30921 research outputs found
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Developing inclusive schools: school leaders' perspectives on policy to practice
No full textThe implementation of inclusive school practices in the public school system is a priority for educators across Manitoba, Canada, and many parts of the world. However, traditional educational systems often perpetuate privilege for some students while marginalizing others. School leaders frequently work in isolation and face ethical dilemmas and systemic barriers in their efforts to foster inclusion for all students. This qualitative research study, grounded in critical theory, explores the experiences of school leaders as they implement inclusive school policies and practices. Using Collaborative Autoethnography (CAE) methodology and a Think Tank structure, participants engaged in recursive cycles of self-reflection and collaborative discussions to examine and share their personal experiences with inclusion. Through this process, school leaders identified key barriers to inclusion, including inconsistent training, systemic constraints, and inflexible policies. They also highlighted the essential skills required for inclusive leadership, such as communication, advocacy, innovation, and creativity. Additionally, the study revealed effective strategies to support inclusion, including collaborative professional development, mentorship programs, and improved university partnerships for pre-service training. The findings underscore the value of peer-supported reflection and collaborative problem-solving as mechanisms for enhancing teacher efficacy and sustaining inclusive practices.October 202
Deep forest classification-based inference for individual level infectious disease models
No full textInfectious diseases spread rapidly and pose significant global health risks. Understanding the mechanisms of infectious disease transmission is essential for informing effective public health policy. To this end, individual-level models (ILMs) provide a flexible framework to incorporate covariate information when modelling. ILMs have been recently expanded to geographically dependent ILMs (GD-ILMs) to address spatially varying risk factors. Parameter estimation for these models is typically done using a Bayesian framework, which is computationally expensive. In this work, we propose to use a tree-based epidemic model classification method to bypass computationally intensive likelihood calculations. Specifically, we use a deep forest classifier and evaluate the predictive ability of the corresponding GD-ILMs to capture disease transmission dynamics. We validate this approach with simulated epidemic data and the UK 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, and compare its performance with that of the standard random forest classifier. Our findings suggest that the deep forest classifier generally outperforms the standard random forest classifier, as it uses an additional layer to extract more information from predictor variables.October 202
Author Contribution Statements and Gender Dynamics in Library and Information Science Scholarship
No full textAcademic librarians are leaders in promoting ethical scholarly communication, yet Contributor Role Ontologies and Taxonomies (CROTs), such as the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), remain underutilized in Library and Information Science (LIS) journals. This study systematically reviews LIS journals published in 2023 to analyze the prevalence of CROTs and explores gender disparities in contributor roles. The research highlights the importance of adopting CROTs in LIS publications to ensure equitable recognition of contributions and addresses whether gender dynamics influence contributor roles in LIS research. Findings will assess publisher compliance and provide insight into the current state of contributor acknowledgments in LIS.
Learning Objectives
- Outline the importance of Contributor Role Ontologies and Taxonomies (CROTs)
- Assess the current use of CROTs in LIS Journals
- Examine gender dynamics in LIS publishin
Moral panic déjà vu - A qualitative study to understand the adoption of new juvenile laws in India after Nirbhaya gang rape case
No full textThe existing literature suggests that India took a regressive step when it introduced a new juvenile law after the Nirbhaya rape case, which allows treatment of youth offenders committing heinous crimes as adults. This study investigates whether there was a genuine and pressing need to enact the new law to curb the youth menace or whether it was a political move to appease public outrage. To explore this question, a qualitative discourse analysis was conducted on newspaper articles published in two widely circulated English dailies in India, covering the period from the date of the rape incident to the date of pronouncement of judgment by the Sessions Court in this matter. The analysis, guided by the theory of moral panic and relevant literature on moral panics involving youth offenders, reveals that India, like several countries around the world, enacted the new punitive law in response to public demand rather than empirical evidence. The enacted law has failed to achieve the desired outcomes, and India continues to wait for comprehensive legal, institutional, and cultural reforms to ensure a safer and more inclusive society for women.
Key words: youth offenders, juvenile justice, moral panic, Nirbhaya case, media discourse, gender-based violence, folk heroOctober 202
Effect of blood pressure threshold on adverse outcomes in patients with acute spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textAbstract Background Inadequate spinal perfusion in acute spinal cord injury (SCI) can exacerbate secondary injury. While current guidelines recommend maintaining mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥ 75-80mmHg post-injury, no quantitative analysis on effects of blood pressure on neurological outcomes exists. We aim to address this gap and evaluate the impact of blood pressure thresholds on adverse outcomes in acute traumatic and non-traumatic SCI to inform current guidelines. Methods The project adhered to PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024550044). We searched seven databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central, Cochrane Reviews, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science. We included studies involving patients ≥ 16yrs with acute SCI, randomized control trials, prospective cohorts, and retrospective (case-control, cohort) studies. Excluded were chronic SCI and studies mentioning induced hypotension. The main outcome was the relationship between blood pressure thresholds and adverse functional outcome at up to one-year post-injury. Outcomes (unadjusted odds ratios (uOR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR)) were calculated using a random-effect model with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Results Of 16,366 identified articles, 38 (n = 7,167, 73% male) were included in the qualitative and 14 (n = 2,553, 76% male) in the quantitative analysis. Pooled analysis found an increase in adverse functional outcomes in patients with below threshold blood pressures (uOR, 3.28; 95% CI, 2.39–4.50; aOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03–1.05). Subgroup analyses consistently showed that lower blood pressure thresholds were associated with worse outcomes across all subgroups. Risk of bias was low to moderate in most studies. Heterogeneity was moderate to high (I2: 69.88%). Conclusion Lower blood pressure thresholds were consistently associated with worse functional outcomes in patients with acute SCI. While these findings support the rationale for MAP augmentation, they should be interpreted cautiously due to the observational nature of the data and high heterogeneity. High-quality prospective studies are needed to determine optimal blood pressure targets
The AMME study: amniotic fluid as mediator of the maternal environment
No full textThe development of chronic lung disease is partly due to fetal programming during gestation. In utero cigarette smoke exposure has been linked to adverse neonatal outcomes as well as detrimental effects to the lungs. The mechanism by which in utero cigarette smoke exposure is translated to negative effects to the neonate is not elucidated. Fetal breathing movements allow for the exchange of amniotic fluid and fetal lung liquid, a liquid secreted by the pulmonary epithelium. These movements are vital for optimal fetal lung development, growth, and pulmonary cell differentiation. Elevated levels of IL-5, TNFα, IL 1α, and IL-1β in the amniotic fluid promote airway hyperresponsiveness and lung inflammation in the offspring, both are hallmarks of chronic lung disease. However, the non-pathologic cytokine/chemokine profile and whether environmental exposures alter it is unknown. Therefore, I hypothesize that in utero cigarette smoke exposure alters the cytokine/chemokine profile of the amniotic fluid, and that amniotic fluid can alter airway epithelial barrier function. Matched amniotic fluid (n = 32), umbilical cord serum (n = 33), maternal serum (n = 33), and placenta tissue (n = 36) were collected from singleton, uncomplicated, term, and scheduled caesarean delivery. Cigarette smoke exposure was collected by questionnaire and confirmed by measuring cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, by direct ELISA. All samples were sent for multiplex cytokine analysis by Eve Technologies (Calgary, AB) to assay for 99 cytokines/chemokines. In a transwell culture using Calu-3 airway epithelial cells, epithelial barrier function and wound recovery was assessed by exposing cells to individual amniotic fluid samples and measuring transepithelial electrical resistance. Cotinine bioaccumulates in amniotic fluid compared to umbilical cord serum and maternal serum. Cotinine was not detected in placenta samples. Cotinine-positive amniotic fluid samples have a different cytokine/chemokine profile characterized by higher levels of MIG/CXCL9, IP-10, and IL-6 relative to cotinine-negative samples. Barrier function was significantly negatively correlated to abundances of such as IL-13 and IL-9. Wound healing capacity was significantly positively correlated to abundances of EGF and CXCL16. In utero exposure to cigarette smoke alters the amniotic fluid cytokine/chemokine profile thereby increasing the abundances of a number of cytokines, such as IL-6. Additionally, cotinine, the major metabolite of nicotine, bioaccumulates within the amniotic fluid. The barrier function and wound healing capacity of airway epithelial cells are altered by amniotic fluid and is associated with its cytokine/chemokine profile. These results provide evidence that the amniotic fluid composition, including its cytokine/chemokine profile, can be influenced by the maternal environment and may be an important communication pathway between in utero exposures and the fetal lungs.Research ManitobaOctober 202
Three essays on corporate finance
No full textThe thesis consists of three essays. In the first essay, we investigate the relation between automation exposure and debt maturity structure. The results show that firms with higher automation exposure tend to use less long-term debt. We also find evidence that this negative relation between automation exposure and long-term debt ratio is primarily driven by firms that are financially constrained. Our findings indicate that increased exposure to automation exacerbates the information asymmetry faced by financially constrained firms, thereby limiting their financing options to short-term debt.
In the second essay, we explore the relation between automation exposure and payout policy. Our analysis reveals that firms experiencing higher automation exposure tend to reduce their payouts. These firms face reduced levels of operating cash flow and increased volatility following increased automation, resulting in greater uncertainty. As a result, these firms tend to reduce their payouts. Furthermore, we find the negative association between automation exposure and payouts is more pronounced among labor insensitive firms.
In the third essay, we investigate the effect of clawback adoption on payout policy. We find that clawback adopters will increase their total payouts, especially share repurchase after clawback adoption when compared to non-adopters. This positive association is particularly evident among firms with higher information asymmetry.October 202
Healing spaces: enhancing the experience of safety in urban environment for women and site residents at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg
No full textThis practicum investigates how urban design can contribute to a greater sense of safety, comfort, and dignity in public space—particularly for women and vulnerable users. Focusing on the area around the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, the project brings together research, site analysis, and design thinking to explore how everyday environments can better support healing and well-being.October 202
Identification and first characterization of 7 Septate junction proteins (SJP) in decapod crabs and their potential involvement in osmoregulation
No full textSimilar to tight junction proteins found in vertebrates, septate junction proteins (SJPs) serve
a significant role in maintaining the epithelial barrier that regulates paracellular transport in
invertebrates. Some limited knowledge exists of the cellular localization and function in insects,
however, identification, tissue distribution and function of SJPs in crustaceans remains unknown.
The current study investigated SJP homologs in three different decapod crabs: Carcinus maenas,
Metacarcinus magister, and Geothelphusa dehaani. Seven SJP candidates - Megatrachea-like,
Kune-kune-like, Contactin-like, Neurexin-IV-like, Würmchen1-like, Gliotactin-like, and Mesh
like- were identified and characterized using transcriptome mining and expression analysis based
on sequence homology of known SJPs in insects. One candidate, Würmchen1-like significantly
is shorter overall protein length (85 vs. 160 AAs) in compare to insect Würmchen1. A comparative
mRNA expression analysis indicated that SJP expression patterns in the branchial epithelia are
unique for each crab species, presumably due to a species-specific life style. Further, the study
showed that SJPs are highly expressed in epithelial-rich tissues such as the gills and antennal
glands of C. maenas, with much lower mRNA expression levels in muscle tissue, providing
additional evidence that the investigated proteins are indeed SJPs. Relative mRNA expression of
megatrachea-like and kune-like was highest among all SJPs in the anterior gills in C. maenas,
regardless whether acclimated to seawater or brackish water. In marine M. magister, würmchen1
like was highest expressed, while kune-like showed highest mRNA expression levels in G.
dehaani. When green crabs were acclimated to brackish water, branchial transcript abundance of
all but contacin-like and neurexin-IV-like increased, suggesting roles for megatrachea-like, kune
kune-like, würmchen1-like, gliotactin-like and mesh-like in protecting for passive ion (e.g. Na+, Cl
, Ca2+, and K+) effluxes and/or water influxes. Exposure to high environmental ammonia, HEA (1
mM NH4Cl), resulted in substantial but transient upregulation of all SJPs mRNA except Mesh-like
in the posterior gills of hyper-regulating C. maenas. Interestingly, Mesh-like was the only SJP
showing upregulation after a HEA exposure of 7 days.
Overall, it was demonstrated that the investigated transcripts most likely encode SJPs. However,
further studies are necessary to verify their paracellular localization and barrier function.Faculty of Science Enhancement of Grant StipendsOctober 202
We can bring our Ancestors home: reimagining respectful Indigenous rematriation and repatriation at the University of Manitoba
No full textIndigenous Ancestors (Indigenous “human remains”) and Belongings (Indigenous “cultural heritage”) continue to be housed in heritage-holding institutions (such as universities, museums, galleries, etc.) worldwide, and receive little to no respectful or culturally appropriate caregiving. It is a human rights concern in how Ancestors and Belongings are acquired, possessed, handled, studied, tested, analyzed, and stored by heritage-holding institutions. In Canada, there is currently no federal repatriation legislation that compels institutions to engage in return processes with Indigenous descendant communities, and there are none or very few institutions that have proactive repatriation policies or initiatives, and/or are informed and led by Indigenous Elders and ceremony.
The Respectful Rematriation and Repatriation Ceremony (RRRC) is an Indigenous and Elder-led Ceremony at the University of Manitoba, which is the first university in Canada to have a proactive repatriation policy. This thesis is a documentation of one significant moment in the larger RRRC – the Keeping of the Spirit Ceremony – the bringing of Indigenous Ancestors and Belongings into the newly created temporary Resting Room at the University of Manitoba. I reflect on my own participation in the Keeping of the Spirit Ceremony, and through interviews I share the experiences and insights of seven other Ceremony participants, and the impacts that the RRRC had on transforming the University as an institution. This manifested in several ways both in and beyond the University of Manitoba – tangibly, intangibly, symbolically, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and even temporally.
This thesis found that when repatriation processes follow Indigenous Protocols, repatriation can go beyond functionality, and the rematriation of Indigenous ways of being, knowing, and doing can create healing spaces. Through the RRRC’s example, this research contributes toward a better understanding of how Indigenous paradigms to return are vital to respectful and meaningful repatriation policies and processes, and can act to transform heritage-holding institutions themselves in both tangible and intangible ways.October 202