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Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies collections containing Graduate Theses and Practica. The content will include textual material with images of data when available.
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University of Manitoba Researchers 2680
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Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
Satellite remote sensing of riverine freshwater contribution in Hudson Bay marine system
(2026-09-22) Basu, Atreya; McCullough, Greg (Environment and Geography); Bélanger, Simon (Environment and Geography); Lobb, David (Soil Science); Noorma, Anu (University of Tartu, Estonia); Ehn, Jens
Freshwater regulates stratification in marine systems, a key driver of circulation, productivity, and exchange processes. This is especially important in the Arctic Ocean, where nearly one fifth of global freshwater drains, and an intensifying hydrological cycle increases freshwater input. However, Hudson Bay, an Arctic marginal sea that receives three times as much river runoff yield per unit area as the Arctic Ocean, remains one of the least observed components of the Arctic freshwater system. This thesis therefore develops satellite based approaches, supported by field data, to map seasonal distributions of river water (RW) and sea ice melt (SIM), the main freshwater sources in the Hudson Bay marine system. The third chapter examined the dispersion of the combined Nelson and Hayes River plume into southwestern Hudson Bay using satellite-derived chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and total suspended solids (TSS). A new method showed that quantile concentrations of CDOM declined exponentially from the river mouth and varied with river discharge, whereas TSS did not, demonstrating CDOM as an effective river plume tracer. Wind forcing further regulated plume transport, with anticyclonic winds driving riverine CDOM towards central Hudson Bay and cyclonic winds promoting eastward alongshore transport. The fourth chapter used satellite-derived salinity and CDOM to map RW and SIM fractions in the surface waters of Hudson Bay and James Bay (HJB), based on RW, SIM, and seawater (SW) fractions derived from salinity–oxygen isotope ratios. Satellite retrievals reproduced known freshwater patterns, with RW dominating southern and eastern regions, particularly in James Bay, which receives the largest riverine inputs within the Hudson Bay marine system. Satellite retrieved SIM prevailed in central Hudson Bay and declined through summer. From 2011 to 2019, RW fractions increased while SIM fractions declined across HJB. Since RW and SIM are evolving in the surface waters of HJB, the fifth chapter determined which freshwater type controls stratification by analyzing salinity, temperature, and oxygen-isotope profiles. Results show that RW dominates stratification year-round, from coastal waters to northern HJB. Projected increases in wintertime RW discharge will likely enhance stratification and may impede deep-water renewal. Therefore, by combining satellite-based ocean color data, salinity, and isotope-based analyses, this thesis advances understanding of freshwater distribution, and stratification in the understudied Hudson Bay marine system.
Access status: Open Access ,
Flexible tree ensembles with data adaptive splitting rules
(2026-09-09) Mendis, Heshani; Ding, Lei (Statistics); Leung, Carson (Computer Science); McGregor, Kevin; Acar, Elif Fidan
Accurate split selection in regression trees and random forests is critical for predictive performance. In regression trees, splits are selected by minimizing within-node variances weighted by node proportions. These weights directly influence the impurity reduction criterion. We modify the standard weighting scheme by applying a power transformations to node proportions and examine how this modification influences split selection and predictive accuracy. Based on the proposed weighting framework, we develop four algorithmic variants of random forest, referred to as FlexForest, that introduce flexibility at the node, tree, and forest levels, along with a randomized weight-selection strategy. The proposed framework is evaluated via simulations across a range of data-generating mechanisms, including varying sample sizes, noise levels, functional relationships, and covariate dependence structures and distributions. Performance is assessed using relative prediction error against the default weighting scheme, and the results demonstrate considerable improvements, with the tree-level flexible method achieving improved or comparable predictive performance relative to the standard random forest in nearly all scenarios.
Access status: Open Access ,
Assessing Generative AI for Subject Term Selection in Evidence Synthesis: A Longitudinal Evaluation
(International Congress on Medical Librarianship, 2026-07-16) Lê, Mê-Linh; Neilson, Christine; Monnin, Caroline
Aim: Artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly influencing the evidence synthesis process. Although certain aspects of the review process are well suited to AI enhancement, generative AI (genAI) tools have known issues when creating search strategies. These include incorrect use of Boolean operators, mistakes in search syntax, and difficulty identifying relevant subject terms. This project aims to longitudinally evaluate the performance of genAI tools in suggesting subject terms for comprehensive search strategies. By quantifying the ability of various models to suggest appropriate subject terms, we aim to provide valuable insights into their reliability and limitations in supporting search strategy development. Methods: 1) Identify gold standard search strategies: Included searches must meet three criteria: they must be created by an information specialist who is a study co-author, have undergone a Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS), and provide a complete MEDLINE search. To ensure our measurements are broadly applicable, we will select reviews from different health science areas. 2) Create Prompts: Using the gold standard studies, we will create prompts that include the study's purpose, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and other relevant details. These prompts will ask the models to suggest Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). We'll test the prompts with at least five different generative AI models, which are likely to include ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Elicit SR Pro, depending on external funding. 3) Test Prompts: Prompts will be tested monthly to capture longitudinal changes in model performance over time. Detailed documentation on the tool, model, and output will be captured. 4) Analyze Results: Analysis on the performance of each tool's output will be completed and will include metrics related to recall, precision, and hallucination rate Results: This research is underway. Preliminary results will be available in spring 2026. Discussion/Conclusion: Our study's findings are expected to provide the first longitudinal data on the performance of genAI models in suggesting subject terms for reviews. The results will quantify key metrics to provide an evidence-based understanding of these tools' reliability. The results will offer guidance for health librarians that allows them to make informed decisions about if and how to responsibly integrate genAI tools into their search strategy development process.
Access status: Open Access ,
MNBC-ME categorizes viral and plasmid sequences within metagenomes and identifies putative species or plasmid host
(BMC, 2026-06-10) Lu, Ruipeng; Dumonceaux, Tim; Anzar, Muhammad; Zovoilis, Athanasios; Antonation, Kym; Barker, Dillon; Corbett, Cindi; Nadon, Celine; Robertson, James; Eagle, Shannon H. C.; Lung, Oliver; Rudar, Josip; Surujballi, Om; Wajnberg, Gabriel; Laing, Chad
Background: Plasmids and viruses are two types of mobile genetic elements (ME), that rely on host cells to reproduce and propagate themselves. Recently, metagenomics has greatly facilitated the discovery and characterization of new plasmids and viruses, which relies on accurate identification of these reads in metagenomes. Some state-of-the-art tools can identify plasmid or viral reads, while others are able to identify the probable host or source species of these reads. Since the Minimizer-based Naïve Bayes Classifier (MNBC) tool accurately classifies chromosomal and viral reads to the species level, we extended it to develop the MNBC-ME tool that can also identify plasmid reads and their putative host species. Results: A standard reference- and test-sequence framework using simulated variable-length reads was used to benchmark MNBC-ME with eleven other state-of-the-art tools for ME identification: DeepMicroClass, geNomad, PPR-Meta, viralVerify, Plasmer, PlasClass, PlasX, VIBRANT, DeepVirFinder, HOTSPOT, and MOSTPLAS. MNBC-ME was the most consistent tool at classifying chromosomal, viral and plasmid reads of variable lengths, in contrast to the other tools whose precision or recall dropped below 50% in some circumstances. MNBC-ME also exceeded 65% and 70% performance in predicting host genus and family of plasmid reads, respectively. Conclusions: MNBC-ME is tool for identification of both short and long viral- and plasmid-originated reads across a wide variety of read types. It also identifies potential low-level host taxa for plasmid reads, and source taxa for chromosomal and viral reads. It is freely available at https://github.com/ComputationalPathogens/MNBC-ME and can be found as the ‘mnbc-me’ package in bioconda.
Access status: Open Access ,
Vaccination attitudes and intentions reported by Canadian children and their parents in the CHILD Cohort Study during the COVID-19 pandemic
(BMC, 2026-05-26) Medeleanu, Maria V.; Gill, Erin E.; Winsor, Geoffrey L.; Azeez, Rilwan; Lotoski, Larisa C.; Goguen, Stephanie; Humble, Robin M.; McNeil, Deborah; Patrick, David M.; Bolotin, Shelly; Bullard, Jared; MacDonald, Shannon E.; Simons, Elinor; Turvey, Stuart E.; Moraes, Theo J.; Subbarao, Padmaja; Brinkman, Fiona S. L.; Azad, Meghan
Background: Understanding if and how vaccination attitudes are shared among family members can help inform strategies to increase uptake. We assessed the correlation of self-reported COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and uptake among Canadian children and their parents, and investigated predictors of parents’ attitudes in January 2021–2022. Methods: We studied a subset of 1458 CHILD Cohort Study households where children and parents self-reported their adherence to COVID-19 safety practices, vaccine attitudes and uptake, and health status during the pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy was defined as intending to not receive a COVID-19 vaccine. We identified predictors for vaccine hesitancy using regression and machine learning models and assessed agreement in vaccine intentions between parent–child responses. Results: About 4% of adults and 9% of children expressed hesitancy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, with safety as the primary concern. By the end of the study (Winter 2022), 2% of parents and 13% of children remained unvaccinated. Children’s intentions were largely aligned (over 95%) with their parents’ vaccine uptake. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among children was much more common in families with unvaccinated parents (e.g. 48% vs. 5% hesitancy among children of unvaccinated vs. vaccinated mothers, respectively). Unvaccinated adults were less likely to follow COVID-19 safety recommendations and follow their doctor’s vaccine recommendations, and more likely to have general concerns about vaccines. Conclusion: This is the first study to describe Canadian children’s and parent’s self-reported COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and intentions. Responses were highly concordant within families. Addressing vaccine hesitancy through understanding its root causes in both children and parents is important for pediatric immunization, both in general and in the context of novel vaccines.
Access status: Open Access ,
Inequities in access to palliative care and community-based indigenous palliative care programs in Canada: a scoping review
(BMC, 2026-08-20) Saim, Muhammad; Al-Kazzaz, Hayder; Boparai, Ishaan; Diarrassouba, Mohamed; Kazi, Ahnaf; Ahmad, Haris; Martin, Bruce
Introduction: Approximately two-thirds of deaths in Canada require palliative care. Indigenous Peoples continue to experience inequities in access to culturally safe, community-based palliative and end-of-life care. This scoping review examined experiences of care, barriers to access, and community-based palliative care programs among Indigenous Peoples in Canada to identify key gaps and inform future research and practice. Methods: This review was guided by the Arksey and O’Malley framework and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Searches of Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, Indigenous Collections, and Indigenous Peoples of North America databases were conducted from inception to May 2026. Results: Thirty-four studies met the inclusion criteria, including studies on stakeholder experiences and community-based programs and interventions. Four overarching themes were identified: structural barriers and patterns in palliative care; cultural safety, communication, and misalignment with Western models of care; end-of-life preferences and experiences; and community-led approaches and capacity building. Indigenous Peoples have fewer home care nursing hours, physician home visits, and an increased likelihood of dying in an acute care setting. Indigenous participants consistently described preferences for home and community-based dying, family involvement, and integration of spiritual and cultural practices within care. Significant research gaps were also identified, including the absence of Métis-specific studies, limited research involving urban Indigenous populations, and lack of long-term evaluation of community-based programs. No identified studies were from Prince Edward Island or New Brunswick, despite the presence of Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik communities in these provinces. Discussion: Current research exploring palliative care for Indigenous Peoples in Canada remains limited despite increasing attention toward health reconciliation. Community-led and culturally safe palliative care models have the potential to improve end-of-life experiences and align care with Indigenous values. Indigenous-led models show promise, but longer-term evaluations are needed to assess their effectiveness and applicability beyond small pilot settings.
Access status: Open Access ,
Impact of a minimal handling care protocol on intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants: a retrospective cohort study
(BMC, 2026-06-08) Uygun, Saime S.; Ozturk, Mehmet; Soylu, Hanifi; Konak, Murat
Background: Premature birth is associated with a high risk of mortality and neurodevelopmental morbidity, with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) remaining a major cause of brain injury in preterm infants. Neuroprotective care bundles focusing on minimal handling have been proposed to reduce physiological stress and cerebral hemodynamic instability. While such bundles have been associated with reduced rates of severe intraventricular hemorrhage, evidence regarding the isolated impact of minimal handling—particularly on other neonatal morbidities—remains limited. Methods: This retrospective comparative cohort study was conducted in a tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit between January 2020 and December 2023. Preterm infants with a gestational age ≤ 32 weeks and birth weight ≤ 1500 g were included. Outcomes were compared between a pre-bundle period (2020–2021) and a post-bundle period (2022–2023), following the unit-wide implementation of a structured minimal handling care protocol during the first 72 h of life. The primary outcome was the incidence and severity of IVH diagnosed by cranial ultrasonography. Secondary outcomes included major neonatal morbidities and mortality. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for IVH. Results: A total of 112 infants were included (46 pre-bundle, 66 post-bundle). The overall incidence and severity distribution of IVH did not differ significantly between groups. Rates of necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, sepsis, and mortality were also comparable. In multivariable analysis, maternal diabetes and nosocomial sepsis were identified as factors associated with IVH. Conclusion: Implementation of a minimal handling care bundle was feasible and safe in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit. However, due to the limited sample size and low number of IVH events, its effect on the incidence and severity of IVH could not be clearly delineated.
Access status: Open Access ,
The impacts of caring for children with inherited metabolic diseases for families: a cross-sectional study
(BMC, 2026-06-10) Chow, Andrea J.; Jordan, Isabel; Pallone, Nicole; Smith, Maureen; Chakraborty, Pranesh; Brehaut, Jamie; Chan, Alicia K. J.; Cohen, Eyal; Dyack, Sarah; Graham, Ian D.; Greenberg, Cheryl R.; Hayeems, Robin; Inbar-Feigenberg, Michal; Jain-Ghai, Shailly; Khangura, Sara; MacKenzie, Jennifer J.; Major, Nathalie; Mitchell, John J.; Nicholls, Stuart G.; Pender, Amy; Potter, Murray; Prasad, Chitra; Schulze, Andreas; Siriwardena, Komudi; Speechley, Kathy N.; Stockler, Sylvia; Taljaard, Monica; Trakadis, Yannis; Walia, Jagdeep; Wilson, Kumanan; Potter, Beth K.
Background: Children with inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) often have high care needs that require extensive involvement of family caregivers. This study aimed to describe caregiver experiences, including management of children’s needs at home, and the impacts of that management on family time, finances, and caregiver and child health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: In this sub-study within a larger cohort study, participants were family caregivers of children ≤ 12 years old diagnosed with an IMD, from across Canada. We collected cross-sectional data using an online questionnaire consisting of validated measures and team-developed questions, and analyzed data descriptively. Results: Seventy-one caregivers participated and reported using a range of supports and interventions to care for their children with IMDs, with dietary supports being most common (77.1%). Twenty-seven participants (45%) reported spending ≥ 4 extra hours per week assisting their child with care supports at home and 28 reported ≥ 6 missed days of work by caregivers in the past year for IMD care. All participants reported fulfillment from caregiving tasks, although 82% reported mental struggles related to caregiving. Based on caregiver reports, children with IMDs had lower HRQoL relative to population normative data. We observed lower median scores for several HRQoL subscales among children with IMDs classified as progressive with multi-system involvement relative to other IMDs. Conclusion: We identified important impacts of IMD care for family caregivers. Relief from high levels of caregiving responsibility and time should be a priority for the development of healthcare policies and interventions, to improve health and well-being for both children and their caregivers.
Access status: Open Access ,
Statistical Analysis of AGN Fraction as a Function of Projected Separation in SDSS Galaxy Pairs
(Zenodo, 2026-09-15) Cho, Kyumin
Galaxy mergers and gravitational interactions are considered critical mechanisms for driving galactic gas reservoirs into nuclear scales, thereby triggering active galactic nuclei (AGN). In this study, we present a systematic statistical framework to investigate the AGN fraction as a function of projected physical separation (r_p) using an interacting galaxy pair sample selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We construct an automated data analysis pipeline in Python to extract emission-line fluxes and classify the primary ionization sources utilizing the BPT diagnostic diagram with the theoretical boundary defined by Kewley et al. (2001). Our statistical analysis demonstrates a significant, monotonic increase in the AGN fraction at tight separations (r_p < 25 kpc), peaking at approximately 14.80%, which represents a threefold enhancement compared to isolated control environments. This small-scale environmental dependency indicates a distinct physical time-lag between large-scale tidal starbursts and the subsequent activation of supermassive black holes (SMBHs).
Access status: Embargo ,
Behaviour of GFRP-RC slab-column edge connections with openings
(2026-09-22) Abdelwahed, Ibrahim; Shehata, Emile (Civil Engineering); Wu, Nan (Mechanical Engineering); Noel, Martin (University of Ottawa); El-Salakawy, Ehab F.
Flat plate Reinforced Concrete (RC) slab-column connections are widely used due to their structural efficiency and architectural advantages. However, these systems are vulnerable to brittle punching shear failure, particularly in edge connections subjected to combined shear and unbalanced moment. The presence of slab openings near the column further disrupts load transfer, reduces the effective shear-resisting area and increases stress concentrations. In aggressive environments, durability concerns associated with steel reinforcement have prompted the use of Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) as a corrosion-resistant alternative. Although previous studies have examined GFRP-RC slab-column connections, limited information is available on their behaviour in the presence of openings and shear reinforcement. This study experimentally investigated the behaviour of full-scale slab-column edge connections reinforced with GFRP bars. Eleven specimens were constructed and tested to failure under combined vertical shear and unbalanced moment while maintaining a constant moment-to-shear ratio representative of practical conditions. The investigated parameters included the opening location, size and distance from the column face and the use of GFRP headed-end bars and shear studs. In addition, an analytical investigation was conducted to assess the accuracy of current North American code provisions and to explore the effective flexural width of the slab at edge connections. Furthermore, Finite element modelling was carried out to broaden the study and extend the investigated parameters. The results showed that all specimens failed in punching shear. The presence of openings significantly altered the load-transfer mechanism and cracking behaviour. Openings located at the column front face resulted in the most severe reduction in punching shear capacity, whereas openings located further away had a less pronounced effect. Increasing the distance between the opening and the column improved the structural response, with minimal influence observed at larger distances. The use of shear studs enhanced punching shear capacity and improved post-peak deformability. The findings demonstrate that GFRP-RC slab-column edge connections can achieve reliable performance under combined loading conditions. However, the presence and location of openings must be carefully considered in design. In addition, current design provisions do not adequately capture the influence of openings and shear reinforcement on punching shear capacity.