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In the past decade, a large volume of peer‐reviewed papers has examined the potential impacts of oil and gas resource extraction in the Canadian oil sands (OS). A large proportion focuses on terrestrial biology: wildlife, birds, and vegetation. We provide a qualitative synthesis of the condition of the environment in the oil sands region (OSR) from 2009 to 2020 to identify gaps and progress cumulative effects assessments. Our objectives were to (1) qualitatively synthesize and critically review knowledge from the OSR; (2) identify consistent trends and generalizable conclusions; and (3) pinpoint gaps in need of greater monitoring or research effort. We visualize knowledge and terrestrial monitoring foci by allocating papers to a conceptual model for the OS. Despite a recent increase in publications, focus has remained concentrated on a few key stressors, especially landscape disturbance, and a few taxa of interest. Stressor and response monitoring is well represented, but direct monitoring of pathways (linkages between stressors and responses) is limited. Important knowledge gaps include understanding effects at multiple spatial scales, mammal health effects monitoring, focused monitoring of local resources important to Indigenous communities, and geospatial coverage and availability, including higher attribute resolution in human footprint, comprehensive land cover mapping, and up‐to‐date LiDAR coverage. Causal attribution based on spatial proximity to operations or spatial orientation of monitoring in the region is common but may be limited in the strength of inference that it provides. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:388–406. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). KEY POINTS: We provide a qualitative synthesis of the condition of the environment in the Canadian oil sands region (OSR) in northeastern Alberta from 2009 to 2020 to identify gaps and progress cumulative effects assessments. Despite a recent increase in publications, focus has remained concentrated on a few key stressors and a few taxa of interest, for which monitoring is well represented, though direct monitoring of pathways (linkages between stressors and responses) is limited. Important gaps include a lack of understanding of effects at multiple spatial scales, a lack of focused monitoring of local resources important to Indigenous communities, and geospatial data resolution and availability. Causal attribution based on spatial proximity to oil sands operations or spatial orientation of monitoring in the OSR is common but may be limited in the strength of inference that it provides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The desire to document and understand the cumulative implications of oil sands (OS) development in the ambient environment of northeastern Alberta has motivated increased investment and release of information in the past decade. Here, we summarize the knowledge presented in the theme‐based review papers in this special series, including air, surface water, terrestrial biology, and Indigenous community‐based monitoring in order to (1) consolidate knowledge gained to date, (2) highlight key commonalities and gaps, and (3) leverage this knowledge to assess the state of integration in environmental monitoring efforts in the OS region and suggest next steps. Among air, water, and land studies, the individual reviews identified a clear focus on describing stressors, including primarily (1) contaminant emission, transport, transformation, deposition, and exposure, and (2) landscape disturbance. These emphases are generally partitioned by theme; air and water studies focus heavily on chemical stressors, whereas terrestrial monitoring focuses on biological change and landscape disturbance. Causal attribution is often stated as a high priority objective across all themes. However, studies often rely on spatial proximity to attribute cause to industrial activity, leaving causal attribution potentially confounded by spatial covariance of both OS‐ and non‐OS‐related stressors in the region, and by the complexity of interacting pathways between sources of environmental change and ecological receptors. Geospatial and modeling approaches are common across themes and may represent clear integration opportunities, particularly to help inform investigation‐of‐cause, but are not a replacement for robust field monitoring designs. Cumulative effects assessment remains a common focus of regional monitoring, but is limited in the peer‐reviewed literature, potentially reflecting a lack of integration among monitoring efforts beyond narrow integrated interpretations of results. Addressing this requires greater emphasis on a priori integrated data collection and integrated analyses focused on the main residual exposure pathways, such as atmospheric deposition. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:428–441. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). KEY POINTS: Our summary of the peer‐reviewed literature since 2010 from the Alberta oil sands region reveals an emphasis on chemical stressors and their association with atmospheric emissions, transport, transformation, and deposition, as well as an emphasis on landscape disturbance and associated effects.System‐wide gaps in the literature, including topics of concern to local Indigenous communities, derive from a disconnect between theme areas (air, water, land), contribute to an incomplete knowledge of functional linkages, and may undermine the ability to inform regulatory or policy action.Combining papers not explicitly designed together creates interpretative and analytical challenges, and overcoming these may require future optimization of and integration between targeted monitoring projects and entire theme areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines the competencies delineated by the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) in Canada and explores the gap between what universities provide, represented by the students' confidence in the knowledge acquired—and what the accounting profession in Canada requires and deems necessary. Design/methodology/approach: Using the 44 sub-competencies listed under the main seven competencies set by CPA, a pair of questionnaires were drafted. The first questionnaire asked post-secondary accounting students to rate their perceived confidence in these 44 sub-competencies and received 105 responses. The second questionnaire asked accounting professionals to rate the frequency and degree of use of each sub-competency in their workplace and received 72 responses. The responses to the two questionnaires were used to compare perceived student competencies with industry expectations. Findings: The study suggests an industry-neutral framework that employers and post-secondary institutions (PSIs) can use to determine where knowledge gaps exist between students' qualifications and professionals' requirements. The paper concludes that while there are synergies in many competencies in the accounting field in Canada, there are also areas of discord. Research limitations/implications: The study relies on one accredited PSI. Relying on one case study limits the ability to generalize the findings. Nevertheless, the in-depth nature of the study allows it to shed light on many key issues related to accounting education and the profession in Alberta, Canada. Originality/value: This paper adds to the existing literature by exploring the gap between what students learn and what the profession needs in the accounting field in Canada. Studying Canada adds to the accounting knowledge and draws attention to gaps that could exist in other countries. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to focus on Canada from this perspective. The paper also proposes a curriculum development model that is based on market needs and applicable to all fields of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic led to major service disruptions in the healthcare sector, especially regarding sexual and reproductive health services. However, the impact of the pandemic on Canadian adolescents is relatively unknown. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures on the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of adolescents in Alberta, Canada. Methods: A qualitative study using an interpretive description (ID) approach and community-based participatory research principles was conducted to capture the subjective experience and perceptions of adolescents and service providers. With the collaboration of the Adolescent Advisory Group and community partners, 18 adolescents and 15 service providers were recruited for the study through purposive sampling. Findings from the qualitative interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three major themes emerged from the analysis: (1) COVID-19 SRH experience, (2) barriers to SRH, and (3) adolescent SRH strategies. Our findings highlight numerous barriers and challenges that prevented adolescents from accessing SRH education, products, and services. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the SRH and the well-being of adolescents. Our study reflects the need for diverse SRH strategies to maintain continued access to SRH resources during disruptive events, such as the pandemic. Plain language summary: Access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is a basic human right. All individuals require access to appropriate SRH services to maintain their optimal sexual and reproductive health. Adolescents require special guidance, support, and youth-friendly services in matters of SRH as they enter puberty and explore their sexual identity. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many health and SRH services were suspended. Access to SRH products and services became difficult due to public health restrictions, which has possible negative consequences for adolescents' SRH. The experiences of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding their SRH are not reported in Alberta, Canada. Therefore, we explored the impacts of these public health restrictions on adolescents' SRH. We performed qualitative interviews with adolescents and SRH service providers to know their perspectives on how the pandemic influenced the SRH of adolescents. This paper provides insights into the barriers faced by adolescents while accessing SRH services during the pandemic, as well as their perceptions of digital strategies, such as mobile applications, and other recommendations for supporting SRH education and services. Based on the study findings, an adolescent-friendly mobile application will be developed to provide a virtual platform connecting adolescents to SRH educational resources, services, and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore how the power wielded by regional incumbents has impacted subnational innovation agendas. Our findings suggest that the design of mission-oriented innovation policies should be more attentive to regional innovation policies and their relationship to how innovation may serve to bolster incumbents and not undermine them. We use a case-study of innovation in fossil fuels. Recently, innovation policy literature has explored innovation policy and global climate as a major topic. On the one hand, carbon lock-in has been used to explain why there has been such difficulty in reducing carbon emissions, in many cases, despite an increasing emphasis of mission-innovation policies. On the other hand, mission-innovation policies are believed to be a key to the development of disruptive innovations that could break this carbon intensive path dependency. Although the two literatures explore the same problem, there could be more integration. While carbon lock-in is being considered in the mission-innovation literature, it nevertheless has been largely overlooked at the mission-setting stage. On the other hand, the lock-in literature has tended to overlook the findings of mission-oriented innovation literature in offering solutions, which suggests that there is a more productive role for mission-oriented innovations in breaking free of previous constraints to serve in the low-carbon energy transition. To make our case, we argue it is important to distinguish among the various impacts disruptive innovations have on the market shares of incumbents'. We propose the following three schema: new market, market rewarding and market destroying. By variegating the potential impact of innovations, we suggest that mission-oriented innovation polices may be designed to only support certain types of innovations that do not directly undermine the market share of incumbents. Using a detailed case study of the Province of Alberta, Canada, we then explore the role of the province's mission-oriented policy in the development of technology to produce the Canadian oil sands. The case study illustrates how incumbents influenced the establishment and direction of the mission's goal. Shifts in incumbency opposition toward the province's mission-oriented innovation policy coincided with the changing impact of the innovation from being market destroying to market rewarding. We suggest that future research should be more attentive to the role of incumbents in influencing mission-oriented innovation policy and the importance of their influence at the mission-setting stage. Furthermore, we suggest that to meet the grand challenge of addressing climate change through mission-oriented innovation policies, these policies must be designed to break free of these institutional constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper overviews our recent results of energy market modeling, including The option pricing formula for a mean-reversion asset, variance and volatility swaps on energy markets, applications of weather derivatives on energy markets, pricing crude oil options using the Lévy processes, energy contracts modeling with delayed and jumped volatilities, applications of mean-reverting processes on Alberta energy markets, and alternatives to the Black-76 model for options valuation of futures contracts. We will also consider the clean renewable energy prospective in Canada, and, in particular, in Alberta and Calgary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The opioid overdose crisis in Canada continues to claim the lives of people who use drugs (PWUD). Historically, Canadian crime policy has prioritized crime control forms of surveillance, interdiction and punishment in response to drug use. More recently, harm reduction measures have gained traction, including safe consumption sites (SCS) and police officer use of Naloxone to assist PWUD who have overdosed on opioids. The effectiveness of harm reduction efforts, however, is to some degree contingent on their embrace or acceptance by police agencies and officers. This paper is based on research conducted on the two largest city-level police services in Alberta, Canada. We conducted 94 interviews with officers and had 1,406 officers complete a quantitative survey on issues relating to illicit drugs, overdoses, and fentanyl. Our findings show that police officers generally see opioid use as a serious problem and are concerned about the dangers they face when dealing with PWUD. There is also considerable confusion about the nature and severity of these dangers. Even so, attitudes appear to be shifting and some police officers are changing their practices. In general, our research documents a softening of police attitudes in Canada towards SCS facilities and harm reduction more generally. This greater embrace of a public health orientation could improve the lives of PWUD and their interaction with law-enforcement in Canada. Given the prospect that fentanyl and related synthetic opioids will continue their global spread, these findings should be of interest to an international audience of scholars, police, and healthcare officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing 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.)

In 2016, Canada was ordered to implement Jordan's Principle by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. In response to the order, Canada created the Child First Initiative to provide federal funding for provincial and territorial organizations supporting First Nations children's health, education, and social service needs, including service coordination. In the shifting national landscape of Child First Initiative funding, there is a lack of evidence on how pediatric healthcare services are addressing the serious health and healthcare inequities experienced by many First Nations children. This paper describes the implementation of a Child First Initiative by the First Nations Health Consortium in the Alberta region and research findings that provide insights into the complexity and challenges of advancing First Nations children's health and health equity within the current federal Child First Initiative mandate in this province. This paper highlights the need for transformative pediatric healthcare approaches that expand beyond an individual and demand-driven system and orient towards practices and policies that are sociallyresponsive. Also, this paper highlights that First Nations leaders and Jordan's Principle initiatives play a leading role in the design and delivery of all pediatric healthcare services with First Nations communities, families, and children across Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of school reforms to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples provides an opportunity to explore what Canadians think is important in framing their identities and values. This paper draws on data from a survey of public perspectives on education for reconciliation activities in two Canadian provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan. We consider the broader community context within which schools are located. By examining public perspectives, we are able to assess how curricular initiatives related to reconciliation are understood by community members, both as a priority in itself and in relation to other key curricular areas. Informed by critical race theory, our findings suggest that reconciliation is restricted to activities that do not involve extensive change to existing curricular and ideational frameworks. These perspectives exist alongside extensive opposition to reconciliation justified by claims that Indigenous experiences and perspectives are receiving undue attention relative to more pressing educational priorities. Our findings suggest that aims to transform dominant understandings about Canadian history and identity remain far from being fulfilled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides insights into the little‐explored gendered perspective of the parenting practices of Somali immigrant mothers in a Canadian province (Alberta). We use a critical ethnographic methodology and a transnational feminist framework. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with ten Somali mothers aged 18 to 50. Mothers were interviewed about their parenting practices in a post‐migration context, including challenges. Our results show immigrant mothers combine their cultural values with new values from Canada that they find effective. We find gendered differences in how parenting experiences are perceived. Our results suggest the need for anti‐racist and culturally safe health, education, and child policies and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most frequently studied injuries in orthopedic care and research. However, limited epidemiological data are available in Canada regarding trend and distribution of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). In this paper, our purpose was to assess trends of ACLR between 2002/03 and 2018/19 by age, sex, season of surgery, and location (inpatient vs outpatient) of surgery. Methods: In this descriptive epidemiological study of retrospective data available from Alberta Ministry of Health, we report annual incidence of ACLR between 2002/03 until 2018/19 among Albertans aged 10 years and older. Information was collected by authors from physician claims database for primary ACLR and revision ACLR and linked with other databases. Incidence proportions (number of ACLR/100,000 population) were calculated and compared by age category and gender over the study period. Results: A total of 28,401 primary ACLR and 2085 revision ACLR were identified during the study period. Age-standardized annual incidence of primary ACLR increased from 40.6 to 51.2 per 100,000 population aged 10 years and older. Average annual increase in ACLR incidence was higher among females (1.8% per years) compared to males (0.96% per year). The overall peak incidence and peak incidence among males was observed in 20–29 year age group, whereas peak incidence in females was observed in 10–19 years of age. The number of ACLR in females outnumbers those among males for 10–19 year age group. Generally, a lower proportion of ACLR were conducted in summer compared to other seasons. Primary ACLR conducted in outpatient setting increased from 72% in 2002/03 to 97% in 2018/19. Conclusion: The incidence of ACLR is increasing in Alberta, especially among females and among younger cohorts under 20 years of age. This information can help clinicians to provide patient education and policy-makers to design and implement targeted ACL injury prevention programs. Level of evidence: Level III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing aging population in Canada has multi-faceted psycho-social needs. Social workers are well-positioned to address these needs, despite many challenges. This paper reports findings from the World Café at the Gerontology Symposium in Alberta, Canada, held in 2018. The goal was to learn from social work practitioners, researchers, and educators (N = 49) about current and future needs of gerontological social work in Alberta. There were two research questions: 1) What strategies do social workers need on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels to help better serve the growing older adult population in Alberta? (R1) 2) How can social workers promote the value and contribution of gerontological social work within the interprofessional community? (R2) The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Ten R1-related themes emerged: personal traits of a social worker; professional skills; bio-psycho-social needs of older adults; community connections; access to benefits; gerontological social work education; integrated healthcare; aging policy; ageism; and advocacy to strengthen the voice of older adults. The three R2-related themes include strengthening the status of the social work profession; building trust through demonstrated skills; and interprofessional education and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport and education organizations have established models to ensure that coaches and teachers understand the physical, social, emotional and mental development of children. Such pathways of intentionally designed models fail to exist in the recreation sector where many physical activity (PA) programs are mainly developed based on convenience and instructor availability rather than on established credentials and current pedagogy practices. Addressing this gap, this paper explores the creation of an intentionally designed model of programming for children's structured recreation, which is defined as sport or PA-based programs that are planned and led by an instructor. This proposed model is contextualized within the province of Alberta, but may be applicable across the nation. The authors further define "intentionally designed" as the development of purposeful programming with specific objectives that align with outside sources. One such source comes from the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, who has created a Canadian Recreation Framework, an initiative to ultimately develop the well-being of all Canadians. The proposed, structured recreation model also incorporates several guiding principles including physical literacy and sport philosophy. Physical Literacy (PL) focuses on the lived body as the embodied dimension of our human experience, and how it can be enriched through various experiences that enable us to reach our full potential (Whitehead, 2007). It is about viewing the body holistically rather than separate from the entire being. By planning diverse PA in four environments, including land, water, air, and ice, the model also aligns with the sports sector and its philosophy of developing both fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills. Moreover, with allocated playing time, intentionally designed structured lesson plans, and one consistent leader in each activity, the model aims to increase the participants' motor proficiency and levels of PA while building their confidence and competence across distinct exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minority entrepreneurs significantly contribute to Canada's economic development. This contribution to the Canadian economy comes in various forms, including setting up businesses such as convenience stores, ethnic restaurants, and financial services. This paper aims to explore the motivation for entrepreneurship among Black population in Alberta, Canada. Using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, the study shows that many Black entrepreneurs are "pulled" rather than "pushed" into entrepreneurship. Although some participants were pushed into entrepreneurship because of labor market exclusion, the majority were opportunity seekers who pursued entrepreneurship as a strategic response to opportunity structures in their environment rather than a reactive response to escape ethnic penalties. This study emphasizes the complex relationships between minorities' characteristics and resources and the opportunity structures that affect the ability to start a business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Collecting and monitoring the information from patients through patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) about the quality of care they receive is important for tracking changes in healthcare quality, stimulate innovation, and enhance person-centred care. The objective of this theoretical paper is to discuss the use of implementation science theories, models, and frameworks to inform and evaluate the integration of the electronic collection of PREMs (ePREMs) in healthcare quality improvement for primary care in Canada. Methods: To assess potential knowledge-to-practice gaps in implementing ePREMs in primary care in Alberta, the overarching implementation model that will be used is the Knowledge to Action Cycle. An integrated knowledge translation approach will ensure ongoing engagement of key stakeholders (e.g. primary care providers, patients) throughout the study. ePREM implementation will be informed by the identification of barriers and facilitators to implementation using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The CFIR brings an organizational perspective providing an opportunity to explore the intervention characteristics, the context of implementation, individual factors, and the processes that influence implementation of ePREMs in healthcare. Identified barriers and facilitators to ePREM implementation will be mapped to evidence-based implementation strategies and prioritized by stakeholders. The RE-AIM framework will be used to guide the evaluation of ePREM implementation outcomes after six months of implementation by assessing Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (sustainability). Discussion: Consultations with stakeholders affirm the importance of using integrated knowledge translation approaches and the need to better understand how to integrate ePREMs in primary care. Using an implementations science approach, this study can provide guidance for mitigating important ePREM implementation challenges and promote the successful uptake and use of ePREMs for quality improvement in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid combustion of fossil fuels in huge quantities resulted in the enormous release of CO2 in the atmosphere. Subsequently, leading to the greenhouse gas effect and climate change and contemporarily, quest and usage of fossil fuels has increased dramatically in recent times. The only solution to resolve the problem of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere is geological/subsurface storage of carbon dioxide or carbon capture and storage (CCS). Additionally, CO2 can be employed in the oil and gas fields for enhanced oil recovery operations and this cyclic form of the carbon dioxide injection into reservoirs for recovering oil and gas is known as CO2 Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery (EOGR). Hence, this paper presents the CO2 retention dominance in tight oil and gas reservoirs in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) of the Alberta Province, Canada. Actually, hysteresis modeling was applied in the oil and gas reservoirs of WCSB for sequestering or trapping CO2 and EOR as well. Totally, four cases were taken for the investigation, such as WCSB Alberta tight oil and gas reservoirs with CO2 huff-n-puff and flooding processes. Actually, Canada has complex geology and therefore, implicate that it can serve as a promising candidate that is suitable and safer place for CO2 storage. Furthermore, injection pressure, time, rate (mass), number of cycles, soaking time, fracture half-length, conductivity, porosity, permeability, and initial reservoir pressure were taken as input parameters and cumulative oil production and oil recovery factor are the output parameters, this is mainly for tight oil reservoirs. In the tight gas reservoirs, only the output parameters differ from the oil reservoir, such as cumulative gas production and gas recovery factor. Reservoirs were modelled to operate for 30 years of oil and gas production and the factor year was designated as decision-making unit (DMU). CO2 retention was estimated in all four models and overall the gas retention in four cases showed a near sinusoidal behavior and the variations are sporadic. More than 80% CO2 retention in these tight formations were achieved and the major influencing factors that govern the CO2 storage in these tight reservoirs are injection pressure, time, mass, number of cycles, and soaking time. In general, the subsurface geology of the Canada is very complex consisting with many structural and stratigraphic layers and thus, it offers safe location for CO2 storage through retention mechanism and increasing the efficiency and reliability of oil and gas extraction from these complicated subsurface formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores contract cheating from the perspectives of researchers at three post-secondary institutions in Alberta, Canada, describing their efforts to develop and advance awareness of, interventions against, and responses to contract cheating at their respective institutions. Contract cheating is when a third party produces or completes academic work for a student, and the student then presents the work as their own. The student might have personal connections to the third party, or the student might pay a fee and outsource the academic work to the third party. All three institutions are experiencing an increase in the incidence of contract cheating, which is consistent with trends at colleges and universities across Canada and the world. Contract cheating is not a new phenomenon, but it is a growing one, due in part to students having access to thousands of online companies offering to help them with their academic work. This paper examines personal narratives from four researchers and identifies five key themes: types of contract cheating, students, awareness, evidence and policy implications, and educational development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case-crossover designs have been widely applied to epidemiological and medical investigations of associations between short-term exposures and risk of acute adverse health events. Much effort has been made in literature on understanding source of confounding and reducing systematic bias by reference-select strategies. In this paper, we explored the nature of bias in the ambi-directional and time-stratified case-crossover designs via simulation using actual air pollution data from urban Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We further proposed a calibration approach for eliminating systematic bias in estimates (coefficient estimate, 95% confident interval, and p-value). Bias check for coefficient estimation, size check and power check for significance test were done via simulation experiments to show advantages of the calibrated case-crossover studies over the ones without calibration. An application was done to investigate associations between air pollutants and acute myocardial infarction hospitalizations in urban Edmonton. In conclusion, systematic bias in a case-crossover design is often unavoidable, leading to an obvious bias in the estimated effect and an unreliable p value in the significance test. The proposed calibration technique provides an efficient approach to eliminating systematic bias in a case-crossover study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Review of Sociology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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: Individuals experiencing socioeconomic inequity have worse health outcomes and face barriers to palliative and end-of-life care. There is a need to develop palliative care programs tailored to this underserved population. Objectives: To understand the characteristics and symptom profiles of a group of urban patients experiencing socioeconomic inequity and receiving palliative care. Design: Descriptive exploratory analysis of a patient dataset. The patient dataset was generated through a pilot research study with patients experiencing socioeconomic inequity and life-limiting illness who received a community-based palliative care intervention. Methods: The intervention took place over 1 year in the Palliative Care Outreach and Advocacy Team, a community-based urban palliative care clinic in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, serving persons experiencing socioeconomic inequity. Participants had to be at least 18 years of age, be able to communicate in English, require palliative care for a life-limiting illness, and be able to consent to inclusion in the study. Results: Twenty-five participants were enrolled. Participants predominantly identified as male and Indigenous, experienced poverty and housing instability, and had metastatic cancer. Our participants rated their pain, shortness of breath, and anxiety as more severe than the broader community-based palliative care population in the same city. Most patients died in inpatient hospices (73%). Conclusion: Our analysis provides an in-depth picture of an understudied, underserved population requiring palliative care. Given the higher symptom severity experienced by participants, our analysis highlights the importance of person-centered palliative care. We suggest that socioeconomic inequity should be considered in patients with life-limiting illnesses. Further research is needed to explore palliative care delivery to those facing socioeconomic inequity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results of a study which examined how a mandatory wildfire evacuation affected members of Whitefish Lake First Nation 459, in Alberta, Canada. A qualitative case study approach was used, and semi-structured interviews were completed with 45 band members to learn about their evacuation experiences during the wildfire evacuation in May 2011 and explore the factors that complicated the evacuation process and put further strain on the evacuees and First Nation. This evacuation caused considerable distress for evacuees and had negative effects for the First Nation. Factors that affected evacuation experiences included: (1) transportation issues compounded by cultural land-use activities, (2) fear of home loss compounded by existing housing shortages, (3) information and lack of media interest, (4) language, (5) poverty, (6) large multi-generational families, (7) health concerns, and (8) reimbursement of evacuation-related expenses to the community. An overarching factor that affected the entire evacuation was jurisdiction. Based on these findings, recommendations are provided for emergency managers on improving wildfire evacuation experiences for Indigenous peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Incarceration provides an opportunity for screening and treatment of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) in high-risk groups. The purpose of this paper is to determine positivity rates of STBBI screening within correctional facilities using opt-in strategies and estimate the proportion of admissions tested.Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional, retrospective review of testing data from January 2012 to August 2015 from three provincial correctional facilities located in Alberta, Canada was completed. Analysis variables included STBBI, gender, facility, collection year and age. STBBI-stratified analysis was performed to identify correlates for positivity using univariate and logistic regressions.Findings: Overall prevalence of chlamydia was 11.2 percent and gonorrhea was 3.5 percent; correlates for both were younger age and facility type. The syphilis prevalence rate was 3.2 percent; correlates included being female, older age, adult facilities, with later years being protective. In total, 14 (0.3 percent) newly diagnosed HIV cases were found, prevalence increased with age. HBV prevalence was 1.7 percent with no significant correlations. Nearly one-tenth (n=422) of those screened for HCV antibody were positive; all variables were significantly correlated. Overall estimates of the proportion of admissions tested by STBBI were low and ranged from 4.8 to 16.1 percent.Originality/value: This study found high rates of STBBI in correctional facilities and showed that only a small proportion of the population was tested using an opt-in strategy. Shifting to an "opt-out" strategy may be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power engineering certification in Canada comprises a hierarchical, graduated system available to both young and adult learners. This paper offers insight into the knowledge gap regarding factors influencing Canadian power engineers' decision to pursue advanced certification in the Provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, with implications for adult learning in the power engineering sector of Canada. Comprehension of factors that influence intentions for power engineering certification may illuminate barriers and enablers to adult learning and provide evidentiary knowledge to support a format that facilitates advancement of certification. The research methodology was quantitative correlational design in which linear and logistic regressions employing a modified Bonferroni equivalent alpha were utilised. An original survey was developed for the study and pilot tested for validity and reliability. The sample comprised 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Class power engineers in British Columbia and Alberta. The dependent variable (DV) was the power engineers' advancement intention. In the context of this paper, advancement intention is an influence leading to the inclination or reluctance to pursue promotion, succession, or advancement in employment. The independent variables (IVs) were time commitment, educational support, locus of control, time elapsed since previous certification, responsibility, and peer appraisal. Revealed in the results were positive, statistically significant relationships between the DV of advancement intention and three of the six IVs. Time commitment, responsibility, and elapsed time exert statistically significant effects on advancement intention (DV). The three remaining IVs that did not exhibit significant relationships with the DV were educational support, locus of control, and peer appraisal. This indicated that the IVs of educational support, locus of control, and peer appraisal did not significantly influence the DV when compared to the significant influences of time commitment, responsibility, and elapsed time on the DV. Comprehension of the influential factors regarding the intention of Canadian power engineers to pursue advanced certification may assist industry and academia with insight into the barriers and enablers to higher certification, and the correlation of decision factors with advancement intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freely-available satellite data streams and the ability to process these data on cloud-computing platforms such as Google Earth Engine have made frequent, large-scale landcover mapping at high resolution a real possibility. In this paper we apply these technologies, along with machine learning, to the mapping of peatlands–a landcover class that is critical for preserving biodiversity, helping to address climate change impacts, and providing ecosystem services, e.g., carbon storage–in the Boreal Forest Natural Region of Alberta, Canada. We outline a data-driven, scientific framework that: compiles large amounts of Earth observation data sets (radar, optical, and LiDAR); examines the extracted variables for suitability in peatland modelling; optimizes model parameterization; and finally, predicts peatland occurrence across a large boreal area (397, 958 km2) of Alberta at 10 m spatial resolution (equalling 3.9 billion pixels across Alberta). The resulting peatland occurrence model shows an accuracy of 87% and a kappa statistic of 0.57 when compared to our validation data set. Differentiating peatlands from mineral wetlands achieved an accuracy of 69% and kappa statistic of 0.37. This data-driven approach is applicable at large geopolitical scales (e.g., provincial, national) for wetland and landcover inventories that support long-term, responsible resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This paper outlines the transformation of youth mental health services in Edmonton, Alberta, a large city in Western Canada. We describe the processes and challenges involved in restructuring how services and care are delivered to youth (11‐25 years old) with mental health needs based on the objectives of the pan‐Canadian ACCESS Open Minds network. Methods: We provide a narrative review of how youth mental health services have developed since our engagement with the ACCESS Open Minds initiative, based on its five central objectives of early identification, rapid access, appropriate care, continuity of care, and youth and family engagement. Results: Building on an initial community mapping exercise, a service network has been developed; teams that were previously age‐oriented have been integrated together to seamlessly cover the age 11 to 25 range; early identification has thus far focused on high‐school populations; and an actual drop‐in space facilitates rapid access and linkages to appropriate care within the 30‐day benchmark. Conclusions: Initial aspects of the transformation have relied on restructuring and partnerships that have generated early successes. However, further transformation over the longer term will depend on data demonstrating how this has impacted clinical outcomes and service utilization. Ultimately, sustainability in a large urban centre will likely involve scaling up to a network of similar services to cover the entire population of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent pollutants of concern. A process-based model of the PAH degradation can improve our understanding of ecological drivers and processes. In this paper, a process-based biogeochemistry model, DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) is modified to simulate the dynamics of PAHs degradation in soils at abandoned oil and gas well sites. This new version of DNDC-Organic Pollutants, called DNDC-OP, coupled the rates of PAH degradation with dynamics of soil, vegetation and climate, such as soil moisture and temperature. The model was parameterized and validated against datasets of four soil PAHs: pyrene, fluorene, chrysene and anthracene, at three different abandoned oil and gas well site locations in Alberta, Canada. The sensitivity of the parameters was analyzed and tested. The simulated results were in good agreement with the measured data with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 70 to 97%, and the root mean square error (RMSE) of 4.5 to 9.1 at all three sites. We also evaluated the influence of environmental factors, such as soil temperature and moisture, on the degradation of PAHs. An increased degradation of all four PAHs occurred with increasing soil moisture content. An increase of soil temperature from 10 to 20°C and subsequently to 25°C resulted in a decreased appearance of all four PAHs from the three well sites. The result shows that this model can be used as a tool for evaluating PAH degradation for effective reclamation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hourly near-surface relative humidity and temperature were monitored from 2005 to 2010 in a mesoscale network of 232 sites in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Alberta, Canada. The monitoring network covers a range of elevations from 890 to 2880 m above sea level and an area of about 18 000 km 2 , sampling a variety of topographic settings and surface environments with an average spatial density of one station per 78 km 2. Having been combined with air pressure measurements from Calgary International Airport and adjusted for the site elevation, the hourly data form the basis of estimates of daily mean specific humidity, vapour pressure, and relative humidity at each site, available at 10.1594/PANGAEA.889435. Overall data coverage for the study period is 89 %. This paper describes the processing methods used to quality control and gap fill the data. Inverse-distance weighting techniques are used to estimate the missing 11 % of data, based on neighbourhood values of daily mean specific humidity. We also report monthly mean lapse rates of specific and relative humidity. Plots of seasonal and spatial humidity patterns in the region illustrate the relations between humidity variables and temperature, elevation, and longitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the years 2016-2018 a number of protests conducted by the Indigenous peoples of Canada against the controversial expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline was framed in the Canadian news discourse as a conflict involving the First Nations, the federal government and the provincial government of Alberta. The dispute over pipeline regulations, environmental risks and Indigenous land rights saw First Nations peoples arguing against the government of Canada and the government of Alberta as the new expansion would further aggravate water and air pollution on Indigenous sacred lands; while the Liberal Party's leader and PM, Justin Trudeau, had promised to make environmental assessment credible again, the government approved plans to build pipelines on lands whose ownership is still hotly contested. Based on the assumption that the media acts as a proxy for personal contact with the legal system and that legal language plays an important role in the construction, interpretation, negotiation and implementation of legal justice, the present paper intends to investigate the mediatization of Indigenous Law, i.e. the construction and dissemination of legal knowledge on Indigenous land rights in online news discourse for global consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is a process which enables patients to communicate wishes, values, fears, and preferences for future medical care. Despite patient interest in ACP, the frequency of discussions remains low. Barriers to ACP may be mitigated by involving non-physician clinic staff, preparing patients ahead of visits, and using tools to structure visits. An ACP care pathway incorporating these principles was implemented in longitudinal generalist outpatient care, including primary care/family medicine and general internal medicine, in two Canadian provinces. This study aims to understand clinician experiences implementing the pathway. Methods: The pathway was implemented in one family practice in Alberta, two family practices in British Columbia (BC), and one BC internal medicine outpatient clinic. Physicians and allied health professionals delivered structured pathway visits based on the Serious Illness Conversation Guide. Twelve physicians and one social worker participated in interviews or focus groups at the end of the study period. Qualitative data were coded inductively using an iterative approach, with regular meetings between coders. Results: Clinicians described experiences with the ACP care pathway, impact at the clinician level, and impact at the patient level. Within each domain, clinicians described barriers and facilitators experienced during implementation. Clinicians also reflected candidly about potential for future implementation and the sustainability of the pathway. Conclusions: While the pathway was implemented slightly differently between provinces, core experiences were that implementation of the pathway, and integration with current practice, were feasible. Across settings, similar themes recurred regarding usefulness of the pathway structure and its tools, impact on clinician confidence and interactions with patients, teamwork and task delegation, compatibility with existing workflow, and patient preparation and readiness. Clinicians were supportive of ACP and of the pathway. Trial registration: The study was prospectively registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03508557). Registered April 25, 2018. https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03508557. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal: This study aimed to examine provincial differences in patient spending for cancer care and reductions in household spending including decisions to forego care in Canada. Methods: Nine-hundred and one patients with cancer, from twenty cancer centers across Canada, completed a self-administered questionnaire (P-SAFE version 7.2.4) (344 breast, 183 colorectal, 158 lung, and 216 prostate) measuring direct and indirect costs and spending changes. Results: Provincial variations showed a high mean out-of-pocket cost (OOPC) of CAD 938 (Alberta) and a low of CAD 280 (Manitoba). Differences were influenced by age and income. Income loss was highest for Alberta (CAD 2399) and lowest for Manitoba (CAD 1126). Travel costs were highest for Alberta (CAD 294) and lowest for British Columbia (CAD 67). Parking costs were highest for Ontario (CAD 103) and lowest for Manitoba (CAD 53). A total of 41% of patients reported reducing spending, but this increased to 52% for families earning

Background: Family violence, which includes intimate partner abuse, child abuse, and elder abuse, is a serious public health concern. Primary healthcare (PHC) offers a vital opportunity to identify and address family violence, yet barriers prevent the effective implementation of family violence interventions in PHC settings. The purpose of this study is to improve family violence identification and response in Alberta's PHC settings by exploring readiness factors. Methods: An integrated knowledge translation approach, combining implementation science and participatory action research, was employed to develop a readiness assessment tool for addressing family violence within PHC settings in Alberta. The research involved three phases: phase 1 involved a rapid evidence assessment, phase 2 engaged a panel of healthcare and family violence experts to explore readiness components in the Alberta context, and phase 3 utilized a 3-round Delphi consensus-building process to refine readiness indicators. Results: Phase 1 findings from a rapid evidence assessment highlighted five main models/tools for assessing readiness to implement family violence interventions in PHC settings. In phase 2, additional concepts were identified through exploration with healthcare and family violence expert panel members, resulting in a total of 16 concepts for assessing family violence readiness within the Alberta PHC context. The 3-round Delphi consensus-building process in Phase 3 involved nine panelists, who collectively agreed on the inclusion of all concepts and indicators, yielding a total of 60 items for the proposed readiness assessment tool for addressing family violence in PHC within Alberta. Conclusion: The current study lays the groundwork for future family violence intervention programs, offering insights into key components that promote readiness for implementing comprehensive programs and supporting PHC organizations in effectively addressing family violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbicide resistance in western Canada has increased interest in alternative weed management strategies. Physical impact mills, a form of harvest weed seed control, have been identified as a strategy that may be well suited for Canadian use. The efficacy of the Harrington Seed Destructor, a physical impact mill, was evaluated in 20 producer fields in Alberta on a wide spectrum of weed species over 3 years. Significant differences in weed densities between the physical impact mill treatment and the regular harvest densities were few; however, some population density reductions were observed. Measurable reductions in weed densities may have been limited by the short timeframe of the experiment, the high initial densities of the weeds, or the targeted weed species having dormancy or longer term seedbanks. Additionally, identified knowledge gaps on how best to optimize physical impact mill efficacy may have reduced the efficacy of the physical impact mill in this study. This study showed no conclusive evidence for the efficacy of a physical impact mill on tested weed species under field conditions. However, it did provide a number of important considerations for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy companies in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region in Alberta, Canada are evaluating the viability of incorporating pit lakes into reclamation closure designs to both sequester tailings and re-integrate the mining lease into the broader natural landscape. Lake Miwasin is a pilot-scale oil sands pit lake encompassed by a constructed catchment where the volume of the water cap is not actively managed. This study compared the water balance during the open water season over two consecutive years with contrasting levels of summertime precipitation. The first year had above average rainfall triggering surface water inflow events that diluted the over-winter water volume by ~ 25%. Flushing of the deepest layers of the water column was restricted from May – September as thermal stratification inhibited complete lake mixing. The second year had below average rainfall resulting in minimal surface water inflow and a drop in lake stage of ~ 30 cm. As the constructed catchment lacks both natural water bodies and connectivity to a legacy groundwater system, freshwater additions to the lake during the summer season were governed by rainfall. This research highlights challenges with constructing sustainable reclamation landscapes within a region characterised by variations in interannual and decadal water cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale oil production from oil sands deposits in Alberta, Canada has raised concerns about environmental impacts, such as the magnitude of air pollution emissions. This paper reports compound emission rates (E) for 69–89 nonbiogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for each of four surface mining facilities, determined with a top-down approach using aircraft measurements in the summer of 2013. The aggregate emission rate (aE) of the nonbiogenic VOCs ranged from 50 ± 14 to 70 ± 22 t/d depending on the facility. In comparison, equivalent VOC emission rates reported to the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) using accepted estimation methods were lower than the aE values by factors of 2.0 ± 0.6, 3.1 ± 1.1, 4.5 ± 1.5, and 4.1 ± 1.6 for the four facilities, indicating underestimation in the reported VOC emissions. For 11 of the combined 93 VOC species reported by all four facilities, the reported emission rate and E were similar; but for the other 82 species, the reported emission rate was lower than E. The median ratio of E to that reported for all species by a facility ranged from 4.5 to 375 depending on the facility. Moreover, between 9 and 53 VOCs, for which there are existing reporting requirements to the NPRI, were not included in the facility emission reports. The comparisons between the emission reports and measurement-based emission rates indicate that improvements to VOC emission estimation methods would enhance the accuracy and completeness of emission estimates and their applicability to environmental impact assessments of oil sands developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious groups and churches have always played, and continue to play, vital roles in the settlement and integration of newcomers to Canada. In the 1980s, several not-for-profit agencies emerged with Catholic and Mennonite roots to respond to the arrival of thousands of refugees to the province from Southeast Asia and Central America. Today, these agencies are particularly interesting as they both challenge prevailing views on secularization and the provision of public services, and play an exceptionally active role in providing services to newcomers. This paper explores the interplay between the prevalence of a liberal secular ideology in Canada and the shifting identities of faith-based organizations in Alberta. Based on archival research and interviews, this paper demonstrates that it is the shifting and, often conflicting, views of staff and volunteers that have contributed to the secularization of identities in most of these agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Native Studies is the property of Brandon University, CJNS, Faculty of Arts 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.)

Wheat is affected by many fungal diseases that can cause severe yield and quality losses. Disease prediction models generally employ weather data to estimate potential for infection to determine timing for fungicide applications, but these models fail to account for the presence and quantity of pathogen inoculum. This study adapted highly specific qPCR primers to identify and quantify, in real-time, inoculum present in air for the six most important wheat pathogens in Canada. Fungal spores were collected using either Burkard spore collectors and quantified using qPCR or microscope slides covered with adhesive tape and identified and quantified using microscopy. Samples were collected from seven different sites in southern Alberta throughout the 2015–2017 growing seasons. The results demonstrated that qPCR can reliably identify and quantify spores from Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, P. triticina, P. graminis f. sp. tritici, Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, and Fusarium graminearum. The limits of detection of DNA for primer pairs in singleplex tests ranged from 0.0001 ng for P. graminis to 0.001 ng for P. tritici-repentis, which corresponded to approximately 3 spores for P. tritici-repentis and F. graminearum and 1 spore for the other pathogens. Conversely, microscopy permitted identification of rusts to the genus but not to the species level and was ineffective in quantification of the remainder of the wheat pathogens. This study will contribute to the development of a fast and reliable forecasting system that will enable identification and quantification of airborne pathogens in real-time before initial disease symptoms appear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In Canada, population norms are only available for 2 provinces, Alberta and Quebec. The objective of this study was to derive the population norms for the EQ-5D-5L based on a representative sample of the Canadian general population. Methods: Data from the Canadian EQ-5D-5L valuation study, a cross-sectional study, were used. A quota sampling method was used to recruit a representative sample of the Canadian general population in terms of age, sex, and education. EQ-5D-5L utilities and EQ VAS were summarized using descriptive statistics and the impact of demographic characteristics on the EQ-5D-5L utilities was evaluated using statistical hypothesis testing and Tobit regression. Results: 1207 eligible participants were included in the analysis. Pain/discomfort (53.1%) was the most frequently reported domain with any problem, and self-care (7.6%) domain was the least. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) EQ-5D-5L utility was 0.864 (0.121) and the mean (SD) EQ VAS was 82.3 (14.23). The highest mean EQ-5D-5L utility was 0.881 in age group 25–34 while the lowest was 0.839 in age group 55–64. Participants who had full-time employment, were married, a higher annual household income and no chronic health conditions had significantly higher EQ-5D-5L utilities. Conclusion: This article reports the first Canadian population norms for the EQ-5D-5L and can be used as population references for economic evaluations and clinical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue Canadienne de Science Politique is the property of Cambridge University Press 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.)

Improving access to domestic and international markets can create large economic benefits. Multimodal infrastructure corridors of road, rail, utilities and communications can improve accessibility by reducing interprovincial and international trade costs. Depending on the geographical area they serve and the modes of transport and types of connections they promote, infrastructure corridors can create trade-offs and synergies between different kinds of economic, social, and environmental outcomes. Yet the implied effects can vary across different regions, population segments and industries. A complete review of a proposed infrastructure corridor package involves a rigorous analysis of all of these potential effects. In this paper, we focus more specifically on quantifying potential gains from reductions in trade costs on Alberta's economy and identify the importance of improved access to lower cost transportation options like rail for select commodities. We find that lowering trade costs substantially increases Alberta's real GDP through its effect on international and interprovincial trade flows. Although interprovincial tariffs on domestic goods are forbidden by the Canadian Constitution, the economic effect of internal non-tariff trade barriers is substantial. Albrecht and Tombe (2016) show that eliminating these interprovincial trade costs would increase Canada's GDP between three to seven per cent. These barriers represent additional costs on Canadian firms and adversely affect their competitiveness in domestic and international markets. High interprovincial trade costs may also pose an additional barrier to entry for foreign firms otherwise willing to enter the Canadian market. As a result of this, Canadian firms end up producing at a less efficient scale and pass the cost of these inefficiencies to consumers. Interprovincial trade costs therefore hurt both producers and consumers. Gains from improved infrastructure are also amplified by the interconnected nature of industries. Output of one industry is often an input for another industry. Shipments cross provincial and national borders as part of these supply-chain relationships which allow for more efficient production but at the same time create additional trade costs on producers. Infrastructure corridors provide one option to lower these trade costs by increasing transportation capacity, creating savings in travel time and distance, creating better quality physical transport infrastructure, simplifying the regulatory and legislative differences across provinces and territories, and improving access to information, to name a few. To quantify the potential effect of increased transportation infrastructure on trade costs, we combine rich data on interprovincial trade flows and shipment-level information on volumes, values, and transportation costs by mode. We empirically estimate the potential for increased rail shipment capacity on shipment costs between various internal trade pairs within Canada. Two key results stand out. First, we find that while distance is an important factor, a higher share of shipments by rail is associated with markedly lower trade costs. Specifically, we find a 10 percentage point increase in the share of value shipped by rail is associated with a 3.2 per cent lower aggregate cost of trade after controlling for commodity, source, and destination of shipments. Second, we also find important differences in the relevance of rail across commodities. We find larger trade costs reductions for coal, mineral products, and fuel oils. The focus on rail is an important one for Alberta since coastal or canal shipping is not a feasible alternative. As a natural next step, we then evaluate the potential gains to Alberta's economy from increased access to internal and international markets that improved infrastructure might provide. We find that lowering trade costs substantially increases Alberta's real GDP through its effect on international and interprovincial trade flows, in both the short run and the long run. The results show that, in the short run, lower trade costs by one per cent increases real GDP by roughly 0.8 per cent and lower trade costs by five per cent increases real GDP by roughly 4.4 per cent. These correspond to approximately $3 billion to $15 billion per year in additional economic activity in Alberta. We find larger gains in the long-run, equivalent to roughly a one per cent increase in real GDP for each one per cent reduction in trade costs. Gains from lower trade costs come primarily through lower cost access to imported inputs and final goods. There are also gains from increased demand by purchases outside Alberta on goods produced by Albertans. This increases real incomes and productivity, which is captured by the increase in real GDP. The combined results of lower import costs and an increase in GDP imply an about six per cent long-run increase in real personal income, equal to an extra $6,423 annually for the median Alberta family. This is a level effect and represents a persistent increase, not a one-time bump. That is, GDP is permanently higher and by extension, annual personal incomes are also permanently higher. Although we don't explore the infrastructure investment options for lowering the trade costs by these levels, the corresponding impacts on real GDP of doing so indicate how high the costs of expanding infrastructure could be while still yielding net benefits to Alberta. An infrastructure corridor could facilitate the expansion of Canada's rail shipment capacity. While many transportation modes could expand within such a corridor -- including roads, pipelines, transmission lines and so on -- our data allow us to specifically quantify the extent to which Alberta's economy could gain from more access to lower cost shipment options like rail. Rail shipment costs are lower than truck transportation when distances are sufficiently long. We find that each one percentage point increase in the share of non-air trade sent by rail is associated with a 0.32 per cent lower trade cost. This implies that if the share shipped by rail increased by 10 percentage points, then trade costs to and from Alberta would, on average, decline by 3.2 per cent. Expanding the rail capacity is particularly valuable for Alberta, since increasing the share of exports shipped by rail by ten 10 percentage points may increase Alberta's GDP by nearly 1.5 per cent in the short-run and over 2.5 per cent in the long-run -- equivalent to over $9 billion per year in economic activity. This is a relatively large increase in economic productivity -- equivalent to roughly $4,500 per household, on average, per year -- and, in addition, it abstracts from other potential sources of gains, such as increased labour migration into the province. The combined increase in GDP and lower import costs from increased rail penetration imply an increase in real personal income. It is more modest here at approximately 3.3 per cent (rather than six per cent), but still very significant and equal to an extra $3,419 annually for the median Alberta family. As before, it is important to note that this is a level effect and represents a persistent increase and permanently higher annual GDP and annual personal incomes. Our analysis is only a first step and explores only one potential effect of expanding infrastructure capacity. Overall, the potential for positive economic effects from multimodal infrastructure corridors is compelling and warrants additional investigation. Governments can play a role by supporting expanded research activities into the feasibility and potential benefits of dedicated multimodal infrastructure corridors in Canada. In addition, though we made progress using detailed shipment-level data, there are shortcomings in coverage and detail that constrain the scope for potential research. Governments should therefore increase the collection and reporting of relevant data on internal trade to facilitate research into the costs producers and consumers face, and the potential gains from internal trade liberalization. Despite the value of expanding research capacity, our analysis points clearly towards the potential gains from internal trade liberalization. Expanded transportation infrastructure capacity can lower trade costs, and therefore governments hoping to expand internal trade should explore means of increasing such capacity, especially the possibility of increased rail shipment capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventy per cent of Canada's beef production capacity is located in just two meat plants in Alberta. This is one of the most obvious examples of the high concentration in Canada's food-production sector. Industry has naturally tended to larger but fewer facilities, due to the economic imperatives of economies of scale. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the risks to Canada's food supply by having so much food production located in so few places. The work done at foodprocessing facilities entails large numbers of employees, often working shoulder to shoulder. There is a clear potential for a disease to spread quickly, leading to a disruption in food output, or even a complete shutdown of a critical facility. This is what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. It could easily happen again. Changing the structure of the Canadian food industry is one option to better insulate the industry against pandemic in the future, creating a greater number of smallerscale facilities scattered in more places across the country. The question is whether Canadians are willing to pay for such changes. That payment could come through taxes, to fund the significant incentives required to entice food producers to move away from the larger and fewer facilities that provide them greater profits through economies of scale, or it could be in the form of higher food prices, as less efficient and more expensive models of production lead to more expensive products. It may still be possible, however, for Canadians to enjoy a secure supply of the more affordable food provided by the highly concentrated model without having to pay for it, if facilities can be adapted to lower the risk of outbreaks. Mechanization can reduce the dependency on large numbers of workers, while those workers that remain could operate within more stringent safety measures. Safer plant design, more mechanization and fewer workers would, of course, come at some short-term cost, both in terms of the capital outlays required by facility owners and in terms of jobs lost. But in the long term, the result could well be a continued supply of secure, cheap food for Canadians. With that outcome evidently being what Canadians value most of all, the future of Canada's food supply is likely to be safer but as concentrated as ever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Government of Canada has implemented measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including a carbon tax and its proposed Clean Fuel Standard. Alberta's Oil Sands industry, arguably one of Canada's largest and most energy intensive industries, has made significant progress towards improving energy efficiency and reducing its fossil energy footprint, including investigating options for integrating bio-based feedstocks into bitumen extraction and processing. Nevertheless, developing sustainable bioenergy supply chains remains a crucial challenge to reaching this goal. This paper investigates pathways for harvesting and hauling biomass residues to produce bio-oil that can replace fossil fuels used in oil sands bitumen processing. A 3–stage grid model is developed, comprising a square grid distribution of harvesting fields and district centres. Biomass is collected and hauled to fast pyrolysis units centrally located within square harvesting fields. Raw bio-oil is hauled from fields to the centre of one of 11 District centres, where it is stabilized and blended. Stage–1 and Stage–2 estimate hauling distance using hypothetical roads described by geometric equations and tortuosity factors. Stage–3 hauling of stabilized bio-oil from District centres to upgraders at Scotford AB and Fort McMurray AB is estimated by using web-based mapping tools and actual road networks. Total diesel requirements for hauling are calculated using total distances obtained from the 3–stage hauling model. Average diesel consumption obtained from the model is 0.32 L per 1000 L of bio-oil produced, increasing to 3.45 L per 1000 L bio-oil delivered to district centres. Total diesel consumption is 10.23 and 14.40 L per 1000 L bio-oil delivered to Scotford and Ft. McMurray, respectively. The model shows that co-processing of biomass residues can reduce the fossil energy footprint of processing oil sands synthetic crude oil by 22–28%. The quantity of delivered bio-oil is sufficient to replace petroleum coke and synthetic crude oil used for combustion as well as a substantial fraction of natural gas fuel. Moreover, the model can help to determine the most suitable processing and hauling options at each stage in order to minimize diesel fuel requirements, and the model framework can be extended to other jurisdictions as well as other industries. • 3–stage hauling model for biomass and bio-oil destined for bitumen upgraders. • Diesel requirement estimated using hypothetical and actual road networks. • 87% of bio-oil's energy can replace fossil inputs to synthetic crude production. • Energy footprint is lower by 22% for SAGD operations and 28% for mining operations. • Model is applicable to other jurisdictions and other energy intensive industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics and health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients accessing community rehabilitation services in Alberta, Canada, using routinely collected EQ-5D-5L data, and explore factors associated with the impact of these services. Methods: A retrospective, longitudinal, observational design was used. Patients completed the EQ-5D-5L and demographic questions at intake and end of rehabilitation care. Change in EQ-5D-5L dimensions from intake until end of rehabilitation was examined using the Pareto Classification of Health Change. Change scores were calculated for the EQ-5D-5L index, VAS, and total sum scores. Change groups in the EQ-5D-5L index and VAS scores, were defined by minimally important differences of 0.04 and 7.0, respectively. One level change was considered important for the total sum score. Effect size of the change in index, VAS, and total sum scores was also examined. Chi-squared tests were conducted to examine whether change in EQ-5D-5L varied by age, gender, region, and having anxiety/depression at intake. Results: Three service programs were examined; pulmonary rehabilitation (n = 542), group-based community exercise (n = 463), and physiotherapy for bone and joint care (n = 391). At intake, HRQL in all programs was lower than that of the general Alberta population norms and improved by end of rehabilitation. The mean (SD) change in index, VAS, and total sum scores were 0.02 (0.13), 6.0 (18.3), and − 0.5 (2.4) in pulmonary rehabilitation, 0.06 (0.13), 6.6 (18.7), − 1.2 (2.4) in community exercise, and 0.13 (0.16), 1.2 (0.9), and − 2.8 (2.8) in physiotherapy, respectively. Based on change of the index score, 24% deteriorated, 38% improved, and 38% had no change in pulmonary rehabilitation; 17% deteriorated, 51% improved, and 32% had no change in community exercise; 5% deteriorated, 72% improved, and 23% had no change in physiotherapy. Similar trends were seen in the VAS and total sum scores. Older age, urban region, and having anxiety/depression at intake were associated with positive change in EQ-5D-5L. Conclusions: The results of this study are intended to inform program/service level decisions by describing the characteristics and HRQL of patients accessing community rehabilitation, as well as the predictors of change in health status, which will help direct future program growth and service changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine-metabolic disorder affecting health and quality of life of those affected across the lifespan. We currently have limited evidence-based data on the experience of those living with PCOS in the health care system including diagnosis, health concerns and disease management. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of health status, health care experience and disease management support in those affected by PCOS in Alberta, Canada. Methods: An online questionnaire was completed via REDCap by individuals self-reporting a diagnosis of PCOS. Question categories included demographics, symptoms of PCOS and time to confirm a diagnosis, follow-up care, health concerns, and information resources. Descriptive statistics were used and thematic analyses was applied to open-response questions. Results: Responses from 194 participants living in Canada (93% in Alberta) were included. The average age was 34 ± 8 years and BMI was 35 ± 9. Menstrual irregularity was identified in 84% of respondents as the first symptom noticed and the primary reason for seeking a medical consultation. A PCOS diagnosis occurred on average 4.3 years following awareness of first symptoms and required consultation with more than one primary care provider for 57% of respondents. Half (53%) of respondents reported not receiving a referral to specialists for follow-up care and 70% were not informed about long-term health morbidity such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Most respondents (82%) did their own research about PCOS using on-line sources, academic literature and advice from peer support. The participant themes from open questions for improving health care included more resources and support, increased and reliable information, better education and training for clinicians, timely diagnosis, prompt referrals to specialists, and generally more compassion and empathy to the challenges faced by those managing their disease. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the health concerns and challenges in health care for those with PCOS. In Alberta, Canada we have identified major gaps in health care including a timely diagnosis, follow up care and supports, and multidisciplinary care. This evidence-based data can be used to inform development of pathways to improve the health care experience in those affected by PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the stratigraphic occurrence of n -alkanes (C n) is investigated in three peat cores (Mildred, JPH4 and McMurray) from the ombrotrophic peatlands in northeastern Alberta, Canada, to determine their origin, biomass input, and paleoclimatic significance. The molecular composition of n -alkanes is dominated by the >C 21 medium- to long-chain homologues, with a strong odd over even predominance. A number of n -alkane-based indices (e.g. predominant n -alkane, C 23 /C 29 , C 23 /(C 27 + C 31), P aq , ACL, and CPI), show changing conditions in the organic matter (OM) input from Sphagnum species or terrestrial vascular plants, which increasingly contributed upwards in the peat profiles, and through time. P aq and C 23 /(C 27 + C 31) proxies are similar in the three cores, and allow us to infer vegetation variations that coincide with the climate alternations of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), Little Ice Age (LIA), and modern Recent Warming (RW). The utilization of ACL-ket and (C 23 + C 25)/(C 27 + C 29 + C 31)-ket proxies, performed in comparison with n -alkane proxies, further support the biomarker-based reconstructions of paleoclimate variations over recent centuries. This study suggests that n -alkane homologues are sensitive to vegetation and climate changes and thus are reliable biomarkers for tracking past shifts in vegetation and climate variations in peat archives. • Determine organic matter source of peat sediments from n -alkane biomarkers. • C 23 /(C 27 +C 31) n -alkane proxy is proposed and can effectively characterize climate changes. • P aq proxy indication could be misleading when the contribution of Sphagnum fuscum to the peat is large. • n -Alkan-2-one proxy is studied to further confirm the biomarker-based reconstruction of paleoclimatic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Minimal Canadian data are available on the RAS testing rates, treatment patterns, and corresponding overall survival (OS) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. We conducted a population-based cohort study of left-sided RAS wild-type (WT) mCRC patients diagnosed between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2019, and who were treated with first-line (1L) chemotherapy plus the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor panitumumab, chemotherapy plus bevacizumab, or chemotherapy alone, in Alberta, Canada, using electronic medical records and administrative health system data. Of the 2721 patients identified with left-sided mCRC, 320 patients with RAS WT mCRC were treated with 1L systemic therapy: chemotherapy plus panitumumab (n = 64), chemotherapy plus bevacizumab (n = 52), or chemotherapy alone (n = 204). Only 65% and 39% of the 320 1L-treated patients initiated second- and third-line therapy, respectively. A total of 71% of individuals with treated left-sided mCRC underwent RAS testing. The median OS for mCRC patients with RAS WT left-sided tumours was higher for patients treated with 1L panitumumab plus chemotherapy (34.3 months; 95% CI: 23.8–39.6) than for patients who received 1L chemotherapy alone (30.0 months; 95% CI: 24.9–34.1) or 1L bevacizumab plus chemotherapy (25.6 months; 95% CI: 21.2–35.7). These findings highlight an unmet need in left-sided RAS WT mCRC, with relatively few individuals receiving a biologic agent in combination with chemotherapy in the 1L setting, a high rate of attrition between lines, and a need for increased RAS testing before treatment initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and quality of the neighbourhood built environment can encourage health-supportive behaviours and support cardiometabolic health. However, despite the relationships between demographic and behavioural risk factors of metabolic syndrome being investigated by many studies, only some studies have directly estimated the associations between the built environment and metabolic syndrome. Using data from Canada, we examined the associations between the neighbourhood built environment and metabolic syndrome. Data from Alberta's Tomorrow Project participants, conducted in Alberta, Canada, was used (n = 6718). Metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of at least three clinical risk factors among lipid levels, blood pressure, and waist circumference. The normalised difference vegetation index was used to quantify the greenness of each participant's neighbourhood. Built attributes of participants' neighbourhoods associated with supporting physical activity, including dwelling density, intersection density, and the number of points of interest, were obtained via the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium. Increases in the number of points of interest and total active living environment-friendliness of the neighbourhood were associated with having fewer metabolic syndrome risk factors (b = −0.11, 95% CI −0.16, −0.07 and b = −0.03, 95% CI −0.05, −0.01, respectively) and lower odds of metabolic syndrome (OR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.84, 0.094 and OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95, 0.99, respectively). Furthermore, higher dwelling density was associated with having fewer metabolic syndrome risk factors (b = −0.05, 95% CI −0.09, −0.01). Our findings highlight the importance of urban design to prevent and potentially manage metabolic syndrome and improve population health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]