>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Perovskite solar cells have attracted a tremendous amount of research interest in the scientific community recently, owing to their remarkable performance reaching up to 22% power conversion efficiency (PCE) in merely 6 to 7 years of development. Numerous advantages such as reduced price of raw materials, ease of fabrication and so on, have contributed to their increased popularity.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / This project was born after the researcher, a practicing social worker at a psychiatric facility, observed the presence of high rates of anxiety and depressive disorders among transgender patients. These patients were often also abandoned by their family or primary caregivers. This research was part of a larger National Research Foundation (NRF) project in the Western Cape and Gauteng, which explored LGBT older persons’ care needs. It differed from the main project in that it focused on the mental health care challenges experienced by older transgender people. The project was funded by the NRF and the researcher was allocated funding from that project to explore LGBT aging and care in the marginalised areas. LGBT discrimination has been indicated as a key factor in the onset of mental health issues later in adulthood. Older adults are generally at a higher risk of developing mental disorders. The older transgender community with mental health care needs thus often suffers multiple forms of oppression within a heteronormative society. The aim of the research was to determine the mental health care challenges experienced by older transgender people in the Cape Metropole, Western Cape. Objectives to reach this aim included exploring and describing the unique challenges faced by older transgender people, their experiences when accessing mental health care, and describing strategies of addressing their mental health care needs. The research methodology entailed a qualitative approach. Snowball sampling was applied for selecting five older transgender participants and five key informants. Photo voice, a Participatory Action Research (PAR) design, was used. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviewing, focus groups, and photo journaling. Themes were developed from the data utilising Thematic Analysis, aided by Atlas.ti software. Ethics and trustworthiness were certified through guidance by the research supervisor. This research was classified as high risk, since it involved marginalised individuals from the aged LGBT community. Anxiety in the group was anticipated and dealt with by providing further counselling where needed. The findings indicate that older transgender people experience minority stress across all racial and age cohorts. They suffer heightened anxiety when accessing healthcare services, as they anticipate transphobia and oppression. In addition, the intersectional socio-economic status of age and gender identity seems to contribute to building resilience within the participants. Lastly, substance use and social and professional support were identified as coping strategies in the face of on-going discrimination.

La nécessité de construire des édifices moléculaires complexes s'accompagne d'un besoin de mise au point d'outils synthétiques nouveaux et toujours plus performants. Dans ce contexte, le développement de systèmes photocommutables constitue un moyen privilégié pour la modulation de la réactivité chimique avec un excellent contrôle spatial et temporel. Les complexes organométalliques incorporant des ligands photochromes constituent des candidats de choix pour de telles applications, combinant la réactivité riche du centre métallique avec les propriétés de photocommutation du ligand. Ces travaux de thèse portent sur l'utilisation d'azobenzènes en tant que ligands pour la formation de complexes photocommutables de type (η6-arène)ruthénium. L'étude du comportement d'azobenzènes diversement substitués a conduit à la synthèse d'une nouvelle famille de complexes porteurs d'un ligand o-sulfonamide azobenzène dont les propriétés de photo-isomérisation ainsi que la réactivité ont été étudiées. La coordination de dérivés phosphorés à ces composés peut être modulée sous irradiation lumineuse, et cette propriété a été exploitée pour le photo-déclenchement de la réaction d'aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman.Dans une seconde partie de ces travaux, nous avons synthétisé une famille d'azobenzènes cycliques pontés par un acétal présentant un processus nouveaux de photo-isomérisation à trois espèces, qui permet l'interconversion sous irradiation lumineuse entre des diastéréoisomères conformationnels stables avec une bonne sélectivité. Ces nouveaux composés offrent des perspectives prometteuses pour le contrôle conformationnel par la lumière. / The growing need to create sophisticated molecules and building blocks requires the development of increasingly more efficient synthetic tools. In this context, photoswitchable systems appear as an ideal means for controlling chemical reactivity with excellent spatial and temporal resolution. Organometallic complexes incorporating photochromic ligands represent a promising class of compounds for such applications as they combine both the versatile reactivity of the metal center with the photoswitchable properties of the ligand. This work investigates the use of azobenzenes as ligands for the synthesis of photoswitchable (η6-arene)ruthenium complexes. The study of the behavior of azobenzenes diversely substituted led to the synthesis of a new family of complexes bearing an o-sulfonamide ligand which photo-isomerization properties were investigated. The coordination of these complexes to phosphorus derivatives could be modulated upon irradiation and this property was applied to the light-triggered aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction.The second part of this work describes the synthesis and study of a new family of ketal-substituted bridged azobenzenes which display an uncommon three-species photo-isomerization pattern, triggering an interconversion between stable conformational diastereomers with a good selectivity. These compounds offer promising perspectives for conformational control by light.

In Ontario, the majority of children and youth with mental illnesses access primary care as their initial source of mental health services (Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2017). Primary care can be an ideal setting for accessing mental health services to prevent symptoms from worsening (Cappelli & Leon, 2017). Adolescence is a time when young people experience several developmental changes and transitions, making them susceptible to mental illnesses (Government of Canada, 2011). Examining adolescents’ perceptions of access is critical to examining how primary care is accommodating their mental health needs (Cappelli & Leon, 2017). The primary purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of adolescents, living in Hamilton, Ontario, with an anxiety or mood disorder, of accessing primary care for mental health services. Perceptions regarding the role of primary care nurses in facilitating access was also explored. Qualitative interpretive descriptive methods were utilized. Data collection included: demographic survey, semi-structured interviews, photo-elicitation project, field notes, and reflexive journaling. Analysis was guided by an access framework (Penchansky & Thomas, 1981) and ecological model (McLeroy et al., 1988). Adolescents ages 15 to 18 years (n=10) participated. Adolescents perceived access to primary care for mental health services as a difficult and complex process involving multiple stages including: feeling uncertain about their mental health concerns and if they required help, seeking informal support from parents and friends to initiate receiving help, and obtaining mental health services from primary care. Implications of this study include addressing adolescents’ developmental needs in care through implementing an individualized-approach and supporting development throughout emerging adulthood. Primary care practitioners must provide information to adolescents and parents about mental health concerns and services during routine interactions. Greater organizational support would enable primary care nurses to have an active role in delivering mental health services and providing comprehensive care. / Thesis / Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

No description available.

In 2017 the Kenow wildfire burned thirty-eight percent of Waterton Lakes National Park (WLNP) in southern Alberta at high to very high severity in mere hours. The ecological impacts of the fire will have implications for resource management, including the practice of ecological restoration, for decades to come. In this thesis I ask two main questions. First, in what ways are people who are involved in managing WLNP’s ecosystems experiencing the effects of the Kenow wildfire, and how does their experience combined with the severity and extent of the Kenow wildfire influence park management and ecological restoration approaches in WLNP? Subsidiary to this, I ask, what is the role of history, and the role of future climate projections in managing the post-fire landscape? This research is part of the larger Mountain Legacy Project (MLP), which is systematically repeating historic survey photographs taken in the early 1900s across Canada’s mountain landscapes. I use third-view photographs in photo-elicited semi-structured interviews with park staff to answer my first question. In my second research question I ask what broader themes and specific issues do third-view repeat mountain photographs elicit about ecological restoration and park management. As a follow up, I inquire into what ways photo-elicitation functions as an effective method in park management research? Fourteen participants were interviewed, the majority were resource conservation staff, in addition to one retired park warden, a member of the cultural resources unit, a communications staff, and a former staff member. Participants felt wide-ranging emotions relating to the Kenow fire including grief over loss, happiness about regrowth, excitement about learning, anxiety about people’s safety, and stress over increased workloads. Park management frames vegetation regeneration after the Kenow fire as renewal, accepting that the landscape may look different than it did before the fire. Climate change is only beginning to be integrated into ecological restoration, though park management is adapting to climate change by encouraging renewal under a new climate. Historical knowledge still guides decision making in several ways. Major restoration projects including invasive species management, whitebark and limber pine restoration, and prescribed burning, were all impacted by the Kenow fire. Participants shared their thoughts on unconventional approaches such as novel ecosystems, highlighting misunderstandings and misapprehensions about the concept. Parks Canada has an opportunity to learn from Waterton Lakes’ experience to help streamline their post-emergency response in the future. Findings relating to my second question show these themes and issues were discussed most often by participants when looking at the third-view mountain photographs: fire behaviour, regeneration/renewal, and ecological impacts of the Kenow fire; encroachment; prescribed burning; personal narratives; ecological effects of climate change; and other snapshots. Just less than half the participants did not engage significantly with the photos, which highlights a challenge in using researcher chosen photos. However, many participants did engage and had much to say about the photos, including sharing memories and personal stories. Pre-determined interview questions were essential in unearthing the findings in this thesis, as the photos did not elicit this information alone. / Graduate

The state-of-the-art organic solar cells (OSC) use bulk heterojunction (BHJ) blend architecture in the photo-active layer. The BHJ is formed by finely mixing polymer donor and small molecule acceptor, which was predominantly fullerene derivatives until the last five years. However, the emergence of non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) materials has been the viable alternative to overcome high synthetic costs, limited optical absorption, and poor bandgap tunability of fullerene-based acceptors. These unique properties of NFA has resulted in a rapid improvement of OSC efficiency and opened doors for wide variety of applications including building integrated photovoltaics, green houses and agrivoltaics. Despite these advantages, the shorter device lifetime under light and heat is a major concern for their commercialization. This dissertation is focused on improving poor photo- and thermal stability of high efficiency OSC based on the widely used NFA, ITIC and Y-series derivatives. The light-induced changes in the acceptor molecular structure and the active layer nanostructure results in the photo-induced traps in photo-aged devices. The selective addition of third component to the active layer impedes the changes in the active layer nanostructure and suppress trap formation. Under constant thermal stress, the growth of acceptor crystals results increases the trap-assisted recombination in thermally aged devices. Similar to photo-stability the selective addition of third or more component/s arrests the crystal growth by minimizing the Gibbs free energy. The results suggest that the fabricated hexanary and ternary OSC display a superior thermal stability than the respective binary devices. In addition, the hexanary devices displayed thickness independent thermal stability, which is essential for the active layer thermal stability printed via high throughput techniques.

In order to meet the worldwide limits on greenhouse gases emissions, a shift from a fossil fuels to a renewable energy-based electric system is required. As this process goes on, both the power generation and consumption profiles are changing in daily pattern and magnitude, so the power grid needs to become more and more flexible in order to handle this variability. At the distribution level, photo-voltaic (PV) systems are, by far, the most widespread distributed energy resource, mostly due to the recent drop in the cost at the residential level. As more and more consumers become also producers (the so called "prosumers") and the volatile solar energy production increases, a higher number of storage systems is required to both avoid grid destabilisation and minimise the CO$_2$ emissions. At the same time, since the transportation sector is responsible for a sizeable part of the total CO$_2$ emissions, electric vehicles (EVs) are bound to replace traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. However, two main issues may arise when a large number of vehicles are connected to the existing power grid at the same time. The first issue is that the electricity required to charge them needs to be renewable, while the second is that, a rapid electrification of the existing vehicles fleet could destabilise the grid. In this context, this thesis aims at partially addressing these two issues by analysing different ways to reduce the impact of both PV systems and EVs on low (LV) and medium (MV) voltage grids. After the introduction and a chapter dealing with the most closely related research work, a novel optimisation algorithm, aimed at obtaining the optimal storage capacity for each prosumer belonging to a "renewable energy community" is presented. The algorithm minimises the dependence of the community on the main grid, which is one of the main purposes of this new model, while minimising the total installed storage capacity. The algorithm is tailored to the specific case study, because it keeps track of the willingness of the users to install a battery and keeps the voltage levels between regulatory limits in the optimisation process. In the second part instead, the effects of "uncontrolled" and "smart" EV-charging the electric vehicles with the aim of reducing the power fluctuations at the MV/LV transformer level are analysed. In particular, the interaction between PV production and EV charging is investigated, while considering the grid voltage fluctuations, the distribution line losses and the transformer loading levels at the same time. The broader impact of smart charging is also analysed by performing a simplified economic and battery wear analysis. Results help in understanding if storage devices can reduce the dependence of a renewable energy community on the main grid, and to what extent it is possible and economically viable to do so. Moreover, results quantify a realistic range of EV and PV system penetration in a LV grid that still allows for a combined minimisation of their impact on the power grid.

Current methods for studying RNA binding proteins (RBPs) combine the use of ultraviolet (UV) crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) to analyze RNA-protein interactions. An underexplored alternative approach is using site-specific incorporation of photoactivatable non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) to enhance the crosslinking efficiency of many CLIP protocols. This thesis describes the incorporation of the photo-crosslinking unnatural amino acid p-azido-L-phenylalanine (AzF) into the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) non-structural protein 3 helicase (NS3h) for photo-crosslinking and in vitro analysis of the potential binding sites found within the HCV RNA genome. From the five potential sites identified from the NS3h crystal structure for AzF incorporation, two sites, E503AzF and Q580AzF, allowed for nucleic acid photo-crosslinking with fluorescently labelled DNA substrates. We further tested if these mutations adversely affected NS3h and binding activity through a molecular beacon helicase assay and fluorescence polarization methods. We found that E503AzF unexpectedly had a faster unwinding rate than wild type (WT) NS3h and managed to have a similar binding affinity to the tested DNA substrate. Finally, we found that there was a 5-fold increase in the photo-crosslinking efficiency of nucleic acids for E503AzF NS3h mutant compared to our WT NS3h at 254 nm UV light. We are currently working on methods for our CLIP-based protocol to ensure quality RNA footprint generation and purification from photo-crosslinked NS3h. Other work contained in this thesis consists of using Prevotella sp. P5-125 Cas13b (PspCas13b), a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) RNA-targeting system, which has been previously shown to knockdown viral RNA and mRNA through designable guide CRISPR RNA (crRNA). Here we incorporated the photo-crosslinking ncAA AzF into PspCas13b to irreversibly bind the crRNA in an attempt to enhance knockdown efficiency and longevity of viral and mRNA targets. We were able to design a crRNA that produced significant knockdown targeting the luciferase mRNA of a luciferase rennilla reporter system. When targeting an HCV subgenomic replicon luciferase reporter system, knockdown was not observed. Additionally, the WT PspCas13b had photo-crosslinking to the bound crRNA and requires further optimization for future use.

No description available.