VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The truth in time: Robert Welch, the John Birch Society and the American Conservative Movement, 1900--1972

Undeniably, the dominant understanding of culture in the study of social movements is based on Framing Theory. While it is not inherently wrong, Framing Theory does not consider the full impact of cultural processes on organized collective action. It tends to view culture solely as a resource that is self-consciously mastered and manipulated by strategically-oriented social movement actors. Moreover, Framing Theory focuses almost exclusively on cultural interpretations within a social movement or social movement organization with very little regard to external cultural dynamics. This dissertation assesses more broadly the impact of culture on social movements by situating a leader's pre-movement biography and organizational emergence within the historical context of American culture. It also demonstrates the need to pay close attention to the changing meaning of an organization itself, both within a movement and in popular culture. For shifts in an organization's symbolic importance have an impact on its success and demise, its ability to secure allies and members, and on the nature of the opposition it faces. My method blends thick, cultural analysis with historical narrative analysis. "Thick analysis" reveals the nuances of meaning in everyday life, and analyzing social action as social dramas, cultural practices, or performances provides a detailed analysis of various ways that culture informs social movement dynamics, especially when analyzed in conjunction with historical events. As I argue in Chapter One, narrative analysis blends well with a thick analysis of a historical case. My extended case study is of Robert Welch and the John Birch Society, a conspiratorial, anticommunist organization that became prominent in America in the 1960s. An exercise in historical sociology, the dissertation is chronological, and covers American social, cultural, and political history from about 1900 to the early 1970s. In Part One I show how a culture of success and the American Dream accounts for the timing of Welch's entry into collective action, and how his pre-movement biography influenced the nature of his Society. In Part Two, I examine how and why the John Birch Society became so important in American political and popular culture, why it became a symbol of extremism, and how its symbolic importance accounts for its successes and failures.
The construction of emotion work in paid home health care

"Emotion work" has emerged as an important dimension of interactive service work. This thesis examines emotion work in the particular environment of home health care, aiming to elaborate its nature and role from the perspective of personal support workers in relation to the structural context of the work. Between 1998 and 2000 open-ended interviews were conducted with gay male personal support workers (PSWs) providing paid care primarily to other gay men with AIDS and employed by a for-profit home care agency in a large urban setting. The use of a "theoretical contrast group" research design provided a unique analytical opportunity to identify core aspects of emotion work. Each participant was interviewed twice regarding the day-to-day experience of the work, his perceptions of the impact of the work on his non-work time and relationships, and his views about the influence of the political and economic contexts in which he worked. The research was approached from a "structural interactionist" theoretical perspective, merging features of symbolic interactionism and a concern with the structural social conditions of interaction. Data collection and analysis used a qualitative methodology that incorporated elements of grounded theory and discourse analysis. Through its focus on the worker's perspective this study demonstrates the significance of worker agency in conceptualizing emotion work. By shifting the analytic "point of reference" beyond the prevailing commodification/alienation thesis in the existing literature, a worker-centred perspective adds a new dimension to the study of emotion work. The study found these personal support workers were active agents in interpreting, constructing and achieving emotion work. Workers drew on discourses of client-centred care and professionalism to create a client-centred framework for managing their own and their clients' emotions. This framework constituted a lens for interpreting the expectations of the job and its consequences. Although workers used emotion work instrumentally to accomplish their work, its use was contingent on their social location and access to supportive discursive and material resources. Worker agency was constrained by an inherent paradox within the workers' construction of client-centred care and by organizational and systemic interpretations that conflicted with and undermined the worker's construction.
The effects of behavioural sensitization to ethanol on dopamine D3 receptors in the mouse brain: a preliminary investigation

Dopamine D3 receptors have been implicated in behavioural sensitization, but have never been directly measured in ethanol (EtOH)-induced sensitization. Since not all mice show EtOH sensitization, it was hypothesized that these differences may reflect changes in D3 receptors. Mice were administered EtOH or saline for 14 days and divided into High and Low sensitization groups. D3 mRNA expression measured with in situ hybridization did not differ among groups in any of the forebrain regions examined. D3 receptor binding measured with [3H]-7-OH-DPAT autoradiography was higher in sensitized animals. In a second study, EtOH sensitized and control mice were challenged with the D3 agonist PD128907. PD128907 had no effect on saline-treated animals, but appeared to attenuate locomotor activity in sensitized animals. Results of both experiments suggest that EtOH sensitization may be accompanied by enhanced sensitivity to D3 agonists, which may be the result of increases in D3 receptor binding.
Responses to fiscal constraints: the use of planning and budget techniques at two Ontario colleges and two Ontario universities

This thesis compares a community college and a university in each of two separate Ontario jurisdictions to determine if, in response to operational impacts and Provincial funding constraints since the early 1990s, planning and budgeting approaches have changed and whether or not the changes were different for different institutions. Interviews occurred in late 2004 and the first half of 2005. It was found that planning and budget approaches have changed due to funding constraints. The majority of those interviewed saw their institution moving from Incremental and Advocacy approaches to Strategic and (to a lesser extent) Rational Planning approaches. Institutional budget cuts have not always been across the board (ATB). Differential approaches tended to occur in the 1990s, when the provincial funding cuts studied in this thesis began, but they were replaced with broad common-percentage approaches once perceived areas of surplus were exhausted. In some instances during this decade, a "reverse differential" approach was applied. For example, the provost from an institution hears from divisions that they believe they are being hit heavily by ATB cuts. He uses central funds to assist divisions case by case. As for fiscal responses and other strategies to cope with funding cuts, revenues from non-Operating-Budget activities have become more important. New markets for educational programs have been sought and traditional markets have been mined more fully. In general, class sizes have increased, grading approaches have become simpler, and part-time instruction more common. Although reduced government funding might lead to reduced attention to performance budgeting, this has not been the case. Interviewees in senior administrative positions at all institutions perceived greater accountability and reduced autonomy. The fact that revenue from the Key Performance Indicator provincial grant is a larger component of overall funding for Ontario colleges compared with universities (colleges report on more indicators) supported an increase in performance tracking by the colleges.
The place of the Jerusalem Temple in the reform of the Church in the eleventh century

The Jerusalem Temple was a dominant metaphor in the medieval Christian imagination. The Christian community itself and its members were described as the “temple of God” in the earliest Christian writings. The uses of the Temple in Christian discourse expanded over the course of the first one thousand years of the Church, and may be found in sacramental theology, liturgical rituals, sermons, personal devotions, hymns, and poetry. These uses culminated in the creation of truly sacred Christian church spaces. The subjective experience of Temple-like sanctity in these local church places had a profound effect on the people of the tenth and eleventh centuries, reinforcing their own identity as new temples and pointing out the gap between the ideal Church and its temporal manifestation. In this dissertation, I examine the role of the subjective experience of the Temple—in Christian places—in the movement to reform the Church in the eleventh century. In my first chapter, I suggest an interdisciplinary method for the historical analysis of subjective experience, rooting the subjects in their medieval cultural context. In the second chapter, I provide an historical overview of the Christian uses of the Temple in order to demonstrate the ubiquity of the Temple in the context of medieval Christianity. These two chapters provide the background necessary for approaching the two case studies offered in chapters three and four. In the third chapter, I examine the monastic community at Cluny, and suggest that its conscious self-construction as a perfect and pure Temple shaped the experience of its monks, some of whom, like William of Volpiano, became important monastic reformers beyond the walls of Cluny. In the fourth chapter, I look at Peter Damian, an important supporter of the papal reforms. I argue that Peter was also shaped by the experience of Temple-like sanctity in church space, and that this experience inspired his adoption of a new language for reform. These two cases function metonymically to illustrate the place of the Jerusalem Temple in the two main spheres of reforming activity in the eleventh century.
Data network traffic modeling and engineering using stable and fractal processes

One key property of modern network traffic is the presence of fractal behavior or self-similarity, i.e., the fact that the data “looks statistically similar” on all time-scales (highly correlated), as well as heavy-tailness (highly variable or “bursty”). Although the above features have serious implications for analysis, design, and control of data networks, they are inadequately described by classical traffic models such as: Markov, Poisson or Gaussian models. This thesis proposes a family of self-similar and Stable (heavy-tailed) processes for modeling and engineering of data networks traffic, as well as several results applicable to queuing theory. The main objective of this research, is to improve the performance of high-speed networks, using new approaches and techniques. The first contribution of the thesis is the development of a traffic engineering framework for Fractional Brownian Motion (FBM) traffic streams. A comparative study of three call admission control schemes is provided, based on analytic results for the buffer overflow probability in a multiplexer. However, the main interest is on more general, i.e., non-Gaussian, processes, which better characterize real network traffic. The thesis extends existing work on FBM, using the Fractional Lèvy Motion (FLM). The probability density function of the process is introduced first. Next, a further elaboration of all the well-known fractal queuing results obtained for Gaussian processes, is performed. The scaling expressions and the asymptotic lower bound for the buffer overflow probability that are derived, encompass all results in the literature related to ordinary Lèvy motion and FBM. In order to better manage and engineer data traffic, the “S4 Traffic” model, which was the first self-similar Stable model proposed in the literature, is employed. Using this model, the effect of shaping on input traffic is studied, via simulation. It is shown that: (a) the self-similarity property is unaffected; and (b) traffic can be made less heavy-tailed, with the cost of performance degradation. To further engineer the loss curve in a statistical multiplexer, the overflow probabilities are calculated, relying on large deviations techniques, analytical results and measuring techniques. Finally, the Fractionally Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (FARIMA) process with totally skewed Stable innovations, is considered for traffic modeling. The Stable FARIMA is a powerful linear traffic model which captures short and long range dependences in real traffic as well as heavy-tailed behavior, in a parsimonious manner. In addition, a three-step algorithm for parameter estimation and system identification is proposed and tested. Experimental results based on real traces are used to exhibit the merits of those models and confirm theoretical results. The experiments are performed for link capacities and buffer sizes that are typical for data networks. The traces included MPEG compressed video traffic, Internet Wide Area Network (WAN) traffic, and Local Area Network (LAN) traffic.
Recidivism and within-treatment change among treated sex offenders and matched comparison subjects

The purpose of this study was to attempt to improve on previous sexual offender treatment outcome studies, by examining treatment effectiveness using both ultimate and proximate outcomes. In study 1, 53 treated and 53 untreated sexual offenders were matched on actuarial risk for sexual recidivism, offender type, and release date. There were no significant differences between the treated and untreated groups in terms of sexual, violent, or general recidivism after an average 5-year follow-up. Study 2 examined changes within-treatment on measures of attitudes tolerant of sexual offending, intimacy deficits, and self-management (n = 75). In study 2 attitudes tolerant of sexual offending and self-management deficits improved significantly over the course of treatment. Though some variables significantly differentiated recidivists from non-recidivists at a mean follow-up time of 1 year, none of these can be interpreted without caution because of the low rates of recidivism (sexual, violent, and general) and short follow-up time.

Keywords: Sex offenders, Psychology
Recidivism, Prevention
Sex crimes, Research
Graph algorithms for assembling integrated genome maps

This dissertation is a computational study in the field of bioinformatics, a relatively new discipline at the intersection of computer science and biological science. As such, the dissertation contributes to each of these disciplines. The problems we address within biological science are in the area of physical mapping, i.e., mapping experimentally-produced fragments of a genome to their original locations in the genome. The thesis makes two primary contributions in this area: (i) a method to improve contig identification and verification, and (ii) a method which improves contig formation by uniformly integrating probe and overlap data. The problems addressed within computer science arise in the above application and are in the area of heuristic graph algorithms. The thesis makes three primary contributions in this area: (i) a modification of a well-known algorithm for listing maximal cliques, which markedly improves its efficiency on large, sparse graphs; (ii) a new clustering algorithm which is appropriate for “noisy” interval graphs; and (iii) a method which reveals piecewise linearity in a noisy interval graph.
Modeling and prediction of stiction in micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS)

Stiction, a term commonly used in Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) to refer to adhesion, is a major failure mode in MEMS. Undesirable stiction, resulting from contact between surfaces, can compromise MEMS reliability. To improve reliability, a solid knowledge of forces that cause stiction is required. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a theoretical model that can explain sticky forces between rough micro surfaces. As the first step, a new multiple point asperity model, called n-point asperity model, is developed for modeling contact geometry. Various parameters of interest such as distribution of asperity heights and curvatures are formulated using the new model. A special case of the model is considered for a Gaussian distribution and exponential autocorrelation function (ACF). The results are compared with measurements from simulated and sampled profiles with a remarkable agreement. In the next step, using the n-point asperity model, a new model is developed for the elastic/plastic deformed area and contact load. The new model demonstrates a very good agreement with the available numerical models. Van der Waals (vdW) force is a source of stiction in MEMS. In this thesis, this force is formulated using two different methods: one is based on the n-point asperity model, and the other is based on summing up the vdW forces using the one-dimensional distribution of heights. Comparing the two methods, a very good agreement is obtained, which in turn validates the n-point asperity model, and verifies the reliability of each individual models. Capillary force is another source of stiction in MEMS. In this thesis, the n-point asperity model is used for modeling this force. The case of Gaussian distribution and exponential ACF is considered as a special case, and the capillary force is found to be proportional to the reciprocal of the rms roughness. Finally, stiction in MEMS is modeled by combining the above models. The results from the numerical simulations of the model in dry and wet environments are compared with the data from experimental measurements of stiction by other groups. The model exhibits good agreement with the experimental data.
Nutrient limitation and plant and soil microbial growth in an Arctic coastal salt marsh

In order to assess the nutrient limitation of plants and soil microorganisms in the Arctic coastal salt marsh at La Perouse Bay, Manitoba, a nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization experiment was conducted. The partitioning of carbon (C), N and P was measured from June 2003 to July 2004. Soil solution inorganic N and P results indicate that the system is strongly limited by N and, to a lesser extent by P. Results indicate that strong N-limitation and high concentrations of inorganic P compared to dissolved organic P moderate the release of phosphatases. Primary productivity is co-limited by N and P, while soil microbial biomass is limited by carbon. Plants and microbes compete for N, but not P, during the summer. Overall, there was a seasonal shift in the allocation of nutrients within the community, from a microbial dominated system in the winter to a plant-dominated system in the summer.
Change and continuity: the development of tune repertoire for congregational singing in The United Church of Canada 1925-1975

This dissertation presents, in two volumes, a study of the development of tune repertoire for congregational singing in The United Church of Canada during the first 50 years after church union in 1925, as found in the hymn, psalm and song resources published for or by the church during this period. Volume 1 discusses this repertoire and places it within its historical and cultural context. The state of the repertoire in 1925, subsequent changes to the repertoire throughout the period, and the influence the publications of this period have had on the church after 1975, are all addressed. Many elements affected the development of the repertoire during these years: the musical preferences of the people involved in compiling the published resources; cultural and technological change; regional concerns and needs in a geographically and culturally disparate church; the gap between high-church and tow-church musical taste; and the compromises necessary in attempting to merge different denominational traditions, both at the time of union and in the later union negotiations with The Anglican Church in Canada. Volume 2 contains two computer database printouts, one organized by tune incipit and the other by textcode, of the contents of the hymn, psalm and song collections issued for or by the United Church and its parent denominations, the Methodist Church in Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Congregational Union of Canada, from 1881, the date of the first united Canadian Presbyterian and Methodist tune collections, to 1997, the date of the supplement to the United Church's new hymn resource, Voices United (1996). This database, which was prepared by the author using a modification of the system devised by Nicholas Temperley for the production of the Hymn Tune Index, therefore provides the publication history of every tune and text in the official United Church repertoire during this larger timespan, as a companion reference to Volume 1 and as a separate resource for future scholarly use.

Keywords: Hymns, English
Hymns, English
Hymn tunes
Hymns, English
How we learned at work: an ethnographic study of e-learning in a retail setting

As the use of computer-based training for workplace safety, regulatory standards and product knowledge grows, this potentially affects all employees, including some who may have limited experience and skills in using this medium. To that end, this ethnography studied a group of front line workers in a Canadian retail setting who completed a series of courses in a self-study Web-based training program, with are eye to understanding the workers' perspective. Surfacing from the analysis of the data, gathered during interviews and observations of a group of twelve workers in a retail organization, were four major findings: (1) an increased sense of self-worth that participants experienced from completing e-learning courses and achieving awards, (2) an improved ability to help others because of the knowledge the participants gained from the e-learning courses, (3) the use of the courses in the e-learning program as a source of information for reference purposes, and (4) the value of providing participants with personal choices including what, where and when they used the e-learning program. Two minor findings emerged: the rules of the e-learning program and the coping strategies developed by participants. The e-learning context of this study consisted of four components: retail staff, management, customers and the e-learning program itself. Factors emerged from each component to influence the retail staffs' progress in the program, including an in-house champion, a structure for learning, personal control, personal development opportunities, and their customers' demand for information. Other factors contributing to the participants' success in the program included: matching the structure to the learners' situation, developing an engaging presentation, providing regular feedback and reinforcement and offering reliable course content. All factors needed to be adequately addressed for the participants to progress effectively in this e-learning environment.

Keywords: Clerks (Retail trade), Attitudes
Retail trade, Computer-assisted instruction
Clerks (Retail trade), Training of