OPUS: Open Ulethbridge Scholarship

Open ULeth Scholarship (OPUS) is the University of Lethbridge's open access research repository. It contains a collection of materials related to research and teaching produced by the academic community.

Self-archiving your research in OPUS is one way to meet Open Access policies of granting agencies. It is important to retain your final, post-peer-reviewed drafts for submission to OPUS, as this is often the only version publishers will allow to be archived. Click here for information on the U of L Open Access Policy.

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Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among dental workers in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria
(Lippincott, 2025) Anyachukwu, Canice C.; Ezugwu, Faith N.; Ede, Stephen S.; Onyeso, Ogochukwu K.; Ezema, Charles I.; Ede, Chisom F.
Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) are the main occupational health hazard among several clinicians, but its prevalence among dental workers in Nigeria has not been well-studied. Objective: This study evaluated the pattern and prevalence of WRMSDs among dental workers in the Enugu metropolis, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Six hospitals with dental clinics participated in this cross-sectional survey in the Enugu metropolis. One-hundred and fifty (150) standardized musculoskeletal symptom (Nordic) questionnaires were adopted and distributed, of which 141 were returned. The questionnaire elicited data on demographic characteristics and carrier profiles, ergonomics, and the body parts involved in the occupational activities. Results: The results indicated that 83% of the respondents sustained musculoskeletal injury more than once. Bending (66%) and performing repetitive tasks (58.2%) were the most performed risk activities. The lower back (66%) was the most affected body part, followed by the upper back (58.9%), neck (51%), shoulder (47.5%), and hip (46.1%). The most common preventive measures taken by individuals were resting (57%) and avoiding lifting (53.2%). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of WRMSD among dental workers, with potential to having negative effect on their work habits, and reduced productivity.
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Harnessing renewable resources in southern Alberta: a Homer Pro and GIS approach to energy and agriculture
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Geography and Environment, 2025) Aftab, Mohammad Adnan; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Johnson, Dan L.
With robust and innovative federal policies and initiatives, Canada has rapidly shifted its focus from conventional fuels to renewable energy resources, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve a sustainable energy future. The Pan-Canadian policy 2030 on Clean Growth and Climate Change laid out by the Canadian Government presented a comprehensive framework to reduce carbon emissions by 30%. This policy comprises detailed measures to promote clean energy projects and build resilience to the impact of climate change by adopting renewable energy resources across the country. Alberta, the country's largest energy producer, plays a vital role in policy adoption to promote clean and environmentally friendly renewable technologies. Alberta’s Electric System Operation statistics show that the province boasted over 6 GW of Wind and 1.5 GW of Solar photovoltaic capacity in 2023. Alberta’s 2016 initiative, “Renewable Energy Program 2030,” aimed at achieving 30% of the province’s energy from renewable energy resources. These goals are driven by Alberta’s abundant renewable energy resources and a decreasing trend in PV and WT technology costs.This research redefines the integration of hybrid renewable energy systems by introducing an innovative tri-brid photovoltaic-wind turbine-battery energy storage system (PV-WT-BESS) model, strategically designed for remote communities in Alberta. Unlike Conventional approaches, this research pioneers a techno- economical, geospatial and agricultural synergy by leveraging HOMER Pro for energy optimization, Geographic Information System (GIS) based strategic land use assessment and FAO’sCROPWAT for precision irrigation planning. The first objective of the research was to conduct a detailed techno-economic analysis by considering hybrid renewable energy resources in the country, especially in remote communities that mainly rely on conventional resources such as fossil fuels, etc. Furthermore, the research was extended towards finding out the strategic land use and resource assessment process to efficiently optimize the integration of renewables such as solar and wind energy into the major sectors contributing to the economy. Agriculture is considered one of the main pillars of Canada’s economy, generating 7% of the GDP and creating substantial employment opportunities. Hence, efficient utilization of the land for renewable installation is crucial to keep the land used for agricultural purposes at its maximum. Agriculture output efficiency mainly relies on the irrigation of land. Different rivers, such as the Bow, Oldman, South Saskatchewan Rivers, etc. supply the irrigation water to fulfil the crop water requirements. However, extensive water use reduces water reservoirs, which could significantly affect the hydel energy generation in coming years, i.e., 60% of the total energy generated throughout the country.Keeping in view the sustainable development goal (SDG 7), i.e., Affordable and Clean Energy, the presented research work leverages Homer Pro energy modelling, Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques, and FAO’s CROPWAT software to optimize renewable energy resources for energy generation and irrigation purposes tailored for Alberta, mainly focusing on communities such as Gleichen and irrigation districts of Lethbridge and St. Mary River. This study has been conducted to achieve the most optimized hybrid renewables combination with the lowest cost of energy (LCOE) and reduced greenhouse gas emission (GHG) compared to conventional fuel-based electricity.In the first part of the study, a tri-brid system was modelled for the Siksika Nation in Gleichen, Alberta, due to its proximity to high renewables availability. The proposed hybrid system comprises grid-tied PV-WT-BESS to compensate for the community load demand. The techno-economic analysis revealed that LCOE for the proposed system is $0.075 CAD/kWh compared to conventional energy costing $0.127 CAD/kWh. These results authenticate the cost-effectiveness and environment-friendly nature of hybrid renewables. In the second part of the research work, the scope was extended to Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID) and St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) for strategic land use and resource assessment processes to integrate renewables such as PV and WT systems into these areas. GIS techniques were used to determine the impact of various factors, such as land use, elevation, soil morphology, water bodies, road and electric networks, etc., on the suitability of different sites. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Fuzzy Overlay Analysis were used to identify the most suitable sites. The study outcomes can prove valuable for policymakers, planners, and stakeholders in driving the region toward sustainability.In the concluding part of the research study, the importance of cost-effective and efficient irrigation has been emphasized, considering that agriculture contributes 2.8% to Alberta's economy. Due to the closure of the issuance of new water licenses for Oldman River in the area mainly used for irrigation, groundwater pumping has becomethe complementary source for irrigation purposes to fulfill the crop water requirements. The study explored the utilization of PV and WT systems to supply the required energy for the groundwater pumping mechanism. CROPWAT was used for the calculation of crop water requirements of an agricultural farm for one complete season. This requirement was further converted into energy needs. Homer Pro was used to design the most optimized hybrid renewable system to fulfill the energy needs of agriculture farms and compensate for the water requirement for a complete season. The valuable findings from the above studies signify the importance and practicality of integrating renewables into the regional economy. This research highlights renewable energy's role in boosting economic growth and mitigating environmental impacts in the region by providing the roadmap for energy independence and ensuring sustainability.
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Visual-cerebellar pathways and their roles in the control of avian flight
(Frontiers Media, 2018) Wylie, Douglas R.; Gutiérrez-Ibáñez, Cristián; Gaede, Andrea H.; Altshuler, Douglas L.; Iwaniuk, Andrew N.
In this paper, we review the connections and physiology of visual pathways to the cerebellum in birds and consider their role in flight. We emphasize that there are two visual pathways to the cerebellum. One is to the vestibulocerebellum (folia IXcd and X) that originates from two retinal-recipient nuclei that process optic flow: the nucleus of the basal optic root (nBOR) and the pretectal nucleus lentiformis mesencephali (LM). The second is to the oculomotor cerebellum (folia VI-VIII), which receives optic flow information, mainly from LM, but also local visual motion information from the optic tectum, and other visual information from the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (Glv). The tectum, LM and Glv are all intimately connected with the pontine nuclei, which also project to the oculomotor cerebellum. We believe this rich integration of visual information in the cerebellum is important for analyzing motion parallax that occurs during flight. Finally, we extend upon a suggestion by Ibbotson (2017) that the hypertrophy that is observed in LM in hummingbirds might be due to an increase in the processing demands associated with the pathway to the oculomotor cerebellum as they fly through a cluttered environment while feeding.
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Predictable evolution towards larger brains in birds colonizing oceanic islands
(Nature Portfolio, 2018) Sayol, Ferran; Downing, Philip A.; Iwaniuk, Andrew N.; Maspons, Joan; Sol, Daniel
Theory and evidence suggest that some selective pressures are more common on islands than in adjacent mainland habitats, leading evolution to follow predictable trends. The existence of predictable evolutionary trends has nonetheless been difficult to demonstrate, mainly because of the challenge of separating in situ evolution from sorting processes derived from colonization events. Here we use brain size measurements of >1900 avian species to reveal the existence of one such trend: increased brain size in island dwellers. Based on sister-taxa comparisons and phylogenetic ancestral trait estimations, we show that species living on islands have relatively larger brains than their mainland relatives and that these differences mainly reflect in situ evolution rather than varying colonization success. Our findings reinforce the view that in some instances evolution may be predictable, and yield insight into why some animals evolve larger brains despite substantial energetic and developmental costs.
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Parrots have evolved a primate-like telencephalic-midbrain-cerebellar circuit
(Nature, 2018) Gutiérrez-Ibáñez, Cristián; Iwaniuk, Andrew N.; Wylie, Douglas R.
It is widely accepted that parrots show remarkable cognitive abilities. In mammals, the evolution of complex cognitive abilities is associated with increases in the size of the telencephalon and cerebellum as well as the pontine nuclei, which connect these two regions. Parrots have relatively large telencephalons that rival those of primates, but whether there are also evolutionary changes in their telencephalon-cerebellar relay nuclei is unknown. Like mammals, birds have two brainstem pontine nuclei that project to the cerebellum and receive projections from the telencephalon. Unlike mammals, birds also have a pretectal nucleus that connects the telencephalon with the cerebellum: the medial spiriform nucleus (SpM). We found that SpM, but not the pontine nuclei, is greatly enlarged in parrots and its relative size significantly correlated with the relative size of the telencephalon across all birds. This suggests that the telencephalon-SpM-cerebellar pathway of birds may play an analogous role to cortico-ponto-cerebellar pathways of mammals in controlling fine motor skills and complex cognitive processes. We conclude that SpM is key to understanding the role of telencephalon-cerebellar pathways in the evolution of complex cognitive abilities in birds.