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This paper aims to introduce a novel family of probability distributions by the well-known method of the T–X family of distributions. The proposed family is called a "Novel Generalized Exponent Power X Family" of distributions. A three-parameters special sub-model of the proposed method is derived and named a "Novel Generalized Exponent Power Weibull" distribution (NGEP-Wei for short). For the proposed family, some statistical properties are derived including the hazard rate function, moments, moment generating function, order statistics, residual life, and reverse residual life. The well-known method of estimation, the maximum likelihood estimation method is used for estimating the model parameters. Besides, a comprehensive Monte Carlo simulation study is conducted to assess the efficacy of this estimation method. Finally, the model selection criterion such as Akaike information criterion (AINC), the correct information criterion (CINC), the Bayesian information criterion (BINC), the Hannan–Quinn information criterion (HQINC), the Cramer–von-Misses (CRMI), and the ANDA (Anderson–Darling) are used for comparison purpose. The comparison of the NGEP-Wei with other rival distributions is made by Two COVID-19 data sets. In terms of performance, we show that the proposed method outperforms the other competing methods included in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose a machine learning-based approach to predict a multitude of insurance claim categories related to canine diseases. We introduce several machine learning approaches that are evaluated on a pet insurance dataset consisting of 785,565 dogs from the US and Canada whose insurance claims have been recorded over 17 years. 270,203 dogs with a long insurance tenure were used to train a model while the inference is applicable to all dogs in the dataset. Through this analysis we demonstrate that with this richness of data, supported by the right feature engineering, and machine learning approaches, 45 disease categories can be predicted with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the effectiveness of solar heating using clear polyethylene bags against rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.), which is one of the most destructive insect pests against many strategic grains such as wheat. In this paper, we aim at finding the key parameters that affect the control heating system against stored grain insects while ensuring that the wheat grain quality is maintained. We provide a new benchmark dataset, where the experimental and environmental data was collected based on fieldwork during the summer in Canada. We measure the effectiveness of the solution using a novel formula to describe the amortising temperature effect on rice weevil. We adopted different machine learning models to predict the effectiveness of our solution in reaching a lethal heating condition for insect pests, and hence measure the importance of the parameters. The performance of our machine learning models has been validated using a 10-fold cross-validation, showing a high accuracy of 99.5% with 99.01% recall, 100% precision and 99.5% F1-Score obtained by the Random Forest model. Our experimental study on machine learning with SHAP values as an eXplainable post-hoc model provides the best environmental conditions and parameters that have a significant effect on the disinfestation of rice weevils. Our findings suggest that there is an optimal medium-sized grain amount when using solar bags for thermal insect disinfestation under high ambient temperatures. Machine learning provides us with a versatile model for predicting the lethal temperatures that are most effective for eliminating stored grain insects inside clear plastic bags. Using this powerful technology, we can gain valuable information on the optimal conditions to eliminate these pests. Our model allows us to predict whether a certain combination of parameters will be effective in the treatment of insects using thermal control. We make our dataset publicly available under a Creative Commons Licence to encourage researchers to use it as a benchmark for their studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many sediment attributes have been proposed as proxies for determining salinity conditions under which sediment is deposited, and six attributes (Sr/Ba-HAc, Sr/Ba-NH4Ac, δ13Corg, C/N, and the relative abundances and concentrations of dinoflagellate cysts) are compared here. In this paper, sediment attributes from the Fraser River Delta, Canada and surrounding coastal areas are compared by depositional position along the fluvial-to-marine transition, by salinity, and by sedimentological characteristics. Along the fluvial-to-marine transition, most attributes exhibit distinct trends between parts of the river that experience sustained marine water (saltwater) influence over seasonal and tidal timeframes, and parts that experience only freshwater or periodic saltwater influence. No attributes are reliable indicators of depositional position where saltwater incursion is short lived or where water is fresh. Where marine influence is sustained, Sr/Ba-HAc and Sr/Ba-NH4Ac are the most reliable positional indicators along the fluvial-to-marine transition. When compared strictly to salinity, Sr/Ba-HAc, Sr/Ba-NH4Ac, and δ13Corg all correlate predictably except in delta front and prodelta settings. Our data show that all six sediment attributes are heavily impacted by river-derived sedimentation, and it is not appropriate to compare values from strongly river-influenced settings (e.g., deltas) with those from weakly river-influenced settings (e.g., bays and estuaries). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logging causes changes in habitat structure, which can potentially lead to variations in taxonomic and functional richness of biodiversity. Studies on how functional traits in birds are affected by logging operations can provide an important element for the understanding of ecosystem processes. In this paper, we examined how logging in subtropical Andean forests influenced taxonomic and functional diversity of cavity-nesting birds. We used these results to compare how logging affected ecosystem functions in temperate and subtropical forests of the Americas. We used point-counts to examine the effects of logging on taxonomic and functional traits in avian communities (Functional Richness, Functional evenness, Functional Divergence, and Community-weighted mean). We found that logging changed bird richness and abundance, although it had no effect on the functional response to the measured traits. The comparison of our results with those of temperate forests of Canada and Chile reveals differences in the functional richness of birds in these habitats, with a lower impact of logging on functional traits. We highlight the importance of including functional traits in the analyses, since the reduction in the species richness and abundance may not be translated into functional changes within the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an increasingly human- and road-dominated world, the preservation of functional ecosystems has become highly relevant. While the negative ecological impacts of roads on ecosystems are numerous and well documented, roadless areas have been proposed as proxy for functional ecosystems. However, their potential remains underexplored, partly due to the incomplete mapping of roads. We assessed the accuracy of roadless areas identification using freely available road-data in two regions with contrasting levels of anthropogenic influence: boreal Canada and temperate Central Europe (Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, and Hungary). Within randomly selected circular plots (per region and country), we visually examined the completeness of road mapping using OpenStreetMap 2020 and assessed whether human influences affect mapping quality using four variables. In boreal Canada, roads were completely mapped in 3% of the plots, compared to 40% in Central Europe. Lower Human Footprint Index and road density values were related to greater incompleteness in road mapping. Roadless areas, defined as areas at least 1 km away from any road, covered 85% of the surface in boreal Canada (mean size ± s.d. = 272 ± 12,197 km2), compared to only 0.4% in temperate Central Europe (mean size ± s.d. = 0.6 ± 3.1 km2). By visually interpreting and manually adding unmapped roads in 30 randomly selected roadless areas from each study country, we observed a similar reduction in roadless surface in both Canada and Central Europe (27% vs 28%) when all roads were included. This study highlights the urgent need for improved road mapping techniques to support research on roadless areas as conservation targets and surrogates of functional ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study was to determine the relative value of four cognitive-behavioral competencies that have been shown in empirical studies to be associated with effective stress management. Based on a review of relevant psychological literature, we named the competencies as follows: Manages or Reduces Sources of Stress, Manages Thoughts, Plans and Prevents, and Practices Relaxation Techniques. We measured their relative value by examining data obtained from a diverse convenience sample of 18,895 English-speaking participants in 125 countries (65.0% from the U.S. and Canada) who completed a new inventory of stress-management competencies. We assessed their relative value by employing a concurrent study design, which also allowed us to assess the validity of the new instrument. Regression analyses were used to rank order the four competencies according to how well they predicted desirable outcomes. Both regression and factor analyses pointed to the importance of proactive stress-management practices over reactive methods, but we note that the correlational design of our study has no implications for the possible causal effects of these methods. Questionnaire scores were strongly associated with self-reported happiness and also significantly associated with personal success, professional success, and general level of stress. Data were collected between 2007 and 2022, but we found no effect for time. The study supports the value of stress-management training, and it also suggests that moderate levels of stress may not be as beneficial as previously thought., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The hemp industry has grown exponentially with the recent legalization of Cannabis sativa in Canada. With this new market expansion, there is an increased need for hemp plants, particularly for production of cannabinoids. Growing concerns regarding pesticide residues in commodities for human consumption, as well as global demand for fertilizer has increased consumer demand for natural products as alternatives to synthetic agrochemicals and pest management strategies. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential for using different composite granite dusts applied as soil amendments in improving C. sativa growth, and cannabinoid production (specifically, cannabidiol and cannabidiolic acid). We selected three varieties of industrial hemp with low yield production of cannabidiol (Fibranova, CFX-2, and Katani) and one variety with high yield production of cannabidiol (Cherry Blossom). Varieties were planted in potting soil amended with zero, five or ten percent granite dust mixture, and assayed for growth characteristics, and cannabinoid composition. Among tested cannabis varieties, results suggest that improvements to flower growth (> 44% mass) and cannabinoid production (> 2.5 fold or > 145%) from application of granite dust were evident in one variety of fibre hemp, CFX-2. Overall, this work suggests there may be selective benefits to soil applications of granite dust composites to improve hemp propagation, and that degree of improvement to cannabinoid production vary between varieties of hemp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is altering landscapes globally at an unprecedented rate. While ecological differences between urban and rural environments often promote phenotypic divergence among populations, it is unclear to what degree these trait differences arise from genetic divergence as opposed to phenotypic plasticity. Furthermore, little is known about how specific landscape elements, such as green corridors, impact genetic divergence in urban environments. We tested the hypotheses that: (1) urbanization, and (2) proximity to an urban green corridor influence genetic divergence in common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) populations for phenotypic traits. Using seeds from 52 populations along three urban-to-rural subtransects in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, one of which followed a green corridor, we grew ~ 1000 plants in a common garden setup and measured > 20 ecologically-important traits associated with plant defense/damage, reproduction, and growth over four years. We found significant heritable variation for nine traits within common milkweed populations and weak phenotypic divergence among populations. However, neither urbanization nor an urban green corridor influenced genetic divergence in individual traits or multivariate phenotype. These findings contrast with the expanding literature demonstrating that urbanization promotes rapid evolutionary change and offer preliminary insights into the eco-evolutionary role of green corridors in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses a serious risk to sustainable forest management, particularly in boreal forests where natural disturbances have been projected to become more severe. In three Quebec boreal forest management units, biomass carbon storage under various climate change and management scenarios was projected over 300 years (2010–2310) with a process-based dynamic landscape model (PnET-succession for Landis-II). Several strategies varying in their use of partial cuts and clear cuts, including business as usual (BAU) (clear-cut applied on more than 95% of the managed area), were tested and compared to conservation scenarios (no-harvest). Based on simulation results at the landscape scale, the clearcut-based scenarios such as BAU could result in a decrease of biomass carbon stock by 10 tC ha−1 yr−1 compared to the natural scenario. However, this reduction in carbon stock could be offset in the long term through changes in composition, as clearcut systems promote the expansion of trembling aspen and white birch. In contrast, the use of strategies based on partial cuts on more than 75% or 50% of the managed area was closer to or better than the natural scenario and resulted in greater coniferous cover retention. These strategies seemed to be the best to maximize and stabilize biomass carbon storage and ensure wood supply under different climate change scenarios, yet they would require further access and appropriate infrastructure. Furthermore, these strategies could maintain species compositions and age structures similar to natural scenarios, and thus may consequently help achieve forest ecosystem-based management targets. This study presents promising strategies to guide sustainable forest management in Eastern Canada in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence is building regarding the association between government implemented public health measures aimed at combating COVID-19 and their impacts on health. This study investigated the relationship between the stringency of public health measures implemented in Canada and self-reported mental health, physical health, stress, and wellbeing among a random sample of 6647 Canadians 18 years of age and older. The analysis was based on self-reported health data from the Canadian Perspectives on Environmental Noise Survey. This data was combined with the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker database, which included overall stringency index (SI), and four of its sub-components, i.e., school and business closures, restrictions on gatherings, and stay at home policies. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression models indicated that the magnitude of the overall SI was associated with higher or lower odds of reporting worse physical health, mental health, stress and/or overall wellbeing, depending on the measure evaluated. Similarly, policy directed at the four sub-components had varying impacts on the odds of reporting worse health, depending on the sub-component, the strength of the policy restriction, and the health outcome evaluated. The association between the strength of the public health measures and self-reported health, and how this may inform future policy, is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the global pandemic of Coronavirus (SARS-COV-2), there has been many studies devoted to predicting the COVID-19 related deaths/hospitalizations. The aim of our work is to (1) explore the lagged dependence between the time series of case counts and the time series of death counts; and (2) utilize such a relationship for prediction. The proposed approach can also be applied to other infectious diseases or wherever dynamics in lagged dependence are of primary interest. Different from the previous studies, we focus on time-varying coefficient models to account for the evolution of the coronavirus. Using two different types of time-varying coefficient models, local polynomial regression models and piecewise linear regression models, we analyze the province-level data in Canada as well as country-level data using cumulative counts. We use out-of-sample prediction to evaluate the model performance. Based on our data analyses, both time-varying coefficient modeling strategies work well. Local polynomial regression models generally work better than piecewise linear regression models, especially when the pattern of the relationship between the two time series of counts gets more complicated (e.g., more segments are needed to portray the pattern). Our proposed methods can be easily and quickly implemented via existing R packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic corn, Zea mays (L.), expressing insecticidal toxins such as Cry1Fa, from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt corn) targeting Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) resulted in over 20 years of management success. The first case of practical field-evolved resistance by O. nubilalis to a Bt corn toxin, Cry1Fa, was discovered in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 2018. Laboratory-derived Cry1Fa-resistance by O. nubilalis was linked to a genome region encoding the ATP Binding Cassette subfamily C2 (ABCC2) gene; however, the involvement of ABCC2 and specific mutations in the gene leading to resistance remain unknown. Using a classical candidate gene approach, we report on O. nubilalis ABCC2 gene mutations linked to laboratory-derived and field-evolved Cry1Fa-resistance. Using these mutations, a DNA-based genotyping assay was developed to test for the presence of the Cry1Fa-resistance alleles in O. nubilalis strains collected in Canada. Screening data provide strong evidence that field-evolved Cry1Fa-resistance in O. nubilalis maps to the ABCC2 gene and demonstrates the utility of this assay for detecting the Cry1Fa resistance allele in O. nubilalis. This study is the first to describe mutations linked to Bt resistance in O. nubilalis and provides a DNA-based detection method that can be used for monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of children, youth, and their families which must be addressed and prevented in future public health crises. Our objective was to measure how self-reported mental health symptoms of children/youth and their parents evolved during COVID-19 and to identify associated factors for children/youth and their parents including sources accessed for information on mental health. We conducted a nationally representative, multi-informant cross-sectional survey administered online to collect data from April to May 2022 across 10 Canadian provinces among dyads of children (11–14 years) or youth (15–18 years) and a parent (> 18 years). Self-report questions on mental health were based on The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health and the World Health Organization of the United Nations H6+ Technical Working Group on Adolescent Health and Well-Being consensus framework and the Coronavirus Health and Impact Survey. McNemar's test and the test of homogeneity of stratum effects were used to assess differences between children-parent and youth-parent dyads, and interaction by stratification factors, respectively. Among 933 dyads (N = 1866), 349 (37.4%) parents were aged 35–44 years and 485 (52.0%) parents were women; 227 (47.0%) children and 204 (45.3%) youth were girls; 174 (18.6%) dyads had resided in Canada < 10 years. Anxiety and irritability were reported most frequently among child (44, 9.1%; 37, 7.7%) and parent (82, 17.0%; 67, 13.9%) dyads, as well as among youth (44, 9.8%; 35, 7.8%) and parent (68, 15.1%; 49, 10.9%) dyads; children and youth were significantly less likely to report worsened anxiety (p < 0.001, p = 0.006, respectively) or inattention (p < 0.001, p = 0.028, respectively) compared to parents. Dyads who reported financial or housing instability or identified as living with a disability more frequently reported worsened mental health. Children (96, 57.1%), youth (113, 62.5%), and their parents (253, 62.5%; 239, 62.6%, respectively) most frequently accessed the internet for mental health information. This cross-national survey contextualizes pandemic-related changes to self-reported mental health symptoms of children, youth, and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastroschisis has increased globally over recent decades, and this increase has not been explained by identified risk factors. We conducted a population-based study of infants born in Canada, 2004–2020. We used "winter" months (i.e., September through June) and northern areas of residence as indicators of less sunlight/less active lifestyle, while "summer" (i.e., July and August) and southern areas were considered as reference. Rate of gastroschisis for infants conceived in winter (3.4 per 10,000) was higher than for infants conceived in summer (2.2 per 10,000; p < 0.001). Exposure to winter, and northern area, hypothyroidism, substance or tobacco uses and depressive disorder were initially identified as risk factors for gastroschisis. There was a significant interaction between women < 24 years of age and 2-month conception intervals (rate ratio (RR): 1.42 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19–1.70). The association of maternal depression (mean ratio 2.19, 95% CI 0.87–3.50, p = 0.001) with infant gastroschisis was mediated by hypothyroidism (mean ratio 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.07, p < 0.001), whereas substance use, hypothyroidism, tobacco smoking and gestational diabetes showed 5.5-, 3.1-, 2.7-, and 1.2-fold associations, respectively, with maternal depression. In contrast to the summer conception interval of low gastroschisis risk, an elevated risk of gastroschisis spans the other ten months in association with higher levels of stress adaptation, thermoregulation and metabolism, reproduction, and growth effector hormones. Our findings suggest that periconception depression with mediation by hypothyroidism, may play a causal role in offspring gastroschisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land suitability models for Canada are currently based on single-crop inventories and expert opinion. We present a data-driven multi-layer perceptron that simultaneously predicts the land suitability of several crops in Canada, including barley, peas, spring wheat, canola, oats, and soy. Available crop yields from 2013–2020 are downscaled to the farm level by masking the district level crop yield data to focus only on areas where crops are cultivated and leveraging soil-climate-landscape variables obtained from Google Earth Engine for crop yield prediction. This new semi-supervised learning approach can accommodate data from different spatial resolutions and enables training with unlabelled data. The incorporation of a crop indicator function further allows for the training of a multi-crop model that can capture the interdependences and correlations between various crops, thereby leading to more accurate predictions. Through k-fold cross-validation, we show that compared to the single crop models, our multi-crop model could produce up to a 2.82 fold reduction in mean absolute error for any particular crop. We found that barley, oats, and mixed grains were more tolerant to soil-climate-landscape variations and could be grown in many regions of Canada, while non-grain crops were more sensitive to environmental factors. Predicted crop suitability was associated with a region's growing season length, which supports climate change projections that regions of northern Canada will become more suitable for agricultural use. The proposed multi-crop model could facilitate assessment of the suitability of northern lands for crop cultivation and be incorporated into cost-benefit analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many health authorities differentiate hospitalizations in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 as being "for COVID-19" (due to direct manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection) versus being an "incidental" finding in someone admitted for an unrelated condition. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all SARS-CoV-2 infected patients hospitalized via 47 Canadian emergency departments, March 2020-July 2022 to determine whether hospitalizations with "incidental" SARS-CoV-2 infection are less of a burden to patients and the healthcare system. Using a priori standardized definitions applied to hospital discharge diagnoses in 14,290 patients, we characterized COVID-19 as (i) the "Direct" cause for the hospitalization (70%), (ii) a potential "Contributing" factor for the hospitalization (4%), or (iii) an "Incidental" finding that did not influence the need for admission (26%). The proportion of incidental SARS-CoV-2 infections rose from 10% in Wave 1 to 41% during the Omicron wave. Patients with COVID-19 as the direct cause of hospitalization exhibited significantly longer LOS (mean 13.8 versus 12.1 days), were more likely to require critical care (22% versus 11%), receive COVID-19-specific therapies (55% versus 19%), and die (17% versus 9%) compared to patients with Incidental SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, patients hospitalized with incidental SARS-CoV-2 infection still exhibited substantial morbidity/mortality and hospital resource use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing long-term microbiome-based monitoring programs is critical for managing and conserving wild fish populations in response to climate change. In most cases, these studies have been conducted on gut and, to a lesser extent, skin (mucus) microbiomes. Here, we exploited the concept of liquid biopsy to study the circulating bacterial microbiome of two Northern halibut species of economic and ecological importance. Amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were achieved using a single drop of blood fixed on FTA cards to identify the core blood microbiome of Atlantic and Greenland halibut populations inhabiting the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. We provide evidence that the circulating microbiome DNA (cmDNA) is driven by genetic and environmental factors. More specifically, we found that the circulating microbiome signatures are species-specific and vary according to sex, size, temperature, condition factor, and geographical localization. Overall, our study provides a novel approach for detecting dysbiosis signatures and the risk of disease in wild fish populations for fisheries management, most notably in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic information on alfalfa adaptation to long-term grazing is useful for alfalfa genetic improvement. In this study, 14 alfalfa populations were collected from long-term grazing sites (> 25 years) across four soil zones in western Canada. Alfalfa cultivars released between 1926 and 1980 were used to compare degree of genetic variation of the 14 populations. Six agro-morphological and three nutritive value traits were evaluated from 2018 to 2020. The genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data of the alfalfa populations and environmental data were used for genotype-environment association (GEA). Both STRUCTURE and UPGMA based on 19,853 SNPs showed that the 14 alfalfa populations from long-term grazing sites had varying levels of parentages from alfalfa sub-species Medicago sativa and M. falcata. The linear regression of STRUCTURE membership probability on phenotypic data indicated genetic variations of forage dry matter yield, spring vigor and plant height were low, but genetic variations of regrowth, fall plant height, days to flower and crude protein were still high for the 14 alfalfa populations from long-term grazing sites. The GEA identified 31 SNPs associated with 13 candidate genes that were mainly associated with six environmental factors of. Candidate genes underlying environmental factors were associated with a variety of proteins, which were involved in plant responses to abiotic stresses, i.e., drought, cold and salinity-alkali stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utility of stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope analysis of human tissues for geolocation is an important area of study within forensic science. This study aimed to first validate the latitudinal relationship between stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in drinking water and human keratinous tissues through the analysis of human samples with known geographical origin. And secondly, to explore the use of classification and regression tree (CART) models to geographically classify individuals based on the stable isotope values of tissues themselves. Human hair and toenails were collected from four distinct study sites across Canada. The comparison of stable isotope values in drinking water and human tissues produced low R2 values indicating that linear models may not fully explain the variation observed for both hydrogen and oxygen values. Additionally, large intrapopulation variations were observed for Canadian cities and highlights the importance of understanding the regional isotopic spread of human values. Further, this study demonstrated that a closed group of unknown individuals known to have originated from a limited number of geographically distinct regions may be classified into their respective groups through the use of CART models. The potential for the CART model approach for human geolocation presents a promising new tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with unhealthy eating behaviours are more likely to experience poor physical and mental health. Few studies have investigated the importance of eating patterns for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among children. This study aimed to identify common eating patterns, and their associations with HRQoL among Canadian children. Data were collected from 9150 grade five students (aged 10–11 years) in repeat cross-sectional population-based surveys in Alberta, Canada. Students' eating behaviours were analyzed using latent class analysis to identify the eating patterns. We applied multilevel multivariable logistic regression to examine the association of the eating patterns with HRQoL. We identified three groups of children with distinct eating patterns: eating healthy (52%), less healthy (31%) and unhealthy (17%). The first group had a higher proportion of students engaged in healthy eating behaviours. The unhealthy pattern group (third group) included a higher proportion of students with poor eating behaviours. Students' eating behaviours in the second group were healthier than the third group but less healthy than the first group. Children with unhealthy and less healthy patterns were more likely to experience lower HRQoL than children with the healthy pattern. Health promotion programs effective in improving healthy eating patterns may not only reduce the risk for chronic diseases in the long term, but also improve the HRQoL in the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New 'big data' streams such as street-level imagery are offering unprecedented possibilities for developing health-relevant data on the urban environment. Urban environmental features derived from street-level imagery have been used to assess pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood design and to predict active commuting, but few such studies have been conducted in Canada. Using 1.15 million Google Street View (GSV) images in seven Canadian cities, we applied image segmentation and object detection computer vision methods to extract data on persons, bicycles, buildings, sidewalks, open sky (without trees or buildings), and vegetation at postal codes. The associations between urban features and walk-to-work rates obtained from the Canadian Census were assessed. We also assessed how GSV-derived urban features perform in predicting walk-to-work rates relative to more widely used walkability measures. Results showed that features derived from street-level images are better able to predict the percent of people walking to work as their primary mode of transportation compared to data derived from traditional walkability metrics. Given the increasing coverage of street-level imagery around the world, there is considerable potential for machine learning and computer vision to help researchers study patterns of active transportation and other health-related behaviours and exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth's mineral deposits show a non-uniform spatial distribution from the craton-scale, to the scale of individual mineral districts. Although this pattern of differential metal endowment is underpinned by lithospheric-scale processes the geological features that cause clustering of deposits remains enigmatic. The integration of geological and geophysical (seismic, gravity, and magnetotelluric) features has produced the first whole-of-crust image through an iconic Neoarchean volcanic complex and mineral district in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Superior Province, Canada. Observations indicate an asymmetry in surface geology, structure, and crustal architecture that defines deep transcrustal magmatic-hydrothermal upflow zones and the limits of the Noranda District ore system. Here, extreme volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) endowment is confined to a smaller area adjacent to an ancestral transcrustal structure interpreted to have localized and optimized magmatic and ore forming processes. Although lithospheric-scale evolutionary processes might act as the fundamental control on metal endowment, the new crustal reconstruction explains the clustering of deposits on both belt and district scales. The results highlight a strong magmatic control on metal and in particular Au endowment in VMS systems. Overprinting by clusters of ca. 30 Ma younger orogenic Au deposits suggest the ore systems accessed an upper lithospheric mantle enriched in Au and metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodiversity and climate change crises have led countries—including Canada—to commit to protect more land and inland waters and to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations. Canada is also obligated to recover populations of at-risk species, including boreal caribou. Canada has the opportunity to expand its protected areas network to protect hotspots of high value for biodiversity and climate mitigation. However, co-occurrence of hotspots is rare. Here we ask: is it possible to expand the network to simultaneously protect areas important for boreal caribou, other species at risk, climate refugia, and carbon stores? We used linear programming to prioritize areas for protection based on these conservation objectives, and assessed how prioritization for multiple, competing objectives affected the outcome for each individual objective. Our multi-objective approach produced reasonably strong representation of value across objectives. Although trade-offs were required, the multi-objective outcome was almost always better than when we ignored one objective to maximize value for another, highlighting the risk of assuming that a plan based on one objective will also result in strong outcomes for others. Multi-objective optimization approaches could be used to plan for protected areas networks that address biodiversity and climate change objectives, even when hotspots do not co-occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to determine whether early public health interventions in 2020 mitigated the association of sociodemographic and clinical risk factors with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We conducted a population-based cohort study of all adults in Ontario, Canada who underwent testing for SARS-CoV-2 through December 31, 2020. The outcome was laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were determined for sociodemographic and clinical risk factors before and after the first-wave peak of the pandemic to assess for changes in effect sizes. Among 3,167,753 community-dwelling individuals, 142,814 (4.5%) tested positive. The association between age and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk varied over time (P-interaction < 0.0001). Prior to the first-wave peak, SARS-CoV-2 infection increased with age whereas this association reversed thereafter. Risk factors that persisted included male sex, residing in lower income neighborhoods, residing in more racially/ethnically diverse communities, immigration to Canada, hypertension, and diabetes. While there was a reduction in infection rates after mid-April 2020, there was less impact in regions with higher racial/ethnic diversity. Immediately following the initial peak, individuals living in the most racially/ethnically diverse communities with 2, 3, or ≥ 4 risk factors had ORs of 1.89, 3.07, and 4.73-fold higher for SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to lower risk individuals in their community (all P < 0.0001). In the latter half of 2020, this disparity persisted with corresponding ORs of 1.66, 2.48, and 3.70-fold higher, respectively. In the least racially/ethnically diverse communities, there was little/no gradient in infection rates across risk strata. Further efforts are necessary to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the highest risk individuals residing in the most racially/ethnically diverse communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to explore the trends and patterns of life satisfaction in Canada from 2009 to 2018 and to examine changes in the associations between social support and life satisfaction over time. Data were from ten annual Canadian Community Health Surveys (CCHS). Each survey represents 97% of the Canadian population. Point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of life satisfaction were calculated at the population level. Generalized linear regression was used to explore the relationship between life satisfaction and social support both nationally and in different population subgroups. The annual life satisfaction score gradually increased both at national and provincial levels from 2009 to 2018. Individuals who were women, aged between 12 and 19 years, living in rural areas, were most satisfied with their lives. There was a positive correlation between social support and life satisfaction for the provinces and the study years for which information on social support was available. Our findings suggest strengthening social support could be a public health target for promoting greater life satisfaction. Timely availability and analysis of life satisfaction and social support data could better inform policy and promote wellbeing at a population level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 case was first identified in Canada on January 25, 2020, on a Toronto resident who had travelled to Wuhan China, and not long after, the WHO declared the viral infection a pandemic. Ontario health West created an online self-assessment portal that allowed individuals in the health region and adjourning areas to report any COVID related symptoms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility and usefulness of the Ontario Heath West online COVID-19 self-assessment portal. Record level data obtained from the Ontario Health West self-assessment portal was analyzed. Descriptive statistics using charts and graphs were used to characterize the distribution of responses to the portal. In-depth analysis using correlation, lead-lag analysis, and trend comparison with actual Government of Ontario COVID-19 cases for the region were also conducted. A total of 34,144 distinct responses were recorded on the portal between April 10 and July 29, 2020, with 1,250 (3.7%) responding positively to one of the emergency symptoms questions. Trend analysis showed a peak portal response in May 2020 with a smaller rise subsequently in July 2020, coinciding with the actual COVID-19 peak in the region. The five most reported symptoms on the portal were sore throat (17.2%), headache (12.9%), fatigue (12.3%), digestive problems (12.2%) and cough (9.1%). For four sub-regions, the trend of self-report on the portal positively lagged actual Public Health Ontario reported COVID-19 cases, while for one sub-region, the trend positively led the actual Public Health Ontario reported COVID-19 cases for the area. We found correlation between online COVID-19 self- assessment data and the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Southwestern region of Ontario. Trends in the COVID-19 associated emergency symptoms reported on the portal also tracked confirmed COVID-19 cases in the community. Peak response to the portal coincided with the peak volume of confirmed cases in Ontario during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, suggesting some consistency between the experiences of portal users and patterns of COVID-19 illness in the community. The portal was a useful tool at the person-level because it provided guidance to individuals about how to access appropriate health services according to the symptoms that they reported and connected them with primary care, reducing unnecessary visit to health facilities for COVID-19 related care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospitals in Canada are facing a crisis-level shortage of critical supplies and equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This motivates us to create predictive models that can use Canada COVID-19 data and pandemic-related factors to accurately forecast 5 quantities—three related to hospital resource utilization (i.e., the number of hospital beds, ICU beds, and ventilators that will be needed by COVID-19 patients) and two to the pandemic progress (i.e., the number of COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths)—several weeks in advance. We developed a machine learning method that can use information (i.e., resource utilization, pandemic progress, population mobility, weather condition, and public policy) currently known about a region since March 2020, to learn multiple temporal convolutional network (TCN) models every week; each used for forecasting the weekly average of one of these 5 quantities in Canada (respectively, in six specific provinces) for each, in the next 1 (resp., 2,3,4) weeks. To validate the effectiveness of our method, we compared our method, versus other standard models, on the COVID-19 data and hospital resource data, on the tasks of predicting the 116 values (for Canada and its six most populated provinces), every week from Oct 2020 to July 2021, and the 20 values (only for Canada) for four specific times within 9 July to 31 Dec 2021. Experimental results show that our 4640 TCN models (each forecasting a regional target for a specific future time, on a specific date) can produce accurate 1,2,3,4-week forecasts of the utilization of every hospital resource and pandemic progress for each week from 2 Oct 2020 to 2 July 2021, as well as 80 TCN models for each of the four specified times within 9 July and 31 Dec 2021. Compared to other baseline and state-of-the-art predictive models, our TCN models yielded the best forecasts, with the lowest mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Additional experiments, on the IHME COVID-19 data, demonstrate the effectiveness of our TCN models, in comparison with IHME forecasts. Each of our TCN models used a pre-defined set of features; we experimentally validate the effectiveness of these features by showing that these models perform better than other models that instead used other features. Overall, these experimental results demonstrate that our method can accurately forecast hospital resource utilization and pandemic progress for Canada and for each of the six provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activation induces type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines which stimulate tumor antigen cross presentation and the adaptive immune responses against tumor. The first-generation of STING agonists, cyclic di-nucleotide (CDN), mimicked the endogenous STING ligand cyclic guanosine monophosphate adenosine monophosphate, and displayed limited clinical efficacy. Here we report the discovery of SHR1032, a novel small molecule non-CDN STING agonist. Compared to the clinical CDN STING agonist ADU-S100, SHR1032 has much higher activity in human cells with different STING haplotypes and robustly induces interferon β (IFNβ) production. When dosed intratumorally, SHR1032 induced strong anti-tumor effects in the MC38 murine syngeneic tumor model. Pharmacodynamic studies showed induction of IFNβ, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the tumors and, to a lower extent, in the plasma. More importantly, we found SHR1032 directly causes cell death in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that in addition to their established ability to boost anti-tumor immune responses, STING agonists can directly eradicate AML cells, and SHR1032 may present a new and promising therapeutic agent for cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are limited studies investigating the combined effects of biological, environmental, and human factors on the activity of the domestic dog. Sled dogs offer a unique opportunity to examine these factors due to their close relationship with handlers and exposure to the outdoors. Here, we used accelerometers to measure the activity of 52 sled dogs over 30 days from two locations in Canada. The two locations differ in the working demands of dogs, therefore we used linear mixed effects models to assess how different factors impact daytime and nighttime activity of working versus nonworking dogs. During the daytime, we found that males were more active than females among nonworking dogs and younger dogs were more active than older dogs among working dogs. Alaskan huskies had higher activity levels than non-Alaskan husky breeds in working sled dogs during the day. Nonworking dogs were slightly more active during colder weather, but temperature had no effect on working dogs' activity. The strongest predictor of daytime activity in working dogs was work schedule. These results indicate that the influence of biological factors on activity varied depending on dogs' physical demands and human activity was the most powerful driver of activity in working dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of eukaryotic macroalgae in the late Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic was a critical development in Earth's history that triggered dramatic changes in biogeochemical cycles and benthic habitats, ultimately resulting in ecosystems habitable to animals. However, evidence of the diversification and expansion of macroalgae is limited by a biased fossil record. Non-mineralizing organisms are rarely preserved, occurring only in exceptional environments that favor fossilization. Investigating the taphonomy of well-preserved macroalgae will aid in identifying these target environments, allowing ecological trends to be disentangled from taphonomic overprints. Here we describe the taphonomy of macroalgal fossils from the Tonian Dolores Creek Formation (ca. 950 Ma) of northwestern Canada (Yukon Territory) that preserves cm-scale macroalgae. Analytical microscopy, including scanning electron microscopy and tomographic x-ray microscopy, was used to investigate fossil preservation, which was the result of a combination of pyritization and aluminosilicification, similar to accessory mineralization observed in Paleozoic Burgess Shale-type fossils. These new Neoproterozoic fossils help to bridge a gap in the fossil record of early algae, offer a link between the fossil and molecular record, and provide new insights into evolution during the Tonian Period, when many eukaryotic lineages are predicted to have diversified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For centuries, the study of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been centred on historical observation and analyses of personal, social, and environmental processes, which have been examined separately. Today, computation implementation and vast patient data repositories can enable a concurrent analysis of personal, social, and environmental processes, providing insight into changes in health status transitions over time. We applied computational and data visualization techniques to categorize decade-long health records of 235,003 patients with TBI in Canada, from preceding injury to the injury event itself. Our results highlighted that health status transition patterns in TBI emerged along with the projection of comorbidity where many disorders, social and environmental adversities preceding injury are reflected in external causes of injury and injury severity. The strongest associations between health status preceding TBI and health status at the injury event were between multiple body system pathology and advanced age-related brain pathology networks. The interwoven aspects of health status on a time continuum can influence post-injury trajectories and should be considered in TBI risk analysis to improve prevention, diagnosis, and care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitic salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) threaten the economic and ecological sustainability of salmon farming, and their evolved resistance to treatment with emamectin benzoate (EMB) has been a major problem for salmon farming in the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, the Pacific Ocean, where wild salmon are far more abundant, has not seen widespread evolution of EMB-resistant lice. Here, we use EMB bioassays and counts of lice on farms from the Broughton Archipelago, Canada—a core region of salmon farming in the Pacific—to show that EMB sensitivity has dramatically decreased since 2010, concurrent with marked decrease in the field efficacy of EMB treatments. Notably, these bioassay data were not made available through public reporting by industry or by the federal regulator, but rather through Indigenous-led agreements that created a legal obligation for salmon-farming companies to provide data to First Nations. Our results suggest that salmon lice in the Pacific Ocean have recently evolved substantial resistance to EMB, and that salmon-louse outbreaks on Pacific farms will therefore be more difficult to control in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is interest in utilizing wood ash as an amendment in forestry operations as a mechanism to return nutrients to soils that are removed during harvesting, with the added benefit of diverting this bioenergy waste material from landfill sites. Existing studies have not arrived at a consensus on what the effects of wood ash amendments are on soil biota. We collected forest soil samples from studies in managed forests across Canada that were amended with wood ash to evaluate the effects on arthropod, bacterial and fungal communities using metabarcoding of F230, 16S, 18S and ITS2 sequences as well as enzyme analyses to assess its effects on soil biotic function. Ash amendment did not result in consistent effects across sites, and those effects that were detected were small. Overall, this study suggests that ash amendment applied to managed forest systems in amounts (up to 20 Mg ha−1) applied across the 8 study sties had little to no detectable effects on soil biotic community structure or function. When effects were detected, they were small, and site-specific. These non-results support the application of wood ash to harvested forest sites to replace macronutrients (e.g., calcium) removed by logging operations, thereby diverting it from landfill sites, and potentially increasing stand productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental research has shown that beaked whales exhibit strong avoidance reactions to naval active sonars used during antisubmarine warfare training exercises, including cessation of echolocation and foraging activity. Behavioural responses to sonar have also been linked to strandings and mortality. Much of the research on the responses of beaked whales and other cetaceans to naval active sonar has occurred on or near U.S. naval training ranges, and the impacts of sonar in other regions remain poorly understood, particularly as these impacts, including mortality, are likely to go unobserved in offshore areas. In September 2016 the multinational naval exercise 'CUTLASS FURY 2016' (CF16) was conducted off eastern Canada. We used passive acoustic recordings collected in the region to quantify the occurrence and characteristics of sonar signals, measure ambient noise levels, and assess changes in the acoustic activity of beaked and sperm whales. The number of hours per day with echolocation clicks from Cuvier's beaked whales and sperm whales were significantly reduced during CF16, compared to the pre-exercise period in 2016 (sperm whales) and to control data from 2015 (both species). Clicks from an unidentified Mesoplodont beaked whale species, sporadically detected prior to CF16, were absent during the exercise and for 7 days afterward. These results suggest that beaked and sperm whales ceased foraging in the vicinity of CF16 and likely avoided the affected area. Such disturbance may have energetic, health, and fitness consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land modified for human use alters matrix shape and composition and is a leading contributor to global biodiversity loss. It can also play a key role in facilitating range expansion and ecosystem invasion by anthrophilic species, as it can alter food abundance and distribution while also influencing predation risk; the relative roles of these processes are key to habitat selection theory. We researched these relative influences by examining human footprint, natural habitat, and predator occurrence on seasonal habitat selection by range-expanding boreal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the oil sands of western Canada. We hypothesized that polygonal industrial features (e.g. cutblocks, well sites) drive deer distributions as sources of early seral forage, while linear features (e.g. roads, trails, and seismic lines) and habitat associated with predators are avoided by deer. We developed seasonal 2nd -order resource selection models from three years of deer GPS-telemetry data, a camera-trap-based model of predator occurrence, and landscape spatial data to weigh evidence for six competing hypotheses. Deer habitat selection was best explained by the combination of polygonal and linear features, intact deciduous forest, and wolf (Canis lupus) occurrence. Deer strongly selected for linear features such as roads and trails, despite a potential increased risk of wolf encounters. Linear features may attract deer by providing high density forage opportunity in heavily exploited landscapes, facilitating expansion into the boreal north. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Associated factors of back pain (BP) development before puberty and its persistence are poorly documented. We investigated the association and possible temporality between prior BP history (PBPH), muscular endurance (ME), aerobic capacity (AC), sport activity variables (SAV) and BP in children aged 6 to 12. We collected baseline characteristics (demographics, PBPH, ME, AC and SAV) of children from three primary schools in Canada. Parents replied to weekly text messages regarding their children BP status over an 8-month period. Logistic regression models were adjusted for potential confounders. Data from 242 children (46% female; 8.6 ± 1.7 years) were included. Over the 8-month survey BP prevalence was 48.1%, while the cumulative incidence was 31.9%. The occurrence of at least one BP event was associated with PBPH [OR (IC 95%) = 6.33 (2.35–17.04)] and high AC [2.89 (1.21–6.90)]. High AC was also associated with the development of a first BP episode [2.78 (1.09–7.07)], but ME and SAV were not. BP appears to be relatively common before puberty. BP history seems to be strongly associated with BP recurrence in children. Aerobic capacity is associated with first BP episode development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medulloblastoma is the most common embryonic brain tumor in children. We investigated a cohort of 52 Asian medulloblastoma patients aged between 0 and 19 years old, who received surgical resections and post-resection treatments in the Taipei Medical University Hospital and the Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Genome-wide RNA sequencing was performed on fresh-frozen surgical tissues. These data were analyzed using the CIBERSORTx immune deconvolution software. Two external clinical and molecular datasets from United States (n = 62) and Canada (n = 763) were used to evaluate the transferability of the gene-signature scores across ethnic populations. The abundance of 13 genes, including DLL1, are significantly associated with overall survival (All Cox regression P < 0.001). A gene-signature score was derived from the deep transcriptome, capable of indicating patients' subsequent tumor recurrence (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1.645, confidence interval [CI] 1.337–2.025, P < 0.001) and mortality (HR 2.720, CI 1.798–4.112, P < 0.001). After the adjustment of baseline clinical factors, the score remains indicative of recurrence-free survival (HR 1.604, CI 1.292–1.992, P < 0.001) and overall survival (HR 2.781, CI 1.762–4.390, P < 0.001). Patients stratified by this score manifest not only distinct prognosis but also different molecular characteristics: Notch signaling ligands and receptors are comparatively overexpressed in patients with poorer prognosis, while tumor infiltrating natural killer cells are more abundant in patients with better prognosis. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining showed the DLL1 protein, a major ligand in the Notch signaling pathway, and the NCAM1 protein, a representative biomarker of natural killer cells, are present in the surgical tissues of patients of four molecular subgroups, WNT, SHH, Group 3 and Group 4. NCAM1 RNA level is also positively associated with the mutation burden in tumor (P = 0.023). The gene-signature score is validated successfully in the Canadian cohort (P = 0.009) as well as its three molecular subgroups (SHH, Group 3 and Group 4; P = 0.047, 0.018 and 0.040 respectively). In conclusion, pediatric medullablastoma patients can be stratified by gene-signature scores with distinct prognosis and molecular characteristics. Ligands and receptors of the Notch signaling pathway are overexpressed in the patient stratum with poorer prognosis. Tumor infiltrating natural killer cells are more abundant in the patient stratum with better prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adoption of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) remains critical to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Using self-reported adherence to NPIs in Canada, assessed through a national cross-sectional survey of 4498 respondents, we aimed to identify and characterize non-adopters of NPIs, evaluating their attitudes and behaviours to understand barriers and facilitators of adoption. A cluster analysis was used to group adopters separately from non-adopters of NPIs. Associations with sociodemographic factors, attitudes towards COVID-19 and the public health response were assessed using logistic regression models comparing non-adopters to adopters. Of the 4498 respondents, 994 (22%) were clustered as non-adopters. Sociodemographic factors significantly associated with the non-adoption cluster were: (1) being male, (2) age 18–34 years, (3) Albertans, (4) lower education level and (5) higher conservative political leaning. Participants who expressed low concern for COVID-19 and distrust towards several institutions had greater odds of being non-adopters. This information characterizes individuals at greatest odds for non-adoption of NPIs to inform targeted marketing interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual variation in the age of pubertal onset is linked to physical and mental health, yet the factors underlying this variation are poorly understood. Life history theory predicts that individuals at higher risk of mortality due to extrinsic causes such as infectious disease should sexually mature and reproduce earlier, whereas those at lower risk can delay puberty and continue to invest resources in somatic growth. We examined relationships between a genetic predictor of infectious disease resistance, heterozygosity of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), referred to as the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene in humans, and self-reported pubertal timing. In a combined sample of men from Canada (n = 137) and the United States (n = 43), MHC heterozygosity predicted later self-reported pubertal development. These findings suggest a genetic trade-off between immunocompetence and sexual maturation in human males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first oxidation state measurements for the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath the Rae craton, northern Canada, one of the largest components of the Canadian shield. In combination with major and trace element compositions for garnet and clinopyroxene, we assess the relationship between oxidation state and metasomatic overprinting. The sample suite comprises peridotite xenoliths from the central part (Pelly Bay) and the craton margin (Somerset Island) providing insights into lateral and vertical variations in lithospheric character. Our suite contains spinel, garnet-spinel and garnet peridotites, with most samples originating from 100 to 140 km depth. Within this narrow depth range we observe strong chemical gradients, including variations in oxygen fugacity (ƒO2) of over 4 log units. Both Pelly Bay and Somerset Island peridotites reveal a change in metasomatic type with depth. Observed geochemical systematics and textural evidence support the notion that Rae SCLM developed through amalgamation of different local domains, establishing chemical gradients from the start. These gradients were subsequently modified by migrating melts that drove further development of different types of metasomatic overprinting and variable oxidation at a range of length scales. This oxidation already apparent at ~ 100 km depth could have locally destabilised any pre-existing diamond or graphite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the status and trend of potential evaporation (PE) is essential for investigating the climate change impact on the terrestrial water cycle. Despite recent advances, evaluating climate change impacts on PE using pan evaporation (Epan) data in cold regions is hindered by the unavailability of Epan measurements in cold seasons due to the freezing of water and sparse spatial distribution of sites. This study generated long-term PE datasets in Canada for 1979–2016 by integrating the dynamic evolutions of water–ice–snow processes into estimation in the Ecological Assimilation of Land and Climate Observations (EALCO) model. The datasets were compared with Epan before the spatial variations and trends were analyzed. Results show that EALCO PE and Epan measurements demonstrate similar seasonal variations and trends in warm seasons in most areas. Annual PE in Canada varied from 100 mm in the Northern Arctic to approximately 1000 mm in southern Canadian Prairies, southern Ontario, and East Coast, with about 600 mm for the entire landmass. Annual PE shows an increasing trend at a rate of 1.5–4 mm/year in the Northern Arctic, East, and West Canada. The increase is primarily associated with the elevated air temperature and downward longwave and shortwave radiation, with some regions contributed by augmented wind speed. The increase of annual PE is mainly attributed to the augmentation of PE in warm seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first Canadian H3N2 canine influenza A outbreak involving an Asian-origin H3N2 canine influenza virus (CIV) began in southwestern Ontario, Canada, in late December 2017. More H3N2 CIV cases were identified in central and eastern Ontario between March and October 2018. Based on epidemiological investigation, 5 clusters were identified (C1, C2, C3a, C3b, and C4); however, the origin of infection has only been revealed for epidemiological cluster C1. Here, we use phylogenetic analyses to unravel the links of virus transmission between the 5 epidemiological clusters and the origin of infection for all epidemiological clusters. Our results demonstrate that the Canadian H3N2 CIV sequences were grouped into four distinct phylogenetic clusters with minimal genetic diversity between these clusters. Large scale phylogenetic analysis of H3N2 CIV from around the globe showed that the Canadian CIVs formed a distinct new clade along with CIVs that have been circulating in the USA since 2017–2018 and in China since 2017. This clade shares a common ancestor of Asian origin. This study concludes that the H3N2 CIV outbreak in Ontario was driven by multiple introductions of South Korean/Chinese-origin H3N2 CIVs over 10 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assess risks posed by oak wilt—a disease caused by the fungal pathogen Bretziella fagacearum. Though not currently found in Canada, our distribution models indicate that suitable climate conditions currently occur in southern Ontario for B. fagacearum and two of its main insect dispersal vectors, Colopterus truncatus and Carpophilus sayi. Climate habitat for these species is projected to expand northward under climate change, with much of the oak range in eastern Canada becoming climatically suitable within the next two decades. Potential costs for the removal and replacement of oak street trees ranged from CDN$266 to $420 million, with variation related to uncertainty in costs, rate of tree replacement, and city-level estimates of oak street tree density. The value of standing oak timber in eastern Canada was estimated at CDN$126 million using provincial stumpage fees and as a CDN$24 million annual contribution to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) when calculated using a combination of economic and forestry product statistics. These values can help inform the scale of eradication and/or management efforts in the event of future oak wilt introductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveillance data from Southern Ontario show that a majority of Verona Integron-encoded Metallo-β-lactamase (VIM)-producing Enterobacteriaceae are locally acquired. To better understand the local epidemiology, we analysed clinical and environmental blaVIM-positive Enterobacteriaceae from the area. Clinical samples were collected within the Toronto Invasive Bacterial Diseases Network (2010–2016); environmental water samples were collected in 2015. We gathered patient information on place of residence and hospital admissions prior to the diagnosis. Patients with and without plausible source of acquisition were compared regarding risk exposures. Microbiological isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing (WGS); blaVIM carrying plasmids were characterized. We identified 15 patients, thereof 11 with blaVIM-1-positive Enterobacter hormaechei within two genetic clusters based on WGS. Whereas no obvious epidemiologic link was identified among cluster I patients, those in cluster II were connected to a hospital outbreak. Except for patients with probable acquisition abroad, we did not identify any further risk exposures. Two blaVIM-1-positive E. hormaechei from environmental waters matched with the clinical clusters; plasmid sequencing suggested a common ancestor plasmid for the two clusters. These data show that both clonal spread and horizontal gene transfer are drivers of the dissemination of blaVIM-1-carrying Enterobacter hormaechei in hospitals and the aquatic environment in Southern Ontario, Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we demonstrated the use of low-cost portable electroencephalography (EEG) as a method for prehospital stroke diagnosis. We used a portable EEG system to record data from 25 participants, 16 had acute ischemic stroke events, and compared the results to age-matched controls that included stroke mimics. Delta/alpha ratio (DAR), (delta + theta)/(alpha + beta) ratio (DBATR) and pairwise-derived Brain Symmetry Index (pdBSI) were investigated, as well as head movement using the on-board accelerometer and gyroscope. We then used machine learning to distinguish between different subgroups. DAR and DBATR increased in ischemic stroke patients with increasing stroke severity (p = 0.0021, partial η2 = 0.293; p = 0.01, partial η2 = 0.234). Also, pdBSI decreased in low frequencies and increased in high frequencies in patients who had a stroke (p = 0.036, partial η2 = 0.177). Using classification trees, we were able to distinguish moderate to severe stroke patients and from minor stroke and controls, with a 63% sensitivity, 86% specificity and accuracy of 76%. There are significant differences in DAR, DBATR, and pdBSI between patients with ischemic stroke when compared to controls, and these effects scale with severity. We have shown the utility of a low-cost portable EEG system to aid in patient triage and diagnosis as an early detection tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In eastern North America, including Canada, Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and transmitted to humans by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. The last decade has seen a growing incidence of Lyme disease in Canada, following the northward range expansion of I. scapularis tick populations from endemic areas in eastern United States. This may be attributable to movement of the many hosts that they parasitize, including songbirds, deer and small mammals. In this study, we wanted to test the effect of spatial, temporal and ecological variables, on blacklegged tick density and infection rates, near the northern limit of their distribution in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. We found an effect of both proportion of forested areas and distance to roads, on density of I. scapularis ticks and prevalence of infection by B. burgdorferi. We also found an effect of both sampling year and ordinal sampling data on prevalence of infection by B. burgdorferi. In six adjacent sites showing evidence of reproducing I. scapularis populations, we found that forest composition and structure influenced density of I. scapularis ticks. Our results suggest that blacklegged tick density and infection rate in Canada may be influenced by a variety of factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of increased pre-pregnancy maternal body mass index (BMI) on perinatal outcomes in term, singleton pregnancies who received prenatal care in community-based practices. The sample of 1996 infants included in the study was drawn from the All Our Babies Study, a prospective pregnancy cohort from Calgary. Multivariable logistic regression explored the relationship between the main outcomes, infant birth weight, Apgar score, admission to neonatal intensive care (NICU) and newborn duration of hospitalization, and BMI prior to pregnancy. Approximately 10% of the infants were macrosoms, 1.5% had a low Apgar score (<7 at 5 min), 6% were admitted to intensive care and 96% were discharged within 48 h after delivery. Although the infants of overweight and obese women were more likely to have increased birth weight as compared to infants of normal weight women, there were no differences in Apgar score, admission to NICU, or length of postnatal hospital stay among groups. This study suggests that in otherwise healthy term, singleton pregnancies, obesity does not seem to increase the risk of severe fetal impairment, neonatal admission to intensive care or duration of postnatal hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet of Things (IoT) integration in healthcare improves patient care while also making healthcare delivery systems more effective and economical. To fully realize the advantages of IoT in healthcare, it is imperative to overcome issues with data security, interoperability, and ethical considerations. IoT sensors periodically measure the health-related data of the patients and share it with a server for further evaluation. At the server, different machine learning algorithms are applied which help in early diagnosis of diseases and issue alerts in case vital signs are out of the normal range. Different cyber attacks can be launched on IoT devices which can result in compromised security and privacy of applications such as health care. In this paper, we utilize the publicly available Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CIC) IoT dataset to model machine learning techniques for efficient detection of anomalous network traffic. The dataset consists of 33 types of IoT attacks which are divided into 7 main categories. In the current study, the dataset is pre-processed, and a balanced representation of classes is used in generating a non-biased supervised (Random Forest, Adaptive Boosting, Logistic Regression, Perceptron, Deep Neural Network) machine learning models. These models are analyzed further by eliminating highly correlated features, reducing dimensionality, minimizing overfitting, and speeding up training times. Random Forest was found to perform optimally across binary and multiclass classification of IoT Attacks with an approximate accuracy of 99.55% under both reduced and all feature space. This improvement was complimented by a reduction in computational response time which is essential for real-time attack detection and response., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The bundle of forest landowners' rights largely varies from one jurisdiction to another. On a global scale, the diversity of forest management regime and property rights systems is such that finding comprehensive and standardised approaches for governance analysis purposes is a challenging task. This paper explores the use of the Property Rights Index for Forestry (PRIF) as an analytical tool based on five rights domains (access, withdrawal, management, exclusion, and alienation) to assess how regulatory frameworks impact the owners' forest property rights. We show that PRIF is a reliable index for various governance arrangements, considering its ability to score forest owners' freedom to decide in case studies that range from the Amazon area (Brazil), Misiones province (Argentina) and Quebec (Canada) to community-managed Nepalese and Mexican forests. PRIF scores obtained in these diverse governance arrangements confirm that the governance of forests held by entities other than the state is driven by two factors: the owner's ability to exclude the public from the use of his/her own resource and the owner's freedom to decide on the forest management goals. These factors explained 66.44% of the variance in our sample and should be considered as the main potential drivers while implementing any new international or national policy. Despite having a few limitations, the PRIF is a promising governance indicator and has been proven to perform well for various socioeconomic and legal contexts., (© 2023. The Author(s).)