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Segmentation of cardiac MRI images plays a key role in clinical diagnosis. In the traditional diagnostic process, clinical experts manually segment left ventricle (LV), right ventricle (RV) and myocardium (Myo) to get the guideline for cardiopathy diagnosis. However, manual segmentation is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this paper, we propose automatic cardiac MRI segmentation and cardiopathy classification based on deep neural networks and point clouds. The cardiac MRI segmentation consists of two steps: (i) We use a detector based on you only look once (YOLO) to obtain region of interest (ROI) from the sequential diastolic and systolic MRI. (ii) We obtain the segmentation masks from the ROI automatically by a fully convolutional neural network (FCN). Subsequently, we reconstruct 3D surfaces by a simple linear interpolation method, then randomly sample uniform 3D point clouds from the 3D surfaces. From the cardiac point clouds, we perform cardiopathy classification using a cardiopathy diagnosis network (CDN). Experimental results show that the proposed method successfully segments LV, RV, and Myo from cardiac MRI images and achieves comparable results against several existing ones. Moreover, the CDN successfully classifies heart diseases based on point clouds and achieves 92% accuracy on the testing dataset. [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]

• Canada experienced a substantial productivity growth slowdown after 2000. • The slowdown could not be explained by investments in R&D, ICTs and intangibles. • The slowdown was mainly due to the retreat of aggregate technological frontier. • The retreat of technological frontier was driven by large and high-productivity firms. We study the post -2000 productivity slowdown in Canada. Due to data limitation, the causes of the slowdown have not been studied systematically. Unlike most previous studies that focus directly on the actual productivity, in this paper we decompose the actual productivity into two components: technological frontier and technical efficiency. Technological frontier measures the maximum level of productivity potential related to firm-specific technology development while technical efficiency reflects the ability/technique in achieving the potential. Using a constructed rich micro data, we find that Canada's productivity slowdown cannot be largely explained by factors such as R&D, ICTs and intangibles that are considered to be important to productivity. Instead, we show that the productivity slowdown in Canada was mainly due to the retreat of aggregate technological frontier, driven by large and high-productivity firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel multigenerational integrated system that is able to produce five useful commodities, such as freshwater, space heating, hot water, power and hydrogen for a community, is proposed and investigated. The system uniquely covers heat storage by molten salt heat storage along with hydrogen production by magnesium-chlorine (Mg–Cl) based thermochemical cycle. Additionally, the present system has a multi-effect desalination plant to provide freshwater community needs. A solar power tower is offered due to its capability of harvesting high energy levels. The heat recovered by the solar power receiver is passed through an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) to meet the need for the high-temperature level that is required for the thermochemical cycle. The molten salt storage tanks are used to offset the mismatch between demand and supply for the necessary energy to run the system in case of the absence of solar irradiation. The suggested system is intended to leverage solar and geothermal energy sources to generate practical necessities like power, heat, and hot water for residential applications of a projected community. The system is then analyzed in detail thermodynamically in the context of exergy and energy approaches. In addition, the subsystems are analyzed parametrically to study the performance of the overall system to observe how the ambient and working conditions change the system efficiencies. The city of Vancouver in Canada is selected as the potential location where the system performance assessment is carried out accordingly. As a result of the present thermodynamic analysis, the energetic and exergetic efficiencies for the system are obtained as 45.45% and 52.32%. The total exergy destruction rate is another exergy metric to compare both versions, where the rate of 163967.39 kW exergy destruction is obtained for the overall system. • A novel multigenerational integrated system developed with the Mg–Cl thermochemical cycle • Energy and exergy approaches and thermodynamics used to analyze the system efficiencies • Parametric study is carried out to observe the various effects on system performance. • The energy and exergy efficiencies found 45.45% and 49.65% to produce hydrogen, power, fresh water, and heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of research participants in the social sciences are recruited from populations that are Western , educated , industrialized , rich , and democratic. This has the potential to threaten the external validity and limit the generalizability of research findings. It also highlights the need to provide a historical accounting of participant characteristics and reporting practices across coherent disciplines of research. This paper reports the participant characteristics from studies published in 12 leading journals in the sport and exercise psychology literature. In total, 15,650 peer-reviewed articles were published across these outlets from 1930 to 2021, involving 4,487,437 human participants. A descriptive overview of participant characteristics and reporting practices suggests that empirical understanding of human experiences and outcomes in sport and exercise settings is built from an incomplete and unrepresentative sample of participants. Findings illuminate potential knowledge gaps that may have resulted from the lack of diverse samples and offer potential paths forward for contemporary sport and exercise psychology scholars who wish to address these gaps. • 15,650 articles with 4,487,437 human participants have been published across 12 sport and exercise psychology journals from 1930 to 2021. • 75.6% of participants from these studies have been drawn from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. • Across this literature, many important participant characteristics have gone uncollected and/or unreported. [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]

• This study examines a diverse range of life circumstances and outcomes for youth accessing homelessness services who have a history of involvement with child protection services. • Data presented is drawn from the 2019 Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey—which is the largest study ever conducted in Canada on youth homelessness (n = 1375). • This study presents risk factors that are likely to be associated with the first experience of homelessness, including adverse childhood experiences and involvement with child protection services. Youth leaving or being discharged from child protection services (CPS) are a particularly vulnerable population in Canada that could be at an increased risk of homelessness, which has many adverse consequences including declining physical and mental health, school disengagement, involvement with the justice system, and substance use disorders. In this paper, we examine the extent to which youth accessing homelessness services with a history of involvement with CPS differ from their peers who have not interacted with CPS using the 2019 Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey—which is by far the largest study ever administered in Canada on youth homelessness (n = 1375). This examination includes a diverse range of life circumstances and outcomes, including quality of life, relationships with friends and family, criminal records, education, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Furthermore, controlling for demographic characteristics, we present risk factors that are likely to be correlated with youth homelessness, including ACEs and the CPS history, and conclude by discussing policy implications and proposing future research avenues. [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]

As the importance of eco-friendly transportation increases, providing an efficient approach for marine vessel operation is essential. Methods for status monitoring with consideration to the weather condition and forecasting with the use of in-service data from ships requires accurate and complete models for predicting the energy efficiency of a ship. The models need to effectively process all the operational data in real-time. This paper presents models that can predict fuel consumption using in-service data collected from a passenger ship. Statistical and domain-knowledge methods were used to select the proper input variables for the models. These methods prevent over-fitting, missing data, and multicollinearity while providing practical applicability. Prediction models that were investigated include multiple linear regression (MLR), decision tree approach (DT), an artificial neural network (ANN), and ensemble methods. The best predictive performance was from a model developed using the XGboost technique which is a boosting ensemble approach. Our code is available on GitHub at https://github.com/pagand/model%5foptimze%5fvessel/tree/OE for future research. • Comparison of fuel consumption models for west coast Canada vessel • Feature engineering utilized domain knowledge to identify key variables • Parametric and non-parametric models used for prediction model development • Evaluation included running time, mean error, and future step prediction error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Six feature selection methods were evaluated for wind speed quantiles estimation at ungauged locations. • Feature selection enabled the identification of the most important predictors for various wind speed quantiles. • The most parsimonious features selection methods led to the lowest generalization error. • The location distance from the coast and the surface roughness were the most significant wind speed quantiles predictors. Wind speed estimation at ungauged locations is one of the preliminary steps for wind resource assessment. With the availability of high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and remote sensing data, the number of potential wind speed predictors has grown substantially. The adequate spatial scale of these predictors is unknown a priori, leading to the use of multiple spatial scales of predictors in wind speed estimation models. Implementing a feature selection method as a pre-processing step of the analysis is necessary to avoid overfitting and the resulting potential model underperformance. This paper evaluated six feature selection methods (forward stepwise regression, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), Elastic Net, maximum relevance minimum redundancy (MRMR), Genetic algorithm, and recursive feature elimination using support vector regression) for the estimation of different wind speed quantiles across Canada. The selected features were used to fit a regression-kriging model, and the importance of the predictors was evaluated with their associated regression coefficients. The results of the study showed that LASSO and MRMR are the most efficient algorithms with the least number of parameters to tune and good generalization performance. The study found that some predictors were more important for specific exceedance probabilities. The most important predictors were the distance from the coast and surface roughness length, regardless of exceedance probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the dynamic relationships between the crude oil price (COP) and the unemployment rate (UR) in Russia and Canada with a bootstrap subsample rolling-window causality test. This approach relaxes linear assumptions, fully considers structural breaks, and captures time-varying causalities between variables; thus, it performs better than traditional long-run causality tests. The empirical results indicate that there are dynamic causal links between the COP and the UR in certain subsample intervals, which does not fully support Carruth's model. Furthermore, the causality between the COP and the UR in Russia can be described based on Western sanctions, China-Russia energy cooperation and the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, a decrease in major oil companies' production and the development of U.S. shale oil are employed to explain the fluctuating relationship between the COP and the UR in Canada. Our study identifies potential heterogeneous reasons for the dynamic causalities of major exporting countries, and it reveals novel influencing mechanisms between these two variables. Thus, some policies are suggested to alleviate shocks from oil prices, including oil risk management and oil cooperation for Russia and oil export structural adjustments and monitoring mechanism establishment for Canada. • Both parameter stability and sub-sample rolling-window causality tests are utilized in this paper. • The time-varying causal relationship between crude oil price and unemployment rate is discovered. • Heterogeneous explanations and policy responses are provided for Canada and Russia respectively. [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]

• We concentrated on the stability prediction of underground entry-type excavations. • Three RF-based hybrid models are present to predict entry-type excavation stability. • MVO, GWO and MFO can assist the hyper-parameters tuning of RF. • The accuracy of the proposed models is better than the models in previous studies. • The models based on RF can update the critical span graph scientifically. The stability evaluation of underground entry-type excavations is a prerequisite of the entry-type mining method, which directly affects whether workers can be provided with a safe and reliable working environment and whether subsequent mining operations can be carried out normally. The design and stability assessment of entry-type excavations in current mining engineering largely relies on an empirical design method called the critical span graph, which has been widely applied in the initial span design of various cut and fill stopes. In recent years, with the wide application of various intelligent algorithms in the field of mine engineering, models based on intelligent algorithms provide new research methods and ideas for the assessment of rock stability in entry-type excavations. This study aims to introduce several hybrid models based on the random forest (RF) algorithm into the stability evaluation work to find new data-driven methods with higher accuracy to update the critical span graph. To pursue better classification performance, this paper selects three optimization strategies, namely multi-verse optimizer (MVO), grey wolf optimizer (GWO) and moth-flame optimization (MFO) algorithm, to optimize two core parameters of RF, and establishes three corresponding hybrid models, abbreviated as MVO-RF, GWO-RF and MFO-RF, based on the database containing 399 samples from seven Canada mines. There are two input parameters in the database, i.e., opening span and rock mass condition (expressed as RMR), and the output parameter is rock mass stability, which is specifically divided into three categories: stable, potentially unstable and unstable. In addition, five commonly used measurement indexes applicable to multiclassification problems were adopted to verify the classification ability of the models, i.e., the accuracy (ACC), precision calculated using macro-average (PRE M), recall calculated using macro-average (REC M), F1 score calculated using macro-average (F1 M) and Kappa index (Kappa). The results indicate that the three hybrid models performed well based on the test set accounting for 25 % of the original database, in which the accuracy of the MFO-RF model was the highest: ACC = 0.9300; PRE M = 0.9288; REC M = 0.8983; F1 M = 0.9116; Kappa = 0.8666. To evaluate whether the three optimization strategies can effectively improve the performance of RF and judge the degree of improvement, the performance of an unoptimized RF model was discussed in this study. In addition, two support vector machine (SVM) models with different kernel functions were selected as references for performance evaluation. The results indicated that compared with the RF and two SVM models, the classification accuracy of the three hybrid models was obviously more satisfactory. The classification accuracy of the three hybrid models reached 0.91, which was sufficient to explain the excellent classification ability of these models. After tuning the RF hyperparameters of each hybrid model, the critical span graph was further updated according to the optimized classification models, which was the focus of this research. By comparing the critical span graphs obtained by the three hybrid models with the single RF model and two kinds of SVM models, it is certain that the three hybrid models proposed in this paper, MVO-RF, GWO-RF and MFO-RF, are promising in the study of evaluating the stability of entry-type excavations and may be deemed auxiliary decision tools to define the stability region of the critical span graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the articulation and mobilization of competing notions of energy (in) justice and energy future visions in the struggle over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX) in British Columbia, Canada. The TMX is a controversial fossil fuel project because it leads to the appropriation of First Nations lands, gender violence, and the unequal distribution of the socio-environmental costs of tar sands operations. Despite these impacts, the Canadian state argues that the TMX contributes to economic growth, job creation, and increased tax revenues, thereby legitimizing tar sands expansion on Indigenous lands. Drawing upon literature on Indigenous climate/energy justice, we problematize conventional understandings of energy justice and energy futures by examining multiple, interconnected, and often neglected dimensions of justice in the TMX conflict. Through critical discourse analysis, this paper explores how First Nations opposing this pipeline mobilize different notions of justice to envision alternative energy futures. Our study shows how they challenge Canada's fossil fuel future vision by asserting jurisdiction over the lands crossed by the TMX and demanding the cancellation of this pipeline. Centering counter-hegemonic perspectives in discussions about tar sands development provides a starting point for imagining and building more just energy futures. • Indigenous notions of justice problematize Western hegemonic understandings of energy justice. • Energy justice involves Indigenous self-determination, gender justice, and community-led renewable energy development. • First Nations discourses of justice challenge Canada's fossil fuel future vision. • Indigenous energy futures are based on multiple interconnected dimensions of justice. • Just energy futures involves dismantling the settler colonial logic underpinning the TMX project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with increasing urbanization and uncertainties linked to climate change, the scientific community has integrated the concept of resilience into urban management practices. Once revolutionary, now a buzzword, resilience is a concept that is difficult to transform into an integrated tool that stakeholders accept and adopt. This paper offers a perspective on the different interpretations of resilience, its difficult implementation and the tools that seek to operationalize it. The underlying questions are how these tools are appropriated by urban managers and territorial decision-makers, and how the theoretical concept can be translated into resilient urban development. This research paper reviews the work on resilience and investigates its use and operationalization, comparing two different approaches – organizational (Canada) and holistic (France) – that aim to clarify and operationalize resilience. These theoretical approaches have been combined to create workshops for urban managers so they can move from theoretical results to practical applications. [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]

Census-based deprivation indices have been widely used in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Canada and UK to measure area-based socio-economic inequalities. This paper examines the indicators used in census-based area deprivation indices using a political ecology approach. We question whether the current indicators of deprivation derived from census data are meaningful for the all age groups and minority groups in the population, with a particular focus on deprivation indicators used in New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. We comparatively reviewed methodological papers and reports that describe the indicators of deprivation in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Canada and the UK from 1975 to 2014. We consider the relationship between the notion of standards of living and measurements of deprivation and explore how hegemonic cultural constructs are implicit in measures of deprivation that privilege a Eurocentric, ageist and gender normative construction of statistics. We argue for more political ecological analyses to studying the relationship between social inequalities, geographies, health inequities and political economy to transform structures of oppression and inequality. This requires turning the analytical gaze on the wealthy and privileged instead of defaulting into deficit models to account for inequality. Studies of deprivation and inequality would benefit from understanding the processes and operations of power in the (re)production of socio-economic and health inequities to inform holistic strategies for social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents exploratory research on the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) or computer mediated technologies (CMCs) (i.e., cell phones and the internet) among immigrant women who are intimate partner violence survivors (IPV) in Canada. The discussion begins with a presentation of initial data examining the impact of such technology on the level and extent of violence experienced by IPV survivors, and on their ability to access appropriate services. Furthermore, an assessment of whether this form of technology aided in the development of a prevention or safety plan, is explored. The data is based on non-random sample surveys of immigrant women IPV survivors with Canada. While the limited scholarship on ICT or CMC usage indicates that there is a digital divide and that various socio-demographic factors do play a role in utilizing the technology, our data does not display a black and white or any streamlined pattern with regards to the digital divide and sociodemographics factors. An examination of the participants' various sociodemographics indicates that the digital divide within this population is not influenced by access or knowledge to the technology but by other factors often not discussed in the intersectionality models. An intersectional model of race and immigration status along with the existing literature on intimate partner violence among immigrant women especially issues of isolation and social networking inform this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global geoduck market evolved substantially over the past four decades. This paper identifies the key transitional periods and discusses the catalysts that contributed to the evolution of the global geoduck market since its commercial inception during the 1970s. Specifically, this paper focuses on how the transition to rights-based fisheries management in Canada׳s wild geoduck fishery fostered changes in product form and ex-vessel prices that impacted the entire wild geoduck industry. This evolution in turn facilitated the emergence of intertidal and subtidal geoduck aquaculture, which led to further changes in the global geoduck industry including changes in: sources of supply, volume of production, trade patterns, primary markets, preference for product attributes, and fishery value. The global geoduck industry is still evolving, and this paper identifies and discusses the key drivers and constraints facing the market as it moves forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bike-sharing networks have a small-world property. • The connectivity of bike stations is highly related to their accessibility, while not to their intermediateness. • The spatial distributions of connectivity and accessibility of bike stations have a strong spatial autocorrelation. • Bike-sharing networks have a polycentric structure. To solve the last-mile problem and promote low carbon transportation, hundreds of cities around the world have launched bike-sharing services. A growing number of studies have been mining bike-sharing data from different cities to understand bike-sharing systems. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding of a bike-sharing network structure. Thus, this paper attempts to use complex network theory and spatial autocorrelation analysis approaches to examine structural properties of bike-sharing systems, quantify the importance of bike stations in the network, and evaluate their spatial clustering patterns. This research analyzes bike-sharing trip data from five different sized bike-sharing systems in the United States, Canada, and China. The results of network analysis reveal that the bike-sharing networks have a small-world property with a small average path length and a high clustering coefficient. Compared with medium-scale networks, the connectivity and accessibility of bike stations are relatively low in the large-scale bike-sharing network. Also, the connectivity of bike stations is positively related to their accessibility while they are not highly correlated with their intermediateness. The spatial clustering analysis results indicate that the spatial distributions of connectivity and accessibility of bike stations have a strong global spatial autocorrelation. Also, the stations with high connectivity and accessibility are concentrated in the urban centers, and the stations with low connectivity and accessibility are clustered in the periphery of the urban areas. However, their intermediateness does not show a strong global spatial clustering pattern, which implies that bike-sharing networks consist of multiple sub-groups. The findings provide new insights for transport planners and managers to understand bike-sharing systems and to improve their service quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows that the availability of cash flows dominates the effects of cost of capital for investment at the firm level. Using an exogenous tax reform in Canada as a quasi-natural experiment, I find that a temporary and unexpected increase in the cost of capital for firms with low availability of retained earnings has no effect on investment of those firms. A subsequent direct increase in the availability of cash flows has large effects on investment. This suggests that internal financing constraints are binding for firms, as they prefer to use low cost retained earnings to finance their investment. [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]

The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is a provincial consortium of twenty-one publicly funded universities in Ontario, Canada. A consortially-built platform called Scholars Portal is our digital library for archiving ebook content and making it available 24/7 to university students and faculty. An Ebooks Committee has responsibility for coordinating the consortial acquisition of ebooks, within the context of an Information Resources Committee. This paper discusses the consortial strategy and philosophy for ebook licensing in OCUL, which involve a focus on ownership and local loading rights, for dual purposes of preservation and immediate access. Key processes, tools, and accomplishments of this innovative service model are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous growth of urban areas around the world, overcrowding in large transit networks has become a persistent problem, with far-reaching impacts similar to those caused by congestion in large road networks. Moreover, instead of serving as a relief for large transportation systems, congested transit networks have increased delay-related traffic and transit costs. In light of these problems, cities seek cost-effective and relatively fast-to-implement strategies to mitigate transit system congestion, one of which is time-based fare structures. By implementing time-based fares, the transit demand may shift out of the congested peak periods, easing transit travel conditions. Although time-based fares are already in use in some transportation systems, their implementation is usually based on simplified what-if analyses. Such analyses of fare structures in previous studies have lacked a comprehensive evaluation of people's responses to these fares and is usually applied to simple or sometimes hypothetical transportation networks. Therefore, this paper presents a platform for analyzing and optimizing time-based transit fares in large networks, taking into consideration the effects of these fares on people's choices of mode, departure time, and route in addition to the interactions between transit vehicles and general traffic. As a case study, the largest metropolitan area in Canada, the Greater Toronto Area, is tested. The results show that the optimal time-based fares help spread the transit demand to the shoulders of the peak. However, the savings in weighted average multimodal door-to-door travel time over the whole network are slightly small compared to the large increase in peak-hour fares. • Time-based fares influence travellers' choices of route, mode, and departure time. • In large networks, increasing peak-hour fares does not decrease travel times significantly. • Travel time savings are not the sole reward of time-based fares. • A comprehensive evaluation of new transit strategies is the key to efficient planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the pursuit of mitigating the performance gap between model-predicted thermal comfort and measurements of perceived thermal comfort, recent studies have investigated the multi-domain nature of thermal comfort and IEQ. This paper presents an update to a recent work that applied Bayesian logistic regression to examine possible independent correlations between perceived thermal comfort of building occupants and metrics of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) such as CO 2 concentrations. The prior work made use of the COPE dataset, a 20-year-old field database of objective and subjective IEQ measurements collected from approximately 800 occupants of open-plan offices in large Canadian and US cities. This study updates that work with a new IEQ field study of 141 workstations carried out at the University of British Columbia across 2019 and 2020. In addition, a new, hierarchical (multi-level) Bayesian logistic regression model is formulated and applied. The new results not only increase the credibility of observing measurements of CO 2 concentrations to improve predictions of thermal satisfaction in the original COPE dataset, but that the credibility of this evidence is strengthened on the addition of the new data. At indoor temperatures of 23.5 °C, the probability of an occupant feeling thermally satisfied at measured CO 2 levels of 550 ppm was 0.62 [0.54 - 0.69, 95% CrI]. This decreased to 0.28 [0.17-0.42, 95% CrI] at 750 ppm. This study does not suggest these observations are generalizable outside the COPE and UBC datasets, nor does it suggest that CO 2 must be affecting occupants physiologically or psychologically to cause these observations. However, it is suggested that CO 2 levels may remain overlooked as a contextual, or latent variable for the real-time prediction of perceived thermal comfort in buildings. For instance, prior research has observed a relationship between indoor CO 2 levels and perceived air quality as well as a relationship between multiple perceptual factors of IEQ, such as air quality and thermal comfort. If the findings of this paper continue to be found in future studies, measurements of CO 2 concentrations may be used to improve the accuracy of thermal comfort prediction models. The core recommendation for future work is therefore to expand measurements in future thermal comfort field studies to include, at least, measurements of indoor CO 2 levels. A greater dataset is needed to determine whether the findings of this study are possibly universally applicable, and/or whether knowledge of indoor CO 2 concentrations may improve personalized models of thermal comfort that are building- and context-specific. • A new IEQ field study of office workers in Canada adds 141 samples to a prior dataset. • The newly collected IEQ database is publicly accessible as part of this publication. • The data is applied to a new hierarchical Bayesian logistic regression model. • Indoor CO 2 levels are found to credibly improve predictions of thermal satisfaction. • Increases in CO 2 levels correlate to observed decreases in thermal satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Material intensities within single-family dwellings have coefficients of variation ranging from 13% to 160%. • Concrete basements are the largest driver of material use by mass and building envelope by volume. • Zoning ordinances incentivize high MI construction. • Understanding the variability in MI facilitates communication of its impacts on LCA findings, bottom-up MFA or circular economy studies, and similar. The need to reduce resource use in the built environment is widely recognized, but quantitative understanding of material use in buildings is limited, especially at neighbourhood and city scales. Existing bottom-up material inventories largely rely on typology-based methods, using representative buildings with little quantification of variability in material use. They also typically focus on advancing material replacement or recycling with less attention to reducing material use. This paper quantifies the material intensity of 40 single-family wood framed dwellings in Toronto, Canada. Design and construction drawings from the Toronto Committee of Adjustment and local building codes were used to estimate material quantities for each building. The variability in material use and intensity is explored per building, floor area and number of bedrooms and the largest drivers determined to identify opportunities for building design modifications to meaningfully reduce material intensity. Variability in the quantities of construction materials used within the single-family dwellings studied is large, with coefficients of variation ranging from 13% up to 160%. Concrete basements are the largest driver of material use by mass (mean 56% of total material mass) and building envelope insulation by volume (37%). This paper advances our understanding of the range of material intensities within a single building type in one city and the largest drivers of material use within single-family dwellings. This provides valuable information for including variability in typology approaches to bottom-up urban material intensity and insights for policy/design pathways for reducing material use in single-family dwellings. [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]

• 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]

A nursing workforce is pivotal for maintaining fundamental healthcare needs. However, recruitment and retention of this integral workforce in rural regions can be fraught with challenges. Whilst global research has identified barriers to working in rurality, these are often focused on the limited infrastructure and isolation of working in low- and middle-income countries. No previous qualitative meta-analysis has considered the factors affecting nurse recruitment in high-income countries. To provide a deeper understanding of the overarching barriers to nurse recruitment and retention in rural areas of high-income countries, a qualitative meta-analysis of primary qualitative research was conducted. Fourteen databases were reviewed systematically for qualitative research exploring barriers to nurse recruitment and retention. Twelve papers from Australia, Canada and the USA met the inclusion criteria. The current meta-analysis identifies themes around 'health service demands', 'challenges of accessing continuous professional development and clinical progression restrictions' and the 'rural demography' as overarching barriers for rural recruitment and retention of nurses in high-income countries. The results of the qualitative meta-analysis have provided new insights into the overarching themes, reflecting the consistent barriers to nurse recruitment and retention in rural areas of high-income countries. Interpretation of these themes highlights the importance of employing the right nurse who possesses a multi-dimensional skillset traversing both the working and community environment. This is discussed in light of current healthcare and education models and the development of innovative recruitment strategies, with the meta-analysis identifying avenues for future research to better address this growing concern. • Recruiting and retaining a skilled rural nursing workforce is now a key concern for all countries, globally. • There is significant disparity and unequal distribution of the existing nursing workforce between urban and rural areas. • Nurses in rural areas require a different generalist skillset which can be challenging for new or urban nurses to achieve. • Rural working is hampered by urban healthcare and educational models. • The potential negative impact on rural healthcare is concerning, unless a quality rural workforce strategy is devised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mainstream green economies are market-driven models centered on growth and profit accumulation. • An analysis of labour is essential to shed light on green economies' logics and practices. • Recruitment promotes a representation of green jobs as sites for environmentalist politics. • The politicization of green work is ideological as it normalizes precarious and unpaid work. • Putting environmentalism to work extends the reach of labour subsumption. Market-driven green economies are premised upon the exploitation and ongoing commodification of both labour and nature. Yet their concrete incarnations experiment with new strategies to "secure and obscure" such processes. These strategies include the formulation and dissemination of an ideological representation of green labour in which environmentalism is "put to work." In this paper I focus on worker recruitment in Toronto and analyze its role in constructing green jobs as a venue for environmentalist politics, and therefore as "good" and "meaningful" work. My empirical material consists of green job announcements posted on GoodWork.ca, the main platform for green worker recruitment in Canada. Building on a Gramscian understanding of ideology, I query the concrete and symbolic functions performed by job ads and discuss them in relation to the structural processes that characterize Toronto's contemporary labour market. I suggest that an ideological representation of green work is used to select motivated and productive workers, justify the offer of non-specialized, precarious, or unpaid positions, and ultimately extend the reach of labour subsumption into spheres traditionally considered outside the employment relation, such as environmentalist activism. In turn, such a representation conceals the extent to which green economies rely on the exploitation of labour while it circumscribes environmentalist critiques within market-driven and economic growth-centered initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite frequent calls for Integrated Management (IM) of coastal and marine activities, there is no consensus on the 'recipe' for successful adoption and implementation, and there has been insufficient evaluation of successes and failures of IM to date. The primary rationale for IM is to overcome four major deficiencies of sector-based management: a) management of diverse activities by different agencies using different approaches, b) management generally focused on a subset of primarily ecological objectives that do not properly articulate or evaluate social, cultural, economic and institutional objectives, c) no mechanisms to evaluate or advise on trade-offs among objectives of activities in relation to objectives and d) no mechanisms to evaluate the cumulative effects of all managed activities. To help overcome this gap in knowledge, here we draw on our collective experiences working in Australia and Canada to develop and articulate a framework to help guide the practical implementation and evaluation of IM, which we define as: ' An approach that links (integrates) planning, decision-making and management arrangements across sectors in a unified framework, to enable a more comprehensive view of sustainability and the consideration of cumulative effects and trade-offs.' We argue that IM will be most easily and effectively achieved by linking and modifying existing sector-based plans in an overarching IM initiative that has nine key features: 1) Recognition of need for IM, 2) A shared vision by stakeholders and decision-makers for IM, 3) Appropriate legal and institutional frameworks for coordinated decision-making, 4) Sufficient and effective processes for stakeholder engagement and participation, 5) A common and comprehensive set of operational objectives, 6) Explicit consideration of trade-offs and cumulative impacts, 7) Flexibility to adapt to changing conditions, 8) Processes for ongoing review and refinement, and 9) Effective resourcing, capacity, leadership and tools. Drawing on these features we then articulate a process for the implementation and evaluation of IM that recognises five phases: i) Preconditions and drivers of change, ii) Intentional design and institutional rearrangement, iii) Enablers and disablers iv) An implemented IM process, and v) Review of IM performance and modification. Combination of the nine features of IM with the five phases in IM development provides a framework for implementation and a lens for evaluation of IM processes. We suggest that this framework provides a guide to the appropriate design of practical IM, which will assist in overcoming the current management deficiencies and improve the sustainability of marine resources in the face of change. • Sector-based management cannot adequately address trade-offs and cumulative effects. • Integrated planning and management is required for holistic sustainability. • Integrated Management can build on existing management arrangements across sectors in a unified way. • This paper provides a 'recipe' or framework for successful implementation of Integrated Management. • Nine key features and five phases of implementation provide a lens for evaluation of Integrated Management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Estimation shows that the waste LED lamps will reach 12 kt by 2021 in Canada. • Aluminum concentration of LED lamps was ˜22%. • Other major elements present in LED lamps were iron, copper and zinc. • Presence of heavy metals such as arsenic, antimony and lead were reported. • The toxic leachate concentration was reported below the BC landfill limit. Lamps and lighting products are the most commonly used electrical products around the globe. With the improvement in lamp technologies, products have grown complex and hence require an improved recycling process. Light emitting diode (LED) lamps consist of various valuable and hazardous metals such as copper, aluminum, iron, zinc, lead, arsenic, and antimony. This paper provides an estimation of the waste LED lamps generation in Canada. It shows that the cumulative waste from LED lamps is expected to reach 12 kT by 2021. A characterization of LED lamps was also conducted to estimate the metal concentration and landfill leachate toxicity characteristics, which have not yet been studied with a bulk sample. The results showed that aluminum is the major metal present in LED lamps with a concentration of over 22%, followed by iron, copper, and zinc. It also showed the presence of heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and antimony. On the contrary to the previous study, the landfill leachate concentration for waste LED lamps was found to be lower than the British Columbia (BC) landfill limits for all metals. [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 Global warming is already affecting the oceans through changes in water temperature, acidification, oxygen content and sea level rise, amongst many others. These changes are having multiple effects on marine species worldwide, with subsequent impacts on marine fisheries, peoples' livelihoods and food security. This work presents a review of the recent literature on the current and projected impacts of climate change on Canada's Pacific marine ecosystem. We find that there is an increasing number of studies in British Columbia focusing on changes in ocean conditions and marine species responses under climate change, including an emerging literature on the socio-economic impacts of these changes considered to be a knowledge gap. According to the literature, it is well established that ocean temperatures are increasing over the long-term, especially, in southern areas of British Columbia. Warming trends are increasing in the spring and are strongest in summer. However, there are important uncertainties regarding other climate drivers, such as oxygen concentration and acidification, stemming mainly from the insufficiency of data. Pacific salmon, elasmobranchs, invertebrates and rockfishes are amongst the most vulnerable species groups to climate change in British Columbia. Also, shifts in stock distribution and fish abundance under climate change may have a significant impact on fish supply affecting the livelihoods and food security of some British Columbians. The magnitude of these impacts is likely to vary according to a latitudinal gradient, with southern coastal areas being more affected than northern and central areas; challenging multiple areas of governance, such as equity and fishing access amongst First Nations; and institutional arrangements for transboundary stocks between the U.S. and Canada. Highlights • Climate change is impacting marine species worldwide, affecting marine fisheries, peoples' livelihoods and food security. • There is an emerging literature on the socio-economic impacts of climate change at the local level. • This paper presents a review of the literature published on these impacts in British Columbia's marine species and fisheries. • Socio-economic impacts will vary according to a latitudinal gradient with unequal distribution of losses in marine catches. • We identify some of the risks that fisheries, communities and the economy are facing in the region due to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceuticalisation is a complex phenomenon, co-constitutive of what scholars identify as a pharmaceutical regime, comprised of networks of actors, institutions and artefacts as well as cognitive structures that underlie the production, promotion and use of medications. The aim of this paper is to explore the linkages between different components of this pharmaceutical regime through the analysis of psychotropic drug advertising in Canadian medical journals between 1950 and 1990. Advertisements stand at the nexus of macro-level processes related to the development, regulation and marketing of new drug treatments and of micro-level processes related to the use of these drug treatments, both by clinicians and lay persons. We thus examine advertisements from the angle of the mental and classificatory universes to which doctors were exposed through direct-to-prescriber advertisement strategies implemented during this period. Furthermore, we explore to what extent the rationale behind advertisements was permeated by both scientific/professional and popular narratives of mind–body connections. This paper demonstrates that, although this period was marked by paradigm shifts in the classification of mental diseases, the development of modern psychopharmacology, and the questioning of the scientific legitimacy of psychiatry, advertisements unveil a remarkable continuity: that of the mass management of anxiety-depressive disorders by primary care physicians through psychotropic drugs. Also, despite the effective resistance to specificity as shown by the constant redefinitions of diagnostic categories and therapeutic indications, our analysis suggests that the language of specificity used in the promotion of new drugs and in the various narratives of mind-body connection may have been appealing to general practitioners. Finally, our study of the classes of psychoactive medications that have been in use for over half a century reveals a complex, non-linear dynamic of pharmaceuticalisation and de-pharmaceuticalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the concept of institutional trust has received considerable attention in different branches of the social science literature, brand trust has been somewhat neglected, particularly with respect to the food sector. Motivated by the need to further investigate the concept, this paper develops a conceptual framework that explores the effects of brand trust, trust in the food system, consumer confidence and brand loyalty. While most extant studies have examined the brand trust-brand loyalty link, this paper proposes that: ( i ) the impact of brand trust on consumer confidence in brand attributes is mediated by trust in the food system, and ( ii ) brand trust leads to brand loyalty via consumer confidence. The proposition is tested using Structural Equation Modelling techniques based on survey data from a sample of Canadian consumers of packaged green salad. Results indicate that in a food context, brand trust is positively associated with consumer confidence in brand quality and safety, largely via trust in the food system. Furthermore, confidence in credence attributes is shown to lead to brand loyalty. While previous research conceived brand trust as a multidimensional construct, the analysis suggests that trust in food brands could be better explained by a one-factor model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is interested in placing the literature on social reproduction in conversation with that of migrant illegalization--the identification of certain migrants as not welcome in a nation-state both through discursive and material processes. More specifically, I am interested in how migrant illegalization interlocks with other forms of social location to designate certain bodies as open to exploitation and exclusion. The paper focuses on a case study of Mexican migrants with precarious immigration status and their experiences in navigating the embodied process of moving through and working in the city of Toronto. I propose that the interlocking of migrant illegalization and the profiling of bodies as exploitable and suspicious limits precarious status migrants'--those that do not have permanent residence or citizenship--ability to access social goods, decent work and the networks required to improve their social context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infant mortality is a metric influenced by societal, political and medical advances. The way vital events are collected and reported are not always uniform. A lack of uniformity has disadvantaged some groups in society. In Canada, a multi-jurisdictional vital statistics system has truncated our ability to produce infant mortality rates for the Indigenous population. To understand how this evolved, this paper outlines the history of infant mortality, generally and internationally, and then documents the efforts to harmonize the collection and reporting of vital statistics (births and deaths) in Canada. Following this analysis is a historical review of vital event reporting for Canada's Indigenous population. A major finding of this paper is that racism, reframing, and jurisdictional posturing has limited our ability to accurately estimate live births and infant deaths for the Indigenous population. To improve Indigenous infant mortality estimation, Canada's governments need to transcend multijurisdictional challenges and fulfill international reporting obligations to Indigenous communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using household expenditure data from 10,811 Canadian families, this research analyses consumption of electricity, natural gas, and other fuels to investigate the extent to which higher income families have higher energy consumption. Lorenz curves show that although inequality in electricity consumption exists, its distribution is fairer than income distribution. Knowing that electricity is fairly accessible in Canada, high electricity consumption raises environmental issues. This paper discusses how different pricing in provinces results in different consumption levels when weather and environmental conditions are comparable. It means that in a subsidized electricity market, the high-income families use more energy resources, which can be considered as a “second order” inequality in provinces with lower prices due to market structures and effective subsidies based on access to low-cost hydropower. To address this issue, the paper suggests that local governments move toward an integrated market-based pricing structure that includes royalties on public natural resources to encourage efficient energy usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to find the determinants of Canadian international patent activity at the industrial level. The paper achieves this goal in two steps. In the first step, Canadian worldwide patent applications are mapped into industry classifications. The paper draws on three different methods (Johnson, 2002 [13]; Schmoch et al., 2003 [22]; and Lybbert and Zolas, 2013 [16]) and two different data sources (EPO PATSTAT and OECD Triadic patent families) to do this task. In the next step, Canadian patent applications abroad are modeled by using a modified gravity model. The empirical results suggest that the industrial R&D and value added of Canada and destination countries as well as industrial exports are significant factors of Canadian patent activity abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Prince Edward Island (PEI) is the smallest province in Canada measuring about 5700 km2 in area with a population of around 130,000 people. Small family farm operation is part of the Island's way of life. However, the dairy industry in North America is undergoing significant structural change. Statistics show a significant decline in the small dairy farms industry, while the number of large operations has been increasing. Advantages for large operations include purchasing energy in large quantities with better price margins and the inherent economy of scale created by such breaks. One strategy for small-scale farms to become competitive is to reduce their energy-related operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions. This can be achieved through taking energy efficiency steps, reducing overall energy consumption and generating energy through renewable energy resources and technologies. This paper uses a case study of a small dairy farm in Oyster Bed Bridge, PEI to gain insight into the direct use of energy within small dairy farms. An energy audit methodology is used to determine the energy intensity of the farm as well as energy efficiency opportunities. The paper also assesses the feasibility of meeting part of the energy demand of the farm with renewable energy generation. Energy efficiency recommendations for the case study farm include lighting retrofitting and regular maintenance of refrigeration condenser units. Renewable energy generation findings include the potential use of an anaerobic digester or a 25 kW wind turbine to generate the majority of the operation's energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: A Knowledge Broker is one approach for facilitating the integration of evidenceinformed decision making in public health practice. In this paper, the findings from two studies investigating a Knowledge Broker intervention as a means of enhancing capacity for evidence-informed decision making are presented. Contextual factors that facilitate this strategy are also identified. Study design: This paper describes work done through a single mixed-methods study (randomized controlled trial with a qualitative component) and a case study. Methods: The Health Evidence team conducted two studies examining Knowledge Broker impact in Canadian public health departments. The effectiveness of knowledge translation strategies of varying intensities for promoting the use of research evidence in decisions related to child obesity prevention were explored via a randomized controlled trial with a fundamental descriptive component (2003-2007). In a case study (2010-2013), the authors partnered with three health departments to develop and implement tailored strategies targeted at the organization. Knowledge Brokers worked with designated staff in these studies via one-on-one consultations, small group meetings, and/or workshops and presentations. The Knowledge Broker role was assessed by analysing data from closeended surveys, interviews, organizational documents, and reflective journals. Results: In this paper, the authors focus on findings from the qualitative analysis of implementing the Knowledge Broker role in both studies and explore several contextual factors that impacted study outcomes. Knowledge Brokers were shown to enhance individual capacity by improving knowledge and skill in searching for, critically appraising, and applying research evidence to practice-based issues. Organizational capacity was also enhanced with strong management support and policies. Effective Knowledge Broker attributes included both expertise in research methodology and public health, as well as intangible traits such as approachability and patience. Finally, optimal positioning and ways of working were identified, including the importance of in-person meetings and neutrality of the Knowledge Broker. Conclusions: Knowledge brokering is a potentially promising knowledge translation strategy for public health, though additional feasibility and cost-effectiveness data are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper draws on an analysis of migration from a coastal community in Atlantic Canada through the fisheries crisis of the last decade. Despite a persistent rhetoric of crisis and decline, the community remains difficult to leave for many young people. This paper examines the dimensions of this difficulty and the way that formal education sets up expectations for outmigration but few supports to families who have multi-generational linkages to local communities. Ironically the very discourse of crisis that is meant to propel youth out of the community may end up playing into a parallel discourse that has long predicted the collapse of urban economic and social structures. This in turn generates and propels a survivalism that inflects educational decision-making in ways that create deeply ambivalent and problematic conceptions of place and mobility for rural youth. This discourse in turn complicates simplistic neoliberal notions of educational choice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a novel approach to assessing the cost of container liner shipping through the Northwest Passage (NWP) on northern local communities. Based on some representative communities, concerns of the residents of these Canadian Arctic regions were assessed. Two essential factors to the well-being of the community members—air pollution and oil spills—are considered in our model. The approach was therefore used to evaluate the socio-economic impact of Arctic container liner shipping in Canadian Arctic regions. More specifically, the approach adopted a) uses a logit model to estimate the market share of NWP for commercial liner shipping; b) investigates different scenarios to evaluate the feasibility of commercial liner shipping through the NWP; c) incorporating concerns from the local communities, conducts a socio-economic analysis for the communities. With the analysis of the socio-economic impacts on local communities, the study would help guide governments on how to evaluate and calculate transit fees for transiting NWP. The study is imperative in supporting decision-making to shape Arctic policy. Furthermore, it gives stakeholders an idea of the market dynamics of shipping in the Arctic area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically an important transportation corridor in the Northwest Territories, climate change has shortened the duration of the Mackenzie River's navigational season. Communities rely increasingly on airlift as the growing volatility affects barging operations, leading to higher overall freight costs. Using an options approach, we present a methodological framework that supports flexible infrastructure decision making, accounting for the impacts of climate change uncertainty. We apply this method to the decision of whether to continue barging on the Mackenzie River, or connect the entire corridor by extending the all-weather Mackenzie Valley Highway, explicitly considering uncertainties in river barging conditions. We first model river open season days as a stochastic process; barging is dependent on the number of open season days, which in turn is affected by climate change. Second, we evaluate the expected cost of barging and airlift each season using a modified Black-Scholes model. Finally, we use real options to determine how long construction of the all-weather highway may be deferred. The results indicate that it is advisable to defer construction nearly a decade, in balancing the costs of construction against climate change uncertainty. This paper demonstrates that when we explicitly incorporate the impact of climate change on project valuations, particularly those in northern and Arctic Canada where these impacts are considerable, project valuations can change significantly such that all-weather road construction is supported, even if it is deferred to future years. This method can assist federal and territorial governments in communicating the impacts of climate change on communities, and provide another tool to support multi-layered, complex transportation infrastructure investment decisions that address these rapidly changing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting of renewable energy resources and their output power is playing a key role to improve the grid energy efficiency by making some load generation management. Tidal currents output power is depending on the tidal currents constitutions (speed magnitude and direction) forecasting. The accuracy of the tidal currents forecasting models is very important especially when we deal with smart grid and renewable energy integration. Many models are proposed in the literature for tidal currents forecasting but most of the models are not able to control the requirements of the smart grid due to their accuracy. This paper is proposing hybrid approaches for harmonic tidal currents constitutions forecasting based on clustering approaches to improve the system accuracy. These hybrid models involve various combinations of Wavelet and Artificial Neural Network (WNN and ANN) and Fourier Series Based on Least Square Method (FSLSM) techniques. The proposed work is validated by using two different datasets; one for tidal currents speed magnitude and the other one for tidal currents direction as well as K-fold cross validation. Simulations results prove the importance of the proposed models to improve the system performance. The proposed models are tested based on actual tidal currents data collected from the Bay of Fundy, Canada in 2008. • Six different hybrid models are proposed for harmonic tidal currents forecasting. • The hybrid approaches are combinations of Wavelet, ANN and Least Square Method. • The most accurate hybrid model is the model of WNN and ANN with MAPE of 1.0322. • Two different datasets used (speed magnitude and direction) for work validation. • The proposed models are tested using data collected from the Bay of Fundy in 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A high-risk screening study was performed for patients with chronic kidney disease. • Globotriaosylceramide (Gb 3) was analyzed in dried urine spots by LC-MS/MS. • A total of 397 participants were recruited in four centers across Canada. • No Fabry patients were detected in this study. • Chronic kidney disease might be associated with increased urinary Gb 3 concentrations. Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder with a highly heterogeneous clinical presentation. This complex disease is caused by a deficient activity of the enzyme α-galactosidase A, which is involved in the catabolism of glycosphingolipids. The prevalence of Fabry disease is underestimated, due to the presence of atypical variants. High-risk screening protocols are particularly relevant for this disease due to the availability of treatments, such as enzyme replacement and chaperone therapies. As kidney manifestations are present in the majority of male and many female patients with Fabry disease, a high-risk screening protocol was performed for patients with chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology. Recruitment of 397 participants took place in four centers across Canada from 2011 to 2017. Globotriaosylceramide (Gb 3) was analyzed in dried urine spots by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry followed by globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb 3) on the repeat analysis. The collection and shipment of urine specimens on filter paper resulted in easier handling/shipment and significant cost-saving. No Fabry patients were detected in this study. Increased concentrations of urinary Gb 3 were observed in 13.6% of patients with chronic kidney disease suggesting that chronic kidney disease or other comorbidities might be associated with increased urinary Gb 3 concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive power shortage is one of the current issues that endanger the stability of the power grid systems. Some massive blackouts have been experienced in the past years due to the unbalance of reactive power. One of the solutions to provide the necessary reactive power to the grid is to operate generators as motors and supply or absorb reactive power when needed. Hydraulic turbines are the most suitable machines to perform this task since they can be easily and quickly dewatered to work as motors (Synchronous Condenser (SC) operation). Nowadays, hydraulic turbines are operating as SC for several hours per day, especially in grids like in US or Canada. The change from generating mode to SC and vice versa can be very fast, depending on the grid requirements. However, these fast changes may affect the mechanical behavior of the machine, reducing its useful life-time or increasing vibrations. In this paper, the effect in the mechanical system of SC operation in a Francis turbine prototype is evaluated. Strains in the runner and vibrations in the stationary parts are analyzed in detail in the fast changes between generating to SC and vice versa. • Synchronous condenser operation in a Francis turbine has been studied. • Runner stress and fatigue have been evaluated for this operating condition. • Vibration behavior of the machine is studied during synchronous condenser operation. • Transient events from generating mode to synchronous condenser and vice versa are investigated. [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]