1722 research outputs found
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Cleaned Wīkis
No full textThis image was utilized for research purposes. The image displays freshly picked, cleaned Wīkis (muskrat root) medicine.The Six Seasons of Asiniskaw Īthiniwak project is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Indigenous Knowledge and Tourism on Protected Areas Under Constitutional Sumak Kawsai in Ecuador: Policies and Legislation
Full text linkThis thesis aims to expose the deficiencies in Ecuadorian legislation in protecting Indigenous culture and Indigenous knowledge within the tourism economy located within Indigenous traditional lands and protected areas of Ecuador. It delves into the vulnerabilities linked to Indigenous intangible cultural heritage within the tourism industry. The goal is to highlight the differences between Indigenous community tourist centres and tourist operators. These inequities extend beyond financial aspects; they also involve more general issues regarding the expression and conservation of Indigenous intangible cultural heritage. In addition to illuminating these challenges, this research offers potential mechanisms that the Ecuadorian State could adopt to safeguard Indigenous knowledge and promote responsible utilization of it by tourism operators.Master of Arts in Indigenous Governanc
The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of INSL5 in a DSS-Induced Model of Ulcerative Colitis
Full text linkInsulin-like peptide 5 (INSL5) is a novel gastrointestinal (GI) hormone, primarily expressed in the distal colon and rectum. Its cognate receptor is the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) relaxin family peptide receptor 4 (RXFP4), which is expressed in a variety of tissues and cells, including the vagus nerve, colon, liver, heart, kidney, and gonads. Current research suggests that INSL5 is involved in satiety, glucose homeostasis, colonic propulsion, the male and female reproductive systems, and the progression of cancer. Our lab has recently found RXFP4 expression in all murine immune organs and some innate immune cells, implying that RXFP4 and therefore INSL5 may be involved in the immune system. Due to the high levels of INSL5 in the distal gut, it may play a homeostatic role in conditions of chronic inflammation, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The gut is intimately linked to the spleen via the spleen-gut axis and it is well documented that hyposplenism (splenic dysfunction) is correlated with GI disorders. The first objective of this study is to determine if DSS treatment induces inflammation in the spleen. The second objective is to determine if INSL5 influences immune cell responses in the murine spleen. I hypothesize that dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis will also induce hyposplenism. Additionally, I hypothesize that INSL5 exerts anti-inflammatory effects via RXFP4 expressed on splenic macrophages in a mouse model. To test these hypotheses, eight C57BL/6 strain male mice aged eight to twelve weeks were exposed to 2% DSS in their drinking water for seven days, while eight mice of the same strain and age were given regular drinking water as a control. Following euthanasia, blood samples were taken, the spleens were extracted, weighed, and some sections were kept for histological or molecular analysis while the rest were dissociated into RPMI cell culture media to generate primary culture of splenocytes. Histological preparations of whole spleen were stained with Prussian blue to test for thrombosis while blood smears were analysed for the presence of Howell-Jolly bodies and hypochromic erythrocytes, markers of hyposplenism. RNA was extracted from splenic macrophages of eight control and eight DSS-treated mice for qPCR analyses, and RNA from the spleens of four control and four DSS-treated mice was sent for RNA-sequencing. For the transcriptomic analysis, k-means clustering was performed to identify gene clusters associated with the largest standard deviation in gene expression across samples and the list of genes falling into each cluster were tested for enrichment using the GO Biological Process database. Subsequently, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from the transcriptomic data using an FDR 1.5; the list of DEG’s was used for a gene enrichment analysis using the EnrichR database. Meanwhile, the aliquots of dissociated splenocytes were enriched for macrophages and then exposed to one of four treatments; control (no treatment), lipopolysaccharide (1.0 μg/ml LPS from Escherichia coli per well for 24 hours), co-treatment (100 nM INSL5 and 1.0 μg/ml LPS for 24 hours), and INSL5 pre-treatment (100 nM INSL5 hormone for 12 hours followed by 1.0 μg/ml LPS for 24 hours). Cytokine profiles and other macrophage markers were measured via qPCR and ELISA assay. Our histological, hematological, and qPCR results showed that DSS-induced colitis resulted in hyposplenism via the spleen-gut axis. According to the RNA seq data, DSS-treatment resulted in the upregulation of 146 genes and the downregulation of 21 genes, most of which were associated with the immune system or erythrocyte development. The results of the experiment on macrophage enriched splenocytes indicated that INSL5 played a minor role in alleviating inflammation by reducing the expression of some pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, the results of the cell culture experiment from the DSS-exposed murine spleens indicated that they experienced hyposplenism too extreme for LPS or INSL5 treatment to cause any significant change in immune gene expression. Unfortunately, the ELISA data did not show any significant effect of INSL5 in the spleen, however this may be a result of human error. Overall, our results indicate a strong relationship between the disorders of the gut and the spleen, however INSL5 appears to have a minimal role on immunological role of the spleen. Rather, the RNA-Seq data showed that DSS played a greater role in affecting its erythropoietic function. Further research is warranted, especially into the role of INSL5 in the gut, where it is most highly expressed, and where data mining indicate that its cognate receptor RXFP4 is found on diverse immune cell subsets. Research into the immunological role of INSL5 may be helpful for treating GI disorders such as ulcerative colitis.CIHR; NSERC; The University of Winnipeg Foundation - the Dr. Beni Sahai FundMaster of Bioscience, Technology and Public Polic
Air Quality and Urban Prosperity: An Analysis of Municipal Composting and Urban Agriculture as Air Pollution Reduction and Mitigation Policies for Winnipeg
Full text linkInclusion or imposition? The life-story interview as knowledge production
No full textThis article considers the implications of conducting life story interviews. It argues that the life story interview is a method of knowledge production that is based on a number of underlying assumptions about what constitutes a life story, how it is best captured, and who can and should tell a life story. The life story interview produces knowledges through several phases, including the interview, its archiving and its online dissemination. While the underlying assumptions of life story interviewing are generally understood to make this particular oral history practice more inclusive, this article asks what kinds of impositions this practice places on interviewees (as well as interviewers and audiences)
Cleaning Wīkis
No full textThis image was utilized for research purposes. The image displays the process of cleaning Wīkis (muskrat root) medicine
Picking Wīkis
No full textThis image was utilized for research purposes. The image displays elder Edward Dysart picking Wīkis (muskrat root) medicine.The Six Seasons of Asiniskaw Īthiniwak project is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
The pro-survival effects of milk-derived extracellular vesicles in response to perinatal stress: Regulation of the heat shock response
No full textMilk-derived extracellular vesicles (MEVs) are lipid-coated nanovesicles found in mammalian milk that survive intestinal degradation and cross complex biological barriers, including the bloodbrain barrier. MEVs have known cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory activity in peripheral organs, however, their biological functions remain unknown in the central nervous system. In this thesis, I investigated whether MEVs promote pro-survival responses by activating the heat shock response (HSR) in vitro (chapter 2) and in vivo (chapter 3). The HSR is a principal pro-survival mechanism responsible for refolding or degrading misfolded protein aggregates through the action of molecular heat shock protein (HSP) chaperones. Specifically, I investigated the interaction between MEVs and the HSR in immortalized human microglia clone 3 (HMC3) cells exposed to an acute stress (interferon-gamma), as well as in neonatal rats exposed to chronic stress (perinatal high-fat diet (mHFD) exposure). I found that MEVs promote the activation and maintenance of the HSR, specifically by upregulating the HSF1 transcription factor and by downregulating the negative regulators, Hsp70 and Hsp90. Interestingly, corresponding results were found across immortalized microglia and the prefrontal cortex of neonates. Collectively, I demonstrate that MEVs promote pro-survival in the context of alleviating neuroinflammation by activating HSF1-mediated pro-survival, and potentially prolonging HSR activity. The results presented here provide novel insights on cellular interactions between MEVs and the HSR.Master of Science in Bioscience, Technology, and Public Polic
Spectral Effects of Heating C3.00-Ungrouped Chwichiya 002 and Other Type 3 Carbonaceous Chondrites Under Vacuum
No full textThree petrological type-3 carbonaceous chondrites; C3.00-ungrouped Chwichiya 002, CV3ox NWA 14743, and CK3 NWA 15337 were heated under vacuum up to 700℃. Additionally, carbonaceous chondrite matrix constituents: saponite and serpentine were also heated under the same conditions up to 900℃. Bi-directional reflectance spectroscopy data were collected under vacuum. The spectra show variability in their albedo as temperature increases. Measurements were made using a Bruker 80v FTIR spectrometer, at a resolution of 4 cm-1, relative to Spectralon and InfraGold in the VISNIR and IR, respectively. The 2.7 µm OH-associated absorption feature remains consistent in the meteorites, whereas the phyllosilicates display a gradual weakening of the same feature. The aromatization and volatilization of carbon, organic matter, and opaques such as sulfides could explain the increase in albedo observed. As heating ensues, the reaction of primary silicates with evolved water could lead to deepening and the persistence of the 2.7 µm band in the meteorites. The characterization of the spectral properties of the primitive carbonaceous chondrites presented in this study could help understand and interpret future experiments and help establish any links to parent-body asteroids.This project was supported by the National Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s (CGS-M). Thanks to the Europlanet Research Infrastructure (RI) Transactional Access (TA) programme 2022 and 2023 for their financial support. Also, thanks are due to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Manitoba Research Innovation Fund (MRIF), and the University of Winnipeg for supporting this study.10.36939/ir.202412161522Master of Science in Environmental and Social Chang
Safely navigating the "dangerous space between good intentions and meaningful interventions": A study on the use of school suspensions in Manitoba Canada
Full text linkThis qualitative study delves into the perspectives of school leaders in a Canadian province, exploring their views on student suspensions and alternative approaches to school discipline. Amid a provincial advocacy organization’s call for a review and reduction of suspensions in that jurisdiction, the study captures both constructive and critical views of school leaders on the practice. Findings reveal a general endorsement of the authority to suspend students under specific conditions. School leaders are, however, conflicted about what constitutes the condition of imminent safety risk, and they advocate for discretion in making that determination. Proposing progressive-discipline strategies as alternatives, they underscore the necessity of available external resources from provincial social systems to ensure the viability and success of suggested alternatives. Collectively, this study navigates the landscape of school discipline, emphasizing the delicate balance between maintaining order and fostering an environment that is conducive for all involved in supporting student success.https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/eei/article/view/1715