FGS - Electronic Theses and Practica
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This collection contains University of Manitoba electronic theses and practica.
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- ItemOpen AccessEvaluation of physical and antioxidant properties of pigmented barley tortillas(2025-04-24) Hatzir, Tomer; Badea, Ana (Food and Human Nutritional Sciences); Sorenson, John (Chemistry); Beta, TrustBarley contains bioactive compounds like β-glucan and polyphenols that promote health. Food processing, while necessary, can change barley's physical properties and adversely affect polyphenols' antioxidant activity through heat and the food matrix. Thus, identifying compounds post-production, including new chemical structures, is essential. Five barley genotypes (CDC Rattan, CDC McGwire, Roseland, HB21147, and HB21148) produced tortillas at varying pH levels (1, 3, 5, 7). Their texture and physical properties were assessed. Identification and quantification were achieved through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with standards. Assays on the acidified ethanol extract measured the total phenolic and anthocyanin content, along with antioxidant properties, which were evaluated via in vitro and ex vivo methods. CDC Rattan tortillas decreased in thickness significantly between pH 1 and 7. At pH 5, extensibility was lower, with the hardest texture across genotypes. HB21148 recorded the highest total phenolic (14.0±1.2 mg gallic acid equivalent/g) and total anthocyanin content (313.9±33.4 cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalent/kg) among raw forms. Catechin was most concentrated in HB21148, followed by HB21147. Roseland exhibited the highest trans-cinnamic acid (13.5±0.5 mg/kg). Gentisic acid appeared only at pH 5 in genotypes with high β-glucan, HB21147 and CDC Rattan. Antioxidant activities were similar at pH 3 and 7 per the FRAP assay. HB21147 and Roseland showed parallel activity across pH levels with the ABTS method. Caco-2 cell tests found CDC Rattan enriched with anthocyanins resulted in significantly higher CAA (cellular antioxidant activity) than HB21148 at 200 μg/ml. The study suggests pH 3 optimizes antioxidant properties with minimal texture impact, potentially through new compounds involving β-glucan and polyphenols. These insights may aid in developing food products that integrate natural bioactive compounds for health benefits.
- ItemOpen AccessExamining inequalities in sugar sweetened beverage consumption using the 2004 and 2015 Canadian Community Health Surveys(2025-04-29) Kidson, Mya; Lacroix, Emilie (Food and Human Nutritional Sciences); Shooshtari, Shahin (Community Health Sciences); Riediger, NatalieBackground: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are associated with type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders, and as such, have become a popular health policy target. Reduction strategies include excise taxation, health education, and restrictions on the sale and marketing of SSBs in schools and public settings. Despite endorsement by health organizations and researchers, there is concern that these policies will not reduce health inequities for marginalized groups that consume SSB at higher frequencies and amounts. It is critical to examine changes in inequalities in SSB intake over time and in response to SSB policies. To examine inequalities in SSB intake, we are particularly interested in examining the association between smoking and SSB consumption. Objectives: Manuscript 1.0 aims to examine the associations between smoking and SSB consumption in 2004 and 2015. Manuscript 2.0 aims to examine the associations between relative income deprivation score and SSB consumption, comparing between 2004 and 2015. Methods: The 2004 and 2015 Canadian Community Health Surveys (CCHS) were used, which include representative samples of the Canadian population and detailed dietary data collected through 24-hour dietary recalls. Descriptive and analytical statistics were carried out to achieve the listed objectives, including developing logistic and linear regression models to determine the influence of predictors, such as relative income deprivation score (RID) and smoking, on binary SSB consumption and SSB-derived sugar amount. Results: Current smoking is associated with higher odds of SSB consumption (aOR: 1.86 [95% CI, 1.29, 2.68]), but not with SSB-derived sugar intake (Coeff: 0.10 [95% CI, -0.03, 0.23]), after adjusting for confounders. RID based on sex and province was not associated with SSB consumption in 2004 and 2015. Indigenous individuals had higher odds of consuming SSBs compared to non-Indigenous individuals (2004 OR = 2.65 [95% CI, 1.35, 5.20]), and 2015 (OR = 2.77 [95% CI, 1.39, 5.54]) with no significant change over time. There was no significant association between food insecurity and SSB consumption. Conclusion: Current smoking is associated with SSB intake, pointing to potential shared behavioural and socio-economic drivers. Persisting inequalities in SSB consumption between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations emphasize the need for more equitable public health policies.
- ItemOpen AccessAlcid communication at sea: vocal repertoire and individual chick signatures(2025-04-14) Wilcox, Katrina; Fraser, Kevin (Biological Sciences); Warrington, Miyako (Natural Resources Institute); Davoren, GailSeabirds are highly vocal at breeding colonies, and although they spend most of their life at sea, our understanding of their vocal behaviour away from breeding colonies is limited. Seabird vocalisations are uniquely adapted to communicate both within dense breeding colonies and at sea, but vocalisations likely serve distinct functions and experience different environmental conditions that influence propagation within these distinct contexts. Here, we investigated the vocal behaviour in alcid seabirds (Family Alcidae) on the northeastern coast of Newfoundland, Canada. In Chapter 2, we identified and quantitatively described vocalisations emitted by common murres (Uria aalge) while foraging at sea and qualitatively compared these calls to colony-based repertoires. Four call types were described (‘eng’, ‘arg’, ‘crow’, ‘eur’) and call type assignments were validated using supervised multivariate analyses (random forest) and observer agreement. Three of these call types visually resembled call types previously described at murre colonies with one exhibiting high temporal variation that appeared to grade between different call types. The fourth call type was novel and may only be emitted at sea. Finally, we postulated functions of these four call types at sea based on the behavioural and social contexts in which they were emitted. In Chapter 3, we investigated the presence and ontogeny of individual-specific signatures in razorbill (Alca torda) chick vocalisations used in parent-chick communication at sea. We quantitatively described the individual signatures encoded within ‘departure’ calls of six razorbill chicks during early (3-5 days old) and late (15-19 days old) nestling stages. Calls were reliably assigned to individuals in both stages with similar classification success (early: 66.7%, late: 69.4%), but classification varied considerably among chicks. Temporal attributes had the strongest potential of individual coding (PIC > 1) and the potential to encode identity increased across nestling development, suggesting their importance in signalling identity during fledging and at sea. These findings provide insight into alcid ecology at sea by highlighting the diversity of acoustic signals used by seabirds in this understudied environment and increasing understanding of the acoustic adaptations to specific ecological pressures experienced away from breeding colonies.
- ItemOpen AccessRefugee resettlement, integration, and access to socio-economic rights, with a focus on the roles of settlement agencies in Winnipeg, Manitoba(2025-06-11) Nyero, Augustine Caesar; Senehi, Jessica (Peace and Conflict Studies); Rosenoff Gauvin, LaraRefugees are recognized under the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The Convention is a rights-based international instrument that has helped codify the human rights of newcomers at mostly international levels. The emphasis of the convention has been on the protection of refugees, mainly from political persecution, including other forms of persecution that lead to a well-founded fear of being persecuted based on race, religion, nationality or membership of a particular social group or political opinion. This study addresses critical questions like: What are the barriers to refugee resettlement and economic rights? How do refugees perceive their resettlement and reintegration experiences? How can policy and settlement agencies' efforts be improved to promote better outcomes for newcomers? With these key questions, the research proposed actions that best enhance economic inclusion and settlement. The experiences from my practicum at IRCOM indicated that settlement agencies are working tirelessly to address these barriers. However, their efforts are being constrained by limited funding, while there is increasing demand for their settlement services. Policymakers must, therefore, prioritize programs that address the systematic barriers of 1) processes of credential recognition, 2) increased costs of affordable housing, and 3) chronic discrimination and racism in all sectors of the economy. This will enable refugees to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Canada.
- ItemOpen AccessDevelopment of microfluidic passive flow assays for point-of-care quantification of chronic kidney disease biomarkers in urine and serum(2025-06-01) Tomsa, Dumitru; Salimi, Elham (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Rigatto, Claudio (Internal Medicine); Lin, FrancisChronic kidney disease (CKD) significantly affects people's health and life quality and presents a high economic burden worldwide. However, the existing diagnostic test methods remain complicated and cost-prohibitive. This research addresses critical gaps in CKD diagnostics through the development of innovative microfluidic platforms for point-of-care (PoC) testing. We present complementary approaches targeting key CKD biomarkers: a passive flow microreactor for urinary creatinine measurement (uCR-Chip) and microfluidic devices for serum cystatin C (CYS-C) quantification. The uCR-Chip employs a 2-phase pressure compensation technique, optimized observation window (OW), and channel network design to control fluidic mixing and chemical reactions precisely. A stable signal is achieved within 7 minutes, with the dynamic range up to 40 mM and a lower limit of detection of 0.521 mM. This performance meets clinical precision requirements and demonstrates acceptable recovery rates in artificial urine matrices, particularly at lower creatinine concentrations, making it highly amenable to integration with previously developed microfluidic urine albumin assays. For CYS-C, recommended as a superior estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) biomarker due to minimal influence from non-filtration factors like muscle mass, we developed a PDMS-based immunoturbidity chip enabling side-scattering optical measurement. We demonstrated that the CYS-C chip meets the clinical requirements for detection range and limits while integrated into a custom-developed reader for PoC applications. Validation studies using CKD patient samples demonstrated comparable agreement levels with the traditional well plate-based immunoturbidity assay test results, determining eGFR range across clinically relevant group criteria. Together, these microfluidic platforms offer viable solutions for decentralized CKD assessment, providing potential technology for measuring various disease biomarkers with advantages in accessibility, speed, and precision compared to existing clinical methods.