VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Discriminant learning for face recognition

An issue of paramount importance in the development of a cost-effective face recognition (FR) system is the determination of low-dimensional, intrinsic face feature representation with enhanced discriminatory power. It is well-known that the distribution of face images, under a perceivable variation in viewpoint, illumination or facial expression, is highly non convex and complex. In addition, the number of available training samples is usually much smaller than the dimensionality of the sample space, resulting in the well documented "small sample size" (SSS) problem. It is therefore not surprising that traditional linear feature extraction techniques, such as Principal Component Analysis, often fail to provide reliable and robust solutions to FR problems under realistic application scenarios. In this research, pattern recognition methods are integrated with emerging machine learning approaches, such as kernel and boosting methods, in an attempt to overcome the technical limitations of existing FR methods. To this end, a simple but cost-effective linear discriminant learning method is first introduced. The method is proven to be robust against the SSS problem. Next, the linear solution is integrated together with Bayes classification theory, resulting in a more general quadratic discriminant learning method. The assumption behind both the linear and quadratic solutions is that face patterns under learning are subject to Gaussian distributions. To break through the limitation, a globally nonlinear discriminant learning algorithm was then developed by utilizing kernel machines to kernelize the proposed linear solution. In addition, two ensemble-based discriminant learning algorithms are introduced to address not only nonlinear but also large-scale FR problems often encountered in practice. The first one is based on the cluster analysis concept with a novel separability criterion instead of traditional similarity criterion employed in such methods as K-means. The second one is a novel boosting-based learning method developed by incorporating the proposed linear discriminant solution into an improved AdaBoost framework. Extensive experimentation using well-known data sets such as the ORL, UMIST and FERET databases was carried out to demonstrate the performance of all the methods presented in this thesis.
An investigation of skin-type antifreeze proteins in North Atlantic sculpins and flounders

Several species of marine teleosts that inhabit ice-laden seawaters produce antifreeze (glyco)proteins (AF(G)Ps), which have been classified into five classes (AFPs type I to IV, and AFGPs) based on biochemical characteristics. The type I AFPs are partially amphipathic, single α-helices that are rich in Ala. Almost all previously characterized AF(G)Ps are extracellular proteins that were isolated from the blood plasma, and are, or are assumed to be, liver-derived proteins (liver-type AFPs). However, in the winter flounder, Pleuronectes americanus, which produces type I, liver-type AFPs (wflAFPs), a new sub-class of type I AFPs, the skin-type AFPs (wfsAFPs), has been identified. The wfsAFPs are widely expressed as mature intracellular polypeptides, and have approximately half the activity of wfIAFPs. Previously, it was proposed that the incomplete IBMs of wfsAFPs, ATAAA, versus complete IBMs of wfIAFPs, LTAAN resulted in the lower activity of wfsAFPs. This study has determined that the shorthorn sculpin, Myoxocephalus scorpius, and the longhorn sculpin, Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus, also produce intracellular type I AFP, skin-type AFPs. Skin-type AFPs were isolated and cloned from both species and were found to be homologues due to similarities in the untranslated regions, although the shorthorn sculpin skin-type AFP (sssAFP-2) was atypical in both length and sequence. At 92 residues, sssAFP-2 would be the largest known naturally occurring type I AFP and it appears to lack the repeated 11-residue motifs commonly found in type I AFPs. Assay of a recombinant protein based on sssAFP-2 determined that it was a highly active AFP. The longhorn sculpin skin-type AFP, IssAFP, was a more typical type I AFP, and investigation of a recombinant protein determined that it has activity levels comparable to wfsAFPs. It was further determined that for winter flounder AFPs, the helix termini are the major factors leading to the different levels of antifreeze activity between wflAFPs and wfsAFPs. The termini of type I AFPs are critical to activity because of their individual contributions to activity and their ability to impart α-helical character to other regions of the polypeptide. Furthermore, the N-terminus possesses the greatest influence on overall activity.
Elastin polypeptide-coated small-diameter vascular grafts

In this work, we examined the feasibility of using recombinant human elastin polypeptide (EP) to coat e-PTFE vascular grafts. First, EP was cross-linked using: glutaraldehyde, lysine diisocyanate, and pyrolloquinoline quinone. Second, we attempted to cross-link EP coatings applied to e-PTFE vascular grafts. Acceptable coatings were achieved through passive adsorption from 70% ethanol and DMSO solutions. Unfortunately, coating cross-linking with glutaraldehyde or pyrolloquinoline quinone resulted in an inappropriate topography for the desired application. The use of gamma irradiation resulted in an ideal cross-linked EP coating. However, gamma irradiation is not recommended with e-PTFE. Finally, we preliminarily assessed the smooth muscle cell (SMC) and endothelial cell (EC) response to our EPs. [3H] thymidine uptake experiments showed slower SMC proliferation on EP compared to growth on gelatin. In addition, our analysis shows lower collagen and elastase secretions indicating that the presence of EP does not appear to upregulate the cells in culture.
Doped and undoped electron transporters in organic electroluminescent devices

Organic electroluminescent devices are currently attracting a lot of attention because they possess many features that are suitable for display applications. In order to make these devices more commercially available, one of the challenges involves lowering the operating voltage and increasing the power efficiency in them, so as to increase their lifetime. As most organic materials have mobility of holes twice that of electrons, these devices suffer from an imbalanced injection of carriers to recombine. In this work, n-type doping of the electron transport layer (ETL) has been carried out in both Alq and fullerene (C60 or C60/C70). Specifically, studies were carried out on pure Alq, LiF-doped Alq, pure fullerene, Alq-doped C60/C70, LiF-doped C60/C 70, and Ag-doped C60/C70. Fine-tuning in terms of their respective deposition rates and thickness for the co-evaporated materials prove critical in optimizing the device performance.
Exploring non-compliance: the United States, international law and torture

Using theoretical insights from International Law and International Relations, this paper examines US policies in the early post 9/11 period with respect to the treatment of detainees captured in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The paper concludes that while these policies seem to have been driven primarily by political considerations of national security, international legal rules pertaining to the treatment of detainees were also marginalised in key policy debates partly because of the insufficient or uneven internalisation of these rules in domestic political and bureaucratic circles. Focusing on the theoretical work of Harold Koh, this paper suggests that to better understand how international law works in practice it would be useful to expand Koh's analysis of the processes of internalisation to allow for disparities in the evenness with which international legal rules might be internalised within domestic bureaucracies, and for the variable relationship between political and bureaucratic internalisation.

Keywords: International law, United States
Torture, United States
Autonomy and indigenous peoples of the Arctic Llegal status of Inuit (case study of Greenland and Nunavut)

In the foregoing study, an attempt has been made to present a comparative empirical and normative survey of the concept of governance in the Arctic jurisdictions of Greenland and Nunavut. In so doing, the thesis addresses the question of whether there is an emerging right to autonomy for indigenous peoples of Inuit in Nunavut and Greenland. This thesis first analyses several methodological and theoretical aspects of the concept of autonomy in general and the right to indigenous self-government in international and constitutional law in particular. It then compares Greenland and Nunavut from the perspective of historical, political, social, economic and legal factors that conditioned the road to modern governance structures of these Arctic jurisdictions. With this analysis in hand, the study turns to an examination of the legal scope of autonomy in the Arctic. Finally, it explores the jurisdiction of Greenland and Nunavut in non-transferable areas as an important indicator of the concept of autonomy for Northern hinterlands. This study draws on the aspirations of Inuit authorities to take over responsibilities in international relations, judicial and legal systems, and security or defence matters as means of promoting their autonomy and examines potential sources of legal authority for these actions. This thesis concludes that even the confusing legal concept of autonomy can be rendered more determinate by means of comparative constitutional analysis of measures that secure autonomy in Arctic areas where indigenous Inuit peoples are the majority. Despite a relatively weak legal ground for normative recognition of the right to autonomy, an empirical analysis of Greenland and Nunavut governance systems reveals that autonomy is not a static phenomenon. It is a dynamic concept constantly developing and evolving towards more recognition at the de jure level.
Swimming survival: performance and judgement in cold water

We compared the effectiveness of "wait for rescue" with "swim for it" survival strategies during accidental immersion in cold water. Novice (NOV, n = 7) and expert (EXP, n = 8) swimmers participated in three, order-randomized trials in a flume filled with 10°C water. Subjects wore light clothing and life jackets. In PC, subjects floated to allow Passive Cooling. During FS, subjects performed Free Swimming until exhaustion, then passive cooling. FSA was identical to FS except that there was Added insulation. Trials ended when rectal temperature fell to 34°C. The armbands in FSA conferred no functional advantage. Compared to PC, FS showed a 15% greater rate of heat loss, a 17% faster rate of core cooling, and a 23% reduction (14 min) in functional time. However, these thermal disadvantages were outweighed by the swimming distances achieved by both NOV (806.5 +/- 189.1 m) and EXP (1438.9 +/- 176.9 m).
Energy efficient clustering in wireless sensor networks

Clustering has been shown to be an effective architecture to prolong network lifetime in energy-limited wireless sensor networks. In this thesis, we provide analytical frameworks to study clustering performance for two different types of wireless sensor networks. First, using rate distortion theory and random geometry results, we study the impact of partially correlated data on clustering when data sinks are stationary. Our analysis in this case leads to the Non-Uniform Clustering algorithm which substantially enhances network lifetime. Second, we propose to use clustering for wireless sensor networks with mobile agents (C-SENMA) in order to reduce energy consumption and the latency of data collection. Our proposed clustering architecture uses a novel low overhead MAC scheme based on the multi-packet reception capability of the reachback channel. We further verify through analysis and simulation that C-SENMA performs better than the flat topology which has been proposed earlier for sensor networks with mobile agents.
Optimization of critical spare parts inventories: A reliability perspective

In addition, we thoroughly discuss (and in some cases extend) several other spare parts inventory models under a common perspective and using terminology familiar to maintenance and reliability engineers. We hope that such an overview, which we have not encountered in the literature, will be of value to practitioners. For many organizations (particularly those which are capital intensive, e.g. mining, utilities, defence, heavy industries) spare parts stockholding is critical to business success. However, there has been little integration between the areas of maintenance and reliability engineering and that of inventory and logistics, as examples of stockholding decisions with respect to maintainability or reliability parameters are, in general, scarce. Through this thesis, we develop tools to achieve the integration of these areas in an effort to close the gap between them, thus providing the maintenance community with several models directed to optimize stockholding decisions for spare parts. We concentrate on single-echelon and stochastic inventory models for non-repairable and repairable parts. Furthermore, we focus on the analysis of inventories of critical and expensive spare parts, which merit the use of complex optimization models. The contributions of this research are the following. First, we present a simple procedure for the prioritization of spare parts, directed to help managers focus their attention into the most critical parts. Second, we introduce an expedited repair inventory model with state-dependent arrivals, considering repair capacity constraints. Also in the consideration of expedited repair, we apply a dynamic control model for the service rate in a single server queue to the spare parts problem, and extend it to a more realistic cost structure. Third, we present a model that combines internal condition information of a component with the decision of ordering a spare part, in the context of a condition-based maintenance strategy. The management of spare parts inventories requires a balance between the costs of stocking the parts and the costs and risks of not having them when they are needed. In order to achieve this balance, one has to acknowledge that spare parts inventories are governed by the reliability characteristics of the equipment and the ongoing maintenance policies.
"The first wave": Wittgenstein's early influence upon Russell's philosophy

It is now a well-known fact that Bertrand Russell abandoned in the summer of 1913 what would have been a work of immense importance within his epistemology because of a famous objection raised by Wittgenstein after reading a portion the work. What precisely the objection amounted to, however, and why it should have had such an effect upon Russell, remains a subject of controversy. It is here argued that the objection was part of a much broader dispute between the two philosophers at this time concerning the nature of, and the relation between, propositions and facts. When the objection is in this way construed as part of a deeper and more fundamental challenge of Russell's philosophical logic, a great deal of explanatory light is cast upon subsequent developments in Russell's philosophy. First of all, Russell's abrupt abandonment of the TK manuscript becomes less puzzling, for at the core of its account of propositional knowledge lay the very logical views that Wittgenstein was challenging: the nature of truth and falsehood, the nature of facts, and the nature of propositions. Secondly, a certain continuity becomes apparent, linking these events of 1913 to some of Russell's work in the latter part of the decade, namely his fresh statement of a new philosophical logic in his lectures on the “Philosophy of Logical Atomism” (1918). Here we find assimilated into Russell's philosophy Wittgenstein's 1913 views as to propositions and facts, a set of views that would also have a prominent place in the new theory of judgment adopted by Russell in his “On Propositions: What They Are and How They Mean” (1919). Thus we find that the influence of the 1913 clash with Wittgenstein did not culminate in Russell's abandoning the philosophical project in which he was engaged at the time. Rather, it extended to the latter part of the decade, contributing in part to a transformation in Russell's theory of judgment through a profound impact upon his philosophical logic.
Bristol fashion: the maritime culture of Bristol, 1650-1700

Most literature dealing with early modern seamen assume that these men were segregated from the rest of society. Yet, little research into the nature of seafarer's connections to their communities has actually been done. This thesis offers an examination of Bristol seamen between 1650 and 1700. In this specific example we discover that the image of the "Jack Tar," so often applied to early modern seafarers, does not hold true, at least for the Bristol example. Bristol seamen had strong ties to other members of the maritime community, but their links were not exclusive to their fellow seafarers. Their occupational sub-culture was suffused with associations based on family ties, religious affiliation, ethnicity, friendship and neighbourhood. In this they were little different from other men and women of the period. The women of the maritime community were important in keeping open the lines of communication between their husbands and the local community while the men were at sea. The "occupational widowhood" which resulted from their husband's extended absences gave these women a degree of freedom not allowed to other women. To some it proved a boon, to others a bane. While traditional bonds and the presence of their wives provided continuity and stability in their port lives, the labour of Bristol's merchant seamen was undergoing an evolution between 1650 and 1700. This transformation mirrored other changes occurring in the larger community of the city. The consolidation of trans-Atlantic trade which had altered the membership of the city's economic elite began to influence the make-up of crews on Bristol ships. As seamen's wages fell, trade increased and the educational standards needed for masters rose, the social make-up of mariners and sailors began to change. This resulted in a greater degree of social distance between mariners and sailors.
Education as a human right: a critical study of accessible education as political discourse and practice at the United Nations

This study emerges during a period of global debate about the nature and salience of human rights, poverty, development, and social infrastructure programs. From pop superstar Bono's campaign to erase debt to the work of Jeffrey Sachs, Special Advisor to the United Nations (UN) Secretary General on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), now there is a more discernable political momentum to address the profound economic imbalances across nations. The right to education is a key area for political engagement. While the right to education appeals to a common sense of social justice for all, it fails to be implemented for over 115 million children. With particular reference to the MDG of universal primary education by 2015, this study critically interrogates the Western neocolonialism, false race neutrality, and universalism of the UN's human rights discourse and practice. Although this rights discourse operates within a neocolonial discursive space, at the same time, however, the language and infrastructure of human rights afforded by the UN provide significant foundations for community-based and domestic legal remedies as sites for racial and legal critique. Using semi-structured qualitative interviews with UN stakeholders affiliated with the MDG for universal primary education as the primary data source, the dissertation also employs the following data sources: textual analyses of excerpts from such key documents as the UN Charter, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights; case studies of rights-based educational advocacy in Argentina, India, and South Africa; observations of UN proceedings and policy development at the United Nations University and the UN Commission on Sustainable Development; and the personal journal reflections, many of these gathered during interviews and site observations, kept by the researcher. The dissertation contends that the policy instruments of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the MDG pertaining to universal primary education, when viewed through the unique needs of national and local specificity and difference, have the potential to serve as effective sources of local agency for increased entry to racially and culturally responsive models of accessible education. Education can serve as a bridging right to other basic human rights, including freedom from violence, gender equity, and sustainable development
Biventricular repair of hypoplastic left heart syndrome: Hemodynamic effects of intraventricular balloon pumping in neonatal piglets

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a group of congenital heart abnormalities characterized by the underdevelopment of the left heart. Current HLHS management options are solely palliative and thus there is need for an alternative approach. This thesis reports on intraventricular balloon pumping as a potential approach to biventricular repair of HLHS. It is based on the postulate that actuation of an intraventricular balloon within the left ventricle can induce pressure overloading and volume overloading, which can in turn lead to ventricular wall growth and chamber expansion resulting in a ventricle capable of providing systemic circulation. A neonatal piglet animal model was used to investigate the acute effect of intraventricular balloon pumping on hemodynamics. Pressure overloading and volume overloading conditions were maintained over two hours without producing macroscopic damage to the left ventricular structures.
Effect of moisture, temperature, ultraviolet light exposure and fungal decay on durability of natural fibre plastic composites

Effects of moisture, temperature, UV light and fungal decay on durability of natural fibre plastic composites (NFPC) were assessed. Based on changes of mechanical properties, correlations between laboratory tests and natural exposure were developed. Chemical changes of composite's materials were measured using X-ray-Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Fungal decay of hemp, flax, rice husks, softwood and hardwood, and a NFPC was evaluated through weight loss and compressive strength. Agronomical, Brown-rot and White-rot fungi were tested. Brown and white-rot fungi degraded all fibres with weight losses up to 66.4%. Agronomical fungi caused decay on non-wood fibres only, with weight losses up to 34.8%. Moisture affected the MOR and the MOE of the composite. Long-term performance was predicted with short-term tests. The fibre component of the NFPC experienced weight losses up to 10.7%. The compressive strength of the composite did not change, and no correlation was found between the weight loss and this property.
Reverse osmosis membrane fouling control for an integrated membrane water reclamation system

A laboratory-scale reverse osmosis system was used to test the extent and rate of fouling generated by the treatment of membrane biological reactor effluent. System variables included two membrane types, the Hydranautics LFC-1 and the Trisep X-20; pretreatment with varying dosages of monochloramine or ultraviolet disinfection; and transmembrane pressure. Monitored responses in the concentrate and permeate included inorganic and organic analytes, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, and flux rates. Greater transmembrane pressure increased the fouling rate under all conditions. Less overall flux loss was observed for the X-20 at higher transmembrane pressure, however the addition of monochloramine induced greater flux loss on the X-20 relative to the LFC-1. The LFC-1 had higher rejection rates under all conditions, but had a higher overall fouling potential. The addition of 9.0 mg/L of monochloramine was observed to increase the critical fouling point of the LFC-1 membrane.