Search

• 72% − 80% of fibre was recovered from disposable coffee cups. • 2% and 3% consistency shredded cups required > 100 kWh/tonne to repulp with 3 refiner passes. • Pulp quality did not significantly diminish after repulping using a single-disk refiner. Over 64 billion paper-plastic laminate (PPL) coffee cups are consumed between the United States and Canada annually, the majority accumulating in landfills due to a hydrophobic plastic inner-lining. Recycling can mitigate environmental damage and provide economic value from repurposed products. We found that standard repulping methods were insufficient to separate fiber from plastic due to the low intensity of treatment. To increase process intensity, we mechanically refined shredded PPL coffee cups and Kraft eucalyptus sheets (control) at 2%, 3%, and 4% consistencies with three passes to determine the energy required to separate fibers from plastic and the effects on fiber quality. 2% and 3% consistency PPL cups measured under 40 kWh/tonne of input material for one refiner pass and ∼ 80 kWh/tonne for 4% consistency PPL cups. Recovered fiber fraction totaled 87.7%, 85.3%, and 80.5% of input mass of Kraft eucalyptus and 72.3%, 72.6%, and 79.6% of input mass of PPL cups at 2%, 3%, and 4% consistency, respectively. Fines content of PPL cups jumped from 8% pre-refining to ∼ 30% post-refining while Kraft eucalyptus fibers were unaffected, suggesting that breaking the plastic-fiber bonds results in fines generation. Mean fiber length of PPL cups slightly decreased with consistency and tensile strength improved. Freeness decreased with consistency only in PPL cup samples. These results demonstrate a low energy requirement to effectively separate fiber and plastics in PPL cups as well as minimal impact on fiber quality using existing refining technology, and provides an estimate of the financial costs of local recycling efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Novel method to estimate total technical potential for improving energy efficiency. • Bottom-up sector energy model used to characterize energy demands and opportunities. • Technology-explicit analysis framework used to estimate integrated energy savings. • Application to Canada's pulp & paper sector indicates major savings are possible. • Technical potential to reduce natural gas use by 95% and net electricity by 54% Industrial energy efficiency has long been recognized as a critical tool for energy management and emissions reduction and is increasingly considered to be an energy resource in its own right. However, the complexity of most industrial sectors creates barriers for modellers, companies, and policymakers in understanding and achieving the overall potential for efficiency-driven energy savings. To address this gap, we have developed a novel method that combines disaggregated bottom-up sector energy modelling with analysis of a comprehensive set of technology-explicit energy efficiency measures. This approach overcomes the deficiencies of top-down analyses and better represents the complexities of multi-measure efficiency investments compared to piecewise studies of individual measures. In this study, we demonstrated application of our method to the case of the Canadian pulp and paper sector. Our analysis shows that the sector can reduce its natural gas and electricity use by 95% and 41%, respectively, by adopting economical efficiency measures. This equates to 71 PJ of natural gas and 44 PJ of electricity saved annually and would result in cost savings of $81 per tonne of output sector-wide. Notably, we find that efficiency and fuel switching have the technical potential to reduce natural gas consumption by 98% across the sector. Taken together, the results provide quantitative evidence that energy efficiency is an underestimated resource for cost-effective energy savings in the Canadian pulp and paper sector. Our analysis framework can be applied to any industrial sector in any region to provide insights regarding energy conservation strategies and policy design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's globalized world wood-based products are often imported from countries other than those where the wood was grown. Bilateral trade statistics are thus only of limited help for getting a better understanding of how production-related environmental impacts are caused by consumption elsewhere. This study presents a novel physical accounting model that allows flows of wood-based products to be traced along international supply chains, therefore making it possible to consistently relate the consumption of wood-based products to the origin of roundwood. In comparison to previous studies, the proposed method covers entire supply chains, including finished wood and paper products, such as furniture and printed matter, and also accounts for flows of processing residues and recovered paper. The main results of the accounting model are detailed country-by-country matrices indicating the locations of origin of the products consumed in a given nation. For instance, it is revealed that out of the finished wood products consumed in the USA in 2018, 75.6% originated domestically, 10.7% from neighbouring Canada and the remaining 13.7% from other countries. Potential applications and extensions of the presented approach are also discussed. • The accounting approach traces flows of wood-based products along supply chains. • The method has a high regional resolution and covers 16 different products. • Processing residues, recovered paper and finished products are also accounted for. • Matrices indicate the origin of the raw material contained in consumed products. • The model is useful for investigating the theory of unequal ecological exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tracking control scheme is proposed for complex dynamic network (CDN), where the CDN is regarded wholly as a dynamic composite system which consists of two mutually coupled subsystems. One subsystem consists of all nodes and the other consists of all links, and consider the weights of the links to be state variables in the latter subsystem. There are two parts in the structure of the proposed tracking control scheme: the designed controller of nodes and the synthesis of the coupling term in links. These two parts can guarantee two subsystems to asymptotically track the given reference targets, respectively. This approach originates from the communication transmission network (CTN). In CTN, for the network optimization management, the reference network topology (NT), such as the star topology, is required as a target for tracking in communication transmission (links) when each node in network needs to track its own target. The control scheme provided of this paper coincides with above requirement. And finally, a comparative simulation example is given for illustrating the effectiveness of the provided control scheme. • The dynamic equations of nodes and NT are represented by the matrix differential equations, this can contain many models in other papers and simplify the control scheme, which is rarely discussed. • The tracking targets of nodes and NT given in this paper are independent of each other, which is novel. • When all nodes track the reference targets, the eventual network layout is shown by the desired NT, which is novel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-demand transit (ODT) has been widely piloted in recent years by many transit agencies in response to changing travel behaviour and preferences among people. Some agencies have adopted ODT to replace underperforming bus routes, as part of a continuous service planning process while others incorporated it within network re-design. All these trends highlight the critical need for transit agencies to have guidance for incorporating ODT into transit network planning both at the strategic, tactical, and service planning levels. Thus, the purpose of this research is to provide a discussion of the key guiding principles to facilitate the development of transit networks with integrated on-demand and scheduled services. To achieve this goal, a thorough review of the states of practice and research was conducted. Findings from the practice review were also reinforced through ODT practitioners' engagement in Canada. This paper provides discussions on the service goals and objectives of an integrated network design and highlights the key planning requirements for developing integrated networks. At the service planning level, the paper provides a discussion on service goals, service design parameters, and scenario development of ODT service. • On-demand transit (ODT) have grown in many cities around the globe, mostly as pilot projects. • Review of the literature and practice shows that planning for ODT is based on best practices , without "built" guidelines. • Principles of planning are discussed within two applications, the network design level, and the service planning level. • Opportunities of integration and mode selection criteria are defined to integrated ODT with existing bus network. • Simulation and analytical tools are useful to complement the principles of planning in the decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic freedom is generally associated with higher average income levels, but does it benefit the very poor as well? Does it help them to escape their disadvantaged position? Does it reduce the probability of falling into low-income status? This paper deals with those questions using longitudinal data from Canada regarding the duration of low income spells, as well as entries and exits from low-income status from 1992 to 2020. Aggregated at the provincial level and inside a panel regression approach, these different indicators of low-income status are negatively related (i.e., less poverty) with the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of North America (EFNA) index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether a forced displacement of an ethnic group can lead to long-run changes to their spatial distribution and whether this shock can also lead to changes in where new migrants settle. I use the Canadian government's internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II, as well as their post-war forced resettlement, as a natural experiment. I find that the policy led to dramatic resettlement patterns; areas where Japanese Canadians were removed from had far fewer Japanese Canadians after World War II, with this effect persisting for decades. Despite these displacement patterns, I find that both the pre-war and post-war settlement patterns drive where new Japanese migrants settle within Canada, suggesting that the disruption of the connections and networks formed by Japanese migrants before World War II were not fully dismantled by the Canadian government's wartime policies. Reinforcing this mechanism, I show using Facebook's social connectedness data that Japanese population shares from both 1931 and 1951 predict whether a Canadian Census Division is more socially connected with Japan today. The results from this paper show that, despite Canada's forced dispersal of its Japanese population across the country, networks and forces that connect Census Divisions to Japan and draw in new migrants continued to persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, the University of Saskatchewan's University Library in Saskatoon, Canada launched the Creative Write-Ins program, which invites creative writers from the university and the broader community to come to the university library to work on their projects. The two-hour, monthly program adopted an informal community of practice (CoP) model, since it allowed for multi-directional learning along the spectrum of participants, from experienced writers to hobbyists. This paper will discuss the intrinsic case study of these hybrid creative write-ins through the lens of Wenger et al.'s (2002) CoP model. Reflections include the lessons learned, areas for improvement, perspectives on how academic libraries can collaborate with external partners, and reflections on how this program demonstrated the potential for multi-directional learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the complex dynamical network (CDN) with uncertainties, this paper defines the links synchronization and synthesizes the adaptive control scheme to realize it. Generally speaking, a CDN can be considered as the composition system with the two coupled dynamic subsystems: the nodes subsystem (NS) and the links subsystem (LS). We observed that there are many results in the existing literature on the NS synchronization, which implies that the state at each node tends to be the same when the NS synchronization happens. However, the LS synchronization is rarely discussed in the existing literature due to its unknown meaning and engineering practice background. Inspired by the ego-networks, this paper employs the time-varying outgoing links at each node to geometrically describe the changing of network topologic structure and regards the values-weighted of outgoing links as the state variables of LS, by which the LS synchronization is introduced, the corresponding control scheme for its implementation is synthesized under the condition that the state of NS is available and the state of LS is unavailable. The control scheme includes the adaptive controller for NS and the coupling strategy for LS. Finally, the effectiveness of proposed control scheme in this paper is verified by a numerical example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Indigenous perspectives on energy sustainabilities. We as Indigenous Elders and non-Indigenous scholars collectively explore how pipeline leaks that cost several Indigenous communities of the Treaty 6 region (known as western Canada). While the pipeline project has brought income to some, and wealth to the few, its impact on the environment and on the lives of many Indigenous groups is profoundly concerning. Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to pipeline leaks, yet have limited capacity to mitigate them as compared to larger urban centers. Using an Indigenist research framework, we used deep listening, traditional stories, reflective journals, cultural camps, and collective stories. We followed traditional protocols, continuous forms of consent, respect, and honour Indigenous Elders and Knowledge-keepers' stories. We learned about community Elders, Knowledge-keepers, and leaders' suggestions on how strategic decisions need to be made about pipeline leaks management and energy sustainabilities. The purpose of this paper is to provide Indigenous communities, particularly those communities of western Canada, with new community-led guidelines that can help them make strategic choices about pipeline leaks management to enhance their resiliency to energy. In this paper, we highlighted community suggestions on how to flip the traditional approach of fitting Indigenous ways of knowing into the Canadian legal structures by starting with Indigenous ways of knowing about the relationships of Indigenous people with land, water, and energy together with the impacts of the energy. We hope this paper may assist policy makers and Indigenous communities in sustainable energy policy development and provide a structured, transparent, and participatory decision support tool to government and communities to guide future energy management planning initiatives. • Identify community-led consultation practices for energy management. • Develop a community-led energy resiliency guideline. • Create risk evaluation framework for addressing pipeline leaks and energy management. • Explore community-led solutions anchored in sustainable energy management politics. • Support Indigenous communities' and organizations' attempts to negotiate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many travel surveys used in transportation planning still collect information over a single weekday while mobility and activity patterns fluctuate from day to day. However, the emergence of new continuous data sources has led to the generation of large amounts of longitudinal data. Therefore, this paper aims to value these two data types to cross-analyze the temporal variability of aggregated travel behaviors. A weighting method based on large-scale single-day survey samples was first developed to extend the representativeness of the daily trip diaries available in the three most recent Origin-Destination household travel surveys of Montreal, Canada, to the entire data collection period (four months in the fall). This method was then validated using passive data streams (smart card and count data) for three modes: car, subway, and bicycle. The variations in the daily use of these modes measured independently by the surveys and passive data were compared over several months of the fall period and throughout an average week. Indicators were also proposed to evaluate whether the two data sources capture the same trend and seasonality, especially the weekly rhythms. The results show that it is possible to accurately infer day-to-day variability in travel behavior from a large-scale cross-sectional single-day survey. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates the potential for complementarity between traditional surveys and emerging data (at least over the survey period), as well as the possibility to combine them since there are large similarities in the aggregated travel patterns they allow monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct air capture of carbon dioxide (CO 2) is technically a feasible solution for reducing atmospheric CO 2 concentrations at scale, building on decades of global research. However, powering such systems even partially with CO 2 -intensive fossil fuels results in more CO 2 emissions. This paper presents a novel energy management strategy (EMS) to further explore modular offshore wind energy off Canada's West Coast via power-to-direct air capture and power-to-gas systems. The system architecture includes a 15 MW wind turbine paired with a hydrogen energy storage system, i.e. hydrogen production and storage, and direct air capture (DAC) units. Hydrogen production from wind generation is stored and used to offer two key benefits: to deliver the thermal loads of the DAC system, and to meet hydrogen demand for external consumers. The proposed EMS offers an extra degree of freedom to operate the designed system by setting the priority either to maximize the amount of CO 2 capture or to maximize the amount of H 2 production for external consumers. In particular, the study incorporates dynamic mathematical modeling and constraints formulation for the aforementioned scenarios; DAC priority for CO 2 capture and H 2 for external hydrogen demand satisfaction. The effectiveness of the proposed EMS is shown through extensive simulations with different seasonal conditions. • Detailed mathematical dynamical models for offshore power-to-DAC and power-to-gas systems. • Green hydrogen production for two-fold benefits; H 2 for meeting DAC thermal loads, and H 2 as fuel for external consumers. • Scenario 1 prioritize the CO 2 capture rate, while scenario 2 maximizes the H 2 production for external consumers. • Design of EMS shows the correct unit commitment of the CO 2 capture rate and H 2 tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Canada has had relatively high vaccination rates against COVID-19, specifically during earlier waves of the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy has continued to serve as a significant barrier to adequate protection against the virus and, more recently, booster vaccine uptake. This paper explores the processes underlying Canadians' perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines and their decisions to take or refuse them, as well as how public policy and health messaging about vaccination has influenced vaccination attitudes and behaviors. Our focus group interviews with 18 vaccinated and unvaccinated adult Canadians conducted during October 2021 reveal that, in some respects, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy conforms to prior knowledge about some of the factors that affect vaccine attitudes (e.g., the influence of known medical providers) but deviates from current theoretical frameworks regarding general vaccine hesitancy. Specifically, these frameworks emphasize a lack of scientific knowledge and literacy ("knowledge deficit" accounts) or individuals' inability to incorporate rational risk perceptions into initial emotional responses to vaccines ("emotionality/irrationality" accounts). In contrast to the knowledge deficit account, we find that expressions of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were most frequently associated with an information surplus or inability to prioritize information from multiple and often contradictory sources. Furthermore, top-down pro-vaccination messaging often triggered significant pushback against what participants perceived as moral shaming of the unvaccinated. Our findings demonstrate the necessity for a new framework to understand and address vaccine hesitancy. A better theoretical account of vaccine hesitancy has important implications for future vaccination efforts, specifically within the context of new variants and low booster vaccination rates in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 43 % of WHO member states have school vaccine mandates, but policy details vary. • Some mandates have begun to include education components for non-vaccinating parents/guardians. • Currently, education components are used only in Canada and the U.S.; most are online modules. • Evidence suggests in-person counseling is associated with decreased non-medical exemptions. • Additional research, especially on online module education components, is required. School vaccine mandates (SVMs) are population health interventions that require monitoring and communicating about vaccination of school-aged children, with an aim of controlling infectious disease outbreaks. While 43 % of World Health Organization member states report having some sort of SVM, their details vary. A newer element of some SVMs is an "education component" requiring compulsory information, education, or counseling of parents/guardians who decline to vaccinate their children for non-medical reasons. This environmental scan sought, mapped, and synthesized evidence on the existence, format, and impacts of education components of SVMs in 18 affluent Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development comparator countries. We found current SVMs in nine of the 18 comparator countries, but education components to those SVMs only in Canada (n = 2) and the U.S. (n = 9), where such policies were made at the provincial/state level. The earliest was implemented in 2011 and most recent has not yet been implemented. Education components were used as requirements for obtaining non-medical exemptions from SVMs, and involved either an informational paper to be read and signed, a counseling or information session from a health professional (public health worker or licensed provider such as family doctor), or an online module to be completed. Peer-reviewed research on in-person sessions suggests association with at least short-term increased vaccine uptake and reduction of non-medical exemptions. Available data on online module education components suggests similar impacts, but research to date is limited. SVMs with educational components are uncommon but have been increasing since 2011. The details of these education components vary, although topics covered in online modules are relatively consistent. Evidence to date suggests at least short-term reduction in non-medical exemptions associated with implementation of SVM education components, but additional research is required to follow-up and confirm, especially as regards online education modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged traditional vaccine guidance infrastructure. • NACI made many strategic adaptations to facilitate timely vaccine advice in Canada. • The pandemic highlighted critical roles for NITAGs in vaccine program design. • Learning from COVID-19 pandemic adaptations, we see a roadmap for future pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged traditional vaccine guidance infrastructure and frameworks, and added urgency and complexity to the operation of National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs). Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) provides immunization guidance to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) who publicly shares expert and evidence-informed guidance with Canadian provinces and territories. Throughout the pandemic, NACI and PHAC implemented many adaptations to meet urgent needs for pandemic vaccine guidance. In this paper, we describe: structural adaptations in response to the accelerated pace and amount of work required to issue recommendations that were timed around product authorizations and dynamic epidemiology; technical adaptations in response to rapidly evolving evidence of variable quality which required close monitoring, and which promoted reliance on basic vaccine principles due to incomplete direct evidence; the need to provide nimble advice (e.g., off-label recommendations, preferential recommendations); communications adaptations (e.g. identify sustainable spokespeople for the committee, receive stakeholder feedback, and ensure urgent nuanced advice was communicated to a diverse audience); and research adaptations focussing on solutions to constrained supply (e.g. prioritisation, extended intervals, and heterologous schedules). The early pandemic vaccine experience has created a roadmap of lessons and adaptations that should be leveraged in future pandemic vaccine programs, and has highlighted the essential role of NITAGs to complement regulatory structures during pandemics to ensure timely, impactful, and evidence-informed public health vaccine guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a network approach to study the relationship between trade agreements and trade flows. For the first time in the literature, hypergraphs are used to capture the topology of trade agreements, while the usual graphs are used to represent trade flows. For our analysis, we focused on a snapshot of data from July 2017, before CETA as an agreement in force only in September 2017. An analysis of modularity conducted on both the trade agreements and the trade flows shows an imperfect correspondence between the communities of countries found within the two networks. Although the motivations of Brexit were multiple and, for the most part, far from commercial concerns, Brexit appears as a way to reconcile the networks of flows and agreements. On the other hand, Canada already belonged to the European cluster of trade agreements before the CETA agreement, which therefore appears only as an ex post confirmation of an existing situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detectors is often severely degraded in clutter edge and under multiple target interference. CFAR detection in the above environments often uses generalised likelihood ratio method or mean ratio method to find out the clutter edge demarcation line and suppress the sharp increase of false alarm rate, or remove the interference and modify the threshold factor to suppress the interference and improve the detection performance, but this sacrifices the detection gain from the number of clutter samples. In this paper, the feature information is fused to construct feature vectors, and the edge location is judged by the modulus of the cross product of the feature vector pair (MCPFVP), this edge demarcation line detection method fusing with features can be implemented without the need of clutter statistical distribution information. In addition, this paper reconstructs the sea clutter masked by multiple target interference by fusing the sea clutter amplitude correlation information, and these reconstructed sea clutter samples are used for power estimation together with the unmasked sea clutter without changing the threshold factor. This method can not only suppress the target masking effect of multiple target interference as the censoring type CFAR detector, but also maintain the detection gain from the number of clutter samples, which is not possible with the traditional censoring type CFAR detector. In addition, the relative weighted ratio summation (RWRS) is proposed to detect the multiple target interference, which takes into account the asymmetry of the shape of the statistical distribution. Both simulated and real sea clutter data are used to validate the above methods. The measured data are obtained from radar data collected at Yantai Yangma Island, China, Darmouth, Canada and Grimsby, Canada. (The latter two datasets are collected by the IPIX radar - Ice Multiparameter Imaging X-Band Radar). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforced concrete is a commonly used material for constructing basements in low-rise buildings or residential houses in Canada, and as the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) advances, the door to think of an alternative basement material to offset greenhouse gas emissions associated with reinforced concrete is open. However, the evaluation of CLT durability in below-grade environments, specifically concerning moisture and mould development, remains an unexplored field in research. Hence, this paper aims to analyze CLT's moisture response and mould growth risk in below-grade environments using field and laboratory experiments. A laboratory experiment was carried out to test a waterproofing membrane solution selected to compose the wall assembly in the field experiment. A large-scale experimental CLT basement was built at a cohesive soil site in Edmonton, Canada. The field experiment involved monitoring the relative humidity, temperature, and soil volumetric water content of the CLT panels, which measure 3 m by 6 m in plan and 2 m deep. Data was collected for an extended period from June 2022 to July 2023. The VVT model, developed by Hukka and Viitanen (1999) and updated by Viitanen et al., 2011 to estimate the mould growth level, was used to predict the risk of mould growth. The laboratory experiment showed that the waterproofing membrane is suitable for protection against moisture in a still-water setup. Field experiment results suggested that the primary moisture source was below the basement floor when the floor was finished inadequately. The moisture content of CLT walls was significantly increased by floor flooding and decreased by heating the basement interior. The acceptable mould index of three was surpassed during periods of abundant water below the basement floor due to flood events, showing that the CLT panels were at risk of mould growth development. • CLT use inbasements is in research stage. This paper contains insights for developing future research on this subject. • CLT in basement construction requires robust envelope with waterproofing membranes that perform well below grade. • Elevated moisture levels could pose structural and biological risks to the CLT basement and its occupants. • CLT basement walls take time to dry, and during this period, the walls may be exposed to risky levels of mould growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry use biomass residues, such as paper sludge and bark as fuel to provide energy for their plants. However, issues such as high-water content or low heating value limit the amount of energy that can be utilized. Processes to improve heat generation include biomass densification, which facilitates transportation and handling and can increase energy yield. However, the technical feasibility of briquetting is a function of the feedstock and preprocessing. This study introduces a novel approach to briquette production from biomass residues by utilizing wet biomass with water as a natural binder, contrasting with conventional methods that require forced drying and/or the addition of binders. The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of briquetting both unprocessed biomass and post-hydrothermal carbonization. The study focused on manufacturing briquettes derived from different sources, including bark (Balsam fir), paper sludge, and hydrochar of paper sludge. The feedstock was characterized for ash content and higher heating value. Biomass particle size (range), moisture content (range), process temperature (range), process pressure (range), and process residence time (range) were varied in briquetting experiments to determine conditions to produce high-quality briquettes with minimal energy input. Moisture content as high a 50 wt% in feedstock produced technically feasible briquettes, with appropriate physical-mechanical properties (durability, volumetric expansion and apparent density), and energetic potential (calorific value). The addition of heat (pressing temperature of 150 °C) during the pressing process resulted in briquettes with enhanced physical-mechanical, and energetic properties, surpassing those produced at room temperature. Further tests with additional steps in the production process are required to meet commercialization standards in Canada, but the treatments conducted in this study effectively improved the energy potential of biomass for internal industrial energy gains. • Wet briquettes (20 wt% and 50 wt%) production was technically feasible. • Briquettes with added heat (150 °C) exhibited superior properties. • All biomass briquettes exhibited improved energy potential. • Hydrochar briquettes showed superior energy content and durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most people accused of a crime are released into the community pending the resolution of their charges. To manage perceived risk, conditions of release on bail modify and control behaviour while providing a mechanism and justification for state monitoring. Drawing on 120 interviews with accused people in Canada this paper develops a typology to theorize how bail is experienced by accused, providing a framework for understanding what motivates accused to comply or violate their bail conditions and what impact conditioning has on their lives. Our analysis reveals insights into how accused present themselves to the court, navigate conditions of release and evaluate being conditioned in the community under the threat of further criminalization. Consistent with Yule et al. (2023), accused report a complex, variegated experience of social control in the community prior to conviction. Insights from participants suggest that bail is part of a broader criminal court process, that differentiates and marks accused (Kohler-Hausmann, 2018) who lack the requisite docility and discipline as risky and requiring more intensive conditioning and monitoring. • Drawing on 120 interviews with accused people in Canada this paper develops a typology to theorize how bail is experienced by accused, providing a framework for understanding what motivates accused to comply or violate their bail conditions and what impact conditioning has on their lives. • Accused report a complex, variegated experience of social control in the community prior to conviction. • How accused respond to being conditioned and demonstrate their amenability determines if and how much more (if any) conditioning and sanctioning is needed. • Reflecting on their presentation of self, experiences in the pre-trial process and impressions of the system, participants speak to themes of docility and discipline, bail as punishment and release as being better than detention. • The bail process is punishment's testing ground. Bail is part of a broader criminal court process, that differentiates, and marks accused (Kohler-Hausmann, 2018) who lack the requisite docility and discipline as risky and requiring more intensive conditioning and monitoring. • The lived experiences of accused reveals that bail conditions are ineffective tools of behaviour management, control, or change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Many mental health disorders first emerge during early childhood or adolescence. • Wait times for children's mental health services have been an international and widespread problem. • Long wait times prolong the emotional distress of children and/or adolescents and their caregivers which can exacerbate mental health difficulties. • The majority of research in this area has been conducted in the United Kingdom and Canada and focus on one waitlist strategy. • Common strategies include alternative service delivery models, increasing system capacity, and improving intake and assessment processes. Background: Although many mental health disorders first emerge during early childhood or adolescence, there is a significant gap between demand and availability of mental health resources, leading to long waitlists for services. Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to identify and characterize the research literature related to the range of waitlist management strategies that have been implemented in outpatient child and adolescent mental health care. Methods: Electronic databases reviewed included: Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), PubMed, PsychINFO, SCOPUS, CINAHL, and ISI Web of Science. Grey literature databases included: OpenGrey, Conference Papers Index, and Proquest Digital Dissertations. Articles were screened by two reviewers in two steps: first by title and abstract, then full text level. Data were extracted using an a-priori developed data extraction framework, which was piloted and modified iteratively. Results: A total of 119 papers related to waitlist interventions in child and adolescent mental health were reviewed. Of these 119 papers, 11% were reviews, summary, or theoretical papers; 8% used a randomized control trial design and 2.5% were trial protocols. Most studies used less rigorous designs, such as uncontrolled before-and- after designs. The large majority focused on just one waitlist strategy each. The most commonly used approaches included: prioritization/triage and initial assessment; brief consultation and advice or brief therapy approaches; group-based models; interim services; increasing capacity; and strategies to decrease non-attendance. Most studies were conducted in the United Kingdom or Canada. Discussion: While mental health systems are complex, most studies examining waitlist initiatives explored the implementation of single initiatives. It is unlikely that a single waitlist strategy can be effective in managing wait times for children's mental health. Rather, consistent and systemic approaches to address wait times that consider the impact of the reduction approach on the patient, the program, and the community are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A model was created to examine the reliability of maintenance budget allocation. • The model was applied to network-level pavement maintenance in Canada. • The impacts of algorithm selection and parameter tuning were studied. • The significance of pavement clustering in increasing reliability was highlighted. • The importance of incorporating actual pavement improvement curves was clarified. The purpose of this paper is to increase the reliability of the network-level pavement maintenance budget allocation by reducing uncertainties of algorithm selection and parameter tuning. In this paper, reliability is defined as the ability of a network-level pavement maintenance plan to improve the condition of a pavement network within a certain budget. In order to quantify reliability, the reliability index is defined as the ratio between the post-maintenance network condition and the net maintenance cost. With this purpose in mind, a two-objective optimization model was developed. To test its applicability, the model was applied to a pavement network in Canada. The model was solved using the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II and the differential evolution algorithms. Finally, the reliability indices of algorithms and termination criteria were computed. The results indicated that the differential evolution algorithm recommended less frequent but more intense interventions that made the solutions expensive and less reliable. This paper contributed to the network-level pavement maintenance body of knowledge by (1) developing a multi-objective optimization model to reduce uncertainties of parameter tuning and algorithm selection; (2) increasing the reliability of budget allocation; (3) showcasing the significance of pavement clustering in increasing reliability; and (4) developing and incorporating actual pavement improvement curves. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper proposes accurate and representative multi-output regression method. • The method is based on polygon generation and deep generative modeling. • It learns the true distribution of complex industrial data. • The method expresses all interrelationships between data inputs and outputs (KPIs). • It is tested for KPIs' prediction using data collected from an industrial plant. This paper proposes an innovative multi-output regression method that processes and converts the numeric data variables into representative images (polygons) to build accurate predictive models in industrial applications with several dependent variables (responses). In this method, polygon images are generated from both the inputs and outputs of numeric data. The images representing the data inputs are then translated into those representing the outputs by training a conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN). The output images of the trained cGAN are then mapped into the outputs to get back the predicted numeric values. The advantage of the proposed method is that it makes use of the breakthrough of deep generative modeling to learn the true distribution of complex data, which is difficult to determine in many industrial applications. This is attributed to the fact that the generated polygons express all interrelationships between the data variables in the form of trustworthy representational images used to train the cGAN model. The performance of the proposed method was validated successfully using a complex industrial dataset acquired from a black liquor recovery boiler (BLRB) in a Kraft pulp & paper mill located in Canada. Three key performance indicators (KPIs), one economic and two environmental, are used as regression outputs in the BLRB dataset. The results of the proposed method demonstrate better performance than other comparable machine learning regression methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High performance of HVAC connected Building Integrated Photovoltaic/Thermal (BIPV/T) systems relies on appropriate control. However, optimal control is often overlooked, resulting in systems that operate inefficiently. This paper investigates how model predictive control (MPC) can improve the operation of open loop air-based BIPV/T systems connected to multiple thermal applications. The BIPV/T system at the first institutional net-zero energy building in Canada, the Varennes library, is used as an archetype. The BIPV/T covers 16% of the south-facing roof and operates under a simple rule-based control strategy. The developed control and design strategies consider variations of this system, to achieve higher thermal utilization efficiency. A control-oriented BIPV/T model is developed and calibrated using monitored data. The BIPV/T airflow is regulated through MPC for simultaneous heat supply to an Energy Recovery Ventilator and air-to-water heat pump. The BIPV/T air flow is efficiently controlled, considering the connected thermal applications, environmental conditions, and PV temperature. Model-based control for BIPV/T systems can increase the amount of useful heat and reduce PV overheating. The MPC controller for the examined system reduced the building energy consumption compared to the business-as-usual operation by 40% and together with increased BIPV/T area can supply excess heat to adjacent buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Canada, public insurance for physician and hospital services, without cost-sharing, is provided to all residents. Outpatient prescription drug coverage, however, is provided through a patchwork system of public and private plans, often with substantial cost-sharing, which leaves many underinsured or uninsured. We conducted a systematic review to examine the association of drug insurance and cost-sharing with drug use, health services use, and health in Canada. We searched 4 electronic databases, 2 grey literature databases, 5 specialty journals, and 2 working paper repositories. At least 2 reviewers independently screened articles for inclusion, extracted characteristics, and assessed risk of bias. The expansion of drug insurance was associated with increases in drug use, individuals who reported drug insurance generally reported higher drug use, and increases in and higher levels of drug cost-sharing were associated with lower drug use. Although a number of studies found statistically significant associations between drug insurance or cost-sharing and health services use, the magnitudes of these associations were generally fairly small. Among 5 studies that examined the association of drug insurance and cost-sharing with health outcomes, 1 found a statistically significant and clinically meaningful association. We did not find that socioeconomic status or sex were effect modifiers; there was some evidence that health modified the association between drug insurance and cost-sharing and drug use. Increased cost-sharing is likely to reduce drug use. Universal pharmacare without cost-sharing may reduce inequities because it would likely increase drug use among lower-income populations relative to higher-income populations. • There is a gap in the literature pertaining to the effects of drug insurance and cost-sharing in a Canadian context. • We conducted a systematic review of Canadian studies and found that there was consistent evidence that the expansion of drug insurance was associated with meaningful increases in drug use, that individuals who reported drug insurance coverage generally reported higher drug use relative to those who reported no coverage, and that increases in and higher levels of drug cost-sharing were associated with lower use. • Universal pharmacare without cost-sharing may reduce inequities in access to essential drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by large oil price swings, high economic and geopolitical uncertainties, and the financialization of oil, this paper examines the frequency spillovers and co-movements between oil shocks (risk and demand) and the stock markets of top oil-producer and consumer countries, namely, Canada, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the US. The analysis uses the time-domain spillover index of [1], the frequency-domain spillover of [2]; and the wavelet coherence approach. The findings reveal that spillovers run from the U.S., Canada, and, to a lesser extent, Russia to oil shocks. On the other hand, oil shocks, Saudi Arabia, and China constitute net receivers of shocks. The intensity of spillovers is heavier in the short-term frequency than in the intermediate- and long-term. Furthermore, the direction of spillovers is more defined in the long-term. The U.S. stock market exerts a strong impact on oil risk in general, but the impact is stronger in the short-term. Conversely, an oil demand shock is susceptible to innovations from Canada and Russia that are stronger in the long-term. This means that oil risk shock stemming from innovations in financial markets is short-lived and dissipates quickly due to quick reactions from market participants. On the contrary, long-term links characterize the relationship between oil demand shock and financial markets, mirroring the macroeconomic nature of the linkages. Finally, while the 2008 crisis, EDC, oil price crash, and the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with strong spillovers in the short-term, the COVID-19 era was marked by higher spillovers in the long term. The findings provide important information for investors and policymakers in terms of diversification, risk management, and efforts to mitigate contagion. • This paper examines the frequency spillovers and co-movements between oil shocks and the stock markets. • We use the time-frequency spillover index method and the wavelet coherence approach. • Spillovers run from the U.S., Canada, and, to a lesser extent, Russia to oil shocks. • Oil shocks, Saudi Arabia, and China constitute net receivers of shocks. • The intensity of spillovers is heavier in the short-term frequency than in the intermediate- and long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive research exists on the potential impacts of foresight; however, a comprehensive understanding of the factors that lead to foresight impact, particularly in influencing senior management decisions, is relatively sparse. This study addresses this by reporting on a Delphi and expert panel involving eight senior Canadian government foresight program leaders. These leaders were asked to help identify and then rate a list of factors that they felt resulted in their foresight projects impacting senior management decisions. Results suggested that factors such as foresight methodology, while leading to good foresight, do not necessarily result in senior decision-maker impact. Instead, criteria defined in this paper as the "consultants' toolkit," such as understanding the senior decision maker's pain points and foresight managers having a strong understanding of the organization's inner workings, play a crucial role. The expert panel discussion suggested that the importance of senior management decision-making factors depends on three mediating variables: The temporal orientation of the Department, the foresight orientation of the department's senior management, and the nature of the relationship between the foresight manager and the senior decision maker. • Paper identifies factors that lead to senior management accepting and implementing the results and recommendations of foresight projects. • A two round Delphi and expert panel was held as part of this study with eight senior Canadian government foresight program leaders • Managers identified factors that relate more to a consultant tool kit than foresight methodology that results in decision impact foresight. • A contingency model is presented with three elements which the impact factors importance • The paper highlights the importance of research partnerships that include both academics and practitioners [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The global uniform exponential stability is established for zero-order delayed systems. • The stability results for impulsive dynamical networks are obtained. • The event-triggered impulsive control (ETIC) is designed to stabilize dynamical networks. • ETIC has lower impulse frequency and control cost than the classic impulsive control. • A non-instantaneous ETIC is proposed to improve the instantanity and discontinuity of ETIC. This paper studies the stability for impulsive dynamical networks (IDN) where different nodes may have different impulse time sequences. By deriving the conditions of global uniform exponential stability for zero-order delayed systems, the criteria of stability for IDN are established. The stability results for IDN are then used to design event-triggered impulsive control (ETIC) for stabilization of continuous-time dynamical networks (CDN). In every node of CDN, three levels of event-triggering conditions are set for ETIC. The exponential stabilization of CDN is shown to be achieved by the designed ETIC and it also shows that the ETIC is robust w.r.t. time-delays. Moreover, a non-instantaneous ETIC (NI-ETIC) is proposed for the stabilization of CDN. Three examples with numerical simulations are given to show that the designed ETIC has lower impulse frequency and cost of control than the classic time-triggered impulsive control. It is also shown that the discontinuity and the instantanity of ETIC are improved by the NI-ETIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developing a new optimization model for designing a tire closed-loop supply chain. • Presenting a Spherical fuzzy logic method to calculate the importance of suppliers. • Discussing the application of the model in Greater Toronto Area, Canada. • Solving the multi-objective model using the augmented ε -constraint method. • Performing extensive sensitivity analyses and analyzing the results. For tire manufacturers to remain profitable while fulfilling environmental and social obligations such as producer responsibility, the opportunity lies in designing a tire Closed-Loop Supply Chain (CLSC) which combines forward and reverse supply chains. In this paper, a new multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming model is proposed to configure and optimize a multi-echelon, multi-product, multi-period tire CLSC network based on multiple recovery options and markets. For one of the objectives of the model, the weighting factors (importance) of suppliers are determined according to a unique framework of qualitative criteria. In this respect, a novel decision-making method based on Spherical fuzzy logic is developed. Finally, the solution approach is devised based on the formulation of the augmented ε -constraint method for finding efficient solutions. The application of the model is illustrated focusing on the region of Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. The optimal quantities for the flows of products, and number and locations of open facilities of the network are computed. The results show that the selected suppliers and allocated orders from them are impacted by considering multiple objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a framework for a financial, economic, and stakeholder analysis of a residential rooftop solar net-metering program. The empirical focus of the paper is the net-metering program in Ontario, Canada, but the methodology is applicable to evaluating other public programs. The results highlight that without the Federal Government's subsidy for the initial investment cost, net-metered solar systems are not financially viable for representative households. Moreover, the stakeholder analysis reveals that for each additional net-metered system installed in Ontario, non-net-metered households experience financial losses of six times the benefits to the net-metered households. The net losses to the Federal Government of Canada and the Canadian economy are five and nine times the benefit to the net-metered households, respectively. The only stakeholder who benefits marginally is the Government of Ontario. In terms of environmental benefits, our estimate of the cost of greenhouse gas abatement by residential net-metered solar is 325 CAD per ton of CO 2 , which is significantly higher than the current (65 CAD in 2023) and future (170 CAD by 2030) national carbon price set by the Government of Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

COVID-19 had an unprecedented impact on transit demand and usage. Stiff and vigilant hygiene safety requirements changed travellers' mode choice preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, transit modal share is radically impacted. Therefore, quantitative measurements on transit demand impact are urgently needed to facilitate evidence-based policy responses to COVID-19. Thus, we collected 1000 random samples through a web-based survey in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada, on traveler's modal choices behavior during the COIVD-19 pandemic. The paper presents an analysis with this firsthand dataset to understand transit users' behavioral adaptation resulting from the spreading of COVID-19 in 2020. We found that the transit frequency dropped by 21% to 71% for various socioeconomic groups in the GTA during the pandemic. The transit modal share dipped for all trip purposes. For private vehicle owners, around 70% of transit users switched to their private vehicles. More than 60% of those without cars switched to active transport for all travel purposes. Also, ride-hailing services are the second most popular substitution of transit for them. More than 80% of the respondents agreed with all transit safety policies, such as mandatory face-covering listed in the survey. Moreover, a similar proportion of the respondents agreed to return to public transit in the future. Multinomial, nested, and mixed logit models are estimated to capture relationships between modal choices and various factors. We found that the daily number of new COVID-19 cases impacts the choice of transit negatively. However, vaccine availability and mandatory face-covering onboard positively affect travellers' choices of riding transit during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of new digital technologies for natural resource management has created a need to design and update governance regimes for effective and transparent generation, sharing and use of digital natural resource data. In this paper, we contribute to this novel area of investigation from the perspective of institutional change. We develop a conceptual framework to analyze how emerging natural resource data governance is shaped by related natural resource governance; complex, multilevel systems of actors, institutions and their interplay. We apply this framework to study forest data governance and its roots in forest governance in Finland and Canada. In Finland, an emphasis on open forest data and the associated legal reform represents the instutionalization of a mixed open data-bioeconomy discourse, pushed by higher-level institutional requirements towards greater openness and shaped by changing actor dynamics in relation to diverse forest values. In Canada, a strong institutional lock-in around public-private partnerships in forest management has engendered an approach that is based on voluntary data sharing agreements and fragmented data management, conforming with the entrenched interests of autonomous sub-national actors and thus extending the path-dependence of forest governance to forest data governance. We conclude by proposing how the framework could be further developed and tested to help explain which factors condition the formation of natural resource data institutions and subsequently the (re-)distribution of benefits they govern. Transparent and efficient data approaches can be enabled only if the analysis of data institutions is given equal attention to the technological development of data solutions. • We studied how emerging forest data governance is shaped by dynamics in forest governance. • Forest data institutions may support path-dependency or renewal of forest governance, depending on context. • Innovative data institutions may enable a dynamic governance continuum from closed to open natural resource data. • Future studies should focus on feedback effects of data governance on natural resource governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the colonial state of Canada, rurality is quintessentially necropolitical, a technology of colonial nation building that has forcibly displaced hundreds of sovereign Indigenous nations to accommodate white occupation. Throughout vast rural social geographies that remain conservative political strongholds, Indigenous peoples living in their ancestral homelands are positioned as contaminants of dignified white rural life and obstacles to food and resource exploitation, agri-industrial expansion, and growing multicultural diversity. Under colonial rural logics, Indigenous bodies are disposable and ungrievable, in deeply gendered and sexualized ways. In this paper, I draw on Achille Mbembé's concept of necropolitics to examine rural genocide as a form of colonial and neocolonial settler placemaking, with a specific focus on gender-based violence as one form of enacted necropolitics. I examine how stark racial rural inequities precipitate racialized-gendered death by enabling incessant white entitlement to Indigenous lands and bodies, allowing what the United Nations has called the gender-based genocide of Indigenous girls, women, and 2Spirit people to occur with impunity. I then consider the imperial logics of homesteading as a new/old settler tactic emerging under new anthropogenic and pandemic-related pressures, where urbanites seeking rural escapes fuel the colonial appropriation and commodification of sacred Indigenous land-based knowledges while eroding already precarious Indigenous territories. I conclude by exploring how reimplicating increasingly mobile and urbanized Indigenous young people in kinscapes—mobile, temporal circles of relations with their kin and homelands—might fortify vital Indigenous land and body sovereignties and unsettle colonial necropolitical rural ontologies. • Necropolitics in rural Canada are a form of colonial and neocolonial settler placemaking. • Racial rural inequities enable gender-based genocide of Indigenous women and 2Spirit people. • White homesteading and nature-based gentrification fuel commodification of Indigenous kinscapes. • Kinscapes enacted among Indigenous kin and homelands support Indigenous youth resurgence. • Kinscapes fortify vital Indigenous land and body sovereignties and Indigenous youth worldmaking.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the design phase of the Confederation Bridge in Canada, the Canadian government Public Works and Government Services Canada asked the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada to provide information on ice loads from large ridges using a wide range of predictive technologies. The NRC put together a team that looked at loads from several sources including analytical models, physical model tests, finite element models, discrete particle models, and full-scale data. The ice loading scenario was an extreme first-year ridge loading one of the bridge piers. A large number of analytical models were used and the load components were separated into those from the consolidated layer, the sail, and the keel. An upper bound prediction from this approach gave a value of 16 MN on a pier, but the assumptions that were used to arrive at this value did not match observed behavior in the physical and numerical studies of the program. Physical model tests indicated that the loads could be 10.5 MN with a load of 7.3 MN from the keel and 3.2 MN from the consolidated layer and sail. A finite element analysis indicted a range of predicted values of 10 MN to 12 MN depending upon the assumptions used. A discrete particle analysis predicted load values from 2.2 MN to 9.5 MN depending upon the assumptions used in describing the stiffness of the ridge. A review of full-scale measurements on lighthouses and ships suggested that the loads could range from 7.3 MN to 10.4 MN. These predicted values compare to the highest load measured on the Confederation Bridge over a twenty-year span of just over 8 MN. This paper outlines the approaches used for this prediction study and their resulting predictions. It shows the value of using multiple approaches for load predictions for offshore structures in ice-covered waters. • Predictions of ice ridge loads on the Confederation Bridge piers. • Analytical, Physical Modelling and Numerical approaches for ice ridge loading. • Comparison to measured loads on bridge piers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are 14 northern communities in Nunavik, the Arctic region of Quebec province, Canada. Transportation infrastructure plays a vital role in the social and economic development of these localities. The thawing of permafrost compromises the stability of northern transportation infrastructure. Harsh Arctic climate conditions limit the installation of effective monitoring systems to assess infrastructure stability. In Akulivik, the access road connects the Akulivik airport and the village of Akulivik. There is no monitoring to observe the thermal condition of the permafrost foundation of the access road, hindering the capacity to perform preventive maintenance activities, especially in the context of observed climate warming in Nunavik. This paper describes a project aiming at the assessment of the stability of the access road using a new approach and proposes adaptation solutions to stabilize the road, based on design tools recently developed. Particular attention was paid to the foundation soil under the side slope where relatively rapid permafrost degradation was occurring due to accumulated snow. The results indicate a positive thermal gradient of 0.29 °C/m under the side slope and a near-zero thermal gradient under the centerline. Projected climate warming was also considered to further investigate the thermal condition, providing a safety margin for the design of promising adaptation solutions. These results assist government agencies in evaluating the thermal conditions of underlying permafrost and deploying potential adaptation solutions in Akulivik. • The thermal conditions of the road embankment were analyzed. • A new approach was employed to assess the thermal stability of the road embankment. • An adaptive solution was designed to mitigate permafrost degradation beneath the embankment side slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thunderstorm winds are the costliest wind hazard in Canada, but they have not been well studied. This paper investigates atmospheric conditions prone to downbursts in Canada using a combination of reported downbursts from damage survey reports, ERA5 reanalysis data, lightning flash observations, radar imagery, and upper air measurements for the period of 2019–2023. We propose a novel Downburst Precursor Parameter (DPP) by integrating two low-correlated thermodynamic and kinematic parameters. DPP outperforms other existing instability indices in downburst diagnosis in Canada. Our spatial analysis reveals the absence of damaging downbursts west of the Rockies, while approximately half of all recorded damaging downbursts occurred in southeastern Canada. Squall lines and supercells are the most common types of downburst-generating storms in Canada. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of storms are squall lines when a downburst is accompanied by lightning flashes, which occurred in ∼71% of all cases. The remaining ∼29% of downbursts without lightning are mostly dry downbursts, typically displaying a disorganized pattern of convective storms on a radar screen. The equivalent potential temperature difference between the surface and mid-level in the troposphere (∆ θ e) exceeds 13 K prior to 61% of damaging downbursts. This result indicates that ∆ θ e might be a useful downburst indicator in Canada despite lower values compared to many regions in the United States. [Display omitted] • Convective parameters for diagnosing downburst-prone environments were investigated. • Novel Downburst Precursor Parameter (DPP) enhances downburst diagnosis accuracy. • DPP > 0.7 signals highest risk for downburst development. • Squall lines and supercells are the dominant storm types with a ratio of 2:1. • Surface-to-midlevel equivalent potential temperature difference is a useful downburst index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Supportive housing can be combined with wraparound supports for teen families. • Collaborative partnerships are key to offering teen families supportive housing. • Supportive housing needs to balance structure with trauma-informed responsivity. Providing support to address the systemic barriers that teen families face is a logical step toward improving their health and well-being. One area where teen families face multiple obstacles is accessing safe, secure, affordable housing. This paper describes a unique, innovative model of supportive housing developed in combination with wraparound supports, provided to teen parents in Edmonton, Canada. As part of a larger community-based participatory research and evaluation project, we draw on qualitative data to describe the supportive wraparound housing model that was developed. In particular, we conducted individual interviews and focus groups with a total of 27 staff members from the partner agencies, who provided information about the Successful Families program model. Analysis of interview data resulted in five broad categories that have resonated with our community and academic team as a way to conceptualize and share the work of the program. Categories, which are described in terms of associated subcategories, include: Community, Partnership, Program Principles and Values, Successful Families Program Structures, and Skill and Knowledge Development. Through this work, we aim to promote awareness of considerations for service providers seeking to implement similar services, and expand the limited knowledge base regarding methods for supporting the diverse needs of teen families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to safe drinking water remains a significant challenge for many Indigenous communities in Canada, particularly for remote communities. This stems from historic colonial practices of water governance that have relied on Western worldviews and excluded Indigenous Peoples. Using an Indigenist research framework and a Community-Based Participatory Research design, we, as Indigenous and non-Indigenous collaborative research team wanted to learn from remote Indigenous communities, including Star Blanket Cree First Nation and the Cumberland House Village at the Treaty 4 and 5 territories (known as Saskatchewan) that have not been adequately represented in water governance. Following this, we used storytelling and deep listening to engage seven Elders and knowledge-keepers from the two communities. The findings show Indigenous People have spiritual and historical worldviews and practices surrounding water and its governance. Promoting Indigenous worldviews in water governance is critical to enhancing access to safe drinking water within the two communities. Therefore, reviving and reconnecting Indigenous drinking water governance promotes community healing and water protection. Insights from this paper propose a meaningful bridge between Western and Indigenous perspectives and the capacity to govern water through deep and complex practices and meanings of water governance. • Remote Indigenous communities lack access to safe drinking water. • Understanding the spirituality of water is key to Indigenous water governance. • Reclaiming Indigenous water stories is key to water reconciliation. • Collaborative water governance enhances access to safe drinking water. • Collaborative water governance promotes sovereignty and self-governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates stakeholder's perspectives about freight congestion in Canada's major metropolitan regions. Interviews with 28 Canadian stakeholders from different sectors are analyzed using Strauss/Corbin extended approach of symbolic interactionism with the objective of producing an explanatory theory to identify barriers to freight in Canada. By integrating emergent categories with a structured framework of theoretical propositions, we are able to offer insights to understand the perceived barriers to goods movement in the Canadian landscape, as well as to detail a framework of interventions to improve freight mobility. In total, 50 themes emerged as barriers to the movement of goods, which were grouped into nine subcategories, and four overarching categories which broadly frame the issues of goods movements as relating to high infrastructure utilization (Infrastructure Demand Outstripping Supply), the cost impacts of diminishing reliability of distribution (Physical Distribution Headwinds Impeding Commerce), rapidly growing regions and ineffective or absent policy support (Urgent Regulatory Encumbrances), and a lack of a robust data collection, analysis, and information sharing framework (Information and Data Management Complexities). These categories were considered in the frame of addressing goods movement barriers and were argued to be influenced by factors of cost, political risk, implement-ability, and maintainability. A framework was developed identifying four high-level interventions: data and knowledge mobilization; public-private collaborative freight evaluations; government funding and political support; and, capacity alterations: improvements and expansions. The key concepts of the framework are to collect and analyze data to inform public-private stakeholder evaluations of policy interventions, with government funding to support both knowledge generation efforts, policy actions and capacity investments. There is a significant need to expand data collection and information sharing, focus infrastructure investments on public transit and intermodal accessibility, and integrated policy development towards transportation and land use planning to address the physical and policy barriers affecting freight mobility and congestion. The emergent theory is contrasted with selected global regions to assess generalizability and the relevance of international perspectives to the Canadian environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened and made visible the embodied consequences of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) inequalities and the relationalities of health in place. This paper combines insights from relational geographies and embodied epidemiology to explore psychosocial concerns among Ghanaian migrants in Canada due to their multiple and simultaneous roles in the WASH space in Ghana, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored this using narratives from in-depth interviews with 27 participants (16 women and 11 men) residing in Ontario, Canada. The case of Ghana offers insight into how social ties with home communities could provide a safety net during emergencies but could also affect the psychosocial wellbeing of migrants. Results revealed four interrelated psychosocial stressors, including social stressors, financial stressors, stressors related to perceived inequality and stressors related to the fear of infection during WASH access. The paper underscores the urgent need for research to move beyond local health implications of WASH inequalities and begin to prioritize how these social inequalities are embodied at distant locations. • The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the global health interconnectedness • Embodied subjectivities of WASH insecurity span across space and time • Migrants embody multidimensional WASH psychosocial stressors because of their social connections with home • Policy responses must address WASH subjectivities beyond the local [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Icing losses encountered in a wind farm are very hard to assess as they can vary by a factor of three from year to year. This inter-annual variation is a critical issue from the assessment phase to the operation of wind turbines in cold climate. To mitigate the effects of this issue, a proposed solution is to define an ice index to yield a reference for icing conditions based on historical values. Knowing that icing frequency has an inter-annual variation 5 times greater than the wind speed, the definition of an ice index is long overdue. This paper proposes a simple and accessible method for defining an ice index based on cloud base height measured at a weather station. A similar strategy is already used in the industry for other purposes such as estimating the long-term average icing frequency in icing maps. The novelty of the proposed method lies in the description of the variation in icing frequency rather than its long-term average. The ice index proposed in this paper is shown to be representative of the icing losses in 6 wind farms located in eastern Canada. Moreover, it was also shown that the ice index is strongly correlated to the icing measurements made on wind turbine nacelle. In this paper, the yearly and monthly ice indexes, from September 2007 to December 2021, are shared. These indexes are based on the meteorological data from Valcartier weather station near Quebec City. This definition of an ice index directly responds to a critical need of the wind industry in cold climate, a common reference for icing frequency. Ice indexes could be publicly shared each month in cold climate areas to guide wind farm owners and operators in their decisions and analysis of performances. Such an index could also be used to asses the long-term variation of the ice index and the effect of climate change on icing frequency and impacts on the wind energy production in cold climate. • Definition of an icing frequency index based on publicly available could base height measurements. • Relationship between the ice index and icing losses in six wind farms. • Relationship between the ice index and the meteorological icing frequency measured on a wind turbine nacelle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research pertaining to racial disparities for Black families in child welfare is relatively limited in Canada. Recent research reveals that the overrepresentation of Black families in Canadian child welfare systems typically begins at the reporting or investigation stage and continues throughout the child welfare service and decision-making continuum. This research is occurring against the backdrop of increasing public acknowledgement of Canada's historic anti-Black policy-making and institutional relationships to Black communities. Though there is increased awareness about anti-Black racism, there has been limited exploration of the connection between anti-Black racism in child welfare legislation and how this policy generates disparities for Black families in both child welfare involvement and outcomes – this paper seeks to fill this gap in knowledge. The objective of this paper is to explore the entrenchment of anti-Black racism within the child welfare system by critically assessing the language and absence of language within the guiding legislative and implementation policies. Utilizing a critical race discourse analysis method, this study explores the entrenchment of anti-Black racism within the Ontario child welfare system by critically assessing the language and absence of language within the guiding legislative policies that shape practice for Black children, youth, and families. The findings revealed that though the legislation does not explicitly address anti-Black racism, there were instances where the legislation indicated that race and culture may be considered in responding to children and families. The lack of specificity, particularly in the Duty to Report, has the potential to contribute to disparate reporting and decision-making for Black families. Policy makers should acknowledge the history of anti-Black racism that informed the development of the legislation in Ontario and move towards tackling systemic injustices that disproportionately affect Black families. More explicit language will shape future policies and practices to ensure that the impact of anti-Black racism is considered across the child welfare continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel bridge weigh-in-motion method is presented using parametric dynamic bridge-vehicle interaction formulation. • Modal parameters extracted from ambient vibration tests are used to accurately simulate the bridge structures. • The formulation offers superior computational efficiency since it eliminates the need for calibrated finite element models. • The proposed method resulted in accurate estimations even when the vehicle travel path differs from calibrations. • The Proposed method was validated using a full-scale case-study arterial highway bridge in Canada. Dynamic bridge weigh in motion systems use models that can simulate the dynamic behaviour of a bridge subjected to moving traffic. Currently available models use complex and computationally expensive Moving Force Identification (MFI) methods that utilize finite element models to estimate the bridge torsional and transverse dynamic behaviour. This paper presents a novel dynamic parametric BWIM method that utilizes the experimentally estimated modal parameters for simulating the response of a bridge structure to moving loads. The estimated modes of an in-situ structure inherently capture the true bridge behaviour for any generalized geometry, boundary conditions and load position. Therefore, it enables the complex torsional and transverse bending behaviour of the bridge to be captured. In this paper, the mathematical derivation of the analytical model is presented in detail, then model calibration and weighing procedures are outlined, followed by the validation of the proposed method using a full-scale case study arterial highway bridge in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick. The proposed dynamic BWIM method offers a novel solution for the development of real-time BWIM systems that is efficient to calibrate and accurate in vehicle identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People incarcerated in facilities for women and girls face barriers to accessing abortion, including unclear legislation, operational procedures, and distance. While medication abortion could mitigate distance barriers, prison is not a hospitable environment for medication abortion. Considering this limitation, this paper aimed to identify the distance from institutions of incarceration designated for women and girls to procedural abortion facilities in Canada. This study builds on an inventory of the 67 institutions of incarceration designated for women and girls across 13 provinces and territories in Canada, previously created by the authors. Procedural abortion facilities were identified using publicly available directories. Distances were calculated using Google Maps. The closest procedural abortion facility was identified for each institution, as well as the gestational age limit of each facility. Of the 67 institutions, 23 (34%) were located 0 to 10 km from a procedural abortion facility. Fourteen (21%) were located 10.1 to 20 km away. Ten (15%) were located 20.1 to 100 km away. Eleven were located 100.1 to 300 km away (16%). The remaining 9 (13%) were located between 300.1 and 738 km away. Distances ranged from 0.1 to 738 km. The greatest distances were among institutions in northern Canada. This paper identified a large range of distances between institutions of incarceration and procedural abortion facilities in Canada. Physical distance is only one measure of accessibility of abortion services. For incarcerated people, contextual factors including carceral policies and procedures present barriers to care, with significant impact on health equity. Distance between carceral institutions and procedural abortion facilities reduces equitable access to reproductive health services for incarcerated populations. Pregnant people should be protected from imprisonment to ensure reproductive autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residential energy demand timing and magnitude are highly impacted by occupants' behaviors and activities. However, acquiring a reliable data source for these activities is a vital challenge, especially on an urban scale. In this context, this paper presents a stochastic bottom-up model for generating electrical loads for residential buildings in Canada. The proposed model is developed to investigate the impact of different household characteristics, appliance stock, and energy behaviors on the timing and magnitude of non-HVAC energy loads at individual or multiple houses. The proposed tool includes four main modules for generating stochastic profiles of occupancy, lighting demand, appliance load, and domestic hot water demand (DWH). The model is calibrated using the Canadian time use survey (TUS), energy use statistics, and appliance ownership surveys. The model is scalable and can be extended to serve various applications by adding new modules and data sources in the future. This paper presents the model development methodology, generated high-resolution load profiles, and validation in comparison with actual measurements. Finally, the model is used for studying the impact of household characteristics on total energy use. Future work will include incorporating this model into a comprehensive agent-based model for designing and testing effective demand response programs. • A stochastic load profile generator is developed for residential buildings. • Canadian TUS data is used to identify common patterns of activity schedules. • Stochastic profiles are developed for occupancy, lighting, appliances, and DWH. • The tool is demonstrated and validated using a case study. • The impact of household characteristics on total energy use is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scandals have always been a highly salient problem in politics. In judging politicians for their misconduct, voters may arguably be biased – they may evaluate scandals based on individual motivations, such as partisanship and self-interested concerns. In this paper, we examine these two considerations in the case of two real-world corruption scandals involving a single incumbent government. In addition to testing for the effects of partisan motivations in authentic situations, we consider how scandals associated with policy goals interact with personal motivations, shaping the degree to which people penalize a scandalous government. Across two survey experiments that prime respondents about real-world corruption scandals, we manipulate question wording for some participants and measure their evaluations of a scandalous leader's performance. We find an effect for self-interested concerns when the benefits associated with the scandal are concentrated and tangible. Our findings suggest that voters hold public figures accountable for misbehaviour and that there are limits to partisan loyalties in political scandals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monitoring of forest ecosystems is significantly affected by the lack of consistent historical data of low-severity (forest partially disturbed) or gradual disturbance (e.g. eastern spruce budworm epidemic). The goal of this paper is to explore the use of a subset of Landsat time series and deep learning models to identify both the type and the year of disturbances, including low-severity and gradual disturbances, in the boreal forest of eastern Canada at the pixel level. Remote sensing data such as the spectral information from Landsat time series are the best available option for large scale observations of disturbances that go back decades. Traditional modeling approaches, like LandTrendr, require substantial handcrafted pre-processing to remove noise and to extract temporal features from the image sequences before using them as input to a classical machine-learning model. Deep-learning models can autonomously discern which features are relevant within the coarse temporal and spectral information from the Landsat annual dense time series. We evaluated the performance of TempCNN and Transformer model in detecting and classifying the type and the year of the forest disturbance using Landsat time series subsequences. Our findings resulted in the generation of four disturbance maps outlining the forest history from 1986 to 2021 within the eastern Canadian boreal forest. Our experimental outcomes demonstrate several significant benefits of employing deep learning models. Firstly, using noisy Landsat time series they achieve comparable accuracy for classifying fire and total harvesting than existing publicly available disturbance maps. Secondly, the use of shorter time series subsequence with deep learning models enables to map adequately different overlapping disturbances occurring in the complete time series. Finally, they increase the number of distinguishable disturbance classes by adding partial harvesting, gradual disturbances, and forest recovery from older events, making them useful approaches for obtaining the first remote sensing-based map for areas affected by the eastern spruce budworm. • TempCNN, Transformer tested on Landsat time series for disturbance classification. • The type and the year of disturbance events were classified with good accuracy. • Deep learning effective for identifying partial and progressive disturbances. • Landsat subsequences extract overlapping disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]