the recent discoveries of rhodium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of alkenes and alkynes with arylboronic acids in aqueous media. The initial investigations on the path to the development of an asymmetric rhodium-catalyzed coupling reaction between multisubstituted alkenes and arylboronic acids are presented in Chapter 2. Multisubstituted alkenes were to be less reactive than monoarylsubstituted ethylenes, giving low or no yield of the desired coupling products. A procedure was developed, which allowed us to overcome the problem of poor reactivity for several of the substrates. A rhodium(I) species catalyzed the coupling reaction between pyridylsubstituted alkenes and o-tolylboronic acid in water when phosphine ligands were not included in the reaction mixture. Chapter 3 describes the first examples of several novel rhodium-catalyzed allylic arylation reactions. The substrates which reacted with arylboronic acids in presence of a rhodium catalyst include: (a) allylic amines; (b) arylsubstituted allylic esters; (c) arylsubstituted allylic alcohols.
Development and validation of a computer-based sleep-scoring algorithm

A simple three-step computer-based sleep scoring system was devised for the real-time scoring of sleep-wake state in Wistar rats. EEG amplitude was measured in the following frequency bands: delta (δ; 1.5–6 Hz), theta (Θ; 6–10 Hz), alpha (α; 10.5–15 Hz), beta (β; 22–30 Hz), and gamma (γ; 35–45 Hz). EMG signals were recorded from the neck. Data were obtained using either tethers (n = 9) or telemetry (n = 4). Overall accuracy in scoring wake, NREM and REM sleep was determined to be 87.9%. An analysis was performed on the efficacy of using a pseudo-polygram to regenerate a visual signal which could be used to score sleep-wake files. The amplitudes of the five EEG frequency bands used in the sleep-scoring algorithm were used to generate three sine waves which were then superimposed and scored. The agreement between the scores obtained by visual analysis of the PPG and the original visual score was 95.3%.
Cuthbert Tunstall, humanist bishop and counsellor to Henry VIII: education and ecclesiastical patronage in Tudor England

Tunstall is an exemplar of a sixteenth-century humanist-educated scholar who, as bishop of London (1522--1530), took command of a vast patronage network and combined traditional aspects of good governance with the promotion of humanist scholars. Episcopal registers, university matriculation registers, probate wills and other printed sources unravel a complicated web of patronage under Tunstall. His policy of advancement was driven both by ideological and theological consideration as well as elements of personal affinity based on kinship, geography and friendship to ensure a loyal and effective administration. In short, Tunstall's patronage helped to elevate the careers of his clients to the highest levels of government, the church and the universities. Using the early career of Cuthbert Tunstall (c.1474--1559) as a lens, this study both demonstrates how humanist education and legal studies advanced the diplomatic and ecclesiastical careers of ambitious English clergymen and casts further light on how church patronage was used to promote Christian humanism in Tudor England. The common theme throughout this dissertation is to show how men used their learning to access patronage from the king or other influential patrons. The first three chapters underscore the importance of Tunstall's education, family and kinship in advancing his career. Tunstall's schooling at Oxford, Cambridge and Padua is also examined as it contributed to his rise at a Tudor court that was quick to notice and encourage an emerging English humanist culture. Tunstall's diplomatic and political success provided him opportunities for advancement to both ecclesiastic and secular office, as shown by his service to Henry VIII as a prominent counsellor and bishop for more than two decades. Tunstall's embassies to the Low Countries gained him diplomatic experience and deepened his relationships with famed humanists such as Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, who played such a significant role in the promotion of Christian humanism in northern Europe. This study examines Tunstall's commitment and encouragement in England to advance Erasmus's educational belief in promoting the Christian humanist programme as a way to achieve a cultural synthesis between classical and Christian values, as well as to foster the idea of a respublica Christiana, a universal society based on a joint structure of religious and political authority that unified all Europeans.
An historical study of Athenian verse epitaphs from the sixth through the fourth centuries BC

This dissertation explores the social and historical significance of Attic verse epitaphs from their appearance in the second quarter of the sixth century to the late fourth century. By examining verse epitaphs in context (both archeological and literary), the thesis assesses the way in which various strata of society commemorated the dead; it thereby permits acquaintance with a wider range of people than found in literary sources. The material under investigation consists primarily of verse epitaphs edited by P.A. Hansen in Carmina Epigraphica Graeca, with the addition of a few recent discoveries. Since this dissertation considers the archeological context of inscriptions, including the appearance of the inscription, type and location of the monument, etc., it also makes extensive use of archeological data. ...

Keywords: Epitaphs, Greece
Inscriptions, Greek, Greece
Expression analyses of members of the GTF2I gene family in Williams-Beuren syndrome

Williams-Beuren Syndrome (WBS; OMIM 194050) is a multisystem developmental disorder caused by a hemizygous deletion of 7g11.23. To assess the hypothesis that GTF2I gene family members are involved in the pathogenesis of WBS due to their haploinsufficiency, we performed expression analyses on GTF2I and related gene GTF2IRD1 using independent methodologies of RNase Protection Assay and Quantitative Reverse-Transcription Polymerase-Chain-Reaction. Expression ratios were calculated by comparing normalized gene expression levels between probands (WBS Deletion, Inversion, or Duplication Patients) and respective parental controls. GTF2I expression levels correlated well with gene copy-number in WBS Deletion and Duplication Patient(s), but were not significantly altered in WBS Inversion Patients. In contrast, GTF2IRD1 showed overall low expression levels and no obvious correlation with gene copy-number in WBS Deletion or Duplication Patient(s), and were not significantly altered in WBS Inversion Patients. These results support a role for involvement of GTF2I in the pathogenesis of WBS.
Health services for gastroesophageal reflux disease: An evaluation of the use of antireflux surgery in Ontario

The main objective of this thesis was to evaluate the utilization of antireflux surgery in Ontario from a health services perspective. First, we examined the rates of utilization and variation of antireflux surgery across the province of Ontario. Second, we assessed the accuracy of GERD-related diagnosis coding in Ontario's administrative health databases. Finally, a retrospective inception cohort of patients was created to study the determinants of antireflux surgery. Significant regional variation exists for antireflux surgery across Ontario, suggesting that antireflux surgery is a highly "discretionary" procedure. Gastrointestinal diagnostic codes are highly specific but sensitivity is poor. The most important determinant of surgery in GERD appears to be specialist enthusiasm for surgery. Rates of antireflux surgery varied by as much as 6-fold across the province of Ontario. The sensitivity and specificity for esophagitis were 46.8%, and 98.8% respectively. The variable most strongly associated with surgery was physician specialty.
The reproductive decision making process of lesbian women: a qualitative study

Previous research has examined the reproductive decision making process only within specific contexts related to the experiences of heterosexual women. The current qualitative study explores the experiences of 13 lesbian women. In the field of reproductive decision making, a focus on lesbian women is not common. The study involved semi-structured interviews. The responses were analyzed with the constant comparison method. It was found that participants considered three types of issues: general motherhood issues, issues related specifically to lesbian motherhood, and issues that had particular meaning for lesbian individuals. The actual mechanics involved with lesbian motherhood was also a consideration. Four motherhood viewpoints comprised of assumptions and desires became evident: do not want to have children at all; do not want to have children and believe that it is not possible; want children, but believe that it is not possible; and want children and believe that it is possible.

Keywords: Lesbian mothers
Lesbians, Family relationships
Lesbian mothers, Psychological aspects
Fertility, Human