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Despite evidence that First Nations people experience a disproportionate degree of mental health concerns relative to other Canadians, many within this population do not access Western-based mental health services. In this article we extend a socio-political and historical rationale for attending to key cultural differences when working with First Nations clientele. These cultural differences are situated within the three commonly held domains of multicultural competence: self-awareness, knowledge of the other, and therapeutic practice.

Research shows a decline in physical activity levels during adolescence, particularly among girls. This study explored perceived barriers to participation in moderate and vigorous physical activity among adolescent girls who live in a large ethnoracially and socioeconomically diverse city. A total of 73 adolescent girls in Toronto participated in 1 of 7 focus group sessions which were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim, and qualitative software was used to facilitate data analysis. A constant comparison approach was used to inductively develop themes. Participants' perceived barriers to participating in physical activity included: lack of time; involvement in technology-related activities; influence of peers, parents and teachers; concern about safety; inaccessibility of facilities and cost of using them; competition; and body-centered issues. The results suggest that strategies to address specific intrapersonal, social-environmental, and physical-environmental barriers to physical activity participation should be used in physical activity promotion programs for adolescent girls.

Assesses the need for counselors in B.C.'s elementary schools. Principals primary and intermediate teachers wanted bi-weekly counseling services; a school-based, direct service counselor to serve as consultant to parents; and counselor training in developmental, preventative, and remedial approaches. (Author)

Abstract Nursing students make medication errors as they progress through educational programs. It is important that faculty feedback is such that students feel comfortable reporting subsequent medication errors. The objectives of this study are to determine factors which increase the likelihood of nursing students reporting medication errors; to elicit nursing student perception of faculty feedback following a medication error, and determine how this faculty feedback impacts reporting of subsequent medication errors; and to develop recommendations regarding the most effective faculty approaches when providing feedback to nursing students following medication errors. This quantitative study uses a non-experimental, descriptive design. A convenience sample of 106 nursing students in one Canadian province completed a self-report questionnaire. The factors identified as increasing the likelihood of reporting medication errors for students who made a medication error were the same as for those who did not make an error. Group sizes were too small to determine if characteristics of faculty feedback had a significant impact on likelihood of reporting future errors. Students in both groups indicated intention to report errors based upon professional attitudes, behaviors and/or values. The researchers concluded that professional socialization, in combination with supportive learning environments, may increase student comfort in reporting medication errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-nine years of scale growth measurements from Big Qualicum River chum salmon ( Oncorhynchus keta) in southern British Columbia demonstrated that competition and climate variation affect marine growth and age-at-maturity. A longitudinal study design that accounted for correlation among individuals revealed growth at all ages was reduced when the biomass of North American chum, sockeye ( Oncorhynchus nerka), and pink salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) was high. When North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) was positive, indicating increased primary productivity, predicted growth increased. Climate variation influenced competition effects. For instance, density-dependent competition effects increased when NPGO became more positive and Pacific Decadal Oscillation became more negative (indicating cool conditions), causing the greatest range in predicted scale size. Chum salmon are likely to exhibit continued reduction in growth at age due to increased ocean temperatures driven by climate change and high aggregate salmon biomass that includes hatchery releases. If evidence of biomass and climate effects presented here are common among Pacific salmon populations, reduction of hatchery releases should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Periodic assessments of the risk of water contamination by pesticides help decision makers improve the sustainability of agricultural management practices. In Canada, when evaluating the risk of water contamination by pesticides, 2 main constraints arise. First, because the area of interest is large, a pesticide transport model with low computational running time is mandatory. Second, some relevant input data for simulations are not known, and most are known only at coarse scale. This study aims to develop a robust methodology to estimate the evolution of the risk of water contamination by pesticides across Canada. To circumvent the 2 aforementioned issues, we constructed a stochastic model and coupled it to the 1-dimensional pesticide fate model Pesticide Root Zone Model (PRZM). To account for input data uncertainty, the stochastic model uses a Monte Carlo approach to generate several pesticide application scenarios and to randomly select PRZM parameter values. One hundred different scenarios were simulated for each of over 2000 regions (Soil Landscapes of Canada [SLC] polygons) for the years 1981 and 2006. Overall, the results indicated that in those regions in which the risk increased from 1981 to 2006, the increase in risk was mainly attributable to the increased area treated by pesticides or an increase in the number of days with runoff. More specifically, this work identifies the areas at higher risk, where further analyses with finer-scale input data should be performed. The model is specific for Canadian data, but the framework could be adapted for other large countries. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2014;10:429-436. © 2014 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing permafrost thaw, driven by climate change, has the potential to result in organic carbon stores being mineralized into carbon dioxide ( CO2) and methane ( CH4) through microbial activity. This study examines the effect of increasing temperature on community structure and metabolic activity of methanogens from the Canadian High Arctic, in an attempt to predict how warming will affect microbially controlled CH4 soil flux. I n situ CO2 and CH4 flux, measured in 2010 and 2011 from ice-wedge polygons, indicate that these soil formations are a net source of CO2 emissions, but a CH4 sink. Permafrost and active layer soil samples were collected at the same sites and incubated under anaerobic conditions at warmer temperatures, with and without substrate amendment. Gas flux was measured regularly and indicated an increase in CH4 flux after extended incubation. Pyrosequencing was used to examine the effects of an extended thaw cycle on methanogen diversity and the results indicate that in situ methanogen diversity, based on the relative abundance of the 16 S ribosomal ribonucleic acid ( rRNA) gene associated with known methanogens, is higher in the permafrost than in the active layer. Methanogen diversity was also shown to increase in both the active layer and permafrost soil after an extended thaw. This study provides evidence that although High Arctic ice-wedge polygons are currently a sink for CH4, higher arctic temperatures and anaerobic conditions, a possible result of climate change, could result in this soil becoming a source for CH4 gas flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which aims to examine the susceptibility of imidazolinone herbicides to leach when subjected to sprinkler irrigation with the use of a center pivot. The herbicides, such as imazamox, imazethapyr and imazamethabenz-methyl, commonly applied in crop production on the Canadian prairies were used to a tile-drained field. Tile-drain flow started when the water table increased above tile-drain depth. The study shows that concentrations of imazamethabenz-methyl summation and its hydrolysis product imazamethabenz greatly outmatched those of imazamox and imazethapyr.

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Counselling / Revue Canadienne de Counseling is the property of Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Previous research suggests that farmers may have an increased risk of developing autoimmunity and that exposure to certain pesticides may alter immune function. Little is known, however, about the immunologic effects of farming and pesticide exposures. As part of the Prairie Ecosystem Study, associations between detection of antinuclear antibodies (ANA), an autoimmunity indicator, and exposure to the herbicide bromoxynil (3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile) were investigated in a cross-sectional study of 208 residents (94 women, 114 men) of a cereal-producing region in Saskatchewan, Canada, during spring herbicide application, 1996. The ANA were assayed in serum by indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2 cells. Bromoxynil was measured in plasma by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. Associations were explored between ANA detection and detection of bromoxynil in plasma, self-reported use of bromoxynil and other pesticides, farming exposures, gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and residency. The mean age (SD) of the participants was 50.8 (13.6) yr [women: 49.7 (13.5) yr, men: 51.6 (13.6) yr]. ANA prevalence was 37.5% (women: 39.4%, men: 36%,) at 1:40 serum dilution, 17.3% (women: 20.2%, men: 14.9%) at 1:80, and 10.1% (women: 13.8%, men: 7%) at 1:160. In the multiple-variable Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) logistic regression analyses, female gender was a positive predictor of ANA detection and gender differences were observed in the relative importance of other study factors. None of the variables examined in the multiple-variable GEE analysis were statistically significant predictors of ANA detection for women. For many of these variables, however, the point estimates for women are similar to those seen in men. For men, with adjustment for age, ANA presence was inversely associated with detection of concentrations of bromoxynil in winter or spring samples and recent occupational use of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and the positive ANA predictors included having a BMI in the obese (BMI > 30.04 kg/m2) category, recent occupational use of trifluralin or fungicides, and current exposure to oilseed, poultry, or dairy production. The inverse association between ANA detection and bromoxynil exposure observed in farmers in this study is consistent with earlier empirical observations that certain pesticides may suppress immune function. Further research is needed to examine whether these findings are confirmed in other populations and to elucidate the biological mechanisms involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the seasonal variation of herbicide concentrations in prairie farm dugouts in Canada. Detection of herbicide in water dugouts; Decline of herbicide concentration in below detection limits; Presence of herbicides during winter.

Presents several letters to the editor related to medicine, as of January 2003. Drug marketing priorities; Endorsement by the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine (CANM) of densitometry guidelines; Information on neuroradiologists and stroke; Others.

Discusses the movement of goods, transportation and customs administration in Canada and the U.S. Importance of the Canada-U.S. border; Effect of international competition and technological change; Series of programs initiated by Canadian and U.S. officials to make the border better managed in order to reduce costs and facilitate trade; Resources to fund the acquisition of technology, detection equipment and to staff the border and to support the re-engineering of the border.

• Evaluated performance of no-till grain drills with hoe and triple disc openers. • Measured seed placement, emergence rate, opener draft, and tractor fuel consumption. • Opener type and ground speed had no effect on seed placement or emergence rate. • Hoe opener draft about 200 N higher than triple disc opener draft. • Fuel and draft data provide new perspective on normal grain drill performance data. The success of no-till crop production depends largely on achieving initial crop establishment. Many designs of no-till grain drill furrow openers have been developed to cut through surface residue and plant seeds into undisturbed soil; the opener performance can vary widely under different soil and residue conditions. A field experiment was conducted to compare seeding performance, implement draft and tractor fuel consumption for two no-till grain drills with contrasting opener types, hoe and triple disc, for planting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Atlantic Canada conditions. A randomized complete block experimental design was employed with two no-till openers, three ground speeds, 5, 8 and 11 km h−1, and three target seeding depths, 20, 40 and 60 mm. Emergence counts and actual seeding depths were measured. Drill draft and tractor fuel consumption were measured with an instrumented tractor. Opener type and ground speed had no effect on seeding depth, vertical scatter of seed, or emergence rate indicating that both opener types performed equally well. Effect of ground speed on opener draft was not significant (P > 0.05), but effect of seeding depth was highly significant (P < 0.001) for both opener types; opener draft was about 200 N higher for the hoe than the triple disc opener at the same speed and depth. Tractor fuel consumption (L h−1) was higher for higher ground speeds, but when fuel consumption was expressed on an area basis (L ha−1), the fuel consumption was lower at higher ground speeds owing the improved tractor operating efficiency. This demonstrates opportunities for fuel savings by proper matching ground speed to tractor size. The results are applicable to similar soil conditions throughout the world, but may not be applicable in different or more difficult no-till seeding conditions such as a fine textured cohesive soil, compacted soil or large quantity of surface residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although wind erosion is a pervasive soil degradation problem on thesemiarid Canadian prairies, few studies have been conducted on wind-eroded sediment as an environmental pathway for herbicide transport. An experiment was conducted on a clay loam soil at Lethbridge, AB, in1993 to 1994, to examine wind-eroded sediment as a transport mechanism for two soil-incorporated [trifluralin (2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-4-trifluoromethylaniline ) and triallate (5-2,3,3trichloroallyl diisopropylthiocarbamate)} and four surface-applied herbicides (diclofop ((+)-2-[4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenoxy]propanoic acid), bromoxynil (3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile), mecoprop (( 1-)-2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)propanoic acid}, and 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid)].The concentrations of diclofop and bromoxynil in sediments decreasedwith increasing capture height, with the 100-cm height having significantly lower concentrations (diclofop, 627 mug kg-1; bromoxynil, 70 mug kg-1) than the 10-cm height (diclofop, 1132mug kg-1; bromoxynil, 231 mug kg-1). This implies that these herbicides were primarily associated with larger soil particles captured closer to the soil surface. For the soil-incorporated herbicides, concentrations were significantly higher in the surface soil (0-2.5 cm) than in the wind-eroded sediment, whereas concentrations of surface-applied herbicides were generally higher in wind-eroded sediment than in surface soil. Overall wind erosion losses (expressed as a percent of amount applied) of the two soil-incorporated herbicides (1.5%) were about three times lower than those of the four surface-applied herbicides (average loss, 4.5%). The results demonstrate the potential hazard of environmental transport of herbicides on winderoded sediment and its associated implications for off-site air and water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging-guided transurethral ultrasound ablation uses directional thermal ultrasound under magnetic resonance imaging thermometry feedback control for prostatic ablation. We report 12-month outcomes from a prospective multicenter trial (TACT)., Materials and Methods: A total of 115 men with favorable to intermediate risk prostate cancer across 13 centers were treated with whole gland ablation sparing the urethra and apical sphincter. The co-primary 12-month endpoints were safety and efficacy., Results: In all, 72 (63%) had grade group 2 and 77 (67%) had NCCN® intermediate risk disease. Median treatment delivery time was 51 minutes with 98% (IQR 95-99) thermal coverage of target volume and spatial ablation precision of ±1.4 mm on magnetic resonance imaging thermometry. Grade 3 adverse events occurred in 9 (8%) men. The primary endpoint (U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated) of prostate specific antigen reduction ≥75% was achieved in 110 of 115 (96%) with median prostate specific antigen reduction of 95% and nadir of 0.34 ng/ml. Median prostate volume decreased from 37 to 3 cc. Among 68 men with pretreatment grade group 2 disease, 52 (79%) were free of grade group 2 disease on 12-month biopsy. Of 111 men with 12-month biopsy data, 72 (65%) had no evidence of cancer. Erections (International Index of Erectile Function question 2 score 2 or greater) were maintained/regained in 69 of 92 (75%). Multivariate predictors of persistent grade group 2 at 12 months included intraprostatic calcifications at screening, suboptimal magnetic resonance imaging thermal coverage of target volume and a PI-RADS™ 3 or greater lesion at 12-month magnetic resonance imaging (p <0.05)., Conclusions: The TACT study of magnetic resonance imaging-guided transurethral ultrasound whole gland ablation in men with localized prostate cancer demonstrated effective tissue ablation and prostate specific antigen reduction with low rates of toxicity and residual disease.

Indigenous peoples in Canada and other settler colonial nations experience barriers to healing in the health care system and their communities. Drawing on four sequential sharing circles and indepth interviews with 11 Indigenous men, this article shares the stories of Indigenous men and their healing journeys with the aim of improving culturally safe support in the community. In sharing their stories, these men identified coping with colonialism, as well as trauma and grief, as barriers in their healing journey. They also described finding strength in cultural role models, fathering, as well as ceremony and connecting to the land. We discuss the implications of these findings for service provision and decolonizing community health services., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chlortetracycline (CTC), an antimicrobial administered as a feed additive to cattle, swine, and poultry, is present in the corresponding manure. Land application of raw or processed (composted or stockpiled) manure provides a mechanism by which CTC (and other antimicrobials) enters the environment and becomes available for transport to surface receiving waters via rainfall or snowmelt runoff. Chlortetracycline has been detected in Canadian surface waters, but little has been reported on its fate in aquatic ecosystems. To address this knowledge gap, the dissipation of CTC-enol was monitored in deionized water and water typical of wetlands within the prairie region of Canada. In deionized water, CTC-enol tautomerized to CTC-keto, and both tautomers epimerized to 4-epi-CTC-enol and 4-epi-CTC-keto, respectively. Irreversible isomerization to iso-CTC occurred, which then epimerized to 4-epi-iso-CTC. In wetland water, although tauterization of CTC-enol to CTC-keto occurred, there was no evidence of the formation of the 4-epimers of either CTC-enol or CTC-keto. The major product formed in the wetland water was iso-CTC, some of which epimerized to 4-epi-iso-CTC. Although CTC-enol was shown to tautomerize to CTC-keto, the concentration of CTC-keto remained low in both deionized and wetland water, suggesting that the isomerization of CTC-enol to iso-CTC most likely occurred via CTC-keto. The dissipation of CTC-enol in wetland water was described by pseudo first-order kinetics with a DT 50 (time required for 50% dissipation) value of 4.8 h. The short DT 50 value of CTC and reduced antimicrobial activity of iso-CTC and 4-epi-iso-CTC suggest a lower probability for selection for CTC-resistant bacteria in Canadian Prairie aquatic ecosystems., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Environmental Quality © 2020 American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.)

Antimicrobials used in livestock production can be present in manure via excretion in the feces and/or urine. Application of raw or processed (composted or stockpiled) manure to crop and pasture land as a plant nutrient source can result in antimicrobial transport to surface waters via rainfall or snowmelt runoff. Little is known regarding antimicrobial persistence in aquatic ecosystems. Consequently, dissipation of environmentally relevant concentrations of three veterinary antimicrobials (lincomycin, chlortetracycline, and sulfamethazine) was studied in three wetlands on the Canadian Prairies. Study wetlands were fortified in the fall to simulate antimicrobial transport via rainfall runoff from fall manure applications to the wetland catchments. After fortification, water column concentrations of all three antimicrobials decreased through September and October. Plotting natural logarithm values of antimicrobial concentration against time resulted in linear relationships for all three antimicrobials, indicating that the summation of all dissipation processes for each antimicrobial could be described by first-order kinetics. The slopes of the three plots were significantly different, indicating that the order of dissipation was lincomycin < sulfamethazine < chlortetracycline. Consequently, the dissipation DT 50 (time required for 50% antimicrobial dissipation) values for lincomycin (14.0 d), sulfamethazine (7.0 d), and chlortetracycline (3.3 d) were significantly different. The longer DT 50 values of lincomycin and sulfamethazine suggest that environmentally relevant concentrations of these antimicrobials may affect bacterial production in prairie wetlands., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Environmental Quality © 2019 American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.)

Wetlands are abundant throughout the agricultural landscape of central Saskatchewan, Canada, and the biota present in these wetlands may be vulnerable to the toxic effects of pesticides used on nearby crops. We hypothesized that herbicide concentrations would be higher in wetlands on minimum-tillage farms than on organic (no herbicide use) farms, and that the principal transport mechanisms of runoff versus atmospheric deposition could be identified based on the concentrations in these two wetland types. To test these hypotheses, 29 herbicides were monitored for 5 yr in 16 wetlands on minimum-tillage farms and in seven wetlands on organic farms. Twenty herbicides were detected in wetlands on minimum-tillage farms versus 12 in wetlands on organic farms. Clopyralid, MCPA, 2,4-D, bromoxynil, dichlorprop, and dicamba were detected at a >50% frequency in wetlands on both minimum-tillage and organic farms. Concentrations of clopyralid were significantly higher in wetlands on minimum-tillage farms than in those on organic farms, whereas no significant difference was observed for any of the other five herbicides. Glyphosate, including its degradation product AMPA, was detected in >50% frequency only in wetlands on minimum-tillage farms where the mean concentration (1278 ng L) was higher than the concentration of other herbicides. Mass applied, vapor pressure, and water solubility were important determinants of herbicide concentrations and detections in wetlands. Herbicide concentrations in all but two samples were less than their respective Canadian guideline for protection of aquatic life, suggesting that, overall, individual herbicide concentrations in the wetlands were not toxic to biota., (Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.)

Objective: To evaluate whether the percentage of time spent supine during sleep in the third trimester of pregnancy could be reduced using a positional therapy device (PrenaBelt) compared with a sham device., Design: A double-blind, randomised, sham-controlled, cross-over pilot trial., Setting: Conducted between March 2016 and January 2017, at a single, tertiary-level centre in Canada., Participants: 23 participants entered the study. 20 participants completed the study. Participants were low-risk, singleton, third-trimester pregnant women aged 18 years and older with body mass index <35 kg/m 2 at the first antenatal appointment for the index pregnancy and without known fetal abnormalities, pregnancy complications or medical conditions complicating sleep., Interventions: A two-night, polysomnography study in a sleep laboratory. Participants were randomised by computer-generated, one-to-one, simple randomisation to receive either a PrenaBelt or a sham-PrenaBelt on the first night and were crossed over to the alternate device on the second night. Allocation concealment was by unmarked, security-tinted, sealed envelopes. Participants, the recruiter and personnel involved in setting up, conducting, scoring and interpreting the polysomnogram were blinded to allocation., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was the percentage of time spent supine during sleep. Secondary outcomes included maternal sleep architecture, respiration, self-reported sleep position and feedback., Results: The median percentage of sleep time supine was reduced from 16.4% on the sham night to 3.5% on the PrenaBelt night (pseudomedian=5.8, p=0.03). We were unable to demonstrate differences in sleep architecture or respiration. Participants underestimated the time they spent sleeping supine by 7.0%, and six (30%) participants indicated they would make changes to the PrenaBelt. There were no harms in this study., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the percentage of sleep time supine during late pregnancy can be significantly reduced via positional therapy., Trial Registration Number: NCT02377817; Results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: AJK and AB are officers at GIRHL, which has a patent application for the PrenaBelt (#WO2016176632A1) on which AJK, AB and KC are listed as inventors. DLM reports grants from Bresotec and grants from CIHR/Industry Grant (Phillips) outside the submitted work. HMS, JC, JHW, MBB, AI and LMO have declared no support from any organisation for the submitted work, no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years, and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2018. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The use of sulfonylurea herbicides (SU) has increased greater than 100 times over the past 30 years in both Europe and North America. Applied at low rates, their presence, persistence and potential impacts on aquatic ecosystems remain poorly studied. During late-spring to early fall in 2009-2011, concentrations of 9 SU were assessed in two agricultural streams and their receiving wetland, an enlargement of the St. Lawrence River (Canada). Six SU in concentrations >LOQ (10 ng L(-1)) were detected in 10% or less of surface water samples. Rimsulfuron was detected each year, sulfosulfuron and nicosulfuron in two years and the others in one year only, suggesting that application of specific herbicides varied locally between years. Detection frequency and concentrations of SU were not significantly associated with total precipitation which occurred 1 to 5d before sampling. Concentrations and fate of SU differed among sites due to differences in stream dynamics and water quality characteristics. The persistence of SU in catchment basin streams reflected the dissipation effects associated with stream discharge. Maximum concentrations of some SU (223 and 148 ng L(-1)) were occasionally above the baseline level (100 ng L(-1)) for aquatic plant toxicity, implying potential toxic stress to flora in the streams. Substantially lower concentrations (max 55 ng L(-1)) of SU were noted at the downstream wetland site, likely as a result from dilution and mixing with St. Lawrence River water, and represent less toxicological risk to the wetland flora. Sporadic occurrence of SU at low concentrations in air and rain samples indicated that atmospheric deposition was not an important source of herbicides to the study area., (Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Neonicotinoids currently dominate the insecticide market as seed treatments on Canada's major Prairie crops (e.g., canola). The potential impact to ecologically significant wetlands in this dominantly agro-environment has largely been overlooked while the distribution of use, incidence and level of contamination remains unreported. We modelled the spatial distribution of neonicotinoid use across the three Prairie Provinces in combination with temporal assessments of water and sediment concentrations in wetlands to measure four active ingredients (clothianidin, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid and acetamiprid). From 2009 to 2012, neonicotinoid use was increasing; by 2012, applications covered an estimated ∼11 million hectares (44% of Prairie cropland) with >216,000 kg of active ingredients. Thiamethoxam, followed by clothianidin, were the dominant seed treatments by mass and area. Areas of high neonicotinoid use were identified as high density canola or soybean production. Water sampled four times from 136 wetlands (spring, summer, fall 2012 and spring 2013) across four rural municipalities in Saskatchewan similarly revealed clothianidin and thiamethoxam in the majority of samples. In spring 2012 prior to seeding, 36% of wetlands contained at least one neonicotinoid. Detections increased to 62% in summer 2012, declined to 16% in fall, and increased to 91% the following spring 2013 after ice-off. Peak concentrations were recorded during summer 2012 for both thiamethoxam (range:

The state of interprofessional education (IPE) in U.S. and Canadian dental schools was studied by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Team Study Group on Interprofessional Education. The study group reviewed the pertinent IPE literature, examined IPE competencies for dental students, surveyed U.S. and Canadian dental schools to determine the current and planned status of IPE activities, and identified best practices. Members of the study group prepared case studies of the exemplary IPE programs of six dental schools, based on information provided by those schools; representatives from each school then reviewed and approved its case study. Six reviewers critiqued a draft of the study group's report, and study group members and reviewers met together to prepare recommendations for schools. This report identifies four domains of competence for student achievement in IPE and summarizes responses to the survey (which had an 86 percent response rate). It also includes the case descriptions of six schools' IPE programs and the study group's recommendations for dental schools. The report concludes that there is general recognition of the goals of IPE across U.S. and Canadian dental schools, but a wide range of progress in IPE on the various campuses. Challenges to the further development of IPE are discussed.

Current treatment guidelines advocate opioids for arthritis when standard analgesics produce inadequate relief. Efficacy, adverse effects (AEs), dosing regimens, physician expertise and patient preference influence treatment selection. This study assessed transdermal fentanyl (TDF) as a treatment option for osteoarthritis (OA) patients. This prospective, Canadian open-label, 8-week trial assessed the efficacy and safety of TDF in patients with OA of hip or knee with moderate-to-severe target joint pain inadequately controlled using weak opioids. TDF was initiated at 25 mcg/h and titrated to optimal pain control. Rescue acetaminophen 500 mg was allowed (maximum 4 g/day). The main endpoint was improvement in pain control assessment rating (five rating categories); pain intensity (0-10 numerical scale), functionality (WOMAC-OA Index), health-related quality of life (SF-36 Health Survey) and global impression were also evaluated. Eighty-one patients (61% female, mean age 60 years) were enrolled; 62 were evaluable. All had failed on previous weak opioid therapy, primarily codeine or codeine combinations. At treatment end, 65% rated pain control as improved (Pain Control Assessment rating change >or=1 category; p<0.0001); mean change in pain intensity was a reduction of greater than 2 (p<0.0001); almost 50% were maintained on TDF 25 mcg/h with less than 1.3 g/day of rescue acetaminophen. At 1 month and end of treatment, changes in the SF-36 physical global scale and individual sub-scores for the pain index and role-physical scales were highly significant (p<0.0001). Improvement in functionality was noted at 1 month and at end of treatment with significant reductions in total WOMAC score, individual pain, stiffness and physical function sub-scores (p<0.0001). AEs causing discontinuation (n=32) included nausea, dizziness and vomiting. Most treatment-related AEs were mild to moderate in intensity. TDF improved pain control, functionality and health-related quality of life in these patients. The findings support current recommendations for use of opioids such as TDF as a treatment option for a sub-population of patients with OA pain.

Background: Human health anomalies have been associated with pesticide exposure for people living in rural landscapes in the northern Great Plains of North America., Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of 45 pesticides in drinking water from reservoirs in this area that received water primarily from snowmelt and rainfall runoff from agricultural crop lands., Methods: Water from 15 reservoirs was sampled frequently during the spring pesticide application period (early May to mid-August) and less frequently for the remainder of the year. Drinking water was sampled in early July. Sample extracts were analyzed for pesticide content using mass spectrometric detection., Results: We detected two insecticides and 27 herbicides in reservoir water. Consistent detection of a subset of 7 herbicides suggested that atmospheric deposition, either directly or in rain, was the principal pathway from fields to the reservoirs. However, the highest concentrations and number of herbicides in drinking water were associated with runoff from a localized 133-mm rainfall over 15 days toward the end of spring herbicide application. Water treatment removed from 14 to 86% of individual herbicides. Drinking water contained 3-15 herbicides (average, 6.4)., Conclusions: We estimated the mean annual calculated concentration of herbicides in drinking water to be 75 ng/L (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid, 31 ng/L (2-chloro-4-methylphenoxy)acetic acid, 24 ng/L clopyralid, 11 ng/L dichlorprop, 4 ng/L dicamba, 3 ng/L mecoprop, and 1 ng/L bromoxynil. The maximum total concentration of herbicides in drinking water was 2,423 ng/L. For the seven herbicides with established drinking water guidelines, all concentrations of the individual chemicals were well below their respective guideline. However, guidelines have not been established for the majority of the herbicides found in drinking water or for mixtures of pesticides.

Pyrolysates of high-molecular-weight sedimentary fractions of the Duvernay Formation (Western Canada Basin) are dominated by 1,2,3,4- and 1,2,3,5-tetramethylbenzene, which, generated via beta-cleavage, indicate the presence of diaromatic carotenoids in the macromolecular aggregates. This was substantiated by desulphurization of sulphur-rich aggregates of the polar fraction, which released (partly) hydrogenated carotenoids. Furthermore, these components were important constituents of the aromatic hydrocarbon fractions and related oils. Apart from renieratane and isorenieratane, 1H NMR analysis established the aromatic substitution pattern of the most abundant component present, which was identified as a diaromatic compound with an unprecedented 2,3,6-/3,4,5-trimethyl aromatic substitution pattern. Molecular and isotopic analyses of both soluble and insoluble fractions of organic matter revealed relationships between diagenetically-derived carotenoids found in bitumen and related oils and their precursors incorporated into high-molecular-weight fractions. Aryl isoprenoids, important components in extracts and oils, were apparently derived from thermal cracking of bound diaromatic carotenoids rather than cleavage of free carotenoids as previously suggested. Furthermore, products derived from diaromatic carotenoids were substantially enriched in 13C relative to n-alkanes of algal origin. Together with the characteristic carotenoids, this isotopic enrichment provides evidence of significant contributions from photosynthetic green sulphur bacteria (Chlorobiaceae), which fix carbon via the reversed tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. In spite of the prominence of these molecular signals, the overall isotopic composition of the organic matter indicated that only a very small portion of the preserved organic carbon was derived from the biomass of photosynthetic green sulphur bacteria.

Because their molecular signatures are often prominent in extracts of sediments, bacteria are thought to be important contributors to petroleum source beds. It has been shown recently, however, that abundances of biomarkers do not always reflect relative contributions to sedimentary organic carbon (Corg). The contribution of photosynthetic green sulphur bacteria to sediments can be assessed effectively because the diagenetic products of distinctive carotenoids from these organisms occur widely and their biomass is isotopically labelled, being enriched in 13C. We show here that, although sediments and oils from the Western Canada and Williston basins contain prominent biomarkers of photosynthetic bacteria, the absence of 13C enrichment in the total Corg requires that the bacterial contribution is in fact minimal. Although the importance of bacterial reworking of sedimentary debris cannot be doubted, we argue that our findings, when considered in conjunction with those from other settings, suggest that bacterial biomass may commonly represent only a minor component of total Corg in carbonaceous rocks.