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Abstract Scope Antibiotic stewardship programmes (ASPs) are necessary in hospitals to improve the judicious use of antibiotics. While ASPs require complex change of key behaviours on individual, team organization and policy levels, evidence from the behavioural sciences is underutilized in antibiotic stewardship studies across the world, including high-income countries (HICs). A consensus procedure was performed to propose research priority areas for optimizing effective implementation of ASPs in hospital settings using a behavioural perspective. Methods A workgroup for behavioural approaches to ASPs was convened in response to the fourth call for leading expert network proposals by the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR). Eighteen clinical and academic specialists in antibiotic stewardship, implementation science and behaviour change from four HICs with publicly funded healthcare systems (e.g. Canada, Germany, Norway and the UK) met face-to-face to agree on broad research priority areas using a structured consensus method. Question addressed and recommendations : The consensus process assessing the ten identified research priority areas resulted in recommendations that need urgent scientific interest and funding to optimize effective implementation of ASPs for hospital inpatients in HICs with publicly funded healthcare systems. We suggest and detail behavioural science evidence–guided research efforts in the following areas: (a) comprehensively identifying barriers and facilitators to implementing ASPs and clinical recommendations intended to optimize antibiotic prescribing; (b) identifying actors ('who') and actions ('what needs to be done') of ASPs and clinical teams; (c) synthesizing available evidence to support future research and planning for ASPs; (d) specifying the activities in current ASPs with the purpose of defining a control group for comparison with new initiatives; (e) defining a balanced set of outcomes and measures to evaluate the effects of interventions focused on reducing unnecessary exposure to antibiotics; (f) conducting robust evaluations of ASPs with built-in process evaluations and fidelity assessments; (g) defining and designing ASPs; (h) establishing the evidence base for impact of ASPs on resistance; (i) investigating the role and impact of government and policy contexts on ASPs; and (j) understanding what matters to patients in ASPs in hospitals. Conclusions Assessment, revisions and updates of our priority-setting exercise should be considered at intervals of 2 years. To propose research priority areas in low- and middle-income countries, the methodology reported here could be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a synopsis on comprehensive non-surgical treatment which leads to improved walking ability in people with lumbar spinal stenosis. Topics discussed include dominant symptom of people with lumbar spinal stenosis; marginal differences between treatment groups in other more traditional outcomes; and training program offered to the comprehensive training and motivated patients.

Highlights: [•] Evaluation of new HWP accounting method leads to significant GHG emission reduction for Canada. [•] Use of harvested wood for energy and of construction lead to largest GHG savings. [•] A cascade-use for wood and paper products is paramount for further GHG improvement. [•] The end-of-life effect of using recycled waste wood for energy is delayed due to longer carbon uptake. [•] Cradle-to-cradle utilization of wood waste has an underdeveloped reduction potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

Methadone has several unique characteristics that make it an attractive option for pain relief in serious illness, but the safety of methadone has been called into question after reports of a disproportionate increase in opioid-induced deaths in recent years. The American Pain Society, College on Problems of Drug Dependence, and the Heart Rhythm Society collaborated to issue guidelines on best practices to maximize methadone safety and efficacy, but guidelines for the end-of-life scenario have not yet been developed. A panel of 15 interprofessional hospice and palliative care experts from the U.S. and Canada convened in February 2015 to evaluate the American Pain Society methadone recommendations for applicability in the hospice and palliative care setting. The goal was to develop guidelines for safe and effective management of methadone therapy in hospice and palliative care. This article represents the consensus opinion of the hospice and palliative care experts for methadone use at end of life, including guidance on appropriate candidates for methadone, detail in dosing, titration, and monitoring of patients' response to methadone therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sustainable innovations are of growing interest to both managers and researchers. Managers want to understand how to develop these innovations. However, researchers have extensively focused on this question by analysing the determinants of sustainable innovation development. The purpose of the study is to address this issue by adopting a process view, which is an underexplored perspective in the literature of sustainable innovation. More precisely, the paper seeks to highlight the temporal and relational dimensions in a sustainable innovation development process by focusing on the following questions: How does sustainable innovation develop through interactions and transformations made by a manager and stakeholders? What are the mechanisms used by the manager to facilitate these interactions and transformations? The actor-network theory offers theoretical (socio-technical analysis) and methodological (socio-technical graph) tools to examine such questions. They are used to understand and track the relative successful development of a hybrid bike by a small and medium-sized enterprise in Canada. The findings reveal managerial mechanisms (playing the role of sustainability translator, defining multivocal obligatory passage points, casting of allies, mobilizing actors-certifiers and -influencers) related to four translation moments (problematization, interessement, enrolment and mobilization) in the sustainable innovation development that led us to consider it as a synchronous process (co-construction and parallel association). The main contributions of the study are: 1) the use of socio-technical analysis to provide an in-depth level of understanding of a sustainable innovation development within an organization; 2) the complete application of the socio-technical graph method to track a manager and stakeholders' interactions and transformations; 3) the identification of managerial practices that contribute to the success of the sustainable innovation development. The paper suggests further research on the dynamic process of different types of sustainable innovation within various organizational contexts. • For the sustainable innovation to become indispensable, the manager should play the role of the sustainability translator. • The manager defines sustainability passage points and establishes appropriation and exchanges relationships with actors. • The manager makes a casting of allies with five roles: producers, evaluators, investors, regulators and promoters. • The manager mobilizes actors-certifiers and actors-influencers of the sustainable innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the rapidly expanding market of wind energy, sites in cold climates are becoming popular because of their high wind potential. However, several challenges are associated with energy production in those sites. Such challenges not only include low temperature and high winds, but also multiple icing events. To cope with the negative impacts of icing, wind turbine manufacturers nowadays include ice protection systems (IPS) to their products. It has been observed that the performances of those systems can be greatly influenced by the ambient conditions. In many occasions, under harsh conditions, turbines IPS may not able to prevent ice formation on the blades nor to remove ice that is already formed. Multiple numerical analysis were made on the IPS performance but none of them relies on actual field data. In this paper, the relationship between the turbine stoppage time, wind speed and ambient temperature was studied on a wind farm of over 80 turbines in eastern Canada. The test site is subject to harsh weather and long recovery time and can therefore provide interesting data on icing events. A simplified 1-D heat transfer model of the blades during recovery time has been developed and then compared to the field data. The model was used to generate IPS performance envelopes to delimit, on a temperature vs. wind speed chart, the conditions where the IPS are expected to operate successfully. This analysis showed the importance of having an IPS adapted to the conditions encountered in a given site. To help wind turbine manufacturers design their IPS, a set of distributions of the most relevant meteorological parameters is presented. This set of data has been retrieved using a custom made meteorological conditions monitoring station (MCMS) installed on one of the wind turbines' nacelle. Wind turbine designers, developers and operators can greatly benefit from the data presented in this paper. • Wind speed/temperature distributions of turbine stoppage time retrieved on a wind farm of over 80 turbines during 2 winters. • Thermal model investigating wind turbine hot air IPS efficiency using parameters commonly available. • Statistical distributions of several meteorological measurements, including icing severity and event duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Statistical Assessment Tool (SAT) Decision Support System (DSS) has been developed to provide a user-friendly data analysis, display and decision support tool for Canada''s federal environmental effects monitoring program for the pulp and paper and mining industries. The target users include industries, consultants, regional EEM coordinators, National EEM Office and scientists involved in EEM-related research. The tool allows the assessment of the effects of effluent from industrial or other sources on fish and benthic populations. Effect endpoints, which are used as indicators of potentially important effluent effects, are measured at effluent-exposed sites and are compared statistically to measures at reference sites, in order to determine if changes have occurred and the magnitude of the changes. The main driver of the EEM-SAT DSS is its rule-based expert system. The results are used in assessing the adequacy of existing regulations for protecting aquatic environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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

This paper investigates the relationships among the important process parameters that impact Post-combustion Carbon Capture (PCC) carbon dioxide (C O 2) separation. A better understanding of the complex relationships among those parameters can support optimization and performance enhancement of the separation process. Being able to precisely predict the process parameters will enable the operator to determine the current state of the process, forecast any potential changes or events, and adjust process parameters to enhance the plant's performance. With the objective of studying the process parameters' correlations in the amine-based PCC process, we modeled the multi-year historical production data of the Clean Energy Technologies Research Institute (CETRi) (formerly known as the International Test Center for PCC or ITC) in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, using a Decision Forest approach. The model validation process revealed that the Decision Forest model produced higher predictive accuracy than previous efforts. The Decision Forest models we developed also represent knowledge about the importance of parameters involved in the capture process, and such knowledge is useful for further optimization of the capture process in the future. • Modeling the parameters of the Carbon Capture process with machine learning (ML). • The ML models used Decision Forest with Gradient Boosting and Oblique Split. • The ML models achieved superior predictive accuracy compared to past efforts. • The ML models support interpretability by visualizing weights and prediction paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geothermal systems installed at intermediate depths (∼1–2 km) in sedimentary basins represent an attractive option to provide low-carbon heat in cold countries, even where the geothermal gradient is low, using either closed- or open loop systems combined with heat pumps. However, the installation of such systems is costly and risky due to the uncertainty associated with the geological, hydrogeological and thermal properties of the targeted unit(s). Additionally, the performance of different types of systems is seldom compared in the literature for a given geological context. This paper presents a numerical approach to readily assess the maximum energy that could be produced by different geothermal systems (a deep borehole heat exchanger (DBHE) and three types of doublets) and compare their performance for preselection purposes. Since deep formations are often poorly characterized, the sensitivity of these systems to the most impactful site properties is evaluated. For each scenario of site properties, the systems were simulated for different operation flow rates. The maximum usable flow rate is determined from simulation results. The flow rate maximizing net energy production is used for the DBHE, while the maximum flow rate ensuring safe injection pressure has been selected for the doublets. The heating power produced per length drilled and system COP are calculated for each simulation and interpolated for the maximum usable flow rate to fairly compare the systems' performance. An illustrative case using the Bécancour area (eastern Canada) highlights that, even if the site stratigraphy and properties have been relatively well characterized previously, uncertainty regarding key properties significantly affects simulation results and, consequently, the choice of the geothermal system to install. Our numerical approach is intended as a decision-making aid in order to properly plan the installation of these expensive systems. [Display omitted] • New method for pre-selecting 1–2 km geothermal systems and assess heating potential. • Compares the DBHE and geothermal doublet performances for various designs. • Includes a sensitivity analysis to permeability, thermal conductivity and heat flux. • Determines the maximum usable flow rate for each system and scenario. • An application demonstrates the need to consider the uncertainty of rock properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global call to address climate change and advance sustainable development has created rapid growth in research, investment, and policymaking regarding the renewable energy transition of Indigenous communities. From a rightsholder perspective, Indigenous Peoples' vision of sustainability, autonomy, and sovereignty should guide research on their energy needs. In this paper, we present a multi-method, inductive examination to identify gaps between Indigenous communities' expressed needs and rights, and the questions researchers and policymakers investigate in energy transition research conducted in the context of Indigenous communities located in Canada. We combine a systematic review of the extant literature, a scoping review of the grey literature on off-grid communities by Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments and non-governmental policy bodies, qualitative primary data collected via fieldwork, and an in-depth study of an Indigenous-led renewable energy transition study conducted by Haíɫzaqv Nation's Climate Action Team. We holistically examine these different perspectives and identify emergent themes to recommend ways to bridge the gaps between off-grid renewable energy research and stated Indigenous community priorities. Specifically, we recommend designing equitable research practices, understanding community worldviews, developing holistic research goals, respecting Indigenous data sovereignty, and sharing or co-developing knowledge with communities to align with community priorities closely. • There is a research-practice gap in Indigenous communities' energy transitions. • We used a multi-method inquiry integrating Indigenous and Western approaches. • Renewable energy literature diverges from the Indigenous community vision and goals. • Indigenous research methods can reduce the research-practice gap in high-tech fields. • Community-based approaches can use traditional laws to yield actionable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry is a fundamental sector of the economy of many countries. However, this sector requires real collaboration and initiatives from stakeholders to reduce its significant consumption of energy and emission of greenhouse gases. Heat exchangers are examples of equipment in pulp mills that are subjected to undesirable and complex phenomena such as evolution of fouling over time, which leads to inefficiency in terms of energy consumption and unplanned shutdowns, resulting in ineffective maintenance strategies and production costs. Therefore, there is a clear need to develop an accurate predictive maintenance tool that helps mill operators avoid such situations. It is necessary for that tool to effectively track the fouling evolution level and, based on it, deploy a reliable prognostics approach to estimate more accurately the time-to-clean of this equipment. This study presents a new hybrid prognostics approach for fouling prediction in heat exchangers. The proposed approach relies on the fusion of information of different prediction horizons to estimate the time-to-clean. Employing long short-term memory, it allows adaptation of long-term predictions by accurate short-term predictions using multiple non-linear auto-regressive exogenous models. This fusion not only captures the changes in degradation trend over time, but also ensures a good accuracy of prognostics results in both the short- and long-term horizons for planning maintenance actions. The effectiveness of the proposed approach was successfully proven on real industrial data collected from a pulp mill heat exchanger located in Canada. • New adaptive prognostic approach based on fusion of short and long-term predictors. • Selection of relevant physical parameters for monitoring of fouling evolution. • Accurate long-term fouling prediction by using short-term predictors. • High accuracy of fouling time-to-clean in a real heat exchanger plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We investigated how individuals generate, share, and learn safety knowledge. • Members of a culinary and hospitality arts program were interviewed. • Safety knowledge was shared and learned via social and identity mechanisms. • Safety knowledge sharing relied on novices and experienced members interacting. • A deep, collective understanding of what safety meant was labeled "common sense". • Common sense is shared, developed via practice, and enables a professional identity. Introduction: This paper investigates how members of a culinary and hospitality arts program generate, share, and learn safety knowledge via social and identity mechanisms. Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 participants of varying roles and experience (i.e., students, culinary instructors, and restaurant chefs) in the culinary and hospitality arts program at a large polytechnic in western Canada. Results: The emergent themes from these interviews indicated that the circulation of safety knowledge relied on the interaction among individuals with various levels of experience, such that those who were more experienced in the culinary arts were able to share safety knowledge with novices, who had less experience. Comparing safety knowledge gleaned from within the school against that gleaned from within the industry highlighted differences between the construction of safety in the two contexts. Notably, many aspects of safety knowledge are not learned in school and those that are may not apply in the industry context. We found that safety knowledge was shared through informal means such as storytelling, a process that allowed members to come to a deep, collective understanding of what safety meant, which they often labeled "common sense." Conclusion: We found that safety knowledge was a currency through which participants achieved legitimacy, generated through continual practical accomplishment of the work in interaction with others. Practical Applications: Our findings provide novel insights into how safety knowledge is shared, and we discuss the implications of these findings for classroom, work-based learning, and other forms of curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most vastly used protocols to protect services traffic like the web and email is Transport Layer Security (TLS). In 2018 the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standardized the latest version TLS 1.3, Introduced a significant enhancement in the protocol performance, and presented some new features. One of the new features is zero round trip-time (0-RTT) handshake mode, where the client can send the application data to the server within the handshake messages before the TLS connection is fully established. However, this application data is replayable. The replay attacks in 0-RTT handshake mode have been studied, and several mechanisms are proposed for protection, these proposed mechanisms are not able to prevent replay attacks when the server functionality is provided by a distributed environment such as multiple servers in a cloud computing environment or a CDN. This paper introduces TLS Guard as a new mechanism that extends TLS 1.3 to prevent replay attacks in a distributed environment. We evaluated a prototype TLS Guard implementation in controlled experiments and showed that its effect comes at the cost of some CPU overhead. More importantly, we showed that TLS Guard is scalable and tolerates faults without any required changes on the client side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permylene™ demonstration system (PDS), a membrane-based pilot unit for olefin/paraffin separation, is designed and fabricated by Imtex Membranes Corp. (Imtex). The PDS, equipped with pilot-scale Permylene™ elements, is capable of treating up to 3 kg/h of olefin/paraffin mixture. The PDS unit is installed in Imtex's testing lab in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Various plant-collected and lab-blended olefin/paraffin mixtures involving ethylene/ethane (C2), propylene/propane (C3), and butene/butane (C4) have been assessed on the unit. This paper is focused on the application of PDS for C3 separation, and a series of remarkable performances that have been achieved by the Permylene™ membrane and PDS unit. Propylene purity of over 98.5 vol% in the permeate/product stream has been reached over a wide range of propylene recovery rates, which could offer significant flexibility to meet various industrial operation conditions. Furthermore, the PDS unit demonstrates its stability and efficiency with 1200 hrs of continuous C3 permeation. Finally, a case study of recovering 90 % of propylene from 15,000 kg/h of C3 is performed to estimate energy consumption in commercial applications. The energy consumption of the Permylene™ process is calculated and compared with that of the distillation process. The result indicates that the energy consumption in PDS is extremely low, equal to only 8 % of that required in distillation. The study undeniably validates Permylene™'s remarkable capability for C3 separation, highlighting its potential as a viable and energy-efficient alternative to traditional distillation. [Display omitted] • The asymmetric membrane and solution replenishing overcome the instability. • This pilot unit is capable of treating up to 3 kg/h of olefin/paraffin mixture. • Propylene purity of 98.5 vol% is reached over a wide range of recovery rates. • Stable performance is shown in 1200 h of continuous C3 permeation. • The energy consumption in PDS equals 8 % of that required in distillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable construction project cost estimation relies on accurate quantity takeoffs (QTOs), traditionally done with error-prone 2-D drawings, but the emergence of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has improved QTO speed, accuracy, and reliability. However, the quality of BIM models can influence quantity accuracy, an aspect often overlooked in research on automating QTO with BIM. This paper develops an integrated framework to automatically extract and visualize construction quantities from BIM models. The system includes a Quantity Precision Check (QPC) module for automating more accurate QTO outputs. These outputs are then automatically transferred to an external database and visualized through a user-friendly dashboard on the Microsoft Power BI platform. This dashboard allows for comparisons between 2-D and BIM quantities and helps track changes in quantities over time due to design changes. The system was successfully validated in an infrastructure construction project in Canada, where it identified a 39% inconsistency in wall elements' material quantities and reduced steel quantity by 10% due to design changes. Overall, the system offers a speedy, reliable, and efficient tool for construction estimators, site managers, and cost control teams to provide accurate quantities to the procurement team and make swift decisions in response to design change impacts on construction costs. • This study introduces an automated QPC/QTO system for architectural and structural BIM models. • A QPC/QTO system workflow was developed to automatically calculate their quantities and check their accuracy in the BIM model. • The Data Extraction and Analysis Module was developed to automatically calculate, and check the accuracy of the quantities of each category. • The Data Visualization Module was developed to visualize the final QTO results and inconsistencies in BIM parameters after each update. • The system can be used as a fast and reliable tool for construction estimators to provide accurate quantities to the procurement team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses cutbacks to a post-secondary funding program for Indigenous peoples in Canada to understand how changes in the costs of higher education affect the educational attainment and labour market outcomes of Indigenous groups. I exploit exogenous variation in exposure to student aid across cohorts and ethnicities to show that increasing the costs of post-secondary education not only affects post-secondary attainment but can also lead to a sizable decrease in high school graduation rates. After reductions in targeted student aid in the late 1980s, high school graduation rates declined by five percentage points on Indian reserves. I suggest that this finding is consistent with a model of human capital acquisition in which the return to a high school degree is low. In this framework, some students complete high school in order to attend a post-secondary institution. When post-secondary education is no longer affordable, some students may no longer find it worthwhile to complete high school. In the long-run, the program cutbacks had lasting adverse effects on labour supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methodological factors are often acknowledged for their impact on the urban sustainability assessment outcomes. The significance of this impact, however, divides those who assign it great importance; to the point of compromising any attempt at sustainability benchmarking using indicators, from those who regard it as having a relatively limited role. In this paper, we aim to contribute to this debate by assessing how methodological choices could influence the variation in the outcomes of indicator-based urban sustainability benchmarking. The paper starts with a literature review outlining the evolution of the approaches adopted since the pioneering experiences in the ‘90s to show a convergence in indicators and data over time. Subsequently, by using the data of the 25 most populous cities in Quebec, we empirically analyse the sensitivity of the cities’ sustainability scores to 18 combinations of estimation techniques, and observe consistency within the outcomes while maintaining general patterns regardless of the approach used. The results suggest that methodological choices play a limited role in the urban sustainability assessment outcomes. Thus, other determinants beyond the evaluation methods are most likely involved and therefore should be a major focus in future research agendas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing variability of the illicit drug market has imposed serious health risks for people who use drugs (PWUD), particularly due to the increasing co-occurrence of opioids and etizolam (or other benzodiazepines) in some jurisdictions. A miniature mass spectrometer (MS) equipped with paper capillary spray ionization was evaluated for its ability to quantify fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, carfentanil, and etizolam in illicit drug samples. Prior to testing actual drug samples, inter- and intra-day reproducibility, calibration linearity, and analytical sensitivity were assessed. The development of a continuous spray solvent delivery system improved MS/MS quantitation by prolonging ionization stability. A simple, rapid and quantitative tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and employed for the analysis of real-world illicit drug samples provided by PWUD at a harm reduction site in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Limits of detection ranged from 0.001 to 0.24% w/w of illicit analyte in the original solid drug samples. Target analytes were detected and quantified via the miniature MS system for samples where conventional on-site drug checking technologies were not always effective. These promising results demonstrate the potential role for miniature mass spectrometer systems for on-site drug checking services that can be both sensitive to trace, toxic levels as well as adaptable/selective for new drug threats as they appear in the illicit drug supply. [Display omitted] • The increased variability of the illicit drug market has imposed serious health risks for people who use drugs (PWUD). • A rapid & quantitative miniature MS method was developed and employed for the analysis of real-world illicit drug samples. • Target analytes were quantified via miniature MS, where other on-site drug checking technologies were not always effective. • Miniature MS systems for on-site drug checking services are sensitive, adaptable and selective for new drug threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents ten lessons that I learned in designing rates for electricity over four decades. It is based on designing, reviewing and evaluating rates in multiple jurisdictions around the globe. The rates I helped designed spanned a wide cross section including inclining block rates, time-of-use rates and dynamic pricing rates. The paper reflects my experience as an expert witness in nearly seventy rate cases in the US and Canada. It is also based on I learned from my appearances before government agencies, legislative bodies and regulatory bodies on six continents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turning movements are one of the key inputs required for several traffic studies. Several methods have been developed to measure them. However, present techniques have high operational or capital costs, which motivate researchers to develop new techniques to estimate turning movements. However, there is neither a flexible technique available to make best use of different available information types, nor a framework that supports deciding additional data to achieve a target accuracy. This paper proposes a new methodology using all available data to identify the subspace containing all solutions and determine its centroid; thus, providing the most realistic and non-extreme solution. In addition, a framework, including scenarios with different data combinations, is developed with capability to evaluate the proposed solution and then locate further measurements to achieve the target accuracy. The framework is validated using a considerable set of intersections at Edmonton city, Canada. The results show that the proposed framework can achieve the target accuracy with minimum field measurements saving time, effort and cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy goat kid rearing is the foundation of future milk production, yet little is known on this topic. References available to producers are limited, making it more difficult for dairy goat farms to reach their full production potential. This review paper aimed to identify the current recommendations on dairy goat kid rearing practices for intensive production systems and to assess whether the different recommendations were based on scientific literature. Recommendations on dairy goat kid rearing practices, from birth to weaning inclusively, were presented and compared between countries under similar intensive production systems, including Canada, the United States, and France. The different areas of rearing investigated included kidding management, colostrum management, liquid and solid feeding, health management, disbudding, housing, weaning, and growth monitoring. Gaps in the literature were identified in all areas except for disbudding. More research on the topic of goat kid raising practices would be beneficial to refine and validate current recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly contagious COVID-19 virus spread across the world in a matter of months, beginning in the second half of 2019 and being declared a global pandemic by March, 2020. To limit its continued spread, large parts of economies around the world were shut down, including in Canada and the USA. These actions resulted in levels of unemployment and contractions in GDP not seen since the Great Depression. Superimposed on these truly extraordinary events have been global supply challenges which manifested themselves in an inability of governments to procure critical medical equipment, which exacerbated the health care crisis, increased protectionist sentiments, and led to new protectionist legalisation across many countries. Furthermore, the COVID-19 shock will reinforce trends that were already present globally to shorten supply chains and slow FDI growth, serving as an important tipping point that should encourage governments to consider policies to mitigate the impact of such changes on host economies. This paper considers how these economic, financial, and legislative developments will likely impact FDI patterns for years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Members of the healthcare team must access and share patient information to coordinate interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP). Although some evidence suggests that electronic health records (EHRs) contribute to in-team communication breakdowns, EHRs are still widely hailed as tools that support ICP. If EHRs are expected to promote ICP, researchers must be able to longitudinally study the impact of EHRs on ICP across communication types, users, and physical locations.Objective: This paper presents a data collection and analysis tool, named the Map of the Clinical Interprofessional Communication Spaces (MCICS), which supports examining how EHRs impact ICP over time, and across communication types, users, and physical locations.Methods: The tool's development evolved during a large prospective longitudinal study conducted at a Canadian pediatric academic tertiary-care hospital. This two-phased study [i.e., pre-implementation (phase 1) and post implementation (phase 2)] of an EHR employed a constructivist grounded theory approach and triangulated data collection strategies (i.e., non-participant observations, interviews, think-alouds, and document analysis). The MCICS was created through a five-step process: (i) preliminary structural development based on the use of the paper-based chart (phase 1); (ii) confirmatory review and modification process (phase 1); (iii) ongoing data collection and analysis facilitated by the map (phase 1); (iv) data collection and modification of map based on impact of EHR (phase 2); and (v) confirmatory review and modification process (phase 2).Results: Creating and using the MCICS enabled our research team to locate, observe, and analyze the impact of the EHR on ICP, (a) across oral, electronic, and paper communications, (b) through a patient's passage across different units in the hospital, (c) across the duration of the patient's stay in hospital, and (d) across multiple healthcare providers. By using the MCICS, we captured a comprehensive, detailed picture of the clinical milieu in which the EHR was implemented, and of the intended and unintended consequences of the EHR's deployment. The map supported our observations and analysis of ICP communication spaces, and of the role of the patient chart in these spaces.Conclusions: If EHRs are expected to help resolve ICP challenges, it is important that researchers be able to longitudinally assess the impact of EHRs on ICP across multiple modes of communication, users, and physical locations. Mapping the clinical communication spaces can help EHR designers, clinicians, educators and researchers understand these spaces, appreciate their complexity, and navigate their way towards effective use of EHRs as means for supporting ICP. We propose that the MCICS can be used "as is" in other academic tertiary-care pediatric hospitals, and can be tailored for use in other healthcare institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three indicators (GDP, PCDIIP-rh and Total Population) are selected in this paper to study the effect of sample length on forecasting validity of FGM(1,1). It has passed the test, such as development coefficient, mean relative error within the sample, and ratio of mean square error. The above three sets of indicators are proved to be suitable for FGM(1,1) to make predictions. The results of the study indicate that the forecasting of 4–6 sample lengths is the most appropriate. The MAPE of 5 sample length is better than sample lengths 4 or 6. The conclusion of this study is verified by taking the oil production of India and Canada as examples. On this basis, the sample length 5 is selected to predict the average annual concentration of PM 2.5 from 2019 to 2021 in Xingtai. The forecasting results show that the PM 2.5 in Xingtai will decline in the next three years, but it will not reach the national level 2 concentration limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broiler breeders are subjected to feed restriction programs to control excessive growth. However, current levels of feed restriction and concomitant growth restriction are becoming severe, raising welfare and suboptimal reproductive performance concerns in underfed breeders. To circumvent the issue, our previous studies investigated the effects of new strategic growth curves, with various degrees of relaxed growth restrictions, on broiler breeders and their progeny's performance. The broiler breeder study was conducted with 40 Ross 708 broiler breeder pullets reared on 1 of 10 target growth trajectories using a precision feeding (PF) system. The growth trajectories were designed with 2 levels of the amount of prepubertal BW gain and 5 levels of pubertal growth timing. The prepubertal BW gain (g 1) was estimated from the breeder-recommended standard BW gain (Standard g 1) target, or 10% higher (High g 1). The pubertal growth timing (I 2) was advanced such that it happened at I 2 -0% = 22.29 wk, I 2 -5% = 21.16 wk, I 2 -10% = 20.05 wk, I 2 -15% = 18.94 wk, I 2 -20% = 17.82 wk of age. Two broiler experiments with different maternal ages (35 and 42 wk) were conducted as the extension of the breeder experiment to evaluate the intergenerational effects of a reduced degree of maternal prepubertal phase growth restriction and earlier maternal pubertal phase growth on offspring growth and development. The current paper investigated the economic aspects of implementing the growth curves using the partial budget analysis. Increasing prepubertal BW gain by 10% and advancing the pubertal growth phase by 20% (scenario 10) could increase margin over feed and chick cost for the hatching egg producers by CDN$1.97/hen. For broiler chicken supply chain as a whole, the highest differential margin over feed and chick cost was for maternal growth scenario 10 from 42-wk-old hens. The latter margin over feed and chick cost was greater than that of breeder-recommended maternal growth (from 35-wk-old hens) by $0.1053/kg live chicken under the current economic situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Column height is the parameter with more impact on longitudinal displacements. • Deck skew is the parameter with lesser influence on the seismic response. • Minimum required support lengths by actual codes are found to be very conservative. • The period is a more accurate parameter to predict longitudinal displacements. • An equation is proposed to estimate the required support length from the period. Loss of bridge deck supports is one of the major failures observed during past earthquakes. Deck collapse due to loss of support has been observed mainly on simply supported bridge structures with insufficient support length at expansion bearings. To accommodate the large displacements induced by seismic movements and to avoid bridge collapse, modern seismic standards and regulations require a minimum support length at expansion deck bearings. This paper presents the state of knowledge on the empirical support length equation and the main geometric parameters influencing the required support length at deck expansion bearings. It also presents the results of the parametric study performed on typical existing single and multi-span simply supported bridges subjected to seismic loads typical of Eastern Canada. The results allowed to identify and describe the key geometric parameters influencing the nonlinear responses of existing bridges, evaluate their relative influence in terms of displacements and ductility associated with the loss of deck supports. It also compares the current empirical equation with predicted displacements and proposes an equation more suitable for predicting expected displacements (lower than code values) in an evaluation framework for judging the seismic vulnerability of existing such as the bridge models considered in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike typical soils, sensitive clays undergo extensive post-peak strength degradation with increasing strain and finally disintegrate into a remolded liquid state. Realization of post-peak stress-strain behavior of sensitive clay up to large strains is vital in assessing large deformation problems such as landslides and mud flows. The conventional experimental approaches are uncertain about accurately determining the post-peak stress curve up to large strains (>100%) owing to rapidly increasing testing problems at increasing strains. This necessitates the exploration of an alternative scientific approach to predict the complete stress-strain curve for sensitive clays, which is addressed in this paper. Post-peak stress-strain curves of sensitive clays for different sites are obtained by converting remolding index vs. strain energy curves. Using site-specific data from eastern Canada sites, a mathematical expression is proposed to predict the complete stress-strain curve. Subsequently, an equation is developed for predicting remolding energy based on the stress-strain curve. Finally, it is observed that the post-peak stress-strain behavior is highly site-specific and can be mathematically expressed with a combination of exponential and linear strain-softening curves. Overall, the knowledge of the complete stress-strain behavior contributes greatly to the prediction of post-failure movements closer to reality. • Determination of complete post-peak behavior of sensitive clays up to remolding. • Limitations of the generalized application of existing strain softening equation. • The proposition of a new site-specific strain softening equation with its application in some real-case scenarios. • The proposition for an equation to determine remolding energy as well as an equation to estimate the retrogression distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Physical salt attack (PSA) is a key damage mechanism of concrete in salt-bearing environments. • The current paper presents a case study analyzing the condition of repaired concrete piles in 47-year-old administrative building. • Deterioration of the concrete piles was observed above the ground level and repair zones. • Thermal, mineralogical and microscopy analyses showed that the underlying mechanism of damage was PSA. • The repair concrete could not stop the progress of PSA on the concrete above it. • Recommendations for future repair strategies are made. Physical salt attack (PSA) is a key damage mechanism of concrete in salt-bearing environments. Multiple case studies were reported throughout literature on PSA of concrete; yet, without any case on the performance of repaired concrete elements. The current paper presents a case study analyzing the condition of repaired concrete piles in 47-year-old administrative building in Winnipeg, MB, Canada, after 22 years from repair works. Deterioration of the concrete piles was visually observed above the ground level and repair zones, in the form of scaling, crumbling and reduction of cross section. In addition to fluid transport and pore structural features tests, mineralogical, thermal and microscopy analyses were performed on concrete chunks/cores extracted from the piles to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of damage. The repair concrete was capable of mitigating chemical and physical sulfate attacks; however, it could not stop the progress of PSA on the concrete above it, urging for careful design of repair strategies for elements subjected to PSA. Recommendations for future repair in this case are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development effort that created a robust representation of the combined capacity expansion of the U.S. and Canadian electric sectors within the NREL ReEDS model. The abbreviated scenario analysis effort was designed to understand drivers behind various Canadian–U.S. power sector futures out to 2036. We model the impact of natural gas prices, increased Canadian hydropower deployment, and increased renewable energy (RE) penetrations. The sample results analyzed in this paper show the highly dynamic nature of the modeling tool as it performs a simultaneous optimization of the two countries’ generation portfolios. The interactions between the two countries go beyond energy generation and also include firm capacity contracts and renewable energy certificates (RECs). The reference scenario results show a significant increase in wind generation in both the United States and Canada with a gradual retirement of coal and nuclear energy. The evolution of net energy and firm capacity exchange was very dynamic through the span of the analysis period and drives significant investment in transmission capacity across the border, almost doubling the existing capacity of transmission lines. The exchange of energy was driven by regional stories. ISO-NE and NYISO import energy throughout the analysis period. However, in the Western Interconnection we observed increasing imports to Canada from the United States, whereas the exchanges with MISO switched directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been strong evidence showing a declining trend of firm dynamism in many other OECD countries over the last three decades. However, so far there has no compelling evidence that points to any intrinsic factor(s) that may have affected the trend of declining firm dynamism. This paper investigates some potential candidates for the intrinsic factors that might be responsible for the decline in firm dynamism. Specifically, it hypothesises that globalisation and ICT (information and communication technology) have increased the flexibility in business operation, which has contributed to the decline in firm dynamics because firms can better weather positive/negative shocks with increasing business flexibility. Using data from Canada, we find empirical support for the linkage between business flexibility and firm dynamics in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• IRBOs are key institutions supporting hydrodiplomacy in transboundary river basins. • IRBOs produce and use science to support hydrodiplomacy. • When producing science, IRBOs balance capacity, ownership, and politics. As key venues for interaction and cooperation, international river basin organizations (IRBOs) are significant contributors to hydrodiplomacy in transboundary river basins. As part of their efforts to support hydrodiplomacy, IRBOs engage in the production and use of science. The manner in which that science is produced, and how it contributes to hydrodiplomacy, is not well understood. This paper examines the production and use of science by three IRBOs: the (US – Canada) International Joint Commission, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, and the Mekong River Commission. We find the science produced by the IRBOs to support hydrodiplomacy extends beyond measuring and monitoring to include more advanced and analytical forms of science. In producing science, we observe that the IRBOs balance considerations of capacity, ownership, and how the politics of the basin will influence the production and use of the science. Given the challenge of balancing across these considerations, future research is needed to determine what mechanisms and processes for producing science can best facilitate its use in hydrodiplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial and temporal variations of Total Electron Content (TEC) can affect GNSS high accuracy positioning. Enhanced estimation of ionospheric variations and their de-correlation can benefit differential and point positioning rapid solutions. Global and regional TEC maps can provide the overall state of ionopsheric variations in space and time domains within their accuracy limits. In this paper, these maps are exploited to retrieve ionospheric variations by means of variograms and their associated covariance functions of TEC residuals over Canadian region during geomagnetically quiet and disturbed conditions. A number of theoretical variogram functions are reviewed for modeling covariance of TEC residuals. The variogram modeling of residuals during a strong geomagnetic storm revealed variances of one order of magnitude larger compared to a rather quiet condition. Variogram models are also used in regional and local kriging interpolation experiments and their performances are evaluated. Global maps of TEC RMS by International GNSS Service and two of its analysis centres are also compared over the Canadian region during a two-year period. Realistic representation of regional variances using estimated variograms when compared to global ionospheric RMS maps are also presented. [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]

• Key operational parameters of 14 office buildings were reviewed. • Over 60% of the air handling units were not turned off outside normal occupied hours. • Most of the reviewed buildings did not have an economizer cycle program. • A sensitivity analysis was conducted with the reviewed operational parameters. • A mixed-integer genetic algorithm was applied to identify the optimal operational parameters. Operator decisions regarding daily and seasonal scheduling of systems' availability and setpoints play an important role in building performance. This paper reviews the key operational parameters of 14 office buildings in Ottawa, Canada. The results revealed that over 60% of the air handling units (AHUs) were not turned off outside of normal occupied hours, and most of them did not have an economizer cycle. The indoor temperature setpoints were between 20 and 24 °C. Based on these insights, a building performance simulation (BPS)-based sensitivity analysis was conducted to better understand the energy and comfort performance implications of common operator decisions. Eight operational parameters were studied: AHU start and stop times, seasonal switchover to heating and cooling times, heating and cooling season temperature setpoints, and ventilation rate and mode (i.e., constant or occupancy-based). The results revealed that the AHU start and stop times and the ventilation rate are the most critical operational parameters examined in terms of affecting the energy and comfort performance of the buildings investigated. Subsequently, a mixed-integer genetic algorithm was applied to identify the optimal operational parameters among the set of eight operational parameters investigated for four different heating dominated climate zones, nine different occupancy and three different envelope scenarios. The relationships between the variables of these scenarios and the optimal operational parameters were examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cernavoda Tritium Removal Facility as tritium supplier for fusion activities is in line with ITER plans for construction. • Tritium quantities produced by CTRF are lower than those required by fusion activities, but CTRF can be considered as an important contributor. • Position of CTRF in EU may be considered as an advantage, all requirements for tritium management (storage for transportation, transfer arrangements, safety) can be easily met. National R&D for Cryogenics and Isotopes Separation (ICSI) completed the conceptual design of the Cernavoda Tritium Removal Facility (CTRF) in 2015. CTRF is located at CNE 1 1 Centrala Nucleara Electrica - NPP Cernavoda and is sized to process 40 kg/h heavy water from 2 CANDU reactors, with a detritiation factor of 100, over 40 years design life. CTRF removes tritium using liquid phase catalytic exchange (LPCE) paired with cryogenic distillation (CD). The design of CTRF uses expertise from ICSI (Pilot Plant for Tritium and Deuterium Separation) and from Canada (Kinectrics), together with experience from Wolsung TRF project, research tritium laboratories and industry. The CTRF design uses the most advanced TRF technology, including recent safety requirements for a tritium industrial facility as specified by the Romanian Regulator. Construction of CTRF is planned to start in 2020 and the detritiation of heavy water from first reactor is scheduled to begin in 2026. After this date tritium stored will become available to be used for fusion research and industrial facilities. First phase of detritiation process is to reduce the moderator tritium content from 65 Ci/kg to 10 Ci/kg, second phase to maintain the tritium concentration up to 10 Ci/kg and third phase to use CTRF to reduce tritium content as low as possible before decommissioning of the site. This paper will present the technologies used, provide a prediction of tritium production, and considerations for possible use of CTRF for supplying He-3, as a by-product of the detritiation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction : As seniors represent a growing proportion of the driving population, research about how automated vehicles can help improve older driver safety and mobility is highly relevant. This paper examines the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of older drivers towards limited self-driving vehicles (LSDVs), and how these variables can influence the likelihood that they will rely on this technology. Method : The study includes data from a previous national survey (N = 2662) about automated vehicle technology, with new analyses to test hypothetical models using structural equation modeling. Results of the first model were confirmed and built upon with a second more complex model that incorporated the construct "behavioral adaptation." Focus groups with older drivers were also conducted (N = 38) to help reveal nuances in older drivers' knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors regarding this technology. Results : Survey results demonstrated that feelings of safety and knowledge about LSDVs are positively related to perceived ease of use and adoption of the technology. The positive association between safety and perceived ease of use was further highlighted when comparing responses of older drivers to those of younger age groups, as older drivers were significantly less likely to agree that LSDVs were easy to use and were significantly less agreeable about feeling safe using them. Focus groups results confirmed that safety and knowledge of LSDVs are essential to the likelihood of adopting this technology, and revealed a high receptivity among older drivers to educational strategies and tools to increase their knowledge of LSDVs. Implications for educational strategies and safety benefits for older drivers are discussed. Practical applications : Results provide insight into strategies to encourage the early adoption of automated vehicles by older drivers and facilitate a safer transition towards automated vehicles that is lead by a cohort of safety-conscious drivers. • A national survey of Canadian drivers was conducted on automated vehicles. • Focus groups with older drivers were conducted on automated vehicles. • Survey data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. • Data revealed feelings of safety, knowledge are vital to adopting this technology. • Importance of and receptivity to education on automated vehicles for older drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Synoptic analysis of two IBM types yielded interesting details on similarities and differences. • New methodology of recombining model components was crucial to analysis. • Models with detailed interaction structure are only beneficial if the data provide the interaction information required. • Substantial progress in estimating the parameters of spatial IBMs was made. Agent/individual-based models (A/IBM) help to explain in a mechanistic way how spatial plant patterns evolve through time. In the past, seemingly different and independent types of A/IBMs were developed for modelling the dynamics of tree populations, e.g. growth interaction (GI) and shot noise (SN) models. In this paper, we present a new, advanced methodology of pattern-oriented modelling (POM) for the comparative, synoptic analysis of the behaviour of different types of A/IBMs by using recombinations of model components, validation and sensitivity analysis. We analysed model behaviour for spatio-temporal data from natural forests of interior Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var glauca (Mirb.) Franco) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) populations from Canada and the UK, respectively. Our detailed analysis clarified that both models, GI and SN along with their recombinations performed similarly and belong to the same group of A/IBMs. From the application of our new methodology we learnt that SN models were able to describe interactions more accurately than GI models and additionally produce interaction fields that can be used for other modelling purposes. On the other hand the GI model was more robust when using observed data that did not include sufficient information on tree interactions. Maximum-likelihood estimations were more reliable in spatial regression analysis than least-squares methods and should be preferred in spatial A/IBM parametrisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil respiration is a crucial source of carbon dioxide (CO 2) in the atmosphere. The underlying processes involved are multifaceted, sequential chemical reactions associated with the conversion of soil organic carbon to CO 2. In this paper, we present a mechanistic, biogeochemical model to simulate soil CO 2 emissions considering the microbial and sequential chemical processes using the well-established hydrological model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for the first time. The soil CO 2 emissions from multiple sequential soil chemical reactions were compared with the observed data at three sites in Canada. The results show that the modelled CO 2 emission rates are in good agreement with the observed data with performance statistics: PBIAS: 0.13%–23%; NSE: 0.27 to 0.62; RSR: 0.60 to 0.84; R2: 0.29 to 0.83. This approach could be used in future regional to global-scale models for simulating the soil CO 2 emission and hydrological processes. Image 1 • Modelling of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. • Soil chemical reactions modelling using microbial kinetics and thermodynamics. • Modelling of soil autotrophic respiration and soil heterotrophic respiration. • Modelling of soil CO 2 emissions using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). • Watershed-scale modelling of soil CO 2 emission using SWAT tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]