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Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Coding of obesity using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) in healthcare administrative databases is under‐reported and thus unreliable for measuring prevalence or incidence. This study aimed to develop and test a rule‐based algorithm for automating the detection and severity of obesity using height and weight collected in several sections of the Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). Methods: In this cross‐sectional study, 1904 inpatient charts randomly selected in three hospitals in Calgary, Canada between January and June 2015 were reviewed and linked with AllScripts Sunrise Clinical Manager EMRs. A rule‐based algorithm was created which looks for patients' height and weight values recorded in EMRs. Clinical notes were split into sentences and searched for height and weight, and BMI was computed. Results: The study cohort consisted of 1904 patients with 50.8% females and 43.3% > 64 years of age. The final model to identify obesity within EMRs resulted in a sensitivity of 92.9%, specificity of 98.4%, positive predictive value of 96.7%, negative predictive value of 96.6%, and F1 score of 94.8%. Conclusions: This study developed a highly valid rule‐based EMR algorithm that detects height and weight. This could allow large‐scale analyses using obesity that were previously not possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the demand for hockey game trips among metropolitan and nonmetropolitan residents of Alberta, Canada. Using data on both revealed and stated preference game-trip behavior from a telephone survey conducted throughout Alberta, we estimate the effect of ticket prices, team quality, arena amenities, and capacity on the latent demand for National Hockey League hockey games. We find that lower ticket prices, higher team quality, and additional capacity encourage attendance. In the status quo scenario, consumer surplus per game is $50 for those who had attended hockey games and about 50% less for those who had not attended games. Exploiting the stated preference data, we develop a number of other consumer surplus estimates. We also include travel costs in the estimation of the demand function and estimate the full value of the game trip considering both ticket prices and travel costs. Sold-out arenas in Calgary and Edmonton generate annual consumption benefits of $40 and $35 million when only ticket prices are used to calculate consumer surplus (i.e., excluding travel costs). Considering the full-price consumer surplus for the Calgary Flames of $103 per game trip, the annual consumption benefits may be as high as $82 million. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The findings reported in this paper were based on a representative, city wide sample ( N = 708) of Calgary youths (aged 15-24). Twenty six per cent of the respondents reported having used marijuana "in the past six months". Contrary to Smart' s (1970) differential school drop out hypothesis, no decline in drug use was reported by 17 and 18 year old students, As measured by Rotter's concept, internally oriented respondents were less apt than externals to use marijuana. As predicted, this correlation was stronger among high school than college respondents. Several other demographic correlates of marijuana use were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's comments on the study by J. He and colleagues on the characteristics of suspended solids, chemical water quality, and microorganisms in stormwater runoff from a residential area in Calgary, Alberta. He cites that the study has noted the complexity of the total suspended solids (TSS) and the statistical correlation between TSS and microorganisms. He also notes the need to examine the correlations between event mean concentrations (EMCs) and antecedent climate.

In this paper, the authors describe an aspect of a program of research around grief and clinical practice. The first phase of the study involves examination of experiences of grief with attention to troublesome or problematic beliefs that fuel the extent of suffering in the bereaved. The data, obtained from a review of videotaped clinical interviews with families seen in the Family Nursing Unit at the University of Calgary, were analyzed according to philosophical hermeneutic tradition. Findings suggest that grief is an experience that is ongoing, that changes in nature over time, but that involves a continuing relationship with the deceased; it is a graceful, periodic, deliberate walk backwards while keeping a sure foot in living forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the minutes of the 36th annual general meeting of the Canadian Economics Association held on June 2, 2002 in the University of Calgary in Alberta. Report of the secretary-treasurer; 2002 election results; Nominations for 2003.

Background: In 2021, Canada implemented a pilot plasma program allowing some sexually active men who have sex with men (including but not limited to gay and bisexual men; gbMSM) to donate plasma. Changes to plasma donation policy could help address inequities in access to plasma donation and increase Canada's domestically collected plasma supply if more gbMSM donate as a result. We aimed to (1) examine views regarding plasma donation and the pilot program prior to implementation and (2) identify modifiable theory‐informed predictors of gbMSM's intention to donate plasma. Methods: We developed, piloted, and disseminated a questionnaire informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). We recruited gbMSM in London (ON) and Calgary (AB) to an anonymous, online cross‐sectional survey. Results: A total of 246 gbMSM completed the survey. On scales from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), general intention to donate was high (mean = 4.24; SD = 0.94). The pilot program itself was mostly acceptable (mean = 3.71, SD = 1.16), but the intention to donate under the unique requirements of the pilot program was lower than general intention (mean = 3.58; SD = 1.26). Two domains from the theoretical domains framework (TDF) (beliefs about consequences of donating plasma and social influences) were independently associated with general intention to donate. Discussion: The pilot plasma program as an incremental step toward more inclusive policies was mostly viewed as acceptable by the impacted communities. Historical and ongoing exclusions create unique barriers to donation. There are clear opportunities for developing theory‐informed interventions to support gbMSM to donate plasma as policies continue to become more inclusive and more become eligible to donate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have transformed chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treatment. Continued affordable access to DAAs requires updated cost‐effectiveness analyses (CEA). Utility is a preference‐based measure of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) used in CEA. This study evaluated the impact of DAAs on utilities for patients with CHC in two clinical settings. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study included patients aged ≥18 years, diagnosed with CHC and scheduled to begin DAA treatment, from two tertiary care hospital clinics and four community clinics in Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal. Patients completed two utility instruments (EQ‐5D‐5L and Health Utilities Index 2/3 (HUI2/3)) before treatment, 6 weeks after treatment initiation, and 12 weeks and 1 year after treatment completion. We measured utilities for all patients, and for hospital‐based and community‐based groups. Results: Between 2017 and 2020, 209 patients (126 hospital‐based, 83 community‐based; average age 53 years; 65% male) were recruited, and 143 completed the 1‐year post‐treatment assessment. Pre‐treatment, utilities were (mean ± standard deviation) 0.77 ± 0.21 (EQ‐5D‐5L), 0.69 ± 0.24 (HUI2) and 0.58 ± 0.34 (HUI3). The mean changes at 1‐year post‐treatment were 0.035, 0.038 and 0.071, respectively. While utilities for hospital‐based patients steadily improved, utilities for the community‐based cohort improved between baseline and 12‐weeks post‐treatment, but decreased thereafter. Discussion: This study suggests that utilities improve after DAA treatment in patients with CHC in a variety of settings. However, community‐based patients may face challenges related to comorbid health and social conditions that are not meaningfully addressed by treatment. Our study is essential for valuing health outcomes in CHC‐related CEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the development of a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) workflow that harvests high‐volume and high‐frequency near real‐time data from a public General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and calculates metrics for the assessment of on‐time and route speed performance for a public transit system. The approach is applied to near real‐time and static GTFS data collected over a 9‐month period for the City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The workflow uses two Azure Virtual Machines (VMs), one to harvest the data and the other to process observations in parallel using Python and the ArcGIS API libraries. A Web GIS application is described that queries data from MongoDB to visualize the performance results in spatiotemporal form. The purpose of the workflow and Web GIS application is to provide actionable information to transit planners to improve public transportation systems. The data management and analysis workflow is transferable to similar GTFS data from other cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Legalization of recreational cannabis is occurring across the United States, with some controversy. To understand the range of issues that can arise when such a policy change is enacted, we examined portrayal of legalization at the local level by studying newspaper articles in Calgary, Alberta, shortly before and after cannabis legalization in Canada. Method: We searched the largest‐circulation newspaper for cannabis‐related items and analyzed for content and slant toward cannabis legalization. Results: Among 165 items, business/economics (70.9% of items) and legalization (69.7%) were most frequent, with health only 29.7%. Across all items, the slant was more approval (44.2%) than disapproval (23.0%). Discussion and Conclusions: When cannabis was legalized, the local newspaper focused more on economic aspects of legalization rather than about health issues. Further research can determine the generalizability of the findings to other locales and provide comparison as other similar policy changes roll out. Scientific Significance: The study provides new information on what happens when drug policies are enacted. Documenting the media portrayal of substance use policies is a promising tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization endorses molecular subclassification of endometrial endometrioid carcinomas (EECs). Our objectives were to test the sensitivity of tumor morphology in capturing p53 abnormal (p53abn) cases and to model the impact of p53abn on changes to ESGO/ESTRO/ESP (European Society of Gynaecological Oncology/European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology/European Society of Pathology) risk stratification. A total of 292 consecutive endometrial carcinoma resections received at Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Canada (2019–2021) were retrieved and assigned to ESGO risk groups with and without p53 status. Three pathologists reviewed the representative H&E‐stained slides, predicted the p53 status, and indicated whether p53 immunohistochemistry (IHC) would be ordered. Population‐based survival for endometrial carcinomas diagnosed during 2008–2016 in Alberta was obtained from the Alberta Cancer Registry. The cohort consisted mostly of grade 1/2 endometrioid carcinomas (EEC1/2; N = 218, 74.6%). One hundred and fifty‐two EEC1/2 (52.1% overall) were stage IA and 147 (50.3%) were low risk by ESGO. The overall prevalence of p53abn and subclonal p53 was 14.5 and 8.3%, respectively. The average sensitivity of predicting p53abn among observers was 83.6%. Observers requested p53 IHC for 39.4% with 98.5% sensitivity to detect p53abn (99.6% negative predictive value). Nuclear features including smudged chromatin, pleomorphism, atypical mitoses, and tumor giant cells accurately predicted p53abn. In 7/292 (2.4%), p53abn upgraded ESGO risk groups (2 to intermediate risk, 5 to high risk). EEC1/2/stage IA patients had an excellent disease‐specific 5‐year survival of 98.5%. Pathologists can select cases for p53 testing with high sensitivity and low risk of false negativity. Molecular characterization of endometrial carcinomas has great potential to refine ESGO risk classification for a small subset but offers little value for approximately half of endometrial carcinomas, namely, EEC1/2/stage IA cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A growing body of evidence suggests inflammatory markers can help predict poor outcomes in pregnancy. We evaluated C‐reactive protein (CRP)—a key biomarker of inflammation—before and after a safe immune provocation (the seasonal influenza vaccine) during pregnancy. We evaluated predictors of the magnitude of response, as well as the association between CRP response and birth outcomes. Methods: Nonrandomized prospective cohort trial measuring CRP before and 3 days after administering seasonal flu vaccine to low‐risk obstetrical patients in Calgary, Alberta. Results: We analyzed 27 prevaccination/postvaccination samples. Body mass index (BMI) was positively associated with CRP at Day 0, and women with higher prepregnancy BMI had a less robust response to vaccination than did leaner women. There was a strong positive association between CRP response and infant birth weight; women who had the greatest response to vaccination (by tertile) gave birth to babies that weighed, on average, 256.2 g more than babies born to women with the lowest response. Conclusions: Higher BMI in pregnant women was associated with higher baseline CRP and less pronounced CRP response to vaccination. Stronger CRP response was associated with higher birth weight. These findings underscore the potential value of a more dynamic approach to studying the regulation of inflammation during pregnancy and its implications for birth outcomes. This study was registered as a clinical trial in clinicaltrials.gov (ID: REB15/1418). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐term residential segregation can exacerbate social inequality and exclusion in urban populations. Existing models of segregation aim to represent and better understand drivers of segregation and assess possible segregation effects in response to incoming immigrant populations. However, these studies are not typically implemented on real geospatial data to represent the urban environment, and even less frequently compare patterns of segregation between cities. Therefore, the objective of this study is to implement an agent‐based model that simulates the decision‐making process of immigrants as they arrive and settle in three Canadian gateways for immigration, including the City of Toronto, the City of Calgary, and Metro Vancouver. The resulting simulated spatial patterns of segregation are visually compared to real data representing the location of hotspots of immigrants of various ethnic origins. The degree of segregation is measured and compared, with measures of segregation obtained from actual census data. The spatial patterns and degree of segregation are compared across the three study areas. The developed model has the potential to be used as a tool for knowledge discovery and decision‐making in the processes of city planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

It is becoming increasingly popular to reintroduce beaver to streams with the hopes of restoring riparian ecosystem function or reducing some of the hydrological impacts of climate change. One of the risks of relying on beaver to enhance ecosystem water storage is that their dams are reportedly more apt to fail during floods which can exacerbate flood severity. Missing are observations of beaver dam persistence and water storage capacity during floods, information needed to evaluate the risk of relying on beaver as a nature‐based flood solution. A June rainstorm in 2013 triggered the largest recorded flood in the Canadian Rocky Mountains west of Calgary, Alberta. We opportunistically recorded hydrometric data during the rainfall event at a beaver‐occupied peatland that has been studied for more than a decade. We supplemented these observations with a post‐event regional analysis of beaver dam persistence. Results do not support two long‐held hypotheses—that beaver ponds have limited flood attenuation capacity and commonly fail during large flood events. Instead we found that 68% of the beaver dam cascade systems across the region were intact or partially intact after the event. Pond fullness, in addition to the magnitude of the water‐sediment surge, emerged as important factors in determining the structural fate of dam cascade sequences. Beaver ponds at the instrumented site quickly filled in the first few hours of the rain event and levels were dynamic during the event. Water storage offered by the beaver ponds, even ones that failed, delayed downstream floodwater transmission. Study findings have important implications for reintroducing beaver as part of nature‐based restoration and climate change adaptation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Children's dental caries is an important and urgent public health concern that is largely preventable. Using a social equity framework, our objectives were to identify and critically examine government legislation relevant to the issue of children's dental health in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.Methods: We conducted a systematic, gray literature search of federal, provincial (Alberta), and municipal (Calgary) statutes and bylaws related to children's dental caries, through the relevant law databases. Eligibility criteria were applied for document screening and selection. Data extraction and synthesis pertained to objectives of the legislation (policy task), relevant agent or actor (level of government), and upstream or downstream focus, in terms of potential impact on social inequities in health.Results: Legislation (n = 114) was retrieved and grouped into eight policy tasks. Most legislation fit under the policy tasks: protection of public safety and health promotion (n = 40) and benefits and compensation (n = 27). Federal and provincial governments have greater involvement in children's dental caries than municipal (Calgary) government. The majority of legislation was classified as upstream in orientation (e.g., improving living and working conditions; macro-level policies).Conclusions: Analysis of legislation relevant to children's dental caries reveals policies that are more often upstream in nature, and unsurprisingly are multijurisdictional. Despite this, there remains a high prevalence and inequitable distribution of children's dental caries in Canada. This suggests that the nature of upstream involvement and fragmented government involvement is ineffective in tackling this pervasive and urgent public health issue. Implications for children's dental health are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Review of Policy Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Analyzing the spillover effects of environmental interventions is vital for understanding how they contribute to broader societal transitions towards or away from sustainability. Past research analyzing spillover effects has produced inconsistent results, which we argue is in part due to its assumption that social life consists of rational and autonomous individuals. By contrast, we place practices as central units of inquiry, arguing that social practice theory opens up promising alternative sets of theoretical and methodological possibilities for analyzing spillover effects. Using the City of Calgary's municipal food and yard waste recycling pilot program known as the 'Green Cart Pilot' (GCP) as a case study, we adopt a mixed methods approach to analyze practice-based spillover effects (PSEs). The results suggest that the GCP had positive PSEs on dry recycling and food shopping, and negative PSEs on home composting. These PSEs could be tracked through the shared elements and geographies of mutually evolving practices, providing opportunities to respond with further interventions informed by social practice theory. Effets d'entraînement fondés sur la pratique : Preuve du programme pilote municipal de recyclage des déchets de cuisine et des résidus de jardin de Calgary L'analyse des effets d'entraînement des interventions environnementales est essentielle pour comprendre la façon dont ils contribuent à des transitions sociales plus importantes vers ou à l'encontre de la durabilité. Les recherches antérieures analysant les effets d'entraînement ont produit des résultats contradictoires qui, faisons-nous valoir, sont dus en partie à leur postulat d'une vie sociale formée de personnes autonomes et rationnelles. À titre de comparaison, nous plaçons les pratiques comme unités centrales de l'enquête, affirmant que la théorie de la pratique sociale dégage une série de possibilités théoriques et méthodologiques différentes et prometteuses pour l'analyse des effets d'entraînement. En utilisant le programme pilote municipal de recyclage des déchets de cuisine et des résidus de jardin de la ville de Calgary connu sous le nom de « Green Cart Pilot » comme étude de cas, nous adoptons une approche de méthodes mixtes à l'égard de l'analyse des effets d'entraînement fondés sur la pratique (EE). Les résultats suggèrent que ce programme a eu des EE positifs sur le recyclage des matériaux secs et l'achat d'aliments et des EE négatifs sur le compostage domestique. Ces EE pourraient faire l'objet d'un suivi au moyen de géographies et d'éléments partagés de pratiques mutuellement changeantes, offrant des possibilités de répondre au moyen d'autres interventions documentées par la théorie de la pratique sociale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The ileocaecal junction ( ICJ) region is an epithelial transition zone in which carcinomas are frequently diagnosed. However, it is currently unknown whether ICJ carcinomas ( ICJ- CAs) have distinctive features. This study aimed to characterize the clinicopathological features of ICJ- CAs. Method All ileal and colorectal resections for carcinoma, performed in Calgary, Canada between January 2009 and June 2012, were reviewed. Carcinomas in which the epicentre was within 5 cm of the ileocaecal valve ( ICV) were defined as ICJ- CAs. Of 1003 carcinomas studied, 199 (19.8%) were ICJ- CAs, including 93 (9.3%) that crossed the ICV. Comparison of clinicopathological features with carcinomas of the other ileo-colorectal regions was made. Survival was also assessed. Results Clinically, ICJ-CAs were more common in female than male patients (56.3% female) compared with left-colonic (42.9% female) and rectal (37.9% female) carcinomas, and were more common in older age-groups of patients (71.8 ± 12.7 years) compared with appendiceal (62.6 ± 11.3 years), left-colonic (69.4 ± 12.3 years) and rectal (67.1 ± 11.9 years) carcinomas. Macroscopically, ICJ- CAs were similar to other colorectal carcinomas and were mostly described as ulcerated (63.3%). Histologically, ICJ- CAs had more mucinous, signet-ring cell and/or neuroendocrine features (39.7%, 8.0% and 7.5%, respectively) than did carcinomas of the left colon (16.8%, 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively) and the rectum (14.1%, 1.0% and 0.0%, respectively). They were higher grade (20.1% were high grade) than those of the left-colon (10.3%) and the rectum (9.8%). ICJ- CAs presented at a higher T-stage (25.6% were T4) compared with rectal carcinomas (11.6%). Most significantly, ICJ- CAs presented at a higher N-stage (25.6% were N2) than did right-colonic (14.1%) and rectal (16.2%) carcinomas. Although survival of patients with ICJ- CAs did not differ from those with right-colonic carcinomas, those with carcinomas directly involving the ICV did show a significantly decreased survival. Conclusion ICJ- CAs display several distinct clinicopathological features that may require special diagnostic, prognostic and management attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the study that aims to examine the effects of verbal and adjunct pictorial-verbal information in science instruction. This study intends to provide a developing conceptual base for better experimental decision making in science education. It examined two instructional stimulus units or compound stimuli which include adjunct "textbook-like" pictures (Pt), and verbal statements (Vs). There were 80 subjects who were randomly selected among 221 students enrolled in seven tenth-grade general biology classes held at two Calgary, Alberta, high schools. Charts and diagrams were presented related to the study. The results of this study do not affirm a "pictures do not help" hypothesis. However, this research showed that a certain kind of picture or illustration can essentially ease a form of verbal comprehension.