Search

Diameter at breast height (DBH) is a unique attribute used to characterize forest growth and development for forest management planning and to understand forest ecology. Forest managers require an array of DBHs of forest stands, which can be reconstructed using selected probability distribution functions (PDFs). However, there is a lack of practices that fit PDFs of sub-dominating species grown in natural mixed forests. This study aimed to fit PDFs and develop predictive models for PDF parameters, so that the predicted distribution would represent dynamic forest structures and compositions in mixed forest stands. We fitted three of the simplest forms of PDFs, log-normal, gamma, and Weibull, for the DBH of eight tree species, namely balsam fir (Abies balsamea [L.] Mill.), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marshall), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), red pine (Pinus resinosa Aiton), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall), trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx), and white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss), all grown in natural-origin mixed forests in Ontario province, Canada. We estimated the parameters of the PDFs as a function of DBH mean and standard deviation for these species. Our results showed that log-normal fit the best among the three PDFs. We demonstrated that the predictive model could estimate the recovered parameters unbiasedly for all species, which can be used to reconstruct the DBH distributions of these tree species. In addition to prediction, the cross-validated R2 for the DBH mean ranged between 0.76 for red maple and 0.92 for red pine. However, the R2 for the regression of the standard deviation ranged between 0.00 for red pine and 0.69 for sugar maple, although it produced unbiased predictions and a small mean absolute bias. As these mean and standard deviations are regressed with dynamic covariates (such as stem density and stand basal area), in addition to climate and static geographic variables, the predicted DBH distribution can reflect change over time in response to management or any type of disturbance in the regime of the given geography. The predictive model-based DBH distributions can be applied to the design of appropriate silviculture systems for forest management planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vineyards are agroecosystems of great importance in the Niagara Region, Ontario (Canada). Due to its microclimate, this region is projected to be impacted by climate change with temperature increases, changes in precipitation patterns in all seasons, and greater frequency of extreme weather events. The aim of this review paper is to summarize which seasonal changes are expected to occur in the Niagara Region and assess how such changes are likely to affect the main components of the vineyard ecosystem (i.e., soil, vines, invertebrates, and pathogens). It is expected that by 2080 the region will experience an increase in temperature in all four seasons; an increase in precipitation during the fall, winter, and spring; and a decrease in precipitation during summer months. Impacts of the projected changes will likely lead to vine water stress, yield loss, increases in incidents of diseases, increases in the spread of new pests, and changes in grape quality ultimately resulting in lower wine quality and/or production. Current management practices will need to be better understood and adaptive strategies introduced to enhance grape growers' ability to minimize these impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper looks at changes in weight, physical activity, and food/dietary intake during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in undergraduate students enrolled in a Canadian university. The investigation used an online survey format to collect data at the end of the two lockdown periods over one year. Participants were recruited from universities across Canada. The results show a modest weight gain accompanied by a decrease in physical activity and an unhealthy change in diet. Specifically, students reported that their engagement in specific physical activities and overall activity levels decreased during the lockdowns. The number of calories also decreased over time, while the foods consumed decreased in nutritional value. Thus, the modest weight gain observed may have resulted from the decrease in physical activity and diet quality. In conclusion, Canadian food and physical activity recommendations were not met during the lockdowns caused by the pandemic, which highlights the physical and nutritional implications of confinement. This study examined changes in body mass and body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and dietary intake in Canadian university students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two self-reported recall surveys were conducted: after the first lockdown in September 2020 (T1) and following the second lockdown in March 2021 (T2). Eligible participants were full-time undergraduate students attending a Canadian university and residing in Canada during the first year of the pandemic. At T1, 510 students (99 male, 411 female) completed the survey, and of those, 135 (32 males, 103 females) completed the survey at T2 (73% attrition). At both T1 and T2, most participants were 18–24 years of age (93% and 90%, respectively), Caucasian (73% and 78%, respectively), and resided in the province of Ontario (79% and 80%, respectively). Body mass increased from T1 to T2 (+0.91 ± 3.89 kg t(132) = −2.7, p = 0.008). BMI also increased from T1 to T2 (+0.30 ± 1.33 kg/m2 [t(130) = −2.5, p = 0.012), with a greater number of participants within the overweight range (19.8% versus 24.4%, respectively). At T1, 38% of the participants reported a decrease in physical activity, while the number of students reporting a decrease in activity increased to 56% at T2. Dietary energy intake decreased from 1678 ± 958 kcal/day at T1 to 1565 ± 842 kcal/day at T2 [c2(1) = 7.2, p = 0.007]. Diet quality also decreased, with participants not meeting the recommended daily allowance for essential macro and micronutrients. A decrease was observed in daily servings of fruits (−27%, p < 0.001), vegetables (−72%, p < 0.001), and grains (−68%, p < 0.001). In conclusion, despite a small decrease in dietary energy intake, a modest weight gain occurred during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in this cohort of Canadian university students, which was potentially related to decreased physical activity and diet quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Short-term load forecasting (STLF)" is increasingly significant because of the extensive use of distributed energy resources, the incorporation of intermitted RES, and the implementation of DSM. This paper provides a novel ensemble forecasting model with wavelet transform for the STLF depending on the decomposition principle of load profiles. The model can effectively capture the portion of daily load profiles caused by seasonal variations. The results indicate that it is possible to improve STLF accuracy with the proposed method. The proposed approach is tested with the data taken from Ontario's electricity market in Canada. The results show that the proposed technique performs well in-terms of prediction when compared to existing traditional and cutting-edge methods. The performance of the model was validated with different datasets. Moreover, this approach can provide accurate load forecasting using ensemble models. Therefore, utilities and smart grid operators can use this approach as an additional decision-making tool to improve their real-time decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unexpected observations of strong radiowave scatter at a ~85–90 km altitude with very high frequency radars were explained in the early 1990s, when it was demonstrated that these were due to special turbulent and small-scale scatterers with high Schmidt number. Studies of these phenomena have primarily been concentrated in polar regions, and the events seem most prominent in regions of very cold air (below 140 K). Such radar echoes are referred to as polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE), and are rare at lower latitudes. In this paper we report observations of similar scatterers at sites below 50° latitude. The nature of these scatterers is discussed and results are compared to observations at the polar site of Eureka, Canada. Mid-latitude observations at frequencies of 48.92 and 45.47 MHz were made, respectively, at Abitibi Canyon (49.9° N latitude) and Markstay (46.5° N latitude) in Ontario, Canada. In particular, we look at the relationship of these scatterers to geophysical parameters, especially the Ap index. Our results suggest that mesospheric air with temperatures less than 140 K now exists below 50° latitude. This may be an indication of an equator-ward creep of global mesospheric cooling (which is associated with the well-known tropospheric global warming), but the scatterers at lower latitudes also demonstrate correlation with the Ap index. On the other hand, the polar scatterers at Eureka demonstrated no correlation of any significance with Ap. The importance of these results in regard to the global distribution of mesospheric temperatures is discussed, and comparisons to other measurements are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than fifty years, Jamaican farm workers have been seasonally employed in Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). In Canada, these workers live and work in conditions that make them vulnerable to various health issues, including poor mental health. This ethnographic study investigated Jamaican SAWP workers' mental health experiences in Southern Ontario. Several common factors that engender psychological distress among Jamaican workers, ranging from mild to extreme suffering, were uncovered and organised into five themes: (1) family, (2) work environments and SAWP relations, (3) living conditions and isolation, (4) racism and social exclusion, and (5) illness and injury. I found that Jamaican workers predominantly use the term 'stress' to articulate distress, and they associate experiences of suffering with historic plantation slavery. Analysis of workers' stress discourses revealed their experiences of psychological distress are structured by the conditions of the SAWP and their social marginalisation in Ontario. This article presents and discusses these findings in the context of SAWP power dynamics and concludes with policy recommendations aimed at improving the mental health of all SAWP workers. In foregrounding the experiences of Jamaican workers, this study addresses the dearth of research on the health and wellbeing of Caribbean SAWP workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial and temporal estimates of burned areas are often used to model greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions from fire events that occur in a region of interest and over specified time frames. However, fire behaviour, fuel consumption, fire severity, and ecological effects vary over both time and space when a fire grows across varying fuels and topography under different environmental conditions. We developed a method for estimating the progression of individual wildfires (i.e., day-of-burn) employing ordinary kriging of a combination of different satellite-based active fire detection data sources. We compared kriging results obtained using active fire detection products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), and combined MODIS and VIIRS data to study how inferences about a wildfire's evolution vary among data sources. A quasi-validation procedure using combined MODIS and VIIRS active fire detection products that we applied to an independent data set of 37 wildfires that occurred in the boreal forest region of the province of Ontario, Canada, resulted in nearly half of each fire's burned area being accurately estimated to within one day of when it actually burned. Our results demonstrate the strengths and limitations of this geospatial interpolation approach to mapping the progression of individual wildfires in the boreal forest region of Canada. Our study findings highlight the need for future validations to account for the presence of spatial autocorrelation, a pervasive issue in ecology that is often neglected in day-of-burn analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the implementation of new policies supporting renewable natural gas production from organic wastes, Canada began replacing traditional disposal methods with highly integrated biogas production strategies. Herein, data from published papers, Canadian Biogas Association, Canada's national statistical agency, and energy companies' websites were gathered to gain insight into the current status of anaerobic digestion plants in recovering energy and resource from organic wastes. The availability of materials prepared for recycling by companies and local waste management organizations and existing infrastructures for municipal solid waste management were examined. Governmental incentives and discouragements in Canada and world anaerobic digestion leaders regarding organic fraction municipal solid waste management were comprehensively reviewed to identify the opportunities for developing large-scale anaerobic digestion in Canada. A range of anaerobic digestion facilities, including water resource recovery facilities, standalone digesters, and on-farm digesters throughout Ontario, were compared in terms of digestion type, digester volume, feedstock (s), and electricity capacity to better understand the current role of biogas plants in this province. Finally, technology perspectives, solutions, and roadmaps were discussed to shape the future in terms of organic fraction municipal solid waste management. The findings suggested that the biogas industry growth in Canada relies on provincial energy and waste management policies, advanced technologies for diverting organic waste from landfills, improving biogas yield using existing pretreatment methods, and educating farmers regarding digester operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Canada had a unique approach to COVID-19 vaccine policy making. The objective of this study was to understand the evolution of COVID-19 vaccination policies in Ontario, Canada, using the policy triangle framework. (2) Methods: We searched government websites and social media to identify COVID-19 vaccination policies in Ontario, Canada, which were posted between 1 October 2020, and 1 December 2021. We used the policy triangle framework to explore the policy actors, content, processes, and context. (3) Results: We reviewed 117 Canadian COVID-19 vaccine policy documents. Our review found that federal actors provided guidance, provincial actors made actionable policy, and community actors adapted policy to local contexts. The policy processes aimed to approve and distribute vaccines while continuously updating policies. The policy content focused on group prioritization and vaccine scarcity issues such as the delayed second dose and the mixed vaccine schedules. Finally, the policies were made in the context of changing vaccine science, global and national vaccine scarcity, and a growing awareness of the inequitable impacts of pandemics on specific communities. (4) Conclusions: We found that the triad of vaccine scarcity, evolving efficacy and safety data, and social inequities all contributed to the creation of vaccine policies that were difficult to efficiently communicate to the public. A lesson learned is that the need for dynamic policies must be balanced with the complexity of effective communication and on-the-ground delivery of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The atmosphere is an important transport pathway of microplastics to remote and urban environments. We assessed the efficacy of moss bags as an active biomonitoring technique for atmospheric microplastic deposition. Microplastics were observed in all moss bags deployed along an urban intensity gradient; moss bags exposed in the most densely populated and trafficked areas accumulated a higher number of microplastics compared with those exposed in low-density areas. Microplastics (plastic particles <5 mm) were first identified in the environment during the 1970s and have since become ubiquitous across every environmental compartment. However, few studies have focused on atmospheric microplastics, and even fewer have used biological monitoring to assess their atmospheric deposition. Here, we assess the efficacy of moss bags as an active biomonitoring technique for atmospheric microplastic deposition. Moss (Pleurozium schreberi) bags were exposed in duplicate at nine deployment sites across a gradient of urban intensity in southern Ontario, Canada. A total of 186 microplastics (mp) were detected in the moss bags, resulting in a mean accumulation of 7.9 mp g−1 dry weight moss across all sites during the exposure period (45 days). The median microplastic length was 0.56 mm (range 0.03–4.51 mm), and the dominant microplastic type was fibres (47%), followed by fragments (39%). Microplastic accumulation significantly increased with urban intensity, ranging from 3.7 mp g−1 in low-density suburban areas to 10.7 mp g−1 in densely populated and trafficked urban areas. In contrast, microfibres by proportion dominated in suburban (62%) compared with urban areas (33%). Microplastic deposition was estimated to range from 21 to 60 mp m−2 day−1 across the nine deployment sites. The results suggest that moss bags may be a suitable technique for the active biomonitoring of atmospheric microplastic deposition in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With more and more evidence coming to light of the cultural genocide inflicted by settler Christians upon Indigenous peoples through the residential school system, it is hard to see how Christian and Indigenous identities can hold together in the current Canadian context. Nevertheless, many in the Indigenous community within Canada continue to call themselves Christian, and Indigenous Christians continue to provide important leadership for the Canadian church. This phenomenon cannot be properly understood or appreciated without knowledge of the longstanding tradition of Indigenous Christianity and its origins. Beginning in 1829, Indigenous leadership within the Methodist Episcopal church in Upper Canada used the Christian Guardian to tell the story of their work among Indigenous communities. These Indigenous accounts of mission work provide a window into how early Indigenous converts to Methodism understood their faith and its meaning within the context of Canadian colonial Christianity, an understanding that differed in significant ways from that of their settler co-religionists. The early Indigenous narrative found in the settler Methodist publication emphasized Indigenous leadership, Indigenous language and the compatibility of Indigenous and Christian spiritual teachings. This study provides an important perspective which confirms and challenges contemporary views on Indigenous Christianity in Canada and helps to reimagine the past, present and future of Christianity in postcolonial contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We designed a workflow to investigate areas of potential neotectonic deformation, making use of well-developed techniques, but applied to a site characterized by low relief and low or moderate tectonic activity. In this pilot study, we targeted the Temiskaming Graben, in Eastern Canada, where recent and ongoing geophysical and sedimentological investigations have revealed recent activity along this ancient structure. The dataset compiled for this experimental study covers an area of nearly 147 square km across the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For efficiency in terms of computational resources, we first performed cluster analysis on knickpoint location, identifying seven areas with a high density of disruptions along river profiles. We then performed more detailed morphometric analysis at 30 m resolution, identifying knickpoints along river profiles, calculating the hypsometric integral across the landscape with a moving window, and mapping and comparing lineaments with known structural features. The results of our workflow showed that these three techniques can be efficiently combined for neotectonic analysis, and the synergistic approach strengthens the reliability and accuracy of our results. Our research extends the application of morphometric analysis, commonly used for exploring areas with intense tectonism and high topography, to areas that are characterized by low relief and low or moderate tectonic activity. The new areas identified with the workflow proposed in this research require ground-truthing through mapping and shallow geophysical investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study was to develop a climate-sensitive modular-based structural stand density management model (SSDMM) for red pine (Pinus resinosa Aiton) plantations situated within the western Great Lakes—St. Lawrence and south-central Boreal Forest Regions of Canada. For a given climate change scenario (e.g., representative concentration pathway (RCP)), geographic location (longitude and latitude), site quality (site index) and crop plan (e.g., initial espacement density and subsequent thinning treatments), the resultant hierarchical-based SSDMM consisting of six integrated modules, enabled the prediction of a multitude of management-relevant performance metrics over rotational lengths out to the year 2100. These metrics included productivity measures (e.g., mean annual volume, biomass and carbon increments), volumetric yield estimates (e.g., total and merchantable volumes), pole and log product distributions (e.g., number and size distribution of pulp and saw logs, and utility poles), biomass production and carbon sequestration outcomes (e.g., oven-dried masses of above-ground components and associated carbon mass equivalents), recoverable end-product volumes and associated monetary values (e.g., volumes and economic worth estimates of recovered chip and dimensional lumber products extractable via stud and randomized length mill processing protocols), and crop tree fibre attributes reflective of end-product potential (e.g., wood density, microfibril angle, and modulus of elasticity). The core modules responsible for quantifying stand dynamics and structural change were developed using 491 tree-list measurements and 146 stand-level summaries obtained from 98 remeasured permanent sample plots situated within 21 geographically separated plantation-based initial spacing and thinning experiments distributed throughout southern and north-central Ontario. Computationally, the red pine SSDMM and associated algorithmic analogue (1) produced mathematically compatible stem and end-product volume estimates, (2) accounted for density-dependent as well as density-independent mortality losses, response delay following thinning and genetic worth effects, (3) enabled end-users to specify merchantability standards (log and pole dimensions), product degrade factors and cost profiles, and (4) addressed climate change impacts on rotational yield outcomes by geo-referencing RCP-specific effects on stand dynamical processes via the deployment of a climate-driven biophysical site-based height-age model. In summary, the provision of the red pine SSDMM and its unique ability to account for locale-specific climate change effects on crop planning forecasts inclusive of utility pole production, should be of consequential utility as the complexities of silvicultural decision-making intensify during the Anthropocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: South Asian communities comprise one of the fastest-growing populations in Canada, but there is a paucity of research on if and how immigrant men use sexual health services. Objectives: Our study aimed to understand factors influencing sexual health service use by South Asian immigrant men living in Ontario, Canada. Methods: An interpretive description (ID) research methodology was used, followed by Braun and Clarke's thematic guidelines to collect and analyze data. Altogether, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted between May and July 2021 with South Asian immigrant men between 20 and 45 years of age in Ontario. Results: We found that culture shaped the overall perception and use of sexual health services, while the perceived severity of sexual illness also affected the utilization of preventative care. Moreover, there are taboos about sexual health, and while sex positivity and sex negativity exist, sexual health information is shared with trusted sources. We also found South Asian men shared sexual health more openly by following a lifestyle that normalizes sexual health discussions rather than South Asian cultural norms. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the individual, structural and cultural determinants of health influencing sexual health service use to strengthen existing health communication strategies to improve service utilization for diverse communities in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frontline rural physicians in Canada are vulnerable to the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic considering their high pre-pandemic burnout rates as compared to their urban counterparts. This study aims to understand the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural family physicians engaged in full-time primary care practice in Ontario and the stressors behind any identified challenges. Recruitment combined purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling. Twenty-five rural physicians participated in this study. Participants completed a questionnaire containing Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (depression), General Anxiety Disorder-2 (anxiety), and Perceived Stress Scale-4 (stress) screening as well as questions exploring self-reported perceptions of change in their mental health, followed by a semi-structured virtual interview. Quantitative data showed an overall increase in self-reported depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Thematic analysis revealed seven qualitative themes including the positive and negative psychological impacts on rural physicians, as well as the effects of increased workload, infection risk, limited resources, and strained personal relationships on the mental health of rural physicians. Coping techniques and experiences with physician wellness resources were also discussed. Recommendations include establishing a rapid locum supply system, ensuring rural representation at decision-making tables, and taking an organizational approach to support the mental health of rural physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the real-world experience of Canadians diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is limited. This study was conducted to report treatment patterns and outcomes of CLL using Ontario administrative data. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients diagnosed with CLL between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2017 identified in the Ontario Cancer Registry (OCR). Data were accessed using the Institute of Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), which collects various population-level health information. In the Ontario Cancer Registry, 2887 CLL patients receiving treatment and diagnosed between 2010-2017 were identified. Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR) chemoimmunotherapy was most frequently used as a first line, but use declined since ibrutinib and obinutuzumab combinations were funded in 2015. In patients treated with frontline FCR, survival at year one was 89% pre-2015 and 96% post-2015; at year four, survival was 73% and 87%, respectively. Survival in patients treated with frontline chlorambucil was 76% pre-2015 and 75% post-2015 in year 1, and 45% and 56% in year 3. Our analysis shows that, as the treatment landscape for CLL has shifted, use of newer and novel agents as a first line or earlier in the relapsed/refractory setting has resulted in improved survival outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring high quality end of life (EOL) care is necessary for people with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), given its high incidence, mortality and symptom burden. Aggressive EOL care can adversely affect the quality of life of NSCLC patients without providing meaningful oncologic benefit. Objectives: (1) To describe EOL health services quality indicators and timing of palliative care consultation provided to patients dying of NSCLC. (2) To examine associations between aggressive and supportive care and patient, disease and treatment characteristics. Methods: This retrospective population-based cohort study describes those who died of NSCLC in Ontario, Canada from 2009–2017. Socio-demographic, patient, disease and treatment characteristics as well as EOL health service quality and use of palliative care consultation were investigated. Multivariable logistic regression models examined factors associated with receiving aggressive or supportive care. Results: Aggressive care quality indicators were present in 50.3% and supportive care indicators in 60.3% of the cohort (N = 37,203). Aggressive care indicators decreased between 2009 and 2017 (57.4% to 45.3%) and increased for supportive care (54.2% to 67.5%). Benchmarks were not met by 2017 in 3 of 4 cases. Male sex and greater comorbidity were associated with more aggressive EOL care and less supportive care. Older age was negatively associated and rurality positively associated with aggressive care. No palliative care consultation occurred in 56.0%. Conclusions: While improvements in the use of supportive rather than aggressive care were noted, established Canadian benchmarks were not met. Moreover, there is variation in EOL quality between groups and use of earlier palliative care must improve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of opioid-related deaths in Canada has steadily increased since 2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened this trend. Naloxone has been pivotal for reducing opioid-related harms and death, and pharmacists play a crucial role in ensuring the supply of naloxone to Canadians through community pharmacies. However, naloxone dispensing by pharmacists is not optimal; in fact, in Ontario, only 50% of pharmacists offer naloxone, despite national guidelines that pharmacists should offer naloxone to everyone with an opioid prescription. When asked why pharmacists do not proactively offer naloxone, recent research has identified that pharmacists need continuing education to boost confidence and knowledge on how to start conversations with patients. The study involves a delayed start, double-blind randomized controlled trial, for Canadian licensed pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The goals of the program are to increase Canadian pharmacy professional's knowledge, confidence, and motivation to proactively offer naloxone, as well as to decrease stigma associated with naloxone. The program incorporates behaviour change techniques from the Theoretical Domains Framework and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The intervention program includes three modules that focus on improving pharmacists' communication skills by teaching them how to proactively offer naloxone, while the control group will complete a reading assignment on the naloxone consensus guidelines. The program will involve a process and outcome evaluation in addition to a contribution analysis. This program is important for breaking down previously identified barriers and knowledge gaps for why pharmacists currently do not proactively offer naloxone. This study will provide important new information about what behaviour change techniques are successful in improving confidence and motivation in the pharmacy profession and in an online environment. Findings from this study can be used to produce a national naloxone education program that can also be implemented into current pharmacy school curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and rapid urbanization could possibly increase the vulnerability of the Great Lakes Basin, Canada, which is the largest surface freshwater system in the world. This study explores the joint impact of climate change and land-use changes on the hydrology of a rapidly urbanizing Credit River watershed which lets out into Lake Ontario 25 km southwest of downtown Toronto, Ontario (ON), Canada; we began by classifying the watershed into urban and rural sections. A non-parametric Mann–Kendall test and the Sen slope estimator served to detect and describe the annual-, seasonal-, and monthly-scale trends in the climate variables (temperature, precipitation, and evapotranspiration), as well as the streamflow characteristics (median annual streamflow, baseflow, Runoff Coefficients (RC), Flow Duration Curve (FDC), Center of Volume (COV), and Peak Over Threshold (POT)) since 1916 for four rural and urban sub-watersheds. The temperature, precipitation and evapotranspiration (1950–2019) showed significant increasing trends for different months and seasons. Furthermore, the results indicated that the median annual streamflow, 7-day annual minimum flow, and days above normal are increasing; meanwhile, the annual maximum streamflow is decreasing. A total of 230 datasets were tested for their trends; of these, 80% and 20% increasing and decreasing trends were obtained, respectively. Of the total, significant trends (<0.05%) of 32% and 2% increasing and decreasing, respectively, were observed. The results of the FDC analysis indicated a decline in the annual and winter 10:90 exceedance ratio over the years for the rural and urban sub-watershed gauges. The BFI results show that the BFI of the rural areas was, on average, 18% higher than that of the urban areas. In addition, the RC also showed the influence of land-use and population changes on the watershed hydrology, as the RC for the urban gauge area was 19.3% higher than that for the rural area gauge. However, the difference in the RC was the lowest (5.8%) in the summer. Overall, the findings from this study highlight the annual, seasonal, and monthly changes in the temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration, and streamflow in the watershed under study. Based on the available monitored data, it was difficult to quantify the changes in the streamflow over the decade which were attributable to population growth and land-cover use and management changes due to municipal official planning in the watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobials are among the most prescribed medications in Canada, with over 90% of antibiotics prescribed in outpatient settings. Seniors prescribed antimicrobials are particularly vulnerable to adverse drug events and antimicrobial resistance. The extent of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in outpatient Canadian medical practice, and the potential long-term trends in this practice, are unknown. This study is the first in Canada to examine prescribing quality across two large-scale provincial healthcare systems to compare both quantity and quality of outpatient antibiotic use in seniors. Population-based analyses using administrative health databases were conducted in British Columbia (BC) and Ontario (ON), and all outpatient, oral antimicrobials dispensed to seniors (≥65 years) from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2018 were identified. Antimicrobials were linked to an indication using a 3-tiered hierarchy. Tier 1 indications, which always require antibiotics, were given priority, followed by Tier 2 indications that sometimes require antibiotics, then Tier 3, which never require antibiotics. Prescription rates were calculated per 1000 population, and trends were examined overall, by drug class, and by patient demographics. Prescribing remained steady in both provinces, with 11,166,401 prescriptions dispensed overall in BC, and 27,656,014 overall in ON. BC prescribed at slightly elevated rates (range: 790 to 930 per 1000 residents), in comparison to ON (range: 745 to 785 per 1000 residents), throughout the study period. For both provinces, a Tier 3 diagnosis was the most common reason for antibiotic use, accounting for 50% of all indication-associated antibiotic prescribing. Although Tier 3 indications remained the most prescribed-for diagnoses throughout the study period, a declining trend over time is encouraging, with much room for improvement remaining. Elevated prescribing to seniors continues across Canadian outpatient settings, and prescribing quality is of high concern, with 50% of all antimicrobials prescribed inappropriately for common infections that do not require antimicrobials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prune dwarf virus (PDV) is a member of ilarviruses that infects stone fruit species such as cherry, plum and peach, and ornamentally grown trees worldwide. The virus lacks an RNA silencing suppressor. Infection by PDV either alone, or its mixed infection with other viruses causes deteriorated fruit marketability and reduced fruit yields. Here, we report the molecular identification of PDV from sweet cherry in the prominent fruit growing region of Ontario, Canada known as the Niagara fruit belt using next generation sequencing of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). We assessed its incidence in an experimental farm and determined the full genome sequence of this PDV isolate. We further constructed an infectious cDNA clone. Inoculation of the natural host cherry with this clone induced a dwarfing phenotype. We also examined its infectivity on several common experimental hosts. We found that it was infectious on cucurbits (cucumber and squash) with clear symptoms and Nicotiana benthamiana without causing noticeable symptoms, and it was unable to infect Arabidopsis thaliana. As generating infectious clones for woody plants is very challenging with limited success, the PDV infectious clone developed from this study will be a useful tool to facilitate molecular studies on PDV and related Prunus-infecting viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tick-borne pathogens cause infectious diseases that inflict much societal and financial hardship worldwide. Blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, are primary vectors of several epizootic and zoonotic pathogens. The aim was to find varius pathogens of I. scapularis and to determine their prevalence. In Ontario and Quebec, 113 I. scapularis ticks were collected from songbirds, mammals, including humans, and by flagging. PCR and DNA sequencing detected five different microorganisms: Anaplasma phagocytophilum, 1 (0.9%); Babesia odocoilei, 17 (15.3%); Babesia microti-like sp., 1 (0.9%); Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), 29 (26.1%); and Hepatozoon canis, 1 (0.9%). Five coinfections of Bbsl and Babesia odocoilei occurred. Notably, H. canis was documented for the first time in Canada and, at the same time, demonstrates the first transstadial passage of H. canis in I. scapularis. Transstadial passage of Bbsl and B. odocoilei was also witnessed. A novel undescribed piroplasm (Babesia microti-like) was detected. An established population of I. scapularis ticks was detected at Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. Because songbirds widely disperse I. scapularis larvae and nymphs, exposure in an endemic area is not required to contract tick-borne zoonoses. Based on the diversity of zoonotic pathogens in I. scapularis ticks, clinicians need to be aware that people who are bitten by I. scapularis ticks may require select antimicrobial regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using qualitative data from an interdisciplinary research project about mental health and community engagement with Indigenous youth in Kasabonika Lake First Nation (Ontario, Canada), this paper explores the factors that constrain and facilitate their ability to contribute to the well-being of their community. Case studies are employed to demonstrate how the youth navigate complex social and structural conditions within the context of on-going colonization through federal and provincial governance arrangements, to make a difference in the place they call home and forge unique in-roads that reflect their generational realities and aspirations. The paper contributes to ongoing discussions related to mental health, self-determination, and resilience research.

Self-employment (SE) is a growing precarious work arrangement internationally. In the current digital age, SE appears in configurations and contours that differ from the labor market of 50 years ago and is part of a 'paradigm shift' from manufacturing/managerial capitalism to entrepreneurial capitalism. Our purpose in this paper is to reflect on how a growing working population of self-employed people accesses social support systems when they are not working due to injury and sickness in the two comparable countries of Canada and Australia. We adopted 'interpretive policy analysis' as a methodological framework and searched a wide range of documents related to work disability policy and practice, including official data, legal and policy texts from both countries, and five prominent academic databases. Three major themes emerged from the policy review and analysis: (i) defining self-employment: contested views; (ii) the relationship between misclassification of SE and social security systems; (iii) existing social security systems for workers and self-employed workers: Ontario and NSW. Our comparative discussion leads us toward conclusions about what might need to be done to better protect self-employed workers in terms of reforming the existing social security systems for the countries. Because of similarities and differences in support available for SE'd workers in the two countries, our study provides insights into what might be required to move the different countries toward sustainable labour markets for their respective self-employed populations.