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This study seeks to develop Age-Friendly University (AFU) implementation guidelines to enable universities to self-identify their age-friendliness levels and establish specific strategies toward becoming an AFU. The survey was completed by primary leads for 26 AFUs-recognized institutions globally. The questionnaires included an inventory of 68 possible attributes of an AFU. The respondents were asked to (a) report the status of their institution in terms of performance on the attributes and (b) state the relative desirability of each attribute as a potential guideline for assessing the performance of AFU attributes. For institution's performance, 'Social engagement and support' had the highest (3.32) age-friendliness level, followed by an 'Age-friendly environment' (3.31), 'Administrative support' (3.15), Lifelong learning' (3.11), and 'Reflecting the needs of older people' (2.83). Furthermore, the overall score was highest in Canada (3.82), followed by Europe (3.51), the USA (3.14), and Asia (2.67). Among attributes, 'There are elevators in major buildings (that older adults use frequently)' was the highest (4.40); followed by 'The campus and surrounding environment in our school are clean for older adults to use' (4.28). We also asked participants about "the adequacy of the AFU as a guideline. 'Members of our university's community are respectful and friendly toward older adults' was the highest (4.43)." However, in this study, 8 attributes scored less than 3 points for appropriateness. Consequently, we condensed the instrument to 60 attributes. This study is novel in proposing guidelines to implement strategies to apply and operationalize the somewhat abstract concept of age-friendliness of universities.

In late 2013, Canada's national newspaper reported that the implementation of Ontario's "differentiation policy framework" was the province's "boldest step yet to compel universities and colleges to make hard choices about how they spend their resources...a draft policy designed to stretch limited provincial dollars by narrowing some schools' missions" (Bradshaw 2013, para. two). As part of this controversial reform agenda, the province's Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities required each of its 44 post-secondary educational (PSE) institutions to submit a Strategic Mandate Agreement in response to a set of priority objectives outlined under this rubric of "differentiation" aimed at avoiding duplication and waste of public resources (Government of Ontario 2013; Brock University 2013). Within the authors' own university's agreement, the central organizing principle was chosen as "transdisciplinarity." Under "Areas of Institutional Strength" the university pledged to focus its resources "on transdisciplinary community-based research with five new transdisciplinary hubs (Brock University and Ontario Ministry of Training, College and Universities 2014, 7). In response to these developments, this article presents a secondary analysis from a large, qualitative dataset collected during a two-year critical ethnography (Mitchell and Moore 2015). The study focused on transdisciplinarity as an organizing principle for educational reform and for researching sustainability science partnerships. The purpose was to investigate how this 21st century paradigm was being understood and deployed by key stakeholders.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to prepare for a campus sustainability audit at the main campus of Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Design/methodology/approach: An inductive, qualitative approach was undertaken with data comprised of analyses of key stakeholder interviews, a review of literature, and a systematic collation of campus-based sustainability initiatives taking place in 2008-2009. Findings: The study offers qualitatively analyzed evidence that even smaller and mid-size Canadian campuses with limited budgets can successfully move forward with sustainability initiatives in multi-systemic, synergistic partnerships that cross-professional and disciplinary boundaries. Furthermore, inductive methodologies should not be overlooked in this process. While most of the sample of interviewees in this exploratory study agreed to be involved in current and future sustainability initiatives, interestingly, there were also concerns that discovery of any negative findings could cast a shadow on "green" efforts already underway. The findings also indicate a number of leading edge initiatives taking place at Brock University including a co-generation power plant, and "green" construction of new buildings as well as those in the planning stages. Without a formal governance structure or a common theoretical framework in place, a broad spectrum of definitions on "sustainability" from key stakeholders was found ranging from an environmental focus to those based solely upon economics, and a combination of the two were prevalent. The absence of any systemic, coordinated and comprehensive approach on the university's main campus was the main negative finding--one that previously hampered growth of synergistic partnerships. Originality/value: Owing to its geographical location in the Canada's Niagara Escarpment as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Biospheres and its recent emergence as a comprehensive university, it is apparent that Brock University is well placed with potential for a leadership role in promoting ethical and green consumption practices on its campuses and within the region. This qualitative study provides a contemporary, interdisciplinary conceptual framework for understanding how important synergies may be brought to bear in this new policy arena within and beyond academia.

Viewed through the lenses of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), this article critically evaluates the growing controversy surrounding the teaching of human rights in Canada. In line with critiques and with previous empirical studies on the implementation of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child in Canada and abroad, the author presents a reconsideration of underlying theory and an alternative model for citizenship education. In light of the growing knowledge deficit and as a contribution towards citizenship education, the author also re-presents a "transdisciplinary" CRC model for teaching young people's human rights from primary to postsecondary levels. In support of the main argument and its transdisciplinary model, the author includes the following sections beginning with a comparative overview of ideological and theoretical issues confounding Canada's child rights legislative and research agendas. Second, a theoretical discussion takes place with a view to reconstructing children's rights education within the context of an emergent, transdisciplinary human rights pedagogy. Third, empirical support for this shift in thinking is presented through a secondary analysis of interview data from the author's doctoral study comparing Canadian and Scottish children's rights education policies. Finally, a key finding from that research suggesting that CRC Article 42 was conceived by treaty drafters as an international indicator for treaty compliance is reconsidered as a transdisciplinary heuristic for pedagogically integrating human rights and citizenship education. (Contains 1 figure and 1 note.)

Objectives: To explore trends in unintentional fatal drowning among older adults (65 years and older). Methods: Total population retrospective analysis of unintentional fatal drowning among people aged 65 years and older in Australia, Canada and New Zealand (2005–2014) was conducted. Results: 1459 older adults died. Rates ranged from 1.69 (Canada) to 2.20 (New Zealand) per 100,000. Trends in crude drowning rates were variable from year to year. A downward trend was observed in New Zealand (y = −.507ln(x) + 2.9918), with upward trends in Australia (y =.1056ln(x) + 1.5948) and Canada (y =.1489ln(x) + 1.4571). Population projections suggest high annual drowning deaths by 2050 in Australia (range: 120–190; 1.69–2.76/100,000) and Canada (range: 209–430; 1.78–3.66/100,000). Significant locations and activities associated with older adult drowning differed by country and age band. Conclusions: Drowning among older adults is a hidden epidemic claiming increasing lives as the population ages. Targeted drowning prevention strategies are urgently needed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other similar countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore temporal trends in fatal child drowning and benchmark progress across three high-income countries to provide prevention and future investment recommendations.Methods: A total population analysis of unintentional fatal drownings among 0- to 19-year-olds in Australia, Canada and New Zealand from 2005 to 2014 was undertaken. Univariate and chi-square analyses were conducted, age- and sex-specific crude rates calculated and linear trends explored.Results: A total of 1454 children drowned. Rates ranged from 0.92 (Canada) to 1.35 (New Zealand) per 100 000. Linear trends of crude drowning rates show both Australia (y = -0.041) and Canada (y = -0.048) reduced, with New Zealand (y = 0.005) reporting a slight rise, driven by increased drowning among females aged 15-19 years (+200.4%). Reductions of 48.8% in Australia, 51.1% in Canada and 30.4% in New Zealand were seen in drowning rates of 0- to 4-year-olds. First Nations children drowned in significantly higher proportions in New Zealand (X2  = 31.7; P < .001).Conclusion: Continual investment in drowning prevention, particularly among 0- to 4-year-olds, is contributing to a reduction in drowning deaths; however, greater attention is needed on adolescents (particularly females) and First Nation's children. Lessons can be learned from each country's approach; however, further investment and evolution of prevention strategies will be needed to fully eradicate child drowning deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drowning is a significant public health issue, with females accounting for one third of global drowning deaths. The rate of female drowning has not decreased within high-income countries and presentations to hospital have increased. This scoping review aimed to explore adult female unintentional drowning, including risk factors, clinical treatment and outcomes of females hospitalised for drowning.Methods: A systematic search of the literature following the PRISMA-ScR framework was undertaken. The databases OVID MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, OVID Emcare, Web of Science, Informit and Scopus were accessed. Study locations of focus were Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Studies from January 2003 to April 2019 were included. The quality of evidence of included studies was assessed using GRADE guidelines.Results: The final search results included 14 studies from Australia (n = 4), Canada (n = 1), New Zealand (n = 1), United States (n = 6), United Kingdom (n = 1), and one study reporting data from both Australia and United States. Nine studies reported risk factors for female drowning including age, with the proportion of female drowning incidence increasing with age. Although females are now engaging in risk-taking behaviours associated with drowning that are similar to males, such as consuming alcohol and swimming in unsafe locations, their exposure to risky situations and ways they assess risk, differ. Females are more likely to drown from accidental entry into water, such as in a vehicle during a flood or fall into water. This review found no evidence on the clinical treatment provided to females in hospital after a drowning incident, and only a small number of studies reported the clinical outcomes of females, with inconsistent results (some studies reported better and some no difference in clinical outcomes among females).Conclusion: Adult females are a group vulnerable to drowning, that have lacked attention. There was no single study found which focused solely on female drowning. There is a need for further research to explore female risk factors, the clinical treatment and outcomes of females hospitalised for drowning. This will not only save the lives of females, but also contribute to an overall reduction in drowning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onychomycosis is estimated at a prevalence of 10% worldwide with the infecting organism most commonly Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum). Traditional culture identification of causative organisms has inherent risks of overestimating dermatophytes, like T. rubrum, by inhibiting the growth of possible nondermatophyte mould (NDM) environmental contaminants which could be causative agents. Recently, molecular methods have revealed that a proportion of onychomycosis cases in North America may be caused by mixed infections of T. rubrum as an agent co-infecting with one or more NDM. Determining the global burden of mixed infections is a necessary step to evaluating the best therapies for this difficult-to-treat disease. To determine the prevalence of mixed infections in a global population, nail samples from onychomycosis patients in Brazil, Canada, and Israel (n = 216) were analyzed by molecular methods for the presence of dermatophytes and five NDMs. If an NDM was detected, repeat sampling was performed to confirm the NDM. T. rubrum was detected in 98% (211/216) of infections with 39% mixed (84/216). The infection type was more likely to be mixed in samples from Brazil, but more likely to be a dermatophyte in samples from Canada and Israel (Χ2 = 16.92, df = 2, P<0.001). The most common cause of onychomycosis was T. rubrum. In all countries (Brazil, Canada and Israel combined) the prevalence of dermatophyte (Χ2 = 211.15, df = 3, P<0.001) and mixed (dermatophyte and NDM; Χ2 = 166.38, df = 3, P<0.001) infection increased with patient age. Our data suggest that mixed infection onychomycosis is more prevalent than previously reported with the aging population being at increased risk for mixed infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The articles presented here reveal the current status of community college governance. Topics discussed are: three models of college governance and their interrelationships; participatory governance in Canada; preparing student, faculty, and administrative leaders to understand basic institutional and individual needs and to operative in collective bargaining in a manner that maximizes gains to both; adapting governance procedures to meet local social and cultural conditions in Southern Appalachia; methods of governing multicampus districts; the value of internal and external evaluations of governance structures and processes; and improving relationships among members of the administrative team. A review of additional pertinent literature and a bibliography are provided. Contributors include: Abram G. Konrad, Duane D. Anderson, Tom Cottingham, Leland Cooper, Benjamin R. Wygal, Harold J. Owen, Jr., Kenneth W. Oosting, Richard Coombe, Merle Landerholm, Gerald O. Kelly, Margo J. Kipps, Elizabeth Rinnander, and Richard C. Richardson, Jr. (Author/DC)

Objective: To assess restaurant children's menus for content and nutritional quality; and to investigate the relationship between the restaurant consumer food environment for children and neighbourhood-level socio-economic characteristics within and between one Canadian city and one US city.Design: Cross-sectional observational study.Setting: London, ON, Canada and Rochester, NY, USA.ParticipantsRestaurant children's menus were assessed, scored and compared using the Children's Menu Assessment tool. We quantified neighbourhood accessibility to restaurants by calculating 800 m road-network buffers around the centroid of each city census block and created a new Neighbourhood Restaurant Quality Index for Children (NRQI-C) comprising the sum of restaurant menu scores divided by the total number of restaurants within each area. After weighting by population, we examined associations between NRQI-C and neighbourhood socio-economic characteristics using correlations and multiple regression analyses.Results: Nutritional quality of children's menus was greater, on average, in Rochester compared with London. Only one variable remained significant in the regression analyses for both cities: proportion of visible minorities had a positive effect on neighbourhood NRQI-C scores in London, whereas the reverse was true in Rochester.Conclusions: Results suggest the presence of a socio-economic disparity within Rochester, where children in more disadvantaged areas have poorer access to better nutritional quality restaurant choices. In London, results suggest an inverse relationship across the city where children in more disadvantaged areas have better access to better nutritional quality restaurant choices. Given these disparate results, research on restaurant nutritional quality for children requires additional consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to evaluate how retail food environments for children in the City of London and Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada, vary according to level of urbanicity and level of socioeconomic distress. Urbanicity in this study is defined as a neighbourhood's designation as urban, suburban, or rural. We assessed community food environments (e.g., the type, location, and accessibility of food outlets) using 800m and 1600m network buffers (school zones) around all public and private elementary schools, and we calculated and compared density of junk food opportunities (JFO) (e.g., fast food and full-service restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores) within each school zone in urban, suburban and rural settings. The study also assessed consumer food environments (e.g., the price, promotion, placement, and availability of healthy options and nutrition information) through restaurant children's menu audits using the Children's Menu Assessment tool. Results suggest JFO density is greater around elementary schools in areas with higher levels of socioeconomic distress and urbanicity, while urbanicity is also associated with greater use of branded marketing and inclusion of an unhealthy dessert on children's menus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Canadian Child Advocates has been under-researched by academics and civil society alike, and the following paper addresses this knowledge deficit with findings from a graduate study (Bendo, 2016) reviewing their legislative and professional roles through a sociology of childhood lens. The aim was to investigate the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates (cccya), and data was derived through a discourse analysis of legal, policy and media documents, and in-depth interviews with five current and former Advocates. This exploratory, qualitative study employed a critical ethnographic methodology, and findings indicate that child advocacy is a complex phenomenon with ample opportunities, although numerous barriers exist hindering the work and affecting the quality of outcomes. The study's main argument suggests the role of the Advocates is not well understood by Canada's children, youth or the public at large, and may be hampered by a continued lack of cross-national, multisystemic implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at federal, provincial and territorial levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preventing the introduction and establishment of forest invasive alien species (FIAS) such as the Asian gypsy moth (AGM) is a high-priority goal for countries with extensive forest resources such as Canada. The name AGM designates a group of closely related Lymantria species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Lymantriinae) comprising two L. dispar subspecies (L. dispar asiatica, L. dispar japonica) and three closely related Lymantria species (L. umbrosa, L. albescens, L. postalba), all considered potential FIAS in North America. Ships entering Canadian ports are inspected for the presence of suspicious gypsy moth eggs, but those of AGM are impossible to distinguish from eggs of innocuous Lymantria species. To assist regulatory agencies in their identification of these insects, we designed a suite of TaqMan® assays that provide significant improvements over existing molecular assays targeting AGM. The assays presented here can identify all three L. dispar subspecies (including the European gypsy moth, L. dispar dispar), the three other Lymantria species comprising the AGM complex, plus five additional Lymantria species that pose a threat to forests in North America. The suite of assays is built as a “molecular key” (analogous to a taxonomic key) and involves several parallel singleplex and multiplex qPCR reactions. Each reaction uses a combination of primers and probes designed to separate taxa through discriminatory annealing. The success of these assays is based on the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5’ region of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) or in its longer, 3’ region, as well as on the presence of an indel in the “FS1” nuclear marker, generating North American and Asian alleles, used here to assess Asian introgression into L. dispar dispar. These assays have the advantage of providing rapid and accurate identification of ten Lymantria species and subspecies considered potential FIAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded unstained archived diagnostic tissue sections are frequently exchanged between clinical laboratories for immunohistochemical staining. The manner in which such sections are prepared represents a type of preanalytical variable that must be taken into account given the growing importance of immunohistochemical assays, especially predictive and prognostic tests, in personalized medicine. Methods: Recommendations were derived from review of the literature and expert consensus of the Canadian Association of Pathologists--Association canadienne des pathologists National Standards Committee for High Complexity Testing/Immunohistochemistry. Results: Relevant considerations include the type of glass slide on which to mount the unstained sections; the thickness of the tissue sections; the time from slide preparation to testing; the environment, particularly the temperature at which the unstained sections will be maintained prior to testing; the inclusion of on-slide positive control tissue where possible; and whether patient identifier(s) should be included on slide labels. Conclusions: Clear communication between requesting and releasing laboratories will facilitate the proper preparation of unstained sections and also ensure that applicable privacy considerations are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the political aspects of the publicly owned automobile insurance company, or Crown corporation, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) from 1970 through 2010. An overview of the British Columbia (BC) government's relationship with ICBC, including in regard to the latter's risk management, finance and capital, is provided. The role that the BC party the New Democratic Party (NDP) played in establishing the ICBC is discussed.

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We investigated the population structure of Grosmannia clavigera (Gc), a fungal symbiont of the mountain pine beetle (MPB) that plays a crucial role in the establishment and reproductive success of this pathogen. This insect-fungal complex has destroyed over 16 million ha of lodgepole pine forests in Canada, the largest MPB epidemic in recorded history. During this current epidemic, MPB has expanded its range beyond historically recorded boundaries, both northward and eastward, and has now reached the jack pine of Alberta, potentially threatening the Canadian boreal forest. To better understand the dynamics between the beetle and its fungal symbiont, we sampled 19 populations in western North America and genotyped individuals from these populations with eight microsatellite markers. The fungus displayed high haplotype diversity, with over 250 unique haplotypes observed in 335 single spore isolates. Linkage equilibria in 13 of the 19 populations suggested that the fungus reproduces sexually. Bayesian clustering and distance analyses identified four genetic clusters that corresponded to four major geographical regions, which suggested that the epidemic arose from multiple geographical sources. A genetic cluster north of the Rocky Mountains, where the MPB has recently become established, experienced a population bottleneck, probably as a result of the recent range expansion. The two genetic clusters located north and west of the Rocky Mountains contained many fungal isolates admixed from all populations, possibly due to the massive movement of MPB during the epidemic. The general agreement in north-south differentiation of MPB and G. clavigera populations points to the fungal pathogen's dependence on the movement of its insect vector. In addition, the patterns of diversity and the individual assignment tests of the fungal associate suggest that migration across the Rocky Mountains occurred via a northeastern corridor, in accordance with meteorological patterns and observation of MPB movement data. Our results highlight the potential of this pathogen for both expansion and sexual reproduction, and also identify some possible barriers to gene flow. Understanding the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of this fungus-beetle association is important for the modelling and prediction of MPB epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial patterns of genetic variation in interacting species can identify shared features that are important to gene flow and can elucidate co-evolutionary relationships. We assessed concordance in spatial genetic variation between the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and one of its fungal symbionts, Grosmanniaclavigera, in western Canada using neutral genetic markers. We examined how spatial heterogeneity affects genetic variation within beetles and fungi and developed a novel integrated landscape genetics approach to assess reciprocal genetic influences between species using constrained ordination. We also compared landscape genetic models built using Euclidean distances based on allele frequencies to traditional pair-wise Fst. Both beetles and fungi exhibited moderate levels of genetic structure over the total study area, low levels of structure in the south, and more pronounced fungal structure in the north. Beetle genetic variation was associated with geographic location while that of the fungus was not. Pinevolume and climate explained beetle genetic variation in the northern region of recent outbreak expansion. Reciprocal genetic relationships were only detectedin the south where there has been alonger history of beetle infestations. The Euclidean distance and Fst-based analyses resulted in similar models in the north and over the entire study area, but differences between methods in the south suggest that genetic distances measures should be selected based on ecological and evolutionary contexts. The integrated landscape genetics framework we present is powerful, general, and can be applied to other systems to quantify the biotic and abiotic determinants of spatial genetic variation within and among taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-being of people living in forest-dependent communities has been studied extensively, but little research has explored how this relationship has changed over time. Some theories suggest that regional differences in well-being should decrease, through the flow of capital and labour, while other work suggests that these inequalities will grow. Our research uses Census of Canada data at the census subdivision level at 5-year intervals between 1986 and 2001 to describe regional differentiation in the relationship between employment in forest sectors (logging, services, pulp and lumber) and unemployment and median family income as indicators of well-being. We found general declines, which varied somewhat by region, over time in forest dependence across the regions and changing composition of the forest industry across these sectors. The relationship between forest dependence and well-being over time varied by region, largely tied to intra-industry sector shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Governments face many challenges in maintaining effective policymaking capacity as their governance activities alter and change. The emergence of a gap between government aspirations and street-level conditions for policy workers can lead to an increased likelihood of poor policy outcomes. Maintaining strong policy capacity in such public services is a critical factor in avoiding various kinds of policy failures. Very little large-scale empirical research has been dedicated to the study of contemporary policy work, however, making it difficult to evaluate competing claims about the impact of changing conditions on practices of policy analysis. Using data derived from three large-scale surveys of Canadian policy analysts conducted during 2007 to 2008, this article develops and tests several key hypotheses about contemporary policy work and its relationship to policy analytical capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early Paleocene Purgatorius Van Valen and Sloan is the most primitive plesiadapiform primate yet discovered, mostly known from middle to late Puercan strata in Montana, deposited during the interval C29N of the geomagnetic polarity time scale. Here we describe Purgatorius coracis n. sp. from the Ravenscrag Formation, at the Ray W-l horizon, Medicine Hat Brick and Tile Quarry, southwestern Saskatchewan. This horizon occurs within C29R, making P. coracis the earliest known primate, while strengthening the evidence that plesiadapiforms, and hence primates, originated and underwent their initial evolutionary diversification in North America. Most North American mammalian local faunas correlating with C29R have been assigned to the Pul (earliest Pucrcan) interval zone, but the taxonomic composition of the mammals accompanying P. coracis at Ray W-l more resembles local faunas of Pu2 age. The occurrence at Ray W- I of Pu2 aspect mammals within C29R agrees with similar occurrences at the Hiatt and PITA Flats localities in Montana and North Dakota, also possibly correlated with C29R. The evidence from these three sites, all in the Williston Basin, suggests that in some areas of the Western Interior Pu2 aspect local faunas were coeval with those of latest Pul age, having evolved earlier than has commonly been assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates theoretical and practice intersections in Canada between the principles and provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the UN's Basic Principles on the Use of Restorative Justice in Criminal Justice Matters. We undertook this exploratory study from a transdisciplinary standpoint and utilised grounded theory methodological and analytical procedures throughout; data include legal and policy documentary analyses along with eight key informant interviews. Findings indicate that CRC implementation has been impeded by myopic disciplinary approaches that have dissolved its constituent principles by isolating them from its provisions. Young people's human rights are languishing within Canadian juvenile justice contexts, and thus, historical efforts to build an ecosystem of rights-respecting communities in that nation are being compromised. The paper concludes with a reiteration of a CRC implementation model which articulates the balance amongst participation, protection and power relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beet curly top virus, often referred to as Curly top virus (CTV), is an important virus disease of common bean in the semiarid regions of the United States, Canada, and Mexico and the only effective control is genetic resistance. Our objective was to determine if dry bean landrace G122, which lacks the Bct gene for resistance to CTV, contains novel resistance to the virus. Two populations. GT-A and GT-B, consisting of 98 F5:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) in total were derived from a cross between G122 and the susceptible variety Taylor Horticultural and evaluated for phenotypic response to natural CTV field infection. Genetic analyses revealed random amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD) markers associated with a major-effect quantitative trait loci (QTL) from G122 which exhibited stable expression across 3 years in both populations. Phenotypic variation explained by the QTL in GT-A (37.6%) was greater than in GT-B (20.4%). RAPD marker Q14.973 was converted to a sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) and designated SQ14.973. The SCAR was used to locate the QTL on linkage group 6 of the Phaseolus core map. A survey of 74 common bean cultivars and breeding lines revealed SQ14.973 would be widely useful for marker-assisted selection of the QTL. An additional minor-effect QTL from G122 was detected on linkage group 7. G122 was determined to possess novel resistance to CTV conditioned by at least two genes, one with major the other minor effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The status of recolonizing elk (Cervus elaphus) populations in Ontario, Canada, is unclear and there is a need for effective population survey methods that can be applied locally. We sought to develop a sightability model that could account for both low densities of elk and dense forest cover in elk-release areas in Ontario. We corrected winter aerial survey counts for sightability based on radiocollared animals known to be within observable distance of the aircraft. The multivariate model with the highest Akaike's Information Criterion corrected for sample size weight (wi = 0.427) revealed that elk group size, elk activity, dominant tree type, percent canopy cover, and percent conifer cover were significant predictors of elk sightability. The group-size effect indicated that odds of sighting an elk increased by 1.353 (95% CI = 0.874-3.689) for every additional elk. Standing elk were 5.033 (95% CI = 0.936-15.541) times more likely to be observed than were resting elk, and those located in conifer cover were 0.013 (95% CI = 0.001-0.278) times less likely to be sighted than elk in deciduous cover. Furthermore, elk located in >50% canopy cover and >50% conifer cover were 0.041 (95% CI = 0.003-0.619) times and 0.484 (95% CI = 0.024-9.721) times less likely to be sighted than elk in more open habitat, respectively. During model validation, observers detected 79% (113/ 143) of known elk in any given area, and population and sightability model predictions (± 90% CI) overlapped with the population estimate, implying that our predictive model was robust. Unsurprisingly, large groups of elk in open habitat increased model precision, which highlights difficulties of counting Ontario elk in their northern range. We conclude that our model provided increased reliability for estimating elk numbers in Ontario compared to existing methods, and that the estimator may be useful in other areas where elk density is low and sightability is poor due to dense forest... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares rank-and-file policy-based Canadian federal government employees both in the National Capital Region and in the regions. Data was collected from an online survey, the results find a number of significant differences between the two groups in terms of demographics, tasks, and attitudes. We conclude that regional oriented policy tasks are carried out by a relatively few number of people and this group is, at best, on the margins of what could be considered to policy work. These differences may have a significant impact on the federal government's overall policy capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the results of a study conducted to determine the central issues affecting First Nations forestry in Canada and the implications that this has on the economic development opportunities for the community. It is noted that strict government policies often interfere with the ability of First Nations to expand into forestry.

Copyright of Botany is the property of Canadian Science Publishing 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 following exploratory study was conducted in 2005 within Canadian post-secondary institutions for those intending to gain employment within public education for children and related professions. Data are comprised from thirteen interviews and draw upon students and educators from education, child health, and child and youth studies programmes. The researchers adopted a qualitative, grounded theory methodology to analyze documentary themes and those that emerged during theoretical sampling. Although there is variance of opinion, the majority confirm there is a limited theoretical appreciation of the Convention, and of concepts related to 'childhood' with a resultant lack of knowledge within post-secondary education. Interview findings were corroborated by policy analyses and data from non-governmental surveys, the Concluding Observations from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and a contemporaneous parliamentary review undertaken by Canada's Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights. A number of implications stemming from the ongoing violation of international human rights law in Canada are discussed as well as directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the regional economic impacts resulting from the current mountain pine beetle infestation in British Columbia, Canada, and proposes a mitigation strategy to reduce the negative impacts. The strategy consists of reducing the abrupt timber supply changes in an infested region through a reciprocal wood flow arrangement with an adjacent region less affected by the beetle. Two study areas facing different levels of beetle pressure are investigated: the Quesnel Timber Supply Area (high beetle pressure) and the combined Williams Lake/100 Mile House Timber Supply Area (low beetle pressure). A computable general equilibrium model is constructed for each region and is used to simulate the sensitivity of a suite of economic indicators to various timber supply scenarios for both regions. The results indicate that the negative economic impacts attributed to beetle damage could be reduced under a reciprocal wood flow agreement between the two regions. The degree to which the impacts are reduced in each region depends largely on assumptions about forest regeneration and growth and the terms of the reciprocal wood flow agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses power-system instability and the importance of fast fault-clearing performance to aid in reliable production of power. An explanation regarding small-signal stability, high-impedance transmission lines, line loading, and high-gain fast-acting excitation systems is provided. Transient stability is discussed, including synchronizing and damping torques. The power-angle curve is used to illustrate how fault-clearing time and high initial response excitation systems can affect transient stability. The term "power-system stability" has become increasingly popular in generation and transmission. The sudden requirement for power-system stabilizers (PSSs) has created confusion about their applicability, purpose, and benefit to the system. This paper discusses the fundamentals of the PSS and its effectiveness. In today's paper industry, PSSs are being applied on larger machines in the northwest United States and Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sense-of-place research has grown in recent years and has attracted interest from a diverse range of disciplines. Beckley (2003) suggests that it may be possible to disaggregate persons' attachment to biophysical versus sociocultural aspects of sense of place. Stedman (2003) and Beckley (2003) challenge researchers to experiment with new methods for examining the subject. This research addresses the challenges through the use of resident-employed photography. The method was used to elicit sense-of-place values in four communities across Canada. Participants took photographs of things that most attached them to their communities or region. Participants were interviewed about their photographs, and 937 photo-narrative data points were created and analyzed. The analysis involved ascribing photo-narratives to single response categories. Residents distributed their photographs fairly evenly between sociocultural and biophysical dimensions of their communities; however, many attachments involve both sociocultural and biophysical influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An incomplete lower jaw with teeth documents the presence of a new genus and species of placental mammal from the Upper Cretaceous (Lancian; late Maastrichtian) Frenchman Formation, Saskatchewan, Canada. This new mammal is characterized by highly compressed lower molars that decrease in size from m1 to m3 and superficially resemble the molars of Tertiary Mesonychia. These resemblances, however, are interpreted as convergent, and the new mammal is classified in its own family and incertae sedis at the ordinal level. This new mammal thus joins other recent discoveries in western Canada of mammals of Tertiary aspect (Condylarthra; Taeniodonta) occurring in the Late Cretaceous. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The author examines the development of the notion of the field experiment in High Arctic environmental sciences during the period 1958—70. After a discussion of the philosophy and sociology of experiment, the author considers a set of field practices conducted under the auspices of the Canadian Government's Polar Continental Shelf Project. Drawing on archival and oral historical research, he argues that field scientists had to deal with a number of logistical, corporeal, and epistemic difficulties in the High Arctic. It is demonstrated that these obstacles hindered attempts to develop a scientific literature based upon experimental practices during fieldwork. In doing so, the author attempts to set new agendas for historical geographers of science around the analysis of the geographical sciences, whilst also contributing to discussions about the epistemic status of variegated field practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The boreal forest region contains nearly 20 per cent of the world's forest resources. Canada contains ~30 per cent of the world's boreal forest and the future of Canada's boreal region has been the subject of spirited debate, with some advocating more extensive and intensive harvest, while others argue for increased protection. Since the boreal region lags behind Canada as a whole on most indicators of socio-economic status, arguments for expanded harvest and for increased protection invoke the need to sustain human communities. To provide context for these discussions, we use Census of Canada data to examine the relationship between forest dependence and socio-economic status in the boreal region, and whether this relationship has changed over time. Controlling for other forms of economic development and place-specific characteristics, we find mixed results of forest dependence on socio-economic status. The forest industry plays a relatively small role in direct employment and labour income. Forest dependence is associated with increased income (especially in the lumber and pulp sectors), but relatively unstable employment. Examining the trend data, the forest industry appeared to have the greatest positive impact on socio-economic status in 1996, with a subsequent decline in 2001. Results signal a need for multi-faceted policy development associated with intensive management zones for industrial expansion and additional protected areas to support, in part, the maintenance of traditional activities such as trapping and fishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are the roles of informal coordination networks, policy-oriented beliefs, and the concern about climate change? Informal networks are considered in addition to the highly publicized strategies and commitments made by government departments and agencies. Based on a survey of agriculture, forestry and water-based policy elites in the Canadian prairies, this article examines the structure and impact of informal networks and policy-oriented beliefs. To do so, a number of testable hypotheses were proposed. The results indicate that respondents looked to the federal government as a potential ally. However, the federal government did not reciprocate by supporting the other major organizational clusters (agriculture and forest industry, provincial government, environment groups and research organizations). A bleak picture of future action on climate change emerges when the gaps between closed and polarized networks are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the role of forest industry sector and its relationship to the social and economic development of Aboriginal communities in Canada. It is said that the forest sector had provided employment for the Aboriginal community and considered to be the pathway to further development. Such relationship had change as time passed by. Result indicates that there is a sharp distinction on the social and economic status of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.

Verticillium wilt of alfalfa, caused by Verticillium albo-atrum, may reduce forage yields by up to 50% in alfalfa-producing areas of the northern United States and Canada. It has been suggested that cultivars require at least 60% resistant plants to afford maximum protection against disease. Our objective was to calculate heritability estimates of resistance to Verticillium wilt in alfalfa. Estimates were generated for two alfalfa populations developed from the cvs. Affinity + Z and Depend + EV. Heritability on a half-sib progeny means basis was calculated based on data from greenhouse pathogenicity tests. Estimates based on repeated experiments conducted for single years (2004 and 2005) were high for both populations, ranging from 0.86 to 0.92. The heritability estimate based on data collected over 2 years was 0.26 for Affinity + Z and 0.66 for Depend + EV. Disease was more severe in 2005 than in 2004. However, the Spearman rank correlation between mean disease severity index values for half-sib families over 2 years was positive and significant for both populations. Results of pathogenicity tests suggested that neither cultivar had resistance levels approaching 60%. The heritability estimates suggest that resistance levels in both Affinity + Z and Depend + EV could be improved further through selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents findings from a study comparing children's rights policies and practices within a number of Scottish and Canadian educational policy arenas. The selected qualitative findings come at the end of the United Nations' Decade for Human Rights Education. One way of conceptualizing children's rights within a human rights framework is posited that also reconsiders the postmodern deconstruction of the Convention within contemporary research. A common unit of comparative analysis was established through United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 42 as educational institutions strive to implement knowledge within research, policy and practice. Comparative perspectives from policy arenas revealed that the UNCRC has travelled divergent roads within Scotland and Canada.

The forest products sector is a major employer in much of rural Canada, and it is often assumed by policy makers that increased timber harvest is a viable means of rural economic development. Despite burgeoning research in the United States, relatively little attention has focused on the relationship between forest dependence and well-being in rural Canada. Especially lacking are macrocomparisons of regions and of forest sectors. This note presents an overview of the relationship between forest dependence and well-being in Canada. Analysis of 1996 Statistics Canada data revealed a great deal of variation in the effect of forest dependence on indicators of well-being (e.g., human capital, unemployment, income): some sectors had fairly positive outcomes (e.g., pulp and paper); others had more negative outcomes (e.g., logging). These relationships, however, vary a great deal by region, suggesting the need for more mid-range explanatory models that incorporate the particulars of place and sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A permineralized lythraceous leaf type found in close association with fruits, stems, and roots of Decodon allenbyensis Cevallos Ferriz et Stockey in the Middle Eocene Princeton chert of British Columbia, Canada, is described. Midribs have a prominent C-shaped midvein surrounded by sclerenchyma, with an adaxial epidermis of rectangular to rounded cells lacking enlarged mucilage cells. Leaves are dorsiventral, 180-270 µm thick at the lamina, with a double palisade layer. Abaxial epidermal cells have prominent papillae, and these epidermal cells can be infected by fungi, forming dark sterile stromata. Fossil leaves are similar to those of Myrtales and are compared to those of Lythraceae sensu lato. Although these leaves are thought to belong to the previously described Decodon allenbyensis found in the same chert layer, they lack the diagnostic features of extant Decodon leaves. Instead they share most anatomical similarities with Duabanga grandiflora Roxburgh ex DC Walpers (Lythraceae, subfamily Duabangoideae) including vascular tissues, palisade and spongy mesophyll, bundle fibers, and abaxial epidermal papillae. Duabanga grandiflora differs from the fossil in having mucilaginous cells and a consistently V-shaped abaxial midrib. Although anatomically similar to Duabanga, the fossil leaves are considered those of D. allenbyensis, based on association and the depositional environment prior to preservation. Recent phylogenetic analyses place Duabanga and Decodon in separate clades within Lythraceae, but relationships between these clades are not well supported, indicating that fossil leaves should provide useful anatomical characters for elucidating relationships within Lythraceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-being of residents of resource dependent communities is a question of traditional interest to rural sociologists. The label "resource dependent" obscures how this relationship may vary between particular resource industries, regions, or indicators of well-being. Few analyses have compared the relationship between well-being and resource dependence across different industries, nor tested competing theories about the relationship between resource dependence and well-being. Our paper presents an overview of the relationship between resource dependence— agriculture, fisheries, mining, energy, forestry—and human well-being in Canada. Analysis of 1996 Statistics Canada data revealed a great deal of variation in the effect of "resource" dependence on indicators of well-being (e.g., human capital, unemployment, income): some industries exhibit fairly positive outcomes (e.g., agriculture), others more negative outcomes (e.g., fishing). Consistent with analyses conducted in the United States, these relationships vary by region, suggesting the need for models that incorporate the particulars of place and industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes a new genus and species of palaeoryctids based on an incomplete maxilla containing well-preserved P3-4, M1-3, excavated from a late Paleocene horizon in the Paskapoo Formation in Alberta. Uncertainties about the relationships of palaeorctids to other mammals.

Rural sociologists have a lengthy history of examining the relationship between natural resource dependence and community well-being. This paper contributes to the understanding of this relationship in several ways. First, census data were used to describe forest sector dependence in two Canadian provinces where levels of dependence were much higher than those commonly found in the United States. Second, instead of linear regression analysis, a structural equation model was used to provide estimates for three indicators of well-being (income, poverty, and immigration) within a single model and then the model was tested for overall suitability. Using market segmentation theory, this paper shows that forest dependence and well-being in New Brunswick is more consistent with many places in the United States where the pulp and paper industry alone is positively associated with well-being indicators. In contrast, pulp and paper, logging, and lumber sectors in British Columbia are positively associated with well-being. The model also reveals less transience in forestry towns than was previously assumed. These findings are discussed along with estimated effects between indicators of community well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Re-examination of the dentitions of carpolestid plesiadapiform mammals from the late Paleocene Swan Hills locality, northern Alberta, and correlative localities in the vicinity of Roche Percée, southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, indicates that Carpodaptes cygneus (Russell) as known from these sites is polyphyletic: the name C. cygneus is here restricted to the Swan Hills carpolestid. while the Roche Percée form represents a new, more derived species, Carpodaptes stonleyi. Other purported records of C cygneus are reconsidered as well: C. cygneus from DW-I, central Alberta, is more appropriately dubbed C. cf. cygneus; C. cygneus at Canyon Ski Quarry, central Alberta, is best identified as C. cf. stonleyi, while C. cf. cygneus from Police Point, southeastern Alberta, has closest affinities to C. hazelae Simpson. Carpolestids from the Tongue River Formation, North Dakota, are referred to Carpodaptes cf. hobackensis Dorr and C. cf. hazelae. After a review of the available evidence, the recent hypothesis that C. cygneus and other North American carpolestids are congeneric with Carpocristes oriens Beard and Wang from the Paleocene or Eocene of China, is rejected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A natural, plant-derived insecticide, neem, is being evaluated as an alternative insect pest control product for forestry in Canada. As part of the process to investigate the environmental safety of neem-based insecticides, a mesocosm experiment was conducted to assess the effects of neem on natural zooplankton communities. Replicate (n=5), shallow (<1 m) forest pond enclosures were treated with Neemix® 4.5, at concentrations of 0.035 (the expected environmental concentration), 0.18, 0.70, and 1.75 mg/l active ingredient, azadirachtin. Zooplankton communities were quantitatively sampled over a 4-month experimental period in treated and control enclosures, and water samples were collected to track azadirachtin concentrations. Concentrations in water declined linearly with estimated DT50 values of 25–29 days. Trends in abundance over time among populations of cladocerans, copepods, and rotifers were found to differ significantly among treatments. At the two highest test concentrations, adverse effects were obvious with significant reductions in several cladoceran species, and near elimination of the three major copepod species present. More subtle effects at the two lowest test concentrations were determined by comparing the community structure of enclosures across treatment levels and over time through an analytical process based on the multivariate statistical software, PRIMER. Significant effects on community structure were detected at both of these lower concentrations, including the expected environmental concentration of 0.035 mg/l azadirachtin. Differential responses among species (some increases, some decreases) caused detectable disruptions in community structure among zooplankton of treated enclosures. Perturbations to zooplankton communities were sufficient to cause measurable differences in system-level metabolism (midday dissolved oxygen concentrations) at all but the lowest test concentration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines indicators of sustainability in forest-based communities in Saskatchewan. Use of quality-of-life framework in the selection of local-level indicators; Analysis of the indicators in terms of relevance to specific sustainability concerns; Need for caution in asserting the utility of one-size-fits-all approaches to community sustainability.

AbstractBlastomycosis, a potentially fatal fungal disease, is well known from defined areas of endemicity in Ontario, primarily in the northern part of the province. We present 2 unusual cases that appear to extend the area of endemicity into urban southern Ontario, specifically Toronto. Both patients presented to a dermatology clinic with skin lesions. Chest radiography, history and general physical evaluation indicated no disease at other body sites. Both cases appeared to represent "inoculation blastomycosis" connected with minor gardening injuries and a cat scratch respectively. Atypical dissemination could not be completely excluded in either case. Neither patient had travelled recently to a known area of high endemicity for blastomycosis, nor had the cat that was involved in one of the cases. Physicians must become aware that blastomycosis may mimic other diseases, including dermal infections, and may occur in patients whose travel histories would not normally suggest this infection.Case 1The patient was a 59-year-old immunocompetent woman with no history of recent travel to known areas of endemicity for blastomycosis. She had, however, been gardening in a ravine area of western Toronto near a stream.In March 1998 a lesion developed over the patient's right lateral malleolus, gradually increasing in size. She described the initial lesion as being similar to a pimple. Approximately 2 months later, similar lesions developed on 2 fingers. Several biopsies revealed no distinctive features. A variety of antimicrobial agents were administered without effect. She was referred to a dermatology centre.Dermatological examination indicated a large, erythematous, scaling plaque on the right lateral malleolus and verrucous, indurated lesions on the left index and right ring fingers. The areas surrounding the plaques were slightly violaceous, and pressure led to purulent discharge. Samples were obtained for repeat biopsy. Histopathologic findings were interpreted as... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]