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This study tested a 5-year sequential mediation model linking paternal mind-mindedness in toddlerhood to child early academic achievement through a developmental process unfolding in the preschool years. A sample of 128 mostly White middle-class families (68 girls) living in Montreal, Canada was assessed for paternal mind-mindedness when children were 18 months old, child language at age 2, theory of mind and effortful control at age 4, cognitive school readiness in kindergarten, and finally, achievement in math and reading in first grade. Controlling for maternal mind-mindedness assessed at age 12 months, the results showed prospective associations from paternal mind-mindedness to both math and reading achievement, mediated by theory of mind, effortful control, and school readiness in sequence. Results suggest that paternal mind-mindedness may support child academic outcomes by promoting the acquisition of intermediate skills during preschool years.

Age-related developments in sleep during the preschool years are normative and consequential. Yet, very few studies have examined the antecedents of individual differences in such developments, and most have used parental reports of child sleep. This study aimed to investigate the roles of mutual responsiveness in mother-child interactions and child temperamental anger proneness in the prediction of changes in sleep during the preschool period. The sample was comprised of 94 children (44 girls, 50 boys) of mostly White (93%) and college-educated (85%) mothers. Mother-child mutual responsiveness and child anger proneness were assessed at 2 years, and sleep was assessed using actigraphy at the ages of 2, 3, and 4 years. Multilevel growth models revealed that higher temperamental anger proneness was concurrently associated with lower sleep efficiency and shorter nighttime sleep duration at 2 years. In regard to changes in sleep, nighttime sleep duration decreased between 2 and 4 years among children exposed to lower mutual responsiveness in interactions with their mothers. High anger proneness was related to an increase in sleep efficiency from 2 to 4 years, whereas low anger proneness was associated with a decrease in nighttime duration during the same period. No interactive effect was found between anger proneness and mother-child mutual responsiveness. These results suggest that mother-child relationships and child temperament may play different roles, not only in children's concurrent sleep patterns but also in changes in sleep across the preschool period.

Studies have extensively presented a range of best practices for teachers to develop adequate classroom management skills. Yet, to date the connected attitudes that teachers would require to capably execute classroom management have received scarce attention in scientific literature. Accordingly, this article documents teachers' classroom management attitudes (TCMA) from the perspective of pupils presenting with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). Individual interviews were conducted with fourteen SEBD pupils attending secondary-school special education programmes. Using thematic analysis, emergent themes were then identified and categorised, resulting in seventeen teacher attitudes which then fell into four overarching dimensions: 1) Respect; 2) Authority; 3) Supportiveness; and 4) Differentiation. The connection between the teacher attitudes, as voiced by the pupils, and the pupils' perception of their teachers' classroom management skill and proficiency is described at length. In light of these findings, avenues for better classroom intervention outcomes and for further research have been proposed.

Background: The implementation of a quality daily physical activity program in school is influenced by a multitude of factors. Considering the characteristics and possible interactions of factors when choosing the study methods is likely to influence the interpretation of the results. Mixed methods approach, by collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, can lend a more comprehensive understanding of a physical activity intervention and its effects. Purpose: This paper aims to assess the benefits of a daily physical activity program and underline the theoretical and methodological interrelationships of this project based on an ecological approach and using a mixed methods design. Method: A semi-structured interview was used to collect the perceptions of a physical and health education teacher and self-administered questionnaires were used to survey classroom teachers and parents, while the quantification of the benefits of the program on students was based on an attention test, accelerometer measurements and a motor skills evaluation. Results: This mixed methods study provided an opportunity to measure the benefits of a daily physical activity program at the intrapersonal level (students' attention, PA intensity, and motor skills) and compare these results with findings at the interpersonal level (parents' perceptions), and institutional level (PHE teacher and classroom teachers' perceptions). Examining the benefits associated with the daily physical activity program using qualitative and quantitative measurement tools at different levels of the ecological approach enabled the convergence and corroboration of findings but also the elaboration, enhancement, and clarification of findings. Conclusion: A mixed methods design has helped to make an optimal use of the ecological approach despite the presence of methodological limits but has also helped to increase the effectiveness of classroom teachers and physical and health education teacher delivering the daily physical activity program, and ultimately to reap greater benefits.

There is now wide consensus that the quality of family relationships is involved in the development of child executive functioning (EF), a set of cognitive skills that bear critical importance for social and academic adjustment at school. This body of research has, however, focused almost exclusively on dyadic parent-child interactions and failed to consider higher-level family processes. Consequently, the current study focused on family alliance, that is, the degree of coordination that father, mother, and child achieve while interacting together, as a predictor of individual differences in children's EF. A community sample of 87 intact families (45 boys) participated in a triadic mother-father-child interaction when children were in kindergarten to assess family alliance. Children were assessed again when they were in Grade 4 with tasks of inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that higher-quality family alliance was predictive of better child performance on some cognitive flexibility and working memory tasks. These results indicate that some of the individual differences in child EF at school age may originate in the quality of the early family environment.

This study aimed to examine the unique and interactive contributions of the quality of mothers' and fathers' relationships with their toddlers to the prediction of children's subsequent executive functioning (EF). The sample included 46 low-risk middle-class families. The quality of mother-child and father-child interactions was assessed independently during separate interactive sequences at 18 months. Child EF problems were reported by teachers in kindergarten. The results indicated that only father-child interactions made a unique contribution to the prediction of children's EF, and no interaction effect was observed. Kindergarteners who benefited from higher quality interactions with their fathers in toddlerhood were considered by their teachers to present fewer EF problems in everyday school situations. These results appeared to be somewhat more pronounced in father-son than father-daughter dyads. Overall, the results suggest that fathering and father-child relationships may deserve more empirical attention than they have received thus far in the EF literature.

While maternal influences on young children's sleep are increasingly documented, the study of paternal contributions to this important sphere of child functioning is only just beginning. In addition, much of this emerging research has focused on infancy only or has relied on parental reports of child sleep. The current study aimed to examine the associations between paternal involvement and child sleep during toddlerhood, a period that witnesses both increased paternal involvement in child care and marked developments in child sleep. Fathers (N = 85) reported on their involvement when their toddlers were aged 2 years, and sleep was assessed objectively with actigraphy at age 3. Results indicated that above and beyond several key covariates, fathers who reported engaging more frequently in emotional support with their 2-year-old child, and those who reported evoking the child more often, had children who slept longer at night 1 year later. These results are among the first to suggest potential paternal influences on children's sleep after the infancy period. They raise the possibility that interventions seeking to enhance paternal involvement may carry benefits for toddlers' sleep and consequently, for aspects of cognition, behavior, and emotion that depend on adequate sleep regulation.

This study aimed to test a 5-wave sequential mediation model linking maternal mind-mindedness during infancy to children's school readiness in kindergarten through a serial mediation involving child language and effortful control in toddlerhood and the preschool years. Among a sample of 204 mother-child dyads, we assessed maternal mind-mindedness when children were aged 1 year, child expressive vocabulary at age 2, effortful control at ages 3 and 4, and finally cognitive school readiness in kindergarten. The results corroborated the model, suggesting that the prospective association between early mind-mindedness and later cognitive school readiness was entirely mediated by the proposed sequence of mediators, all of which were necessary to account for this longitudinal association. These findings suggest that the potential of parental mind-mindedness to support children's cognitive development may have been underestimated, and that its putative positive influence may take the form of a developmental cascade unfolding during the preschool years and entailing the acquisition of basic skills that serve as building blocks for further learning and development.

Sibling relationships are argued to offer a rich social context for the development of young children's theory of mind (ToM). There is evidence that the presence of siblings, particularly older siblings, may promote preschoolers' ToM, but it has not been investigated among toddlers. This study evaluated differences in early manifestations of ToM between toddlers in different sibling compositions: (1) without a sibling, (2) with younger siblings only, and (3) with older siblings only. The sample included 227 toddlers who completed 2 tasks assessing their understanding of discrepant desires and visual perspectives. Results indicated that only children and those who had older siblings did not differ from each other on either task. However, on both tasks, toddlers with younger siblings performed significantly more poorly compared with those with older siblings. Moreover, children with younger siblings demonstrated poorer visual-perspective understanding compared with only children. It may be critical to take siblings' birth order into account when investigating their respective effects on each other's ToM, especially in toddlerhood.

A growing body of theoretical and empirical work has been attempting to answer the questions of how and how much of the effects of children's early experience may depend on their inner characteristics. Theory and evidence suggest that some children, notably those with difficult temperaments, are more susceptible to both negative and positive aspects of parenting. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether child temperament moderated the links between the quality of mother-infant interactions, observed when children were 1 year of age, and two components of child executive functioning (EF) at 3 years, namely impulse control and conflict EF, among 74 mother-child dyads. The results were consistent with the notion that children with more difficult temperaments may be more susceptible to maternal behaviors than children with less difficult temperaments, but only regarding the development of impulse control abilities. There was no clear evidence of such moderation for conflict EF. These results support the idea that distinct mechanisms may underlie the development of different dimensions of child EF.

In light of emerging evidence suggesting that the affective quality of parent-child relationships may relate to individual differences in young children's executive functioning (EF) skills, the aim of this study was to investigate the prospective associations between attachment security in toddlerhood and children's EF skills in kindergarten. Mother-child dyads (N = 105) participated in 2 toddlerhood visits in their homes, when children were 15 months and 2 years of age. Mother-child attachment security was assessed with the Attachment Q-Sort during both these visits. When children were in kindergarten (ages 5-6), they were administered a battery of EF tasks, and their teachers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function to assess children's EF problems. The results indicated that kindergarteners who were more securely attached to their mothers in toddlerhood showed better performance on all EF tasks, and were considered by their teachers to present fewer EF problems in everyday school situations. These results held above family socioeconomic status (SES) and child age, sex, and general cognitive functioning. The fact that early attachment security uniquely predicted both teacher reports and children's objective EF task performance suggests that parent-child attachment may be a promising factor to consider in the continuing search for the social antecedents of young children's EF.

Family socioeconomic status (SES) and the quality of maternal behavior are among the few identified predictors of child executive functioning (EF), and they have often been found to have interactive rather than additive effects on other domains of child functioning. The purpose of this study was to explore their interactive effects in the prediction of child EF. We assessed maternal behavior at 1 year and two dimensions of child EF (Conflict EF and Impulse Control) at 3 years with 114 mother-child dyads. The analyses revealed that better child performance on Conflict EF was significantly related to higher-quality maternal behavior and to higher SES, but no interactions were found. In contrast, significant interactions were found with Impulse Control such that higher-quality maternal behavior was predictive of better performance only among children from lower-SES families. These results support the idea that distinct mechanisms may underlie the development of different dimensions of child EF.

In 2002/2003, the National Epidemiologic Database for the Study of Autism in Canada started capturing information on children diagnosed with autism in different regions of the country. Based on data collected through 2008 in Newfoundland and Labrador and 2010 in Prince Edward Island and Southeastern Ontario, the estimated average annual percent increases in prevalence among children 2-14 years of age ranged from 9.7% (95% CI 7.8-11.6) to 14.6% (95% CI 11.3-18.0). Differential in-migration and identification of previously undetected cases may have contributed in part to the increases observed, but we cannot rule out the possibility of a true increase in incidence, particularly given the lack of a leveling-off of prevalence among the 6- to 9-year olds.

The goals of this article were to examine (1) the relative and absolute stability of maternal autonomy support between infancy and preschool age, and (2) the moderating role of child gender, maternal attachment state of mind, and stressful life events. Sixty-nine mother-child dyads participated in five visits when the child was 8, 15, and 18 months, as well as 2 and 3 years. The results suggested that maternal autonomy support is stable in relative terms, but that its mean level decreases over time. Moreover, there was significant relative stability only for mothers of girls, mothers who showed greater coherence of mind with respect to attachment, and mothers who experienced fewer stressful life events. These results speak to the relevance of investigating parent, child, and contextual factors when examining the conditions that promote or hinder stability in parenting behaviors. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the prospective relations between parental psychosocial functioning and toddlers' sleep consolidation. Investigators met with 85 families 3 times, when children were 15 months (Time 1 [T1]), 18 months (T2), and 2 years of age (T3). Mothers and fathers completed questionnaires pertaining to their parenting stress, marital satisfaction, and perceived social support at T1 or T2, and mothers completed child sleep diaries at T2 and T3. Results indicated that fathers' parenting stress and marital satisfaction, as well as mothers' perceived social support, were related in expected directions to children's subsequent sleep consolidation (T3), with or without controlling for prior sleep consolidation (T2). In addition, all these relations were moderated by family socioeconomic status (SES), such that links were stronger in lower SES homes.

The current study aimed to examine infant sleep duration as a moderator of the relations between maternal sensitivity and child externalizing and internalizing symptoms, in a prospective longitudinal design. Fifty-five Caucasian infants (33 girls) took part in 2 assessments, at 1 and 4 years. Maternal sensitivity was rated at 1 year, based on observations performed throughout a home visit. Infant sleep duration (i.e., nighttime sleep duration and 24-hr sleep duration) was assessed at 1 year as well, using a sleep diary completed by mothers. At 4 years, mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist to assess children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results indicated that maternal sensitivity interacted with infant nighttime sleep duration, such that there were negative relations between sensitivity and subsequent internalizing and externalizing symptoms only for children who slept more at night. Interactions using 24-hr sleep duration as the moderator were not significant. These findings add to an emerging literature on the importance of sleep for children's daytime functioning by suggesting that inadequate or insufficient sleep in infancy can interfere with the normal developmental process linking early maternal sensitivity to child subsequent emotional and behavioral adjustment. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

The Province of Quebec subsidizes nearly 50% of private education, and at the same time heavily regulates private schools. To date, no studies have been done to determine the effect of the unique nature of competition from K-12 private schools on public school education of the sort found in Quebec. The authors used multiple regression to determine the effects of private school competition on school district performance and efficiency. The authors found that private school competition has a positive, though nonsignificant, effect on school district performance. However, private school competition does have a significant, positive effect on the efficiency of public school districts. This gain in efficiency is explained by competition's influence on lowering expenditures across the board. (Contains 5 tables.)

The aim of this report was to investigate the associations between attachment state of mind, romantic attachment style, and indices of maternal functioning in two relational spheres: the mother-child relationship (i.e., maternal sensitivity and child attachment security) and the marital relationship (i.e., mothers' and their partners' marital satisfaction). The results, based on 59 families, indicated that attachment state of mind was associated with maternal sensitivity and with child attachment security, although not to mothers' or their partners' subjective feelings of marital satisfaction. In contrast, romantic attachment styles were related to both mothers" and their partners' marital satisfaction, although not to maternal sensitivity or child attachment. These findings add to the growing literature highlighting the unique value of each tradition of assessment in adult attachment research, by suggesting that variation in attachment security tapped by each measure may bear particular relevance for specific relationships. (Contains 3 tables.)

The aim of this study was to examine the developmental significance of the newly developed dimensional approach to attachment state of mind by investigating its capacity to predict individual differences in the quality of two caregiving behaviors--maternal sensitivity and maternal autonomy support--that are linked to numerous important child outcomes. Seventy-one upper-middle-class, predominantly French-speaking and Caucasian dyads participated in 3 home visits (34 girls). The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was administered when the infants were 8 months old, maternal sensitivity was assessed when they were 12 months old, and maternal autonomy support was assessed at 15 months. The results revealed that, above and beyond SES, maternal sensitivity was negatively related to the dismissing dimension of the AAI, whereas maternal autonomy support was negatively linked to the preoccupied/unresolved dimension. In contrast, the traditional AAI categories were not significantly linked to parenting. These results speak to the relevance of using a continuous approach to attachment state of mind when predicting individual differences in specific caregiving behaviors. (Contains 5 tables and 2 footnotes.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the relations between pregnancy and childbirth factors and subsequent quality of maternal interactive behavior in a sample of 116 full-term infants and their mothers. Mothers reported on the conditions of childbirth when infants were 6-8 months of age, and their interactive behavior was observed during a home visit at 12 months. Results showed that mothers who did not report health problems during pregnancy and who had longer pregnancies, shorter hospital stays, natural deliveries, and infants with greater birthweight were found to be more sensitive during interactions with infants at 12 months. All these relations held after accounting for socio-economic factors and maternal psychological distress, except for the effect of type of delivery. This pattern of results, however, was almost exclusively due to mothers who already had at least one other child. Very few such relations were found among primiparous mothers. (Contains 3 tables.)

This exploratory analysis uses multiple regression modeling to help shed light on the correlates of the Black achievement gap in Montreal's public and private secondary schools. Using school-level testing data from Quebec's Ministry of Education, the authors show that there is a Black achievement gap, and that this gap is highly associated with school socio-economic status, peer family structure, and average age of the student body's parents. An important secondary finding is that there remains a significant positive association of private schooling on academic achievement, even after controlling for race and all other central independent variables. (Contains 3 tables and 1 note.)

This article investigates three types of content presentation (video documentary, computerized dictionary, and games) within interactive computer use at the Quebec Museum of Civilization. The visitors' viewpoint is particularly relevant for interface designing outcomes, since they argued that terminals require specific content display for disseminating information in the museum. We have identified five factors: 1) effortless knowledge; 2) sorted navigational paths; 3) exhaustiveness of topics; 4) combined audio and video media as first means; and 5) the quiz as a primary source of presentation. As first insight, terminals in exhibitions are perceived as multipurpose tools giving direct access to a wider selection of content, although it was shown that computer literate individuals have experienced problems to gain information, because of the content presentation and ergonomics. In addition, the commands provided did not properly assist visitors. Exhibit interface designers should build a "generic model interface" that best corresponds to the know-how of casual users, in order to avoid an arbitrary perusal of contents. (Contains 2 graphs, 6 figures and 16 footnotes.)

The article describes the development of the web-based Canadian Forest Service climate change indicator system, referred to as the Forest Change Tracking System. This indicator system was established in 2011 with financial support from the Adaptation theme of the Government of Canada Clean Air Agenda. The objectives of the Forest Change Tracking System are to (a) raise awareness and inform on the occurrence and scope of ongoing changes across Canadian forests associated with climate change and to (b) support the inclusion of adaptation into forest management planning and forest-related policies. The development strategy was to focus on a limited number of most relevant indicators and to build on existing capacity in order to produce information on current and future climate change impacts across Canada's vast forests. An initial list of 141 potential indicators relevant to forestry was compiled through a series of workshops with more than 100 researchers and forest sector stakeholders and through a global scan of climate change indicator initiatives. A rating system based on each indicator's potential relevance, sensitivity, and feasibility of measurement was used to select a subset of 35 indicators. These indicators fall within three broad systems—climate, forest, and human. Each indicator web page contains information on the relevance of the indicator, graphs, or maps on past trends and future projections across Canada and related links and references. This paper also presents lessons learned, discusses challenges and opportunities, and reviews potential next steps related to the broadening of this indicator system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Canada's forests are shaped by disturbances such as fire, insect outbreaks, and droughts that often overlap in time and space. The resulting cumulative disturbance risks and potential impacts on forests are generally not well accounted for by models used to predict future impacts of disturbances on forest. This study aims at projecting future cumulative effects of four main natural disturbances, fire, mountain pine beetle, spruce budworm and drought, on timber volumes across Canada's forests using an approach that accounts for potential overlap among disturbances. Available predictive models for the four natural disturbances were used to project timber volumes at risk under aggressive climate forcing up to 2100. Projections applied to the current vegetation suggest increases of volumes at risk related to fire, mountain pine beetle, and drought over time in many regions of Canada, but a decrease of the volume at risk related to spruce budworm. When disturbance effects are accumulated, important changes in volumes at risk are projected to occur as early as 2011–2041, particularly in central and eastern Canada. In our last simulation period covering 2071–2100, nearly all timber volumes in most of Canada's forest regions could be at risk of being affected by at least one of the four natural disturbances considered in our analysis, a six‐fold increase relative to the baseline period (1981–2010). Tree species particularly vulnerable to specific disturbances (e.g., trembling aspen to drought) could suffer disproportionate increases in their volume at risk with potential impacts on forest composition. By 2100, estimated wood volumes not considered to be at risk could be lower than current annual timber harvests in central and eastern Canada. Current level of harvesting could thus be difficult to maintain without the implementation of adaptation measures to cope with these disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Transitions out of hospital can influence recovery. Ideally, malnourished patients should be followed by someone with nutrition expertise, specifically a dietitian, post discharge from hospital. Predictors of dietetic care post discharge are currently unknown. The present study aimed to determine the patient factors independently associated with 30‐days post hospital discharge dietetic care for free‐living patients who transitioned to the community. Methodology: Nine hundred and twenty‐two medical or surgical adult patients were recruited in 16 acute care hospitals in eight Canadian provinces on admission. Eligible patients could speak English or French, provide their written consent, were anticipated to have a hospital stay of ≥2 days and were not considered palliative. Telephone interviews were completed with 747 (81%) participants using a standardised questionnaire to determine whether dietetic care occurred post discharge; 544 patients discharged to the community were included in the multivariate analyses, excluding those who were admitted to nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities. Covariates during and post hospitalisation were collected prospectively and used in logistic regression analyses to determine independent patient‐level predictors. Results: Dietetic care post discharge was reported by 61/544 (11%) of participants and was associated with severe malnutrition [Subjective Global Assessment category C: odd's ratio (OR) 2.43 (1.23–4.83)], weight loss post discharge [(OR 2.86 (1.45–5.62)], comorbidity [(OR 1.09 (1.02–1.17)] and a dietitian consultation on admission [(OR 3.41 (1.95–5.97)]. Conclusions: Dietetic care post discharge occurs in few patients, despite the known high prevalence of malnutrition on admission and discharge. Dietetic care in hospital was the most influential predictor of post‐hospital care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Little is known about factors associated with weight change post discharge from hospital; yet poor nutritional status in the transition from hospital to community can result in readmission. This exploratory study aimed to determine the factors associated with weight change 30 days post discharge defined as weight gain (WG; 5+ pounds), weight loss (WL; 5+pounds) or weight stable (WS).Subjects/methods: A total of 922 medical or surgical patients were recruited from 16 acute care hospitals in 8 Canadian provinces. Telephone interviews were completed with 747 (81%) participants 30 days post discharge using a standardized questionnaire that included: self-reported weight change, assessment of appetite, usage of healthcare services and supports for food-related activities of daily living. Covariates collected during hospitalization, including nutritional status at discharge evaluated by subjective global assessment (SGA), were used in logistic regressions.Results: Among the 747 patients, 26% reported WL, 16.7% had WG and 57.2% were WS. Those with WG were: younger (odds ratio (OR) 0.77 (0.69, 0.85)), male (OR 1.71 (1.12, 2.61)), malnourished at discharge (SGA B OR 2.13 (1.36, 3.33), SGA C OR 2.76 (1.19, 6.62)), and had a good appetite based on the low OR for fair/poor appetite (OR 0.28 (0.11, 0.66)). WL was associated with being on a special diet (OR 1.45 (1.07,1.96)) and reporting fair/poor appetite (OR 2.67 (1.76, 4.07)).Conclusions: Weight change was relatively common with WL predominating. Several variables were identified to be predictors of WL or weight gain, with appetite being common to both. Future work to further define and confirm these associations is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine pollution from plastic debris is a global problem causing negative impacts in the marine environment. Plastic marine debris as a contaminant is increasing, especially in Canada. While the impacts of macroplastics are well known in the literature, there are relatively few policy studies related to mitigating microplastic toxicity in the environment. Despite overwhelming evidence of the threat of plastic in the marine environment, there remains inadequate or limited policies to address their mitigation, particularly microplastic debris. Existing policies for waste management, marine debris monitoring and awareness campaigns were evaluated from other jurisdictions. Policies and recommendations were developed for the Canadian context. Recommendations include improved practices for: (1) law and waste management strategies; (2) education, outreach and awareness; (3) source identification; and (4) increased monitoring and further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislation aimed at protecting the marine ecosystems has direct impacts on environmental management of port and harbour operations. As such, environmental management of harbours requires a great deal of technical and financial resources to operate effectively. In Canada, this technical expertise and governance has been provided by the federal government for federally owned harbours. These harbours have been increasingly divested to provincial, municipal, or private owners, but are often contaminated from historical industrial activities and pose potential risks to marine ecosystems. Following divestiture there may be consequences associated with change of governance, because new harbour managers may lack technical and financial resources to follow existing management protocols. Harbour uses often do not change appreciably once divested, thus impacts to sediments, or requirements for maintenance and upgrades will typically continue following change of authority. Policies to implement education and training are therefore essential following change of authority for new custodians to properly understand historical contamination impacts and associated environmental liabilities. Adhering to established management protocols will enable new harbour managers to more effectively manage potential environmental liabilities associated with divested harbours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Poor food intake is common in acute care patients and can exacerbate or develop into malnutrition, influencing both recovery and outcome. Yet, research on barriers and how they can be alleviated is lacking. The present study aimed to (i) describe the prevalence of food intake barriers in diverse hospitals and (ii) determine whether patient, care or hospital characteristics are associated with the experience of these barriers. Methods Patients ( n = 890; 87%) completed a validated questionnaire on barriers to food intake, including perceptions of food quality, just before their discharge from a medical or surgical unit in each of 18 hospitals across Canada. Scores were created for barrier domains. Associations between these barriers and selected patient characteristics collected at admission or throughout the hospital stay and site characteristics were determined using bivariate analyses. Results Common barriers were being interrupted at meals (41.8%), not being given food when a meal was missed (69.2%), not wanting ordered food (58%), loss of appetite (63.9%) and feeling too sick (42.7%) or tired (41.1%) to eat. Younger patients were more likely ( P < 0.0001) to report being disturbed at meals (44.6%) than older patients (33.9%) and missing a meal for tests (39.0% versus 31.0%, P < 0.05). Patients who were malnourished, women, those with more comorbidity, and those who ate <50% of the meal reported several barriers across domains. Conclusions The present study confirms that barriers to food intake are common in acute care hospitals. This analysis also identifies that specific patient subgroups are more likely to experience food intake barriers. Because self-reported low food intake in hospital was associated with several barriers, it is relevant to consider assessing, intervening and monitoring barriers to food intake during the hospital stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on commemorations and military history in Canada and considers which Canadian military events should be commemorated. Topics of discussion include 2015 commemorative events including the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France during World War I involving the Canadian Corps and the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation, the commemoration of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Québec, Québec, in 1759, and the federal government's mission concerning the War of 1812 in 2012.

The article focuses on commemorations and military history in Canada and considers which Canadian military events should be commemorated. Topics of discussion include 2015 commemorative events including the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France during World War I involving the Canadian Corps and the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation, the commemoration of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Québec, Québec, in 1759, and the federal government's mission concerning the War of 1812 in 2012.

Background/Objectives:Nutrition screening should be initiated on hospital admission by non-dietitians. This research aimed to validate and assess the reliability of the Canadian Nutrition Screening Tool (CNST) in the 'real-world' hospital setting.Subjects/Methods:Adult patients were admitted to surgical and medical wards only (no palliative patients). Study 1-Nutrition Care in Canadian Hospitals (n=1014): development of the CNST (3 items: weight loss, decrease food intake, body mass index (BMI)) and exploratory assessment of its criterion and predictive validity. Study 2-Inter-rater reliability and criterion validity assessment of the tool completed by untrained nursing personnel or diet technician (DT) (n=150). Subjective Global Assessment performed by site coordinators was used as a gold standard for comparison.Results:Study 1: The CNST completed by site coordinators showed good sensitivity (91.7%) and specificity (74.8%). Study 2: In the subsample of untrained personnel (160 nurses; one DT), tool's reliability was excellent (Kappa=0.88), sensitivity was good (>90%) but specificity was low (47.8%). However, using a two-item ('yes' on both weight change and food intake) version of the tool improved the specificity (85.9%). BMI was thus removed to promote feasibility. The final two-item tool (study 1 sample) has a good predictive validity: length of stay (P<0.001), 30-day readmission (P=0.02; X2 5.92) and mortality (P<0.001).Conclusions:The simple and reliable CNST shows good sensitivity and specificity and significantly predicts adverse outcomes. Completion by several untrained nursing personnel confirms its utility in the nursing admission assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Malnutrition is common in acute care hospitals worldwide and nutritional status can deteriorate during hospitalisation. The aim of the present qualitative study was to identify enablers and challenges and, specifically, the activities, processes and resources, from the perspective of nutrition care personnel, required to provide quality nutrition care. Methods Eight hospitals participating in the Nutrition Care in Canadian Hospitals study provided focus group data ( n = 8 focus groups; 91 participants; dietitians, dietetic interns, diet technicians and menu clerks), which were analysed thematically. Results Five themes emerged from the data: (i) developing a nutrition culture, where nutrition practice is considered important to recovery of patients and teams work together to achieve nutrition goals; (ii) using effective tools, such as screening, evidence-based protocols, quality, timely and accurate patient information, and appropriate and quality food; (iii) creating effective systems to support delivery of care, such as communications, food production and delivery; (iv) being responsive to care needs, via flexible food systems, appropriate menus and meal supplements, up to date clinical care and including patient and family in the care processes; and (v) uniting the right person with the right task, by delineating roles, training staff, providing sufficient time to undertake these important tasks and holding staff accountable for their care. Conclusions The findings of the present study are consistent with other work and provide guidance towards improving the nutrition culture in hospitals. Further empirical work on how to support successful implementation of nutrition care processes is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the potential implementation of medical travel in the Canadian health care system as a result of the resource constraints that several countries such as Canada face in relation to the provision of health care services to patients. The Chaoulli v. Quebec (Attorney General) medical travel-related legal case is examined, along with the Canadian Chart of Rights and Freedoms and government policy options in places such as Quebec. Canadian policy makers are mentioned.

Copyright of Forestry Chronicle is the property of Canadian Institute of Forestry 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.)

Copyright of Forestry Chronicle is the property of Canadian Institute of Forestry 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.)

We carried out a verification exercise of the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3) carbon accounting model through the use of a reconstructed data set of forest growth and disturbances spanning a 71 year period (1928–1998) and encompassing a 62 km2 landscape of boreal forest in eastern Canada. Overall, results show that yield curve simulations using CBM-CFS3 underestimate realized net biomass accrual by 10% in undisturbed stands. The bias in disturbed stands may be slightly larger. Errors linked to the estimation of the initial 1928 merchantable volume and biomass through the operational forest photointerpretation and inventory procedure may be the largest single cause of the bias. The local application of regionally parameterized yield curves may also be at fault. It is unlikely that long-term trends in climate or atmospheric composition may have generated such bias. Analyses of changes in specific carbon pools and comparisons made with results from a similar exercise carried out in a Pacific coastal forest show a small relative impact on total carbon from forest management activities in the absence of natural disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to safe drinking water is a major concern for Canada's First Nations. The main objective of this report was to evaluate the microbiological quality of raw source water used for drinking purposes by the Cree people of Mistissini (Province of Québec, Canada) during summer 2005. Twelve environmental sites and 24 portable water containers used for domestic water collection and storage were sampled and submitted to microbiological determination of total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus sp. using membrane filtration and colourimetric standard methods. The results suggest that the microbiological quality of raw source water sampled from environmental sites is enhanced by storage practices of Mistissini inhabitants as microbial counts have shown a tendency to decrease upon storage and that the targeted fecal indicators (E. coli and enterococci) were quantitatively distributed independently from each other, especially with regards to the type of water source. In conclusion, even if the use of multiple indicators could offer better water quality monitoring, technological constraints limit the use of culture-based methods in such a remote area, underlining the importance of always boiling water from raw water sources before consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Forestry Chronicle is the property of Canadian Institute of Forestry 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.)

Measuring net primary productivity of trees requires the measurement of total wood production of branches. Recent work on balsam fir (Abies balsamea) has shown that branch-wood production can be estimated as a function of foliage production. We extend the analysis to four other species found in the Canadian forest: black spruce (Picea mariana), jack pine (Pinus banksiana), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides). Results show that the ratio of annual branch-wood production to annual foliage production is about 1.0 for conifer species (between 0.86 and 1.12) and 0.56 for aspen during a nondrought year. An analysis using field measurements of litterfall and stem-diameter increment from selected forested sites shows that branch-wood production accounts for a smaller proportion of aboveground net primary productivity in trembling aspen (15%–20%) than in conifer species (25%). Also, litterfall capture of small branches (<1 cm diameter) accounts for only 33% of branch detritus production in conifers and 50% in trembling aspen. This study supports the use of an alternative method for estimating branch-wood production that reduces the potential bias in field estimates of net primary productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Forestry Chronicle is the property of Canadian Institute of Forestry 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.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing 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.)

This report examines mercury concentrations in the marine environment of the Restigouche River, near a mercury cell chlor-alkali plant operated by Pioneer Chemicals Canada Inc. (PCI) in Dalhousie, New Brunswick. The PCI plant is a known point source of mercury in the area, but the extent of marine contamination in the Baie des Chaleurs as a result of those discharges has not been recently evaluated. Marine sediments (five transects), mussel tissue (six locations) and effluent samples (four locations) were obtained in the vicinity of the PCI plant and analyzed for total mercury. Mussel tissues were also analyzed for condition index, metallothioneins and zinc in the digestive gland and gonad as well as gonad vitellin-like proteins and digestive gland lipid peroxidation. Results indicated that the area of the Restigouche River around the PCI plant had elevated concentrations of mercury in sediment and mussel tissue compared with local background concentrations. Mercury concentrations in sediments decreased with distance from the chlor-alkali plant. Concentrations in sediments ranged from 0.03 mg/kg at a distance of 4.6 km to 1.96 mg/kg at a distance of 20 m from the shoreline at the plant. Nine sites had mercury concentrations exceeding the CCME Interim Sediment Quality Guideline (0.13 mg/kg), the furthest of which was 1090 m from PCI. Mercury concentrations in water discharges from four of the five observed outfalls ranged from 0.84 to 4.32 µg/L. Mercury concentrations in mussel tissue ranged from 0.02 mg/kg at a distance 4.6 km from the plant to 1.40 µg/kg directly in front of the plant. Condition index and zinc concentrations in mussels close to the plant were correlated with mercury levels; however, some abnormal biomarker results were found at locations far from the plant as well, indicating other sources of contaminants. Further studies are recommended to define the area of contamination near the PCI plant, as well as to determine the potential impact of other sources of mercury in the area. The environmental risk of the mercury contamination should also be more clearly established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates three types of content presentation (video documentary, computerized dictionary, and games) within interactive computer use at the Quebec Museum of Civilization. The visitors' viewpoint is particularly relevant for interface designing outcomes, since they argued that terminals require specific content display for disseminating information in the museum. We have identified five factors: 1) effortless knowledge; 2) sorted navigational paths; 3) exhaustiveness of topics; 4) combined audio and video media as first means; and 5) the quiz as a primary source of presentation. As first insight, terminals in exhibitions are perceived as multipurpose tools giving direct access to a wider selection of content, although it was shown that computer literate individuals have experienced problems to gain information, because of the content presentation and ergonomics. In addition, the commands provided did not properly assist visitors. Exhibit interface designers should build a "generic model interface" that best corresponds to the know-how of casual users, in order to avoid an arbitrary perusal of contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ECOLEAP is a Canadian Forest Service research project that is aimed at improving our understanding of the environmental controls on boreal and sub-boreal forest productivity and at developing tools for predicting stand-level forest productivity over large areas. This interdisciplinary project combines, in a coordinated manner, ecophysiological and soils research, remote sensing research, development of scaling up procedures and process modelling of net primary productivity on a common set of field sites. The process research is carried out in different forest types across large climatic and productivity gradients. Remote sensing provides timely stand information such as composition, leaf area, and absorbed radiation that are not currently available in existing spatial databases. A geographic information system is used to integrate the diverse sources of data. Models serve both as integrators of knowledge and as vehicles for the transfer of the information and methodologies to resource managers. Currently there are three interrelated modelling exercises being carried out within ECOLEAP to address different objectives of the project: an empirical, spatially explicit model of site index, a site-specific process model of productivity, and a spatially explicit process model of productivity. Application of the spatially explicit models will be conducted on extensive pilot regions, the first of which is located north of Quebec City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the first session of the 41st Parliament of Canada that resumed on September 19, 2011. It relates that Speaker Andrew Scheer informed the House of Commons that a vacancy had occurred following the death of Jack Layton, Leader of the Official Opposition. Legislators also discussed legislation including the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act and the, Copyright Modernization Act.

Inonotus tomentosus (Fr.) Teng causes Tomentosus root disease in spruce trees throughout the boreal and sub-boreal forests of British Columbia. Site and soil characteristics are related to the incidence of this fungus in wet, cool sub-boreal spruce forests located near Prince George, British Columbia. Two-hundred and ninety-six plots, 25.2m in diameter, were examined to determine the incidence of I. tomentosus, and several site and soil variables were measured. These included soil moisture and nutrient regime, slope position, soil texture, soil coarseness, humus form, spruce density, tree species composition and soil pH. The incidence of I. tomentosus infection ranged from none to31% of spruce trees per plot. Significant differences (p<0.05) in percent infection were found between soil moisture regimes, soil moisture by soil nutrient regimes, and slope position. All of these site and soil variables are used, in British Columbia, to determine a `site series', which is a site specific ecological classification unit usedto determine harvest methods and silviculture prescriptions. The most important site variable influencing disease incidence is suggested to be soil moisture regime as influenced by slope position and soil texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest successions following a forest fire that occurred in 1932 were studied on mesic sites of the boreal mixedwood forest of the Bas-Saint- Laurent region of Quebec, Canada. Physiographic, soil and vegetation data were collected in 28 ecosystems distributed on a topographic gradient. The vegetation composition of the main canopy, 64 years after the fire, varied according to topographic situation. The proportion of tolerant hardwood species (yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensisBritton), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.)) increased toward upper slopes whereas it was the opposite for coniferous species (white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss), balsamfir (Abies balsamea [L.] Mill.)), as their proportion increased toward lower slopes. Intolerant hardwood species (white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)) were abundant in all ecosystems. The distribution pattern of regeneration density and stocking of tolerant hardwoods and conifers was similar tothat of the main canopy. The majority of commercial species, including tolerant species, established rapidly after the fire. Only easternwhite cedar (Thuya occidentalis L.), which is a species typical of late succession, did not grow back. Ten years after the fire, 78% of the sampled dominant trees were established. Competition caused by mountain maple (Acer spicatum Lam.) did not seem to be as important after fire compared with the situation after clearcutting. Results showedthat after the elimination of intolerant species, the vegetation composition should evolve toward the potential vegetation (climax) of the toposequence, that is, the sugar maple - yellow birch type on upperslopes, the balsam fir - yellow birch type on midslopes and the balsam fir - yellow birch - cedar type on lower slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]