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International audience; In this work, zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67)/chitosan composite beads were prepared by immersing chitosan beads incorporating cobalt (hydr)oxide into a solution containing the organic linker (2-methylimidazole). Compared to the conventional preparation protocols for metal-organic framework/polymer beads, the in-situ growth approach developed herein allows obtaining higher surface area with the shaped composites, up to 1200 m2/g for ZIF-67/CS2:1. The CO2 adsorption capacity of these ZIF-67/chitosan beads was investigated and reached 1.21 mmol/g at 273 K, which represents almost 100% of the adsorption capacity of pure ZIF-67, in line with the preserved surface area despite the incorporation of the 19% of additives included. Importantly, the ZIF-67/chitosan beads with an average bulk (crush) strength of 1.57 N could be easily regenerated, with a retained efficiency above 97% after 6 cycles. Furthermore, a possible mechanism for CO2 adsorption is discussed.

PurposeThis paper presents a model for determining the optimal capital structure for cooperatives and explores the relationship between financial leverage and the ability of cooperatives to retire member equity.Design/methodology/approachA model is developed to determine the optimal capital structure and explore the relationship between capital structure and the rate at which a cooperative can retire member equity. Using data from cooperative financial statements, ordinary least-squares regressions are conducted to test two hypotheses on capital structure and equity retirement.FindingsThe model shows that the optimal capital structure is determined by the ratio of the rate of return on capital employed to the interest rate on borrowed capital and the required level of interest coverage. The regressions suggest that cooperatives choose their capital structure largely according to the rate of return on capital employed and the interest rate in a manner consistent with maximizing the rate of return on equity and that the rate at which cooperatives can retire member equity is directly related to leverage.Research limitations/implicationsThe model does not consider unallocated earnings. Analysis of the relationship between leverage and equity retirement yields results contrary to the assumptions of earlier studies.Practical implicationsCooperatives can use the model because the necessary parameters are easily understood and readily available from financial statements, lenders and industry sources.Originality/valueThe model is developed specifically for determining the capital structure of cooperatives and differs substantially from the corporate model. A theoretical basis is provided for the relationship between leverage and equity retirement.

Cooperatives usually cannot employ market‐based methods for valuating equity capital and must rely instead on accounting‐based methods. This paper assesses several approaches for valuating cooperative equity and suggests that the rate of return on equity is an appropriate measure of the opportunity cost of equity because it determines the levels of cash patronage refunds, equity retirement, and growth a cooperative can maintain. Simulations are used to explore the relationship between various measures and the rate of growth and demonstrate that the rate of return on equity is the only measure invariant with respect to changes in the growth rate. Calculations for US cooperatives show that the rate of return on equity results in a higher cost of equity than estimates based on the opportunity cost of funds and confirm that equity is more expensive than borrowed capital. A numerical example illustrates the early redemption of member equities at a discount.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the advantages equity capitalization programs based on retained earnings from patronage sources may provide cooperatives and their patrons that traditional equity financing methods do not offer. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on a model used to assess patron benefits from a cooperative that is financed by a combination of allocated equity acquired from noncash patronage refunds and unallocated equity acquired from retained earnings. The level of patron benefits is represented by the present value of the after-tax cash flow patrons receive from the cooperative, and the model is used to determine the combination of noncash patronage refunds and retained earnings that provides the greatest present value given the levels of those parameters that affect capitalization of the cooperative and the distribution of cash benefits to patrons. Findings The analysis demonstrates that only pure plans, i.e., plans based entirely on retained patronage refunds or entirely on retained earnings, will be associated with the greatest present value for any particular set of parameter values. Cooperatives that are characterized by low marginal tax rates and growth rates and whose patrons are characterized by high marginal tax rates and discount rates are those most likely to benefit from equity capitalization programs based on retained earnings. Research limitations/implications The model is based on the assumption of constant parameter values and does not account for the existence of nonpatronage income. Practical implications A useful extension of this work would be the development of a decision aid capable of generating basic operating statement and balance sheet data and enabling cooperative decision makers to conduct experiments concerning alternative financing strategies based on retained earnings. Originality/value The analysis contained in this paper is based on an explicit model and extends across a broad range of values for various parameters that affect the level, timing, and present value of cash distributions from cooperatives. Because the cash flow received by patrons is determined after the cooperative’s planned equity growth is met, cash flow comparisons are equivalent with respect to the capital provided the cooperative. In addition, the revolving period is endogenously determined.

For Inuit and Naskapi living in the eastern Canadian Subarctic, local meteorological and environmental conditions (e.g., snow and ice cover extent, thickness, and duration) play a key role as they affect subsistence activities such as fishing, hunting, trapping, and harvesting. In this study, we first documented locally observed changes in meteorological and environmental conditions made by members of the Inuit communities of Kangiqsualujjuaq (Quebec) and Nain (Newfoundland and Labrador) and the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach (Quebec). We then examined spatiotemporal trends in gridded meteorological variables, most notably air temperature and precipitation, publicly available online. We compared Naskapi and Inuit observations with meteorological variables using a novel statistical approach to answer the question: how do locally observed changes in meteorological and environmental conditions relate to spatiotemporal trends in gridded meteorological variables? We used an adapted consensus index to measure the level of agreement in participants’ observations and assess the efficacy and utility of converting qualitative statements into quantitative measures for use in statistical models. Our results indicate that all three communities observed changes in meteorological and environmental conditions and that our consensus indices appropriately translated community observations. Participants from all three communities agreed that winter air temperatures are warmer, that the quantity of snow is diminishing, that freeze-up occurs later in the fall, and that precipitation patterns are changing. In contrast to Kangiqsualujjuaq and Kawawachikamach, participants from Nain observed that summer air temperatures have cooled. Through the analysis of gridded meteorological variables, we identified increases in annual mean and seasonal air temperatures and in total annual precipitation, particularly between 1990 and 2009. When analyzing both community observations and spatiotemporal trends in gridded meteorological variables, we found consensus regarding subjective changes and quantitative changes in mean air temperature and total precipitation.

Resume Objectif La satisfaction vis-a-vis des soins est reconnue comme un indicateur de choix de la qualite des soins. L’objectif principal etait d’identifier des facteurs lies a la satisfaction precoce vis-a-vis des soins au 45e jour du debut de la prise en charge ambulatoire de patients dependants aux substances psychoactives de type alcool ou opiaces. L’objectif secondaire etait d’etudier la reproductibilite de la satisfaction au cours des soins. Methode Une etude longitudinale a ete realisee. La satisfaction a ete mesuree de maniere precoce aux 15e et 45e jours du debut des soins au moyen du questionnaire de satisfaction EQS-C. Les determinants de la satisfaction a j45 ont ete explores par des modeles de regression lineaire multivaries. La reproductibilite de la mesure j15/J45 a ete appreciee par un calcul du coefficient de correlation intraclasse. Resultats Au total, 189 patients ont ete inclus dont 90 ont repondu aux deux temps de mesure de la satisfaction. Le niveau de satisfaction precoce est eleve. Si l’absence d’antecedents de prise en charge de la dependance est associee a une meilleure satisfaction a j45 dans un premier temps (β = 6,8 ; p = 0,05), seul le score total de la satisfaction a j15 y est associe lorsqu’il est pris en compte (β = 0,7 ; p Conclusion Nous recommandons une mesure precoce a j15 de la satisfaction vis-a-vis des soins ambulatoires chez les patients dependants aux substances.

Introduction: Gastroenteritis (GE) is one of the most common causes of emergency room visits, especially in pediatrics. The Canadian Paediatric Society and Choosing Wisely have issued high-grade recommendations to physicians working in the Emergency Department. It suggests, trying oral ondansetron followed by oral rehydration before installing venous rehydration in children with GE with adequate hydration or mild to moderate dehydration. This quality of medical care evaluation aims to determine if these recommendations were being applied for children aged 6 months to 12 years, with adequate hydration status or mild to moderate dehydration, who presented to the Chicoutimi emergency room between November 2016 and November 2018. Methods: Practice conformity was assessed according to two explicit criteria: prescription of oral ondansetron and appropriate mean of rehydration. A data collection tool was created and files were reviewed by investigators after standardization. Several secondary outcomes were assessed, including, among others, duration of symptoms, the number of vomiting and diarrhea. The hydration status was measured according to the capillary refill, feeling of skin to the touch, condition of buccal mucosa, tears, heart rate and mental status. These variables were analyzed to understand their impact on practice conformity. We excluded cases in which there was infections needing antibiotics, hypoglycemia, hemodynamic instability, no vomiting in the last 24 hours, convulsions and history of diabetes. Results: A total of 270 patient files were analyzed, 181 of which were included. Oral ondansetron was tried in 49 % of children. Rehydration was adequate in 55% of cases. The hydration level was written in 18% of files and the hydration status noted by the emergency room physician overestimated the dehydration score in 16% of cases. When hydration status was well assessed, adequate rehydration was observed in 63% of cases, while ondansetron was attempted in only 44% of cases. Conclusion: Use of oral ondansetron and adequate mean of rehydration to treat children aged 6 months to 12 years with GE in Chicoutimi emergency department is suboptimal. The difficulty of adequate dehydration assessment may be one of the causes. Concerted dehydration assessment grid and a group prescription for the administration of ondansetron during the nurse triage may constitute potential solutions.

Patient satisfaction with health care is an important indicator of health care quality. The main objective was to identify factors associated with early outpatient satisfaction with care 45 days after study inclusion for alcohol and opioid dependence. The secondary objective was to study the reproducibility of the satisfaction during the care.A longitudinal study was conducted. Satisfaction was assessed during the early care process 15 and 45 days after study inclusion using the quality of care satisfaction questionnaire in outpatient consultation EQS-C. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify the variables associated with satisfaction level. The reproducibility of the questionnaire between the two measurements (15 and 45 days after inclusion) was tested by intraclass correlation coefficient.A total of 189 outpatients were included, and 90 patients completed the satisfaction questionnaire both at 15 and 45 days after inclusion. The level of early satisfaction with care was high. If patients without a history of previous care for substance dependence were at first more satisfied at 45 days (β=6.8; P=0.05) than those who had received care previously, only the total score of the satisfaction with care at 15 days is associated with satisfaction with care at 45 days when taken into account in the model (ß=0,7; P0.0001). The results indicated good total satisfaction reproducibility with an intraclass correlation coefficient ICC=0.68.We recommend an early measure of satisfaction with care among outpatients with substance dependence.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe an equity management and planning tool used by rural electric cooperatives (RECs) and based on the times-interest-earned ratio (TIER). The objectives of the paper are to construct a mathematical model that provides a rigorous foundation for the TIER approach, modify the approach so the rate of return on equity is a function of the cooperative’s equity position, demonstrate how elements of the model can be used by RECs in setting electric rates that will enable them to accelerate the retirement of member equity, and derive a generalized form of the “modified Goodwin formula” that can be used by both RECs and agricultural cooperatives. Design/methodology/approach – Mathematical and graphical expressions of the TIER approach are developed. Simulations are used to demonstrate how RECs can set electric rates according to a target revolving period. The modified Goodwin formula is generalized to include the payment of cash patronage refunds through use of a growth model of an agricultural cooperative developed in Royer (1993). Findings – This paper demonstrates how TIER analysis and the modified Goodwin formula can be used by cooperatives to aid their decisions regarding debt and equity financing and their choices regarding cash patronage refunds, equity retirement, and growth. The paper demonstrates that cooperatives that fail to recognize the functional relationship between the rate of return on equity and the equity position may substantially underestimate the equity position necessary to meet interest coverage requirements and overestimate their ability to grow and retire equity. It also shows that RECs may be able to make substantial improvements in equity revolvement with only modest increases in electric rates. Research limitations/implications – The model developed in this paper has been simplified to focus on fundamental financial relationships. To apply this model, cooperatives may need to modify it to accommodate the complexities of their business operations. Practical implications – TIER analysis can provide a useful equity management and planning tool for both RECs and agricultural cooperatives. It also can be used by lending institutions to assess the financial health of individual cooperative organizations. Originality/value – Constructing a mathematical model that provides a foundation for TIER analysis, modifying the approach so that the rate of return on equity is a function of the equity position, demonstrating how RECs can use the model to set electric rates according to a target revolving period, and generalizing the modified Goodwin formula so it can be used by agricultural cooperatives are all original contributions.

This article examines the understanding of Cree hunters in relation to shifts in landscape resources and in particular the availability of two key subsistence wildlife species (i.e. Canada geese and woodland caribou) as a result of climatic and socio-environmental changes and their subsequent impacts on Cree subsistence activities and Cree culture. These results are based on questionnaires and interviews conducted among Cree hunters of the Eastern James Bay. Findings indicate that a number of Cree are concerned with changes in the physical landscape, in sociocultural and intergenerational dynamics as well as shifts in wildlife distribution, which are impacting their ability to use the land and to maintain traditional subsistence activities. This research provides a deeper understanding of current and future trends in the Cree's relationship with landscape resources in the context of continuing change, necessary to future development of appropriate adaptation and landscape planning strategies to c...

For the Cree First Nation communities of the eastern James Bay region in the Canadian Subarctic, local weather plays a key role in traditional subsistence activities. There is rising concern among the Cree about changes in inland ice conditions as they pose challenges to Cree livelihood, health and culture. Here we contrast Crees’ observations of inland ice conditions and long-term measurements obtained to foster interdisciplinary climate change research between scientists and Cree communities. We compiled qualitative observations of inland ice conditions and compared them with long-term measurements (> 25 years) of air temperature, precipitation and snow depth from three meteorological stations in the Cree territory. Cree hunters observed a weakening of lake ice cover (e.g., change in ice composition and structure, increased rain in winter). Trend analysis of long-term measurements showed a significant increase in mean autumn air temperature as well as in winter and autumn precipitation. By contrasting Cree hunters’ observations with climate data, we identified that an increase in fall and winter precipitation could be causing a weakening of inland ice through a change in its composition (i.e., snow ice instead of congelation ice). We conclude that Cree and scientific knowledge are complementary when investigating and understanding climate change in the Subarctic.