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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The evolution of mammalian brain size
(American Association for Advancement of Science, 2021) Smaers, J. B.; Rothman, R. S.; Hudson, D. R.; Balanoff, A. M.; Beatty, B.; Dechmann, D. K. N.; de Vries, D.; Dunn, J. C.; Fleagle, J. G.; Gilbert, C. C.; Goswami, A.; Iwaniuk, Andrew N.; Jungers, W. L.; Kerney, M.; Ksepka, D. T.; Manger, P. R.; Mongle, C. S.; Rohlf, F. J.; Smith, N. A.; Soligo, C.; Weisbecker, V.; Safi, K.
Relative brain size has long been considered a reflection of cognitive capacities and has played a fundamental role in developing core theories in the life sciences. Yet, the notion that relative brain size validly represents selection on brain size relies on the untested assumptions that brain-body allometry is restrained to a stable scaling relationship across species and that any deviation from this slope is due to selection on brain size. Using the largest fossil and extant dataset yet assembled, we find that shifts in allometric slope underpin major transitions in mammalian evolution and are often primarily characterized by marked changes in body size. Our results reveal that the largest-brained mammals achieved large relative brain sizes by highly divergent paths. These findings prompt a reevaluation of the traditional paradigm of relative brain size and open new opportunities to improve our understanding of the genetic and developmental mechanisms that influence brain size.
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The cerebellar anatomy of red junglefowl and white leghorn chickens: insights into the effects of domestication on the cerebellum
(Royal Society, 2021) Racicot, Kelsey J.; Popic, Christina; Cunha, Felipe; Wright, Dominic; Henriksen, Christina; Iwaniuk, Andrew N.
Domestication is the process by which wild organisms become adapted for human use. Many phenotypic changes are associated with animal domestication, including decreases in brain and brain region sizes. In contrast with this general pattern, the chicken has a larger cerebellum compared with the wild red junglefowl, but what neuroanatomical changes are responsible for this difference have yet to be investigated. Here, we quantified cell layer volumes, neuron numbers and neuron sizes in the cerebella of chickens and junglefowl. Chickens have larger, more folded cerebella with more and larger granule cells than junglefowl, but neuron numbers and cerebellar folding were proportional to cerebellum size. However, chickens do have relatively larger granule cell layer volumes and relatively larger granule cells than junglefowl. Thus, the chicken cerebellum can be considered a scaled-up version of the junglefowl cerebellum, but with enlarged granule cells. The combination of scaling neuron number and disproportionate enlargement of cell bodies partially supports a recent theory that domestication does not affect neuronal density within brain regions. Whether the neuroanatomical changes we observed are typical of domestication or not requires similar quantitative analyses in other domesticated species and across multiple brain regions.
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The experience of being a novice nursing preceptor in western rural Canada
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2024) Hawke, Tyrel L.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences; Oosterbroek, Tracy
This qualitative study explores the experiences of novice nursing preceptors in rural healthcare settings, aiming to highlight the unique challenges and opportunities they face. Drawing on an extensive literature review, the research identifies gaps in the current understanding of rural preceptorship, emphasizing the need for enhanced preparation, communication, and organizational support. Investigating the lived experiences of novice preceptors, the study employs semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of participants, providing in-depth insights into the realities of rural nursing preceptorship. The sample consists of nursing professionals who have recently undertaken preceptor roles in rural settings, offering an underexplored perspective on the challenges and needs of novice preceptors. Key findings reveal significant ambiguity in preceptors' roles and responsibilities, exacerbated by inadequate formal training and support. Communication barriers, heightened by geographical isolation, further complicate the preceptorship experience. The study also notes a pronounced lack of recognition and resources available to preceptors, underscoring the vital role of organizational support in enhancing the effectiveness of rural nursing preceptorship programs. The implications of this research are far-reaching, suggesting that targeted interventions are necessary to support novice preceptors, thereby enriching the preceptorship experience and strengthening the nursing workforce in rural communities. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on nursing education and preceptorship, offering practical recommendations for healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and policymakers to address the identified gaps.
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Edward 'Ned' Hanlan: imagining Canadian masculinity and national identity from the success of an early rowing champion
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Kinesiology, 2025) Mills, Adam; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Kossuth, Robert
This study explores Canadian professional rower Edward ‘Ned’ Hanlan who became nationally and internationally famous in the mid-to-late Victorian Era (1870s-90s). Applying a deconstructionist methodology to analyse illustrations and text of Hanlan’s numerous races, this project explores how nationalism and manliness were depicted and understood during this time. Images published in two Canadian magazines, Grip and the Canadian Illustrated News are examined to reveal how and why Hanlan was frequently exemplified as a role model for Canadians. The print media’s representation of Hanlan was informed by broader influences such as the Canada First movement and the appropriated sport of lacrosse to provide readers context to appreciate Hanlan as the standard for what it meant to be Canadian. Grip and the Canadian Illustrated News focused on connections between athletic prowess and manliness, and Hanlan’s physical composition in these images is examined through a consideration of hegemonic masculinity, the self-made man, reclaiming masculinity, muscular Christianity, and fatherhood. By equating Hanlan’s feats with the emergence of Canadian nationhood, the rowing world championships resonated with Canadians as well as serving the print media’s interests in promoting a Canadian masculine ideal.
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The examination of the gig economy in Canada from 1976 to 2021
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Economics, 2024) Alekseev, Dmitry; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Mueller, Richard E.
It is currently important to provide practical recommendations to the Government of Canada in response to COVID-19 shocks to the labour markets on a global level as well as at a local/regional level. The gig labour market has been affected by the pandemic, but to date, there are no studies about the gig economy and its implications on the labour market in Canada. This project is one of the newest assessments of Canada’s gig economy in the scientific literature.
Considering the fact that conventional labour market statistics and economic indicators are poorly suited to measuring work that is transacted via online platforms, the entire digital transformation of labour markets remains largely unobservable to policy makers and labour market researchers. The purpose of this thesis is to therefore take a long-term perspective to compare the gig labour market opportunities of today’s young working populations with those of previous and future generations in Canada in the context of the rising gig economy. Consequently, the thesis aims to explore the main challenges, along with some opportunities, in applying the gig economy platforms in Canada. The gig-economy platforms portray themselves as intermediaries in the two-sided market of workers and jobs, rejecting the idea that such platforms are employers (Koonse & Waheed, 2020). Thus, detailed labour and employment data are necessary to conduct the research which will shed light on the gaps in this area.
The information about the conditions of the gig economy in Canada is extremely limited, at times even absent. As mentioned by Jeon and Ostrovsky (2020:3): "Despite the significant share of gig workers (GWs) in the Canadian labour force, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on them is very difficult to assess because GWs cannot be identified in any of the main sources of employment data. Unlike traditional wage employees, GWs enter various non-standard work arrangements to complete specific tasks or work for a specific period of time and, therefore, their work loss is not captured by standard employment or wage indicators".
In view of this lack of data, it is impossible to identify all the gig worker in the real labour market. Other scholars highlight that labour economic theory is no longer relevant (Ashford et al., 2018). Nevertheless, by using the linked Labour Force Survey master files at Research Data Center, this thesis offers as a means of filling the gap in knowledge in this topic.
This thesis has five chapters. The first chapter introduces the topic of the gig economy and the theory behind this new phenomenon. In Chapter 2, we reviewed the relevant literature and definitions of the gig economy. Chapter 3 outlines the study design, the data source, and the variables and analytical procedures used for the logit model estimations and for the summary statistics. Chapter 4 interprets the empirical results from this research. The final chapter presents the conclusions, study limitations, and relevant recommendations for the future studies on this topic.