VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The Costs, Benefits, and Efficiency of Air Quality Regulation
Keywords: air quality regulation
Clean Air Interstate Rule
long-term exposure to air pollution
sufficient statistics
UK Clean Air Act
US Clean Air Amendments of 1970

Air pollution poses serious risks to public health. Combatting it sensibly requires credible empirical estimates of the relevant costs and benefits. The intent of this thesis is to provide such estimates. Chapter 1 examines the value of reducing emissions from power plants, an important source of air pollution in several countries. Within a model of health, consumption, production, power generation, and resource extraction, I derive a 'sufficient statistics' formula for the change in social welfare due to a small reduction in emissions. The formula simplifies to a comparison of marginal benefits (in terms of reduced mortality risk, monetized using the value of a statistical life) and the marginal cost of abatement. I estimate these inputs using quasi-experimental variation induced by the Clean Air Interstate Rule, a policy that capped power plant emissions in the United States. Results indicate that further reducing those emissions would be worthwhile. Chapter 2 re-examines the effect of a county's regulatory status under the US Clean Air Act on the change in its air pollution concentration, the 'first-stage' underlying causal estimates of the benefits of reducing air pollution in several studies. Using data thought no longer to exist, I find that one of the commonly-used measurement approaches -- a regression-discontinuity estimator -- is invalid. The other commonly-used approach -- a difference-in-differences estimator -- delivers inflated estimates of the effects of regulation on air pollution. These findings suggest that the literature substantially understates the benefits of reducing air pollution. Chapter 3, joint with Robert McMillan, provides causal estimates of the effects of sustained exposure to severe air pollution on mortality risk. Our research design is based on the 'smoke control' provisions of the UK's Clean Air Act of 1956, which granted local authorities power to address emissions from the domestic chimney. We find that smoke control caused significant reductions in air pollution in areas that implemented it relative to those that did not. Our 2SLS estimates, which combine this exogenous variation in air quality improvements with local mortality data, indicate a significant reduction in probability of death. They are relevant when calculating air pollution's costs in coal-burning middle-income countries today.
Photothermal and Photochemical Nanostructured Catalyst Engineering Towards Efficient Solar Fuel Production
Keywords: CO2 conversion
niobium oxide nanostructure
palladium catalysts
Photothermal catalyst
solar fuels
tunable selectivity

With global energy demand rising alongside the advancement of climate change, the conversion of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into value-added chemicals and fuels is attracting increasing attention. The crux for the successful development of this promising technology is the exploration and discovery of highly active, selective, and stable catalyst materials. Herein we demonstrate that the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction can be driven by Nb2O5 nanorod-supported Pd nanocrystals, without external heating, using visible and near infrared (NIR) light. By measuring the dependence of the RWGS reaction rates on the intensity and spectral power distribution of filtered light incident on the nanostructured Pd@Nb2O5 catalyst, we determine the RWGS reaction to be initiated by heat generated from thermalized charge carriers in the Pd nanocrystals that are excited by inter-band and intra-band absorption of visible and NIR light. We also demonstrate that the catalytic activity and selectivity of CO2 reduction to CO and CH4 products can be systematically tailored, by varying the size of the Pd nanocrystals, to acheive champion turnover frequencies (0.61 sâ 1) and efficient conversion of solar energy to stored chemical energy. The remarkable control over the catalytic performance of Pd@Nb2O5 stems from a combination of photothermal, electronic, and size effects. The insight gleaned from this detailed experimental-theoretical study provides a blueprint for how to tailor the performance metrics of earth-abundant, low-cost metal-metal oxide (M@M'Ox) analogues. Finally, we report a lattice strain and defect controlled strategy that enables the high-performance of low-cost photocatalystic materials. Lattice compressed ultrafine nonstoichiometric indium oxide dots, In2O3-x(OH)y, grown on the surface of niobium pentoxide nanorods were fabricated; the optimized hybrid structure exhibits 44-fold increase in efficiency compared with pristine In2O3-x(OH)y, along with extremely long-term operational stability, potentially originating from the increased number of active oxygen vacancies, prolonged excited-state lifetimes, and enhanced photo-generated carrier energies.
Enhanced Column Filtration for Arsenic Removal from Water: Polymer-Templated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Immobilized on Sand via Layer-by-Layer Deposition
Keywords: Arsenic
Discrete Gradient Surfaces
Iron Oxide
Nanoparticles
Polyelectrolyte Multilayer
Water Filtration

Arsenic is ubiquitous in water sources around the world and is highly toxic. While precipitation and membrane filtration techniques are successfully implemented in developed cities, they are unsuitable for rural and low-resource settings lacking centralized facilities. This thesis presents the use of ultra-small iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles functionalized on sand granules for use as a house-hold scale adsorption filter. Water-stable Îą-Fe2O3 (hematite) nanoparticles (
BUILDING HEALTHIER RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN COMMUNITIES: THE CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF GUYANESE PERSPECTIVES ON ADOLESCENT DATING VIOLENCE AND ITS PREVENTION
Keywords: Adolescents
Caribbean
Dating Violence
Health Promotion
Intersectionality
Postcolonial Feminism

Dating in adolescence is an experience that has been thought to provide positive opportunities to learn and enhance social and interpersonal skills. However, some adolescents are exposed to physical, psychological, sexual, and economic forms of violence in their dating relationships, which can lead to poor health outcomes for both perpetrators and victims regardless of gender, race, or class. To prevent such negative outcomes, adolescents as well as their communities need community-specific opportunities to discuss and tackle dating violence. While adolescent dating violence research has increased internationally, there remains a paucity of information for the Caribbean region. For this reason, I completed a critical exploratory qualitative study in Guyana, a country that has the highest reported incidence of domestic violence for the Caribbean. The aim of my study was to provide a contextualized understanding of the phenomenon, by examining how discourses on race, gender, age, and class shape perspectives on adolescent dating violence and its prevention. A postcolonial feminist lens guided this study and data collection included 6 key informant interviews and 8 focus group discussions with parents, teachers, school officials, and adolescents at a public secondary school. Students who attended this school were from low-to-middle income families in the city of Georgetown and surrounding areas. In total, the study had 36 participants (5 boys and 8 men; 10 girls and 13 women). Three key findings emerged: 1) community perspectives on dating violence are primarily shaped by dominant discourses on respectability, colonial discourses on gender norms, family, and education, resulting in dating being unacceptable during adolescence; 2) Current authoritarian interpersonal relationships between adults and adolescents limit the possibility of engaging in conversations on dating violence; 3) Adolescents are yearning for more information on dating relationships, however, parents and teachers lack institutional and social support to promote healthy relationships and environments, which leads to frustration and fatigue. I suggest that a more effective way of addressing adolescent dating violence in Guyana is to approach it as a community issue. This approach includes continuously questioning dominant discourses and social systems in Guyanese society and creating more opportunities for people to relate to each other in ways that promote less authoritarian interactions in the current environment.
Applications of Renormalization to Irrationally Indifferent Complex Dynamics
Keywords: Complex dynamics
Dynamical systems
Renormalization

This thesis comprises of two main results which are proved using renormalization techniques. For the first result, we show that a quadratic polynomial with a fixed Siegel disc of bounded type rotation number is conformally mateable with the basilica polynomial f_B(z) := z^2-1. For the second result, we study sufficiently dissipative complex quadratic HĂŠnon maps with a semi-Siegel fixed point of inverse golden-mean rotation number. Gaidashev and Yampolsky showed that the Siegel disks of such maps are bounded by topological circles. We investigate the geometric properties of such curves, and demonstrate that they cannot be smooth.
Work-Family Enrichment Training: Promoting Transferability of Resources across Life Domains
Keywords: training
work-family enrichment
work-family enrichment self-efficacy
work-family intervention

The goal of this work was to examine intentional resource transfer across work and family roles. This was accomplished by devising and evaluating a work-family enrichment training program designed to enhance the transfer of resources acquired in the work role to improve outcomes in the family role. The first phase of this work established the need for enrichment training by drawing on boundary theories (Ashforth, Kreiner, Fugate, 2000). Findings from 261 employees across two experiments indicated that negative interrelations between work and family roles were more prominent than positive interrelations, that is, individuals perceived the work-family interface in more negative terms than positive terms. Individuals also reported higher conflict, but not enrichment, between their work and family roles than between within-work or within-family roles. These findings support the need for promoting work-family enrichment through training initiatives. The second phase of this work drew from social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) and involved the development and evaluation of a work-to-family enrichment training, based on Greenhaus and Powellâ s (2006) enrichment theory and interpersonal capitalization theory (e.g., Ilies, Keeney, Scott, 2011). The program was administered to 163 administrative employees at a large North American university using a pre-post experimental design. Consistent with the hypotheses, findings indicated that, compared to a control training, the enrichment training increased development-based enrichment from work to family (the beneficial transfer of skills, knowledge and values). Further, the effect of the training on both development-based and affect-based enrichment (the transfer of positive affect) was mediated by enrichment self-efficacy. This effect was moderated by initial social-emotional work resources, such that the training was more effective for individuals perceiving a relatively low level of such resources. Finally, as hypothesized, enrichment self-efficacy and enrichment sequentially mediated the effect of the training on two remote outcomes: work-family pride and job satisfaction. This work advances enrichment theory by demonstrating that human agency can facilitate resource transfer across roles. From a practical perspective, this study is the first to develop and test a work-family enrichment training, which can serve as a tool for individuals and organizations to increase awareness and boost performance and satisfaction.
Novel Phases from the Interplay of Topology and Strong Interactions
Keywords: Artificial Gauge Fields
Exact Diagonalization
Monte Carlo
Quantum Spin Liquids
Strongly Correlated Systems
Topological Phases

In recent years, topology has become increasingly prevalent in condensed matter physics. It has allowed us to understand, and even predict, a variety of striking and remarkable physical phenomena. The study of strongly interacting systems has similarly lavished us with a diverse range of exotic phases and unconventional transitions, many of which are still poorly understood. In this thesis we will explore the interplay between topology and interactions in an effort to uncover new and novel phases. First we study how interactions impact the quantum phase transition between a topologically non-trivial phase and a trivial phase. The combination of interactions and the low-energy degrees of freedom associated with the transition leads to the emergence of a dome of lattice-symmetry breaking nematic order. Such behaviour is reminiscent of a number of strongly correlated electronic systems. We move on to study the strongly interacting limit of one of the earliest and best-known non-interacting topological phases, Haldane's model of a Chern insulator. Recently realized with ultracold atoms in a shaken optical lattice, the model has a non-trivial topological invariant associated with its band structure. In the strongly interacting limit the spin degrees of freedom are all that survive and we find a rich phase diagram of magnetically ordered phases, using a combination of both classical and quantum techniques. Supplementing the model with an additional term we can `quantum-melt' one of these ordered states to produce a disordered, liquid state that we positively identify as a chiral spin liquid, a highly entangled state of matter with fractionalised excitations. We generalise this mechanism to other two dimensional lattices, uncovering a possible unifying framework with which to understand the emergence of chiral spin liquids in lattice spin models. Finally, motivated by groundbreaking experiments in the ultracold atoms community, we investigate a model of two-component bosons with an artificial spin-orbit coupling. The interplay between the lattice, interactions and spin-orbit coupling produces a variety of unusual superfluid phases. Using a novel Monte Carlo technique we reveal the finite temperature phase diagram that appears close to the Mott transition.
Measuring the Short-Term Effect of Ambient Air Pollution on Acute Health Service Use in Ontarians Living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Keywords: Air Pollution
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Epidemiology
Health Effects
Public Health
Respiratory Health

Short-term air pollution exposure has been associated with increased morbidity, especially amongst vulnerable populations like those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is an aggregate measure of overall ambient air pollution. It was designed to communicate to the public in an understandable way air quality levels, associated health risks, and strategies to reduce exposure. Its formulation was based on relative mortality and little is known about the association between the AQHI and morbidity amongst individuals with COPD. The objective of my dissertation is to determine the association between ambient air pollution and acute health service use (HSU - hospitalization and emergency department [ED] visits) amongst individuals with COPD. My first original research study determined the perception and knowledge of individuals with COPD, regarding air pollution health risks, assessment, and exposure reduction strategies. The second quantified the association between the AQHI and acute HSU, and the final study examined whether temperature modifies this association. While Canadians with COPD believed that air pollution affects health, their level of knowledge regarding air quality assessment, health risks, and strategies to reduce exposure was lacking. The AQHI was associated with increased risk of acute HSU for non-accidental, COPD and cardiovascular (CVD) causes. A statistically significant association between the AQHI and CVD hospitalization was observed at all temperatures, whereas the association with COPD hospitalization was only significant at higher temperatures. Results also suggested individuals with prior history of hospitalization for COPD, lower respiratory tract infection, or acute myocardial infarction may be more vulnerable. These findings provide important insights for policy and public health strategy. Reducing the negative health effects of air pollution amongst individuals with COPD requires patient and health care provider education, real-time dissemination of air quality levels regardless of temperature, and specific recommendations on how to reduce exposure.
Adoptive Witness - The Transmission of Collective Memory and Identity in the Israeli History Curriculum
Keywords: Anti-Racism
Curriculum
Education
Narrative
Psychocultural Conflict Theory
Subjugated Knowledge

Discussions on formal education in Israel focus more on debating whether violent undertones, negation, othering and incitement exist in resources, and less on how curriculum fosters democracy and tolerance. This thesis study investigates how the adoptive witnessing of history embedded within mandated secular Jewish-Israeli history curriculum may be used as a tool of political indoctrination, through its reinforcement of psycho-cultural narratives and dispositions that perpetuate an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ siege mentality. This study analyzes one part of the Israeli Ministry of Education mandated history curriculum intended for use within Israeli state schools. Central topics within the examined Unit 5: Modern Israel’s teaching focus emphasize the birth of the “new-Jew” and a dominant narrative of Jews seeking to no longer be victims at the hands of oppressive Others. All data was coded according to four guiding themes, examining how the intended content may (or may not) legitimize and humanize the Other and their national aspirations, how it may be used to overcome suspicion of the Other, and whether the curriculum provides a balanced presentation of the Arab (Palestinian) – Jewish Israeli conflict. Findings reveal that the curriculum appears explicitly intended to promote the acknowledgement, legitimization, and humanization of a Palestinian Other, an understanding of causes and effects of decisions made at the time, and an awareness of the Palestinian perspectives during the events of 1948. Although findings show a shared responsibility perspective, the use of Jewish-Israeli force is presented as defensive security measures and aligned to similar perspectives on experiences Jews endured within Islamic countries in the same time period. This thesis reveals that the creation and reinforcement of a dominant collective Jewish-Israeli identity through formal education depends on the selective nature of the Other’s narrative that is presented within the discussion of key episodic events. As of the time of writing this thesis, it is concluded that while the secular Jewish-Israeli official history curriculum has made efforts to acknowledge, legitimize and humanize the Palestinian Other, this can only happen so long as the curriculum explicitly exposes students to the interconnectivity between their accounts of history and those of the Other.
Protein-ligand Interaction Exploration Based on Proteome-wide Tertiary Structure Prediction and Further in vitro Validation
Keywords: Predicted protein structures
Protein-carbohydrate interaction
Protein-protein interaction

Knowledge of protein structures provides us valuable information for protein function elucidation, but currently it is still unrealistic to determine proteome-wide protein structures using experimental methods. Computational modeling provides us a fast and convenient method in protein structure characterization, and but to date, there hasnâ t been any systematic application of proteome-wide models in Arabidopsis due to the lack of such data sets. Our lab has determined the theoretical protein structures for the entire Arabidopsis proteome. In this work, I presented two versions of Arabidopsis predicted structure-omes (APS-V1 and APS-V2) generated by the Phyre fold recognition engine and showed that a large portion of the predicted models in our APS have enough resolution for use in protein functional studies. In our case, the predicted models were specifically used in protein-carbohydrate and protein-protein interaction studies followed by in vitro verification using carbohydrate arrays and yeast two-hybrid assays. The enrichment of real interactions in the prediction results confirmed that our Arabidopsis predicted structure-ome is a reliable tool in protein structural and functional studies. This work also provides another perspective in large-scale protein-ligand interaction exploration and biological network reconstruction using protein structural information.
Emotion regulation strategies in borderline personality disorder
Keywords: anxiety disorders
borderline personality disorder
emotion dysregulation
emotion regulation
major depressive disorder
mood induction

Difficulties in emotion regulation (ER) are considered a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). It remains unclear, however, why individuals with BPD employ less effective cognitive ER strategies at the decrement of long-term emotional stability. Three studies were carried out to address the selection and implementation of cognitive ER strategies in females with BPD (n=30), a mixed group of individuals with anxiety and depressive disorders (MAD; n=30), and non-psychiatric controls (HC; n=32). Results of Chapter 2 indicated that BPD reported more frequent use of maladaptive cognitive ER strategies (suppression, rumination, avoidance) and less frequent use of adaptive strategies (acceptance, cognitive reappraisal, problem-solving) relative to HC. Compared to MAD, BPD endorsed using acceptance less often, even after statistically accounting for group differences in clinical severity and depression symptoms, and they reported engaging in harmful behaviours (e.g., self-injury) more often to regulate emotions. In Chapter 3, participants rated the extent to which they employed uninstructed cognitive ER strategies following a negative mood induction procedure. Similar to Chapter 2, BPD more frequently endorsed using maladaptive strategies compared to HC and reported higher subjective difficulty managing their mood states. Despite endorsing having used a higher number of different cognitive ER strategies than HC, BPD still reported a higher negative mood following the induction procedure. Chapter 4 discusses presenting participants with negative images varying in emotional intensity and asking them to describe the specific tactics they used while cognitively reappraising the contents of the images. BPD used fewer words to describe and reappraise the images and perceived themselves as less effective at generating reappraisals compared to HC. Contrary to expectations, BPD did not report using a different set of tactics in their reappraisals of high or low intensity images compared to HC and MAD. Collectively, the results of these studies advance understanding of the factors that may influence the selection and implementation of cognitive ER strategies in BPD and other mental disorders characterized by difficulties in ER. The results broaden conventional theories of emotion dysregulation in BPD and place the findings in the context of a modern affective science model of ER.