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Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
Generative diffusion models for agricultural AI: plant image generation, indoor-to-outdoor translation, and human preference alignment
(2025-11-30) Tan, Da; Salehkalaibar, Sadaf (Computer Science); Jeffrey, Ian (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Henry, Christopher
The success of modern agricultural artificial intelligence (AI) depends heavily on access to large-scale, diverse, and annotated plant image datasets. However, collecting such datasets in real-world field conditions is costly, labour-intensive, and constrained by seasonal and environmental variability. This thesis investigates the use of diffusion-based generative modelling to address these challenges through plant image synthesis, indoor-to-outdoor translation, and human preference-aligned fine-tuning. First, a Stable Diffusion model (SD-1.4) was fine-tuned with curated indoor and outdoor plant imagery to generate realistic, text-conditioned images of canola and soybean plants. Quantitative evaluation using Inception Score (IS) and Frechet Inception Distance (FID), along with downstream experiments on phenotype classification, demonstrated that synthetic images can effectively augment training data and improve model performance. Second, we explored image translation to bridge the gap between high-resolution indoor plant datasets and limited outdoor field imagery. By combining DreamBooth-based text inversion with image-guided diffusion, indoor plant structures were preserved while environmental contexts such as lighting, soil, and stress conditions were rendered according to outdoor semantics. Translated images were evaluated in a weed detection and classification task using YOLOv8, showing consistent improvements as synthetic data ratios increased. Finally, a preference-guided fine-tuning framework was developed to align generative outputs with expert judgements of quality and botanical realism. A reward model, trained on manually annotated scores, was integrated into a reward-weighted supervised fine-tuning procedure. The resulting preference-aligned model achieved higher subjective quality and stability, albeit with trade-offs in objective metrics such as FID. Overall, this work demonstrates that diffusion models can generate, translate, and refine plant images in ways that address data scarcity and domain gaps in agricultural AI. By coupling generative pipelines with expert feedback, this thesis introduces a pathway toward data-efficient and user-centred agricultural machine learning systems.
Access status: Open Access ,
Three essays on environmental economics
(2025-12-09) Jahan, Nusrat; Witt, Julia (Economics); Oguzoglu, Umut (Economics); Cherniwchan, Jevan (McMaster University); Saberian, Soodeh
This dissertation examines the effects of three distinct environmental stressors, including air pollution, flooding, and high temperatures, on mortality, educational attainment, and labor supply. It contributes to the broader environmental, health, and labor economics literature by providing causal evidence on previously understudied outcomes. Each chapter focuses on a context and population often overlooked, offering new insights into the human capital and productivity impacts of environmental shocks. Chapter 1 estimates the causal impact of air pollution on early childhood mortality in Canada using a nationally representative death registry. Leveraging wind direction as an exogenous source of variation in daily PM_2.5 levels, I isolate the effect of both local and non-local pollution sources. A 1 μg/m³ increase in fine particulate matter increases the early neonatal mortality rate per million births by 4.2 percent relative to the three-day mortality rate. Effects are most pronounced above 6.4 μg/m³ PM_2.5 concentrations, supporting the case for more protective air quality standards. Chapter 2 analyzes the cognitive effects of the 1997 Manitoba flood on children using standardized test data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. I measure flood exposure by distance to the flood polygon and apply a Difference-in-Differences strategy. A 1 km increase in distance is associated with a 0.4-points gain in test scores, with stronger effects for younger and medically vulnerable children. No income-based heterogeneity is observed. Chapter 3 investigates how heat affects absenteeism among Indian service sector workers, using data from the Indian Human Development Survey-II. A 1°C increase in daily maximum temperature raises teacher absenteeism by 0.6 percentage points, with the effect concentrated in female-majority schools exposed to extreme heat (above 40°C). No significant temperature effect is found for medical staff. Results are robust to alternative heat metrics, including diurnal temperature range and heat index. Together, these chapters provide new evidence from Canada and India on the pathways through which environmental shocks affect human capital. The findings have clear policy implications ranging from strengthening air quality regulations and disaster preparedness to developing heat adaptation strategies, highlighting the need for environmental resilience in promoting public health, educational outcomes, and labor supply.
Access status: Open Access ,
Governing through testing: the history, implementation, and impact of English language proficiency policy in Canadian immigration and higher education
(2025-12-10) Shirzadi, Golnaz; Curnow, Joe (Educational Administration, Foundations & Psychology); Tamtik, Merli (Educational Administration, Foundations & Psychology); de Oliveira Jayme, Bruno (Curriculum, Teaching & Learning); Viczko, Melody (Western University); Janzen, Melanie
This dissertation critically examines the role of standardized English language proficiency testing in Canadian immigration and higher education policy. While language tests such as International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP), and Duolingo are often framed as objective measures of communicative ability, this research interrogates their use as political and institutional tools of governance. Drawing on theories of governmentality, neoliberalism, and linguistic imperialism, the dissertation explores how language proficiency testing requirements shape access to education, geographic, academic, and socioeconomic mobility, and citizenship. The study is presented in a grouped manuscript format and consists of three related papers. The first manuscript offers a historical policy analysis of Canadian immigration language requirements from the 1960s to the present. Using archival documents and government records, it shows how standardized language testing emerged as a strategic policy instrument to manage immigrant selection and align with shifting national economic priorities. The second manuscript analyzes language policy developments at the University of Manitoba from 1959 to 2023. It draws on institutional records and academic calendars to trace the university’s move from internal assessments to reliance on external standardized tests. This transition is shown to reflect broader pressures related to internationalization, marketization, and institutional risk management. The third manuscript presents findings from a qualitative study involving interviews and artifact elicitation with 12 international students. Through thematic analysis, it documents students’ emotional, financial, and academic challenges related to language testing, while highlighting their strategies of resistance and critique. Together, these three studies offer a multi-scalar perspective on the evolution, implementation, and lived effects of English language proficiency testing in Canada. The dissertation concludes that language testing policies are not neutral or purely academic instruments, but mechanisms that reflect and reproduce global inequalities and neoliberal governance logics. It calls for more equitable, context-sensitive approaches to language assessment in both immigration and higher education and contributes to ongoing scholarly efforts to reframe language requirements policy through a critical, justice-oriented lens.
Access status: Open Access ,
Perspectives on mental health information and program development needs among Canadian newcomer parents
(2025-12-08) Davidson, Dylan; Theule, Jennifer (Psychology); Roos, Leslie (Psychology); Feldgaier, Steven (Social Work); Ranahan, Patti (Applied Human Sciences, Concordia University); Reynolds, Kristin
Children who are newcomers to Canada comprise a rapidly growing portion of the population and face numerous unique mental health risk factors and barriers to care. Mental health literacy (MHL) is a common target for mental health promotion and prevention, and a valuable set of skills for parents as caregivers for their children. However, several aspects of settlement complicate solutions to these challenges, requiring a transformation of our conceptualizations of MHL and effective care. Through two qualitative studies, this dissertation critically evaluated application of MHL in diverse sociocultural contexts, given its non-integration of cultural differences in mental health and information needs. Study 1 (n = 10) explored how MHL aligns with newcomer parents’ unique lived experiences and perceptions of information needs surrounding child mental health through individual qualitative interviews. Data was collected and analyzed according to constructivist grounded theory. Findings suggested that the conventional framework of MHL appears to have limited applicability to the newcomer context, due to distinct sociocultural experiences that complicate how presentations of mental health and MHL can be understood (e.g., cultural definitions of mental health, sacrifices and losses during immigration). Findings also highlighted barriers that can limit access to relevant resources (e.g., language, discrimination, settlement stressors). Study 2 (n = 13) evaluated the need for and feasibility of developing a MHL program for newcomer parents via participatory focus groups with newcomer parents and settlement sector professionals. Data was collected and analyzed in line with reflexive thematic analysis. Findings yielded a thematic framework that was organized into program development recommendations for important content areas (e.g., impact of settlement and acculturation on child mental health) and community-based principles in MHL program development (e.g., integration into community settings, focus on family empowerment). This dissertation’s findings offer novel contributions regarding how newcomer families may interface with different perspectives on mental health and psychoeducational resources in central Canada, as well as directions for future settlement sector collaboration and program development for specific newcomer contexts (e.g., cultural groups, immigration categories). Foundations for future research and program development are also provided through a theoretical model and program development recommendations produced in this work.
Access status: Open Access ,
Soil and crop responses to normal and shear loading: measurements and discrete element modelling
(2025-12-08) Owusu-Sekyere, Ernest; Qi, Long (Biosystems Engineering); Zeng, Zhiwei (Biosystems Engineering); Raghavan, Vijaya (McGill University); Chen, Ying
Understanding how soils and crops respond to mechanical loading is essential for enhancing agricultural productivity, optimising field operations, and mitigating soil degradation. Mechanical interactions between agricultural machinery and soil, wind and soil erosion involve loading soil with normal and shear forces. However, their impacts on soil and crop have not been systematically quantified. This study examined the dynamic properties of agricultural soils and crop growth (focused on canola, Brassica napus L.) under normal and shear loading. It employed laboratory experiments, field measurements, and Discrete Element Method (DEM) modelling. Laboratory surface shear tests revealed that soil shear strength generally increased in both sandy loam and clay soils when subjected to higher normal stresses. In clay soils, elevated moisture content reduced particle detachment, thereby improving erosion resistance. Laboratory compression and shear experiments showed that bulk density increased across all four soil types (sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, and clay soils) with increasing normal stress, resulting in greater mechanical impedance. The DEM simulations successfully reproduced observed shear strength trends, confirming the validity of using particle-bonding models for soil-stress interactions. Field cone index tests indicated that compaction consistently raised penetration resistance, with smaller cones exaggerating cone index than larger cones. Laboratory and field studies on canola demonstrated that moderate soil compaction enhanced seedling emergence. However, excessive compaction reduced emergence rate, plant height, and aboveground biomass, constraining crop establishment and growth under field conditions. The integrated experimental and modelling framework advanced the understanding of soil responses and crop interactions under various loading conditions, providing a basis for sustainable soil management strategies.
Access status: Open Access ,
Community acceptability of cardiovascular risk screening in faith centres in the Kassena-Nankana districts of Northern Ghana: a qualitative study
(BMC, 2025-11-05) Chatio, Samuel Tamti; Darko, Natalie; Zakariah- Akoto, Sawudatu; Willis, Andy; A Nonterah, Engelbert; R Jones, Ceri; Alale Aweeya, Joseph; Curtis, Ffion; Kunutsor, Setor K.; Seidu, Samuel; O Ansah, Patrick
Purpose: This study explored the community acceptability of a faith-based screening programme for cardiometabolic risk factors, specifically type 2 diabetes and hypertension, among faith congregation members in Northern Ghana. Methods: The research team conducted 18 in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews and 10 focus groups, with a total of 123 participants, between October 2022 and February 2023 to discuss the acceptability of a proposed faith-based screening programme. Participants included faith leaders, congregation member nurses, and other congregation members from six religious organizations in the Kassena-Nankana East Municipality and West District in the Upper East Region of Northern Ghana. The study population ranged from 18 to 85 years old. The analytical process involved a combined inductive and deductive thematic analysis to identify key themes related to community acceptability of cardiovascular risk screening. Results: Participants’ comments on the acceptability of the proposed screening programme centred on four key themes: (1) Awareness and perception of type 2 diabetes and hypertension, (2) Perceptions of current screening services, (3) Challenges in Implementation, (4) Implementation strategies (what might work). All participants expressed a willingness to participate in the programme, though its success was deemed contingent on the provision of free screening services, access to treatment, and addressing certain challenges: stigma surrounding diagnosis, and concerns about treatment affordability. Solutions included support from congregation health professionals in delivering screenings, access to diabetes treatment, and assurances of maintaining patient confidentiality. Conclusions: The findings highlight community acceptability and willingness to participate in the screening programme, contingent upon addressing key challenges identified through both focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. These challenges included concerns about treatment affordability, the need for comprehensive community education, maintaining confidentiality, and ensuring screening services are convenient and time efficient. Participants emphasized the importance of leveraging congregation-based health professionals, providing pre- and post-screening counselling, and offering follow-up support for those diagnosed. These insights demonstrate that while faith-based centres present a promising platform for health interventions. The findings highlight the need for multi-sectoral collaboration to ensure equitable access, referral, and follow-up across health and community systems, addressing these barriers is crucial for successful implementation and sustainability.
Access status: Open Access ,
Evaluating the performance of five large language models in answering Delphi consensus questions relating to patellar instability and medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction
(BMC, 2025-11-03) Vivekanantha, Prushoth; Cohen, Dan; Slawaska-Eng, David; Nagai, Kanto; Tarchala, Magdalena; Matache, Bogdan; Hiemstra, Laurie; Longstaffe, Robert; Lesniak, Bryson; Meena, Amit; Tapasvi, Sachin; Sillanpäa, Petri; Grzela, Patrick; Lamanna, Daniel; Samuelsson, Kristian; de SA, Darren
Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) has become incredibly popular over the past several years, with large language models (LLMs) offering the possibility of revolutionizing the way healthcare information is shared with patients. However, to prevent the spread of misinformation, analyzing the accuracy of answers from these LLMs is essential. This study will aim to assess the accuracy of five freely accessible chatbots by specifically evaluating their responses to questions about patellofemoral instability (PFI). The secondary objective will be to compare the different chatbots, to distinguish which LLM offers the most accurate set of responses. Methods: Ten questions were selected from a previously published international Delphi Consensus study pertaining to patellar instability, and posed to ChatGPT4o, Perplexity AI, Bing CoPilot, Claude2, and Google Gemini. Responses were assessed for accuracy using the validated Mika score by eight Orthopedic surgeons who have completed fellowship training in sports-medicine. Median responses amongst the eight reviewers for each question were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s post-hoc tests. Percentages of each Mika score distribution were compared using Pearson’s chi-square test. P-values less than or equal to 0.05 were considered significant. The Gwet’s AC2 coefficient was calculated to assess for inter-rater agreement, corrected for chance and employing quadratic weights. Results: ChatGPT4o and Claude2 had the highest percentage of reviews (38/80, 47.5%) considered to be an “excellent response not requiring classification”, or a Mika score of 1. Google Gemini had the highest percentage of reviews (17/80, 21.3%) considered to be “unsatisfactory requiring substantial clarification”, or a Mika score of 4 (p < 0.001). The median ± interquartile range (IQR) Mika scores was 2 (1) for ChatGPT4o and Perplexity AI, 2 (2) for Bing CoPilot and Claude2, and 3 (2) for Google Gemini. Median responses were not significantly different between ChatGPT4o, Perplexity AI, Bing CoPilot, and Claude2, however all four statistically outperformed Google Gemini (p < 0.05). Inter-rater agreement was classified as moderate (0.40 > AC2 ≥ 0.60) for ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, Bing CoPilot, and Claude2, while there was no agreement for Google Gemini (AC2 < 0). Conclusion: Current free access LLMs (ChatGPT4o, Perplexity AI, Bing CoPilot, and Claude2) predominantly provide satisfactory responses requiring minimal clarification to standardized questions relating to patellar instability. Google Gemini statistically underperformed in accuracy relative to the other four LLMs, with most answers requiring moderate clarification. Furthermore, inter-rater agreement was moderate for all LLMs apart from Google Gemini, which had no agreement. These findings advocate for the utility of existing LLMs in serving as an adjunct to physicians and surgeons in providing patients information pertaining to patellar instability. Level of evidence: V
Access status: Open Access ,
National implementation of guided self-help family-based treatment for youth with eating disorders: a study protocol
(BMC, 2025-11-06) Couturier, Jennifer; Smith, Jeannine; Nicula, Maria; Nella, Ethan; Yanover, Tovah; Agostino, Holly; Annema, Stephanie; Boman, Jonathan; Bond, Jason; Coelho, Jennifer S.; Coolen, Anne-Marie; Datta, Nandini; Dimitropoulos, Gina; Ford, Catherine; Isserlin, Leanna; Johnson, Natasha; Jones, Shaleen; Katzman, Debra; Kelly, Brynn; Keshen, Aaron; Kimber, Melissa; Kumar, Sonia; Kurji, Ayisha; Lacroix, Emilie; Markland, Alison; Matheson, Brittany; McVey, Gail; McQuillan, Brittany; Norris, Mark; Obeid, Nicole; Phillips, Suzanne; Preskow, Wendy; Rodrigues, Allison; Smith, Sarah; Soroka, Chelcie; Spettigue, Wendy; Webb, Cheryl; Wournell, Jessica; Lock, James D.
Background: Guided self-help family-based treatment (GSH-FBT) is emerging as a promising, more efficient alternative to traditional family-based treatment (FBT). The present study is designed to examine the real-world implementation of GSH-FBT at pediatric treatment sites across nine provinces in Canada. Methods: Implementation teams at each site consisting of a GSH-FBT coach, a medical provider, and a program administrator will be formed. Clinician coaches will be trained in this new modality and supported with weekly GSH-FBT consultation. Each site will recruit ten families with an adolescent with anorexia nervosa and the parents will undergo ten virtual GSH-FBT sessions. The implementation approach will be evaluated using qualitative and quantitative methods. Outcomes of interest include (1) treatment fidelity, (2) treatment wait times, (3) change in adolescent symptoms and parent/caregiver self-efficacy, (4) change in provider readiness, attitudes, and confidence towards the intervention, and (5) the overall experience of the implementation of the intervention from the perspective of the provider teams, and participant families. Discussion: The findings of this study will help to identify factors important to the acceptability and implementation of GSH-FBT in real-world clinical settings. Trial registration: This study was first registered with clinicaltrials.gov (registration # NCT06851273) on February 12, 2025 (url: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06851273?id=NCT06851273&rank=1 ).
Access status: Open Access ,
A randomised controlled trial comparing epinephrine and dexamethasone to placebo in the treatment of infants with bronchiolitis (BIPED study): a statistical analysis plan
(BMC, 2025-11-12) Heath, Anna; Rios, David; Vogel, Kristina I.; Rowe, Tremaine; Wills-Ibarra, Natasha; Oakley, Ed; Offringa, Martin; Pechlivanoglou, Petros; Klassen, Terry P.; Dalziel, Stuart R.; Plint, Amy C.
Background: Bronchiolitis is a common lung infection that affects infants and young children. While most children can be treated at home, some require hospitalisation where supportive care, such as fluids and oxygen, is the suggested treatment. Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of infant hospitalisation in developed countries and exerts a significant burden on the healthcare system. The aim of the Bronchiolitis in Infants Placebo Versus Epinephrine and Dexamethasone (BIPED) study is to evaluate the effects of a combination of epinephrine and dexamethasone, given during initial presentation at the emergency department, on hospitalisation for bronchiolitis. This article outlines the statistical analysis plan (SAP) for the BIPED study. The BIPED study is a Phase III, multi-centre, randomised, controlled, double-blinded superiority, placebo-controlled trial to determine whether the combination of epinephrine and dexamethasone is successful in reducing hospitalisation for bronchiolitis up to 7 days following presentation at an emergency department with bronchiolitis. The secondary outcomes include hospital admissions for bronchiolitis at the emergency department enrolment visit, and all-cause hospital admissions, health care provider visits and health care-related costs in the 21 days following enrolment. The safety outcomes are gastrointestinal bleeding, serious bacterial infection, severe varicella and death. Discussion: The BIPED study will provide evidence on whether a combination of epinephrine and dexamethasone reduces hospitalisation in infants following presentation to the emergency department with bronchiolitis. These data will be analyzed using this SAP, submitted before the data became available for analysis, to reduce the risk of bias in our reported outcomes. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03567473. Registered on June 25, 2018.
Access status: Open Access ,
Evaluating primary suicide prevention in adolescents with risk factors (ESPAIR): study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial
(BMC, 2025-11-24) Baggio, Stéphanie; Bailey, Eleanor; Edan, Anne; Heller, Patrick; Kapp, Carole; Lambert, Nadejda; Michaud, Laurent; Mundt, Adrian P.; Nsingi, Neslie; Perez, Sophia; Peregalli, Santiago; Piguet, Camille; Piotrowski, Caroline; Prutyanova, Yekaterina; Rumley, Mathias; Sapin, Marlène; Urben, Sébastien; Iglesias, Katia
Background: Suicide is the leading cause of death among young people. Because it is preventable, suicide prevention has become a critical public health priority worldwide. Current evidence suggests that primary suicide prevention interventions are effective in promoting suicide awareness and reducing suicidal thoughts among adolescents. However, scarce research has been conducted in vulnerable populations who may be at increased risk of suicidal behaviour. This project aims to test the effectiveness of a primary suicide prevention intervention on suicide awareness, knowledge of suicide and local resources, suicidal thoughts, psychological distress, and safety. Methods: This study is an open-label, multi-centre, superiority, cluster-randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms (randomization 1:1 in at least 8 study sites) of a primary suicide prevention intervention based on psychoeducation versus an art-based control intervention. Four groups of youth aged 14–25 with high suicide risk will be recruited (in total, n = 240), including those (1) detained in juvenile detention centres, (2) disconnected from school, (3) in treatment for psychiatric disorders, (4) belonging to a sexual or gender diversity, (5) affected by chronic conditions, and (6) with relational/familial problems. Participants will be randomly assigned to the suicide prevention or control intervention. The primary outcome is suicide awareness measured on a validated scale. Secondary outcomes include knowledge of suicide, knowledge of local resources, suicidal behaviour, psychological distress, access to primary suicide prevention, and safety. Measures will be collected at baseline, at 1-week, and 3-month follow-ups. Analyses will be conducted as intention-to-treat using mixed-effects models. Discussion: We expect that a brief primary suicide prevention intervention (psychoeducation) will be effective and safe in vulnerable adolescents. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06551038. Registered on August 13, 2024.