1722 research outputs found
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The Lack of Competition in the Music Industries, the Effect on Working Musicians, and the Loss of Canadian Music Heritage
Get PDFA Brief Submitted By: The Cultural Capital Project: Digital Stewardship and Sustainable Monetization for Canadian Musicians
Presented to: Making Competition Work for Canadians: A consultation on the future of competition policy in CanadaIt is our contention that the music industries in Canada exhibit an oligopoly structure, formed of a handful of non-competitive, non-Canadian firms, which gravely harms both the livelihoods of Canadian musicians and the long term sustainability of Canadian music. Our research concludes the problem is not a consequence of anything unique to music as a cultural product, but partially a function of how competition is regulated in this country, or, more accurately, not regulated. Along with more rigorous enforcement of competition, we recommend that the Competition Act be updated to center the concerns of workers and consumers, which would have ripple effects on the health of many sectors in Canada, including music.Research contributing to this brief was conducted with a SSHRC gran
Life-history Characteristics of Recreational Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) Fisheries in Manitoba
Get PDFContemporary data concerning lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) populations have been lacking in the province of Manitoba for several decades. I compared life history characteristics (age, condition, growth, maturity, and survival) of lake trout from seven lakes in order to assess their present state. Furthermore, lake trout have been observed to have different ecotypes that exhibit different life-history traits and behaviours, therefore lake trout otolith morphology was compared to potentially identify suspected sympatric ecotypes in Clearwater Lake, Manitoba. Summer profundal index netting (SPIN) gillnets were set at varying depths during summer months in 2021 and 2022 to complete this project. Otolith morphology was compared using elliptic Fourier analyses. Length-at-age was back-calculated for lake trout individuals, and growth data was fitted by von Bertalanffy growth curves. Growth curves differed significantly across lakes based on several parameters (L8, K, t0, and w). Northern lakes had the propensity to hold trophy-sized lake trout, while southern lakes did not. Significant otolith morphological differences between suspected lake trout ecotypes within Clearwater Lake. However, it is not possible to ascertain that otolith morphological differences are a result of different ecotypes or differing growth rates. There was a notable scarcity of lake trout in most southern lakes, while northern lake trout populations appear to be healthy. Historical high fishing pressure might be a culprit associated with the poor status of several southern lake trout populations. Fisheries Manitoba should consider using the SPIN program to further evaluate lake trout fisheries in Manitoba.Master of Science in Bioscience, Technology, and Public Polic
A Critical Analysis of Canada’s Sex Work Discourse and Policy: From Federal to Local
Get PDFThrough an analysis of the 2022 federal House of Commons standing committee review of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act and selected provincial and municipal documents, this thesis illustrates some of the ways that the discourses articulated during national policy debates empower certain groups while disempowering the people these legislative responses ostensibly support and protect. I turn to the Manitoba context to demonstrate how these discourses play out through a study of local policy and programming. Through a conjunctural analysis, this thesis argues that a massive number of resources are being poured into police, prosecution services, and community organizations to combat sex work in Manitoba.Master of Arts in Criminal Justic
Post mating isolating barriers between Drosophila species and the role of seminal fluid gene expression
Get PDFReproductive genes are known to be among the fastest evolving category of genes within the genome, and males’ reproductive genes show a high divergence between species. A class of genes expressed in the male’s reproductive tract, the Seminal Fluid Protein genes (SFPs), have been shown to be the most rapidly evolving male genes. The fast evolution and divergence of these genes were first attributed to forms of postcopulatory sexual selection and sexual conflict. However, a recent study that analyzed the molecular evolution of SFPs among different species of Drosophila at the coding sequence level found that the responsible force driving the rapid evolution of SFPs was relaxed selection, with only a small proportion evolving by positive selection. In this thesis, I focus on analyzing the molecular evolution of SFP genes at the gene expression level, rather than at the coding sequence level, and on understanding whether changes at the gene expression level can trigger the evolution of reproductive barriers. From my analysis, it emerged that SFP genes show a higher divergence in expression compared to the average accessory gland gene, but do not show a higher polymorphism. Moreover, after knocking down four genes under positive selection, that have been previously shown to affect intraspecific sperm competition, and after performing mating experiments both at the intra and interspecific level between D. melanogaster and D. simulans, we find no difference in the ability of the D. melanogaster knockdowns to outcompete heterospecific D. simulans males. These results suggest that genes influencing forms of postcopulatory sexual selection (i.e., sperm competition) and those influencing reproductive barriers (i.e., conspecific sperm precedence) do not share a common genetic basis. This hints to the possibility that, while intraspecific sperm competition can be affected by the perturbation of a single gene, the perturbation of more than one gene at the same time might be needed to affect conspecific sperm precedence.Master of Science in Biolog
Exploring Machine Learning Approaches to Precipitation Prediction: Post Processing of Daily Accumulated North American forecasts
Get PDFThis thesis presents recent work on exploring machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models to improve the accuracy of 24 hour precipitation forecasts. Leveraging a comprehensive North American dataset of precipitation values from Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models and secondary meteorological features, the research showcases the need of ML techniques in post-processing NWP precipitation predictions. The evaluation reveals remarkable performance improvements over baseline model, with certain ML models achieving a 15% reduction in Mean Absolute Error (MAE), a 5% decrease in Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), a 45% reduction in Median Absolute Error (MdAE), and a 50% decrease in Relative Bias (RB). Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Gradient Boosting Regressor (GBR) emerged as top performers, demonstrating their proficiency in accurately predicting daily precipitation.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Alliance Grant with Weatherlogics Inc.Master of Science in Applied Computer Scienc
Documentation on traditional Indigenous Material Culture in Books for Young Readers
No full textThe Six Seasons Project of Asiniskaw Īthiniwak project is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
To Conserve and Protect: “Making Sense” of Conservation Officer uses of Emotional Labour
Get PDFGiven the unique role that conservation officer’s play in our society, it is critical that researchers better understand factors that may influence the activities and behaviours of the individuals tasked with dealing with complex emotions of others, ensuring the safety of Canada’s backcountry wilderness, all while maintaining a tough persona and enforcing the law (Moreto et al., 2015; Moreto, 2016). Hochschild’s (1983) concept of “emotional labour” is employed within this document to explore the extent to which conservation officers rely on their ability to deal with complicated emotions, within themselves and those of individuals they encounter. Due to the limited literature exploring the nexus between conservation officers and emotional labour, a grounded theoretical approach was selected to accommodate the emerging nature of these concepts. Identifying the driving factors in conservation officer behaviour provides avenues to better understand the feasibility, applicability, and likelihood of success when introducing policy aimed at improving officer mental health (Moreto et al., 2015). This study is based on twelve in-depth qualitative interviews and six commentated walks with members from provincial and private parks in British Columbia, Canada. Within it, I will explore how conservation officers engage in emotional labour, as well as its impact. The results reveal how managing emotions according to the organizationally mandated display rules can affect an officer’s well-being, and it highlights the need for future research to enable park enforcement organisations to deal more effectively with work-related stress."Thank you to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for awarding this research with the Joseph Bombardier Scholarship valued at 17,500."Master of Arts in Criminal Justic
Mobility of arsenic and vanadium in waterlogged calcareous soils due to addition of zeolite and manganese oxide amendments
Get PDFAddition of manganese(IV) oxides (MnO2) and zeolite can affect the mobility of As and V in soils due to geochemical changes that have not been studied well in calcareous, flooded soils. This study evaluated the mobility of As and V in flooded soils surface-amended with MnO2 or zeolite. A simulated summer flooding study was conducted for 8 weeks using intact soil columns from four calcareous soils. Redox potential was measured in soils, whereas pH, major cations, and As and V concentrations were measured biweekly in pore water and floodwater. Aqueous As and V species were modeled at 0, 4, and 8 weeks after flooding (WAF) using Visual MINTEQ modeling software with input parameters of redox potential, temperature, pH, total alkalinity, and concentrations of major cations and anions. Aqueous As concentrations were below the critical thresholds (<100 μg L−1), whereas aqueous V concentrations exceeded the threshold for sensitive aquatic species (2–80 μg L−1). MnO2-amended soils were reduced to sub-oxic levels, whereas zeolite-amended and unamended soils were reduced to anoxic levels by 8 WAF. MnO2 decreased As and V mobilities, whereas zeolite had no effect on As but increased V mobility, compared to unamended soils. Arsenic mobility increased under anoxic conditions, and V mobility increased under oxic and alkaline pH conditions. Conversion of As(V) to As(III) and V(V) to V(IV) was regulated by MnO2 in flooded soils. MnO2 can be used as an amendment in immobilizing As and V, whereas the use of zeolite in flooded calcareous soils should be done cautiously."This research was financially supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada through Lake Winnipeg Basin Program, University of Winnipeg Major Grant and Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships: Advanced Scholars program."https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jeq2.2045
Quantifying the Concentration and Loads of Dissolved Organic Contaminants in Snowmelt Runoff from Manure-Amended Agricultural Fields
Get PDFAgriculture is an integral part of Canada’s economy, making 1.6% of the country’s GDP. In Manitoba, swine production contributed nearly 1.4 billion dollars in revenue from 8.4 million pigs sold to the market. Liquid swine manure is widely used as fertilizer in the province. However, there are risks with the use of liquid swine manure as fertilizer because liquid swine manure can contain organic contaminants, such as antibiotics and steroidal hormones. Globally, there is evidence of increased soil and freshwater contamination from antibiotics and estrogens, resulting in the increased presence of antibiotic-resistant genes and estrogen-related physiological disruptions, respectively. In the Canadian Prairies, a majority of the annual runoff occurs during the brief snowmelt period, when runoff occurs over frozen soils. Temporal changes in the transport of antibiotics and estrogens during this important hydrological period are not well understood but are critical to understanding the fate of these organic contaminants.
This thesis quantified the dissolved concentration and load of a 1) steroidal hormone, 17β-estradiol, and 2) antibiotic, sulfamethoxazole, in snowmelt from an agricultural field with a history of manure application under different manure management practices (i.e., no manure applied, manure applied on the sub-surface, and manure applied on the surface) over the snowmelt period. Research experiments in chapter 2 used two components (a field study during snowmelt and a laboratory simulation with flooded intact soil cores collected from the manured field) to quantify the dissolved 17β-estradiol in flood water and pore water for the laboratory simulation and snowmelt for the field study. Chapter 3 quantified the dissolved sulfamethoxazole in snowmelt in the same field study as chapter 2.
17β-estradiol (mean laboratory pore water concentration = 1.65 ± 1.2 μg/L; mean laboratory flood water concentration = 0.488 ± 0.58 μg/L; and mean field snowmelt concentration = 0.0619 ± 0.048 μg/L) and sulfamethoxazole (0.0345 ± 0.066 µg/L) were detected in all water samples, although there were no significant differences in the concentrations measured among the different manure application methods. 17β-estradiol concentrations varied between the laboratory and the field, with higher concentrations measured in the laboratory simulation. Pore water concentrations of 17β-estradiol from the laboratory study significantly increased over time, corresponding with changes in pH. In contrast, there was no significant change in the field snowmelt concentrations measured over time for both 17β-estradiol and sulfamethoxazole. The mean cumulative load of 17β-estradiol (6.91 ± 3.7 ng/m2) and sulfamethoxazole (4.12 ± 3.6 ng/m2) approximates the magnitude of 17β-estradiol and sulfamethoxazole that could be mobilized from manured fields during snowmelt. There was a significant increase in cumulative load over time for both 17β-estradiol and sulfamethoxazole, suggesting that the load is driven by the snowmelt volume rather than concentration. Furthermore, the 17β-estradiol load from plots with manure applied on the sub-surface was significantly larger than the surface application of manure and no manure application. This thesis provides preliminary insights to improve current manure management practices in the Canadian Prairies to include organic contaminants."An NSERC Discovery Grant provided financial support for this research to Inoka Amarakoon and Nora Casson. I received personal financial support from the University of Winnipeg Graduate Student Scholarship."Master of Science in Environmental and Social Chang
Evolutionary history and diversity of human-specific FAM72A paralogs
Get PDFGene duplication is a key driver of genetic diversity and adaptation, allowing genomes to develop complexity and redundant sequences that evolve along different trajectories. In human evolution, gene duplication played an important role: since divergence from the common ancestor with chimpanzees, humans have gained approximately 75 lineage-specific genes, influencing brain development, dietary adaptation, and immune regulation. The FAM72 gene family, with four paralogs (FAM72A-D) that arose after human-chimpanzee divergence, illustrates this process.
The evolutionary history and function of the FAM72 paralogs remain poorly described. The ancestral FAM72A protein drives early stages of somatic hypermutation in B cells by antagonizing UNG2. However, FAM72C-D paralogs have Trp125Arg amino acid substitution that prevents them from interacting with UNG2. This study hypothesizes that after the initial duplication from FAM72A to FAM72B, FAM72B duplicated to FAM72C and FAM72D. I hypothesize that opposing selective forces operate on FAM72A-B and FAM72C-D paralogs. Another hypothesis is that population-specific exposure to local environments during human evolution has driven the selection of population-specific adaptive haplotypes of FAM72A paralogs. The study used the 1000 Genomes dataset, testing selection through neutrality metrics and haplotype-based scores, and investigated functional divergence by comparing conserved amino acid sites and gene-wide LD patterns across human populations. Bayesian divergence time estimation between FAM72 paralogs was performed using the most common haplotypes in humans and chimpanzees. The hypothesized sequence of duplication events was supported by the phylogenetic analysis. The neutrality metrics identified FAM72C as recovering from a selective sweep, with other paralogs not showing signals of positive selection. Integrated haplotype scores of FAM72D suggested a recent selective sweep in African populations, and FAM72A-B showed high conservation. Linkage disequilibrium analysis highlighted functional regions, with FAM72A and FAM72B sharing active LD-enriched promoters, while FAM72C contained an active enhancer linked to immune cell function. Finally, multiple signatures of balancing selection were observed in an intronic region of FAM72C. The results suggest neutral or relaxed selection for FAM72A-B, but purifying selection following a selective sweep for FAM72C-D. The divergence of paralog pairs is evident in regulatory and functional shifts, notably with FAM72C’s unique immune cell associations. No clear signs of population-specific adaptation were identified, but FAM72B shows distinct haplotypes between East Asian and South Asian populations, hinting at either population bottlenecks or adaptive evolution. The findings show how gene duplication within the FAM72 gene family has contributed to genetic diversity and potential adaptability, with some members potentially shaping the evolutionary trajectory of immune function in human populations.CIHR; NSERCMaster of Bioscience, Technology and Public Polic