VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Feminist theory and Nightwood Theatre (Ontario)

The thesis examines a selection of theoretical issues pertaining to feminist theatre, focusing on Toronto's Nightwood Theatre for its examples and context. The Introduction provides a brief history of the company, which has been active since 1979, and the methodology, which summarizes issues in feminist theory as applied to performance, as well as examples from the production history and administrative structure of Nightwood from 1979 to the end of 1996. The first chapter offers a more extensive discussion of the of Nightwood by problematizing the definition of feminist theatre. Nightwood is viewed from the perspective of liberal, cultural and materialist feminism, as outlined by Sue-Ellen Case in 'Feminism and Theatre' (1988). Subsequent chapters address issues in feminist theory as they relate to feminist theatre in general and Nightwood in particular. The second chapter addresses the debate between cultural and materialist feminism on the representation of Woman as the subject of feminist theatre. Chapter three deals with collective creation as a feminist model, also malting to the importance of the collective in the development of Canadian theatre. The final chapter focuses on postmodernism and gender performance. These chapters demonstrate how Nightwood's productions and administrative structure have reflected the changing nature of feminism, and feminist theatre, since the late 1970s. The conclusion is that Nightwood has restructured both its methods of operation and the nature of its creative work in response to pressures from within (the interests of Board members and Artistic Directors, the political goals of socially-conscious audience members) and also from without (financial constraints, the evolution of feminism as a social movement), and that this dialectic is inherently feminist in being open-ended and adaptive. The thesis provides an overview of some feminist issues in theatre, as well as a practical discussion of how these issues have been addressed by a noteworthy company. In addition, it presents an original and unprecedented synthesis of materials and information about Nightwood Theatre.
Probing the release mechanism of a multiparticulate system through the release kinetics of AZT from individual P(MMA/MAA) microspheres

The release behaviour of a multiparticulate system is usually obtained from the results of the entire population. However, the observed release profile represents the average behaviour of the individual particles within the population. Therefore, the principal aim of this study was to examine the release mechanism of the individual particle in detail and other physico-chemical phenomena associated with drug release, and subsequently extend the findings to the population. The effects of particle-to-particle separation distance, drug accumulation, initial drug concentration, agitation, and particle size distribution were investigated. The study used copolymers of P(MMA/MAA) microspheres as the drug delivery system and AZT as the model drug. The release rate for the individual particle was the highest, followed by a population of monolayer particles; the release rate for a population of multilayer particles was the lowest. The trend in release behaviour from the individual particle to the multilayer population is the result of increased interparticulate interaction or neighbouring effect. Drug accumulation as well as initial drug concentration in the release medium tends to hinder drug release. A release model with a high predictive power was subsequently generated that correlated the individual release behaviour with that of the population. The relevance of this work is for the development of a novel oral delivery device with predetermined release characteristics as discussed.
Meeting the requirements of a new localism, local government in sub-Saharan Africa, the case of Uganda and Zimbabwe

The globalization of the economy and its accompanying restructuring has not only called into question the role of national governments but also has spawned a greater interest and focus on urban local governments as they grapple with the local consequences of these processes. In both developed and developing countries the focus is on new strategies and new policy arrangements that include non-governmental actors in 'the new localism'. While structural adjustment has reduced the role of the central government in sub-Saharan Africa, one might ask what relevance the new localism has in a part of the world where urban local governments have little autonomy, fewer resources and a poor record of delivery. However, this thesis argues that there is a case for a historically specific new localism in sub-Saharan Africa. Historically, colonial powers in sub-Saharan Africa created a bifurcated state in which they used local government as the linchpin for controlling the African population in what Mahmood Mamdani has termed a decentralized despotism. Mamdani argues that one of the political challenges for African governments is to create democratic openings at the local level in order to re-engage society and break the constellation of power, characterized by patronage politics, which stems from the bifurcated state form. Using historical material from Uganda and Zimbabwe, this thesis develops some historically specific requirements for a new localism. Empirical evidence, obtained from fieldwork conducted in two municipalities in Uganda and Zimbabwe, provides a comparison of decentralization programmes and their impact at the local level, in theory and practice--and an analysis of the possibilities of meeting the political challenges of developing a new localism. This thesis argues that, put to the test of meeting the requirements of a new localism, a comparison between Jinja and Mutare reveals that Uganda has gone some way to meet those requirements while Zimbabwe has not.
Motion planning for multi-robot assembly systems

The classical Travelling Salesperson Problem (TSP) models the movements of a salesperson travelling through a number of cities. The optimization problem is to choose the sequence in which to visit the cities in order to minimize the total distance travelled. This thesis addresses a multi-robot assembly planning problem which in essence is a TSP-type optimization problem. However, in this augmented TSP (TSP+), both the "salesperson" (a robot with a tool) as well as the "cities" (another robot with a workpiece) move. Namely, in addition to the sequencing of tasks, further planning is required to choose where the "salesperson" should rendezvous with each "city". A generalized point-to-point (PTP) motion-planning technique is presented in this thesis for manufacturing systems with multiple, coordinated assembly robots that can be modelled as a TSP problem. As an example area, the optimization of the electronic-component placement process is addressed. This TSP+ problem is investigated for single and two placement robots. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
A narrative inquiry into understanding the drama of encounter at the borders of identity, six second-generation Italian Canadian women teachers speak

This is a narrative inquiry into the experience of six second generation Italian Canadian women teachers. An examination of these women's pluridimensional experiences will yield understanding of the dilemma faced by them in creating a sense of self amidst different sociocultural expectations and in nurturing a sense of belonging in their personal and professional knowledge landscapes (Connelly & Clandinin, 1995). To my knowledge these women will provide a voice that has never been heard in empirical research. As Canadian daughters of immigrants, we were socialized by our parents' regional hometown milieu which includes a dialect, a family-oriented, male-dominated, mother-centred Italian culture of the 30s and 40s; by the Anglo-Saxon mainstream school culture with its infusion of an individualistic, male-oriented dominant culture and the English language; by the 'distant and mythic' concept of mainstream Italy (Spezzano, 1995) and its standard language; and by the Italo-Canadian "community" and its 'koiné' ('italiese '). The negotiation of identity amidst these forces of socialization is the fulcrum from which we give meaning to our lives. This negotiation addresses the quintessential question: Who am I? It also begs the epistemological question: How do I come to know myself? In this study, identity is understood as 'stories to live by' (Connelly & Clandinin, 1999). Consequently, this study is also of methodological interest because it engages in the systematic evoking of personal experience which serves to validate one's 'stories to live by'. This shift in knowledge base, according to Cummins (1996), is multiculturalism in action. Concepts of the personal and professional knowledge landscapes are suited to this study because they embrace the multi-layered experience of these women. The concepts help capture the life threads of the Italo-Canadian experience and help profile the intergenerational life experiences and identity formation of these six individuals. Narrative inquiry is used as a means to understand the ways these women have experienced and interpreted their educational lives. Gaining a better understanding of one of the largest ethnic groups in Canada will provide increased understanding of the implications of immigration on Canadian ethnicity generally and on multicultural teacher and student populations in the Ontario educational system specifically.
Molecular study of the PE-binding adhesin candidates from Haemophilus influenzae

In order to characterize a putative 37 kDa phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-binding adhesin, its coding sequence was amplified from a nontypeable 'H. influenzae ' (NTHI6564) by PCR and sequenced. Recombinant adhesin was expressed in 'E. coli' as a GST and as a 6XHis tagged fusion protein. Subsequent studies demonstrated that the putative PE-binding adhesin can not bind to PE, but has potent celite binding ability. The celite binding protein has a C-terminal disulfide bond between Cys 254 and Cys308. A Cys308 to Ser mutant was expressed as a GST fusion protein, and a C-terminal truncated mutant was also constructed and expressed as a 6XHis tagged fusion protein. The results indicated that the celite binding protein gene is highly conserved and its protein product is generally expressed in 'H. influenzae' clinical isolates. Subcellular fractionation was used to localize the celite binding protein to the periplasmic region both in NTHI6564 and in a transfected recombinant ' E. coli' strain. Recombinant protein was purified from periplasmic extracts by chromatofocusing and gel filtration chromatography. Direct binding of 65Zn to the recombinant protein was demonstrated by zinc blotting. Thus, this celite binding protein is in fact a periplasmic zinc binding protein (Pzp1). A 'pzp1' deficient mutant was constructed. The growth defect was specifically rescued by supplementing the growth medium with high concentrations of zinc (100 [mu]M). This result indicates that the ' pzp1' gene is essential for growth under aerobic conditions and also is important for anaerobic growth of 'H. influenzae'. Taken together, our results provide direct evidence that Pzp1 is a key protein for zinc uptake in 'H. influenzae'. To identify the real PE-binding adhesin(s) from 'H. influenzae ', whole cell extracts of NTHI6564 were prepared and applied to a PE affinity column. OmpP2 was expressed as a GST-fusion protein (GST-P2). However, only a small portion of GST-P2 could be purified in soluble form. We conclude that OmpP2, and possibly OmpP5 of 'H. influenzae' are PE-binding proteins. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
The origin and relationships of the Nubian A-group

Since the discovery of the A-Group culture in 1907, much emphasis has been given to A-Group relationships with the Egyptian Nile civilizations of Upper Egypt. As a result, very little discussion has been ventured about Sudanese interconnections or Eastern and Western Desert relations for the A-Group. This work compensates for that lack by demonstrating that the A- Group was very much a part of the Saharan and Sudanese traditions as evidenced primarily by the types of impressed and incised decorative motifs in A-Group ceramics. A comparative analysis of ceramic designs throughout the Sudan shows that the Khartoum Neolithic motifs are widely represented amongst the A-Group ceramic repertoire, as they are in those Khartoum-related industries north of the Khartoum region. This situation likely represents a northward diffusion of ceramic traits from the Khartoum area into Lower Nubia through the Dongola Reach. Furthermore, I suggest the possibility of direct southeastern connections for the A-Group with the people of Shaqadud in the Butana, based on the presence of shared pottery designs between Shaqadud and the A-Group that do not appear in the Dongola Reach. A-Group relationships in the Shendi Reach are only weakly suggested by ceramic traits, but other types of evidence such as the dog burial and the infant pot burial at Kadada may strengthen the arguments for A-Group/Shendi Reach interconnections. Ceramic evidence strongly suggests the existence of A-Group links with the Western Sudan that appear to have been independent of the Khartoum area. New material from the Lower Wadi Howar, which connected with the Nile in Neolithic times, indicates that this region may have been a route of exchange between Lower Nubia and the Western Sudan. Western Desert connections for the A-Group are also minimally suggested by the ceramics, however, I have proposed a Western Desert origin for certain A-Group ceramic motifs. Unfortunately, the evidence for Eastern and Nubian Desert links with the A-Group is still sparse, but the discoveries of burial material and rock drawings are very promising for defining cultural links once these areas become better known archaeologically.
Bidirectional ring, an interconnection network for shared-memory multiprocessor systems

A bidirectional ring is proposed in this thesis as an interconnection network for shared-memory multiprocessors to improve their performance and reliability. It consists of two rings transmitting packets in opposite directions. The constituent rings are bit-parallel and use the slotted access protocol. The bidirectional ring allows a request packet to traverse one ring from a source to the destination, and the response packet to return on the other ring; hence, a request and response transaction does not require traversal of the entire ring. This transmission protocol is advantageous in exploiting the communication locality of application programs to improve their performance. The existence of two rings in the bidirectional ring improves the reliability of the system. A cache coherence protocol is proposed for shared-memory multiprocessors using the bidirectional ring interconnect. The protocol ensures sequential consistency. A reliable implementation of this protocol is also given that can handle node and link failures. The fault handling logic is concentrated in the bypass path, which is activated only after detecting a fault, hence it does not affect the normal operation of the ring. The performance of the bidirectional ring is evaluated in comparison with a hierarchy of unidirectional rings. The simulation is performed using system parameters analogous to the NUMAchine prototype. A set of applications from the SPLASH-2 benchmark suite is used for this study. The bidirectional ring shows up to 50% lower latency than the hierarchy. Its performance is less sensitive to communication patterns. Comparing the overall performance with the hierarchy, the program execution time is reduced up to 30% on the bidirectional ring. The bidirectional ring also shows a tendency to balance the network load. The utilizations of the two constituent rings has been found to be within 5% of each other. The degradation in the performance of a faulty bidirectional ring is relatively low; a maximum increase of 6% in the execution time is found for all the benchmark applications we have simulated. The faulty ring shows the same load balancing characteristic of a good ring.
L'architexture babelienne, l'inscription du mythe de Babel dans la litterature francophone contemporaine

Le mythe de la tour de Babel, qui provient du livre de la Genèse de l'Ancien Testament, propose une explication de l'avènement des multiples langues sur terre. Cependant, ce récit pose sans doute beaucoup plus de questions qu'il ne donne de réponses. Par exemple, la perte de la langue unique à Babel a-t-elle rendue impossible la communication efficace? Ou, la communication est-elle, après lépisode de Babel, plus complexe, permettant à l'être humain une réflexion plus sophistiquée? La traduction est-elle une solution à la multiplicité des langues ou est-ce qu'elle souligne, en fait, l'impossibilité de traduire adéquatement? Est-ce que l'homogénéité prébabélienne est souhaitable ou doit-on valoriser les mélanges culturels? Babel, finalement, est-elle une histoire de malédiction ou de bénédiction? Ces questions, entre autres, sont suscitées par des nombreuses réflexions sur le mythe de Babel, celui-ci faisant d'ailleurs partie de lévolution des idées sur la langue et la culture tout au long de l'histoire. Il est intéressant de noter, toutefois, quil semble connaître non seulement une recrudescence en cette fin du XXe siècle, mais aussi des manifestations littéraires originales et actuelles. Nous examinons d'abord les différents concepts qui sont reliés à Babel, tels l'origine des langues, l'arbitraire du signe, la diversité linguistique et la traduction. À la lumière des idées dégagées dans ce premier chapitre, nous analysons, ensuite, l'inscription du mythe de Babel dans cinq romans francophones contemporains. Si l'intertexte babélien est le point commun entre ces romans, il est représenté et interprété de manière fort différente dam chacun d'eux. Nous privilégions divers volets de Babel, dont le multiculturalisme, la créolisation, l'exil, la communication et la traduction. Ces analyses révèlent donc, d'une part, la polysémie du mythe ainsi que certains points de convergence entre les différents sens de Babel. D'autre part, les diverses significations attribuées à Babel dans les romans analysés mettent en lumière la pertinence actuelle de ce mythe. Si Babel semble connaître un renouvellement d'intérêt, c'est parce qu'il fait écho à de nombreuses préoccupations de notre époque, telles le multiculturalisme, le plurilinguisme, l'exil et l'hétérogénéité. Le mythe de Babel est donc un mythe littéraire, dans le sens propre du terme, car il renvoie, à la fois, à une histoire des origines et à de nouvelles histoires.
Semantic representations of near-synonyms for automatic lexical choice

We develop a new computational model for representing the fine-grained meanings of near-synonyms and the differences between them. We also develop a sophisticated lexical-choice process that can decide which of several near-synonyms is most appropriate in any particular context. This research has direct applications in machine translation and text generation, and also in intelligent electronic dictionaries and automated style-checking and document editing. We first identify the problems of representing near-synonyms in a computational lexicon and show that no previous model adequately accounts for near-synonymy. We then propose a preliminary theory to account for near-synonymy in which the meaning of a word arises out of a context-dependent combination of a context-independent core meaning and a set of explicit differences to its near-synonyms. That is, near-synonyms cluster together. After considering a statistical model and its weaknesses, we develop a clustered model of lexical knowledge, based on the conventional ontological model. The model cuts off the ontology at a coarse grain, thus avoiding an awkward proliferation of language-dependent concepts in the ontology, and groups near-synonyms into subconceptual clusters that are linked to the ontology, A duster acts as a 'formal usage note' that differentiates near-synonyms in terms of fine-grained aspects of denotation, implication, expressed attitude, and style. The model is general enough to account for other types of variation, for instance, in collocational behaviour. We formalize various criteria for lexical choice as 'preferences ' to express certain concepts with varying indirectness to express attitudes, and to establish certain styles. The lexical-choice process chooses the near-synonym that best satisfies the most preferences. The process uses an approximate-matching algorithm that determines how well the set of lexical distinctions of each near-synonym in a cluster matches a set of input preferences. We implemented the lexical-choice process in a prototype sentence-planning system. We evaluate the system to show that it can make the appropriate word choices when given a set of preferences.
Dialogue de sourds, economic voting in Canadian federal elections

For the average citizen, voting is a way to select those individuals who will rule over them, and to cast periodic judgements on these same individuals once they have achieved power. It is the general aim of this study to investigate empirically the way Canadian voters chose their elected officials. More specifically, this analysis concentrates on the economic dimension of voting behaviour in the 1988 and 1993 Canadian federal elections. Accordingly, this study falls within the specific analytical field of politico-economic interactions, as well as within the confines of the study of voting behaviour in Canada. The results of our analysis lead to the rejection of the economic voting hypothesis in the 1988 and 1993 elections. This is not to say that there is no link between economic evaluations and vote choice. However, while perceptions of the economic health of the nation exerted a statistically significant impact on vote choice in the 1988 and 1993 elections, this impact was weak. The theoretical consequences of actual behaviour, in particular the voters' willingness to accept the economic rhetoric of campaigning politicians.
Differential uplift of the Archean basement north of the Sudbury Basin, petrographic evidence from the Matachewan dyke swarm

The northern margin of the Sudbury Basin is dominated by the Cartier granite/Levack Gneiss Complex. Both units are cross cut by Matachewan dykes. Feldspar clouding and alteration intensity were measured on Matachewan dykes, as a positive correlation was previously found between increasing feldspar clouding intensity and the depth of dyke emplacement where the Matachewan swarm crosses the Kapuskasing Zone. Feldspar clouding and alteration intensity variations were obtained by image analysis of feldspar and amphibole in thin section. The results were normalised by thin section thickness, and correlated against a modal analysis of alteration. The data indicate that feldspar clouding and alteration intensity increase 'away' from the Sudbury Basin, 'opposite' to the direction of increasing regional metamorphism, suggesting the uplift of the Levack Gneiss Complex was established prior to intrusion of the Matachewan swarm. The feldspar clouding/alteration pattern is the result of uplift and southward tilting of crust along a north-verging fault possibly coincident with the Benny Deformation Zone.