VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
ScienCivic Literacy: An Ethnographic Case Study of Food Justice Education Through an Ecojustice Lens

In a time of crisis, during a global pandemic, climate change and racial unrest, access to food is a heavily pressing issue, impacting and impacted by overlapping social, cultural, sustainability and physiological spheres. This dissertation presents an ethnographic case study, as a participant-observer, of community-based research with teenage women and adult facilitators in an afterschool program of a food justice organization in an urban centre in Canada over the course of a year. It is guided by the overarching question of what are the envisioned, enacted and experienced curricular moments in a community-based after school food justice education program. It examines the factors that impacted the envisioned and enacted curriculum as developed and delivered by adult facilitators, as well as the factors that influenced the youth experiences of the enacted programming, and the nature of those impacts. Sources of data included field notes, interviews, documents and artefacts. Ecojustice education is presented as an integrated conceptual framework for analysis through overlapping fields of environmental education as a subset of science education, citizenship education and social ecology theory, all within a critical pedagogy of place, highlighting both the potentials and challenges encountered in this case of food justice education. The findings show facilitators provided insight to the mainly structural challenges that may have inhibited deeper experiences for the youth, such as access to and continuity in the program, staffing, and space constraints. Notably, youth expressed an increase in their leadership capacity and desire to make changes for themselves and their families in relation to food. As an interdisciplinary topic, food justice education offered participants a means to the integration of narrative, agency development, and community building for individual and social change. Ultimately, this research articulates the reciprocal relationship of learning through food and learning for food justice as a space for the development of ‘ScienCivic’ literacy, the development of knowledge and skills for engagement with complex socioscientific issues.

Keywords: Ecojustice education
Ethnographic case study
Food justice education
Interdisciplinarity
Non-formal education
ScienCivic literacy
Advisor: Gagné, Antoinette
Friendship Across Cultures: Supporting Unaccompanied, International High School Students with Intercultural Friendships

This dissertation examined the characteristics and socio-emotional needs of international Chinese students in Canadian high schools and evaluated the outcomes of a program designed to reduce acculturative stress, provide social support, and promote intercultural friendship between international and Canadian students. Twenty-four international students from China (mean age = 16.25 years), eight Canadian students (mean age = 15.56 years), and four teachers from two schools in a large Canadian multicultural metropolis participated in this research. Students participated in the Friendship Across Cultures program in one of two groups: monocultural (international students only) and intercultural (both international and Canadian students). Qualitative and quantitative data were collected pre- and post-intervention on language/literacy skills, acculturative stress, and intercultural and psychosocial functioning. Data on pre-intervention cognitive skills were also gathered. Study 1 examined the needs and characteristics of international, Chinese high school students in Canada from student and teacher perspectives. Most students demonstrated low levels of English ability, wished for more Canadian friends, and did not appear to have clinical levels of mental health symptoms and acculturative stress. They participated in the 10-session Friendship Across Cultures afterschool program, which focused on psychoeducation and social support. Study 2 provides the results of the program evaluation. While comparisons of pre- and post-intervention data were not significant, effect sizes suggested unexpected trends: decreased self-reported intercultural communication competence and increased acculturative stress. Trends were more heightened for intercultural group participants than monocultural group participants, perhaps due to increased self-awareness from cross-cultural contact. Nevertheless, participants in the intercultural group tended to rate the program more positively and did not demonstrate a corresponding increase in psychological symptoms, in contrast to the monocultural group. Exit interviews illustrated that intercultural participants made Canadian friends, increased their understanding of Canadians, and practiced English. Monocultural participants endorsed more knowledge-based aspects (e.g., learning about mental health, how to make friends, and how to adapt to Canadian life). Canadian students endorsed increased understanding of international students, increased empathy for their needs and challenges, learning how to befriend international students, and the value of reaching out. These findings warrant further study. Clinical and educational implications are discussed.

Keywords: acculturation
acculturative stress
Chinese international students
intercultural friendship
intercultural intervention
international secondary students
Advisor: Geva, Esther
Development and Testing of Novel Cancer Immunotherapies for Hematological Malignancies

Cancer immunotherapy – therapies that harness the human immune system to deliver personalized treatments – has become the subject of intensive study as multiple approaches have proven effective over the past years. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and other antibody-based therapies have demonstrated especially striking results, even in patients who have undergone many previous lines of therapy. The first stage of development for these immunotherapies requires selection of an appropriate tumor-associated antigen (TAA) that optimizes tumor targeting while minimizing off-tumor effects. Suitable TAAs have not been identified for all malignancies and it is thought that, particularly for highly heterogeneous tumors, multiple TAAs may need to be targeted in order to maximize the anti-cancer effect. Following antigen selection, antibody development and characterization are carried out, and an antibody candidate is selected based on a variety of factors. Finally, optimization of the therapeutic delivery method, in this case the effector cell, is required. The optimal effector cell may vary between tumor types, thus a thorough understanding of the available options is necessary in order to make informed decisions. The purpose of this thesis was to approach each stage of immunotherapy development, from the identification of novel TAAs, through the design and testing of an antibody-based therapy, to the optimization of its delivery. We first identified novel TAAs in multiple myeloma (MM) using a combination of mass spectrometry and flow cytometry. Overall, 696 MM cell surface proteins were identified, and the presence of five antigens with increased abundance on MM was validated. Next, a bispecific antibody (biAb) therapy against the lymphoma antigen CD30 was developed by conjugation of novel anti-CD30 antibodies with a CD3 antibody. Two biAbs were developed and characterized, and one lead candidate was selected for further development. Finally, we investigated T cells treated with rapamycin (T-Rapa cells) as a novel effector cell type for CAR therapy. CAR-T-Rapa cells were effective against tumors, and demonstrated a central memory (TCM) phenotype with reduced secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, suggesting they may be an ideal CAR effector cell. Overall, this research addresses three distinct facets of immunotherapy development, contributing to the knowledge and advancement of each stage.

Keywords: Antibody
Cancer
Chimeric antigen receptor
Immunotherapy
T-Rapa
Tumour-associated antigen
Advisor: Medin, Jeffrey A
Dual Catalysis and the Synthesis of Medium-sized Rings

This thesis describes how the idea of dual catalysis was used to synthesize various heterocyclic scaffolds. Though the initial research plan was for all the projects to involve two distinct catalysts, which is the case for Chapter 1, Chapters 2 and 3 deviate from this original idea where a single catalyst enables two catalytic transformations in a single pot, thus generating efficient methods to synthesize fused heterocyclic scaffolds. The thesis will be divided into three chapters and described as such: Chapter 1 describes a multicatalytic reaction that combines a Rh-catalyzed 1,4-addition and a Pd-catalyzed C–N coupling reaction, which under the appropriate conditions, generates functionalized pyridobenzazepines. Three routes are disclosed to access N-unsubstituted, N-alkylated, and N-arylated products in a one-pot one-step procedure. Chapter 2 describes the optimizations and control studies of a multicatalytic project with the goal to synthesize dibenzothiepines. Originally, it was meant to combine a Cu-catalyzed C–S coupling with a Ni-catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck reaction under the appropriate reaction conditions to generate functionalized dibenzothiepines. We realized that the Ni-catalyst alone could facilitate both a facile C–S coupling as well as the the slower 7-endo selective Heck-reaction. To investigate the mechanism of the reaction, 1H NMR, TEMPO trapping, and EPR studies were performed. Chapter 3 describes an acid-catalyzed (4+3)-cycloaddition between two in situ generated reactive intermediates to access novel oxa-bridged oxazocines. During optimization studies and thorough control studies, it was found that only the organocatalyst was required. The cycloadducts could be ring-opened to access interesting spirocyclic products. Attempts at an enantioselective reaction are reported as well as investigations into the ring-opening reaction of these novel cycloadduct.

Keywords: Cycloaddition
Dual Catalysis
Multicatalysis
Nickel
Palladium
Rhodium
Advisor: Lautens, Mark
Development of a Variable Displacement Electric Oil Pump

Power savings and CO2 reduction are prominent issues that continue to be a major focus in the automotive industry. Both in internal combustion engines and electric vehicles, it is important to reduce the power consumed by any of the auxiliary devices causing parasitic loss. An oil pump is one such device, used for lubrication, cooling and actuation purposes, and which consumes high power. In this work, a novel approach to reduce power consumption is proposed by regulating the displacement of the electric oil pump (EOP). This approach includes an advanced soft magnetic composite (SMC) motor, a Field Oriented Control (FOC) vector motor controller, a pump, and developing and testing a piezo motor used for pump displacement regulation in a closed-loop configuration. Variable displacement electric oil pumps (VDEOP) can potentially deliver flow rate to meet the oil requirements in the transmission and engine systems while enhancing system overall efficiency and overcoming the high torque at cold start. Piezo motors are well known for their excellent performance in terms of large load capability, fast response and accuracy. In VDEOP development, an actuation stroke of several millimeters is needed to regulate the displacement of the pump in real-time. For that purpose, a piezo motor is developed to generate such a stroke to regulate the pump’s flow rate. Modern cars have 40 electric motors or more, with varying requirements. The novel SMC structure Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) motor is developed to drive the oil pump to meet different system requirements. The FOC algorithm controls the pressure, which provides signals for the closed-loop control of the piezo motor position. This dissertation introduces a novel design of a VDEOP with a compact structure based on a single piezo stack, which regulates the displacement of the pump. The simulation and experimental results indicate that the piezo motor can regulate the pump displacement based on achieving the stroke requirement while meeting the pump dynamic response requirements of minimum to maximum pump flow rates within 2 seconds.

Keywords: Displacement
Electric
Oil
Pump
Variable
Advisor: Mrad, Ridha Ben
Towards Understanding the Relationship between Language and Memory in Discourse

The purpose of this thesis was to characterize the linguistic production of autobiographical narratives of patients with neurodegenerative conditions. Autobiographical memory studies often investigate the retrieval of internal details (i.e. episodic information, about a specific time and place), or external (which can be related to semantic information, or general knowledge). The literature proposes that individuals with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) demonstrate impairment of semantic memory, while episodic memory is relatively spared; and individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) demonstrate deficits related to episodic information, while semantic memory is relatively spared. We examined these groups’ autobiographical narratives and predicted that linguistic impairment could be related to memory decline. Chapter 2 presents an investigation of coherence of discourse in autobiographical narratives of individuals with svPPA and controls, which found that this group showed deficits in coherence of semantic, but not episodic information. Similarly, Chapter 3 presents a study on coherence of discourse in individuals with aMCI, which found that in this group deficits in coherence could be found both in the retrieval of episodic and semantic information. These findings suggest that deficits in coherence of discourse seem to be prevalent during retrieval of semantic information, in both conditions. The final study presented in Chapter 4 investigated the production of linguistic units both in svPPA and aMCI narratives. The production of these linguistic units in the aMCI group seemed to reflect the pattern observed in their autobiographical memory analysis (fewer utterances when retrieving episodic information, and more words when producing semantic information). We found that the svPPA group produced fewer well-formed sentences during retrieval of episodic information, and fewer past-tensed verbs when producing semantic information. These findings suggest that it is possible that the cognitive demands during retrieval of episodic information could be adding to the svPPA group’s language difficulties; the reduced production of past-tensed verbs during retrieval of semantic information could be related to the findings of the first study, i.e. difficulty maintaining coherence of discourse. We predict that these findings may be helpful to further develop methods of diagnosis, treatment and support communication between patients and caregivers.

Keywords: Coherence of Discourse
Dementia
Language
Memory
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Semantic Variant Primary Progressive Aphasia
Advisor: Rochon, Elizabeth
Life After Colorectal Cancer: A Qualitative Study of Health and Illness Post-treatment

Approximately 1 in 14 Canadians will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) in their lifetime. Physical, psychosocial, and practical issues are experienced post CRC treatment. Given the rise of chronic disease, “health” can be defined as the ability to adapt and self-manage in the face of physical, emotional, and social challenges (Huber et al., 2011) and “cancer survivorship” has been reframed as a public health issue (CDC, 2004). The objective of this study was to explore, through the lens of Structural Interactionism (Eakin MacEachen, 1998), how individuals who have completed curative treatment for early-stage CRC understand, experience, and respond to health, illness, and recovery. The methodological framework of Critical, Post-structural Interaction (Sundin Fahy, 2008) facilitated the examination of the interplay between individual and structural factors in participants’ post treatment experiences. Despite the presence of debilitating and potentially stigmatizing post treatment side effects, participants (n = 16) generally characterized their current state as one of “health” versus “illness.” Significant effort was exerted to minimize the impact of CRC on daily life. Participants appeared to preserve a strong identification as “healthy” through involvement in valued roles and activities; however, this was threatened by worry about the return of cancer. Self-taught cognitive and behavioural strategies were used to maintain this balance. Participants generally disagreed with and actively distanced themselves from the term “survivor.” Study findings are organized into three major themes: (1) “Cancer is an inconvenience,” (2) “I am healthy,” and (3) “I am not a cancer survivor.” The interaction between and among themes is illustrated in a conceptual model that depicts the core process of “working hard to minimize illness.” This study highlights the complexities inherent in CRC recovery and contributes to the body of knowledge from which initiatives to improve the health of this population may be derived. Collectively, study findings highlight the importance of considering both individual and structural factors to advance research and programming to support those recovering from CRC. Rethinking the cancer survivorship discourse, as well as the organization of survivorship care, may be important first steps in efforts to support this growing population.

Keywords: cancer survivorship
colorectal cancer
public health
qualitative research
Advisor: Howell, Doris
A Walk Around the Lake: Critical Reflections on Place of Identity, Equity, and Inclusion in a Rural Ontario School Board

Although issues of equity and inclusion in schools have been discussed in academic discourses for decades, the nature of the exploration of these ideas has remained vague and uncritical (Gérin-Lajoie, 2008; Solomon et al., 2011). In 2009, the Ontario Ministry of Education released Realizing the Promise of Diversity: Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy, demonstrating a shift that appeared to signify a renewed effort to address inequities in education. Within rural school settings, this shift towards equity comes with unique challenges. My doctoral research analyzes how one rural school board interprets and administers equity-related policies. The study delves into how educators’ ideas impact the implementation process, contributing to the development of equitable policies across the province, particularly in rural settings. Current literature often conceptualizes rural classrooms as homogeneous, in contrast to diverse urban school classrooms (Corbett, 2006b; Solomon Sekayi, 2007; Tuters, 2009; Wallin Reimer, 2008). Since the majority of Ontario citizens live in urban centres, teachers are not taught ways to address to conceptualize how place impacts their teaching. Education policymakers, through centralization and standardization, have often failed to consider the lives of rural students and communities as shaped by, and within, their natural and cultural landscapes. To address this disparity, my key questions are: How do rural educators create relevant, equitable, and inclusive schools? What are the barriers to teaching and developing rural school environments where all individuals are respected or represented? This qualitative research, drawing on case study and portraiture methodology, included fifteen educators, who were members of a rural school board’s Equity and Inclusivity in Education committee. Data were collected between January and June of 2014. After developing themes, I crafted a portrait of how rural educators’ engage with ministry-directed policy, and work as a driving or restraining force for institutional change. This work contributes to discourses of equity in education with a focus on the perspectives of those teaching in rural Ontario. The work will play a role in teachers’ professional development, and will aid both new and experienced rural teachers in the ongoing struggle to create relevant and respectful curriculum for all students.

Keywords: Case Study
Equity
Identity
Inclusion
Ontario
Rural Schools
Advisor: Flessa, Joseph
The Role of Sucrose Non-fermenting Related Kinase 1 (SnRK1) in Abscisic Acid and Abiotic Stress Response in Arabidopsis thaliana

Environmental stress greatly affects plant growth and reproduction, posing challenges to food security. The yeast SNF1 (Sucrose non-fermenting1), mammalian AMPK (5' AMP-activated protein kinase) and plant SnRK1 (-Related Kinase1) are highly conserved heterotrimeric kinase complexes, which are activated under metabolic stress to re-establish energy homeostasis in eukaryotes. Despite the pivotal role of SnRK1 in plant development and stress response, only few SnRK1 targets have been identified so far. In plants, the hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial and well-known role in stress response. Activation of SnRK1 or ABA signaling results in overlapping transcriptional changes, suggesting that these two important stress pathways share common targets. To investigate how SnRK1 and ABA interact to regulate stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana, the six SnRK1 complex subunits were screened by high-throughput yeast two-hybrid against a library of 258 proteins that are transcriptionally regulated by ABA and enriched for the SnRK1 phosphorylation motif. A set of 125 SnRK1-complex interactors were uncovered, which included ABA metabolic and core signaling components, suggesting that SnRK1 may modulate the ABA response pathway at multiple levels. Network analysis indicates that a subset of SnRK1 kinase interactors, which are highly interconnected and coexpressed under stress, form a signaling module in response to osmotic and salinity stress. Functional studies using T-DNA insertion mutants show the involvement of the catalytic SnRK1a2 subunit and four interacting partners in salinity stress responses. Furthermore, the characterization of SnRK1-ABI5 BINDING PROTEIN2 (AFP2) interaction elucidated a role for SnRK1a1 in inhibiting AFP2-induced cell death when overexpressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. This targeted approach uncovered the largest set of SnRK1 interactors identified so far in plants and highlights an important role for SnRK1 and its interactors in ABA and stress response. The ABA-responsive SnRK1 interaction network identified in this study can be used to further characterize the role of SnRK1 and its ABA-responsive partners in plant survival under stress.

Keywords: ABA
abiotic stress
Arabidopsis
salinity
SnRK1
Y2H
Advisor: Gazzarrini, Sonia