MSpace

MSpace is the University of Manitoba’s Institutional Repository. The purpose of MSpace is to acquire, preserve and provide access to the scholarly works of University faculty and students within an open access environment.

 

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Open Access
An analysis of Downtown Community Safety Partnership and its effect on Winnipeg’s core
(2025-03-17) Giesbrecht, Mike; Cormier, Frank (Sociology & Criminology); Mason, Greg (Economics); Linden, Rick
The Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP) is an outreach organization dedicated to enhancing safety and wellness in downtown Winnipeg. As a unique initiative combining outreach patrollers with long-term case management services, scarce research exists regarding how organizations like DCSP operate or their impact on the community. Additionally, cities often lack knowledge on how such organizations allocate funding to achieve their intended outcomes. This thesis examines two key questions: (1) Was DCSP implemented as planned? and (2) Does DCSP achieve its goals? Four research methods were employed to answer these questions: quantitative analysis, qualitative interviews, literature review, and field observations. Overall, DCSP was implemented as planned. Although qualitative interviews show Winnipeg safety personnel believe DCSP is positively impacting Winnipeg, quantitative analysis did not reveal any major effects. This research provides insight into DCSP’s operations and effects and provides a baseline for subsequent evaluations. The conclusion presents twelve recommendations for DCSP.
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Embargo
Establishment of novel stem cell and pharmacological therapies for traumatic spinal cord injury
(2025-03-20) Hosseini, Seyed Mojtaba; Eftekharpour, Eftekhar (Physiology and Pathophysiology); Lindsey, Benjamin (Human Anatomy and Cell Science); Chopek, Jeremy (Physiology and Pathophysiology); Morshead, Cindi (University of Toronto); Karimi-Abdolrezaee, Soheila
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a leading cause of long-term neurological impairment due to extensive post-injury cell loss, disorganization of the neuroglial network, and disruption of spinal circuits. Transplantation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) has emerged as a promising approach since NPCs possess the ability to differentiate into the three main neural lineages. However, the outcomes of NPC engraftment for SCI remain modest due to 1) low long-term survival of transplanted NPCs, 2) restricted neurogenesis, and 3) limited functional integration of newly generated neurons into the host spinal network. Our group originally discovered that upregulation and deposition of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) inhibit the regenerative capacity of transplanted NPCs. In addition, activation of serotonin receptor 5-HT1/2/7 increases neuronal maturity and synapse formation, and it enhances circuit re-assembly following SCI. Thus, we hypothesized that combining NPC transplantation with inhibition of CSPGs signaling and activation of 5-HT1/2/7 receptors would optimize survival, neurogenesis, and circuit integration of NPC-derived neurons. Using extensive in vitro and in vivo experiments, we demonstrated that pharmacological blockade of CSPG signaling substantially enhances the survival and neurogenesis of transplanted NPCs, and significantly improves functional recovery in SCI rats. Although this approach increases neurogenesis in NPCs, a sizable number of NPCs still differentiate into astrocytes. In the second part of this thesis, we showed that NPC-derived astrocytes exhibit a pro-regenerative phenotype, supporting the NPC-mediated repair process and neuronal replacement. Lastly, our extensive animal studies reveal that suppressing CSPG signaling combined with activation of 5-HT1/2/7 receptors significantly enhances the integration of transplanted NPC-derived neurons into the host's local network and supraspinal tracts. Altogether, this thesis provides new insights into the mechanisms of exogenous NPC-mediated repair in the injured spinal cord and establishes a novel, targeted, and effective cellular and pharmacological approach to enhance neuronal replacement and circuit reintegration following SCI.
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Open Access
A cross-national, cross-sectional study of women's retention and advancement in Information Technology (IT) and Engineering careers
(2025-03-25) Hoang, Lyn; Dengate, Jennifer; Peter, Tracey; Farenhorst, Annemieke; Salminen-Karlsson, Minna; Wolffram, Andrea
The representation and experiences of women in Engineering and Information and Computer Technologies (EICT) fields have been a subject of extensive research and discussion. This report provides a summary of the experiences of women in these fields across Canada, Sweden, and Germany. By examining 58 semi-structured interviews and 4 focus groups, this report identifies commonalities and differences in their experiences, challenges, and opportunities. This report sheds light onto factors that influence women's participation and retention in Engineering and ICT and provides recommendations for improving gender equity in these fields. We find that the experiences of women in ICT and Engineering fields in Canada, Sweden, and Germany reveal challenges and differences that align with Esping-Andersen's (1989) Welfare State typology. Sweden's social democratic welfare state offers extensive support for work-life balance and gender equality, reflected in the positive experiences of women in ICT and Engineering. Canada's liberal welfare state provides some support but lacks the comprehensive policies seen in Sweden, leading to challenges in balancing work and family responsibilities. Germany's conservative welfare state shows more traditional gender roles and less flexibility in work arrangements, contributing to the greater challenges faced by women in these fields. Addressing gender bias, improving work-life balance, and providing better access to mentorship and career development opportunities are crucial steps in supporting women in Engineering and ICT. By learning from the successes and challenges in each country, we can develop more effective strategies to promote gender equity and create a more inclusive environment for women in Engineering and ICT. This may help to retain women in their Engineering and ICT careers.
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Open Access
A cross-national, cross-sectional study of women's retention and advancement in Information Technology (IT) and Engineering careers – Sweden Report
(2025-03-25) Hoang, Lyn; Dengate, Jennifer; Peter, Tracey; Farenhorst, Annemieke; Salminen-Karlsson, Minna; Wolffram, Andrea
This report offers summary results from the Sweden survey of the Cross-National, Cross-Sectional Study of Women’s Retention and Advancement in Information Technology and Engineering Careers project. Women continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) fields. This project highlights factors that contribute to the retention and attrition rates of women working in engineering and information and communication technology (EICT) jobs across Canada, Sweden, and Germany. The primary objective of this project is to identify the impact of welfare state entitlements, job factors, and family/individual circumstances on women’s intent to stay or leave their jobs. Our findings from the Sweden survey suggest that job-related factors such as limited permanent positions, dissatisfaction with salary, few promotion opportunities, and hostile climate are the main reasons for respondents’ job attrition. Therefore, workplaces that offer job security, good pay, and supportive peers, leaders and management can improve job retention. Improvements to welfare state entitlements for students like increased study allowance, grants, and loans, and increases to benefits for illness/injury leave and unemployment may also reduce the pressures of work-life interference. The respondents for the Sweden survey did not support increasing child-related benefits or parental leave. Another objective of this study is to evaluate the impact and variation of these circumstances by employment sector and work type. We directly compared the experiences of women working in engineering to computer science and information technology (CSIT), as well as women working in the academic sector to the non-academic sector. We also compared Sweden-born respondents to respondents born in other countries. Our findings indicate that broadly there is greater job retention within engineering than CSIT despite CSIT respondents expressing more career satisfaction and less workplace alienation. We also find that respondents born in Sweden have more career satisfaction and less workplace alienation compared to respondents born elsewhere. These differences highlight the need to take an intersectional approach to understanding women’s working experiences within EICT in Sweden. In the future, we will compare these results to similar surveys administered in Germany and Canada to uncover potential similarities and differences in job attrition and retention cross-nationally. Overall, the statistical analysis demonstrates that, despite increased efforts to improve gender equity across STEM fields, gender inequalities, stereotypes, and biases remain problems within EICT in Sweden, shaping women’s day to day workplace experiences across employment sectors. We would like to thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for their support and funding of this project.
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Open Access
A cross-national, cross-sectional study of women's retention and advancement in Information Technology (IT) and Engineering careers – Germany Report
(2025-03-25) Hoang, Lyn; Dengate, Jennifer; Peter, Tracey; Farenhorst, Annemieke; Salminen-Karlsson, Minna; Wolffram, Andrea
This report offers summary results from the Germany survey of the Cross-National, Cross-Sectional Study of Women’s Retention and Advancement in Information Technology and Engineering Careers project. Women continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) fields. This project highlights factors that contribute to the retention and attrition rates of women working in engineering and information and communication technology (EICT) jobs across Canada, Sweden, and Germany. The primary objective of this project is to identify the impact of welfare state entitlements, job factors, and family/individual circumstances on women’s intent to stay or leave their jobs. Our findings from the Germany survey suggest that job-related factors such as limited contract terms, dissatisfaction with salary, few promotion opportunities, and hostile climate are the main reasons for respondents’ job attrition. As well, turnover intention is impacted by experiences of workplace hostility, incivility, and harassment; lack of work-life balance; and workplaces that are gender-biased and/or unsupportive of women. Therefore, supportive workplaces that promote job security, work-life balance, good pay, peer inclusion, and work autonomy can improve job retention. Improvements to welfare state entitlements for childcare, elder care, child-related benefits, parental leave, and illness/injury leave may also reduce the pressures of work-life interference and improve the work-life balance of EICT women who continue to be primary caregivers. The respondents for the Germany survey also highlight the continued presence of gendered informal and formal networks that are male-dominated within EICT workplaces. It remains a challenge to find “good” mentors and mentors of diversity that can assist them with career advancement. Another objective of this study is to evaluate the impact and variation of these circumstances by employment sector and work type. We directly compared the experiences of women working in engineering to computer science and information technology (CSIT), as well as women working in the academic sector to the non-academic sector. Our findings indicate that there are pros and cons to working in each work area and/or sector. Broadly, there is more job retention within the academic sector compared to non-academic sector but there are challenges to obtaining permanent employment in the academic sector. We find no notable differences in the turnover intention of engineering and CSIT respondents. However, engineering respondents are overall more satisfied with their careers and experience less workplace alienation than CSIT respondents. In the future, we will compare these results to similar surveys administered in Sweden and Canada to uncover potential similarities and differences in job attrition and retention cross-nationally. Overall, the statistical analysis demonstrates that, despite increased efforts to improve gender equity across STEM fields, gender inequalities, stereotypes, and biases remain problems within EICT in Germany, shaping women’s day to day workplace experiences across employment sectors. We would like to thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for their support and funding of this project.
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Open Access
AI-powered data-driven ground surface temperature forecasting for climate-resilient infrastructure in cold and permafrost regions
(2025-03-25) Fatolahzadeh Gheysari, Ali; Regehr, Jonathan D. (Civil Engineering); Thompson, Shirley (Natural Resources Institute); Pereira, Jean-Michel (Université Gustave Eiffel); Maghoul, Pooneh; Shalaby, Ahmed
Climate change poses significant challenges to infrastructure in cold regions, particularly in permafrost. Predicting ground surface temperature is essential for understanding the impacts of climate change and the planning, design, and management of climate-resilient infrastructure in these regions. However, existing methodologies face gaps and challenges, such as surface energy balance complexity, non-stationary correlations between climate variables, and the scarcity of historical ground temperature measurements in remote areas. This thesis develops artificial intelligence (AI) methodologies to predict ground surface temperature and assess its impacts on infrastructure in cold and permafrost regions. An AI-powered methodology using machine learning models was developed to forecast long-term ground surface temperature from other climate variables. The predictions were used to assess the performance and sustainability of shallow geothermal systems in cold climates. A multi-variable evaluation of ERA5 and ERA5-Land datasets was then conducted in order to utilize reanalysis data for AI model training. The methodology was further advanced using long short-term memory (LSTM) networks and multiple predictor variables from ERA5-Land data, including air temperature, irradiance, wind speed, and snow depth. A framework was then developed to assess climate-driven permafrost thaw threat using ground surface temperature and ground ice distribution data. It was applied to assess threats to three major northern Canadian land transportation infrastructure, including the Hudson Bay Railway, the Mackenzie Northern Railway, and the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway. A comparative analysis of surface boundary condition methods for thermal geotechnical analysis was also conducted by evaluating the AI-powered approach, the n-factors, and the surface energy balance heat flux. The AI-based approach outperformed traditional methods. The feasibility of climate-driven geotechnical simulations using an AI-predicted surface boundary condition was demonstrated through a case study in Salluit, Nunavik. Finite element models indicated significant changes in the active layer thickness and inferred supra-permafrost talik under future climate scenarios, highlighting substantial risks to infrastructure due to climate change.
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Open Access
(Un)Supporting English for specific academic purposes in graduate school: experiences of EAL graduate students in Education and Engineering at a Canadian university
(2025-03-21) Cao, Huong Thi Thu; Ghomeshi, Jila (Linguistics); Morin, Francine (Curriculum, Teaching & Learning); Huang, Li-Shih (University of Victoria); Schmidt, Clea
This qualitative case study explores international graduate students’ experiences (IGSs) learning and using English for Academic Purposes (EAP) to support their graduate work in Education and Engineering at the University of Manitoba. These experiences are discussed in relation to IGSs’ interactions with the available resources offered by the institution. This study is framed by language socialization theory and sociocultural theory. The students played an active role in their learning through interactions with various semiotic resources and socialization with members of the target academic communities while developing their worldviews, statuses, and identities (Duff, 2010, 2019; Ochs & Schieffelin, 2017). The data collection engaged both student participants and instructor participants from Education and Engineering in semi-structured interviews. I also incorporated analysis of documents and my reflective self-narrative to gain insights into students’ experiences in learning EAP and how they navigated the system using individual strategies to socialize, legitimize their statuses for adaptation, and thrive in the university. IGSs perceived EAP as influential to their studies, career development, and intercultural communication while viewing it as an ongoing learning process despite their strong language proficiency and educational backgrounds. The findings confirmed the significance of familiarizing the IGSs with Canadian postsecondary education’s academic discourses and sociocultural contexts. Education student participants faced obstacles engaging in academic activities and discussions and completing graduate work due to unfamiliarity with the locally focused topics and curriculum in classrooms. Although Engineering counterparts found strengths in the common academic language foundation in engineering disciplines, they had difficulties in concise and precise technical writing, thesis writing, and writing for publication. The findings suggested the need for support services specifically tailored for disciplinary purposes at different stages of graduate programs because the available supports were too generic and basic. Recommendations for practices are offered to institutional policymakers, responsive faculties, instructors, and IGSs. Research results contribute to the literature on language socialization of postsecondary students in the context of English-speaking institutions by comparing and contrasting the experiences of students from the disciplines of Education and Engineering.
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Open Access
Exploring epigenetic links: stress and albuminuria in youth with type 2 diabetes
(2025-03-20) Stitz, Liat; Jones, Meaghan (Biochemistry and Medical Genetics); Dart, Allison (Pediatrics and Child Health); Nickel, Nathan; Wicklow, Brandy
Background: Youth with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) often develop early-onset kidney disease, with albuminuria as the initial biomarker. Psychological factors, including perceived stress, are associated with the progression of kidney disease, although the mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated DNA methylation changes in youth with T2D and albuminuria compared to those without albuminuria and examined whether changes in DNA methylation existed in genes known to be associated with stress functions. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 213 youth with T2D enrolled in the national iCARE cohort study. Kidney injury was assessed by non-orthostatic albuminuria, and perceived stress was measured using the PSS-14 questionnaire. Whole blood DNA methylation patterns were analyzed using an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) to identify differentially methylated sites. Associations with albuminuria were tested with multiple linear regression models. A differentially methylated region (DMR) analysis explored broader DNA methylation differences across the genome in areas related to kidney injury. A candidate gene analysis compared CpG sites from our study to the EWAS Atlas, with significance assessed using t-tests. Results: Based on the EWAS, no significant sites were associated with albuminuria. Six significant DMRs were identified, corresponding to the genes: TNXB, TSPAN32, ZNF486, ZNF562, ATP5E, and TNFRSF6B. These genes are linked to energy metabolism, immune regulation, and extracellular matrix maintenance. In the candidate gene analysis, we identified 56 CpG sites with significant differences at a p-value < 0.05 and 18 sites at a p-value < 0.01. Conclusion/Importance: Although no significant site-level differences were found, the six significant DMRs suggest potential regions of epigenetic variation that could be associated with stress and kidney injury in youth with T2D. Given the exploratory nature of these findings and the limitations of bloodbased DNA methylation studies, further research is needed to clarify the role of DNA methylation changes. These findings may help guide future investigations into the role of epigenetics in kidney injury and stress in youth-onset T2D.
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Open Access
Two-phase detailed numerical modelling of falling film evaporation phenomena
(2025-08-30) Tohidi, Yasaman; Cotton, James (Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University); Wang, Bing-Chen (Mechanical Engineering); Dow, Karen (Civil Engineering); Ormiston, Scott
Desalination has been recognized as a climate-independent source of producing potable water that has a great importance due to the lack of drinking water in many countries. One of the methods extensively used for removing salt from seawater is thermal distillation, which is known as a reliable technology for producing high-quality water through evaporation. Among different evaporation methods, a liquid falling film has been widely developed in the thermal desalination industry. The flow characteristics of the falling evaporation process are complicated, and heat and mass transfer are strongly interdependent. Some previous numerical studies simplified the solution by using a boundary layer approximation, which is not capable of modelling reverse flows and recirculation zones. The previous models that solved the full governing equations (elliptic approach) applied the volume of fluid method (VOF), which is not able to precisely determine the location of the liquid and gas interface, therefore, it cannot accurately apply the interface jump conditions. Additionally, these studies commonly used mass transfer models based on estimations and empirical correlations, which introduce limitations to numerical simulations. Another limitation found in the previous studies is that none of them has considered the occurrence of the supersaturation phenomenon in the mixture phase, which may occur during the evaporation process. In this research, a two-dimensional, two-phase model was developed using an in-house Fortran code that solves the steady-state, full elliptic governing equations for the liquid and gas phases. This modeling represents a significant advancement in the simulation of the evaporation phenomenon that employs innovative methods to address the aforementioned problems. This model is believed to be the most comprehensive and detailed approach compared to any previous numerical studies on falling film evaporation. A variety of boundary conditions and geometries have been utilized to analyze the details of evaporation and desalination phenomena. The results were then compared to available experimental and numerical data for validation purposes. In each stage, a new set of detailed results, including the effects of different parameters variation on flow characteristics and heat and mass transfer during the evaporation process are presented.
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Open Access
A synchrophasor stream processing pipeline architecture for near-real-time applications
(2025-03-20) Villegas, Daniel; Annakkage, Udaya (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Leung, Carson (Computer Science); Narendra, Krish (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Rajapakse, Athula
Since their introduction, synchrophasor measurement networks have been steadily growing and are expected to continue growing as distribution Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) become mainstream. Moreover, recent advances in data-driven methods, in contrast to traditional synchrophasor applications, introduce more demanding data requirements. Together, these factors create the need to research data engineering methods for handling synchrophasor data at a large scale. This research investigates the use of a stream processing framework to build synchrophasor applications and proposes a novel reconfigurable synchrophasor data pipeline for near-real-time applications. The processing pipeline is part of a larger system which comprises data collection at the substation level, data ingestion, processing and a centralized metadata registry. In addition, to overcome some of the technical, cybersecurity and economic challenges of traditional PMU networks, the system is developed using open-source, off-the-shelf technologies and is deployed to a cloud provider. Lastly, the system is tested using a real-time simulation, the data is collected by multiple agents and forwarded to the cloud using different data rates to assess its performance in terms of the latency.