Miniaturized Fractionation and Purification of Analytes of Interest in Complex Mixtures: Protein Enrichment and Purification with Capillary Electrophoresis and Identification of Pesticide Chemicals in Bio-oils

The ability to isolate and detect an analyte of interest is vital for many different facets of life today, from disease detection to environmental safety. The goal of the method development discussed within this thesis is to isolate and identify unique analytes from complex matrices and to do so in a scaled down approach. Removal of an analyte from a diverse background of molecules is often required for successful detection and determination of analyte properties. As well, many samples are only available at low volumes and at trace levels so miniaturized techniques that only require small sample volumes are designed and discussed herein. Two unique classes of analytes are examined with one common theme of isolation for successful detection. Proteins and peptides are enriched and purified from permanently charged and buffering ions, which are common biological contaminants, using discontinuous buffers with capillary electrophoresis. This method only uses sub-microliter quantities of sample and exploits the isoelectric point of the biological macromolecules in buffers of different pH. Successful removal of sodium chloride, TRIS, phosphate, and MES is demonstrated. Subsequent enhanced mass spectral detection and separation of a protein mixture exhibited the improved analyte detection by employing discontinuous buffers. Magnetic beads are used to isolate phosphorylated peptides at micro to nanoliter volumes by covalent derivatization of the post-translational modification and selective enrichment, further demonstrating the online CE sample preparation capabilities. The second challenging sample examined is bio-oil, a complex mixture of thousands of chemicals. The novel pesticide properties of this sample are explored as the chemical complexity of pyrolysis bio-oil from tobacco leaves is reduced through isolation by solid phase extraction, liquid-liquid extraction, and heating. Mass spectrometry is used to identify the compounds after separation by gas chromatography. Three problematic microorganisms in Canada, S. scabies, C. michiganensis, and P. ultimum, are negatively affected by the bio-oil. It is determined that the most abundant phenolic species are not responsible for the observed pesticide activity from the bio-oil. A few minor components are identified that could contribute to the observed antimicrobial activity, but no abundant, active chemicals could be identified with the current technology

Why Culture Matters in Business Research

Organizations today are changing rapidly due to technology, globalization, and cutting-edge production, subsequently morphing into new structures and workflow processes. Organizations are becoming more diverse in terms of gender, age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. The business workplace is not the melting pot that many were taught about, but that of the ethnic salad, blended yet distinct. The core of organizational composition worldwide still remains within the human resource realm for a shared and cohesive culture is behind the success of every company. The study of workplace culture is important for business research to ascertain the construct of the successful organization. The article begins with a discussion about culture, relates culture to the workplace, and ends relating important business research to workplace culture. The intended audience is business management majors and instructors

Bioenergy II: Characterization of the Pesticide Properties of Tobacco Bio-Oil

Pyrolysis converts biomass such as agricultural and forestry waste into bio-oil, preserving some chemicals while creating other, new ones. Nicotine, a chemical present in tobacco leaves and a known pesticide, was found to remain intact during pyrolysis. As expected, insecticidal properties were observed for tobacco bio-oil. Pesticide characteristics of tobacco bio-oil have been observed on the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), a pest currently resistant to all major insecticides, as well as a few bacteria and fungi that do not currently respond well to chemical treatment. Unexpectedly, nicotine-free fractions of the bio-oil were also found to be highly lethal to the beetles and successful at inhibiting the growth of select microorganisms. Through GC-MS, it was found that the active, nicotine-free fractions were rich in phenolics, chemicals likely created from lignin during pyrolysis. While bio-oils in general are known to contain phenolic chemicals, such as cresols, to our best knowledge, quantitative analysis has not been performed to determine if these chemicals are solely responsible for the observed pesticide activities. Based on GC-MS results, ten of the most abundant chemicals, eight of which were phenolic chemicals, were identified and examined through bio-assays. A mixture of these chemicals at the concentration levels found in the bio-oil did not account for the bio-oil activity towards the microorganisms. Tobacco bio-oil may have potential as a pesticide, however, further analyses using liquid chromatography is necessary to identify the remaining active chemicals

Characterization of the Pesticide Properties of Tobacco Bio-oil

Pyrolysis converts biomass such as agricultural and forestry waste into bio-oil. Our interest in the chemical analysis of bio-oil began with tobacco, which is rich in nicotine (a known pesticide). Initial inhibition assays performed with the bio-oil on the Colorado potato beetle, a pest currently resistant to all major insecticides, showed high pesticide activity as expected. Surprisingly, the nicotine-free phases of the bio-oil were also found to be highly lethal to the beetles. Thus, it was hypothesized that some of the alkaloids in plants were preserved during pyrolysis, and gave rise to the activity. Pesticide characteristics of tobacco and coffee bio-oils have been recorded on a number of insects as well as a variety of bacteria and fungi that do not currently respond well to chemical treatment; e.g., Streptomyces Scabies (a common potato scab disease). The current focus is to isolate and identify the components responsible for the pest inhibition, and in turn fully characterize their properties as a novel source of natural pesticides. The procedure begins with a crude separation or fractionation by distillation or extraction to simplify the chemical composition. The fractions are then screened by the activity assay. Analytical separation and mass spectral detection (GC-MS and LC-MS) are then used to generate chemical fingerprints for comparative analysis against libraries of known compounds to identify the active component(s). A mixture of chemical standards is generated from these identified, potentially active, components. This mixture is tested by the activity assay, and chemicals are sequentially removed from this mixture to identify the active components and potential synergistic effects between these components. Thus, a potential pesticide originating from agriculturally-based bio-oil is identified

Innovation and access to technologies for sustainable development: diagnosing weaknesses and identifying interventions in the Transnational Arena

Sustainable development – improving human well-being across present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs – is a central challenge for the 21st century. Technological innovation can play an important role in moving society toward sustainable development. However, poor, marginalized, and future populations often do not fully benefit from innovation due to their lack of market or political power to influence innovation processes. As a result, current innovation systems fail to contribute as much as they might to meeting sustainable development goals. This paper focuses on how actors and institutions operating in the transnational arena can mitigate such shortfalls. To identify the most important transnational functions required to meet sustainable development needs our analysis undertook three main steps. First, we developed a framework to diagnose blockages in the global innovation system for particular technologies. This framework was built on existing theory and new empirical analysis. On the theory side, we drew from the literatures of systems dynamics; technology and sectoral innovation systems, science and technology studies, the economics of innovation, and global governance. On the empirical front, we conducted eighteen detailed case studies of technology innovation in multiple sectors relevant to sustainable development: water, energy, health, food, and manufactured goods. We use the framework to analyze our case studies in the common language of (1) technology stocks, (2) non-linear flows between stocks substantiated by specific mechanisms, and (3) characteristics of actors and socio-technical conditions (STCs) which mediate the flows between stocks . We identify blockages in the innovation system for each of the cases, diagnosing where in the innovation system flows were hindered and which specific sets of STCs and actor characteristics were associated with these blockages. Figure E.1 displays the components of our framework and how they relate

The KiVa antibullying program in primary schools in Chile, with and without the digital game component: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Bullying is a major problem worldwide and Chile is no exception. Bullying is defined as a systematic aggressive behavior against a victim who cannot defend him or herself. Victims suffer social isolation and psychological maladjustment, while bullies have a higher risk for conduct problems and substance use disorders. These problems appear to last over time. The KiVa antibullying program has been evaluated in Finland and other European countries, showing preventive effects on victimization and self-reported bullying. The aims of this study are (1) to develop a culturally appropriate version of the KiVa material and (2) to test the effectiveness of the KiVa program, with and without the online game, on reducing experiences of victimization and bullying behavior among vulnerable primary schools in Santiago (Chile), using a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) design with three arms: (1) full KiVa program group, (2) partial KiVa (without online game) program group and (3) control group. METHODS AND DESIGN: This is a three-arm, single-blind, cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a target enrolment of 1495 4th and 5th graders attending 13 vulnerable schools per arm. Students in the full and partial KiVa groups will receive universal actions: ten 2-h lessons delivered by trained teachers during 1 year; they will be exposed to posters encouraging them to support victims and behave constructively when witnessing bullying; and a person designated by the school authorities will be present in all school breaks and lunchtimes using a visible KiVa vest to remind everybody that they are in a KiVa school. KiVa schools also will have indicated actions, which consist of a set of discussion groups with the victims and with the bullies, with proper follow-up. Only full KiVa schools will also receive an online game which has the aim to raise awareness of the role of the group in bullying, increase empathy and promote strategies to support victimized peers. Self-reported victimization, bullying others and peer-reported bullying actions, psychological and academic functioning, and sense of school membership will be measured at baseline and 12 months after randomization. DISCUSSION: This is the first cluster RCT of the KiVa antibullying program in Latin America. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT02898324 . Registered on 8 September 2016

Integrating team-based problem-solving modules into a large, undergraduate science class to promote belonging and learning

A sense of belonging has been associated with student motivation and academic achievement in science at the university level (Fink et al., 2020). Research shows that by working in a team, students can consolidate their understanding with the help of their peers, empower one another, and motivate each other to stay on task (Robert et al., 2016). In this work, we integrated team-based, problem-solving modules into a massive, partially blended, first-year chemistry course with the goal of increasing students\u27 conceptual understanding of course material, problem solving skills, and sense of belonging. The module activities guided students through relevant course problems with interactive questions, interesting applications, and specific feedback. This research explores student perceptions and experiences with these modules and the course through focus groups and surveys. This research was approved by our institutional research ethics board. Initial findings show that engaging with the modules improved student understanding of chemistry concepts, increased student confidence, and strengthened student perceived problem-solving skills. By increasing conceptual understanding of chemistry and problem-solving skills, undergraduate students may be more likely to pursue chemistry and become better equipped to accomplish tasks in scientific domains. References: Fink, A., Frey, R. F., & Solomon, E. D. (2020). Belonging in general chemistry predicts first-year undergraduates\u27 performance and attrition. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 21(4), 1042–1062. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0rp00053a Robert, J., Lewis, S. E., Oueini, R., & Mapugay, A. (2016). Coordinated Implementation and Evaluation of Flipped Classes and Peer-Led Team Learning in General Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 93(12), 1993–1998. https://doi.org/10.1021/ACS.JCHEMED.6B0039

A mentoring community in STEM: Fostering STEM identity within universities

Mentorship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines has been shown to improve student persistence, academic performance, and STEM identity (Damkaci et al., 2017; Hernandez et al., 2017), especially for underrepresented groups (Chelberg & Bosman, 2019; Estrada et al., 2018). The current study used a mixed methods approach of surveys (n=182) and interviews (n=30) to explore the lived experience and perspectives of undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and scholars, in three STEM faculties in Canada. Findings related to connections between the mentorship experiences, STEM identity, belonging, community, and career aspirations of these individuals will be explored in this session. This research was approved by our institutional research ethics board. Given the research on the value of mentorship, it was surprising that only one quarter of all participants indicated having a current mentor in STEM. For those participants without a current mentor, 75% expressed interest in having a mentor. Mentoring experiences were found to be more common for white participants than racialized participants, with undergraduate students indicating a desire for more mentoring opportunities and community building in their academic careers. New mentoring initiatives in STEM will also be highlighted, with ensuing engagement in discussion of mentoring barriers and possibilities in participants’ own regions of influence in STEM. Chelberg, K. L., & Bosman, L. B. (2019). The Role of Faculty Mentoring in Improving Retention and Completion Rates for Historically Underrepresented STEM Students. International Journal of Higher Education, 8(2), 39-48. Damkaci, F., Braun, T. F., & Gublo, K. (2017). Peer Mentor Program for the General Chemistry Laboratory Designed to Improve Undergraduate STEM Retention. Journal of Chemical Education, 94(12), 1873–1880. Estrada M., Hernandez P.R., & Schultz P.W. (2018). A Longitudinal Study of How Quality Mentorship and Research Experience Integrate Underrepresented Minorities into STEM Careers. CBE Life Sci Education, 17(1):ar9. Hernandez P.R., Bloodhart B., Barnes R.T., Adams A.S., Clinton S.M., Pollack I., et al. (2017). Promoting professional identity, motivation, and persistence: Benefits of an informal mentoring program for female undergraduate students. PLoS ONE 12(11): e0187531

Bioenergy II: Characterization of the Pesticide Properties of Tobacco Bio-Oil

Pyrolysis converts biomass such as agricultural and forestry waste into bio-oil, preserving some chemicals while creating other, new ones. Nicotine, a chemical present in tobacco leaves and a known pesticide, was found to remain intact during pyrolysis. As expected, insecticidal properties were observed for tobacco bio-oil. Pesticide characteristics of tobacco bio-oil have been observed on the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), a pest currently resistant to all major insecticides, as well as a few bacteria and fungi that do not currently respond well to chemical treatment. Unexpectedly, nicotine-free fractions of the bio-oil were also found to be highly lethal to the beetles and successful at inhibiting the growth of select microorganisms. Through GC-MS, it was found that the active, nicotine-free fractions were rich in phenolics, chemicals likely created from lignin during pyrolysis. While bio-oils in general are known to contain phenolic chemicals, such as cresols, to our best knowledge, quantitative analysis has not been performed to determine if these chemicals are solely responsible for the observed pesticide activities. Based on GC-MS results, ten of the most abundant chemicals, eight of which were phenolic chemicals, were identified and examined through bio-assays. A mixture of these chemicals at the concentration levels found in the bio-oil did not account for the bio-oil activity towards the microorganisms. Tobacco bio-oil may have potential as a pesticide, however, further analyses using liquid chromatography is necessary to identify the remaining active chemicals