University of Lethbridge
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Evaluating wetland extent trends using remote sensing: case studies in the Canadian Rockies
No full textMountainous wetlands provide critical ecosystem services, but their sustainability is increasingly threatened by climate change impacts on river flow, runoff regimes, and landscape dynamics. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate how wetland hydrology and land cover in two mountainous regions, the Upper Columbia floodplain in British Columbia and the Eastern Slopes of Alberta (ES), are changing over time and how they could react under future climate scenarios. The specific aims of this thesis are to: 1) Evaluate historical and projected changes in wetland land cover and hydrology in the Upper Columbia River floodplain (1984–2040); 2) Apply and expand these methods to the ES (1984–2023); 3) Quantify open water evaporation relative to forest ecosystem evapotranspiration volumes, and assess seasonal variations between the snowmelt- and rainfall-dominated periods.
Results on Objective 1 indicate that from 1984 to 2022 the Upper Columbia floodplain has already undergone significant hydrological and ecological changes. Peak river discharge now occurs eleven days earlier and with shorter duration, so generating greater peak flows over a shorter period. These shifts have matched a drying trend in wetland habitats and a transition to woody and shrubby vegetation. Under both RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, projected data (2020s–2040s) show a continuous reduction in late-summer open water areas; the seasonal peak shifts earlier into spring (April to mid-May). Applying a similar analytical approach to the ES in Objective 2 revealed both parallel and contrasting trends. In the snowmelt-dominated period (late May to mid-July), subalpine (≤2300 m) and alpine (>2300 m) regions experienced increases in open water, non-woody, and woody/shrub vegetation while barren land decreased. On the other hand, the rainfall-dominated period (late July to mid-September) revealed a decline in open water area and an increase in barren land, so suggesting possible seasonal water constraints and vegetation changes. For Objective 3, the estimated proportion (P%) of open water evaporation in relation to volumes of forest ecosystem evapotranspiration. Historically, P% was 2.4% during the snowmelt-dominated period and 2.1% during the rainfall-dominated period. Especially in earlier stages of the hydrologic year, these trends indicate rising contributions of surface water bodies to total evapotranspiration. The consequences comprise changed water availability, habitat changes, and the long-term viability of wetland ecosystem services. The noted seasonality of hydrological changes and acceleration highlights the need for adaptive water management and conservation strategies considering local and regional dynamics.The author received funding provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC; grant no. 2017-04362), Alberta Innovates, the Nexen Fellowship in Water Resources, the Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners and the Shuswap Band’s Columbia Headwaters Aquatic Restoration Secwépemc Strategy (CHARS) project
The relationship between financial education in young adults and financial literacy: a review of the literature in Canada and the United States
No full textOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0) appliesProfessional accounting bodies in Canada and the United States, and throughout the world, have funded programs to improve financial literacy for many years. This ongoing interest stems from the expected benefits of improved financial behavior for individuals, society, and financial markets. However, the fact that relatively little research on financial literacy has been published in accounting journals suggests that few accounting academics are aware of, interested in, or motivated to work on the topic. This review helps to identify what we know about the effectiveness of financial education programs intended specifically for young adults, who constitute the demographic group likely to gain the most from improved financial literacy. Our review identifies factors that impinge both on the effectiveness of financial education programs and the research examining these programs. Noteworthy factors include (1) a lack of theoretical frameworks to guide the programs and research on the programs, (2) a tendency for outcome measures to capture financial knowledge rather than financial behaviors, and (3) the need for stronger research designs. We also note some possible instructional design considerations in developing financial education programs and highlight financial literacy as a promising area of research for accounting academics. Our findings can help guide improvements to financial education programs and encourage further research to assess the effectiveness of financial literacy programs.Ye
KG4QG: combining knowledge graph with large language models for multi-hop question generation
No full textQuestion generation is a task of Natural Language Processing where the goal is to generate fluent, grammatically correct, and error-free questions based on a given input context and optionally an answer. Multi-hop question generation is a more complex task compared to traditional single-hop question generation, as it requires reasoning over multiple information from multiple input contexts in generating multi-hop questions. In our work, we have addressed the challenge of building a multi-hop question generation system by combining the knowledge graphs with Large Language Models (LLMs). We have designed a framework KG4QG(Knowledge Graph for Question Generation), where knowledge graphs are generated from the input contexts. For the knowledge graph embedding, we use a Graph Attention Network, and for input texts embedding, we leverage a Sentence Transformer. Finally, we apply the BART and T5 models as Large Language Models to generate multi-hop questions from our proposed model. Using the HotpotQA dataset to evaluate the performance of our KG4QG framework, our proposed methodology shows enhanced performance over the previous methodologie
Supii-po'omaaksin: seeding reciprocal understanding through hermeneutic encounters in Indigenous-led eco-action research
No full textHow does reflecting on hermeneutic encounters allow educators to better approach mutual understanding between traditional Blackfoot perspectives and science education? The topic upon which this interpretive inquiry research will focus is a greenhouse sweetgrass project carried out under the direction of elders, Piikani Nation Secondary School leadership, and the Piikani Nation Lands Department, partnering with The Resilience Institute and federal agricultural scientists to explore how Piikani students can contribute to scientific achievements and literature without departing from traditional language, culture and values. Sweetgrass was grown by students and staff and transferred under traditional Piikani protocol for published research on its role in the carbon cycle to further support natural revitalization efforts in the community. As a non-Indigenous educator, expanding my understanding of the importance, process, and protocol of including culturally responsive pedagogy within environmental education supported my own and students’ growth and development by guiding us towards a sustainable, iterative, Indigenous-led, eco-action research program focused on the youth as the most valuable renewable resource, instead of economic or energy output. The semiotic role of sweetgrass in bridging, braiding, translating and teaching diverse concepts of cultural and ecological values was explored, revealing a pathway of good practices for myself and other educators seeking to authentically include Indigenous ways of knowing and being in the curriculum
Making the cut...ethically: how barbers and hairdressers can safely respond to customer mental health crises
No full textThis project explores the ethical implications of barbers and hairdressers encountering their customers’ personal disclosures and mental health challenges. Customers may view their barbers and hairdressers as supportive spaces for discussing mental health, which can place these professionals in situations where they may lack the necessary ethical and mental health training to protect the well-being of themselves and their customers. While limited mental health discussion education exists for hairdressers and barbers, a review contained within this project indicates that it often fails to address ethical concerns that are germane to managing disclosures and discussions of personal mental health issues.
To explore the potential ethical considerations surrounding these interactions, a fictional case study was created to raise awareness among professionals in this field and promote education on these important topics. The project further examines the potential ethical implications of mental health discussions and offers recommendations based on existing literature on ethics in psychological services. It is hoped that the insights and recommendations derived from this project will inform future training programs for barbers and hairdressers, equipping them to engage with mental health concerns and their clientele in a more ethical and informed manner. A manuscript accompanies this project, included as an appendix, intended for publication in a barbering and hairdressing trade publication
Mechanisms of toxicity of the tire-wear compound N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine-quinone (6PPD-quinone) in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas)
No full textN-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine-quinone (6PPD-quinone), is an emerging contaminant of concern (ECC) that has been recently identified as the primary cause of an acute lethality event observed in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), termed Urban Runoff Mortality Syndrome (URMS). Given the widespread occurrence of 6PPD-quinone, there is a need to identify other species of fishes that experience acute lethality and sublethal toxicity following exposure, and to characterize mechanisms of toxicity. It is not known if fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), a native species in North America, and a model species in ecotoxicology, are sensitive to 6PPD-quinone. Aqueous exposure to 6PPD-quinone did not cause mortality or embryo malformations in fathead minnows. Fathead minnow adults showed biochemical signatures of oxidative stress in both the livers and gills, including altered glutathione metabolism and an increase in methionine sulfoxide. This result suggested that fathead minnows could be used as a model species to investigate sublethal effects of 6PPD-quinone. However, fathead minnow embryos microinjected with 6PPD-quinone experienced a suit of cardiovascular abnormalities, including abnormal heart morphology, lack of common cardinal vein development, and hemorrhaging. Fathead minnow embryos that were microinjected with 6PPD-quinone showed a strong transcriptomic response, with alterations in pathways such as vascular endothelial growth factor signalling, endothelial cell-cell adhesion, and inflammation, providing a molecular basis for the cardiotoxicities. This supports the hypothesis that toxicokinetics is a critical determinant of 6PPD-quinone toxicity. This is the first study to demonstrate that sensitivity to 6PPD-quinone can be induced under laboratory conditions in insensitive species of fishes. Overall, this study fills critical knowledge gaps underlying mechanisms of toxicity of 6PPD-quinone to fishes
Pandemic babies: infant communication development in a global disaster
No full textInfant communication development is influenced by the home environment, particularly in low-income families where stressors and resource limitations are common. This thesis investigates the impact of two key factors (pandemic unemployment benefits and reading frequency) on infant communication development during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were drawn from the Baby’s First Years Study, a longitudinal study of approximately 600 mother-infant dyads living in low-income households across several U.S. cities.
Chapter two examined whether pandemic unemployment benefits were associated with communication development. The outcome variable was measured using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire at age one and the McArthur-Bates Communication Development Index at age two. Pandemic unemployment benefits were weakly but significantly associated with higher infant communication scores over a one-year period, even after adjusting for confounders. Infants in households receiving benefits scored, on average, 0.15 standardized units higher than those in non-recipient households (95% CI: 0.02 – 0.29).
Chapter three investigated whether maternal reading frequency was associated with changes in infant communication scores over a one-year period. Reading frequency was measured categorically, and results were stratified based on whether the age one data were collected before or during the pandemic. Infants whose mothers read to them daily scored 0.33 units higher in communication z-score (95% CI: 0.15 – 0.52). Stratified analyses showed significant associations prior to the pandemic but not during, suggesting that pandemic stress may have attenuated this association.
These findings highlight the potential of economic and educational supports to promote communication development in low-income families. This research underscores the importance of policies and interventions that buffer against crises and support equitable developmental outcomes for infants in vulnerable populations
Sociodemographic determinants of mobility decline among community-dwelling older adults: findings from the Canadian longitudinal study on ageing
No full textOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0) appliesBackground
Mobility is fundamental to healthy ageing and quality of life. Mobility decline has been associated with functional impairment, falls, disability, dependency, and death among older adults. We explored the sociodemographic determinants of mobility decline among community-dwelling older Canadians.
Methods
This study was a secondary analysis of a six-year follow-up of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Ageing (CLSA). Our analysis was based on 3882 community-dwelling older adults 65 years or older whose mobility was measured using timed-up and go (TUG) and 4-meter walk (4MWT) tests at baseline and follow-ups 1 and 2 after three- and six-year intervals, respectively. We analysed the cross-sectional and longitudinal association, main and interaction effects of the participants’ sociodemographic characteristics on mobility decline using chi-square, Pearson’s correlation, mixed-design repeated measures ANOVA, and bivariate and multivariate linear regression tests.
Results
At baseline, 52% of the participants were female, 70.4% were married, and the average age was 68.82 ± 2.78 years. Mean TUG and 4MWT scores were 9.59 ± 1.98 s and 4.29 ± 0.95 s, respectively. There was a strong positive longitudinal correlation between TUG and 4MWT (r = 0.65 to 0.75, p < 0.001), indicating concurrent validity of 4MWT. The multivariate linear regression (for TUG) showed that older age (β = 0.088, p < 0.001), being a female (β=-0.035, p < 0.001), retired (β=-0.058, p < 0.001), Canadian born (β=-0.046, p < 0.001), non-Caucasian (β=-0.063, p < 0.001), tenant (β = 0.050, p < 0.001), having no spouse/partner (β=-0.057, p < 0.001), household income of 99,999 (β = 0.039, p < 0.001), wealth/investment lower than $50,000 (β=-0.089, p < 0.001), lower social status (β=-0.018,p = 0.025), secondary education and below (β = 0.043, p < 0.001), and living in certain provinces compared to others, were significant predictors of a six-year mobility decline.
Conclusion
Our study underscored the impact of modifiable and non-modifiable sociodemographic determinants of mobility trajectory. There is a need for nuanced ageing policies that support mobility in older adults, considering sociodemographic inequalities through equitable resource distribution, including people of lower socioeconomic backgrounds.Ye
Harnessing renewable resources in southern Alberta: a Homer Pro and GIS approach to energy and agriculture
No full textWith robust and innovative federal policies and initiatives, Canada has rapidly shifted its focus from conventional fuels to renewable energy resources, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve a sustainable energy future. The Pan-Canadian policy 2030 on Clean Growth and Climate Change laid out by the Canadian Government presented a comprehensive framework to reduce carbon emissions by 30%. This policy comprises detailed measures to promote clean energy projects and build resilience to the impact of climate change by adopting renewable energy resources across the country. Alberta, the country's largest energy producer, plays a vital role in policy adoption to promote clean and environmentally friendly renewable technologies. Alberta’s Electric System Operation statistics show that the province boasted over 6 GW of Wind and 1.5 GW of Solar photovoltaic capacity in 2023. Alberta’s 2016 initiative, “Renewable Energy Program 2030,” aimed at achieving 30% of the province’s energy from renewable energy resources. These goals are driven by Alberta’s abundant renewable energy resources and a decreasing trend in PV and WT technology costs.This research redefines the integration of hybrid renewable energy systems by introducing an innovative tri-brid photovoltaic-wind turbine-battery energy storage system (PV-WT-BESS) model, strategically designed for remote communities in Alberta. Unlike Conventional approaches, this research pioneers a techno- economical, geospatial and agricultural synergy by leveraging HOMER Pro for energy optimization, Geographic Information System (GIS) based strategic land use assessment and FAO’sCROPWAT for precision irrigation planning. The first objective of the research was to conduct a detailed techno-economic analysis by considering hybrid renewable energy resources in the country, especially in remote communities that mainly rely on conventional resources such as fossil fuels, etc. Furthermore, the research was extended towards finding out the strategic land use and resource assessment process to efficiently optimize the integration of renewables such as solar and wind energy into the major sectors contributing to the economy. Agriculture is considered one of the main pillars of Canada’s economy, generating 7% of the GDP and creating substantial employment opportunities. Hence, efficient utilization of the land for renewable installation is crucial to keep the land used for agricultural purposes at its maximum. Agriculture output efficiency mainly relies on the irrigation of land. Different rivers, such as the Bow, Oldman, South Saskatchewan Rivers, etc. supply the irrigation water to fulfil the crop water requirements. However, extensive water use reduces water reservoirs, which could significantly affect the hydel energy generation in coming years, i.e., 60% of the total energy generated throughout the country.Keeping in view the sustainable development goal (SDG 7), i.e., Affordable and Clean Energy, the presented research work leverages Homer Pro energy modelling, Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques, and FAO’s CROPWAT software to optimize renewable energy resources for energy generation and irrigation purposes tailored for Alberta, mainly focusing on communities such as Gleichen and irrigation districts of Lethbridge and St. Mary River. This study has been conducted to achieve the most optimized hybrid renewables combination with the lowest cost of energy (LCOE) and reduced greenhouse gas emission (GHG) compared to conventional fuel-based electricity.In the first part of the study, a tri-brid system was modelled for the Siksika Nation in Gleichen, Alberta, due to its proximity to high renewables availability. The proposed hybrid system comprises grid-tied PV-WT-BESS to compensate for the community load demand. The techno-economic analysis revealed that LCOE for the proposed system is 0.127 CAD/kWh. These results authenticate the cost-effectiveness and environment-friendly nature of hybrid renewables. In the second part of the research work, the scope was extended to Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID) and St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) for strategic land use and resource assessment processes to integrate renewables such as PV and WT systems into these areas. GIS techniques were used to determine the impact of various factors, such as land use, elevation, soil morphology, water bodies, road and electric networks, etc., on the suitability of different sites. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Fuzzy Overlay Analysis were used to identify the most suitable sites. The study outcomes can prove valuable for policymakers, planners, and stakeholders in driving the region toward sustainability.In the concluding part of the research study, the importance of cost-effective and efficient irrigation has been emphasized, considering that agriculture contributes 2.8% to Alberta's economy. Due to the closure of the issuance of new water licenses for Oldman River in the area mainly used for irrigation, groundwater pumping has becomethe complementary source for irrigation purposes to fulfill the crop water requirements. The study explored the utilization of PV and WT systems to supply the required energy for the groundwater pumping mechanism. CROPWAT was used for the calculation of crop water requirements of an agricultural farm for one complete season. This requirement was further converted into energy needs. Homer Pro was used to design the most optimized hybrid renewable system to fulfill the energy needs of agriculture farms and compensate for the water requirement for a complete season.
The valuable findings from the above studies signify the importance and practicality of integrating renewables into the regional economy. This research highlights renewable energy's role in boosting economic growth and mitigating environmental impacts in the region by providing the roadmap for energy independence and ensuring sustainability
