VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Genetic analysis of stem development in Arabidopsis thaliana

This study assesses features of Arabidopsis inflorescence stem and pedicel development and begins to genetically dissect the mechanisms driving morphogenesis and differentiation patterns. Pedicels were found to consist of two regions with different developmental origins: a proximal stalk representing the majority of the elongated organ and a distal bulge that emerges from the flower base. Outgrowth of the bulge requires activity of the BREVIPEDICELLUS (BP) gene, and in bp mutants distal pedicels are radially constricted around their circumferences. Mutant radial constrictions extend further proximally on abaxial and lateral sides of pedicels, leading to occasional downward bending at the distal pedicel. This effect is severely enhanced in a loss-of-function erecta (er) background, resulting in radially constricted tissue along the entire abaxial side of pedicels and downward-oriented flowers and fruit bp er morphological defects were accompanied by a loss of cortical chlorenchyma as well as small epidermal cells and no stomata on abaxial sides of pedicels. Analysis of mutant inflorescence stems revealed that similar cell patterns project as stripes down internodes from bases of leaves and pedicels. Moreover, wild-type nodes display achlorophyllous regions adjacent to lateral organs, suggesting that altered differentiation patterns in bp er pedicels and internodes may be due to expansion of nodal features into underlying stems. Differentiation defects in mutant pedicels and stems parallel vascular bundle patterns, strongly implicating a vasculature-associated factor in the regulation of the phenotype. Cloning the BP gene revealed that it encodes a class I KNOTTED-like homeodomain protein previously invoked in the regulation of apical meristem activity. BP is expressed in cortical regions throughout stems and pedicels and is upregulated at nodes adjacent to lateral organs. Collectively, the bp mutant phenotype, identity of the BP gene product and the expression pattern suggest that BP meristematic function has been co-opted by stems to maintain a growth-competent state during development. Molecular analysis of a suppressor of bp er showing elongated, perpendicular pedicels demonstrated that the FILAMENTOUS FLOWER gene was mutated. A well-established role for FIL in promotion of lateral organ abaxial identity indicates that dorsiventral organ symmetry may impinge on the development of stems.
Intertextuality in the "Lives of St. Guthlac."

This study examines stylistic and structural features of the early eighth-century Anglo-Saxon Vita Sancti Guthlaci, using the Vita 's many models, sources, translations, and adaptations to develop ideas about its role in a larger system of text-production. The first chapter orients the reader to major critical issues involved in present-day study of medieval hagiographic texts, while establishing key points of structure and theme which are pursued throughout the rest of the thesis. Chapter Two addresses biblical and hagiographic sources of the Vita, particularly the Lives of Antony, Paul the Hermit, Martin, Benedict, Fursey, and Cuthbert. The analysis emphasizes practices of 'source-layering' whereby the Vita's author integrates verbal and narrative borrowings from multiple texts. Building on the second chapter's conclusions about the author's models and compositional techniques, Chapter Three examines style and structure in the Vita Sancti Guthlaci to argue that stylistic features, especially those involving repetition, reinforce the careful structural patterning which the author has developed from his sources. The fourth chapter turns to the Old English prose version of Guthlac's Life, addressing ways in which the features of source-use, style, and structure articulated in earlier chapters influence the Vita's most immediate translation. Chapter Five considers many of the later medieval Latin and English Lives of Guthlac, nearly all of which are drastically shortened forms of the Vita. Examination of these short versions finds certain recurring practices of abbreviation and also shows that the redactors' selection and omission of material frequently reflects the Vita's careful structural patterning. As a whole, this project augments our understanding of medieval text-production by tracing the many threads involved in the composition and transmission of a single hagiographic text in medieval England.
MTA produces superior outcomes in vital primary molar pulpotomy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of vital primary molar pulpotomy when there is no direct contact between eugenol and the vital pulp. Four pulpotomy techniques were compared: ferric sulfate (FS) pulpotomy, eugenol-free FS pulpotomy, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) pulpotomy and FS/MTA pulpotomy. Pulpotomy techniques were randomly assigned to eligible molars with vital pulp exposures. Radiographs of treated molars were assessed by 2 blinded, disinterested pediatric dentists. A total of 92 patients with 227 pulpotomy-treated molars returned for at least 1 recall examination. Median follow-up for molars was 24 months (range: 12 to 38 months). MTA molars demonstrated significantly fewer unacceptable (Px) radiographic outcomes than FS molars (p = 0.002, χ2). Eugenol-free FS molars demonstrated significantly more Px radiographic outcomes than MTA (p < 0.0001, χ 2) or FS/MTA (p = 0.002, χ2) molars. Survival analysis demonstrated significantly lower survival for eugenol-free FS molars compared to MTA molars (p = 0.02, log-rank test). Outcomes for MTA pulpotomy were superior to FS and eugenol-free FS pulpotomy after a median follow-up time of 2 years.
The mechanism and role of apical wingless mRNA localization in Drosophila

Many developing and adult tissues are composed of polarized epithelia. By high-resolution in situ hybridization, it is shown that the wingless mRNA transcript of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, which encodes a secreted Wnt growth factor, is apically localized in all epithelial tissues examined. This localization is mediated by three independently acting elements (WLEs) in the 3' untranslated region that differ from each other in their sequence, predicted secondary structure, rate of divergence within the Drosophila genus and mechanism of localization. All three are active in transgenic reporter constructs, but only WLE3 is localized when injected into living syncytial blastoderm embryos. Full WLE3 activity requires any one of several downstream accessory elements. WLE3 has a highly conserved stem-loop structure, with both the secondary structure and sequences within the double-stranded regions essential for activity. A comparison of WLE3 to other known localization elements in Drosophila reveals a potential cryptic motif for Dynein-mediated transport. The physiological importance of apical wingless mRNA localization was characterized by the replacement of these apical localization elements with uniformly- or basolaterally-localizing elements, which yields Wingless protein with altered intracellular and extracellular distributions and reduced signalling activities. Transcript localization represents a novel and conserved aspect of the wingless signalling pathway, which may prove to be a mechanism used commonly for elaborating epithelial cell polarity.
Application of geophysical techniques to the investigation of natural and urban-impacted lake basins in Ontario

Geophysical methods are commonly employed when investigating areas where data derived from traditional outcrop examination, core logging or other methodologies may be limited or unavailable. This thesis presents three case studies from water bodies in Ontario—principally at Mazinaw Lake, Frenchman's Bay and Hamilton Harbour—that demonstrate the utility of geophysical methods in understanding basin stratigraphies and the history of sedimentation as well as identifying and mapping structures, sediment types and the presence of contaminates. The ability to determine the distribution of contaminated bottom sediment in urban areas is of especial interest given wider concerns with water quality and the remediation and reuse of contaminated waterfronts. Of the various geophysical techniques applied, the mapping of bottom sediments using magnetic properties is found to be perhaps the most useful. The incorporation of multiple geophysical data sets from alternate sources is also examined as an aid in the interpretation process.
A perfect blend?: a study of coworker relationships between native English speaking and nonnative English speaking teachers in two school sites in Brazil and Indonesia

This research considers the relationships between teachers of English who are native speakers of English and teachers of English who are nonnative speakers of English as they work together on a school staff. A case study approach is used to investigate this topic, by looking at two school sites: An English language institute in Brazil, and a bilingual school in Indonesia. At each school site, native English speaking and nonnative English speaking teachers share their experiences and perspectives about native speaker/nonnative speaker teacher interaction through interviews, questionnaires, and focus group sessions. Further information about each school site is gathered through observation and school documents. This study affirms the value of native speaker/nonnative speaker teacher relationships in schools that teach English as a foreign language. It brings to light cross-cultural issues that are faced in such relationships, but also the value that these relationships can bring to individual teachers, their students, and the school environment. It shows that relationships between these two groups of teachers are enhanced when a school makes purposeful choices to allow for optimal integration of the two groups, just as relationships can be diminished when a school setting does not value and promote native speaker/nonnative speaker interaction. This study finds that native English speaking teachers and nonnative English speaking teachers can contribute equally to school effectiveness, as well as to overall professional and personal growth for all members of a teaching staff.

Keywords: English language, Study and teaching
English language, Foreign countries
English language, Study and teaching
English language, Brazil
English language, Study and teaching
English language, Indonesia
English language, Foreign countries
English teachers, Brazil
English teachers, Indonesia
Teaching, Brazil
Teaching, Indonesia
The requirement for p27Kip1 in the G1 cell cycle arrest by antiestrogens and by TGF-[beta]

Altered responsiveness to extra-cellular signals and cell cycle deregulation are hallmarks of cancer. The cell cycle is governed by cyclin dependent kinases (Cdks) that integrate mitogenic and anti-proliferative signals. In the course of this thesis, I investigated the role of the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p27kip1 in response to two anti-proliferative stimuli, antiestrogens and the growth inhibitory cytokine, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Using the estrogen receptor positive MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, this work revealed that p27 is an essential mediator of the G1 arrest by the antiestrogens 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen and ICI 182780. Inhibition of p27 expression by antisense-p27 oligonucleotide transfection abrogated G1 arrest, and led to cyclin E-Cdk2 activation and S phase entry. Increased mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation was shown to contribute to altered p27 regulation and antiestrogen resistance in an antiestrogen resistant MCF-7 derivative line, LY-2. In LY-2 and MAPK Kinase (MEK) overexpressing MCF-7 derivatives, p27 showed altered phosphorylation, altered Cdk2 inhibitory function and did not accumulate in cyclin E1-Cdk2 complexes following antiestrogen treatment. Inhibition of MEK activity in LY-2 restored sensitivity to antiestrogens in a p27 dependent manner. p27 is not only an essential mediator of cell cycle arrest by antiestrogens, it also plays a key role in G1 arrest by TGF-β. p27 was shown to be an essential mediator of G1 arrest by TGF-β in two tumor-derived cell lines, MCF-7 and WM-35, but not essential for TGF-β arrest in two non-malignant human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) types, 184 HMEC and MCF-10A. Maintenance of TGF-β arrest in p27 antisense treated HMEC was associated with the accumulation of p21WAF-1/Cip1 and p130Rb2 in cyclin E1-Cdk2 complexes and Cdk2 inhibition. Compensatory Cdk2 inhibition by p21 and p130 did not occur in cancer-derived lines following antisense p27. Progressive cell cycle deregulation leading to impaired checkpoint controls during malignant progression may alter the role of p27 from a redundant to essential mediator of G1 arrest by TGF-β.
Indexing high-dimensional data for main memory

In this thesis, we propose a novel index structure, called cache conscious SR+-tree (CSR+-tree), to support efficient high-dimensional k-nearest neighbor queries in main memory. The CSR+-tree is based on the SR+-tree, an extension of the SR-tree. The basic idea of the CSR+-tree is the introduction of Quantized Bounding Spheres (QBSs) that approximate Minimum Bounding Spheres (MBSs) or data points. Because QBSs can be represented rather compactly, tree nodes can contain a large number of QBS entries. Thus, fan-out becomes large, which leads to fast search. We present an extensive experimental evaluation and analysis of the query performance of main memory indices, including the CSR+ -tree, the SS-tree, the SR-tree, and the A-tree. Our results show that the CSR+-tree is superior in most cases.
Responses of Arabidopsis to elevated CO2 and exogenous glucose: Transcriptomic and mutant analyses

As the atmospheric CO2 concentration continues to rise, its impact on plant growth and development, and the potential for plant-based remediation strategies, has generated significant research activity. The molecular mechanisms, however, by which plants modulate their response to CO2, and the role of various effectors of this response, such as metabolites or plant hormones, are not well understood. In many studies, growth of Arabidopsis on high concentrations of exogenous carbohydrates (such as glucose or sucrose) has been used to mimic high CO2 exposure, and in attempts to identify components of CO2/sugar signaling pathways. The phenotypic differences, however, between high CO2 and carbohydrate exposed plants, as well as the significant hormonal role during germination and development in the presence of exogenous carbohydrates, suggest that the two treatments are not equivalent. For these reasons, the transcriptome response of Arabidopsis exposed to exogenous glucose or elevated CO2 concentrations for varying periods of time has been examined. In particular, a comparison has been made between plants germinated and grown in the presence of glucose or high CO2, and those transferred to these conditions following phototrophic growth and development at ambient levels of CO2 and in the absence of exogenous carbohydrates. Taking all transcriptome data into consideration, the differing responses would appear to be due primarily to the initial compartmentalization of the organic carbon. Exposure to elevated CO2 results in sequestration of organic carbon as starch in the chloroplast, and controlled production of cytosolic carbohydrates for translocation to sink tissue. Plants grown in the presence of exogenous carbohydrates must also sequester excess carbon in an attempt to decrease signaling responses, as well as osmotic and nutritional effects. Conversely, the pathway to glucose sequestration requires the transport of glucose from the cytosol into plastids, a process that induces a transcriptional response for increased nitrogen assimilation, ABA signaling, and other stress responses. These data suggest that photosynthetically derived carbohydrates elicit a different transcriptional response compared to plants exposed to exogenous carbohydrates.
Human factors in the field: a field study of accident investigation at the transportation safety board of Canada

The goals of this research are twofold. First in the sense of direct applicability to investigative bodies, the goal is to identify the cognitive strategies used by accident investigators to uncover human factors issues and to actively manage accident information. This information is pertinent to training and job aid design. Second, in an academic sense, the goal is to identify and conceptualize the factors affecting information management in a complex work environment. The field study is based on grounded theory and involved participant observation carried out over a three and a half year period, in addition to the documentary review of investigation records. Three major classes of strategies employed by accident investigators to manage information were revealed; information minimising, information creation, and information balancing. The field study also identified a number of constraints affecting the use and flow of information during the investigation process. Methods used in this study are demonstrated as useful tools for researchers examining cognitive activities, analyzing patterns of behaviour, and the management of information between the various interacting players in a complex, real world, work system. Results of the field study lead to the development of a conceptual model of information management called “the funnels of investigation and the investigation trajectory”. The model captures three levels of constraints imposed on information. Information is constrained: (a) by the organization, (b) by contextual factors and investigator perspective, and (c) through the control of information by accident investigators as they employ information management strategies and causal interpretations to the information. The proposed model of information management provides a framework to help direct future research in this area. The conceptual model proposed highlights the times during the investigation process when information is constrained, and suggests where efforts can be placed to reduce those constraints. The information management strategies identified, particularly those that create information, can assist in broadening the information observable by accident investigators. A number of prescriptive recommendations are made to improve investigator training. These findings should be of use to those developing training programs or support tools for practitioners.
Retirement reconceptualized: forced retirement and its relationship to health

Given the growing trend toward involuntary or forced retirement, there is a need to more fully understand the relationship between health (both physical and mental) and forced retirement. This study examined the relationship between forced retirement and subsequent physical and mental health, examining the characteristics that increase an individual's risk for forced retirement. The bivariate analyses revealed that forced retirees were socially and economically disadvantaged in comparison to those not forced to retire on a number of variables: they had lower educational attainment, fewer financial resources, more likely to be immigrants, were less likely to have health insurance, were concentrated in industries where job loss was the greatest, reported lower levels of satisfaction in retirement, and were disadvantaged on most measures of health, both physical and mental. The effects of forced retirement on both physical functioning and mental health were negative and statistically significant (p
Factors predicting likelihood of participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program in a coronary angioplasty cohort

Participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program (CRP) improves clinical and behavioural outcomes for patients with heart disease, but only 10–25% of eligible patients attend. The goal of this study was to identify demographic, clinical, socioeconomic and psychosocial (self-efficacy and perceived barriers) factors predicting likelihood of CRP participation in a coronary angioplasty cohort. Personal interviews with 262 (185 male, 78 female) patients were conducted. Overall, 37% of subjects participated in a CRP. By multivariable logistic regression, marital status (OR 2.56; 95% CI 1.25–5.24; P = .01 for married versus non-married subjects), area of residence (OR .03; 95% CI, 0.004–0.25; P = .001 for postal area “ L” versus postal area “M”), and SE for CRP (OR 27.8; 95% CI, 8.98–86.22; P < .0001 for high SE compared to low SE) were associated with CRP participation. Enhanced self-efficacy and improved CRP access are likely to increase participation and thus improve the well-being of patients with coronary disease.
Wadi ath-Thamaed Site WT-13: A hermeneutical approach to Moabite religion

This research seeks to investigate Moabite religious ritual and practice through an examination of Wadi ath-Thamad Site WT-13, an Iron Age extra-settlement shrine in central Jordan. Salvage excavations took place at WT-13 from 1997 to 2003 and unearthed a plethora of unique finds of a cultic nature. This study explores the extramural cult place at WT-13 and compares it to other Moabite religious sites in an attempt to identify distinct patterns of ritual behaviour. This research employs a hermeneutical approach, which emphasizes the importance of native expressions of the ancient lived experience, attempting to integrate textual and archaeological categories of evidence. This approach is based on the assumption that ancient textual sources can reveal aspects of religious belief, and that the archaeological record can expose patterns of religious ritual. My investigation begins with an examination of Moabite religious practices as reflected in textual sources, specifically the Hebrew Bible and Iron Age epigraphic evidence from the region of ancient Moab, as well as iconographic material. The archaeological remains from WT-13 are then described in detail, including the architectural evidence, the ceramic assemblage and other small finds, followed by a spatial analysis of the distribution of these artefacts. This spatial distribution proved to be most revealing, shedding light on specific cultic behaviour and practices, as reflected in the clustering of artefact types. The archaeological remains of WT-13 are also compared to and contrasted against other Moabite cultic sites, as well as non-Moabite extra-settlement shrines, to determine whether any cultic activities might be identified as distinctively Moabite. In addition, I examine the function of extra-settlement shrines and explore the possible role of WT-13 in Moabite society. Based on this examination I conclude that WT-13 not only served as a meeting place for local pastoral nomadic groups and tribes, but also as a wayside shrine, allowing passers-by to make offerings to their own deities, as well as local Moabite gods. My investigation has revealed that no single Moabite site exemplifies a 'typical' Moabite sanctuary. Instead Moabite religious practice was defined by its diversity, with each religious complex characterized by its own unique artefact assemblages and varied architectural traditions. Nevertheless there were key elements of religious belief and practice that united them, most notably the worship of Kemosh and 'Attar.