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When young children recruit others to help a person in need, media reports often treat it as a remarkable event. Yet it is unclear how commonly children perform this type of pro-social behavior and what forms of social understanding, cognitive abilities, and motivational factors promote or discourage it. In this study, 48 three- to four-year-old children could choose between two actors to retrieve an out-of-reach object for a third person; during this event, one actor was physically unable to provide help. Nearly all of children's responses appropriately incorporated the actors' action capacities, indicating that rational prosocial reasoning--the cognitive basis for effective indirect helping--is common at this young age. However, only half of children actually directed an actor to help, suggesting that additional motivational factors constrained their prosocial actions. A behavioral measure of social inhibition and within-task scaffolding that increased children's personal involvement were both strongly associated with children's initiation of indirect helping behavior. These results highlight social inhibition and recognizing one's own potential agency as key motivational challenges that children must overcome to recruit help for others.

The unprecedented participation by two Ojibwe-speaking Anishinabek lay delegates in the 1866 meeting of the Electoral Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto garnered a brief flurry of contemporary journalistic coverage across a networked imperial and colonial press. In the most vivid reportage, the two delegates were dehumanized, reduced to the status of 'Indian nags ... becoming inoculated with the ways of Anglicans'. In another more distantly circulated representation, an Indigenous presence at the incipience of Canadian synodality was invested with different rhetorical significance, the unsettling scandal of their voting membership justifying the struggle for self-government in the nascent Anglican Churches of other colonies, thus laying bare anxieties about the precarious situation of colonial Anglicanism. Rather than presuming to interpret the experience and discourse of Indigenous Anglicans, nor simply documenting the first local episode of formal Indigenous involvement in the counsels of Anglicans in Canada, this paper introduces the Electoral Synod, the neglected texts that covered the event, along with the lives of the exoticized churchmen featured in their coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the aftermath of discrete disasters, how families discuss the event has been linked with child well-being. There is less understanding, however, of how family communication affects adjustment to a protracted and ongoing public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The present research leveraged a large longitudinal sample of families (N = 1884) across the United States and Canada to investigate factors that predicted family communication styles (active versus avoidant communication) about the COVID-19 pandemic and examined the longitudinal sequelae of mental health outcomes for youth associated with different family communication styles. Parents of youth between 5 to 17 years old completed surveys about their own mental health, their child's mental health, and family communication about the COVID-19 pandemic at two time points 6 months apart. Overall, findings indicated that poorer parental mental health was related to greater use of avoidant communication, and avoidant communication styles were associated with poorer youth mental health over time. Findings suggest potential perils of avoidant family communication about ongoing threats and can help identify families at risk of negative mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, we investigate the hypothesis that failures of task-related executive control that occur during episodes of mind wandering are associated with an increase in extraneous movements (fidgeting). In 2 studies, we assessed mind wandering using thought probes while participants performed the metronome response task (MRT), which required them to synchronize button presses with tones. Participants performed this task while sitting on a Wii Balance Board providing us with an index of fidgeting. Results of Study 1 demonstrate that relative to on-task periods, mind wandering is indeed accompanied by increases in fidgeting, as well as increased response variability in the MRT. In Study 2, we observed that only deep mind wandering was associated with increases in fidgeting, whereas task-related response variability increased even during mild mind wandering. We interpret these findings in the context of current theories of mind wandering and suggest that (a) mind wandering is associated with costs not only to primary-task performance but also to secondary-task goals (e.g., controlling extraneous movements) and (b) these costs may depend on the degree to which task-related executive control processes are disengaged during mind wandering (i.e., depth of mind wandering).

Wetlands are an integral part of the Canadian landscape, providing crucial ecohydrological services with globally significant benefits. Over the past 75 years, Canadian scientists have emerged as international leaders in wetland hydrological research, contributing to a better understanding of wetland form and function. Early Canadian research was instrumental in the development of a classification scheme that provided a foundation for later investigations into vadose zone processes, solute transport, evapotranspiration, ground-ice dynamics, biogeochemical cycling, and modelling. This work has coalesced into a better understanding of the factors that contribute to wetland presence and persistence on the landscape, and the internal processes that result in their unique functions of carbon sequestration, water storage, flood mitigation, water quality enhancement, and wildlife habitat. In Canada and across the world, wetlands are threatened at a range of scales and intensities by disturbances like climate change, resource extraction, wildfire, altered land use, and contamination. In response, Canadian researchers have become global leaders in characterizing the impacts of disturbance on wetland function and been at the forefront of innovative restoration and reclamation techniques. As the value of wetlandisre increasingly acknowledged by stakeholders and decision-makers, the need for evidence-based wetland research will only continue to grow. Canadian scientists are well-positioned to lead wetland hydrology into the next 75 years. Les milieux humides font partie intégrante du paysage canadien, offrant des services écohydrologiques essentiels avec des avantages d'importance mondiale. Au cours des 75 dernières années, les chercheurs canadiens se sont imposés comme des leaders internationaux dans la recherche hydrologique sur les milieux humides, contribuant à une meilleure compréhension de leur forme et de leur fonction. Les premières recherches canadiennes ont joué un rôle clé dans l'élaboration d'un système de classification qui a servi de fondement à des études ultérieures sur les processus de la zone non saturée, le transport des solutés, l'évapotranspiration, la dynamique de la glace du sol, le cycle biogéochimique et la modélisation. Ces travaux ont mené à une meilleure compréhension des facteurs qui contribuent à la présence et à la durabilité des milieux humides dans le paysage, les processus internes qui donnent lieu à leurs fonctions uniques de séquestration du carbone, de stockage de l'eau, de mitigation des inondations, d'amélioration de la qualité de l'eau, et d'habitats fauniques. Au Canada et partout dans le monde, les milieux humides sont menacés à diverses échelles et intensités par des perturbations telles que le changement climatique, l'extraction de ressources, les feux de forêt, l'utilisation des terres modifiée et la contamination. En réponse, les chercheurs canadiens sont devenus des leaders mondiaux dans la caractérisation des impacts des perturbations sur la fonction des milieux humides et ont été à l'avant-garde de techniques innovantes de restauration et de remise en état. À mesure que la valeur des milieux humides est de plus en plus reconnue par les parties prenantes et les décideurs, le besoin de recherche sur les milieux humides basée sur des preuves ne fera que croître. Les chercheurs canadiens sont bien positionnés pour continuer à diriger la recherche en hydrologie des milieux humides au cours des 75 prochaines années. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on adults indicates that perfectionistic self-presentation, the interpersonal expression of one's perfection, is associated with a variety of psychopathological outcomes independent of trait perfectionism and Big Five traits. The current article reports on the development and evidence for the validity of the subtest score interpretations of an 18-item self-report measure of perfectionistic self-presentation for children and adolescents. Analyses conducted on data from two clinical samples and one nonclinical sample of children and adolescents found that the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale-Junior Form (PSPS-Jr) reflected a multidimensional model of perfectionistic self-presentation with three subscales: Perfectionistic Self Promotion, Nondisplay of Imperfection, and Nondisclosure of Imperfection. The subscale scores were found to demonstrate internal consistency, and there was good evidence supporting the validity of the interpretation of subscale scores based on this new measure. The subscales were associated with maladaptive outcomes, but were not influenced unduly by biases that included social desirability and differential item functioning by gender. Overall, the PSPS-Jr appears to be a useful measure of the expression of perfection among youths and an important tool in attempting to understand the nature and the consequences of perfectionistic self-presentation in children and adolescents. (Contains 3 figures, 4 footnotes and 7 tables.)

Accumulating evidence suggests that anxiety sensitivity (fear of arousal-related sensations) plays an important role in many clinical conditions, particularly anxiety disorders. Research has increasingly focused on how the basic dimensions of anxiety sensitivity are related to various forms of psychopathology. Such work has been hampered because the original measure--the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI)--was not designed to be multidimensional. Subsequently developed multidimensional measures have unstable factor structures or measure only a subset of the most widely replicated factors. Therefore, the authors developed, via factor analysis of responses from U.S. and Canadian nonclinical participants (n = 2,361), an 18-item measure, the ASI-3, which assesses the 3 factors best replicated in previous research: Physical, Cognitive, and Social Concerns. Factorial validity of the ASI-3 was supported by confirmatory factor analyses of 6 replication samples, including nonclinical samples from the United States and Canada, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Spain (n = 4,494) and a clinical sample from the United States and Canada (n = 390). The ASI-3 displayed generally good performance on other indices of reliability and validity, along with evidence of improved psychometric properties over the original ASI.

Patterned bog and fen peatlands, which dominate the landscape in the Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL), act as important water storage and conveyance features in this region. In spite of their hydrological importance, there are currently no studies that define and characterize the thresholds of bog‐fen‐tributary hydrological connectivity in the HBL or their relation to seasonal and annual changes in water fluxes. To this end, hydrological (i.e., streamflow and groundwater levels) and meteorological (i.e., precipitation, snow depth, evapotranspiration, and temperature) data were collected at a 4.8 km2bog‐fen‐tributary complex between 2007 and 2018. Connectivity thresholds were best characterized into three states (disconnected, connected, and high activity) that incorporated 41%, 47%, and 12% of the study period and 4%, 18%, and 78% of runoff, respectively. Runoff generally peaked in the spring due to snowmelt, while connectivity was highest in the peatlands in the fall months when precipitation exceeded evapotranspiration due to cooling temperatures. Warmer than average spring temperatures accelerated snowmelt rate faster than frost table thaw rate in the fen; this reduced the amount of meltwater that entered storage, increased drainage from bog to fen, and decreased overall connectivity in the unfrozen season. Cooler than average spring temperatures delayed bog connection and ground thaw; the late frost melt provided a source of water to the bogs after melt into the late spring and early summer. This study provides a basis for the modelling of peatland hydrological connectivity in the region in the drier conditions anticipated with climatic warming and regional resource extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiovascular symptoms in pregnancy may be a clue to psychological distress. We examined whether electrocardiogram testing in pregnant women is associated with an increased risk of subsequent postpartum depression. Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study of pregnant women who delivered in Ontario, Canada comparing women who received a prenatal ECG to women who did not. Results: In total, 3,238,218 women gave birth during the 25-year study period of whom 157,352 (5%) received an electrocardiogram during prenatal care. Receiving an electrocardiogram test was associated with a one-third relative increase in the odds of postpartum depression (odds ratio 1.34; 95% confidence interval 1.29–1.39, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The association between prenatal electrocardiogram testing and postpartum depression suggests a possible link of organic disease with mental illness, and emphasizes that cardiovascular symptoms may be a clinical clue to the presence of an underlying mood disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peat accumulation in high latitude wetlands represents a natural long-term carbon sink, resulting from the cumulative excess of growing season net ecosystem production over non-growing season (NGS) net mineralization in soils. With high latitudes experiencing warming at a faster pace than the global average, especially during the NGS, a major concern is that enhanced mineralization of soil organic carbon will steadily increase CO2 emissions from northern peatlands. In this study, we conducted laboratory incubations with soils from boreal and temperate peatlands across Canada. Peat soils were pretreated for different soil moisture levels, and CO2 production rates were measured at 12 sequential temperatures, covering a range from − 10 to + 35 °C including one freeze–thaw event. On average, the CO2 production rates in the boreal peat samples increased more sharply with temperature than in the temperate peat samples. For same temperature, optimum soil moisture levels for CO2 production were higher in the peat samples from more flooded sites. However, standard reaction kinetics (e.g., Q10 temperature coefficient and Arrhenius equation) failed to account for the apparent lack of temperature dependence of CO2 production rates measured below 0 °C, and a sudden increase after a freezing event. Thus, we caution against using the simple kinetic expressions to represent the CO2 emissions from northern peatlands, especially regarding the long NGS period with multiple soil freeze and thaw events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ecohydrological functioning of natural Boreal forest in Canada's Boreal Plains is a product of interactions between soil hydrophysical characteristics and hydrogeochemical processes. These interactions create a moisture–nutrient gradient within the surface soils, increasing along low‐relief transitions from upland to riparian zone, and in turn influence the distribution of vegetation communities. It is not yet known if/when analogous ecohydrological functions can be achieved in constructed uplands following industrial disturbance, such as that following oil sands development. Hence, to assess this, we studied interactions between hydrogeochemical processes and vegetation colonization in a constructed upland relative to hydrophysical properties of 2 reclamation cover substrates during a typical continental climate's growing season. Our results indicated that in 3 years of postconstruction, the establishment of a moisture–nutrient gradient that supports vegetation colonization along slope positions was still limited by heterogeneity of cover substrates. Portions of the upland under peat–mineral mix were characterized by lower nutrient availability, high moisture content, and establishment of planted shrubs and trees. In contrast, forest floor materials plots were characterized by poor soil quality, but higher nutrient availability and greater colonization of invasive grasses and native shrubs. We suggest that the colonization of underdeveloped soils by invasive grasses may facilitate pedogenic processes and thus should be accepted by reclamation managers as a successional milestone in the recovery of ecohydrological functioning of constructed uplands. Poor soil structure under forest floor materials could not support edaphic conditions required by plants to efficiently utilize fertilizer, making this practise futile at the early stage of soil development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on English theologian Richard Hooker and the theologico-political problem in Canadian historiography. In the last decade or more, Canadian historiography was described by an increasing concern for defining liberalism. Canada, as a category, must be viewed again as indicating an historically particular project of rule, according to a proposal by Canadian historian Ian McKay.

The article offers information on the May 13-15, 2013 conference "The House That Isaac Built: The Architecture of Cultures and Identities in Canada" at Huron University College in London, Ontario. Topics mentioned include the conference focus on Canadian church history, the life and views of Bishop Isaac Hellmuth, and the history of Canada's First Nations peoples.

Background: Although essay questions are used in the admissions process in many medical schools, there has been little research on how applicants respond to essay questions. Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore how applicants to medical school approach essay questions used in the selection process. Methods: Qualitative analysis was conducted on 240 randomly selected essays written by individuals applying to a single Canadian medical school in 2007 using a modified grounded theory approach to develop a conceptual framework which was checked in interviews with applicants. Results: Three core variables were identified: 'balancing service and reward,' 'anticipating the physician role,' and 'readiness.' We described the overall approach of applicants as 'taking stock,' writing about their journeys to the selection process, their experiences of the process itself, and about their anticipated future in medicine. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a disconnect between the approach of the applicants (to 'show themselves' and be selected as individuals) and the stated intent of the process (to select applicants based on 'objective' criteria). Our findings raise important questions about how applicants represent themselves when applying for medical school and suggest that it is important to understand the applicant's point of view when developing questions for selection processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commonly-used youth anxiety measures may not comprehensively capture fears, worries, and experiences related to the pervasive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study described the development of the Fear of Illness and Virus Evaluation (FIVE) scales and validated the caregiver-report version. After initial development, feedback was obtained from clinicians and researchers, who provided suggestions on item content/wording, reviewed edits, and provided support for the updated FIVE's content and face validity. Factor structure, measurement invariance, and psychometric properties were analyzed using data from a multi-site, longitudinal study of COVID-19-related effects on family functioning with 1599 caregivers from the United States and Canada. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated a hierarchical five-factor structure best fit the data, resulting in a 31-item measure with four lower-order subscales: (1) Fears about Contamination and Illness; (2) Fears about Social Distancing, (3) Avoidance Behaviors, and (4) Mitigation Behaviors, and a higher-order factor, (5) Total Fears, indicated by the two fear-related lower-order subscales. Measurement invariance by country of residence, child age, and child sex was found. All subscales demonstrated strong internal consistency, appropriate item-scale discrimination, and no floor or ceiling effects. The Total Fears subscale demonstrated appropriate test-retest reliability. Concurrent validity supported by strong correlation with a youth anxiety measure. The FIVE provides a psychometrically-sound measure of COVID-19-related fears and behaviors in youth in a caregiver-report format. Future research is necessary to evaluate correlates and longitudinal symptom patterns captured by the FIVE caregiver-report, as well as the validity and reliability of a youth self-report version of the FIVE. • A caregiver report of child and adolescent COVID-19 fears, worries, and associated behaviors. • Tested and validated in a sample of 1599 caregivers of children ages 5–17 years. • Face and content validity, structural validity, and internal consistency supported. • Psychometrically robust and useful tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Optimal management of severe sepsis in the ED has evolved rapidly. The purpose of these guidelines is to review key management principles for Canadian emergency physicians, utilizing an evidence-based grading system. Methods: Key areas in the management of septic patents were determined by members of the CAEP Critical Care Interest Group (C4). Members of C4 were assigned a question to be answered after literature review, based on the Oxford grading system. After completion, each section underwent a secondary review by another member of C4. A tertiary review was conducted by additional external experts, and modifications were determined by consensus. Grading was based on peer-reviewed publications only, and where evidence was insufficient to address an important topic, a "practice point" was provided based on group opinion. Results: The project was initiated in 2005 and completed in December 2007. Key areas which were reviewed include the definition of sepsis, the use of invasive procedures, fluid resuscitation, vasopressor/ inotrope use, the importance of culture acquisition in the ED, antimicrobial therapy and source control. Other areas reviewed included the use of corticosteroids, activated protein C, transfusions and mechanical ventilation. Conclusion: Early sepsis management in the ED is paramount for optimal patient outcomes. The CAEP Critical Care Interest Group Sepsis Position Statement provides a framework to improve the ED care of this patient population. [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.)

Hydrological response to climate change may alter the biogeochemical role that peatlands play in the global climate system, so an understanding of the nature and magnitude of this response is important. In 2002, the water table in a fen peatland near Quebec City was lowered by ∼20 cm (Experimental site), and hydrological response was measured compared to Control (no manipulation) and Drained (previously drained c. 1994) sites. Because of the draw-down, the surface in the Experimental pool decreased 5, 15 and 20 cm in the ridge, lawn and mat, respectively, increasing bulk density by ∼60% in the Experimental lawn. Hydraulic conductivity (K) generally decreased with depth and from Control (25–125 cm) 10-1 to 10-5 cm s-1 to Experimental (25–125 cm) 10-2 to 10-7 cm s-1 and to Drained (25–75 cm) 10-2 to 10-6 cm s-1. In similar topographic locations (ridge, lawn, mat), K trended Control > Experimental > Drained, usually by an order of magnitude at similar depths in similar topographic locations. Water table fluctuations in the Drained site averaged twice those of the Control site. The water table in the Control lawn remained at a stable depth relative to the surface (∼ - 1 cm) because the lawn peat floats with changes in water table position. However, the Drained lawn peat was more rigid because of the denser degraded peat, forcing the water to fluctuate relative to the surface and further enhancing peat decay and densification. This provides a positive feedback loop that could intensify further peat degradation, changing the carbon cycling dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the early 1990s, restoration techniques have been developed for milled and cutover peatlands in eastern Canada. These techniques are based on the active reintroduction of peatland plant diaspores, blocking drain- age, and the use of straw mulch to improve surface conditions. This study examines the effectiveness of using shallow (20 cm deep) basins of various widths to improve the success of current peatland restoration techniques. It comprises three different experiments, each spanning three or four growing seasons and combining both small-scale manual and large-scale mechanized plant reintroductions. Cover data recorded in two of the experiments were regressed against a series of environmental factors to determine how Sphagnum establishment success was related to abiotic variables such as moisture, water ponding, surface roughness, and mulch cover. Results of these experiments demonstrate that shallow basins were generally effective at promoting Sphagnum establishment and that this effect extends beyond the positive impact that basins have on hydrological conditions. Basins of various widths were equally successful. Soil-moisture content (linear positive effect) and duration and severity of flooding events (quadratic effect) were shown to be determinant of plant recovery. Other factors such as the density of straw cover (positive effect) and surface roughness (negative effect) were also instrumental in explaining local variation in Sphagnum cover. Plant cover after three and four growing seasons averaged 20-25% in mechanical reintroductions and 40-60% in manual reintroductions, demonstrating the overall effectiveness of the restoration techniques used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Basins 20-, 10-, and 4-m wide were excavated 15 to 20 cm into cutover peat fields near Lac Saint Jean, Québec, Canada to facilitate the establishment of Sphagnum mosses. Sphagnum diaspores (fragments) and straw mulch were spread over the excavated surfaces, a control peat field, and a mulch-protected site without basins. Mean water tables in the 20-, 10-, and 4-m wide basins and the mulch-protected site were 27.2, 8.3, 11.4, and 9.7 cm higher, respectively, than in the control peat field in May to August 1996. Similar improvements were observed in 1997 (a drier summer). The higher water table was due to lowering of the peat surface with respect to the local water table, retention of meltwater and stormwater by the peripheral ridges formed during excavation, retention of water during drier periods by the groundwater mound beneath the ridges, and mulch. Soil moisture was always higher in the experimental basins than in the control peat field or in the mulch-protected site, demonstrating the superior soil wetness characteristic of sites with basins and straw mulch. Water tension data signaled the absence of the capillary fringe (i.e., capillary drainage) near the surface for some finite period, thus possibly limiting water for best Sphagnum growth. At the experimental basins and mulch-protected site, 100% of these periods lasted four or fewer days. In the control peat field, 20% of the periods when capillary drainage had occurred lasted more than four days, with one period of 17 days. The mulch protection alone provided considerable improvement in hydrological conditions compared with the control peat field, but the additional water retained in the experimental basins protected against Sphagnum desiccation and loss during more extreme dry periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on ecosystem scale measurements of atmospheric exchange of water and carbon dioxide from the restored vacuum extracted peatland in eastern Québec. Role of restoration practice to reduce loss of water from peatlands; Estimation of carbon dioxide emission from these peatlands; Factors responsible to maintain moisture conditions of these peatlands.

Prune dwarf virus (PDV) is a member of ilarviruses that infects stone fruit species such as cherry, plum and peach, and ornamentally grown trees worldwide. The virus lacks an RNA silencing suppressor. Infection by PDV either alone, or its mixed infection with other viruses causes deteriorated fruit marketability and reduced fruit yields. Here, we report the molecular identification of PDV from sweet cherry in the prominent fruit growing region of Ontario, Canada known as the Niagara fruit belt using next generation sequencing of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). We assessed its incidence in an experimental farm and determined the full genome sequence of this PDV isolate. We further constructed an infectious cDNA clone. Inoculation of the natural host cherry with this clone induced a dwarfing phenotype. We also examined its infectivity on several common experimental hosts. We found that it was infectious on cucurbits (cucumber and squash) with clear symptoms and Nicotiana benthamiana without causing noticeable symptoms, and it was unable to infect Arabidopsis thaliana. As generating infectious clones for woody plants is very challenging with limited success, the PDV infectious clone developed from this study will be a useful tool to facilitate molecular studies on PDV and related Prunus-infecting viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the geography of peatlands in Canada. Patterns of peatland development; Water tracks; Bogs and fens; Biological processes suited to a wet environment; Limits to peat bog growth.

Presents the second part of a two-part study predicting the long-term changes in gross salinity characteristics of marshes in the coastal zone of western James Bay. Overview of the Grand Canal scheme; Study area; Methods; Hydrological processes and salinity; Modelling impacts of impoundment; Conclusion.

Hydrogeologic setting strongly influences the hydrologic function of peatland systems. For base–rich fens in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) of the Western Boreal Plain, northern Alberta, local groundwater flow from gently sloping adjacent uplands has been shown to help sustain fen water tables and chemistry. Natural forest disturbance in the AOSR is dominated by wildfire, with peatlands susceptible to combustion and subsequent carbon release. However, few studies have aimed to characterize the degree of change to the hydrophysical properties of upland soils following wildfire. To address this, we measured differences in water repellency and hydrophysical properties of burned and unburned upland organic and mineral soils in a burned moderate–rich fen watershed (Poplar Fen), ~25 km north of Fort McMurray. Samples were taken in the fall of 2017, ~1.5 years after the watershed burned (May 2016). Study locations included burned and unburned jack pine–dominated upland and black spruce–dominated riparian areas. Results illustrated significantly lower water repellency and higher infiltration on burned locations of both land types. Furthermore, no significant differences were detected in organic soil moisture retention in uplands; however, burned organic soil samples had significantly lower water retention in riparian areas. We postulate the lower water retention in riparian areas was due to the greater organic layer thickness there, thus greater fuel load and potential for exceeding the temperature threshold of repellency destruction. Following retention, all soil cores exhibited high hysteresis, with differences in volumetric moisture content averaging 0.38 and 0.34 m3 m−3 at −10 cm pressure for upland and riparian locations, respectively. Our results are contrary to the increased hydrophobicity following burning that is commonly reported in boreal regions. The promoted infiltration, groundwater recharge and subsequent enhanced water supply to fens in the local groundwater system may help in accelerating the moss recovery process. • Burned areas exhibited significantly lower water repellency and higher infiltration. • Wildfire destroyed a greater proportion of hydrophobic substances than it produced. • Burned riparian soils had significantly lower water retention. • Higher ground heat fluxes and lower field soil moisture reduced surface evaporation. • Enhanced groundwater supply from uplands may accelerate the fen moss recovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late-line treatment options for patients with ovarian cancer are few, with the proportion of patients achieving an overall response typically less than 10%, and median overall survival after third-line therapy of 5–9 months. In this study (QUADRA), we investigated the activity of niraparib monotherapy as the fourth or later line of therapy. QUADRA was a multicentre, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study that evaluated the safety and activity of niraparib in adult patients (≥18 years) with relapsed, high-grade serous (grade 2 or 3) epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who had been treated with three or more previous chemotherapy regimens. The study was done in the USA and Canada, and 56 sites screened patients (50 sites treated at least one patient). Patients received oral niraparib 300 mg once daily continuously, beginning on day 1 and every cycle (28 days) thereafter until disease progression. The primary objective was the proportion of patients achieving an investigator-assessed confirmed overall response in patients with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-positive tumours (including patients with BRCA and without BRCA mutations) sensitive to their last platinum-based therapy who had received three or four previous anticancer therapy regimens (primary efficacy population). Efficacy analyses were additionally done in all dosed patients with measurable disease at baseline. Between April 1, 2015 and Nov 1, 2017, we screened 729 patients for eligibility and enrolled 463 patients, who were initiated on niraparib therapy. At the time of database lock (April 11, 2018), enrolment had closed and the study was ongoing, with 21 patients still on treatment. Patients had received a median of four (IQR 3–5) previous lines of therapy, and the median follow-up for overall survival was 12·2 months (IQR 3·7–22·1). 151 (33%) of 463 patients were resistant and 161 (35%) of 463 patients were refractory to the last administered platinum therapy. 13 (28%) of 47 patients in the primary efficacy population achieved an overall response according to RECIST (95% CI 15·6–42·6; one-sided p=0·00053). The most common drug-related grade 3 or worse treatment-emergent adverse events were anaemia (113 [24%] of 463 patients) and thrombocytopenia (95 [21%] of 463 patients). The most common treatment-emergent serious adverse events were small intestinal obstruction (34 [7%] of 463 patients), thrombocytopenia (34 [7%] of 463 patients), and vomiting (27 [6%] of 463 patients). One death due to gastric haemorrhage was considered treatment related. We observed clinically relevant activity of niraparib among women with heavily pretreated ovarian cancer, especially in patients with HRD-positive platinum-sensitive disease, which includes not only patients with a BRCA mutation but also a population with BRCA wild-type disease. We identified no new safety signals. Our data support expansion of the treatment indication for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors to include patients with HRD-positive ovarian cancer beyond those with BRCA mutations. Tesaro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saline boreal fens represent potential models for post-mining landscape reclamation in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (Canada) where wetland construction is challenged by salinization. One of the key indicators of reclamation success is the accumulation of organic matter within constructed fens. Thus, a better understanding of the linkages between salt content and organic matter storage in saline boreal fens can be useful for advancing fen construction in this region. As such, this study investigates how salinity fluctuations estimated by diatom-based transfer functions, coupled with changes in hydrological conditions and vegetation inferred from macrofossils have influenced organic matter accumulation rates (OMAR) over the last ~100 years in open-water areas (ponds) within a saline boreal fen near Fort McMurray, Alberta. Median OMAR (181 g m −2  yr −1 ) of the site suggests that the ponds situated within saline boreal fens can accumulate organic matter at a rate comparable to freshwater boreal and subarctic ponds, and the estimated salinity levels (3–21 ppt) did not severely affect organic matter accumulation. Strong significant positive (Lager Pond), strong significant negative (South Pond), and weak insignificant (Pilsner Pond) correlations between OMAR and diatom-inferred salinity were observed, suggesting that relations between organic matter accumulation and salt content are not straightforward, and salinity was not the main control on OMAR. Macrofossil data showed that organic matter accumulation has been mainly driven by water level, type of primary producers and pond regime. OMAR was the highest during the transition from peatland to ponds due to low decomposition rates resulting from high inputs of relatively resistant plant litter, and anoxic conditions. A macrophyte-dominated pond regime was associated with higher OMAR relative to algae-dominated regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a detailed canvassing of the Canadian energy project approval process, beginning with an examination of the evolution of the project approval process in Canada and the current legal framework under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. The article then applies the framework to numerous major energy project approvals in Canada from 2010 to present day, and provides a comparative analysis to the project approval processes in both the United States and Australia in order to find possible solutions to the issues plaguing our current system. This article identifies and discusses current, practical issues and provides recommendations for how the project approval process in Canada can become more efficient for all those involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospitals expanded critical care capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic by treating COVID-19 patients with high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) in non-traditional settings, including general internal medicine (GIM) wards. The impact of this practice on intensive care unit (ICU) capacity is unknown., Objective: To describe how our hospital operationalized the use of HFNC on GIM wards, assess its impact on ICU capacity, and examine the characteristics and outcomes of treated patients., Design: Retrospective cohort study of all patients treated with HFNC on GIM wards at a Canadian tertiary care hospital., Participants: All patients admitted with COVID-19 and treated with HFNC on GIM wards from December 28, 2020, to June 13, 2021, were included., Main Measures: We combined administrative data on critical care occupancy daily with chart-abstracted data for included patients to establish the total number of patients receiving ICU-level care at our hospital per day. We also collected data on demographics, medical comorbidities, illness severity, COVID-19 treatments, HFNC care processes, and patient outcomes., Key Results: We treated 124 patients with HFNC on the GIM wards (median age 66 years; 48% female). Patients were treated with HFNC for a median of 5 days (IQR 3 to 8); collectively, they received HFNC for a total of 740 hospital days, 71% of which were on GIM wards. At peak ICU capacity strain (144%), delivering HFNC on GIM wards added 20% to overall ICU capacity by managing up to 14 patients per day. Patients required a median maximal fraction of inspired oxygen of 80% (IQR 60 to 95). There were 18 deaths (15%) and 85 patients (69%) required critical care admission; of those, 40 (47%) required mechanical ventilation., Conclusions: With appropriate training and resources, treatment of COVID-19 patients with HFNC on GIM wards appears to be a feasible strategy to increase critical care capacity., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society of General Internal Medicine.)

Purpose: This study analyzes the content quality and characteristics of the most popular and highly ranked search results on the internet related to glaucoma and medical cannabis (MC)., Design: Internet-based, cross-sectional study., Participants: Not applicable., Methods: Google and 2 social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube) were used to identify online information most accessible to patients. Search criteria included "glaucoma" AND "marijuana" or "cannabinoid" or "CBD." The top 20 Google search and YouTube results for each search term and the posts from the top 9 patient-based glaucoma Facebook groups were aggregated and analyzed using the search criteria., Main Outcome Measures: The quality of the content was graded by 2 independent graders using a previously validated Sandvik score and previously reported risk score. The differing values were resolved by a final grader. Additional analysis included whether the source was professional (by physician or medical organization) or shared an opinion on MC (pro, mixed, or against) use in glaucoma., Results: This search resulted in an aggregate of 51 websites on Google, 126 posts from Facebook groups, and 37 videos on YouTube. The mean (± standard deviation) Sandvik score and risk score were 11.0 (±2.23), 10.2 (±1.12), 10.6 (±1.89) and 0.27 (±0.49), 0.46 (±0.62), 0.97 (±0.90) for Google, Facebook, and YouTube, respectively. Analysis of variance showed statistically significant differences in Sandvik (P = 0.01) and risk (P < 0.0001) scores across the 3 platforms. A significant portion of online material was pro-MC use in the setting of glaucoma (24% of Google, 59% of YouTube, and 21% of Facebook results). Professional content had a significantly higher content quality score and a lower risk score, and was less likely to recommend MC use in glaucoma., Conclusions: Despite American Academy of Ophthalmology, Canadian Ophthalmological Society, and American Glaucoma Society statements against MC use in patients with glaucoma, a significant portion of online material recommends its use. With the wide variation in quality and content of online information, it is important for physicians to be aware of the different platforms and opinions that are readily available to patients., (Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Purpose: Educational podcasts are an increasingly popular platform for teaching and learning in health professions education. Yet it remains unclear why residents are drawn to podcasts for educational purposes, how they integrate podcasts into their broader learning experiences, and what challenges they face when using podcasts to learn., Method: The authors used a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore residents' motivations and listening behaviors. They conducted 16 semistructured interviews with residents from 2 U.S. and 1 Canadian institution from March 2016 to August 2017. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed using constant comparison, and themes were identified iteratively, working toward an explanatory framework that illuminated relationships among themes., Results: Participants described podcasts as easy to use and engaging, enabling both broad exposure to content and targeted learning. They reported often listening to podcasts while doing other activities, being motivated by an ever-present desire to use their time productively; this practice led to challenges retaining and applying the content they learned from the podcasts to their clinical work. Listening to podcasts also fostered participants' sense of connection to their peers, supervisors, and the larger professional community, yet it created tensions in their local relationships., Conclusions: Despite the challenges of distracted, contextually constrained listening and difficulties translating their learning into clinical practice, residents found podcasts to be an accessible and engaging learning platform that offered them broad exposure to core content and personalized learning, concurrently fostering their sense of connection to local and national professional communities.

There is an ongoing debate regarding the cause of diagnostic errors. One view is that errors result from unconscious application of cognitive heuristics; the alternative is that errors are a consequence of knowledge deficits. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of checklists that (a) identify and address cognitive biases or (b) promote knowledge retrieval, as a means to reduce errors in ECG interpretation. Novice postgraduate year (PGY) 1 emergency medicine and internal medicine residents (n = 40) and experienced cardiology fellows (PGY 4-6) (n = 21) were randomly allocated to three conditions: a debiasing checklist, a content (knowledge) checklist, or control (no checklist) to be used while interpreting 20 ECGs. Half of the ECGs were deliberately engineered to predispose to bias. Diagnostic performance under either checklist intervention was not significantly better than the control. As expected, more errors occurred when cases were designed to induce bias (F = 96.9, p < 0.0001). There was no significant interaction between the instructional condition and level of learner. Checklists attempting to help learners identify cognitive bias or mobilize domain-specific knowledge did not have an overall effect in reducing diagnostic errors in ECG interpretation, although they may help novices. Even when cognitive biases are deliberately inserted in cases, cognitive debiasing checklists did not improve participants' performance.

Extensive pipeline and railway corridors crossing Canadian peatlands make them vulnerable to hydrocarbon spills, potentially impairing ecosystem health, so it is important to be able to forecast hydrocarbon fate and transport within and beyond the peatland. The redistribution of hydrocarbon liquids in groundwater systems are controlled by the multiphase flow characteristics of the aquifer material including capillary pressure-saturation-relative permeability (P c -S-k r ) relations. However, these relations have never been characterized for the hydrocarbon-water phases in peat. To address this, the flow and transport of diesel and water in peat soils were examined through a number of one dimensional vertical immiscible displacement tests, in which diesel was percolated into peat pore space displacing peat water, leading to a two-phase flow regime. Inverse modelling simulations using both Brooks and Corey's and power law relative permeability models, matched the data of the immiscible displacement tests well. Irreducible water saturation (S wirr ) and the curvature of water relative permeability relation increased with peat bulk density. The residual diesel saturation (S Nr ) ranged between 0.3% and 17% and increased with bulk density of peat. In a given peat, S Nr was a function of saturation history and increased with increasing maximum diesel saturation. The receding contact angles of water in water-air systems and diesel in diesel-air systems, respectively, were 51.7° and 61.2°, showing that the wetting tendency of peat in the air imbibition condition is toward the draining liquid. These experiments advance our knowledge on the behavior of hydrocarbons in peat, and can improve numerical modelling of hydrocarbon transport after a spill., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Social media site use is ubiquitous, particularly Facebook. Postings on social media can have an impact on the perceived professionalism of students and practitioners., Aims: In this study, we explored the attitudes and understanding of undergraduate medical students towards professionalism, with a specific focus on online behaviour., Methods: A volunteer sample of students (n = 236) responded to an online survey about understanding of professionalism and perceptions of professionalism in online environments. Respondents were encouraged to provide free text examples and to elaborate on their responses through free text comments. Descriptive analyzes and emergent themes analysis were carried out., Results: Respondents were nearly unanimous on most questions of professionalism in the workplace, while 43% felt that students should act professionally at all times (including free time). Sixty-four free text comments revealed three themes: "free time is private time";" professionalism is unrealistic as a way of life"; and "professionalism should be a way of life"., Conclusions: Our findings indicate a disconnect between what students report of what they understand of professionalism, and what students feel is appropriate and inappropriate in both online and real life behaviour. Curriculum needs to target understanding of professionalism in online and real environments and communicate realistic expectations for students.

Background: Prior reports on patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) focused on individuals with advanced forms of the disease. Data on the diagnostic performance of various testing modalities in newly identified individuals suspected of having ARVC/D are limited., Objective: The purpose of the Multidisciplinary Study of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy/Dysplasia was to study the clinical characteristics and diagnostic evaluation of a large group of patients newly identified with ARVC/D., Methods: A total of 108 newly diagnosed patients with suspected ARVC/D were prospectively enrolled in the United States and Canada. The patients underwent noninvasive and invasive tests using standardized protocols that initially were interpreted by the enrolling center and adjudicated by blind analysis in six core laboratories. Patients were followed for a mean of 27 +/- 16 months (range 0.2-63 months)., Results: The clinical profile of these newly diagnosed patients differs from the profile of reported patients with more advanced disease. There was considerable difference in the initial and final classification of the presence of ARVC/D after the diagnostic tests were evaluated by the core laboratories. Final clinical diagnosis was 73 affected, 28 borderline, and 7 unaffected. Individual tests agreed with the final diagnosis in 50% to 70% of the 73 patients with a final classification of affected., Conclusion: The clinical profile of 108 newly diagnosed probands with suspected ARVC/D indicates that a combination of diagnostic tests is needed to evaluate the presence of right ventricular structural, functional, and electrical abnormalities. Echocardiography, right ventricular angiography, signal-averaged ECG, and Holter monitoring provide optimal clinical evaluation of patients suspected of ARVC/D.