cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Ecophysiological responses of grapevine rootstocks to water deficit
Creators: name: Pérez-Álvarez, Eva Pilar
name: Intrigliolo, Diego Sebastiano
name: Martínez-Moreno, Alejandro
name: García-Sánchez, Francisco
name: Parra, Margarita
name: Alfosea-Simon, Marina
name: Buesa, Ignacio
Publisher: name: VITIS - Journal of Grapevine Research
Year: 2023

description: The use of rootstocks tolerant to soil water deficit is an interesting strategy to face the challenges posed by limited water availability. Currently, several nurseries are breeding new genotypes aiming to improve the water stress tolerance of grapevine, but the physiological basis of its responses under water stress are largely unknown. For this purpose, an ecophysiological assessment of the conventional 110-Richter (110R) and SO4, and the new M1 and M4 rootstocks was carried out in ungrafted potted plants. During one season, these Vitis genotypes were grown under greenhouse conditions and subjected to two water regimes, well-watered (WW) and deficit irrigation (DI). Water potentials of plants under DI down to <-1.4 MPa, and net photosynthesis (AN) <5 μmol CO2m-2s-1 did not cause leaf oxidative stress damage compared to WW conditions in all genotypes. The antioxidant capacity was sufficient to neutralize the mild oxidative stress suffered. Under both water regimes, gravimetric differences in daily water use were observed among genotypes, leading to differences in the biomass of roots and shoots. Under WW conditions, SO4 and 110R were the most vigorous and M1 and M4 the least. However, under DI, SO4 exhibited the greatest reduction in biomass, while 110R showed the lowest. Remarkably, under these conditions, SO4 reached the least negative stem water potential and showed the highest hydraulic conductance values. Conversely, M1 reduced the most stomatal conductance, transpiration and AN. Overall, 110R achieved the highest biomass water use efficiency in response to DI, and SO4 the lowest, while M-rootstocks showed intermediate values. Our results suggest that there are differences in water use regulation among genotypes attributed not only to differences in stomatal regulation but also to plant hydraulic conductance. Therefore, it is hypothesized that differences in genotype performance may be due to root anatomical- morphological differences and to several physiological processes such as growth inhibition, osmotic adjustment, antioxidant production, nutrient translocation capacity, etc. Further studies are needed to confirm these differential ecophysiological responses of Vitis species under water stress, particularly under field and grafted conditions.
description: VITIS - Journal of Grapevine Research, Vol. 62 No. 2 (2023): Vitis
Alpheus packardii Kingsley 1880
Creators: name: Almeida, Alexandre Oliveira De
name: Guerrazzi, Maria Cec Lia
name: Coelho, Petr Ȏ Nio Alves
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Alpheidae
Alpheus
Alpheus packardii

description: Alpheus cf. packardii Kingsley, 1880
Material examined (N=40). 1f, 13/VI/2004, St. 0 7 (MZUESC #659); 1m, 13/VI/2004, St. 0 8 (MZUESC #660); 4m, 6f, 1juv, 24/III/2005, St. 0 4 (MZUESC #738); 5m, 10f, 25/III/2005, St. 0 5 (MZUESC #739).
Distribution. Western Atlantic – Bermuda, from Virginia to South Carolina, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, Mexico (Quintana Roo and Yucatán), Antilles, and Brazil (Rocas Atoll, Fernando de Noronha, and from Amapá to São Paulo) (Christoffersen 1979; 1998; Martínez-Iglesias et al. 1996). Records from the eastern Pacific (Gulf of California to Panama, Galapagos) refer to at least two different species, one of them A. normanni Kingsley, 1878 (A. Anker, personal communication).
Ecological notes. On mud, sand, calcareous algae, and broken shells, also on seagrass flats (Thalassia and Diplanthera), oyster banks, and in Phragmatopoma reefs. Common in polyhaline zones of estuaries. Intertidal to 73 m (Christoffersen 1979, as A. normanni).
Previous records in Bahia. Christoffersen (1979) (as A. normanni).
Remarks. Species complex, with at least three species in the western Atlantic and two species in the eastern Pacific (A. Anker, personal communication).
description: Published as part of Almeida, Alexandre Oliveira De, Guerrazzi, Maria Cec Lia & Coelho, Petr Ȏ Nio Alves, 2007, Stomatopod and decapod crustaceans from Camamu Bay, state of Bahia, Brazil, pp. 1-45 in Zootaxa 1553 on page 13, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.178168
Harnessing Phase Change Materials for Effective Cooling in Domestic Battery Storage for Renewable Energy
Creators: name: Hussein Jassim Akeiber*
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Phase Change Materials (PCMs), Battery Thermal Stability, Renewable Energy Storage, Passive Cooling Systems, Energy Storage Systems, Hybrid Cooling Strategies.

description: Abstract: Renewable energy systems coupled with the domestic battery storage are becoming more and more necessary for sustainable energy solutions. Despite this, the thermal management of lithium ion (Li ion) battery packs is a major issue due to temperature sensitivity. Thermal regulation is critical, and by doing so they can effectively optimize performance, safety, and longevity, which includes passion for burning holes through in the search of an innovative cooling strategy. This thesis attempts to examine the role phase change materials (PCMs) play in improving thermal stability of domestic battery packs. The passive cooling method offers by PCMs is based on the fact that they are able to absorb and lose heat by means of their phase transitions, and thus decrease risks of temperature fluctuations. This research focuses on thermal challenges of Li ion batteries at extreme temperatures in the off nominal temperature range resulting in increased internal resistance and reduced power output, potentially resulting in thermal run away. Active cooling systems like liquid cooling are compared with the passive PCM based solutions. Recently developed PCM integration methods, including composite materials that enhance thermal conductivity and thermal conductivity cooling, are reviewed in the study as well. Experimental studies together with computational simulations show that PCMs effectively reduces peak temperature of the battery and maintains uniform heat distribution across cells of the battery. Traditional PCMs have limitations in thermal conductivity but by incorporating such additives as expanded graphite or a metal foam the performance is considerably improved. It is also demonstrated that hybrid systems that combine PCMs with active cooling methods will prove useful for thermal regulation. It presents the opportunity for PCMs to be a viable, and energy efficient, thermal management solution for domestic battery storage. The future work could aim to optimize the PCM material properties, include the hybrid cooling strategies, and progress with the real time monitoring technologies in order to improve the battery performance and reliability in renewable energy applications.
Residents’ Interpretation of Their Experience of Care in Relation to Particular Workplace Culture Social Interaction Patterns
Creators: name: Taylor, Deanne
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Sociology--Organizational
subject: Health Care Management
subject: Nursing
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Aging
subject: Quality
subject: Long-term care
subject: Workplace culture
subject: Relational practice

description: Social and professional relationships are an integral component of the daily care and work experience within residential care (long-term care), yet little is known about how these relationships influence residents’ perceptions of care and quality of life. The purpose of this two phased, mixed method study was to explore residents’ perspectives of workers’ peer interactions and identify if workers’ peer social interactions had an influence on residents’ experience of care and if so, how. Drawing upon workplace culture theory and using narrative reality methods, residents’ perspectives of workers’ peer relationships within four residential care facilities located in a large health authority in British Columbia, Canada were examined. In phase one, contextual data was gathered by administering a worker survey and collecting field observations focused on workers’ peer social interactions and residents’ behaviours in public areas (e.g., dining rooms, lounges). In phase two, lengthier field observations were conducted and interviews with residents who were asked about their observations of how workers interacted with peers and if, and how, this affected their care experiences. The final analysis resulted in producing three themes characterizing workers’ peer social interactions: shaming, blaming, and collegiality. Shaming and blaming peer interactions impacted negatively on residents’ quality of care by reducing workers’ team interactions, work capacity, and care coordination; and on residents’ quality of life by producing an oppressed environment, reduced resident social engagement, and emphasized resident vulnerability. Conversely, collegial workers’ peer social interactions impacted positively on residents’ quality of care through increased communication, seamless teamwork, and improved safety practices; and on quality of life by residents’ increased enjoyment and security, and creation of positive environments. The results underscore the quality of workers’ peer relationships as influential to residents’ perceptions of quality of care and life, and add to the literature about the relational features of residential care. Recommendations arising from this study include promoting common collegial language and practices, fostering relational leadership, formalizing workplace relational processes and engaging in more research about residential care at a daily level, including residents with dementia and family perspectives of workers’ peer interactions on quality of care and the care environment.
Application of Gray codes to the study of the theory of symbolic dynamics of unimodal maps
Creators: name: Arroyo, David
name: Alvarez, Gonzalo
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Chaotic Dynamics (nlin.CD)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In this paper we provide a closed mathematical formulation of our previous results in the field of symbolic dynamics of unimodal maps. This being the case, we discuss the classical theory of applied symbolic dynamics for unimodal maps and its reinterpretation using Gray codes. This connection was previously emphasized but no explicit mathematical proof was provided. The work described in this paper not only contributes to the integration of the different interpretations of symbolic dynamics of unimodal maps, it also points out some inaccuracies that exist in previous works.
Lexical Blending in Ukrainian: System or Sport?
Creators: name: Winters, Svitlana
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Language
subject: Linguistics
subject: FOS: Languages and literature
subject: blending
subject: Ukrainian
subject: priming
subject: word-formation

description: This dissertation examines the formal, semantic, and syntactic mechanisms involved in the formation and processing of blends in Ukrainian. The objectives pursued in this research are (i) to provide a comprehensive definition of blending, (ii) to determine whether there are any formal, semantic, and syntactic regularities in the formation of blends in Ukrainian, and (iii) to learn what factors facilitate recognition of source words, as well as interpretation of meanings of Ukrainian blends. The objectives are achieved by critically analyzing the relevant literature, conducting an analysis of a corpus of Ukrainian blends, and running three psycholinguistic experiments with native speakers of Ukrainian. Based on the analysis, a comprehensive definition of blending is proposed, which establishes the boundaries between blends and other complex words that resemble them (for example, clipped compounds). The analysis of the corpus of Ukrainian blends compiled in the course of this research reveals a number of regularities in blending. Based on these regularities, a system of formal, semantic and categorial rules which account for the formation of blends in Ukrainian are proposed. Finally, the results of the psycholinguistic experiments reveal that the following factors affect the likelihood of recognition of the source words and accurate understanding of the meaning of blends: the structure of the blend, the modality of presentation of the blend, and the amount of time allotted for its processing.
Automated Recognition of Electrical Substation Components from 3D LiDAR Point Clouds
Creators: name: Arastounia, Mostafa
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Engineering--Industrial
subject: LiDAR
subject: Point Cloud
subject: Segmentation
subject: Object Recognition
subject: Electrical Substation
subject: Cable
subject: Pole

description: This study presents an innovative automated methodology for identification of electrical substations’ key elements from 3D LiDAR point clouds acquired by terrestrial laser scanners. The developed methodology is composed of nine algorithms that identify objects of interest with respect to their physical shape and topological relationships among them. The objects of interest in this contribution are ground, fence, cables, circuit breakers, bushings, bus pipes, insulators, and three types of poles with circular, octagonal, and square cross sectional shape. The developed methodology incorporates a computationally-efficient algorithm for detection of ground within electrical substations; two separate algorithms for identifying well-sampled and poorly-sampled fences; robust algorithms for detecting cables, circuit breakers, and bushings with respect to their unique physical shape and the topological relationships among them; and a novel method for simultaneous identification, modeling, and registration-refinement of poles with circular and regular polygonal cross sectional shapes. The proposed methods in this study work quite robustly despite the challenges introduced by non-uniform point sampling, registration error, occlusion, attached objects, gap, dense configuration of neighboring objects, and outliers. Five datasets with quite different volume and configuration were employed in this work. The first three datasets contain point clouds of two different electrical substations. The fourth and fifth datasets contain point clouds of an urban roadway and a pole-like monument with a regular dodecagonal cross section, respectively. The obtained results indicate that 367 out of 382 objects of interest (96.1%) in the first dataset; 354 out of 382 objects of interest (92.7%) in the second dataset; and 255 out of 264 objects of interest (96.6%) in the third dataset were successfully recognized. At point cloud level, it achieved greater than 99%, 96%, and 97% average recognition precision and accuracy in the first, second, and third dataset, respectively. Furthermore, the poles in the fourth and fifth datasets were successfully identified and the registration-refined version and as-built model of poles in all five datasets were automatically generated. The center and size standard deviation of the constructed models was less than 3 mm and the rotation angle standard deviation was less than 0.3° for all identified poles.
Pitch Estimation of Musical Signals
Creators: name: Heerema, John
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Music
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Audiology
subject: Computer Science
subject: Engineering--Biomedical
subject: Psychology--Cognitive
subject: Musical Pitch Perception
subject: Pitch Vibrato Perception
subject: Musical Pitch Estimation
subject: Musical Pitch
subject: Digital Signal Processing
subject: Joint Time-Frequency Domain Signal Analysis
subject: Music Education
subject: Musical Pitch Feedback
subject: Neurophysiology of Pitch Perception
subject: Mobile Software
subject: iOS Software

description: Can a computer algorithm assess musical pitch with results analogous to those of a trained human musician? This thesis attempts to answer that question by demonstration. It starts by examining the nature of pitch, and human spectrotemporal perception of music. In pitch vibrato, the frequency varies up and down over time, usually sinusoidally. At vibrato frequencies over about 4Hz, most listeners perceive pitch vibrato tones as having a single pitch. However, few controlled studies have been conducted to explore the question of just what that pitch is. A software tool was developed to generate arbitrary pitch vibrato tones, and administer controlled pitch matching tests. With respect to the longstanding debate as to whether pitch perception is based on spectral or temporal mechanisms, some support was found for temporal neural coding being the primary, but not singular pitch detection mechanism. A novel method for detecting musical pitch is demonstrated, based on spectrotemporal analysis of the signal. A Fourier analysis algorithm infers perceived pitch from the distance between the harmonics that are present in the signal. A weighted voting technique was developed to assess inter-peak distances, and merge candidate distances where possible. Individual spectral peaks are also considered in the weighting process. A technique developed at CERN for interpolating Fourier analysis results is applied to musical signals for the first time. The temporal analysis algorithm improves on the author’s previous research by adding a new confidence metric, which improves octave resolution. It also uses a weighted voting technique similar to the one used by the Fourier analysis algorithm. A confidence metric is used to select from multiple algorithms. The resulting algorithm improves on previously published methods for estimating musical pitch in several ways: improved accuracy, improved immunity to octave errors, improved ability to follow transient pitch changes, and improved frequency range. The algorithm was validated against the extensive instrumental recording library at the University of Iowa, and against a small set of vocal recordings. A case study methodology was used to assess the experimental software tool’s potential for use as an educational tool.
Advancing hierarchical equations of motion for efficient evaluation of coherent two-dimensional spectroscopy
Creators: name: Xu, Jian
name: Xu, Rui-Xue
name: Abramavicius, Darius
name: Zhang, Houdao
name: Yan, YiJing
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Chemical Physics (physics.chem-ph)
subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: To advance hierarchial equations of motion as a standard theory for quantum dissipative dynamics, we put forward a mixed Heisenberg--Schrodinger scheme with block-matrix implementation on efficient evaluation of nonlinear optical response function. The new approach is also integrated with optimized hierarchical theory and numerical filtering algorithm. Different configurations of coherent two-dimensional spectroscopy of model excitonic dimer systems are investigated, with focus on the effects of intermolecular transfer coupling and bi-exciton interaction.
Salamander Braincase Morphology, and its Impact on Discombobulation
Creators: name: Szostakiwskyj, Matthew
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Anatomy
subject: Zoology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Salamander
subject: Braincase
subject: Systematics
subject: Amphibian
subject: Paedomorphosis

description: Salamander phylogeny has been difficult to assess via morphology due to paedomorphosis, the retention of juvenile characters in the adult form, resulting in a large discrepancy between the topologies recovered by morphological and molecular datasets, prompting one author to comment that ontogeny “discombobulates” phylogeny. To investigate whether the addition of braincase morphology, an evolutionarily conserved module, to the current character set can resolve the incongruence between morphological and molecular datasets, I scanned 28 specimens of salamander, representing all 10 families, with micro-computed tomography; this represents the first time all 10 families have been visualized in 3D. I created a set of morphological characters describing the braincase, which I concatenated with the current datasets and performed both parsimony and Bayesian analyses. My results suggest that metamorphosis is strongly misleading morphological topologies, and demonstrate the importance of understanding how development impacts terminal morphology for character selection in future phylogenetic analyses.
Security proof of the unbalanced phase-encoded BB84 protocol
Creators: name: Ferenczi, Agnes
name: Narasimhachar, Varun
name: Lütkenhaus, Norbert
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In optical implementations of the phase-encoded BB84 protocol, the bit information is usually encoded in the phase of two consecutive photon pulses generated in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. In the actual experimental realization, the loss in the arms of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer is not balanced, for example because only one arm contains a lossy phase modulator. Therefore, the amplitudes of the pulses is not balanced, and the structure of the signals and measurements no longer corresponds to the (balanced) ideal BB84 protocol. Hence, the BB84 security analysis no longer applies in this scenario. We provide a security proof of the unbalanced phase-encoded BB84. The resulting key rate turns out to be lower than the key rate of the ideal BB84 protocol. Therefore, in order to guarantee security, the loss due to the phase modulator cannot be ignored.
ICOPS Workshop Series - FAIR data
Creators: name: Emma, Karoune
name: Gabriela, Musaubach Maria
name: Carla, Lancelotti
name: Burel, Jean-Marie
name: Madella, Marco
name: Ge, Yong
name: García-Granero, Juan José
name: Dabengwa, Abraham Nqabutho
name: Bates, Jennifer
name: Kerfant, Celine
name: Dunseth, Zachary
name: Ruiz-Perez, Javier
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Phytoliths
Open research
FAIR principles

description: This is the sixth workshop in the International Committee on Open Phytolith Science (ICOPS) workshop series on Open Research Skills.  In this workshop we had multiple speakers: Introduction to FAIR and FAIR Phytoliths project results - Emma Karoune - slides in the main presentation FAIR Data principles and Imaging Resources - Jean-Marie Burel - slides attached as pdf. Sobre la nomenclatura fitolitica en Argentina y el uso del ICPN 2.0 - Maria-Gabriela Musaubach - slides in the main presentation Youtube video of the workshop: Emma Karoune FAIR Data Workshop_1.Emma.Introduction to FAIR and FAIR Phytoliths Project results - YouTube Jean-Marie Burel FAIR Data workshop_2.Jean Marie. FAIR Principles and imaging resources - YouTube Maria-Gabriela Musaubach FAIR Data Workshop_3.Gabi. Sobre la nomenclatura fitolítica en Argentina, el uso del ICPN 2.0. - YouTube Round table FAIR Data Workshop_4.Round table on the FAIR Data session - YouTube
Dielectric 5-Branes and Giant Gravitons in ABJM
Creators: name: Herrero, Mario
name: Lozano, Yolanda
name: Picos, Marco
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We construct a supersymmetric NS5-brane wrapped on a twisted 5-sphere expanding in the $CP^3$ in $AdS_4\times CP^3$, with D0-brane charge. This configuration provides a realization of the stringy exclusion principle in terms of giant D0-branes. In the maximal case the twisted 5-sphere reduces to a $CP^2$ and its energy can be accounted for both by a bound state of $k$ D4-branes wrapping the $CP^2$ and a bound state of $N$ D0-branes, a realization on the gravity side of the symmetry of Young diagrams with $N$ rows and $k$ columns. We discuss some generalizations of this configuration in M-theory carrying angular momentum, some of them with an interpretation as giant gravitons. We provide the microscopical description that allows to explore the region of finite 't Hooft coupling.
description: 26 pages, reference added
Preschoolers' Use of Vocal Affect as a Cue to Referential Intent
Creators: name: Berman, Jared
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: Psychology--Cognitive
subject: Psychology--Developmental
subject: Vocal Affect
subject: Referential Intent

description: In this dissertation, I examined the development of preschoolers’ use of a speaker’s vocal affect to guide their understanding of referential situations. Across all experiments, children’s eye gaze was measured as an index of their underlying interpretive processes. The first set of experiments examined 5-year-olds’ use of vocal affect to understand the referential intentions of a speaker. Across three experiments, differences in 5-year-olds’ use of vocal affect across multiple contexts (i.e., ambiguous: two same category referents vs. unambiguous: only one linguistically defined referent) and valence types (i.e., positive vs. negative) were investigated to determine whether vocal affect might help children identify a linguistically ambiguous referent or speed the detection of a linguistically unambiguous referent. Results indicated that 5-year-olds use both positive and negative vocal affect to resolve referential ambiguity. Further, when 5-year-olds were provided with unambiguous contexts, negative, but not positive vocal affect altered children’s eye gaze early in the utterance (i.e., prenoun). Second, I examined whether 4- and 5-year-olds could use vocal affect to learn new words. Results indicated that both 4- and 5-year-olds’ eye gaze reflected the use of both positive and negative vocal affect to map novel labels to novel objects. When 5-year-olds completed extension and generalization tasks, negative but not positive vocal affect played a role in children’s ability to learn new words. Finally, I examined whether 3- and 5-year-olds can use a speaker’s vocal affect to match the face of the speaker. Eye gaze results indicated that both 3- and 5-year-olds could use a speaker’s vocal affect to find her matching emotional face. However, there were significant differences across valence types in terms of timing. Specifically, children’s eye gaze reflected an earlier use of negative compared to positive vocal affect. However, when children were asked to explicitly locate the matching face (i.e., through pointing) only 5-year-olds displayed this ability. The findings from this dissertation demonstrate that preschoolers can use a speaker’s vocal affect as a cue to referential intent. Furthermore, when provided with negative vocal affect children were not only more accurate, but were able to use this information earlier in the utterance.
Queer and Poliical: Exploring Transgender Resistance
Creators: name: Dolcecore, Susan
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Psychology--Social
subject: Transgender
subject: Resistance
subject: Queer Theory

description: This qualitative study investigated forms of oppression and resistance among transgender individuals. This constructivist grounded theory study answered these research questions: (1) how does oppression affect self-identified transgender individual’s performance of gender, and (2) how does gender performance illustrate collective and individual forms of resistance? The author interviewed 14 transgender individuals living in Canada about their lived experiences with oppression and resistance. The exploration of this phenomenon was encompassed human experience, social environments, and the complexity of life illustrated by those directly experiencing oppression as transgender individuals. The performance of gender describes the use masculine, feminine and gender neutral qualities to express identity. This study suggests that transgender resistance is a method for overcoming one’s vulnerability related to traditional gender discourses. The use of resistance provides a way for radical self-determination, one that helps in promoting authenticity and solidarity with others in the trans and queer community.
Role of Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 in Human Cardiac Fibroblast-Mediated Extracellular Matrix Remodeling
Creators: name: Ngu, Janet
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: Medicine and Surgery
subject: Heart Failure
subject: Extracellular Matrix
subject: Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2
subject: Human
subject: Cardiac Fibroblasts

description: After a myocardial infarction, extracellular matrix (ECM) dysregulation leads to maladaptive cardiac remodeling that constitutes the basis of development of heart failure. Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) is an endogenous biomolecule that is critical in the maintenance of ECM architecture. Cardiac fibroblasts are the main cell type that regulates ECM homeostasis. This study employed an innovative method of three-dimensional collagen gel assay, which mimics the natural in vivo ECM. We investigated the effect of TIMP-2 on the human cardiac fibroblast-mediated ECM remodeling. TIMP-2 induced differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts into myofibroblasts that are active in collagen synthesis. Concurrently, TIMP-2 induced an increase in the total protease activity within the collagen gel microenvironment. TIMP-2 did not promote a fibrotic response, despite its ability to activate myofibroblasts. These actions appear to be independent of its MMP-inhibitory actions. In conclusion, TIMP-2 promotes ECM homeostasis via simultaneous induction of myofibroblast activation and total protease activity.
Postural threat-induced modulation of stretch reflex pathways in static and dynamic postural control
Creators: name: Horslen, Brian Christopher
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2010

description: There are clear changes to human static and dynamic postural control in situations of elevated postural threat (e.g. standing at the edge of an elevated platform). One possible explanation for these changes is that the amount of afferent information from muscle spindles in the ankle musculature is altered by postural threat. Two experiments have been conducted to explore postural threat-induced changes to soleus spinal stretch reflex function during static control of posture (Study 1), and in response to dynamic postural disturbances (Study 2). In Study 1, soleus Hoffmann (H-) and tendon stretch (T-) reflexes were used to explore changes in reflex amplitude while subjects stood quietly in conditions of low (ground level) and high (3.2m above ground) postural threat. Height-induced postural threat was associated with larger T-reflexes and higher arousal, these effects occurred without systematic changes in H-reflex amplitudes or background muscle activation. We interpret these findings as indirect evidence for arousal-mediated changes in muscle spindle sensitivity. In Study 2, emotionally-charged pictures were used to explore the effects of arousal on H- and T-reflexes, as well as whole body postural perturbations. The pictures failed to elicit significant changes in physiological arousal, H- or T-reflexes, or perturbation response parameters. However, the threat of postural perturbation caused parallel increases in T-reflexes, physiological arousal, and perceived anxiety. Therefore, we conclude that arousal-induced changes in stretch reflexes are not context specific, but rather a generalized response to postural threat. Furthermore, these results together provide substantial evidence in support of independent modulation of muscle spindle sensitivity in humans.
The Effects of Stellar Rotation. I. Impact on the Ionizing Spectra and Integrated Properties of Stellar Populations
Creators: name: Levesque, Emily M.
name: Leitherer, Claus
name: Ekstrom, Sylvia
name: Meynet, Georges
name: Schaerer, Daniel
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We present a sample of synthetic massive stellar populations created using the Starburst99 evolutionary synthesis code and new sets of stellar evolutionary tracks, including one set that adopts a detailed treatment of rotation. Using the outputs of the Starburst99 code, we compare the populations' integrated properties, including ionizing radiation fields, bolometric luminosities, and colors. With these comparisons we are able to probe the specific effects of rotation on the properties of a stellar population. We find that a population of rotating stars produces a much harder ionizing radiation field and a higher bolometric luminosity, changes that are primarily attributable to the effects of rotational mixing on the lifetimes, luminosities, effective temperatures, and mass loss rates of massive stars. We consider the implications of the profound effects that rotation can have on a stellar population, and discuss the importance of refining stellar evolutionary models for future work in the study of extragalactic, and particularly high-redshift, stellar populations.
description: 13 pages, 8 figures; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal
Asset Pricing, Capital Structure and Financial Economics: Pricing, Hedging, and Risk
Creators: name: Shen, Jia
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Economics--Finance
subject: Asset Pricing
subject: Financial Economics
subject: Pricing
subject: Hedging
subject: Credit risk
subject: Derivatives

description: Asset Pricing is a central topic in Finance Theory. Explaining why different assets have different risk premia is a main goal of Asset Pricing Theory. In this thesis, I explore various topics in Finance Theory, including topics in asset pricing, capital structure, and financial economics. Chapter 1 investigates a regime switching Lucas economy in continuous time, with multiple dividend streams and labor income. We determine the asset prices in equilibrium in the economy with regime switching, and derive a system of partial differential equations for the asset prices and the short interest rate. In Chapter 2, I consider credit risk. Motivated by empirical findings, we propose a framework using unobservable, underlying Markov chains, to model naturally both frailty and default contagion. Chapter 3 is subsequent research based on Chapter 2. We consider a reduced-form, intensity-based credit risk model, which allows for both frailty and default contagion, using a so-called “self-exciting” intensity, in the sense that the default intensity varies not only with the risk factors, but also depends on the previous default history of all the firms. In Chapter 4, we turn our attention to an area that is related to both asset pricing and corporate finance. We investigate the optimal capital structure of a corporate when the dynamics of the assets (both growth rate and volatility) change following different states of the economy. In Chapter 5, we investigate credit risk and the credit spread of a corporate defaultable bond when the dynamics of the assets change according to different states of the economy. In Chapter 6, we investigate a model where the asset price follows hidden Markov modulated jump-diffusion dynamics. This framework incorporates two important empirically observed features: jumps and regime shifts.
Optical repumping of triplet $P$-states enhances magneto-optical trapping of ytterbium atoms
Creators: name: Cho, Jun Woo
name: Lee, Han-gyeol
name: Lee, Sangkyung
name: Ahn, Jaewook
name: Lee, Won-Kyu
name: Yu, Dai-Hyuk
name: Lee, Sun Kyung
name: Park, Chang Yong
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Radiative decay from the excited $^1P_1$ state to metastable $^3P_2$ and $^3P_0$ states is expected to limit attainable trapped atomic population in a magneto-optic trap of ytterbium (Yb) atoms. In experiments we have carried out with optical repumping of $^3P_{0,2}$ states to $^3P_1$, we observe enhancement of trapped atoms yield in the excited $^1P_1$ state. The individual decay rate to each metastable state is measured and the results show an excellent agreement with the theoretical values.
description: 5 pages, 5 figures
The Core Composition of a White Dwarf in a Close Double Degenerate System
Creators: name: Vennes, S.
name: Kawka, A.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We report the identification of the double degenerate system NLTT 16249 that comprises a normal, hydrogen-rich (DA) white dwarf and a peculiar, carbon-polluted white dwarf (DQ) showing photospheric traces of nitrogen. We disentangled the observed spectra and constrained the properties of both stellar components. In the evolutionary scenario commonly applied to the sequence of DQ white dwarfs, both carbon and nitrogen would be dredged up from the core. The C/N abundance ratio (~ 50) in the atmosphere of this unique DQ white dwarf suggests the presence of unprocessed material (14N) in the core or in the envelope. Helium burning in the DQ progenitor may have terminated early on the red-giant branch after a mass-ejection event leaving unprocessed material in the core although current mass estimates do not favor the presence of a low-mass helium core. Alternatively, some nitrogen in the envelope may have survived an abridged helium-core burning phase prior to climbing the asymptotic giant-branch. Based on available data, we estimate a relatively short orbital period (P
description: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters
Application of Fuzzy Numbers for Environmental Assessments: A Preliminary Study
Creators: name: Cheng, Xin
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Engineering--Mechanical
subject: Life Cycle Assessment
subject: Fuzzy Number
subject: Building Energy Analysis

description: This thesis preliminarily explores the use of fuzzy numbers in two applications: life-cycle assessment (LCA) and building energy analysis. In LCA, this thesis compares the results in the context of concept selection between the fuzzy number and Monte Carlo approaches and finds that the numerical outcomes of both approaches are comparable. In building energy analysis, the traditional degree-day method is adapted by allowing the data inputs as fuzzy numbers. Instead of providing the “average point” results, the fuzzy number approach can yield an “interval” of energy estimations. The proposed fuzzy number approach has been applied to a building located in Calgary, and the results are compared to historical data and building energy simulation (i.e., eQUEST). As the ranking of fuzzy numbers is fundamental to support decision making in both applications, this thesis also investigates the axiomatic properties of one well-known ranking method, namely, the centroid index method. This thesis has explored using a numerical approach to identify counter-examples in the proof process.
On the sensitivity of generic porous optical sensors
Creators: name: Mackay, Tom G.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Optics (physics.optics)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: A porous material was considered as a platform for optical sensing. It was envisaged that the porous material was infiltrated by a fluid which contains an agent to be sensed. Changes in the optical properties of the infiltrated porous material provide the basis for detection of the agent to be sensed. Using a homogenization approach based on the Bruggeman formalism, wherein the infiltrated porous material was regarded as a homogenized composite material, the sensitivity of such a sensor was investigated. For the case of an isotropic dielectric porous material of relative permittivity $ε^a$ and an isotropic dielectric fluid of relative permittivity $ε^b$, it was found that the sensitivity was maximized when there was a large contrast between $ε^a$ and $ε^b$; the maximum sensitivity was achieved at mid-range values of porosity. Especially high sensitivities may be achieved for $ε^b$ close to unity when $ε^a >> 1$, for example. Furthermore, higher sensitivities may be achieved by incorporating pores which have elongated spheroidal shapes.
Making Hope Visible: Counselling Interns’ Reflections of Hope in Personal Life and Professional Practice
Creators: name: Crowe, Gloria Haekyung
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: Educational Psychology
subject: Hope
subject: Counselling Students
subject: Counsellor Training and Education

description: Hope has been identified as one of the key determining factors contributing to successful therapeutic outcomes, such as client change. Research on the role of hope in counselling psychology from the perspective of practitioners, however, has received little attention until very recently. This interpretative phenomenological analysis study explored seven counselling interns’ experiences of hope in their personal lives and professional practices and examined how they perceived hope influences their counselling practices. Data for the analysis was collected utilizing semi-structured interviews. The data analysis yielded six key themes (The Symmetry in Personal and Professional Hope, Hope as Personally Meaningful Multifaceted Construct, Counsellors’ Understandings of Hope, Counsellors’ Visible Identifications of Hope, Relationships as Sources of Nurturing Hope, and Challenges with Hope in Professional Practice) and twenty-nine related subthemes. Implications for counselling, and counsellor training and education, as well as directions for future research are discussed.
Estimating Specific Storage and Matrix Compressibility from Barometric Efficiency in the Southern Alberta Paskapoo Aquifer System
Creators: name: Augustine, Natasha
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Geology
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Hydrology
subject: Barometric Efficiency
subject: Specific Storage
subject: Matrix Compressibility
subject: Paskapoo aquifer
subject: Clark
subject: Rahi
subject: Graphical Ellipse
subject: Barometric Response Functions
subject: Amplitude Ratio
subject: Hydrogeology
subject: Groundwater

description: Specific storage (Ss) and matrix compressibility (α) are fundamental aquifer properties which can be estimated by barometric efficiency (BE), a measure of well response to changes in barometric pressure. Five BE estimation techniques (amplitude ratio analysis, Clark method, Rahi method, graphical ellipse, and barometric response functions) are discussed and a standardized technique for estimating BE, pre- and post-analysis data conditioning (PPC) is described. It is shown that this technique can greatly improve the consistency of BE estimates and that small scale resolution errors rather than large scale noise may impact results the most. The PPC approach and an inter-quartile range filter are applied to data obtained from the Paskapoo formation and BE, Ss, and α estimates are derived (ranging from 3.9-99.5%, 8.3x10-7-1.7x10-5 m-1 and 1.6x10-11-1.7x10-9 Pa-1, respectively). It is demonstrated that the outlined techniques allow data from non-traditional sources (active pumping wells and legacy monitoring wells) to be employed.
Environmental Decoherence versus Intrinsic Decoherence
Creators: name: Stamp, P. C. E.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other)
subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We review the difference between standard environmental decoherence and 'intrinsic decoherence', which is taken to be an ineluctable process of Nature. Environmental decoherence is typically modeled by spin bath or oscillator modes - we review some of the unanswered questions not captured by these models, and also the application of them to experiments. Finally, a sketch is given of a new theoretical approach to intrinsic decoherence, and this scheme is applied to the discussion of gravitational decoherence.
description: to be published in Phil Trans Roy Soc A
Role of Retinoblastoma Protein Family (Rb/p105 and Rb2/p130) Expression in the Histopathological Classification of Borderline Ovarian Tumors
Creators: name: (:Unkn) Unknown
Publisher: name: My University
Year: 2020
Subjects: borderline ovarian tumors
diagnosis
pRb/p105
pRb2/p130
retinoblastoma protein family

description: © Copyright © 2020 Masciullo, Valdivieso, Amadio, Santoro, Angelico, Sgambato, Boffo, Giordano, Scambia and Zannoni. Borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) are uncommon but not rare epithelial ovarian neoplasms, intermediate between benign and malignant categories. Emerging knowledge supports the notion that subtypes of borderline ovarian tumors comprise distinct biologic, pathogenetic, and molecular entities, precluding a single unifying concept for BOT. The identification of valuable markers for the diagnosis and classification of these tumors is in need. Among the molecular candidates, the Retinoblastoma (Rb) family members Rb/p105 and Rb2/p130 seem to play a pivotal role in ovarian cancer. In particular, Rb/p105, when in the unphosphorylated form, acts as a growth suppressor controlling cell cycle and tumor progression; whereas, the phosphorylated form activates gene transcription and cellular proliferation. While Rb/p105 is ubiquitously confined to the nuclei of cycling and quiescent cells, Rb2/p130 activity is also regulated by intracellular localization. According to this, Rb family members could represent a novel marker in diagnosis and classification risk for patients with BOT. In this study, we evaluated the expression and subcellular localization of proteins of the retinoblastoma (Rb) gene family in 65 ovarian borderline tumors. Statistically significant differences were found in nuclear and cytoplasmic expressions of Rb/p105 and Rb2/p130 according to different examined histotypes. In detail, the nuclear expression of Rb/p105 and Rb2/p130 was more frequently detected in serous (84.6%) than sero-mucinous (42.1%) and mucinous (50%) types. Conversely, the cytoplasmic expression of Rb2/p130 was not detected in serous tumors and frequently observed in mucinous subtypes (80%). Our findings suggest that Rb proteins do not play a key role in the tumor progression of serous borderline tumors since any cases showed cytoplasmic localization. By contrast, the observed higher cytoplasmic expression of Rb2/p130 in intestinal mucinous BOTs is indicative of Rb protein family involvement in the cancerogenesis pathway of mucinous ovarian tumors. Also, mucinous BOTs of intestinal-type, exhibiting low nuclear and high cytoplasmic levels of Rb2/p130 might potentially be considered a high-risk category of malignant evolution. Further studies on larger series are needed to clarify how BOTs could be stratified in different prognostic groups according to their Rb proteins immunohistochemical profile.
Re-storying Métis Spirit: Honouring lived experiences
Creators: name: Bouvier, Victoria
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Canadian Studies
subject: Native American Studies
subject: Metis
subject: Identity
subject: ways of knowing

description: The discussions that surround Métis identity are full of great complexities and conundrums as one begins to look at the diversity within the Métis population. These complexities can not only be understood on a macro societal scale, but also on a micro individual scale. In order to explore the nuances of Métis ways of knowing, this thesis specifically focuses on the personal narratives of four Métis individuals in order to find connections to, and evidence of Métis ways of knowing. Alongside the stories of the participants, I lace my own reflections and stories and create a narrative that ignites, reaffirms, and celebrates the Métis spirit.