VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The telework mosaic: how people telework

Careful research on what teleworkers do and how is still rare. This study focuses on the work practices of teleworkers and places them in the context of work process and interpersonal relations. The results illuminate the quality and viability of telework and contribute to our understanding of two issues: the transformation of the work and remote collaboration and communication. The thesis is a qualitative case study of managerial and sales teleworkers of a large telecommunications company. The analysis examined teleworking practices in four different work processes: provisioning, forecasting, low-end and high-end sales. Twenty respondents, 12 of which teleworkers, provided in semi-structured interviews rich data on what they did, how they used technology, worked with coworkers, and restructured time and space. Differences in tasks and their organization, networks, and technology fostered variation in telework. Three major findings emerged in the analysis. First, teleworking practices and outcomes varied across contexts to the point of individualization. Second, there was a strong continuity between traditional work and telework, attesting to a shift of traditional work towards remote work. Third, the changes telework brought to the workplace were small and contradictory. Telework reproduced pre-existing control relations. Formal control procedures remain untouched while changes in the informal practices for control were minimal. The significant change was greater temporal and spatial flexibility but the gains were not dramatic and were often countered by longer working hours. The potential of telework to improve the workplace was contingent on structural and individual conditions. Teleworkers continued to rely on mediated and face-to-face communication although their balance changed. Strong sociable relations and collaborative practices survived the change of interactions, helped by stable interpersonal relations and formal procedures. Telework truly disrupted only spontaneous face-to-face contacts. This raised concerns about the viability of the workplace processes, based on such interactions, and the opportunities for development of new strong relations in telework. The study calls for re-conceptulizing of telework: from a uniform phenomenon to a mosaic of different experiences; from independent work to collaborative work embedded in interpersonal relations; from an antipode to a complementary option of the traditional workplace.
Female same-sex partner abuse: perceptions and experiences of women

Partner abuse is a serious and much-studied issue in our society. Using a postmodern feminist theoretical approach, this research examined the characteristics of female same-sex abuse with twenty-six women with self-reported histories of same-sex abuse. The study used quantitative and qualitative methods, and explored participants' attitudes towards their own abuse, and the supports and services they accessed. The most important finding from this study is that the dominant theory of abuse, traditional feminism, is not a sufficient theoretical foundation through which female same-sex partner abuse can be understood. The postmodern framework is better able to help in developing our understanding of same-sex partner abuse. Traditional views focus on gender and power to explain abuse, and suggest that abusers are the people in relationships who have the most power and cultural capital. This study shows that the person with the most power, whether that be physical, social, or economic power, is not necessarily the abuser. Challenging beliefs based on the traditional binary oppositions results in refraining the abuse and forces friends, support and service providers, and the community to resist the urge to rely on faulty assumptions. Given the unique issues with female same-sex partner abuse, practical considerations for therapy were developed based on the impressions, opinions, and experiences of the women who participated in the study. Considerations include the need to be aware that female same-sex abuse includes the same range of mild to severe acts of violence as seen with heterosexual couples. The importance of assessing a woman's current interactions with her abuser, assessing her safety, and respecting what may be mixed feelings towards her abuser was also emphasized as a concern. Many women reported therapy experiences where the therapists either dismissed or minimized abuse between two women, thus one of the biggest challenges facing service providers is putting aside their assumptions and biases and listening to women's narratives of abuse. The findings overall provide useful information and a resource for the treatment of women who have been abused in a female same-sex relationship, and this study also lends knowledge and insight into the field overall.
Ultrasonic wave measurement through cement paste backfill

Measurement of ultrasonic wave propagation velocities can be used to determine dynamic small-strain engineering moduli. It is proposed that ultrasonic wave propagation be used to non-destructively observe curing in cemented paste backfill (CPB) during volume change testing under triaxial load. The GCTS ultrasonic system to be used in the analysis of CPB is introduced and investigated. It is found that the GCTS system varies significantly from two other reference systems, and that the limitations as demonstrated here may prevent the testing of CPB with this system. Steel, aluminum, rock, clay, tailings, and CPB are tested using the GCTS system. S waves are observed to be convolved, impairing the determination of the small-strain shear modulus in curing CPB. Recommendations are made on testing procedures using the GCTS system and for further testing that may lead to the objective of testing CPB for volume change during hydration while monitoring hydration.
Political change and environmental policymaking in Mexico

Taking the policymaking process as a vehicle to understanding political change in Mexico, and based on the results of filed research presented here, this dissertation advances the thesis that environmental policymaking during the administration of Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon (1994--2000) was a partially open process as it incorporated the demands of some societal actors and it involved the active participation of Members of Congress. This points to a departure from the traditional exclusionary decision and policymaking practices that characterized traditional PRI rule and which were reinforced in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In part, the opening of the process has followed the strengthening of the environmental movement. However, the openness of the policy process was not equally accessed by the actors given that the private sector was able to have privileged access through informal mechanisms. This points to further entrenchment of the specialized and non-transparent channels of access the private sector has had during the process of political change in Mexico. Environmental policymaking was also characterized by the continued exclusion of groups, such as indigenous organizations, as they were effectively left out of the process. This study also attempts to show, through an analysis of the implementation of forestry policy in the Selva Lacandona of Chiapas, that there was a gap between the formulation and implementation of environmental policy. This gap is the result of a series of obstacles that environmental institutions face to implement policy fully, obstacles that stem mostly from the socio-economic exclusion the majority of the population experience as well as entrenched power structures. Essentially, it appears that forestry policy is inadequate to solve the problem of deforestation in the state.
The molecular progression from retina through retinoma to retinoblastoma and the role of the p75(NTR) neurotrophin receptor

Retinoblastoma, a childhood cancer of the retina, is initiated by the loss of RB1; genomic gains of oncogenes (KIF14, DEK, E2F3, MYCN) and loss of tumor suppressor genes (CDH11) are essential for malignant progression. These genes are not involved in apoptosis, the disruption of which is thought to be a hallmark of tumorigenesis. A gene that may play such a role is p75NTR, which functions in retinal apoptosis. Retinoma, a benign retinal tumor, is also associated with mutation of RB1, however it is unknown if its development requires additional somatic inactivation of the second RB1 allele or additional disruption of the downstream retinoblastoma-associated candidate genes. In this thesis, I looked at a potential role for p75NTR in retinoblastoma and retinoma development, and analyzed the status of RB1 in retinoma. Retinoma results after complete RB1 loss, but prior to p75NTR loss, evident only in retinoblastoma. Unlike retina or retinoblastoma, retinoma expresses senescence marker p16 INK4a. Expression of candidate retinoblastoma oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes is not similarly altered in retinoma. Early, but not advanced, tumors from the TAg-RB murine retinoblastoma model expressed p75NTR, which was also correlated with expression of apoptosis marker activated caspase-3. A retinoblastoma model that lacked p75NTR at the onset of TAg-RB development displayed lager tumor area at equivalent stages as the TAg-RB mouse, presumably due to a decrease in apoptosis during the early stages of tumor development. In conclusion, retinoma is a senescent RB1-/- precursor to retinoblastoma, only progressing to full retinoblastoma after the disruption p75NTR and senescence, leading to the subsequent specific changes highlighted in this study.
Towards a microfluidic nucleic acid biosensor: use of photochemistry for immobilization of a density gradient of probes

A class of photolabile protecting groups, namely nitrobenzyl derivatives were investigated for the purpose of finding a suitable reactive coupling group to be used in the manufacture of slides for the development of a microfluidic nucleic acid biosensor. The ideal photolabile protecting group would enable quantitative control of the covalent immobilization chemistry used for attachment of nucleic acid probes on the biosensor surface. Nitrobenzyl bromide, a nitrobenzyl-ether olefin siloxane and a nitrobenzyl-ester olefin siloxane were the systems of study. While the three systems all could provide for covalent coupling, none provided sufficient control to permit practical and reproducible applications in the development of the biosensor. With respect to the nitrobenzyl bromide system, the stoichometry could not be controlled and the extreme water sensitivity was a problem. The ether and ester systems required excessive deprotection reaction time, even when exposed to intense UV radiation and did not exhibit sufficient reproducibility.
A comparative oral history study of the learning experiences of World War II and Afghan War survivors

This dissertation presents the findings of a comparative oral history study of twenty-seven learner experiences of education in two complex emergencies—World War II and post-1979 Afghanistan. Built around an oral history methodology, the study contributes to the developing research practice on education in emergency situations. The dissertation begins with a review of the literature on emergency education, which identifies a gap of learner experience expressed in or contributing to the discourse. Each of the case studies describes curriculum experiences in these war environments focusing on learner experiences of school and classroom routine, materials, teachers and teaching methods in both formal and non-formal learning including using primary, secondary, post-secondary, apprenticeship, paid work as learning environments. The analysis within and between the cases brings forth crucial similarities and differences in five analytical categories which arose through the transcripts, but which also match discussion in the existing literature: maintenance, adaptation, resilience, politicization/resistance, and identity. The tensions that arise between the five themes offer an unresolved sense of normalcy and chaos as central to the image of learning in emergencies. The small size of the participant base, while offering a rich opportunity for the gathering of detailed histories, did not lend itself to applying the outcomes rigorously to existing policy and program reports or theoretical treatises. The dissertation therefore concludes with recommendations for expanding the scope of research through the use of oral history in further comparative studies on education in complex emergencies. Recommendations include expanding research on these two case studies, the permanent archiving of recorded oral histories for use by others, more research on learner experience in different cases to build knowledge and further develop the five characteristics, using the outcomes of the research to influence the development of emergency education curriculum theory, education in emergencies policy and program development.
Characterizing paper coating structure using scanning probe microscopy

A methodology combining high resolution scanning probe microscopy and image analysis was developed to visualize and quantify the spatial arrangement of paper coating components in cross sections of model coatings. Latex distributions were obtained from pulsed force mode AFM adhesion maps, and pore structures were measured from contact mode AFM topography maps. The coating layer thickness was determined from thermal conductivity maps acquired by microthermal analysis. A set of laboratory coated samples including pigments with various particle sizes and particle size distributions were examined using the methodology. It was found that the porosity and average pore size in the coatings are positively correlated to the average pigment size. Similarly, the average binder area fraction in the cross section of the coating depends on the pigment packing ability, even in the absence of binder migration, resulting in latex distributions with different degrees of uniformity.
Pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus infection: the effect of the HBx protein from HBV on cell survival an death

Human hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of several agents causing infectious hepatitis, which can lead to the development of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV-related HCC is among the top 10 most frequent cancers throughout the world. More than 400 million people worldwide are chronically infected with this virus. Currently, no effective treatment is available for those with established HBV infections, despite the recent development of a recombinant vaccine for protecting previously unexposed individuals. The exact molecular events involved in HBV-related liver carcinogenesis remain to be elucidated. A viral protein, the HBx protein from HBV has been implicated in the liver carcinogenesis after HBV infection. The work presented in this thesis explores the mechanism of HBx's involvement in liver cancer, focusing on its effect on apoptosis and its interaction with cellular signaling pathways. Experiments demonstrated that cell apoptosis caused by anti-Fas antibodies and serum deprivation can be blocked by the expression of the HBx protein. However, fibroblasts that are SEK1 deficient still undergo Fas-mediated apoptosis whether or not the viral protein is present. Under low serum condition, cells treated with PI3-K inhibitor lose the survival advantage provided by the HBx protein. Therefore, it is suggested that interactions with SEK1-dependent pathway and PI3K-dependent pathway are responsible for the effect of the HBx protein on Fas-mediated apoptosis and serum-starvation-mediated apoptosis, respectively. Experiments further demonstrated that the HBx protein interacts with SEK1-dependent SAPK and PI3K-PKB signaling pathway and enhances the SAPK and PKB activities, which contribute to the protective effects of the HBx protein on cells under specific apoptotic stimuli. Lastly, interaction of the HBx protein with the components in the apoptotic pathway was also studied. Results show that the HBx protein targets the apoptotic pathway, perhaps mainly by locating on the mitochondria and cooperating with an anti-apoptotic molecule Bcl-XL. Generally, data presented in this thesis indicates that the HBx protein can be involved in the multiple regulatory steps in survival and death signaling. HBx protein is thus suggested to be a multifunctional viral regulator strongly implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis.
Information and communication policy development in higher education: a case study of the vice-president's Task Force on Information Technology (TFIT) at Brock University

Increasingly, university administrations across North America are looking at Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a way to address a variety of institutional problems such as rapidly increasing student enrolments, declining or drastically limited human and financial resources, and increased global competition for higher education services. At the same time Information and Communication Technology is presented in the media, and perceived by the general public, as a means for universities to accommodate the access and learning needs of a growing, diverse and technologically sophisticated learner population. Realizing either of these views of ICT requires continuous research, planning and the development of strategic policy initiatives all of which have tended to lag behind the purchase and implementation of technology at many higher education institutions. This study represents an insider's view of the policy research and planning process for Information and Communication at Brock University in Ontario, Canada. The insider perspective was achieved through semi-structured interviews with a group of faculty and staff working as a Vice Presidential Task Force on Information Technology (TFIT) at the university. The researcher, was a participant-observer on the committee, and as such was well positioned to continent on the nature and meaning of the processes and outcomes of the group's work. This study examined and interpreted the process and implications of one higher education institution's ICT policy research and development efforts from the perspective of those individuals engaged in that process. Their experiences and informed perceptions, insights and recommendations offer a starting point for further examination of how the process of policy development for ICT in higher education can, or should be, managed in an increasingly complex higher education environment.

Keywords: Education, Higher, Data processing
Information technology
Colonialism: acculturation and resistance in Travancore, late nineteenth century South India

This thesis explores acculturation and resistance to British colonial ideology in the identity formation of indigenous elite in the "princely state" of Travancore in South India at the end of nineteenth century. The category "caste" shifted in this period from a passive term associated solely with religion to a term that could manifest political power and identity in society. Notions of gender, race, and class played an important role in this transformative process. Connected to this was a group of elite, English-educated, middle class men that organized themselves under "Nair caste" and attempted to gain hegemony in the cultural realm. They attempted to recreate their identity and their relationship to society in the areas of history, law, and vernacular print capitalism. The development of a gendered public sphere aided, shaped, and was a catalyst for this reconceptualization of society and group identity during this time period.

Keywords: Middle class, History
Middle class, India
Acculturation, History
Acculturation, India
A haptic force feedback device for VR-fMRI experiments

Neurological damage resulting from stroke often leads to hand impairment called "paresis". Current strategies for assessment and rehabilitation of hand paresis are simplistic and have limited effect on recovery. Simulation of real-world tasks using virtual reality (VR) and measurement of associated neural activity by functional magnetic resonance imaging (tMRI) have potential utility in research and clinical stroke applications. However, development of fMRI-compatible sensory feedback technology is required. This thesis describes initial development of a force feedback device for VR-fMRI. Experiments validated device performance in terms of force output, interaction bandwidth, transmission delay, and fMRI-compatibility. A subsequent VR-fMRI experiment involved six participants touching a virtual object. This experiment verified modulation of brain activity with force feedback vs. no force feedback in VR. Accordingly, this device may facilitate further experiments to clarify the effect of haptics in VR, and may be adapted for characterizing brain function and behaviour associated with hand paresis.
Coating formation by sequential impact of molten tin droplets

This research examines formation of coatings by sequential impact of molten tin droplets (550 μm) on a solid substrate, and analyzes key parameters affecting coating properties by photographing deformations of droplets as they land and freeze on the substrate. The photographs show that the shape of flattened droplets, or splats, changes significantly when key parameters such as the substrate temperature, droplet impact velocity and substrate roughness are varied. Droplets hitting a cold substrate splash extensively whereas those impacting a hot substrate spread into a smooth disc. The substrate temperature at which this transition occurs is predicted well with a simple analytical model. Adhesion of splats increases with impact velocity, surface roughness and substrate temperature. SEM images of coating cross-sections reveal poor adhesion with the substrate at low impact velocities and substrate temperature. Increasing substrate temperature and impact velocity improves the cohesion as well as adhesion of the coatings significantly.
Development and application of a novel CD19/thymidylate kinase fusion 'cell fate control' gene

Gene therapy using integrating vectors is a promising approach to provide lifelong cures for many disorders. However, oncogenesis as a result of insertional mutagenesis has been observed in a small number of gene therapy clinical trials. One approach to increase the safety of integrating vectors is to include in the vector a safety cassette that enables the selective elimination of transduced cells should an adverse event occur. A lentiviral vector (LV) engineered to express truncated human CD19 (CD19A) fused to a mutant suicide or 'cell fate control' gene (TmpkF105YR200A) was constructed. Transduced cells were selectively killed when treated with the prodrug AZT, or HD37-SMPT-dgA immunotoxin. Another LV engineered to express alpha-galactosidase A and containing this novel dual cell fate control element was constructed and provided enzymatic correction in transduced Fabry cells. These results demonstrate the potential of this safety cassette to increase the safety of gene therapy vectors.