Exploring the Impact of Bovine Leukemia Virus Proviral Load on Production, and its Potential Use for Control

The main aim of this dissertation was to evaluate the efficacy of a bovine leukemia virus (BLV) control program by selective removal of high proviral load (HPL) BLV-infected subsets. Six chapters are included. 1) To be acquainted with the current understanding on BLV infection, transmission routes, diagnosis, control, and most importantly, BLV proviral load, a literature review was conducted. This review explored the applicability of BLV proviral load in disease diagnosis, BLV transmission risk assessment, and BLV control. 2) We implemented a cross-sectional study to evaluate the impact of BLV proviral load on milk production of dairy cows. Data obtained from nine dairy herds in Alberta, Canada demonstrated a significant reduction in milk, fat, and protein production of HPL cows when compared with the BLV-negative counterparts. 3) The effectiveness of HPL-cow focused BLV control program in reducing BLV prevalence and seroconversions within the herd was evaluated by conducting a 3-year study among ten dairy herds. The BLV prevalence decreased in four herds whereas the BLV incidence was reduced in nine herds, which supported the notion that removal of HPL cows can offer a feasible and economical option for BLV control. 4) A 1.5-year longitudinal study was designed by enrolling subset of cows from BLV-seropositive (further classified into various proviral load categories) and BLV-seronegative group to monitor the dynamics of various parameters such as BLV proviral load, lymphocyte, white blood cell (WBC) count, antibody titer, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD21+, and WC1+ cell proportions. A relatively stable pattern of BLV proviral load, WBC, CD3+, and CD4+ cell proportion was observed, indicating frequent testing might not be required for these parameters in monitoring BLV infection. 5) A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the hematological and immunological impact of BLV infection which suggested a simpler categorization of HPL and LPL as an appropriate approach. Additionally, a lower proviral load cut-off was identified as an accurate threshold for identifying HPL cows. 6) Lastly, all the results and findings were thoroughly discussed, and future directions for using HPL-focused strategies as a potential tool for BLV control and management were elaborated

An Integrated Deep Learning Model with Genetic Algorithm (GA) for Optimal Syngas Production Using Dry Reforming of Methane (DRM)

The dry reforming of methane is a chemical process transforming two primary sources of greenhouse gases, i.e., carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), into syngas, a versatile precursor in the industry, which has gained significant attention over the past decades. Nonetheless, commercial development of this eco-friendly process faces barriers such as catalyst deactivation and high energy demand. Artificial intelligence (AI), specifically deep learning, accelerates the development of this process by providing advanced analytics. However, deep learning requires substantial training samples and collecting data on a bench scale encounters cost and physical constraints. This study fills this research gap by employing a pretraining approach, which is invaluable for small datasets. It introduces a software sensor for regression (SSR) powered by deep learning to estimate the quality parameters of the process. Moreover, combining the SSR with a genetic algorithm offers a prescriptive analysis, suggesting optimal thermodynamic parameters to improve the process efficiency

Listening to Community: Towards Best Research Practices in Pond Inlet, Nunavut

What are the specific conditions and circumstances that can either prevent or facilitate an ethical, meaningful, productive, and respectful collaboration between Settler researchers and Indigenous People engaged in community or regional monitoring programs? How can I bring Settler research and Indigenous knowledge systems together to facilitate more equitable and proactive environmental monitoring programs? My research examines the connections between community-based environmental monitoring, research ethics, and the role of social science in climate change adaptation programs. In this dissertation, I examine the context, community concerns and recommendations for research that emerged during my fieldwork, interviews, and workshops conducted in Pond Inlet and Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, and Calgary, Alberta. It is widely recognized that over the last few decades, the planet has been undergoing rapid climate change, particularly in the Arctic. Climate change has led to a discussion about the role of Settler research and Indigenous knowledge in understanding and addressing environmental changes and community and regional priorities. In the North of Canada and other Arctic regions, the role of Settler researchers facilitating ecological monitoring, environmental changes, and local and regional policy changes has been largely overlooked. As more Indigenous organizations and communities continue to advocate and demonstrate the validity of their knowledge systems, levels of government and research institutions seek to facilitate and embrace the co-integration Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and Settler research. At an individual level, the co-integration of IK with Settler research will build skills and promote community resilience brought on by climate change. At a societal level, the benefits and potential of integrating IK with Settler research are a resource that needs to be investigated. It can add new and essential aspects to climate change adaptation strategies. However, it can also be problematic and reproduce already existing colonial dynamics. In this dissertation, I provide an overview and discussion of the potential role for Settler researchers in climate change research related to adaptation measures for Indigenous communities across the North of Canada and case study results. The outcomes of my research indicate that: 1) there needs to be a significant increase in the number of climate change adaptation projects that incorporate Inuit Knowledge (IK); 2) social science could play a role in the success and sustainability of climate change program development and deployment, and 3) the measurable and tangible ways communities may evaluate the success of adaptation programs. My research also outlines the concerns related to Settler researcher behaviors and practices that a group of Inuit from Pond Inlet and Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, experienced while working on university-based research projects and reports a series of recommendations they provided. My study also presents the concerns and recommendations of Inuit community members about the need to decolonize university ethics boards and research. The objectives of the workshop were to 1) get a sense of Settler research behavior community members saw as unethical, 2) synthesize the recommendations made by various Indigenous organizations related to ethical engagement and a decolonized research approach, and 3) develop a framework for an ethics workshop aimed at decolonizing university research ethics processes, which Indigenous peoples lead, and research in general. The findings indicate the great need for: (1) the inclusion of Indigenous epistemologies into university ethics training and certification processes equal to Settler science; 2) improved understandings of how academic disciplines should consult and work with Indigenous communities; 3) protocols and procedures for Settler research to be integrated with Indigenous Knowledge to be established. Each university, Settler researcher, and Indigenous community has specific circumstances, limitations, obstacles, research priorities, and capacities that need to be understood. The conclusions of my study are: 1) there is a need for Settler researchers to be aware of and recognize different epistemological orientations; 2) universities and researchers must make a concerted effort to spend more time supporting Indigenous-led research, and co-designing and implementing research projects collegially with Indigenous communities; 3) the relevance of Settler research projects needs to be clearly articulated with community members, and the research results need to be presented to the community in a variety of ways, such as through social media, town halls, plain language reports, etc.; 4) Settler researchers can make efforts to document community-level concerns in order for the community to be able to collaboration with Settler researchers on specific concerns

Pollination Responses to Introduced Plants and an Elevation Gradient in Camas Dominated Wet Meadows

Global change is driving declines in insect biodiversity, with widespread consequences for ecosystem function. Climate change and invasive species are key global change factors, but the ways in which they alter pollination are poorly understood in many systems. Camas meadows occur in the southwestern-most areas of Canada, where they support high floral and pollinator diversity, yet we know little about the pollination ecology of these meadows, let alone how they are impacted by aspects of global change. My objectives in this thesis were to evaluate evidence that camas meadows are experiencing impacts related to climate change and plant invasions. I used a pollen limitation experiment conducted across an elevation gradient to evaluate whether variation in climate generates phenological asynchrony between camas and its pollinators, and used plant-pollinator network analysis to examine whether introduced plants were driving changes in pollination networks. I found that there was no evidence for phenological asynchrony, though camas reproduction was slightly limited by pollen at low elevations, while overall seed production declined as camas approached its elevational limit. Introduced species did not alter network structure, but when removed from networks they had come to dominate, networks were less able to resist further species loss. This suggests that if maintaining pollination is desired, invasive species management decisions should consider the risks associated with losing the floral resources they seek to control. My results describe a system which in its current state, appears robust to the aspects of global change examined (i.e., phenological disturbance and plant invasion) but may be sensitive to further disruption, particularly the removal of abundant introduced plants that pollinators have come to rely upon

The utility of three-dimensional modeling and printing in pediatric surgical patient and family education: a systematic review

Abstract Background Three-dimensional (3D) modeling and printing are increasingly being used in surgical settings. This technology has several applications including pre-operative surgical planning, inter-team communication, and patient education and counseling. The majority of research on 3D technology has focused on adult populations, where it has been found to be a useful tool for educating patients across various surgical specialties. There is a dearth, however, of research on the utility of 3D modeling and printing for patient and family education in pediatric populations. Our objective was to systematically review the current literature on how this modality is being utilized in pediatric surgical settings for patient and family education and counselling. Methods We conducted a systematic review in accordance with PRISMA and CASP guidelines. The MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to October 21, 2023, with no restrictions on language or geographical location. Citation chaining was used to ensure relevant papers were included. Articles were doubly screened and data was extracted independently by two authors. In the case of disagreement, a third author was consulted. Any articles pertaining to 3D modeling and printing in pediatric surgical settings for patient and family education and counseling were included. Results Six articles met inclusion criteria and were used for qualitative analysis. Two involved questionnaires given to parents of children to assess their understanding of relevant anatomy, surgical procedure, and risks after viewing conventional CT images and again after viewing a 3D-printed model. One involved a quasi-experimental study to assess young patients’ pre-operative surgical understanding and anxiety after undergoing conventional teaching as compared to after viewing a 3D storybook. One involved questionnaires given to parents of children in control and study groups to assess the usefulness of 3D printed models compared to conventional CT images in their understanding of relevant anatomy and the surgical procedure. Another study looked at the usefulness of 3D printed models compared to 2D and 3D CT images in providing caregiver understanding during the pre-operative consent process. The last article involved studying the impact of using 3D printing to help patients understand their disease and participate in decision-making processes during surgical consultations. In all six studies, utilizing 3D technology improved transfer of information between surgical team members and their patients and families. Conclusion Our systematic review suggests that 3D modeling and printing is a useful tool for patient and family education and counselling in pediatric surgical populations. Given the very small number of published studies, further research is needed to better define the utility of this technology in pediatric settings

Reciprocal Literacies: A Post-Qualitative Case Study of Artists’ Ephemeral and Matterless Connections Amongst Place

Meaningfully connecting with our social and natural environments becomes challenging in an increasingly digital and globalized world. Affective language and literacy practices carry potential for affirming and fostering generative entanglements amongst people and places; furthermore, such relationships are important to the well-being of the individual participants and the collective community of human and more-than-human. Beyond traditional, text-based literacies, ephemeral and matterless literacies offer modes of positive reciprocal interactions within assemblages. The literature review considers Indigenous and posthuman theories as they relate to literacy, place, and research approaches. The studied assemblages include the human and more-than-human participants of creative contexts in Southern Alberta, including a photographer, a musician/painter, an installation artist, and a performance artist. The methodological approach reflects ethico-onto-epistemological commitments to the openings and transformation Indigenous and posthumanist theories suggest. The multi-case study illuminates and sparks potentials existing in creative, cultural, and communal practices when constraints of educational institutions are removed and textless communication is emphasized. Attending to these literacies requires that literacy researchers and educators reconsider institutional concepts of literacy / literacy spaces focused on culturally biased, individual, text-based performance, and begin afresh. The study explores and describes the flows of intention and surrender that inspire and incite ephemeral and matterless communicative practices existing in adult lives and in doing so, imagines pedagogical possibilities to honour reciprocal relationship with places, in the dynamic and all-encompassing sense of the word

Exploring Stories of Reciprocity in Intergenerational Programming

Ageism, individualism, and the dominance of nuclear families through capitalist and settler colonial policies have contributed to an age-segregated society with fewer connections between generations in dominant Canadian society. In response to our current social context, intergenerational programs (IGPs) that facilitate the development of reciprocal, non-familial relationships between generations have become increasingly popular. Despite a growing body of research on IGPs, contextualized and in-depth knowledge of the experiences of older adults and youth are largely missing. Additionally, very few studies explicitly center reciprocity within intergenerational relations, and instead focus on the impacts of these relationships for only one generation. I used narrative inquiry methodology to explore in depth the experiences of reciprocity of four youth and four older adults involved in an IGP in Calgary, Alberta. I used individual narrative interviews and participatory video methods to elicit stories about the intergenerational friendships that participants formed in the IGP and the impacts of these relationships. Through narrative analysis, I identified four resonant threads across individual interview transcripts and videos. These resonant threads offer a deeper understanding of youth and older adults’ experiences of reciprocity within their intergenerational friendships and speak to the complexities of reciprocity within these relations. I conclude by reflecting on how these stories can change the way we think about, conduct research on, and facilitate IGPs and make recommendations for research, social work practice, and policy. Keywords: intergenerational program, reciprocity, older adults, youth, narrative inquiry, participatory video, social wor

Rethinking Grand Strategy for an Era of Climate Change

The strategic security environment has changed drastically over the last decade, with the passing of the American unipolar moment leading to the beginnings of a new era of strategic inter-state competition. However, unlike past eras of competition, this iteration will see states compete within an increasingly destabilized climate system because of climate change. This thesis explores how the impacts of climate change will shape the upcoming era of competition, focusing on its effects on grand strategy, given the latter’s important role as a ‘bridge’ that links the means and ways of a state to its ends. In particular, the central question addressed by this thesis is as follows: Do the observed global environmental changes because of climate change necessitate the broadening of the geographic understanding of grand strategy? This thesis argues that climate change has and will continue to impact the conduct of strategy in the future. It also argues that climate change must be explicitly incorporated into modern understandings of grand strategy given its ability to undermine the economic underpinnings of states that enable the pursuit of their goals in a feasible and sustainable manner. In making this argument, this thesis develops a conceptual framework linking climate change through to the implementation of grand strategy, using the case of the 2022 Pakistani floods as a demonstrative case study to show how climate change can generate significant impacts on the grand strategies of states

Microwave - Plasma based Thermal Treatment of Asphaltene - derived Carbon Fibres

Asphaltene-based carbon fibres have emerged as a significant and sustainable alternative to conventional Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibres, owing to their abundant availability, aromatic nature, and high carbon content. This thesis investigates the utilization of asphaltenes, extracted from bitumen in Alberta oilsands, as a valuable precursor for the manufacturing of carbon fibres. The precursor employed in commercial carbon fibre manufacturing accounts for approximately 51% of the total production cost. The utilization of asphaltene as a precursor offers the potential for cost reduction in carbon fibre production. With this reduced cost, carbon fibres, renowned for their exceptional mechanical properties such as high stiffness, remarkable tensile strength, chemical resistance, and capacity to withstand higher temperatures, can find applications across wide range of industries. Moreover, this cost reduction also contributes to the economic viability of converting industrial waste into valuable products. Conventional post-treatment processes in carbon fibre manufacturing, such as furnace stabilization and carbonization, play a crucial role in the production process, demanding considerable time and energy resources. Post-treatment alone, comprising 38% of the overall cost of carbon fibre production, significantly impacts the economic aspects of the manufacturing process. In this thesis, asphaltenes derived from Alberta oilsands are pretreated with solvents such as pentane and toluene to remove coke residues. Later, these asphaltenes are transformed into fibres through the process of melt spinning using a twin-screw extruder. An innovative approach involving microwave plasma thermal treatment, replacing conventional post-treatment methods, specifically carbonization, is then applied to convert these fibres into carbon fibres. The study of microwave plasma behaviour and its corresponding temperatures is successfully conducted through the use of Multiphysics Finite Element Analysis (FEA). An experimental optimization study involving the thermal treatment of stabilized fibres under varying power levels and treatment durations using microwave plasma has been conducted. The study successfully implemented microwave plasma techniques to achieve carbonization of asphaltene fibres, resulting in an increase in carbon content and the development of a well-ordered crystalline structure. The Element analysis revealed the dynamic changes in elemental composition, showcasing the effectiveness of microwave plasma in achieving carbonization. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectroscopy provided valuable insights into the structural evolution, highlighting the unique impact of microwave plasma treatment on the development of a layered graphite-like structure and higher graphitic content. However, it is essential to acknowledge limitations, such as the observed surface damage and reduced tensile strength in microwave-plasma treated fibres, emphasizing the need for further optimization of parameters to maximize the benefits of this innovative approach. Overall, this research contributes valuable insights to the field of carbon fibre manufacturing, paving the way for more sustainable and economically feasible production processes with the utilization of asphaltene-based precursors and microwave plasma techniques

Design, Development, and Examination of New Lightweight High-Entropy Alloy for Structural Applications

The use of lightweight materials for structural applications can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions towards climate change mitigation. However, lightweight materials must be carefully designed without compromising strength and safety; hence the continued search for high specific-strength materials. This thesis contributes to these efforts: to discover, develop, and characterize lightweight high-entropy alloys (LHEAs) for structural applications. Obtaining solid-solution (SS) in alloys instead of intermetallic (IM) compounds is usually desirable because IM compounds can detrimentally reduce ductility and corrosion resistance. HEAs are multi-principal element alloys in which complex pair-wise interactions between constituent elements can favour IM compound formation. As such, empirical rules for predicting SS formation (over IM compound) and crystal structure in HEAs exist—atomic size difference, enthalpy of mixing, mixing entropy, entropy to enthalpy ratio, Pauling electronegativity difference, and valence electron concentration. However, these rules break down. This thesis first re-examines the empirical rules’ effectiveness by conducting a systematic study that isolates the effect of processing pathways known to impact phase stability. A new conservative phase and SS formation criteria for AlTiCuZn-based LHEAs are proposed; the revised rules are verified by developing new LHEAs that are accurately predicted—AlTi0.37CuZn0.97 and AlTi0.56Cu1.24Zn1.2. As a next step, the thermal degradation pattern of a new dual-phase AlTi0.45CuZn LHEA (ρ=5.71 g/cc) from phase decomposition to evaporation was further investigated. Using multimodal advanced characterization techniques, AlTi0.45CuZn is found to be thermally-stable up to between 250 and 360 °C. Beyond this limit, multistep decomposition occurs: phase decomposition at ~360 °C forms Al-Ti phase off the AlTi0.45CuZn matrix due to the largest negative mixing enthalpy for Al-Ti than other binary pairs; Zn evaporation at ~750 °C due to its faster evaporation rate than other constituent elements; and LHEA melting at 880 °C. The LHEA possesses sluggish grain growth and better nano-indentation hardness among other LHEAs of close density range due to combined grain size and phase strengthening effects. This work offers new insight into the processing-structure-properties relationship of LHEAs and further advances the field’s understanding of LHEA thermal deteriorative behavior in structural applications at elevated temperatures