VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Exploring Noncovalent and Reversible Covalent Interactions as Tools for Developing New Reactions
Keywords: Halogen Bonding
Carbohydrate Chemistry

Noncovalent and reversible covalent interactions have long been exploited in catalysis and supramolecular chemistry. Examples of such noncovalent interactions include hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding and CH-π and π-π interactions. Reversible covalent interactions that have been employed towards these ends comprise the formation of imines, acetals, ketals and boronate esters. This thesis describes the investigation of various noncovalent and reversible covalent interactions, and their possible applications in catalysis and novel reaction development. Chapter 1 describes the investigation of anion receptors composed of hydrogen- and halogen- bond donor groups. Binding studies of these molecules have indicated that they are capable of interacting with an anion simultaneously through hydrogen and halogen bonding. Receptor design was found to have a profound effect on the strength of the halogen bonding interaction. Receptors containing halogen-bond donors showed selectivity for halide anions over oxyanions. In Chapter 2, potential halogen bonding catalysts were synthesized and screened in a series of reactions. Incorporating halogen-bond donors into the catalysts appeared to have no beneficial effect in terms of reactivity. Explanations for these observations are discussed along with suggestions for designing future catalysts that could exploit halogen bonding interactions. Chapter 3 discusses attempts to use hydrogen-bond donor catalysts to effect catalyst-controlled stereoselective additions to 2-nitroglycals. While stereoselective additions were observed in some cases, they were not catalyst-controlled. The results from these experiments suggested that catalysts and reactions developed for simple nitroalkenes could not be easily adapted to 2-nitroglycal substrates. A review of interactions between boron containing compounds and saccharides is presented in Chapter 4. Their applications in drug delivery systems, cellular imaging and the sensing and separation of carbohydrates are discussed, in addition to their uses as protecting and activating groups in oligosaccharide synthesis. Finally in Chapter 5, the development of a regioselective boronic acid-mediated glycosylation reaction is described. This methodology was applied in the synthesis of two key intermediates used in the synthesis of a pentasaccharide derivative isolated from the plant Spergularia ramosa.
The New Normal: A Bourdieusian Examination of Living into Young Adulthood being a Paediatric Heart Transplant Recipient
Keywords: Qualitative Research
Heart Transplant
Paediatric
Bourdieu

Improved success of paediatric cardiac transplantation has resulted in increased survival of recipients into young adulthood (19 to 29 years of age). Young adults who received a heart transplant during childhood have experienced multiple life sustaining procedures. As survival and longevity increase, it is clear that transplant recipients experience negative physiological, psychological and social sequelae. With heart transplant offering individuals a chance to extend life into young adulthood, recipients need lifelong care and at age 18 they will transition from paediatric to adult healthcare facilities. The study addressed young adults circumstances of existence and their competing interests within various social environments. This research project applied Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical concepts of habitus, field and capital, to conceptualize and engage with empirical knowledge production about young adults who have received a heart transplant during childhood. Using visual methodology, focused open-ended interviews were conducted with 12 young adults who had a heart transplant during childhood. Bourdieu’s work provided a theoretical framework to investigate transplant recipients’ identities and social repositioning in relation to dominant discourses of organ transplant and shifting relationships with health services providers. This study involved an iterative process to identify recipients’ encounters and new compositions in relation with others, in order to answer the research objective. These findings highlight that young adult transplant recipients struggle with relational dispositions that excludes them from various fields of social engagement; their struggle and exclusion from various fields is symbolic and is embedded in the structure of the dominant social order of the field from where they become excluded; the social order is taken up and embodied, leading young transplant recipients to practices of accommodation and “normalization”. Changes in healthcare practices, attuned to person implications and peer relationships can begin to address young transplant recipients’ contradictory social positions. Such an approach can potentially lead to improvement in ongoing care and services for young adults who require a lifetime of care. At the same time, it will allow nurses to better prepare and counsel young individuals who are preparing for a heart transplant.
Subcallosal Cingulate Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-refractory Anorexia Nervosa: Safety, Clinical Outcomes and Neuroimaging Correlates
Keywords: Anorexia Nervosa
Deep Brain Stimulation

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric condition, and despite its recognition for centuries, remains a significant treatment challenge. Marked by firmly entrenched maladaptive beliefs about body, weight and food, as well as high rates of psychiatric comorbidity, AN is a chronic illness in a large proportion of patients. The neural substrates of AN are now beginning to emerge, and appear to be related to dysfunctional, primarily limbic, circuits driving pathological thoughts and behaviours. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure where implanted electrodes are used to regulate activity in critical nodes comprising such aberrant circuits. The promise of DBS in motor-circuit conditions, such as Parkinson’s Disease, has driven it’s investigation in other circuit-based disorders, including some psychiatric conditions. Converging evidence from clinical and imaging literatures suggests that AN is in large part a disorder of emotional processing, wherein disordered mood, anxiety, and affective dysregulation contribute to disease maintenance and are obstacles to effective treatment. The subcallosal cingulate (SCC), a key medial frontal structure involved in affective processing, has further been directly implicated in AN relevant pathways. As such, this work had three broad objectives: i) to establish the safety and initial efficacy of SCC DBS in a group of chronic and highly-refractory AN patients; ii) to show that SCC DBS can have network wide cerebral metabolic influence, on AN-relevant circuits and structures; and, iii) to investigate whether structural brain features, including hippocampal volume changes, are correlated with clinical outcomes of DBS. Our results showed that DBS is safe in AN, and associated in some patients with significant improvements in mood, anxiety and, over time, weight and treatment-response. Imaging results further showed DBS to be associated with substantial changes in glucose utilization in disease-relevant circuits, with preliminary evidence supporting a relationship between hippocampal volume changes and clinical improvements. In the context of highly refractory disease, these promising results suggest that DBS can inform AN circuit models, and be explored as a novel therapeutic option for treatment-resistant patients.
Adult Neurogenesis and Neurogenic Plasticity in the Zebrafish Brain
Keywords: zebrafish
adult neurogenesis

Adult neurogenesis is a conserved feature of the central nervous system across the animal kingdom. This process takes place in restricted neurogenic niches of the brain, where active populations of adult stem/progenitor cells are capable of producing newborn neurons. The niche is tightly controlled by intrinsic signals within the microenvironment and from stimuli arising from the external world, which together determine the cellular behaviour of the niche and neuronal output. Currently, our understanding of the biological properties of adult neurogenesis rests mainly on two niches of the vertebrate forebrain. To broaden our view of the diversity of this trait comparative models and new niches must be explored. Here, I have taken advantage of the robust neurogenic capacity of the adult zebrafish brain to examine differences in forebrain and sensory neurogenic niches in regards to cytoarchitectural organization, neurogenic plasticity, and regulation. Five principle findings emerge: (1) up to six morphologically distinct cell types compose forebrain and sensory niches, and are devoid of ependymal cells; (2) heterogeniety in the phenotype of the stem/progenitor cell exists across niches; some having radial glial characteristics; (3) active populations of proliferating stem/progenitor cells reside within primary sensory structures of the adult brain, forming a “sensory neurogenic niche”; different from other models of adult neurogenesis; (4) changes in the social environment induce neurogenic plasticity in sensory niches more readily than integrative niches of the forebrain, and occur independently of cortisol levels; (5) modality-specific stimulation influences stages of adult neurogenesis exclusively in corresponding primary sensory niches as a result of sensory-dependent neurogenic plasticity. Additionally, I have shown that Fibroblast Growth Factor signalling may not be involved in maintaining cell proliferation in sensory niches. These studies showcase the diverse properties of forebrain and sensory neurogenic niches and provide a new perspective concerning the functional role of adult neurogenesis.
Reshaping the Persistent Past: A Study of Collective Trauma and Memory in Second Temple Judaism
Keywords: collective memory
trauma

This dissertation looks at ways in which memories of traumatic events are revisited and reshaped by mnemonic communities during the Second Temple period. I focus on the social dimensions of traumatic memory that shape collective identity. I consider ways in which the earlier sites of memories of the exodus, the destruction of the first temple, and the Babylonian exile are reactivated and reshaped by mnemonic communities in constructing exclusive collective identities through discourses of exile, separation, and restoration. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from post-Holocaust thought that I outline in Chapter 1, I argue that the language in Ezra-Nehemiah (Chapter 2), 2 Maccabees (Chapter 3), Daniel (Chapter 4), and Damascus Document and Pesher Habakkuk (Chapter 5) is consistent with processes of identity formation in which trauma is construed as a founding, generative, and integrative identity. In developing themes of collective trauma and memory, I focus on Marianne Hirsch’s work on postmemory and Dominick LaCapra’s theories on founding traumas and the conversion of absence and loss. I apply these theories to the aforementioned Second Temple texts by arguing that notions of purity and impurity are established through the memory and postmemory of catastrophic events, including the destruction of the first temple, Babylonian exile, and the persecution by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 167-164 B.C.E. The producers of these texts mask structural trauma (i.e., the transhistorical absence represented as the loss of an original identity) in its representation of historical trauma and narrate the process of restoration as the recovery of an original identity and unity, which never existed as it is represented in the texts. Chapter 6 is an analysis of notions of purification, hybrids, and multidirectional memory. Engaging with the work of Bruno Latour, I discuss the production and proliferation of hybrids, which emerge from discourses and practices of separation and purification. I use Latour as a segue into Michael Rothberg’s work on multidirectional memory, which shows that those whom some communities attempt to mnemonically and discursively eliminate or purify often share a collective pasts and/or identities.
Pharmacogenetic Analysis of Dopamine and Glutamate Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Clinical Response to Clozapine in Patients wtih Schizophrenia
Keywords: pharmacogenetics
schizophrenia

Interpatient variability in clinical response to antipsychotics (AP) is observed in the treatment of schizophrenia (SCZ) with evidence to support a genetic basis for this phenomenon. Dysfunction in the dopaminergic (DA) system as well as the glutamatergic (GLU) system have both been implicated in the formation of SCZ symptoms. Therefore, we explored the role of DA and GLU receptor variation on clinical response to CLZ, an AP of last resort. We focused on DA receptor genes DRD3, DRD4, and DRD5 having already previously published on DRD1 and DRD2 in this sample. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunit gene variants and epistatic effects between and among these variants and DA receptor gene variants were also studied. For DRD3, we extended a statistically significant meta-analysis on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs6280 (Ser9Gly) previously performed by Jonsson et al. (2003). We observed a consistent trend for the serine allele and poor CLZ response (six of seven studies with the same direction of effect). Eight other tagged DRD3 SNPs were also tested with two identified for future replication. For DRD4, associations were observed between the 4-repeat allele of the exon III variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism and better CLZ response in Caucasians with a non-significant but same direction of effect in African-Americans; the 142/140-base pair (bp) genotype of the intron 1 guanine mononucleotide repeat ((G)n) polymorphism with poor CLZ response in the whole sample; and the 1-copy allele of the 5’-flanking region 120-bp tandem repeat polymorphism in African-Americans. Three other tagged SNPs across DRD4 and five across DRD5 were negative. Our investigation of GLU receptor gene variants focused on NMDAR subunit genes GRIN1, GRIN2A, and GRIN2B with negative findings. Examining gene-gene epistatic effects among and between NMDAR subunit and DA receptor gene polymorphisms identified several interactions with the strongest result being between the DRD1 rs686 G carrier/DRD3 Ser9Gly G non-carrier group with good response. Overall, our results suggest possible minor roles for DA receptor gene variants on CLZ response. Integrating this data with exciting new advances in technologies and bioinformatics will surely bring us closer to personalized medicine in psychiatry.
Pandemic and Seasonal Influenza Infections and Influence of Host's Age on the Immune Status and Disease Outcome
Keywords: influenza
age effect
subtype
iBALT
ferret
clinical
H1N1
H3N2
Pandemic
Seasonal
immune status
pathology

Influenza is a contagious respiratory disease that has caused at least four pandemics and countless epidemics since the 20th century, impacted millions of people worldwide and the global economy. To date, the predominant influenza species circulating in humans are influenza A and B. Influenza may cause serious illness in all age groups but individuals such as the newborns and senior population whose immune systems are compromised are at higher risk for severe disease. Interestingly, during the outbreak of pandemic 2009 H1N1 (H1N1pdm), it was found that the elderly had the lowest hospitalization rate and an increased proportion of healthy adults developed severe disease. Furthermore, several clinical studies have demonstrated that most H1N1pdm infected children experienced mild to moderate illness and led to the least mortality. The difference of disease outcome in age groups between different influenza infections may be due to several factors, which include differing pathogenicity between the viruses, differential immune status and composition among the age groups, and pre-existing immunity from previous encounter(s) with a similar virus. Since the human clinical data are often complicated by secondary factors such as co-morbidities, I used the ferret model to address these questions. I first compared the clinical and pathological patterns among the pandemic and seasonal influenza strains and found H1N1pdm caused the most severe illness to healthy ferrets. Importantly, the disease severity did not correlate with viral burden but immunopathology. To study the age effect, I found that H1N1pdm infected young ferrets with mild clinical symptoms developed specialized ectopic lymphoid structures and a distinct cytokine expression profile in the lungs, which were absent in adult ferrets with severe illness. I also examined antigenic change in historical H1N1s and anti-H1 responses to explain the pre-existing immunity of H1N1pdm found in the elderly. However, low similarity was found between historical H1N1s and H1N1pdm. Lastly, I conducted a detailed influenza B comparative study. I observed the pathogenic B strain was capable to cause lower respiratory tract infection and pathology like the influenza A viruses. Overall, this thesis provides novel insights for developing therapeutic and prophylactic strategies against influenza infection.
Multipartite Entanglement: Transformations, Quantum Secret Sharing, Quantum Error Correction
Keywords: Quantum Information
Entanglement

Most applications in quantum information processing make either explicit or implicit use of entanglement. It is thus important to have a good understanding of entanglement and the role it plays in these protocols. However, especially when it comes to multipartite entanglement, there still remain a lot of mysteries. This thesis is devoted to getting a better understanding of multipartite entanglement, and its role in various quantum information protocols. First, we investigate transformations between multipartite entangled states that only use local operations and classical communication (LOCC). We mostly focus on three qubit states in the GHZ class, and derive upper and lower bounds for the successful transformation probability between two states. We then focus on absolutely maximally entangled (AME) states, which are highly entangled multipartite states that have the property that they are maximally entangled for any bipartition. With them as a resource, we develop new parallel teleportation protocols, which can then be used to implement quantum secret sharing (QSS) schemes. We further prove the existence of AME states for any number of parties, if the dimension of the involved quantum systems is chosen appropriately. An equivalence between threshold QSS schemes and AME states shared between an even number of parties is established, and further protocols are designed, such as constructing ramp QSS schemes and open-destination teleportation protocols with AME states as a resource. As a framework to work with AME states, graph states are explored. They allow for efficient bipartite entanglement verification, which makes them a promising candidate for the description of AME states. We show that for all currently known AME states, absolutely maximally entangled graph states can be found, and we were even able to use graph states to find a new AME state for seven three-dimensional systems (qutrits). In addition, the implementation of QSS schemes from AME states can be conveniently described within the graph state formalism. Finally, we use the insight gained from entanglement in QSS schemes to derive necessary and sufficient conditions for quantum erasure channel and quantum error correction codes that satisfy the quantum Singleton bound, as these codes are closely related to ramp QSS schemes. This provides us with a very intuitive approach to codes for the quantum erasure channel, purely based on the entanglement required to protect information against losses by use of the parallel teleportation protocol.
Nativity Status and the Relationship between Education and Health: The Role of Work-related and Psychosocial Resources
Keywords: Social stress
Immigrant integration
Immigrant health

The claim of some policymakers that education is the great equalizer of socioeconomic disparities in health (Low et al. 2005) has come under question in recent years. Higher education is related to better health for both immigrants and the Canadian-born. However, immigrants experience weaker health returns to their education than the native-born (Kennedy et al. 2006). Despite the importance of this issue, the reasons for this gap are not fully understood. This dissertation integrates the immigrant health, social stress, and immigrant integration literatures to better understand this issue, using Cycles 17 and 22 of the Statistics Canada collected General Social Survey (GSS). The analyses reveal that education has a diminished effect on the self-rated health (although not stress) of immigrants, the functional limitations of established immigrants, and the happiness of recent immigrants. The reasons for this gap vary depending on the health measure. The weaker relationship between education and the functional ability of established immigrants and the happiness of recent immigrants is explained by immigrants’ lower work-related returns (employment type, occupational skill, personal income) to education. For self-rated health, the nativity status differential in the effect of education on self-rated health is rooted in immigrants’ lower work-related and psychosocial returns (mastery and trust, although not social support) to education. Since work-related and psychosocial resources are integrally linked to health, immigrants experience lower health returns to their education than the native-born. These findings make three major contributions. First, they extend the traditional understanding of the relationship between education and health (Low et al. 2005), underscoring that immigrants do not experience the same level of health benefits to their education as the native-born. Second, they augment knowledge about why immigrants experience weaker health returns to their education than the native-born: because they receive diminished employment types, occupational levels, income, mastery, and trust relative to their levels of education. Third, the results highlight that foreign education is not linked to as high mastery and trust as that of the native-born – a new finding that underscores that foreign education is not just linked to diminished work-related resources and health, but psychosocial resources as well.