VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Nature and human nature in Alexander Pope's "Epistles to Several Persons" and James Thomson's "The Seasons."

This thesis identifies an affinity between two eighteenth-century poets whose works are rarely compared. Alexander Pope is chiefly considered a poet of human nature and James Thomson, a poet of natural description. I propose that Pope, in the Epistles to Several Persons, and Thomson, in The Seasons, compare phenomena of external nature to human behaviour to teach the proper employment of the imagination. In the Introduction, I present a rationale for reading these poems as sequences. And I consider the relationship between poetry and philosophy in the eighteenth-century in regard to the imagination. I then trace Pope's employment of natural imagery across the four Epistles to Several Persons. Chapter One considers the "Epistle to Cobham," where Pope teaches the importance of identifying the "Ruling Passion" by referring to external nature. Chapter Two examines how Pope reprises these references in the "Epistle to a Lady" to encourage sympathy and generosity. Chapter Three surveys the "Epistle to Bathurst" and the "Epistle to Burlington." Pope presents "Good Sense" as a means of tempering both "Self-love" and "Good-nature."Next, I read portions of The Seasons sequentially to identify Thomson's similar emphasis upon employing the imagination to identify one's virtues and to cultivate sympathy for others. Chapter Four presents a close reading of "Summer," lines 1104--1370, considering Thomson's references to violent weather in relation to his lesson of cultivating virtuous love. Chapter Five examines Thomson's treatment of the imagination of the dying swain in "Winter" and his subsequent references to this scene as a means of teaching charity and "active Government."In the Conclusion, I consider Pope and Thomson's employment of the terms "vision" and "visionary," respectively, to confirm their espousal of the employment of the imagination in the pursuit of a virtuous life. Relying upon their own insights into nature and referring to natural philosophy, both suggest that the hidden order in nature compares to a hidden order in the self. They teach the imagination of virtue within and the necessity of acting consciously upon this quality. Such action also requires both the imagination of and the benevolent response to others' sentiments.
Social activity-travel behaviour: A personal networks approach

The dissertation reviews the multifaceted theoretical background needed to understand the social dimension of travel demand, integrating activity-travel behaviour theories with concepts from the social networks and urban sociology literature. After building a conceptual model based on that theoretical background, the dissertation presents the data collection, which uses novel techniques in the field to study how social activity-travel emerges from personal networks. Using those data, in-depth quantitative analysis is performed studying the role of the social dimension in the generation and spatial distribution of social activities. In addition, a qualitative approach is employed to explore some of the previous aspects as well as other key elements regarding the social activity planning and engaging process between individuals. Activity-based models have recently experienced considerable progress; however, much research is needed for understanding the behavioural processes embedded in activity-travel decisions. In this context, an increasingly important venue of research is extending the traditional individual-based decision paradigm, recognising the "social dimension" of activity-travel behaviour, defined by the social networks within which travel decision makers are embedded, which could determine in part their activity and travel decisions. This dissertation studies the role of the social dimension in the generation and spatial distribution of social activity-travel, using a personal network approach, defined by the actors (alters) with whom specific individuals (egos) perform social interactions. The empirical results strongly suggest that the social dimension does play a relevant role in social activity-travel, which has been neglected in the past. In fact, "with whom" individuals perform social activities as well as the personal network's characteristics influence the individual's propensity to perform social activities, their frequency of social activities with each contact, their distance with them, and their social activity space. Overall, explicitly incorporating social networks into activity-travel behaviour research provides a promising framework to understand social activities and the underlying behavioral process, as well as potentially linking transport policies with broader issues, such as equity and social capital.
Measurement and modelling of canopy water fluxes in representative forest stands and a matorral community of a small Sierra Madre Oriental watershed, Northeastern Mexico

The quantitative importance of canopy water fluxes was evaluated within the four principal vegetation communities of a small watershed in the central Sierra Madre Oriental, northeastern Mexico. The partitioning of cumulative gross precipitation into throughfall during wet season periods in red oak (84.1 ± 2.3%) and cedar-white oak-ash (84.3 ± 3.4%) forests, as well as a matorral subinerme brush community (83.3 ± 3.3%) were not significantly different (α = 0.05). In addition, cumulative throughfall partitioning by a pine-oak forest canopy during wet + dry season periods was not significantly different (83.6 ± 1.8%), suggesting that the rainfall regime of the area may be more important than the vegetation cover present in determining the proportion of cumulative season-long gross precipitation partitioned into throughfall. Although stemflow was assumed to be a negligible component of the canopy water balance of the forest stands in this watershed, this flux was not inconsequential in the matorral subinerme community, accounting for 8.5 ± 1.9% of the cumulative gross precipitation input derived from 25 wet season events. Given the relatively large cumulative stemflow flux observed in the matorral subinerme community, cumulative canopy interception loss was found to be significantly smaller from this community than from the sub-temperate forest stands. The revised Gash analytical canopy water flux model (Valente et al., 1997) using within-stand derived model parameters was found to simulate cumulative canopy interception loss to within 2.9% of the observed flux in the pine-oak stand, and simulated cumulative throughfall to within 2.0% of the observed flux in the cedar-white oak-ash stand. However, poor model performance was found using predetermined parameter values, suggesting that the transferability of this model may be limited. The model was also found to perform poorly at the gross precipitation event scale and at the point spatial scale. Relationships developed between the mean during-event evaporation rate and red oak stand characteristics suggest the need for a multi-layer analytical model. The spatial nature of throughfall, especially in the red oak community, throughfall gauge requirements, and the importance of during-event evaporation losses from these Madrean plant communities are also evaluated.
Tonic GABAA receptors in hippocampal pyramidal neurons and their sensitivity to general anesthetics

Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a key role in mediating inhibitory neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS). Several studies have shown that GABA mediates two distinct forms of inhibition: transient inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) and tonic inhibition that is thought to be generated by extrasynaptic GABA type A (GABAA) receptors. Here, we demonstrate that the tonic form of inhibition in hippocampal pyramidal neurons is generated by a distinct subpopulation of GABAA receptors, specifically, alpha5 subunit-containing GABAA (alpha5GABAA) receptors that have different pharmacological and kinetic properties compared to postsynaptic receptors. Tonic GABAA receptors have alpha5beta2/3gamma2 pharmacological characteristics. alpha5GABAA receptors are well-suited to detect low, persistent, ambient concentrations of GABA in the extracellular space as they are highly sensitive to GABA and desensitize slowly. Several studies have shown that alpha5GABAA receptors are important in memory processes, as reduced expression or pharmacological inhibition is associated with improved memory performance. We examine the effects of low concentrations of the volatile anesthetic, isoflurane (ISO), on the tonic current and show that the alpha5 subunit is necessary for enhancement of the tonic conductance by low concentrations of ISO in hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Studies of human recombinant GABAA receptors show that low concentrations of ISO potentiate GABA-evoked current mediated by alpha5beta3gamma2L but not alpha1beta3gamma2L receptors and that ISO is more efficacious at alpha5GABAA receptors. These studies provide the foundation for investigating an association between increased tonic GABAergic inhibition in the hippocampus and the effects of anesthetics on memory.
The campaign for Holocaust education in Toronto: An oral history

Holocaust education was included by the Toronto Board of Education (TBE) in 1982 as part of its curriculum for public school students, almost forty years after the end of World War Two. This thesis traces the development of Holocaust education and memory in Toronto and Canada, illustrating that its inclusion in the TBE was delayed not only because Holocaust memory itself was delayed in Canada, but also because of systematic factors in the nature of education in Canada and Toronto. How and why the Holocaust was eventually included is discussed, with a specific study of how the members of the Education Subcommittee of the Holocaust Remembrance Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress worked to promote Holocaust education in Toronto.

Keywords: Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), Study and teaching
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), Ontario
Designing for spatial orientation in non-rigid endoscopic environments

Colonoscopy is an endoscopic procedure performed, to examine the inner wall of the large colon for lesions and tumours, by passing a flexible endoscope from the rectum to the caecum of the colon. Navigating through non-rigid endoscopic environments such as the human colon can be difficult even for expert endoscopists. The goals of this research were to determine whether disorientation occurred in colonoscopy, and if so, the factors contributing to spatial disorientation, to examine the strategies used by the endoscopist to overcome the constraints, and to design a navigational aid to facilitate navigation and orientation during colonoscopy. A field study was conducted to identify the requirements for spatial orientation in colonoscopy. ‘Getting lost’, or disorientation, was discovered to be a common occurrence in colonoscopy. Unlike large scale rigid environments where there are landmarks for anchoring one's cognitive map of the environment, the non-rigid colon changes its spatial configuration in response to the actions of the endoscope, making it difficult to maintain spatial orientation and plan for the next action. Possible consequences of disorientation include incomplete examination and mistaken localisation of tumours for subsequent surgery. External visualisation of spatial information (as opposed to mental visualisation), and in particular, shape information, was proposed as a solution to help support spatial orientation in colonoscopy. A navigational aid display that explicitly depicts the configuration of the colon/endoscope was designed. Such a navigational aid was also expected to reduce the cognitive load in action planning and decision making while performing colonoscopy. A controlled experiment was conducted to evaluate the relative usefulness of (1) direction, (2) location, and (3) shape information for supporting spatial orientation in colonoscopy. Results showed that even though the navigational aid display concept did not improve navigation performance (i.e., with respect to task completion time), spatial orientation error and mental workload were reduced significantly with the help of the navigational aid display. An effective navigational aid can thus reduce the uncertainty in the decision-making and action-planning processes in navigating in a non-rigid environment.
Horizontal transmission of Nosema fumiferanae (Microsporidia: Nosematidae) in the spruce budworm (Choristoneura sp., Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Horizontal transmission dynamics of a sublethal pathogen were examined using Nosema fumiferanae and spruce budworm as a model system. Onset of spore egestion varied from 11 to 15 days post inoculation. Both onset and the number of spores egested were affected by a complex interaction between temperature and inoculation dose. When late-instar larvae were fed spores, no spores were egested. Time to adult moth eclosion was dependent on infection, sex and temperature. In the field, the proportion of infected larvae (prevalence) declined between the overwintering and the early-instar stage regardless of initial prevalence. After the third instar, prevalence and the number of spores per larva rose until pupation. Overall, I propose that successful horizontal transmission is more dependent on the length of time to encounter egested spores than spore density, and that infected larval density is critical to the increase in prevalence of N. fumiferanae in this sublethal pathogen system.
Healthcare specific facial PPE design: Based on 2003 SARS-CoV outbreak

In 2003, over 8000 people in more than 30 countries worldwide were infected with a viral-spread atypical form of pneumonia, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) Outside of the pathogen's epicentre, Canada experienced the largest nosocomial outbreak with 438 reported cases, of which more than half were healthcare workers. Motivated by retrospective recommendations, the following research focused on reducing the risk of exposure, and transmission of the virus through development of enhanced healthcare specific Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Preliminary design research focused on disease epidemiology and consumer/user feedback. User defined product characteristics fixated on usability, accessibility, and confidence in PPE effectiveness. Cost prohibited accessibility of personal protective systems (PPS), associated with enhanced level precautions for elevated risk procedures, were targeted for development. Reflecting industry standards and consumer requirements, a disposable full-faced power-assisted air purifying respirator (PAAPR) was developed. Further research and development is required for commercialization.
Effects of multiple source characteristics on word and speaker recognition: An ERP study

Context reinstatement has been shown to facilitate word and source recognition. In an auditory ERP experiment, participants performed both recognition tasks with words spoken in four voices. Two voice parameters varied between speakers, with the possibility that none, one or two of these parameters was congruent between study and test. Results indicate that reinstating the study voice at test facilitates both word and speaker memory, compared with no benefit when only one voice parameter is similar. This implies that voices are encoded as acoustic patterns rather than as the sum of their vocal attributes. ERPs revealed, in addition to three expected memory-related modulations, a pre-recollection positivity associated with this reinstatement benefit in both tests. This positivity, likely reflecting acoustic recognition, occurred at 400ms over parietal regions in the word test and started as early as 120ms and 175ms over right frontal and right temporal areas, respectively, in the speaker test.
Age-related differences in memory for frequency of occurrence of emotional words

The present study demonstrated that emotionally toned words can impact upon young and older adults' estimates of frequency of occurrence. Young and older adults saw positive, negative, and neutral words that varied in number of presentations (one, three, or five times). Young adults were expected to give higher frequency estimates to negative words, while older adults were expected to give higher estimates to positive words. In Experiment 1, both young and older adults gave higher frequency estimates to negative words than neutral words. In Experiment 2, we included a 10 minute filled interval between study and test. Older adults continued giving higher estimates to negative words, but younger adults' estimates no longer differed between the three valences. In Experiment 3, participants performed a short-term memory task in which the distracter words varied in frequency. Under these truly incidental encoding conditions, older adults gave higher frequency estimates to the positive words, while younger adults gave similar estimates across the valences. These results are discussed in relation to the age-related "positivity bias" in memory (Master Carstensen, 2005).
In vitro activity and interactions of 13 yeast SCF complexes

SCF complexes are multisubunit ubiquitin ligases that have a variable component called an F-box. In yeast there are three characterised SCF complexes with different F-box proteins, and each acts in concert with the E2 Cdc34 to ubiquitinate target proteins. The majority of other yeast F-box proteins remain uncharacterised. 13 yeast SCF complexes were reconstituted in vitro, and their activity and biochemistry investigated. A characterised SCF reaction, ubiquitination of phospho-Sic1 by SCFCdc4, was found to be reconstituted with Ubc4 as well as Cdc34. 12 of the purified SCF complexes ubiquitinated their F-box proteins in vitro. The autoubiquitination of each F-box was in some cases catalyzed only by Cdc34, and in other cases preferentially catalyzed by Ubc4. Ubc4 thus interacts with multiple SCFs in vitro, and the combinatorial interactions of the SCF and E2 components of the ubiquitination machinery may allow further diversification of the roles of SCFs in vivo.
Supplemento al 'Vocabolario siciliano' di Giorgio Piccitto e Giovanni Tropea

The study of lexicography dates back to the third Century b.C.E. In Sicily the first three dictionaries produced are the Declarus by Angelo Senisio in 1348, the Vocabolarium vulgare cum latino apposito in 1500 by Nicolò Valla and the Vocabolarium Nebrissense by Lucio Cristoforo Scobar in 1519 and in 1520. Since then numerous Sicilian (bi- or trilingual) dictionaries have been published, yet, in each era the dictionaries served a different purpose. Initially the dictionaries were produced in order for the educated to familiarise themselves with other dialects spoken in Italy, later the goal of the dictionary was to teach Italian to the dialect speakers in Italy. In the last fifty years the goal of Sicilian dictionaries has been the conservation of the dialect. Two dictionaries of importance and scholarly merit have been produced in this last period. The first work is Piccitto-Tropea's Vocabolario Siciliano (Catania-Palermo, Centro di studi filologici e linguistici siciliani, vol. 1 1977, vol. 2 1985, vol. 3 1990, vol. 4 1997) and the second is the Vocabolario etimologico siciliano by Alberto Varvaro (Palermo, Centro di studi filologici e linguistici siciliani, vol. 1 1986). This latter work, besides being incomplete, has one significant shortcoming: the entries (studied etymologically) are very few. The former was conceived in 1950 and the first three volumes are limited in terms of field research. This work will be a supplement of aimed at listing all the words not treated in the Vocabolario Siciliano and it therefore complements the previously cited dictionary. The words contained in this Supplement were selected from locally published works, from undergraduate theses or were found when conducting fieldwork. The supplement contains 2505 words taken from 36 different towns and cities. This thesis also includes four appendices. The first appendix is a chronological list of all the Sicilian dictionaries from the 1600 to 1929. The second appendix is an annotated bibliography pertaining to Sicilian lexicography from 1929 to 1977. The third appendix is an etymological study of some of the words found in the dictionary and the fourth appendix is a brief essay on etymology and the Persian origin of some Sicilian words.
An examination of the construct validity of the Transtheoretical Model in three longitudinal substance-abuse treatment studies

An application of the Transtheoretical Model to 3 longitudinal studies of substance-abuse treatment, this dissertation aimed to evaluate its internal and external validity: the central claims that stage-related process-use is associated with stage-transition, that the stage-of-change construct can identify those most at-risk of treatment dropout, and that progressive movement through the stages-of-change can mark clinical improvement. Concerning the internal validity of the Model, Study 1 and Study 2 demonstrated that longitudinal process-use endorsement was not related to forward or backward stage-transition. In addition, the external validity of Transtheoretical Model did not receive clear support. Study 1 found that the stage-of-change substages did not predict dropout among adults engaged in substance-abuse treatment, but Study 3 demonstrated that those adolescents reporting higher Precontemplation scores were more likely to dropout of inpatient substance-abuse treatment. In addition, Study 2 found that forward stage-transition to the next higher stage was associated with improvement in drinking-related variables. In light of these results, this dissertation provides a strong empirical critique of the fundamental claims of the Transtheoretical Model.
Responsibility between persons

How are we to understand one person's responsibility to another when one person wrongs another? Within legal and philosophical literature, we can identify a prevailing paradigmatic approach to answering this question. The key distinguishing feature of this paradigmatic approach is the assumption that there is a division between what defines a person's wrongdoing on one hand, and the significance of losses suffered by another person on the other hand. Throughout this thesis, I argue against this approach and the theories that participate in it, including theories presented by Judith Jarvis Thomson, Stephen Perry, Jules Coleman, and (on the margins of that paradigm) Ernest Weinrib. As an alternative to theories that take up this paradigmatic approach, I present the duty/right based theory of responsibility. I build this theory of responsibility from the bottom up, starting with the structure and content of the wrong a person is responsible to another for. I argue that the wrong one person does to another is defined in terms of the freedom one person rightfully holds in relation to another. Since duties and rights set out the limits of each person's freedom in relation to the freedom of others, the formal and substantive content of those duties and correlative rights explain not only the nature of the wrong one person does to another, but also what one person must do in relation to another to appropriately address such a wrong. To appropriately address a relational wrong, an actor must give back the measure of the freedom she illicitly takes from another person when she commits a relational wrong against that person. One means of doing this is for the wrongdoer to compensate a person for the illicit harm he suffers as part of a relational wrong. The coherent explanation this theory provides as to the role compensation plays in appropriately addressing a wrong one person does to another explains some of our basic intuitions and practices surrounding the issue of responsibility between persons, including those that concern the extent to which the use of damages in tort law enforces the kind of responsibility in question.