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This paper develops a framework for a financial, economic, and stakeholder analysis of a residential rooftop solar net-metering program. The empirical focus of the paper is the net-metering program in Ontario, Canada, but the methodology is applicable to evaluating other public programs. The results highlight that without the Federal Government's subsidy for the initial investment cost, net-metered solar systems are not financially viable for representative households. Moreover, the stakeholder analysis reveals that for each additional net-metered system installed in Ontario, non-net-metered households experience financial losses of six times the benefits to the net-metered households. The net losses to the Federal Government of Canada and the Canadian economy are five and nine times the benefit to the net-metered households, respectively. The only stakeholder who benefits marginally is the Government of Ontario. In terms of environmental benefits, our estimate of the cost of greenhouse gas abatement by residential net-metered solar is 325 CAD per ton of CO 2 , which is significantly higher than the current (65 CAD in 2023) and future (170 CAD by 2030) national carbon price set by the Government of Canada. [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]

The research pertaining to racial disparities for Black families in child welfare is relatively limited in Canada. Recent research reveals that the overrepresentation of Black families in Canadian child welfare systems typically begins at the reporting or investigation stage and continues throughout the child welfare service and decision-making continuum. This research is occurring against the backdrop of increasing public acknowledgement of Canada's historic anti-Black policy-making and institutional relationships to Black communities. Though there is increased awareness about anti-Black racism, there has been limited exploration of the connection between anti-Black racism in child welfare legislation and how this policy generates disparities for Black families in both child welfare involvement and outcomes – this paper seeks to fill this gap in knowledge. The objective of this paper is to explore the entrenchment of anti-Black racism within the child welfare system by critically assessing the language and absence of language within the guiding legislative and implementation policies. Utilizing a critical race discourse analysis method, this study explores the entrenchment of anti-Black racism within the Ontario child welfare system by critically assessing the language and absence of language within the guiding legislative policies that shape practice for Black children, youth, and families. The findings revealed that though the legislation does not explicitly address anti-Black racism, there were instances where the legislation indicated that race and culture may be considered in responding to children and families. The lack of specificity, particularly in the Duty to Report, has the potential to contribute to disparate reporting and decision-making for Black families. Policy makers should acknowledge the history of anti-Black racism that informed the development of the legislation in Ontario and move towards tackling systemic injustices that disproportionately affect Black families. More explicit language will shape future policies and practices to ensure that the impact of anti-Black racism is considered across the child welfare continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The uncertainty of wind power has a significant impact on power load forecasting. • LASSO-QR is presented for power load probability density forecasting considering the wind power. • LASSO and GCV methods are adopted to extract the important explanatory variables. • Two cases of Canada in summer and winter display the performance of proposed method. Short-term load forecasting (STLF) is the foundation of safe and stable operation for power systems. In recent years, large amount of intermittent wind power has integrated into the power system, which significantly increases the uncertainties of power load forecasting. Along with the gradual increase for the proportion of wind power in the power grid, the frequency stability problem attributed to wind power connection attracts increasing attention from various aspects. Fully considering the impact of the wind power factor, a method of probability density forecasting based on Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator-Quantile Regression (LASSO-QR) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the significant explanatory variables are screened out from the historical power load and wind power factors based on LASSO algorithm via generalized cross validation (GCV), and the LASSO-QR model is established. Secondly, in combination with kernel density estimation (KDE) method, short-term power load probability density forecasting based on LASSO-QR is implemented utilizing Epanechnikov kernel function. Thirdly, the paper appraises the exactitude of the prediction interval (PI) in accordance with two criteria, prediction interval coverage probability (PICP) and prediction interval normalized average width (PINAW). Two real datasets from Ontario of Canada in summer and winter, are exploited to validate the LASSO-QR method. Fully considering the impact of wind power factor on the power load, experiment results demonstrate that the LASSO-QR method can construct more accurate PI and obtain more precise probability density forecasting results than quantile regression (QR). Contrastive analysis with the existing state-of-the-art methods further verifies superiority of the method proposed, which reduces the nondeterminacy of the prediction process to avoid large prediction errors and economic losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate wind speed forecasting ensures the controllability for the wind power system. In this paper, a structure with density-weighted active learning (DWAL)-based model selection strategy from the perspective of meteorological factors is proposed to improve the accuracy and stability for wind speed deterministic and probabilistic forecasting. To improve training efficiency and accelerate the sample selection process, DWAL is employed. The multi-objective flower pollination algorithm is used to combine best models selected from model space with optimal weights for higher accuracy and stability. Except deterministic forecasts, as large-scale wind power generation integrated into power grid, the wind direction should also be forecasted and the estimation of the wind speed and direction uncertainty is vital, offering various aspects of forecasts for risk management. Thus, both deterministic and probabilistic forecasting for the wind speed vector are included in this paper. Eight datasets from Ontario Province, Canada, are utilized to evaluate forecasting performance of the model selection and the proposed structure. Results demonstrated: (a) the proposed structure is suitable for wind speed vector forecasting; (b) the proposed structure obtains more precise and stable forecasting performance; (c) the proposed structure improves the accuracy of deterministic forecasting and provides probabilistic information for wind speed vector forecasting. • Propose a novel forecasting structure based on meteorological analysis. • The model selection is employed. • The multi-objective flower pollination algorithm is used. • Density-weighted active learning algorithm is applied. • Both deterministic forecasting and probabilistic forecasting are applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The concept of biographical disruption has now enjoyed nearly 40 years of use in medical sociology. This paper argues that taking an embodied approach to biographical disruption helps to explain the concept's enduring efficacy. Drawing on the work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and contemporary theories of embodiment inspired by his phenomenology, this paper advances that biographical disruption involves, in the first instance, a disruption to the ability to enact an embodied orientation towards the world. Biographical disruption does not, from this perspective, result from illness as such, but from the ways that illness impinges on one's physical ability to engage with daily life. This paper examines the experiences of solid organ transplant recipients for the purpose of shedding light on the conditions under which biographical disruption arises in experience. The analysis includes interviews with 36 post-operative solid organ transplant recipients (heart, liver, lung, and kidney) living in British Columbia or Ontario, Canada. These participants exhibit a wide range of illness experiences, some of which manifest as biographical disruption and others that do not. Tracing the contours of these experiences, this paper argues that the efficacy of biographical disruption for describing the illness experience depends not only on the illness experience but also, fundamentally, on the content of embodiment prior to the onset of that experience. Highlights • The embodiment perspective improves the efficacy of biographical disruption. • The embodied context of an experience structures the illness experience. • Organ transplant recipients present variable experiences of biographical disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New carbon-sequestration geosystem paradigm proposed for screening CO 2 repositories. • Deposition, burial history 1st-order controls on repository attributes, traps, etc. • Genetic understanding of geology enables property prediction away from data control. • Case-study application to heavily industrialized region of onshore Canada. In this paper, I propose a new geoscience paradigm for evaluating potential carbon-sequestration targets. I introduce the term carbon-sequestration geosystem to study and describe portions of sedimentary basins where all the geologic components necessary for the safe and long-term storage of CO 2 are present. The purpose of this type of analysis, most appropriately applied at a basin-screening stage, is to derive a holistic, genetic, and predictive understanding of the geology – the depositional systems, structural setting and other factors that are direct controls on storage, injectivity, potential for induced seismicity, and other critical factors. To illustrate the concepts, I present a re-evaluation of the geologic carbon-sequestration options in Southern Ontario (Canada) where business and environmental needs, mostly associated with hard-to-abate industries, require urgent action. Legacy wireline-logs, core, and outcrop data are the main data sources available in this onshore setting. The results of this new, independent study are broadly similar to those of previous studies: the Cambrian section, a saline aquifer, is the most likely candidate to be a CO 2 repository. However, the methodology used identified several issues (e.g., stratigraphic heterogeneity, proximity to basement) that will need addressing by targeted data collection and/or analysis before site-selection for a test should be undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how arborists negotiate their work environment, including the pressures of policies, the labour market, technologies, government regulations and lack thereof, and the non-human agencies with which they are confronted. The political climate surrounding urban forestry in Southern Ontario influences and governs operations and physical labour. There are many (f)actors and conditions (both external and internal) surrounding fieldwork in urban forestry and that these affect work and personal lives. The questions guiding this paper include: (a) How do various political and labour conditions impact arborists’ sense of pride, independence and skill? ; (b) What are the social and labour divisions within the culture of arboriculture? ; and (c) What is the lived experience of urban forest workers, their employment, and what is it like to be a frontline worker ? This paper provides a closer look at licensing, work conditions, subcultures and social dynamics in urban arboriculture. Using accounts from semi-structured interviews with arborists across Southern Ontario and by examining field arborists’ activities, relationships with co-workers and working conditions through participant observation and ethnographic field notes, I explore and reveal how arborists feel about their working environment and the labour processes and people who oversee and surround them. Findings reveal that despite dehumanizing (f)actors within the field, there are elements of resistance and negotiation, and potential for an alternative future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroecology and food sovereignty have gained a significant foothold in the Global South; however, in the Global North, there are significant challenges hindering the adoption of these concepts. Drawing on participants' insights following an Agroecology Field School and Research Summit held in Ontario, Canada in 2018, this paper presents the context for agroecology's potential expansion in this country. We argue that three key dimensions must be addressed in order for the concept to be advanced: 1) Engagement in food system governance; 2) Building networks of solidarity between academics, activists, and food producers/harvesters; and 3) Realization of Indigenous food sovereignty. • Politics remain one of the most significant challenges facing agroecology in Canada. • Agroecology can strengthen food governance at community and government levels. • Agroecology requires solidarity between academics, organizers, and food producers. • Agroecology must address historical and ongoing injustices facing Indigenous people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The probabilistic distribution of wind speed is critical information required in evaluating wind resources, designing wind farms, and mitigating the possible risks in wind power expansion. Various distributions have been used in the research literature to estimate wind speed distribution. In this paper, we propose a flexible family of mixture distributions, whose elements are convex linear combinations of the skew-t-normal Birnbaum-Saunders distributions and is suitable for modelling heavy-tailed data with a heterogeneous population. These distributions are then used to estimate the wind speed distribution. The performance of the proposed family has been compared with five mixture models of the already used distributions, using wind speed data collected at nine stations across Ontario, Canada. The results indicate that mixture models generally provide a better fit than unimodal distributions, according to the model selection criterion. Based on the obtained results, the proposed family provides highly flexible models at all selected stations. It functions better than the other considered distributions at seven of the stations, whereas it is ranked second in the remaining two stations. The proposed family can be utilized in a widespread manner to describe the wind speed in Canada, as well as other regions with similar features. • The Weibull distribution may be inadequate for wind speed data that have heavy-tailed distributions. • The mixture models of STNBS distributions can have one, two or more peak points. • The results indicate that FM-STNBS model provides a better fit than the considered distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This article answers criticisms about the malleability of the resilience concept. • The three necessary features of the resilience concept are clarified. • A parallel concept, 'resistance', is introduced and its necessary features defined. • Introduction of 'resistance' reinforces both what 'resilience' is and what it is not. • Clarifying resilience as distinct from resistance has implications for policy. Despite criticisms that emphasize the ambiguity surrounding its definition and applications, the concept of resilience is featured prominently in studies of regional economies and regionally-based industries. This paper builds on this literature through a case study of Canada's automotive industry, an old industrial region (OIR) situated primarily in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. It also provides heightened definitional rigour to the concept of resilience and in so doing, advances the concept of 'resistance.' We argue that resistance better characterizes regional economies and regionally-based industries whose competitive advantages have eroded, are resistant to change, and remain locked into trajectories of slow decline but persist through shocks, disruptions and interventions, policy-oriented or otherwise. The clarification of resilience as distinct from resistance carries significant implications for policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate weight-loss interventions offered by Canadian doctors of chiropractic to their adult patients. This paper reports a secondary analysis of data from the Ontario Chiropractic Observation and Analysis STudy (N c = 42 chiropractors, N p = 2162 patient encounters). Multilevel logistic regression was performed to assess the odds of chiropractors initiating or continuing weight management interventions with patients. Two chiropractor variables and 8 patient-level variables were investigated for influence on chiropractor-directed weight management. In addition, the interaction between the effects of patient weight and comorbidity on weight management interventions by chiropractors was assessed. Around two-thirds (61.3%) of patients who sought chiropractic care were either overweight or had obesity. Very few patients had weight loss managed by their chiropractor. Among patients with body mass index equal to or greater than 18.5 kg/m2, guideline recommended weight management was initiated or continued by Ontario chiropractors in only 5.4% of encounters. Chiropractors did not offer weight management interventions at different rates among patients who were of normal weight, overweight, or obese (P value = 0.23). Chiropractors who graduated after 2005 who may have been exposed to reforms in chiropractic education to include public health were significantly more likely to offer weight management than chiropractors who graduated between 1995 and 2005 (odds ratio 0.02; 95% CI [0.00-0.13]) or before 1995 (odds ratio 0.08; 95% CI [0.01-0.42]). The prevalence of weight management interventions offered to patients by Canadian chiropractors in Ontario was low. Health care policy and continued chiropractic educational reforms may provide further direction to improve weight-loss interventions offered by doctors of chiropractic to their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Labour geography has yet to pay full attention to the experiences of public sector workers and their employer (the state). This article addresses this lacuna and provides some insight into the labour geographies of public sector workers through an empirical analysis of the centralization of governance, employment relations, and collective bargaining in Ontario, Canada’s publicly-funded elementary and secondary schools. This case demonstrates how one particular group of public sector workers – teachers – and their unions located and exercised agency in the arenas of politics and collective bargaining through a rescaling of their activities from the local to the provincial level. The paper also argues that the rescaling of politics and collective bargaining is problematic. Questions remain regarding whether or not Ontario’s teachers were able to increase their aggregate bargaining power through centralization or merely transferred agency and authority from one scale to another. Moreover, the paper engages with the fast-developing geographies of education literature, and is consistent with an outward-looking approach that links education to wider political and economic processes. In so doing, it extends the scope of the geographies of education to the employees of publicly-funded schools and their administrative bodies, and suggests value a theoretically- and empirically-informed dialogue between geographers interested in education and those interested in labour. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Rural broadband strategies in Canada face data and mapping challenges. • Research shows challenges with being deemed "served" or "underserved". • In southwestern Ontario rural Internet quality levels may fall below the government's aspirational targets. • We recommend provider reported data cross-referenced with user experience data and detailed mapping. This paper examines challenges to evidence-based decision-making in the design and implementation of rural broadband investment programs. Our focus is on Canada, and the apparent need for further intra-rural broadband research and better data and mapping for informing public investment decisions, but similar challenges are evident in the international literature. Based on proprietary telecommunication provider datasets, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) estimates that broadband services with advertised speeds that meet its basic universal service targets (50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload) are available to 87.4 percent of households in Canada. In rural areas however, services that meet CRTC's speed targets are available to 45.6 percent of households. Moreover, effective speeds and service quality levels that suppliers deliver and users experience tend to fall well below the government's aspirational targets. In response to demand for better broadband, a variety of initiatives are directing public investment to the deployment of regional and rural broadband networks, which are typically owned and operated by private companies. There remains a serious lack of relevant data and its effective use in creating rural broadband strategies and managing public investment projects. Evidence from the literature suggest that this affects the degree and quality of geo-spatial and econometric analysis that results in a limited empirical basis to allocate scarce public investments, aggregate demand of consumers/communities, and assess the outcomes of rural broadband initiatives ex post. This paper provides a historical overview of rural broadband development in Canada and questions if the body of knowledge to inform public investment initiatives has grown sufficiently to ensure their effectiveness and sustainability. With a regional case from southwestern Ontario, Canada, we discuss the findings of the literature review, characterize the broadband data challenge, and discuss the importance of proprietary provider data cross-referenced with Internet user experience data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In May of 2000, thousands of residents of the town of Walkerton, Ontario became ill from drinking municipal water contaminated by Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni bacteria. Seven people died, while many suffered debilitating injuries. A highly unusual and risk prone local hydrological regime, coupled with manure spreading on farms near municipal wells, and lax oversight by municipal water utility officials, were quickly blamed by Ontario government figures, including then premier Mike Harris. However, the scandal surrounding Walkerton''s tragedy and a subsequent public inquiry into the incident also implicated neoliberal reforms of environmental governance introduced by Harris''s government subsequent to its election in 1995. This paper examines the Walkerton incident as an important example of a “normal accident” of neoliberalism, one that can be expected from neoliberal environmental regulatory reforms arising from systematic irresponsibility in environmental governance. This irresponsibility is promulgated by an overarching hostility to any regulatory interference with free markets, as well as specific regulatory gaps that produce environmental risks. The paper also serves as a case study of the extent to which neoliberalism is constituted by environmental governance reform, and conversely, how environmental governance reform is reconfigured as part of the emergent neoliberal mode of social regulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights • Preclinical mesothelioma models are used to inform clinical therapeutic strategies. • Contrast administration time delay impacts enhancement of mesothelioma tumor on CT. • Segmented mesothelioma tumor volume from MRI is associated with patient survival. • Deep learning shows promise for mesothelioma tumor segmentation in CT. • CT-based radiomics is related to the prognosis of mesothelioma patient survival. Abstract Mesothelioma patients rely on the information their clinical team obtains from medical imaging. Whether x-ray-based computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on local magnetic fields within a patient's tissues, different modalities generate images with uniquely different appearances and information content due to the physical differences of the image-acquisition process. Researchers are developing sophisticated ways to extract a greater amount of the information contained within these images. This paper summarizes the imaging-based research presented orally at the 2018 International Conference of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (iMig) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, held May 2–5, 2018. Presented topics included advances in the imaging of preclinical mesothelioma models to inform clinical therapeutic strategies, optimization of the time delay between contrast administration and image acquisition for maximized enhancement of mesothelioma tumor on CT, an investigation of image-based criteria for clinical tumor and nodal staging of mesothelioma by contrast-enhanced CT, an investigation of methods for the extraction of mesothelioma tumor volume from MRI and the association of volume with patient survival, the use of deep learning for mesothelioma tumor segmentation in CT, and an evaluation of CT-based radiomics for the prognosis of mesothelioma patient survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Child sexual abuse (CSA) rates have been declining since the 1990s (Dunne et al., 2003; Finkelhor & Jones, 2004, 2012; Jones et al., 2001). Discrepancies in contexts and measures complicate comparing CSA rates across jurisdictions and studies, and there is limited literature about trends in CSA in Canada. Objective Using data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS), the only source of provincially aggregated data in Ontario, Canada, that describes child welfare investigations, this paper provides information on reported and investigated CSA over the past 20 years. Participants and setting The OIS uses a file review methodology; information is collected directly from investigating child welfare workers. Methods A sample of child welfare agencies is selected for the study, and data are collected over a three-month period. Weights are applied to produce annual provincial estimates. Results The rates of investigated CSA in Ontario decreased between 1993 and 2013, from 5.20 (95% CI [3.94, 6.47]) to 1.81 (95% CI [0.97, 2.66]) children per 1000. During this time, the rate of all child maltreatment-related investigations doubled, from 21.41 (95% CI [18.38, 24.42]) to 53.32 ([29.61, 77.03]) children per 1000. Conclusions Unlike other forms of child maltreatment, the incidence of investigated CSA in Ontario declined since 1993. Substantiation rates for CSA investigations decreased more dramatically than the rate of all CSA investigations, which could indicate a true decline in rate or an inability to accurately identify cases of CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper examines the provision of mobility options being one of the important policy areas vital to addressing transportation accessibility of the elderly. A provincial analysis, taking the case of the Province of Ontario in Canada, is warranted given that the country’s highly decentralized system puts provincial policies at the forefront in meeting this challenge. The paper evaluates the important progress made in this policy area and stressed the need to go beyond the traditional policy focus on the less able-bodied elderly and consider the increased heterogeneity of the elderly population with respect to lifestyle, preferences, resources, health and physical abilities. While significant efforts have been made, a more explicit recognition of population aging in Ontario’s transport policy motivation that could strongly influence transport strategies and investments attuned to the mobility concerns in an aging society remains to be seen. The paper summarizes the general concerns in the literature, policy developments, and the challenges in crafting solutions in terms of policy and research for Ontario and other regions with similar institutional setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: District energy systems, in which renewable energy sources may be utilized, are centralized systems to provide energy to residential and commercial buildings. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and rank energy sources available for a case of district heating system in Vancouver, Canada, based on multiple criteria and the view points of different stakeholders, and to show how communication would affect the ranking of alternatives. The available energy sources are natural gas, biomass (wood pellets), sewer heat, and geothermal heat. The evaluation criteria include GHG emissions, particulate matter emissions, maturity of technology, traffic load, and local source. In order to rank the energy options the PROMETHEE method is used. In this paper, two different scenarios were developed to indicate how the communication between the stakeholders would affect their preferences about criteria weights and would change the ranking of alternatives. The result of this study shows that without communication the best energy source for the considered district energy system is different for different stakeholders. While, addressing concerns through efficient communication would result in a general consensus. In this case, wood pellet is the best energy alternative for all the stakeholders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent advancements in computing and geographic information systems (GIS) have revolutionized the development of planning support systems (PSSs) to study and simulate the future of travel demand in urban areas. While travel demand models have been widely developed and used to inform the urban planning process, very little has been done to explicitly account for demographic changes and the ageing of population within such models. The work in this paper bridges this gap by describing the development and application of IMPACT (integrated model for population ageing consequences on transportation), a GIS-based PSS capable of assessing the ramifications of demographic changes, including population ageing, on the performance and usage of urban transportation systems. Unlike existing operational PSSs, IMPACT possesses unique and novel features that enable it to model demographic changes and urban travel demand for various age cohorts. Through the simulation of scenarios for varying fertility rates, the paper explores and quantifies the impacts of ageing and population age-structure changes on travel patterns in the census metropolitan area (CMA) of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. The analysis suggests a consistent increase in the number of trips and mobility levels of elderly drivers, as a result of population ageing over time. Furthermore, increases in fertility rates could significantly impact the usage and performance of the transportation system for certain periods of the day, by the year 2031. Results such as these are important to consider when planning the future of cities. The findings in this paper provide new insights into the future of urban travel in the Canadian context. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Proposing a Green Vehicle Routing Problem (GVRP) for diesel and electric trucks. • Formulating a new bi-objective programming model for the GVRP. • Calculating GHG emissions for heavy-duty diesel trucks. • Developing novel solution approaches based on metaheuristic algorithms. • Applying the model for short-haul distances in Ontario, Canada. This paper considers a Green Vehicle Routing Problem (GVRP), which includes heavy-duty electric and conventional trucks. We develop a new bi-objective programming model defined on a set of vertices, including a depot, a group of customers, and a set of charging stations. The first objective function is the minimization of the total cost of transportation. To meet the growing environmental concerns, we also consider a second objective function which minimizes total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. To solve the bi-objective problem, we integrate three multi-objective solution methods (i.e., weighted-sum, ε-constraint, and hybrid methods) with the Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search (ALNS). We thereby generate a set of instances based on real-world locations in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and some parts of Ontario in Canada. These instances are then solved by applying the proposed solution methods. The obtained numerical results from the designed experiments revealed that by enhancing the charging power from 90 kW to 350 kW, transportation costs could decrease by up to 5 %. In addition, by doubling the number of stations in the same service area, delivery companies could lower their transportation costs by 2 %. Furthermore, a slight increase (less than 3 %) in transportation costs leads to a remarkable reduction (more than 18 %) in GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decision to substantiate child maltreatment is one of the many complex decisions workers must make daily. Utilizing data from the Ontario Incidence study 2013, this paper examines what child, family and environmental characteristics workers paid attention to when making the determination that a child had experienced maltreatment. This study adds to the Canadian body of research on factors that influence the decision to substantiate maltreatment by exploring the Ontario population. Caregiver risk factors, uncooperative parents, older children, and children with emotional or mental health concerns all increase the likelihood of substantiation. The decision to substantiate current maltreatment was strongly influenced by the workers' assessment of the future risk of maltreatment. Further research is need to explore worker and organizational factors that also influence this risk focus and how much of an influence the current risk assessment tools have on the workers' assessment of future risk and substantiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper is focused on predicting price signals for energy arbitrage of storage systems. • A methodology is presented based on feature selection tools and classification techniques. • A Li-Ion battery in the Ontario competitive electricity market is considered as a case study. • Results indicate that the proposed methodology outperforms alternative point forecasting models. When participating in a competitive electricity market, energy storage systems could deliver various services and stack multiple revenue streams. One potential venue for gaining profit is energy arbitrage, i.e., to harvest the price differential that might exist in some markets between the peak and off-peak hours. To take advantage of price arbitrage, however, it is necessary to have an insight into the price fluctuations of upcoming hours. In this paper, we propose a method for generating predictive electricity price signals to help storage operators make arbitrage decisions. The proposed method delivers signals that are integrated into an optimization platform to schedule the arbitrage operation of a storage system. We examine a Lithium-ion battery as the choice of storage system and the Ontario's competitive electricity market in Canada is considered as the case study. We compare the performance of the proposed approach against the cases that alternative point forecasts of the electricity price are used for self-scheduling of the storage system. The results show that the obtained arbitrage profit of the storage system can be increased significantly using the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The regions of Durham and York in Ontario, Canada have partnered to construct an energy-from-waste thermal treatment facility as part of a long term strategy for the management of their municipal solid waste. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive human health risk assessment for this facility. This assessment was based on extensive sampling of baseline environmental conditions (e.g., collection and analysis of air, soil, water, and biota samples) as well as detailed site specific modeling to predict facility-related emissions of 87 identified contaminants of potential concern. Emissions were estimated for both the approved initial operating design capacity of the facility (140,000 tonnes per year) and for the maximum design capacity (400,000 tonnes per year). For the 140,000 tonnes per year scenario, this assessment indicated that facility-related emissions are unlikely to cause adverse health risks to local residents, farmers, or other receptors (e.g., recreational users). For the 400,000 tonnes per year scenarios, slightly elevated risks were noted with respect to inhalation (hydrogen chloride) and infant consumption of breast milk (dioxins and furans), but only during predicted ‘upset conditions’ (i.e. facility start-up, shutdown, and loss of air pollution control) that represent unusual and/or transient occurrences. However, current provincial regulations require that additional environmental screening would be mandatory prior to expansion of the facility beyond the initial approved capacity (140,000 tonnes per year). Therefore, the potential risks due to upset conditions for the 400,000 tonnes per year scenario should be more closely investigated if future expansion is pursued. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The regions of Durham and York in Ontario, Canada have partnered to construct an energy-from-waste (EFW) thermal treatment facility as part of a long term strategy for the management of their municipal solid waste. In this paper we present the results of a comprehensive ecological risk assessment (ERA) for this planned facility, based on baseline sampling and site specific modeling to predict facility-related emissions, which was subsequently accepted by regulatory authorities. Emissions were estimated for both the approved initial operating design capacity of the facility (140,000tonnes per year) and the maximum design capacity (400,000tonnes per year). In general, calculated ecological hazard quotients (EHQs) and screening ratios (SRs) for receptors did not exceed the benchmark value (1.0). The only exceedances noted were generally due to existing baseline media concentrations, which did not differ from those expected for similar unimpacted sites in Ontario. This suggests that these exceedances reflect conservative assumptions applied in the risk assessment rather than actual potential risk. However, under predicted upset conditions at 400,000tonnes per year (i.e., facility start-up, shutdown, and loss of air pollution control), a potential unacceptable risk was estimated for freshwater receptors with respect to benzo(g,h,i)perylene (SR=1.1), which could not be attributed to baseline conditions. Although this slight exceedance reflects a conservative worst-case scenario (upset conditions coinciding with worst-case meteorological conditions), further investigation of potential ecological risk should be performed if this facility is expanded to the maximum operating capacity in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The heritage-scape is a socially constructed place that provides locally crafted products, cuisine, and experiences to satisfy consumers’ desire for authenticity. In this paper we question if the introduction of a functionally non-conforming structure causes an existing heritage-based place identity to dismantle (i.e. deconstruct). In 2003, a pari-mutuel racetrack and gaming parlour (a “racino”) was introduced to the historic village of Elora, Ontario, Canada. Through content analysis we unravel (i.e. deconstruct) the social processes that lay behind this development. We find that this profit-oriented venue was widely contested by preservation-minded residents, who expressed concern that this structure would compromise Elora’s heritage image. Our survey finds, however, that the majority of visitors believe that the Grand River Raceway and Slots has not impacted Elora’s existing place-based identity. Key informants further reveal that image management, spatial placement and visual coherence are largely responsible for its maintenance. We conclude that a heritage-based place identity may be retained, and even enhanced, in the presence of a hegemonic discourse that is underlain by a long-standing preservationist ideology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Different bird species react differently to human proximity in urban parks. The ‘alert distance’, i.e. the distance between a bird and an approaching person when the bird reacts visibly to the intruder, and the flight distance, the distance between the two when the bird takes flight, vary for different bird species. Such alert distances are less studied for passerines. This paper examines the alert and flight distances of ten variably sized passerine species in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Subject birds were approached by an observer walking at a constant speed, using frontal and sideways approaches and either immobile or swinging arms, to test the hypothesis that alert distances vary according to human movements, bird size, and surrounding vegetation. All species recorded longer alert distances when the approaching person used a frontal, rather than a sideways approach, and also recorded longer alert and flight distances when the person used arm movements, as against walking with no arm movements. Apart from human arm movements, the strongest positive predictor of alert distances was bird size, while significant negative predictors were tree and shrub height and vegetation cover. Contrary to some other studies, increased vegetation height and cover more often reduced than increased alert distances, and open grass did not increase alert distances. Path and road proximity was not a significant predictor of alert distance. If sensitive to such issues, park design may include more trees and shrubbery, balancing conservation with human recreation and security concerns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: While new environmental policies and procedures often are developed incrementally, they can also result from crises or other significant events. In situations where policies and procedures are introduced in response to a crisis, questions about the strengths and weaknesses of existing mechanisms, and the extent to which they can be used to address concerns, may be ignored. This paper explores the complexities of introducing new policies and processes where planning systems and procedures already exist. Drinking water source protection policies that are being developed in response to the tragic events in Walkerton, Ontario, Canada serve as the context for the inquiry. Three case study watersheds were selected to reflect the diversity of municipal jurisdictions and water supply systems in Ontario. A content analysis was undertaken on regulatory and non-regulatory policy documents to determine the extent to which they addressed elements of the multi-barrier approach for drinking water safety. Findings from the research reveal considerable evidence of the multi-barrier approach in the policy and guiding documents analyzed. Policy development in response to a crisis can advance progress on the issue of drinking water safety and coincide with emerging governance strategies. Policy effectiveness may be enhanced by considering existing policies as well as contextual and jurisdictional differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Urban forestry is increasingly vital for both wildlife conservation and human use, despite frequent conflicts between these functions. A fundamental task in urban habitat and recreation forestry is the identification of those habitat characteristics important for animal species and the evaluation of these within the geographies of human presence, urban proximity and land cover variation and change. This paper examines the habitat characteristics for birds in urban built, green and greenbelt areas of Ottawa, Canada, and an area of continuous Ontario forest, to determine the effects of vegetation density and patch size, and human presence on bird presence. Bird presence was measured by point counts, and land cover was mapped using field observation and aerial photographs (1955 and 1999). At the species level, the pre-dominantly forest birds were affected by human presence and were primarily associated with tree stands in the greenbelt and continuous forest. In dense urban areas there were larger numbers of a few ‘generalist’ species. Both forested and urban (residential/commercial) environments increased in area between 1955 and 1999, creating the two types of land cover favouring the largest number of birds, while the less habituated grass/farmed areas declined in area. More informed bird conservation and recreation management will depend on paying greater attention to vegetation cover combinations with urban development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Purpose: The aim of the review was to present the best 10 clinical articles for the last 50 years (1956-2006) from the Division of General Surgery, Hospital for Sick Children (HSC), Toronto, Canada. These articles were judged by the major change (impact) in clinical practice of pediatric general surgery after their publication. Methods: All clinical articles from 1956 to 2006 inclusively written by members of the division (while working at HSC) were evaluated. The 2 authors of this article (retired honorary staff surgeon and recently trained chief surgical resident/fellow) separately rated the articles. Each lead author (if possible) was asked to comment on “the significance of their paper, then and now.” If the lead author was unavailable, 1 of the 2 authors of this article commented on the articles. Results: The best 10 clinical articles selected involved spleen trauma, necrotizing enterocolitis, esophageal replacement, Hirschsprung''s disease, tracheal compression, fecal incontinence, gastroesophageal reflux, diaphragmatic hernia, and ruptured appendix. There were 8 staff members and 5 surgical residents/fellows who were lead authors, along with 10 staff from other divisions, departments, and/or hospitals. Conclusion: The conservative management of splenic trauma was judged the best article from this Division that made the largest clinical impact for the last 50 years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: Chiropractic is one of the most frequently sought nonphysician provider groups. Despite its apparent recognition, the profession faces numerous challenges, including the economic reality of an increasing supply within a market of questionable demand. This paper evaluates the chiropractic manpower status in Ontario, Canada. Methods: Data collected from administrative and education databases, insurance billing data, and population health survey data between 1990 and 2004 were analyzed. Results: Between 1990 and 2004, the total number of chiropractic registrants in Ontario doubled, with an average annual rate of growth of about 5.4%; however, recent data suggest that the number of nonpracticing chiropractors is increasing, whereas the number of new registrants is decreasing. The rate of applications to a chiropractic institution rose sharply and peaked in 1996-1997, thereafter declining but leveling off in 2002-2003. Despite the continued growth in the number of practicing chiropractors, the utilization of chiropractic services among the Ontario population has remained relatively stable, resulting in a decline in the average net annual incomes adjusted for inflation to 2002 dollars. Conclusions: Our results support previous reports projecting an oversupply of chiropractors and suggest that the chiropractic profession in Ontario is in long-run oversupply. Competition from other providers, changing population demographics, and the recent loss of public funding for services may present significant future challenges to current practitioners. Opportunities related to participation in multidisciplinary environments and accessing unmet population health needs may contribute to influencing the demand for chiropractic services. A concerted effort by professional and educational institutions is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: To estimate the direct and indirect pathways between education and diabetes. Methods: We examined the relative contribution of eight different pathways between education and diabetes incidence over a 9-year period in Ontario, Canada. Our data source was respondents (35–60 years of age) to the 2000–2001 Canadian Community Health Survey individually linked with physician and hospital administrative data. Our sample contained 11,899 participants with no previous diagnosis of diabetes. The direct and indirect effects of education level on incident diabetes were estimated using Aalen additive hazard models. Results: Not having completed secondary education was associated with 120 extra diabetes cases per 10,000 men per year and 43 additional diabetes cases per 10,000 women per year, compared with having Bachelors education or higher. Body mass index accounted for 13 of the 120 extra diabetes cases among men, and 24 of the 43 additional diabetes cases for women. Conclusions: Of the mediating pathways examined in this paper, body mass index was the pathway through which the largest number of diabetes cases was mediated among men and women. A substantial number of excess diabetes cases among respondents with lower education levels, in particular among men, were not mediated through any of the eight pathways examined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electricity is an important asset that influences not only the economy, but political or social security of a country. Reliable and accurate planning and prediction of electricity demand for a country are therefore vital. In this paper, electricity demand in Ontario province of Canada from the year 1976–2005 is modeled by using an (adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system) ANFIS. A neuro fuzzy structure can be defined as an ANN (artificial neural network) which is trained by experimental data to find the parameters of (fuzzy inference system) FIS. Inputs for the model include number of employment, (gross domestic product) GDP, population, dwelling count and two meteorological parameters related to annual weather temperature. The data were collected and screened using statistical methods. Then, based on the data, a neuro-fuzzy model for the electricity demand is built. It was found that electricity demand is most sensitive to employment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Toronto’s quest to host the Summer Olympic Games has dominated both contemporary planning discourse and practice. For some, the pursuit of the games embodies Toronto’s transformation into a ‘competitive’ global city. Relatively unexplored in this discourse are the contradictory roles that labour plays in contemporary urban development. I argue that the new labour geography can provide some interesting insights into such processes. Specifically, labour geographers have given workers with divergent interests greater agency in shaping economic landscapes and have noted the multi-scalar organisation of labour. The paper looks at the contradictory and conflicting positions held by different labour unions in Toronto toward the city’s bid to host the 2008 Olympics. The case study suggests that labour is an active agent in processes shaping contemporary Toronto and support the bid for complex reasons ranging from the promise of jobs to potential future organising opportunities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Ontario Environmental Farm Plan Programme (EFP) represents a significant departure from previous agri-environmental initiatives in Canada. In this programme, the focus is not on the promotion and adoption of any particular farming innovation, but rather on the completion of a farm-level environmental appraisal and the development of a farm-specific environmental action plan. As with more traditional schemes, there is interest in understanding how the programme is performing and in documenting outcomes. Evidence suggests that a significant proportion of farmers who enter the programme complete only part of the process or apply the evaluation to only certain aspects of their operation. In effect, there is variation in the way participants participate. This paper examines the nature of, and reasons for, differing levels of engagement among participants in the EFP Programme. Results from a survey of past participants suggests that farm-specific environmental conditions, farmers’ motivations concerning the environment, and positive perceptions of the programme itself are associated with more complete levels of participation. Underlying some of the revealed variations in participation are abiding concerns for the confidentiality of the process and more general concerns relating to the intervention of the state in agricultural land use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Traditional geostatistical modelling of orebodies and estimation of grade–tonnage curves do not account for the uncertainty of the orebody grades and tonnages. Geological interpretations of complex shapes are often over-constrained, and therefore do not properly identify the location of the ore. In these situations, tonnage is often under-estimated and grade is over-estimated, resulting in orebody models used for mine planning that lead to costly financial decisions. This paper presents an approach aiming to better assess the uncertainty in an orebody model. The approach is applied to Vale''s West Orebody of the Coleman McCreedy Mine, a poly-metallic deposit containing nickel, copper, gold, platinum and palladium. To encapsulate the orebody''s variability and uncertainty, the nickel–copper sulphide mineralized zone is simulated using the single normal equation simulation method. The realizations serve as the orebody models from which the grades of multiple elements are jointly simulated using Min/Max Autocorrelation Factors. The final result is a series of equiprobable representations of the mineralization that incorporates both grade and tonnage uncertainty. The case study indicates that had conventional orebody estimations been used, there would have been a 10% over-estimation of orebody volume, along with significant over-estimation of low-grade material and under-estimation of high-grade material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports a study that sought to understand what facilitates engagement between parents and child protection workers and to ascertain the relationship between such engagement and intervention outcome. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through personal interviews with 131 worker–parent dyads (workers and corresponding parents receiving service) from 11 child protection agencies in Ontario, Canada. Measures included scales for engagement, parental well-being (depression and stress), and worker well-being (burnout, job satisfaction, stress). Outcome measures included perception of child safety, changed parenting practices and satisfaction. A relationship was found between workers'' perception of parent engagement and parents'' perception of their own engagement, as well as between the perceptions that workers and parents had around their own respective engagement. Workers who were satisfied with service outcomes were significantly more engaged than those who were unsatisfied. Parents thinking that their children were safer as a result of intervention were significantly more engaged than parents who thought that their children were less safe. The strongest reason given by parents for positive change was being able to trust their worker (p<.001) and believing that their worker was knowledgeable about parenting (p<.01). Qualitative data suggested that parents valued experienced workers because they thought such workers could better understand their problems and how to deal with them. Correspondingly, workers felt that experience enabled them to better understand clients'' problems and provide more effective support. No relationship was found between parent engagement and parental depression or stress, but the mean depression score for parents placed them at risk of clinical depression. There was a negative correlation between worker stress and engagement. The study demonstrates that engagement between clients and workers is related to positive outcomes (as reported by workers and parents) and supports the contention that promoting engagement is integral to a successful child protection intervention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High rates of nutrient loading from agricultural and urban development have resulted in surface water eutrophication and groundwater contamination in regions of Ontario. In Lake Simcoe (Ontario, Canada), anthropogenic nutrient contributions have contributed to increased algal growth, low hypolimnetic oxygen concentrations, and impaired fish reproduction. An ambitious programme has been initiated to reduce phosphorus loads to the lake, aiming to achieve at least a 40% reduction in phosphorus loads by 2045. Achievement of this target necessitates effective remediation strategies, which will rely upon an improved understanding of controls on nutrient export from tributaries of Lake Simcoe as well as improved understanding of the importance of phosphorus cycling within the lake. In this paper, we describe a new model structure for the integrated dynamic and process-based model INCA-P, which allows fully-distributed applications, suited to branched river networks. We demonstrate application of this model to the Black River, a tributary of Lake Simcoe, and use INCA-P to simulate the fluxes of P entering the lake system, apportion phosphorus among different sources in the catchment, and explore future scenarios of land-use change and nutrient management to identify high priority sites for implementation of watershed best management practises. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Runoff from agricultural watersheds can carry a number of agricultural pollutants and pathogens; often associated with the sediment fraction. Deposition of this sediment can impact water quality and the ecology of the river, and the re-suspension of such sediment can become sources of contamination for reaches downstream. In this paper a modelling framework to predict sediment and associated microbial erosion, transport and deposition is proposed for the South Nation River, Ontario, Canada. The modelling framework is based on empirical relationships (deposition and re-suspension fluxes), derived from laboratory experiments in a rotating circular flume using sediment collected from the river bed. The bed shear stress governing the deposition and re-suspension processes in the stream was predicted using a one dimensional mobile boundary flow model called MOBED. Counts of live bacteria associated with the suspended and bed sediments were used in conjunction with measured suspended sediment concentration at an upstream section to allow for the estimation of sediment associated microbial erosion, transport and deposition within the modelled river reach. Results suggest that the South Nation River is dominated by deposition periods with erosion only occurring at flows above approximately 250 m3 s−1 (above this threshold, all sediment (suspended and eroded) with associated bacteria are transported through the modelled reach). As microbes are often associated with sediments, and can survive for extended periods of time, the river bed is shown to be a possible source of pathogenic organisms for erosion and transport downstream during large storm events. It is clear that, shear levels, bacteria concentrations and suspended sediment are interrelated requiring that these parameters be studied together in order to understand aquatic microbial dynamics. It is important that any management strategies and operational assessments for the protection of human and aquatic health incorporate the sediment compartments (suspended and bed sediment) and the energy dynamics within the system in order to better predict the concentration of indicator organism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Our knowledge of the spatio-temporal variability of the dissipation rates of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) in the free atmosphere is severely limited because of the difficulty and expense of making these measurements globally. A few MST/ST radar facilities that are still in operation around the globe have provided us with valuable data on temporal variability of the dissipation rate in the atmospheric column above the radars but the data covers an extremely tiny fraction of the global free atmosphere. Moreover, there are limitations to these data also, since restrictive hypotheses are necessary for making these measurements. It appears that simple radiosondes launched from the existing global sonde network might be able to provide a much wider coverage, provided the technique for deducing the dissipation rates from overturns detected by the sondes can be calibrated and validated against existing techniques. An intensive field campaign conducted over the Harrow ST radar site located in western Ontario, Canada, during the summer of 2007 provided precisely such an opportunity. In this paper, we report on the comparison of the TKE dissipation rates derived from the PTU measurements made by ozonesondes launched during the campaign with those obtained from direct ST radar measurements. We find encouraging agreement between the two, which suggests that routine measurements of TKE dissipation rates by radiosondes in the global free atmosphere might indeed be feasible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In Ontario (Canada), the integration of renewable power is a priority policy goal. Since 2004, the circumstances under which the integration of renewable power is evaluated have changed due to successive changes in price as well as concerns that its over-production may add to grid congestion. This research investigates the value of increasing complementarity (both proximate and geographically dispersed) of wind and solar resources as a means by which electricity planners and researchers might advance electricity sustainability in Ontario. More specifically, this paper asks the following questions: 1) Does the combination of solar and wind resources in selected locations in Ontario serve to ‘smooth out’ power production, i.e., decrease instances of both high and low values, as compared to either resource producing individually? 2) Can this ‘smoothness’ be further improved by dispersing these resources geographically amongst locations? and 3) Does increasing the number of locations with solar and wind resources further ‘smooth out’ power production? Three years (2003–2005) of synchronous, hourly measurements of solar irradiance and wind speeds from Environment Canada’s Canadian Weather Energy and Engineering Data Sets (CWEEDS) are used to derive dimensionless indices for four locations in Ontario (Toronto, Wiarton, Sault Ste. Marie and Ottawa). These indices are used to develop three transparent and accessible methods of analysis: (1) graphical representation; (2) percentile ranking; and (3) using a theoretical maximum as a proxy for capacity. The article concludes that the combination of solar and wind within locations and amongst two locations improves ‘smoothness’ in power production, as compared to when each resource is produced on its own; moreover, it is further improved once more than two resources and two locations are combined. However, there is neither further benefit, nor drawback, associated with the geographic dispersion of complementarity between solar in one location and wind in another, when compared to both resources in one location. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The 1850 Ma Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC), considered to be a composite melt sheet of a major meteorite impact, has been deformed into an oval-shaped basin known as the Sudbury Structure. This paper explores to what extent this deformation has been communicated to the surrounding Archean basement around the northern margin of the SIC. Paleomagnetism of 2450 Ma Matachewan dykes and 1850 Ma impact breccia along a traverse, about 100 km-long and normal to strike of the contact between the SIC and the basement, suggests that the basement beneath the NW corner of the Sudbury Structure has been tilted to the SE within about 10 km of the contact. At this distance a possible fault separates the tilted region from one that shows no evidence of tilting. Petrographically the dykes out to a distance of about 50 km distant from the SIC are altered to upper greenschist facies of metamorphism with a fibrous amphibole replacing pyroxene and with loss of primary texture that characterizes less altered Matachewan dykes at distances greater than 50 km. The direction of magnetization found in the altered Matachewan dykes is an overprint which is probably associated with regional metamorphism related to orogenesis, or possibly with thermo-chemical alteration associated with SIC emplacement. The direction of the component is compatible with an age of about 1.8 to 1.9 Ga suggesting that the Penokean orogen is the most likely cause, if not the impact event. The paleomagnetism of the breccias, together with shatter cone orientation data, suggests that within 10 km of the SIC/basement contact, basement tilting to the southeast increases towards the SIC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes a detailed investigation into the effects of some of the major design features on the mobility of tracked vehicles over snow. The investigation was carried out using the latest version of an advanced computer simulation model, known as NTVPM, developed under the auspices of Vehicle Systems Development Corporation (VSDC), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Results show that the road wheel system configuration, initial track tension (i.e., the tension in the track system when the vehicle is stationary on a level, hard ground) and track width have significant effects on vehicle mobility over snow. On deep snow where the vehicle belly (hull) contacts the snow surface, the location of the centre of gravity (C.G.) of the sprung weight in the longitudinal direction has a noticeable effect on vehicle mobility, as it affects the attitude of the belly and the belly–snow interaction. Based on the investigation, a conceptual high-mobility tracked vehicle for over snow operations is discussed. Results of this study will provide the vehicle designer with guiding principles for the development of high-mobility tracked vehicles. It also demonstrates that NTVPM is a useful and effective tool for design and performance evaluation of tracked vehicles from a traction perspective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyzes the community health of the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve (WUIR), Ontario, Canada. Results are reported from fieldwork including participant observation, key informant interviewing and self-reported data measuring health status, risk behaviour, place of residence, self-identity, and personal history extracted from 350 interviews conducted during a community-wide needs assessment. The research aimed to create a health plan for the community; however, subsequent analysis of the needs assessment results indicates that internal diversity exists in health status and needs between the seven villages that comprise WUIR. The analysis suggests variation in health status and risk-taking behaviour among community members may be related to varying colonial histories among the villages. The implications of intra-community variation in health status in First Nations are discussed in relation to influential health policy theories such as the determinants of health and health transfer policy in Canada. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As part of a multi-year personal exposure monitoring campaign, we collected personal, indoor, and outdoor levels of 188 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In 2005, data were obtained for 48 non-smoking adults from Windsor, Ontario in order to assess their exposure to VOCs based on their daily routines and characteristics of their homes. During the 8-week winter and summer sampling sessions, five repeated 24-h measurements were obtained for each home. This paper focuses on the analysis of 18 VOCs: 11 have been declared toxic as defined under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, [1999. Statutes of Canada. Act assented to September 14, 1999. Ottawa: Queen''s Printer. Available at Canada Gazette (Part III) 22(3): (Chapter 33). http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partIII/1999/g3-02203.pdf], and seven are commonly found in household and personal care products. Results of mixed effects models indicate that personal exposure to these VOCs can be largely predicted by indoor concentrations, with models including indoor concentrations found to have an r 2 value for the fixed effects ranging from 58.4% to 87.2% for the CEPA toxic VOCs and from 41.7% to 90.1% for the commonly found VOCs. Given that people spend the majority of their time inside their home, characteristics of the home such as air exchange rates, type of garage, and type of stove have a greater potential to impact personal exposures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We relate families of faults in the Ottawa graben to periods in the tectonic evolution of eastern North America. The Ottawa graben is a seismically active structure that coincides with a 55km wide topographic depression extending from near Montréal through Ottawa. It is part of the St. Lawrence rift system that also includes the seismically active Saguenay graben. The Cambrian to Ordovician sedimentary rocks that overlie Grenvillian basement rocks in the Ottawa area are cut by several generations of brittle faults. Relative ages of faults and associated structures are determined, or inferred, from field studies of key outcrops. Three periods of faulting are defined. The orientations of the paleo-stress fields associated with each period are modelled using fault and fault surface lineations orientation data. The oldest generation of faults (D1) formed in response to a stress field in which the greatest principal stress (σ 1) was horizontal and oriented NW. D2 and D3 occurred when σ 1 was oriented WNW and SW, respectively. Hence the paleo-stress field underwent a counterclockwise rotation from D1 to D3. The D2 and D3 periods involved the reactivation of faults and the development of new faults. D1 structures are kinematically congruent with the compressional direction associated with the closing of the Iapetus Ocean during Paleozoic time. Emplacement of Cretaceous carbonatite dykes coincided with D2, which occurred during the Mesozoic when the stress regime was associated with the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. The relative timing of these structures supports both Paleozoic and Mesozoic ages of mineralization events within the Ottawa graben. D3 structures are consistent with the post-Cretaceous stress field in eastern North America. Recent seismicity within the Ottawa graben may involve reactivations of faults belonging to the families identified in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, a case study of the Detroit River mystery oil spill (2002) is presented that demonstrates the utility of detailed and integrated oil fingerprinting in investigating unknown or suspected oil spills. The detailed diagnostic oil fingerprinting techniques include determination of hydrocarbon groups and semi-quantitative product screening, analysis of oil-characteristic biomarkers and the extended suite of parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and quantitative determination of a variety of diagnostic ratios of “source-specific marker” compounds. The detailed chemical fingerprinting data and results highlight the followings: [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since 1976, I have had the opportunity to meet Dr. Davenport frequently for courses, the code committee (ISO TC 98), international conferences, and private meetings. In 1979, I spent 3 weeks as an academic visitor at Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory of The University of Western Ontario. It was the starting point for a lot of exchanges. I had the chance to organize a course in 1983, in which he taught together with Barry Vickery. In the framework of the ISO TC 98 norm committee, Dr. Davenport wrote, in a few hours in Vienna, a new and very simple type of code of practice for the wind loads on buildings. This was the basis for the Swiss Code and now for the simplified method of the Eurocode. Much of our experimental work is the extension of Davenport''s ideas, which he developed in his works and through private discussions. I plan to report on all these developments in this paper.Three years ago, Dr. Davenport acted as an expert for the C. Alexandrou Thesis. Whenever in Switzerland, Alan never forgets to contact us.This paper is also written in the context of the elaboration of the Eurocode. It gives us the opportunity to recall some useful basic concepts well known among the wind engineering specialists. Finally, two original and recent works of the author''s wind engineering group are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aims: A one-day workshop was hosted by the Symptom Control Committee of the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Clinical Trials Group (NCIC-CTG), in conjunction with the October 2002 annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncologists in Toronto, Ontario. The primary intention of the workshop was to direct the future research agenda of the Symptom Control Committee. Large group presentations were held initially to review the contemporary research issues of four selected areas of interest: fatigue, brain metastasis, bone metastasis and radiation-induced mucositis. Panel members were then charged with the identification of specific research proposals that could be considered for further development. Research questions were to be clinically relevant and currently appropriate. Any additional information needed before the launch of any potential trial was also requested. In this paper, we will review and summarise the outcomes from the radiation-induced mucositis sessions.Materials and Methods: Thirty-four participants participated in the large group sessions and contributed to one of four panel discussions on selected supportive care issues relevant to radiation oncologists.Results: Three potential and non-overlapping research questions were identified; two involving mucositis management in patients receiving radical radiation for head and neck cancer, and a third for patients with advanced lung cancer undergoing combined radiation and chemotherapy and at risk for the development of symptomatic oesophagitis.Conclusion: The workshop successfully identified three potential research questions. The large group and the smaller panel discussions successfully established consensus on important aspects of future study designs. The current ‘standard of care’, appropriate experimental treatments, primary outcomes of interest and study population parameters were each important issues that were discussed. The importance of developing meaningful biological assays was reviewed, as was the need to ensure the appropriate storage of biological samples from patients for future study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The conservative government of Ontario has mandated province-wide, standardized literacy testing across Grades 3, 6 and 10, and instituted a bureaucratic machinery to effect this, viz., the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). EQAO’s testing mechanisms tap pedagogically and politically selected aspects of children’s literacies, driven by a cultural literacy agenda. The concept of literacy tested in gate-keeping EQAO assessment does not include the sophisticated digital literacies children are developing in peer-mediated, screen-based, pop culture interactive media, though such media are increasingly influencing classroom materials and practices.This article questions fundamentally the epistemology of literacy in a postmodern society. Drawing on data gathered in case studies conducted in and around public schools within the greater Toronto area, and framed within provincial paradigms of literacy education, this paper asks: What literacies are children developing through pop culture interactive media and are these emerging postmodern metaliteracies being acknowledged in school literacy education and assessment? [Copyright &y& Elsevier]