VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Asymmetric Lactone Synthesis via Hydroacylation and Stereoselective Cyclic Peptide Synthesis via Hydrogenation

Asymmetric transition metal catalysis has benefited human health by greatly facilitating access to natural products and therapeutic drugs. However, scientists continue to face challenges of developing more direct processes while minimizing the generation of unwanted wastes. As there is a high demand in the development of sustainable and atom-economical processes, the focus of my doctoral studies was to apply asymmetric catalysis in the development of conceptually unique and sustainable strategies for the synthesis of biologically important organic molecules. This dissertation includes: 1) the development of Rh-catalyzed enantioselective ketone hydroacylation as an atom-economical and general method for the synthesis of phthalide, 2) nickel catalyzed olefin hydroesterification for the synthesis of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters, and 3) a new synthetic strategy for preparing cyclic peptides using asymmetric hydrogenation.

Keywords: Asymmetric catalysis
Cyclic peptide
Lactone
Rhoidum
Advisor: Dong, Vy M
Development of Electrochemical Immunosensors for the Detection of Clinically Important Biomolecules

IUPAC defines “biosensor” as a device that uses biochemical reactions mediated by isolated enzymes, immunosystems, tissues, organelles or whole cells to detect compounds usually by electrical, thermal or optical methods. The objective of this thesis was to develop cost-effective, sensitive, and selective electrochemical immunosensors (biosensors using immunosystems as the biorecognition layer) for the detection of clinically important biomolecules. Immunoassays are frequently applied in medical, pharmaceutical and food industries. Our hypothesis was that “Immunosensors based on disposable screen-printed electrodes would allow the quantification of Legionella pneumophila, adrenocorticotropic hormone and growth hormone in biological samples”. In order to prove our hypothesis, we utilized different surface reactions to immobilize the biorecognition layers on electrode surfaces, and challenged our immunosensor in clinically relevant biological samples. There is an increasing need for sensitive, selective, and rapid detection platforms and the outcome of our work would address this demand. Herein, we reviewed the electrochemical principles and electrochemical techniques, also introduced screen-printed electrodes and surface characterization techniques (Chapter 1). Then, we introduced analytes including Legionella pneumophila, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and growth hormone, and the detection methods were explained with illustration (Chapter 2). The detailed protocols were described including reagents, experimental time, and instrumentation parameters (Chapter 3). We discussed the results for the detection of L. pneumophila bacteria in water samples, and compared the Nyquist plots with fluorescence microscopy images (Chapter 4.1). Then, we discussed the results of enzyme-immunosensors for detecting adrenocorticotropic hormone in plasma and blood samples. The alkaline phosphatase that was attached to adrenocorticotropic hormone could process substrates to form insoluble product that would precipitate on the electrode surface. This precipitation film significantly increased the charge transfer resistance, which enables ultrasensitive detection of adrenocorticotropic hormone (Chapter 4.2). Finally, we described the results of using EIS to detect rat growth hormone in plasma and blood samples (Chapter 4.3). We concluded that the development of immunosensors towards clinical and environmental assays was a lengthy process that would require further optimization studies and improvements (Chapter 5). As our hypothesis indicated, it is promising that these biosensors may soon be commercially available with the rapid advances in detection technologies.

Keywords: Adrenocorticotropic hormone
biosensor
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Electrochemistry
growth hormone
Advisor: Kerman, Kagan
Food Type Versus Amount Eaten As Impression-management Strategies After Ego Threats

Decisions about type of food selected and amount of food eaten are influenced by numerous factors. The aim of this series of studies was to examine under which conditions impression-management techniques, specifically food selection or amount of food eaten, would be implemented after experiencing ego threats. A secondary goal was to determine whether female restrained eaters (dieters) and unrestrained eaters (non-dieters) utilized different impression-management techniques. A series of three experimental studies and two surveys were conducted in order to examine these aims. Experiment 1 found that female dieters, after experiencing an ego threat, selected a healthy snack more often than an unhealthy snack when under pressure to choose an unhealthy snack. The second experiment found that when participants were not under pressure to select a specific snack (healthy or unhealthy), both dieters and non-dieters chose a healthy snack more often after experiencing an intelligence threat. In Experiment 3 most participants chose a healthy snack except for the threatened dieters who chose the unhealthy snack more often in the private condition (ostensibly without the experimenter’s knowledge). The surveys supported the finding that men and women make judgments about others on the basis of type of food they select versus amount consumed. Overall, the present research suggests that if people have the choice of using type versus amount of food as an impression-management strategy, they will choose type. As well, dieters at times use different impression-management techniques than non-dieters do.

Keywords: eating behaviour
impression-management
Advisor: Herman, Peter C
Theoretical Progress in Hyperhoneycomb Iridate β-Li2IrO3

Iridium-based compounds display a rich variety of physical behaviours that stems from the intricate interplay of many energy scales. In this thesis, we explore the consequences of this in some of the recent theoretical progress on the hyperhoneycomb iridate β-Li2IrO3. Beginning with ﬁrst principle calculations, we gain an understanding of the role of distortions, spin-orbit coupling, and the validity of the j_eff = 1/2 description. After studying some basic properties of the weakly interacting band structure, we proceed to the strong correlation limit by deriving an effective pseudospin model that highlights the importance of multi-orbital interactions in iridium-based compounds. We investigate in detail the various magnetic ground states of this model. Using the results obtained in the ﬁrst principle calculation, we ﬁnd that the model is able to reproduce the complex and unconventional incommensurate magnetic order found experimentally. Furthermore, we ﬁnd that β-Li2IrO3 is likely dominated by a ferromagnetic Kitaev exchange interaction, placing it near the exactly solvable spin liquid of the Kitaev limit. We explore one aspect of this three-dimensional spin liquid: that of its one-dimensional spinon Fermi surface. We ﬁnd that this Fermi surface is topologically stable and ensures the existence of gapless and dispersionless boundary states. We show that the Kitaev spin liquid is a rare example of a three-dimensional, strongly correlated phase with bulk excitations and protected gapless boundary excitations. In conclusion, we discuss some future directions in the study of β-Li2IrO3 and iridate systems in general.

Keywords: hyperhoneycomb
iridate
Kitaev
magnetism
spin liquid
spin-orbit coupling
Advisor: Kim, Yong Baek
Impact of Embedded Remediation in Literacy Skills for First Semester Practical Nursing Students in one Ontario College Program

The purpose of this research study was to explore whether first semester Practical Nursing (PN) students who received embedded remediation performed better academically than their colleagues who did not, and the relationship between those students’ demographic characteristics and their performance in the intervention. More specifically, the study examined the relationships between the PN students’ communication skill level and academic performances as reflected in their performance in two core nursing courses and end of semester retention rates. This was a post ex-facto intervention case study of Urban College (pseudonym). Forty-eight students participated for a response rate of 42%. Cohort I consisted of 25 participants (11 remedial and 14 non-remedial) and Cohort II included 23 participants (12 at-risk and 11 non-remedial). It compared the performance of the experimental group which had experienced a remedial intervention with that of the at-risk control group that had not experienced the intervention. Demographic characteristics of these two groups were compared with those of their colleagues who had been designated as non-remedial. The quantitative data analyzed supported the main finding that participation in embedded remediation had a positive impact on the retention of participating students. The qualitative data captured the perceptions of these students and the themes that emerged maintain that academic and social integration is important to student attainment. The findings support the theoretical frameworks that grounded this study: Tinto’s Student Integration Model and Learning Communities in Higher Education. The findings in this study have implications for practice, policy and further research aimed at improving the success rate of those students who enter PN programs with inadequate communication skills. Addressing these issues is crucial so that the learning needs of all students are met; particularly those preparing to enter the health care field where communication skills are critical for providing safe patient care. College of Nurses of Ontario applicants are expected to be proficient in the four language skills of writing, reading, speaking and listening. Although the findings of this case study are not generalizable, I hope the findings will be of interest to other educators wanting to assist underprepared post-secondary students struggling with communication challenges.

Keywords: Academic Performance
Embedded
English as a Second Language
Practical Nursing
Remedial Education
Retention Rate
Advisor: Janzen, Katharine
The Motherhood Penalty and Maternity Leave Duration: Evidence from a Field Experiment

There is evidence that women continue to struggle in the labour market across a number of employment outcomes. This is despite the adoption of policies and practices that are designed to support women in achieving equality in the workplace. There is also evidence that women with children face particular challenges in the labour market. This is commonly referred to as the motherhood penalty. The literature offers evidence of the motherhood penalty in the recruitment process but the role of maternity leave has not been examined directly. The purpose of this study is to explore the motherhood penalty in employment-to-employment and nonemployment-to-employment transitions. A field experiment is conducted to examine the effect of maternity leave duration on firm behaviour in the hiring decision. The results indicate that the probability of receiving a callback from potential employers decreases initially with a maternity leave absence but it does not continue to decrease with longer maternity leave absences. There is recent experimental research on duration dependence that does not find similar results for unemployment spells. The evidence from this study then suggests that policies to increase the employment of and the labour force participation of women should be targeted specifically to women, in particular women with young children.

Keywords: discrimination
duration dependence
field experiments
maternity leave
motherhood penalty
unemployment
Advisor: Oreopoulos, Philip
Solidarity at Risk: The Politics of Attachment in Transnational Queer Palestine Solidarity and Anti-Pinkwashing Activism

Solidarity is at risk. The provocation that frames the title of this project aims to intervene in the theorization of solidarity and the practices of transnational solidarity activism in the 21st century. As a scholar embedded in the field, I take up the question of solidarity at risk to examine the practices of the transnational queer Palestine solidarity and anti-pinkwashing movement (the queer Palestine movement for short). In an era structured by the ideologies of neoliberalism, where free market globalization, privatization and individualism are reshaping the public sphere, the terms and practices of solidarity are shifting. Yet, theories of solidarity have remained embedded in older political frameworks, rooted in early social movement practices in the Marxist tradition or liberal democratic models of civic engagement. In a world changed by neoliberalism, we need new interpretive frameworks for analyzing and practicing solidarity today, not least because contemporary social movements require new ways of envisioning activist solidarity. Neoliberalism has also changed the geopolitical landscape of human rights. In what some queer theory scholars have called homonational times, we find the political stakes of queer solidarities embedded in the changing discourses of sexual rights. Looking at examples of solidarity at risk in the queer Palestine movement, this project maps the political stakes of homonationalism and neoliberalism in social movement practices. Examining cases of solidarity at risk in the queer Palestine movement, this project moves through various theories of solidarity: from transnational feminism, to political theory and philosophy, to queer and affect theories of social and political transformation. Across all these fields, I consider what binds us in solidarity, how our political attachments are important threads in theorizing solidarity, and how we might rethink our models of solidarity to sustain our political imaginings in neoliberal and homonational times.

Keywords: homonationalism
pinkwashing
queer theory
social movements
solidarity
transnational feminism
Advisor: Georgis, Dina
Hypertension Treatment Using an Internet-based Lifestyle Intervention

Lifestyle change is important to blood pressure (BP) management. A health care challenge is to extend the reach of these lifestyle programs without over taxing health care resources. The rapid growth of Internet use presents an opportunity to tackle this challenge. However, meta-analytic data examining the efficacy of Internet-based lifestyle interventions to reduce BP in patients with hypertension is lacking. The optimal design strategies of effective Internet-based interventions also remain unclear; specifically, the effectiveness of clinical methods used (User- vs. Expert-driven protocols). Furthermore, self-monitoring of physical activity (PA) can help participants improve adherence to PA and reduce BP. Thus, it is important to find a user-friendly, low-cost and valid tool to measure PA that can be used in an Internet-based intervention. To address these questions, the first study examined the efficacy of Internet-based interventions in reducing BP in a meta-analysis and identified key components of an Internet-based intervention that are associated with BP control. The second study validated the XL-18 pedometer, which was a critical instrument in measuring daily steps used in the third study. The third study examined the influence of User- vs. expert-driven approaches used in an Internet-intervention aimed at promoting BP control and adherence to lifestyle changes. The first study showed that self-guided Internet-based lifestyle programs can be effective in reducing BP; specifically, interventions may be more efficacious when they were 6 months or longer, delivered proactively, and provided at least five behavioural techniques. The second study found that the XL-18 pedometer is a suitable tool to measure steps under controlled and free-living conditions. The third study demonstrated that it may be advisable to integrate an expert-driven e-counselling procedure into future Internet-based interventions in order to accommodate participants with greater levels of motivation for behaviour change. Overall, these findings have significant implications in designing the next generation of Internet-based lifestyle interventions.

Keywords: eHealth
Hypertension
Prevention
Advisor: Nolan, Robert P
Condition-dependent Co-expression in Arabidopsis and the Bootstrap Estimation of False Discovery Rate

Conventional coexpression analysis looks at gene expression levels over diverse conditions. Although such ``condition independent'' analyses provide useful generalized information, the coexpression of genes can depend on biological context. Looking at gene coexpression in a condition-dependent fashion identifies gene interactions relevant to more-specific biological questions. This thesis addresses condition-dependent coexpression in the context of seed germination in Arabidopsis thaliana. We study two broad aspects of the problem: (i) detecting pairwise interactions, and (ii) detecting three-way interactions. First, using gene expression data gathered exclusively from mature seeds, we develop a coexpression network, SeedNet. We analyze its statistical properties and find, for example, that SeedNet bifurcates into two previously undescribed components, one corresponding to germination and one to non-germination. Second, we develop a detector for three-way interactions in gene expression data and demonstrate its efficacy. In this approach, the coexpression of a pair of genes can depend on the expression level of a third gene. That is, coexpression is conditioned on the transcriptional environment. Because of the vast number of possible three-way interactions, there is an extremely large potential for false positives, so it is crucial to accurately estimate the False Discovery Rate (FDR). We show that extending approaches used for two-way interactions can significantly underestimate the FDR of three-way interactions. The thesis develops and evaluates a new approach for estimating FDR based on the bootstrap. We show that the bootstrap approach produces reasonable estimates over a wide range of statistical conditions, whereas conventional approaches rapidly break down. Finally, we use our detector and FDR estimates to add over 64,000 new, highly-confident edges to SeedNet.

Keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana
bootstrap
false discovery rates
gene expression
seednet
three-way interactions
Advisor: Bonner, Anthony
Provart, Nicholas
A Novel Idea: A Narrative Inquiry into Queer Engagements with Fiction

This thesis explores the role reading novels (textual or graphic) played in the survival and desires of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer) students. At the time this research project was conceived, there were not many psychoanalytic and queer feminist critical literacy research studies concerned with how LGBTQ students were using literacy in relation to self-care and trauma caused by anti-LGBTQ oppression. Also LGBTQ students were frequently being characterized in positivist anti-oppression research as one-dimensional victims who were not exercising any agency, while being told by lesbian and gay celebrities to tolerate unlivable conditions at their schools because a better life in a LGBTQ enclave awaits them. Disempowering research, the unlivable lives LGBTQ students are expected to endure in schools and the need for further queer feminist research into specifically queer and trans critical literacies served as the central motivations for the undertaking of this project. This research study focuses on the ways in which LGBTQ students have come to understand the relationships between reading novels, self-care, trauma, and the development of a queer critical literacy. Narrative inquiry, autoethnography, and creative analytic practices were the methodologies used in this project. The data for this research was collected using qualitative methods. The participants agreed to answer questions in a semi-structured interview and also wrote responses to a few reading journal questions after they had been interviewed. All of this qualitative data was analyzed using psychoanalytic, queer, post-structuralist, and integrative feminist theories. The author represented the insights and the process of this research study creatively in a synopsis of a proposed fictional graphic fantasy novel. Graphic novels and fantasy textual novels were prominent in the qualitative data which led the author to choose those forms for a proposed fictional story. This thesis worked to reveal insights about reading and self-care for LGBTQ students through both conventional qualitative research methods and by proposing a creative representation of the research while looking toward developing a queer world making project based on the findings of the entire project.

Keywords: novels
psychoanalysis
queer theory
reading
self-care
trauma
Advisor: Sykes, Heather
Weight-related Messages in Primary Care: Challenges and Possibilities

The purpose of the present study was to acquire a detailed understanding of women’s experiences receiving weight-related information or advice from their general practitioners (GPs). Guided by a critical feminist perspective, this qualitative study explored cultural and social processes that interact with women’s understanding and perceptions of weight-based dialogues. In-depth interviews about weight-related care were conducted with 18 women between the ages of 18 and 45. The women varied in terms of social locations, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and body sizes and weight. A constructivist grounded theory methodology was used to analyse the transcribed interviews. Three core categories emerged in the data analysis in relation to the women’s experiences, namely: (1) Weight Weighing on the Doctor-Patient Relationship, which highlighted the ways weight-based dialogues affected the doctor-patient relationship; (2) Patients’ Self and Body Experiences, which focused on women’s ongoing struggles with weight in relation to sociocultural pressures, as well as how these experiences shaped women’s responses to weight-based care; and (3) Practice, which revealed the weight-management practices of GPs, and constructive insights regarding ways in which GPs’ practices could be improved. The intricacies revealed herein can help inform GPs in navigating the complexities of providing sensitive, weight-related interventions, while simultaneously enhancing the doctor-patient relationship and the quality of care received.

Keywords: Doctor-patient interactions
Qualitative research
Weight-based care
Women's experiences
Advisor: Piran, Niva