VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The political economy of debt and deficit politics in Canada

This dissertation is concerned with changes in the public conceptualizations of deficit finance offered by Canada's federal government since the early 1970's. It seeks to explain how the Keynesian notion it is appropriate to run deficits to offset cyclical economic underperformance, which was very much alive in the 1970's, has been defeated such that in the conceptualizations publicly proffered since 1994, deficit finance is presented as serving no useful function. In addition to explaining this change, the dissertation is also concerned with detailing some of its effects. The argument is that a dynamic interaction of ideas and interests is the best explanation for this change. By the mid-1970's, Keynesian views were functioning in the context of a deteriorating underlying economy. Over time a new conceptualization of corporate economic interests emerged out of economic decline, and new policy responses which rationalized those interests were crafted. The Mulroney government was the vehicle for the expression of these interests. The Mulroney government failed markedly in terms of the fiscal goals it set for itself. This was because other structural reforms were prioritized over fiscal concerns, and also because persistent trace elements of Keynesian thinking continued to inhabit a dominant neoliberal economic model. However, over time, the economic restructuring in which the Mulroney government engaged, and the related recession in the early 1990's, changed the economic experience and interests of the mass public, and created the conditions for mass public support of fiscal retrenchment. When the Chrétien Liberals took office, the economic interests of citizens had been recast such that the Keynesian Welfare Stare, supported in no small part by deficits, was interpreted as protecting "special interests" and "bureaucrats" rather than the "average" citizen. As such, mass public approval for fiscal retrenchment was finally realized. Both a cause and an effect of this change in the interests of the mass public was the extinguishing from the public utterances of the federal government of any reference to the impact retrenchment might have upon economic performance. With the public end of Keynesian views regarding the value of deficit finance came the end of deficits. One result of these new conceptualizations and the accompanying retrenchment was a redefined role of the state in the economy.
Hitting the target by stochastic dynamic control

Target hitting problems (THP) in this thesis are stochastic dynamic control processes with the objective to "hit" preset targets. The THPs theoretically belong to Markov Decision Processes and are practically related to yield management. Our particular application of THP--controlling college admissions--is discussed in detail. In this thesis, THPs are referred to pursuing targets by using dynamic control on stochastic processes. THPs are formulated as dynamic programming models with integral decision space, two dimensional integral state space, and discrete objective functions. The formulation issues are discussed in Chapter 2. The problems are first tackled in Chapter 3 within the general setting: linear processing (set up) costs, different responses to current and previous decisions, and non-stationary transition probabilities. By establishing the convexity of cost-to-go function and exploring conditions and bounds for optimal decision-making, we solve the single stage models with low computational complexity. The multiple stage models are handled with heuristics. The results are integrated into algorithms, which are coded and tested. To support optimal decision with multiple stage models, we simplify THP with additional assumptions. The models in Chapter 4 are formulated with no processing (set up) costs, identical responses to current and previous decisions, and stationary transitions. The single stage models are further analyzed with the additional details. To solve the multiple stage models, we establish some partial structures for cost functions, find tight upper and lower bounds for optimal decisions, and develop efficient algorithms. In Chapter 5, we consider the case of no set-up costs and non-stationary transitions that do not depend upon previous decisions. We establish quasi-convexity on cost-to-go and value functions and explore structures for both single stage and multiple stage models. Finally, in Chapter 6, we address some issues that need to be considered in applying our models.
Solubility in ammoniacal ammonium salt solutions of copper, nickel, and cobalt components of a waste product produced at Inco's Port Colborne Cobalt Refinery

The feasibility of using different ammoniacal salt solutions, for the dissolution of the nickel, copper, and cobalt components of an industrial waste from the INCO Port Colborne, Ontario cobalt refinery was investigated. The solubilization of the components was examined for various reagents on an aged sample provided, which represents the 25 year accumulation of the waste at the facility. Several types of the waste were processed differently and then were compared to see if processing conditions affected the solubility of the different components. It was not possible to solublize all of the metals from the waste however, it was shown that the processing conditions and age of the material make a difference in the solubilities of the different components. The maximum solubilities of the unfiltered material were; copper, nickel and cobalt, 98, 88, 76 percent respectively. It was demonstrated that the three metals could be electrolyticly removed from the leachate.
Peer led health promotion in high schools, constraining and facilitating conditions experienced by young women

Currently national and provincial interest is focussed on promoting the health of children and youth. Given that children and youth spend significant amounts of time in schools, schools are important locations for health promotion initiatives. One type of health promotion initiative carried out in schools is peer led initiatives. In this thesis, I examined Fly Higher, a peer led initiative directed to promoting young women's health. I examined young women's overall experiences with this peer led initiative, and, in particular, identified constraining and facilitating conditions as they developed peer led initiatives in their schools. Naturalistic inquiry, with an emergent design was used for this investigation. McLeroy's social ecological model was a guiding conceptual framework (McLeroy, Bibeau, Steckler & Glanz, 1988). In-depth interviews with 22 youth leaders were carried out focussing on their perceptions of training and the issues relating to developing peer led initiatives: what facilitated their involvement, what constrained it, and what impact their involvement had on the youth leaders themselves and their schools. Interviews with 10 supporting adults and 12 school administrators were conducted to enhance understanding the influences of the larger school environment on youths' efforts to develop peer led initiatives. Constant comparison analysis was applied to the data. Subsequently, McLeroy's conceptual framework was used to classify constraining and facilitating conditions. The major study findings yielded two themes describing the experiences of youth involvement, and yielded the outcomes for youth and their schools. The themes were: Setting the Stage, which included recruitment and training; and Negotiating their Way, which included three processes: connecting, finding a niche, and managing a plan. The constraining and facilitating conditions to youth leaders occurred at different analytic levels of intrapersonal factors, interpersonal processes, organizational and community factors. Several youth reported personal gains and some youth reported negative consequences to their involvement. Limited impact was reported in seven schools and no impact was reported in five schools. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding the many constraining and facilitating conditions affecting the success of peer led initiatives and affirms the importance of collaborating with adult members and administrators in the school. Practice implications relate to recruitment, training, and ongoing support in schools.
Influence of cytokines on multidrug resistance transporters in human hepatoma cell lines

Overexpression of P-Glycoprotein (PGP) and Multidrug Resistance Proteins (MRP) is a principle mechanism of drug resistance. Previously our laboratory demonstrated a down-regulation in hepatic PGP expression and activity in endotoxin and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) treated rodents. We therefore examined the effect of IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-Ã on PGP and MRP expression and activity in human hepatoma cell lines, (HuH7 and HepG2). Treatment of HuH7 cells with IL-6, IL-1ß or TNF-Ã decreased the expression and activity of PGP while causing an induction of MRP3 at the level of mRNA. In HepG2 cells, PGP expression and activity was down-regulated upon IL-1ß or TNF-Ã treatments, but not with IL-6. HepG2 cells treated with IL-6 or IL-1ß also expressed higher MRP1 mRNA levels while a decrease in MRP1 and MRP3 expression was seen with TNF-Ã We conclude that these cytokines may play a role in the regulation of these transporters.
From the locus amoenus to the locus ambiguus, Sperone Speroni and the setting of Renaissance dialogue

The primary concern of this dissertation is to discuss the settings depicted in Speroni's dialogic works in terms of their significance to the literary and philosophical discourses in those writings, and their effect on the interactions of the various interlocutors. The focus is essentially on the 'editio princeps' of 1542. Some other dialogues from later editions have been included in the analysis because they share thematic or stylistic characteristics. The first chapter is dedicated to an analysis of the critical and theoretical literature on the dialogue as a literary genre. With reference to Speroni's theoretical work 'Apologia dei dialoghi' (1574), the discussion takes into consideration modern and contemporary criticism on the nature of dialogue. The aim of this review is to contextualize Speroni's 'Dialoghi ' in the Italian Renaissance. Speroni's 'Dialoghi' are also analyzed from the viewpoint of the development of the literary dialogue in the Italian Renaissance. To this end, the classical models of dialogue that were developed by various writers from the fifteenth to the sixteenth centuries are also investigated. The second chapter concentrates on the publishing history of Speroni's ' Dialoghi' from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. Critical commentary on the editions, the editors, the publishing house, and the place of publication of the dialogues is provided. There is also a lengthy section dedicated to the criticism of the 'Dialoghi' from the very first commentators to the most recent literary critics. The third chapter is dedicated more specifically to analyses of Speroni's dialogues from the 1520s to the 1540s. Speroni's adaptation of classical and earlier Renaissance dialogue forms is made evident through concentration on the influence of the settings on the development of the interlocutors' discussions and the unfolding of the discourse. The analysis leads to the conclusion that Speroni unlocks the potential contained in the works of previous dialogists and, at times, subverts their messages. He thus illustrates his belief that rhetoric and word-play lie at the basis of all human endeavours and that the unbridgeable aporia obstructs any attempt to arrive at absolute truths.
Adapting to Change in Dynamic Worlds, a Study of Higher-level Control and Key Success Factors in a Process Control Microworld

The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the key success factors in adapting to change from a fundamental and integrated point of view. To assist in studying these issues, concepts from ecological psychology, in particular coordinative structures, were utilized for the domain of process control. Rasmussen's (1985) Abstraction Hierarchy (AH) was used to model the functional structure of a process control microworld (DURESS II) and to predict the resultant behaviour if a participant utilized higher-level control. Three experiments were conducted to test predictions based on the theory using different types of perturbations: global and local component perturbations, and interface form perturbations. Two displays (P and P+F) were used in the studies, motivated by different interface design principles. There were four main findings. First, the participants who used higher-level control were able to successfully adapt to the perturbations. Second, higher-level functional and invariant information were found to be important for inducing higher-level control. Third, the existence of multiple structural degrees of freedom in the work domain was found to be a key factor in making possible and providing flexibility for higher-level control. Fourth, cognitive capabilities enhanced by experience were found to be important for higher-level control. A number of contributions resulted from this research. First, this is the first set of studies to systematically investigate: (a) coordinative structures in process control, (b) stability beyond representative conditions for DURESS II, and (c) interface form perturbations for process control. Second, this research provides support for a general ecological theory of adaptation and coordination, by discovering evidence for the same phenomenon (higher-level control) in incredibly different domains, process control with DURESS II and speech motor control. Third, this research provides insight into the benefits of Ecological Interface Design in supporting adaptation, and introduces an integrated framework that helps expand the approach. Finally, a concise and novel adaptation metric (the A-index) is proposed as a tool to help predict successful adaptation.
Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) receptor expression in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract

The gut-brain hormones, glucagon-like peptides-1 (GLP-1) and -2 (GLP-2) are synthesized from proglucagon in enteroendocrine cells and neurons, are secreted from the gut in response to nutrient ingestion and stimulate diverse actions to regulate energy homeostasis. GLP-1 and GLP-2 transduce their action through cognate membrane bound G-protein coupled receptors. GLP-2 induces trophic, anti-apoptotic and transit-modulating events in the gut, but GLP-2 action in the brain remains unexplored. To identify the components of the GLP-2/GLP-2 receptor axis in the CNS we undertook a combinatorial approach using (1) RT-PCR, (2) immunocytochemistry, and (3) transgenic models to study the expression and function of this axis in the brain in vivo. We studied the developing intestine and CNS to determine whether this axis was present and functional during periods of rapid growth and tissue development. We have described the spatial distribution of GLP-2 receptor expression throughout the adult rodent CNS, and identified 5'-regulatory sequences that confer tissue- and cell-specific expression to reporter genes in the CNS. We studied the central actions of GLP-2 on food intake, and demonstrated the satiating effects of a potent GLP-2 analogue, h[Gly2]-GLP-2. We examined the inter-relationship between central GLP-1 and GLP-2 responsive systems, and discovered functional interdependence of GLP-1R and GLP-2R signaling in the brain. In the neonatal rat intestine we detected substantial increases in the relative expression of GLP-2 and the GLP-2 receptor during gut development and demonstrated that GLP-2 is coupled to intestinal growth in the neonate. Both GLP-2 and GLP-2 receptor expression were detected in fetal and neonatal brain, and we demonstrated that cells isolated from the neonatal rat brainstem respond to GLP-2. Taken together, these studies demonstrate the functional expression of the GLP-2/GLP-2 receptor axis in the brain. Our finding of integrated GLP-1 and GLP-2 responsive neuronal systems extends current concepts of central GLP-1 and GLP-2 action and suggests new strategies for manipulating the actions of these two important regulators of energy homeostasis in the brain.
Emdogain regulation of cellular differentiation in wounded rat periodontium

Emdogain® is an enamel matrix derivative that may promote periodontal regeneration by recapitulating critical events in tooth morphogenesis. I hypothesized that Emdogain® facilitates periodontal regeneration by promoting the differentiation of cells required for the synthesis of periodontal ligament, bone and cementum. Cell differentiation was examined in a rat periodontal window wound model. Defects were filled with vehicle control or Emdogain® (3 mg/ml or 30 mg/ml). Rats were sacrificed at 7, 14 and 21 days after wounding. Specimens of periodontium were prepared for immunohistochemistry, morphometry and radioautography. Rats treated with Emdogain® (30 mg/ml) showed widening of the periodontal ligament at 7 days; by 14 and 21 days, periodontal ligament width was restored to normal values for all groups. Emdogain exerted no effect on cementum thickness, bone volume, osteoid deposition rates, or extracellular staining for osteopontin, bone sialoprotein or osteocalcin. Further, the percentage of cells with intracellular staining for osteopontin, osteocalcin or bone sialoprotein was unaffected by Emdogain®. Staining for Ã-smooth muscle actin (myofibroblast marker) was abundant in the repopulating wound but was also unaffected by Emdogain®. I conclude that Emdogain ® does not affect cell differentiation or bone matrix protein synthesis in the repopulation response of wounded rat molar periodontium.
Modelling household residential search processes, methodology and preliminary results of an original survey

A mail-back survey elicited revealed preference and stated preference data of residential search processes of households in the Greater Toronto Area. Comparison of the sample with 1991 Census data showed good representation of the mobile population. Analysis of the housing search descriptions of 293 households who moved between 1988 and 1998 revealed distinctions in search behaviour between renter and owner households, among various household types, and by search area urbanity. The behavioural premises of four search models presented are each found to have some validity, depending on the household type and the housing sub-market. The locations of key activity places are significant to most households in relocation decisions. Owner households face tighter housing supply constraints than renters and are more apt to continue searching in defined housing sub-markets. A reliable housing satisfaction measure and data describing neighbourhood characteristics are required for further modelling work.
Effect of substrate temperature on coating adhesion

An experimental study was conducted to study the effect of preheating stainless steel specimens before depositing nickel coatings with a D.C. plasma torch. Substrate temperature was varied from 25°C to 650°C. The adhesion strength and the porosity of the coating were respectively measured using a standard ASTM C 633-79 pull test and a mercury intrusion porosimeter. Coating microstructure was examined under a SEM. Oxide layer formed on the test specimens during heating was analyzed using XPS and argon ion sputtering. The adhesion strength of the coating increased from 10 MPa to 75 MPa when substrate temperature was raised from 25°C to 650°C. Heating substrate slows the solidification rate of impinging particles, allowing them to make better contact with the substrate, and also produces an oxide layer on the substrate surface which can change its thermal contact resistance and wettability. Oxide layer thickness increased with substrate temperature.
The decline of the New Democratic Party, the politics of postmaterialism or neo-liberalism?

The New Democratic Party (NDP), Canada's social democratic party, suffered a precipitate decline during the 1990s. They received an average of almost 20% of the vote during the 1980s, but gained only 7% in the vote in 1993 and 11% in 1997. This dissertation considers Inglehart's postmaterialist thesis and Lipset's declining-significance-of-class thesis as possible explanations for the NDP's decline. Lipset focuses on the decline of materialist politics whereas Inglehart focuses on the rise of a new postmaterialist politics, however both scholars argue that due to a prolonged period of peace and prosperity in the postwar years, a growing share of the population have their material needs met. In the political realm, this segment of the population has turned its attention toward postmaterialist issues such as support for the environment, minority rights, and other quality-of-life issues. The postmaterialist thesis implies that the NDP has suffered because they remain wedded to a materialist politics. However, using data from the Canadian Election Studies (1984-1997), I found that postmaterialist issues have had a modest impact in shaping people's ideological outlooks. In addition, postmaterialist issues have played a minor role in structuring recent federal elections. I trace the NDP's decline to the shift in the balance of power in Canada toward the corporate class at the expense of organized labour and "working people". The neo-liberal ideology which champions the free market and legitimizes stark social inequalities, has become hegemonic in the past decade. This ideology portrays the NDP, which maintains that the state should play a key role in the redistribution of wealth, as passé and out of touch with the realities of the global economy. As a result of these economic and ideological shifts the NDP is increasingly disadvantaged in mustering resources with which to contest elections.
Adolescent Sex Offenders, a Comparison Study of Adolescents Who Commit Only Sexual Offenses and Adolescents Who Commit Both Sexual and Non-sexual Offenses

The purpose of this study was to determine if adolescent sex offenders who commit both sexual and nonsexual offenses are a distinct subgroup from those adolescent sex offenders who commit only sexual offenses. A sample of 60 adolescent sex offenders were identified and grouped based on prior recorded charges. The sex offender plus group ('n' = 33) had sexual and nonsexual charges, and the sex offender only group (' n' = 27) had been charged with sexual offenses only. The groups were compared on interpersonal, familial, and intrapersonal characteristics. The sex offender plus group was significantly more delinquent, aggressive, and antisocial than the sex offender only group. The sex offender only group was more likely to have sexually assaulted children. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of distinguishing between the two groups with respect to treatment needs.