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Inuit living in the northern region of Nunavik continue to experience significant health inequalities, which are rooted in colonialism that still have repercussions on their health-related perceptions and practices, including vaccination. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and determinants of routine vaccination among the Inuit of Nunavik by describing factors influencing vaccination decisions from the perspective of community members and health professionals. Semi-structured interviews focusing on the perception of vaccination and experience with vaccination and health services were conducted with 18 Inuit and 11 non-Inuit health professionals. Using the socio-ecological model, factors acting at the community and public policy (e.g. rumours and misinformation about vaccination, language barrier), organisational (e.g. complexity of the vaccination process, staff turnover, lack of specialised vaccination workers and interpreters), and intrapersonal and interpersonal (e.g. past experiences with vaccination, vaccine attitudes, social norms) levels were identified as having an impact on vaccination decisions. Improving vaccination coverage in Nunavik requires a more global reflection on how to improve and culturally adapt the health care and services offered to the Inuit population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, self-employed people were among the hardest hit by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and faced hardships such as financial decline, restrictions, and business closures. A plethora of financial support measures were rolled out worldwide to support them, but there is a lack of research looking at the effect of the policy measures on self-employed people. To understand how different governmental financial support measures enhanced the resilience of the self-employed and improved their ability to manage the pandemic, we conducted a mixed-method study using policy analysis and semi-structured interviews. The documents described policies addressing governmental financial support in Sweden and Canada during the pandemic, and the interviews were conducted with Swedish and Canadian self-employed people to explore how they experienced the support measures in relation to their resilience. The key results were that self-employed people in both countries who were unable to telework were less resilient during the pandemic due to financial problems, restrictions, and lockdowns. The interviews revealed that many self-employed people in hard-hit industries were dissatisfied with the support measures and found them to be unfairly distributed. In addition, the self-employed people experiencing difficulties running their businesses reported reduced well-being, negatively affecting their business survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although there is a growing body of work on immigrants' information behavior, little is known about the pre-arrival information experiences of immigrants who consult formal information sources such as immigration agents. Drawn from a larger study on the information behavior of immigrants, this paper mainly reports the semi-structured interview findings on the pre-arrival information experiences of Bangladeshi immigrants who used formal information sources with discussion on how that affected their post-arrival settlement into Canada. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a mixed method approach with semi-structured interviews (n = 60) and surveys (n = 205) with participants who arrived in Canada between the years of 1971 and 2017. Data were collected from May 2017 to February 2018. Findings: Although the overall scope of the original study is much larger, this paper features findings on the pre-arrival information experiences derived mainly from an analysis of interview data. This study provides insights into the pre-arrival information experiences of Bangladeshi immigrants consulting formal information sources such as immigration firms, individual immigration consultants and more formal government agencies. The author introduces a new concept of "information crafting" by exploring the negative consequences of selective information sharing by immigration consultants/agents in newcomers' settlements in Canada, primarily positive information about life in Canada, sometimes with exaggeration and falsification. The interview participants shared story after the story of the settlement challenges they faced after arriving in Canada and how the expectations they built through the information received from immigration consultants and government agencies did not match after arrival. This study emphasizes the importance of providing comprehensive information about life in Canada to potential newcomers so that they can make informed decisions even before they apply. Originality/value: The findings of this study have theoretical and practical implications for policy and research. This study provides insights into the complicated culturally situated pre-arrival information experiences of Bangladeshi immigrants. Moreover, the study findings encourage researchers in various disciplines, including psychology, migration studies and geography, to delve more deeply into newcomers' information experiences using an informational lens to examine the information newcomers receive from diverse sources and their effects on their post-arrival settlement in a new country. The study challenges the general assumptions that formal information sources are always reputable, useful, and comprehensive, and it provides some future directions for research that seeks to understand the culturally situated information behavior of diverse immigrant groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by competition amongst higher education institutions, increasing recognition of the benefits of international academic mobility, and the global pandemic, transnational distance education has accelerated in recent years. Despite its many advantages, quality assurance issues can pose significant obstacles to success. Using a collaborative autoethnography approach, this study aimed to conceptualize quality dimensions from the perspectives of three Greek graduate students shaped by their collective experience at an open university in Canada. The findings suggest that quality encompasses accessibility, learnercentred instructional design, social-emotional support, and applying acquired knowledge and skills in local contexts. The significance of this study further illustrates the emerging transnational distance student population and highlights their experiences to inform quality internationalization practices in higher education for all students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the learning needs of international students at a Canadian private university. Through a qualitative content analysis of 580 students’ emails, we identified and examined 819 requests and complaints The analysis highlighted trends about due dates, assignment resubmissions, regrading, and plagiarism issues, leading to the identification of five primary needs: improved internet access and digital literacy support, acknowledgment of cultural differences, assignment design without assumptions, accessible learning management systems, and inclusive learning environments. These findings underline the necessity of empathetic listening to develop strategies that facilitate international students' transition to Canadian higher education, enhancing their learning experiences. The research suggests innovative approaches for incorporating international students' perspectives into course and program design, advocating for active engagement with these students to create educational environments that are inclusive and responsive to their unique needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work with groups is one of the social work intervention methods, and describes an approach directed at individuals, families, and communities. Most articles discussing this intervention method result from research conducted in larger urban centers. This research is based on the training and needs of social workers doing group work; specifically, qualitative research on social workers practising group intervention work in northern Quebec (Canada). The results indicate social workers' satisfaction with training that simultaneously integrates practical work and group theory in a university setting. Group intervention work in rural areas has certain advantages over social work in large urban centers (sharing and understanding of a shared reality, breaking down isolation barriers), but social workers also have to face certain challenges specific to their region, such as confidentiality, a lack of public transit for users, and the lack of importance placed by the health network on this type of intervention work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows a positive association between skilled migration and innovation. Related literature however is largely limited to the use of proxies such as patents, and publications. There is also a lack of attention to how innovation is accomplished in practices. This paper addresses these gaps with an examination of the innovative contributions made by immigrant engineers in Canada. Conceptually, informed by practice-based theories, it conceives innovation as a sociocultural and sociomaterial process that leads to the transformation of the object/motives of activities, i.e. the problem space to which actions are directed. Empirically, drawing on a thematic and situational analysis of the career accounts of 32 immigrant engineers, it shows that immigrants expand engineering practices by introducing, inter alias, new technologies, products, processes, policies and standards. It further traces the rise of the problem spaces, and the ways in which engineering objects and other practitioners are knotted into practices of innovation. It argues that while immigrants manage to introduce epistemic objects through continuous learning and knowledge translation, it is through the enrolment of other practitioners, and technologies and tools that relations of differences and power are (re)negotiated, and new ways of doing become amplified as innovation at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing speed of societal, environmental, technological, and workplace changes brings into sharper focus the question of how people shape and learn from transitions, such as so-called 'skilled migration'. Taking a doing transitions and doing migration perspective, I assert that transitions and migration do not simply exist but are constituted relationally through social practices and accompanied by learning processes. This paper reports findings from qualitative research into the question of how people learn and transform their understandings of (life)time when moving to a new country and seeking entry into the labour market. The study used the documentary method to analyse data from 20 biographical-narrative interviews with people who moved to Canada as adults. Findings indicate different modes of dealing with shifts in temporal contexts during migration as decompressing lifetime, losing time, and going with the flow. These modes are associated with positive transformative learning, negative transformative learning, and learning through participation in practices. This study has implications for theorising learning during life course transitions as a socially embedded process. It also points to the need for differentiated support as individuals seek to enter new labour markets or make career changes in the context of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The rapidly changing Arctic is ideal for investigating uncertainties in climate projections. Despite the challenges of collecting data in this region, an unprecedented large‐scale survey of shorebirds has been conducted over the last 30 years. Our study aimed to (1) develop probabilistic estimates for the change in suitable habitat for 10 Arctic shorebird species in Canada by 2075 and (2) assess the contribution of modelling decisions to the uncertainty in these estimates. Location: Arctic Canada. Methods: To evaluate uncertainty, we considered six classes of modelling decisions, yielding 216 unique projections for each species. We tested three decisions that are less commonly explored − the pool of candidate variables, a method for selecting variables, and the maximum distance of tree line dispersal, as well as the modelling algorithm, carbon emissions scenario, and global circulation model. We used a bootstrapping approach, creating a probability distribution for the proportional change in suitable habitat for each species. Results: Our findings indicated a substantial risk for 8/10 species to lose over half of their suitable breeding habitat, but this projection is much less certain than has been described previously. While much uncertainty is unexplained, we were surprised that the largest source of uncertainty among our modelling decisions was from our choice of methods for variable selection, that the other modelling decisions were relatively small sources of uncertainty, overshadowing other modelling decisions. Main Conclusions: While most scenarios predict a northward shift and significant habitat loss for Arctic‐breeding shorebirds, the Arctic Archipelago of Canada will remain an important refuge because in many other Arctic regions, there is no land farther north for these species to shift into. A comprehensive understanding of uncertainty is important for deciding if future projections can or should be used when planning climate‐resilient protected area networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to problematize the concept of Canadian multiculturalism from its inception in 1971 to its current tendencies and determine whether this policy is still attainable by referring to significant views of Hall, Taylor, Duchastel, Perin, Clifford, Drache, Hoyos and Kymlicka. These theoretical insights are explored in the case of the Serbian diaspora in Canada. The study is based on the oral histories of the members of the first generation of Serbian immigrants to Canada, conducted in July 2008 in Toronto. Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity is used as a theoretical framework. The results show that the first generation of Serbian immigrants shares stronger ties with the mother country than their descendants; however, respect for the values of diversity and hybridity contributes to the process of making inter-generational differences less conspicuous which, regarding the Serbian diasporic community, represents a proof of the topicality of the Canadian multicultural experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaining ethical approval for qualitative health research and implementing all the planned research processes in a proposed study are not straightforward endeavours. The situation becomes more complex when qualitative research is conducted in a cross-national healthcare and academic context. Also, it is even exhausting when the study is student-based, as student researchers may be considered novices and inexperienced researchers, especially for field-based research. Our aim in this reflective paper is to present, reflect, and discuss the experiences of a doctoral researcher in dealing with two independent institutional review boards in Canada and Ghana during an interdisciplinary Ph.D. project and the ethical dilemmas encountered while collecting data in Ghana. Based on the researcher's experiences, it became apparent that consent and its documentation can have cultural implications in different settings; hence, institutional review boards must exercise reflexivity in their protocol review practice. Also, sharing research data with participants and institutional leaders while maintaining participant confidentiality and privacy in institutional ethnographic research requires sensitivity to bi-lateral ethical values. With the experiences shared in this paper, we advocate for a dialogic ethical review process in qualitative research where researchers and research ethics boards engage in ongoing dialogue rather than the usual prescriptive format research ethics reviews often assume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To explore the impact of COVID‐19 on students' lives and their online learning experience. Design: A cross‐sectional survey design was used in this study. Methods: A total of 44 nursing students who were enrolled in an undergraduate programme at a Canadian University participated in the study. The students were asked to fill out a 35‐item survey that was developed by the European Students' Union and that was circulated across Europe in April 2020. Results: The COVID‐19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown affected students mentally, and emotionally. Findings also revealed that whilst most students had the privilege to study from home, many students did not have a desk, or a quiet place to study in their home and some had problems with Internet connectivity. Online lectures were delivered according to students' preferences; however, students were dissatisfied with the way their practice was organized. Conclusion: The similarities between this study and the European study provide common grounds for academics around the world to connect, collaborate and work on the challenges in providing nurse education in emergencies such as national disasters or pandemics to ensure preparedness for such future events. Patient or Public Contribution: No Patient or Public Contribution. Impact: The commonalities experienced in nursing education across the globe should act as an impetus for globalized nursing action. Educators need to prepare and reinvent a role for students in the clinical area in the event of future disasters/pandemics. Policy makers and administrators need to ensure when switching to online education no student is underprivileged or marginalized in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may impact parental functioning. The purpose of this study was to examine parents' concerns during the pandemic and to explore the characteristics of families who may be particularly vulnerable to parenting concerns. Data were drawn from an online crowdsourcing survey of parents of children under age 15 in Canada (N = 32,228). Many parents were very or extremely concerned about managing child behaviour (61%) and having less patience with, scolding, or yelling at their children (46%). Family characteristics, including working from home, age of children, number of adults in the home, and child disability were associated with these parenting concerns in logistic regression models. Results are discussed in the context of the known impacts of stress on parenting and families, highlighting family-level and pandemic-specific stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research that uses self-report measures to examine the complexity of self-regulated learning (SRL) and academic challenges for adolescents is limited. This study examined the psychometric property of the Self-Regulated Learning Profile and Self-Diagnostic (SRL-PSD) instrument and addressed the multi-components of SRL and academic challenges for adolescents. Participants were 358 adolescents from a Canadian middle school. The subscales of SRL-PSD were administered to students through LimeSurvey during a 25-min instructional session over two days. Results demonstrated the SRL-PSD was a reliable and valid self-report instrument to measure adolescents' SRL practices and academic challenges. Also, all types of SRL practices and academic challenges were significantly intercorrelated. Additionally, all types of SRL practices were positively associated with school engagement, whereas all types of academic challenges were negatively associated with school engagement. Overall, this study provides a validated self-report measure for educators and researchers to examine adolescents' SRL practices and academic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a landmark study of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the field of sports analytics. We developed a survey that examined personal and job-related demographics, as well as individual perceptions and experiences about EDI in the workplace. We sent the survey to individuals in the five major North American professional leagues, representatives from the Olympic and Paralympic Committees in Canada and the U.S., the NCAA Division I programs, companies in sports tech/analytics, and university research groups. Our findings indicate the presence of a clear dominant group in sports analytics identifying as: young (72.0 %), White (69.5 %), heterosexual (89.7 %) and male (82.0 %). Within professional sports, males in management positions earned roughly $30,000 (27 %) more on average compared to females. A smaller but equally alarming pay gap of $17,000 (14 %) was found between White and racialized management personnel. Of concern, females were nearly five times as likely to experience discrimination and twice as likely to have considered leaving their job due to isolation or feeling unwelcome. While they had similar levels of agreement regarding fair processes for rewards and compensation, females "strongly agreed" less often than males regarding equitable support, equitable workload, having a voice, and being taken seriously. Over one third (36.3 %) of females indicated that they "strongly agreed" that they must work harder than others to be valued equally, compared to 9.8 % of males. We conclude the paper with concrete recommendations that could be considered to create a more equitable, diverse and inclusive environment for individuals working within the sports analytics sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020–2021, a qualitative study was undertaken using an interpretive description methodology to identify what triggers grief in the first 2 years following the death of a beloved family member, and to gain other helpful insights about grief triggers from bereaved Canadian adult volunteers. In that study, a purposive sampling method was used to select 10 bereaved Canadian adult volunteers for in-depth, semi-structured interviews. This paper reports on the humor findings, as revealed to be a particularly complex grief trigger for many participants, as well as a periodic way for most to manage or live with their grief. Participant quotes and an extended discussion are included to illustrate the importance of these humor findings in relation to grief, and to inform bereaved people, bereavement service providers, and the general public about both helpful aspects and some cautionary considerations about humor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how positive and negative work-personal life interface constructs are differentially associated with intentions to stay in or leave the profession. The findings help map work-personal life interface constructs on the typology of determinants of intention to stay and intention to leave (disengagers, retainers, criticals, and neutrals). The ordered logistic regression (ologit) modelling of cross-sectional data from a representative sample (n = 601) of midwives in Canada shows that work interference with personal life is a disengager, which has a stronger association with intention to leave than with intention to stay in the profession. Among the work-personal life interface constructs, work enhancement of personal life seems to be the most critical determinant, showing the most substantive association with both intention to stay and intention to leave. This finding suggests that interventions to increase midwives' intention to stay and decrease their intention to leave should focus on amplifying the enhancing effects of working on midwives' personal lives. Interventions that aim to reduce work interference with personal life might be more effective in decreasing intention to leave the profession than increasing intention to stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will examine how extremist organizations manage to present themselves as credible actors in the eyes of potential supporters on social media. This paper will address this question by exploring the role of authenticity in strategic narratives, which is believed to help these groups achieve this purpose. Apart from introducing this new theoretical concept, the paper will also apply it to a new case study of the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) – the first far-right organization to be designated as terrorist by the U.S. and Canada. By conducting discourse analysis of the group's social media propaganda on the Russian network VKontakte, the paper will show how the RIM makes its strategic narratives authentic and, as a consequence, creates an image of a credible and trustworthy actor and thus manages to reach out to its target audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Through medicare, residents in Canada are entitled to medically necessary physician services without paying out of pocket, but still many people struggle to access primary care. We conducted a survey to explore people's experience with and priorities for primary care. Methods: We conducted an online, bilingual survey of adults in Canada in fall 2022. We distributed an anonymous link through diverse channels and a closed link to 122 053 people via a national public opinion firm. We weighted completed responses to mirror Canada's population and adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics using regression models. Results: We analyzed 9279 completed surveys (5.9% response rate via closed link). More than one-fifth of respondents (21.8%) reported having no primary care clinician, and among those who did, 34.5% reported getting a same or next-day appointment for urgent issues. Of respondents, 89.4% expressed comfort seeing another team member if their doctor recommended it, but only 35.9%, 9.5%, and 12.4% reported that their practice had a nurse, social worker, or pharmacist, respectively. The primary care attribute that mattered most was having a clinician who "knows me as a person and considers all the factors that affect my health." After we adjusted for respondent characteristics, people in Quebec, the Atlantic region, and British Columbia had lower odds of reporting a primary care clinician than people in Ontario (adjusted odds ratio 0.30, 0.33, and 0.39, respectively; p < 0.001). We also observed large provincial variations in timely access, interprofessional care, and walk-in clinic use. Interpretation: More than 1 in 5 respondents did not have access to primary care, with large variation by province. Reforms should strive to expand access to relationship-based, longitudinal care in a team setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change increases the risk of illness through rising temperature, severe precipitation and worst air pollution. This paper investigates how monthly excess mortality rate is associated with the increasing frequency and severity of extreme temperature in Canada during 2000-2020. The extreme associations were compared among four age groups across five sub-blocks of Canada based on the datasets of monthly T90 and T10, the two most representative indices of severe weather monitoring measures developed by the actuarial associations in Canada and US. We utilize a combined seasonal Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and bivariate Peaks-Over-Threshold (POT) method to investigate the extreme association via the extreme tail index χ and Pickands dependence function plots. It turns out that it is likely (more than 10%) to occur with excess mortality if there are unusual low temperature with extreme intensity (all χ > 0.1 except Northeast Atlantic (NEA), Northern Plains (NPL) and Northwest Pacific (NWP) for age group 0-44), while extreme frequent high temperature seems not to affect health significantly (all χ ≤ 0.001 except NWP). Particular attention should be paid to NWP and Central Arctic (CAR) since population health therein is highly associated with both extreme frequent high and low temperatures (both χ = 0.3182 for all age groups). The revealed extreme dependence is expected to help stakeholders avoid significant ramifications with targeted health protection strategies from unexpected consequences of extreme weather events. The novel extremal dependence methodology is promisingly applied in further studies of the interplay between extreme meteorological exposures, social-economic factors and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is commonly defined as a transitional subclinical state between normal aging and dementia. A growing body of research indicates that health behaviors may play a protective role against cognitive decline and could potentially slow down the progression from MCI to dementia. The aim of this study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of literature focusing on health behaviors and MCI to summarize the factors and evidence regarding the influence of health behaviors on MCI. Methods: The study performed a bibliometric analysis by retrieving publications from the Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index subdatabases within the Web of Science Core Collection. Utilizing VOSviewer and CiteSpace software, a total of 2,843 eligible articles underwent co-citation, cokeywords, and clustering analyses. This methodology aimed to investigate the current status, trends, major research questions, and potential future directions within the research domain. Results: The bibliometric analysis indicates that research on healthy behaviors in individuals with MCI originated in 2002 and experienced rapid growth in 2014, reflecting the increasing global interest in this area. The United States emerged as the primary contributor, accounting for more than one-third of the total scientific output with 982 articles. Journals that published the most articles on MCI-related health behaviors included "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease," "Neurobiology of Aging," "Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience," and other geriatricsrelated journals. High-impact papers identified by VOSviewer predominantly cover concepts related to MCI, such as diagnostic criteria, assessment, and multifactorial interventions. Co-occurrence keyword analysis highlights five research hotspots in health behavior associated with MCI: exercise, diet, risk factors and preventive measures for dementia, cognitive decline-related biomarkers, and clinical trials. Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive review of literature on health behavior in individuals with MCI, emphasizing influential documents and journals. It outlines research trends and key focal points, offering valuable insights for researchers to comprehend significant contributions and steer future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs (PWUD) in Canada. However less is known about jurisdictional commonalities and differences in COVID-19 exposure and impacts of pandemic-related restrictions on competing health and social risks among PWUD living in large urban centres. Methods: Between May 2020 and March 2021, leveraging infrastructure from ongoing cohorts of PWUD, we surveyed 1,025 participants from Vancouver (n = 640), Toronto (n = 158), and Montreal (n = 227), Canada to describe the impacts of pandemic-related restrictions on basic, health, and harm reduction needs. Results: Among participants, awareness of COVID-19 protective measures was high; however, between 10 and 24% of participants in each city-specific sample reported being unable to self-isolate. Overall, 3–19% of participants reported experiencing homelessness after the onset of the pandemic, while 20–41% reported that they went hungry more often than usual. Furthermore, 8–33% of participants reported experiencing an overdose during the pandemic, though most indicated no change in overdose frequency compared the pre-pandemic period. Most participants receiving opioid agonist therapy in the past six months reported treatment continuity during the pandemic (87–93%), however, 32% and 22% of participants in Toronto and Montreal reported missing doses due to service disruptions. There were some reports of difficulty accessing supervised consumption sites in all three sites, and drug checking services in Vancouver. Conclusion: Findings suggest PWUD in Canada experienced difficulties meeting essential needs and accessing some harm reduction services during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings can inform preparedness planning for future public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite efforts to acknowledge diversity among unpaid caregivers, Canadian research, advocacy, practice, and policy tend to be based in and to reproduce dominant social and institutional expectations and assumptions about who provides unpaid support and why, and what this support looks like. The objective of thtudinal, qualitative research study. In that study, qualitative case study interviews were conducted with twelve home care clients, their identified family or friend caregiver, home care aide, case coordinator, and agency supervisor (129 interviews in total). Case study profiles compiled over time generated deeper information about the availability and capacity of informal sources of support for these clients, which prompted abductive analysis in relation to dominant assumptions typically made about caregivers in research, policy, and practice. Specifically, only one case (participant) had a caregiver whose profile closely matched dominant conceptualizations. In the remaining eleven cases, we found situations wherein: (a) caregivers grappled with physical or mental health challenges limiting their participation in care (sometimes meaning the client is themselves a caregiver, or the caregiver is also receiving home care services); (b) caregivers facing burnout sought to delimit their participation in care; (c) caregivers' participation was limited by older adults' reluctance to accept their help; (d) caregivers were largely unavailable, unreliable, or peripheral; or (e) client's unpaid support networks were diffuse without a clearly central or identifiable "caregiver." Findings are used to nuance and problematize widely held assumptions about caregivers, particularly their availability and capacity. Discussion highlights the need for research, policy, and programs related to unpaid caregiving to better reflect the lived realities of this support for older adults and often overlooked sources of diversity in caregiver circumstances and roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In October 2019, cannabis edibles were legalized for sale in Canada for non-medical use. This move was intended to improve public safety by regulating contents (including a maximum 10 mg tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per package) and packaging to prevent accidental ingestion or over consumption. This study aimed to explore consumer preferences for cannabis edibles to inform cannabis policy. Methods: We explored the relative importance and trade-offs consumers make for attributes of cannabis edibles using a discrete choice experiment. Attributes included type of edible, price, THC content, cannabis taste, package information, product consistency, product recommendations, and Health Canada regulation. Participants lived in Canada, were 19 years of age or older, and purchased a cannabis edible in the last 12 months. A multinomial logit (MNL) model was used for the base model, and latent class analysis to assess preference sub-groups. This study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. Results: Among 684 participants, the MNL model showed that potency was the most relevant attribute, followed by edible type. A two-group latent class model revealed two very distinct preference patterns. Preferences for group 1 (~65% of sample) were driven primarily by edible type, while for group 2 (~35% of sample) were driven almost entirely by THC potency. Conclusion: This study found that consumer preferences for ~65% of consumers of cannabis edibles are being met through regulated channels. The remaining ~35% are driven by THC potency at levels that are not currently available on the licensed market. Attracting this market segment will require reviewing the risks and benefits of restricting THC package content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Copyright of Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship is the property of Routledge 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.)

Background: Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in 2016. Canada's legislation is the first to permit Nurse Practitioners (NP) to serve as independent MAiD assessors and providers. Registered Nurses' (RN) also have important roles in MAiD that include MAiD care coordination; client and family teaching and support, MAiD procedural quality; healthcare provider and public education; and bereavement care for family. Nurses have a right under the law to conscientious objection to participating in MAiD. Therefore, it is essential to prepare nurses in their entry-level education for the practice implications and moral complexities inherent in this practice. Knowing what nursing students think about MAiD is a critical first step. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a survey to measure nursing students' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, influences, and willingness to be involved in MAiD in the Canadian context. Methods: The design was a mixed-method, modified e-Delphi method that entailed item generation from the literature, item refinement through a 2 round survey of an expert faculty panel, and item validation through a cognitive focus group interview with nursing students. The settings were a University located in an urban area and a College located in a rural area in Western Canada. Results: During phase 1, a 56-item survey was developed from existing literature that included demographic items and items designed to measure experience with death and dying (including MAiD), education and preparation, attitudes and beliefs, influences on those beliefs, and anticipated future involvement. During phase 2, an expert faculty panel reviewed, modified, and prioritized the items yielding 51 items. During phase 3, a sample of nursing students further evaluated and modified the language in the survey to aid readability and comprehension. The final survey consists of 45 items including 4 case studies. Discussion: Systematic evaluation of knowledge-to-date coupled with stakeholder perspectives supports robust survey design. This study yielded a survey to assess nursing students' attitudes toward MAiD in a Canadian context. Conclusion: The survey is appropriate for use in education and research to measure knowledge and attitudes about MAiD among nurse trainees and can be a helpful step in preparing nursing students for entry-level practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing and sustaining technological innovations in healthcare is a complex process. Commonly, innovations are abandoned due to unsuccessful attempts to sustain and scale-up post implementation. Limited information is available on what characterizes successful e-health innovations and the enabling factors that can lead to their sustainability in complex hospital environments. We present a successful implementation, sustainability and scale-up of a virtual care program consisting of three e-health applications (telemedicine, telehome monitoring, and interactive voice response) in a major cardiac care hospital in Canada. We describe their evolution and adaptation over time, present the innovative approach for their "business case" and funding that supported their implementation, and identify key factors that enabled their sustainability and success, which may inform future research and serve as a benchmark for other health care organizations. Despite resource constraints, e-health innovations can be deployed and successfully sustained in complex healthcare settings contingent key considerations: simplifying technology to make it intuitive for patients; providing significant value proposition that is research supported to influence policy changes; involving early supporters of adoption from administrative and clinical staff; engaging patients throughout the innovation cycle; and partnering with industry/technology providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To strengthen the translation of evidence to actionable policy, stakeholder engagement is necessary to synthesize, prioritize and contextualize the academic research content into accessible language. In this manuscript we describe a multi-level evidence-based stakeholder consultation process and related outcomes proposed to promote awareness of and foster cross-sectorial collaborations towards human rights-based approaches for children with disabilities. Methods: Mixed-methods participatory action research done in three steps: (1) A literature review of peer-reviewed evidence on rights-based approaches in childhood disabilities; (2) Consultation with researchers in diverse fields, grassroot organizations, caregivers, and youth with disabilities; (3) A constructive dialogue with decision makers at federal and provincial levels in Canada to discuss consultations results. Results: Stakeholders value human rights approaches that can have a direct impact on practical aspects of their daily living. Organizations give high importance to adopting rights-based approaches to measure policy outcomes, while parents value service provision and youth emphasize accessibility. Conclusion: The implementation of rights-based approaches in childhood disabilities can support policy, services, and daily lives of children with disabilities and the ecosystems around them. It can also guide research priorities, and create a common language to foster collaborations across sectors and interested parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indigenous populations have increased risk of developing diabetes and experience poorer treatment outcomes than the general population. The FORGE AHEAD program partnered with First Nations communities across Canada to improve access to resources by developing community-driven primary healthcare models. Methods: This was an economic assessment of FORGE AHEAD using a payer perspective. Costs of diabetes management and complications during the 18-month intervention were compared to the costs prior to intervention implementation. Cost-effectiveness of the program assessed incremental differences in cost and number of resources utilization events (pre and post). Primary outcome was all-cause hospitalizations. Secondary outcomes were specialist visits, clinic visits and community resource use. Data were obtained from a diabetes registry and published literature. Costs are expressed in 2023 Can$. Results: Study population was ~ 60.5 years old; 57.2% female; median duration of diabetes of 8 years; 87.5% residing in non-isolated communities; 75% residing in communities < 5000 members. Total cost of implementation was $1,221,413.60 and cost/person $27.89. There was increase in the number and cost of hospitalizations visits from 8/$68,765.85 (pre period) to 243/$2,735,612.37. Specialist visits, clinic visits and community resource use followed this trend. Conclusion: Considering the low cost of intervention and increased care access, FORGE AHEAD represents a successful community-driven partnership resulting in improved access to resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology is transforming service delivery and practice in many regulated professions, altering required skills, scopes of practice, and the organization of professional work. Professional regulators face considerable pressure to facilitate technology-enabled work while adapting to digital changes in their practices and procedures. However, our understanding of how regulators are responding to technology-driven risks and the impact of technology on regulatory policy is limited. To examine the impact of technology and digitalization on regulation, we conducted an exploratory case study of the regulatory bodies for nursing, law, and social work in Ontario, Canada. Data were collected over two phases. First, we collected documents from the regulators' websites and regulatory consortiums. Second, we conducted key informant interviews with two representatives from each regulator. Data were thematically analyzed to explore the impact of technological change on regulatory activities and policies and to compare how regulatory structure and field shape this impact. Five themes were identified in our analysis: balancing efficiency potential with risks of certain technological advances; the potential for improving regulation through data analytics; considering how to regulate a technologically competent workforce; recalibrating pandemic emergency measures involving technology; and contemplating the future of technology on regulatory policy and practice. Regulators face ongoing challenges with providing equity-based approaches to regulating virtual practice, ensuring practitioners are technologically competent, and leveraging regulatory data to inform decision-making. Policymakers and regulators across Canada and internationally should prioritize risk-balanced policies, guidelines, and practice standards to support professional practice in the digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perinatal mental illness is an important public health issue, with one in five birthing persons experiencing clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and/or depression during pregnancy or the postpartum period. The purpose of this study was to develop a consensus-based model of integrated perinatal mental health care to enhance service delivery and improve parent and family outcomes. We conducted a three-round Delphi study using online surveys to reach consensus (≥75% agreement) on key domains and indicators of integrated perinatal mental health care. We invited modifications to indicators and domains during each round and shared a summary of results with participants following rounds one and two. Descriptive statistics were generated for quantitative data and a thematic analysis of qualitative data was undertaken. Study participants included professional experts in perinatal mental health (e.g., clinicians, researchers) (n = 36) and people with lived experience of perinatal mental illness within the past 5 years from across Canada (e.g., patients, family members) (n = 11). Consensus was reached and all nine domains of the proposed model for integrated perinatal mental health care were retained. Qualitative results informed the modification of indicators and development of an additional domain and indicators capturing the need for antiracist, culturally safe care. The development of an integrated model of perinatal mental health benefitted from diverse expertise to guide the focus of included domains and indicators. Engaging in a consensus-building process helps to create the conditions for change within health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-cigarette use among youth in Canada has risen to epidemic proportions. E-cigarettes are also moderately useful smoking cessations aids. Restricting e-cigarettes to prescription only smoking cessation aids could help limit youth's access to them while keeping them available as therapies for patients who smoke conventional cigarettes. In Canada, drugs or devices must be approved by regulatory bodies such as Health Canada in order to become licensed prescription medications. A similar situation is underway in Australia, where e-cigarettes have been restricted to prescription only. This commentary explores the feasibility of a similar regulation for e-cigarettes in Canada as prescription smoking cessation aids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is a growing literature on the use of telepresence robots in institutional dementia care settings, limited research focused on the perspectives of frontline staff members who deliver dementia care. Our objective was to understand staff perspectives on using telepresence robots to support residents with dementia and their families. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we conducted four focus groups and 11 semi-structured interviews across four long-term care (LTC) homes and one hospital in Canada. We included 22 interdisciplinary staff members (e.g., registered nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, recreational therapists) to understand their experiences with telepresence robots. Thematic analysis identified three key themes: 1) Staff Training and Support; 2) Robot Features; 3) Environmental dynamics for Implementation. Our results underscore the imperative of structural support at micro-, meso- and macro-levels for staff in dementia care settings to effectively implement technology. This study contributes to future research and practice by elucidating factors facilitating staff involvement in technology research, integrating staff voices into technology implementation planning, and devising strategies to provide structural support to staff, care teams, and care homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This manuscript is coauthored by 15 young adult Patient RESearch partners (PARES) with lived and living mental health experiences and three institutional researchers across Canada involved in a patient-oriented research (POR) study called the HEARTS Study: Helping Enable Access and Remove Barriers To Support for Young Adults with Mental Health-Related Disabilities. We share our reflections, experiences and lessons learned as we grapple with the field of POR for its lack of clarity, hierarchical structures, internalized ableism, and accessibility challenges, among others. To mitigate the difficulties of POR, we started by laying the groundwork for equality by embracing the principle of Primus Inter Pares: First Among Equals as the foundation of our approach. In this way, we began with what we know for certain: the inherent worth and dignity of young adults as equal partners, recognizing their expertise, worldviews, creativity, and capacity to contribute meaningfully and intentionally to the research that affects their lives and futures. Main Body: The manuscript underscores the need to reconceptualize meaningful engagement in POR, advocating a shift from traditional, biased paradigms that fail to address the complexities faced by young adults with mental illness. It introduces what we have termed Adaptive and Differential Engagement, underscoring the necessity of tailoring participation to individual preferences and circumstances alongside a Tripartite Compensation model that promotes fair and holistic remuneration in research collaborations. Then we discuss the approaches we have conceptualized, such as Equitable Dialogue, Trust Architecture, Community Continuum, Unity in Diversity, Shared Stewardship, and Agile Frameworks that collectively aim to overcome barriers like language intimidation, power imbalances, framework fatigue, consultation burnout, trust deficits, and systemic discrimination and exclusion. The manuscript does not seek to prescribe any universal or standardized solutions; in fact, it seeks the opposite. Instead, it offers a thoughtful and transparent contribution to the POR canon, providing resources for young adults eager to engage in research and institutional researchers aspiring to collaborate with them. Conclusion: This manuscript is a product of our collective learning and critical self-evaluation. By integrating theoretical insights with practical strategies, we present a justice-oriented blueprint for an inclusive and egalitarian approach to POR. We advocate for applications of POR that are responsive to the individualized contexts of young adult PARES, ensuring their perspectives are central to the research with the resources to take the lead should they choose. Plain Language Summary: Together with a graduate student, co-supervisors, and 15 young people from across Canada who have experience with mental health challenges, this paper looks at how research involving young adults as patient research partners can be better. We feel that the types of research that are supposed to include us are often not clear enough and make it hard to join, especially those with unique life situations and health issues. So, in this paper, we suggest a few new ways of doing things where everyone is treated equally. We call it Primus Inter PARES: First Among Equals. This means young people are just as important as anyone else in research. We want to change the old ways that do not consider our unique experiences as young people with mental health issues. We came up with new ideas like 'Equitable Dialogue' and 'Trust Architecture' to ensure everyone understands the research and feels that they can trust the process. We also suggest ways to make sure different voices are heard and that everyone has a fair chance to contribute. We do not just offer a one-size-fits-all solution; instead, we share many ways to improve research to help young adults who want to be part of research and for the researchers who want to work with us. Our paper is about making research fair and including everyone's point of view. We hope this will make the research better for everyone, especially for young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Contemporary estimates of diabetes mellitus (DM) rates in pregnancy are lacking in Canada. Accordingly, this study examined trends in the rates of type 1 (T1DM), type 2 (T2DM) and gestational (GDM) DM in Canada over a 15-year period, and selected adverse pregnancy outcomes. Methods: This study used repeated cross-sectional data from the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI) hospitalization discharge abstract database (DAD). Maternal delivery records were linked to their respective birth records from 2006 to 2019. The prevalence of T1DM, T2DM and GDM were calculated, including relative changes over time, assessed by a Cochrane-Armitage test. Also assessed were differences between provinces and territories in the prevalence of DM. Results: Over the 15-year study period, comprising 4,320,778 hospital deliveries in Canada, there was a statistically significant increase in the prevalence of GDM and T1DM and T2DM. Compared to pregnancies without DM, all pregnancies with any form of DM had higher rates of hypertension and Caesarian delivery, and also adverse infant outcomes, including major congenital anomalies, preterm birth and large-for-gestational age birthweight. Conclusion: Among 4.3 million pregnancies in Canada, there has been a rise in the prevalence of DM. T2DM and GDM are expected to increase further as more overweight women conceive in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Immigrant youth face heightened risks of substance use due to the stress associated with immigration and acculturation. While parental intervention can have a preventative impact on substance use, parents need to be well-informed about substance use and effective interventions that can prevent substance use among immigrant youth. Such interventions ought to be culturally sensitive, family-based, and targeted at the specific substances that are prevalent in a given context. Identifying and curating interventions that can empower parents in addressing substance use can help mitigate the risks that immigrant youth may face. Methods: This scoping review aimed to identify the types, characteristics, and effectiveness of family-based substance use intervention programs. Based on Arksay and O'Malley's guidelines, interventions included in the review must have met the following criteria: (a) was a family-based intervention aiming to prevent substance use; (b) targeted immigrant teens aged 12 to 17 years old; (c) was published in English; (d) originated from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United States. The pinch table was used to synthesize included articles, after which studies were compared and categorized, and cross-cutting categories were identified. Results: After screening 4551 searched literature, 13 studies that utilized family-based interventions were included in the review. All interventions were face-to-face programs, and most interventions involved parents and youth as participants. Eco-developmental theory and active learning strategies were used by multiple interventions. Given immigrant families were target stakeholders, both deep structure and surface structure cultural adaptations were utilized. Interventions increased parents' knowledge and skills regarding substance use prevention and delayed substance use initiation among youth. Conclusion: From the review, it was evident that parents are an essential element in any program aiming to prevent or reduce children's substance use. Besides information about substance use prevention, the curriculum also involves parenting and communication skills for parents to understand the protective effects of family. Effective family-based interventions for immigrant youth require attention to parenting and immigration stress, while also considering cultural adaptation. Future directions and limitations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a growing interest in employing community wellness worker models in Indigenous populations to address inequities in healthcare access and outcomes, concerns about shortage in health and mental health human resources, and escalating burden of chronic and complex diseases driving significant increase in health services demand and costs. A thorough review of Indigenous community wellness worker models has yet to be conducted. This rapid review sought to outline the characteristics of a community wellness worker model in Indigenous contexts across the globe, detailing factors shaping implementation challenges and success. Methods: A rapid review of the international peer-reviewed and grey literature of OVID Medline, Global Index Medicus, Google, and Google Scholar was conducted from January to June 2022 for Indigenous community wellness/mental health worker models and comparative models. Articles were screened and assessed for eligibility. From eligible articles, data pertaining to study design and sample; description of the program, service, or intervention; model development and implementation; terminology used to describe workers; training features; job roles; funding considerations; facilitators and barriers to success; key findings; outcomes measured; and models or frameworks utilized were extracted. Data were synthesized by descriptive and pattern coding. Results: Twenty academic and eight grey literature articles were examined. Our findings resulted in four overarching and interconnected themes: (1) worker roles and responsibilities; (2) worker training, education, and experience; (3) decolonized approaches; and (4) structural supports. Conclusion: Community wellness worker models present a promising means to begin to address the disproportionately elevated demand for mental wellness support in Indigenous communities worldwide. This model of care acts as a critical link between Indigenous communities and mainstream health and social service providers and workers fulfill distinctive roles in delivering heightened mental wellness supports to community members by leveraging strong ties to community and knowledge of Indigenous culture. They employ innovative structural solutions to bolster their efficacy and cultivate positive outcomes for service delivery and mental wellness. Barriers to the success of community wellness worker models endure, including power imbalances, lack of role clarity, lack of recognition, mental wellness needs of workers and Indigenous communities, and more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Racism in the healthcare system has become a burgeoning focus in health policy-making and research. Existing research has shown both interpersonal and structural forms of racism limiting access to quality healthcare for racialised healthcare users. Nevertheless, little is known about the specifics of racism in the inpatient sector, specifically hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. The aim of this scoping review is therefore to map the evidence on racial discrimination experienced by people receiving treatment in inpatient settings (hospitals and rehabilitation facilities) or their caregivers in high-income countries, focusing specifically on whether intersectional axes of discrimination have been taken into account when describing these experiences. Methods: Based on the conceptual framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley, this scoping review surveyed existing research on racism and racial discrimination in inpatient care in high-income countries published between 2013 and 2023. The software Rayyan was used to support the screening process while MAXQDA was used for thematic coding. Results: Forty-seven articles were included in this review. Specifics of the inpatient sector included different hospitalisation, admission and referral rates within and across hospitals; the threat of racial discrimination from other healthcare users; and the spatial segregation of healthcare users according to ethnic, religious or racialised criteria. While most articles described some interactions between race and other social categories in the sample composition, the framework of intersectionality was rarely considered explicitly during analysis. Discussion: While the USA continue to predominate in discussions, other high-income countries including Canada, Australia and the UK also examine racism in their own healthcare systems. Absent from the literature are studies from a wider range of European countries as well as of racialised and disadvantaged groups other than refugees or recent immigrants. Research in this area would also benefit from an engagement with approaches to intersectionality in public health to produce a more nuanced understanding of the interactions of racism with other axes of discrimination. As inpatient care exhibits a range of specific structures, future research and policy-making ought to consider these specifics to develop targeted interventions, including training for non-clinical staff and robust, transparent and accessible complaint procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Body dissatisfaction is often linked to the internalization of Western beauty standards. Existing measures of body dissatisfaction, developed in Western societies, may fail to capture complex variations across ethnicities and cultures. The Negative Physical Self Scale (NPSS) assesses cognitive, affective, perceptual, and behavioural facets of body dissatisfaction. While unique in its consideration of Chinese ideals of body image, the NPSS has recently been translated and validated in a North American sample. The English-translated version of the NPSS has the potential to be an appropriate body dissatisfaction assessment tool for Asian women living in North America. The current study aims to validate the NPSS in an Asian female population living in Canada. Methods: A sample of 899 undergraduate women residing in Canada with self-identified Asian ethnicity completed an online survey consisting of the NPSS and other measures of body dissatisfaction. Results: An initial confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the four-factor structure of the NPSS, previously suggested in a primarily non-Asian North American sample, was a poor fit for the data. A second-order multidimensional model, based on a model proposed during the original development of the NPSS in a Chinese sample, indicated good fit once items were removed due to loadings <.60. High internal consistency between subscales and strong convergent validity with other measures were demonstrated. Notably, the NPSS Body Concern subscale demonstrated high convergence with other popular measures of body dissatisfaction and has the potential for use as a brief measure of body dissatisfaction among North American Asian females in clinical and research settings. Conclusions: The NPSS provides a valid assessment of body dissatisfaction among a sample of Asian women living in Canada, a specific subpopulation that has not been previously investigated. The findings highlight the importance of developing culturally sensitive measures of body dissatisfaction for differing ethnic and cultural groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study was informed by critical race feminism and sought to examine Canadian Black women's motivations for participating in the research study that explored their experiences with the police in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV), and the key factors that complicated their decisions. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 self-identified women over the age of 18. Findings indicated that Black women's experiences of anti-Black racism and various forms of systemic barriers influenced their decisions to disclose their experiences of IPV. Key themes included the invisibility of Black women's narratives, fostering political change, and the impact of racialized and gendered insider positionality. Given these findings, positioning Black women's narratives at the centre of IPV research creates opportunities for Black women to share their experiences of IPV, recognizes them as experts of their own experiences, identifies their differential experiences accessing services and supports and the barriers that impact their participation in research studies. The study provides strategies on how to increase Black women's participation and engagement in IPV research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Across Canada, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and educational psychologists (EPs) work in schools to identify and diagnose childhood learning difficulties, including language disorders; however, both professional groups use different terms to identify and diagnose them. Using the term developmental language disorder (DLD), developed by the CATALISE consortium, would provide consistency across fields. To effectively implement the use of DLD, it is crucial to understand how EPs and SLPs currently identify childhood language disorders and to investigate the potential impact of a practice change in this area. Method: The study conducted 13 moderated focus groups and one one-on-one semi-structured interview across six Canadian provinces in English and French. Results: We found some social and structural barriers that impact SLPs’ and EPs’ current practice of identifying and diagnosing language disorders generally (e.g., the belief that children should not be labeled “too early,” institutions that prioritize certain professional diagnoses over others, board policies that do not allocate funds for language disorders, professionals’ reticence to convey difficult information such as a diagnosis to collaborators) and DLD specifically (e.g., different professional taxonomies, lack of familiarity with or uncertainty about the label, not recognized as a condition in schools that may or may not even identify language disorder as a category of exceptionality). Nevertheless, the focus groups also revealed the extent to which DLD could be useful in their current practice. Conclusion: Both EPs and SLPs acknowledged the importance of working together; therefore, DLD could inspire more collaborative practice between SLPs and EPs around language disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulated waterways, interconnected by navigation barriers (locks and dams), are uniquely difficult to manage, given interest in enabling native species connectivity while minimizing invasions. Canada's historic Rideau Canal Waterway, a 202 km navigable route located in eastern Ontario and connected by 24 lockstations, embodies this challenge. The lock(s) and water-control dam that compose each lockstation may respectively offer a connectivity pathway, though to what extent is unclear. We used acoustic telemetry (native largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans) and northern pike (Esox lucius), and invasive common carp (Cyprinus carpio); n = 224) to evaluate fish connectivity relative to lock operations and environmental data over three years (2019–2021). Thirty-five passages by 23 native fishes were recorded, with 49% of passages through locks. No common carp passages were detected; movements indicate that they favour higher flow areas downstream of dams, regions with no pathway upstream. Most passages were downstream and, of concern to obligate upstream migrators, we found that multi-flight and higher-lift locks appear impassable to upstream movements. Our results suggest that these lockstations limit, but not entirely restrict, connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual tree diameter at breast height (DBH) distribution is an important information for forest management planning. Forest managers obtain the DBH data either by field measurements or estimations using predictive models. However, probability distribution models are still lacking or need improvement. Therefore, we aimed to construct and fit diameter distribution models that reflect forest structure and composition change. We evaluated gamma, log-normal, and Weibull probability distribution functions (PDFs) for two commercially important tree species, black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill) B.S.P.) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb), grown in natural stands across Ontario, Canada. We modelled the parameters of the distributions as a function of stand-level variables for these species. We used DBH data from 735 permanent sample plots. Our results showed that all three evaluated PDFs reflected observed DBH distribution. We demonstrated that the moment-based recovered parameters could represent the maximum likelihood-estimated parameters precisely, and parameters of the PDFs can be modelled as a function of stand-level dynamic covariates. The models unbiasedly predicted the PDF parameters DBH means and DBH classes. The R2 of the model fit ranged between 0.35 and 0.98 for the predicted parameters and 0.90 and 0.97 for the predicted DBH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Despite the emerging body of literature on the benefits of youth peer support, there is also evidence that peer support can have unintended negative impacts on peers themselves. It is important to explore what aspects of the peer role contribute to these difficulties in order to mitigate risks. This paper uses a participatory approach to examine the unique attributes of youth peer practice and the related challenges. We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with both peer and non-peer staff from a community-based youth mental health program that provides peer support services (N = 29). Thematic analyses were completed using QSR NVivo. Analyses capture the defining features and related challenges of the peer support role (self-disclosure, boundaries, role confusion and dynamic recovery), and risk factors that affect peers (stigma, exposure to harm and burnout). This paper contributes to the literature on peer support as well as youth participatory evaluation. The findings will be useful to support the development of improved organizational contexts for peer practice and more effective peer support programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has reported inconsistent findings with respect to how female and male police officers use force. This study examined this issue in a Canadian context. Use of force data over 9 years were collected from a large Canadian police agency. The results demonstrated that, overall, female officers used force less frequently than male officers relative to the number of female and male officers within the participating police agency. Female officers had lower odds of using physical control "hard" options (e.g., stuns and strikes) and higher odds of using intermediate weapons (e.g., conducted energy weapon) compared with male officers. Female officers also generally reported less effectiveness, more injuries to themselves, and fewer injuries to subjects related to their use of force compared with male officers. Literature on police use of force and social role theory are used to help explain the findings, and recommendations for improving outcomes in police–public interactions are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Undergraduate Medical Education Committee and provides educators recommendations for optimizing inclusive education for our students with disabilities. Medical educators are increasingly encountering students with disabilities and have the responsibility of ensuring requirements are met. Medical education committee members from the US and Canada reviewed the literature on disabilities in medical student education to identify best practices and key discussion points. An iterative review process was used to determine the contents of an informative paper. Medical schools are required to develop technical standards for admission, retention, and graduation of their students to practice medicine safely and effectively with reasonable accommodation. A review of the literature and obstetrics and gynecology expert opinion formed a practical list of accommodation strategies and administrative steps to assist educators and students. Medical schools must support the inclusion of students with disabilities. We recommend a collaborative approach to the interactive process of determining reasonable and effective accommodations that includes the students, a disability resource professional and faculty as needed. Recruiting and supporting medical students with a disability strengthens the diversity commitment and creates a more inclusive workforce. Medical School Education Medical schools have the responsibility to train a diverse physician workforce including those with disabilities. The integration of students with disabilities is important and should be done in a structured and timely manner that maximizes the individual's abilities and incorporates reasonable accommodations in the clinical learning environment. Though the definition of disability traverses a wide variety of diagnoses, this review highlights sensory and physical disabilities and the various accommodations to facilitate access and successful completion of required objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benthic invertebrates are important trophic links in food webs and useful bioindicators of environmental conditions, but long‐term benthic organism abundance data across broad geographic areas are rare and historic datasets are often not readily accessible. This dataset provides densities of benthic macroinvertebrates collected from 1930 to 2019 during surveys in Lake Erie, a Laurentian Great Lake. The surveys were funded by the governments of the United States and Canada to investigate the status and changes in the benthic community. From the total of 21 lake‐wide and basin‐wide benthic surveys conducted in Lake Erie from 1929 to 2019, we were able to acquire data for 17 surveys, including species‐level data for 10 surveys and data by higher taxonomic groups for seven surveys. Our amassed Lake Erie dataset includes data from 11 surveys (including five with species‐level data) conducted in the western basin in 1930–2019, seven surveys (six with species‐level data) in the central basin, and eight surveys (seven with species‐level data) in the eastern basin (1973–2019). This Lake Erie dataset represents the most extensive temporal dataset of benthic invertebrates available for any of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Benthic samples were collected using Ponar or Shipek bottom dredges and taxa densities were calculated as individuals per square meter using the area of the dredge. Density data are provided for taxa in the Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Cnidaria, Nemertea, and Platyhelminthes phyla. Current taxonomy was used for most groups but, in a few cases, older taxonomic names were used for consistency with historical data. Analysis of this dataset indicates that eutrophication, water quality improvement, and dreissenid introduction were the major drivers of changes in the benthic community in the western basin, while hypoxia was a major factor in the central basin, and dreissenid introduction was the most important driver in the eastern basin. Considering the rarity of high taxonomic resolution long‐term benthic data for lake ecosystems, this dataset could be useful to explore broader aspects of ecological theory, including effects of eutrophication, hypoxia, invasive species, and other factors on community organization, phylogenetic and functional diversity, and spatial and temporal scales of variation in community structure. In addition, the dataset could be useful for studies on individual species, including abundance and distribution, species co‐occurrence, and how the patterns of dominance and rarity change over space and time. Use of this dataset for academic or educational purposes is encouraged as long as this data paper is properly cited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]