University Of Alberta Research Articles

Preface

Considering the unpredictable situation of COVID-19, as well as the health and safety of our participants and members of our research community is of top priority to the organizing committee. 2023 3rd International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computing Technology (EECT 2023) planned to be held from March 24th-26th, 2023 in Sanya, China was changed to be held virtually through Zoom software.EECT 2023 is dedicated to addressing the challenges in the areas of Electrical, Electronics and Computing Technology as well as its applications, presenting the latest scientific research results related to these topics. EECT 2023 looks forward to bringing together researchers and practitioners from academia and industries to focus on related topics and establishing new collaboration in these areas.The conference was divided into three sessions, including keynote speeches, oral presentations, and poster presentations. In the keynote presentation’s part, we have 3 renowned professors present their insightful speeches. Each speaker allocated 50 minutes including 5min for Q&A to hold their speeches. Prof. Jizhong Zhu from South China University of Technology, Prof. Witod Pedrycz from University of Alberta, Prof. Fushuan Wen from Zhejiang University. For oral presentations, authors were given approximately 10-15 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one.List of Conference Committee are available in this pdf.

Victor Taki. Russia on the Danube: Empire, Elites, and Reform in Moldavia and Wallachia, 1812–1834

Victor Taki. <i>Russia on the Danube: Empire, Elites, and Reform in Moldavia and Wallachia, 1812–1834</i>

Evidence of scientific research on organic plant breeding: A bibliometric study

AbstractUse of varieties bred under organic conditions is essential in order to minimize the yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture. The aim of this study was to analyse research publications related to the topic ‘organic plant breeding’ from the Web of Science database using bibliometric science mapping and visualization tools. The number of analysed documents in the bibliographic dataset was 204 from the 53 sources. The overall trend in the organic plant breeding literature showed that the number of publications increased during the observed time‐span. We found that in total, 65 countries and 337 institutions are active in the field of organic plant breeding with a high degree of international collaboration. The top five countries according to the number of publications were the United States, Italy, Germany, France, and Canada, while the most active institutions were Wageningen University, Iowa State University, University of Alberta, University of Copenhagen, and University of Hohenheim. All keywords from the organic plant breeding research in the agronomy category were separated into seven clusters for different research topics. Although there is evident progress viewed through the increased trend in the number of publications, organic plant breeding needs further expansion and development. This is especially through the implementation of novel plant breeding techniques and methods aiming to improve traits that are highly specific to organic conditions.

A bibliometric and visualized research on global trends of scar, 2011–2021

ObjectivePathological scars are the results of abnormal wound healing, which not only affect the appearance, but may also be accompanied by significant psychosocial burdens. In this study, we aimed to conduct a bibliometric and visualized analysis on pathological scars and provide directions for future research. MethodsThe articles on scar research from 2011 to 2021 in the Web of Science Core Collection database were collected. The bibliometrics records were retrieved and analyzed with Excel, CiteSpace V and VOSviewer. ResultsA total of 944 scar research records published between 2011 and 2021 were collected. Publication output has shown an upward trend as a whole. China ranked first in terms of country contributions (418 publications, 5176 citations), while Germany, with only 22 studies published, had the highest average citation rate (57.18). Shanghai Jiaotong University was the institution with the largest number of related articles published, followed by the fourth military medical university, the University of Alberta and the Second military medical university. Wound repair and regeneration, Burns, Journal of Burn Care & Research, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology published the most research in this field. Dahai Hu was the most prolific author, while Rei Ogawa was the most cited. The cluster analysis of the reference contributions and keywords indicated that current research hotspots mainly include pathogenesis, treatment strategies, and the safety evaluation of new scar treatment options. ConclusionThis study provides a comprehensive summary and analysis of the current status and research trends of pathological scars. International research interest in pathological scars is on the rise, and high-quality studies related to the field have also increased in the last decade. The pathogenesis of pathological scars, treatment strategies, such as fractional ablative CO2 laser and molecular targeted therapy, and the safety evaluation of new treatment options will be the focus of future research.

Consent for the Apnea Test: Asking the Wrong Question.

1 Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. 2 John Dossetor Health Ethics Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. *See also p. 399. Dr. Joffe has disclosed that he does not have any potential conflicts of interest.

Electroadhesive robotics experiment in simulated microgravity

Canada has a strong presence in space robotics, and Mission SpaceWalker (MSW) is a group of ambitious young women who are leaning into Canadian robotics excellence through their investigation of how electroadhesive (EA) robots behave in reduced gravity, all while introducing a new testing procedure for rovers and adhesive space robotics. As an undergraduate student team at the University of Alberta, MSW has been chosen to fly their payload as part of the Canadian Reduced Gravity Experiment Challenge (CAN-RGX) organized by Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Canada (SEDS-Canada), the National Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Space Agency. The annual competition is open nationwide to university students, soliciting participating groups to create a payload to be tested onboard a parabolic flight. The experiment will consist of an automated system contained within a Pelican case, featuring a mechanical design that will obtain footage of two robots on conductive and nonconductive surfaces. It will log data from onboard sensors to provide insight into the performance of the EA pads on both surfaces. The payload is expected to be flown on a parabolic flight during the CAN-RGX campaign in the 2023 calendar year.

Preface

Following the success of 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2021 International Conference on Science & Technology Applications in Climate Change (STACLIM), the Institute of Climate Change (IPI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is proud to extend our promotion of research and education for the advancement of climate change studies. The 2022 International Conference on Science & Technology Applications in Climate Change (STACLIM 2022) with the theme “Climate change mitigation action through the lens of science and technology” is the fifth in the series of conferences organized by IPI. This year the conference was carried out in virtual form through the Webex platform (29 – 30 November 2022) due to the COVID-19 travel restriction. Through the virtual form, the science community is able to share their research findings in time.The aim of this conference is to bring together researchers in fields of Environmental Science, Health Sustainability, Mathematics, Sustainable Energy, Economic Sustainability, Socio-Cultural Studies, Social Science, Atmospheric Science, and related fields, to present their research findings as well as create new opportunities for future research collaborations. This event is envisaged to witness active participation from various eminent environmental and earth scientists, engineers and students from academia, industry and government sectors for addressing complications associated with climate change and to draw forth novel and ground-breaking initiatives and solutions for climate resilience.The plenary sessions in the main room were opened by two keynote speeches from leading experts including Prof. Dr. Lisa Stein from University of Alberta, Canada on “Microbial Solutions to Mitigating Climate Change”, Prof. Dr. Haruko Kurihara from University of Ryukyus, Japan, on “Ocean acidification impacts on marine ecosystem and its potential mitigation solutions”. As the keynote session was open for public registration, we had participants joining the event. It was then followed by the invited speaker sessions consisting of Prof. Dr. Fredolin Tangang (UKM), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rawshan Ara Begum (Macquarie University, Australia), Dr. Shantanu Kumar Pani (National Central University, Taiwan) and Mr. Saud Aldrees (University of Oxford, England). The program was then continued with oral presentation of 72 papers in 3 parallel breakout rooms. Each presenter was given up to 15 mins for presentation and Q&A sessions. There were additional 13 non-presenters who joined in during the presentation session. Presenters and participants have attended the conference from their respective countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, USA, China, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Algeria, India, and Ukraine.The conference went well with great support and synergy of the staff and personnel from Institute of Climate Change, UKM. To document and promulgate the research findings and ideas shared, we are very pleased to publish the accepted research papers of STACLIM 2022 in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (EES).The EditorsList of Organizing Committee is available in this Pdf.

Featuring Colleen St. Clair

Dr. Colleen St. Clair is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta, and her research focuses on animal behavior and human-wildlife conflict.

Long-term outcomes after normothermic machine perfusion in liver transplantation—Experience at a single North American center

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) has emerged as a valuable tool in the preservation of liver allografts before transplantation. Randomized trials have shown that replacing static cold storage (SCS) with NMP reduces allograft injury and improves graft utilization. The University of Alberta’s liver transplant program was one of the early adopters of NMP in North America. Herein, we describe our 7-year experience applying NMP to extend preservation time in liver transplantation using a “back-to-base” approach. From 2015 to 2021, 79 livers were transplanted following NMP, compared with 386 after SCS only. NMP livers were preserved for a median time of minutes compared with minutes in the SCS cohort (P < .0001). Despite this, we observed significantly improved 30-day graft survival (P = .030), although there were no differences in long-term patient survival, major complications, or biliary or vascular complications. We also found that although SCS time was strongly associated with increased graft failure at 1 year in the SCS cohort (P = .006), there was no such association among NMP livers (P = .171). Our experience suggests that NMP can safely extend the total preservation time of liver allografts without increasing complications.

Studies of Physical Parameters of Indigenous Artifacts. Collecting and Preserving the Relating Oral Stories

The project, supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage, was conducted by scholars from First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv), University of Regina (U of R) and Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM) in 2018 - 2020, in collaboration with Sturgeon Lake and Pelican Narrows First Nations communities. More than forty people, including Elders and students, participated in this project. The research Ethics review was done by U of R. We also consulted with Elders regarding the research Ethics protocols during the individual meetings, ceremonies and workshops in Pelican Narrows and Sturgeon Lake. Research assistants (Indigenous students) were trained (Indigenous studies and the basics of archaeology) for working in First Nations communities and at the RSM. We interviewed Elders and Knowledge Keepers from Pelican Narrows and Sturgeon Lake and recorded their oral stories; collected Indigenous artifacts in these communities and selected samples from RSM collections for physical measurements at the Scanning Electron Microscope Laboratory of the University of Alberta, Saskatchewan Isotope Laboratory of the University of Saskatchewan and André E. Lalonde Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory of the University of Ottawa. Then we carried out the statistical analysis of the obtained data. The preliminary results of the project were presented to community members.

Redcliff hard red spring wheat

Redcliff hard red spring wheat was developed at the University of Alberta using a modified bulk breeding method. In 3 years of evaluation in the Parkland Cooperative test from 2018 to 2020, Redcliff produced 7.3% more grain and matured 1.9 days earlier than the highest yielding check Carberry. Redcliff had 3.9 cm taller plants than Carberry but shorter than the other checks and displayed good lodging tolerance. The test weight of Redcliff was slightly higher than Carberry and Parata but lower than Glenn. The grain weight of Redcliff was higher than Parata and similar to the other checks. Grain protein content was within the range of the checks. Redcliff was rated “resistant” to the prevalent races of stem rust, “resistant” to “moderately resistant” to Fusarium head blight, “intermediate” to leaf and stripe rusts, whereas “moderately susceptible” to common bunt. Three years of end-use quality evaluation have indicated that Redcliff is acceptable for the Canada Western Red Spring wheat market class, with improvements in flour yield.

On Decolonizing Curriculums: The Unethicality and Implications of Western Knowledge on Arab Subjectivity

AbstractIn this essay (originally delivered as a lecture at Alberta University of the Arts), my thoughts are centered around the question of the ethics of knowledge as an Arab racialized pedagogue and researcher in Western academia. Today, as I grapple with the notion of decolonization, I wish to think about the ways in which knowledge, or what is deemed as knowledge, is read and inscribed, interpreted, distorted, and even silenced in our epistemologies, and of its implications on my subjectivity as an Arab. I wish to think about how this knowledge also constitutes the ethics on which we knowingly, or unknowingly, participate in the everydayness of our lived realities; I suggest that we engage in “epistemic resistance” and “epistemic activism” as “practices of interrogation and resistance that unmask, disrupt, uproot biases and insensitivity.”

Exploring the entrepreneurial ability of women

Exploring the entrepreneurial ability of women Dr Jennifer E. Jennings from the University of Alberta, and her colleagues investigate the common portrayals of – and recommendations regarding – women's supposed entrepreneurial under-confidence, that men ‘naturally' possess an appropriate level of confidence in their entrepreneurial ability. Jennings and her co-authors suggested that men might be prone to overestimating this ability, believing that their entrepreneurship-related skills are better than they are in reality. They found that the lower average level of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) exhibited by women relative to men tends to be interpreted as evidence that women are ‘deficient' in this regard, and conducted two distinct studies, finding that the gender gap in ESE does not necessarily imply that women are under-confident in their entrepreneurial ability.

Examination and Analysis of an Unlabeled Artifact in the University of Alberta’s W.G. Hardy Classics Museum

In one of the display cases at the University of Alberta’s W.G. Hardy Classics Museum is a remarkably intact, but unlabeled and unnumbered classical artifact. This artifact, while rather basic in painting and design, is nonetheless unique and offers intriguing questions as to its contextual origins. It is the purpose of this paper to offer an examination and analysis of this artifact. This will be accomplished by first exploring the artifact’s shape and artistic features. Then, the artifact’s date as well as its most probable geographical location of production will be explored. Finally, a speculation of the artifact’s usage, deposition, and purpose will be offered. Through this examination and analysis the artifact will be seen not as a basic classical ceramic lacking in great detail or pomp, but rather as a unique artifact with a rich contextual origins and much to offer the viewer in regards to the cultural extent of Greek colonization in Magna Graecia.

Livable Proximity: Ideas for the City that Cares

April 01 2023 Livable Proximity: Ideas for the City that Cares Livable Proximity: Ideas for the City that Cares by Ezio Manzini (Milan: Bocconi University Press, 2022), ISBN: 978-88-31322-38-6, 158 pages, paperback ($29.95) Jorge Frascara Jorge Frascara Jorge Frascara is Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta; Honorary Professor, Emily Carr University, Canada; Fellow, Society of Graphic Designers of Canada; former President, Icograda; author of eleven books and more than 90 articles; advisor of the Doctoral Program in Design Sciences, University of Venice; and editorial advisor of four professional journals. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Author and Article Information Jorge Frascara Jorge Frascara is Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta; Honorary Professor, Emily Carr University, Canada; Fellow, Society of Graphic Designers of Canada; former President, Icograda; author of eleven books and more than 90 articles; advisor of the Doctoral Program in Design Sciences, University of Venice; and editorial advisor of four professional journals. Online Issn: 1531-4790 Print Issn: 0747-9360 © 2023 Massachusetts Institute of Technology2023Massachusetts Institute of Technology Design Issues (2023) 39 (2): 86–87. https://doi.org/10.1162/desi_r_00719 Cite Icon Cite Permissions Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Search Site Citation Jorge Frascara; Livable Proximity: Ideas for the City that Cares. Design Issues 2023; 39 (2): 86–87. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/desi_r_00719 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll JournalsDesign Issues Search Advanced Search This content is only available as a PDF. © 2023 Massachusetts Institute of Technology2023Massachusetts Institute of Technology Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

A novel smartphone application for the tracking of procedural numbers and trainee experience in gastrointestinal endoscopy

ObjectivesThe tracking and documentation of procedures in gastrointestinal endoscopy including therapeutic interventions is an essential but challenging process. The University of Alberta has developed a smartphone app to help facilitate this task. This study evaluated the functionality, usefulness, and user satisfaction of this app.MethodsFour Gastroenterology (GI) residents and two therapeutic endoscopy fellows participated in the study. The trainees submitted all their data into the app from the procedures in which they participated hands-on for one year, data was collected and analyzed on the app and the website associated with it.ResultsTrainees were able to register the procedures immediately after each procedure without difficulty, this data was available to be reviewed at anytime in the app and associated website. Furthermore, the data collected was able to be transformed into tables and graphs on the app website.The total number of procedures and therapeutic interventions performed were easily accessed in the app and website at anytime. The app facilitated the calculation of the cecal intubation rate in colonoscopy and the cannulation rate in ERCP for the therapeutic endoscopy trainee. Trainees reported excellent experience with the app capabilities.ConclusionsA novel smartphone app was useful in collecting meaningful data submitted by gastrointestinal endoscopy trainees, furthermore, through an associated website, it was capable to create graphs and tables to show and facilitate the calculation of meaningful data such as key performance indicators.

Equity, sessional faculty, and sociological research.

Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue canadienne de sociologieEarly View COMMITTING SOCIOLOGY Equity, sessional faculty, and sociological research Anastasia Kulpa, Corresponding Author Anastasia Kulpa [email protected] University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada Correspondence Anastasia Kulpa, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author Anastasia Kulpa, Corresponding Author Anastasia Kulpa [email protected] University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada Correspondence Anastasia Kulpa, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 28 March 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/cars.12430Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue RelatedInformation

Assessing the uncertainties in modeling water temperatures during river cooling and freeze-up periods

Accurate simulation of water temperatures is crucial to the simulation of ice processes in river ice models. This study presents a quantitative assessment of uncertainties in simulating the water temperatures during river cooling and freeze-up periods. In particular, the selections of the heat transfer model and the proximity of the weather station to the study reach are investigated using the University of Alberta's River1D Ice Process model. Results show that using local versus remote weather data only had a significant impact on the performance of the full energy budget model during the river cooling period. This was mainly attributed to the large difference in the locally and remotely measured wind speeds. The full energy budget model during the freeze-up period and the linear heat transfer model were relatively insensitive to the source of weather data. The full energy budget model using local weather data was the most accurate in simulating water temperatures. When using remote weather data, the full energy budget model was generally more accurate than the linear heat transfer model in the calibration year and the two validation years, except during the cooling period of the calibration year. Neither model was able to consistently and accurately simulate the timing and magnitude of observed supercooling events. It is recommended that the full energy budget model be used whenever comprehensive weather data are available due to its overall better accuracy and less calibrated parameters than the linear heat transfer model.

Engagement in radiation therapy research: What happens after graduation?

BackgroundTo prepare undergraduate radiation therapy (RT) students for the professional role of Scholarly Practitioner the University of Alberta's Radiation Therapy Program (RADTH) provides research education, and students conduct novel research studies during their final practicum year with the final result being a publishable paper. A curriculum evaluation project was carried out to examine the impact of the RADTH undergraduate research education by examining the final outcomes of these research projects and whether the learners carried out further research after graduation. MethodsAlumni who graduated from 2017 to 2020 were surveyed to seek information on the dissemination of their research projects, whether the projects resulted in a change to practice, policy, or patient care, if subsequent research has been performed by the graduates, and the motivators or barriers to conducting research post-graduation. A subsequent manual search of publication databases was conducted to fill in data gaps pertaining to publications. ResultsAll RADTH research projects have been disseminated by conference presentation and/or publication. One project was reported to have had an impact on practice, with no impact reported for five projects and two respondents not sure about any impact. All respondents reported they have not participated in any new research projects since graduation. Barriers listed included: limited local opportunity, lack of topic ideas, other professional development, no interest in research, COVID impact, and lack of research knowledge. ConclusionsRADTH's research education curriculum successfully enables the RT students to conduct and disseminate research. All RADTH projects have been successfully disseminated by the graduates. However, participation in research post-graduation is not occurring due to a variety of factors. While MRT education programs are required to develop research skills, this education alone may not alter motivation nor ensure research participation post-graduation. Exploring other avenues of professional scholarship may be key to ensuring contribution to evidence-informed practice.

Subfossil Insect Collections From the Arctic of Northeast Asia and Northwest North America

Subfossil insects (mostly beetles) are common in the Late Cenozoic terrestrial loose deposits of the Arctic. The best-studied areas are those regions that remained ice-free during the Pleistocene — in Alaska and Yukon, northeast Siberia, and west Chukotka. Tertiary subfossil insects have been found in Alaska, Yukon, Canadian Northwest Territories, and Greenland. The northernmost sites (above 75°N) are Ellesmere and Meighen Islands in Canada, Kap Kobenhavn in Greenland, and Faddeyevsky and Navaya Sibir’ Islands in Siberia. Collections from North America and Russia are housed in research institutions such as The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) in Ottawa, University of Alberta (UofA) in Edmonton, Paleontological Institute (PIN) in Moscow, and Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology in Yekaterinburg; collections from Greenland are housed in the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen. The collections are mainly used for research purposes, including reconstruction of past climate and environment, stratigraphy, origin of local faunas, and ecosystems of the past. A few extinct species have been described from the late Neogene and early Quaternary.