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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]

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: 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]

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]

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]

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]

Industrial control charts are used in manufacturing to quickly and robustly indicate the status of production and to prompt any necessary corrective actions. The library of tools available for these tasks has grown over time and many have been used in other disciplines with similar objectives, including environmental monitoring. While the utility of control charts in environmental monitoring has been recognized, and the tools have already been used in many individual studies, they may be underutilized in some types of programs. For example, control charts may be especially useful for reporting and evaluating data from regional surveillance monitoring programs, but they are not yet routinely used. The purpose of this study was to promote the use of control charts in regional environmental monitoring by surveying the literature for control charting techniques suitable for the various types of data available from large programs measuring multiple indicators at multiple locations across various physical environments. Example datasets were obtained for Canada's Oil Sands Region, including water quality, air quality, facility production and performance, and bird communities, and were analyzed using univariate (e.g., x-bar) and multivariate (e.g., Hotelling's T2) control charts. The control charts indicated multiple instances of unexpected observations and highlighted subtle patterns in all of the example data. While control charts are not uniquely able to identify potentially relevant patterns in data and can be challenging to apply in some monitoring analyses, this work emphasizes the broad utility of the tools for straightforwardly presenting the results from standardized and routine surveillance monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil contains a diverse fauna and microflora that are vital for maintaining healthy soils and their various ecosystem services. Oribatid mites are typically highly abundant arthropods in the soil and are used as indicators for environmental monitoring. The aim of this study was to determine oribatid mite community response to natural land cover, anthropogenic disturbance, space, and climate in the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada. Our results found that oribatid mite total abundance was significantly reduced by mining, cultivation, and well sites. Species richness was significantly reduced by mining and cultivation. Shannon's diversity index was significantly higher for all natural land cover types, seismic lines, and forest harvest. Additionally, species diversity was lower under the relative influence of energy-related soft linear disturbances than for naturally vegetated sites and forest harvesting, and was lowered further by anthropogenic disturbances with more impact on soil integrity (cultivation, mines, urban/industrial, road/trail verges, well sites). Abundance, richness, and diversity also increased with increased frost free period and with eastward longitude. Mite community composition included a notable composition difference between lowland habitats and upland forest types, and between natural land cover and intense anthropogenic disturbance types (e.g., mines, cultivation). Our study highlighted oribatid mite communities' response to natural land cover, anthropogenic disturbance and spatial–climatic factors assessed over broad spatial scales and the potential utility of oribatid mites as ecosystem health indicators under multiple ecological drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having a complete hydrological time series is crucial for water-resources management and modeling. However, this can pose a challenge in data-scarce environments where data gaps are widespread. In such situations, recurring data gaps can lead to unfavorable outcomes such as loss of critical information, ineffective model calibration, inaccurate timing of peak flows, and biased statistical analysis in various applications. Despite its importance, predicting monthly streamflow can be a complex task due to its connection to random dynamics and uncertain phenomena, posing significant challenges. This study introduces an ensemble machine-learning regression framework for modeling and predicting monthly streamflow time series with a high degree of accuracy. The framework utilizes historical data from multiple monthly streamflow datasets in the same region to predict missing monthly streamflow data. The framework selects the best features from all available gap-free monthly streamflow time-series combinations and identifies the optimal model from a pool of 12 machine-learning models, including random forest regression, gradient boosting regression, and extra trees regressor, among others. The model selection is based on cross-validation train-and-test set scores, as well as the coefficient of determination. We conducted modeling on 26 monthly streamflow time series and found that the gradient boosting regressor with bagging regressor produced the highest accuracy in 7 of the 26 instances. Across all instances, the models using this method exhibited an overall accuracy range of 0.9737 to 0.9968. Additionally, the use of either a bagging regressor or an AdaBoost regressor improved both the tree-based and gradient-based models, resulting in these methods accounting for nearly 80% of the best models. Between January 1960 and December 2021, an average of 40% of the monthly streamflow data was missing for each of the 26 stations. Notably, two crucial stations located in the economically significant lower Athabasca Basin River in Alberta province, Canada, had approximately 70% of their monthly streamflow data missing. To address this issue, we employed our framework to accurately extend the missing data for all 26 stations. These accurate extensions also allow for further analysis, including grouping stations with similar monthly streamflow behavior using Pearson correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blackleg, caused by Leptosphaeria maculans, is an important disease of canola (Brassica napus). The pathogen can attack stems, leaves and pods, but basal stem cankers are most damaging and can result in significant yield losses. In Canada, Verticillium stripe (Verticillium longisporum) has recently emerged as another disease threat to canola. Symptoms of Verticillium stripe can resemble those of blackleg, and the two diseases may occur together. The effect of blackleg on yield was explored in field experiments with two canola hybrids and by evaluating a wider variety of hybrids in commercial crops in central Alberta, Canada. The impact on yield of L. maculans/V. longisporum interactions was also assessed under field and greenhouse conditions. In most hybrids, the relationship between blackleg severity and yield components was best explained by second-degree quadratic equations, although a linear relationship was found for one variety sampled in commercial fields. When L. maculans was co-inoculated with V. longisporum, blackleg severity and yield losses increased. In some cases, Verticillium stripe caused greater yield losses than blackleg. The results suggest that the interaction between L. maculans/V. longisporum may cause more severe losses in canola, highlighting the need for proactive disease management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Alberta increases conventional solar power generation, land-use conflicts with agriculture increase. A solution that enables low-carbon electricity generation and continued (in some cases, increased) agricultural output is the co-locating of solar photovoltaics (PV) and agriculture: agrivoltaics. This review analyzes policies that impact the growth of agrivoltaics in Alberta. Solar PV-based electricity generation is governed by three regulations based on system capacity. In addition, agrivoltaics falls under various legislations, frameworks, and guidelines for land utilization. These include the Land Use Framework, Alberta Land Stewardship Act, Municipal Government Act, Special Areas Disposition, Bill 22, and other policies, which are reviewed in the agrivoltaics context. Several policies are recommended to support the rapid deployment of agrivoltaics. Openly accessible agrivoltaics research will help optimize agrivoltaic systems for the region, and can be coupled with public education to galvanize social acceptability of large-scale PV deployment. Clearly defining and categorizing agrivoltaics technology, developing agrivoltaics standards, making agrivoltaics technology-friendly regulations and frameworks, and developing programs and policies to incentivize agrivoltaics deployment over conventional PV will all accelerate the technology's deployment. Through these measures, Alberta can achieve conservation and sustainability in the food and energy sectors while simultaneously addressing their renewable energy and climate-related goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colonially imposed jurisdictional boundaries that have little meaning to Indigenous peoples in Canada may confound tuberculosis (TB) prevention and care activities. This study explores how inter-jurisdictional mobility and the current accommodation of mobility through policies and programming sustain a regional TB epidemic in northwestern Saskatchewan, and northeastern Alberta. Methods: A qualitative instrumental case study was performed using a community based participatory approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with First Nations peoples from a high-incidence community in Canada including community-based healthcare workers. These interview data are presented in the context of a multi-level document analysis of TB program guidelines. Results: The location of the community, and related lack of access to employment, services and care, necessitates mobility across jurisdictional boundaries. There are currently no formal federal or provincial guidelines in place to accommodate highly mobile patients and clients within and across provincial TB prevention and care programs. As a result, locally developed community-based protocols, and related ad-hoc strategies ensure continuity of care. Conclusion: Indigenous peoples living in remote communities face unique push/pull factors that motivate mobility. When these motivations exist in communities with increased risk of contagion by communicable infectious diseases such as TB, public health risks extend into increasingly large areas with competing jurisdictional authority. Such mobility poses several threats to TB elimination. We have identified a gap in TB services to systematically accommodate mobility, with specific implications for Indigenous peoples and reconciliation. We recommend clearly defined communication paths and inter-jurisdictional coordination to ensure maintenance of care for mobile populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Persistence of sensitive wildlife in populated regions requires conservation strategies that address gradual expansion of development footprint and human activity. The project-based environmental assessment regime for municipal development is poorly suited to provide necessary strategic perspective, given its focus on local and short-term impacts. We used the ALCES cumulative effects model to strategically assess impacts to grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Bow Valley of Alberta, Canada. Landscape simulation mapped expansion of past and potential future development footprint in the region over multiple decades. Consequences to movement connectivity for grizzly bears were estimated by applying a least cost path analysis to the landscape simulation. An index of recreational activity was derived from fitness tracking data and integrated with the landscape simulation to model change in recreational activity through time. Maps of grizzly bear connectivity and recreational activity were combined to calculate human-bear conflict risk. The analysis suggests that connectivity has been altered through displacement to upslope areas by settlement expansion, such that surrounding natural areas have become important for grizzly bear connectivity. These areas are also popular for outdoor recreation, resulting in elevated human-bear conflict risk which can be expected to increase if development and human activity continue to expand in high connectivity areas. Conservation of wildlife in populated regions will be supported by broadening the scope of environmental assessment to address cumulative effects of development footprint and human activity over large spatial and temporal scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-administered subcutaneous immunoglobulin G (SCIg) reduces nursing time and eliminates the need for treatment at ambulatory care clinics, as compared with clinic-based intravenously administered IgG (IVIg), and are therapeutically equivalent. Estimating the economic impact of self-administered SCIg versus clinic-administered IVIg therapy may guide treatment recommendations. Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study using administrative data from Alberta was performed; those treated with IgG between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2019 were included. Costs for medical laboratory staff and nursing time, as well as ambulatory care visits were considered. Univariate generalized linear model regression with gamma distribution and log link was used to compare cost ($CDN 2020) between SCIg and IVIg administration. Stratified analysis by age (≥ 18-years; < 18-years) was performed. Results: Among 7,890 (6,148 adults; 1,742 children) individuals who received IgG, the average administration cost per patient-year of self-administered SCIg was $5,386 (95% confidence interval [CI] $5,039, $5,734) lower than clinic-administered IVIg; per patient-year cost of self-administered SCIg was $817 (95% CI $723, $912) versus $6,204 (95% CI $6,100, $6,308) for clinic-administered IVIg. The per patient-year cost of self-administered SCIg was $5,931 (95% CI $5,543, $6,319) lower among adults and $3,177 (95% CI $2,473, $3,882) lower among children compared with clinic-administered IVIg. An estimated $31.0 million (95% CI $29.0, $33.0) in cost savings to the health system would be realised if 80% of individuals switched from clinic-administered IVIg to self-administered SCIg. Conclusions: Self-administered SCIg is substantially less costly from a health care payer perspective in Canada. Within this type of health system, switching to self-administered SCIg has the potential to reduce overall health care costs, lessen nursing burden, and may increase clinic-based capacity for others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crossfield is located in the province of Alberta in Canada and is one of the most well-known reservoirs of hydrocarbons. Since the 1950s, there has been continuous exploitation of more than 10 formations such as Cardium, Viking, Ellerslie, Elkton, Shunda, and Wabamun. Because of its location near the Foothills, the southwestern part of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, the Crossfield area has a complex geology and relatively deeper reservoirs, therefore requiring an in-depth examination of each formation. In this study, geological, technical, and economic analyses were performed on each formation within the 10 sections of the study lands in the Crossfield area. As the result of the study, there was potential for drilling 48 horizontal wells in the Cardium A zone and the Viking formation. In addition, it turned out to be economically feasible even at the WTI price of 60 dollars per barrel considering Alberta's Royalty Framework, which is determined by the production rate and the price of oil, and the Horizontal Oil New Well Royalty Rate feature. A further study is required to investigate the exploitation potential of the Cardium B zone, the Ellerslie, and the Elkton formations in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unconformity‐related uranium (URU) deposits in the Athabasca Basin, Canada, include the highest grade, large tonnage deposits in the world. Recent studies of the Patterson Lake corridor uranium deposits suggest a deep heat source enhances hydrothermal fluid flow and incursion of basinal brines along brittlely reactivated ductile shear zones. However, the spatial extent of the ore systems and lower crustal features capable of driving the hydrothermal cells remained largely unresolved. Three‐dimensional electrical conductivity models derived from inversion of magnetotelluric data and coincident gravity modeling identified a voluminous conductivity anomaly and corresponding gravity low related to a belt of high‐heat producing intrusions that dips below the deposit. Shallow conductive bodies are identified below the deposits and similarly prospective corridors. The volume and location of the intrusive bodies may have provided a source of radiogenic heat that helped drive remobilization of fluids along reactivated structures, redefining the spatial extent of URU systems. Plain Language Summary: The western Athabasca Basin, straddling the border of Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada, is home to some of the highest‐grade, large tonnage uranium deposits in the world. Recent studies have suggested a spatial connection between uranium ore systems that are found near the earth's surface and geological processes occurring deep within the crust. However, the processes connecting the lower crust to these shallow deposits is poorly understood. This study used 3D models created from magnetotelluric data, a passive a geophysical technique that measures the earth's natural electric and magnetic fields, to image the earth from surface to a depth of 40 km. We identified a voluminous igneous intrusion that extends from the surface to great depths in the earth's crust. We propose that this intrusion may have contributed to the uranium endowment of the basin, and that radiogenic heat from the large igneous body helped circulate uranium‐bearing fluids through the shallow crust along reactivated geologic structures. The modeling, when combined with other geoscientific datasets, showcases the role of high‐heat producing granitic intrusions in driving the hydrothermal fluid cells that formed the deposits. Key Points: Integrated resistivity—gravity modeling over the Arrow uranium deposit in CanadaMagnetotelluric inversion images deep‐seated thermal source and fluid pathways that formed some of the highest‐grade uranium depositsHolistic ore system model illustrates relationship between crustal ore system and lower crustal resistivity anomalies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Improving health services integration through primary health care (PHC) teams for patients with chronic conditions is essential to address their complex health needs and facilitate better health outcomes. The objective of this study was to explore if and how patients, family members, and caregivers were engaged or wanted to be engaged in developing, implementing and evaluating health policies related to PHC teams. This patient‐oriented research was carried out in three provinces across Canada: British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Methods: A total of 29 semi‐structured interviews with patients were conducted across the three provinces and data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Three key themes were identified: motivation for policy engagement, experiences with policy engagement and barriers to engagement in policy. The majority of participants in the study wanted to be engaged in policy processes and advocate for integrated care through PHC teams. Barriers to patient engagement in policy, such as lack of opportunities for engagement, power imbalances, tokenism, lack of accessibility of engagement opportunities and experiences of racism and discrimination were also identified. Conclusion: This study increases the understanding of patient, family member, and caregiver engagement in policy related to PHC team integration and the barriers that currently exist in this engagement process. This information can be used to guide decision‐makers on how to improve the delivery of integrated health services through PHC teams and enhance patient, family member, and caregiver engagement in PHC policy. Patient or Public Contribution: We would like to acknowledge the contributions of our patient partners, Brenda Jagroop and Judy Birdsell, who assisted with developing and pilot testing the interview guide. Judy Birdsell also assisted with the preparation of this manuscript. This study also engaged patients, family members, and caregivers to share their experiences with engagement in PHC policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The McMurray Formation in McMurray Depocentre, Canada, is typically subdivided into stratigraphic units based on regionally mappable marine mudstones, the bases of which define flooding surfaces (bottom to top: Lower McMurray, C2, C1, B2, B1, A2, A1 depositional unit). However, the McMurray Formation comprises a variety of palaeoenvironments, with the north‐eastern Firebag Tributary hosting significant delta‐plain deposits in the Lower McMurray and B1 depositional units. Facies analysis of 60 cores and 4763 wireline logs was used to resolve the palaeoshoreline trajectory and stratigraphic architecture in Firebag Tributary. Of 14 identified facies, three delta‐plain facies reveal: (1) eluviated palaeosols, interpreted as shrublands and woodlands formed during base‐level fall; (2) gleyed palaeosols, interpreted as tidal marshes; and (3) coals formed in coastal mires, the two latter facies are interpreted to accumulate during base‐level rise. Eluviated palaeosols occur below the Lower McMurray coal seam, implying valley incision and a maximum regressive surface. Gleyed palaeosols underlying the coal seam atop the B1 depositional unit do not record base‐level fall. Wetting‐upward coals overlying either palaeosol facies indicate base‐level rise (i.e. major flooding surface). B1 depositional unit coals and gleyed palaeosols are overlain by shallow‐marine facies or are eroded by wave ravinement during transgression. Consequently, the tops of coals or gleyed palaeosols correlate to the bases of regional marine mudstones elsewhere in McMurray Depocentre. Stratigraphic cross sections showcase palaeoshoreline regression and transgression. During the Lower McMurray and B1 depositional units, widespread coals and palaeosols indicate the palaeoshoreline resided near the western edge of Firebag Tributary. Regression during C2 through B2 depositional units and A2 and A1 depositional units resulted in palaeoshorelines near the Alberta–Saskatchewan border. To complement a previously dated Lower McMurray ash (121.39 ± 0.2 Ma), a new high‐confidence maximum depositional age from ash in the B1 coal seam (115.09 ± 0.16 Ma) allows an estimate to be made of depositional duration, indicating depositional units represent ca 0.16 Myr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several lacustrine carbonate beds, each a metre‐thick interval of densely packed Mn‐rich sideritic micro‐spherulites or Mn‐rich ferroan calcite micro‐spherulites, are recorded for the first time within strata of the Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation of the northern Athabasca Oil Sands deposit, western Canada. A lower McMurray lacustrine carbonate deposit is characterised by a metre‐thick bed fabric of Mn‐rich siderite micro‐spherulites. The middle and upper interval McMurray beds developed fabrics of Mn2+‐rich ferroan calcite micro‐spherulites. These carbonate beds represent saline lacustrine depositional environments that resulted from the lake bottom sediments ingressed from below by Mn2+‐Fe2+‐rich carbonate‐saturated brines. These up‐section migrations of Devonian formation water were sourced from dissolution trends developed in limestone and halite‐anhydrite beds of the underlying Devonian Prairie Evaporite during Cordilleran deformation of the Alberta Basin foreland. These brines ascended to the overlying McMurray Formation sediments along dissolution‐collapse structures such as breccia pipes, sinkholes and margins of differentially subsided Upper Devonian fault blocks. The up‐section migration of a sulphate‐saturated Fe2+ and Mn2+‐rich brine resulted in the ingress of a lower McMurray lacustrine bottom sediment at a site associated with the development of a peat mire terrain. Microbial redox of the lake bottom sediment resulted in a carbonate bed of micro‐spherulitic fabrics of Mn‐rich siderite interwoven with pyrite laminae. Subsequent salt dissolution events and up‐section migrations of Devonian brine during deposition of the middle and upper McMurray intervals resulted in similar carbonate‐saturated but sulphate‐poor chemistry. These saline flows also ingressed lacustrine bottom sediments below, and resulted in limestone beds of densely packed spherulitic fabrics of Mn‐ferroan calcite, not siderite. These deposits provide insight into largely unknown dispositions of voluminous brine resulting from salt dissolution trends below the Athabasca Oil Sands and further our understanding of controversial McMurray depositional processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this article, we report on action research in the Canadian province of Alberta, based on forging alliances with officers who enforce federal, provincial, and municipal legislation involving animals. Some of these officers worked in rural areas, and others worked in urban areas. Some mainly enforced Alberta's Animal Protection Act, while a few specialized in enforcing Canada's Criminal Code. For the most part, however, participating officers had a mandate to enforce animal-related local bylaws. Such ordinances or rulebooks exist because Alberta's Municipal Government Act allows local councils to enact legislation regarding domestic and wild animals, particularly as regards people's health, property, safety, and welfare. Many professionals refer to policies such as these, which are deeply rooted in the western legal tradition, such as "animal control." Our findings illuminate how animal-control policies and personnel can help to protect domesticated animals, not just people. Even so, our research highlights that animal-control policies as well as animal-protection policies routinely fail to protect officers who enforce legislation involving animals. Furthermore, whenever officers who enforce legislation involving animals work in unsafe conditions, this endangers human as well as non-human lives. Across Canada and internationally, laws exist to protect animals and to stop them from becoming public nuisances and threats. The work of officers who enforce local bylaws protects both domestic animals and humans. Despite the importance of this work, research in this area is emergent, but growing. We conducted research with officers mandated to enforce legislation involving animals, with a focus on local bylaw enforcement in the province of Alberta, Canada, which includes the city of Calgary. Some experts regard Calgary as a "model city" for inter-agency collaboration. Based on partnerships with front-line officers, managers, and professional associations in a qualitative multiple-case study, this action-research project evolved towards advocacy for occupational health and safety. Participating officers spoke about the societal benefits of their work with pride, and they presented multiple examples to illustrate how local bylaw enforcement contributes to public safety and community wellbeing. Alarmingly, however, these officers consistently reported resource inadequacies, communication and information gaps, and a culture of normalized disrespect. These findings connect to the concept of "medico-legal borderlands," which became central to this study. As this project unfolded, we seized upon opportunities to improve the officers' working conditions, including the potential of relational coordination to promote the best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorite impact‐induced mobilization of a volcanic ash tuff resulting in 100s of m long lithified clastic dikes is a novel mechanism in the geologic record. The Paleogene Eagle Butte impact event in southeastern Alberta, western Canada, resulted in a 10–17 km diameter central peak crater, now partially eroded and buried without expression at the surface. Impact shock waves, degraded to elastic waves, mobilized sediment 10s of km beyond the crater and resulted in a cluster of 100s of m long, 10–20 cm thick, dikes consisting of volcanic ash. It is not well understood how effective meteorite impact‐induced waves would be as triggers for sediment mobilization at areas 10s of km distant from an impact crater. Emplacement of the Manyberries dike cluster provides insight into this issue and confirms that shock waves, degraded to elastic waves, can indeed liquefy and mobilize sediments at distances as much as 5 crater radii beyond an impact site. These impact‐induced waves triggered liquefaction and mobilization of a shallowly buried Campanian‐Maastrichtian deposit of volcanic ash and injected the tuff sediment along impact‐induced faults. The lithification of the dike tuff, consisting of the cristobalite–tridymite groundmass, resulted from partial dissolution of glass shards and precipitation of opaline cement. These weathering resistant dikes of indurated tuff sediment extend for as much as 800 m on recessive Campanian‐Maastrichtian shale ridges of the badlands topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Supportive living (SL) facilities are intended to provide a residential care setting in a less restrictive and more cost-effective way than nursing homes (NH). SL residents with poor social relationships may be at risk for increased health service use. We describe the demographic and health service use patterns of lonely and socially isolated SL residents and to quantify associations between loneliness and social isolation on unplanned emergency department (ED) visits.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using population-based linked health administrative data from Alberta, Canada. All SL residents aged 18 to 105 years who had at least one Resident Assessment Instrument-Home Care (RAI-HC) assessment between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2018 were observed. Loneliness and social isolation were measured as a resident indicating that he/she feels lonely and if the resident had neither a primary nor secondary caregiver, respectively. Health service use in the 1 year following assessment included unplanned ED visits, hospital admissions, admission to higher levels of SL, admission to NH and death. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models examined the association between loneliness and social isolation on the time to first unplanned ED visit.Results: We identified 18,191 individuals living in Alberta SL facilities. The prevalence of loneliness was 18% (n = 3238), social isolation was 4% (n = 713). Lonely residents had the greatest overall health service use. Risk of unplanned ED visit increased with loneliness (aHR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04-1.15) but did not increase with social isolation (aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.84-1.06).Conclusions: Lonely residents had a different demographic profile (older, female, cognitively impaired) from socially isolated residents and were more likely to experience an unplanned ED visit. Our findings suggest the need to develop interventions to assist SL care providers with how to identify and address social factors to reduce risk of unplanned ED visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) epidemiology is changing in many regions of the world due to factors such as global warming and emerging anthelmintic resistance. However, the dynamics of these changes in northern continental climate zones are poorly understood due to a lack of empirical data. Methods: We studied the accumulation on pasture of free-living infective third-stage larvae (L3) of different GIN species from fecal pats deposited by naturally infected grazing cattle. The field study was conducted on three organic farms in Alberta, western Canada. Grass samples adjacent to 24 fecal pats were collected from each of three different pastures on each farm. Internal transcribed spacer-2 nemabiome metabarcoding was used to determine the GIN species composition of the harvested larvae. The rotational grazing patterns of the cattle ensured that each pasture was contaminated only once by fecal pat deposition. This design allowed us to monitor the accumulation of L3 of specific GIN species on pastures under natural climatic conditions without the confounding effects of pasture recontamination or anthelmintic treatments. Results: In seven out of the nine pastures, grass L3 counts peaked approximately 9 weeks after fecal deposition and then gradually declined. However, a relatively large number of L3 remained in the fecal pats at the end of the grazing season. Nemabiome metabarcoding revealed that Cooperia oncophora and Ostertagia ostertagi were the two most abundant species on all of the pastures and that the dynamics of larval accumulation on grass were similar for both species. Daily precipitation and temperature across the whole sampling period were similar for most of the pastures, and multiple linear regression showed that accumulated rainfall 1 week prior to sample collection had a significant impact on the pasture L3 population, but accumulated rainfall 3 weeks prior to sample collection did not. Conclusions: The results suggest that the pasture L3 population was altered by short-term microclimatic conditions conducive for horizontal migration onto grass. Overall, the results show the importance of the fecal pat as a refuge and reservoir for L3 of cattle GIN on western Canadian pastures, and provide an evidence base for the risk assessment of rotational grazing management in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada's federal carbon tax currently applies in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Farmers in these provinces lack consistency on the tax, which is differentially applied to agricultural fuels. They must navigate between distinct sets of rules depending on the type of fuels they're using and what those fuels are used for. Some fuels are eligible to be fully exempt from the carbon tax; others may be allowed a partial exemption, and still others may force farmers to face the full amount of the carbon tax. The most significant agricultural fuel sources facing the full amount of the carbon tax are natural gas and propane used for grain and oilseed drying and for the heating of barns and other farm buildings. The burden of these tax payments on farmers is unclear. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada reports carbon tax cost estimates for grain and oilseed drying that range from an average of $210 per farm in Alberta to $774 per farm in Saskatchewan. Individual farmers, in contrast, have reported carbon tax costs of up to $10,000. Agriculture's sector-level emissions and trade flows are comparable to those of many industries in Canada that meet the criteria for being labelled an emissionsintensive and trade-exposed (EITE) industry. EITE industries are typically eligible to receive carbon pricing support on all priced emissions as part of either the federal government's output-based pricing system (OBPS) or similar provincial government programs. Agriculture is typically excluded from these programs because of the thousands of small producers in the sector, most of whom remain below the minimum emissions thresholds required for participation. As a result of this exclusion, agricultural subsectors have generally not been evaluated to see whether they meet EITE criteria. With all federal parties in favour of additional carbon pricing support for farmers, it is likely that support will soon be expanded to additional fuel uses. Future support to the agriculture industry is best offered via a mechanism that maintains the full incentive of the carbon tax. Two options that satisfy this objective are either a lump sum rebate to farmers or an output-based rebate system specific to agriculture. With both options it is important that any rebate amount is divorced from emissions and fuel use, A third option, which does not maintain the incentive of the carbon tax, is to expand farm-fuel exemptions. All of these options come with advantages and disadvantages, which would need to be carefully weighed. It would also be informative to complete an EITE assessment for agriculture that is based on all of the sector's combustion emissions being subject to the carbon tax. This would help to inform the potential impact of the carbon tax on agricultural production costs, farm profitability and the global competitiveness of Canada's farmers. Such an assessment would provide important insights on how to best support Canada's agricultural competitiveness without undermining its overall emissions reduction plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2012, Alberta Health Services created Strategic Clinical NetworksTM (SCNs) to develop and implement evidence-informed, clinician-led and team-delivered health system improvement in Alberta, Canada. SCNs have had several provincial successes in improving health outcomes. Little research has been done on the sustainability of these evidence-based implementation efforts.Methods: We conducted a qualitative realist evaluation using a case study approach to identify and explain the contextual factors and mechanisms perceived to influence the sustainability of two provincial SCN evidence-based interventions, a delirium intervention for Critical Care and an Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics (AUA) intervention for Senior's Health. The context (C) + mechanism (M) = outcome (O) configurations (CMOcs) heuristic guided our research.Results: We conducted thirty realist interviews in two cases and found four important strategies that facilitated sustainability: Learning collaboratives, audit & feedback, the informal leadership role, and patient stories. These strategies triggered certain mechanisms such as sense-making, understanding value and impact of the intervention, empowerment, and motivation that increased the likelihood of sustainability. For example, informal leaders were often hands-on and influential to front-line staff. Learning collaboratives broke down professional and organizational silos and encouraged collective sharing and learning, motivating participants to continue with the intervention. Continual audit-feedback interventions motivated participants to want to perform and improve on a long-term basis, increasing the likelihood of sustainability of the two multi-component interventions. Patient stories demonstrated the interventions' impact on patient outcomes, motivating staff to want to continue doing the intervention, and increasing the likelihood of its sustainability.Conclusions: This research contributes to the field of implementation science, providing evidence on key strategies for sustainability and the underlying causal mechanisms of these strategies that increases the likelihood of sustainability. Identifying causal mechanisms provides evidence on the processes by which implementation strategies operate and lead to sustainability. Future work is needed to evaluate the impact of informal leadership, learning collaboratives, audit-feedback, and patient stories as strategies for sustainability, to generate better guidance on planning sustainable improvements with long term impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We give an exploratory analysis of daily 10 meter wind speed averages for all weather stations in Alberta, Canada with observations from January 2008 to May 2019. The data is provided by the Alberta Climate Information Service (ACIS), Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Our goal is to categorize the wind patterns in Alberta for the purpose of incorporating this knowledge into spatiotemporal modeling of wind across Alberta. We aim to identify the relationship between prevalent wind directions, geographical locations and seasons. We use seasonal clustering to identify stations with similar statistical properties. The linkage criterion between two sites is based on the Euclidean distance of the two-dimensional moments of their wind speed distributions. We identify four types of behavior emerging through the year, and give a seasonal summary of each behavior. We interpret the wind behaviors in terms of the terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoring anthropogenic footprints to pre-disturbance conditions or minimizing their long-term impacts is an important goal in conservation. Many footprints, particularly if left alone, have wide-ranging effects on biodiversity. In Canada, energy exploration footprints result in forest dissection and fragmentation contributing to declines in woodland caribou. Developing cost effective strategies to restore forests and thus conserving the woodland caribou habitat is a conservation priority. In this study, we compared the effects of wildfire and local variation in the amount of residual woody debris on natural regeneration in jack pine on exploratory well pads in Alberta's boreal forest. Specifically, we investigated how footprint size, fire severity (overstory tree mortality), ground cover of fine and coarse woody debris, and adjacent stand characteristics (i.e., height, age, and cover), affected tree regeneration densities and height using negative binomial count and linear models (Gaussian), respectively. Regeneration density was 30% higher on exploratory well pads than adjacent forests, increased linearly with fire severity on the exploratory well pads (2.2% per 1% increase in fire severity), but non-linearly in adjacent forests (peaking at 51,000 stems/ha at 72% fire severity), and decreased with amount of woody debris on exploratory well pads (2.7% per 1% increase in woody debris cover). The height of regenerating trees on exploratory well pads decreased with fire severity (0.56 cm per 1% increase in fire severity) and was non-linearly related to coarse woody debris (peaking at 286 cm at 9.4% coarse woody debris cover). Heights of 3 and 5 m on exploratory well pads were predicted by 13- and 21-years post-fire, respectively. Our results demonstrate that wildfires can stimulate natural recovery of fire-adapted species, such as jack pine, on disturbances as large as exploratory well pads (500–1330 m2) and that the type and amount of woody debris affects these patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Examining support for substance use policies, including those for harm reduction, among the general public and policy influencers is a fundamental step to map the current policy landscape and leverage policy opportunities. Yet, this is a knowledge gap in Canada. Our paper identifies the level of support for substance use policies in two provinces in Canada and describes how the level of support is associated with intrusiveness and sociodemographic variables., Methods: Data came from the 2019 Chronic Disease Prevention Survey. The representative sample included members of the general public (Alberta n = 1648, Manitoba n = 1770) as well as policy influencers (Alberta n = 204, Manitoba n = 98). We measured the level of support for 22 public policies concerning substance use through a 4-point Likert-scale. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics Intervention Ladder framework was applied to assess intrusiveness. We used cumulative link models to run ordinal regressions for identification of explanatory sociodemographic variables., Results: Overall, there was generally strong support for the policies assessed. The general public in Manitoba was significantly more supportive of policies than its Alberta counterpart. Some differences were found between provinces and samples. For certain substance use policies, there was stronger support among women than men and among those with higher education than those with less education., Conclusions: The results highlight areas where efforts are needed to increase support from both policy influencers and general public for adoption, implementation, and scaling of substance use policies. Socio-demographic variables related to support for substance use policies may be useful in informing strategies such as knowledge mobilization to advance the policy landscape in Western Canada., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Increasing global demands for oils are fueling the production of diluted bitumen (DB) from Canada's oil sands region. More weathered than conventional crude (CC) oils, Alberta bitumen is often diluted with lighter petroleum oils to reduce density and viscosity to meet pipeline specifications for transportation. Being a heavy oil product that is transported in large volumes across Canada and the USA, there has been interest to compare its behavior and toxicity characteristics when spilled to those of CC. To determine the influence of environmental weathering upon DB following a freshwater spill, we conducted separate controlled spills of Cold Lake Blend DB and Mixed Sweet Blend light CC oil in a mesocosm spill-tank system at 24 °C with wave-action for 56 days. DB-contaminated waters remained acutely lethal for a period of 14 days to early life stage fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed during embryologic development, while CC was lethal for 1 day. However, concentrations of mono- and polycyclic aromatic compounds, often claimed to be principally responsible for the acute and chronic toxicity of crude oils, were consistently higher in CC water compared to DB. Elevated aromatic concentrations in CC water correlated with higher prevalences of developmental malformations, reduced heart and growth rates, and impacts on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway. Organic acids were measured over the course of the studies and O 2 containing naphthenic acids were present at greater relative abundances in DB- compared to CC-contaminated water, with their attenuation correlating with reduced acute and sublethal toxicity. Furthermore, organic acid degradation products accumulated with time and likely contributed to the consistently sublethal toxicity of the weathered oils throughout the experiment. Improved characterization of the fractions including organic acids and those organic compounds found within the unresolved complex mixture of fresh and weathered crude oils is necessary to adequately understand and prepare for the risks that accidental petroleum spills pose to aquatic resources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The COVID-19 (C19) pandemic shocked primary care systems around the world. Those systems responded by supporting patients in the community, and acute care facilities in crisis. In Canada, the Patient Medical Home (PMH) is a widely adopted care model that aims to operationalize the tenets and principles of Primary Health Care (PHC) as developed since the Alma-Ata Declaration. This paper describes how personnel working in and with Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in Alberta, Canada deployed the PMH model and its underlying PHC principles to frame and respond to the C19 shock., Methods: Using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, we interviewed 57 participants who worked in public health and primary care, including community-based family physicians. We used interpretive description to analyze the interviews., Results: PCN staff and physicians described how the PMH model was foundational to normal operations, and how C19 responses were framed by the patient-centric, team-delivered, and continuous care principles the model shares with PHC. Specifically, participants described ensuring access to care, addressing the social determinants of health, being patient centered, and redeploying and expanding PHC teams to accomplish these goals., Discussion: Delivering PHC through the PMH allowed physicians and allied health staff to deliver patient-centered, team-based, holistic bio-medical services to Albertans. In tailoring services to meet the specific social and health needs of the populations served by each PCN, healthcare providers were able to ensure relevant support remained available and accessible., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This study used a deposition modeling framework to generate gridded dry, wet, and total (dry + wet) deposition fluxes of 27 particulate elements over the Canadian Athabasca oil sands region and its surrounding areas for the years 2016-2017. The framework employed the element concentrations from the CALPUFF dispersion model outputs that were bias-corrected against measured concentrations, modeled dry deposition velocities, precipitation analysis data, and literature values of element-specific fine mode fractions and scavenging ratios by rain and snow. The annual total deposition (mg/m 2 /year) of all elements (EM) across the domain ranged from 4.49 to 5450 and the mean and median deposition were 60.9 and 31.0, respectively. Total EM deposition decreased rapidly within a short distance from the oil sands mining area. Annual mean total deposition (mg/m 2 /year) of EM was 717 in Zone 1 (within 30 km from a reference point, representing the center of the oil sands mining area), 115 in Zone 2 (30-100 km from the reference point), and 35.4 in Zone 3 (beyond 100 km from the reference point). The deposition of individual elements was primarily governed by their respective concentrations and among all elements the annual mean total deposition (μg/m 2 /year) over the domain varied five orders of magnitude ranging from 0.758 (Ag) to 20,000 (Si). Annual mean dry and wet deposition (mg/m 2 /year) of EM over the domain were 15.7 and 45.2, respectively. Aside from S, which has relatively lower precipitation scavenging efficiencies, wet deposition was the dominant deposition type in the region contributing from 51% (Pb) to 86% (Ca) of the respective total deposition. Total EM deposition over the domain in the warm season (66.2 mg/m 2 /year) was slightly higher than that in the cold season (55.6 mg/m 2 /year). Deposition of individual elements in Zone 1 were generally lower than their deposition at other sites across North America., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)