HARVEST
University of Saskatchewan's Repository for Research, Scholarship, and Artistic Work
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Recent Submissions
Towards the End of the Century: Hydrodynamic and Water Quality Modeling for Lake Diefenbaker in the Presence of Climate Change
(2025-04-25) Vatanparast, Maryam; Lindenschmidt, Karl Erich; Ireson , Andrew; Terry, Julie; Sadeghian, Amir; Rodriguez, Erasmo
This study examines how climate change affects the water quality of Lake Diefenbaker, a water reservoir in Saskatchewan that supplies water to more than a million people. The focus is on key water quality parameters, including temperature, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Nitrogen (TN), and Total Phosphorus (TP). For this purpose, a robust framework for modeling water quality using the CE-QUAL-W2 model is established to simulate conditions up to the late 21st century and analyze potential climatic effects on the lake's water quality. The model was calibrated and validated using observed data. The MESH (Modélisation Environnementale communautaire – Surface Hydrology) hydrological model provided inflow and outflow data from 2011 to 2100 as inputs for the CE-QUAL-W2 model.
Future scenarios for 2041-2050 and 2081-2090 are projected using the SSP5-8.5 climate scenario and nutrient concentrations from the SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed Attributes) model. Two strategic locations near Gardiner and Qu’Appelle Dams were selected for detailed analysis, focusing on the epilimnion, metalimnion, and hypolimnion layers. The findings suggest alterations in water quality towards the end of the century. Water temperatures are predicted to increase by up to 4°C during the summer and fall seasons, with a corresponding 20% decrease expected for DO levels – particularly evident towards late summer – posing a greater threat for hypoxia. TN and TP concentrations are projected to nearly double, increasing the risk of eutrophication.
The findings of this study highlight the risk of water quality degradation in the presence of future climate conditions. These findings emphasize the necessity to develop adaptive water management strategies to help Lake Diefenbaker continue to be a vital water resource for various uses. The model’s results will also provide insights for studies on other connected water systems downstream of Gardiner Dam and Qu’Appelle Dams.
International Perspective of Pharmacists' Role in Transplant
(2025-04-25) Loureiro Orsi, Gabriela; Mansell, Holly; Rosaasen, Nicola; Taylor, Jeff; Mainra, Rahul; Dadachova, Kate
ABSTRACT
Background: Pharmacotherapy for solid organ transplant recipients is complex. Pharmacists are recognized as part of the transplant team in the USA, but in other countries the role is less defined. Our objectives were to identify which countries have transplant pharmacists and to describe their role in solid organ transplant care.
Methods: An internet search identified contact information for solid organ transplant centers in countries other than the USA. (Search=country name + transplant + center OR institution OR program). Institutions were emailed a survey in one of their official languages (39 translations) to determine if they had a transplant pharmacist (Survey 1). Snowball distribution was undertaken via transplant networks. If ‘yes’, institutions were asked to share another electronic survey with pharmacists (Survey 2). If ‘no’, they were asked why. Survey 2 for pharmacists had 4 sections: demographics; assessment of roles; barriers to providing care; interest in joining a network. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.
Results: Of 194 countries identified by the World Health Organization, 128 (65.8%) performed solid organ transplants. Survey 1 (sent to 1726 institutions) received responses from 131 institutions/42 countries. Survey 2 received responses from 157 pharmacists in 17 countries other than the USA and 54 from pharmacists in the USA. Of 43 countries responding in total, 41.9% had transplant pharmacists, 21% supplied mixed responses, and 37.2% did not; the most common reason was that pharmacists did not routinely provide clinical care. Most pharmacist respondents from countries other than the USA (n=157) were licensed for 6 to 10 years (26.3%), didn’t have specialized transplant training (88.4%) and provided inpatient care (86.6%). Nearly all were confident in their ability to provide solid organ transplant care (94%) and perceived a demand for solid organ transplant pharmacists (94%). Having a variety of duties leaving insufficient time was the most common barrier (59%). In contrast, 72.5% of pharmacists from the USA had clinical training. Almost half of participants from non-US countries (47%), and majority of participants from the USA (70.4%) demonstrated interest in joining a network.
Conclusion: Transplant pharmacists are present in many countries and successes and barriers are identified. A professional network may facilitate international collaborations.
Precision medicine within health professions education:Defining a research agenda for emergency medicine using aforesight and strategy technique (FaST) review
(Wiley, 2024-05-19) Chan, Teresa M.; Thoma, Brent; Finnell, John T.; Gordon, Bradley D.; Farrell, Susan; Pusic, Martin; Cabrera, Daniel; Gisondi, Michael A.; Caretta-Weyer, Holly A.; Stave, Christopher; Ankel, Felix
Background
Precision medicine, sometimes referred to as personalized medicine, is rapidly changing the possibilities for how people will engage health care in the near future. As technology to support precision medicine exponentially develops, there is an urgent need to proactively improve our understanding of precision medicine and pose important research questions (RQs) related to its inclusion in the education and training of future emergency physicians.
Methods
A seven-step process was employed to develop a research agenda exploring the intersection of precision and emergency medicine education/training. A literature search of articles about precision medicine was conducted first, which informed the creation of future four scenarios in which trainees and practicing physicians regularly discuss and incorporate precision medicine tools into their discussions and work. Based on these futurist narratives, potential education RQs were generated by an expert panel. A total of 59 initial questions were subsequently categorized and refined to a priority list through a nominal group voting method. The top/priority questions were presented at the 2023 SAEM Consensus Conference on Precision Medicine, Austin, Texas, for further input.
Results
Eight high-value education RQs were developed, reflecting a holistic view of the challenges and opportunities for precision medicine education in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes relevant to emergency medicine. These questions contend with topics such as most effective pedagogical methods; intended resulting outcomes and behaviors; the generational differences between practicing emergency physicians, educators, and future trainees; and the desires and expectations of patients.
Conclusions
Emergency medicine and emergency physicians must be prepared to understand precision medicine and incorporate this information into their “toolbox” of thinking, problem solving, and communication with patients and colleagues. This research agenda on how best to educate future emergency physicians in the use of personalized data to provide optimal health care is the focus of this article.
Competence By Design: a transformational national model of time-variable competency-based postgraduate medical education
(Ubiquity Press, 2024-03-18) Frank, Jason R.; Sherbino, Jonathan; Atkinson, Adelle; Snell, Linda; Atkinson, Adelle; Oswald, Anna; Hall, Andrew Koch; Cooke, Lara; Dojeiji, Sue; Richardson, Denyse; Cheung, Warren J.; Cavalcanti, Rodrigo B.; Dalseg, Timothy; Thoma, Brent; Flynn, Leslie; Gofton, Wade; Dudek, Nancy; Bhanji, Farhan; Wong, Brian M.-F.; Razak, Saleem; Anderson, Robert; Dubois, Daniel; Boucher, Andree; Gomes, Marcio M.; Taber, Sarah; Gorman, Lisa J.; Fulford, Jane; Naik, Viren; Harris, Kenneth A.; Croix, Rhonda St.; Melle, Elaine Van
Postgraduate medical education is an essential societal enterprise that prepares highly skilled physicians for the health workforce. In recent years, PGME systems have been criticized worldwide for problems with variable graduate abilities, concerns about patient safety, and issues with teaching and assessment methods. In response, competency based medical education approaches, with an emphasis on graduate outcomes, have been proposed as the direction for 21st century health profession education. However, there are few published models of large-scale implementation of these approaches. We describe the rationale and design for a national, time-variable competency-based multi-specialty system for postgraduate medical education called Competence by Design. Fourteen innovations were bundled to create this new system, using the Van Melle Core Components of competency based medical education as the basis for the transformation. The successful execution of this transformational training system shows competency based medical education can be implemented at scale. The lessons learned in the early implementation of Competence by Design can inform competency based medical education innovation efforts across professions worldwide.
Fenton-Based Treatment of Flax Biomass for Modification of Its Fiber Structure and Physicochemical Properties
(MDPI, 2024-07-15) Aliasgharlou, Nasrin; Cree, Duncan E.; Wilson, Lee
The availability of a sustainable technique for degumming lignocellulose fibers is a challenge for the fiber processing industry. Removal of non-cellulosic content from lignocellulose fibers is essential for improving their mechanical and chemical properties, which makes the fibers more suitable for various applications. Herein, a catalytic Fenton-based oxidation process was employed to isolate microcellulose fibers from raw flax fibers. Various complementary methods such as FT-IR/NMR spectroscopy and TGA were used to obtain insight into the thermal behavior of the treated fibers. The morphology of the fibers was studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), whereas the surface chemical properties of the fibers was evaluated by a dye-based adsorption method, along with a potentiometric point-of-zero-charge method. To obtain fibers with suitable properties, such as uniform fiber diameter, several Fenton reaction parameters were optimized: pH (7), reaction time (15 h), iron sulfate (2 wt.%), and hydrogen peroxide (10 wt.%). The results indicate that, under the specified conditions, the average diameter of the raw fibers (12.3 ± 0.5 µm) was reduced by 58%, resulting in an average diameter of 5.2 ± 0.3 µm for the treated fibers. We demonstrate that the treated fibers had a lower dye adsorption capacity for methylene blue, consistent with the smoother surface features of the treated fibers over the raw flax fibers. Overall, this study contributes to utilization of the Fenton reaction an efficient oxidation technique for the production of lignocellulose fibers with improved physicochemical properties, such as reduced fiber diameter distribution, in contrast with traditional alkali-based chemical treatment.
REDI or Not? The Experiences of Equity-Deserving Students in the Wake of Massification and Widening Participation
(2025-04-25) Penney, Renee S; Cottrell, Michael; Squires, Vicki; Arnold, Christine; Osiname, Ayodeji; Hamilton, Melanie
It can be argued that while post-secondary institutions in Canada are actively engaged in reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI) efforts, the evidence regarding how or if these initiatives are being incorporated into student support services is lacking. The shift from elite to mass to universal access in higher education has been a primary catalyst for increased access and the diversification of the student body. While this expansion has been beneficial, the administrative and support systems required to accommodate these changes have not evolved at the same rate. This has resulted in a number of challenges for student support services that impact students’ ability to get the supports they need, and in a timely fashion.
Strategies to Address Emerging Highly Pathogenic Coronaviruses Through Vaccine Design
(2025-04-25) Yourkowski, Anthony; Dmetriev, Oleg; Napper, Scott; Pioli, Peter; Liu, Qiang; Wilson, Heather; Kelvin, Alyson
The abstract of this item is unavailable due to an embargo.
Zoe Hagen MA Thesis - Creating Demand for a Downtown Lifestyle in Saskatoon - April 2025
(2025-04-25) Hagen, Zoe; Diab, Ehab; Berdahl, Loleen; Patrick, Robert
Based in a conceptual foundation of urban planning, place, and consumer behaviour, this thesis introduces crucial components of downtown revitalization in midsized cities, which is a strategy used to increase the viability and vitality of downtowns. Crucial components of downtown revitalization include improvements to branding, public realm, economic development, and property development to enhance overall liveability. These elements are experienced physically and cognitively by diverse residents with different housing, employment, and recreational needs. Consumer behaviour, preferences, and expectations for urban real estate should guide revitalization strategies to ensure planning and market objectives are achieved. The purpose of this thesis is to learn how to make downtown a desirable place to live through planning and development by identifying local interest and perspectives on downtown living in Saskatoon. A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach incorporates a survey questionnaire and focus group discussions to determine the lifestyle amenities required for a liveable and desirable Downtown Saskatoon.
Research participants indicated that desirable downtown neighbourhoods offer high-quality urban lifestyle amenities. In Saskatoon, being part of a dynamic community with diverse housing options and land uses near parks and natural areas makes downtown living appealing. Branding promotes these attributes to target consumer segments by establishing a vibrant and cohesive downtown community. Public realm improvements use design and programming to foster community identity and sense of belonging among users. Economic development initiatives attract and retain a variety of businesses and services to make downtown a destination for living, work, and leisure. Property development enhances downtown liveability by adapting the built form to meet the needs and preferences of consumers and providing spaces to connect and build community. While these components contribute to a successful downtown, a substantial downtown residential population is needed to cultivate a vibrant downtown community. As such, inducing demand for downtown residential development is key to stimulating downtown revitalization in Saskatoon. This demand may be accomplished by implementing the expected lifestyle amenities of target downtown residential consumer segments through downtown planning, development, and investment. These findings facilitate evidence-based decision-making and reveal a competitive advantage of Downtown Saskatoon.
Advanced Stator Inter-Turn Fault Diagnosis Methods for Line-Connected Induction Motors
(2025-04-24) Nazemi, Mohammadhossein; Liang, Xiaodong; Bui, Francis; Karki, Rajesh; Saadat Mehr, Aryan; Wu, Fangxiang; Lai, Chunyan
The abstract of this item is unavailable due to an embargo.
The 2023 World delirium awareness and quality Survey: A Canadian substudy
(Elsevier, 2025-03) Krewulak, Karla D.; Lee, Laurie A.; Strayer, Kathryn; Armstrong, Jennifer; Baig, Nadia; Brouillette, Judith; Deemer, Kirsten; Jaworska, Natalia; Kissel, Katherine A.; MacDonald, Christine; Mailhot, Tanya; Rewa, Oleksa; Sy, Eric; Nydahl, Peter; von Haken, Rebecca; Lindroth, Heidi; Liu, Keibun; Fiest, Kirsten
Objective
This study aimed to evaluate the proportion of screened patients with delirium and the strategies used for its management in Canadian hospitals caring for critically ill children or adults.
Methods
This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study completed on World Delirium Awareness Day (March 15, 2023). Respondents completed a 35-question survey on the proportion of screened patients with delirium (at 8:00 am and 8:00 pm), treatment, and management strategies employed.
Results
A total of 27 ICUs (22 adult and 5 pediatric) participated. Among adult ICU patients assessed for delirium, 18 % (n = 34/194) had delirium at 8:00 am and 18 % (32/181) had delirium at 8:00 pm. In pediatric ICUs, the proportion of screened patients with delirium was higher, with 50 % (n = 8/16) at 8:00 am and 44 % (n = 7/16) at 8:00 pm. Delirium management strategies varied: with non-pharmacological approaches such as multi-professional rounds (100 %), pain management (96 %), and mobilization (85 %) being most common. The most reported written delirium management protocols included spontaneous breathing trials in adult ICUs and physical restraint and sedation management in PICUs. Few ICUs reported written protocols for family engagement and empowerment.
Conclusions
Delirium remains a prevalent issue in Canadian ICUs, with variability in assessment and management strategies. Gaps in family engagement and pediatric-specific protocols persist. Addressing barriers like staff shortages and lack of training is critical to improving care.
Implications for Clinical Practice: Improving delirium management requires standardized protocols, especially in PICUs, and better integration of family engagement in care. Addressing workforce challenges (e.g., staff shortages and educating new staff on delirium) will be crucial for enhancing delirium prevention and treatment in Canadian ICUs. Further research should focus on pediatric-specific interventions and pharmacological management.