VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Computational exploration of the human cardiovascular genome and its application to understanding human fetal heart development

A human cardiovascular gene expression database was established as a resource to aid in answering questions regarding cardiovascular biology. The large-scale generation of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from several human cardiovascular-based cDNA libraries was the method chosen, as it is an efficient means for gene discovery. Approximately 54,000 ESTs were generated from several human heart and aorta cDNA libraries in our laboratory; and have been combined with ∼57,000 cardiovascular-based ESTs retrieved from the public databases to form a comprehensive gene expression database. This database was employed along with cDNA microarray hybridization, to estimate the total number of genes expressed in the cardiovascular system (CVS). The estimated 21,000 to 27,000 genes expressed in the CVS form the cardiovascular genome [further refined to a lower estimate of 20,498 ± 1,368 and an upper estimate of 24,913 ± 3,459 unique expressed genes]; which can be defined as the complete spectrum of genes expressed in the CVS. Extending this concept toward defining the physical genome of the CVS led to the identification of two regions with higher, and one with a lower, density of genes on chromosomes 21 and 22 than was expected by chance alone [using an additional statistical method, the clusters were refined to four regions with a higher, and two with a lower, density of genes on chromosomes 21 and 22]. Our current 10,000+ element cDNA CardioChip microarray was also used to compile an index of genes preferentially expressed in the human fetal or adult hearts. This resulted in the identification of 1,255 candidate differentially expressed genes, the majority of which were previously unknown. Functional categorization of the known differentially expressed genes revealed some striking differences between the fetal and adult hearts. The generation of our cardiovascular gene index has provided us with a powerful tool to perform many analyses to help answer questions regarding cardiovascular biology. The continued exploitation of this resource, as both a gene expression index and a cDNA microarray, will undoubtedly remain an important resource for years to come.
The impact of special needs students on the reading, writing and mathematics achievement scores of typically achieving grade 3 students

The results of this study provide empirical evidence supporting the previous findings that the performance of typically achieving Grade 3 students educated in single-grade, inclusive classrooms seems not to be compromised due to the inclusion of special needs students in the class group. This study focused on the impact of the number of special needs students, total class size, and socio-economic status of the school on the achievement of typically achieving students in single-grade inclusive classes of publicly-funded English-language schools on the 1997--1998 Education Quality and Accountability Office Grade 3 assessments. These assessments were conducted in reading, writing and mathematics. The inclusion of special needs students into regular classrooms has generated much discussion and debate among parents, teachers, administrators, and policymakers. The discussions have centered on the concern that having special needs students in the classroom would adversely affect the academic growth of typically achieving students. The research base on the outcomes of typically achieving students in inclusive classes is limited. Regression analyses were conducted on 2247 single-grade classes. The major findings were a strong significant relationship between socio-economic status of the school and the achievement of typically achieving Grade 3 students in single-grade classes, and that both the number of special needs students and total class size were suppressor variables in the regression equation and increased the predictive ability of socio-economic status of the school. Implications for policymakers and educators and recommendations for future research were discussed.

Keywords: Reading (Primary)
Reading (Primary), Ability testing
Academic achievement
English language, Written English
Inclusive education
Exceptional children
English language, Written English
Mathematics, Study and teaching (Primary)
Mathematical ability, Testing
Functional proteomic approaches for the analysis of a dynamic signaling pathway

The long-term challenge of proteomics as a tool for systems biology is to define the identities, quantities, structures and functions of complete complements of proteins, and to characterize how these properties vary in different cellular environments. To add a functional dimension to the dynamic TGFbeta network revealed by the LUMIER screen, a recently developed and validated high throughput technology for analysis of dynamic protein interactions in mammalian cells, I have used functional assays based on Smad transcriptional responses. Novel pathway inhibitors, including an uncharacterized protein FLJ12604, two WW domain-containing proteins WWP2, TAZ as well as PP2A regulatory subunit PPP2R2D were identified. To facilitate analysis of distinct subnetworks within the TGFbeta interactome, I have also worked towards developing a mass spectrometry (MS)-based approach to study dynamics of protein complex assembly in a quantitative manner. Taken together, LUMIER coupled with the MS technology can be used to study crucial, although previously unexplored, dimensions of signaling pathways.
Emigration in Italian literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

This thesis examines the theme of emigration in the Italian literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Fictional accounts of emigration and return migration offer a largely unexplored view of the issues at the heart of migration: from the struggle to provide for oneself and one's family, to the nature of home and community, to the value of work and the negotiation of identity. To contextualize this study, a chapter of the thesis investigates the main historical and sociological contours of emigration and return migration. Early literary treatments of the theme of emigration, such as those of Giovanni Verga, Edmondo De Amicis, Luigi Capuana, Luigi Pirandello and Giovanni Pascoli are then examined. These accounts reflected the changing perceptions of self, home and the concept of “America” as emigration and return became increasingly embedded into the cultural landscape. Francesco Perri's 1928 novel, Emigranti, is investigated in depth as it is considered the first novel entirely dedicated to the theme of emigration. The works of Ignazio Silone and Carlo Levi are discussed and their critiques of the myth of America are contrasted. Finally, Mario Soldati's attempted emigration to the United States, as recounted in America primo amore, offers an in-depth exploration of the author's complex relationship with America and what he perceived to be the cost of emigration in terms of assuming the hybridized identity of an Italian American.
Inferring dietary behaviour for Miocene hominoids: A high-resolution morphometric approach to incisal crown curvature

Diet and feeding behaviour are among the most fundamental ecological parameters defining a species. Hominoid diet is often a primary ecological determinant for behavioural, demographic and social adaptations. Although long term field studies identify the dietary complexity of living apes (i.e. keystone resources), dietary information is only obtained for fossil apes through the conventional analysis of preserved teeth. Most methods group taxa into broad dietary categories (i.e. folivore, frugivore) but fail to represent the dietary complexity known for living apes. This oversimplification is a consequence of poor resolution, but also reflects similar keystone adaptations in related taxa with dissimilar diets. Additional resolution can be achieved with a detailed morphometric analysis of incisal crown curvature (Deane et al. 2005). This approach successfully identifies subtle morphological variation among related taxa with similar keystone adaptations yet overall dissimilar diets (i.e. G.g.beringei vs. G.g.gorilla). Given the key role of the incisors in food processing it is reasonable to suggest that analysis of these teeth contributes to a more complete understanding of the total complexity of fossil ape diets, given the unique selective pressures imposed by the mechanical loading specific to differing dietary strategies. The present study re-examines and refines existing dietary hypotheses for Miocene hominoids using comparative models that correlate incisor morphology with feeding behaviours in extant hominoids and selected non-hominoids with specialized dietary behaviours. The results indicate that while dietary function is the overriding mechanism influencing incisor shape and curvature, incisor morphology is also influenced by phylogeny. Despite similar ranges of dietary behaviour within each group, early Miocene hominoid incisors are less curved than extant hominoid incisors, but the incisal curvature for middle and late Miocene taxa is similar to or exceeds curvature for some extant taxa. This pattern of increasing mesiodistal and labial curvature through time is consistent with van Valen's Red Queen hypothesis (1973) which predicts that there is selection pressure for adaptation to maintain a similar level of adaptedness. On the other hand, extreme variation in incisor curvatures in the late Miocene suggests that the breadth of dietary strategies was greater among hominoids in the past that it is today.
Strangely familiar: Uncanny aging in contemporary literature and film

Over the last few decades, critics in the social sciences have attended to the ubiquity of ageism in a culture that largely regards moving into old age as a process of disintegration. Although there are many sociological studies of aging and culture, there are few attempts to examine the ways cultural texts construct multiple narratives of aging that intersect and sometimes conflict with existing social theories of aging. This dissertation addresses age as an undertheorized sign of difference that contemporary narrative fiction and film can help us to understand. I propose that certain qualities of age, in particular its interrelation with temporality, may account for the limited treatment of age as difference compared to the numerous explorations of differences of race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality in the humanities. I argue that aging, in particular, aging into old age, introduces us to a strangely familiar selfhood, that is, to our own uncanniness. Fundamental to my study is the conviction that old age itself is not a process of estrangement, but rather, involves a growing awareness of the other within, exposing identity as always different, multiple, shifting and contradictory. The fiction and film I discuss in this dissertation explore the complications provoked by revelations of uncanniness in later life. Chapter one tackles the relation between identity and aging by focusing on narrative identity and the practice of life review. The project of looking back exposes the mutability of identity, and the difficulty of plotting a life as a single, coherent narrative. The second chapter continues these concerns by examining literature and film dealing with the dissolution of narrative in late-life dementia. In this chapter I argue that dementia entails a shocking, often alienating glimpse of the otherness of the other, a vision that can have serious repercussions for caregivers. The third and final chapter moves from the intimate realm of personal histories and reminiscence to the more public field of specular images. In this chapter I consider the gendering of aging. For many women, aging into old age becomes a process of deterioration that can, at its most extreme, produce a kind of mania of dissemblance.
How secondary schools promote themselves: the case of Catholic schools in Ontario

In 1997, the Ontario government introduced new legislation for secondary schools. This new legislation cascaded into a series of educational changes that came to be known as Secondary School Reform. This study deals with the promotion of secondary schools within the context of educational reform. The research questions are aimed at investigating what schools are actually doing to promote themselves, whether participants make a distinction between school promotion, public relations and marketing, and what strategies facilitate or inhibit schools' promotional efforts. The study also attempts to investigate the sphere of "reputation management" with possible applications to schools needing to manage public perceptions in the context of educational reforms. This study is based on the notion that schools need to engage in school promotion to make the general public feel that they are being responsive to current government reform initiatives. The design of the study is a case study analysis of two Catholic secondary schools engaged in promotional efforts. The research study involved semi-structured interviews of two principals, five parents from each school, five teachers from each school, five students from each school, five members of the business community, the two priests associated with the schools in the study, and the school board's Public Relations Officer. This study also includes a review of documents and observations of school Open Houses. School board policy on enrollment exists that defines schools with catchment areas. However, Catholic schools seem to attract non-Catholic students as well as Catholic students because both Catholic and public feeder schools exist within the same catchment areas. Both Catholic Schools in the study engaged in school promotion, public relations and marketing techniques at different times of the school year and through different events. However, the participants in the study, even within each school, differed in their perception of what they were doing with regard to school promotion, public relations or marketing. Some participants felt that they were engaging in promotional efforts to attract good students, while some thought that they were building the public perception of the school, and others thought that they were engaged in promotional efforts to make students, parents and the general community feel good about belonging to the school-community. Further studies need to be conducted on mechanisms by which the educational community might inform the political community, which is the current policy-making body. Further studies also need to be done to include the voice of the trustees as a stakeholder group in policy promotion. This study has implications for school practitioners and policy makers.

Keywords: Catholic high schools, Public relations
Catholic high schools, Ontario
High schools, Public relations
High schools, Ontario
On the efficiency of visual search for targets defined by a conjunction of stereoscopic depth and color

Three experiments investigated whether the search for a target defined by color and stereoscopic depth is generally efficient (Nakayama & Silverman, 1986). Experiment 1 found that such a search conducted across two depth planes was inefficient. Experiment 2 showed that the efficiency of this search depended on the size of relative disparity. Experiment 3 investigated the effects of multiple depth planes on search efficiency. Although the search was inefficient, it was not more so than in Experiment 2. The implications of this research are discussed with regard to the viability of key theories in visual search.
Writing in science: exploring teachers' and students' views of the nature of science in language enriched environments

Writing in science can be used to address some of the issues relevant to contemporary scientific literacy, such as the nature of science, which describes the scientific enterprise for science education. This has implications for the kinds of writing tasks students should attempt in the classroom, and for how students should understand the rationale and claims of these tasks. While scientific writing may train the mind to think scientifically in a disciplined and structured way thus encouraging students to gain access to the public domain of scientific knowledge, the counter-argument is that students need to be able to express their thoughts freely in their own language. Writing activities must aim to promote philosophical and epistemological views of science that accurately portray contemporary science. This mixed-methods case study explored language-enriched environments, in this case, secondary science classrooms with a focus on teacher-developed activities, involving diversified writing styles, that were directly linked to the science curriculum. The research foci included: teachers' implementation of these activities in their classrooms; how the activities reflected the teachers' nature of science views; common attributes between students' views of science and how they represented science in their writings; and if, and how the activities influenced students' nature of science views. Teachers' and students' views of writing and the nature of science are illustrated through pre-and post-questionnaire responses; interviews; student work; and classroom observations. Results indicated that diversified writing activities have the potential to accurately portray science to students, personalize learning in science, improve students' overall attitude towards science, and enhance scientific literacy through learning science, learning about science, and doing science. Further research is necessary to develop an understanding of whether the choice of genre has an influence on meaning construction and understanding in science. Finally, this study concluded that the relationship between students' views of the nature of science and writing in science is complex and is dependent on several factors including the teachers' influence and attitude towards student writing in science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
The effect of root parts of Korean Red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) and alcohol extracts of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) and Korean Red ginseng on glycemic parameters

Evidence attributes ginseng pharmacological activity to ginsenosides. Compositional variability of ginseng translates to varying physiological effects. It is unclear whether total saponin content or proportions of the saponin-profile affect the postprandial glycemic response. Glycemia-lowering potential of American ginseng (AG) root within and across batches has been demonstrated. Relatively fewer studies exist for this indication with Korean Red ginseng (KRG). We compared root-fractions, body and rootlets of KRG, with varying saponin-profiles, to select the most efficacious part for lowering postprandial glycemia. Alcohol extraction methods can be applied to ginseng to manipulate the ginsenoside-profile. We also compare for the first time, the effects of a range of ethanol-extracted AG and KRG on postprandial glycemia and insulinaemia. Results show a glycemia-lowering potential of KRG within a ginsenoside therapeutic dose range and AG and KRG extracts demonstrate insulin-sensitizing effects. Other unmeasured ginsenosides or degradable components of the whole-root matrix may modulate glycemic parameters.
The contested terrain of citizenship and exclusion in Canada: Sri Lankan women's narrative accaounts of school and social exclusion in the diaspora

Research on the experiences of minority ethnic women tends to generalize across many nationalities. The experiences of Sri Lankan women are often regarded as similar to those of their South Asian counterparts. First and foremost, the aim of this project is to eradicate this problem by conceptualizing how social, cultural and structural power relations surrounding the marginalized voices of young Sri Lankan female immigrants become manifest in their personal accounts of the diaspora, and by revealing the forms of exclusion they attribute to such experiences in education and society. To achieve this purpose, the thesis recounts the migration, education and social experiences of five young women of Sri Lankan origin currently residing in Toronto, Canada, who have experienced the education systems and cultural contexts of both Sri Lanka and Canada. A number of themes relating to exclusion and gender are uncovered in these narrative accounts: the school and social experience in Sri Lanka and Canada; the ways in which such experiences expose something about the social order of the two nations; and notions of diaspora, citizenship, home, and nation. The ultimate aim, then, is to arrive at an understanding of how issues of exclusion and gender, through an examination of their expression in these women's narrative accounts, shape the social and educational experiences of young Sri Lankan female immigrants.

Keywords: Sri Lankans, Social conditions
Sri Lankans, Canada
Sri Lankans, Education
Sri Lankans, Canada
Women immigrants, Social conditions
Women immigrants, Canada
Women immigrants, Education
Women immigrants, Canada
An errorless approach to social skills training with children with antisocial behaviour problems

Errorless acquiescence training was used to improve the social skills of three children referred to a clinical classroom for severe antisocial behaviour. Pre-treatment observations of peer interactions revealed low levels of cooperation and high levels of antisocial behaviour. During intervention, an errorless paradigm was used to teach children to concede to the will and provocations of other children without retaliation (i.e., acquiescence). Through a process involving graduation of demand difficulty, number of children involved in treatment, and level of adult support provided, the complexity of peer interactions were increased at a slow enough rate to ensure successful social interactions by the children, providing numerous opportunities for praise and acknowledgement by trainers. Throughout and following intervention, acquiescent responding increased significantly and antisocial behaviour was reduced. Although one observational measure, prosocial responding outside of acquiescence situations, showed little improvement, positive changes were noted on several pre/post questionnaire measures of child social skills.

Keywords: Problem children
Behavior disorders in children, Treatment
Social skills, Study and teaching
Mechanisms of oxygen sensing in human trophoblast cells

Early placentation occurs in a relatively hypoxic environment. As placentation progresses, the events associated with trophoblast differentiation in response to increasing oxygen are known; however, the mechanisms by which trophoblast cells 'sense' the changing oxygen tension remain unclear. HIF-1alpha mediates oxygen's effects on trophoblast differentiation. VHL has been associated with negative regulation of HIF-1alpha under oxygenated conditions. The aim of this study was to elucidate mechanisms of oxygen sensing in trophoblast cells. Mitochondrial electron transport chain interference in first trimester villous explants cultured under low oxygen inhibited extravillous trophoblast cell outgrowth associated with reduced cellular proliferation. HIF-1alpha immunoreactivity was decreased. VHL displayed a similar pattern of expression as HIF-1alpha in the first trimester and in response to varying oxygen; however, spatially they showed reciprocal regulation. Together, these findings suggest a role for the mitochondrial pathway in trophoblast cell oxygen sensing, and a role for VHL in sensing, potentially via an interaction with HIF-1alpha.