Search

Many of the world's rivers are dammed, altering the physiology, behaviour, ecology and survival of fish. Integrative research has the potential to improve our understanding of these impacts and could enable environmental managers to develop effective solutions for population conservation. Such approaches, however, are not yet prevalent. We use a case study on Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in British Columbia, Canada, to demonstrate how regulated rivers may be used as experimental systems, allowing for applied research that can advance our understanding of the biology of migratory fish as well as our ability to manage them. Through the integration of multiple research approaches (i.e. biotelemetry, behavioural tests, physiological and molecular analyses, and hydraulic monitoring), we characterized the effects of natal water dilution and dam flow releases on upstream navigation, passage success and post-passage survival of returning adult salmon. Our findings confirmed previously established operational guidelines for natal water dilution and informed the adoption of new operational conditions for dam flow releases, providing an example of the successful application of integrative research to the management of a fisheries resource in a regulated river. We encourage researchers to consider using an experimental approach that integrates multiple research disciplines to inform science-based management action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among Canadians aged 25–64 years, 32% of those without disabilities have a university degree, while the figure among those with disabilities is only 13%. Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which an individual realizes their potential, and can cope and work productively. According to Statistics Canada (2016), mental illness is the most dominating disability among Canadians between 15 and 24 years of age. Health professional programs can be an intense experience. While the number of students with mental illness in post-secondary institutions is on the rise, students and faculty are asking how to accommodate students. The purpose of this paper is to examine and map what we know about university students' mental health experiences in health and allied healthcare university programs. We included 17 articles in our scoping review methodology. We used data between 2003 and 2017 from databases such as MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest, PsycINFO, and gray search areas. Two team members independently screened for articles. Data was presented in a table guided by the research question. The scoping review revealed four broad themes: (1) prevalence; (2) environment; (3) ethics issues and relationships; and (4) coping: being silent. While mood disorder and anxiety dominated students' experiences, most responded by being silent. Although the prevalence of mental illness and health in university has been examined in the literature from medical and psychology frameworks, there remains a paucity of literature evaluating strategies to support students, particularly accommodating students with clinical/practicum-based programs. Further clinical, education, and research implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Real-world cost analysis of elective laparoscopic versus open colon resection in a tertiary Canadian teaching hospital was performed to evaluate the financial impact of minimally invasive surgery with the appointment of an experienced laparoscopic surgeon in a single-payer system. Methods: A retrospective review of elective laparoscopic and open segmental colectomies (2005-2010) was performed. Combined cases and procedures performed for inpatients were excluded to minimize cost variation. The hospital case-costing system was used to calculate the hourly cost of operating room time and the daily hospital ward stay. The cost of disposable equipment was calculated manually. A cost-minimization analysis was performed from the hospital perspective, which excludes physician payment. Cases were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Results: For this study, 470 right-side colectomies (322 open and 148 laparoscopic) and 266 left-side colectomies (181 open and 85 laparoscopic) were found to match the inclusion criteria. The operating room time was longer for the laparoscopic procedures than for the open procedures: 203.4 versus 173.4 min ( P = 0.1) for right and extended right hemicolectomy (RC) and 287.4 versus 173.4 min ( P = 0.009) for left and sigmoid colectomy (LC). This resulted in higher operating room costs: $4,094.10 versus $3312.11 for RC and $5,784.88 versus $4,582.55 for LC. The median hospital stay for an index admission was shorter for both sides: 5 days versus 8 days ( P = 0.01) for RC and 4 days versus 6 days ( P = 0.04). This resulted in lower ward costs: $4,556.07 versus $6,632.82 for RC and $3,297.24 versus $5,949.09 for LC. The cost of care per index admission after laparoscopic versus open resection was $10,097.93 versus $10,444.69 for RC and $11,067.72 versus. $11,146.56 for LC. The introduction of laparoscopic surgery has saved our institution $58,021.43 over 5 years. Conclusion: The reasons for observed differences in operating room time and length of hospital stay were uncontrolled and may be multifactorial. However, the results demonstrate that adopting a laparoscopic approach for elective colon surgery resulted in progressive financial savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent work in political geography has emphasised how scale plays a role in constituting relationships and identities. Historically, the Canadian federal government has taken responsibilities for social services for First Nations people on reserves, leaving this responsibility to provinces for First Nations people in cities. This constitutes First Nations women as individuals with Aboriginal rights only on reserves, and as part of mainstream society in urban areas. First Nations women have challenged the definitions of their identities embedded in these scales of service provision. In presenting alternative geographies for organising the provision of services, they demonstrate the importance of paying attention to the diversity of women's everyday geographies in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consider an atomistic developer who decides when and at what density to develop his land, under a property value tax system characterized by three time-invariant tax rates: τ V , the tax rate on pre-development land value; τ S , the tax rate on post-development residual site value; and τ K , the tax rate on structure value. Arnott (2005) identified the subset of property value tax systems that are neutral. This paper investigates the relative efficiency of four idealized, non-neutral property value tax systems [(i) “Canadian'' property tax system: τ V = 0, τ S = τ K ; (ii) simple property tax system: τ V = τ S = τ K ; (iii) residual site value tax system: τ K = 0,τ V = τ S ; (iv) two-rate property tax system: τ V = τ S > τ K > 0] under the assumption of a constant rental growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water from lakes and tundra ponds on Banks, Melville, Ellef-Ringnes, Ellesmere and Devon Island (74-79°N, 82-116°W) in the Canadian high Arctic was studied in batch culture experiments to test whether nitrogen, phosphorus or organic carbon limited bacterial growth and biomass accumulation. Water samples containing indigenous bacteria were amended with carbon (glucose), nitrogen (nitrate) or phosphorus (phosphate), either alone or in combination, and were incubated in the dark at ambient temperatures. Bacterial growth was measured as the rate of protein synthesis and the accumulation of bacterial cells. Bacterial growth was significantly enhanced in all cultures amended with phosphorus. There was no indication of primary carbon or nitrogen limitation in either lakes or ponds, but the combined addition of phosphorus and either carbon, nitrogen or both, had a positive effect on bacterial growth in the lakes but not in ponds. This contrasting response in Arctic lakes and ponds can be predicted from in situ concentrations of dissolved nutrients: total dissolved phosphorus was low in all systems (= 10 µg L-1), whereas total dissolved nitrogen and organic carbon was on average 24 and 7 times higher in ponds. Pelagic bacteria in lakes and ponds of the high Arctic seem to follow the general pattern of phosphorus limitation previously observed in many temperate and tropical freshwater systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the measurement of the bacterioplankton and planktonic community respiration at several Canadian lakes during summer. Relationship between specific aerobic respiration and bacterial biomass; Increase of the total phosphorus level; Utilization of electron acceptors.

"Sedimentation patterns in nine lake basins were examined where catchments were either clearcut, burned in recent history, or where therehas been no recorded disturbance and the catchments consist of mature forests. Pronounced declines in sedimentation rates were observed in eight of eleven cores after 1980, in reference, clearcut, and burn lakes. The degree of change was positively correlated with the drainage ratio (catchment area: lake area), but was unrelated to land use history. The decline in sedimentation rates after 1980 coincide with a60% decrease in catchment runoff and precipitation measured over thesame time interval at the nearby Experimental Lakes Area. These results indicate that climatic changes over the past 20 years have had a greater effect on catchment erosion than either clearcutting or fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]