VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Remote sensing for monitoring of wildlife habitat: lesser snow geese and sub-Arctic coastal marshes

Human environmental impact has occurred on a global scale. Effective management of problems occurring over broad regions requires monitoring and intervention over large extents of space and time. Remote sensing provides an attractive data source, particularly as satellite data have been consistently collected over both space and time and present a readily available, inexpensive archive. At best, however, remote sensing provides proxy data for the underlying variables of interest. Here remotely sensed data are used to measure habitat degradation at a lesser snow goose colony. An increase in goose numbers has led to a loss of forage vegetation in the arctic and sub-arctic marshes where the geese nest and raise their young. In particular, isostatic rebound has generated extensive coastal marshes along the west coast of Hudson Bay, and lesser snow geese colonized such a marsh at La Perouse Bay in the late 1950's. This well-studied colony is used to assess the feasibility of mapping decadal change with Landsat imagery. A baseline map is developed using satellite data, aerial photography, and a knowledge of vegetation dynamics at the site. Calibration equations, relating the quantity of above-ground vegetation and its reflectance, are developed using cross-validation and goodness-of-prediction measures for field data collected on-site. To detect changes in vegetation state, tree-classification and cross-validation were applied to ground data. Using satellite imagery, changes in vegetation quantity and type could be detected against a background of mineral soil, but not against a background of mosses. Even in this site with low topographic variability, few species and few strong driving forces (i.e. isostatic rebound and herbivory), multiple change trajectories are possible. As different trajectories have different influences on both the reflectance of the surface and the expected behaviour and functioning of the system, each must be accounted for separately. Failure to recognize multiple trajectories may generate misleading results.
Adapting to changing workscapes: exploring the experiences of people making adjustments to changing work situations

At the beginning of the 2000s a rapidly changing work climate has become standard in North America. The work stage has become fluid for a variety of reasons: the Internet has had an impact on all sectors, particularly on broadcasting, commerce, communication, education, finance and health care; many public institutions are merging in order to cut costs, and most corporations are affected by technological changes and globalization. This study seeks to identify key characteristics of people who have successfully navigated the current work environment. The study uses a qualitative methodology involving interviews over a two-year period with six study participants and six co-participants. It is about learning, ingenuity and growth. The findings indicate that the participants are socially and emotionally aware, project a confident, healthy image, have a strong set of values, and are sensitive to their own and others' needs. They are creative problem-solvers and active learners. The participants are members of familial, social and professional networks, are open and available emotionally to their families, friends and co-workers and are willing to judiciously share thoughts and feelings. The participants are all highly skilled in their areas of expertise and continue to seek learning to stay current. The study participants have experienced challenging situations, yet they maintain a positive attitude towards their work lives. They admit feeling fear when confronted by threatening work situations, but they do not allow fear to paralyze them; instead, they deal with the situation with strength, charm and wisdom. Overall, they approach their work situations as creative not reactive endeavours. The study found that each participant shares a set of competencies, values and attitudes which make up a WHOLE profile: The participants' WHOLE profiles are unique and fit into personal, spiritual, learner/thinker and social spheres. The implications of this study suggest that change is successfully handled by people who have balanced personality aspects. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Keywords: Organizational change, Psychological aspects
Employees, Attitudes
Adjustment (Psychology)
Reading Canada biblically: A study of biblical allusion and the construction of nation in contemporary Canadian writing [Thomas King, Yann Martel, Rohinton Mistry, Michael Ondaatje]

The juxtaposition of these writers and their allusions reveals a trend, wherein the nationalist vision of the thematic critics is reflected in an affinity for the biblical paradigm---construed as a narrative of paradise lost and regained---while the ambivalent allusions of contemporary novelists complicate this vision. Chapter Two explores the manner in which Thomas King's novel undermines the creation (and ongoing existence) of Canada by drawing attention to the First Nations who predate the arrival of colonizers and critics with their national dreams (such as D.G. Jones's Edenic vision). Chapter Three contrasts Yann Martel's hyperbolic praise of Canadian multiculturalism with the depiction, in Life of Pi, of the ongoing struggle for cultural survival within the nation, in comparison to Margaret Atwood's identification of the threat from without. Chapter Four explores the extent to which immigrants participate in the incarnation of what Northrop Frye called the Messiah of Canadian culture through an analysis of Rohinton Mistry's writing. Chapter Five considers the continuing influence of models of artistic truth akin to Dennis Lee's civil authenticity by exploring the ethical dimension of Anil's Ghost and its reception. This is a study of the use of biblical allusion by Canadian thematic critics of the 1960s and '70s and by Canadian novelists writing in the 1990s and following. It examines the manner in which Canada has been constructed through such allusions over the last four decades. In doing this it addresses, from a new perspective, several issues that have long been relevant to the study of literature in Canada, including the definition of "Canadian" and the related importance of nationalism. The argument is ordered around four central biblical events (Creation, the Deluge, the Incarnation, and the Crucifixion) and the related concerns of the creation of Canada, cultural survival against the deluge from elsewhere, the Messiah of Canadian culture, and the writer's relation to the social body. The texts considered include writings of critics D.G. Jones, Northrop Frye, Margaret Atwood, and Dennis Lee, and these more recent novels: Thomas King's Green Grass, Running Water, Yann Martel's Life of Pi, Rohinton Mistry's Such a Long Journey, and Michael Ondaatje's Anil's Ghost.
Kernal support for redundant execution on multiprocessor systems

Redundant execution systems increase computer system reliability and security by simultaneously running multiple replicas of an application and comparing their outputs. Currently, no redundant execution system can account for the non-determinism that occurs when multi-threaded applications execute on multiprocessors, making such systems ineffective on the very hardware that could benefit them most. This thesis is part of a larger project called Replicant where we explore a fundamentally different approach to redundant execution. Rather than requiring the execution of the replicas to be identical, Replicant permits replicas to diverge and only makes outputs that a majority of application replicas agree upon externally visible. Output value divergences are suppressed using determinism annotations, where needed, at some performance cost. This removes a great deal of synchronization among replicas and improves performance. This thesis focuses on the mechanisms that support redundant execution and handle non-determinism in order. We implemented and evaluated a 2-replica prototype.
Consumer and pharmacist perspectives on the professional responsibilities of pharmacists with respect to natural health products

Natural health products (NHPs) are widely available in pharmacies. The study objective was to explore consumer and pharmacist perspectives on pharmacists' professional responsibilities with respect to NHPs. Sixteen focus groups with consumers (n=50) and pharmacists (n=47) were held in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, and Halifax. The rise of consumerism appears to have an impact on the participants' perceptions. Many consumers in the study displayed characteristics of the 'new consumer' and utilized a wide range of information resources that may or may not include pharmacists. Nevertheless, the majority of consumers agreed that pharmacists should be knowledgeable about NHPs who could help them to identify and assess the range of information available to make informed decisions as well as to manage drug-NHPs interactions. This research demonstrates that the 'new consumer of health care' may contribute to shaping the pharmacists' role.
Adapting instruction: general educator's responses to variability in the academic ability of their students

The main purposes of this study were threefold: to investigate the range of student academic and behavioural ability in general education classrooms; to examine the level of instructional adaptation provided by teachers; and to explore the relationships between a set of teacher variables and the amount of adaptive instruction teachers are making in response to the range of student learning needs. Twenty-nine teachers and 451 students from schools in southern Ontario participated in the study. Teachers described the level of students' academic ability, and acceptable behaviour as well as the level of instructional adaptations they provided their students. Measures of effective teaching behaviours, teacher attitudes and beliefs and teaching efficacy were also obtained. Results indicated that there is a diverse range of student ability and behaviour present in classrooms and also that teachers are exhibiting more curricular adaptations in response to greater variability of student academic ability.

Keywords: Teaching, Instructions and study
Ability, Testing
Students, Rating of
Academic achievement
La semantique de la perception dans la poesie d'Arnaut Daniel

Arnaut Daniel a une rp̌utation de poẗe difficile, dont le style, le trobar clus, est compris par les initiš. Puisque l'originalit ̌du poẗe dp̌asse le niveau de la surface, comme le soutient avec raison Martin de Riquer, l'oeuvre d'Arnaut Daniel se prt̊e ̉une ťude sm̌antique approfondie. Nous avons choisi de nous appuyer, ̉ce propos, sur la relation entre la perception sensorielle et le langage poťique arnoldien. Par ce travail nous cherchons ̉relever la manir̈e poťique par laquelle le corporel et l'expřientiel modl̈ent la pensě et l'expression artistique d'Arnaut Daniel pour df̌inir l'amour, la chanson et le moi poťique. Le but de cette ťude est essentiellement d'interprťer les conversions du sensoriel dans la crǎtion; de tenter d'ťablir et de hiřarchiser les rl̥es ňergťiques du corporel dans le processus crǎtif poťique et de saisir l'm̌ergence de l'identit ̌subjective de l'črivain. La pršente recherche mettra en lumir̈e des aspects nǧligš de la pošie d'Arnaut Daniel tout en rv̌ľant de nouvelles significations dans ses vers. ...
A preliminary study of the redox behaviour of Fe(III)-S(IV)-O2(aq) system

4 The Eh behaviour of the Fe(III)-S(IV)-O2(aq) system was investigated in batch-mix and semi-batch reactors at 60°C under various [Fe(III)], [S(IV)], pH, [Glucose] and mixing conditions. Batch-mix experiments showed that Eh could attain the plus-1300 mV levels only when Fe(III), S(IV) and O2(aq) were all present. Furthermore, it seemed that Eh could be manipulated reversibly between the plus-1300 mV (hyper-Eh) and the sub-900 mV (hypo-Eh) levels by addition of S(IV) in different amounts and frequencies. Results from experiments varying [Fe(III)], [S(IV)] and mixing condition together demonstrated that the local [S(IV)]/[Fe(III)] was critical to the response of the system Eh. Stepwise S(IV) addition experiments showed that the hyper-Eh levels could be achieved at [S(IV)]o/[Fe(III)] less than 1. Glucose was found to exhibit a suppressive effect on the system Eh. The results from the semi-batch experiments showed trends consistent with those observed in the batch-mix experiments and the findings in previous studies.
Alginate in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms: Barrier to cationic antimicrobial peptides

The majority of bacteria in the natural environment exist as biofilms that linger on surfaces even under rigorous antibiotic treatment. Biofilms are enclosed within an exopolymeric substance (EPS) that restricts the diffusion of large and small molecules, an underlying factor to antibiotic resistance in biofilms. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the forces involved in the interaction of alpha-helical cationic antimicrobial peptides and the Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm EPS alginate. These peptides are unique in their ability to permeate bacterial cells by spontaneously inserting into the membrane to form pores likely consisting of alpha-helical bundles. However, the presence of alginate alone is often sufficient to induce, perhaps prematurely, alpha-helix conformation in these peptides and compete for their interaction with membranes. Our results suggest that the reduced transport of cationic antimicrobial peptides in the presence of alginate involves a certain balance between hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic interactions.
General anti-avoidance rules: an analysis from the perspective of the rule of law

This thesis analyses the operation of the general anti-avoidance statutory rules and doctrines from the perspective of their compliance with the principle of the Rule of Law. The main question that it will try to answer is what characteristics these rules and doctrines should have in order to control tax avoidance in a manner that is compatible with the principle of the Rule of Law. For this purpose, this thesis will take the following approach. First, it will explain the causes of tax avoidance and why the legal mechanisms directed to attack it are in tension with the principle of the Rule of Law. Second, it will propose a relatively straightforward concept of the Rule of Law in order to test the different judicial and statutory anti-avoidance mechanisms. Third, it will analyze the consistency of those mechanisms with the proposed concept of the Rule of Law. And finally, it will explain what characteristics a general anti-avoidance model should have to comply with the principle of the Rule of Law and it will show why a statutory model of general anti-avoidance rules is required for that purpose. General anti-avoidance statutory rules and judicial doctrines are designed to control any transaction that escapes taxation and is incompatible with the tax policies implemented by the relevant tax statutes. For this purpose, these rules and doctrines define what counts as an avoidance transaction in extremely wide and generic terms. In consequence, the application of these provisions to concrete cases demands important interpretative efforts and, for the same reason, creates significant space for judicial and administrative discretion.

Keywords: Rule of law
Tax evasion
Peering down the quantum well: the inner workings of diode lasers revealed through voltage nanoscopy

What can be learned of the inner workings of semiconductor lasers using properly-interpreted voltage probing with nanometer resolution?This work makes three contributions. (1) A model is developed to understand the measured quantity of a nanoscopic potential probe placed on a nonequilibrium semiconductor. Governing quantities deep within the device are revealed by voltage probing the surface. (2) The probe-sample interface is investigated experimentally and theoretically to optimize SVM measurements and ensure they are accurate and reproducible. Artifact-free voltage scans of semiconductor devices in operation are obtained at the spatial resolution limit. (3) SVM is applied to directly image parasitic power dissipation at the p-type contact in state-of-the-art quantum well lasers. Previously, such dissipation could only be inferred though experiments on test structures that do not represent actual diode lasers. To address this question, nanoscopic voltage probing is employed. Scanning voltage microscopy (SVM) reveals directly the potential profiles of actively-driven devices, combining high-impedance potentiometry with spatial profiling of atomic force microscopy. This work quantifies both the measured potential and the method used to acquire it, peering directly into the inner workings of semiconductor lasers.
Informed consent in medical malpractice litigation in Canada and Japan

The doctrine of informed consent in medical law is increasingly becoming more important in modern society due in part to more sophisticated diagnostic and surgical techniques. The doctrine should both encourage a patient's right of self-determination, which is fundamental and significant in modern societies, and provide practicing doctors with clear and appropriate guidelines. We must achieve these goals simultaneously. In order to do that, we must treat a lot of issues on the doctrine in an integrated and consistent manner. Some of them that arise include the information that should be disclosed to patients, valid exceptions to the doctrine of informed consent, and causation. These issues are examined with a proposal to develop a balanced model of doctor-patient relations and an informed consent doctrine that encourages the patient's right of self-determination, offers clear and proper guidelines for doctors, and eventually improves the quality of medical service.
Fitting in/activity: a qualitative exploration of second-generation Indo-Canadian adolescent girls and their gendered bodies in physical activity

Some literature has correlated declines in physical activity participation to increases in body dissatisfaction. Gendered body awareness, body dissatisfaction, and physical activity in Indo-Canadian adolescent girls remain absent in the literature. Employing feminist postcolonial and relational theories, this qualitative study explored social factors influencing the gendered body awareness and physical activity experiences and participation of eight, middle-class, able-bodied, Hindu, Indo-Canadian adolescent girls. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews. What remained unique in this group of girls was their lack of desire to be identified as 'Indian girls' while faced with the inescapability of the gendered and racialized signifiers on their bodies. As a result, the participants tried to actively and creatively devise ways to fit, resist, cope, and respond to expectations from both Hindu Indian and Canadian social and cultural influences while managing their position in their relationships with family, friends, and peers at school and in the community.
Reversible control of peptide structure and activity by an azobenzene photo-switch

Photo-regulatable protein “switches” could be applied to a wide variety of systems and would provide a powerful tool for probing biological function without removing the protein from its native environment. Our approach has been to chemically synthesize photo-isomerizable cross-linking reagents and then use these to reversibly alter the three dimensional structure of a target protein. A bifunctional iodoacetamide derivative of azobenzene was synthesized, characterized and used to intramolecularly cross-link two cysteine residues in a variety of engineered peptides. Reversible photo-control of peptide secondary structure in systems with cysteine spacings of (i, i+7), (i, i+4) and (i, i+11) and with a variety of different amino acids located between the cysteines (positions i+3,1+4) were studied. Photo-isomerization of the azobenzene group altered the peptide's helicity in the predicted direction. In the (i, i+7)Cys and (i, i+4)Cys peptides, the trans conformation was disordered whereas the cis conformation was predominantly helical. In the (i, i+11)Cys peptide, the trans resulted in a stable helical structure and the cis conformation was disordered. This photo-isomerizable cross-linking strategy was then applied to the GCN4-bZIP fragment of the yeast transcriptional activator, GCN4. GCN4-bZIP contains a leucine zipper segment and a DNA binding segment. The cross-linker was successfully introduced into the 33 residue leucine zipper segment and the 58 residue GCN4-bZIP fragment. Circular dichroism analysis for both systems demonstrated an increase in helical character upon isomerization, and DNA binding activity of cross-linked GCN4-bZIP is destabilized (relative to the uncross-linked peptide), in the trans conformation, while in the cis conformation, DNA binding increases (to binding similar or slightly higher than uncross-linked peptide). We have thus successfully designed a photo-controlled DNA transcription factor.
Conceptualizations and aesthetics

The aim of this thesis is two-fold: To explore education through the lens of aesthetics and critical theory, and to bring forth new ways of approaching and understanding the arts and philosophy. By embracing unconventional models of though and models of multiplicity and expression, we can gain access to diverse and rich knowledge that compliments and expands out understanding of ourselves and reality. These are qualities of life that can only be understood through aesthetic contemplation. To me, nothing is more beautiful or profound than the creation of new ideas, whether in the form of science or art, as progress is about new inventions. After all, not every idea is reducible to a mathematical quantification. Using aesthetics, philosophical and critical theory, I will explore the implications of this approach and its meaning for the individual and society.

Keywords: Aesthetics
Philosophy
Critical theory
Arts, Study and teaching
Education