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This narrative inquiry explores three Chinese university leaders' intercultural competence as a key dimension of their leadership that overseas leadership development programmes enabled them to develop. The leaders visited three different countries -- namely, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada -- storied their experiences in the programmes and connected their reflections to leadership in the Chinese higher education system. Our narrative analyses show that the overseas leadership development programmes were mediators in the construction of leadership, for which there were two focal themes: (1) leadership as a personal and contextual construction process and (2) intercultural competence as a key dimension of university leaders' leadership. Betwixt and between different higher education systems in different cultural contexts, the reconceptualisation of leadership with intercultural competence is unfurled in the liminal space, which goes beyond the functionalist paradigm of leadership and is also of international interest and value in the global communication of higher education.

Workplace friendships have been linked to important employment outcomes. With the rise in remote work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences, there is concern about the implications of work mode for students' workplace relationships. Using a survey of co-operative education students, this study explored differences in the development of workplace friendships between work modes and the consequences of those friendships. Results suggest that students are more likely to develop friendships when they work in-person rather than remotely. Informal socialization occurred less in remote work, which partially explained why remote workers reported fewer friendships. Workplace friendships with organization members--but not fellow students--were positively associated with job satisfaction, career development, organizational commitment, and conversion intention. These findings indicate that remote work has implications for friendship development and the quality of a WIL experience. WIL stakeholders offering remote work should consider informal socialization opportunities to strengthen workplace friendships and improve the quality of WIL experiences. [Note: The page range (505-521) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 505-520.]

Despite an extensive body of literature scrutinising international students' short-term and long-term mobility experiences, little is known about the connection between the two. To address this gap, this study looks into the perception of a group of Chinese international students on how participation in their short-term mobility (STM) experience affects their navigation of subsequent full-degree experiences. Based on a qualitative investigation into 31 participants, drawing on the ABC theoretical model, this study manifests that penetrating diverse fabrics, the STM experience revealed impacts on the students' preparation for, operating and imagining their long-term study trajectory and beyond. These impacts are embodied in affective, behavioural and cognitive learning gains that are predominantly perceived as positive forces that facilitate navigation of a longer course. The study suggests some implications for stakeholders involved in students' international mobility programs and concludes with directions for future research.

This article reports a multiple case study to explore the lived academic acculturation experiences of four Chinese international students with limited oral English capacity and how they describe the relationship between low oral English proficiency and academic acculturation. Self-Determination Theory was utilized as the theoretical framework to inform data collection and analysis. Findings indicated all four Chinese students experienced significant psychological stress during their academic acculturation as a direct result of their limited spoken English capacity, which negatively impacted their sense of competence, autonomy and particularly relatedness. Emotional pain, involuntary isolation, helplessness, and regret emerged as the salient themes from the cross-case analysis. Implications for various stakeholders are discussed.

This study employed narrative inquiry to understand the oral English learning motivation of Chinese international students with low oral English proficiency through their academic acculturation stories. Expectancy-value theory served as the theoretical framework to inform the study design and the interpretation of results. Findings suggest all participants' motivation for oral English learning increased as a result of the newly acquired high subjective value of spoken English during their academic acculturation. However, they experienced high levels of psychological stress during their academic acculturation due to their low oral English proficiency. Further, participants' perceived expectancy of success for learning oral English declined as their academic acculturation progressed, negatively influencing their oral English learning motivation. Implications for various stakeholders are discussed.

Situated within an increasing trend of globalization and internationalization, many universities pride themselves on the number of international students they recruit. At Canadian universities, there are more international students from China than any other country. However, Chinese international students tend to demonstrate lower spoken English proficiency than other international student groups. Research has shown that oral English proficiency significantly influences international students' academic acculturation, however, little research has examined what academic acculturation looks like for Chinese international students with limited spoken English proficiency. This study sought to understand the academic acculturation experiences of Chinese international students with limited spoken English proficiency. We employed a musically enhanced narrative inquiry approach, building on traditional narrative research methods by utilizing sound and music to re-tell participants' stories. Data were collected through arts-informed interviews with six Chinese international students, and analyzed through both narrative and musical restorying, resulting in the creation of literary and musical narrative representations. The findings contribute to the understanding of international students' academic acculturation by giving authentic voice to their stories and communicating them through musically enhanced representations. These evocative representations can affect audiences in new ways, engendering resonance and understanding through the unique use of sound and music.

Innovative literacy teaching and learning approaches have proved that multiliteracies enables teachers to work with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. However, few studies have shed light on examining Chinese teachers' understanding and practices of multiliteracies in Canada. To respond to this challenge, this qualitative case study aims to understand how Chinese teachers who pursued multiliteracies graduate studies perceive and implement multiliteracies in teaching young CLD children Chinese literacy in Canada. We investigated narratives of two Chinese teachers to provide useful insights into their lived experiences of multiliteracies for Chinese literacy teaching. A constant comparison approach was adopted to analyze three data sources through narrative analysis: interviews, reflective writings, and curriculum materials. Findings suggest that these teachers actively appropriated affordances of multiliteracies for Chinese literacy teaching in Canada drawing upon graduate courses in multiliteracies. The paper concludes with the pertaining implications to highlight the importance of teacher professional development.

This narrative inquiry explores three Chinese university leaders' intercultural competence as a key dimension of their leadership that overseas leadership development programmes enabled them to develop. The leaders visited three different countries – namely, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada – storied their experiences in the programmes and connected their reflections to leadership in the Chinese higher education system. Our narrative analyses show that the overseas leadership development programmes were mediators in the construction of leadership, for which there were two focal themes: (1) leadership as a personal and contextual construction process and (2) intercultural competence as a key dimension of university leaders' leadership. Betwixt and between different higher education systems in different cultural contexts, the reconceptualisation of leadership with intercultural competence is unfurled in the liminal space, which goes beyond the functionalist paradigm of leadership and is also of international interest and value in the global communication of higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognostic factors of ICI-including combined therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma were analyzed by systematic review. We searched Web of Science, Cochrane, PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang and other databases for randomized controlled trials and clinical trials of combination therapy including ICIs in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The search time was from the establishment of the database to September 2023. Data were extracted and evaluated with RevMan 5.4 software. Six studies were included, including 4723 patients. The results showed that ① in terms of progression-free survival, the factors of age < 65 years old, male sex, Canada and Western Europe, nephrectomy, different IMDC class, number of organs with metastases and PD-L1 expression ≥ 1% significantly prolonged PFS in patients with metastatic cancer treated by combination therapy including ICIs; ② in terms of overall survival rate, the factors of age < 65 years old, female sex, nephrectomy, different IMDC class and PD-L1 expression ≥ 1% significantly prolonged the OS of patients with metastatic cancer treated by combination therapy including ICIs. Age, sex, region, nephrectomy, different IMDC class, number of organs with metastases and PD-L1 expression are independent factors influencing the efficacy of combination therapy including ICIs in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Systematic evaluation of baseline indicators of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma to predict clinical benefits can effectively improve the benefit rate of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are important sources of anthropogenic methane emissions. Municipal governments can play a role in reducing those emissions to support climate change mitigation, but they need information on the emission rate to contextualize mitigation actions and track progress. Herein, we examine the application of satellite data from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) to estimate city-level methane emission rates in a case study of the City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Due to low and variable annual observational coverage, we integrated valid TROPOMI observations over three years (2020–2022) and used mass balance modeling to derive a long-term mean estimate of the emission rate. The resulting column-mean dry-air mole fraction (XCH4) enhancement over Calgary was small (4.7 ppb), but within the city boundaries, we identified local hot spots in the vicinity of known emission sources (wastewater treatment facilities and landfills). The city-level emission estimate from mass balance was 215.4 ± 132.8 t CH4/d. This estimate is approximately four times larger than estimates from Canada's gridded National Inventory Report of anthropogenic CH4 emissions and six times larger than the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR v8.0). We note that valid TROPOMI observations are more common in warmer months and occur during a narrow daily overpass time slot over Calgary. The limited valid observations in combination with the constrained temporal observational coverage may bias the emission estimate. Overall, the findings from this case study highlight an approach to derive a screening-level estimate of city-level methane emission rates using TROPOMI data in settings with low observational coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stimulation of IFN genes (STING) is central to the production of interferon and proinflammatory cytokines in response to microbial DNA or self-DNA in the cytosol. The detrimental role of the activation of STING during sepsis has been well documented. Methods: Here, we found that gelsevirine (GS) potently inhibit interferon and inflammatory cytokine induction in macrophages exposed to STING agonists (2'3'-cGAMP, IFN stimulatory DNA (ISD), and poly(dA:dT)). In silico docking analysis and surface plasmon resonance binding study showed that GS bonds with high affinity to the cyclic dinucleotide (CDN)-binding pocket of STING. Biotin pull-down assay also confirmed that GS competitively bonded to STING protein. Furthermore, GS inhibited 2'3'-cGAMP-induced STING dimerization and subsequent activation. In addition, GS induced K48-linked STING ubiquitination and degradation, which was likely through upregulating and recruiting TRIM21. In mice exposed to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis, postoperative administration of GS significantly extended the survival period and mitigated acute organ damage. Results: Overall, GS inhibited STING signaling by competitively binding to the CDN-binding pocket to lock STING in an inactive open conformation, while also promoting K48-linked STING ubiquitination and degradation. Conclusions: Our findings identify a novel STING-specific inhibitor that could be applied in the treatment of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post‐surgical tumor recurrence remains a major clinical concern for patients with malignant solid tumors. Herein, an immunotherapeutic hydrogel (SAPBA/ZMC/ICG) is developed by incorporating metal ion‐cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) nanoparticles (Zn‐Mn‐CDN, ZMC) and a photosensitizer (indocyanine green, ICG) into phenylboronic acid (PBA)‐conjugated sodium alginate (SAPBA) for photothermal therapy (PTT)‐triggered in situ vaccination to inhibit post‐surgical recurrence and metastasis of malignant tumors. The gelation of SAPBA/ZMC/ICG in the residual tumors can achieve accurate local PTT and the local sustained release of CDN and Mn2+ with minimal detrimental off‐target toxic effects. Furthermore, CDN, which is an agonist of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING), along with Mn2+ can activate the STING pathway and trigger type‐I‐IFN‐driven immune responses against tumors. Therefore, the immunotherapeutic hydrogel with enhanced immune response by STING agonist and PTT‐induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) reprograms the post‐surgical immunosuppressive microenvironment, substantially decreasing the post‐surgical recurrence and metastasis of solid tumors in multiple murine tumor models when administered during surgical resection. Taken together, PTT‐triggered and STING‐mediated in situ cancer vaccination is an effective therapeutic intervention for post‐surgical recurrence and metastasis of tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a well‐known complication in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) receiving asparaginase (ASP)‐based chemotherapy, including the ASP‐intensive Dana‐Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) 91–01 protocol for adults. Since 2019, native L‐ASP is no longer available in Canada and was replaced by pegylated (PEG)‐ASP. To determine whether the incidence of VTE has changed since switching from L‐ASP to PEG‐ASP, we conducted a single‐centred retrospective cohort study. We included 245 adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome negative ALL between 2011 and 2021, with 175 from the L‐ASP group (2011–2019) and 70 from the PEG‐ASP group (2018–2021). During Induction, 10.29% (18/175) of patients who received L‐ASP developed VTE, whereas 28.57% (20/70) of patients who received PEG‐ASP developed VTE (p = 0.0035; odds ratio [OR] 3.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51–7.39), after adjusting for line type, gender, history of VTE, platelets at diagnosis. Similarly, during Intensification, 13.64% (18/132) of patients had VTE on L‐ASP while 34.37% (11/32) of patients on PEG‐ASP developed VTE (p = 0.0096; OR 3.96, 95% CI 1.57–9.96 with multivariable analysis). We found that PEG‐ASP is associated with a higher incidence of VTE compared to L‐ASP, both during Induction and Intensification, despite the administration of prophylactic anticoagulation. Further VTE mitigation strategies are needed in particular for adult patients with ALL receiving PEG‐ASP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Red River is one of the largest contributing sources of discharge and nutrients to the world's 10th largest freshwater lake, Lake Winnipeg. Conversion of large areas of annual cropland to perennial forage has been proposed as a strategy to reduce both flooding and nutrient export to Lake Winnipeg. Such reductions could occur either via a reduction in the concentration of nutrients in runoff or through changes in the basin-scale hydrology, resulting in a lower water yield and the concomitant export of nutrients. This study assessed the latter mechanism by using the physically based Cold Regions Hydrological Modelling platform to examine the hydrological impacts of land use conversion from annual crops to perennial forage in a subbasin of the La Salle River basin in Canada. This basin is a typical agricultural subbasin in the Red River Valley, characterised by flat topography, clay soils, and a cold subhumid, continental climate. Long-term simulations (1992–2013) of the major components of water balance were compared between canola and smooth bromegrass, representing a conversion from annual cropping systems to perennial forage. An uncertainty framework was used to represent a range of fall soil saturation status (0 % to 70 %), which governs the infiltration to frozen soil in the subsequent spring. The model simulations indicated that, on average, there was a 36.5 ± 6.6 % (36.5 ± 7.2 mm) reduction in annual cumulative discharge and a 29.9 ± 16.3 % (2.6 ± 1.6 m 3 s -1) reduction in annual peak discharge due to forage conversion over the assessed period. These reductions were driven by reduced overland flow 52.9 ± 12.8 % (28.8 ± 10.1 mm), increased peak snowpack (8.1 ± 1.5 %, 7.8 ± 1.6 mm), and enhanced infiltration to frozen soils (66.7 ± 7.7 %, 141.5 ± 15.2 mm). Higher cumulative evapotranspiration (ET) from perennial forage (34.5 ± 0.9 %, 94.1 ± 2.5 mm) was also predicted by the simulations. Overall, daily soil moisture under perennial forage was 18.0 % (57.2 ± 1.2 mm) higher than that of crop simulation, likely due to the higher snow water equivalent (SWE) and enhanced infiltration. However, the impact of forage conversion on daily soil moisture varied interannually. Soil moisture under perennial forage stands could be either higher or lower than that of annual crops, depending on antecedent spring snowmelt infiltration volumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clusters of genetically similar infections suggest rapid transmission and may indicate priorities for public health action or reveal underlying epidemiological processes. However, clusters often require user-defined thresholds and are sensitive to non-epidemiological factors, such as non-random sampling. Consequently the ideal threshold for public health applications varies substantially across settings. Here, we show a method which selects optimal thresholds for phylogenetic (subset tree) clustering based on population. We evaluated this method on HIV-1 pol datasets (n = 14, 221 sequences) from four sites in USA (Tennessee, Washington), Canada (Northern Alberta) and China (Beijing). Clusters were defined by tips descending from an ancestral node (with a minimum bootstrap support of 95%) through a series of branches, each with a length below a given threshold. Next, we used pplacer to graft new cases to the fixed tree by maximum likelihood. We evaluated the effect of varying branch-length thresholds on cluster growth as a count outcome by fitting two Poisson regression models: a null model that predicts growth from cluster size, and an alternative model that includes mean collection date as an additional covariate. The alternative model was favoured by AIC across most thresholds, with optimal (greatest difference in AIC) thresholds ranging 0.007–0.013 across sites. The range of optimal thresholds was more variable when re-sampling 80% of the data by location (IQR 0.008 − 0.016, n = 100 replicates). Our results use prospective phylogenetic cluster growth and suggest that there is more variation in effective thresholds for public health than those typically used in clustering studies. Author summary: A genetic cluster of virus infections is a group of DNA or RNA sequences that are much more similar to each other than they are to other infections from the same population of hosts. These clusters can reveal where virus transmission has been occurring the most rapidly, which can provide useful information for a public health response. Genetic clusters are often built by reconstructing a phylogeny—a tree-based model of how the sequences are related by common ancestors—and locating distinct parts of the tree with short branches. However, there are no objective, general-purpose criteria for deciding which parts of a tree constitute clusters, and there are an unlimited number of ways to partition a tree into clusters. In this study, we develop a computational method to determine the best clustering criteria based on our ability to predict where the next infections will occur. We apply this method to anonymized HIV-1 sequence data sets from Canada, the United States, and China, to characterize the sensitivity of clustering criteria to different risk populations and sampling contexts. Our results indicate that the clustering criteria typically used for phylogenetic studies of HIV-1 are not optimal for public health applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop identification and classification are of great significance to agricultural land use management. The physically constrained general model-based decomposition (PCGMD) has proven to be a promising method in comparison with the typical four-component decomposition methods in scattering mechanism interpretation and identifying vegetation types. However, the robustness of PCGMD requires further investigation from the perspective of final applications. This paper aims to validate the efficiency of the PCGMD method on crop classification for the first time. Seven C-band time-series RADARSAT-2 images were exploited, covering the entire growing season over an agricultural region near London, Ontario, Canada. Firstly, the response and temporal evolution of the four scattering components obtained by PCGMD were analyzed. Then, a forward selection approach was applied to achieve the highest classification accuracy by searching an optimum combination of multi-temporal SAR data with the random forest (RF) algorithm. For comparison, the general model-based decomposition method (GMD), the original and its three improved Yamaguchi four-component decomposition approaches (Y4O, Y4R, S4R, G4U), were used in all tests. The results reveal that the PCGMD method is highly sensitive to seasonal crop changes and matches well with the real physical characteristics of the crops. Among all test methods used, the PCGMD method using six images obtained the optimum classification performance, reaching an overall accuracy of 91.83%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At high latitudes, the Sporadic‐E layer (Es layer) is a common phenomenon but is still poorly understood due to sparse measurements and the difficulty of conventional mechanisms to operate. In this study, an interesting case of polar cap Es layer is first studied by using the twin incoherent scatter radars (northward‐looking face of Resolute Incoherent‐Scatter Radar and Resolute Incoherent‐Scatter Radar‐Canada), a Canadian Advanced Digital Ionosonde, and a Magnetometer, all at Resolute, Canada. From several electron density profiles of the twin radars, the horizontal scale of the polar cap Es layer is found to be greater than 350 km. Moreover, the polar cap Es layer is determined to be drifting from the bottom F region (>150 km) to the lower E region. Furthermore, a unique appearance of double polar cap Es layers is observed. As a result, these peculiar signatures inspire a newly proposed process that involves the combination of localized electric fields and gravity waves. Plain Language Summary: The Sporadic‐E layer (Es layer) is a globally common phenomenon, which is comprehensively and unceasingly studied in decades by using the observation measurements and numerical simulations. The remarkable agreements on the characteristics and generation mechanisms of Es layer at middle latitudes have then been almost achieved. However, over the polar region, it is still poorly understood due to sparse measurements and the difficulty of conventional mechanisms to operate. In this study, an interesting case of polar cap Es layer are first reported by using the twin radars of northward‐looking face of Resolute Incoherent‐Scatter Radar and Resolute Incoherent‐Scatter Radar‐Canada, Canadian Advanced Digital Ionosonde, and Magnetometer simultaneously. Through comprehensively studies, the understanding of polar cap Es layer is clearly extended, not only on the characteristics but also on the mechanism processes. The polar cap Es layer is horizontally greater than 350 km; a new process on the generation mechanism is provoked including the functions of particle precipitation and gravity wave. As a consequence, we present a peculiar evidence for the first time to greatly enrich our knowledge on the polar cap Es layer, showing us a new insight on it. Key Points: An amazing example of polar cap Es layer is first presented by the twin radars of northward‐looking face of Resolute Incoherent‐Scatter Radar and Resolute Incoherent‐Scatter Radar‐Canada at Resolute, Canada simultaneouslyThe morphology of the polar cap Es layer is comprehensively furthered, interpreting the horizontal scale size (>350 km) and double layersTo reasonably explain this phenomenon, a new process is hypothesized, consisting of localized electric field and gravity wave [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a relative dearth of qualitative studies on the actual experiences of families caring for members suffering from serious mental illness, and even less is known about disadvantaged ethnic minority immigrant families. This explorative qualitative study examines the burden experienced by 15 family members of Chinese immigrant background in Toronto, Canada. Six common themes emerged from the study: 1) significant worries about not being able to take care of ill members in the future; 2) on-going strain and changed family life; 3) pervasive social stigma, discrimination and lack of resources; 4) general appreciation of Canadian health and welfare systems and opportunities; 5) cultural factors and beliefs uniquely shape families' support and caring commitment; and 6) families find various ways to cope and help themselves. Opportunities for improved care delivery based on these understandings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) in shellfish products have led to severe risks to human health. To monitor the risk, the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program has been collecting longitudinal PST measurements in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria) samples in six coastal provinces of Canada. The spatial distributions of major temporal variation patterns were studied via Functional Principal Component Analysis. Seasonal increases in PST contamination were found to vary the most in terms of magnitude along the coastlines, which provides support for location-specific management of the time-sensitive PST contamination. In British Columbia, the first functional principal component (FPC1) indicated the variance among the magnitudes, while FPC2 indicated the seasonality of the PST levels. The temporal variations tended to be positively correlated with the abundance of dianoflagellates Alexandrium spp., and negatively with precipitation and inorganic nutrients. These findings indicate the underlying mechanism of PST variation in various geographical settings. In New Brunswick, Prince Edward, and Nova Scotia, the top FPCs indicated that the PST contamination differed mostly in the seasonal increase of the PST level during summer. • Multi-decade Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST) in Canada were analyzed. • Shellfish harvesting sites differed the most in seasonal elevation of PST levels. • The spring-to-autumn period of increased PST was found in BC, QC, NB, and NS. • Rainfall, Alexandrium spp., nitrate/nitrite, and phosphate correlated with PST. • Higher seasonal increases tended to occur at locations of strong water mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytosolic DNA activates cGAS (cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic AMPGMP synthase)-STING (stimulator of interferon genes) signaling, which triggers interferon and inflammatory responses that help defend against microbial infection and cancer. However, aberrant cytosolic self-DNA in Aicardi–Goutière’s syndrome and constituently active gain-of-function mutations in STING in STING-associated vasculopathy with onset in infancy (SAVI) patients lead to excessive type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines, which cause difficult-to-treat and sometimes fatal autoimmune disease. Here, in silico docking identified a potent STING antagonist SN-011 that binds with higher affinity to the cyclic dinucleotide (CDN)-binding pocket of STING than endogenous 2′3′-cGAMP. SN-011 locks STING in an open inactive conformation, which inhibits interferon and inflammatory cytokine induction activated by 2′3′-cGAMP, herpes simplex virus type 1 infection, Trex1 deficiency, over expression of cGAS-STING, or SAVI STING mutants. In Trex1−/− mice, SN-011 was well tolerated, strongly inhibited hallmarks of inflammation and autoimmunity disease, and prevented death. Thus, a specific STING inhibitor that binds to the STING CDN-binding pocket is a promising lead compound for STING-driven disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: The key first step for a safe blood transfusion is patient registration for identification and linking to past medical and transfusion history. In Canada, any deviation from standard operating procedures in transfusion is an error voluntarily reportable to a national database (Transfusion Error Surveillance System [TESS]). We used this database to characterize the subset of registration‐related errors impacting transfusion care, including where, when and why the errors occurred, and to identify frequent high‐risk errors. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on transfusion errors reported to TESS by sentinel reporting sites relating to patient registration and patient armbands, between 2008 and 2017. Free‐text comments describing the error were coded to further categorize into common error types. The number of specimens received in the transfusion laboratory was used as the denominator for rates to allow for comparison between hospital sites. Results: Five hundred and fifty‐four registration errors were reported from 10 hospitals, for a global error rate of 5·4/10 000 samples (median 5·0 [interquartile range 3·7–7·0]). The potential severity was high in 85·7% of errors (n = 475). The patient experienced a consequence in 10·8% of errors (n = 60), but none resulted in patient harm. Rates varied widely and differed by nature across sites. Errors most commonly occurred in outpatient clinics or procedure units (n = 160, 28·8%) and in emergency departments (n = 130, 23·5%). Conclusion: Registration errors affect transfusion at every step and location in the hospital and are commonly high risk. Further research into common root causes is warranted to identify preventative strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the practical use of The Audit Risk Model (ARM) in Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) settings. International Auditing Standards (IAS) suggest that auditors of financial statements rely on the ARM to plan audit engagements. Sixty practicing auditors (30 from Canada and 30 from China) performed risk assessments on Audit Risk (AR), Inherent Risk (IR) and Control Risk (CR) in light of identical case materials. Our findings suggest that there is no significant difference between Canadian and Chinese auditors when interpreting similar data to establish their risk assessments. Nevertheless, the information regarding ERP caused the biggest discrepancy both between and within the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the emerging use of the proportionality concept in the contract law of the Anglo-common law world, first to understand its internal logic, and secondly, to situate its invocation within private law theory. What are judges doing when they appeal to "proportionality"?, and what does this say about the ideology of adjudication? I draw insights from the use of proportionality in other domains, in particular public law, to uncover its internal rationality as a means-ends rationality review coupled with a process of balancing competing considerations, which I illustrate with reference to the illegality, penalty, and cost of cure doctrines. I argue that proportionality reflects a method of pragmatic justification, expressing an aspiration towards a structured and transparent mode of argumentation that is anti-formal and anti-ideological, focusing from the bottom-up on contextual considerations, and occupying a distinct space against existing theories in private law driven, for instance, by "top-down"? rights-based ideologies or critical and communitarian perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow water equivalent (SWE) is one of the most hydrologically important physical properties of a snowpack. The U.S. National Weather Service's Snow Data Assimilation System (SNODAS) provides snow products at high spatial (~1 km2) and temporal (daily) resolution for the contiguous United States and southern Canada. This study evaluated the SNODAS SWE product in the boreal forest, prairie, and Canadian Rockies of western Canada against extensive snow survey measurements. SNODAS was found to work well in sheltered environments, to overestimate SWE under needle‐leaf forests, and to be unable to capture the spatial variation of SWE in windswept prairie and alpine environments. Results indicate that SNODAS SWE accuracy is strongly influenced by the missing blowing snow redistribution and canopy energetics and snow interception and sublimation processes in the mass balance calculations of the SNODAS model and by erroneous precipitation data forcing the model. To demonstrate how errors caused by missing processes can be corrected in areas with low assimilation frequency, SNODAS data were assimilated into a physically based hydrological model created using the modular Cold Region Hydrological Modelling (CRHM) platform that includes blowing and intercepted snow redistribution and subcanopy melt energetic processes. This approach decreased the overestimation of SWE compared to SNODAS from 135 to 79% in the study area and suggests that snow assimilation modeled SWE quality can be improved if snow redistribution, sublimation, and subcanopy melt processes are incorporated. Key Points: Evaluation of SNODAS SWE against observations showed persistent deficiencies in estimating SWE for needleleaf forest and open landscapesSNODAS data were assimilated into a hydrological model that calculated blowing snow redistribution and forest snow interceptionThe coupled SNODAS‐CRHM was found to improve SWE prediction, when compared to SNODAS data, in a Canadian Rockies mountain research basin [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to motherhood is a time of tremendous change, during which maternal subjects experience important shifts in their relationships with family, friends, employers, and state. Parental leave policies have potential to mitigate some of these changes, contributing positively to health and economic outcomes. Indeed, such policies have been identified as essential for achieving gender equality, serving to address both recognition and redistributive claims. In this paper, we explore parental leave policy through the lens of first time mothers in Canada, where two distinct policy regimes coexist. Using narrative analysis, we examine the ways in which the transition to motherhood is embodied and enacted through policy experiences. The stories we uncover, stories of helplessness, of control and resistance, and of stymied progress, illuminate how leave policies differently position maternal subjects in complex social settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorological, snow survey, streamflow, and groundwater data are presented from Marmot Creek Research Basin, Alberta, Canada. The basin is a 9.4 km 2 , alpine–montane forest headwater catchment of the Saskatchewan River basin that provides vital water supplies to the Prairie Provinces of Canada. It was heavily instrumented, experimented upon, and operated by several federal government agencies between 1962 and 1986, during which time its main and sub-basin streams were gauged, automated meteorological stations at multiple elevations were installed, groundwater observation wells were dug and automated, and frequent manual measurements of snow accumulation and ablation and other weather and water variables were made. Over this period, mature evergreen forests were harvested in two sub-basins, leaving large clear cuts in one basin and a "honeycomb" of small forest clearings in another basin. Whilst meteorological measurements and sub-basin streamflow discharge weirs in the basin were removed in the late 1980s, the federal government maintained the outlet streamflow discharge measurements and a nearby high-elevation meteorological station, and the Alberta provincial government maintained observation wells and a nearby fire weather station. Marmot Creek Research Basin was intensively re-instrumented with 12 automated meteorological stations, four sub-basin hydrometric sites, and seven snow survey transects starting in 2004 by the University of Saskatchewan Centre for Hydrology. The observations provide detailed information on meteorology, precipitation, soil moisture, snowpack, streamflow, and groundwater during the historical period from 1962 to 1987 and the modern period from 2005 to the present time. These data are ideal for monitoring climate change, developing hydrological process understanding, evaluating process algorithms and hydrological, cryospheric, or atmospheric models, and examining the response of basin hydrological cycling to changes in climate, extreme weather, and land cover through hydrological modelling and statistical analyses. The data presented are publicly available from Federated Research Data Repository (10.20383/101.09, Fang et al., 2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban transportation noise is a major public concern because of its adverse effects on health. The determinants of urban noise exposure have not been widely explored but the "natural experiment" presented by the COVID-19 lockdowns presented a unique opportunity. This study examined the relationship between environmental characteristics and urban noise pollution during the COVID-19 related lockdown in Metro Vancouver, Canada, from March 21st to May 18th, 2020. We used noise exposure data from the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) noise management program, comparing the noise levels during "Phase One" of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 to the corresponding time period in 2019 from 21 Noise Monitoring Terminals (NMTs) located throughout Metro Vancouver. We modelled the relationship between the change in noise level and the physical NMT environments, including land cover, and total length of roads at four different time periods (24Hr, daytime, evening and nighttime) and within three different buffer zones (100 m, 250 m, and 500 m). Of 59,472 hourly measurements of community noise, the 24-h noise level was reduced by an average of 2.20 dBA between 2019 and 2020. Higher proportions of greenspace, barren areas, and soil-cover around NMTs resulted in stronger noise reductions and higher density of building, pavement, and water weakened the amount of noise reduction. Proximity of high-volume traffic roads (highways) were associated with weaker noise reduction. The COVID-19 related lockdown was associated with reduced noise in Metro Vancouver, and the relative reduction depended on the types of the environment surrounding the NMT. Future research on the effects of urban environmental characteristics on geographic inequality in noise levels and health consequences of the COVID-19 related lockdown is merited. • COVID-19-related lockdown resulted in significant noise reduction in Metro Vancouver. • Noise levels in urban environments varied by land cover type. • High-volume traffic roads were associated with less noise reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast conserving surgery plus accelerated partial breast irradiation is increasingly popular for early-stage breast cancer patients with promising clinical outcomes. However, the identification of the seroma cavity on CT can be challenging, leading to inaccuracy and inconsistency in seroma contouring. For brachytherapy techniques this presents additional challenges. Three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) technology will significantly improve target visualization and implant accuracy. In this work, we introduce a robotic 3DUS system with a spatial tracking arm that has great potential for improved visual guidance in breast brachytherapy, and describe the calibration and commissioning process for this system. The robotic 3DUS system consists of a 3D-printed probe holder, customizable for any commercial ultrasound transducer (BKMedical 8811 for our system), a motor that drives the probe simultaneously both linearly and rotationally to acquire hybrid 3DUS images, an ultrasound transparent TPX plate that supports the probe motion, a spatially-tracked counterbalanced arm, and software for visualization and target segmentation (Figure 1a). The tracking arm consists of five encoded joints, shown in Figure 1a, and allows arm movement to provide sufficient tracking space in clinical use. The linear accuracy of the 3DUS scan was evaluated using a phantom composed of strings separated by 10.00±0.05 mm in three dimensions in a 7.25% isopropyl alcohol solution (22°C). Volume segmentation accuracy was evaluated by imaging and segmenting a sphere (1.2cc) embedded in an ultrasound phantom. Lavenberg-Marquardt based nonlinear regression was used to determine the optimal calibration parameters for each joint, which corrects the rotational deviations of each joint and translational offsets of the end-effector (the transducer). An optical tracking device (Polaris Spectra, Northern Digital Inc., Canada) was used for arm calibration. A total of 202 data points distributed in a 360×650×95mm3 working space were collected, among which, 80% (162 points) were used to calibrate the encoder parameters. The rest were used to evaluate spatial tracking accuracy. The 3DUS scanning volume is 5cm × 10cm × scan depth (from 5.2cm to 8.0cm). For a commonly used scan depth (6.0cm), the image resolution is 0.075mm, 0.082mm, and 0.33mm in lateral, axial, and elevational direction, respectively. The mean linear scan accuracy was within 2% in all directions, and the volume segmentation accuracy was 3%, all below TG128 action levels. Mean deviations between the mechanical and optical tracking are 0±0.5mm, 0±0.7mm, and0±0.8mm in three dimensions (plotted in Figure1b), with a mean Euclidean distance of 1.0±0.5mm. We have developed, calibrated and commissioned a robotic 3DUS system for breast brachytherapy. The imaging and tracking accuracies were both excellent for clinical use. The spatial tracking arm has exciting potential to achieve rigid registration to other imaging modalities or the implant templates that are used in interstitial partial breast brachytherapy. The authors would like to thank the support of NSERC and the OICR Imaging Program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Etrophication and flooding are perennial problems in agricultural watersheds of the northern Great Plains. A high proportion of annual runoff and nutrient transport occurs with snowmelt in this region. Extensive surface drainage modification, frozen soils, and frequent backwater or icedamming impacts on flow measurement represent unique challenges to accurately modelling watershed-scale hydrological processes. A physically based, non-calibrated model created using the Cold Regions Hydrological Modelling platform (CRHM) was parameterized to simulate hydrological processes within a low slope, clay soil, and intensively surface drained agricultural watershed. These characteristics are common to most tributaries of the Red River of the north. Analysis of the observed water level records for the study watershed (La Salle River) indicates that ice cover and backwater issues at time of peak flow may impact the accuracy of both modelled and measured streamflows, highlighting the value of evaluating a non-calibrated model in this environment. Simulations best matched the streamflow record in years when peak and annual discharges were equal to or above the medians of 6.7m3 s-1 and 1.25×107 m3, respectively, with an average Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.76. Simulation of low-flow years (below the medians) was more challenging (average NSE<0), with simulated discharge overestimated by 90% on average. This result indicates the need for improved understanding of hydrological response in the watershed under drier conditions. Simulation during dry years was improved when infiltration was allowed prior to soil thaw, indicating the potential importance of preferential flow. Representation of in-channel dynamics and travel time under the flooded or ice-jam conditions should also receive attention in further model development efforts. Despite the complexities of the study watershed, simulations of flow for average to high-flow years and other components of the water balance were robust (snow water equivalency (SWE) and soil moisture). A sensitivity analysis of the flow routing model suggests a need for improved understanding of watershed functions under both dry and flooded conditions due to dynamic routing conditions, but overall CRHM is appropriate for simulation of hydrological processes in agricultural watersheds of the Red River. Falsifications of snow sublimation, snow transport, and infiltration to frozen soil processes in the validated base model indicate that these processes were very influential in stream discharge generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast coastline provides Canada with a flourishing seafood industry including bivalve shellfish production. To sustain a healthy bivalve molluscan shellfish production, the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program was established to monitor the health of shellfish harvesting habitats, and fecal coliform bacteria data have been collected at nearly 15,000 marine sample sites across six coastal provinces in Canada since 1979. We applied Functional Principal Component Analysis and subsequent correlation analyses to find annual variation patterns of bacteria levels at sites in each province. The overall magnitude and the seasonality of fecal contamination were modelled by functional principal component one and two, respectively. The amplitude was related to human and warm-blooded animal activities; the seasonality was strongly correlated with river discharge driven by precipitation and snow melt in British Columbia, but such correlation in provinces along the Atlantic coast could not be properly evaluated due to lack of data during winter. • Sparse fecal pollution data were collected across ~15,000 sites along Canada's coast. • Longitudinal geospatial distributions of bacterial levels over decades were studied. • Functional Principal Component Analysis revealed two major annual patterns. • Human and wild-life activities related to the geospatial bacterial amplitudes. • River discharge and precipitation related to the temporal changes of fecal bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine methylphenidate use in children aged 2 to 13 years. To provide age- and sex-specific estimates of methylphenidate initiation and cessation during a 2-year period.Method: Data from 2 cycles of a Canadian household survey yielded a sample of over 10 000 children aged 2 to 11 years at Cycle 1 who continued to participate at Cycle 2. We used logit modelling to estimate Cycle 2 methylphenidate use, methylphenidate use over a 2-year period, and methylphenidate initiation and cessation from Cycles 1 to 2.Results: In 1996 and 1997, methylphenidate use ranged from 0.32% to 6.31% among children aged 4 to 13 years. School-aged boys were more likely than girls to use methylphenidate. Odds were greater for boys aged 6 to 7 years than for boys aged 4 to 5 years; they were also greater for boys aged 10 to 11 years than for boys aged 12 to 13 years. Almost 1% of children used methylphenidate at both data cycles. Odds of Cycle 2 methylphenidate use were 135 times greater for children using methylphenidate at Cycle 1, compared with nonusers. Methylphenidate initiation ranged from 0.20% to 3.34%, and school-aged boys had higher initiation rates than girls. Cessation rates ranged from 18% to78%, and there were no statistically significant differences by age and sex.Conclusions: Methylphenidate prevalence findings are consistent with past studies. We found an age-by-sex interaction on methylphenidate use. We also found both continuity and discontinuity in methylphenidate use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Baseflow estimation error was inversely related to the number of conductivity records. [•] Data in ground-frozen season are suitable of estimating baseflow conductivity (Cbf). [•] Data in snow-melting period are suitable of estimating runoff conductivity (Cro). [•] Six-month discharge and conductivity data are required to obtain reliable parameters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Hypovitaminosis C and D are highly prevalent in acute-care hospitals. Malnutrition with regard to these vitamins has been linked to mood disturbance and cognitive dysfunction. Objective: The objective was to determine whether vitamin C or D supplementation improves mood state or reduces psychological distress in acutely hospitalized patients with a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis C and D. Design: A randomized, double-blind, active-control clinical trial compared the effects of vitamin C (500 mg twice daily) with those of high-dose vitamin D (5000 IU/d) on mood (Profile of Mood States) and psychological distress (Distress Thermometer). Results: Vitamin C provided for a mean of 8.2 d increased plasma vitamin C concentrations to normal (P < 0.0001) and was associated with 3.11% reduction in mood disturbance (P = 0.0002) and a 51 % reduction in psychological distress (P = 0.0002). High-dose vitamin D provided for a mean of 8.1 d increased plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations (P < 0.0001), but not into the normal range, and had insignificant effects on mood (P = 0.067) and distress (P = 0.45). The changes in mood and distress in the vitamin C group were greater than those in the vitamin D group (P = 0.045 for mood; P = 0.009 for distress). Conclusions: Short-term therapy with vitamin C improves mood and reduces psychological distress in acutely hospitalized patients with a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis C and D. No conclusion is possible regarding the effects of vitamin D because the dose and duration of therapy were insufficient to raise 25(OH)D concentrations into the normal range. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01630720. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications of pesticides in areas of agricultural production have been an environmental concern for the past several decades. Varying-sized watersheds draining regions of intense agriculture in the Maritime Provinces of Canada were monitored between 2003 and 2007 to determine the major in-use pesticides and to gain an understanding of the risks posed to aquatic ecosystems. A questionnaire collected from farmers in one watershed intensively cropped with potato indicated that 43 pesticides were applied with 18 of them being detected in that watershed. Our results across the Maritime region suggested that detection frequencies ranged from 0.0 to 22 % during the study period. Chlorothalonil, linuron, metalaxyl, and metribuzin were detected in 17-22 % of samples collected during rainfall events every year. Other pesticides, such as azinphos-methyl, atrazine, cypermethrin, permethrin, fonofos, and β-endosulfan were detected in ≤17 % of the samples during some years of the study. Concentrations of several pesticides were found to exceed their Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) aquatic life water-quality guidelines in pulses after rain events. The highest proportion of detections exceeding a CCME guideline was for chlorothalonil at 12.9 %, β-endosulfan at 6.0 %, and linuron at 3.4 %. Despite indications that remedial measures offer protection to aquatic environments, spatial and temporal gaps in the data prevented a full evaluation. A dedicated long-term multiple-watershed monitoring program for this region of Canada is therefore recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, we used a strength-based approach to explore post-adoption character strengths from preschool age (Time 1; M = 4.9 years, SD = 0.56) to school age (Time 2; M = 6.8 years, SD = 0.55) in a sample of girls adopted from China (N = 162). These girls were adopted from Chinese orphanages at 15.1 months on average (SD = 5.2), with 87% under 24 months at the time of adoption. They lived in 157 adoptive homes in the U.S. or Canada. Qualitative data on these girls' best attributes were collected from the same adoptive parents at both time points. Using the Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues as a conceptual framework, data were coded to identify perceived character strengths, as well as their change and continuity from Time 1 to Time 2. The coded data revealed that the most frequently described character strengths at both time points were Love, Kindness, Humor, Zest, Social Intelligence, and Creativity. These results were similar to a previously reported US sample of non-adopted young children's character strengths, except that Zest was more common among the current sample of adopted girls. Overall, the rank order of character strength prevalence over time was highly comparable (ρ = .94), although substantial changes occurred at the individual-level. Findings from this study have implications in promoting resilience in children with pre-adoption orphanage deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts of suspended sediment and agrochemicals on water quality comprise one of the dominant environmental concerns affecting the agricultural sector today. Three sub- watersheds within the Little River watershed (New Brunswick, Canada) were instrumented to continuously monitor discharge and sample water for suspended sediment and agrochemical analysis with the objective of determining tile impacts of different agriculture and forestry intensities on water yield and quality on a long-term basis. The subwatersheds included (1) Black Brook watershed (BBW), a predominantly agricultural (65%) watershed with potato as tile major crop; (2) Little River watershed (LRW), a combination of forest (77%) and agricultural (16%) land uses; and (3) Upper Little River watershed (ULRW), a forest- and wedand-dominated watershed (94%). Data from 2003 to 2007 showed that average water yields were 0.588, 0.849, and 0.901 million m³ y-1 km² y-1 (53.78, 77.65, and 82.41 million ft³ mi-2 yr-1 for the BBW, LRW, and ULRW, respectively, indicating that water yield decreased with increasing agricultural intensity. Average suspended sediment yield in the receiving water decreased from high agricultural intensity to low agricultural intensity, with values of 181.60, 121.60, and 57.00 Mg km-2 y-1 (470.34, 314.94, and 147.63 tn mi-2 yr-1) for the BBW, LRW, and ULRW, respectively, as did flow-weighted sediment concentration (0.33, 0.13, and 0.06 mg for the BBW, LRW, and ULRW respectively). Average flow-weighted nitrate-nitrogen concentration ill tile water of the BBW was 4.39 mg L-1 compared to 1.24 mg L-1 in tile LRW and 0.45 mg L-1 in the ULRW; ortho-phosphorus in tile BBW was 56.43 μg L-1 compared to 24.29 pg L-1 in the LRW and 19.56 μg L-1 in the ULRW. Major ions such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium followed similar trends to those observed for suspended sediments and dissolved nutrients across the watersheds. Water pH showed little variation among watersheds, but water conductivity and water temperature were highly related to the intensity of agriculture. While the differences across tile watersheds were generally consistent, differences among years were variable-dependent. Except for the ortho-phosphorus load, chemical loads of nitrogen, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were closely related to annual precipitation, but chemical concentrations did not show much correlation with either rainfall amount or erosivity. Tile robust time-series data available for this study enabled meaningful assessment of agricultural impacts at a landscape scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A visible near-infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral imaging system (400–1000nm) was used for detecting sprouted and severely sprouted wheat kernels. Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat kernels were individually scanned using the hyperspectral imaging system. Average spectra of sprouted and severely sprouted kernels had higher reflectance responses compared to sound kernels in the wavelength region above 720nm. The ratio of the reflectance at 878nm to that at 728nm could be used to identify sprouted from non-sprouted kernels. The Principal Components Analysis (PCA) loadings plot identified four wavelengths that contributed to distinguishing the different quality of wheat kernels. Using the morphological features smoothness, size and value range of the third principal component score image, severely sprouted kernels were clearly separated from the sound kernels. Utilising a classification procedure, incorporating both spectral and spatial features, 100% of the sound kernels, about 94% of the sprouted kernels and 98% of severely sprouted kernels were correctly classified. 1 [1] GRL Publication # 1028. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Our aim was to determine the combined and independent effects of tobacco and marijuana smoking on respiratory symptoms and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the general population. Method: We surveyed a random sample of 878 people aged 40 years or older living in Vancouver, Canada, about their respiratory history and their history of tobacco and marijuana smoking. We performed spirometric testing before and after administration of 200 μg of salbutamol. We examined the association between tobacco and marijuana smoking and COPD. Results: The prevalence of a history of smoking in this sample was 45.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 42.2%-48.8%) for marijuana use and 53.1% (95% CI 49.8%-56.4%) for tobacco use. The prevalence of current smoking (in the past 12 months) was 14% for marijuana use and 14% for tobacco use. Compared with nonsmokers, participants who reported smoking only tobacco, but not those who reported smoking only marijuana, experienced more frequent respiratory symptoms (odds ratio [OR] 1.50, 95% CI 1.05-2.14) and were more likely to have COPD (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.66-4.52). Concurrent use of marijuana and tobacco was associated with increased risk (adjusted for age, asthma and comorbidities) of respiratory symptoms (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.58-3.62) and COPD (OR 2.90, 95% CI 1.53-5.51) if the lifetime dose of marijuana exceeded 50 marijuana cigarettes. The risks of respiratory symptoms and of COPD were related to a synergistic interaction between marijuana and tobacco. Interpretation: Smoking both tobacco and marijuana synergistically increased the risk of respiratory symptoms and COPD. Smoking only marijuana was not associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms or COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gap filling of flux data is necessary to assist with periodic interruptions in the measurement data stream. The gap-filling model (GFM), first described in Xing et al. [Xing, Z., Bourque, C.P.-A., Meng, F.-R., Zha, T.-S., Cox, R.M., Swift, E., 2007. A simple net ecosystem productivity model for gap filling of tower-based fluxes: an extension of Landsberg''s equation with modifications to the light interception term. Ecol. Model. 206, 250–262], was modified to account for the day-to-day control of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) by incorporating air and soil temperature as new controlling variables in the calculation of NEP. To account for the multiple-phase influences of air and soil temperature on plant growth we model ecosystem respiration as a function of soil and canopy respiration. The paper presents model development in an incremental fashion in order to quantify the contribution of individual model enhancements to the prediction of NEP during periods when air and soil temperature variations are important. Model efficiency (ME) was used to compare the performance of the various forms of the GFM under several combinations of weather conditions during a 34-day period. Results from model comparisons illustrated that the models displayed reasonable performance (ME=0.75–0.95), with the final GFM displaying the best overall performance. Further evaluation of the final GFM was conducted by comparing the NEP-model results with results generated with an alternative gap-filling approach espoused by Fluxnet-Canada Research Network (FCRN). These evaluations are based on the same 34-day dataset as used in the initial model comparison. Both gap-filling methodologies performed well, but some level of disagreement was present. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article discusses the sensitivity to drought of prairie snowmelt and runoff processes in Canada. A hydrologic model is used to analyze snow accumulation and streamflow from lower winter precipitation and higher temperatures. These conditions together with lower initial soil moisture resulted in a marked reduction in snowmelt runoff and spring streamflow. According to the authors, a combination of these factors could cause cessation of spring streamflow under moderate drought conditions. They conclude that Canadian prairies have inherently unstable spring runoff and streamflow discharge which could magnify the effects of drought.

Net ecosystem productivity (NEP) is a key ecological variable in forestry and carbon sequestration sciences. Advances in eddy-covariance instrumentation in recent years have improved the accuracy to which productivity in ecosystems can be measured. However, equipment failure, power outages, system maintenance shutdowns, and inclement weather frequently introduce gaps in the measurement data stream, which can reduce the integrity, usefulness, and interpretation of the data. To compensate for these limitations, a simple NEP model with few automatically adjustable parameters is developed to improve gap filling of discontinuous time series. Initial model formulation and parameter-value determination are founded on 2004 growing-season NEP measurements collected at eight Fluxnet-Canada (FCRN) stations (i.e., eight ecosystems) from across Canada's southern commercial forest zone. A preliminary inter-equation comparison of three commonly used flux equations, all with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) as the independent variable, revealed that the three equations provided similar mean description of NEP. In this paper, we use Landsberg''s equation [Landsberg, J.J., 1977. Some useful equations for biological studies. Exp. Agric. 13, 272–286] in modelling NEP. Initial parameter values of the Landsberg''s equation were shown to depend on forest species composition, stand age, and existing site conditions. Further analysis indicated that on average for a 9-day period for the Atlantic Maritime balsam fir site in New Brunswick, Landsberg''s equation represented mean NEP very well for cloudy days, but performed poorly when light conditions deviated from average conditions. We hypothesized that variation in the level of diffuse and direct radiation contributed to differences in light response. As Landsberg''s equation does not explicitly address (i) light quality, i.e., level of diffuse to direct illumination, and (ii) vertical canopy structure, a simple NEP model combining Landsberg''s equation with a two big-leaf (sunlit versus shade leaf model concept) and multiple-layer canopy light transmission formulation was developed for modelling the day-to-day variation in NEP and for gap filling. Results from these enhancements captured more of the NEP peaks (coefficient of determination, r 2 =0.70) than were previously modelled with the unaltered form of Landsberg''s equation (r 2 =0.63). Model sensitivity analysis suggested partitioning the canopy in four canopy layers provided the best overall improvement in NEP calculations; beyond four layers, model improvement was minor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It has been proven extremely difficult in the past to estimate the prevalence of physical aggression in children for two main reasons: (a) a heterogeneous sampling of behaviors (i.e., mix between physically aggressive and non-physically aggressive antisocial behaviors), and (b) a lack of a “gold standard” to identify children who exhibit physically aggressive behaviors on a frequent basis. The goal of this study was to test for age differences in the prevalence of physical aggression in the Canadian population of school-aged boys and girls, using cross-sectional data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). The first wave of the NLSCY included a representative sample of 12,292 Canadian children aged 5–11 years. We used latent class analysis to identify children whose propensity to exhibit physically aggressive behaviors was much higher than that of other children of the same age and sex in the population. The prevalence of physical aggression was estimated at 3.7% in 5–11-year-old boys and ranged from .5% to 2.3% in 11 and 5-year-old girls, respectively. Hence, the results show a decreasing trend in the prevalence of physical aggression with age for girls, but not for boys. These findings suggest the importance of considering the developmental pathways of physical aggression for boys and girls separately. Aggr. Behav. 33:26–37, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss; Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine trends in disease incidence and recent patterns of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission in Canada, using the Enhanced Hepatitis Strain Surveillance System (EHSSS). Demographic, clinical, and potential risk factor information on newly acquired HCV infection, from 1998 to 2004, was collected using standardized questionnaires. During this time period, the reported incidence of newly acquired HCV infection declined by 36.4% from 3.3 cases per 100,000 in 1998, to 2.1 cases per 100,000 in 2004. The disease incidence peaked at 15 to 39 y of age, confirming injecting drug use as the most frequently reported route of transmission. The proportion of cases attributed to health care-acquired HCV infection decreased over this time period. Although the incidence of newly acquired HCV infection in the EHSSS was found to be declining, hepatitis C remains an important public health threat to Canadians. Prevention efforts for HCV should focus on injection drug use, especially for people aged 15 to 39 y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Canadian crude bitumen production from oil sands has increased in recent decades, the nation's oil and gas industry has become a significant contributor to national greenhouse gas emissions. Canada has developed carbon emission reduction targets to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions and Mid-Century Strategy goals. A detailed profile of energy consumption pathways in the oil sands industry is necessary to identify potential areas of improvement and to monitor progress toward meeting emissions reduction targets. Much of the existing literature for oil sands modeling provides input assumptions with different technological boundaries. For a set of oil sands extraction and upgrading technologies, this study first reviews the literature and then quantifies energy input requirements, CO2 emissions, and operating costs for a set of consistent technological boundaries and energy units. Summary results refer to requirements and costs at the production facility, excluding transportation and blending costs. An energy system diagram of oil sands production that matches these boundaries is provided, which can be used by integrated assessment models, oil sands companies, and government ministries to evaluate the present and future energy consumption and emissions pathways of the oil sands industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Via combining aerosol vertical profiles from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) and assimilated multi-layer wind profiles from the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2), the horizontal aerosol cross-boundary transport for the Edmonton-Calgary Corridor (ECC) during 2011–2017 was characterized on the basis of aerosol extinction flux. The western and northern boundaries (WB and NB) were revealed as the two aerosol importing gateways for ECC, with the annual mean cross-boundary efficiencies of 0.286 ± 0.231 hr−1 for WB and 0.050 ± 0.025 hr−1 for NB. The annual mean efficiency of the cross eastern boundary (EB) aerosol transport was −0.267 ± 0.243 hr−1, indicating an overall aerosol exporting effect for ECC. More efficient cross southern boundary (SB) aerosol importing processes were found in July (0.049 ± 0.071 hr−1) and August (0.043 ± 0.058 hr−1), which favor the outbreak of Pacific Northwest wildfires. The aerosol emissions from Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) in Alberta are unlikely to have significant impact on ECC via the cross-NB aerosol transport pathway. The annual mean aerosol extinction flow of 202 ± 2244 km2/h suggested the cross-boundary aerosol importing effect for ECC. The most significant aerosol importing effect for ECC was found in fall, indicated by seasonal mean aerosol extinction flow of 680 ± 1122 km2/h. The observed seasonal variation implied the noticeable influences of aerosol local emissions and cloud-aerosol interactions on ECC aerosol loadings in winter and summer. To obtain a complete picture of aerosol loading budget over ECC, further investigations on the dynamics of aerosol emissions and depositions happened in the ECC atmosphere remain. • The cross-boundary aerosol transport for ECC was characterized. • Smoke importing pathways for ECC during Pacific Northwest wildfires were revealed. • Aerosol emissions from AOSR are unlikely to have significant impact on ECC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a demonstration of the applicability of machine learning techniques for the retrieval of crop height in corn fields using space-borne PolSAR (Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar) data. Multi-year RADARSAT-2 C-band data acquired over agricultural areas in Canada, covering the whole corn growing period, are exploited. Two popular machine learning regression methods, i.e., Random Forest Regression (RFR) and Support Vector Regression (SVR) are adopted and evaluated. A set of 27 representative polarimetric parameters are extracted from the PolSAR data and used as input features in the regression models for height estimation. Furthermore, based on the unique capability of the RFR method to determine variable importance contributing to the regression, a smaller number of polarimetric features (6 out of 27 in our study) are selected in the final regression models. Results of our study demonstrate that PolSAR observables can produce corn height estimates with root mean square error (RMSE) around 40–50 cm throughout the growth cycle. The RFR approach shows better overall accuracy in corn height estimation than the SVR method in all tests. The six selected polarimetric features by variable importance ranking can generate better results. This study provides a new perspective on the use of PolSAR data in retrieving agricultural crop height from space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Measurement-based care (MBC) is an evidence-based approach that can improve management of depression, but its use in clinical settings remains low. The use of digital technology, or technology-enhanced MBC (eMBC), may address some of the barriers to implementation of MBC by enabling patients to easily complete outcome assessments. This study aims to identify the perceived facilitators and barriers to MBC and eMBC from both patient and provider perspectives in Canada.Methods: The study recruited 108 clinicians and 131 patients with a self-reported diagnosis of depression to participate in an online survey about the acceptability of both MBC and eMBC.Results: Most clinicians (90/108, 83.3 %) agreed that MBC is important for clinical judgement, and felt trained to interpret their scores; however, only 43/108 (39.8 %) use MBC routinely. Clinicians (95/108, 88.0 %) felt they would be more likely to use MBC if it was automated and available to use electronically. Most patients (117/131, 89.3 %) felt MBC would be helpful for their treatment and were willing to use a mobile app to track their symptoms.Limitations: Recruitment was done online and, hence, this study may not capture the perspective of patients who are not already familiar with using online programs to complete questionnaires.Conclusions: Clinicians and patients in Canada would be willing to utilize MBC and eMBC in their psychiatric care, but barriers to implementation include perceptions about efficiency, ease of use, and accessibility. These results highlight the importance of engaging both clinicians and patients to effectively implement MBC and eMBC for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Response sensitivity of DOC to hydrological drought is varying within a year. • Response relationship of DOC to hydrological drought characteristics is strong. • Effect of drought duration on DOC is greater than that of drought severity. • DOC during hydrological drought can be well simulated based on response model. Influence of extreme hydrological events on water quality has been widely concerned. For instance, droughts can inhibit dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exports or imports. However, the response relationship of DOC to hydrological drought characteristics (i.e., duration and severity) requires more in-depth research. We propose an integrated framework for constructing, validating, and applying the response relationship model, and investigate the capability of response model to simulate DOC based on hydrological drought characteristics. Three headwater basins (HP3a, HP4, and HP6), with different drainage areas (9.28–122.80 ha) and long-term (>40 year) observed DOC concentration and hydrometeorological data, in Harp Lake catchment, south-central Ontario, southeastern Canada, are used to demonstrate the proposed framework. Run theory and variable drought thresholds (VDTs) are used to identify hydrological drought characteristics, and DOC during hydrological drought is extracted. Based on the extracted hydrological drought characteristics and DOC for one basin (i.e., HP3a), the response relationship model is constructed and validated, and then applied to other two basins (i.e., HP4 and HP6). Three evaluation indicators: coefficient of determination (R 2), root-mean-square-error (RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), are served to test the goodness-of-fit performance of the response relationship model. The results show that (i) annual DOC concentration showed a significant (a = 0.01) increasing trend during 1978–2018 in the study basin. (ii) During the hydrological drought, the variation of temperature affected DOC variation indirectly through direct influence on SO 4 variation. (iii) The response sensitivity of DOC to hydrologic process with different timescales is varying within a year, namely, there is a larger response sensitivity from March to May than in other months. (iv) DOC during the hydrological drought has a close and regular linear relationship with hydrological drought characteristics, i.e., with the increase of drought duration and severity, DOC concentration also increases. The relationship with drought duration is better than that of severity (R 2 = 0.92 vs 0.35). (v) The response relationship model (autoregressive integrated moving average) can simulate DOC in hydrological drought (R 2 ≥ 0.87, RMSE ≤ 0.86, MAPE ≤ 13.69%) at HP3a, and also has good applications at HP4 and HP6 basins. These results provide an improved understanding of DOC-drought relationship, and may support policy makers that look for increased resilience of aquatic ecological security to droughts. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]