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Pulp and paper mill biomass boilers generate large quantities of ash in Canada with British Columbia (BC) being the highest ash generating province followed closely by Quebec. Generally, the generated ash is landfilled, particularly in BC, with only a small amount being used beneficially. It is anticipated that the difficulty associated with the management of ash will worsen over time as the industry increases its reliance on green fuel. Thus, there is a strong need to identify beneficial uses of pulp and paper boiler ash for the sake of environmental and economic sustainability. The purpose of this report is to provide the first step in this direction, a review of proposed or implemented uses for coal and hog (or wood) ash around the world. Considering both the properties of the ash and local opportunities, this could be the first step toward screening the applications that may apply to individual mills. Several large-scale practices use ash, such as land application (as a nutrient source or as a liming agent), use in the construction industry (as a replacement for cement or as a fill material), and reclamation of mine sites and stabilization of unpaved forest roads. In some cases, relatively small-scale applications have been used which included uses such as a compost component, agent for pH adjustment of liquid streams and slurries, blasting abrasive, and source of quartz for glass manufacturing to name a few. It is important to note that the chemical nature of both fly and bottom ashes can be quite variable due to the type of wood residues combusted as well as combustion equipment used and must be considered in identifying beneficial applications. • General ash characterization is not enough to find useful applications of ash. • Ash use in the liming agent requires different properties than ash use in concrete. • Ash must be characterized according to its application requirements. • PPM ash can mainly be used for concrete, ag lands, liming agent, and forest roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present qualitative study investigates the conceptual representations of 132 preservice Quebec elementary teachers regarding matter–light interaction (reflection, refraction, and absorption) and the size of the shadow of an object on the Earth's surface illuminated by sunlight. A paper-and-pencil questionnaire composed of six questions was constructed and managed. The data analyses demonstrate that most encounter several conceptual difficulties in explaining phenomena related to light, which are omnipresent in their immediate environment and with which they interact daily. The conceptual difficulties identified in analyzing the students' explanations were as follows: (1) a black-colored body absorbs all light rays; (2) light travels rectilinearly and stops when it hits a white paper; (3) a mirror reflects light; it does not absorb it; (4) the glass surface of a mirror reflects light; (5) specular reflection and diffuse reflection are confused; and (6) the shadow varies during the day because the Sun moves around the Earth. These findings have implications for creating teaching strategies that confront preservice elementary teachers' alternative conceptions and their corresponding scientifically accepted counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building information modeling (BIM) adoption has received increasing attention over the past two decades due to its potential to revolutionize the built asset industry. Several different characteristics, facilitators, and drivers of BIM adoption have been identified, which has led to the development of BIM adoption frameworks and guidelines. Many of these elements and frameworks have focused on specific organizational-, project-, or industry-level characteristics. Few have taken a competency-based approach to BIM adoption. Thus, this paper aims to empirically evaluate and validate the factors influencing BIM adoption within organizations operating in the built asset industry as understood through the evolution of their BIM competency profiles. The research consists of a mixed-method data collection on a sample set of 368 organizations participating in the Initiative Québécoise pour la Construction 4.0 (IQC 4.0). The research method of analysis is based on a bivariate approach for testing the correlation between the variables concerning the organization's internal characteristics and their BIM competency development level. The findings show that the factors, which include field of activity, BIM experience, size, financial capacity, and geographical location, are correlated to an organization's BIM competency development level; in parallel, an organization's perceived maturity is strongly correlated. The results from this research can be potentially useful to properly guide and structure governmental initiatives supporting competency development for digital transformation. Practical Applications: Government initiatives have been undertaken to promote the adoption of BIM in the built asset industry and to encourage organizations to undertake their digital transformation. The province of Quebec, Canada, has established a governmental roadmap for BIM adoption that identifies the key actions to be undertaken by all public bodies in the province to ensure a consistent approach to BIM adoption, and a targeted initiative supporting the digitalization of companies called IQC 4.0. The paper discusses the factors impacting BIM adoption through the lens of organizational competency, an approach not yet covered in the literature. The organizational competencies include managerial, administrative, functional, operational, technical, implementation, supportive, research and development, and normative (ISO) ones. Factors such as an organization's size, field of activity, financial capacity, and location can influence the development of organizational competencies that impact BIM adoption. Moreover, the internal characteristics of an organization may have varying effects depending on the competencies involved. Those results will provide feedback and potentially inform governmental and organizational initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Patient and family partners are being increasingly engaged worldwide in processes aimed at the quality improvement (QI) of healthcare services. There is also growing interest in documenting these engagement processes within organizations to share and improve them. To support the provincial implementation of this approach, the Quebec's ministry of health and social services published, in 2018, the "Framework for the partnership approach between patients, their families and health and social service stakeholders". However, while this framework provides guidelines by describing each partner's role and the ways in which patient and family partners should be engaged in QI processes, it remains unclear how these recommendations were actually used and implemented by different healthcare organizations. The aim of this paper is to present the protocol of a multiple case study that is being conducted to document how this approach was implemented in different large healthcare organizations in Quebec. This study is being conducted in partnership with a patient partner/co-researcher. Methods: This qualitative multiple case study will be conducted in four large healthcare organizations in Quebec. Twelve to 15 key respondents will be recruited for each case. Data will be collected from multiple sources: 1) semi-structured individual interviews with the key respondents, 2) non-participant observations of the meetings of the QI committee engaging PFPs and 3) analysis of documents describing the implementation context, vision, structures and/or processes. The framework method will be used to conduct intracase and intercase qualitative data analysis. Discussion: The multiple cases included will allow for comparisons between different ways of engaging PFPs in QI processes within an organization, the factors influencing these practices, their advantages and disadvantages, and their implementation outcomes. The conclusions drawn from this study will allow us to make recommendations regarding PFP engagement in the QI of care and services and to propose implementation examples for other organizations wishing to design and implement PFP engagement initiatives in their context in Quebec or elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The PAROLE-Onco program was introduced in the province of Quebec, Canada in 2019. It integrates accompanying patients (APs), i.e., people who have been affected by cancer, into the clinical team as full members. These APs use their experiential knowledge with people undergoing treatment and with clinical teams. The aim of this paper is to evaluate, within the framework of two university medical centers, the perceptions of breast cancer patients who receive support from APs, particularly in terms of their active involvement in their care trajectory. Methods: A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with accompanied patients was performed. Fourteen individual interviews were conducted between July and September 2021 with women presenting different profiles in terms of age, education, professional status, type of treatment, family situation, and clinical background. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, focusing on patients' perceptions of APs' contributions and suggested improvements for accessing AP support. Results: Three themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews: communication modalities used to connect patients with their APs, the characteristics of the support provided by APs, and the perceived effects of this support on the patients. Patients expressed a preference for telephone communication, highlighting its convenience and accessibility. The support provided by APs included emotional and informational support, neutrality, and adaptability. This relationship improved patient communication, reduced anxiety, helped regain control, and enhanced overall quality of life. The results emphasized the added value of APs in complementing the support offered by healthcare professionals. Patients noted the critical role of APs in helping them navigate the healthcare system, better understand their treatment processes, and manage their emotions. The ability of APs to provide practical advice and emotional reassurance was particularly valued. Overall, the findings underscored the significant impact of AP support on patients' experiences and highlighted areas for enhancing this service. Conclusion: This study highlights, during the care trajectory of people affected by breast cancer, APs' contribution to patients' emotional well-being because they improve, in particular, the management of emotions and communication with health professionals. Plain english summary: In 2019, we initiated the PAROLE-Onco program in Quebec, Canada, to support cancer patients by integrating Accompanying Patients (APs) into the medical team. These individuals, who have personally experienced cancer, join as full team members, sharing their insights with both patients and medical staff. Our study delved into the perceptions of breast cancer patients at two university hospitals regarding APs' involvement in their care trajectory. Through interviews with 14 women of diverse backgrounds and cancer experiences, we found that APs were instrumental in enhancing communication with doctors, facilitating the expression of challenging emotions, and aiding in treatment decisions. Patients valued the inclusion of APs in their care team and expressed gratitude for their support. Nonetheless, some encountered difficulties in reaching out to APs due to a lack of awareness or challenges involved in connecting. Overall, our research underscores the positive impact of involving APs in the care of breast cancer patients, and of enhancing emotional well-being and communication throughout the treatment journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landfills will likely remain an essential part of integrated solid waste management systems in many developed and developing countries for the foreseeable future. Further improvements are required to model the generated gas from landfills. The literature has not addressed detailed waste characterization in landfill gas (LFG) modeling by a first-order decay model such as LandGEM while using a genetic algorithm. Additionally, little has been done in the literature regarding H2S generation modeling. This paper uses a genetic algorithm to independently fit parameters to a CH4 and H2S generation model based on a modified first-order decay model. In the case of CH4 generation modeling, biodegradable organic waste (OW) was segregated into food waste, yard waste, paper, and wood. In addition to optimizing the OW fractions, key modeling parameters of OW, such as CH4 generation potential ( L 0 ) and CH4 decay rate ( k C H 4 ), were determined independently for different periods in the landfill's life. Similarly, in the case of H2S generation modeling, the construction and demolition waste (CD) was classified into fines (FCD) and bulky materials (BCD), and H2S generation potential ( S 0 ) and H2S decay rate ( k H 2 S ) of FCD and BCD were determined. LFG collection data from a landfill site in the province of Quebec, Canada, was used to validate the LFG generation model. A range of scenarios was analyzed using the validated model, including fourteen scenarios (two benchmark and twelve optimizing) for CH4 and two for H2S modeling. The results showed that the differentiation of more waste types improves the modeling accuracy for CH4. Moreover, within the decade-long lifetime of a landfill, the waste management strategies change, requiring different assumptions for the modeling. Also, the work showed the importance of considering how different landfill sectors are filled over time. Finally, scenario twelve of optimizing scenarios, which assumed four waste types, constant three periodic waste fractions, and six sectors, had the lowest residual sum of squares (RSS) value. For H2S generation modeling, both scenarios, with or without separate fits of S 0 and k H 2 S for FCD and BCD, predicted the generated H2S well and had a very similar RSS value. Further data could improve H2S generation modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) deployed 2595 regular and reserve force personnel on Operation (Op) LASER, the CAF's mission to provide support to civilian staff at longterm care facilities in Ontario and in the Centres d'hébergement de soins de longue durée in Quebec. An online longitudinal survey and in-depth virtual discussions were conducted by a multidisciplinary team of researchers with complementary expertise. This paper highlights the challenges encountered in conducting this research and their impact on the design and implementation of the study, and provides lessons learned that may be useful to researchers responding to similar public health crises in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I posit a relationship between what I consider to be two distinct views of natural resource management: the reductionist and holistic views. The purpose of this comparison is to highlight the dangers of reducing environmental management to its ability to bolster a nation's economic status. Part of the problem with this view is that it cannot take seriously the needs and desires of Indigenous persons. As such, I compare the reductionist view with the holistic view. The holistic view does not only consider the economics of natural resources; unlike the reductionist view, it aims to take seriously the needs and desires of Indigenous communities that have used natural resources in their territories since time immemorial. To illustrate the differences between the reductionist and holistic views, I examine at length the case of the James Bay Hydro Development in Quebec, Canada. I then apply these insights to an international context by utilizing the literature from Australia. The literature from both Canada and Australia implies that natural resource management involving First Nations needs to take a holistic approach to water management and policy such that the hopes, needs, and desires of Indigenous communities are not merely placated, but fulfilled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building information modeling (BIM) involves the use of collaborative digital mock-ups of an asset to streamline design, building, and operation processes. Collaborative work and the use of an integrated digital mock-up offers many advantages but raises several problems regarding the liability of stakeholders in construction projects. Practitioners involved in the design process of a building (engineers and architects) practice very high-liability professions for which the use of a digital mock-up implies potentially high stakes. Although liability issues have been identified in the literature as a hindrance to BIM implementation, practitioners' concerns toward their liability have only barely been investigated. In this paper, we propose to explore engineers' concerns about their liability toward using BIM collaborative digital mock-ups with a case study in civil engineering. We documented these concerns through an exploratory study consisting of semi-structured interviews. The main contribution of the paper is therefore an organized list of concerns. These include: the alignment between their way of working and professional rules, the clarity of the assignment of liabilities, and the reliability of the digital mock-up. These stem from a liability risk that practitioners perceive because of uncertainty about liability allocation and uncertainty regarding the reliability of digital mock-ups. Our research work is part of an overall effort to understand the problems faced by practitioners when implementing new practices associated with BIM and to provide solutions. The results are therefore extensively discussed in order to identify hypotheses and avenues of work to address the identified concerns. The specific context (engineers, in Quebec) and the exploratory nature of the study implies that the results are not generalizable to a wider population. However, the identified concerns may be likely to emerge in similar context like high-liability professions involved in design stages of BIM projects. This paper is a very first step toward identifying these concerns in the construction sector and must be subject to future work. Our research work is part of an overall effort to understand the problems faced by practitioners when implementing new practices associated with the use of digital mock-ups and to provide solutions. Building information modeling (BIM) and product lifecycle management (PLM) involve the use of collaborative digital mock-ups of an asset to streamline design, building, and operation processes. They offer many advantages but raise several problems regarding the liability of stakeholders in construction projects. Practitioners involved in the design process of an infrastructure practice very high-liability professions for which the use of a digital mock-up implies potentially high stakes. In this paper, we propose to explore and document engineers' concerns about their liability toward using and signing BIM-PLM collaborative digital mock-ups with a case study in civil engineering. Our results show that engineers are concerned about the alignment between their way of working and professional rules, the clarity of the assignment of liabilities, and the reliability of the digital mock-up. These identified concerns are extensively discussed in order to provide hypotheses and avenues of work to overcome them, including technical solutions, organizational solutions, and legal solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of the separation efficiencies of mechanical sorting equipment is essential to improve the performance of material recovery facilities (MRFs). However, it is often a challenge to obtain these efficiencies due to the high complexity of MRFs, which often comprise several recirculation streams. In this paper, a methodology to determine the equipment separation efficiencies of a complex MRF is described and applied to an actual sorting centre located in the province of Quebec, Canada. Transfer coefficients for every unit operation and several material types, together with all material flows within the facility, have been determined for an MRF processing a stream of commingled recyclable materials. This work also provides a rare dataset of separation efficiencies for several mechanical sorting unit operations. The methodology is validated by comparing experimental data and model predictions for the recovery and purity of all main output streams. The results contribute to identify several avenues for process performance improvement, like adding a magnetic separation at the beginning of the sorting sequence or improving the separation of the 2D‐type materials collected from the second ballistic separator by changing the operation conditions or adding a quality control step. Moreover, the results also provide valuable information about material recovery and purity to help managers improve the process performance. Finally, a scenario analysis demonstrates that the performance of a second ballistic separator has an important impact on the sorting process's global efficiency and that recirculating a fraction of the rejects output stream has a negligible impact on the global performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the vegetation in the Arctic changes, tundra ecosystems along the southern border of the Arctic are becoming greener and gradually giving way to boreal ecosystems. This change is affecting local populations, wildlife, energy exchange processes between environmental compartments, and the carbon cycle. To understand the progression and the implications of this change in vegetation, satellite measurements and surface models can be employed. However, in situ observational data are required to validate these measurements and models. This paper presents observational data from two nearby sites in the forest–tundra ecotone in the Tasiapik Valley near Umiujaq in Northern Quebec, Canada. One site is on a mixture of lichen and shrub tundra. The associated data set comprises 9 years of meteorological, soil and snow data as well as 3 years of eddy covariance data. The other site, 850 m away, features vegetation consisting mostly of tall shrubs and black spruce. For that location, 6 years of meteorological, soil and snow data are available. In addition to the data from the automated stations, profiles of snow density and specific surface area were collected during field campaigns. The data are available at 10.1594/PANGAEA.964743 (Domine et al., 2024). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite observations provide critical data for a myriad of applications, but automated information extraction from such vast datasets remains challenging. While artificial intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning methods, offers promising solutions for land cover classification, it often requires massive amounts of accurate, error-free annotations. This paper introduces a novel approach to generate a segmentation task dataset with minimal human intervention, thus significantly reducing annotation time and potential human errors. 'Samples' extracted from actual imagery were utilized to construct synthetic composite images, representing 10 segmentation classes. A DeepResUNet was solely trained on this synthesized dataset, eliminating the need for further fine-tuning. Preliminary findings demonstrate impressive generalization abilities on real data across various regions of Quebec. We endeavored to conduct a quantitative assessment without reliance on manually annotated data, and the results appear to be comparable, if not superior, to models trained on genuine datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical implementation of pharmacogenetics (PGx) into routine care will elevate the current paradigm of treatment decisions. However, while PGx tests are increasingly becoming reliable and affordable, several barriers have limited their widespread usage in Canada. Globally, over ninety successful PGx implementors can serve as models. The purpose of this paper is to outline the PGx implementation barriers documented in Quebec (Canada) to suggest efficient solutions based on existing PGx clinics and propose an adapted clinical implementation model. We conclude that the province of Quebec is ready to implement PGx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article illustrates how Italian astronomer Ermanno Borra initiated the creation of an infrared-spectrum telescope on the moon. Borra and his colleagues from Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec revived the idea of a liquid-mirror telescope (LMT). A lunar LMT needed to be very cold and a highly reflective liquid. Borra and a graduate student added metal coatings to thick and syrupy liquids. However, it was ionic liquids that provided the breakthrough for their team.

Involving stakeholders in program decision-making can support existing programs and reduce tensions against the state. However, to be involved, stakeholders may request specific mechanisms to influence program design or outcomes. This paper analyzes the design of four consultation mechanisms and the resultant stakeholder experiences in a provincial Canadian program called Farm Income Stabilization Insurance (FISI). The program offers a protection against low prices. The findings of this paper are based on 18 semi-structured interviews conducted with current and former participants familiar with the mechanisms. An analysis is accomplished through Arnstein's ladder of citizen participation and Glasser's choice theory. Results show that stakeholder representation can be improved by adequately designing consultation mechanisms and implementing specific actions. Recommended practices include separating political and technical discussions, asking a third party to take charge of the consultation mechanisms and prepare information, formally laying down recurrent mechanisms, and involving high-ranking individuals in the discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person social interactions and opportunities for accessing resources that sustain health and well-being have drastically reduced. We therefore designed the pan-Canadian prospective COVID-19: HEalth and Social Inequities across Neighbourhoods (COHESION) cohort to provide a deeper understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic context affects mental health and well-being, key determinants of health, and health inequities. Methods: This paper presents the design of the two-phase COHESION Study, and descriptive results from the first phase conducted between May 2020 and September 2021. During that period, the COHESION research platform collected monthly data linked to COVID-19 such as infection and vaccination status, perceptions and attitudes regarding pandemic-related measures, and information on participants' physical and mental health, well-being, sleep, loneliness, resilience, substances use, living conditions, social interactions, activities, and mobility. Results: The 1,268 people enrolled in the Phase 1 COHESION Study are for the most part from Ontario (47%) and Quebec (33%), aged 48 ± 16 years [mean ± standard deviation (SD)], and mainly women (78%), White (85%), with a university degree (63%), and living in large urban centers (70%). According to the 298 ± 68 (mean ± SD) prospective questionnaires completed each month on average, the first year of follow-up reveals significant temporal variations in standardized indexes of well-being, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and psychological distress. Conclusions: The COHESION Study will allow identifying trajectories of mental health and well-being while investigating their determinants and how these may vary by subgroup, over time, and across different provinces in Canada, in varying context including the pandemic recovery period. Our findings will contribute valuable insights to the urban health field and inform future public health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of new spaceborne imaging spectrometers offers new opportunities for ecologists to map vegetation traits at global scales. However, to date most imaging spectroscopy studies exploiting satellite spectrometers have been constrained to the landscape scale. In this paper we present a new method to map vegetation traits at the landscape scale and upscale trait maps to the continental level, using historical spaceborne imaging spectroscopy (Hyperion) to derive estimates of leaf mass per area, nitrogen, and carbon concentrations of forests in Québec, Canada. We compare estimates for each species with reference field values and obtain good agreement both at the landscape and continental scales, with patterns consistent with the leaf economic spectrum. By exploiting the Hyperion satellite archive to map these traits and successfully upscale the estimates to the continental scale, we demonstrate the great potential of recent and upcoming spaceborne spectrometers to benefit plant biodiversity monitoring and conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that many former Canadian foster youth struggle with financial issues after aging out of care. Much of the financially focused intervention literature speaks to financial literacy training within independent living programming (ILP) or financial empowerment within individual development accounts (IDAs). These important programs offer educational modules to address financial skills or increase youth access to savings. Yet they are not sufficient, as neither addresses the emotional side of personal financial decision-making. Growing up in poverty can create emotional challenges related to money, such as financial anxiety. Financial anxiety affects quality of life in complex ways. Using three clinical composite profiles of youth aging out of the youth protection system in Quebec, this paper highlights some of the complex challenges faced by foster care alumni in dealing with economic insecurities. It is our proposition that we must be more mindful of current and former foster youth's financial well-being and adapt financial literacy training accordingly. Further, these programs must be assessed for short- and long-term efficacy. Neglecting to measure and address financial anxiety for foster youth and alumni of care risks setting them up for preventable hardships and failures. This paper thus proposes that Canadian child welfare organizations and research teams must further develop this area of inquiry and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural resource governance challenges are often highly complex, particularly in Indigenous contexts. These challenges involve numerous landscape-level interactions, spanning jurisdictional, disciplinary, social, and ecological boundaries. In Eeyou Istchee, the James Bay Cree Territory of northern Quebec, Canada, traditional livelihoods depend on wild food species like moose. However, these species are increasingly being impacted by forestry and other resource development projects. The complex relationships between moose, resource development, and Cree livelihoods can limit shared understandings and the ability of diverse actors to respond to these pressures. Contributing to this complexity are the different knowledge systems held by governance actors who, while not always aligned, have broadly shared species conservation and sustainable development goals. This paper presents fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) as a methodological approach used to help elicit and interpret the knowledge of land-users concerning the impacts of forest management on moose habitat in Eeyou Istchee. We explore the difficulties of weaving this knowledge together with the results of moose GPS collar analysis and the knowledges of scientists and government agencies. The ways in which participatory, relational mapping approaches can be applied in practice, and what they offer to pluralistic natural resource governance research more widely, are then addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual inspection is a common approach for collecting data over time on transportation infrastructure. However, the evaluation method in visual inspections mainly depends on a subjective metric, as well as the experience of the individual performing the task. State-space models (SSMs) enable quantifying the uncertainty associated with the inspectors when modeling the degradation of bridges based on visual inspection data. The main limitation in the existing SSM is the assumption that each inspector is unbiased, due to the high number of inspectors, which makes the problem computationally demanding for optimization approaches and prohibitive for sampling-based Bayesian estimation methods. The contributions of this paper are to enable the estimation of the inspector bias and formulate a new analytical framework that allows the estimation of the inspectors' biases and variances using Bayesian updating. The performance of the analytical framework is verified using synthetic data where the true values are known, and validated using data from the network of bridges in Quebec province, Canada. The analyses have shown that the analytical framework has enabled reducing the computational time required for estimating the inspectors' uncertainty and is adequate for the estimation of the inspectors' uncertainty while maintaining a comparable performance to the gradient-based framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confusion over what constitutes appropriate childrearing practices in culturally diverse settings may result in the stigmatization of ethnic minority families and over-reporting to child welfare services. This study explored stakeholders' views on (in)adequate supervision across cultural and socioeconomic groups and how they assess the risk of harm in cases of lack of supervision. Focus group discussions were held with (a) adult caregivers (n = 39) and adolescents (n = 63) in family-based care from French-speaking Quebecers and migrants from Latin America, the Caribbean, and South Asia; and (b) professionals (n = 67) in the education, health, child welfare, and security sectors in Quebec. The main criteria used to assess the appropriateness of supervision were the maturity, level of ability, age, and sex of the child, as well as contextual factors, such as proximity of other people, location, and type and duration of the activity. Mobility and immobility notions are used to explore the developmental considerations of competence and readiness within the home and in other social environments where adults' and children's perceptions of safety and maturity may differ, as well as the need to move away from rigid policy implementation. This paper advocates for careful consideration of the capacity and agency of children affected by migration in the provision of childcare support and their meaningful participation in research and decision making in matters that affect them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many years, energy monitoring at the most disaggregate level has been mainly sought through the idea of Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM). Developing a practical application of this concept in the residential sector can be impeded by the technical characteristics of case studies. Accordingly, several databases, mainly from Europe and the US, have been publicly released to enable basic research to address NILM issues raised by their challenging features. Nevertheless, the resultant enhancements are limited to the properties of these datasets. Such a restriction has caused NILM studies to overlook residential scenarios related to geographically-specific regions and existent practices to face unexplored situations. This paper presents applied research on NILM in Quebec residences to reveal its barriers to feasible implementations. It commences with a concise discussion about a successful NILM idea to highlight its essential requirements. Afterward, it provides a comparative statistical analysis to represent the specificity of the case study by exploiting real data. Subsequently, this study proposes a combinatory approach to load identification that utilizes the promise of sub-meter smart technologies and integrates the intrusive aspect of load monitoring with the non-intrusive one to alleviate NILM difficulties in Quebec residences. A load disaggregation technique is suggested to manifest these complications based on supervised and unsupervised machine learning designs. The former is aimed at extracting overall heating demand from the aggregate one while the latter is designed for disaggregating the residual load. The results demonstrate that geographically-dependent cases create electricity consumption scenarios that can deteriorate the performance of existing NILM methods. From a realistic standpoint, this research elaborates on critical remarks to realize viable NILM systems, particularly in Quebec houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic counseling is a fast-growing profession worldwide, with genetic counselors taking on increasingly comprehensive and autonomous roles in the healthcare sector. However, the absence of appropriate legal frameworks could potentially create risks of harm to the public. Legal recognition serves to protect the public from risk of harm by regulating the safe and competent practice of healthcare professionals. Genetic counseling is not legally recognized in most world jurisdictions. Examination of the legal status of genetic counseling in different jurisdictions and whether existing legal mechanisms are adequate to address potential risks of harm is therefore timely. This paper examines the different roles of genetic counselors in the Canadian province of Quebec and the state of Qatar, the authors’ respective jurisdictions. It considers the types of harms that may be created where appropriate legal mechanisms are lacking, considering the socio-political and legal differences between the two jurisdictions. Moreover, it examines the legal status of genetic counseling in Quebec and Qatar to determine whether these statuses appropriately address the identified risks of harm. The authors argue that existing legal frameworks are inadequate to address these risks and recommend that additional regulatory mechanisms be implemented to properly protect the public from risks of harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) level of participation in human resource development activities during a labor shortage. Drawing on human capital theory, it examines whether SMEs' profiles, determined according to their participation in different types of training activities, relate to perceived benefits of training, barriers to participation in training and learning culture. Design/methodology/approach: This study applies latent profile analysis (LPA) to 10 training practices of 427 SMEs in Quebec, Canada. Findings: The LPA distinguished four profiles of SMEs, reflecting differing capacities for mobilizing training resources during a labor shortage. These four profiles show differences with regard to perceived training benefits, barriers to participation in training and learning culture. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is among the first to focus on the specific ability of SMEs to invest in their human capital in the unique and recent context of a labor shortage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Journal on Developmental Disabilities is the property of Ontario Association on Developmental Disabilities 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.)

The problem of management and treatment of wastewater from commercial laundries is a matter of concern. The present study provides an effective and eco-friendly solution to the treatment of wastewater from commercial laundries in Quebec (Canada) by using the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) as a bio-flocculant. EPS was produced from the valorization of crude glycerol and paper mill sludge by a bacterial strain (BS-04). Two different types of EPS: Slime EPS (S-EPS) and Broth EPS (B-EPS) were used for the treatment of commercial laundry wastewater (CLWW). This is the first study for the treatment of CLWW using bio-flocculant EPS. A comparison between the conventional treatment of laundry wastewater (LWW) by chemical coagulants (FeSO4, CaCl2, Alum) and enhanced treatment by bio-flocculant EPS has been drawn in the study. Moreover, LWW treatment by a combination of EPS and chemical coagulants was also investigated. It was observed that S-EPS (0.6 g/L) gave better flocculation activity (FA) than B-EPS. S-EPS alone can remove 83.20% of turbidity, 77.69% of suspended solids (SS), and 76.37% of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The best results were obtained by combining S-EPS (0.6 g/L) with alum (300 mg/L) at pH 7 for a treatment time of 30 min. This combination was able to remove 98% of turbidity, 95.42% of SS, and 83.08% of COD from LWW. When treatment time has been increased to 4 h at pH 7, it resulted in more than 88% COD removal from CLWW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Demographic and epidemiological transitions of industralized countries mean health systems have to integrate health and social services to respond to the changing needs of their populations. Efforts to integrate care involve important policy and structural changes. This paper examines whether integration efforts are lost in translation during the bureaucratic appropriation of models, or, in an allegorical way, do they reveal genes of bureaucracy? Description: Since the 1960s, the health system of Québec has undergone four major structural and progressively integrative transformations, characterized as - modernization, shock of reality, explicit integration, and centralization phases. Discussion: Although integration efforts progressively transformed Québec's health and social services system, embedded bureaucracies impeded the realisation of these projects. Notably, inadequate change management strategies and lack of integrated funding models hindered integration efforts. Furthermore, there was variability in government prioritisation and support of different aspects of the model by making some components happen, helping others happen and letting others happen. Conclusion: Drawing insights from bureaucratic obstacles to integration efforts may improve implementation strategies. This paper highlights important policy and administrative challenges that have to be taken into consideration in improving the implementation of integrated care initiatives in a real-life context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterizing food systems, i.e., describing their organizational features, can help to generate a better understanding of the structural vulnerabilities that constrain transitions towards sustainable food security. However, their characterization across different economic contexts remains challenging. In this paper, by linking key concepts from research on food regimes, food system vulnerabilities and responsible innovation, we aim to characterize food systems in a developing and a developed economy to identify their shared vulnerabilities. We applied a case study design to characterize food production, processing and distribution in the province of Québec (Canada) and in the state of São Paulo (Brazil). In both cases, the processing and distribution stages have higher economic predominance when compared to the agricultural production stage. Furthermore, we observed concentration in a few activities in both food systems, with a shared focus on export-oriented supply chains. Vulnerabilities in both food systems include: (1) increased interdependence because some supply chains are export-oriented or depend on foreign labor and are, therefore, exposed to external risks; (2) concentration in a few activities, which threatens present and future local food diversity and (3) unequal power relations, making small and medium players vulnerable to decisions made by big players. The characterization developed in this study shows that the two food systems are mainly pursuing economic goals, following the institutional logics of the neoliberal food regime, which are not necessarily aligned with food security goals. It also exposes the presence of characteristics of 'responsibility' that may eventually help overcome food systems' vulnerabilities and support transitions toward sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vital role of honeybees in pollination and their high rate of mortality in the last decade have raised concern among beekeepers and researchers alike. As such, robust and remote sensing of beehives has emerged as a potential tool to help monitor the health of honeybees. Over the last decade, several monitoring systems have been proposed, including those based on in-hive acoustics. Despite its popularity, existing audio-based systems do not take context into account (e.g., environmental noise factors), and thus the performance may be severely hampered when deployed. In this paper, we investigate the effect that three different environmental noise factors (i.e., nearby train rail squealing, beekeeper speech, and rain noise) can have on three acoustic features (i.e., spectrogram, mel frequency cepstral coefficients, and discrete wavelet coefficients) used in existing automated beehive monitoring systems. To this end, audio data were collected continuously over a period of three months (August, September, and October) in 2021 from 11 urban beehives located in downtown Montréal, Québec, Canada. A system based on these features and a convolutional neural network was developed to predict beehive strength, an indicator of the size of the colony. Results show the negative impact that environmental factors can have across all tested features, resulting in an increase of up to 355% in mean absolute prediction error when heavy rain was present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Thélème is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid 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.)

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.)

Natural streamflow data is required in many hydrological applications. However, many basins are located in data-scarce regions or are impacted by human construction and activities. In this paper, we explore three machine learning algorithms, namely artificial neural networks, random forest and light gradient boosting machine, to simultaneously estimate all the parameters of the coupled modèle du Génie Rural à 4 paramètres Journaliers (GR4J) and snow accounting routine called CemaNeige model. A database of 675 basins in the USA and Quebec is used to train and test ensembles. After using the estimated parameters in GR4J, the resulting naturalized streamflow series are compared with those obtained by the established drainage area ratio and spatial proximity transfer methods in 11 test basins. The results indicate that the machine learning algorithms outperform the drainage area ratio and spatial proximity transfer methods. Among machine learning algorithms, random forests obtain lower (better) continuous ranked probability scores than the other methods for 10 out of 11 test basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local development, especially in outlying or declining regions, is a perennial issue. "Neolocalism," a combined marketing and community-building approach, draws upon and strengthens local identity and culture to create unique products, to bolster tourism and place branding, but also as ends in themselves. Craft breweries are often associated with neolocalism. In this paper, which focuses on peripheral regions of Québec, we first explore how brewers perceive their connection with local areas: whilst marketing is part of the story, local development and community revitalization are also important to them. We then assess the degree to which local development aspirations are reflected at a wide scale, using a quantitative approach. Whilst there is evidence that local breweries in peripheral areas are associated with a wider tourist economy—comprising hospitality and cultural sectors—there is no evidence that breweries are associated with higher incomes or economic vitality. This contrasts with regions closer to metropolitan areas, where there is less evidence of local tourist economies in the vicinity of craft breweries, but where breweries tend to locate in more prosperous and economically dynamic areas, likely for reasons of market access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the promising practice of an emerging culturally adapted, trauma-informed yoga program for Indigenous adolescent girls. I draw from my experiential learning during a series of 12 yoga sessions over 2018 and 2019 with eight Indigenous girls (ages 13-17) from rural and remote Inuit communities in Quebec, Canada. Participants had experienced varying degrees of child maltreatment and interaction with the child welfare system, and they were all under the care of youth protection services in a residential facility. The yoga and mindfulness intervention provided weekly 60-minute sessions in the residential unit. Yoga sessions integrated a blended model of cultural teachings, group dialogue, and trauma-informed yoga. The approach included circle sharing, cultural teachings, gentle progressions of physical postures, guided meditation, breathing techniques, centring practices, and beadwork. This promising practice explores trauma-informed yoga as a strengths-based community strategy for relational healing that promotes cultural connectedness, safety, and resilience among Indigenous adolescent girls removed from their rural and remote communities to a residential facility in an urban area. This paper outlines an introductory framework for health professionals, paraprofessionals, program administrators, and staff working with Indigenous children and youth in residential facilities. Specifically, this promising practice builds on existing findings of trauma-informed yoga with adolescents, as well as movement and centring approaches through an Indigenous lens of relational healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Largely overlooked by scholars, dime novels, especially romance, enjoyed spectacular popularity in French Canada in the 1940s and 1950s. Based on an analysis of the editorial peritexts of the 'Police-Journal' (P-J) series, the present paper seeks to understand the marketing strategies used to sell dime novels, deployed by the most important popular publisher in Quebec. In the first section, we show how P-J attempted to present itself as "the best in the business." It constantly heralded its success and extolled the global quality of its publications. In the second section, we demonstrate how the publication of separate series did not stop P-J from trying to attract readers to its entire catalog. The third section analyses how P-J navigated the troubled waters of a French-Canadian society torn between the more emancipated aspirations of an increasingly urbanized population and its elites' conservative ideology. P-J had to offer a product that was exciting enough to appeal to the crowd, yet sufficiently innocuous to avoid censorship. Overall, our paper underscores P-J's pioneering marketing practices in French Quebec. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we suggest that discussions about the identity of recipes should be based on a distinction between four categories of recipes. The central feature that we use to single out a category is the type of relationship that a recipe bears to its author. The first category comprises “open recipes” like wine, pizza, or salad, which come in taxonomic layers and are structurally open for new authors to reshape them. The second category comprises “institutional recipes,” namely those whose authors typically form consortium-like institutions, such as Champagne wines or Quebec maple syrup. The third category comprises “brand recipes” like Coca-Cola, Nutella, or Big Mac, whose names connote rather than denote recipes. Finally, the fourth category comprises “flagship recipes,” which include all the personal renditions of a recipe whose identity is strongly bound to individual authors. Besides its theoretical value, the classification we put forward is offered as a ground for settling legal disputes about recipes, evaluating charges of cultural appropriation that concern recipes, and guiding consumers, producers, and policy makers when they think about foods and diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer is a leading cause of disease burden worldwide and the first cause of mortality in Canada with 30.2% of deaths attributable to cancer. Given aging of the population and the improvement of prevention and treatment protocols, the number of cancer survivors is steadily increasing. These individuals have unique physical and mental health needs some of which can be addressed by integrating physical activity promotion into ongoing and long-term care. Despite the benefits of being active, delivery of PA programs for cancer patients in both clinical and community settings remains challenging. This knowledge-to-action protocol–called Kiné-Onco–aims to develop a practice guideline for the delivery, implementation, and scaling-up of cancer-specific physical activity promotion programs and services in clinical and community settings located in Québec, Canada. Method: The Kiné-Onco project involves knowledge synthesis of scientific and grey literature to establish the benefits and added value of physical activity for cancer patients and survivors, describes current practices in delivering physical activity programs, analyses quantitative data from electronic health records (EHR) of patients participating in a novel hospital-based physical activity program, collects and analyses qualitative data from patients and healthcare providers interviews about lived experience, facilitators, and barriers to physical activity promotion, outlines deliberative workshops among multidisciplinary team members to develop implementation guidelines for physical activity promotion, and summarizes a variety of knowledge transfer and exchange activities to disseminate the practice guidelines. Discussion: This paper describes the protocol for a knowledge-to-action project aimed at producing and sharing actionable evidence. Our aim is that physical activity promotion programs and services be scaled up in such a way as to successfully integrate physical activity promotion throughout cancer treatment and survivorship in order to improve the physical and mental health of the growing population of individuals having received a cancer diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Digital contact tracing and exposure notification apps have quickly emerged as a potential solution to achieve timely and effective contact tracing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Nonetheless, their actual uptake remains limited. Citizens, including patients, are rarely consulted and included in the design and implementation process. Their contribution supports the acceptability of such apps, by providing upstream evidence on incentives and potential barriers that are most relevant to users. The DIGICIT (DIGITal CITizenship) project relied on patient and citizen partnership in research to better integrate public perspectives on these apps. In this paper, we present the co-construction process that led to the survey instrument used in the DIGICIT project and the interpretation of its results. This approach promotes public participation in research on contact tracing and exposure notification apps, as well as related digital health applications. Objectives: This article has three objectives: (1) describe the methodological process to co-construct a questionnaire and interpret the survey results with patients and citizens, (2) assess their experiences regarding this methodology, and (3) propose best practices for their involvement in digital health research. Methods: The DIGICIT project was developed in four steps: (1) creation of the advisory committee composed of patients and citizens, (2) co-construction of a questionnaire, (3) interpretation of survey results, and (4) assessment of the experience of committee participants. Results: Of the 25 applications received for participation in the advisory committee, we selected 12 people based on pre-established diversity criteria. Participants initially generated 84 survey questions in the first co-construction meeting, and eventually selected 36 in the final version. Participants made more than 20 recommendations when interpreting survey results and suggested carrying out focus groups with marginalized populations to increase representativity. They appreciated their inclusion early in the research process, being listened to and respected, the collective intelligence, and the method used for integrating their suggestions. They suggested that the study objectives and roles be better defined, that more time in the brainstorming sessions be allowed, and that discussion outside of meetings be encouraged. Conclusion: Having patients and citizens actively participating in this research constitutes the main methodological strength. They enriched the study from start to finish, and recommended the addition of focus groups to seek the perspective of marginalized groups that are typically under-represented from digital health research. Clear communication of the project objectives, good organization in meetings, and continuous evaluation from participants allow best practices to be achieved for patients' and citizens' involvement in digital health research. Co-construction in research generates critical study design ideas through collective intelligence. This methodology can be used in various clinical contexts and different healthcare settings. Plain English summary: COVID Alert is a mobile application (app) that was developed created to help limit the spread of COVID-19 in Canada. Although promising, these apps have not been widely used by the population, in part due to limited citizen engagement in their design. The DIGICIT project (DIGITal CITizenship) was carried out in partnership with citizens, including patients, to gather public perspective in Quebec, Canada about the COVID Alert app. The purpose of this article is to describe our method of constructing a survey questionnaire with patients and citizens. We have created an advisory committee of 12 participants. Along with the research team, they created a 36-question survey. They also suggested doing focus groups to add data to the survey by reaching marginalized groups that are traditionally excluded from digital health research. We also wanted to know the experience of the participants being included in this study. We conducted interviews and did a small survey with them. They appreciated being included from the beginning of the research, being listened to, and being respected. They appreciated the creativity of the group and the brainstorming sessions. However, they would have liked the tasks to be clearer from the start. They also would have preferred to have more time in the brainstorming sessions to create the survey questions, and to have discussions outside of the meetings. The inclusion of patients and citizens is the main strength of this project. To improve their integration in health research, there needs to be good communication of project objectives. Also, meetings must be well organized, and participants must be able to evaluate their experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On December 1, 2020--nearly four years after the January 29 Québec Mosque shooting--Québec City unveiled Vivre Ensemble [Living Together], a memorial to the six victims of the attack and a tribute to the more than 40 people who suffered injuries, their families, and their community. This paper analyzes the Vivre Ensemble memorial as a forced reckoning concretizing the activist mobilization of grief. Against the scaffold of community organizing and mobilizing to keep the issue of Islamophobia and its victims in the public limelight, this paper explores how the design of the Vivre Ensemble memorial interpreted and animated this grief. The text draws on an interview with the artist of the Vivre Ensemble memorial to discuss its symbolism and intended effects on the community and the city. Finally, this paper places the memorial within the ideological underpinnings of Québec City, considering specific cultural factors such as the virulent Islamophobic talk radio shows that exert significant ideological influence within the city and laws that infringe on the Muslim community's rights. It interrogates the imaginary of an inclusive Québec City, highlighting the discord between what the memorial exhibits and what it conceals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health and social service providers receive limited education on recognizing and responding to family violence. With adequate education, providers could be prepared to identify individuals subjected to family violence and help reduce the risk of associated impairment. Informed by the Active Implementation Frameworks, our research will determine the scope of strategies needed for the uptake and sustainability of educational interventions focused on family violence for providers. It will also determine the acceptability, feasibility, and proof-of-concept for a new educational intervention, called VEGA (Violence, Evidence, Guidance, Action), for developing and improving primary care provider knowledge and skills in family violence. Methods: This paper details the protocol for the Researching the Impact of Service provider Education (RISE) Project. The RISE Project follows a sequential multiphase mixed method research design; qualitative and quantitative data are being collected and integrated over three conceptually and methodologically linked research phases. Activities primarily occur in Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec. Phase 1 uses a sequential exploratory mixed method research design to characterize the scope and salience of learning and implementation needs and preferences for family violence education. Phase 2 will use an embedded mixed method research design to determine whether VEGA technology supports providers to achieve their family violence learning goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. Phase 3 will use a concurrent mixed method research design to determine acceptability, feasibility, and proof-of-concept for evaluating whether VEGA improves primary care providers' knowledge and skills in family violence. This final phase will provide information on implementation strategies for family violence education in the "real world." It will also generate data on provider recruitment, retention, and data completeness, as well as exploratory estimates of the effect for provider outcome measures proposed for a randomized controlled trial. Discussion: The RISE Project comprehensively integrates an implementation approach to improve family violence education for the health and social service professions. It will provide important information about factors that could influence the uptake and effectiveness of a health profession's educational intervention into the real world, as well as provide foundational evidence concerning the tenability of using a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of VEGA in primary care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National injury hospitalization statistics are essential for understanding the burden and pattern of injuries. This paper used the Discharge Abstract Database to analyse injury hospitalizations in Canada (excluding Quebec) for fiscal year 2018/19. The results show that unintentional injuries were the eighth leading cause of hospitalization compared to all other diseases and conditions. For unintentional injury-related hospitalizations, in rank order, the leading causes were falls, suffocation, motor vehicle traffic crashes, poisonings, struck by/against, and fire/hot object/smoke. However, the rankings were different across age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]