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Routing regular and dangerous commodities in railway freights transportation is discussed in this paper. Based on a link-based modeling approach, a mixed integer nonlinear programing model is developed. The model takes into account weather stability conditions of urban and rural areas and spatial distribution of risk at yards and around links as it impacts these zones along the routes. This paper also discusses the advantages of using bifurcation of flows on risk-cost tradeoffs and route planning decisions. The widely used nonlinear risk function is linearized and then the problem was solved to optimality using a commercial software. Results of the experiments on two hypothetical networks and one based on the rail network of the Province of Québec in Canada are presented and analyzed. Routing decisions associated with both variants of the proposed model with bifurcation of the material flows are compared to obtain managerial insights on the model in solving hazmat freight routing problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents typical values of electrical resistivity for common saturated and unsaturated sediments in Québec in the form of a resistivity chart. The database for this study consists of surface geophysical investigations [i.e., transient electromagnetic (TEM) surveys] together with stratigraphic and hydrogeological data from boreholes drilled among five regions of the Province of Québec in Canada: Mauricie, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Charlevoix and Haute-Côte-Nord. TEM stations were selected near the sites where boreholes, stratigraphic cross-sections and piezometric surveys were acquired to derive an empirical and local petrophysical relationship and establish a resistivity chart of the sediments. This chart proposes ranges of resistivity applying to fourteen classes of common sediments, seven of which have never been included in previous studies: silty clay, clay with sand/gravel/pebbles, unsaturated clayey silt with sand, saturated and unsaturated silty sand and saturated and unsaturated clayey sand and gravel. A standardization method was developed and used in this study to produce an accurate and representative chart, and to eliminate outliers that might distort the results and reduce their relevance. This method was designed with the aim of mitigating the impact of outliers and ensuring a reliable and consistent dataset. The findings from this study may provide scientists and practitioners with precise electrical resistivity characteristics of typical saturated and unsaturated sediments, enabling a more accurate assessment of groundwater resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that many consumers believe local foods are more expensive than comparative products coming from other markets. The aim of this study was to measure the price competitiveness of products certified by the Aliments du Québec program, a well-known program in the Canadian province of Quebec. Using machine-learning, artificial intelligence and targeted data mining, the report identifies local products and comparator products, to consider whether locally certified products are more expensive than comparative products coming from outside Quebec. Uncertified products used as comparative products come from anywhere around the world, outside of the province of Quebec. For this study, a total of more than 350,000 discrete price data points were analyzed in the Winter 2022. Local product prices were examined relative to the prices of comparator products. In total, there were 48 subcategories considered. In 70.83% of the subcategories, the local product was either as expensive (similar price) or less expensive than the comparator product. Results challenge the popular belief that local food products are often more expensive. This study also provides limitation and future research paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Inadequate pregnancy monitoring for pregnant migrant women without medical insurance (PMWMI) exposes them to severe complications during childbirth and consequences for the health of their child (e.g. preterm delivery, low birth weight, etc.). This scoping review aims to identify existing interventions globally to improve access to perinatal care for PMWMI. It will also highlight the strengths, weaknesses as well as the costs of these interventions. Materials and methods: The methodological framework developed by Arksey & O'Malley (2005) will be used. An electronic search of studies from 2000 to 2021, published in French or English, will be conducted in 12 databases. Publication in Websites of non-governmental organizations working on migrant women without medical insurance issues will be also searched. All articles related to perinatal follow-up and care of PMWMIs, regardless of design, will be included. Editorial comments will be excluded. Outcomes of interest will focus on the impacts, strengths, weaknesses, and cost of interventions. Selection of articles and data extraction will be done by two independent researchers following the Tricco et al. (2018) reporting guide. Finally, a deliberative workshop with experts will allow to identify the most promising and appropriate interventions that can facilitate access to perinatal services by PMWMIs in the Quebec province of Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel optimization model to maximize energy for short-term hydropower unit commitment is proposed. • A MILP formulation based on the efficiency curves is established. • The optimized solutions can be directly implemented in practice. • A real case study in Canada shows benefits of optimal solutions compared to historical decisions. This paper presents a linear mixed-integer formulation to solve the short-term hydropower unit commitment problem. It uses the pair of maximum efficiency points of water discharge and the power produced at the maximum storage for all possible combinations of turbines. The goal is to maximize total energy production for all periods. The objective function is calculated using the correction between the power produced at the current volume and the maximum storage and penalizes unit start-ups. Constraints on the maximum number of turbine changes are imposed to find a viable solution. Computational results are reported for 65 instances with two powerhouses of five turbines each located in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of the province of Quebec in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that added knowledge and deeper understanding are needed with regard to regional variations in the creation of new firms, this study seeks to answer the following two research questions: What are the variables that explain entrepreneurial dynamism and how may they be apprehended under the four necessary and complementary dimensions of this phenomenon, namely the demand, supply, institutional and spatial dimensions? And how should the nature and interrelatedness of these dimensions and their associated variables influence regional policymakers and other regional stakeholders in their efforts to stimulate entrepreneurship in their region? In order to do so, we used mixed methods to collect and analyze regional data, first doing a regression analysis of quantitative data on 97 small regions in Canada's province of Québec, followed by a qualitative survey of regional stakeholders on eight matched pairs of regions. A phenomenological qualitative analysis was then effectuated in order to gain a deeper understanding of the research variables' effects and thus grasp the complex socio-economic reality of entrepreneurial dynamism in a region. The results of the study confirm the importance and interrelatedness of the four dimensions of entrepreneurial dynamism in providing new insights into these questions. Moreover, the findings that results from these quantitative, qualitative and holistic analyses have implications for the policies of regional authorities and for the actions of other regional stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2006, Quebec became the first Canadian province to offer non-transferable paternity leave to fathers. The availability of this five-week leave distinguishes the province from the rest of the country, where only maternity and parental leave are available. Using data from Statistics Canada's 2011 General Social Survey, the authors investigate to what extent the availability of reserved paternity leave and couples' conjugal union type affect the probability of fathers taking leave and the duration of leave. Among couples in which at least one parent took leave, descriptive analysis shows that 75% of Quebec fathers took leave, whereas only 50% of fathers elsewhere in Canada took leave. Both parents received wage replacement benefits in nearly 60% of cases in Quebec, but in only 8% of cases in other provinces. Multivariate analysis confirms that the availability of paternity leave is positively linked to the higher likelihood of Quebec fathers taking leave compared to fathers in other provinces. However, paternity leave is negatively associated with fathers' duration of leave, as well as that of mothers. Married fathers were more likely than cohabiting fathers to take parental leave in provinces outside Quebec, but not in Quebec. Among other variables, we find that education levels of mothers, gender-role attitudes (approached through sharing of housework), number of children, and family type significantly affect the likelihood of fathers taking leave. Duration of leave appears more closely associated with differences between partners in terms of age and income for mothers, and of education for both parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]