Honeggeriella complexa gen. et sp. nov., a heteromerous lichen from the Lower Cretaceous of Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada).

PubMed

Matsunaga, Kelly K S; Stockey, Ruth A; Tomescu, Alexandru M F

2013-02-01

Colonists of even the most inhospitable environments, lichens are present in all terrestrial ecosystems. Because of their ecological versatility and ubiquity, they have been considered excellent candidates for early colonizers of terrestrial environments. Despite such predictions, good preservation potential, and the extant diversity of lichenized fungi, the fossil record of lichen associations is sparse. Unequivocal lichen fossils are rare due, in part, to difficulties in ascertaining the presence of both symbionts and in characterizing their interactions. This study describes an exceptionally well-preserved heteromerous lichen from the Lower Cretaceous of Vancouver Island. The fossil occurs in a marine carbonate concretion collected from the Apple Bay locality on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and was prepared for light microscopy and SEM using the cellulose acetate peel technique. The lichen, Honeggeriella complexa gen. et sp. nov., is formed by an ascomycete mycobiont and a chlorophyte photobiont, and exhibits heteromerous thallus organization. This is paired with a mycobiont-photobiont interface characterized by intracellular haustoria, previously not documented in the fossil record. Honeggeriella adds a lichen component to one of the richest and best characterized Early Cretaceous floras and provides a significant addition to the sparse fossil record of lichens. As a heteromerous chlorolichen, it bridges the >350 million-year gap between previously documented Early Devonian and Eocene occurrences.

Late Quaternary dynamics of forest vegetation on northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacourse, Terri

2005-01-01

Pollen analysis of radiocarbon-dated lake sediment from northern Vancouver Island, southwest British Columbia reveals regional changes in forest vegetation over the last 12,200 14C yr (14,900 cal yr). Between at least 12,200 and 11,700 14C yr BP (14,900-13,930 cal yr BP), open woodlands were dominated by Pinus contorta, Alnus crispa, and various ferns. As P. contorta decreased in abundance, Alnus rubra and more shade-tolerant conifers (i.e., Picea and Tsuga mertensiana) increased. Increases in T. mertensiana, P. contorta, and A. crispa pollen accumulation rates (PARs) between 10,600 and 10,400 14C yr BP (11,660-11,480 cal yr BP) reflect a cool and moist climate during the Younger Dryas chronozone. Orbitally induced warming around 10,000 14C yr BP (11,090 cal yr BP) allowed the northward extension of Pseudotsuga menziesii, although Picea, Tsuga heterophylla, and A. rubra dominated early Holocene forests. By 7500 14C yr BP (8215 cal yr BP), shade-tolerant T. heterophylla was the dominant forest tree. Cupressaceae ( Thuja plicata and Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) was present by 7500 14C yr BP but reached its maximum after 3500 14C yr BP (3600 cal yr BP), when a cooler and wetter regional climate facilitated the development of temperate rainforest. The highest rates of vegetation change are associated with Lateglacial climate change and species with rapid growth rates and short life spans.

Puget Sound, Seattle, WA, USA, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-09-20

STS047-151-488 (12 - 20 Sept 1992) --- In this large format camera image, the forested Cascade Range appears along the left side; the Pacific Ocean, on the right. The frame was photographed as the Space Shuttle Endeavour flew north to south over Vancouver and Seattle. Many peaks in the Cascades reach altitudes greater than 9,000 feet and remain snowcapped even in mid-summer. The Strait of Juan de Fuca separates the Olympic Peninsula (top right) from Vancouver Island (bottom right). Snowcapped Mt. Olympus (7,965 feet) is one of the wettest places in the continental United States, with rainfall in excess of 120 inches per year. The port cities of Seattle and Tacoma occupy the heavily indented coastline of Puget Sound (top center). They appear as light-colored areas on the left side of the Sound. The angular street pattern of Tacoma is visible at the top of the picture. The international boundary between Canada and the United States of America runs across the middle of the view. The city of Victoria (center) is the light patch on the tip of Vancouver Island. Canada's Fraser River Delta provides flat topography on which the cities of Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster were built. These cities appear as the light-colored area just left of center. The Fraser River can be seen snaking its way out of the mountains at the apex of the delta. Numerous ski resorts dot the slopes of the mountains (bottom left) that rise immediately to the north of Vancouver. In the same area the blue water of Harrison and other, smaller lakes fills some of the valleys that were excavated by glaciers in the "recent" geological past, according to NASA scientists studying the photography. A Linhof camera was used to expose the frame.

Accountability Synopticism: How a Think Tank and the Media Developed a Quasimarket for School Choice in British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmonds, Michael; Webb, P. Taylor

2013-01-01

This paper describes how a locally developed school ranking system affected student enrolment patterns in British Columbia over time. In developing an annual school "report card" that was published in newspapers and online, the Vancouver-based Fraser Institute created a marketplace for school choice by devising an accountability scheme…

Traveling to Canada for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

PubMed

Heggie, Travis W

2009-07-01

The 21st Winter Olympic Games will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from February 12 to 28, 2010. Following the Winter Olympic Games, the Winter Paralympic Games will be held from March 12 to 21, 2010. There will be 86 winter sporting events hosted in Vancouver with 5500 athletes staying in two Olympic Villages. Another 2800 members of the media, 25,000 volunteers, and 1 million spectators are expected in attendance. This paper reviews health and safety issues for all travelers to Canada for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games with a specific focus on pre-travel planning, road and transportation safety in British Columbia, natural and environmental hazards, Olympic medical facilities, safety and security, and infectious disease.

Profile of BC College Transfer Students Admitted to the University of British Columbia: 2003/04 to 2007/08

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert-Maberly, Ashley

2009-01-01

This report examines the demographics, performance, and success of students who were admitted to the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus on the basis of a minimum 24 transfer credits earned at a BC college during the five year period comprising the 2003/04 through 2007/08 academic years. The report mines familiar ground--similar…

History of foster care among homeless adults with mental illness in Vancouver, British Columbia: a precursor to trajectories of risk.

PubMed

Patterson, Michelle L; Moniruzzaman, Akm; Somers, Julian M

2015-02-26

It is well documented that a disproportionate number of homeless adults have childhood histories of foster care placement(s). This study examines the relationship between foster care placement as a predictor of adult substance use disorders (including frequency, severity and type), mental illness, vocational functioning, service use and duration of homelessness among a sample of homeless adults with mental illness. We hypothesize that a history of foster care predicts earlier, more severe and more frequent substance use, multiple mental disorder diagnoses, discontinuous work history, and longer durations of homelessness. This study was conducted using baseline data from two randomized controlled trials in Vancouver, British Columbia for participants who responded to a series of questions pertaining to out-of-home care at 12 months follow-up (n = 442). Primary outcomes included current mental disorders; substance use including type, frequency and severity; physical health; duration of homelessness; vocational functioning; and service use. In multivariable regression models, a history of foster care placement independently predicted incomplete high school, duration of homelessness, discontinuous work history, less severe types of mental illness, multiple mental disorders, early initiation of drug and/or alcohol use, and daily drug use. This is the first Canadian study to investigate the relationship between a history of foster care and current substance use among homeless adults with mental illness, controlling for several other potential confounding factors. It is important to screen homeless youth who exit foster care for substance use, and to provide integrated treatment for concurrent disorders to homeless youth and adults who have both psychiatric and substance use problems. Both trials are registered with the International Standard Randomized Control Trial Number Register and were assigned ISRCTN57595077 (Vancouver At Home Study: Housing First plus

Identification of metapopulation dynamics among Northern Goshawks of the Alexander Archipelago, Alaska, and Coastal British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; McClaren, Erica L.; Doyle, Frank I.; Titus, K.; Sage, George K.; Wilson, Robert E.; Gust, Judy R.; Talbot, Sandra L.

2012-01-01

Northern Goshawks occupying the Alexander Archipelago, Alaska, and coastal British Columbia nest primarily in old-growth and mature forest, which results in spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of individuals across the landscape. We used microsatellite and mitochondrial data to infer genetic structure, gene flow, and fluctuations in population demography through evolutionary time. Patterns in the genetic signatures were used to assess predictions associated with the three population models: panmixia, metapopulation, and isolated populations. Population genetic structure was observed along with asymmetry in gene flow estimates that changed directionality at different temporal scales, consistent with metapopulation model predictions. Therefore, Northern Goshawk assemblages located in the Alexander Archipelago and coastal British Columbia interact through a metapopulation framework, though they may not fit the classic model of a metapopulation. Long-term population sources (coastal mainland British Columbia) and sinks (Revillagigedo and Vancouver islands) were identified. However, there was no trend through evolutionary time in the directionality of dispersal among the remaining assemblages, suggestive of a rescue-effect dynamic. Admiralty, Douglas, and Chichagof island complex appears to be an evolutionarily recent source population in the Alexander Archipelago. In addition, Kupreanof island complex and Kispiox Forest District populations have high dispersal rates to populations in close geographic proximity and potentially serve as local source populations. Metapopulation dynamics occurring in the Alexander Archipelago and coastal British Columbia by Northern Goshawks highlight the importance of both occupied and unoccupied habitats to long-term population persistence of goshawks in this region.

Characterization of active faulting beneath the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cassidy, J.F.; Rogers, Gary C.; Waldhauser, F.

2000-01-01

Southwestern British Columbia and northwestern Washington State are subject to megathrust earthquakes, deep intraslab events, and earthquakes in the continental crust. Of the three types of earthquakes, the most poorly understood are the crustal events. Despite a high level of seismicity, there is no obvious correlation between the historical crustal earthquakes and the mapped surface faults of the region. On 24 June 1997, a ML = 4.6 earthquake occurred 3-4 km beneath the Strait of Georgia, 30 km to the west of Vancouver, British Columbia. This well-recorded earthquake was preceded by 11 days by a felt foreshock (ML = 3.4) and was followed by numerous small aftershocks. This earthquake sequence occurred in one of the few regions of persistent shallow seismic activity in southwestern British Columbia, thus providing an ideal opportunity to attempt to characterize an active near-surface fault. We have computed focal mechanisms and utilized a waveform cross-correlation and joint hypocentral determination routine to obtain accurate relative hypocenters of the mainshock, foreshock, and 53 small aftershocks in an attempt to image the active fault and the extent of rupture associated with this earthquake sequence. Both P-nodal and CMT focal mechanisms show thrust faulting for the mainshock and the foreshock. The relocated hypocenters delineate a north-dipping plane at 2-4 km depth, dipping at 53??, in good agreement with the focal mechanism nodal plane dipping to the north at 47??. The rupture area is estimated to be a 1.3-km-diameter circular area, comparable to that estimated using a Brune rupture model with the estimated seismic moment of 3.17 ?? 1015 N m and the stress drop of 45 bars. The temporal sequence indicates a downdip migration of the seismicity along the fault plane. The results of this study provide the first unambiguous evidence for the orientation and sense of motion for active faulting in the Georgia Strait area of British Columbia.

A hydroclimatic threshold for landslide initiation on the North Shore Mountains of Vancouver, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakob, Matthias; Weatherly, Hamish

2003-09-01

Landslides triggered by rainfall are the cause of thousands of deaths worldwide every year. One possible approach to limit the socioeconomic consequences of such events is the development of climatic thresholds for landslide initiation. In this paper, we propose a method that incorporates antecedent rainfall and streamflow data to develop a landslide initiation threshold for the North Shore Mountains of Vancouver, British Columbia. Hydroclimatic data were gathered for 18 storms that triggered landslides and 18 storms that did not. Discriminant function analysis separated the landslide-triggering storms from those storms that did not trigger landslides and selected the most meaningful variables that allow this separation. Discriminant functions were also developed for the landslide-triggering and nonlandslide-triggering storms. The difference of the discriminant scores, ΔCS, for both groups is a measure of landslide susceptibility during a storm. The variables identified that optimize the separation of the two storm groups are 4-week rainfall prior to a significant storm, 6-h rainfall during a storm, and the number of hours 1 m 3/s discharge was exceeded at Mackay Creek during a storm. Three thresholds were identified. The Landslide Warning Threshold (LWT) is reached when ΔCS is -1. The Conditional Landslide Initiation Threshold (CTL I) is reached when ΔCS is zero, and it implies that landslides are likely if 4 mm/h rainfall intensity is exceeded at which point the Imminent Landslide Initiation Threshold (ITL I) is reached. The LWT allows time for the issuance of a landslide advisory and to move personnel out of hazardous areas. The methodology proposed in this paper can be transferred to other regions worldwide where type and quality of data are appropriate for this type of analysis.

Characterization of Environmental Sources of the Human and Animal Pathogen Cryptococcus gattii in British Columbia, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest of the United States▿

PubMed Central

Kidd, Sarah E.; Chow, Yat; Mak, Sunny; Bach, Paxton J.; Chen, Huiming; Hingston, Adrian O.; Kronstad, James W.; Bartlett, Karen H.

2007-01-01

Cryptococcus gattii has recently emerged as a primary pathogen of humans and wild and domesticated animals in British Columbia, particularly on Vancouver Island. C. gattii infections are typically infections of the pulmonary and/or the central nervous system, and the incidence of infection in British Columbia is currently the highest reported globally. Prior to this emergence, the environmental distribution of and the extent of colonization by C. gattii in British Columbia were unknown. We characterized the environmental sources and potential determinants of colonization in British Columbia. C. gattii was isolated from tree surfaces, soil, air, freshwater, and seawater, and no seasonal prevalence was observed. The C. gattii concentrations in air samples were significantly higher during the warm, dry summer months, although potentially infectious propagules (<3.3 μm in diameter) were present throughout the year. Positive samples were obtained from many different areas of British Columbia, and some locations were colonization “hot spots.” C. gattii was generally isolated from acidic soil, and geographic differences in soil pH may influence the extent of colonization. C. gattii soil colonization also was associated with low moisture and low organic carbon contents. Most of the C. gattii isolates recovered belonged to the VGIIa genetic subtype; however, sympatric colonization by the VGIIb strain was observed at most locations. At one sampling site, VGIIa, VGIIb, VGI, and the Cryptococcus neoformans serotype AD hybrid all were coisolated. Our findings indicate extensive colonization by C. gattii within British Columbia and highlight an expansion of the ecological niche of this pathogen. PMID:17194837

Satellite chlorophyll off the British Columbia Coast, 1997-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Jennifer M.; Thomson, Richard E.; Brown, Leslie N.; Willis, Peter G.; Borstad, Gary A.

2015-07-01

We examine the spatial and temporal variability of satellite-sensed sea surface chlorophyll off the west coast of North America from 1997 to 2010, with focus on coastal British Columbia. The variability in surface chlorophyll is complex. Whereas the spring bloom generates the highest phytoplankton concentration for coastal Alaska, the north and east coasts of Haida Gwaii, Queen Charlotte Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and coastal Oregon and California, it is the fall bloom that normally generates the highest concentration for the west coast of Vancouver Island, Juan de Fuca Strait, and the west coast of Washington. The highest satellite-sensed chlorophyll concentrations occur in the Strait of Georgia, where mean values are at least 2 times higher than elsewhere in the northeast Pacific. Moreover, the annual average surface chlorophyll concentration increased significantly in the Strait of Georgia during this period, with highest concentration observed during the near neutral ENSO conditions of the spring of 2007. The next highest concentrations occur off southwest Vancouver Island but have no statistically significant trend. The lowest average peak chlorophyll concentration is observed off Southern California. The timing of the highest chlorophyll concentration is latest off the coast of Washington and earliest off the coast of Southern California. Small increasing concentration trends are observed off the Washington and California coasts.

Setting the stage for chronic health problems: cumulative childhood adversity among homeless adults with mental illness in Vancouver, British Columbia.

PubMed

Patterson, Michelle L; Moniruzzaman, Akm; Somers, Julian M

2014-04-12

It is well documented that childhood abuse, neglect and household dysfunction are disproportionately present in the backgrounds of homeless adults, and that these experiences adversely impact child development and a wide range of adult outcomes. However, few studies have examined the cumulative impact of adverse childhood experiences on homeless adults with mental illness. This study examines adverse events in childhood as predictors of duration of homelessness, psychiatric and substance use disorders, and physical health in a sample of homeless adults with mental illness. This study was conducted using baseline data from a randomized controlled trial in Vancouver, British Columbia for participants who completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) scale at 18 months follow-up (n=364). Primary outcomes included current mental disorders; substance use including type, frequency and severity; physical health; duration of homelessness; and vocational functioning. In multivariable regression models, ACE total score independently predicted a range of mental health, physical health, and substance use problems, and marginally predicted duration of homelessness. Adverse childhood experiences are overrepresented among homeless adults with complex comorbidities and chronic homelessness. Our findings are consistent with a growing body of literature indicating that childhood traumas are potent risk factors for a number of adult health and psychiatric problems, particularly substance use problems. Results are discussed in the context of cumulative adversity and self-trauma theory. This trial has been registered with the International Standard Randomized Control Trial Number Register and assigned ISRCTN42520374.

Contaminant risks from biosolids land application: contemporary organic contaminant levels in digested sewage sludge from five treatment plants in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia.

PubMed

Bright, D A; Healey, N

2003-01-01

This study examines the potential for environmental risks due to organic contaminants at sewage sludge application sites, and documents metals and various potential organic contaminants (volatile organics, chlorinated pesticides, PCBs, dioxins/furans, extractable petroleum hydrocarbons, PAHs, phenols, and others) in current production biosolids from five wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) within the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). There has been greater focus in Europe, North America and elsewhere on metals accumulation in biosolids-amended soil than on organic substances, with the exception of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. Another objective, therefore, was to evaluate the extent to which management of biosolids re-use based on metal/metalloid levels coincidentally minimizes environmental risks from organic contaminants. Historical-use contaminants such as chlorophenols, PCBs, and chlorinated pesticides were not detected at environmentally relevant concentrations in any of the 36 fresh biosolids samples, and appear to have virtually eliminated from sanitary collection system inputs. The few organic contaminants found in freshly produced biosolids samples that exhibited high concentrations relative to British Columbia and Canadian soil quality benchmarks included p-cresol, phenol, phenanthrene, pyrene, naphthalene, and heavy extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (HEPHs--nCl9-C34 effective carbon chain length). It was concluded that, with the exception of these petroleum hydrocarbon constituents or their microbial metabolites, the mixing of biosolids with uncontaminated soils during land application and based on the known metal concentrations in biosolids from the Greater Vancouver WWTPs investigated provides adequate protection against the environmental risks associated with organic substances such as dioxins and furans, phthalate esters, or volatile organics. Unlike many other organic contaminants, the concentrations

High resolution stream water quality assessment in the Vancouver, British Columbia region: a citizen science study.

PubMed

Shupe, Scott M

2017-12-15

Changing land cover and climate regimes modify water quantity and quality in natural stream systems. In regions undergoing rapid change, it is difficult to effectively monitor and quantify these impacts at local to regional scales. In Vancouver, British Columbia, one of the most rapidly urbanizing areas in Canada, 750 measurements were taken from a total of 81 unique sampling sites representing 49 streams located in urban, forest, and agricultural-dominant watersheds at a frequency of up to 12 times per year between 2013 and 2016. Dissolved nitrate (NO 3 -N) and phosphate (PO 4 -P) concentrations, turbidity, water temperature, pH and conductivity were measured by citizen scientists in addition to observations of hydrology, vegetation, land use, and visible stream impacts. Land cover was mapped at a 15-m resolution using Landsat 8 OLI imagery and used to determine dominant land cover for each watershed in which a sample was recorded. Regional, seasonal, and catchment-type trends in measurements were determined using statistical analyses. The relationships of nutrients to land cover varied seasonally and on a catchment-type basis. Nitrate showed seasonal highs in winter and lows in summer, though phosphate had less seasonal variation. Overall, nitrate concentrations were positively associated to agriculture and deciduous forest and negatively associated with coniferous forest. In contrast, phosphate concentrations were positively associated with agricultural, deciduous forest, and disturbed land cover and negatively associated with urban land cover. Both urban and agricultural land cover were significantly associated with an increase in water conductivity. Increased forest land cover was associated with better water quality, including lower turbidity, conductivity, and water temperature. This study showed the importance of high resolution sampling in understanding seasonal and spatial dynamics of stream water quality, made possible with the large number of

Assessing the health care needs of women in rural British Columbia

PubMed Central

Guy, Meghan; Norman, Wendy V.; Malhotra, Unjali

2013-01-01

Objective To design reliable survey instruments to evaluate needs and expectations for provision of women's health services in rural communities in British Columbia (BC). These tools will aim to plan programming for, and evaluate effectiveness of, a women's health enhanced skills residency program at the University of British Columbia. Design A qualitative design that included administration of written surveys and on-site interviews in several rural communities. Setting Three communities participated in initial questionnaire and interview administration. A fourth community participated in the second interview iteration. Participating communities did not have obstetrician-gynecologists but did have hospitals capable of supporting outpatient specialized women's health procedural care. Participants Community physicians, leaders of community groups serving women, and allied health providers, in Vancouver Island, Southeast Interior BC, and Northern BC. Methods Two preliminary questionnaires were developed to assess local specialized women's health services based on the curriculum of the enhanced skills training program; one was designed for physicians and the other for women's community group leaders and aboriginal health and community group leaders. Interview questions were designed to ensure the survey could be understood and to identify important areas of women's health not included on the initial questionnaires. Results were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods, and a second draft of the questionnaires was developed for a second iteration of interviews. Main findings Clarity and comprehension of questionnaires were good; however, nonphysician participants answered that they were unsure on many questions pertaining to specific services. Topics identified as important and missing from questionnaires included violence and mental health. A second version of the questionnaires was shown to have addressed these concerns. Conclusion Through iterations of

Tourism and Specific Risk Areas for Cryptococcus gattii, Vancouver Island, Canada

PubMed Central

Chambers, Catharine; MacDougall, Laura; Li, Min

2008-01-01

We compared travel histories of case-patients with Cryptococcus gattii infection during 1999–2006 to travel destinations of the general public on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Findings validated and refined estimates of risk on the basis of place of residence and showed no spatial progression of risk areas on this island over time. PMID:18976570

Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: Considering an Active Leech River Fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukovica, J.; Molnar, S.; Ghofrani, H.

2017-12-01

The Leech River fault is situated on Vancouver Island near the city of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The 60km transpressional reverse fault zone runs east to west along the southern tip of Vancouver Island, dividing the lithologic units of Jurassic-Cretaceous Leech River Complex schists to the north and Eocene Metchosin Formation basalts to the south. This fault system poses a considerable hazard due to its proximity to Victoria and 3 major hydroelectric dams. The Canadian seismic hazard model for the 2015 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) considered the fault system to be inactive. However, recent paleoseismic evidence suggests there to be at least 2 surface-rupturing events to have exceeded a moment magnitude (M) of 6.5 within the last 15,000 years (Morell et al. 2017). We perform a Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) for the city of Victoria with consideration of the Leech River fault as an active source. A PSHA for Victoria which replicates the 2015 NBCC estimates is accomplished to calibrate our PSHA procedure. The same seismic source zones, magnitude recurrence parameters, and Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) are used. We replicate the uniform hazard spectrum for a probability of exceedance of 2% in 50 years for a 500 km radial area around Victoria. An active Leech River fault zone is then added; known length and dip. We are determining magnitude recurrence parameters based on a Gutenberg-Richter relationship for the Leech River fault from various catalogues of the recorded seismicity (M 2-3) within the fault's vicinity and the proposed paleoseismic events. We seek to understand whether inclusion of an active Leech River fault source will significantly increase the probabilistic seismic hazard for Victoria. Morell et al. 2017. Quaternary rupture of a crustal fault beneath Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. GSA Today, 27, doi: 10.1130/GSATG291A.1

Forearc structure beneath southwestern British Columbia: A three-dimensional tomographic velocity model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramachandran, K.; Dosso, S.E.; Spence, G.D.; Hyndman, R.D.; Brocher, T.M.

2005-01-01

This paper presents a three-dimensional compressional wave velocity model of the forearc crust and upper mantle and the subducting Juan de Fuca plate beneath southwestern British Columbia and the adjoining straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca. The velocity model was constructed through joint tomographic inversion of 50,000 first-arrival times from earthquakes and active seismic sources. Wrangellia rocks of the accreted Paleozoic and Mesozoic island arc assemblage underlying southern Vancouver Island in the Cascadia forearc are imaged at some locations with higher than average lower crustal velocities of 6.5-7.2 km/s, similar to observations at other island arc terranes. The mafic Eocene Crescent terrane, thrust landward beneath southern Vancouver Island, exhibits crustal velocities in the range of 6.0-6.7 km/s and is inferred to extend to a depth of more than 20 km. The Cenozoic Olympic Subduction Complex, an accretionary prism thrust beneath the Crescent terrane in the Olympic Peninsula, is imaged as a low-velocity wedge to depths of at least 20 km. Three zones with velocities of 7.0-7.5 km/s, inferred to be mafic and/or ultramafic units, lie above the subducting Juan de Fuca plate at depths of 25-35 km. The forearc upper mantle wedge beneath southeastern Vancouver Island and the Strait of Georgia exhibits low velocities of 7.2-7.5 km/s, inferred to correspond to ???20% serpentinization of mantle peridotites, and consistent with similar observations in other warm subduction zones. Estimated dip of the Juan de Fuca plate beneath southern Vancouver Island is ???11??, 16??, and 27?? at depths of 30, 40, and 50 km, respectively. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection (granulocytic anaplasmosis) in a dog from Vancouver Island

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

Abstract A 7-year-old Labrador retriever had nonspecific clinical signs that included lethargy, malaise, and difficult ambulation. The dog was native to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and had never left this area. Morulae were identified in polymorphonuclear cells. Serologic studies and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing confirmed canine anaplasmosis caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The dog recovered after treatment with tetracycline. PMID:16231653

Does sex matter? Temporal and spatial patterns of cougar-human conflict in British Columbia.

PubMed

Teichman, Kristine J; Cristescu, Bogdan; Nielsen, Scott E

2013-01-01

Wildlife-human conflicts occur wherever large carnivores overlap human inhabited areas. Conflict mitigation can be facilitated by understanding long-term dynamics and examining sex-structured conflict patterns. Predicting areas with high probability of conflict helps focus management strategies in order to proactively decrease carnivore mortality. We investigated the importance of cougar (Puma concolor) habitat, human landscape characteristics and the combination of habitat and human features on the temporal and spatial patterns of cougar-human conflicts in British Columbia. Conflicts (n = 1,727; 1978-2007) involved similar numbers of male and female cougars with conflict rate decreasing over the past decade. Conflicts were concentrated within the southern part of the province with the most conflicts per unit area occurring on Vancouver Island. For both sexes, the most supported spatial models for the most recent (1998-2007) conflicts contained both human and habitat variables. Conflicts were more likely to occur close to roads, at intermediate elevations and far from the northern edge of the cougar distribution range in British Columbia. Male cougar conflicts were more likely to occur in areas of intermediate human density. Unlike cougar conflicts in other regions, cattle density was not a significant predictor of conflict location. With human populations expanding, conflicts are expected to increase. Conservation tools, such as the maps predicting conflict hotspots from this study, can help focus management efforts to decrease carnivore-human conflict.

Indian Education Programs in British Columbia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Reg

The British North America Act of 1867, the founding constitution of Canada, provides that all matters pertaining to Indians and Indian lands are under Federal jurisdiction. Because of this, the province of British Columbia (BC) has not felt it could do much for native peoples and little attention has been paid to the extension of provincial…

British Columbia log export policy: historical review and analysis.

Treesearch

Craig W. Shinn

1993-01-01

Log exports have been restricted in British Columbia for over 100 years. The intent of the restriction is to use the timber in British Columbia to encourage development of forest industry, employment, and well-being in the Province. Logs have been exempted from the within-Province manufacturing rule at various times, in varying amounts, for different reasons, and by...

Wind energy on the horizon in British Columbia. A review and evaluation of the British Columbia wind energy planning framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Jason

This study examines the wind energy planning frameworks from ten North American jurisdictions, drawing important lessons that British Columbia could use to build on its current model which has been criticized for its limited scope and restriction of local government powers. This study contributes to similar studies conducted by Kimrey (2006), Longston (2006), and Eriksen (2009). This study concludes that inclusion of wind resource zones delineated through strategic environmental assessment, programme assessment, and conducting research-oriented studies could improve the current British Columbia planning framework. The framework should also strengthen its bat impact assessment practices and incorporate habitat compensation. This research also builds upon Rosenberg's (2008) wind energy planning framework typologies. I conclude that the typology utilized in Texas should be employed in British Columbia in order to facilitate utilizing wind power. The only adaptation needed is the establishment of a cross-jurisdictional review committee for project assessment to address concerns about local involvement and site-specific environmental and social concerns.

Union-Active School Librarians and School Library Advocacy: A Modified Case Study of the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians' Association and the British Columbia Teachers' Federation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ewbank, Ann Dutton

2015-01-01

This modified case study examines how the members of the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians' Association (BCTLA), a Provincial Specialist Association (PSA) of the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF), work together to advocate for strong school library programs headed by a credentialed school librarian. Since 2002, despite nullification…

BCASP and the Evolution of School Psychology in British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agar, Douglas J.

2016-01-01

Since 1992, the British Columbia Association of School Psychologists (BCASP) has been the professional body for school psychologists in British Columbia. In the intervening 24 years, BCASP has been very successful in performing the dual roles of a certifying body and a professional development organization for school psychologists in British…

Does Sex Matter? Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Cougar-Human Conflict in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Teichman, Kristine J.; Cristescu, Bogdan; Nielsen, Scott E.

2013-01-01

Wildlife-human conflicts occur wherever large carnivores overlap human inhabited areas. Conflict mitigation can be facilitated by understanding long-term dynamics and examining sex-structured conflict patterns. Predicting areas with high probability of conflict helps focus management strategies in order to proactively decrease carnivore mortality. We investigated the importance of cougar (Puma concolor) habitat, human landscape characteristics and the combination of habitat and human features on the temporal and spatial patterns of cougar-human conflicts in British Columbia. Conflicts (n = 1,727; 1978–2007) involved similar numbers of male and female cougars with conflict rate decreasing over the past decade. Conflicts were concentrated within the southern part of the province with the most conflicts per unit area occurring on Vancouver Island. For both sexes, the most supported spatial models for the most recent (1998–2007) conflicts contained both human and habitat variables. Conflicts were more likely to occur close to roads, at intermediate elevations and far from the northern edge of the cougar distribution range in British Columbia. Male cougar conflicts were more likely to occur in areas of intermediate human density. Unlike cougar conflicts in other regions, cattle density was not a significant predictor of conflict location. With human populations expanding, conflicts are expected to increase. Conservation tools, such as the maps predicting conflict hotspots from this study, can help focus management efforts to decrease carnivore-human conflict. PMID:24040312

Observations and Numerical Modeling of the 2012 Haida Gwaii Tsunami off the Coast of British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fine, Isaac V.; Cherniawsky, Josef Y.; Thomson, Richard E.; Rabinovich, Alexander B.; Krassovski, Maxim V.

2015-03-01

A major ( M w 7.7) earthquake occurred on October 28, 2012 along the Queen Charlotte Fault Zone off the west coast of Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands). The earthquake was the second strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake in Canadian history and generated the largest local tsunami ever recorded on the coast of British Columbia. A field survey on the Pacific side of Haida Gwaii revealed maximum runup heights of up to 7.6 m at sites sheltered from storm waves and 13 m in a small inlet that is less sheltered from storms (L eonard and B ednarski 2014). The tsunami was recorded by tide gauges along the coast of British Columbia, by open-ocean bottom pressure sensors of the NEPTUNE facility at Ocean Networks Canada's cabled observatory located seaward of southwestern Vancouver Island, and by several DART stations located in the northeast Pacific. The tsunami observations, in combination with rigorous numerical modeling, enabled us to determine the physical properties of this event and to correct the location of the tsunami source with respect to the initial geophysical estimates. The initial model results were used to specify sites of particular interest for post-tsunami field surveys on the coast of Moresby Island (Haida Gwaii), while field survey observations (L eonard and B ednarski 2014) were used, in turn, to verify the numerical simulations based on the corrected source region.

Targeting screening and social marketing to increase detection of acute HIV infection in men who have sex with men in Vancouver, British Columbia.

PubMed

Gilbert, Mark; Cook, Darrel; Steinberg, Malcolm; Kwag, Michael; Robert, Wayne; Doupe, Glenn; Krajden, Mel; Rekart, Michael

2013-10-23

The contribution of acute HIV infection (AHI) to transmission is widely recognized, and increasing AHI diagnosis capacity can enhance HIV prevention through subsequent behavior change or intervention. We examined the impact of targeted pooled nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) and social marketing to increase AHI diagnosis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vancouver. Observational study. We implemented pooled NAAT following negative third-generation enzyme immunoassay (EIA) testing for males above 18 years in six clinics accessed by MSM, accompanied by two social marketing campaigns developed by a community gay men's health organization. We compared test volume and diagnosis rates for pre-implementation (April 2006-March 2009) and post-implementation (April 2009-March 2012) periods. After implementation, we used linear regression to examine quarterly trends and calculated diagnostic yield. After implementation, the AHI diagnosis rate significantly increased from 1.03 to 1.84 per 1000 tests, as did quarterly HIV test volumes and acute to non-acute diagnosis ratio. Of the 217 new HIV diagnoses after implementation, 54 (24.9%) were AHIs (25 detected by pooled NAAT only) for an increased diagnostic yield of 11.5%. The average number of prior negative HIV tests (past 2 years) increased significantly for newly diagnosed MSM at the six study clinics compared to other newly diagnosed MSM in British Columbia, per quarter. Targeted implementation of pooled NAAT at clinics accessed by MSM is effective in increasing AHI diagnoses compared to third-generation EIA testing. Social marketing campaigns accompanying pooled NAAT implementation may contribute to increasing AHI diagnoses and frequency of HIV testing.

Associate Degrees Awarded in British Columbia, 1993-94 to 2005-06

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karlinski, Jean

2007-01-01

The Associate Degree is a two year academic credential available with an Arts or Science focus. The British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) initiated development of this provincial credential at the request of British Columbia's (BC's) public post-secondary institutions. In March 2003, BCCAT prepared a report detailing the…

Does habitat matter in an urbanized landscape? The birds of the Garry oak (Quercus garryana) ecosystem of southeastern Vancouver Island

Treesearch

Richard E. Feldman; Pamela G. Krannitz

2002-01-01

Garry oak (Quercus garryana) was once a dominant habitat type on southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia but urbanization has severely fragmented and reduced its occurrence. This study tests whether bird abundance in remnant patches of Garry oak and adjacent Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is related to Garry oak volume...

Assessing the health care needs of women in rural British Columbia: development and validation of a survey tool.

PubMed

Guy, Meghan; Norman, Wendy V; Malhotra, Unjali

2013-02-01

To design reliable survey instruments to evaluate needs and expectations for provision of women's health services in rural communities in British Columbia (BC). These tools will aim to plan programming for, and evaluate effectiveness of, a women's health enhanced skills residency program at the University of British Columbia. A qualitative design that included administration of written surveys and on-site interviews in several rural communities. Three communities participated in initial questionnaire and interview administration. A fourth community participated in the second interview iteration. Participating communities did not have obstetrician-gynecologists but did have hospitals capable of supporting outpatient specialized women's health procedural care. Community physicians, leaders of community groups serving women, and allied health providers, in Vancouver Island, Southeast Interior BC, and Northern BC. Two preliminary questionnaires were developed to assess local specialized women's health services based on the curriculum of the enhanced skills training program; one was designed for physicians and the other for women's community group leaders and aboriginal health and community group leaders. Interview questions were designed to ensure the survey could be understood and to identify important areas of women's health not included on the initial questionnaires. Results were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods, and a second draft of the questionnaires was developed for a second iteration of interviews. Clarity and comprehension of questionnaires were good; however, nonphysician participants answered that they were unsure on many questions pertaining to specific services. Topics identified as important and missing from questionnaires included violence and mental health. A second version of the questionnaires was shown to have addressed these concerns. Through iterations of pilot testing, we created 2 validated survey instruments for

Improving linkage to HIV care at low-threshold STI/HIV testing sites: An evaluation of the Immediate Staging Pilot Project in Vancouver, British Columbia.

PubMed

Brownrigg, Bobbi; Taylor, Darlene; Phan, Felicia; Sandstra, Irvine; Stimpson, Rochelle; Barrios, Rolando; Lester, Richard; Ogilvie, Gina

2017-04-20

The objective of the Immediate Staging Pilot Project (ISPP) was to improve linkage to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care by increasing the number of referrals made to HIV care, and to decrease the time between diagnosis and linkage to care for newly diagnosed HIV clients. This pilot had the potential to decrease HIV transmission at a population level by engaging clients in treatment earlier. The Bute Street Clinic and Health Initiative for Men Clinic on Davie in Vancouver, British Columbia are low-threshold public health facilities providing HIV/STI testing primarily to men who have sex with men (MSM). To improve engagement of MSM in the cascade of HIV care, the BC Centre for Disease Control implemented a 12-month ISPP in 2012 for clients newly diagnosed with HIV. The pilot offered CD4 and viral load testing at the time of diagnosis, implemented improved referral procedures and enhanced nursing support for clients. Comparing linkage to care outcomes between a group that received the standard of care (SOC) and an intervention group that received immediate staging, the median linkage to care time decreased from 21.5 to 14.0 days respectively (p = 0.053). The referral rates to HIV care were 56.1% in the SOC group and 94.1% in the intervention group (p < 0.001). Creating best practices that include offering CD4 and viral load testing at the time of diagnosis, enhanced nursing support and standardized referral processes has facilitated an improvement in the quality of HIV services provided to MSM clients attending low-threshold clinics.

Availability and estimates of veterinary antimicrobial use in British Columbia

PubMed Central

2004-01-01

Abstract The amount of antimicrobial use is a significant selection pressure that alters the frequency of antimicrobial resistance. This paper summarizes attempts to estimate the weight of antimicrobial purchases in British Columbia for use in animals. The data reported here do not capture all sources of veterinary antimicrobial use in British Columbia. This paper highlights how information deficits on veterinary drug use complicate the development of an evidence-based policy framework for combating antimicrobial resistance. PMID:15144102

Alex Lord's British Columbia: Recollections of a Rural School Inspector, 1915-36. The Pioneers of British Columbia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calam, John, Ed.

Alex Lord, a pioneer inspector of rural British Columbia (Canada) schools, shares in these recollections of his experiences in a province barely out of the stagecoach era. Traveling through vast northern territory, using unreliable transportation, and enduring climate extremes, Lord became familiar with the aspirations of remote communities and…

British Columbia. Reference Series No. 25.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of External Affairs, Ottawa (Ontario).

This booklet, one of a series featuring the Canadian provinces, presents a brief overview of British Columbia and is suitable for teacher reference or student reading. A discussion of the province's history includes the early European explorers, Indian natives, and later fur traders and settlers. The building of the transcontinental railway, entry…

British Columbia/Alberta Transfer System Protocol

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer, 2007

2007-01-01

The purpose of this agreement is to provide assurance to students that they will receive transfer credit for courses or programs they have successfully completed where the content/outcomes are demonstrably equivalent to those offered at the institution to which they transfer. This protocol is undertaken by the British Columbia Council on…

Immunization delivery in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Omura, John; Buxton, Jane; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Catterson, Jason; Li, Jane; Derban, Andrea; Hasselback, Paul; Machin, Shelagh; Linekin, Michelle; Morgana, Tamsin; O’Briain, Barra; Scheifele, David; Dawar, Meena

2014-01-01

Abstract Objective To explore the experiences of family physicians and pediatricians delivering immunizations, including perceived barriers and supports. Design Qualitative study using focus groups. Setting Ten cities throughout British Columbia. Participants A total of 46 family physicians or general practitioners, 10 pediatricians, and 2 residents. Methods A semistructured dialogue guide was used by a trained facilitator to explore participants’ experiences and views related to immunization delivery in British Columbia. Verbatim transcriptions were independently coded by 2 researchers. Key themes were analyzed and identified in an iterative manner using interpretive description. Main findings Physicians highly valued vaccine delivery. Factors facilitating physician-delivered immunizations included strong beliefs in the value of vaccines and having adequate information. Identified barriers included the large time commitment and insufficient communication about program changes, new vaccines, and the adult immunization program in general. Some physicians reported good relationships with local public health, while others reported the opposite experience, and this varied by geographic location. Conclusion These findings suggest that physicians are supportive of delivering vaccines. However, there are opportunities to improve the sustainability of physician-delivered immunizations. While compensation schemes remain under the purview of the provincial governments, local public health authorities can address the information needs of physicians. PMID:24627403

Identification of Spilled Oil from the MV Marathassa (Vancouver, Canada 2015) Using Alkyl PAH Isomer Ratios.

PubMed

Morales-Caselles, Carmen; Yunker, Mark B; Ross, Peter S

2017-07-01

On the morning of April 9, 2015, citizens in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) awoke to the sight and smell of oil on the shores of popular downtown beaches. Because the oil also had spread over the shallow seawater intakes for the Vancouver Aquarium, a preliminary screening of samples was performed as a prompt, first response to assess the risks to the Aquarium collection and guide the emergency operational response. A subsequent, more detailed examination for the presence of spilled oil in sediment, biota and water samples from the Vancouver Harbour region was then conducted based on the analysis of a large suite of alkanes, petroleum biomarkers, parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkyl PAH isomers. Most of the commonly applied biomarker ratios exhibit similar values for the spilled oil, Alberta oil (the main petroleum source for British Columbia), and pre-spill and un-oiled sediment samples. In contrast, alkyl PAH isomer ratios showed a clear distinction between the spilled oil and pre-spill samples, with the largest differences shown by isomers of the methyl fluoranthene/pyrene alkyl PAH series. This novel use of alkyl PAH isomers for fingerprinting petroleum helped to confirm the grain carrier MV Marathassa as the source of the oil that affected beach and mussel samples to document definitively the spread of the oil and to establish which samples contained a mix of the oil and hydrocarbons linked to historical activities. Finally, an initial evaluation of the biological risks of the MV Marathassa oil spill in Vancouver Harbour showed that oiled beach sediments had priority parent PAH concentrations that are likely to harm marine life.

Addiction research centres and the nurturing of creativity: The Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia, Canada

PubMed Central

Stockwell, Tim; Reist, Dan; Macdonald, Scott; Benoit, Cecilia; Jansson, Mikael

2015-01-01

The Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia (CARBC) was established as a multi-campus and multi-disciplinary research centre administered by the University of Victoria (UVic) in late 2003. Its core funding is provided from interest payments on an endowment of CAD$10.55 million. It is supported by a commitment to seven faculty appointments in various departments at UVic. The Centre has two offices, an administration and research office in Victoria and a knowledge exchange unit in Vancouver. The two offices are collaborating on the implementation of CARBC’s first 5-year plan which seeks to build capacity in British Columbia for integrated multi-disciplinary research and knowledge exchange in the areas substance use, addictions and harm reduction. Present challenges include losses to the endowment caused by the 2008/2009 economic crisis and difficulties negotiating faculty positions with the university administration. Despite these hurdles, to date each year has seen increased capacity for the Centre in terms of affiliated scientists, funding and staffing as well as output in terms of published reports, electronic resources and impacts on policy and practice. Areas of special research interest include: drug testing in the work-place, epidemiological monitoring, substance use and injury, pricing and taxation policies, privatization of liquor monopolies, poly-substance use, health determinants of indigenous peoples, street-involved youth and other vulnerable populations at risk of substance use problems. Further information about the Centre and its activities can be found on http://www.carbc.ca. PMID:20078479

Risks for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among Asian men who have sex with men in Vancouver, British Columbia: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Maung Maung, Thiha; Chen, Becky; Moore, David M; Chan, Keith; Kanters, Steve; Michelow, Warren; Hogg, Robert S; Nakamura, Nadine; Robert, Wayne; Gustafson, Reka; Gilbert, Mark

2013-08-16

Individuals of Asian heritage represent the largest ethnic minority in Canada. Approximately 10% of the new HIV diagnoses in men in British Columbia occur among Asian-Canadians. However, the HIV risk patterns of Asian men who have sex with men (MSM) have not been extensively studied. Participants aged ≥ 19 years were enrolled in a venue-based HIV serobehavioural survey of MSM in Vancouver, Canada. We compared the demographic characteristics, risk behaviours, and prevalence of HIV and other sexual and blood borne infections between Asian and non-Asian MSM using bivariate analysis and logistic regression confounder modelling. Amongst 1132 participants, 110 (9.7%) self-identified as Asian. Asian participants were younger than non-Asian participants (median age 29 vs. 32 years; p < 0.001), but otherwise did not differ from other study participants. HIV prevalence was lower among Asian MSM compared to Non-Asian MSM (3.7% vs 19.0%, p <0.001). Among men who self-reported as HIV negative or unknown we found no differences in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with a discordant or unknown serostatus partner in the previous six months (11 vs. 13%; p = 0.503). However, Asian MSM were less likely to report ever using injection drugs (10.8% vs. 19.2%; p = 0.043) or using alcohol before having sex (52% vs. 64.4%; p = 0.017). Asian MSM in our study reported similar rates of UAI as non-Asian MSM, but had a lower prevalence of HIV infection. Other factors, such as the use of drugs and alcohol, in relation to sex, may partly explain these differences. However this requires further investigation.

Academic Advising in British Columbia. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer, 2016

2016-01-01

"Advising" consists of those activities and tasks that result in providing information to students. British Columbia's (BC) post-secondary education has evolved over the past number of years and student advising has changed along with it. Post-secondary institutions are currently challenged to increase student engagement, improve…

Developing leadership in nurse managers: the British Columbia Nursing Leadership Institute.

PubMed

MacPhee, Maura; Bouthillette, France

2008-01-01

The British Columbia Nursing Administrative Leadership Institute for First Line Nurse Leaders (BC NLI) is a collaborative partnership among British Columbia's Chief Nursing Officers, the Ministry of Health Nursing Directorate and the University of British Columbia School of Nursing. This initiative consists of a four-day residential program and a year-long leadership project between BC NLI participants and their organizational mentors. The evidence-based curriculum covers universal leadership and management concepts, but it also addresses leadership issues of relevance to nurse leaders in today's complex healthcare environments. The BC NLI is part of a provincial health human resources endeavour to ensure sufficient nursing leaders - for now and in the future. This paper will discuss the development, implementation and evaluation of the BC NLI. Unique aspects of the program, such as its online networking component, will be described, and its role in nursing leadership research will be briefly examined.

Public perceptions about climate change mitigation in British Columbia's forest sector.

PubMed

Peterson St-Laurent, Guillaume; Hagerman, Shannon; Kozak, Robert; Hoberg, George

2018-01-01

The role of forest management in mitigating climate change is a central concern for the Canadian province of British Columbia. The successful implementation of forest management activities to achieve climate change mitigation in British Columbia will be strongly influenced by public support or opposition. While we now have increasingly clear ideas of the management opportunities associated with forest mitigation and some insight into public support for climate change mitigation in the context of sustainable forest management, very little is known with respect to the levels and basis of public support for potential forest management strategies to mitigate climate change. This paper, by describing the results of a web-based survey, documents levels of public support for the implementation of eight forest carbon mitigation strategies in British Columbia's forest sector, and examines and quantifies the influence of the factors that shape this support. Overall, respondents ascribed a high level of importance to forest carbon mitigation and supported all of the eight proposed strategies, indicating that the British Columbia public is inclined to consider alternative practices in managing forests and wood products to mitigate climate change. That said, we found differences in levels of support for the mitigation strategies. In general, we found greater levels of support for a rehabilitation strategy (e.g. reforestation of unproductive forest land), and to a lesser extent for conservation strategies (e.g. old growth conservation, reduced harvest) over enhanced forest management strategies (e.g. improved harvesting and silvicultural techniques). We also highlighted multiple variables within the British Columbia population that appear to play a role in predicting levels of support for conservation and/or enhanced forest management strategies, including environmental values, risk perception, trust in groups of actors, prioritized objectives of forest management and socio

Moving from the Margins: Culturally Safe Teacher Education in Remote Northwestern British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Edward B.; Lautensach, Alexander K.; McDonald, Verna Lynn

2012-01-01

In 2007 the University of Northern British Columbia initiated a two-year elementary teacher education program at the Northwest Campus in Terrace, British Columbia. The program was designed to meet specific community needs in the North that arise from inequities in the cultural safety of Indigenous teachers and students. The authors share three…

Considerations for Education Reform in British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Ana

2012-01-01

Countries around the world refer to twenty-first century education as essential to maintaining personal and national economic advantage and draw on this discourse to advocate for and embark on educational reform. This paper examines issues around education reform, particularly in British Columbia. It argues that reformers should give careful…

Indians of British Columbia (An Historical Review).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Ottawa (Ontario).

An historical review is presented of the 6 major groups of Indians of the coastal region of British Columbia: the Coast Salish, Nootka, Kwakiutl, Bella Coola, Tsimshian, and Haida. Characteristics of each tribe are contrasted in the following 7 sections of the review: (1) Introduction--the life style, sociocultural factors, and unique…

Comparison of access to services in rural emergency departments in Quebec and British Columbia.

PubMed

Fleet, Richard; Audette, Louis-David; Marcoux, Jérémie; Villa, Julie; Archambault, Patrick; Poitras, Julien

2014-11-01

Although emergency departments (EDs) in Canada's rural areas serve approximately 20% of the population, a serious problem in access to health care services has emerged. The objective of this project was to compare access to support services in rural EDs between British Columbia and Quebec. Rural EDs were identified through the Canadian Healthcare Association's Guide to Canadian Healthcare Facilities. We selected hospitals with 24/7 ED physician coverage and hospitalization beds that were located in rural communities (using the rural and small town definition from Statistics Canada). Data were collected from ministries of health, local health authorities, and ED statistics. A telephone interview was administered to collect denominative user data statistics and determine the status of services. British Columbia has more rural EDs (n  =  34) than Quebec (n  =  26). EDs in Quebec have higher volumes (19,310 versus 7,793 annual visits). With respect to support services, 81% of Quebec rural EDs have a 24/7 on-call general surgeon compared to 12% for British Columbia. Nearly 75% of Quebec rural EDs have 24/7 access to computed tomography versus only 3% for British Columbia. Rural EDs in Quebec are also supported by a greater proportion of intensive care units (88% versus 15%); however, British Columbia appears to have more medevac aircraft/helicopters than Quebec. The results suggest that major differences exist in access to support services in rural EDs in British Columbia and Quebec. A nationwide study is justified to address this issue of variability in rural and remote health service delivery and its impact on interfacility transfers and patient outcomes.

Risks for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among Asian men who have sex with men in Vancouver, British Columbia: a cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Individuals of Asian heritage represent the largest ethnic minority in Canada. Approximately 10% of the new HIV diagnoses in men in British Columbia occur among Asian-Canadians. However, the HIV risk patterns of Asian men who have sex with men (MSM) have not been extensively studied. Methods Participants aged ≥ 19 years were enrolled in a venue-based HIV serobehavioural survey of MSM in Vancouver, Canada. We compared the demographic characteristics, risk behaviours, and prevalence of HIV and other sexual and blood borne infections between Asian and non-Asian MSM using bivariate analysis and logistic regression confounder modelling. Results Amongst 1132 participants, 110 (9.7%) self-identified as Asian. Asian participants were younger than non-Asian participants (median age 29 vs. 32 years; p < 0.001), but otherwise did not differ from other study participants. HIV prevalence was lower among Asian MSM compared to Non-Asian MSM (3.7% vs 19.0%, p <0.001). Among men who self-reported as HIV negative or unknown we found no differences in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with a discordant or unknown serostatus partner in the previous six months (11 vs. 13%; p = 0.503). However, Asian MSM were less likely to report ever using injection drugs (10.8% vs. 19.2%; p = 0.043) or using alcohol before having sex (52% vs. 64.4%; p = 0.017). Conclusions Asian MSM in our study reported similar rates of UAI as non-Asian MSM, but had a lower prevalence of HIV infection. Other factors, such as the use of drugs and alcohol, in relation to sex, may partly explain these differences. However this requires further investigation. PMID:23947623

Public perceptions about climate change mitigation in British Columbia's forest sector

PubMed Central

Hagerman, Shannon; Kozak, Robert; Hoberg, George

2018-01-01

The role of forest management in mitigating climate change is a central concern for the Canadian province of British Columbia. The successful implementation of forest management activities to achieve climate change mitigation in British Columbia will be strongly influenced by public support or opposition. While we now have increasingly clear ideas of the management opportunities associated with forest mitigation and some insight into public support for climate change mitigation in the context of sustainable forest management, very little is known with respect to the levels and basis of public support for potential forest management strategies to mitigate climate change. This paper, by describing the results of a web-based survey, documents levels of public support for the implementation of eight forest carbon mitigation strategies in British Columbia’s forest sector, and examines and quantifies the influence of the factors that shape this support. Overall, respondents ascribed a high level of importance to forest carbon mitigation and supported all of the eight proposed strategies, indicating that the British Columbia public is inclined to consider alternative practices in managing forests and wood products to mitigate climate change. That said, we found differences in levels of support for the mitigation strategies. In general, we found greater levels of support for a rehabilitation strategy (e.g. reforestation of unproductive forest land), and to a lesser extent for conservation strategies (e.g. old growth conservation, reduced harvest) over enhanced forest management strategies (e.g. improved harvesting and silvicultural techniques). We also highlighted multiple variables within the British Columbia population that appear to play a role in predicting levels of support for conservation and/or enhanced forest management strategies, including environmental values, risk perception, trust in groups of actors, prioritized objectives of forest management and socio

West Nile Virus Range Expansion into British Columbia

PubMed Central

Henry, Bonnie; Mak, Sunny; Fraser, Mieke; Taylor, Marsha; Li, Min; Cooper, Ken; Furnell, Allen; Wong, Quantine; Morshed, Muhammad

2010-01-01

In 2009, an expansion of West Nile virus (WNV) into the Canadian province of British Columbia was detected. Two locally acquired cases of infection in humans and 3 cases of infection in horses were detected by ELISA and plaque-reduction neutralization tests. Ten positive mosquito pools were detected by reverse transcription PCR. Most WNV activity in British Columbia in 2009 occurred in the hot and dry southern Okanagan Valley. Virus establishment and amplification in this region was likely facilitated by above average nightly temperatures and a rapid accumulation of degree-days in late summer. Estimated exposure dates for humans and initial detection of WNV-positive mosquitoes occurred concurrently with a late summer increase in Culex tarsalis mosquitoes (which spread western equine encephalitis) in the southern Okanagan Valley. The conditions present during this range expansion suggest that temperature and Cx. tarsalis mosquito abundance may be limiting factors for WNV transmission in this portion of the Pacific Northwest. PMID:20678319

Tourism, Tolerance, or Hospitality? An Assessment of a Native/Non-Native, Urban/Rural Youth Exchange Program between Fort Good Hope, NWT, and East Vancouver, BC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hern, Matt

2009-01-01

This article considers and assesses a youth exchange project between two community-based youth centers: The Purple Thistle Centre in East Vancouver, British Columbia, and the K'asho Got'ine Youth Centre in Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories. Both centers serve primarily low-income youth, but after that the similarities are very few. The…

Taxonomic synopsis of invasive and native Spartina (Poaceae, Chloridoideae) in the Pacific Northwest (British Columbia, Washington and Oregon), including the first report of Spartina ×townsendii for British Columbia, Canada

PubMed Central

Saarela, Jeffery M.

2012-01-01

Abstract Five species of the grass genus Spartina are invading salt marshes along the Pacific coast of North America, of which three have been documented in British Columbia, Canada, in only the last decade. A taxonomic synopsis of the two native (Spartina gracilis, Spartina pectinata) and five introduced Spartina taxa (Spartina anglica, Spartina alterniflora, Spartina densiflora, Spartina patens, Spartina ×townsendii) in the Pacific Northwest is presented to facilitate their identification, including nomenclature, a new taxonomic key, new descriptions for a subset of taxa, and representative specimens. Spartina ×townsendii is newly reported for the flora of British Columbia. The non-coastal species Spartina pectinata is reported from an urban site in British Columbia, the first confirmed report of the taxon for the province. Lectotypes are newly designated for Spartina anglica C.E. Hubb., Spartina maritima subvar. fallax St.-Yves, and Spartina cynosuroides f. major St.-Yves. PMID:22461730

SPECIES RICHNESS AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION PRIORITIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

EPA Science Inventory

Patterns in the geographic distribution of seven species groups were used to identify important areas for conservation in British Columbia, Canada. Potential priority sites for conservation were determined using an integer programming algorithm that maximized the number of speci...

Benchmarking Course Completion Rates: A Method with an Example from the British Columbia Open University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giguere, Louis

2007-01-01

We report findings on the methodological phase of a research project designed to assess the progress of the British Columbia Open University (BCOU) toward a 1997 goal of increasing distance education course completion rates to British Columbia system levels by adapting existing "off-line" courses for online delivery (a virtualization…

Job location decisions of pharmacy graduates in British Columbia.

PubMed

Pearson, Marion L; Andres, Lesley

2010-05-12

To determine the factors influencing pharmacy graduates' selection of their first professional job location. A survey was conducted of the 2007 graduating class of the University of British Columbia, examining hometown location, community and workplace factors, personal relationships, financial factors, and leisure activities. Responses were analyzed to determine whether community size or demographic characteristics affected the degree to which each factor influenced the job location decision. The majority of graduates moved from their hometowns to larger communities, mainly to the largest city in British Columbia. Most of those taking jobs in rural and remote communities grew up in or near those communities, and were more influenced by community size and anticipated working conditions, and less influenced by access to cultural and social activities, than their urban counterparts. The admission of students from rural and remote communities is modestly effective in ensuring a supply of pharmacists for these areas.

Preliminary tsunami hazard assessment in British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Insua, T. L.; Grilli, A. R.; Grilli, S. T.; Shelby, M. R.; Wang, K.; Gao, D.; Cherniawsky, J. Y.; Harris, J. C.; Heesemann, M.; McLean, S.; Moran, K.

2015-12-01

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), a not-for-profit initiative by the University of Victoria that operates several cabled ocean observatories, is developing a new generation of ocean observing systems (referred to as Smart Ocean Systems™), involving advanced undersea observation technologies, data networks and analytics. The ONC Tsunami project is a Smart Ocean Systems™ project that addresses the need for a near-field tsunami detection system for the coastal areas of British Columbia. Recent studies indicate that there is a 40-80% probability over the next 50 for a significant tsunami impacting the British Columbia (BC) coast with runups higher than 1.5 m. The NEPTUNE cabled ocean observatory, operated by ONC off of the west coast of British Columbia, could be used to detect near-field tsunami events with existing instrumentation, including seismometers and bottom pressure recorders. As part of this project, new tsunami simulations are underway for the BC coast. Tsunami propagation is being simulated with the FUNWAVE-TVD model, for a suite of new source models representing Cascadia megathrust rupture scenarios. Simulations are performed by one-way coupling in a series of nested model grids (from the source to the BC coast), whose bathymetry was developed based on digital elevation maps (DEMs) of the area, to estimate both tsunami arrival time and coastal runup/inundation for different locations. Besides inundation, maps of additional parameters such as maximum current are being developed, that will aid in tsunami hazard assessment and risk mitigation, as well as developing evacuation plans. We will present initial results of this work for the Port Alberni inlet, in particular Ucluelet, based on new source models developed using the best available data. We will also present a model validation using measurements of the 2011 transpacific Tohoku-oki tsunami recorded in coastal BC by several instruments from various US and Canadian agencies.

A comparison of two methods for surveying mortality of beached birds in British Columbia.

PubMed Central

Stephen, C; Burger, A E

1994-01-01

Systematic surveys of beached birds are often limited in their ability to classify the causes of death of the carcasses recovered. Two methods of determining the cause of death of seabirds encountered during surveys of beaches of southwestern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, are compared. Birds were either subjected to external visual examinations by volunteer beach surveyors or submitted for gross postmortem examination by a veterinarian. The reliance on external examination of birds on beaches often prevented the accurate classification of the reproductive status and cause of death of the birds collected, but was valuable for describing the species, locations, and numbers of birds affected. The use of gross postmortem examinations of carcasses allowed for a more refined classification of the cause of death, as well as providing reliable descriptions of the bodily condition and sex of the birds examined. However, almost one half of the carcasses encountered were unsuitable for necropsy because of scavenging and decomposition. It is concluded that a combination of field and necropsy observations provides a useful method with which to monitor the pattern of mortality of beached seabirds. PMID:7994705

Predicting outbreaks: a spatial risk assessment of West Nile virus in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Tachiiri, Kaoru; Klinkenberg, Brian; Mak, Sunny; Kazmi, Jamil

2006-01-01

Background West Nile virus (WNv) has recently emerged as a health threat to the North American population. After the initial disease outbreak in New York City in 1999, WNv has spread widely and quickly across North America to every contiguous American state and Canadian province, with the exceptions of British Columbia (BC), Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. In this study we develop models of mosquito population dynamics for Culex tarsalis and C. pipiens, and create a spatial risk assessment of WNv prior to its arrival in BC by creating a raster-based mosquito abundance model using basic geographic and temperature data. Among the parameters included in the model are spatial factors determined from the locations of BC Centre for Disease Control mosquito traps (e.g., distance of the trap from the closest wetland or lake), while other parameters were obtained from the literature. Factors not considered in the current assessment but which could influence the results are also discussed. Results Since the model performs much better for C. tarsalis than for C. pipiens, the risk assessment is carried out using the output of C. tarsalis model. The result of the spatially-explicit mosquito abundance model indicates that the Okanagan Valley, the Thompson Region, Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and southeastern Vancouver Island have the highest potential abundance of the mosquitoes. After including human population data, Greater Vancouver, due to its high population density, increases in significance relative to the other areas. Conclusion Creating a raster-based mosquito abundance map enabled us to quantitatively evaluate WNv risk throughout BC and to identify the areas of greatest potential risk, prior to WNv introduction. In producing the map important gaps in our knowledge related to mosquito ecology in BC were identified, as well, it became evident that increased efforts in bird and mosquito surveillance are required if more accurate models and maps are to be

Vocationalism and Its Promoters in British Columbia, 1900-1929.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Timothy A.

1980-01-01

In British Columbia, the educational system was dramatically overhauled between 1900 and 1929, often in accordance with social reformers' suggestions. This paper examines one strand of that school reform as education's societal relationships changed and adapted with the transition to a maturing urban industrial province. (Author/SJL)

Going for Gold in 2010: An Analysis of British Columbia's Literacy Goal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Judith

2008-01-01

This paper examines a recent government initiative aimed at raising adult literacy levels across the Canadian province of British Columbia by 2010. Through analysis of policy documents and interviews conducted with policymakers, analysts, researchers and practitioners, the author argues that the current focus on adult literacy in British Columbia…

Social space, social class and Bourdieu: health inequalities in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Veenstra, Gerry

2007-03-01

This article adopts Pierre Bourdieu's cultural-structuralist approach to conceptualizing and identifying social classes in social space and seeks to identify health effects of class in one Canadian province. Utilizing data from an original questionnaire survey of randomly selected adults from 25 communities in British Columbia, social (class) groupings defined by cultural tastes and dispositions, lifestyle practices, social background, educational capital, economic capital, social capital and occupational categories are presented in visual mappings of social space constructed by use of exploratory multiple correspondence analysis techniques. Indicators of physical and mental health are then situated within this social space, enabling speculations pertaining to health effects of social class in British Columbia.

Learning to Be. A Perspective from British Columbia, Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halbert, Judy; Kaser, Linda

2015-01-01

This article describes how "learning to be", with a specific focus on social-emotional competencies, has become part of the educational mindset--and educational policy--in British Columbia, Canada. The development of a set of learning progressions for social responsibility, an emphasis on social emotional learning in the new curriculum…

From West End to Eastside: The Vancouver HIV/AIDS Epidemic, 1983-2013.

PubMed

Perry, Taylor

2016-01-01

Traditional histories of AIDS have used a few major American urban centres as proxies for the North American epidemic more broadly and have tended to frame the epidemic as a quintessentially gay and American experience. A careful examination of how the epidemic unfolded in Vancouver, British Columbia, however, reveals considerable differences, including the relative absence of local gay activist traditions prior to HIV/AIDS and the relative prominence of interventions such as Insite, North America's first sanctioned needle exchange program and safe injection site. An investigation of such differences emphasizes the local character of the epidemic and adds a Canadian perspective to the existing AIDS historiography.

RISQy business (Relationships, Incentives, Supports, and Quality): evolution of the British Columbia Model of Primary Care (patient-centered medical home).

PubMed

MacCarthy, Dan; Hollander, Marcus J

2014-01-01

In 2002, the British Columbia Ministry of Health and the British Columbia Medical Association (now Doctors of BC) came together to form the British Columbia General Practice Services Committee to bring about transformative change in primary care in British Columbia, Canada. This committee's approach to primary care was to respond to an operational problem--the decline of family practice in British Columbia--with an operational solution--assist general practitioners to provide better care by introducing new incentive fees into the fee-for-service payment schedule, and by providing additional training to general practitioners. This may be referred to as a "soft power" approach, which can be summarized in the abbreviation RISQ: focus on Relationships; provide Incentives for general practitioners to spend more time with their patients and provide guidelines-based care; Support general practitioners by developing learning modules to improve their practices; and, through the incentive payments and learning modules, provide better Quality care to patients and improved satisfaction to physicians. There are many similarities between the British Columbian approach to primary care and the US patient-centered medical home.

QUALITY OF WOOD PELLETS PRODUCED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA FOR EXPORT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tumuluru, J.S.; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Lim, C. Jim

2010-11-01

Wood pellet production and its use for heat and power production are increasing worldwide. The quality of export pellets has to consistently meet certain specifications as stipulated by the larger buyers, such as power utilities or as specified by the standards used for the non-industrial bag market. No specific data is available regarding the quality of export pellets to Europe. To develop a set of baseline data, wood pellets were sampled at an export terminal in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The sampling period was 18 months in 2007-2008 when pellets were transferred from storage bins to the ocean vessels. Themore » sampling frequency was once every 1.5 to 2 months for a total of 9 loading/shipping events. The physical properties of the wood pellets measured were moisture content in the range of 3.5% to 6.5%, bulk density from 728 to 808 kg/m3, durability from 97% to 99%, fines content from 0.03% to 0.87%, calorific value as is from 17 to almost 18 MJ/kg, and ash content from 0.26% to 0.93%.The diameter and length were in the range of 6.4 to 6.5 mm and 14.0 to 19.0 mm, respectively. All of these values met the published non-industrial European grades (CEN) and the grades specified by the Pellet Fuel Institute for the United States for the bag market. The measured values for wood pellet properties were consistent except the ash content values decreased over the test period.« less

Quality of Wood Pellets Produced in British Columbia for Export

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. S. Tumuluru; S. Sokhansanj; C. J. Lim

2010-11-01

Wood pellet production and its use for heat and power production are increasing worldwide. The quality of export pellets has to consistently meet certain specifications as stipulated by the larger buyers, such as power utilities or as specified by the standards used for the non-industrial bag market. No specific data is available regarding the quality of export pellets to Europe. To develop a set of baseline data, wood pellets were sampled at an export terminal in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The sampling period was 18 months in 2007-2008 when pellets were transferred from storage bins to the ocean vessels. Themore » sampling frequency was once every 1.5 to 2 months for a total of 9 loading/shipping events. The physical properties of the wood pellets measured were moisture content in the range of 3.5% to 6.5%, bulk density from 728 to 808 kg/m3, durability from 97% to 99%, fines content from 0.03% to 0.87%, calorific value as is from 17 to almost 18 MJ/kg, and ash content from 0.26% to 0.93%.The diameter and length were in the range of 6.4 to 6.5 mm and 14.0 to 19.0 mm, respectively. All of these values met the published non-industrial European grades (CEN) and the grades specified by the Pellet Fuel Institute for the United States for the bag market. The measured values for wood pellet properties were consistent except the ash content values decreased over the test period.« less

Interlibrary Loan and Post-Secondary Libraries in British Columbia. Report of a Project, September 1977-April 1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuart-Stubbs, Basil

This report of a project conducted to improve the sharing of library resources in the post-secondary sector in British Columbia focuses on the operations of the Interlibrary Loan Network, which went into operation September 1, 1977. This network was designed to provide access to the library collections at the University of British Columbia, Simon…

The Hypersensitivity of Horses to Culicoides Bites in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Anderson, Gail S.; Belton, Peter; Kleider, Nicholas

1988-01-01

Culicoides hypersensitivity is a chronic, recurrent, seasonal dermatitis of horses that has a worldwide distribution, but has only recently been reported in Canada. It is characterized by intense pruritus resulting in lesions associated with self-induced trauma. A survey of veterinarians and horse-owners in British Columbia showed no differences in susceptibility due to the sex, color, breed, or height of the horses. The prevalence of the disease in the 209 horses surveyed was 26%. Horses sharing the same pasture could be unaffected. The disease was reported primarily from southwestern British Columbia; it occurred between April and October and usually affected the ventral midline, mane, and tail. Horses were generally less than nine years old when the clinical signs first appeared ([unk]=5.9 yr). Culicoides hypersensitivity was common in the lineage of several affected horses, possibly indicating a genetic susceptibility. Most cases were severe enough to require veterinary attention and some horses were euthanized. PMID:17423117

Medicare financing and redistribution in british columbia, 1992 and 2002.

PubMed

McGrail, Kimberlyn

2007-05-01

Equity in healthcare in British Columbia is defined as the provision of services based on need rather than ability to pay and a separation of contributions to financing from the use of services. Physician and hospital services in Canada are financed mainly through general tax revenues, and there is a perception that this financing is progressive. This paper uses Gini coefficients, concentration indexes and Kakwani indexes of progressivity to assess the progressivity of medicare financing in British Columbia in 1992 and 2002. It also measures the overall redistributive effect of medicare services, considering both contributions to financing and use of hospital and physician services. The conclusion is that medicare does redistribute across income groups, but this redistribution is the result solely of the positive correlation between health status and income; financing is nearly proportionate across income groups, but use is higher among lower-income groups. Informed public debate requires a better understanding of these concepts of equity.

Characterizing violence in health care in British Columbia.

PubMed

Kling, Rakel N; Yassi, Annalee; Smailes, Elizabeth; Lovato, Chris Y; Koehoorn, Mieke

2009-08-01

The high rate of violence in the healthcare sector supports the need for greater surveillance efforts. The purpose of this study was to use a province-wide workplace incident reporting system to calculate rates and identify risk factors for violence in the British Columbia healthcare industry by occupational groups, including nursing. Data were extracted for a 1-year period (2004-2005) from the Workplace Health Indicator Tracking and Evaluation database for all employee reports of violence incidents for four of the six British Columbia health authorities. Risk factors for violence were identified through comparisons of incident rates (number of incidents/100,000 worked hours) by work characteristics, including nursing occupations and work units, and by regression models adjusted for demographic factors. Across health authorities, three groups at particularly high risk for violence were identified: very small healthcare facilities [rate ratios (RR) = 6.58, 95% CI =3.49, 12.41], the care aide occupation (RR = 10.05, 95% CI = 6.72, 15.05), and paediatric departments in acute care hospitals (RR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.05, 4.67). The three high-risk groups warrant targeted prevention or intervention efforts be implemented. The identification of high-risk groups supports the importance of a province-wide surveillance system for public health planning.

Children in Care: A Report to the Representative for Children and Youth from the British Columbia Teachers' Federation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Teachers' Federation, 2009

2009-01-01

Teachers in the public schools of British Columbia have a special responsibility to help ensure that the aesthetic, emotional, intellectual, physical, and social development of children in care is met. Representatives of the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) from the Aboriginal Education Advisory Committee, the Committee for Action on…

Nonspecific Mental Retardation in British Columbia as Ascertained through a Registry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbst, Diana S.; Baird, Patricia A.

1983-01-01

Findings from the British Columbia Health Surveillance Registry revealed information about the age specific prevalence of mental retardation with no known etiology; association of mild and profound retardation with microcephalus, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, or epilepsy; and survival rates. (Author/CL)

Jump-Starting Educational Reform. Implementing British Columbia's Comprehensive School Act.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, Paul

An educational reform effort to implement a comprehensive school act in British Columbia (Canada) is analyzed with a focus on some sociotechnical and political aspects. An overview of the content, background, and implementation of the reform effort is followed by identification of seven contradictions inherent in the plan. Contradictions are as…

The Discursive Framing of International Education Programs in British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cover, Dwayne

2016-01-01

This study examines how international education programs in British Columbia have been discursively framed by government and media sources. Over the past two decades, international education programs have expanded in number and scale in the province, a phenomenon that has been interpreted by some education researchers and media sources as…

Aboriginal Students and School Mobility in British Columbia Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aman, Cheryl

2008-01-01

In British Columbia, K-12 school Aboriginal students' completion rates are far from equivalent to those of their non-Aboriginal peers. In addition, there is a high degree of variability in Aboriginal students' school completion rates across schools and communities. Administrative data associating approximately 1.5 million school census records of…

A validation study of a clinical prediction rule for screening asymptomatic chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections among heterosexuals in British Columbia.

PubMed

Falasinnu, Titilola; Gilbert, Mark; Gustafson, Paul; Shoveller, Jean

2016-02-01

One component of effective sexually transmitted infections (STIs) control is ensuring those at highest risk of STIs have access to clinical services because terminating transmission in this group will prevent most future cases. Here, we describe the results of a validation study of a clinical prediction rule for identifying individuals at increased risk for chlamydia and gonorrhoea infection derived in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), against a population of asymptomatic patients attending sexual health clinics in other geographical settings in BC. We examined electronic records (2000-2012) from clinic visits at seven sexual health clinics in geographical locations outside Vancouver. The model's calibration and discrimination were examined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) statistic, respectively. We also examined the sensitivity and proportion of patients that would need to be screened at different cut-offs of the risk score. The prevalence of infection was 5.3% (n=10 425) in the geographical validation population. The prediction rule showed good performance in this population (AUC, 0.69; H-L p=0.26). Possible risk scores ranged from -2 to 27. We identified a risk score cut-off point of ≥8 that detected cases with a sensitivity of 86% by screening 63% of the geographical validation population. The prediction rule showed good generalisability in STI clinics outside of Vancouver with improved discriminative performance compared with temporal validation. The prediction rule has the potential for augmenting triaging services in STI clinics and enhancing targeted testing in population-based screening programmes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Health assessment for ALCOA (Vancouver Smelter), Vancouver, Clark County, Washington, Region 10. CERCLIS No. WAD009045279. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-05-09

The ALCOA (also known as Vancouver Smelter) site, located on the northern bank of the Columbia River about 4 miles west of Interstate 5 in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington, has been proposed for the National Priorities List. The site consists of three waste piles containing about 66,000 tons of waste (spent potlinings and alumina insulation) that were deposited on the north bank of the Columbia River by ALCOA between 1973 and 1981. ALCOA has since sold the aluminum smelter to another company, VANALCO. The contaminants detected in the groundwater in the area surrounding the piles include cyanide, fluoride, and trichloroethenemore » (TCE). The ALCOA site is of potential public health concern because humans may be exposed to hazardous substances at concentrations that may result in adverse health effects.« less

Screening Sitka spruce for resistance to weevil damage in British Columbia

Treesearch

René I. Alfaro; John N. King

2012-01-01

The white pine weevil, Pissodes strobi (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), has serious impacts on Sitka (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrière), Engelmann (P. engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.), and white spruce (P. glauca (Moench) Voss) plantations in British Columbia (BC), Canada. This weevil attacks...

The British Columbia Core Curriculum: A Case Study in Recentralization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hersom, Naomi

Events and considerations surrounding the publication of a document specifying the curriculum to be taught in British Columbia's schools are summarized in this paper. The province has moved from a centralized to a decentralized and back to a centralized curriculum. Arthur Wise has called one response that schools have to social criticism…

How Activity Systems Evolve: Making / Saving Salmon in British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Yew-Jin; Roth, Wolff-Michael

2008-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the history of a state-sponsored salmon enhancement project in British Columbia and to explicate the development of the former using cultural historical activity theory. We make thematic the notion of inner contradictions, which express themselves outwardly as a function of both quantitative and…

Toward Co-operation; The Development of a Provincial Voice for Adult Education in British Columbia, 1953 to 1962.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selman, Gordon R.

This paper traces the origin and development of the British Columbia provincial adult education organization during 1953-62. A series of biannual conferences for those interested in adult education began in late 1954. A more formal structure, the British Columbia Adult Education Council, was created in 1957 and continued until 1962, when it was…

Hepatitis B Awareness and Knowledge in Asian Communities in British Columbia.

PubMed

Yau, Alan Hoi Lun; Ford, Jo-Ann; Kwan, Peter Wing Cheung; Chan, Jessica; Choo, Queenie; Lee, Tim K; Kwong, Willie; Huang, Alan; Yoshida, Eric

2016-01-01

Background. Our study examined hepatitis B virus (HBV) awareness and knowledge in Asian communities in British Columbia (BC). Methods. A statistical random sample representation of Chinese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian, and Southeast Asian populations in Greater Vancouver was surveyed by telephone. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of HBV knowledge. Results. General awareness of HBV was reported in 78.8% (798/1013). HBV awareness was the highest in Chinese (89%) and Filipino (88%) populations and the lowest in the South Asian (56%) population. "Reasonable" knowledge of HBV was elicited in 76.8% (778/1013). Higher HBV knowledge was associated with younger age (p = 0.014), higher education (p < 0.0001), Chinese ethnicity (p < 0.0001), and use of media (p = 0.01) and Internet (p = 0.024) for health information. Compared to the Chinese (OR = 1.0) population, "reasonable" knowledge of HBV was lower in Korean (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1-0.5), Filipino (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2-0.6), South Asian (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2-0.4), and Southeast Asian (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1-0.6) populations. 54.8% (555/1013) felt that HBV education was inadequate and 80.1% (811/1013) preferred HBV education in their native languages. Conclusion. Compared to the Chinese population, other Asian communities in BC have lower HBV awareness and knowledge. Public education should target older and less educated and Korean, Filipino, South Asian, and Southeast Asian populations in their native languages via media and Internet.

Enantiospecific Pheromone Production and Response Profiles for Populations of Pine Engraver, Ips pini (SAY) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), in British Columbia

Treesearch

D.R. Miller; J.H. Borden; K.N. Slessor

1996-01-01

Analyses of the enantiomeric composition of ipsdienol produced by individual male pine engravers, Ips pini (Say), from six populations in British Columbia, support the hypothesis that New York and Idaho races of this species hybridize in southeastern British Columbia. Production profiles, expressed as frequency distributions of (+):(-) ipsdienol...

The 2005 British Columbia Smoking Cessation Mass Media Campaign and short-term changes in smoking.

PubMed

Gagné, Lynda

2007-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the 2005 British Columbia Ministry of Health Smoking Cessation Mass Media Campaign on short-term smoking behavior. National cross-sectional data are used with a quasi-experimental approach to test the impact of the campaign. Findings indicate that prevalence and average number of cigarettes smoked per day deviated upward from trend for the rest of Canada (P = .08; P = .01) but not for British Columbia. They also indicate that British Columbia smokers in lower risk groups reduced their average daily consumption of cigarettes over and above the 1999-2004 trend (-2.23; P = .10), whereas smokers in the rest of Canada did not, and that British Columbia smokers in high-risk groups did not increase their average daily consumption of cigarettes over and above the 1999-2004 trend, whereas smokers in the rest of Canada did (2.97; P = .01). The overall poorer performance of high-risk groups is attributed to high exposure to cigarette smoking, which reduces a smoker's chances of successful cessation. In particular, high-risk groups are by definition more likely to be exposed to smoking by peers, but are also less likely to work in workplaces with smoking bans, which are shown to have a substantial impact on prevalence. Results suggest that for mass media campaigns to be more effective with high-risk groups, they need to be combined with other incentives, and that more prolonged interventions should be considered.

Compensation patterns for healthcare workers in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Alamgir, H; Siow, S; Yu, S; Ngan, K; Guzman, J

2009-06-01

This report examines relationships between the acceptance of compensation claims, and employee and workplace characteristics for healthcare workers in British Columbia, Canada to determine suitability of using only accepted claims for occupational epidemiology research. A retrospective cohort of full-time healthcare workers was constructed from an active incident surveillance database. Incidents filed for compensation over a 1-year period were examined for initial claim decision within a 6-month window relative to sub-sector of employment, age, sex, seniority, occupation of workers, and injury category. Compensation costs and duration of time lost for initially accepted claims were also investigated. Multiple logistic regression models with generalised estimating equations (GEEs) were used to calculate adjusted relative odds (ARO) of claims decision accounting for confounding factors and clustering effects. Employees of three health regions in British Columbia filed 2274 work-related claims in a year, of which 1863 (82%) were initially accepted for compensation. Proportion of claims accepted was lowest in community care (79%) and corporate office settings (79%) and highest in long-term care settings (86%). Overall, 46% of claims resulting from allergy/irritation were accepted, in contrast to 98% acceptance of claims from cuts and puncture wounds. Licensed practical nurses had the lowest odds of claims not accepted compared with registered nurses (ARO (95% CI) = 0.55 (0.33 to 0.91)), whereas management/administrative staff had the highest odds (ARO = 2.91 (1.25 to 6.79)) of claims not accepted. A trend was observed with higher seniority of workers associated with lower odds of non-acceptance of claims. Analysis from British Columbia's healthcare sector suggests variation in workers' compensation acceptance exists across sub-sectors, occupations, seniority of workers, and injury categories. The patterns observed, however, were independent of age and sex of workers

A Brief History of the Transfer System in British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaber, Devron

2005-01-01

This document presents a brief history of important events in the development and maintenance of the post-secondary transfer system in British Columbia (BC) over the last six decades. Information is presented in point form and in chronological order. Several points related to the expansion of the post-secondary system are included, and hence the…

Optimizing nursing human resource planning in British Columbia.

PubMed

Lavieri, Mariel S; Puterman, Martin L

2009-06-01

This paper describes a linear programming hierarchical planning model that determines the optimal number of nurses to train, promote to management and recruit over a 20 year planning horizon to achieve specified workforce levels. Age dynamics and attrition rates of the nursing workforce are key model components. The model was developed to help policy makers plan a sustainable nursing workforce for British Columbia, Canada. An easy to use interface and considerable flexibility makes it ideal for scenario and "What-If?" analyses.

Fusarium species-a British Columbia perspective in forest seedling production

Treesearch

Michael Peterson

2008-01-01

This review provides a brief biological outline of some species in the genus Fusarium and how these can be implicated as seedborne organisms leading to conifer seed and seedling losses in British Columbia. Fusarium spp. are implicated with pre- and post-emergence damping-off, seedling wilt, late damping-off, root rot, and seedling mortality after outplanting. Current...

Continuing Education Activities of the University of British Columbia, 1978-1979.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Univ., Vancouver. Center for Continuing Education.

Continuing education opportunities offered by the University of British Columbia (UBC) are summarized in this third comprehensive annual report for the year September 1978 to August 1979. The university administers a decentralized program encompassing several university offices, community resource centers, and individual faculty members. Evening,…

Continuing Education Activities of the University of British Columbia, 1977/1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Univ., Vancouver.

The 1977-78 annual report on continuing education activities of the University of British Columbia is presented. The provision of continuing education by the university is decentralized. Several administrative units are responsible for credit and noncredit, general and professional continuing education, and professional development. The following…

Practice and payment preferences of newly practising family physicians in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Brcic, Vanessa; McGregor, Margaret J.; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Dharamsi, Shafik; Verma, Serena

2012-01-01

Abstract Objective To examine the remuneration model preferences of newly practising family physicians. Design Mixed-methods study comprising a cross-sectional, Web-based survey, as well as qualitative content analysis of answers to open-ended questions. Setting British Columbia. Participants University of British Columbia family practice residents who graduated between 2000 and 2009. Main outcome measures Preferred remuneration models of newly practising physicians. Results The survey response rate was 31% (133 of 430). Of respondents, 71% (93 of 132) preferred non–fee-for-service practice models and 86% (110 of 132) identified the payment model as very or somewhat important in their choice of future practice. Three principal themes were identified from content analysis of respondents’ open-ended comments: frustrations with fee-for-service billing, which encompassed issues related to aggravations with “the business side of things” and was seen as impeding “the freedom to focus on medicine”; quality of patient care, which embraced the importance of a payment model that supported “comprehensive patient care” and “quality rather than quantity”; and freedom to choose, which supported the plurality of practice preferences among providers who strived to provide quality care for patients, “whatever model you happen to be working in.” Conclusion Newly practising physicians in British Columbia preferred alternatives to fee-for-service payment models, which were perceived as contributing to fewer frustrations with billing systems, improved quality of work life, and better quality of patient care. PMID:22586205

Industry and government perspectives on First Nations' participation in the British Columbia environmental assessment process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Booth, Annie L., E-mail: annie@unbc.ca; Skelton, Norm W.

2011-04-15

Research was conducted with West Moberly First Nations, Halfway First Nation and the Treaty 8 Tribal Association (located in northeastern British Columbia, Canada) on effective engagement in environmental assessment processes. As part of this research, we examined the perspectives of a subset of resource industry proponents and their consultants, as well as staff from the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office on their experiences with the requirement to consult with Canada's indigenous peoples. Research into the perspectives of industry proponents and consultants is almost non-existent, yet industry and governments are key participants within environmental assessments. This research found that industry proponentsmore » were disenfranchised by the British Columbia environmental assessment process and its mechanisms for consulting with First Nations, and that they sought changes to that process. Their concerns and their implications are documented and some recommendations are offered for addressing those concerns. Understanding industry and government views on First Nations engagement could suggest not only potential improvements in EA processes that facilitate all parties but provide common grounds for mutually engaging to resolve challenges.« less

Closer to home (or home alone?) The British Columbia long-term care system in transition.

PubMed Central

Brody, B L; Simon, H J; Stadler, K L

1997-01-01

Finding ways to organize and deliver long-term care that provides for quality of life at an affordable price is of increasing importance as the population ages, family size decreases, and women enter the workforce. For the past 2 decades, British Columbia has provided a model system that has apparently avoided disruptive conflicts. Although formal users' complaints are rare, this study--based on focus groups and interviews with users, their families, and advocates--identified problems users encountered toward resolving concerns about the structure, process, and outcome of long-term care. We present these findings in the context of British Columbia's current devolution from provincial to regional control that aims to save costs and keep disabled elderly persons in the community. British Columbia may be continuing to lead the way in meeting the needs of its burgeoning elderly population for long-term care. Study findings have implications for the development of US long-term care policy by pointing to the value of obtaining users' views of long-term care to identify both obvious and more subtle trouble spots. PMID:9392982

Performance Logic in Simulation Research at the University of British Columbia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Marcia A.

Advantages of the performance simulation setting are considered, along with what can be studied or developed within this setting. Experiences at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and views on future development and research opportunities in the performance simulation setting are also discussed. The benefits of simulating the clinical…

An Evaluation of Project Learning Tree in British Columbia, 1980-81.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conry, Robert F.; Jeroski, Sharon F.

Evaluation of Project Learning Tree (PLT) involved a survey of PLT's utilization in British Columbia and the field experiment. The survey included participant observers' reports on PLT teacher training workshops, a mail survey of workshop participants, and telephone interviews with selected respondents. Two treatment conditions were effected at…

Chapter 16: Inland Habitat Associations of Marbled Murrelets in British Columbia

Treesearch

Alan E. Burger

1995-01-01

Most Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in British Columbia nest in the Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone. In this zone, detection frequencies were highest in the moister ecosections and in low elevation forests. Nests and moderately high levels of activity were also found in some forest patches in the subalpine Mountain Hemlock...

Do British Columbia's Recent Education Policy Changes Enhance Professionalism among Teachers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimmett, Peter P.; D'Amico, Laura

2008-01-01

Beginning with the Sullivan Royal Commission on Education in 1988, British Columbia (BC) teachers experienced a policy context that led to a decade of intense professional learning around innovative instructional strategies and curriculum. From 2001 on, the policy context changed considerably. There has been a flurry of changes designed to bring…

Giving Voice: Autobiographical/Testimonial Literature by First Nations Women of British Columbia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beard, Laura J.

2000-01-01

Discusses various definitions of the "testimonial" and characteristics that distinguish it from related literary genres. Examines autobiographical and testimonial literature by Native women of British Columbia, focusing on first-hand accounts of student experiences in Indian residential schools. Contains 29 references. (SV)

Hepatitis B Awareness and Knowledge in Asian Communities in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Yau, Alan Hoi Lun; Ford, Jo-Ann; Kwan, Peter Wing Cheung; Chan, Jessica; Choo, Queenie; Kwong, Willie; Huang, Alan; Yoshida, Eric

2016-01-01

Background. Our study examined hepatitis B virus (HBV) awareness and knowledge in Asian communities in British Columbia (BC). Methods. A statistical random sample representation of Chinese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian, and Southeast Asian populations in Greater Vancouver was surveyed by telephone. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of HBV knowledge. Results. General awareness of HBV was reported in 78.8% (798/1013). HBV awareness was the highest in Chinese (89%) and Filipino (88%) populations and the lowest in the South Asian (56%) population. “Reasonable” knowledge of HBV was elicited in 76.8% (778/1013). Higher HBV knowledge was associated with younger age (p = 0.014), higher education (p < 0.0001), Chinese ethnicity (p < 0.0001), and use of media (p = 0.01) and Internet (p = 0.024) for health information. Compared to the Chinese (OR = 1.0) population, “reasonable” knowledge of HBV was lower in Korean (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1–0.5), Filipino (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2–0.6), South Asian (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2–0.4), and Southeast Asian (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1–0.6) populations. 54.8% (555/1013) felt that HBV education was inadequate and 80.1% (811/1013) preferred HBV education in their native languages. Conclusion. Compared to the Chinese population, other Asian communities in BC have lower HBV awareness and knowledge. Public education should target older and less educated and Korean, Filipino, South Asian, and Southeast Asian populations in their native languages via media and Internet. PMID:27446839

Farmer Contacts with District Agriculturists in Three Areas in British Columbia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akinbode, Isaac A.; Dorling, M. J.

This study analyzed data gathered in a Canada Land Inventory project in British Columbia; the purpose was to measure the degree of communication between farmers and the agricultural extension service by analyzing the nature and extent of contacts, and the relationship of the contacts to socioeconomic characteristics. The farmers tended to be an…

Prevailing Wage Regulations and School Construction Costs: Evidence from British Columbia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bilginsoy, Cihan; Philips, Peter

2000-01-01

Examines effects of prevailing wage laws on school construction costs, using final cost data from six British Columbia school districts. When controlling for factors such as construction business cycle, number of competitors, and school type, there was no significant unit cost change following the Skill Development and Fair Wage Policy Act.…

Clones or clans: the genetic structure of a deep-sea sponge, Aphrocallistes vastus, in unique sponge reefs of British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Brown, Rachel R; Davis, Corey S; Leys, Sally P

2017-02-01

Understanding patterns of reproduction, dispersal and recruitment in deep-sea communities is increasingly important with the need to manage resource extraction and conserve species diversity. Glass sponges are usually found in deep water (>1000 m) worldwide but form kilometre-long reefs on the continental shelf of British Columbia and Alaska that are under threat from trawling and resource exploration. Due to their deep-water habitat, larvae have not yet been found and the level of genetic connectivity between reefs and nonreef communities is unknown. The genetic structure of Aphrocallistes vastus, the primary reef-building species in the Strait of Georgia (SoG) British Columbia, was studied using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Pairwise comparisons of multilocus genotypes were used to assess whether sexual reproduction is common. Structure was examined 1) between individuals in reefs, 2) between reefs and 3) between sites in and outside the SoG. Sixty-seven SNPs were genotyped in 91 samples from areas in and around the SoG, including four sponge reefs and nearby nonreef sites. The results show that sponge reefs are formed through sexual reproduction. Within a reef and across the SoG basin, the genetic distance between individuals does not vary with geographic distance (r = -0.005 to 0.014), but populations within the SoG basin are genetically distinct from populations in Barkley Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Population structure was seen across all sample sites (global F ST  = 0.248), especially between SoG and non-SoG locations (average pairwise F ST  = 0.251). Our results suggest that genetic mixing occurs across sponge reefs via larvae that disperse widely. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An overview of recent large landslides in northern British Columbia, Canada.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geertsema, M.; Clague, J. J.; Schwab, J. W.; Evans, S. G.

2003-04-01

Within the last few decades, at least twenty-four, long-runout rapid landslides, each in excess of 1 million m^3, have occurred in northern British Columbia. Fifteen of the landslides have happened within the last 10 years alone. The landslides include low- gradient rapid flowslides in cohesive sediments, rock avalanches, and complex rock slide - flowslides and rock slide - debris flows. The flowslides have occurred in a variety of sediments, including glaciolacustrine deposits, clay-rich tills, and clay-rich colluvium. The rock failures have involved weak shales overlain by sandstone, and volcanic rocks. We are cataloguing these landslides in a compendium of natural hazards for northern British Columbia. Pre- and post-landslide aerial photographs have been obtained for fifteen of the landslides, and detailed topographic maps have been generated from these photographs. In addition we have determined soil properties, including Atterberg tests for six of the flowslides. The rock avalanches occur in three types of settings: (1) dip slopes in sedimentary rocks in the Rocky Mountain foothills; (2) escarpments of flat-lying sedimentary rocks where spreading is happening; and (3) unstable cirque walls. Infrastructure and resources at risk from these types of large landslides include settlements, forest roads and highways, pipelines, fish habitat, forests, and farmland. One rock avalanche terminated within 2 km of the Alaska Highway, and a rock slide came within a few kilometres of a farm house. Most of these landslides have impounded streams or rivers, thus the hazard associated with upstream inundation and catastrophic dam failure must also be considered. There appears to be an increase in the frequency of large landslides in northern British Columbia. Is this due to climate change? Can we expect this trend to continue?

From Casual Work to Economic Security: The Case of British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacPhail, Fiona; Bowles, Paul

2008-01-01

Analysis of casual work in British Columbia is an important issue given that the increase in casual work has been greater in this province than in other provinces in Canada and given that the labour market has been substantially deregulated since 2001. In this paper, we analyse how individuals' casual employment status affects their economic…

Presence of Microplastics in the Fraser River, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourdages, M.; Ehrenbrink, B. P. E.; Marsh, S. J.; Gillies, S. L.; Paine, J. K.; Bogaerts, P.; Strangway, A.; Robertson, K.; Groeneweg, A.

2017-12-01

Microplastics are a source of anthropogenic contamination in watercourses and water bodies around the world. The extent of the implications associated with microplastics, however, is not fully known. These plastic particles, less than 5mm in diameter by definition, threaten a wide range of aquatic and land-based organisms, as the ingestion of microplastics by aquatic organisms can form blockages in digestive tracts, and can provide pathways for other contaminants to enter their bodies (Ziajahromi et al. 2017). Land-based organisms can then ingest the contaminated organisms, potentially impacting their health. Microplastics can be introduced into the aquatic environment through aquatic or land-based sources (Ziajahromi et al. 2017). A river system that is at a particular threat from microplastic contamination is the Fraser River. The Fraser River is a major salmon bearing river system in British Columbia and drains an area of over 220,000 km2. Potential sources of microplastic contamination include pulp and lumber mills near Prince George and Quesnel, the agriculturally dominated Fraser Valley, and the highly urbanized and industrialized stretch of the Lower Mainland east of Vancouver. Preliminary tests in the summer of 2016 on 200 liters of Fraser River water, processed through a 45 µm sieve, revealed the presence of microplastics, including the detection of blue dye polyethylene by Raman spectroscopy. Since then additional water samples were taken monthly at the Fraser River Observatory in Fort Langley from October 2016 to March 2017, and then bi-weekly commencing in April 2017. These samples are to be analysed at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in the Fall of 2017. This ongoing project aims at identifying the presence, amount, and type of microplastics being transported by the Fraser River to the coastal ocean. Ziajahromi, S.,et al., 2017. Wastewater treatment plants as a pathway for microplastics: Development of a new approach to sample wastewater

Workplace violence among female sex workers who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada: does client-targeted policing increase safety?

PubMed

Prangnell, Amy; Shannon, Kate; Nosova, Ekaterina; DeBeck, Kora; Milloy, M-J; Kerr, Thomas; Hayashi, Kanna

2018-02-01

Workplace violence, by clients or predators, poses serious negative health consequences for sex workers. In 2013, the Vancouver (British Columbia), Canada Police Department changed their guidelines with the goal of increasing safety for sex workers by focusing law enforcement on clients and third parties, but not sex workers. We sought to examine the trends and correlates of workplace violence among female sex workers (FSW) before and after the guideline change, using data collected from prospective cohorts of persons who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Among 259 FSW, 21.0% reported workplace violence at least once during the study period between 2008 and 2014. There was no statistically significant change in rates of workplace violence after the guideline change. In our multivariable analysis, daily heroin use was independently associated with workplace violence. The 2013 policing guideline change did not appear to have resulted in decreased reports of workplace violence. Increased access to opioid agonist therapies may reduce workplace violence among drug-using FSW.

Catalogue Support Systems Study. Final Report for British Columbia Library Development Commission.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacDonald, R. W.; And Others

To determine the need for additional bibliographic resources in the libraries of British Columbia, Canada, an evaluation was undertaken which included visits to libraries and existing operational catalog support systems, and meetings with advisory committees. Recommendations included: (1) implementation of a province-wide, on-line catalog system;…

Listeriosis in pregnancy: survey of British Columbia practitioners' knowledge of risk factors, counseling practices, and learning needs.

PubMed

Kirkham, Colleen; Berkowitz, Jonathan

2010-04-01

To determine the knowledge, counseling practices, and learning needs of practitioners in British Columbia regarding risk factors for listeriosis in pregnancy. A 1-page, mailed, self-administered, anonymous questionnaire. British Columbia. A total of 827 practitioners (614 family physicians, 93 midwives, and 120 family practice residents) were sent the questionnaire. Awareness of listeriosis, knowledge of the risk factors for listeriosis, practices for counseling pregnant women, practitioners' learning needs, and provider and practice characteristics. A total of 340 practitioners (41%) completed the questionnaire. While most (88%) physicians and midwives had heard of listeriosis, few (18%) were aware that infection was more common during pregnancy. One-third (33%) of practitioners counseled pregnant women about the risk factors for listeriosis. The main reasons for not providing such counseling were lack of knowledge and the perception that listeriosis was rare and not an important concern for pregnant women. Rates of counseling were highest among midwives (84%) and lowest among physicians practising outside the Lower Mainland of British Columbia (12%). Of those practitioners providing prenatal care, 47% counseled pregnant women about the risks of unpasteurized milk and 41% counseled women about the risks of consuming soft cheese; few counseled about the risks of consuming deli meat or raw hot dogs (25%), unwashed fruit and vegetables (12%), or refrigerated smoked seafood (6%). Most prenatal care providers in British Columbia are unaware of the risk factors for listeriosis or its propensity for pregnant women and do not counsel their pregnant patients about these risks.

Detrital zircons from the Nanaimo basin, Vancouver Island, British Columbia: An independent test of Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic northward translation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, W. A.; Guest, B.; Coutts, D.; Bain, H.; Hubbard, S.

2017-05-01

The development of the Cordilleran orogen of western North American is disputed despite a century of study. Paleomagnetic observations require large-scale dextral displacements of crustal fragments along the western margin of North America, from low latitudes to moderate latitudes during the Cretaceous-Paleogene. A lack of corroborating geological evidence for large-scale (>1500 km) displacements has prevented the widespread integration of paleomagnetic data into most contemporary tectonic models for the margin. Here we use detrital zircons from the Nanaimo basin, southwestern British Columbia, Canada as an independent test of its Late Cretaceous paleogeographic position. We compare 4310 detrital zircon U/Pb dates from 16 samples to potential source areas in western North America to test hypothesized northern and southern Late Cretaceous paleogeographic positions. Our detrital zircon data suggest that sediment in the Nanaimo basin derives from either a geographically restricted portion of the Belt-Purcell basin or the Mojave-Sonoran region of southwestern North America. A paleogeographic position for the basin adjacent to the Mojave-Sonoran region is preferred as it is consistent with the paleomagnetic results, but further geological, isotopic, or geophysical data are required to rule out a Belt-Purcell source.

Formation of a Volunteer Harmful Algal Bloom Network in British Columbia, Canada, Following an Outbreak of Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning

PubMed Central

McIntyre, Lorraine; Cassis, David; Haigh, Nicola

2013-01-01

Evidence for shellfish toxin illness in British Columbia (BC) on the west coast of Canada can be traced back to 1793. For over two hundred years, domestically acquired bivalve shellfish toxin illnesses in BC were solely ascribed to paralytic shellfish poisonings caused by algal blooms of Alexandrium. This changed in 2011, when BC experienced its first outbreak of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP). As a result of this outbreak, Canada’s first DSP symposium was held in November, 2012, in North Vancouver, BC. Three of the objectives of the symposium were to provide a forum to educate key stakeholders on this emerging issue, to identify research and surveillance priorities and to create a DSP network. The purpose of this paper is to review what is known about shellfish poisoning in BC and to describe a novel volunteer network that arose following the symposium. The newly formed network was designed for industry shellfish growers to identify harmful algae bloom events, so that they may take actions to mitigate the effects of harmful blooms on shellfish morbidity. The network will also inform public health and regulatory stakeholders of potentially emerging issues in shellfish growing areas. PMID:24172211

From "La Plume de Ma Tante" to "Parlez-Vous Francais?" The Making of French Language Policy in British Columbia, 1945-1982

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raptis, Helen; Fleming, Thomas

2004-01-01

During the first half of the twentieth century in British Columbia, French language was considered a school subject to be taught as any other using formal classical approaches. Generally, no specific provincial or local policies existed to guide how French was taught and learned. By 1981, however, British Columbia had developed explicit language…

Atmospheric River impacts in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest on 22-24 January 2015 during the CalWater 2015 field campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaggini, N. G.; Spackman, J. R.; Neiman, P. J.; White, A. B.; Fairall, C. W.; Barnet, C.; Gambacorta, A.; Hughes, M.

2015-12-01

Over 30 dropsonde transects were performed across atmospheric rivers (ARs) over the eastern Pacific during CalWater 2015. An event in late January allowed first-of-its-kind coordinated dropsonde transects of an AR using the NOAA G-IV aircraft in tandem with the NOAA Ronald H. Brown (RHB), which observed the marine boundary layer during the passage of this major AR. Dropsonde data collected on 22 January 2015 sampled the early stages of the AR, when the AR began making landfall near Vancouver Island, British Columbia. At the same time the RHB collected precipitation and oceanic moisture flux measurements on the warm side of the AR. A second flight on 24 January 2015 sampled the later stages of the AR, again passing over the RHB stationed beneath the AR. During this later period, the AR axis of moisture shifted north-northeast and fanned out along the coast, affecting regions from Northern Washington to Southern Alaska. Multi-day landfalling AR conditions led to flooding in British Columbia and northern Washington. The influence of the coastal orography combined with the shift in AR orientation is examined to understand the orographic control of precipitation that triggered the flooding. In addition, cross section analysis of the AR using dropsonde and reanalysis data are used to better understand the synoptic influences, water vapor transport, and moisture evolution during the lifecycle of the AR. To gain greater insight into AR development and prolonged AR conditions that led to enhanced flooding, a comparison of aircraft and ship data from CalWater 2015 and NOAA Unique CrIS/ATMS Processing System (NUCAPS) retrievals (integrated water vapor, vertical temperature and moisture profiles, and an experimental ATMS-only rain rate product) will be compared for the 22-24 January period.

Pregnancy outcomes among solid organ transplant recipients in British Columbia.

PubMed

Humphreys, Robert A; Wong, Helen H L; Milner, Ruth; Matsuda-Abedini, Mina

2012-05-01

Since 1954, over 14 000 women have given birth after having had an organ transplantation. Unfortunately, some women and physicians remain misinformed about the feasibility and outcomes of pregnancy post transplantation. Our primary objective was to assess their perceptions and difficulties with regard to becoming pregnant. Our secondary objectives were to determine the incidence of pregnancies among transplant recipients in British Columbia and any maternal, graft, or fetal complications. From 1997 to 2007 in British Columbia, there were over 500 female recipients of solid organ transplants. We surveyed recipients in this group who were of child-bearing age. One hundred forty of 295 (47%) eligible recipients responded: 44 of these women had attempted pregnancy after transplant, and 31 women gave birth to 47 children. One half of the respondents planned to have children post transplant; 108 of 140 (77%) had no children before transplant. One quarter of the respondents were advised against pregnancy by their physician, and 33% of these women found a new physician to support their pregnancy. Rates of miscarriage (27%), rejection (21%), and prematurity (65%) were higher than expected. Infections were rare, and no birth defects or noteworthy health problems in the offspring were reported. Overall, pregnancy appears to be safe following solid organ transplantation, but careful monitoring and counselling are recommended.

Children in Need of Protection: Reporting Policies in British Columbia School Boards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shewchuk, Samantha

2016-01-01

High profile sexual assault cases by British Columbia elementary school teachers in 2010 revealed BC school boards had "disturbingly inconsistent" child protection policies. As a result of the intense media scrutiny, the BC Ministry of Education required all school boards to reassess and update their policies on reporting suspected child…

Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2013 offshore British Columbia-southeastern Alaska and vicinity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayes, Gavin P.; Smoczyk, Gregory M.; Ooms, Jonathan G.; McNamara, Daniel E.; Furlong, Kevin P.; Benz, Harley M.; Villaseñor, Antonio

2014-01-01

The tectonics of the Pacific margin of North America between Vancouver Island and south-central Alaska are dominated by the northwest motion of the Pacific plate with respect to the North America plate at a velocity of approximately 50 mm/yr. In the south of this mapped region, convergence between the northern extent of the Juan de Fuca plate (also known as the Explorer microplate) and North America plate dominate. North from the Explorer, Pacific, and North America plate triple junction, Pacific:North America motion is accommodated along the ~650-km-long Queen Charlotte fault system. Offshore of Haida Gwaii and to the southwest, the obliquity of the Pacific:North America plate motion vector creates a transpressional regime, and a complex mixture of strike-slip and convergent (underthrusting) tectonics. North of the Haida Gwaii islands, plate motion is roughly parallel to the plate boundary, resulting in almost pure dextral strike-slip motion along the Queen Charlotte fault. To the north, the Queen Charlotte fault splits into multiple structures, continuing offshore of southwestern Alaska as the Fairweather fault, and branching east into the Chatham Strait and Denali faults through the interior of Alaska. The plate boundary north and west of the Fairweather fault ultimately continues as the Alaska-Aleutians subduction zone, where Pacific plate lithosphere subducts beneath the North America plate at the Aleutians Trench. The transition is complex, and involves intraplate structures such as the Transition fault. The Pacific margin offshore British Columbia is one of the most active seismic zones in North America and has hosted a number of large earthquakes historically.

Tall among the Trees: Organizing against Globalist Forestry in Rural British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prudham, Scott

2008-01-01

In January of 2001, the TimberWest Corporation permanently closed its Youbou sawmill facility near Duncan, British Columbia, Canada laying off 220 workers. On the surface, the Youbou mill closure reinforced a pervasive sense that workers and communities in the province are increasingly vulnerable to an ever more globally integrated and footloose…

Transfer Credit Assessment for B.C. College Transfer Students Admitted to the University of British Columbia in the 1997/98 Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reh-Bosch, Susan; Atkins, Lorraine

This report assesses the transfer credit process for British Columbia (BC) college transfer applicants to the University of British Columbia (UBC). Results indicate that students are earning on average 49.7 credits from the BC college attended and are being granted an average of 42.2 credits when transferring to UBC. This translated into 84.9% of…

Winter distribution, movements, and annual survival of radiomarked Vancouver Canada geese in southeast Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hupp, Jerry W.; Hodges, John I.; Conant, Bruce P.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Groves, Debbie J.

2010-01-01

Management of Pacific Flyway Canada geese (Branta canadensis) requires information on winter distribution of different populations. Recoveries of tarsus bands from Vancouver Canada geese (B. canadensis fulva) marked in southeast Alaska, USA, ≥4 decades ago suggested that ≥83% of the population was non-migratory and that annual adult survival was high (Ŝ = 0.836). However, recovery distribution of tarsus bands was potentially biased due to geographic differences in harvest intensity in the Pacific Flyway. Also, winter distribution of Vancouver Canada geese could have shifted since the 1960s, as has occurred for some other populations of Canada geese. Because winter distribution and annual survival of this population had not recently been evaluated, we surgically implanted very high frequency radiotransmitters in 166 adult female Canada geese in southeast Alaska. We captured Vancouver Canada geese during molt at 2 sites where adults with goslings were present (breeding areas) and 2 sites where we observed nonbreeding birds only. During winter radiotracking flights in southeast Alaska, we detected 98% of 85 females marked at breeding areas and 83% of 70 females marked at nonbreeding sites, excluding 11 females that died prior to the onset of winter radiotracking. We detected no radiomarked females in coastal British Columbia, or western Washington and Oregon, USA. Most (70%) females moved ≤30 km between November and March. Our model-averaged estimate of annual survival (Ŝ = 0.844, SE = 0.050) was similar to the estimate of annual survival of geese marked from 1956 to 1960. Likely <2% of Vancouver Canada geese that nest in southeast Alaska migrate to winter areas in Oregon or Washington where they could intermix with Canada geese from other populations in the Pacific Flyway. Because annual survival of adult Vancouver Canada geese was high and showed evidence of long-term consistency, managers should examine how reproductive success and recruitment may affect

Dasytesplumbeus (Müller) (Coleoptera: Melyridae: Dasytinae), a Palearctic soft-winged flower beetle new to North America.

PubMed

Hoebeke, E Richard; Wheeler, Alfred G

2013-01-01

Dasytesplumbeus (Müller), a dasytine melyrid beetle native to the Palearctic Region, is newly reported from North America. In 2010 and 2011, specimens from three locations were swept from vegetation and flowers in the greater Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. This is the first confirmed record of the species in the New World. Our collections, coupled with Internet images of D. plumbeus found in the Vancouver area, suggest the beetle is established in British Columbia.

From Community College to University: Institutionalization and Neoliberalism in British Columbia and Alberta

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, John S.; Aliyeva, Aida; Walker, Laurencia

2016-01-01

This qualitative investigation of higher education institutional development addresses new universities that were former community colleges in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Stemming from an original study conducted nearly two decades earlier, this investigation's data were collected from the same institutions and from similar…

British Columbia--Higher Education and the Integration of a New Technology. Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forsythe, Kathleen; Collins, Valerie

Based on an extensive literature search and interviews with educators, government officials, distance education personnel, and students, this publication reviews the impact of geostationary satellite telecommunications technology on higher education in British Columbia. A systems impact perspective is taken which suggests the emergence of a new…

International Workshop on Methane Hydrate Research and Development (4th) Held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on May 9-11, 2005

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-27

Research at the University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; the Marine Biogeochemistry Section at the Naval Research Laboratory...was organized by the Centre for Earth and Ocean Research at the University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; the Marine ...Richard Coffin, Marine Biogeochemistry Section, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA, rcoffin@ccs.nrl.navy.mil Dr. Bjørn Kvamme

Yellow-cedar decline in the North Coast Forest District of British Columbia.

Treesearch

Paul E. Hennon; David V. D' Amore; Stefan Zeglan; Mike Grainger

2005-01-01

The distribution of a forest decline of yellow-cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis (D. Don) Örsted) has been documented in southeast Alaska, but its occurrence in British Columbia was previously unknown. We conducted an aerial survey in the Prince Rupert area in September 2004 to determine if yellow-cedar forests in the North Coast Forest District of...

Going coastal: shared evolutionary history between coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska wolves (Canis lupus).

PubMed

Weckworth, Byron V; Dawson, Natalie G; Talbot, Sandra L; Flamme, Melanie J; Cook, Joseph A

2011-05-04

Many coastal species occupying the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest in North America comprise endemic populations genetically and ecologically distinct from interior continental conspecifics. Morphological variation previously identified among wolf populations resulted in recognition of multiple subspecies of wolves in the Pacific Northwest. Recently, separate genetic studies have identified diverged populations of wolves in coastal British Columbia and coastal Southeast Alaska, providing support for hypotheses of distinct coastal subspecies. These two regions are geographically and ecologically contiguous, however, there is no comprehensive analysis across all wolf populations in this coastal rainforest. By combining mitochondrial DNA datasets from throughout the Pacific Northwest, we examined the genetic relationship between coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska wolf populations and compared them with adjacent continental populations. Phylogenetic analysis indicates complete overlap in the genetic diversity of coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska wolves, but these populations are distinct from interior continental wolves. Analyses of molecular variation support the separation of all coastal wolves in a group divergent from continental populations, as predicted based on hypothesized subspecies designations. Two novel haplotypes also were uncovered in a newly assayed continental population of interior Alaska wolves. We found evidence that coastal wolves endemic to these temperate rainforests are diverged from neighbouring, interior continental wolves; a finding that necessitates new international strategies associated with the management of this species.

Multiculturalism and Human Rights in Civic Education: The Case of British Columbia, Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bromley, Patricia

2011-01-01

Background: This paper considers how textbooks resolve the tension between contradictory goals of promoting a cohesive national identity while teaching respect and equality among diverse social groups in British Columbia (B.C.), Canada. Purpose: The article presents preliminary results of a larger study examining the content of required civic…

The Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of British Columbia. Annual Report, 1980-81.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Native Courtworker and Counseling Association of British Columbia, Vancouver.

The Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of British Columbia, with objectives of providing courtworker services for Native Indians charged with offenses; supplying information on legal rights, responsibilities, and operation of the justice system; and reducing the number of Native people in conflict with the law, handled 4,860 Native…

Recent workforce trends and their effects on the silviculture program in British Columbia

Treesearch

John Betts

2008-01-01

British Columbia's entrepreneurial silviculture sector provides a reliable just-in-time service delivery of forestry activities from planting trees to fighting wildfires. Transient, and seeming to rely often on improvisation, contractors actually run logistically sophisticated businesses that are able to match varying field conditions to the biological and...

Organic parasite control for poultry and rabbits in British Columbia, Canada

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Plants used for treating endo- and ectoparasites of rabbits and poultry in British Columbia included Arctium lappa (burdock), Artemisia sp. (wormwood), Chenopodium album (lambsquarters) and C. ambrosioides (epazote), Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle), Juniperus spp. (juniper), Mentha piperita (peppermint), Nicotiana sp. (tobacco), Papaver somniferum (opium poppy), Rubus spp. (blackberry and raspberry relatives), Symphytum officinale (comfrey), Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion), Thuja plicata (western redcedar) and Urtica dioica (stinging nettle). PMID:21756341

Creating an LNG Ready Worker: British Columbia's Blueprint for Extraction Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Judith

2018-01-01

Since 2011, the government of British Columbia (BC) has focused on building the Canadian province's economy through the development of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector. In service of this endeavour, the government launched the "Skills for Jobs Blueprint," which attempts to more clearly align BC's education system with resource…

Integrated management of timber and deer: coastal forests of British Columbia and Alaska.

Treesearch

J.B. Nyberg; R.S. McNay; M.D. [and others] Kirchhoff

1989-01-01

Current techniques for integrating timber and deer management in coastal British Columbia and Alaska are reviewed and evaluated. Integration can be improved by setting objectives for deer habitat and timber, improving managers' knowledge of interactions, and providing planning tools to analyze alternative programs of forest management. A handbook designed to...

Supply and distribution of primary healthcare registered nurses in british columbia.

PubMed

Wong, Sabrina T; Watson, Diane E; Young, Ella; Mooney, Dawn

2009-11-01

WHAT DID WE DO?: This study uses an existing data source to (a) describe the population and geographic distribution of registered nurses (RNs) working in primary healthcare (PHC) in British Columbia, (b) compare this workforce to PHC physicians and (c) assess the distribution of PHC-RNs relative to population health status. WHAT DID WE LEARN?: Of the 27,570 practising RNs in British Columbia in 2000, there were 3,179 (12%) in the PHC workforce. This translates into 147 people per practising RN and 1,277 people per PHC-RN. In 2000, there were 990 people per PHC physician. PHC-RNs represented 43% of the combined PHC workforce of physicians and RNs. A large proportion (47%) of PHC-RNs worked in community health centres, whereas less than 2% worked in physicians' offices. Geographic distribution of PHC-RNs is similar to the distribution of PHC physicians and is not associated with population health status. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS?: There seem to be sufficient PHC-RNs to implement policy objectives in support of interdisciplinary PHC teams, but physicians and nurses will increasingly need to practice in the same location or have access to electronic information systems to support coordination, continuity and comprehensiveness of PHC. The PHC workforce could be better deployed to align with population health status.

Neospora caninum is the leading cause of bovine fetal loss in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Wilson, Devon J; Orsel, Karin; Waddington, Josh; Rajeev, Malavika; Sweeny, Amy R; Joseph, Tomy; Grigg, Michael E; Raverty, Stephen A

2016-03-15

The protozoan pathogen Neospora caninum is recognized as a leading cause of infectious abortions in cattle worldwide. To evaluate the impact of neosporosis on dairy and beef herd production, a retrospective, longitudinal study was performed to identify the impact of neosporosis alongside other causes of fetal abortion in British Columbia, Canada. Retrospective analysis of pathology records of bovine fetal submissions submitted to the Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, British Columbia, a provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratory, from January 2007 to July 2013 identified 182 abortion cases (passive surveillance). From July 2013 to May 2014, an active surveillance program identified a further 54 abortion cases from dairy farmers in the Upper Fraser Valley, British Columbia. Of the total 236 fetal submissions analyzed, N. caninum was diagnosed in 18.2% of cases, making it the most commonly identified infectious agent associated with fetal loss. During active surveillance, N. caninum was associated with 41% of fetuses submitted compared to 13.3% during passive surveillance (p<0.001). Breed of dam was significantly associated with N. caninum diagnosis, with a higher prevalence in dairy versus beef breeds, and fetuses of 3-6 months gestational age had the highest prevalence of N. caninum. There was no significant association with dam parity. N. caninum was diagnosed in every year except 2009 and cases were geographically widespread throughout the province. Furthermore, the active surveillance program demonstrates that N. caninum is highly prevalent in the Upper Fraser Valley and is a major causal agent of production losses in this dairy intensive region. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neospora caninum is the leading cause of bovine fetal loss in British Columbia, Canada

PubMed Central

Wilson, Devon J; Orsel, Karin; Waddington, Josh; Rajeev, Malavika; Sweeny, Amy R.; Joseph, Tomy; Grigg, Michael E; Raverty, Stephen A.

2016-01-01

The protozoan pathogen Neospora caninum is recognized as a leading cause of infectious abortions in cattle worldwide. To evaluate the impact of neosporosis on dairy and beef herd production, a retrospective, longitudinal study was performed to identify the impact of neosporosis alongside other causes of fetal abortion in British Columbia, Canada. Retrospective analysis of pathology records of bovine fetal submissions submitted to the Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, British Columbia, a provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratory, from January 2007– July 2013 identified 182 abortion cases (passive surveillance). From July 2013–May 2014, an active surveillance program identified a further 54 abortion cases from dairy farmers in the Upper Fraser Valley, British Columbia. Of the total 236 fetal submissions analyzed, N. caninum was diagnosed in 18.2% of cases, making it the most commonly identified infectious agent associated with fetal loss. During active surveillance, N. caninum was associated with 41% of fetuses submitted compared to 13.3% during passive surveillance (P<0.001). Breed of dam was significantly associated with N. caninum diagnosis, with a higher prevalence in dairy versus beef breeds, and fetuses of 3–6 months gestational age had the highest prevalence of N. caninum. There was no significant association with dam parity. Neospora caninum was diagnosed in every year except 2009 and cases were geographically widespread throughout the province. Furthermore, the active surveillance program demonstrates that N. caninum is highly prevalent in the Upper Fraser Valley and is a major causal agent of production losses in this dairy intensive region. PMID:26872927

Delving into Inquiry Learning in Teacher Education at the University of British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rushton, Claire; Webb, Andrea S.

2016-01-01

This paper discusses a series of inquiry-based seminars that are central to the teacher education program at the University of British Columbia. This teacher education program reflects the changing curriculum in the province. The new inquiry-based provincial curriculum is being implemented between 2015 and 2018 and the teacher education program is…

Going coastal: Shared evolutionary history between coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska wolves (canis lupus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weckworth, B.V.; Dawson, N.G.; Talbot, S.L.; Flamme, M.J.; Cook, J.A.

2011-01-01

Background: Many coastal species occupying the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest in North America comprise endemic populations genetically and ecologically distinct from interior continental conspecifics. Morphological variation previously identified among wolf populations resulted in recognition of multiple subspecies of wolves in the Pacific Northwest. Recently, separate genetic studies have identified diverged populations of wolves in coastal British Columbia and coastal Southeast Alaska, providing support for hypotheses of distinct coastal subspecies. These two regions are geographically and ecologically contiguous, however, there is no comprehensive analysis across all wolf populations in this coastal rainforest. Methodology/Principal Findings: By combining mitochondrial DNA datasets from throughout the Pacific Northwest, we examined the genetic relationship between coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska wolf populations and compared them with adjacent continental populations. Phylogenetic analysis indicates complete overlap in the genetic diversity of coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska wolves, but these populations are distinct from interior continental wolves. Analyses of molecular variation support the separation of all coastal wolves in a group divergent from continental populations, as predicted based on hypothesized subspecies designations. Two novel haplotypes also were uncovered in a newly assayed continental population of interior Alaska wolves. Conclusions/Significance: We found evidence that coastal wolves endemic to these temperate rainforests are diverged from neighbouring, interior continental wolves; a finding that necessitates new international strategies associated with the management of this species. ?? 2011 This is an open-access article.

Mixed-severity fire regimes in dry forests of southern interior British Columbia, Canada

Treesearch

Emily K. Heyerdahl; Ken Lertzman; Carmen M. Wong

2012-01-01

Historical fire severity is poorly characterized for dry forests in the interior west of North America. We inferred a multicentury history of fire severity from tree rings in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) - ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson) forests in the southern interior of British Columbia,...

Decolonizing the Archaeological Landscape: The Practice and Politics of Archaeology in British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholas, George P.

2006-01-01

In British Columbia, Canada, the practice of archaeology has been strongly influenced by issues of First Nations rights and the ways government and industry have chosen to address them. In turn, this situation has affected academic (i.e., research-based) and consulting (i.e., cultural resource management) archaeology, which have had to respond to…

Trade-offs, fairness, and funding for cancer drugs: key findings from a deliberative public engagement event in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Bentley, Colene; Costa, Sarah; Burgess, Michael M; Regier, Dean; McTaggart-Cowan, Helen; Peacock, Stuart J

2018-05-08

Spending on cancer drugs has risen dramatically in recent years compared to other areas of health care, due in part to higher prices associated with newly approved drugs and increased demand for these drugs. Addressing this situation requires making difficult trade-offs between cost, harms, and ability to benefit when using public resources, making it important for policy makers to have input from many people affected by the issue, including citizens. In September 2014, a deliberative public engagement event was conducted in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), on the topic of priority setting and costly cancer drugs. The aim of the study was to gain citizens' input on the topic and have them generate recommendations that could inform cancer drug funding decisions in BC. A market research company was engaged to recruit members of the BC general public to deliberate over two weekends (four days) on how best to allocate resources for expensive cancer treatments. Participants were stratified based on the 2006 census data for BC. Participants were asked to discuss disinvestment, intravenous versus oral chemotherapy delivery, and decision governance. All sessions were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed using NVivo 11 software. Twenty-four individuals participated in the event and generated 30 recommendations. Participants accepted the principle of resource scarcity and the need of governments to make difficult trade-offs when allocating health-care resources. They supported the view that cost-benefit thresholds must be set for high-cost drugs. They also expected reasonable health benefits in return for large expenditures, and supported the view that some drugs do not merit funding. Participants also wanted drug funding decisions to be made in a non-partisan and transparent way. The recommendations from the Vancouver deliberation can provide guidance to policy makers in BC and may be useful in challenging pricing by pharmaceutical companies.

Status review of the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in Alaska and British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Piatt, John F.; Kuletz, K.J.; Burger, A.E.; Hatch, Shyla A.; Friesen, Vicki L.; Birt, T.P.; Arimitsu, Mayumi L.; Drew, G.S.; Harding, A.M.A.; Bixler, K.S.

2007-01-01

The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small, diving seabird inhabiting inshore waters of the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. This species feeds on small, schooling fishes and zooplankton, and nests primarily on the moss-covered branches of large, old-growth conifers, and also, in some parts of its range, on the ground. We reviewed existing information on this species to evaluate its current status in the northern part of its range-Alaska (U.S.) and British Columbia (Canada). Within the southern part of its range (Washington, Oregon, and California, U.S.), the Marbled Murrelet was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1993, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) needed information on the species throughout its range for ESA deliberations. We compiled published information on the conservation status, population biology, foraging ecology, population genetics, population status and trends, demography, marine and nesting habitat characteristics, threats, and ongoing conservation efforts for Marbled Murrelets in Alaska and British Columbia. We conducted a new genetic study using samples from a segment of the range that had not been included in previous studies (Washington, Oregon) and additional nuclear intron and microsatellite markers. We also analyzed available at-sea survey data from several locations for trend. To understand the reasonableness of the empirical trend data, we developed demographic models incorporating stochasticity to discern what population trends were possible by chance. The genetic studies substantially confirmed previous findings on population structure in the Marbled Murrelet. Our present work finds three populations: (1) one comprising birds in the central and western Aleutian Islands; (2) one comprising birds in central California; and (3) one comprising birds within the center of the range from the eastern Aleutians to northern California. Our knowledge of genetic structure within this

Chapter 29: Marine Distribution, Abundance, and Habitats of Marbled Murrelets in British Columbia

Treesearch

Alan E. Burger

1995-01-01

About 45,000-50,000 Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) breed in British Columbia, with some birds found in most parts of the inshore coastline. A review of at-sea surveys at 84 sites revealed major concentrations in summer in six areas. Murrelets tend to leave these breeding areas in winter. Many murrelets overwinter in the Strait of...

Fusariotoxicosis from barley in British Columbia. II. Analysis and toxicity of syspected barley.

PubMed Central

Puls, R; Greenway, J A

1976-01-01

Fusariotoxin T-2, a trichothecene, was tentatively identified in barley samples which caused field outbreaks of mycotoxicosis in British Columbia. Geese died when fed the contaminated barley experimentally but mice were little affected after long term feeding. The methods used in the laboratory for trichothecene extraction and identification of T-2 toxin are described. PMID:1000373

Re-use of nest sites by marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in British Columbia

Treesearch

Alan E. Burger; Irene A. Manley; Michael P. Silvergieter; David B. Lank; Kevin M. Jordan; Thomas D. Bloxton; Martin G. Raphael

2009-01-01

Marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) nest predominantly in the canopies of large old-growth conifers, and are listed as Threatened in Canada and three U.S. states mainly as a consequence of reductions in this habitat owing to logging. We assessed the re-use of nest sites (nest trees) by murrelets in British Columbia using three types of...

Minimum Alcohol Prices and Outlet Densities in British Columbia, Canada: Estimated Impacts on Alcohol-Attributable Hospital Admissions

PubMed Central

Zhao, Jinhui; Martin, Gina; Macdonald, Scott; Vallance, Kate; Treno, Andrew; Ponicki, William; Tu, Andrew; Buxton, Jane

2013-01-01

Objectives. We investigated whether periodic increases in minimum alcohol prices were associated with reduced alcohol-attributable hospital admissions in British Columbia. Methods. The longitudinal panel study (2002–2009) incorporated minimum alcohol prices, density of alcohol outlets, and age- and gender-standardized rates of acute, chronic, and 100% alcohol-attributable admissions. We applied mixed-method regression models to data from 89 geographic areas of British Columbia across 32 time periods, adjusting for spatial and temporal autocorrelation, moving average effects, season, and a range of economic and social variables. Results. A 10% increase in the average minimum price of all alcoholic beverages was associated with an 8.95% decrease in acute alcohol-attributable admissions and a 9.22% reduction in chronic alcohol-attributable admissions 2 years later. A Can$ 0.10 increase in average minimum price would prevent 166 acute admissions in the 1st year and 275 chronic admissions 2 years later. We also estimated significant, though smaller, adverse impacts of increased private liquor store density on hospital admission rates for all types of alcohol-attributable admissions. Conclusions. Significant health benefits were observed when minimum alcohol prices in British Columbia were increased. By contrast, adverse health outcomes were associated with an expansion of private liquor stores. PMID:23597383

Understanding Extreme Precipitation Behaviour in British Columbia's Lower Mainland Using Historical and Proxy Records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spry, Christina

In British Columbia, Pineapple Express storms can lead to flooding, slope failures and negative impacts to water quality. Mitigating the impacts of extreme weather events in a changing climate requires an understanding of how local climate responds to regional-toglobal climate forcing patterns. In this study, I use historical and proxy data to identify the distinguishing characteristics of Pineapple Express storms and to develop a tree ring oxygen isotope record (1960--1995) of local climate conditions in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. I found that high magnitude Pineapple Express storms have significantly higher precipitation and streamflow than other storms types, which result in relatively high contributions of Pineapple Express storms to the annual water budget. As well, Pineapple Express precipitation is characterized by an enriched delta18O isotopic signature when compared to precipitation originating from the North Pacific Ocean. However, differences in source water do not appear to be driving the variability in tree ring delta18O ratios. Instead, tree ring isotopic values exhibit a regional climate pattern that is strongly driven by latitudinal temperature gradients and the Rayleigh distillation effect. Therefore, future warmer conditions may decrease the temperature gradient between the equator and the poles, which can be recorded in the tree ring isotope record. The results also suggest that warmer temperatures due to climate change could result in more active Pineapple Express storm seasons, with multiple PE storms happening over a short period of time. Concurrent storms significantly increase the risk to society because the resulting antecedent saturated soil conditions can trigger precipitationinduced natural hazards. Keywords: extreme weather; stable isotopes; Pineapple Express; British Columbia; climate change; tree rings.

Outcomes of planned hospital birth attended by midwives compared with physicians in British Columbia.

PubMed

Janssen, Patricia A; Ryan, Elizabeth M; Etches, Duncan J; Klein, Michael C; Reime, Birgit

2007-06-01

The impact of midwifery versus physician care on perinatal outcomes in a population of women planning birth in hospital has not yet been explored. We compared maternal and newborn outcomes between women planning hospital birth attended by a midwife versus a physician in British Columbia, Canada. All women planning a hospital birth attended by a midwife during the 2-year study period who were of sufficiently low-risk status to meet eligibility requirements for home birth as defined by the British Columbia College of Midwives were included in the study group (n=488). The comparison group included women meeting the same eligibility requirements but planning a physician-attended birth in hospitals where midwives also practiced (n=572). Outcomes were ascertained from the British Columbia Reproductive Care Program Perinatal Registry to which all hospitals in the province submit data. Adjusted odds ratios for women planning hospital birth attended by a midwife versus a physician were significantly reduced for exposure to cesarean section (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.39-0.86), narcotic analgesia (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.18-0.37), electronic fetal monitoring (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.16-0.30), amniotomy (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.56-0.98), and episiotomy (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.42-0.93). The odds of adverse neonatal outcomes were not different between groups, with the exception of reduced use of drugs for resuscitation at birth (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.04-0.83) in the midwifery group. A shift toward greater proportions of midwife-attended births in hospitals could result in reduced rates of obstetric interventions, with similar rates of neonatal morbidity.

Q'epethet ye Mestiyexw, A Gathering of the People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenny, Carolyn; Archibald, Jo-ann

2000-01-01

A 4-week program in Vancouver (British Columbia) used traditional and academic formats to connect Aboriginal communities throughout British Columbia with each other and with Maori participants from New Zealand. A conference, a symposium and graduate courses covered the role of Aboriginal art, politics of transforming education, revitalization of…

Zoned Out: "NIMBYism", addiction services and municipal governance in British Columbia.

PubMed

Bernstein, Scott E; Bennett, Darcie

2013-11-01

In Canada, Provincial Governments have jurisdiction over delivery of healthcare including harm reduction services and Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT). While policy directives and funding come from the provincial capital, individuals' access to these services happens in neighbourhoods and municipalities spread out across the province. In some cases, public health objectives targeted at people living with addictions and the rights to equitable access to healthcare are at odds with the vision that residents, business associations and other interest groups have for their neighbourhood or city. This paper looks at the cases of four British Columbia municipalities, Mission, Surrey, Coquitlam and Abbotsford, where local governments have used zoning provisions to restrict access to harm reduction services and drug substitution therapies including MMT. This paper will contextualize these case studies in a survey of zoning and bylaw provisions related to harm reduction and MMT across British Columbia, and examine the interplay between municipal actions and public discourses that affect access to healthcare for people living with addictions. Finally, this paper will explore possible legal implications for municipalities that use their zoning and permitting powers to restrict access to health care for people with addictions, as well as public engagement strategies for healthcare advocates that have the potential to reduce resistance to health services for people living with addictions in communities across the province. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Social Studies in British Columbia: Technical Report of the 1989 Social Studies Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bognar, Carl J.; And Others

In May 1989, over 100,000 British Columbia (Canada) students in grades 4, 7, and 10 took part in social studies attitude and achievement surveys. All grade 10 teachers were asked to respond to a questionnaire, as were a selected sample of grades 4 and 7 teachers. This report contains the results of that social studies assessment. The report is…

A New Paradigm for Teaching Histology Laboratories in Canada's First Distributed Medical School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinder, Karen E.; Ford, Jason C.; Ovalle, William K.

2008-01-01

To address the critical problem of inadequate physician supply in rural British Columbia, The University of British Columbia (UBC) launched an innovative, expanded and distributed medical program in 2004-2005. Medical students engage in a common curriculum at three geographically distinct sites across B.C.: in Vancouver, Prince George and…

Connections '96. Proceedings of a Faculty Conference (2nd, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, May 1996).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dayton-Sakari, Mary, Ed.; Miller, Carole S., Ed.; Liedtke, Werner, Ed.

This proceedings contains 19 papers presented at the second annual faculty conference at the University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada). Papers cover a wide variety of disciplines, including preschool education, classroom communication, mathematics instruction, theater, attention deficit disorders, distance learning by rural home schoolers,…

Engaging Students in Atmospheric Science: A University-High School Collaboration in British Columbia, Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinclair, K. E.; Marshall, S. J.

2009-01-01

Five high schools in British Columbia, Canada, participated in an atmospheric sciences project during the winter of 2006-07 established by researchers at the University of Calgary. Precipitation gauges and temperature and relative humidity probes were installed at each school and students were asked to collect a water sample each day that…

The cascade of HIV care in British Columbia, Canada, 1996–2011: a population-based retrospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Nosyk, Bohdan; Montaner, Julio S G; Colley, Guillaume; Lima, Viviane D; Chan, Keith; Heath, Katherine; Yip, Benita; Samji, Hasina; Gilbert, Mark; Barrios, Rolando; Gustafson, Réka; Hogg, Robert S

2014-01-01

Summary Background The cascade of HIV care has become a focal point for implementation efforts to maximise the individual and public health benefits of antiretroviral therapy. We aimed to characterise longitudinal changes in engagement with the cascade of HIV care in British Columbia, Canada, from 1996 to 2011. Methods We used estimates of provincial HIV prevalence from the Public Health Agency of Canada and linked provincial population-level data to define, longitudinally, the numbers of individuals in each of the eight stages of the cascade of HIV care (HIV infected, diagnosed, linked to HIV care, retained in HIV care, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) indicated, on HAART, adherent to HAART, and virologically suppressed) in British Columbia from 1996 to 2011. We used sensitivity analyses to determine the sensitivity of cascade-stage counts to variations in their definitions. Findings 13 140 people were classified as diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in British Columbia during the study period. We noted substantial improvements over time in the proportions of individuals at each stage of the cascade of care. Based on prevalence estimates, the proportion of unidentified HIV-positive individuals decreased from 49·0% (estimated range 36·2–57·5%) in 1996 to 29·0% (11·6–40·7%) in 2011, and the proportion of HIV-positive people with viral suppression reached 34·6% (29·0–43·1%) in 2011. Interpretation Careful mapping of the cascade of care is crucial to understanding what further efforts are needed to maximise the beneficial effects of available interventions and so inform efforts to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS. Funding British Columbia Ministry of Health, US National Institute on Drug Abuse (National Institutes of Health). PMID:24076277

Connections '97. Proceedings of a Faculty Conference (3rd, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, May 1997).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liedtke, Werner, Ed.

This proceedings contains 17 papers presented at the third annual faculty conference at the University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada). Papers cover a wide variety of disciplines and topics, including student teaching, athletics, researcher-teacher collaboration, hands-on science instruction, violence prevention, youth violence, counseling,…

Suicide by Oxygen Deprivation with Helium: A Preliminary Study of British Columbia Coroner Investigations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogden, Russel D.; Hassan, Shereen

2011-01-01

This article researches a relatively new suicide method advanced by right-to-die organizations: oxygen deprivation by breathing helium inside a plastic hood. The article begins with a review of the role of the coroner and the history of oxygen deprivation with helium; it then examines 20 Judgements of Inquiry (JOI) by British Columbia coroners…

British Columbia sends patients to Seattle for coronary artery surgery. Bypassing the queue in Canada.

PubMed

Katz, S J; Mizgala, H F; Welch, H G

1991-08-28

Concern about waiting lists for elective procedures has become a highly visible challenge to the universal health insurance program in Canada. In response to lengthening queues for patients waiting for cardiac surgery, British Columbia made contracts with four Seattle hospitals to send a total of 200 patients for coronary artery bypass surgery. This article examines the cause of the queue for cardiac surgery in British Columbia and the events that led to outside contracting. Global hospital budgets and restrictions on capital expansion have limited hospital capacity for cardiac surgery. This constrained supply, combined with periodic shortages in critical care nurses and cardiac perfusion technologists, has resulted in a rapid increase in the waiting list. Reducing wide variations in the lengths of queues for individual surgeons may afford an opportunity to reduce long waits. While the patient queue for cardiac surgery has sparked a public debate about budget limits and health care needs, its clinical impact remains uncertain.

Sexual Abuse Prevention Project for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ACEHI Journal, 1990

1990-01-01

The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program for Deaf Children, a program of the Greater Vancouver Association of the Deaf in British Columbia (Canada), plans to conduct a needs assessment of children ages 8-15 in the Alberta, British Columbia, and Yukon regions; develop prevention resources; and develop a comprehensive national distribution plan for the…

A historical review of HIV prevention and care initiatives in British Columbia, Canada: 1996-2015

PubMed Central

Olding, Michelle; Enns, Ben; Panagiotoglou, Dimitra; Shoveller, Jean; Harrigan, P Richard; Barrios, Rolando; Kerr, Thomas; Montaner, Julio S. G.; Nosyk, Bohdan

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: British Columbia has made significant progress in the treatment and prevention of HIV since 1996, when Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) became available. However, we currently lack a historical summary of HIV prevention and care interventions implemented in the province since the introduction of HAART and how they have shaped the HIV epidemic. Guided by a socio-ecological framework, we present a historical review of biomedical and health services, community and structural interventions implemented in British Columbia from 1996–2015 to prevent HIV transmission or otherwise enhance the cascade of HIV care. Methods: We constructed a historical timeline of HIV interventions implemented in BC between 1996 and 2015 by reviewing publicly available reports, guidelines and other documents from provincial health agencies, community organizations and AIDS service organizations, and by conducting searches of peer-reviewed literature through PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE. We collected further programmatic information by administering a data collection form to representatives from BC’s regional health authorities and an umbrella agency representing 45 AIDS Service organizations. Using linked population-level health administrative data, we identified key phases of the HIV epidemic in British Columbia, as characterized by distinct changes in HIV incidence, HAART uptake and the provincial HIV response. Results and Discussion: In total, we identified 175 HIV prevention and care interventions implemented in BC from 1996 to 2015. We identify and describe four phases in BC’s response to HIV/AIDS: the early HAART phase (1996–1999); the harm reduction and health service scale-up phase (2000–2005); the early Treatment as Prevention phase (2006–2009); and the STOP HIV/AIDS phase (2010-present). In doing so, we provide an overview of British Columbia’s universal and centralized HIV treatment system and detail the role of community-based and

Forecasting Impacts of Climate Change on Indicators of British Columbia's Biodiversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, Keith Richard

Understanding the relationships between biodiversity and climate is essential for predicting the impact of climate change on broad-scale landscape processes. Utilizing indirect indicators of biodiversity derived from remotely sensed imagery, we present an approach to forecast shifts in the spatial distribution of biodiversity. Indirect indicators, such as remotely sensed plant productivity metrics, representing landscape seasonality, minimum growth, and total greenness have been linked to species richness over broad spatial scales, providing unique capacity for biodiversity modeling. Our goal is to map future spatial distributions of plant productivity metrics based on expected climate change and to quantify anticipated change to park habitat in British Columbia. Using an archival dataset sourced from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite from the years 1987 to 2007 at 1km spatial resolution, corresponding historical climate data, and regression tree modeling, we developed regional models of the relationships between climate and annual productivity growth. Historical interconnections between climate and annual productivity were coupled with three climate change scenarios modeled by the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis (CCCma) to predict and map productivity components to the year 2065. Results indicate we can expect a warmer and wetter environment, which may lead to increased productivity in the north and higher elevations. Overall, seasonality is expected to decrease and greenness productivity metrics are expected to increase. The Coastal Mountains and high elevation edge habitats across British Columbia are forecasted to experience the greatest amount of change. In the future, protected areas may have potential higher greenness and lower seasonality as represented by indirect biodiversity indicators. The predictive model highlights potential gaps in protection along the central interior and Rocky Mountains. Protected

Submarine glaciated landscapes of central and northern British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, John; Lintern, Gwyn

2015-04-01

Recent systematic multibeam sonar mapping and ground-truthing surveys in the fjords and coastal waters of central and northern British Columbia, Canada, provide information on glacial processes associated with the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, and also on postglacial processes that have strongly modified the glacial terrain. During the last glacial maximum, ice covered the Coast Range, except for nunataks. Convergent streamlined glacial landforms in the Strait of Georgia testify to a strong flow of ice towards the southeast, between Vancouver Island and the mainland. During ice retreat, thick deposits of acoustically stratified glaciomarine mud were deposited in glacially over deepened basins. Retreat through the Douglas Channel fjord system was punctuated by still stands, resulting in a series of submarine moraines. Postglacial processes have created a suite of landforms that mask the primary glacial terrain: 1) Fjord floors host thick deposits of acoustically transparent postglacial mud with highly variable distribution: banks up to 80-m thick are commonly adjacent to erosional zones with glaciomarine mud exposed at the seafloor; 2) In this region of high precipitation and snowpack melt, numerous cone-shaped Holocene fan deltas developed on the fjord sidewalls transport coarse sediment to the fjord floors. Larger deltas are developed at fjord heads, notably at Kitimat and Kildala; 3) Submarine slope failures in this tectonically active area have resulted in a suite of mass transport deposits on sidewalls and fjord floors. The very large submarine slope failures at Camano Sound and KitKat Inlet occurred on the steep, rear facets of large transverse moraines, and involved the failure of glaciomarine sediment that moved into deeper basins, perhaps as a retrogressive failure. The ages of these events are unknown, although the presence of postglacial mud in the slide scar at Caamano suggests that the event at that location occurred in the late glacial or early Holocene. Also

Adult Basic Education: British Columbia's Public Post-Secondary Institutions. An Articulation Handbook. 2008-2009 Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, 2008

2008-01-01

The purpose of Adult Basic Education (ABE) articulation is to ensure learners have access to quality courses, receive appropriate credits and are able to transfer easily among publicly-funded colleges, university colleges, universities and institutes in British Columbia. Articulation also involves liaison with the school system's ABE programs to…

Availability of limited service food outlets surrounding schools in British Columbia.

PubMed

Black, Jennifer L; Day, Meghan

2012-06-05

The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive profile of the availability of limited service food outlets surrounding public schools in British Columbia, Canada. Data from the 2010 Canadian Business Data Files were used to identify limited service food outlets including fast food outlets, beverage and snack food stores, delis and convenience stores. The number of food outlets within 800 metres of 1,392 public schools and the distance from schools to the nearest food outlets were assessed. Multivariate regression models examined the associations between food outlet availability and school-level characteristics. In 2010, over half of the public schools in BC (54%) were located within a 10-12 minute walk from at least one limited service food outlet. The median closest distance to a food outlet was just over 1 km (1016 m). Schools comprised of students living in densely populated urban neighbourhoods and neighbourhoods characterized by lower socio-economic status were more likely to have access to limited service food outlets within walking distance. After adjusting for school-level median family income and population density, larger schools had higher odds of exposure to food vendors compared to schools with fewer students. The availability of and proximity to limited service food outlets vary widely across schools in British Columbia and school-level characteristics are significantly associated with food outlet availability. Additional research is needed to understand how food environment exposures inside and surrounding schools impact students' attitudes, food choices and dietary quality.

Telling our stories: heroin-assisted treatment and SNAP activism in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver.

PubMed

Boyd, Susan; Murray, Dave; MacPherson, Donald

2017-05-18

This article highlights the experiences of a peer-run group, SALOME/NAOMI Association of Patients (SNAP), that meets weekly in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SNAP is a unique independent peer- run drug user group that formed in 2011 following Canada's first heroin-assisted treatment trial (HAT), North America Opiate Medication Initiative (NAOMI). SNAP's members are now made up of former research participants who participated in two heroin-assisted trials in Vancouver. This article highlights SNAP members' experiences as research subjects in Canada's second clinical trial conducted in Vancouver, Study to Assess Longer-term Opioid Medication Effectiveness (SALOME), that began recruitment of research participants in 2011. This paper draws on one brainstorming session, three focus groups, and field notes, with the SALOME/NAOMI Association of Patients (SNAP) in late 2013 about their experiences as research subjects in Canada's second clinical trial, SALOME in the DTES of Vancouver, and fieldwork from a 6-year period (March 2011 to February 2017) with SNAP members. SNAP's research draws on research principles developed by drug user groups and critical methodological frameworks on community-based research for social justice. The results illuminate how participating in the SALOME clinical trial impacted the lives of SNAP members. In addition, the findings reveal how SNAP member's advocacy for HAT impacts the group in positive ways. Seven major themes emerged from the analysis of the brainstorming and focus groups: life prior to SALOME, the clinic setting and routine, stability, 6-month transition, support, exiting the trial and ethics, and collective action, including their participation in a constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court of BC to continue receiving HAT once the SALOME trial ended. HAT benefits SNAP members. They argue that permanent HAT programs should be established in Canada because they are an effective harm reduction

Changing Clinical Practice: Evaluation of Implementing Recommendations for Opportunistic Salpingectomy in British Columbia and Ontario.

PubMed

Lander, Bryn; Wilcox, Elizabeth; McAlpine, Jessica N; Finlayson, Sarah J; Huntsman, David G; Miller, Dianne; Hanley, Gillian E

2018-05-11

The aim of the study was to explore the factors that contributed to the adoption of opportunistic salpingectomies (removal of fallopian at the time of hysterectomy or in lieu of tubal ligation) by gynecologic surgeons in British Columbia (where a knowledge translation initiative took place) and in Ontario (a comparator where no knowledge translation initiative took place). We aimed to understand why the knowledge translation initiative undertaken by OVCARE in British Columbia resulted in such a dramatic uptake in opportunistic salpingectomy. We undertook a qualitative evaluation of clinicians' decisions about whether or not they should adopt the practice of opportunistic salpingectomy based on interviews with gynecologic surgeons in British Columbia and Ontario (n = 28). The analysis draws from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Regional cohesion combined with practice change information exposure and thought leader support were important in explaining differences in adoption levels between participants. The British Columbian knowledge translation campaign was successful because provincial thought leaders exposed gynecologic surgeons to recommendations through multiple sources within a highly socially cohesive environment wherein clinicians felt pressure to adopt the recommendations. In both provinces, high adopters often believed that the workload and surgical risk associated with the adoption was low and the potential benefit-because of limited ovarian cancer detection and treatment options-was high. This research points to the important role that local professional networks can play in encouraging clinicians to change their practice by creating a cohesive regional environment where clinicians are repeatedly exposed to important information and supported in their practice change by local thought leaders.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY

Connections '99. Proceedings of a Faculty Conference (5th, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, May 1999).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbons, Sandra L., Ed.; Liedtke, Werner W., Ed.

This proceedings contains 13 papers from the 1999 annual conference of the Faculty of Education, University of Victoria (British Columbia). The papers are: (1) "Sacred and the Profane in Advertising Art" (Bill Zuk, Robert Dalton); (2) "Finding the Fund$ in Fun Run: Evaluating the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Physical Activity…

Perceptions of Present and Future Capability among a Sample of Rural British Columbia Youth Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapil, Meg E.; Shepard, Blythe C.

2011-01-01

A cross-sectional survey explored 96 rural adolescents' perceptions of their rural context and how their self-concept is related to perceptions of capability regarding hopes and fears for the future. The youth surveyed, from the Kootenay Boundary region of British Columbia, indicated ambivalence about staying in their communities after leaving…

Connections '98. Proceedings of a Faculty Conference (4th, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, May 1998).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbons, Sandra L., Ed.; Anderson, John O., Ed.

This proceedings contains 13 papers from the 1998 annual Faculty of Education conference at the University of Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). The papers are: (1) "Struggling with Re-Presentation, Voice, and Self in Narrative Research" (Marla Arvay); (2) "Women's Soccer in Canada: A Slow Road to Equity" (Meredith Bogle,…

First Nations, Consultation, and the Rule of Law: Salmon Farming and Colonialism in British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schreiber, Dorothee

2006-01-01

Many coastal First Nations communities, particularly in British Columbia, see consultation as a positive way of getting around the firmly entrenched position of both provincial and federal governments on fish farming. Even those Native groups such as the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk Tribal Council (MTTC) and the Homalco First Nation, who are adamantly…

VS Characterization of Hard-Rock DAM Sites in British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Addo, K. O.; Catchings, R.; Yong, A.; Goldman, M.; Chan, J. H.; Martin, A. J.

2017-12-01

We present results consisting of shear-wave velocity (VS) profiles and the time-averaged VS in the uppermost 30 m (VS30) measured with multiple noninvasive seismic methods and acquired at five hydro dam locations in British Columbia, Canada. VS30 is typically the main parameter used to account for site amplification in ground motion models (GMMs), including models for western (WNA) and central/eastern North America (CENA). As VS30 quantifies soil shear stiffness, which affects frequency content and damping within shallow sediments, it correlates with the shallow-crustal damping parameter, kappa (k), and particularly the site component of kappa (k0). The upper limit on k0-VS30-scaling is in the range of 1100 to 1500 m/s (or less) and the lack of data from stiffer sites reflects the scarcity of direct VS measurements for such site conditions in North America. Hard-rock sites (VS30 > 1500 m/s) are of great engineering interest, but the lack of such measurements increases epistemic uncertainties in the GMMs. Moreover, it is currently not possible to correlate site-to-site variations in k0 with VS30 for such conditions because most hard-rock sites are assigned a generic VS30 of 2000 m/s, due to the lack of measured VS30 values. For the British Columbia sites, our preliminary analysis of field records indicates near-surface shear-wave velocities in excess of 2500 m/s in the upper few meters. Additional analysis of body- and surface-waves will include: refraction tomography, multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW), reflection, extended-spatial-autocorrelation, horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio, and multi-spectral analysis of surface waves

Evaluation of the British Columbia AIDS Information Line.

PubMed

Parsons, D C; Bell, M A; Gilchrist, L D

1991-01-01

We evaluated implementation of the British Columbia AIDS Information Line during its initial 15 weeks of operation. Data collected during daily operation of the line included call frequency, caller characteristics, response patterns, caller concerns and community referrals. Information on activities and resources required to implement the AIDS Line was also assembled. The study concluded that the advertising campaign sponsored by the provincial government and other AIDS-related media events had a strong impact on the frequency of calls made to the AIDS Line. However, the effect of both advertising and media events was of relatively short duration, suggesting that utilization of an AIDS information line is dependent on continuing promotional activities. The evaluation results demonstrate the importance of continuous collection of data online utilization, to track public awareness of and response to AIDS-related issues, and to facilitate planning of public education.

Ethnoveterinary medicines used for horses in Trinidad and in British Columbia, Canada

PubMed Central

Lans, Cheryl; Turner, Nancy; Brauer, Gerhard; Lourenco, Grant; Georges, Karla

2006-01-01

This paper investigates the commonalities in ethnoveterinary medicine used for horses between Trinidad (West Indies) and British Columbia (Canada). These research areas are part of a common market in pharmaceuticals and are both involved in the North American racing circuit. There has been very little research conducted on medicinal plants used for horses although their use is widespread. The data on ethnoveterinary medicines used for horses was obtained through key informant interviews with horse owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, grooms and animal care specialists in two research areas: Trinidad and British Columbia (BC). A participatory validation workshop was held in BC. An extensive literature review and botanical identification of the plants was also done. In all, 20 plants were found to be used in treating racehorses in Trinidad and 97 in BC. Of these the most-evidently effective plants 19 of the plants used in Trinidad and 66 of those used in BC are described and evaluated in this paper. Aloe vera, Curcuma longa and Ricinus communis are used in both research areas. More research is needed in Trinidad to identify plants that respondents claimed were used in the past. Far more studies have been conducted on the temperate and Chinese medicinal plants used in BC and therefore these ethnoveterinary remedies reflect stronger evidence of efficacy. PMID:16893454

Foreign body aspiration in infants and toddlers: recent trends in British Columbia.

PubMed

Morley, Rebecca E; Ludemann, Jeffrey P; Moxham, J Paul; Kozak, Frederick K; Riding, Keith H

2004-02-01

The objectives of this study were to (1) examine recent trends in the demographics and presentation of children with foreign body aspiration at British Columbia's Children's Hospital and (2) develop safety guidelines regarding feeding nuts and other hard, crunchy foods to infants and toddlers. The methods used were a retrospective chart review and a review of swallowing mechanics in early childhood. Between July 1997 and July 2001, 51 children under 3 years of age underwent rigid bronchoscopy for suspected foreign body aspiration. Of these patients, 27 (53%) were 18 months of age or younger. Of these 27 infants and toddlers, 24 (89%) had a witnessed choking event and 22 (81%) had an airway foreign body. Nuts, raw carrots, and popcorn kernels accounted for 14 (64%) of the foreign bodies aspirated by these infants and toddlers. Before 2 years of age, children are poorly equipped to grind and swallow hard, crunchy food because they lack second molars and are still adjusting to the descent of the larynx. Infants and toddlers in British Columbia have been aspirating foreign bodies at an alarmingly high rate. Most cases would have been prevented with better public awareness. Caregivers should be informed that children under 3 years of age should never be fed nuts or other hard, crunchy foods. A public awareness campaign is warranted.

MCOL, frontalin, and ethanol: A potential operational trap lure for Douglas-fir beetle in British Columbia

Treesearch

B. Staffan Lingren; Daniel R. Miller; J.P. LaFontaine

2012-01-01

The Douglas-fir beetle, Dedroctonus pseudotsugae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a major pest of Douglas-fire, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) in British Columbia (Humphreys 1995). An operational trap lure for D. pseudotsugae could be useful in an integrated pest management program to minimize mortality of Douglas-...

Undergraduate exposure to urology: impact of the distributed model of medical education in British Columbia.

PubMed

Hoag, Nathan A; Hamidizadeh, Reza; MacNeily, Andrew E

2013-01-01

With the increased development of distributed sites for medical education across Canada, it is imperative we ensure that the quality of education is comparable between the different campuses. Our objective was to assess medical student experience and comfort with common urologic clinical encounters and to determine whether any differences exist between the distributed education sites at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Questionnaires assessing urologic education were delivered simultaneously to all final-year UBC medical students attending campuses in Vancouver, Victoria and Prince George. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Overall, 55.8% of students felt their exposure to urology was adequate in the medical curriculum; learners in the Northern Program (Prince George) ranked their clinical and didactic experiences significantly higher. Areas requiring improvement include teaching of the male genitourinary exam, digital rectal exam and sexual history, in which learners rated teaching "good/outstanding" in only 18.2%, 47.7% and 43.2% of cases, respectively. Overall, students were most comfortable with the following clinical encounters: urinary tract infection, nephrolithiasis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, hematuria, incontinence and prostate cancer. Few differences in student experience or comfort were noted related to campus site, gender or urology clerkship exposure. A significant minority of learners perceived that they had inadequate exposure to urology in the undergraduate curriculum. Experience in urology was comparable across the distributed sites and was congruent with teaching objectives. Students were comfortable with the clinical scenarios deemed most important in the literature. Learners in the Northern Program were significantly more satisfied with their urologic teaching, which potentially highlights the advantages of learning in a smaller academic setting.

Challenging the Inevitability of Rural Decline: Advancing the Policy of Place in Northern British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markey, Sean; Halseth, Greg; Manson, Don

2008-01-01

In current policy discourse, rural decline is often described as an inevitable process associated with such broader structural trends as globalization and urbanization. The purpose of this paper is to challenge the supposed inevitability of rural decline in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada. We argue that rural decline in northern BC has been…

Silvics of western white pine

Treesearch

Charles A. Wellner

1962-01-01

Western white pine grows along west coast mountain ranges from Vancouver Island and the Homathko River on the adjacent mainland in British Columbia southward to the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California (13, 65, 75, 83). In the interior its range is from Quesnel Lake through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia southward into northern Idaho, western...

Geological Evidence That Resolves the Baja-BC Controversy: Detrital Zircons Indicate That Vancouver Island Was Adjacent to Southern California in the Late Cretaceous

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guest, B.; Matthews, W.; Coutts, D. S.; Bain, H.; Hubbard, S. M.

2015-12-01

The Baja-BC hypothesis is at the center of a great earth sciences controversy. It stems from paleomagnetic observations that require large-scale displacements of continental crust from low latitudes (Baja, California) to moderate latitudes (British Columbia). Many geologists dispute the scale of the displacements due to a lack of corroborating geological evidence. We provide a robust, geological dataset that confirms the paleomagnetic observations. Detrital zircons from Cretaceous to Paleocene sandstone of the Nanaimo Group, which crops out in western Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands of southwest British Columbia, are analyzed. The data show a clear transition from local <300 Ma western Coast Plutonic Complex sources in the Campanian, to sources that include a significant component of >300 Ma grains in the Maastrichtian-Paleogene. An identical pattern is observed in detrital zircon datasets from southern California forearc basin deposits, and schists interpreted as the subducted remnants of forearc deposits. With a high-n dataset (n=3041) we are able to rule out possible >300 Ma source regions in Canada and the northern United States, and uniquely tie Nanaimo Group rocks to the Mojave-Sonora region of SW United States. This implies that at the end of the Cretaceous, Vancouver Island and western mainland BC were adjacent to southern California and northwestern Mexico, requiring 1900 km of displacement during the latest Cretaceous and Paleocene, consistent with paleomagnetic results. An implication of this result is that the western Coast Batholith of southwest BC was positioned between the northern Peninsular Ranges and southern Sierra Nevada batholiths in the late Cretaceous, and likely represents a displaced segment of a once continuous Cordilleran arc batholith. These results have broad implications for our understanding of episodic arc magmatism in the Cordillera, the tectonic evolution of western North America, Laramide orogenesis, the development and

The Cedar Project: mortality among young Indigenous people who use drugs in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Jongbloed, Kate; Pearce, Margo E.; Pooyak, Sherri; Zamar, David; Thomas, Vicky; Demerais, Lou; Christian, Wayne M.; Henderson, Earl; Sharma, Richa; Blair, Alden H.; Yoshida, Eric M.; Schechter, Martin T.; Spittal, Patricia M.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Young Indigenous people, particularly those involved in the child welfare system, those entrenched in substance use and those living with HIV or hepatitis C, are dying prematurely. We report mortality rates among young Indigenous people who use drugs in British Columbia and explore predictors of mortality over time. METHODS: We analyzed data collected every 6 months between 2003 and 2014 by the Cedar Project, a prospective cohort study involving young Indigenous people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver and Prince George, BC. We calculated age-standardized mortality ratios using Indigenous and Canadian reference populations. We identified predictors of mortality using time-dependent Cox proportional hazard regression. RESULTS: Among 610 participants, 40 died between 2003 and 2014, yielding a mortality rate of 670 per 100 000 person-years. Young Indigenous people who used drugs were 12.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.2–17.5) times more likely to die than all Canadians the same age and were 7.8 (95% CI 5.6–10.6) times more likely to die than Indigenous people with Status in BC. Young women and those using drugs by injection were most affected. The leading causes of death were overdose (n = 15 [38%]), illness (n = 11 [28%]) and suicide (n = 5 [12%]). Predictors of mortality included having hepatitis C at baseline (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.76, 95% CI 1.47–5.16), previous attempted suicide (adjusted HR 1.88, 95% CI 1.01–3.50) and recent overdose (adjusted HR 2.85, 95% CI 1.00–8.09). INTERPRETATION: Young Indigenous people using drugs in BC are dying at an alarming rate, particularly young women and those using injection drugs. These deaths likely reflect complex intersections of historical and present-day injustices, substance use and barriers to care. PMID:29109208

Piscine reovirus in wild and farmed salmonids in British Columbia, Canada: 1974-2013.

PubMed

Marty, G D; Morrison, D B; Bidulka, J; Joseph, T; Siah, A

2015-08-01

Piscine reovirus (PRV) was common among wild and farmed salmonids in British Columbia, western Canada, from 1987 to 2013. Salmonid tissues tested for PRV by real-time rRT-PCR included sections from archived paraffin blocks from 1974 to 2008 (n = 363) and fresh-frozen hearts from 2013 (n = 916). The earliest PRV-positive sample was from a wild-source steelhead trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), from 1977. By histopathology (n = 404), no fish had lesions diagnostic for heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI). In some groups, lymphohistiocytic endocarditis affected a greater proportion of fish with PRV than fish without PRV, but the range of Ct values among affected fish was within the range of Ct values among unaffected fish. Also, fish with the lowest PRV Ct values (18.4-21.7) lacked endocarditis or any other consistent lesion. From 1987 to 1994, the proportion of PRV positives was not significantly different between farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. (44% of 48), and wild-source salmonids (31% of 45). In 2013, the proportion of PRV positives was not significantly different between wild coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum), sampled from British Columbia (5.0% of 60) or the reference region, Alaska, USA (10% of 58). © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Impact of "Virtualization" on Independent Study Course Completion Rates: The British Columbia Open University Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giguere, Louis

2009-01-01

In 1997 the British Columbia Open University (BCOU) adopted a virtualization strategy based primarily on twinning off-line independent study distance education courses (textbook-based with study guide and telephone and e-mail tutor support) with alternate online versions (textbook-based with integrated conferencing and communications provided…

Preschools for Science: The Child Study Centre at the University of British Columbia, 1960-1997

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Penney; Gleason, Mona; Petrina, Stephen

2012-01-01

The development of the Child Study Centre (CSC) at University of British Columbia (UBC) provides a unique perspective on the complex and often contradictory relationship between child study and preschool education in postwar Canada. In this article, the authors detail the development and eventual closure of the CSC at UBC, focusing on the uneasy…

Exploring spatial and temporal variations of cadmium concentrations in pacific oysters from british columbia.

PubMed

Feng, Cindy Xin; Cao, Jiguo; Bendell, Leah

2011-09-01

Oysters from the Pacific Northwest coast of British Columbia, Canada, contain high levels of cadmium, in some cases exceeding some international food safety guidelines. A primary goal of this article is the investigation of the spatial and temporal variation in cadmium concentrations for oysters sampled from coastal British Columbia. Such information is important so that recommendations can be made as to where and when oysters can be cultured such that accumulation of cadmium within these oysters is minimized. Some modern statistical methods are applied to achieve this goal, including monotone spline smoothing, functional principal component analysis, and semi-parametric additive modeling. Oyster growth rates are estimated as the first derivatives of the monotone smoothing growth curves. Some important patterns in cadmium accumulation by oysters are observed. For example, most inland regions tend to have a higher level of cadmium concentration than most coastal regions, so more caution needs to be taken for shellfish aquaculture practices occurring in the inland regions. The semi-parametric additive modeling shows that oyster cadmium concentration decreases with oyster length, and oysters sampled at 7 m have higher average cadmium concentration than those sampled at 1 m. © 2010, The International Biometric Society.

Conceptual modeling framework to support development of site-specific selenium criteria for Lake Koocanusa, Montana, U.S.A., and British Columbia, Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenni, Karen E.; Naftz, David L.; Presser, Theresa S.

2017-10-16

The U.S. Geological Survey, working with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Strategy, has developed a conceptual modeling framework that can be used to provide structured and scientifically based input to the Lake Koocanusa Monitoring and Research Working Group as they consider potential site-specific selenium criteria for Lake Koocanusa, a transboundary reservoir located in Montana and British Columbia. This report describes that modeling framework, provides an example of how it can be applied, and outlines possible next steps for implementing the framework.

Local-scale controls of a low-severity fire regime (1750-1950), southern British Columbia, Canada

Treesearch

Emily K. Heyerdahl; Ken Lertzman; Stephen Karpuk

2007-01-01

Historical low-severity fire regimes are well characterized in ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests at many sites in the western United States, but not in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. We reconstructed a history of low-severity fires (1750-1950) near the northern limit of ponderosa pine and demonstrated that local-scale spatial variation in...

University of Victoria Genome British Columbia Proteomics Centre Partners with CPTAC | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

Cancer.gov

University of Victoria Genome British Columbia Proteomics Centre, a leader in proteomic technology development, has partnered with the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) to make targeted proteomic assays accessible to the community through NCI’s CPTAC Assay Portal (https://assays.cancer.gov).

Adult Basic Education in British Columbia's Public Post-Secondary Institutions. An Articulation Handbook. 2007-2008 Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministry of Advanced Education, 2007

2007-01-01

This is the twenty-second edition of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) Articulation Handbook for British Columbia's public postsecondary institutions. The purpose of ABE articulation is to ensure learners have access to quality courses, receive appropriate credits and are able to transfer easily among publicly-funded colleges, university colleges,…

Provincial Coordination and Inter-Institutional Collaboration in British Columbia's College, University College and Institute System. Monograph Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaber, Devron

This document addresses a study that aimed to better understand the historical development of British Columbia community college, university college, and institute system with special attention given to recent changes in inter-institutional collaboration in relation to provincial coordination. The study also addresses centralization and…

Sincere but naive: methodological queries concerning the British Columbia polygamy reference trial.

PubMed

Ashley, Sean Matthew

2014-11-01

Academics frequently serve as expert witnesses in legal cases, yet their role as transmitters of social scientific knowledge remains under-examined. The present study analyzes the deployment of social science within British Columbia's polygamy reference trial where research is used to support the assertion that polygamy is inherently harmful to society. Within the trial record and the written decision, the protection of monogamy as an institution is performed in part through the marginalization of qualitative methodology and the concurrent privileging of quantitative studies that purportedly demonstrate widespread social harms associated with the practice of polygyny.

Trends in selected water-quality characteristics, Flathead River at Flathead, British Columbia, and at Columbia Falls, Montana, water years, 1975-86

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cary, L.E.

1989-01-01

Data for selected water quality variables were evaluated for trends at two sampling stations--Flathead River at Flathead, British Columbia (Flathead station) and Flathead River at Columbia Falls, Montana (Columbia Falls station). The results were compared between stations. The analyses included data from water years 1975-86 at the Flathead station and water years 1979-86 at the Columbia Falls station. The seasonal Kendall test was applied to adjusted concentrations for variables related to discharge and to unadjusted concentrations for the remaining variables. Slope estimates were made for variables with significant trends unless data were reported as less than the detection limit. At the Flathead station, concentrations of dissolved solids, calcium, magnesium, sodium, dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen (total and dissolved), total organic nitrogen, and total phosphorus increased during the study period. Concentrations of total nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen and dissolved iron decreased during the same period. At the Columbia Falls station, concentrations increased for calcium and magnesium and decreased for sulfate and dissolved phosphorus. No trends were detected for 10 other variables tested at each station. Data for the Flathead station were reanalyzed for water years 1979-86. Trends in the data increased for magnesium and dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen and decreased for dissolved iron. Magnesium was the only variable that displayed a trend (increasing) at both stations. The increasing trends that were detected probably will not adversely affect the water quality of the Flathead River in the near future. (USGS)

Sources of Seismic Hazard in British Columbia: What Controls Earthquakes in the Crust?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balfou, Natalie Joy

This thesis examines processes causing faulting in the North American crust in the northern Cascadia subduction zone. A combination of seismological methods, including source mechanism determination, stress inversion and earthquake relocations are used to determine where earthquakes occur and what forces influence faulting. We also determine if forces that control faulting can be monitored using seismic anisotropy. Investigating the processes that contribute to faulting in the crust is important because these earthquakes pose significant hazard to the large population centres in British Columbia and Washington State. To determine where crustal earthquakes occur we apply double-difference earthquake relocation techniques to events in the Fraser River Valley, British Columbia, and the San Juan Islands, Washington. This technique is used to identify "hidden" active structures using both catalogue and waveform cross-correlation data. Results have significantly reduced uncertainty over routine catalogue locations and show lineations in areas of clustered seismicity. In the Fraser River Valley these lineations or streaks appear to be hidden structures that do not disrupt near-surface sediments; however, in the San Juan Islands the identified lineation can be related to recently mapped surface expressions of faults. To determine forces that influence faulting we investigate the orientation and sources of stress using Bayesian inversion results from focal mechanism data. More than ˜600 focal mechanisms from crustal earthquakes are calculated to identify the dominant style of faulting and inverted to estimate the principal stress orientations and the stress ratio. Results indicate the maximum horizontal compressive stress (SHmax) orientation changes with distance from the subduction interface, from margin-normal along the coast to margin-parallel further inland. We relate the margin-normal stress direction to subduction-related strain rates due to the locked interface

Physical and Mental Health Issues among Homeless Youth in British Columbia, Canada: Are they Different from Older Homeless Adults?

PubMed

Saddichha, Sahoo; Linden, Isabelle; Krausz, Michael Reinhardt

2014-09-01

Youth homelessness is on the rise in North America, yet this vulnerable population is rarely studied and compared with adults. This paper aimed to study the homeless youth and identify specific vulnerabilities, which rendered them different from the adult homeless population. It also aimed to describe the youth homeless population and their significant co-morbidities. DATA WAS DERIVED FROM THE BC HEALTH OF THE HOMELESS STUDY (BCHOHS), CARRIED OUT IN THREE CITIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA: the large urban centre Vancouver (n=250); the mid-sized city and capital of the province Victoria (n=150). Measures included socio-demographic information, the Maudsley Addiction Profile (MAP), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) Plus. Youth constituted 16.5% (n=82) of the homeless population. Compared to the adult homeless, the homeless youth were more often female (55%), were Aboriginal (47.6%), had greater substance abuse of alcohol (70.7%), amphetamines (8.5%) and cannabis (75.6%). A lower prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (0.2%) and psychotic disorders (13.4%) was also observed. The prevalence of traumatic experiences, other psychiatric disorders and physical illnesses were similar between the adult and homeless youth. Homeless youth have high rates of physical and psychiatric comorbidity, similar to the adult homeless, despite being 20 years younger. An urgent need for interventions that go beyond the standardized ones being offered to homeless populations as a whole, and to derive specific strategies that target this vulnerable population is required.

Seroadaptive Strategies of Vancouver Gay and Bisexual Men in a Treatment as Prevention Environment.

PubMed

Roth, Eric Abella; Cui, Zishan; Rich, Ashleigh; Lachowsky, Nathan; Sereda, Paul; Card, Kiffer George; Jollimore, Jody; Howard, Terry; Armstrong, Heather; Moore, David; Hogg, Robert

2018-01-01

British Columbia's treatment as prevention policy has provided free access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to all HIV-positive provincial residents since 1996. One outcome is an increase in HIV-positive gay and bisexual men (GBM) with suppressed viral loads. Previous cross-sectional analyses indicated that some Vancouver GBM now recognize condomless anal sex with men on HAART who report a suppressed viral load as a seroadaptive strategy. To test the hypothesis that this new strategy, termed viral load sorting (VLS), is recognized and used among by GBM in the Momentum Health Study, we analyzed longitudinal data for HIV-negative/unknown (n = 556) and HIV-positive (n = 218) serostatus participants. Analyses indicated that both groups reported VLS, and that serostatus and Treatment Optimism Scale scores were significant determinants in frequency and use. Results exemplify the medicalization of sex and Rogers' Diffusion Of Preventative Innovations Model, and they have important implications for HIV research and GBM sexual decision-making.

Teachers of Punjabi Sikh Ancestry: Their Perceptions of Their Roles in the British Columbia Education System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirji, Shemina; Beynon, June

2000-01-01

Interviews with 20 Punjabi Sikh teachers (mostly immigrants) in British Columbia found that they played a wide variety of roles in the education system. They served as bridges between the Punjabi Sikh community and the schools; acted as translators, cultural informants, and role models; and were committed to influencing parental attitudes toward…

British Columbia's health reform: "new directions" and accountability.

PubMed

Davidson, A R

1999-01-01

The health policy New Directions committed the British Columbia government to a population health perspective and extensive community involvement in the health services reform process. The policy envisaged elected citizen boards with authority to raise revenues and exercise a significant degree of local autonomy. Academic and public attention has been paid to the decision in November 1996 to collapse New Directions' two-tier governance structure into a single level. Less attention has been paid to the profound changes that occurred prior to the government's reversal on the question of governance. This paper focuses on those changes. During the critical three years between the 1993 launch of the reform and its formal revision in 1996, the government's positions on elections, taxation power, local autonomy and scope of action for regional boards all changed. Those changes marked a retreat from political accountability to the community and an advance towards managerial accountability to the government.

Campus 2020: Thinking Ahead. The Report. Access and Excellence: The Campus 2020 Plan for British Columbia's Post-Secondary Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plant, Geoff

2007-01-01

Campus 2020: Thinking Ahead asked British Columbians to imagine the future of higher learning and to create a plan that will help us get there. This report is that plan. This report is the first comprehensive look at higher education in British Columbia in 45 years. It charts a course for the future that builds on the strengths of the past. While…

Cryptococcus gattii dispersal mechanisms, British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Kidd, Sarah E; Bach, Paxton J; Hingston, Adrian O; Mak, Sunny; Chow, Yat; MacDougall, Laura; Kronstad, James W; Bartlett, Karen H

2007-01-01

Recent Cryptococcus gattii infections in humans and animals without travel history to Vancouver Island, as well as environmental isolations of the organism in other areas of the Pacific Northwest, led to an investigation of potential dispersal mechanisms. Longitudinal analysis of C. gattii presence in trees and soil showed patterns of permanent, intermittent, and transient colonization, reflecting C. gattii population dynamics once the pathogen is introduced to a new site. Systematic sampling showed C. gattii was associated with high-traffic locations. In addition, C. gattii was isolated from the wheel wells of vehicles on Vancouver Island and the mainland and on footwear, consistent with anthropogenic dispersal of the organism. Increased levels of airborne C. gattii were detected during forestry and municipal activities such as wood chipping, the byproducts of which are frequently used in park landscaping. C. gattii dispersal by these mechanisms may be a useful model for other emerging pathogens.

ADULT EDUCATION AND THE ADOPTION OF INNOVATIONS BY ORCHARDISTS IN THE OKANAGAN VALLEY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MILLERD, FRANK W.; VERNER, COOLIE

THIS STUDY ANALYZED THE GENERAL BEHAVIOR OF ORCHARDISTS IN THE OKANAGAN VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, AND THE FACTORS RELATED TO ADOPTION OF INNOVATIONS IN THIS SETTING. FIVE PERCENT SAMPLES WERE DRAWN FROM 19 DISTRICTS CONSISTING OF 2,721 ORCHARDS, AND DATA WERE GATHERED BY RESIDENT AGRICULTURISTS. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED BY STAGE IN THE ADOPTION…

Control of Growth Within Drosophila Peripheral Nerves by Ras and Protein Kinase A

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-01

assistance and Kei Ito, Vanessa Auld, Marc Tatar, Hideyuki Okano, Sally Leevers, Ernst Hafen, Exelixis Corporation, and the Bloomington Drosophila Stock...and Auld, 1999) and were provided by Van - essa Auld (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) and Kei Ito (National...nerve barrier (Auld et al., 1995) and an outer, meso- dermally derived perineurial glia ( Edwards et al., 1993). A trans- mission electron micrograph

Paramedic Physical Demands Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

The five national sites included: British Columbia Ambulance Service (Vancouver, British Columbia - Metro catchment area ), Superior North Emergency...routinely drove within their assigned catchment area between calls, in addition to their driving duties on route to and from a call. Figure 10...been spent driving the ambulance roaming through their catchment area , seated in the ambulance or in a satellite station awaiting a call, or

Changes in per capita alcohol sales during the partial privatization of British Columbia's retail alcohol monopoly 2003-2008: a multi-level local area analysis.

PubMed

Stockwell, Tim; Zhao, Jinhui; Macdonald, Scott; Pakula, Basia; Gruenewald, Paul; Holder, Harold

2009-11-01

To investigate the independent effects on liquor sales of an increase in (a) the density of liquor outlets and (b) the proportion of liquor stores in private rather than government ownership in British Columbia between 2003/4 and 2007/8. The British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch provided data on litres of ethanol sold through different types of outlets in 89 local health areas of the province by beverage type. Multi-level regression models were used to examine the relationship between per capita alcohol sales and outlet densities for different types of liquor outlet after adjusting for potential confounding social, economic and demographic factors as well as spatial and temporal autocorrelation. Liquor outlets in 89 local health areas of British Columbia, Canada. The number of private stores per 10,000 residents was associated significantly and positively with per capita sales of ethanol in beer, coolers, spirits and wine, while the reverse held for government liquor stores. Significant positive effects were also identified for the number of bars and restaurants per head of population. The percentage of liquor stores in private versus government ownership was also associated significantly with per capita alcohol sales when controlling for density of liquor stores and of on-premise outlets (P < 0.01). The trend towards privatisation of liquor outlets between 2003/04 and 2007/08 in British Columbia has contributed to increased per capita sales of alcohol and hence possibly also to increased alcohol-related harm.

Use of NARCCAP results for extremes: British Columbia case studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdock, T. Q.; Eckstrand, H.; Buerger, G.; Hiebert, J.

2011-12-01

Demand for projections of extremes has arisen out of local infrastructure vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning. Four preliminary analyses of extremes have been undertaken in British Columbia in the past two years in collaboration with users: BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Engineers Canada, City of Castelgar, and Columbia Basin Trust. Projects have included analysis of extremes for stormwater management, highways, and community adaptation in different areas of the province. This need for projections of extremes has been met using an ensemble of Regional Climate Model (RCM) results from NARCCAP, in some cases supplemented by and compared to statistical downscaling. Before assessing indices of extremes, each RCM simulation in the NARCCAP ensemble driven by reanalysis (NCEP) was compared to historical observations to assess RCM skill. Next, the anomalies according to each RCM future projection were compared to those of their driving GCM to determine the "value added" by the RCMs. Selected results will be shown for several indices of extremes, including the Climdex set of indices that has been widely used elsewhere (e.g., Stardex) and specific parameters of interest defined by users. Finally, the need for threshold scaling of some indices and use of as large an ensemble as possible will be illustrated.

Agencies and Organizations. Made in B.C.: A History of Postsecondary Education in British Columbia. Volume 6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowin, Bob

2012-01-01

This report describes agencies (established by government) and organizations (established by others) that dealt exclusively with postsecondary education in British Columbia, Canada and which had at least one professional employee and/or were separate legal entities. Of the fifty groups described since 1960, about two dozen existed in 2012. The…

The importance of floristics to sagebrush breeding birds of the south Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, British Columbia

Treesearch

Susan Paczek; Pam Krannitz

2005-01-01

Habitat associations were determined for five species of songbirds breeding in sagebrush habitat of the South Okanagan and Similkameen valleys, British Columbia. We examined the relative importance of plant species versus “total forbs” and “total grasses” at a local level (<100 m) with point counts and vegetation survey...

Private Career Colleges. Made in B.C.: A History of Postsecondary Education in British Columbia. Volume 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowin, Bob

2013-01-01

This report describes private colleges serving adults which since 1936 have been required to register with the provincial government of British Columbia, Canada or, since 1993, with a regulatory body created by the government. The sector has always included career colleges, but registration was expanded temporarily in the 1990s to include all…

Communication Disorders and the Inclusion of Newcomer African Refugees in Rural Primary Schools of British Columbia, Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usman, Lantana M.

2012-01-01

In Canadian public primary schools, newcomer West African refugees like other ethnic immigrant students are a visible minority group, often referred as Linguistic and Culturally Different (LCD) students. In the province of British Columbia, newcomer immigrant students are subjected to a battery of tests, as soon as they enroll in the primary…

British Columbia Transfer Guide, 2002-2003: The Official Guide to Post-Secondary Credit Transfer in B.C.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer, Vancouver.

This transfer 2002-2003 transfer guide for the province of British Columbia offers detailed information for college transfer students. The guide documents provincial transfer policy and process, as well as offering specific transfer information for some institutions. It is suggested that it be used in conjunction with the Online Transfer Guide and…

Breeding biology of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia

Treesearch

Lorraine A. Andrusiak; K. M. Cheng

1997-01-01

Breeding of the Barn Owl was studied from 1990-1992 in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, the northern limit of the species' North American range. Over 3 years, mean clutch size was 6.5 ± 3.5, mean brood size at time of banding was 3.3 ± 2.0, and mean number of nestlings fledged was 2.6 ± 2.1. Clutch size ranged from 2 to 18 eggs....

Anomalous Induced Seismicity due to Hydraulic Fracturing. Case of study in the Montney Formation, Northeast British Columbia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longobardi, M.; Bustin, A. M. M.; Johansen, K.; Bustin, R. M.

2017-12-01

One of our goals is to investigate the variables and processes controlling the anomalous induced seismicity and its associated ground motions, to better understand the anomalous induced seismicity (AIS) due to hydraulic fracturing in Northeast British Columbia. Our other main objective is to optimize-completions and well design. Although the vast majority of earthquakes that occur in the world each year have natural causes, some of these earthquakes and a number of lesser magnitude seismic events are induced by human activities. The recorded induced seismicity resulting from the fluid injection during hydraulic fracturing is generally small in magnitude (< M 1). Shale gas operations in Northeast British Columbia (BC) have induced the largest recorded occurrence and magnitude of AIS because of hydraulic fracturing. Anomalous induced seismicity have been recorded in seven clusters within the Montney area, with magnitudes up to ML 4.6. Five of these clusters have been linked to hydraulic fracturing. To analyse our AIS data, we first have calculated the earthquakes hypocenters. The data was recorded on an array of real-time accelerometers. We built the array based on our modified design from the early earthquake detectors installed in BC schools for the Earthquake Early Warning System for British Columbia. We have developed a new technique for locating hypocenters and applied it to our dataset. The technique will enable near real-time event location, aiding in both mitigating induced events and adjusting completions to optimize the stimulation. Our hypocenter program assumes to consider a S wave speed, fitting the arrival times to the hypocenter, and using an "amoebae method" multivariate. We have used this method because it is well suited to minimizing of the chi-squared function of the arrival time deviation. We show some preliminary results on the Montney dataset.

77 FR 53141 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Columbia River, Vancouver, WA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-31

... lift-spans. This deviation allows height-restricted lifts which will reduce the vertical clearance... which cross the Columbia River at mile 106.5 only be required to lift to a reduced height of 130 feet above Columbia River Datum for a 30 day period. The height restricted lifts are necessary to facilitate...

Habitat selection of Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus brooksi) on the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia

Treesearch

Michael Gill; Richard J. Cannings

1997-01-01

The Northern Saw-whet Owl of the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia is recognized as a distinct subspecies Aegolius acadicus brooksi. Little is known of the biology of this subspecies, and no nests have ever been found. We surveyed for Northern Saw-whet Owls on the Queen Charlotte Islands between 4 May and 28 May, 1996 establishing 10 survey...

Columbia-North Pacific Region Comprehensive Framework Study of Water and Related Lands. Appendix I. History of Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1971-12-01

NORTHWEST, R[6~ BASINS COMMIS$ION 1 COLUMBIA RIVER , VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON DECEMBER 1971 PARTICIPATING STATES AND AGENCIES STATES Idaho Nevada Utah Wyoming...G.. ......al H~~~~~s ../....h G.E..n.at. ~J$~ I 314S ~ leCts AVAL SO1IU 1 ppjcoved imP Pacific Submitted by 4-. PcificNorthwest River Basins...Commissions Vancouver, Washington 77𔄁’ -, Prepared by Columbia-North Pacific Technical Staff: ’E. L. White, Pacific Northwest River Basins Commission G. J

Upper-crustal structure beneath the strait of Georgia, Southwest British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dash, R.K.; Spence, G.D.; Riedel, M.; Hyndman, R.D.; Brocher, T.M.

2007-01-01

We present a new three-dimensional (3-D) P-wave velocity model for the upper-crustal structure beneath the Strait of Georgia, southwestern British Columbia based on non-linear tomographic inversion of wide-angle seismic refraction data. Our study, part of the Georgia Basin Geohazards Initiative (GBGI) is primarily aimed at mapping the depth of the Cenozoic sedimentary basin and delineating the near-surface crustal faults associated with recent seismic activities (e.g. M = 4.6 in 1997 and M = 5.0 in 1975) in the region. Joint inversion of first-arrival traveltimes from the 1998 Seismic Hazards Investigation in Puget Sound (SHIPS) and the 2002 Georgia Basin experiment provides a high-resolution velocity model of the subsurface to a depth of ???7 km. In the southcentral Georgia Basin, sedimentary rocks of the Cretaceous Nanaimo Group and early Tertiary rocks have seismic velocities between 3.0 and 5.5 km s-1. The basin thickness increases from north to south with a maximum thickness of 7 (??1) km (depth to velocities of 5.5 km s-1) at the southeast end of the strait. The underlying basement rocks, probably representing the Wrangellia terrane, have velocities of 5.5-6.5 km-1 with considerable lateral variation. Our tomographic model reveals that the Strait of Georgia is underlain by a fault-bounded block within the central Georgia Basin. It also shows a correlation between microearthquakes and areas of rapid change in basin thickness. The 1997/1975 earthquakes are located near a northeast-trending hinge line where the thicknesses of sedimentary rocks increase rapidly to the southeast. Given its association with instrumentally recorded, moderate sized earthquakes, we infer that the hinge region is cored by an active fault that we informally name the Gabriola Island fault. A northwest-trending, southwest dipping velocity discontinuity along the eastern side of Vancouver Island correlates spatially with the surface expression of the Outer Island fault. The Outer Island

Building a System of Autonomous Institutions: Coordination and Collaboration in British Columbia's Community College, University College, and Institute System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaber, Devron A.

2003-01-01

Explores the historical development of British Columbia's community college, university college, and institute system with the focus on voluntary collaboration in relation to provincial coordination and on swings between centralization and decentralization. Study examines development in BC's post secondary system in light of broader global…

Addressing Youth Mental Health Issues in BC's K-12 Public Schools: A BCTF Submission. A Brief to the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth from the British Columbia Teachers' Federation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Teachers' Federation, 2015

2015-01-01

The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) has taken an active role in addressing both youth and teacher mental health issues in recent years, and will continue to do so. The BCTF is a participant in the British Columbia (BC) School-Based Mental Health Collaborative, has a web page with resources to support teachers in understanding mental…

Profilicollis botulus (Van Cleave, 1916) from diving ducks and shore crabs of British Columbia.

PubMed

Ching, H L

1989-02-01

Adults of Profilicollis botulus were found in 6 species of diving ducks in British Columbia including 3 new hosts: common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula (L.); Barrow's goldeneye, B. islandica (Gmelin); and greater scaup, Aythya marila (L.). The identification of the species was verified by the examination of co-types and specimens from eider ducks, Somateria mollissima (L.), from Scotland and oldsquaw, Clangula hyemalis (L.), from New Brunswick. Cystacanths from the hairy shore crab, Hemigrapsus oregonensis (Dana), were similar in morphology to those from Carcinus maenas (L.) from Scotland.

Intestinal parasites of raccoons (Procyon lotor) from southwest British Columbia.

PubMed Central

Ching, H L; Leighton, B J; Stephen, C

2000-01-01

This is the first extensive survey of metazoan parasites (particularly of the roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis) from the intestines of raccoons in British Columbia. The sample collected in 1997-1998 consisted of 82 raccoons that had been sick or had been killed accidentally by automobiles. Fifteen parasite taxa were found: 3 nematodes, 9 digenetic trematodes, 2 acanthocephalans and 1 cestode. Ten of these parasites constitute new host records for raccoons, including 4 digenetic trematodes that have been reported in marine birds and mammals on the Pacific Coast of North America. Baylisascaris procyonis infected 61% of the raccoons with a mean intensity of 27. The high rate of infection indicates a large potential for environmental contamination and, thus, human and animal exposure to infectious eggs. Prevention of larva migrans is discussed, particularly for people in contact with raccoons in wildlife rehabilitation centers. PMID:10805249

Washington state--British Columbia international mobility and trade corridor (IMTC) : ITS-CVO border crossing deployment, evaluation draft report : executive summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-10-01

The Washington state-British Columbia international mobility and trade corridor (IMTC) ITS-CVO Border Crossing Deployment is allowing for the completion of a bi-national freight border crossing ITS system at the border, and is a follow-on effort t...

Control of Growth Within Drosophila Peripheral Nerves by Ras and Protein Kinase A

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-01

Grant W81XWH-04- 1-0272 (M.S.). We are grateful to Angela Lynn, Vanathi Sundaresan, and Gia Fazio for technical assistance and Kei Ito, Vanessa Auld, Marc...by Van - essa Auld (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) and Kei Ito (National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Ja...and an outer, meso- dermally derived perineurial glia ( Edwards et al., 1993). A trans- mission electron micrograph (TEM) of a peripheral nerve cross

Sexual reproduction and gene flow in the pine pathogen Dothistroma septosporum in British Columbia.

PubMed

Dale, A L; Lewis, K J; Murray, B W

2011-01-01

Dothistroma septosporum has caused a serious needle blight epidemic in the lodgepole pine forests in northwest British Columbia over the past several years. Although ascocarps had been observed in British Columbia, nothing was known about the contribution of sexual reproduction, gene flow and long-distance dispersal to the epidemic. Amplified fragment length polymorphism and mating-type markers in 19 sites were used to generate population and reproductive data. Overall, evidence suggests a mixed mode of reproduction. Haplotypic diversity was high, with 79 unique and 56 shared haplotypes (possible clones) identified from 192 fungal isolates. Overall, mating-type segregation did not differ significantly from 1:1; however, random mating was rejected in most populations in the index of association and parsimony tree-length permutation analyses using the full data set and, when using clone-corrected data sets, more of the smaller populations showed random mating. Two of the smaller populations consistently showed random mating for both tests using both clone-corrected and noncorrected data. High gene flow is suggested by no differentiation between 14 of the 19 sites, several of which came from young plantations where the pathogen was not likely present prior to the current outbreak. The remaining five sites showed some level of divergence, possibly due to historic separation and endemic pathogen populations. Results indicate a high evolutionary potential and long-distance dispersal in this pathogen, important to consider in future forest management.

Care outcomes in long-term care facilities in British Columbia, Canada. Does ownership matter?

PubMed

McGregor, Margaret J; Tate, Robert B; McGrail, Kimberlyn M; Ronald, Lisa A; Broemeling, Anne-Marie; Cohen, Marcy

2006-10-01

This study investigated whether for-profit (FP) versus not-for-profit (NP) ownership of long-term care facilities resulted in a difference in hospital admission and mortality rates among facility residents in British Columbia, Canada. This retrospective cohort study used administrative data on all residents of British Columbia long-term care facilities between April 1, 1996, and August 1, 1999 (n = 43,065). Hospitalizations were examined for 6 diagnoses (falls, pneumonia, anemia, dehydration, urinary tract infection, and decubitus ulcers and/or gangrene), which are considered to be reflective of facility quality of care. In addition to FP versus NP status, facilities were divided into ownership subgroups to investigate outcomes by differences in governance and operational structures. We found that, overall, FP facilities demonstrated higher adjusted hospitalization rates for pneumonia, anemia, and dehydration and no difference for falls, urinary tract infections, or DCU/gangrene. FP facilities demonstrated higher adjusted hospitalization rates compared with NP facilities attached to a hospital, amalgamated to a regional health authority, or that were multisite. This effect was not present when comparing FP facilities to NP single-site facilities. There was no difference in mortality rates in FP versus NP facilities. The higher adjusted hospitalization rates in FP versus NP facilities is consistent with previous research from U.S. authors. However, the superior performance by the NP sector is driven by NP-owned facilities connected to a hospital or health authority, or that had more than one site of operation.

Cost-effectiveness of population-level expansion of highly active antiretroviral treatment for HIV in British Columbia, Canada: a modelling study.

PubMed

Nosyk, Bohdan; Min, Jeong E; Lima, Viviane D; Hogg, Robert S; Montaner, Julio S G

2015-09-01

Widespread HIV screening and access to highly active antiretroviral treatment (ART) were cost effective in mathematical models, but population-level implementation has led to questions about cost, value, and feasibility. In 1996, British Columbia, Canada, introduced universal coverage of drug and other health-care costs for people with HIV/AIDS and and began extensive scale-up in access to ART. We aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of ART scale-up in British Columbia compared with hypothetical scenarios of constrained treatment access. Using comprehensive linked population-level data, we populated a dynamic, compartmental transmission model to simulate the HIV/AIDS epidemic in British Columbia from 1997 to 2010. We estimated HIV incidence, prevalence, mortality, costs (in 2010 CAN$), and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for the study period, which was 1997-2010. We calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios from societal and third-party-payer perspectives to compare actual practice (true numbers of individuals accessing ART) to scenarios of constrained expansion (75% and 50% probability of accessing ART). We also investigated structural and parameter uncertainty. Actual practice resulted in 263 averted incident cases compared with 75% of observed access and 676 averted cases compared with 50% of observed access to ART. From a third-party-payer perspective, actual practice resulted in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of $23 679 per QALY versus 75% access and $24 250 per QALY versus 50% access. From a societal perspective, actual practice was cost saving within the study period. When the model was extended to 2035, current observed access resulted in cumulative savings of $25·1 million compared with the 75% access scenario and $65·5 million compared with the 50% access scenario. ART scale-up in British Columbia has decreased HIV-related morbidity, mortality, and transmission. Resulting incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for actual practice

The Invisible Giant: A History of Adult Education in British Columbia. Occasional Papers in Continuing Education Number 25.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selman, Gordon R.

The history of adult education in British Columbia may be divided into three periods: from the early years of European settlement to 1914, from 1914 to 1954, and from 1954 to the present. Before 1914, the development of adult education was sporadic and carried out by many different agencies. Missionaries, clergy of various denominations, and…

Myiasis in pet animals in British Columbia: The potential of forensic entomology for determining duration of possible neglect

PubMed Central

2004-01-01

Abstract Results of a survey of veterinarians in British Columbia included 25 past cases of myiasis and 10 active cases. Most respondents received at least 5 to 10 cases per year, with some as high as 30 per year. This study revealed some advantages and disadvantages of using forensic entomology in living animals. PMID:15646845

Aboriginal Business Capacity Building Programs in the Central Interior of British Columbia: A Collaborative Project between the University and Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunkel, Titi; Schorcht, Blanca; Brazzoni, Randall

2011-01-01

Aboriginal communities in Canada are typically marginalized, have very low employment participation rates, and have limited economic infrastructure. The downturn in global economies further marginalized these communities. The University of Northern British Columbia's (UNBC) Continuing Studies department piloted an Aboriginal and Small Business…

Evaluation of the Courtlink Auto Crime Prevention Program (CACPP) for Senior Elementary and Alternative School Students in British Columbia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, Charles K.; Meehan, George

This study evaluated the Courtlink Auto Crime Prevention Program (CACPP), a 13-hour curriculum for senior elementary school and secondary school alternative program at-risk students in British Columbia, Canada. The program provides students with information about automobile crime and its costs, consequences, and prevention. It promotes positive…

Antiretroviral drug costs and prescription patterns in British Columbia, Canada: 1996-2011.

PubMed

Nosyk, Bohdan; Montaner, Julio S G; Yip, Benita; Lima, Viviane D; Hogg, Robert S

2014-04-01

Treatment options and therapeutic guidelines have evolved substantially since highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) became the standard of HIV care in 1996. We conducted the present population-based analysis to characterize the determinants of direct costs of HAART over time in British Columbia, Canada. We considered individuals ever receiving HAART in British Columbia from 1996 to 2011. Linear mixed-effects regression models were constructed to determine the effects of demographic indicators, clinical stage, and treatment characteristics on quarterly costs of HAART (in 2010$CDN) among individuals initiating in different temporal periods. The least-square mean values were estimated by CD4 category and over time for each temporal cohort. Longitudinal data on HAART recipients (N = 9601, 17.6% female, mean age at initiation = 40.5) were analyzed. Multiple regression analyses identified demographics, treatment adherence, and pharmacological class to be independently associated with quarterly HAART costs. Higher CD4 cell counts were associated with modestly lower costs among pre-HAART initiators [least-square means (95% confidence interval), CD4 > 500: 4674 (4632-4716); CD4: 350-499: 4765 (4721-4809) CD4: 200-349: 4826 (4780-4871); CD4 <200: 4809 (4759-4859)]; however these differences were not significant among post-2003 HAART initiators. Population-level mean costs increased through 2006 and stabilized post-2003 HAART initiators incurred quarterly costs up to 23% lower than pre-2000 HAART initiators in 2010. Our results highlight the magnitude of the temporal changes in HAART costs, and disparities between recent and pre-HAART initiators. This methodology can improve the precision of economic modeling efforts by using detailed cost functions for annual, population-level medication costs according to the distribution of clients by clinical stage and era of treatment initiation.

Hydrocarbon concentrations and patterns in free-ranging sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Harris, Kate A; Nichol, Linda M; Ross, Peter S

2011-10-01

With oil pollution recognized as a major threat to British Columbia's recovering sea otter (Enhydra lutris) population, it is important to distinguish acute from chronic exposures to oil constituent groups in this marine mammal. Concentrations and patterns of alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in blood samples from 29 live-captured sea otters in two coastal areas of British Columbia, as well as in representative samples of their invertebrate prey. Hydrocarbon concentrations in sea otters were similar between areas and among age and sex classes, suggesting that metabolism dominates the fate of these compounds in sea otters. Biomagnification factors derived from PAH ratios in otter:prey supported this notion. Although some higher alkylated three- and four-ring PAHs appeared to biomagnify, the majority of PAHs did not. The apparent retention of alkyl PAHs was reflected in the composition of estimated sea otter body burdens, which provided an alternative way of evaluating hydrocarbon exposure. Alkyl PAHs made up 86 ± 9% of estimated body burdens (4,340 ± 2,950 µg), with no differences between males and females (p = 0.18). The importance of measuring both parent and alkyl PAHs is underscored by their divergent dynamics in sea otters, with ready depuration of parent PAHs (metabolized or excreted) by sea otters on the one hand and biomagnification of alkyl PAHs on the other. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

Geologic map of the Vancouver and Orchards quadrangles and parts of the Portland and Mount Tabor quadrangles, Clark County, Washington, and Multnomah County, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Connor, Jim E.; Cannon, Charles M.; Mangano, Joseph F.; Evarts, Russell C.

2016-06-03

IntroductionThis is a 1:24,000-scale geologic map of the Vancouver and Orchards quadrangles and parts of the Portland and Mount Tabor quadrangles in the States of Washington and Oregon. The map area is within the Portland Basin and includes most of the city of Vancouver, Washington; parts of Clark County, Washington; and a small part of northwestern Multnomah County, Oregon. The Columbia River flows through the southern part of the map area, generally forming the southern limit of mapping. Mapped Quaternary geologic units include late Pleistocene cataclysmic flood deposits, eolian deposits, and alluvium of the Columbia River and its tributaries. Older deposits include Miocene to Pleistocene alluvium from an ancestral Columbia River. Regional geologic structures are not exposed in the map area but are inferred from nearby mapping.

Socio Economic Status and Traumatic Brain Injury amongst Pediatric Populations: A Spatial Analysis in Greater Vancouver

PubMed Central

Amram, Ofer; Schuurman, Nadine; Pike, Ian; Yanchar, Natalie L; Friger, Michael; McBeth, Paul B.; Griesdale, Donald

2015-01-01

Introduction: Within Canada, injuries are the leading cause of death amongst children fourteen years of age and younger, and also one of the leading causes of morbidity. Low Socio Economic Status (SES) seems to be a strong indicator of a higher prevalence of injuries. This study aims to identify hotspots for pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and examines the relationship between SES and pediatric TBI rates in greater Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada. Methods: Pediatric TBI data from the BC Trauma Registry (BCTR) was used to identify all pediatric TBI patients admitted to BC hospitals between the years 2000 and 2013. Spatial analysis was used to identify hotspots for pediatric TBI. Multivariate analysis was used to distinguish census variables that were correlated with rates of injury. Results: Six hundred and fifty three severe pediatric TBI injuries occurred within the BC Lower Mainland between 2000 and 2013. High rates of injury were concentrated in the East, while low rate clusters were most common in the West of the region (more affluent neighborhoods). A low level of education was the main predictor of a high rate of injury (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.03–1.23, p-Value 0.009). Conclusion: While there was a clear relationship between different SES indicators and pediatric TBI rates in greater Vancouver, income-based SES indicators did not serve as good predictors within this region. PMID:26670241

Connecting to the Art Market from Home: An Exploration of First Nations Artists in Alert Bay, British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neufeld, Margaret R. M.

2009-01-01

Historically, Northwest Coast First Nations artists have been active participants in local and external economic markets. In Alert Bay, British Columbia, home of the 'Namgis People of the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation, artists have sold their work in urban centers since the 1950s. Now they are more rigorously involved in selling their work to local shops…

Updated Graduation Requirements Review. A Brief to the Ministry of Education from the British Columbia Teachers' Federation. Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Teachers' Federation, 2016

2016-01-01

The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) is a union of professionals that represents the 41,000 teachers in BC's public-education system. The BCTF is committed to success for every student in a strong and stable public-education system. In reviewing the current BC graduation requirements and plans for the draft curriculum in the fall of…

The Public-Private Partnership That Built a "Traditional" School: A Case Study from British Columbia. SAEE Research Series #7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Daniel

This study examines the management and outcome of the public-private partnerships (P3s) school construction project used in the Auguston housing development in Abbotsford, British Columbia to build a traditionally-designed elementary school. The study explored the relationship between the project's major players, the fiscal incentives that drove…

Impact of coal-carrying trains on particulate matter concentrations in South Delta, British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Akaoka, K; McKendry, I; Saxton, J; Cottle, P W

2017-04-01

Transport of coal by train through residential neighborhoods in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada may increase the possibility of exposure to particulate matter at different size ranges, with concomitant potential negative health impacts. This pilot study identifies and quantifies train impacts on particulate matter (PM) concentrations at a single location. Field work was conducted during August and September 2014, with the attributes of a subset of passing trains confirmed visually, and the majority of passages identified with audio data. In addition to fixed ground based monitors at distances 15 and 50 m from the train tracks, an horizontally pointing mini-micropulse lidar system was deployed on three days to make backscatter and depolarization measurements in an attempt to identify the zone of influence, and sources, of train-generated PM. Ancillary wind and dust fall data were also utilized. Trains carrying coal are associated with a 5.3 (54%), 4.1 (33%), and 2.6 (17%) μgm -3 average increase in concentration over a 14 min period compared to the average concentrations over the 10 min prior to and after a train passage ("control" or "background" conditions), for PM 3 , PM 10 , and PM 20 , respectively. In addition, for PM 10 and PM 20 , concentrations during train passages of non-coal-carrying trains were not found to be significantly different from PM concentrations during control conditions. Presence of coal dust particles at the site was confirmed by dust fall measurements. Although enhancements of PM concentrations during 14 min train passages were generally modest, passing coal trains occasionally enhanced concentrations at 50 m from the tracks by ∼100 μgm -3 . Results showed that not every train passage increased PM concentrations, and the effect appears to be highly dependent on wind direction, local meteorology and load related factors. LiDAR imagery suggests that re-mobilization of track-side PM by train-induced turbulence may be a

Freshwater Microbialites of Pavilion Lake, British Columbia, Canada: A Limnological Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lim, D. S. S.; McKay, C. P.; Laval, B.; Bird, J.; Cady, S.

2004-01-01

Pavillion Lake is 5.7km long and an average of 0.8 km in width, and is located in Marble Canyon in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is a slightly alkaline, freshwater lake with a maximum-recorded depth of 65m. The basin walls of Pavilion Lake are lined with microbialite structures that are oriented perpendicularly to the shoreline, and which are found from depths of 5 meters to the bottom of the photic zone (light levels 1% of ambient; approximately 30m depth). These structures are speculated to have begun formation nearly 11,000 years ago, after the glacial retreat of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet. They are likely a distinctive assemblage of freshwater calcite microbialites, which display micromorphologies possibly related to the ancient Epiphyton and Girvanella classes of calcareous organosedimentary structures.

Creep and creep-rupture behaviour of wood-based structural panels

Treesearch

Theodore L. Laufenberg; L. C. Palka; J. Dobbin McNatt

This paper summarizes a cooperative research program between the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), in Madison, Wisconsin, and Forintek Canada Corp. in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This research program provided...

Transforming family practice in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Cavers, William J.R.; Tregillus, Valerie H.F.; Micco, Angela; Hollander, Marcus J.

2010-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe a new approach to primary care reform developed in British Columbia (BC) under the leadership of the General Practice Services Committee (GPSC). COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE The GPSC is a joint committee of the BC Ministry of Health Services, the BC Medical Association, and the Society of General Practitioners of BC. Representatives of BC’s health authorities also attend as guests. METHOD This paper is based on the 2008–2009 annual report of the GPSC. It summarizes the history and main activities of the GPSC. REPORT The GPSC is currently supporting a number of key activities to transform primary care in BC. These activities include the Full Service Family Practice Incentive Program, which provides incentive payments to promote enhanced primary care; the Practice Support Program, which provides family physicians and their medical office assistants with various practical evidence-based strategies and tools for managing practice enhancement; the Family Physicians for BC Program to develop family practices in areas of identified need; the Shared Care Committee, which supports and enables the determination of appropriate scopes of practice among GPs, specialists, and other health care professionals; the Divisions of Family Practice, which are designed to facilitate interactions among family doctors and between doctors and their respective health authorities; and the Community Healthcare and Resource Directory, a Web-based resource to help health care providers find appropriate mental health resources. CONCLUSION Early results indicate that the GPSC’s initiatives are enhancing the delivery of primary care services in BC. PMID:21156899

Publisher Correction: Oncolytic viruses as engineering platforms for combination immunotherapy.

PubMed

Twumasi-Boateng, Kwame; Pettigrew, Jessica L; Kwok, Y Y Eunice; Bell, John C; Nelson, Brad H

2018-05-04

In the online html version of this article, the affiliations for Jessica L. Pettigrew and John C. Bell were not correct. Jessica L. Pettigrew is at the Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and John C. Bell is at the Center for Innovative Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. This is correct in the print and PDF versions of the article and has been corrected in the html version.

The Emerging Fourth Tier in K-12 Education Finance in British Columbia, Canada: Increasing Privatisation and Implications for Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poole, Wendy; Fallon, Gerald

2015-01-01

This paper examines increasing privatisation of education in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Conceptually, the paper is informed by theories of privatisation and social justice; and methodologically, it uses policy analysis to examine documents and financial records obtained from government departments. The paper critically analyses…

The University of British Columbia model of interprofessional education.

PubMed

Charles, Grant; Bainbridge, Lesley; Gilbert, John

2010-01-01

The College of Health Disciplines, at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has a long history of developing interprofessional learning opportunities for students and practitioners. Historically, many of the courses and programmes were developed because they intuitively made sense or because certain streams of funding were available at particular times. While each of them fit generally within our understanding of interprofessional education in the health and human service education programs, they were not systematically developed within an educational or theoretical framework. This paper discusses the model we have subsequently developed at the College for conceptualizing the various types of interprofessional experiences offered at UBC. It has been developed so that we can offer the broadest range of courses and most effective learning experiences for our students. Our model is based on the premise that there are optimal learning times for health and human services students (and practitioners) depending upon their stage of development as professionals in their respective disciplines and their readiness to learn and develop new perspectives on professional interaction.

Sex-Based Differences in Rates, Causes, and Predictors of Death Among Injection Drug Users in Vancouver, Canada

PubMed Central

Hayashi, Kanna; Dong, Huiru; Marshall, Brandon D. L.; Milloy, Michael-John; Montaner, Julio S. G.; Wood, Evan; Kerr, Thomas

2016-01-01

In the present study, we sought to identify rates, causes, and predictors of death among male and female injection drug users (IDUs) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, during a period of expanded public health interventions. Data from prospective cohorts of IDUs in Vancouver were linked to the provincial database of vital statistics to ascertain rates and causes of death between 1996 and 2011. Mortality rates were analyzed using Poisson regression and indirect standardization. Predictors of mortality were identified using multivariable Cox regression models stratified by sex. Among the 2,317 participants, 794 (34.3%) of whom were women, there were 483 deaths during follow-up, with a rate of 32.1 (95% confidence interval (CI): 29.3, 35.0) deaths per 1,000 person-years. Standardized mortality ratios were 7.28 (95% CI: 6.50, 8.14) for men and 15.56 (95% CI: 13.31, 18.07) for women. During the study period, mortality rates related to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) declined among men but remained stable among women. In multivariable analyses, HIV seropositivity was independently associated with mortality in both sexes (all P < 0.05). The excess mortality burden among IDUs in our cohorts was primarily attributable to HIV infection; compared with men, women remained at higher risk of HIV-related mortality, indicating a need for sex-specific interventions to reduce mortality among female IDUs in this setting. PMID:26865265

Preschooler Study: The Medical, Social and Economic Correlates of Poverty in Preschool Children of British Columbia. A Pilot Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tonkin, Roger S.; And Others

Over 200 families from lower and middle income areas of British Columbia, including a group representing the Indian communities, were studied in this effort to examine poverty as it relates to families, especially to young children. A wide variety of health, social, and economic variables were examined in the hope of developing output criteria for…

Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus) population and habitat inventory at its northern range limit in the Southern Interior of British Columbia

Treesearch

Astrid M. van Woudenberg; David A. Christie

1997-01-01

Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus) ecology at the northern limit of its range (southern interior of British Columbia) necessitates that inventory data include replicated sampling throughout and between breeding seasons for accurate population and habitat assessment. Auditory census and nest surveys must be linked to assess habitat suitability; census...

"Two-Eyed Seeing": Moving from Paralysis to Action in Understanding the Legacy of Indian Residential Schools in British Columbia, Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kay, Cheryl

2017-01-01

This article documents a reflexive personal teacher narrative (Brookfield 1995; Cochran-Smith and Lytle 2009; Humphreys 2005; Hamilton, Smith, and Worthington 2009; Larrivee 2010) about understanding the legacy of the Indian Residential School experience for indigenous people of British Columbia, Canada. In 2015, a new curriculum was introduced. I…

A Powerful Protector of the Japanese People: The History of the Japanese Hospital in Steveston, British Columbia, Canada,18961942.

PubMed

Vandenberg, Helen

2017-01-01

From 1896 to 1942, a Japanese hospital operated in the village of Steveston, British Columbia, Canada. For the first 4 years, Japanese Methodist missionaries utilized a small mission building as a makeshift hospital, until a larger institution was constructed by the local Japanese Fishermen's Association in 1900. The hospital operated until the Japanese internment, after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. This study offers important commentary about the relationships between health, hospitals, and race in British Columbia during a period of increased immigration and economic upheaval. From the unique perspective of Japanese leaders, this study provides new insight about how Japanese populations negotiated hospital care, despite a context of severe racial discrimination. Japanese populations utilized Christianization, fishing expertise, and hospital work to garner more equitable access to opportunities and resources. This study demonstrates that in addition to providing medical treatment, training grounds for health-care workers, and safe refuge for the sick, hospitals played a significant role in confronting broader racialized inequities in Canada's past.

Seniors' prescription drug cost inflation and cost containment: evidence from British Columbia.

PubMed

Morgan, Steven G; Agnew, Jonathan D; Barer, Morris L

2004-06-01

We develop an analytic framework to map out the nature and relative importance of different cost-driving trends in the prescription drug market. This is used to measure prescription drug cost-drivers for the population of seniors in British Columbia during a period when they received comprehensive public drug coverage. Between 1991 and 2001, expenditures on prescription drugs for BC seniors increased from dollar 149 to 320 million. Increases in the population of seniors, and the rate at which they utilized therapies contributed under half of the total cost increase over the period. Changes in the mix of therapies and the type of product selected explained over half of the observed drug expenditure inflation. Increased generic substitution significantly reduced the price of products selected over the period.

Feruvite from the Sullivan Pb-Zn-Ag deposit, British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jiang, S.-Y.; Palmer, M.R.; McDonald, A.M.; Slack, J.F.; Leitch, C.H.B.

1996-01-01

Feruvite, an uncommon Ca- and Fe2+-rich tourmaline species, has been discovered in the footwall of the Sullivan Pb-Zn-Ag deposit (British Columbia) near gabbro sills and dikes. Its chemical composition varies according to occurrence: feruvite from the shallow footwall has lower Ca, higher Al, and higher X-site vacancies than that from the deep footwall. The major chemical substitution involved in the feruvite is the exchange vector CaMgO???-1Al-1(OH)-1. The most important factor controlling feruvite formation at Sullivan is likely the reaction of Fe-rich hydrothermal fluids with Ca-rich minerals in gabbro and host rocks. This reaction led to the breakdown of Ca-rich minerals (plagioclase and hornblende), with release of Ca to solution and its incorporation into feruvite. This process probably postdated the main stages of formation of fine-grained, intermediate schorl-dravite in the tourmalinite pipe in the footwall, and is attributed to postore intrusion of gabbro and associated albite-chlorite-pyrite alteration.

Trends in antibiotic utilization in Vancouver associated with a community education program on antibiotic use.

PubMed

Fuertes, Elaine Isabelle; Henry, Bonnie; Marra, Fawziah; Wong, Hubert; Patrick, David M

2010-01-01

"Do Bugs Need Drugs" (DBND) is a community education program that was implemented in British Columbia (BC) in September 2005 to decrease inappropriate antibiotic use. This study conducted descriptive analyses of the association between DBND and changes in overall, pediatric, drug-specific, and indication-specific antibiotic utilization rates in Vancouver, BC. Utilization data on all oral solid and liquid antibiotics classified as "antibacterials for systemic use" were obtained from BC PharmaNet for the years 1996 to 2008. Utilization data were linked to physician billing data to allow indication-specific analyses. Following conversion to the defined daily dose (DDD), the Holt-Winters exponential smoothing method was used to project expected antibiotic use in the period after implementation based on use prior to implementation. Differences between expected and observed utilization rates were calculated. Overall antibiotic use has stabilized in recent years (16.2 DDD/1000 population/day in 2008). Fluoroquinolone use remains high (1.5 DDD/1000 population/day), as does the steadily increasing use of newer macrolides (1.1 to 2.7 DDD/1000 population/day between 1996 and 2008). Encouraging declines in overall and indication-specific prescription rates among children were observed. Following 3 years of DBND activities, antibiotic use was 5.8% lower than expected and the number of prescriptions dispensed to children was 10.6% lower than expected. This ecological study reports improvements in antibiotic use that occurred simultaneously to the delivery of the DBND program in Vancouver. However, we did not find a lowering of all targeted classes. Policy directives limiting the use of certain antibiotics may be required.

British Columbia capital regional district 100% smokefree bylaw: a successful public health campaign despite industry opposition

PubMed Central

Drope, J; Glantz, S

2003-01-01

Objective: To describe how the British Columbia Capital Regional District successfully passed, implemented, and enforced a 100% smokefree bylaw in all public places, including restaurants and bars, despite an aggressive campaign by the tobacco industry (acting through the hospitality industry) to stop it. Methods: Information was obtained from news reports, internal tobacco industry documents, reports, public documents, and interviews with key players. Tobacco industry documents were accessed between February and April 2002. This project was approved by the University of California San Francisco committee on human research. Results: As in the USA and elsewhere in the world, the tobacco industry in British Columbia, Canada, recruited and created hospitality associations to fight against the district smokefree bylaw. They used the classic industry rhetoric of individual rights and freedoms, economic devastation, and ventilation as a solution. Public health authorities were able to counter industry strategies with a strong education campaign, well written bylaws, and persistent enforcement. Conclusion: It is possible to overcome serious opposition orchestrated by the tobacco industry and develop and implement a 100% smokefree bylaw in Canada. Doing so requires attention to detail in drafting the bylaw, as well as a public education campaign on the health dangers of secondhand smoke and active enforcement to overcome organised resistance to the bylaw. Jurisdictions considering smokefree bylaws should anticipate this opposition when developing and implementing their bylaws. PMID:12958385

British Columbia capital regional district 100% smokefree bylaw: a successful public health campaign despite industry opposition.

PubMed

Drope, J; Glantz, S

2003-09-01

To describe how the British Columbia Capital Regional District successfully passed, implemented, and enforced a 100% smokefree bylaw in all public places, including restaurants and bars, despite an aggressive campaign by the tobacco industry (acting through the hospitality industry) to stop it. Information was obtained from news reports, internal tobacco industry documents, reports, public documents, and interviews with key players. Tobacco industry documents were accessed between February and April 2002. This project was approved by the University of California San Francisco committee on human research. As in the USA and elsewhere in the world, the tobacco industry in British Columbia, Canada, recruited and created hospitality associations to fight against the district smokefree bylaw. They used the classic industry rhetoric of individual rights and freedoms, economic devastation, and ventilation as a solution. Public health authorities were able to counter industry strategies with a strong education campaign, well written bylaws, and persistent enforcement. It is possible to overcome serious opposition orchestrated by the tobacco industry and develop and implement a 100% smokefree bylaw in Canada. Doing so requires attention to detail in drafting the bylaw, as well as a public education campaign on the health dangers of secondhand smoke and active enforcement to overcome organised resistance to the bylaw. Jurisdictions considering smokefree bylaws should anticipate this opposition when developing and implementing their bylaws.

Education Funding: A Brief to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services from the British Columbia Teachers' Federation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Teachers' Federation, 2012

2012-01-01

Students in British Columbia are being shortchanged in comparison to students elsewhere in Canada. The teachers of BC are urgently appealing to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services to recommend to government sufficient increases in education funding to reverse this situation and provide more educational services to BC…

Bridging the knowledge gap: an innovative surveillance system to monitor the health of British Columbia's healthcare workforce.

PubMed

Gilligan, Tony; Alamgir, Hasanat

2008-01-01

Healthcare workers are exposed to a variety of work-related hazards including biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic, psychological hazards; and workplace violence. The Occupational Health and Safety Agency for Healthcare in British Columbia (OHSAH), in conjunction with British Columbia (BC) health regions, developed and implemented a comprehensive surveillance system that tracks occupational exposures and stressors as well as injuries and illnesses among a defined population of healthcare workers. Workplace Health Indicator Tracking and Evaluation (WHITE) is a secure operational database, used for data entry and transaction reporting. It has five modules: Incident Investigation, Case Management, Employee Health, Health and Safety, and Early Intervention/Return to Work. Since the WHITE database was first introduced into BC in 2004, it has tracked the health of 84,318 healthcare workers (120,244 jobs), representing 35,927 recorded incidents, resulting in 18,322 workers' compensation claims. Currently, four of BC's six healthcare regions are tracking and analyzing incidents and the health of healthcare workers using WHITE, providing OHSAH and healthcare stakeholders with comparative performance indicators on workplace health and safety. A number of scientific manuscripts have also been published in peer-reviewed journals. The WHITE database has been very useful for descriptive epidemiological studies, monitoring health risk factors, benchmarking, and evaluating interventions.

Crustal anisotropy in the forearc of the Northern Cascadia Subduction Zone, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balfour, N. J.; Cassidy, J. F.; Dosso, S. E.

2012-01-01

This paper aims to identify sources and variations of crustal anisotropy from shear-wave splitting measurements in the forearc of the Northern Cascadia Subduction Zone of southwest British Columbia. Over 20 permanent stations and 15 temporary stations were available for shear-wave splitting analysis on ˜4500 event-station pairs for local crustal earthquakes. Results from 1100 useable shear-wave splitting measurements show spatial variations in fast directions, with margin-parallel fast directions at most stations and margin-perpendicular fast directions at stations in the northeast of the region. Crustal anisotropy is often attributed to stress and has been interpreted as the fast direction being related to the orientation of the maximum horizontal compressive stress. However, studies have also shown anisotropy can be complicated by crustal structure. Southwest British Columbia is a complex region of crustal deformation and some of the stations are located near large ancient faults. To use seismic anisotropy as a stress indicator requires identifying which stations are influenced by stress and which by structure. We determine the source of anisotropy at each station by comparing fast directions from shear-wave splitting results to the maximum horizontal compressive stress orientation determined from earthquake focal mechanism inversion. Most stations show agreement between the fast direction and the maximum horizontal compressive stress. This suggests that anisotropy is related to stress-aligned fluid-filled microcracks based on extensive dilatancy anisotropy. These stations are further analysed for temporal variations to lay groundwork for monitoring temporal changes in the stress over extended time periods. Determining the sources of variability in anisotropy can lead to a better understanding of the crustal structure and stress, and in the future may be used as a monitoring and mapping tool.

Beyond Consultation: First Nations and the Governance of Shale Gas in British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garvie, Kathryn Henderson

As the province of British Columbia seeks to rapidly develop an extensive natural gas industry, it faces a number of challenges. One of these is that of ensuring that development does not disproportionately impact some of the province's most marginalized communities: the First Nations on whose land extraction will take place. This is particularly crucial given that environmental problems are often caused by unjust and inequitable social conditions that must be rectified before sustainable development can be advanced. This research investigates how the BC Oil and Gas Commission's consultation process addresses, and could be improved to better address Treaty 8 First Nations' concerns regarding shale gas development within their traditional territories. Interviews were conducted with four Treaty 8 First Nations, the Treaty 8 Tribal Association, and provincial government and industry staff. Additionally, participant observation was conducted with the Fort Nelson First Nation Lands and Resources Department. Findings indicate that like many other resource consultation processes in British Columbia, the oil and gas consultation process is unable to meaningfully address First Nations' concerns and values due to fundamental procedural problems, including the permit-by-permit approach and the exclusion of First Nations from the point of decision-making. Considering the government's failure to regulate the shale gas industry in a way that protects ecological, social and cultural resilience, we argue that new governance mechanisms are needed that reallocate authority to First Nations and incorporate proposals for early engagement, long-term planning and cumulative impact assessment and monitoring. Additionally, considering the exceptional power differential between government, industry and First Nations, we argue that challenging industry's social license to operate is an important strategy for First Nations working to gain greater influence over development within their

Ambient & Vessel Noise Measurement and Marine Mammal Monitoring in the Stait of Georgia, British-Columbia, Canada.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moloney, J. E.; Hannay, D.; Mouy, X.; Mouy, P. A.; Urazghildiiev, I.; Dakin, T.

2016-02-01

Recently JASCO Applied Sciences (Canada) Ltd (JASCO), Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) and the Port of Metro Vancouver (PMV) have collaborated in the installation of a novel, real-time ocean observing (listening) system (PMV-ECHO system deployed in the Strait of Georgia, BC. This system was designed specifically to measure ambient noise, vessel source levels, and to detect, classify, localize and track marine mammals using their vocalization in order to estimate population density. The listening station deployment and monitoring activities are part of the Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program. The program aims to better understand and manage the impact of shipping activities on at-risk whales throughout the southern coast of British Columbia. The PMV-ECHO system is composed of two unique spatial arrays of four hydrophones and one active projector each. Both arrays are used to measure and monitor the environment and calibrate the hydrophones over time. Further, a new shored-based data processing and visualization system (JMesh) is used automatically process the data and to enable operators to easily provide measurement information, navigate through large time series of detections, examine spectrograms, listen to detected sounds, validate detections, and compare detections for different species over time and space. The JMesh web platform has been designed to overcome the otherwise overwhelming volume of acoustic data collected by the PMV-ECHO sensor systems. This paper will describe how the PMV-ECHO system along with the automated real-time analysis and visualization software suite can be used study marine mammal distribution and behavior, variation of vessel noises and potential effects of anthropogenic activities on marine mammals. The goal of the PMV-ECHO program is to find ways to reduce shipping impact on at-risk species especially in the approaches to large ports. This program and its scientific and technical approaches should be of interest to

A practical Bayesian stepped wedge design for community-based cluster-randomized clinical trials: The British Columbia Telehealth Trial.

PubMed

Cunanan, Kristen M; Carlin, Bradley P; Peterson, Kevin A

2016-12-01

Many clinical trial designs are impractical for community-based clinical intervention trials. Stepped wedge trial designs provide practical advantages, but few descriptions exist of their clinical implementational features, statistical design efficiencies, and limitations. Enhance efficiency of stepped wedge trial designs by evaluating the impact of design characteristics on statistical power for the British Columbia Telehealth Trial. The British Columbia Telehealth Trial is a community-based, cluster-randomized, controlled clinical trial in rural and urban British Columbia. To determine the effect of an Internet-based telehealth intervention on healthcare utilization, 1000 subjects with an existing diagnosis of congestive heart failure or type 2 diabetes will be enrolled from 50 clinical practices. Hospital utilization is measured using a composite of disease-specific hospital admissions and emergency visits. The intervention comprises online telehealth data collection and counseling provided to support a disease-specific action plan developed by the primary care provider. The planned intervention is sequentially introduced across all participating practices. We adopt a fully Bayesian, Markov chain Monte Carlo-driven statistical approach, wherein we use simulation to determine the effect of cluster size, sample size, and crossover interval choice on type I error and power to evaluate differences in hospital utilization. For our Bayesian stepped wedge trial design, simulations suggest moderate decreases in power when crossover intervals from control to intervention are reduced from every 3 to 2 weeks, and dramatic decreases in power as the numbers of clusters decrease. Power and type I error performance were not notably affected by the addition of nonzero cluster effects or a temporal trend in hospitalization intensity. Stepped wedge trial designs that intervene in small clusters across longer periods can provide enhanced power to evaluate comparative

Adult Basic Education: A Guide to Upgrading in British Columbia's "Public Post-Secondary Institutions." An Articulation Handbook, 2009-2010 Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, 2009

2009-01-01

This is the twenty-fourth edition of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) Articulation Handbook for British Columbia's public post-secondary institutions. It has been updated for 2009-2010 through the dedicated efforts of the educators who participate in the working and steering committees. Articulation is a dynamic process that will never be…

Unintended impacts of regulatory changes to British Columbia Methadone Maintenance Program on addiction and HIV-related outcomes: an interrupted time series analysis

PubMed Central

Socías, M. Eugenia; Wood, Evan; McNeil, Ryan; Kerr, Thomas; Dong, Huiru; Shoveller, Jean; Montaner, Julio; Milloy, M-J

2018-01-01

Background In February 2014, several regulatory reforms were introduced to the methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program in British Columbia, Canada, including a switch to a ten-times more concentrated methadone formulation and restrictions in pharmacy delivery services. We evaluated possible unintended effects of these changes on illicit drug use patterns and HIV treatment outcomes among HIV-positive opioid users. Methods Data was drawn from ACCESS, a prospective community-recruited cohort of HIV-positive people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Interrupted time series analyses were used to evaluate impacts of the policy change on monthly rates of MMT enrollment, illicit heroin injection, antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, and HIV viral suppression among HIV-positive opioid users between November 2012 and May 2015. Results A total of 331 HIV-positive opioid users were included. The MMT policy change led to a significant immediate 11.5% increase in heroin injection, and 15.9% drop in optimal ART adherence. A gradual increase in the prevalence of MMT enrolment after the policy change was also documented (0.9% per month). No changes in viral suppression rates were observed. Conclusions We observed immediate increases in illicit heroin injection and decreases in ART adherence in the wake of regulatory changes to the local MMT program. These findings underscore the need to consider potential unintended effects of altering health programmes for vulnerable populations, the need to develop appropriate mitigation strategies, as well as to involve all relevant stakeholders in the planning and implementations of new policies. PMID:28454044

Unintended impacts of regulatory changes to British Columbia Methadone Maintenance Program on addiction and HIV-related outcomes: An interrupted time series analysis.

PubMed

Socías, M Eugenia; Wood, Evan; McNeil, Ryan; Kerr, Thomas; Dong, Huiru; Shoveller, Jean; Montaner, Julio; Milloy, M-J

2017-07-01

In February 2014, several regulatory reforms were introduced to the methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program in British Columbia, Canada, including a switch to a ten-times more concentrated methadone formulation and restrictions in pharmacy delivery services. We evaluated possible unintended effects of these changes on illicit drug use patterns and HIV treatment outcomes among HIV-positive opioid users. Data was drawn from ACCESS, a prospective community-recruited cohort of HIV-positive people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Interrupted Time Series Analyses were used to evaluate impacts of the policy change on monthly rates of MMT enrolment, illicit heroin injection, antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, and HIV viral suppression among HIV-positive opioid users between November 2012 and May 2015. A total of 331 HIV-positive opioid users were included. The MMT policy change led to a significant immediate 11.5% increase in heroin injection, and 15.9% drop in optimal ART adherence. A gradual increase in the prevalence of MMT enrolment after the policy change was also documented (0.9% per month). No changes in viral suppression rates were observed. We observed immediate increases in illicit heroin injection and decreases in ART adherence in the wake of regulatory changes to the local MMT program. These findings underscore the need to consider potential unintended effects of altering health programmes for vulnerable populations, the need to develop appropriate mitigation strategies, as well as to involve all relevant stakeholders in the planning and implementations of new policies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of Survey Length and Radius Size on Grassland Bird Surveys by Point Counts at Williams Lake, British Columbia

Treesearch

Jean-Pierre L. Savard; Tracey D. Hooper

1995-01-01

We examine the effect of survey length and radius on the results of point count surveys for grassland birds at Williams Lake, British Columbia. Four- and 8-minute counts detected on average 68 percent and 85 percent of the number of birds detected during 12-minute counts. The most efficient sampling duration was 4 minutes, as long as travel time between points was...

Using operations research to plan the british columbia registered nurses' workforce.

PubMed

Lavieri, Mariel S; Regan, Sandra; Puterman, Martin L; Ratner, Pamela A

2008-11-01

The authors explore the power and flexibility of using an operations research methodology known as linear programming to support health human resources (HHR) planning. The model takes as input estimates of the future need for healthcare providers and, in contrast to simulation, compares all feasible strategies to identify a long-term plan for achieving a balance between supply and demand at the least cost to the system. The approach is illustrated by using it to plan the British Columbia registered nurse (RN) workforce over a 20-year horizon. The authors show how the model can be used for scenario analysis by investigating the impact of decreasing attrition from educational programs, changing RN-to-manager ratios in direct care and exploring how other changes might alter planning recommendations. In addition to HHR policy recommendations, their analysis also points to new research opportunities. Copyright © 2008 Longwoods Publishing.

British Columbia Ministry of Health Patients as Partners: A transformational approach.

PubMed

Bar, Sherry; Grant, Kristen; Asuri, Sirisha; Holms, Shannon

2018-03-01

Patients as Partners is a quality improvement initiative of the British Columbia Ministry of Health (the Ministry) that aims to bring patient voice, choice, and representation to the forefront of healthcare through collaboration with patients, families, non-governmental organizations, funded partners, regional health authorities, and healthcare providers. A spectrum of patient engagement activities, including capacity building and self-management support, occur through partnerships at the individual patient and provider, community, and system levels. These activities ensure patient priorities are identified and embed a patient-centred care approach into provincial policies and projects. Multi-/interdisciplinary collaborations in the healthcare sector occur through participation in working groups, advisory committees, and engagement events. Ongoing improvements include enhancing measurement strategies and leveraging opportunities around gaps. The Ministry was honoured with the International Association of Public Participation Award as the 2016 Canadian Organization of the Year in recognition of improving healthcare through patient and public education.

Attribution of Observed Streamflow Changes in Key British Columbia Drainage Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najafi, Mohammad Reza; Zwiers, Francis W.; Gillett, Nathan P.

2017-11-01

We study the observed decline in summer streamflow in four key river basins in British Columbia (BC), Canada, using a formal detection and attribution (D&A) analysis procedure. Reconstructed and simulated streamflow is generated using the semidistributed variable infiltration capacity hydrologic model, which is driven by 1/16° gridded observations and downscaled climate model data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5), respectively. The internal variability of the regional hydrologic components using 5100 years of streamflow was simulated using CMIP5 preindustrial control runs. Results show that the observed changes in summer streamflow are inconsistent with simulations representing the responses to natural forcing factors alone, while the response to anthropogenic and natural forcing factors combined is detected in these changes. A two-signal D&A analysis indicates that the effects of anthropogenic (ANT) forcing factors are discernable from natural forcing in BC, albeit with large uncertainties.

"A Powerful Protector of the Japanese People": The History of the Japanese Hospital in Steveston, British Columbia, Canada,1896-1942.

PubMed

Vandenberg, Helen

2017-01-01

From 1896 to 1942, a Japanese hospital operated in the village of Steveston, British Columbia, Canada. For the first 4 years, Japanese Methodist missionaries utilized a small mission building as a makeshift hospital, until a larger institution was constructed by the local Japanese Fishermen's Association in 1900. The hospital operated until the Japanese internment, after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. This study offers important commentary about the relationships between health, hospitals, and race in British Columbia during a period of increased immigration and economic upheaval. From the unique perspective of Japanese leaders, this study provides new insight about how Japanese populations negotiated hospital care, despite a context of severe racial discrimination. Japanese populations utilized Christianization, fishing expertise, and hospital work to garner more equitable access to opportunities and resources. This study demonstrates that in addition to providing medical treatment, training grounds for health-care workers, and safe refuge for the sick, hospitals played a significant role in confronting broader racialized inequities in Canada's past.

Visible light nitrogen dioxide spectrophotometer intercomparison: Mount Kobau, British Columbia, July 28 to August 10, 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcelroy, C. T.; Elokhov, A. S.; Elansky, N.; Frank, H.; Johnston, P.; Kerr, J. B.

1994-01-01

Under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization, Environment Canada hosted an international comparison of visible light spectrophotometers at Mt. Kobau, British Columbia in August of 1991. Instruments from four countries were involved. The intercomparison results have indicated that some significant differences exist in the responses of the various instruments, and have provided a basis for the comparison of the historical data sets which currently exist as a result of the independent researches carried out in the past in the former Soviet Union, New Zealand, and Canada.

Relative effects of antiretroviral therapy and harm reduction initiatives on HIV incidence in British Columbia, Canada, 1996-2013: a modelling study.

PubMed

Nosyk, Bohdan; Zang, Xiao; Min, Jeong E; Krebs, Emanuel; Lima, Viviane D; Milloy, M-J; Shoveller, Jean; Barrios, Rolando; Harrigan, P Richard; Kerr, Thomas; Wood, Evan; Montaner, Julio S G

2017-07-01

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) and harm reduction services have been cited as key contributors to control of HIV epidemics; however, the specific contribution of ART has been questioned due to uncertainty of its true efficacy on HIV transmission through needle sharing. We aimed to isolate the independent effects of harm reduction services (opioid agonist treatment uptake and needle distribution volumes) and ART on HIV transmission via needle sharing in British Columbia, Canada, from 1996 to 2013. We used comprehensive linked individual health administrative and registry data for the population of diagnosed people living with HIV in British Columbia to populate a dynamic, compartmental transmission model to simulate the HIV/AIDS epidemic in British Columbia from 1996 to 2013. We estimated HIV incidence, mortality, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). We also estimated scenarios designed to isolate the independent effects of harm reduction services and ART, assuming 50% (10-90%) efficacy, in reducing HIV incidence through needle sharing, and we investigated structural and parameter uncertainty. We estimate that 3204 (upper bound-lower bound 2402-4589) incident HIV cases were averted between 1996 and 2013 as a result of the combined effect of the expansion of harm reduction services and ART coverage on HIV transmission via needle sharing. In a hypothetical scenario assuming ART had zero effect on transmission through needle sharing, we estimated harm reduction services alone would have accounted for 77% (upper bound-lower bound 62-95%) of averted HIV incidence. In a separate hypothetical scenario where harm reduction services remained at 1996 levels, we estimated ART alone would have accounted for 44% (10-67%) of averted HIV incidence. As a result of high distribution volumes, needle distribution predominantly accounted for incidence reductions attributable to harm reduction but opioid agonist treatment provided substantially greater QALY gains. If the true efficacy

Power, Politics, Democracy and Reform: A Historical Review of Curriculum Reform, Academia and Government in British Columbia, Canada, 1920 to 2000

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broom, Catherine A.

2016-01-01

This paper explores the interrelations between power, politics, academia and curriculum reform in British Columbia (BC) using social studies curriculum documents as a case study. It describes how curriculum reform occurred and argues that reform was undemocratic as it was largely the product of individuals with power who invited individuals with…

Education Funding. A Brief to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services from the British Columbia Teacher's Federation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Teachers' Federation, 2014

2014-01-01

The British Columbia Teachers' Federation and a number of its locals annually present to the Select Standing Committee. They do so because they think it is important to inform the committee and the public about the difference between the education funding decisions made by government and the reality of the needs in the schools. In reading through…

An 8,000 year oxygen isotope record of hydroclimatic change from Paradise Lake, central British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillman, A. L.; Abbott, M. B.; Steinman, B. A.; Pompeani, D. P.; Cwiklik, J. P.

2013-12-01

Climate in the Pacific Northwest over the Holocene has primarily been controlled by the position of the Aleutian Low (AL), which is interconnected to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Stable isotopes of authigenic calcite precipitated from lake water and archived as lake sediment can be used to reconstruct changes in precipitation/evaporation (P/E) balance over timescales ranging from individual years to millennia. Several records of this type from southern British Columbia and northern Washington (e.g., Castor and Cleland Lakes), as well as from the southern Yukon Territory (e.g., Marcella and Rantin Lakes) have been produced, but few records from between these two regions exist. Here, we present a record of δ18O and δ13C measurements of authigenic calcite from Paradise Lake, British Columbia (54.68259°N, 122.61154°W), a surficially closed basin, groundwater throughflow lake located in the central interior of British Columbia. A total of 14 AMS radiocarbon dates were used to provide age control for the Paradise Lake record. In sediment from 8,000-4,500 years BP, oxygen isotope values vary around a mean value of -18.0‰. From 4,500-2,000 years BP, a general trend towards more positive oxygen isotope values occurs, with increased variability in both δ18O and δ13C. A gradual shift of ~2‰ in δ18O measurements (to a mean value of -16.0‰) occurs over the last 2,000 years of the record, likely due to lower lake levels. The large magnitude mean state shifts in oxygen isotopes over the last 8,000 years are similar to that observed in the Marcella Lake record (Anderson et al., 2007), although they are of a smaller magnitude. We hypothesize that significant groundwater throughflow at Paradise Lake likely causes a muted hydrologic and isotopic response to climate forcing relative to Marcella Lake, which has more isotopically enriched water and loses a greater proportion of water via evaporation. The Paradise lake �

Practice patterns of lymph-node mapping and sentinel-node biopsy for breast cancer in British Columbia.

PubMed

Chua, Boon; Olivotto, Ivo A; Donald, James C; Hayashi, Allen H; Davis, Noelle; Rusnak, Conrad H

2003-08-01

Because there is no standardized technique for mapping of lymph nodes and no optimal technique for evaluating the sentinel node, we decided to evaluate practice patterns for sentinel-node biopsy (SNB) for breast cancer in British Columbia 5 years after its introduction in 1996. We carried out mail and telephone surveys of general surgeons performing at least 1 SNB (n = 28) or not performing SNB (n = 50), and carried out telephone surveys or on-site visits with pathologists (n = 7) and nuclear medicine physicians (n = 5) from institutions supporting SNB in the province. We collected data on training, perceived indications and techniques for the surgical, imaging and pathologic assessments of SNB to obtain data on practice patterns in 2001 and the degree of consistency among surgeons and institutions involved in performing SNB and reasons for not adopting the SNB technique. By 2001, SNB was incorporated into the practice of 19% of surgeons (28 of 150) performing breast cancer surgery in British Columbia. The survey response rate among SNB surgeons was 89% (25 of 28). Twelve (48%) of the 25 surgeons implemented SNB in the context of a validation study. Ten (40%) of the 25 had no data management support to monitor their results. Surgical training included intraoperative mentoring alone (48%), formal training courses alone (20%), both (24%) and self-teaching (8%). One-third of the surgeons had performed fewer than 10 procedures. Five surgeons had abandoned routine axillary dissection. There was considerable variation regarding the indications for SNB, definition of a sentinel node and surgical techniques. All nuclear medicine departments had a written lymphatic mapping protocol, but each used a different volume and activity of radiotracer. Immunohistochemical evaluation of the sentinel nodes was performed at just 3 pathology laboratories. The survey response rate from surgeons not practising SNB was 54% (27 of 50). Among 24 responders in active practice, 7 (29%) planned

Understanding the Differences in the Nitrogen Cycle in the Seasonal Low-Oxygen Zone in the Saanich Inlet of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, C.; Forbes, M. S.

2017-12-01

Ocean Oxygen Deficient Zones (ODZs) are found in specific regions around the globe. ODZs generally form from upwelling of nutrient-rich waters, which drives oxygen consumption. The Saanich Inlet in British Columbia, Canada, is an ODZ, as it experiences oxygen consumption due to its unique topography, where a sill at its entrance prevents mixing with the surrounding ocean for much of the year. Due to this, oxygen and nitrate are consumed but not replenished until winter and spring, when the higher-velocity oxygen rich waters cycle the water. Our objective is to understand this cycle via the δ15N and δ18O analysis of NO3 and NO2 isotopes in conjunction with concentration data. Samples were collected bi-monthly over a 7-month period between September 2016 to March 2017. Initial oxygen readings were conducted on the cruise, as well as conductivity, depth, and position. Over the summer, data has been collected and analyzed on most NO3 samples from the trip. Oxygen levels generally decreased with depth, with a dramatic change (200 to 10 µM) at approximately 100 m. Concentrations of NO3 follow a similar trend, decreasing at this point from 20 to less than 5 µM. Conversely, δ15N and δ18O become more enriched at these lower depths, reaching values of 40.97 ‰ and 31.86 ‰, respectively. During the first half of the sample period, some detectable concentrations of NO2 were identified. In the second half, NO2 was not identified. This preliminary data suggests the presence of denitrification occurring in the inlet throughout the fall and winter period and is most likely a combination of water column and sedimentary denitrification. Data towards the end of the sampling period suggest possible completion of denitrification and a likely influx of nutrient rich waters. We will apply this data set to continue to analyze and explore the effects of low oxygen levels on these nitrogen cycle processes with further analysis of isotope data, to further understand the

The diversity of sea lice (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in coastal British Columbia.

PubMed

Jones, Simon R M; Prosperi-Porta, Gina

2011-06-01

The prevalence, intensity, and abundance of sea lice belonging to Lepeophtheirus or Caligus clemensi are reported from threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) collected from the Broughton Archipelago region of coastal British Columbia, Canada, between 2005 and 2008. In total, 25,130 sea lice were collected from 7,684 sticklebacks. The prevalence of Lepeophtheirus ranged from 51% in 2005 to 11% in 2008 and that of C. clemensi from 56% in 2007 to 24% in 2008. Chalimus stages accounted for approximately 69% of all Lepeophtheirus and 88% of Caligus specimens. Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene sequences, useful in distinguishing reference specimens belonging to 8 species of Lepeophtheirus, Caligus, and Bomolochus, were used to identify the Lepeophtheirus specimens from stickleback as L. salmonis (71%) and L. cuneifer (29%). A COI phylogenetic analysis confirmed a monophylogenetic origin of Lepeophtheirus but not of Caligus. Two genotypes were resolved in L. cuneifer, i.e., genotype A occurred twice as often as genotype B. Virtually all immature Lepeophtheirus specimens from juvenile salmon were L. salmonis. The results emphasized the need to accurately identify immature sea lice as a prerequisite to understanding sea lice ecology. The threespine stickleback may be a useful sentinel species for the abundance and diversity of the sea lice that are also parasites of wild and farmed salmon in coastal ecosystems in British Columbia.

Operations Research Support for Critical Infrastructure Resilience in the Province of British Columbia

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-01

support for various aspects of CI resilience in BC since 2008, initially for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and, subsequently... Paralympic Winter Games (V2010). Under this project, DRDC provided critical infrastructure (CI) support to two groups: the Integrated Security Unit (ISU...BC since 2008, initially for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and, subsequently, for the development of Emergency Management

Space Radar Image of Victoria, Canada

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-15

This three-frequency spaceborne radar image shows the southern end of Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada. The white area in the lower right is the city of Victoria, the capital of the province of British Columbia.

Forum of Microbial Threats

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

Cryptococcus gattii, a pathogenic environmental fungus believed to have been introduced onto Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada in 1999, is...factors‖ others such as Crytococcus gattii, are emerging with altered virulence and geographic ranges. Cryptococcus gattii, a pathogenic environmental

Variation in Surface and Crown Fire Hazard With Stand Age in Managed Coastal Western Hemlock Zone Forests in Southwestern British Columbia

Treesearch

Michael C. Feller; Stefanie L. Pollock

2006-01-01

Surface and crown fuels were measured in 186 stands ranging in age from 0 years after clearcutting to old-growth forests > 300 years old in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) – western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) – western redcedar (Thuja plicata) – dominated forests in southwestern British Columbia. Indexes...

Chronic disease prevention policy in British Columbia and Ontario in light of public health renewal: a comparative policy analysis.

PubMed

Kothari, Anita; Gore, Dana; MacDonald, Marjorie; Bursey, Gayle; Allan, Diane; Scarr, Jennifer

2013-10-08

Public health strategies that focus on legislative and policy change involving chronic disease risk factors such as unhealthy diet and physical inactivity have the potential to prevent chronic diseases and improve quality of life as a whole. However, many public health policies introduced as part of public health reform have not yet been analyzed, such as in British Columbia and Ontario. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a descriptive, comparative analysis of public health policies related to the Healthy Living Core Program in British Columbia and Chronic Disease Prevention Standard in Ontario that are intended to prevent a range of chronic diseases by promoting healthy eating and physical activity, among other things. Policy documents were found through Internet search engines and Ministry websites, at the guidance of policy experts. These included government documents as well as documents from non-governmental organizations that were implementing policies and programs at a provincial level. Documents (n = 31) were then analysed using thematic content analysis to classify, describe and compare policies in a systematic fashion, using the software NVivo. Three main categories emerged from the analysis of documents: 1) goals for chronic disease prevention in British Columbia and Ontario, 2) components of chronic disease prevention policies, and 3) expected outputs of chronic disease prevention interventions. Although there were many similarities between the two provinces, they differed somewhat in terms of their approach to issues such as evidence, equity, and policy components. Some expected outputs were adoption of healthy behaviours, use of information, healthy environments and increased public awareness. The two provincial policies present different approaches to support the implementation of related programs. Differences may be related to contextual factors such as program delivery structures and different philosophical approaches underlying

Review of conservative surgery in early breast cancer. British Columbia experience.

PubMed

Holmvang, A M; Grafton, C; Sandy, J T

1985-05-01

Conservation mastectomy in combination with radiotherapy is becoming an accepted treatment for early breast cancer. No absolute guidelines exist as to appropriate patient selection or correct surgical technique, but certain unifying trends can be ascertained from the current literature. The purpose of this study was to review the literature and to identify areas of incongruence between present management of patients in British Columbia and suggestions in the current literature. One hundred patients were reviewed. Twenty-six percent of them did not receive preoperative mammograms, and tumor stage was inappropriate in 9 percent. Thirteen percent had excisional biopsies only. A quarter of the patients had tumor resection through unfavorably placed incisions. Eight percent did not have estrogen receptor determination. Thirty-nine percent of the pathology reports made no comment as to adequacy of resection margins. It is hoped that these areas that, with proper attention, can improve cosmetic results and decrease the incidence of local tumor recurrence.

The Emergence of a Market-Driven Funding Mechanism in K-12 Education in British Columbia: Creeping Privatization and the Eclipse of Equity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fallon, Gerald; Poole, Wendy

2014-01-01

Since 2002, British Columbia's education system has undergone extensive change following amendments to the "BC School Act" ("Bill 34"). This article presents a critical analysis of policy changes to the K-12 education finance system, particularly the expansion of the legal capacity of school districts to create "'school…

77 FR 24146 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Columbia River, Vancouver, WA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-23

... schedule that governs the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Bridge across the Columbia River... viewing the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826...

Articulation Guide for English as a Second Language Programs in the British Columbia Post-Secondary Transfer System. Seventh Edition, 2007-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministry of Advanced Education, 2007

2007-01-01

The purpose of the provincial ESL articulation process is to maintain high standards of quality in ESL programming at the public post-secondary institutions of British Columbia, as well as to facilitate access to programs at other public institutions for students wishing to transfer. Goals of the provincial articulation process are to: (1) provide…

Transfer Credits and Transfer Students at the University Colleges of British Columbia: A Study of the Baccalaureate Graduates of 1998-2001

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Church, Roderick

2005-01-01

This report examines transfer credits and transfer students among more than 5,000 baccalaureate graduates at the five university colleges of British Columbia in the calendar years 1998 through 2001. It is intended to complement the reports that BCCAT has commissioned from the universities on how the college-to-university transfer system works in…

Hepatitis A outbreak in British Columbia, Canada: the roles of established surveillance, consumer loyalty cards and collaboration, February to May 2012.

PubMed

Swinkels, H M; Kuo, M; Embree, G; Andonov, A; Henry, B; Buxton, J A

2014-05-08

Non-travel-related hepatitis A is rare in Canada. We describe a hepatitis A outbreak investigation in British Columbia in February to May 2012 in which exposure history was collected from nine confirmed non-travel-related cases. Suspected foods were tested for hepatitis A virus (HAV): a frozen fruit blend was identified as a common exposure for six of the nine cases using supermarket loyalty cards. Consumption of the product was confirmed in each case. Genetic analysis confirmed HAV genotype 1B in the six exposed cases. Of the three non-exposed cases, the virus could not be genotyped for two of them; the virus from the other case was found to be genotype 1A and this case was therefore not considered part of the outbreak. HAV was detected by PCR from pomegranate seeds, a component of the identified frozen fruit blend. Historically low levels of HAV infection in British Columbia triggered early recognition of the outbreak. Loyalty card histories facilitated product identification and a trace-back investigation implicated imported pomegranate seeds.

Implications for HIV prevention programs from a serobehavioural survey of men who have sex with men in Vancouver, British Columbia: the ManCount study.

PubMed

Moore, David M; Kanters, Steve; Michelow, Warren; Gustafson, Reka; Hogg, Robert S; Kwag, Michael; Trussler, Terry; McGuire, Marissa; Robert, Wayne; Gilbert, Mark

2012-01-01

We examined HIV prevalence, awareness of HIV serostatus and HIV risk behaviour among a sample of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vancouver. MSM > or = 18 years were recruited from August 2008 to February 2009 through community venues. Participants completed a questionnaire and provided a dried blood spot (DBS) for HIV and other STI testing. We performed descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses of key explanatory variables. A total of 1,169 participants completed questionnaires; of these, 1,138 (97.3%) provided DBS specimens suitable for testing. The median age was 33 years (IQR 26-44). A total of 206 (18%) were HIV-positive by DBS, of whom 86% were aware they were positive. HIV seropositivity increased from 7.1% in those < 30 years of age to 19% in those 30-44 years and 34% among those > or = 45 years (p < 0.001 for test of trend). Of the 933 who self-reported as HIV-negative or unknown, 28 (3.0%) tested HIV-positive. Among those not tested for HIV in the previous 2 years, the reasons for not testing differed between participants with undiagnosed HIV infection and those who were HIV-negative. A total of 62% of study participants who self-reported as HIV-negative reported using a condom the last time they had anal sex. The use of risk-reduction measures was reported by 91.1% of all study participants (72% if excluding consistent condom use). The majority of MSM in Vancouver have adopted behaviours that reduce their HIV-related risk. However, prevention programs must continue to promote condom use, increase HIV testing, and better inform MSM of the value and limitations of other risk-reduction strategies.

Earthquake relocation near the Leech River Fault, southern Vancouver Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, G.; Liu, Y.; Regalla, C.

2015-12-01

The Leech River Fault (LRF), a northeast dipping thrust, extends across the southern tip of Vancouver Island in Southwest British Columbia, where local tectonic regime is dominated by the subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate beneath the North American plate at the present rate of 40-50 mm/year. British Columbia geologic map (Geoscience Map 2009-1A) shows that this area also consists of many crosscutting minor faults in addition to the San Juan Fault north of the LRF. To investigate the seismic evidence of the subsurface structures of these minor faults and of possible hidden active structures in this area, precise earthquake locations are required. In this study, we relocate 941 earthquakes reported by Canadian National Seismograph Network (CNSN) catalog from 2000 to 2015 within a 100km x 55km study area surrounding the LRF. We use HypoDD [Waldhauser, F., 2001] double-difference relocation method by combining P/S phase arrivals provided by the CNSN at 169 stations and waveform data with correlation coefficient values greater than 0.7 at 50 common stations and event separation less than 10km. A total of 900 out of the 931 events satisfy the above relocation criteria. Velocity model used is a 1-D model extracted from the Ramachandran et al. (2005) model. Average relative location errors estimated by the bootstrap method are 546.5m (horizontal) and 1128.6m (in depth). Absolute errors reported by SVD method for individual clusters are ~100m in both dimensions. We select 5 clusters visually according to their epicenters (see figure). Cluster 1 is parallel to the LRF and a thrust FID #60. Clusters 2 and 3 are bounded by two faults: FID #75, a northeast dipping thrust marking the southwestern boundary of the Wrangellia terrane, and FID #2 marking the northern boundary. Clusters 4 and 5, to the northeast and northwest of Victoria respectively, however, do not represent the surface traces of any mapped faults. The depth profile of Cluster 5 depicts a hidden northeast

Breast cancer treatment and ethnicity in British Columbia, Canada

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis, survival and mortality are well documented; but few studies have reported on disparities in breast cancer treatment. This paper compares the treatment received by breast cancer patients in British Columbia (BC) for three ethnic groups and three time periods. Values for breast cancer treatments received in the BC general population are provided for reference. Methods Information on patients, tumour characteristics and treatment was obtained from BC Cancer Registry (BCCR) and BC Cancer Agency (BCCA) records. Treatment among ethnic groups was analyzed by stage at diagnosis and time period at diagnosis. Differences among the three ethnic groups were tested using chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests and a multivariate logistic model. Results There was no significant difference in overall surgery use for stage I and II disease between the ethnic groups, however there were significant differences when surgery with and without radiation were considered separately. These differences did not change significantly with time. Treatment with chemotherapy and hormone therapy did not differ among the minority groups. Conclusion The description of treatment differences is the first step to guiding interventions that reduce ethnic disparities. Specific studies need to examine reasons for the observed differences and the influence of culture and beliefs. PMID:20406489

Concepts for diamond exploration in "on/off craton" areas—British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simandl, George J.

2004-09-01

The tectonic setting of British Columbia (BC) differs from classic diamond-bearing intracratonic regions such as the Northwest Territories and South Africa. Nevertheless, several diamond occurrences have been reported in BC. It is also known that parts of the province are underlain by Proterozoic and possibly Archean basement. Because the continents of today are composites of fragments of ancient continents, it is possible that some of the regions underlain by old crystalline basement in eastern British Columbia were associated with a deep crustal keel. The keel may have predated the break-up of the early Neoproterozoic supercontinent called Rodinia and was preserved possibly until the Triassic. Some of these old continental fragments may have been displaced relative to their position of origin and dissociated from their keel, or the keel may have since been destroyed. Such fragments represent favourable exploration grounds in terms of the "Diamondiferous Mantle Root" model (DMR model) if they were intersected by kimberlites or lamproites prior to displacement or destruction of their underlying deep keel. Therefore, extrapolation of fragments of the diamond-bearing Precambrian basement from the Northwest Territories or Alberta to BC provides a sufficient reason for initiating reconnaissance indicator mineral surveys. The "Eclogite Subduction Zone" model (ES model) predicts formation of diamonds at lower pressure (i.e., depth) than required by the DMR model in convergent tectonic settings. Although not proven, this model is supported by thermal modeling of cold subduction zones and recent discoveries of diamonds in areas characterized by convergent tectonic settings. If the ES model is correct, then the parts of BC with a geological history similar to today's "cold" subduction zones, such as Honshu (Japan), or to continental collision zones, such as Kokchetav massif (Kazakhstan) and the Dabie-Sulu Terrane (east central China), may be diamondiferous. The terranes

The hospital costs of treating work-related sawmill injuries in British Columbia.

PubMed

Alamgir, Hasanat; Tompa, Emile; Koehoorn, Mieke; Ostry, Aleck; Demers, Paul A

2007-05-01

This study estimates the hospital costs of treating work-related injury among a cohort of sawmill workers in British Columbia. Hospital discharge records were extracted from 1989 to 1998 for a cohort of 5,876 actively employed sawmill workers. Injury cases were identified as work-related from these records using ICD-9 external cause of injury codes that indicate place of occurrence and the responsibility of payment schedule that identifies workers' compensation as being responsible for payment. The hospitals in British Columbia have a standard ward rate chart prepared annually by the provincial Ministry of Health to bill and collect payment from agency like workers' compensation agency. Costs were calculated from the hospital perspective using this billing chart. All costs were expressed in 1995 Canadian dollars. The workers' compensation claim records for this study population were extracted and matched with the hospitalised work-related injury records. Costs were also calculated for work-related hospitalisations that the hospital did not appear to be reimbursed for by the workers' compensation system. There were 173 injuries requiring hospitalisation during the 10-year followup period. The median stay in hospitals was 3 days and the median hospital costs were $847. The most costly cause of injury categories were fire, flame, natural and environmental and struck against with median costs of $10,575 and $1,206, respectively, while the least costly category was cutting and piercing with median costs of $296. The most costly nature of injury categories were burns and fracture of lower limb with median costs of $10,575 and $1,800, respectively, while the least costly category was dislocation, sprains and strains with median costs of $437. The total hospital costs for all the work-related injuries were $434,990. Out of a total hospital cost of $434,990 for the 173 work-related injuries, the provincial compensation agency apparently did not compensate $50,663 (12

An Experiment in Conference T.V.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Telephone Co., Vancouver.

Using business customers, a two-way television conference experiment was conducted between Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. Two-way conferences were conducted between telephone officials, businessmen and government officials, college students, elementary-school pupils and teachers, and a psychiatrist and clients. Discussion topics…

Cohort profile: Seek and treat for the optimal prevention of HIV/AIDS in British Columbia (STOP HIV/AIDS BC).

PubMed

Heath, Kate; Samji, Hasina; Nosyk, Bohdan; Colley, Guillaume; Gilbert, Mark; Hogg, Robert S; Montaner, Julio Sg

2014-08-01

The Seek and Treat for Optimal Prevention of HIV/AIDS (STOP HIV/AIDS) cohort is a census of all identified HIV-positive individuals in the province of British Columbia. It was formed through the linkage of nine provincial treatment, surveillance and administrative databases. This open cohort allows for bidirectional analyses from 1996 onward and is refreshed annually. Extensive data collection for cohort members includes demographic information, detailed clinical and laboratory data, complete prescription drug use including antiretroviral agents, and information on health service utilization encompassing inpatient and outpatient care, addictions treatment and palliative care. This cohort provides an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate, over an extended time period, patterns and determinants of key outcomes including engagement in the cascade of HIV care from diagnosis to treatment to viral suppression as well as monitoring trends in medical costs, health outcomes and other key healthcare delivery indicators at a population level with wide-ranging, high-quality data. The overall purpose of these activities is to enable the development and implementation of strategically targeted interventions to improve access to testing, care and treatment for all HIV-positive individuals living in British Columbia. © The Author 2014; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

Opportunities and obstacles to collecting wildlife disease data for public health purposes: Results of a pilot study on Vancouver Island, British Columbia

PubMed Central

Stitt, Tyler; Mountifield, Julie; Stephen, Craig

2007-01-01

Existing sources of wildlife morbidity and mortality data were evaluated and 3 pilot active surveillance projects were undertaken to compare and contrast methods for collecting wildlife disease data on Vancouver Island for public health purposes. Few organizations could collect samples for diagnostic evaluation, fewer still maintained records, and none regularly characterized or reported wildlife disease for public health purposes. Wildlife rehabilitation centers encountered the greatest variety of wildlife from the largest geographic area and frequently received submissions from other organizations. Obstacles to participation included the following: permit restrictions; financial disincentives; staff safety; no mandate to collect relevant data; and lack of contact between wildlife and public health agencies. Despite these obstacles, modest investments in personnel allowed novel pathogens of public health concern to be tracked. Targeted surveillance for known pathogens in specific host species, rather than general surveys for unspecified pathogens, was judged to be a more effective and efficient way to provide useful public health data. PMID:17310627

New evidence for Oligocene to Recent slip along the San Juan fault, a terrane-bounding structure within the Cascadia forearc of southern British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrichhausen, N.; Morell, K. D.; Regalla, C.; Lynch, E. M.

2017-12-01

Active forearc deformation in the southern Cascadia subduction zone is partially accommodated by faults in the upper crust in both Washington state and Oregon, but until recently, these types of active forearc faults have not been documented in the northern part of the Cascadia forearc on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Here we present new evidence for Quaternary slip on the San Juan fault that indicates that this terrane-bounding structure has been reactivated since its last documented slip in the Eocene. Field work targeted by newly acquired hi-resolution lidar topography reveals a deformed debris flow channel network developed within colluvium along the central portion of the San Juan fault, consistent with a surface-rupturing earthquake with 1-2 m of offset since deglaciation 13 ka. Near the western extent of the San Juan fault, marine sediments are in fault contact with mélange of the Pandora Peak Unit. These marine sediments are likely Oligocene or younger in age, given their similarity in facies and fossil assemblages to nearby outcrops of the Carmanah Group sediments, but new dating using strontium isotope stratigraphy will confirm this hypothesis. If these sediments are part of the Carmanah Group, they occur further east and at a higher elevation than previously documented. The presence of Oligocene or younger marine sediments, more than 400 meters above current sea level, requires a substantial amount of Neogene rock uplift that could have been accommodated by slip on the San Juan fault. A preliminary analysis of fault slickensides indicates a change in slip sense from left-lateral to normal along the strike of the fault. Until further mapping and analysis is completed, however, it remains unclear whether this kinematic change reflects spatial and/or temporal variability. These observations suggest that the San Juan fault is likely part of a network of active faults accommodating forearc strain on Vancouver Island. With the recent discovery of

Continuing Education Activities of the University of British Columbia, 1982-1983. A Report to the President, the Senate, and the Board of Governors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Univ., Vancouver.

Continuing education activities of the University of British Columbia for the 1982-1983 academic year are reported. Information is provided on: extra-sessional credit programs, guided independent study, the Centre for Continuing Education, the Division of Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, professional programs of the Faculty of Commerce…

Factors that support successful transition to the community among women leaving prison in British Columbia: a prospective cohort study using participatory action research

PubMed Central

Janssen, Patricia A.; Korchinski, Mo; Desmarais, Sarah L.; Albert, Arianne Y.K.; Condello, Lara-Lisa; Buchanan, Marla; Granger-Brown, Alison; Ramsden, Vivian R.; Fels, Lynn; Buxton, Jane A.; Leggo, Carl; Martin, Ruth Elwood

2017-01-01

Background: In Canada, the number of women sentenced to prison has almost doubled since 1995. In British Columbia, the rate of reincarceration is 70% within 2 years. Our aim was to identify factors associated with recidivism among women in British Columbia. Methods: We prospectively followed women after discharge from provincial corrections centres in British Columbia. We defined recidivism as participation in criminal activity disclosed by participants during the year following release. To identify predictive factors, we carried out a repeated-measures analysis using a logistic mixed-effect model. Results: Four hundred women completed a baseline interview, of whom 207 completed additional interviews during the subsequent year, contributing 395 interviews in total. Factors significantly associated in univariate analysis with recidivism included not having a family doctor or dentist, depression, not having children, less than high school education, index charge of drug offense or theft under $5000, poor general health, hepatitis C treatment, poor nutritional or spiritual health, and use of cannabis or cocaine. In multivariate analysis, good nutritional health (odds ratio [OR] 0.52 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35-0.76]), good spiritual health (OR 0.61 [95% CI 0.44-0.83]), high school education (OR 0.44 [95% CI 0.22-0.87]) and incarceration for a drug offence versus other crimes (OR 0.30 [95% CI 0.12-0.79]) were protective against recidivism. Interpretation: Our findings emphasize the relevance of health-related strategies as drivers of recidivism among women released from prison. Health assessment on admission followed by treatment for trauma and associated psychiatric disorders and for chronic medical and dental problems deserve consideration as priority approaches to reduce rates of reincarceration. PMID:28928168

Factors that support successful transition to the community among women leaving prison in British Columbia: a prospective cohort study using participatory action research.

PubMed

Janssen, Patricia A; Korchinski, Mo; Desmarais, Sarah L; Albert, Arianne Y K; Condello, Lara-Lisa; Buchanan, Marla; Granger-Brown, Alison; Ramsden, Vivian R; Fels, Lynn; Buxton, Jane A; Leggo, Carl; Martin, Ruth Elwood

2017-09-13

In Canada, the number of women sentenced to prison has almost doubled since 1995. In British Columbia, the rate of reincarceration is 70% within 2 years. Our aim was to identify factors associated with recidivism among women in British Columbia. We prospectively followed women after discharge from provincial corrections centres in British Columbia. We defined recidivism as participation in criminal activity disclosed by participants during the year following release. To identify predictive factors, we carried out a repeated-measures analysis using a logistic mixed-effect model. Four hundred women completed a baseline interview, of whom 207 completed additional interviews during the subsequent year, contributing 395 interviews in total. Factors significantly associated in univariate analysis with recidivism included not having a family doctor or dentist, depression, not having children, less than high school education, index charge of drug offense or theft under $5000, poor general health, hepatitis C treatment, poor nutritional or spiritual health, and use of cannabis or cocaine. In multivariate analysis, good nutritional health (odds ratio [OR] 0.52 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35-0.76]), good spiritual health (OR 0.61 [95% CI 0.44-0.83]), high school education (OR 0.44 [95% CI 0.22-0.87]) and incarceration for a drug offence versus other crimes (OR 0.30 [95% CI 0.12-0.79]) were protective against recidivism. Our findings emphasize the relevance of health-related strategies as drivers of recidivism among women released from prison. Health assessment on admission followed by treatment for trauma and associated psychiatric disorders and for chronic medical and dental problems deserve consideration as priority approaches to reduce rates of reincarceration. Copyright 2017, Joule Inc. or its licensors.

The impact of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on population level physical activity and sport participation among Canadian children and adolescents: population based study.

PubMed

Craig, Cora L; Bauman, Adrian E

2014-09-03

There has been much debate about the potential impact of the Olympics. The purpose of this study was to determine if hosting the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games (OG) encouraged Canadian children to be physically active. Children 5-19 years (n = 19862) were assessed as part of the representative Canadian Physical Activity Levels Among Youth surveillance study between August 2007 and July 2011. Parents were asked if the child participated in organized physical activity or sport. In addition, children wore pedometers for 7 days to objectively provide an estimate of overall physical activity. Mean steps/day and percent participating in organized physical activity or sport were calculated by time period within year for Canada and British Columbia. The odds of participation by time period were estimated by logistic regression, controlling for age and sex. Mean steps were lower during the Olympic period compared with Pre- (607 fewer steps/day 95% CI 263-950 steps/day) and Post-Olympic (1246 fewer steps 95% CI 858-1634 steps) periods for Canada. There was no difference by time period in British Columbia. A similar pattern in mean steps by time period was observed across years, but there were no significant differences in activity within each of these periods between years. The likelihood of participating in organized physical activity or sport by time period within or across years did not differ from baseline (August-November 2007). The 2010 Olympic Games had no measurable impact on objectively measured physical activity or the prevalence of overall sports participation among Canadian children. Much greater cross-Government and long-term efforts are needed to create the conditions for an Olympic legacy effect on physical activity.

Presumptive chronic pyrrolizidine alkaloid poisoning in 2 pygmy goats due to ingestion of tansy ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) in southwestern British Columbia

PubMed Central

Anholt, Heather; Britton, Ann

2017-01-01

Two pygmy goats from a herd of 3 animals in British Columbia died within 24 hours of exhibiting lethargy. Histopathology revealed liver failure and tansy ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) was discovered in the goats’ pasture. Goats are typically resistant to the toxic effects of tansy ragwort. This is the first report of presumed tansy ragwort toxicity in goats in North America. PMID:29089653

Dynamic Factorization in Large-Scale Optimization

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-12

variable production charges, distribution via multiple modes, taxes, duties and duty drawback, and inventory charges. See Harrison, Arntzen , and Brown...Decomposition," presented at CORS/TIMS/ORSA meeting, Vancouver. British Columbia, Canada, May. Harrison, T. P., Arntzen , B. C., and Brown, G. G. 1992

Standing at the crossroads: Identity and recognition of the Applied Science Technologist in British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roemer, Thomas

Modern technical education in British Columbia has been affected by two societal trends: in industry, engineering technology evolved as a discipline to bridge the increasing chasm between the process-oriented skill sets of tradespersons/technicians, and the declarative knowledge focus of engineering; in education, the provincial college and institute system was created to address the need for a new post-secondary credential situated between trades certificates and university degrees. The Applied Science Technologist arguably forms the intersection of these two concepts. Almost forty years after its inception, it is timely to ask if the original model has matured into a distinct occupational category in industry, education, and in the public mind. The thesis proposes three environments, the Formative, Market and Public Domain, respectively. Interviews, surveys and personal experience afforded insights into the dynamics of these domains with respect to a fledgling occupational category, while the socio-philosophical concepts of culture, habitus and social imaginary provide the tools to interpret the findings. The thesis postulates that an emerging occupational category will not only challenge existing cultures and habitus, but that over time it will influence the imaginaries of each domain and society as a whole. Ultimately, the occupational category will be truly successful only when the general public is able to distinguish it from related disciplines. Charles Taylor's writings on multiculturalism are used to discuss identity and recognition of the Applied Science Technologist in each domain while Pierre Bourdieu's perspectives on the existence of habitus and self-proliferating elites form the framework to examine the relationships between technologists and engineers. Taylor's theory of multiple concurrent social imaginaries guides the comparison of divergent expectations among academic, career and vocational instructors at British Columbia's colleges. The thesis

Mixed-severity fire history at a forest-grassland ecotone in west central British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Harvey, Jill E; Smith, Dan J; Veblen, Thomas T

2017-09-01

This study examines spatially variable stand structure and fire-climate relationships at a low elevation forest-grassland ecotone in west central British Columbia, Canada. Fire history reconstructions were based on samples from 92 fire-scarred trees and stand demography from 27 plots collected over an area of about 7 km 2 . We documented historical chronologies of widespread fires and localized grassland fires between AD 1600 and 1900. Relationships between fire events, reconstructed values of the Palmer Drought Severity Index, and annual precipitation were examined using superposed epoch and bivariate event analyses. Widespread fires occurred during warm, dry years and were preceded by multiple anomalously dry, warm years. Localized fires that affected only grassland-proximal forests were more frequent than widespread fires. These localized fires showed a lagged, positive relationship with wetter conditions. The landscape pattern of forest structure provided further evidence of complex fire activity with multiple plots shown to have experienced low-, mixed-, and/or high-severity fires over the last four centuries. We concluded that this forest-grassland ecotone was characterized by fires of mixed severity, dominated by frequent, low-severity fires punctuated by widespread fires of moderate to high severity. This landscape-level variability in fire-climate relationships and patterns in forest structure has important implications for fire and grassland management in west central British Columbia and similar environments elsewhere. Forest restoration techniques such as prescribed fire and thinning are oftentimes applied at the forest-grassland ecotone on the basis that historically high frequency, low-severity fires defined the character of past fire activity. This study provides forest managers and policy makers with important information on mixed-severity fire activity at a low elevation forest-grassland ecotone, a crucial prerequisite for the effective management

Chronic disease prevention policy in British Columbia and Ontario in light of public health renewal: a comparative policy analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Public health strategies that focus on legislative and policy change involving chronic disease risk factors such as unhealthy diet and physical inactivity have the potential to prevent chronic diseases and improve quality of life as a whole. However, many public health policies introduced as part of public health reform have not yet been analyzed, such as in British Columbia and Ontario. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a descriptive, comparative analysis of public health policies related to the Healthy Living Core Program in British Columbia and Chronic Disease Prevention Standard in Ontario that are intended to prevent a range of chronic diseases by promoting healthy eating and physical activity, among other things. Methods Policy documents were found through Internet search engines and Ministry websites, at the guidance of policy experts. These included government documents as well as documents from non-governmental organizations that were implementing policies and programs at a provincial level. Documents (n = 31) were then analysed using thematic content analysis to classify, describe and compare policies in a systematic fashion, using the software NVivo. Results Three main categories emerged from the analysis of documents: 1) goals for chronic disease prevention in British Columbia and Ontario, 2) components of chronic disease prevention policies, and 3) expected outputs of chronic disease prevention interventions. Although there were many similarities between the two provinces, they differed somewhat in terms of their approach to issues such as evidence, equity, and policy components. Some expected outputs were adoption of healthy behaviours, use of information, healthy environments and increased public awareness. Conclusions The two provincial policies present different approaches to support the implementation of related programs. Differences may be related to contextual factors such as program delivery structures and

Culicoides Hypersensitivity in the Horse: 15 Cases in Southwestern British Columbia

PubMed Central

Kleider, N.; Lees, M. J.

1984-01-01

The investigation of a chronic, seasonal dermatitis of horses in southwestern British Columbia is described. Typically the history indicated an insidious onset, followed by a gradual progression in the severity of the signs each year. Lesions appeared during the warmer months of the year and tended to regress during the winter. The clinical signs consisted of areas of pruritus and excoriation, affecting predominantly the ventral midline, mane and tailhead. In all cases corticosteroid therapy relieved the pruritus and allowed the lesions to heal. The salient pathological findings were hyperkeratosis, spongiosis and a dermal infiltration of eosinophils together with mononuclear cells. These changes are typical of an allergic dermatitis, which has been recognized in many parts of the world as a hypersensitivity reaction to the bites of Culicoides spp. In this instance, the epidemiological findings relating to the geographic area, the local insect population and the distribution of lesions implicated Culicoides obsoletus as the etiological agent. ImagesFIGURE 1.FIGURE 2.Figure 3.FIGURE 4.Figure 5. PMID:17422351

Detrital zircon geochronology support for Baja-BC hypothesis or Why zircons in the Nanaimo Basin, British Columbia are not from the Rocky Mountains.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guest, B.; Matthews, W.; Hubbard, S. M.; Coutts, D. S.; Bain, H.

2016-12-01

The development of Cordilleran orogen of western North American is disputed despite a century of study. Paleomagnetic observations require large-scale dextral displacement of crustal fragments along the western margin of North America, from low latitudes to moderate latitudes during the Cretaceous-Paleogene. A lack of corroborating geological evidence for large-scale displacements has prevented the widespread integration of paleomagnetic data into contemporary tectonic models for the margin. Here we investigate the Cretaceous paleogeographic position of the Baja-BC block, a crustal fragment consisting of the Alexander and Wrangel terranes, using detrital zircons from the Nanaimo Basin of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We compare 4310 detrital zircon U/Pb analyses from 16 samples to potential source areas in western North America to test hypothesized northern and southern paleogeographic positions. Our detrital zircon data suggest that sediment in the Nanaimo Basin derives from the Mojave-Sonoran Region of southwestern North America, supporting a southerly late Cretaceous paleogeographic position. We present a speculative Cretaceous to Paleogene paleogeographic reconstruction for the southwestern United States and northern Mexico that accommodates the presence, and northward transport, of the Baja-BC block. We propose that the Western Coast Mountains Batholith and the Nanaimo Basin represent the missing segment of the Mesozoic magmatic arc and associated forearc regions, between the Sierra Nevada and Peninsular Ranges Batholiths. This segment was translated northward following capture by the Kula plate. As such, we reconcile the paleomagnetic data for the Baja-BC block with the geology of the southwestern United States. Our model, albeit speculative, is compatible with the large-scale tectonic and magmatic processes that affected western North America in the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene.

75 FR 69633 - Marine Mammals; File No. 15206

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-15

... the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center, British Columbia, Canada to Sea World of Texas, had been... Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Sea World, LLC, 9205 South Park Center Loop, Suite 400, Orlando, FL 32819 [Brad Andrews, Responsible Party...

Developments in closed-containment technologies for salmonids, Part 1

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This article, Part 1 of a two-part story, includes highlights from the first day of the 2017 Aquaculture Innovation Workshop, which was organized by The Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute and held in Vancouver, British Columbia, November 29-30, 2017. This workshop focused on new developments in ...

Bringing the Profession Back In: Call to Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fullan, Michael; Hargreaves, Andy

2016-01-01

Coinciding with the 2016 Annual Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Learning Forward commissioned and supported a study of professional learning across the nation of Canada entitled "The State of Educators' Professional Learning in Canada." A research team led by Carol Campbell, Associate Professor of Leadership and Educational…

Happiness in Midlife Parental Roles: A Contextual Mixed Methods Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Barbara A.

2010-01-01

This article focuses on midlife parental role satisfaction using date from a culturally diverse sample of 490 Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, parents. Results show that most parents are happy in their roles. Income satisfaction, intergenerational relationship quality, parents' main activity, health, age, ethnic background, and…

An Evaluation of the Police Liaison Program. Research Report 81-08.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Susanne; LaTorre, Ronald

The Police Liaison Program (PLP) was established in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) elementary and secondary schools to improve police-community relationships; to increase understanding of the police role and of the individual's responsibilities in the community; and ultimately, to reduce juvenile delinquency. In 1981, the program was…

Teaching Urban Sociology and Urban Sustainability on Two Feet, Two Wheels, and in Three Cities: Our Experience Teaching Sustainable Cities in North America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christiansen, Lars; Fischer, Nancy

2010-01-01

The authors describe their experiences teaching Sustainable Cities in North America, a course on both urban sociology and urban sustainability. This course brought students to Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia, and then compared those cities with Minneapolis, Minnesota, on various dimensions of urban sustainability. After…

Applying Systems Thinking via Systemigrams(TM) for Defining the Body of Knowledge and Curriculum to Advance Systems Engineering (BKCASE) Project

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Systemitool to create SystemigramsTM to demonstrate a systems perspective of the issue of increasing plagiarism in the academic community. An initial set of...March 23-26, 2009, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Sivadasan, S. and B. Sauser. 2009. Understanding plagiarism using boardman’s soft-systems

A global hotspot for dissolved organic carbon in hypermaritime watersheds of coastal British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, Allison A.; Tank, Suzanne E.; Giesbrecht, Ian; Korver, Maartje C.; Floyd, William C.; Sanborn, Paul; Bulmer, Chuck; Lertzman, Ken P.

2017-08-01

The perhumid region of the coastal temperate rainforest (CTR) of Pacific North America is one of the wettest places on Earth and contains numerous small catchments that discharge freshwater and high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) directly to the coastal ocean. However, empirical data on the flux and composition of DOC exported from these watersheds are scarce. We established monitoring stations at the outlets of seven catchments on Calvert and Hecate islands, British Columbia, which represent the rain-dominated hypermaritime region of the perhumid CTR. Over several years, we measured stream discharge, stream water DOC concentration, and stream water dissolved organic-matter (DOM) composition. Discharge and DOC concentrations were used to calculate DOC fluxes and yields, and DOM composition was characterized using absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The areal estimate of annual DOC yield in water year 2015 was 33.3 Mg C km-2 yr-1, with individual watersheds ranging from an average of 24.1 to 37.7 Mg C km-2 yr-1. This represents some of the highest DOC yields to be measured at the coastal margin. We observed seasonality in the quantity and composition of exports, with the majority of DOC export occurring during the extended wet period (September-April). Stream flow from catchments reacted quickly to rain inputs, resulting in rapid export of relatively fresh, highly terrestrial-like DOM. DOC concentration and measures of DOM composition were related to stream discharge and stream temperature and correlated with watershed attributes, including the extent of lakes and wetlands, and the thickness of organic and mineral soil horizons. Our discovery of high DOC yields from these small catchments in the CTR is especially compelling as they deliver relatively fresh, highly terrestrial organic matter directly to the coastal ocean. Hypermaritime landscapes are common on the British Columbia coast, suggesting that

Three-dimenstional crustal velocity structure beneath the strait of georgia, British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zelt, B.C.; Ellis, R.M.; Zelt, C.A.; Hyndman, R.D.; Lowe, C.; Spence, G.D.; Fisher, M.A.

2001-01-01

The Strait of Georgia is a topographic depression straddling the boundary between the Insular and Coast belts in southwestern British Columbia. Two shallow earthquakes located within the strait (M = 4.6 in 1997 and M = 5.0 in 1975) and felt throughout the Vancouver area illustrate the seismic potential of this region. As part of the 1998 Seismic Hazards Investigation of Puget Sound (SHIPS) experiment, seismic instruments were placed in and around the Strait of Georgia to record shots from a marine source within the strait. We apply a tomographic inversion procedure to first-arrival travel-time data to derive a minimum-structure 3-D P-wave velocity model for the upper crust to about 13 km depth. We also present a 2-D velocity model for a profile orientated across the Strait of Georgia derived using a minimum-parameter traveltime inversion approach. This paper represents the first detailed look at crustal velocity variations within the major Cretaceous to Cenozoic Georgia Basin, which underlies the Strait of Georgia. The 3-D velocity model clearly delineates the structure of the Georgia Basin. Taking the 6 km s-1 isovelocity contour to represent the top of the underlying basement, the basin thickens from between 2 and 4 km in the northwestern half of the strait to between 8 and 9 km at the southeastern end of the study region. Basin velocities in the northeastern half are 4.5-6 km s-1 and primarily represent the Upper Cretaceous Nanaimo Group. Velocities to the south are lower (3-6 km s-1) because of the additional presence of the overlying Tertiary Huntingdon Formation and more recent sediments, including glacial and modern Fraser River deposits. In contrast to the relatively smoothly varying velocity structure of the basin, velocities of the basement rocks, which comprise primarily Palaeozoic to Jurassic rocks of the Wrangellia Terrane and possibly Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous granitic rocks of the Coast Belt, show significantly more structure, probably an indication

Thickness of unconsolidated deposits of the Puget Sound aquifer system, Washington and British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, M.A.

1996-01-01

The Puget-Willamette Lowland is located in western Washington, western Oregon, and a small part of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The Puget-Willamette Lowland study area is composed of two distinct subareas, the Puget Sound Lowland and the Willamette Lowland. This report presents the results of mapping the thickness of the unconsolidated deposits in the Puget Sound Lowland. The thickness of the unconsolidated deposits ranges from a discontinuous veneer in areas of bedrock outcrop to more than 3,600 feet. Available information shows that the unconsolidated deposits are thickest in the Fraser-Whatcom, Everett, Seattle, and Tacoma Basins. The mapped thickness of the unconsolidated deposits in the Tacoma Basin is probably underestimated because of the scarcity of wells penetrating the full thickness of the unconsolidated deposits and the lack of sufficient marine-seismic data.

The importance of policy in emissions inventory accuracy--a lesson from British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Krzyzanowski, Judi

2009-04-01

Actual atmospheric emissions in northeast British Columbia, Canada, are much higher than reported emissions. The addition of upstream oil and gas sector sources not included in the year-2000 emissions inventory of Criteria Air Contaminants (CACs) increases annual totals of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and volatile organic compound emissions by 115.1, 89.9, and 109.5%, respectively. These emissions arise from numerous small and unregulated point sources (N = 10,129). CAC summaries are given by source type and source sector. An analysis of uncertainty and reporting policy suggests that inventory omissions are not limited to the study area and that Canadian pollutant emissions are systematically underestimated. The omissions suggest that major changes in reporting procedures are needed in Canada if true estimates of annual pollutant emissions are to be documented.

Gender inequities in quality of care among HIV-positive individuals initiating antiretroviral treatment in British Columbia, Canada (2000-2010).

PubMed

Carter, Allison; Min, Jeong Eun; Chau, William; Lima, Viviane D; Kestler, Mary; Pick, Neora; Money, Deborah; Montaner, Julio S G; Hogg, Robert S; Kaida, Angela

2014-01-01

We measured gender differences in "Quality of Care" (QOC) during the first year after initiation of antiretroviral therapy and investigated factors associated with poorer QOC among women. QOC was estimated using the Programmatic Compliance Score (PCS), a validated metric associated with all-cause mortality, among all patients (≥19 years) who initiated ART in British Columbia, Canada (2000-2010). PCS includes six indicators of non-compliance with treatment initiation guidelines at baseline (not having drug resistance testing before treatment; starting on a non-recommended regimen; starting therapy at CD4<200 cells/mm3) and during first-year follow-up (receiving <3 CD4 tests; receiving <3 viral load tests; not achieving viral suppression within six months). Summary scores range from 0-6; higher scores indicate poorer QOC. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression was used to measure if female gender was an independent predictor of poorer QOC and factors associated with poorer QOC among women. QOC was determined for 3,642 patients (20% women). At baseline: 42% of women (34% men) did not have resistance testing before treatment; 17% of women (9% men) started on a non-recommended regimen (all p<0.001). At follow-up: 17% of women (11% men) received <3 CD4; 17% of women (11% men) received <3 VL; 50% of women (41% men) did not achieve viral suppression (all p<0.001). Overall, QOC was better among men (mean PSC = 1.54 (SD = 1.30)) compared with women (mean = 1.89 (SD = 1.37); p<0.001). In the multivariable model, female gender (AOR = 1.16 [95% CI: 0.99-1.35]; p = 0.062) remained associated with poorer QOC after covariate adjustment. Among women, those with injection drug use history, of Aboriginal ancestry, from Vancouver Island, and who initiated ART in earlier years were more likely to have poorer QOC. Poorer QOC among women, especially from marginalized communities, demands that barriers undermining women's access to high-quality care be

The Road to Employability through Personal Development: A Critical Analysis of the Silences and Ambiguities of the British Columbia (Canada) Life Skills Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butterwick, Shauna; Benjamin, Amanda

2006-01-01

This paper offers a critical discourse analysis of a life skills career education curriculum for schools in British Columbia, Canada. This curriculum calls for the development of a set of life skills that are positioned as central to students' employability. At the heart of the curriculum is a focus on personal development, in particular, the need…

Compact, Low-Power Atomic Time and Frequency Standards

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

2007). This is consistent with other reports of survival of CSAC devices with thin polymide tethers to 500g ( Lutwak et al., 2007). • Humidity...InterPACK 󈧋 , July 8-12, 2007, Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA Lutwak , R., et al., “The chip-scale atomic clock – prototype evaluation

Developments in closed-containment technologies for salmonids, Part 2

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This article, Part 2 of a two-part story, includes highlights from the second day of the 2017 Aquaculture Innovation Workshop (AIW), which was organized by The Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute and held in Vancouver, British Columbia, November 29-30, 2017. Part 2 includes brief summaries of pre...

Student Services: A Student's Eye View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Runnals, Angela

2006-01-01

Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2005. A relatively new university, it has nevertheless seen tremendous changes over the past four decades. As admissions officers, registrars and other student services professionals know, the rate of change is continuing to increase dramatically.…

"The Walls Were Closing in, and We Were Trapped": A Qualitative Analysis of Street Youth Suicide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, Sean A.

2004-01-01

Semistructured interviews focusing on suicide were conducted with 80 street youth in agencies and on the streets of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Participants described their understandings of the phenomenon of suicide among street youth and the meanings suicide held for them. Qualitative analysis of the…

The State of Educators' Professional Learning in Canada. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Carol; Osmond-Johnson, Pamela; Faubert, Brenton; Zeichner, Kenneth; Hobbs-Johnson, Audrey

2016-01-01

Coinciding with the 2016 Annual Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Learning Forward commissioned and supported a study of professional learning across the nation of Canada. "The State of Educators' Professional Learning in Canada" was researched by a team led by Carol Campbell, Associate Professor of Leadership and Educational…

Phytoextraction and phytostabilisation of metal-contaminated soil in temperate maritime climate of coastal British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padmavathiamma, P. K.; Li, L. Y.

2009-04-01

This research addressed the phytoremediation of roadside soils subjected to multi-component metal solutions. A typical right of way for roads in Canada is around 30 m, and at least 33% of that land in the right of way is unpaved and can support animal life. Thus, land associated with 12,000 km of roads in the province of British Columbia and millions of kilometres around the world represent a substantial quantity of wildlife habitat where metal contamination needs to be remediated. Phytostabilisation, requires least maintenance among different phytoremediation techniques, and it could be a feasible and practical method of remediating in roadside soils along highways and for improving highway runoff drainage. The suitability of five plant species was studied for phytoextraction and phytostabilisation in a region with temperate maritime climate of coastal British Columbia, Canada. Pot experiments were conducted using Lolium perenne L (perennial rye grass), Festuca rubra L (creeping red fescue), Helianthus annuus L (sunflower), Poa pratensis L (Kentucky bluegrass) and Brassica napus L (rape) in soils treated with three different metal (Cu, Pb, Mn and Zn) concentrations. The bio-metric characters of plants in soils with multiple-metal contaminations, their metal accumulation characteristics, translocation properties and metal removal were assessed at different stages of plant growth, 90 and 120 DAS (days after sowing). Lolium was found to be suitable for the phytostabilisation of Cu and Pb, Festuca for Mn and Poa for Zn. Metal removal was higher at 120 than at 90 days after sowing, and metals concentrated more in the underground tissues with less translocation to the above-ground parts. Bioconcentration factors indicate that Festuca had the highest accumulation for Cu, Helianthus for Pb and Zn and Poa for Mn.

Costs of Planned Home vs. Hospital Birth in British Columbia Attended by Registered Midwives and Physicians

PubMed Central

Janssen, Patricia A.; Mitton, Craig; Aghajanian, Jaafar

2015-01-01

Background Home birth is available to women in Canada who meet eligibility requirements for low risk status after assessment by regulated midwives. While UK researchers have reported lower costs associated with planned home birth, there have been no published studies of the costs of home versus hospital birth in Canada. Methods Costs for all women planning home birth with a regulated midwife in British Columbia, Canada were compared with those of all women who met eligibility requirements for home birth and were planning to deliver in hospital with a registered midwife, and with a sample of women of similar low risk status planning birth in the hospital with a physician. We calculated costs of physician service billings, midwifery fees, hospital in-patient costs, pharmaceuticals, home birth supplies, and transport. We compared costs among study groups using the Kruskall Wallis test for independent groups. Results In the first 28 days postpartum, we report a $2,338 average savings per birth among women planning home birth compared to hospital birth with a midwife and $2,541 compared to hospital birth planned with a physician. In longer term outcomes, similar reductions were observed, with cost savings per birth at $1,683 compared to the planned hospital birth with a midwife, and $1,100 compared to the physician group during the first eight weeks postpartum. During the first year of life, costs for infants of mothers planning home birth were reduced overall. Cost savings compared to planned hospital births with a midwife were $810 and with a physician $1,146. Costs were similarly reduced when findings were stratified by parity. Conclusions Planned home birth in British Columbia with a registered midwife compared to planned hospital birth is less expensive for our health care system up to 8 weeks postpartum and to one year of age for the infant. PMID:26186720

Physician gender and changes in drug prescribing after the implementation of reference pricing in British Columbia.

PubMed

Duetz, Margreet S; Schneeweiss, Sebastian; Maclure, Malcolm; Abel, Thomas; Glynn, Robert J; Soumerai, Stephen B

2003-01-01

Gender-specific attitudes and communication styles are known to influence both the content and outcome of medical visits. Therefore, gender-specific differences in response to cost containment may also occur. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of physician gender on changes in prescribing patterns of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors after the implementation of reference pricing for prescription drugs in British Columbia, Canada. Reference pricing is a cost-sharing policy by which use of high-priced medication requires out-of-pocket payment of the price difference between the cost-sharing drug and a lower-cost drug within the same class. In British Columbia, reference pricing for ACE inhibitors was introduced on January 1, 1997. Analysis was carried out on linked pharmacy and medical service claims data on 927 female and 2922 male physicians treating 47,680 Pharmacare Plan A enrollees who were aged >-65 years and were prescribed a high-priced ACE inhibitors before the implementation of reference pricing. Female physicians (24.1% of all physicians) were younger, treated more female patients, had patients with fewer chronic illnesses, and worked more often as general practitioners than did male physicians. The patients of female physicians were more likely to receive a written physician-requested exemption from copayment, according to a multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio [OR], 1.25; 95% CI, 1.04-1.50). Data suggested that patients of female physicians were more likely to stop antihypertensive drug therapy (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 0.96-2.13); however, this was independent of the new copayment policy. The results provide empirical evidence that physician gender is associated with slightly different patient management strategies regarding physician-requested exemptions after the start of a new drug cost-sharing policy. However, these differences are unlikely to have meaningful clinical or economic consequences.

Costs of Planned Home vs. Hospital Birth in British Columbia Attended by Registered Midwives and Physicians.

PubMed

Janssen, Patricia A; Mitton, Craig; Aghajanian, Jaafar

2015-01-01

Home birth is available to women in Canada who meet eligibility requirements for low risk status after assessment by regulated midwives. While UK researchers have reported lower costs associated with planned home birth, there have been no published studies of the costs of home versus hospital birth in Canada. Costs for all women planning home birth with a regulated midwife in British Columbia, Canada were compared with those of all women who met eligibility requirements for home birth and were planning to deliver in hospital with a registered midwife, and with a sample of women of similar low risk status planning birth in the hospital with a physician. We calculated costs of physician service billings, midwifery fees, hospital in-patient costs, pharmaceuticals, home birth supplies, and transport. We compared costs among study groups using the Kruskall Wallis test for independent groups. In the first 28 days postpartum, we report a $2,338 average savings per birth among women planning home birth compared to hospital birth with a midwife and $2,541 compared to hospital birth planned with a physician. In longer term outcomes, similar reductions were observed, with cost savings per birth at $1,683 compared to the planned hospital birth with a midwife, and $1,100 compared to the physician group during the first eight weeks postpartum. During the first year of life, costs for infants of mothers planning home birth were reduced overall. Cost savings compared to planned hospital births with a midwife were $810 and with a physician $1,146. Costs were similarly reduced when findings were stratified by parity. Planned home birth in British Columbia with a registered midwife compared to planned hospital birth is less expensive for our health care system up to 8 weeks postpartum and to one year of age for the infant.

Trends in oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancer incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related and HPV-unrelated sites in a multicultural population: the British Columbia experience.

PubMed

Auluck, Ajit; Hislop, Greg; Bajdik, Chris; Poh, Catherine; Zhang, Lewei; Rosin, Miriam

2010-06-01

There is a growing recognition of the involvement of human papilloma virus infection in the etiology of head and neck cancers at some sites, mainly the base of the tongue, tonsils, and other oropharynx (hereafter termed oropharyngeal cancer). Other oral sites (hereafter termed oral cavity cancer [OCC]) show a stronger association with tobacco and alcohol. Little is known about the ethnic variation in incidence for these cancers. This study determined incidence rates of OCC and oropharyngeal cancer among South Asian, Chinese, and the general population in British Columbia, Canada. Patients with OCC and oropharyngeal cancer diagnosed from 1980 to 2006 were identified through the British Columbia cancer registry, and surname lists were used to establish ethnicity. Age-adjusted incidence rates were determined for these cancers by sex, topographical site, and ethnicity, and temporal trends were examined. Age-adjusted incidence rates have been decreasing for OCC and increasing for oropharyngeal cancer in the general population for both sexes, with men having higher incidence rates than women. Ethnic differences were found, with the highest age-adjusted incidence rates for OCC for men in South Asians and for women in Chinese, and with the highest age-adjusted incidence rates for oropharyngeal cancer for men in Chinese and for women in the general population. Differences were also found for OCC topographical sites by sex and ethnicity. The incidence of oropharyngeal cancer has now surpassed OCC in the British Columbia male population. Ethnic minorities are at higher risk than the general population for both OCC and oropharyngeal cancer for men, and for OCC for women. (c) 2010 American Cancer Society.

Education Funding. A Brief to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services from the British Columbia Teachers' Federation. BCTF Education Funding Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Teachers' Federation, 2015

2015-01-01

The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) would like to express its appreciation for the recommendations made on funding for K-12 education in the past two reports of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services (the Committee). The BCTF does not like to be repetitive, but the situation with funding of public education…

Development over 25 years of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar planted at various spacings on a very good site in British Columbia.

Treesearch

Donald L. Reukema; J. Harry G. Smith

1987-01-01

Results of five spacing trials on the University of British Columbia Research Forest, covering a range of plantation spacings from 1 to 5 meters, showed that choice of initial spacing is among the most important factors influencing bole and crown development and stand growth and yield. The trials include Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesi), western...

Quantifying Components of Drug Expenditure Inflation: The British Columbia Seniors' Drug Benefit Plan

PubMed Central

Morgan, Steven G

2002-01-01

Objective To quantify the relative and absolute importance of different factors contributing to increases in per capita prescription drug costs for a population of Canadian seniors. Data Sources/Study Setting Data consist of every prescription claim from 1985 to 1999 for the British Columbia Pharmacare Plan A, a tax-financed public drug plan covering all community-dwelling British Columbians aged 65 and older. Study Design Changes in per capita prescription drug expenditures are attributed to changes to four components of expenditure inflation: (1) the pattern of exposure to drugs across therapeutic categories; (2) the mix of drugs used within therapeutic categories; (3) the rate of generic drug product selection; and (4) the prices of unchanged products. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Data were extracted from administrative claims files housed at the UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research. Principal Findings Changes in drug prices, the pattern of exposure to drugs across therapeutic categories, and the mix of drugs used within therapeutic categories all caused spending per capita to increase. Incentives for generic substitution and therapeutic reference pricing policies temporarily slowed the cost-increasing influence of changes in product selection by encouraging the use of generic drug products and/or cost-effective brand-name products within therapeutic categories. Conclusions The results suggest that drug plans (and patients) would benefit from more concerted efforts to evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of competing products within therapeutic categories of drugs. PMID:12479495

To the Application of LiDAR to Detect the Geological Structures in Sulphurets Property, British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koohzare, A.; Rezaeian, M.; McIntosh, A.

2009-05-01

The Kerr Sulphurets property in North Western British Columbia has been explored primarily as a placer gold holding since the 1880s; and, potentially includes one of Canada's largest gold deposits (e.g. the Mitchell Zone). The Sulphurets camp has been classified by Taylor in 2007 as a prominent global epithermal high-sulphidation subtype with 10 million tonnes of ore (reserves + production) containing approximately 10 g/t gold. The geological and geophysical observations of this deposit indicate intrusion- related mineralized veins which are known to overlap as the result of structural complexities. Faulting predates mineralization and alteration and dramatically dominates the location of the mineralization for this porphyry- epithermal high-sulphidation deposit (Britton and Alldrick 1988, British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, 1992; Margolis, 1993). However, the surface trace of these structures and lineaments within the site is obscured by vegetation, glacial cover and steep topographic relief. We used high resolution LiDAR airborne bare-earth sensing (vegetative data deleted) in an effort to detect the surface geological features and lineaments in the Kerr Sulphurets site. The LiDAR flight was designed to acquire high density data with 2 points per square meter using a 150 kHz multipulse system. High resolution LiDAR data provides a level of detail not achievable by other digital terrain modelling techniques, whether extracted from aerial photography, low-resolution topographic contour maps, 10-30 meter USGS, or SRTM digital elevation models. LiDAR bare-earth data spectacularly revealed hidden geological structures within the property district, which in turn assisted in identifying the high potential zones for mineralization in Sulphurets.

Surveying Cross Sections of the Kootenai River Between Libby Dam, Montana, and Kootenay Lake, British Columbia, Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barton, Gary J.; Moran, Edward H.; Berenbrock, Charles

2004-01-01

The declining population of Kootenai River white sturgeon, which was listed as an Endangered Species in 1994, has prompted a recovery team to assess the feasibility of various habitat enhancement scenarios to reestablish white sturgeon populations. As the first phase in this assessment, the U.S. Geological Survey collected stream channel cross-section and longitudinal data during 2002—03 at about 400 locations along the Kootenai River from Libby Dam near Libby, Montana, to where the river empties into Kootenay Lake near Creston, British Columbia, Canada. Survey control stations with a horizontal and vertical accuracy of less than 0.1 foot were established using a global positioning system (GPS) prior to collection of stream channel cross-section data along the Kootenai River. A total of 245 cross sections were surveyed. Six cross sections upstream from Kootenai Falls were surveyed using a total station where the river was too shallow or dangerous to navigate by vessel. The remaining 239 cross sections were surveyed by interfacing real-time GPS equipment with an echo sounder to obtain bathymetric data and with a laser range- finder to obtain streambank data. These data were merged, straightened, ordered, and reduced in size to be useful. Spacing between these cross sections ranged from about 600 feet in the valley flat near Deep Creek and Shorty Island and near bridges to as much as several miles in other areas. These stream channel cross sections will provide information that can be used to develop hydraulic flow models of the Kootenai River from Libby Dam, Montana, to Queens Bay on Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada.

A tale of two cedars – International symposium on western redcedar and yellow-cedar

Treesearch

Constance Harrington

2010-01-01

From May 24-28, 2010, an international symposium on western redcedar (Thuja plicata) and yellowcedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis [syn., Chamaecyparis nootkatensis]) was held at the University of Victoria on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The symposium was entitled “A Tale of Two Cedars” and...

Course Differentiation in the High School: The Perspective of Working Class Females.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaskell, Jane

Working-class high school girls choose courses for a variety of reasons, both consciously and subconsciously, and use conventional attitudes to justify their choices to themselves and others, according to working-class girls who volunteered to be interviewed during their free periods in Vancouver (British Columbia) high schools. The girls cited…

Dare to Be Different

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wassermann, Selma

2007-01-01

In this article, the author profiles Charles Dickens Elementary School in Vancouver, British Columbia, a school that dares to be different from the rest. This elementary school operates on a child-centered, multi-aged framework that is based on belief in an orientation towards continuous progress, appropriate evaluation of progress, schoolwide…

BladeRunners and Picasso Cafe: A Case Study Evaluation of Two Work-Based Training Programs for Disadvantaged Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Currie, Sheila; Foley, Kelly; Schwartz, Saul; Taylor-Lewis, Musu

In 1998, Canada's Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) conducted case studies of two work-based training and skill development programs for street youth in Vancouver, British Columbia. The BladeRunners program places youth on construction sites while encouraging them to work toward an apprenticeship in the building trades. The…

Negative Racial Encounters and Academic Outcomes of International and Domestic Students in Four Canadian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grayson, J. Paul

2014-01-01

In Canada, there has been little systematic inquiry into the nature and extent of discrimination against university students and the potential impact of discrimination on educational outcomes. On the basis of an examination of domestic and international students at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver), York (Toronto), McGill (Montreal),…

Teacher Salary Comparisons--Inter-City Differences: 2010-11 and 2011-12. BCTF Research Report. Section I. 2012-TS-02

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Margaret

2012-01-01

This research report, which is an update of research report 2011-TS-03, shows the salary difference for each step of British Columbia's (BC) Category 5 or comparable qualifications. Salaries for Vancouver public school teachers are compared to teacher salaries in Toronto (elementary), Ottawa (secondary), and Edmonton. Salaries for Prince George…

The Power To Choose: An Examination of Service Brokerage and Individualized Funding as Implemented by the Community Living Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

G. Allan Roeher Inst., Toronto (Ontario).

This report evaluates how effective the brokerage system operated by the Community Living Society in Vancouver (British Columbia) has been in meeting the needs of individuals with a mental handicap living in the community. The program stresses service brokerage, a mechanism to deliver the planning resources required to arrange and purchase…

Environmental Scanning Report, 1992.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yao, Min

In response to the change in the provincial economy from natural-resource-based industries to service-oriented industries, Vancouver Community College (VCC) in British Columbia (BC) conducted an environmental scan of the social and economic trends in the college's service region that will most likely affect prospective students' educational and…

COMMUNICATING RISK IN THE CONTEXT OF METHADONE FORMULATION CHANGES: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF OVERDOSE WARNING POSTERS IN VANCOUVER, CANADA

PubMed Central

Markwick, Nicole; McNeil, Ryan; Anderson, Solanna; Small, Will; Kerr, Thomas

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND British Columbia, Canada’s provincial methadone program recently replaced their existing methadone formulation with a formulation ten times more concentrated. The transition raised concerns about heightened risk of accidental overdose, leading two organizations to disseminate methadone overdose warning posters during the transitional period. This study explores people who use drugs’ (PWUD) perceptions of these warning posters. METHODS Qualitative interviews were conducted with thirty-four PWUD enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment in Vancouver. Participants were recruited from ongoing cohort studies of drug-using individuals. Interview transcripts were analyzed thematically, focusing on participants’ perceptions of the warning posters and potential impacts on drug-related risks. RESULTS Overdose warning posters constituted a key source of information about the methadone formulation change, but did not provide adequate information for all participants. Participants articulated a preference for descriptive language, focusing on changes in concentration rather than “strength”, and universal hazard symbols to effectively communicate overdose risks. CONCLUSION Participants indicated that warnings employing descriptive language more effectively communicated risk of methadone overdose. Future overdose warnings for drug-using populations must provide adequate information for the intended audience, and be communicated to PWUD through multiple channels. PMID:26644025

Structural Barriers to Antiretroviral Therapy Among Sex Workers Living with HIV: Findings of a Longitudinal Study in Vancouver, Canada

PubMed Central

Goldenberg, Shira M.; Montaner, Julio; Duff, Putu; Nguyen, Paul; Dobrer, Sabina; Guillemi, Silvia; Shannon, Kate

2015-01-01

In light of limited data on structural determinants of access and retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) among sex workers, we examined structural correlates of ART use among sex workers living with HIV over time. Longitudinal data were drawn from a cohort of 646 female sex workers in Vancouver, Canada (2010–2012) and linked pharmacy records on ART dispensation. We used logistic regression with generalized estimating equations (GEE) to examine correlates of gaps in ART use (i.e., treatment interruptions or delayed ART initiation), among sex workers living with HIV (n=74). Over a 2.5-year period, 37.8% of participants experienced gaps in ART use (i.e., no ART dispensed in a six-month period). In a multivariable GEE model, younger age, migration/mobility, incarceration, and non-injection drug use independently correlated with gaps in ART use. In spite of successes scaling-up ART in British Columbia, younger, mobile, or incarcerated sex workers face persistent gaps in access and retention irrespective of drug use. Community-based, tailored interventions to scale-up entry and retention in ART for sex workers should be further explored in this setting. PMID:26148850

Structural Barriers to Antiretroviral Therapy Among Sex Workers Living with HIV: Findings of a Longitudinal Study in Vancouver, Canada.

PubMed

Goldenberg, Shira M; Montaner, Julio; Duff, Putu; Nguyen, Paul; Dobrer, Sabina; Guillemi, Silvia; Shannon, Kate

2016-05-01

In light of limited data on structural determinants of access and retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) among sex workers, we examined structural correlates of ART use among sex workers living with HIV over time. Longitudinal data were drawn from a cohort of 646 female sex workers in Vancouver, Canada (2010-2012) and linked pharmacy records on ART dispensation. We used logistic regression with generalized estimating equations (GEE) to examine correlates of gaps in ART use (i.e., treatment interruptions or delayed ART initiation), among HIV seropositive participants (n = 74). Over a 2.5-year period, 37.8 % of participants experienced gaps in ART use (i.e., no ART dispensed in a 6-month period). In a multivariable GEE model, younger age, migration/mobility, incarceration, and non-injection drug use independently correlated with gaps in ART use. In spite of successes scaling-up ART in British Columbia, younger, mobile, or incarcerated sex workers face persistent gaps in access and retention irrespective of drug use. Community-based, tailored interventions to scale-up entry and retention in ART for sex workers should be further explored in this setting.

Using a mixed-methods design to examine nurse practitioner integration in British Columbia.

PubMed

Sangster-Gormley, Esther; Griffith, Janessa; Schreiber, Rita; Borycki, Elizabeth

2015-07-01

To discuss and provide examples of how mixed-methods research was used to evaluate the integration of nurse practitioners (NPs) into a Canadian province. Legislation enabling NPs to practise in British Columbia (BC) was enacted in 2005. This research evaluated the integration of NPs and their effect on the BC healthcare system. Data were collected using surveys, focus groups, participant interviews and case studies over three years. Data sources and methods were triangulated to determine how the findings addressed the research questions. The challenges and benefits of using the multiphase design are highlighted in the paper. The multiphase mixed-methods research design was selected because of its applicability to evaluation research. The design proved to be robust and flexible in answering research questions. As sub-studies within the multiphase design are often published separately, it can be difficult for researchers to find examples. This paper highlights ways that a multiphase mixed-methods design can be conducted for researchers unfamiliar with the process.

A Life Cycle Assessment of integrated dairy farm-greenhouse systems in British Columbia.

PubMed

Zhang, Siduo; Bi, Xiaotao Tony; Clift, Roland

2013-12-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anticipated environmental benefits from integrating a dairy farm and a greenhouse; the integration is based on anaerobic digestion of manures to produce biogas energy, biogenic CO2, and digested slurry. A full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been conducted on six modeled cases applicable in British Columbia, to evaluate non-renewable energy consumption, climate change, acidification, eutrophication, respiratory effects and human toxicity. Compared to conventional practice, an integrated system has the potential to nearly halve eutrophication and respiratory effects caused by inorganic emissions and to reduce non-renewable energy consumption, climate change, and acidification by 65-90%, while respiratory effects caused by organic emissions become negative as co-products substitute for other materials. Co-digestion of other livestock manures, greenhouse plant waste, or food and food processing waste with dairy manure can further improve the performance of the integrated system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Weather and Climate Extremes.

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-09-01

west coast of Vancouver Island. A nearby station, Ucluelet Brynnor Mines , had the greatest 1-day precipitation in Canada, 19.26 in (48.92 cm...rainfall is 19 in (49 cm) and occurred at Ucluelet Brynnor Mines , British Columbia [48°57’N, 125°32’W] on 6 October 1967 (Manning, 1983; Newark...VchieletBiymor Mines , British Colmha iMkbbtr mi, CANADA’S GREATEST SNOWFALL IN ONE SEASON 963" (2446.5 cm) RtvtlaoU, Ml Copland, British Cohmbit (1971i» If

High-Cost Users of Prescription Drugs: A Population-Based Analysis from British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Weymann, Deirdre; Smolina, Kate; Gladstone, Emilie J; Morgan, Steven G

2017-04-01

To examine variation in pharmaceutical spending and patient characteristics across prescription drug user groups. British Columbia's population-based linked administrative health and sociodemographic databases (N = 3,460,763). We classified individuals into empirically derived prescription drug user groups based on pharmaceutical spending patterns outside hospitals from 2007 to 2011. We examined variation in patient characteristics, mortality, and health services usage and applied hierarchical clustering to determine patterns of concurrent drug use identifying high-cost patients. Approximately 1 in 20 British Columbians had persistently high prescription costs for 5 consecutive years, accounting for 42 percent of 2011 province-wide pharmaceutical spending. Less than 1 percent of the population experienced discrete episodes of high prescription costs; an additional 2.8 percent transitioned to or from high-cost episodes of unknown duration. Persistent high-cost users were more likely to concurrently use multiple chronic medications; episodic and transitory users spent more on specialized medicines, including outpatient cancer drugs. Cluster analyses revealed heterogeneity in concurrent medicine use within high-cost groups. Whether low, moderate, or high, costs of prescription drugs for most individuals are persistent over time. Policies controlling high-cost use should focus on reducing polypharmacy and encouraging price competition in drug classes used by ordinary and high-cost users alike. © 2016 The Authors. Health Services Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Health Research and Educational Trust.

Determination of Columbia River flow times from Pasco, Washington using radioactive tracers introduced by the Hanford reactors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Jack L.; Perkins, R.W.; Haushild, W.L.

1966-01-01

Radioactive tracers introduced into the Columbia River in cooling water from the Hanford reactors were used to measure flow times downstream from Pasco, Washington, as far as Astoria, Oregon. The use of two tracer methods was investigated. One method used the decay of a steady release of Na24 (15-hour half-life) to determine flow times to various downstream locations, and flow times were also determined from the time required for peak concentration of instantaneous releases of I131 (8-day half-life) to reach these locations. Flow times determined from the simultaneous use of the two methods agreed closely. The measured flow times for the 224 miles from Pasco to Vancouver, Washington, ranged from 14.6 to 3.6 days, respectively, for discharges of 108,000 and 630,000 ft3/sec at Vancouver, Washington. A graphic relation for estimating flow times at discharges other than those measured and for several locations between Pasco and Vancouver was prepared from the data of tests made at four river discharges. Some limited data are also presented on the characteristics of dispersion of I131 in the Columbia River.

Trends in AIDS incidence and AIDS-related mortality in British Columbia between 1981 and 2013

PubMed Central

Lima, Viviane D.; Lourenço, Lillian; Yip, Benita; Hogg, Robert S.; Phillips, Peter; Montaner, Julio S.G.

2015-01-01

Background Appropriate use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can markedly decrease the risk of progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and of premature mortality. We aimed to characterize the trends between 1981 and 2013 in AIDS-defining illnesses (ADIs) and in the number AIDS-related deaths in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Methods We included data of 3550 HIV-positive individuals, aged 19 years or older, from different administrative databases in BC. We estimated the relative risk of developing an ADI over time using a Negative Binomial model, and we investigated trends in the percentage of all deaths associated with AIDS using generalized additive models. Findings The number of ADIs has decreased dramatically to its lowest level in 2013. The peak of the AIDS epidemic in BC happened in 1994 with 696 ADIs being reported (rate 42 ADIs per 100 person-years). Since 1997, the number of ADIs decreased from 253 (rate 7 per 100 person-years) to 84 cases in 2013 (rate 1 per 100 person-years) (p-value equals to zero for the trend in the number of ADIs). We have also shown that out of 22 ADIs considered, only PCP maintained its prominent ranking (albeit with much reduced overall prevalence). Finally, we observed that over time very few deaths were related to AIDS-related causes, especially in the most recent years. Interpretation We showed that the number of new ADIs and AIDS-related mortality have been decreasing rapidly over time in BC. These results provide further evidence that integrated comprehensive free programs that facilitate testing, and deliver treatment and care to this population can be effective in markedly decreasing AIDS-related morbidity and mortality, thus suggesting that controlling and eventually ending AIDS is possible. Funding The British Columbia Ministry of Health, the US National Institutes of Health, the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Michael Institute for

Reconstructing Fire Disturbances in Coastal Temperate Rainforests on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, Kira; Smith, Dan; Lertzman, Ken; Starzomski, Brian

2015-04-01

The coastal temperate rainforests of British Columbia's Central Coast are comprised of old growth, mixed-age stands and a mosaic of non-forested bogs. This region receives approximately 4000 mm of annual rainfall, and fire disturbances caused by lightning are thought to be very rare. Because of the late successional characteristics of these forests and the presumed lack of visible fire evidence, fires have been estimated to occur at up to 6000-year return intervals. We attempt to distinguish the roles of natural and cultural (First Nations) fires using multiple lines of evidence from tree ring records, fire-scarred trees, soil charcoal and archaeological evidence from First Nations settlement areas. To reconstruct the Holocene fire history of the study area located on Hecate Island (N 51 38 W -128 05), thirty 400m2 forest mensuration plots were systematically established in a 287-hectare area burned in 1893. Analyses focused on the relationship between fire events and climate recorded in tree rings and instrumental records, as well as nutrient concentrations and pH of soils and plant community characteristics. Four fire events (1893, 1776, 1525, 1372) were recorded in forty-five living, fire-scarred western redcedar (Thuja plicata), yellow cedar (Xanthocyparis nootkatensis) and shore pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta) trees. Five additional fire events (1785 Cal BP, 2760 Cal BP, 3355 Cal BP, 4735 Cal BP, 7740 Cal BP) were dated with accelerated mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating of in situ macro charcoal (> 5mm) buried in stratigraphy in both organic and mineral soils. The short intervals between fire events, coupled with the long history of First Nations settlement and land use in the study area, suggest purposeful and repeated low-intensity ground fires. Our research demonstrates that fires are more widespread and common than previously recorded on the very wet Central Coast of British Columbia. It is important to incorporate cultural fires into fire history

Bedside resuscitation of newborns with an intact umbilical cord: Experiences of midwives from British Columbia.

PubMed

Fulton, Colleen; Stoll, Kathrin; Thordarson, Dana

2016-03-01

level 1 evidence supports the practice of delayed cord clamping, and many doctors and midwives consider it routine care when delivering vigorous, term neonates. However, scarce research exists regarding the risks or benefits of delayed cord clamping for infants needing resuscitation with positive pressure ventilation. Nonetheless, some midwives in British Columbia already practice intact cord resuscitation (ICR) at planned home births and in the hospital in order to facilitate delayed cord clamping for infants who need resuscitation. we distributed an online survey to all registered midwives in British Columbia through the Midwives Association of BC between October 22nd and November 13th, 2014. This survey examined how midwives balance a commitment to delayed cord clamping with the need for resuscitation in home and hospital settings. a total of 82 midwives responded to the survey (response rate=35%). Many have practiced ICR (56, 69%). However, the majority (42, 78%) of respondents had only performed this type of resuscitation at planned home births and not in the hospital setting. In both settings, midwives found the ergonomics of resuscitation with an intact cord challenging, but cited a smoother physiologic transition for neonates as their primary reasons for this practice, despite the obstacles. Midwives reported a greater ability to use their delivery equipment to provide stable thermoregulation at the bedside at planned home births during a resuscitation compared with the set up of hospital delivery rooms. although the majority of participants practice ICR at planned home births, very few use this practice in the hospital setting. In the home, ergonomics is the primary obstacle for easily practicing ICR; hospital culture, protocols and lack of training are additional barriers to this practice in the hospital setting. Ergonomics and lack of appropriate set up in the delivery room were also primary obstacles. Midwives expressed a desire to find ways to

Biology and conservation of the common murre in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia: Vol. 1, Natural history and population trends

USGS Publications Warehouse

Manuwal, David Allen; Carter, Harry R.; Zimmerman, Tara; Orthmeyer, Dennis L.

2001-01-01

Over the past 30 years, the common murre (Uria aalge californica) has been recognized as a prominent indicator of marine conservation issues in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, especially regarding oil pollution, certain fisheries, and human disturbance. To assist the effective management of the common murre and the marine environments in which they live, this summary of available information on the biology and regional status of the common murre has been sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Division of Migratory Bird Management). In Volume 1 (Chapter 1), the natural history of the common murre is summarized, drawing heavily on breeding studies from the South Farallon Islands, California, plus a host of detailed breeding studies from the North Atlantic Ocean. Population trends of the common murre are summarized in Volume 1 (Chapter 2), focusing on changes in whole-colony counts determined from aerial photographs between the late 1970s and 1995 in California, Oregon and Washington. Historical data and human impacts to murre colonies since the early nineteenth century are also summarized. Volume 2 will summarize population threats, conservation, and management.Information presented in Volume 1 has been obtained and recorded by a large number of researchers and natural historians over two centuries. From the 1960s to 1995, most work in California, Oregon, and Washington was sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minerals Management Service, and California Department of Fish and Game. Important breeding biology studies were conducted at the South Farallon Islands (Farallon National Wildlife Refuge) by the Point Reyes Bird Observatory, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge). Colony surveys in California were conducted mainly by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge), U.S. Geological Survey (Western Ecological Research Center

Petrochemistry of Mafic Rocks Within the Northern Cache Creek Terrane, NW British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

English, J. M.; Johnston, S. T.; Mihalynuk, M. G.

2002-12-01

The Cache Creek terrane is a belt of oceanic rocks that extend the length of the Cordillera in British Columbia. Fossil fauna in this belt are exotic with respect to the remainder of the Canadian Cordillera, as they are of equatorial Tethyan affinity, contrasting with coeval faunas in adjacent terranes that show closer linkages with ancestral North America. Preliminary results reported here from geochemical studies of mafic rocks within the Nakina area of NW British Columbia further constrain the origin of this enigmatic terrane. The terrane is typified by tectonically imbricated slices of chert, argillite, limestone, wacke and volcaniclastic rocks, as well as mafic and ultramafic rocks. These lithologies are believed to represent two separate lithotectonic elements: Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic, subduction-related accretionary complexes, and dismembered basement assemblages emplaced during the closure of the Cache Creek ocean in the Middle Jurassic. Petrochemical analysis revealed four distinct mafic igneous assemblages that include: magmatic 'knockers' of the Nimbus serpentinite mélange, metabasalts of 'Blackcaps' Mountain, augite-phyric breccias of 'Laughing Moose' Creek, and volcanic pediments to the reef-forming carbonates of the Horsefeed Formation. Major and trace element analysis classifies the 'Laughing Moose' breccias and the carbonate-associated volcanics as alkaline in nature, whereas the rest are subalkaline. Tectonic discrimination diagrams show that the alkaline rocks are of within-plate affinity, while the 'Blackcaps' basalts and 'knockers' from within the mélange typically straddle the island-arc tholeiite and the mid-ocean ridge boundaries. However, primitive mantle normalized multi-element plots indicate that these subalkaline rocks have pronounced negative Nb anomalies, a characteristic arc signature. The spatial association of alkaline volcanic rocks with extensive carbonate domains points to the existence of seamounts within the Cache

Geology and Volcanology of Kima'Kho Mountain, Northern British Columbia: A Pleistocene Glaciovolcanic Edifice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turnbull, M.; Porritt, L. A.; Edwards, B. R.; Russell, K.

2014-12-01

Kima'Kho Mountain is a 1.8 Ma (40Ar/39Ar of 1.82 +/- 40 ka) Pleistocene an alkali-olivine basaltic tuya situated in northern British Columbia. The volcanic edifice rises 460 m from its base and comprises a central vent, dominated by lapilli-tuff and minor pillow lava and dykes; and a surrounding plateau underlain by a sequence of dipping beds of basaltic tuff-breccia and capped by a series of flat-lying, subaerial lava flows. We present a 1:10,000 geological map for Kima'Kho Mountain building on the preliminary work of Ryane et al. (2010). We use the volcanic stratigraphy to explore the implications of three unique features. (1) The central cone comprises massive to crudely-bedded lapilli tuffs containing abundant armoured lapilli - cores of highly-vesicular pyroclasts coated with blocky to cuspate vitric ash. These units suggest an explosive origin from within an ice-enclosed lake, and deposited by wet, dilute pyroclastic surge events. (2) The entire stratigraphic sequence hosts at least two "passage zones" (cf. Jones, 1969); the presence and geometry of these passage zones constrain ice thicknersses at the time of eruption and inform on the englacial lake dynamics. (3) Lastly, our field-based stratigraphic relationships are at odds with the classic tuya model (i.e. an effusive onset to the eruption, forming pillow basalts, followed by explosive activity). Our field mapping suggests an alternative model of tuya architecture, involving a highly-energetic, sustained explosive onset creating a tephra cone that become emergent followed by effusive eruption to create lavas and a subaqueous lava-fed delta. Jones, J. G. Intraglacial volcanoes of the Laugarvatn region, south-west Iceland-I. Geological Society of London Quarterly Journal 124, 197-211 (1969). Ryane, C., Edwards, B. R. & Russell, J. K. The volcanic stratigraphy of Kima'Kho Mountain: A Pleistocene tuya, northwestern British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research 2011-104, 12p, doi:10

Collaborative Knowledge-Making in the Everyday Practice of Youth Suicide Prevention Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Jennifer; Morris, Jonathan; Hinbest, Jerry

2012-01-01

The development and implementation of a new school-based suicide prevention education programme in one secondary school in Vancouver, British Columbia, recently provided us with an opportunity to conduct an in-depth, qualitative case study. The purpose of our study was to deepen our understanding of how school-based suicide prevention education…

Youth Experience of Trying to Get off the Street: What Has Helped and Hindered

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Tracy L.; Amundson, Norman E.

2010-01-01

This qualitative study involved 20 youth (18 males, 1 female, 1 transgender, ages 19-24) living in Vancouver, British Columbia, who reported 259 critical incidents of what helped or hindered their experiences as they tried to get off the street. What helped included (a) taking responsibility, (b) engaging in constructive activities, (c) friends…

Faculty Perceptions of Challenges and Enablers of Effective Teaching in a Large Research-Intensive University: Preliminary Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briseño-Garzón, Adriana; Han, Andrea; Birol, Gülnur; Bates, Simon; Whitehead, Lorne

2016-01-01

In October 2014, the University of British Columbia Vancouver campus (UBCV) ran a campus-wide survey to establish baseline information on teaching practices and attitudes among faculty, to measure the impact of existing teaching and learning initiatives and to identify the conditions leading to change in practices and attitudes around teaching.…

ARSENICALS INHIBIT THIOREDOXIN REDUCTASE ACTIVITY IN CULTURED RAT HEPATOCYTES

EPA Science Inventory

ARSENICALS INHIBIT THIOREDOXIN REDUCTASE ACTIVITY IN CULTURED RAT HEPATOCYTES.

S. Lin1, L. M. Del Razo1, M. Styblo1, C. Wang2, W. R. Cullen2, and D.J. Thomas3. 1Univ. North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; 2Univ. British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; 3National Health and En...

Rape myth acceptance in men who completed the prostitution offender program of British Columbia.

PubMed

Klein, Carolin; Kennedy, M Alexis; Gorzalka, Boris B

2009-06-01

In an effort to characterize the attitudes and characteristics of men who solicit sex, this study investigated rape myth acceptance as assessed by a modification of Burt's Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. The participants were all men who took part in the Prostitution Offender Program of British Columbia after being arrested for attempting to solicit sex from an undercover police officer. Relationships between endorsement of rape myths, other attitudes, sexual behavior, and demographic variables were examined. Results reveal that age, education, use of pornography, ideal frequency of intercourse, and believing that purchasing sex is a problem are all negatively correlated with rape myth acceptance. Positive correlations were found between rape myth acceptance and sexual conservatism, sexual violence/coercion, and social desirability. Results are discussed in terms of the association between rape myth acceptance and the violence frequently perpetrated against those working in the sex trade.

Report and Recommendations of the British Columbia Teacher's Federation's (BCTF) Task Force on First Nations Education to the Annual General Meeting (January 1999). (Revised Annotated Version).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Teachers' Federation, Vancouver.

In 1998, the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) appointed an eight-member task force to investigate the effectiveness of the education system for First Nations students. The task force report and recommendations are intended to serve several groups of Aboriginal students: First Nations students, with or without status under Canada's…

Making Chinese-Canadian Masculinities in Vancouver's Physical Education Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millington, Brad; Vertinsky, Patricia; Boyle, Ellexis; Wilson, Brian

2008-01-01

Our paper illustrates how males of Chinese descent in British Columbia (BC) have historically been victims of overt and subtle forms of discrimination, and describes how racism is and was integrally linked to notions of class, gender and the body. Highlighted in our historical overview are issues around race and masculinity for Chinese males as…

Anatomy of the Kitimat fiord system, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, John; Stacey, Cooper D.; Wu, Yongsheng; Lintern, D. Gwyn

2017-09-01

The geomorphic complexity of the Kitimat fiord system, on the active margin of British Columbia, Canada, is analysed from several perspectives. Sub-glacial landforms and sediments show that grounded ice exiting the fiord system at the last glacial maximum streamed down Moresby Trough towards the Queen Charlotte trough mouth fan. After brief halts on the inner shelf, grounded ice margins cleared the fiord threshold perhaps by c. 15.5 ka cal. yrs BP, and certainly before 13 ka cal. yrs BP. Just outside the fiords, meltwater plumes deposited stratified glaciomarine sediments interbedded with submarine slides. Inside the fiords, thick glaciomarine sediments were deposited, and large transverse moraines formed during temporary halts in retreat. Several glacial outburst floods eroded the Kitkiata moraine and deposited distinctive mud deposits. Postglacial sedimentation on fiord floors has been spatially variable: drifts of mud > 90 m-thick corresponding with areas of low current velocity alternate with areas of non-deposition and erosion corresponding with areas of high velocity. The fiord system hosts more than a hundred morphologically diverse fan deltas that can be classified in the Prior and Bornhold (1989, 1990) system. Submarine mass transport was most frequent immediately following ice retreat (15.5-11.5 ka cal. yrs BP). The largest event ( 1.2 km3) involved failure of glaciomarine sediment on a submarine moraine at Squally Channel, and consequent movement of material into the adjacent deep basin. This event occurred post-13 ka cal. yrs BP. In the postglacial phase, mass transport continued on a lesser scale up to the present day, most intensively in Kitimat Arm. From the perspective of glacial landforms, postglacial sedimentation and mass transport, this Pacific active margin fiord system has some parallels with fiord systems on Canada's east coast passive margin, and with Norwegian fiords, but the intensive development of Holocene fan deltas is strongly

Effect of Hospital Closures on Acute Care Outcomes in British Columbia, Canada: An Interrupted Time Series Study.

PubMed

Panagiotoglou, Dimitra; Law, Michael R; McGrail, Kimberlyn

2017-01-01

In 2002 British Columbia, Canada began redistributing its hospital services. We used administrative data and interrupted time series analyses to determine how recent hospital closures affected patient outcomes. All adult acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, and trauma events in British Columbia between fiscal years 1999 and 2013. Cases were patients whose closest hospital closed. Controls were matched by condition, year of event, and condition-specific hospital volume where treatment was received. Thirty-day mortality and hospital bypass rates. We matched 3267 AMI, 2852 stroke, and 6318 trauma cases to 1996, 1604, and 3640 controls, respectively. The 30-day mortality rate at baseline was 7.0% [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.0%-10.1%] for AMI, 5.3% (95% CI, 2.4%-8.1%) for stroke, and 1.2% (95% CI, 0.3%-2.1%) for trauma controls. The 30-day mortality rate for cases was 14.3% (95% CI, 7.1%-21.7%) for AMI, 12.0% (95% CI, 5.1%-18.9%) for stroke, and 3.1% for trauma (95% CI, 0.9%-5.2%) cases. There was no significant change in 30-day mortality for cases, and no significant difference in change in mortality rates between cases and controls following the intervention. The difference in hospital bypass rates between cases and controls was 50.1% (95% CI, 42.3%-57.9%) for AMI, 36.2% (95% CI, 27.4%-44.9%) for stroke, and 32.2% (95% CI, 27.7%-36.8%) for trauma cases preintervention. Following the intervention, the difference in bypass rates dropped by 15.5% (95% CI, 3.5%-27.5%) for AMI, 25.3% (95% CI, 11.7%-38.8%) for stroke, and 22.7% (95% CI, 15.7%-29.6%) for trauma cases. Hospital closures did not affect patient mortality.

Predicting tuberculosis risk in the foreign-born population of British Columbia, Canada: study protocol for a retrospective population-based cohort study

PubMed Central

Ronald, Lisa A; Campbell, Jonathon R; Balshaw, Robert F; Roth, David Z; Romanowski, Kamila; Marra, Fawziah; Cook, Victoria J; Johnston, James C

2016-01-01

Introduction Improved understanding of risk factors for developing active tuberculosis (TB) will better inform decisions about diagnostic testing and treatment for latent TB infection (LTBI) in migrant populations in low-incidence regions. We aim to examine TB risk factors among the foreign-born population in British Columbia (BC), Canada, and to create and validate a clinically relevant multivariate risk score to predict active TB. Methods and analysis This retrospective population-based cohort study will include all foreign-born individuals who acquired permanent resident status in Canada between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2013 and acquired healthcare coverage in BC at any point during this period. Multiple administrative databases and disease registries will be linked, including a National Immigration Database, BC Provincial Health Insurance Registration, physician billings, hospitalisations, drugs dispensed from community pharmacies, vital statistics, HIV testing and notifications, cancer, chronic kidney disease and dialysis treatment, and all TB and LTBI testing and treatment data in BC. Extended proportional hazards regression will be used to estimate risk factors for TB and to create a prognostic TB risk score. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the University of British Columbia Clinical Ethics Review Board. Once completed, study findings will be presented at conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. An online TB risk score calculator will also be created. PMID:27888179

Discovery of modern (post-1850 CE) lavas in south-central British Columbia, Canada: Origin from coal fires or intraplate volcanism?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canil, Dante; Mihalynuk, Mitch; Lacourse, Terri

2018-01-01

We describe three unusual lavas in the Northern Cordillera in south-central British Columbia, Canada, occurring as spatter, scoria and blocks over small 400 m2 areas. The lavas coat and weld cobbles and pebbles in glacial till and are vesicular and glassy with microlites of clinopyroxene and plagioclase, and xenocrysts of quartz, feldspar or clinopyroxene. Chemically the lavas are basaltic trachyandesite (55-61 wt% SiO2) with trace element patterns similar to average British Columbia upper crust, except for having higher V and lower Zr, Hf, Nb, Th and U. Melting experiments and plagioclase-melt thermometry on the glasses, and phase equilibrium in simple systems, require liquidus temperatures of 1150-1300 °C. Interaction of the liquids with carbonaceous matter at low pressure formed Fe metal spherules and SiC. Radiocarbon ages of charcoal and dendrochronology show the lavas are modern, emplaced in the last 120 years. The similar bulk composition of these lavas to several other Quaternary-aged volcanic centers in the North American Cordillera, some of which show recent seismic activity, could suggest a possible tectonic origin, but the deposits are unusually small and show no central vent for emplacement. Conversely, the balance of evidence would suggest an origin from coal fires or hot gas venting, but is less consistent with the observed calc- and per-alkaline lava compositions, and the lack of known local coal-bearing strata as a heat source. Other anthropogenic origins for the lavas are considered less plausible.

The Effects of Web-Based Patient Access to Laboratory Results in British Columbia: A Patient Survey on Comprehension and Anxiety.

PubMed

Mák, Geneviève; Smith Fowler, Heather; Leaver, Chad; Hagens, Simon; Zelmer, Jennifer

2015-08-04

Web-based patient access to personal health information is limited but increasing in Canada and internationally. This exploratory study aimed to increase understanding of how Web-based access to laboratory test results in British Columbia (Canada), which has been broadly available since 2010, affects patients' experiences. In November 2013, we surveyed adults in British Columbia who had had a laboratory test in the previous 12 months. Using a retrospective cohort design, we compared reported wait-time for results, test result comprehension, and anxiety levels of "service users" who had Web-based access to their test results (n=2047) with those of a general population panel that did not have Web-based access (n=1245). The vast majority of service users (83.99%, 95% CI 82.31-85.67) said they received their results within "a few days", compared to just over a third of the comparison group (37.84%, 95% CI 34.96-40.73). Most in both groups said they understood their test results, but the rate was lower for service users than the comparison group (75.55%, 95% CI 73.58-77.49 vs 84.69%, 95% CI 82.59-86.81). There was no significant difference between groups in levels of reported anxiety after receiving test results. While most patients who received their laboratory test results online reported little anxiety after receiving their results and were satisfied with the service, there may be opportunities to improve comprehension of results.

Discharge, water temperature, and selected meteorological data for Vancouver Lake, Vancouver, Washington, water years 2011-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foreman, James R.; Marshall, Cameron A.; Sheibley, Rich W.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey partnered with the Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership in a 2-year intensive study to quantify the movement of water and nutrients through Vancouver Lake in Vancouver, Washington. This report is intended to assist the Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership in evaluating potential courses of action to mitigate seasonally driven blooms of harmful cyanobacteria and to improve overall water quality of the lake. This report contains stream discharge, lake water temperature, and selected meteorological data for water years 2011, 2012, and 2013 that were used to develop the water and nutrient budgets for the lake.

Offloading social care responsibilities: recent experiences of local voluntary organisations in a remote urban centre in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Hanlon, Neil; Rosenberg, Mark; Clasby, Rachael

2007-07-01

Services offered by voluntary organisations are an integral but often overlooked component of health and social care. Of late, there has been a renewed interest in voluntary welfare provision as a viable alternative to state and market. Recent developments in welfare provision in Canada appear to have brought greater social care roles for the voluntary sector at the same time as new and arguably more restrictive funding and accountability mechanisms are being imposed by different arms of the state. To explore these issues more closely, the present paper examines the impressions and experiences of voluntary and formal sector providers of services for senior citizens and people with disabilities in a remote urban centre (population less than 100 000) in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Two important operational pressures provide the context of the analysis: (1) reform of provincial government funding and regulation of voluntary services; and (2) the restructuring of welfare provision, especially in the areas of health care and social services. The authors found evidence of an escalating incursion of the state into local voluntary sector affairs that needs to be understood in the context of long-standing institutional links between government and 'professional' voluntary welfare provision in British Columbia. The results point to three important directions in contemporary local voluntary provision: (1) an emerging ethos of accountability, efficiency and competition in voluntary provision; (2) increasing pressure to centralise volunteer services; and consequently, (3) the potential erosion of flexibility and personalisation that are seen to characterise the voluntary sector.

Satellite-derived aerosol radiative forcing from the 2004 British Columbia wildfires

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guo, Song; Leighton, H.

2008-01-01

The British Columbia wildfires of 2004 was one of the largest wildfire events in the last ten years in Canada. Both the shortwave and longwave smoke aerosol radiative forcing at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) are investigated using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments. Relationships between the radiative forcing fluxes (??F) and wildfire aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 0.55 ??m (??0.55) are deduced for both noontime instantaneous forcing and diurnally averaged forcing. The noontime averaged instantaneous shortwave and longwave smoke aerosol radiative forcing at the TOA are 45.8??27.5 W m-2 and -12.6??6.9 W m-2, respectively for a selected study area between 62??N and 68??N in latitude and 125??W and 145??W in longitude over three mainly clear-sky days (23-25 June). The derived diurnally averaged smoke aerosol shortwave radiative forcing is 19.9??12.1 W m-2 for a mean ??0.55 of 1.88??0.71 over the same time period. The derived ??F-?? relationship can be implemented in the radiation scheme used in regional climate models to assess the effect of wildfire aerosols.

Youth Learning to Be Activists: Constructing "Places of Possibility" Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goessling, Kristen

2017-01-01

This paper draws from a critical qualitative study that took place in Vancouver, British Columbia and focused on a group of young people learning to be activists through participation at a youth-driven organization, "Think Again" (TA). In this paper, I focus on one aspect of the youths' participation at TA--their creative action…

A Haiku Suite: The Importance of Music Making in the Lives of Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prendergast, Monica; Gouzouasis, Peter; Leggo, Carl; Irwin, Rita L.

2009-01-01

This study offers an arts-based a/r/tographic inquiry using poetic transcription and representation of interviews conducted with a co-educational group of 14 students in a West Vancouver, British Columbia secondary school rhythm and blues band class. The decision to translate and analyse the interview transcripts into the Japanese poetry form of…

Modeling the potential distribution of white pine blister rust in the central Rocky Mountains.

Treesearch

Holly S. J. Kearns; William R. Jacobi

2006-01-01

Cronartium ribicola (J. C. Fischer ex Rabh.), the causal agent of white pine blister rust (WPBR), was introduced to western North America via infected nursery stock imported from France to Point Grey near Vancouver, British Columbia (Mielke 1943). Primary infection of white pines occurs on the needles where fungal spores land, enter through stomata,...

Implications for Working with New Canadians. TEAL Occasional Papers, Vol. 2, 1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Diane

General implications for counseling Asian immigrant women were sought through individual and group counseling at King Edward Campus of Vancouver Community College. The campus is the base for the centralized English as a second language program for new Canadian adults in British Columbia. The research focused in part on nine women who were tested…

The Arctic--A Global Hot Spot: Resources for Teaching the Geography of the Contemporary Canadian Arctic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arntzen, Betsy; Sotherden, Amy

2011-01-01

Canadian geography is a fascinating topic, particularly the Canadian North. The North is central to Canadian identity as can be seen by the choice of the far north "inukshuk" standing stones as the emblem for the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, southern British Columbia. Canada's Arctic is receiving increasing attention by media,…

Magnetic resonance imaging used for the evaluation of water presence in wood plastic composite boards exposed to exterior conditions

Treesearch

Marek Gnatowski; Rebecca Ibach; Mathew Leung; Grace Sun

2014-01-01

Two wood plastic composite (WPC) boards, one experimental and one commercial, were exposed to exterior conditions and evaluated non-destructively using a clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit for moisture content (MC) and distribution. The experimental board was exposed in Vancouver, British Columbia, for more than 8 years, and the commercial board was exposed...

Geographic variation in red alder.

Treesearch

D.T. Lester; D.S. DeBell

1989-01-01

A test of 10 provenances was established in 1969 on the central coast of Oregon. The provenances tested included Juneau, Alaska, and Sandpoint, Idaho, in addition to eight well-spaced locations in Oregon, Washington, and the southern end of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Periodic measurements through 15 years of plantation development revealed differences among...

Implementing information technology to improve workplace health: a web-based information needs assessment of managers in Fraser Health, British Columbia.

PubMed

Sandhu, Jag S; Anderson, Keith; Keen, Dave; Yassi, Annalee

2005-01-01

A web-based questionnaire-survey was administered primarily to determine what information is useful to managers in Fraser Health, of British Columbia to support decision-making for workplace health and safety. The results indicated that managers prefer electronic quarterly reports, with targets, goals, and historical trends rated as "very important." Over 85.7% "agree" that if information was readily available in the "most beneficial" format, they would be able to improve workplace health. Recommendations include that managers be presented with clear and concise workplace health reports that facilitate analysis for decision-making.

Influence of landslides on biophysical diversity — A perspective from British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geertsema, Marten; Pojar, James J.

2007-09-01

Landslides have long been overlooked or underestimated as important natural disturbance agents. In particular the ecological role of landslides in maintaining biological diversity has been largely ignored. Here we provide a western Canadian ( British Columbian) perspective on the influences of landslides on biophysical diversity, which is related in several ways to biological diversity. We recognize several types of biophysical/ecological diversity: site diversity, soil diversity, and the derivative habitat or ecosystem (including aquatic ecosystems) diversity. There are also a variety of landslide types, depending on materials and on the rate and style of movement. We discuss the roles of different landslide types on various aspects of terrestrial diversity. Landslides are simultaneously depositional and erosional processes that influence sites by redistributing materials and changing surface expression — usually creating a complex microtopography that can include very dry ridges and hummocks, and sometimes depressions with standing water. Landslide impacts to site also influence soil and soil development. Portions of landslides with exposed parent material are set back to the initial stages of soil development and ecological succession. Landslides can also change soil density, structure, porosity, surface texture, chemistry and microclimate. By changing site and soil, landslides also influence habitat. Landslides influence habitat diversity by engendering a mosaic of seral stages (often both primary and secondary), and in overwhelmingly forested landscapes often create nodes or hotspots of non-forested habitat and biota. In some areas, like the boreal forest, there is an important interplay between landslides and fire, while on the coast of British Columbia debris and snow avalanches can be the dominant disturbance agent. Low-gradient and deep-seated landslides are often opportunistically colonized by beaver and other water and shrub-loving fauna. Sag ponds and

Adaptive Blending of Model and Observations for Automated Short-Range Forecasting: Examples from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Monika E.; Isaac, George A.; Gultepe, Ismail; Heckman, Ivan; Reid, Janti

2014-01-01

An automated short-range forecasting system, adaptive blending of observations and model (ABOM), was tested in real time during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in British Columbia. Data at 1-min time resolution were available from a newly established, dense network of surface observation stations. Climatological data were not available at these new stations. This, combined with output from new high-resolution numerical models, provided a unique and exciting setting to test nowcasting systems in mountainous terrain during winter weather conditions. The ABOM method blends extrapolations in time of recent local observations with numerical weather predictions (NWP) model predictions to generate short-range point forecasts of surface variables out to 6 h. The relative weights of the model forecast and the observation extrapolation are based on performance over recent history. The average performance of ABOM nowcasts during February and March 2010 was evaluated using standard scores and thresholds important for Olympic events. Significant improvements over the model forecasts alone were obtained for continuous variables such as temperature, relative humidity and wind speed. The small improvements to forecasts of variables such as visibility and ceiling, subject to discontinuous changes, are attributed to the persistence component of ABOM.

Microbial water quality communication: public and practitioner insights from British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Dunn, G; Henrich, N; Holmes, B; Harris, L; Prystajecky, N

2014-09-01

This work examines the communication interactions of water suppliers and health authorities with the general public regarding microbial source water quality for recreational and drinking water. We compare current approaches to risk communication observable in British Columbia (BC), Canada, with best practices derived from the communications literature, finding significant gaps between theory and practice. By considering public views and government practices together, we identify key disconnects, leading to the conclusion that at present, neither the public's needs nor public health officials' goals are being met. We find: (1) there is a general lack of awareness and poor understanding by the public of microbial threats to water and the associated health implications; (2) the public often does not know where to find water quality information; (3) public information needs are not identified or met; (4) information sharing by authorities is predominantly one-way and reactive (crisis-oriented); and (5) the effectiveness of communications is not evaluated. There is a need for both improved public understanding of water quality-related risks, and new approaches to ensure information related to water quality reaches audiences. Overall, greater attention should be given to planning and goal setting related to microbial water risk communication.

When healthcare workers get sick: exploring sickness absenteeism in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Gorman, Erin; Yu, Shicheng; Alamgir, Hasanat

2010-01-01

To determine the demographic and work characteristics of healthcare workers who were more likely to take sickness absences from work in British Columbia, Canada. Payroll data were analyzed for three health regions. Sickness absence rates were determined per person-year and then compared across demographic and work characteristics using multivariate Poisson regression models. The direct costs to the employer due to sickness absences were also estimated. Female, older, full-time workers, long-term care workers and those with a lower hourly wage were more likely to take sickness absences and had similar trends with respect to the costs due to sickness absence. For occupations, licensed practical nurses, care aides and facility support workers had higher rates of sickness absence. Registered nurses, and those workers paid high hourly wages were associated with highest sickness related costs. It is important to understand the demographic and work characteristics of those workers who are more likely to take sickness absences in order to make sure that they are not experiencing additional hazards at work or facing detrimental workplace conditions. Policy makers need to establish healthy, safe and in turn more productive workplaces. Further research is needed on how interventions can reduce sickness absence.

Prescription drug use in pregnancy: a retrospective, population-based study in British Columbia, Canada (2001-2006).

PubMed

Daw, Jamie R; Mintzes, Barbara; Law, Michael R; Hanley, Gillian E; Morgan, Steven G

2012-01-01

Owing to the paucity of evidence available on the risks and benefits of drug use in pregnancy, the use of prescription medicines is a concern for both pregnant women and their health care providers. The aim of this study was to measure the frequency, timing, and type of medicines used before, during, and after pregnancy in a Canadian population. This retrospective cohort analysis used population-based health care data from all pregnancies ending in live births in hospitals in British Columbia from April 2001 to June 2006 (n = 163,082). Data from hospital records were linked to those in outpatient prescription-drug claims. Data from prescriptions filled from 6 months before pregnancy to 6 months postpartum were analyzed. Drugs were classified by therapeutic category and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pregnancy risk categories. Prescriptions were filled in 63.5% of pregnancies. Evidence on safety is limited for many of the medicines most frequently filled in pregnancy, including codeine, salbutamol, and betamethasone. At least 1 prescription for a category D or X medicine was filled in 7.8% of pregnancies (5.5% category D; 2.5% category X). The most frequently filled prescriptions for category D drugs were benzodiazepines and antidepressants. The most frequently filled prescriptions for category X drugs were oral contraceptives and ovulation stimulants filled in the first trimester. The majority of pregnant women in British Columbia filled at least 1 prescription, and ~1 in 13 filled a prescription for a drug categorized as D or X by the FDA. The prevalence of maternal prescription drug use emphasizes the need for postmarketing evaluation of the risk-benefit profiles of pharmaceuticals in pregnancy. Future research on prenatal drug use based on administrative databases should examine maternal treatment adherence and the determinants of maternal drug use, considering maternal health status, sociodemographics, and the characteristics and providers of prenatal

The dispersion of heavy metals in the vicinity of Britannia Mine, British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Wilson, Bob; Lang, Brennan; Pyatt, F Brian

2005-03-01

Britannia Mine in British Columbia, Canada, is a major source of copper and other heavy metal pollutants, which enter the sea at Howe Sound. This investigation aims to determine whether there is sufficient Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn, in the terrestrial environment surrounding the mine to suggest that dispersion and subsequent bioaccumulation has occurred in the past and continues. Samples of spoil, vegetation, and water were collected in January 2003 from areas at sea level and up to an altitude of 790 m. The samples of soil and vegetation were digested with aqua regia. The subsequent extracts and water samples were analyzed using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The target metal concentrations were found to be much higher on the hillside spoil tips than on the seashore where the ore concentrators had formerly been located. The dispersion of heavy metals into the surrounding biosphere is discussed and further investigations into dispersion and partitioning within organisms including humans are suggested.

Phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soil in temperate humid regions of British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Padmavathiamma, Prabha K; Li, Loretta Y

2009-08-01

The suitability of five plant species was studied for phytoextraction and phytostabilisation in a region with temperate maritime climate of coastal British Columbia, Canada. Pot experiments were conducted using Lolium perenne L (perennial rye grass), Festuca rubra L (creeping red fescue), Helianthus annuus L (sunflower), Poa pratensis L (Kentucky bluegrass) and Brassica napus L (rape) in soils treated with three different metal (Cu, Pb, Mn, and Zn) concentrations. The bio-metric characters of plants in soils with multiple-metal contaminations, their metal accumulation characteristics, translocation properties and metal removal were assessed at different stages of plant growth, 90 and 120 DAS (days after sowing). Lolium was found to be suitable for the phytostabilisation of Cu and Pb, Festuca for Mn and Poa for Zn. Metal removal was higher at 120 than at 90 days after sowing, and metals concentrated more in the underground tissues with less translocation to the aboveground parts. Bioconcentration factors indicate that Festuca had the highest accumulation for Cu, Helianthus for Pb and Zn and Poa for Mn.

Risk analysis procedure for post-wildfire natural hazards in British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, Peter

2010-05-01

Following a severe wildfire season in 2003, and several subsequent damaging debris flow and flood events, the British Columbia Forest Service developed a procedure for analysing risks to public safety and infrastructure from such events. At the same time, the Forest Service undertook a research program to determine the extent of post-wildfire hazards, and examine the hydrologic and geomorphic processes contributing to the hazards. The risk analysis procedure follows the Canadian Standards Association decision-making framework for risk management (which in turn is based on international standards). This has several steps: identification of risk, risk analysis and estimation, evaluation of risk tolerability, developing control or mitigation strategies, and acting on these strategies. The Forest Service procedure deals only with the first two steps. The results are passed on to authorities such as the Provincial Emergency Program and local government, who are responsible for evaluating risks, warning residents, and applying mitigation strategies if appropriate. The objective of the procedure is to identify and analyse risks to public safety and infrastructure. The procedure is loosely based on the BAER (burned area emergency response) program in the USA, with some important differences. Our procedure focuses on identifying risks and warning affected parties, not on mitigation activities such as broadcast erosion control measures. Partly this is due to limited staff and financial resources. Also, our procedure is not multi-agency, but is limited to wildfires on provincial forest land; in British Columbia about 95% of forest land is in the publicly-owned provincial forest. Each fire season, wildfires are screened by size and proximity to values at risk such as populated areas. For selected fires, when the fire is largely contained, the procedure begins with an aerial reconnaissance of the fire, and photography with a hand-held camera, which can be used to make a

Use of ERTS-1 pictures in coastal oceanography in British Columbia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gower, J. F. R.

1973-01-01

The ERTS-1 color composite picture of the Vancouver-Victoria region illustrates the value of ERTS data for coastal oceanography. The water of the Fraser River plume which is so clearly visible in the center of the scene has been of interest to oceanographers on the west coast of Canada for a long time as an easily visible tracer of surface water circulation in the strait of Georgia. Maps of the plume at different states of the tide and with different river flow and weather were compiled from oblique aerial photographs in 1950 and used in the siting of sewage and other outfalls in the Vancouver area. More recently high level aerial photomosaics have been used to map the plume area, but the plume can spread over distances of 30 to 40 miles and many photographs, with the uneven illumination inherent in wide angle coverage, are needed for the mosaic. The ERTS satellite gives the first complete view of the plume area. Electronic enhancement of the images shows that the satellite's narrow angle coverage allows very weak surface turbidity features to be made visible to give information on surface currents over a wide area.

The British Columbia Emergency Medicine Network: A Paradigm Shift in a Provincial System of Emergency Care.

PubMed

Abu-Laban, Riyad B; Drebit, Sharla; Lindstrom, Ronald R; Archibald, Chantel; Eggers, Kim; Ho, Kendall; Khazei, Afshin; Lund, Adam; MacKinnon, Carolyn; Markham, Ray; Marsden, Julian; Martin, Ed; Christenson, Jim

2018-01-04

As generalists, emergency practitioners face challenges in providing state-of-the-art care owing to the broad spectrum of practice and the rapid rate of new knowledge generation. Networks have become increasingly prevalent in health care, and it was in this backdrop, and the resulting opportunity to advance evidence-informed emergency care in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC), that a new "Emergency Medicine Network" (EM Network) was launched in 2017. The EM Network consists of four programs, each led by a physician with expertise and a track record in the domain: (1) Clinical Resources; (2) Innovation; (3) Continuing Professional Development; and (4) Real-time Support. This paper provides an overview of the EM Network, including its background, purpose, programs, anticipated evolution, and impact on the BC health care system.

The British Columbia Emergency Medicine Network: A Paradigm Shift in a Provincial System of Emergency Care

PubMed Central

Abu-Laban, Riyad B; Lindstrom, Ronald R; Archibald, Chantel; Eggers, Kim; Ho, Kendall; Khazei, Afshin; Lund, Adam; MacKinnon, Carolyn; Markham, Ray; Marsden, Julian; Martin, Ed; Christenson, Jim

2018-01-01

As generalists, emergency practitioners face challenges in providing state-of-the-art care owing to the broad spectrum of practice and the rapid rate of new knowledge generation. Networks have become increasingly prevalent in health care, and it was in this backdrop, and the resulting opportunity to advance evidence-informed emergency care in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC), that a new “Emergency Medicine Network” (EM Network) was launched in 2017. The EM Network consists of four programs, each led by a physician with expertise and a track record in the domain: (1) Clinical Resources; (2) Innovation; (3) Continuing Professional Development; and (4) Real-time Support. This paper provides an overview of the EM Network, including its background, purpose, programs, anticipated evolution, and impact on the BC health care system. PMID:29531875

For Internet Knowledge, Should You Ask Ol' Blue Eyes or the Brown-Eyed Girl?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boshier, Roger; Kolpakova, Yulia; Klinkhamer, Sooz

2004-01-01

The digital divide is generally thought to arise from socio-economic disparities. However, there is more to it. Eye colour is a factor. In this study, the 16 multiple-choice item Internet Quiz was administered to 3,208 respondents in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver) of British Columbia, Canada. Blue and hazel-eyed people knew significantly more…

Exploring the Self/Group Initiated and On-the-Job Learning Activities of Low Income Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butterwick, Shauna

The self- and group-initiated and on-the-job learning activities of low-income women were explored in a study of a small group of low-income mothers living in the greater Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. During the study, the low-income women attended meetings during which a participating researcher documented the women's experiences.…

Field and Laboratory Decay Evaluations of wood-plastic Composites

Treesearch

Rebecca E. Ibach; Marek Gnatowski; Grace Sun

2013-01-01

Experimental wood–plastic composites (WPCs) were made so that they matched the manufacturing process, dimensions, and water absorption of some commercial decking boards. WPC samples from selected formulations were divided into two identical groups. The first group was exposed in exterior conditions in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Hilo, Hawaii, at sun and shadow...

76 FR 8345 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plan Module for Columbia River Estuary Salmon and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-14

..., 6:30-8:30 p.m. Vancouver, WA, January 31, 2008, at the Water Resources Education Center, 6:30-8:30 p... influenced by Columbia River tributary/ mainstem water withdrawals and other water management actions in... River tributary/ mainstem water withdrawals and other water management actions in tributaries. Flow...

Using Coupled Groundwater-Surface Water Models to Simulate Eco-Regional Differences in Climate Change Impacts on Hydrological Drought Regimes in British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dierauer, J. R.; Allen, D. M.

2016-12-01

Climate change is expected to lead to an increase in extremes, including daily maximum temperatures, heat waves, and meteorological droughts, which will likely result in shifts in the hydrological drought regime (i.e. the frequency, timing, duration, and severity of drought events). While many studies have used hydrologic models to simulate climate change impacts on water resources, only a small portion of these studies have analyzed impacts on low flows and/or hydrological drought. This study is the first to use a fully coupled groundwater-surface water (gw-sw) model to study climate change impacts on hydrological drought. Generic catchment-scale gw-sw models were created for each of the six major eco-regions in British Columbia using the MIKE-SHE/MIKE-11 modelling code. Daily precipitation and temperature time series downscaled using bias-correction spatial disaggregation for the simulated period of 1950-2100 were obtained from the Pacific Climate Institute Consortium (PCIC). Streamflow and groundwater drought events were identified from the simulated time series for each catchment model using the moving window quantile threshold. The frequency, timing, duration, and severity of drought events were compared between the reference period (1961-2000) and two future time periods (2031-2060, 2071-2100). Results show how hydrological drought regimes across the different British Columbia eco-regions will be impacted by climate change.

U-Pb Dating of Unabraded Detrital Zircon Metamorphic Rims in the Nanaimo Basin, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boivin, M. P.; Guest, B.; Matthews, W.

2016-12-01

Thin metamorphic rims on detrital zircons from the Nanaimo Basin in SW British Columbia offer a unique opportunity to further constrain the source of these zircons, helping to resolve the long standing Baja BC controversy. Here we present an analytical approach for dating thin zircon rims and use it to show that zircons from the Nanaimo Basin are most likely derived from metamorphic rocks in southern California. Conventional in-situ laser ablation sample preparation typically requires mounting and polishing zircon grains to expose their core. However, in order to date these thin metamorphic zircon rims a depth-profiling approach on unabraded grains was employed. Zircon grains from the Upper Cretaceous Geoffrey, Spray, and Gabriola formations of the Nanaimo Group exposed on Denman and Hornby Islands (British Columbia) were sorted into five groups based on morphology. The zircons were then mounted on tape along with several grains of a well-characterised zircon reference material to validate the uncertainty of the method. The zircons were then imaged using a Zygo Zescope optical profilometer in order to correct for grain-to-grain variations in elevation relative to mounting medium and ensure consistent laser focus. Backscatter electron images (BSE) were used to further characterised the grains and optimize the location of laser ablation targets. Zircons were ablated using a Resonetics 193 nm excimer laser and uranium and lead isotopic ratios were measured using an Agilent 7700 quadrupole mass spectrometer. A low frequency laser repetition rate extended the data collection period on relatively thin zircon rims. Our results show that metamorphic zircon growth occurred in two main phases at 100 Ma and 77 Ma suggesting two sources of detrital zircons with differing metamorphic histories were present in the catchment area. The timing of metamorphism of the source area for the Nanaimo basin is inconsistent with derivation from sources in the Rocky Mountains (Lemhi sub

Sea-louse parasites on juvenile wild salmon in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Peacock, Stephanie J; Bateman, Andrew W; Krkošek, Martin; Connors, Brendan; Rogers, Scott; Portner, Lauren; Polk, Zephyr; Webb, Coady; Morton, Alexandra

2016-07-01

The global expansion of aquaculture has changed the structure of fish populations in coastal environments, with implications for disease dynamics. In Pacific Canada, farmed salmon act as reservoir hosts for parasites and pathogens, including sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus clemensi) that can transmit to migrating wild salmon. Assessing the impact of salmon farms on wild salmon requires regular monitoring of sea-louse infections on both farmed and wild fish. Since 2001, we have collected juvenile pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and chum (O. keta) salmon annually at three sites in the Broughton Archipelago in British Columbia, Canada, during the annual juvenile salmon migration from fresh water to the open ocean. From sampled fish, we recorded counts of parasitic copepodid-, chalimus-, and motile-stage sea lice. We report louse abundances as well as supplementary observations of fish size, development, and health. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Domesticating dialysis: A feminist political economy analysis of informal renal care in rural British Columbia

PubMed Central

Brassolotto, Julia; Daly, Tamara

2017-01-01

Drawing from a case study in rural British Columbia, this article examines the experiences of individuals providing unpaid care for family members on hemodialysis and how these experiences fit within larger political and socio-economic policy contexts. We suggest that the current shift towards home-based renal care, the “domestication of dialysis,” reflects a broader trend toward a reduction of public health services, assumptions about the feasibility of unpaid care work in rural settings, and an increasing reliance on individuals—rather than the state—to support dependency and produce healthy citizens. This article confirms the challenges that come with providing daily care to a family member with a chronic disease and the gendered nature of unpaid care work. It also extends discussions of unpaid care to include how these challenges can be applied to renal care and complicated by rural residence. PMID:29307896

Ultrasound as visual feedback in speech habilitation: exploring consultative use in rural British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Bernhardt, May B; Bacsfalvi, Penelope; Adler-Bock, Marcy; Shimizu, Reiko; Cheney, Audrey; Giesbrecht, Nathan; O'connell, Maureen; Sirianni, Jason; Radanov, Bosko

2008-02-01

Ultrasound has shown promise as a visual feedback tool in speech therapy. Rural clients, however, often have minimal access to new technologies. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate consultative treatment using ultrasound in rural communities. Two speech-language pathologists (SLPs) trained in ultrasound use provided consultation with ultrasound in rural British Columbia to 13 school-aged children with residual speech impairments. Local SLPs provided treatment without ultrasound before and after the consultation. Speech samples were transcribed phonetically by independent trained listeners. Eleven children showed greater gains in production of the principal target /[image omitted]/ after the ultrasound consultation. Four of the seven participants who received more consultation time with ultrasound showed greatest improvement. Individual client factors also affected outcomes. The current study was a quasi-experimental clinic-based study. Larger, controlled experimental studies are needed to provide ultimate evaluation of the consultative use of ultrasound in speech therapy.

Examining risk factors for cardiovascular disease among food bank members in Vancouver.

PubMed

Fowokan, A O; Black, J L; Holmes, E; Seto, D; Lear, S A

2018-06-01

Food banks provide supplemental food to low-income households, yet little is known about the cardiovascular health of food banks members. This study therefore described cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among food bank members and explored associations between food insecurity and CVD risk. Adults ≥18 years (n = 77) from three food bank sites in metro Vancouver, British Columbia completed surveys and physical assessments examining a range of socio-demographic variables and CVD risk factors. A composite measure of myocardial infarction (MI) risk called the INTERHEART score was assessed and household food insecurity was measured using the Household Food Security Survey Module. Regression models were used to explore associations between food insecurity and CVD risk measures, including the INTERHEART score. Ninety-seven percent of food bank members reported experiencing food insecurity, 65% were current smokers, 53% reported either chronic or several periods of stress in the past year, 55% reported low physical activity levels and 80% reported consuming fewer than five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Prevalence of self-reported diabetes and hypertension were 13% and 29% respectively. Fifty-two percent of the sample were at high risk of non-fatal MI. No statistically significant associations were found between increased severity of food insecurity and CVD risk factors among this sample where both severe food insecurity and high CVD risks were prevalent. Food bank members were at elevated risk for CVD compared with the general population. Strategies are needed to reduce prevalence of food insecurity and CVD risk factors, both of which disproportionately affected food bank members.

A Risk-Based Characterization of Sediment Contamination by Legacy and Emergent Contaminants of Concern in Coastal British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Morales-Caselles, Carmen; Desforges, Jean-Pierre W; Dangerfield, Neil; Ross, Peter S

2017-08-01

Sediments have long been used to help describe pollution sources, contaminated sites, trends over time, and habitat quality for marine life. We collected surficial sediments from 12 sites at an average seawater depth of 25 m in three near-urban areas of the Salish Sea (British Columbia, Canada) to investigate habitat quality for marine life, including heavily contaminated killer whales. Samples were analyzed using high-resolution instrumentation for a wide variety of congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), polybrominated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). The top six contaminant classes detected in sediments were ∑PCB > ∑PBDE > ∑PCDD/F > DDT > ∑HBCDD > ∑PCN. Near-urban harbor sediments had up to three orders of magnitude higher concentrations of contaminants than more remote sites. With limited tools available to characterize biological risks associated with complex mixtures in the real world, we applied several available approaches to prioritize the pollutant found in our study: (1) sediment quality guidelines from the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment where available; (2) US NOAA effects range low and other international guidelines; (3) total TEQ for dioxin-like PCBs for the protection of mammals; and (4) the calculation of risk quotients. Our findings provide an indication of the state of contamination of coastal environments in British Columbia and guidance for chemical regulations and priority setting, as well as management actions including best-practices, dredging, disposal at sea, and source control. In this regard, the legacy PCB and the emergent PBDEs should command continued priority monitoring.

Evolving indications for and trends in keratoplasty in British Columbia, Canada, from 2002 to 2011: a 10-year review.

PubMed

Tan, Johnson C H; Holland, Simon P; Dubord, Paul J; Moloney, Gregory; McCarthy, Martin; Yeung, Sonia N

2014-03-01

The aim of this study was to report the evolving indications for keratoplasty and the shift in the type of keratoplasty performed in British Columbia, Canada, over a 10-year period from 2002 to 2011. This was a retrospective database review of all the records of corneal transplant tissues at the Eye Bank of British Columbia, Canada, from January 2002 to December 2011. The patient demographics, indications, and types of transplant performed were analyzed. A total of 4843 corneal transplants were performed in 3742 patients (1968 male and 1774 female) from January 2002 to December 2011. The number of keratoplasties performed ranged from 420 in 2008 to 578 in 2011. The top 4 indications over the 10-year period were Fuchs endothelial dystrophy (FED; 18.9%), aphakic/pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (17.4%), regraft (17.1%), and keratoconus (15.5%). Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) accounted for 86.5% (4191 transplants) of all keratoplasties performed. Since the introduction of Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) in 2007, there was a significant increase in the number of DSAEKs (P < 0.0001) performed and a statistical decline in the number of PKPs (P < 0.0001) performed. Despite only 30 deep anterior lamellar keratoplasties being performed, an increasing trend was observed after 2008 (P = 0.0087). A decreasing trend in PKPs and an increasing trend in DSAEKs were observed for surgeries performed for FED, aphakic/pseudophakic bullous keratopathy, and regraft. FED has become the top indication for performing a keratoplasty over the 10-year period. There was a shift from PKP to DSAEK performed for endothelial failure. Although the number of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty surgeries was small, there was a significant increasing trend.

Contrasting landscape influences on sediment supply and stream restoration priorities in northern Fennoscandia (Sweden and Finland) and coastal British Columbia.

PubMed

Rosenfeld, Jordan; Hogan, Daniel; Palm, Daniel; Lundquist, Hans; Nilsson, Christer; Beechie, Timothy J

2011-01-01

Sediment size and supply exert a dominant control on channel structure. We review the role of sediment supply in channel structure, and how regional differences in sediment supply and land use affect stream restoration priorities. We show how stream restoration goals are best understood within a common fluvial geomorphology framework defined by sediment supply, storage, and transport. Land-use impacts in geologically young landscapes with high sediment yields (e.g., coastal British Columbia) typically result in loss of in-stream wood and accelerated sediment inputs from bank erosion, logging roads, hillslopes and gullies. In contrast, northern Sweden and Finland are landscapes with naturally low sediment yields caused by low relief, resistant bedrock, and abundant mainstem lakes that act as sediment traps. Land-use impacts involved extensive channel narrowing, removal of obstructions, and bank armouring with boulders to facilitate timber floating, thereby reducing sediment supply from bank erosion while increasing export through higher channel velocities. These contrasting land-use impacts have pushed stream channels in opposite directions (aggradation versus degradation) within a phase-space defined by sediment transport and supply. Restoration in coastal British Columbia has focused on reducing sediment supply (through bank and hillslope stabilization) and restoring wood inputs. In contrast, restoration in northern Fennoscandia (Sweden and Finland) has focused on channel widening and removal of bank-armouring boulders to increase sediment supply and retention. These contrasting restoration priorities illustrate the consequences of divergent regional land-use impacts on sediment supply, and the utility of planning restoration activities within a mechanistic sediment supply-transport framework.

Possible similarities between the folk medicine historically used by First Nations and American Indians in North America and the ethnoveterinary knowledge currently used in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Lans, Cheryl

2016-11-04

This paper compares sixty-four plants used as ethnoveterinary remedies in British Columbia with First Nations folk medicine. In 2003, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 participants obtained using a purposive sample. The data was then compared with historical documents on First Nations plant use. Exact parallels between First Nations/native American folk medicine and ethnoveterinary remedies used for farm animals and horses were Acer macrophyllum Pursh, Epilobium angustifolium L. and Lonicera involucrata (Richardson) Banks ex Spreng., used as stimulants and tonics for goats; Achlys tripylla DC. as a fly repellent in barns, Alnus rubra Bong., for rabbits' dental care, Berberis repens Lindl., Rumex crispus L., to treat sores and rashes on horses, Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex C. Lawson for stomach problems and Bovista pila Berk. and M. A. Curtis and Dolichousnea longissima (Ach.) Articus used on wounds. This study revealed the parallel uses between sixty-four plants used as ethnoveterinary medicines in British Columbia and the folk medicines used by the First Nations peoples and by native American groups. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

First Canadian record of the water mite Thermacarus nevadensis Marshall, 1928 (Arachnida: Acariformes: Hydrachnidiae: Thermacaridae) from hot springs in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Heron, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Abstract Background Thermacarus nevadensis Marshall, 1928 is an uncommonly collected mite associated with hot spring environments in the western United States. Information on its distribution and ecology are incomplete. New information In this paper, we report Thermacarus nevadensis from northern British Columbia. These records represent the first of Thermacaridae from Canada, the most northern records of this species in North America, and the most northern records for the family globally. We also provide short notes and images of the habitats in which specimens have been collected in Canada. PMID:27660534

Climate Change Impacts to Hydro Power Reservoir Systems in British Columbia, Canada: Modelling, Validation and Projection of Historic and Future Streamflow and Snowpack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, K. E.; Schnorbus, M.; Werner, A. T.; Berland, A. J.

2010-12-01

The British Columbia Hydro Electric Corporation (BC Hydro) has a mandate to provide clean, renewable and reliable sources of hydro-electric power into the future, hence managing those resources in the context of climate change will be an important component of reservoir operational planning in British Columbia. The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (www.PacificClimate.org) has implemented the Variable Infiltration Capacity hydrologic model parameterized at 1/16th degree (~32 km2) to provide BC Hydro with future projections of changes to streamflow and snowpack to the 2050s. The headwaters of the Peace, Columbia, and Campbell River basins were selected for study; the Upper Peace River basin (101,000 km2) is a snowmelt-dominated watershed, and the Upper Columbia River Basin (104,000 km2) has a mixed snowmelt-glacier melt runoff regime, with glacier runoff contributing up to 15 to 20% of late summer discharge. The Upper Campbell River watershed (1,200 km2) has a mixed rainfall and snowmelt (hybrid) hydrologic regime. The model has been calibrated using historical streamflow observations and validated against these observations, as well as automated snow pillow measurements. Future streamflow changes are estimated based on eight Global Climate Models (GCMs) from the CMIP3 suite, downscaled using the Bias Correction Spatial Downscaling (BCSD) technique, run under three emissions scenarios (A2, A1B and B1; A1B is specifically reported on herein). Climate impacts by the 2050s in the three watersheds illustrate an increase in annual average temperature and precipitation ranging between +2.2°C to +2.8°C and +2% to +10% depending on basin, and an annual change in streamflow of -1% to +12% for the three watersheds. Changes are more profound on the seasonal time-scale and differ across basins. Summer streamflow in the Upper Campbell River watershed is projected to decline by -60%, where as the Upper Peace and Columbia systems are projected to decline by -25% and -22

MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF 2 CYCLOSPORIASIS OUTBREAKS IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

EPA Science Inventory

Introduction: Cyclospora cayentanensis is a waterborne apicocomplexan protozoan that has been recognized as an emerging parasite. This parasite is the cause of severe diarrhea, which can only be treated with sulfa drugs. Cyclospora caytentanensis is endemic in some parts of the...

Environmental Scanning, Vancouver Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yao, Min

This 1994 environmental scanning report from Vancouver Community College (VCC) reviews the expected effects of the separation of VCC into a new Vancouver Community College and Langara College (LC). The report examines the projected service area student-intake capacity; student characteristics; population growth trends; other postsecondary…

Sexual Health and Risk Behaviour among East Asian Adolescents in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Homma, Yuko; Saewyc, Elizabeth M.; Wong, Sabrina T.; Zumbo, Bruno D.

2015-01-01

Despite the large number of adolescents of East Asian origin in Canada, there is limited research on sexual health among this population. A first step to develop strategies for sexual health promotion for adolescents is to document the prevalence of sexual behaviours. This study thus estimated the prevalence of sexual health and risk behaviours among East Asian adolescents in grades 7 to 12, using the province-wide, school-based 2008 British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey (unweighted N = 4,311). Less than 10% of East Asian adolescents have ever had sexual intercourse. However, most of these sexually active adolescents have engaged in risky sexual behaviours, including multiple sexual partners and non-condom use at last intercourse. In particular, nearly half of sexually active girls reported not using a condom at last intercourse. Compared to immigrant students whose primary language at home was not English, immigrant and Canadian-born students speaking English at home were more likely to experience sexual intercourse. Among students who have never had sexual intercourse, two most common reasons for sexual abstinence were not feeling ready and waiting to meet the right person. Findings suggest the need for sexual health interventions tailored to gender and sociocultural contexts in which adolescents live. PMID:27087776

Persistent organic pollutants in British Columbia grizzly bears: consequence of divergent diets.

PubMed

Christensen, Jennie R; MacDuffee, Misty; Macdonald, Robie W; Whiticar, Michael; Ross, Peter S

2005-09-15

Nitrogen and carbon stable isotope signatures in growing hair reveal that while some British Columbia grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) rely entirely on terrestrial foods, others switch in late summer to returning Pacific salmon (Oncorynchus spp.). Implications for persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations and patterns measured in the two feeding groups of grizzly bears were profound. While the bears consuming a higher proportion of terrestrial vegetation ("interior" grizzlies) exhibited POP patterns dominated bythe more volatile organochlorine (OC) pesticides and the heavier polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs: e.g., BDE-209), the bears consuming salmon were dominated by the more bioaccumulative POPs (e.g., DDT, chlordanes, and BDE-47). The ocean-salmon-bear pathway appeared to preferentially select for those contaminants with intermediate partitioning strength from water into lipid (log Kow approximately 6.5). This pattern reflects an optimum contaminant log Kow range for atmospheric transport, deposition into the marine environment, uptake into marine biota, accumulation through the food web, and retention in the bear tissues. We estimate that salmon deliver 70% of all OC pesticides, up to 85% of the lower brominated PBDE congeners, and 90% of PCBs found in salmon-eating grizzly bears, thereby inextricably linking these terrestrial predators to contaminants from the North Pacific Ocean.

Alkali-deficient tourmaline from the Sullivan Pb-Zn-Ag deposit, British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jiang, S.-Y.; Palmer, M.R.; Slack, J.F.

1997-01-01

Alkali-deficient tourmalines are found in albitized rocks from the hanging-wall of the Sullivan Pb-Zn-Ag deposit (British Columbia, Canada). They approximate the Mg-equivalent of foitite with an idealized formula D???(Mg2Al)Al6Si6O18(BO 3)3(OH)4. Major chemical substitutions in the tourmalines are the alkali-defect type [Na*(x) + Mg*(Y) = ???(X) + Al(Y)] and the uvite type [Na*(X) + Al(Y) = Ca(X) + Mg*(Y)], where Na* = Na + K, Mg* = Mg + Fe + Mn. The occurrence of these alkali-deficient tourmalines reflects a unique geochemical environment that is either alkali-depleted overall or one in which the alkalis preferentially partitioned into coexisting minerals (e.g. albite). Some of the alkali-deficient tourmalines have unusually high Mn contents (up to 1.5 wt.% MnO) compared to other Sullivan tourmalines. Manganese has a strong preference for incorporation into coexisting garnet and carbonate at Sullivan, thus many tourmalines in Mn-rich rocks are poor in Mn (<0.2 wt.% MnO). It appears that the dominant controls over the occurrence of Mn-rich tourmalines at Sullivan are the local availability of Mn and the lack of other coexisting minerals that may preferentially incorporate Mn into their structures.

Gender Inequities in Quality of Care among HIV-Positive Individuals Initiating Antiretroviral Treatment in British Columbia, Canada (2000–2010)

PubMed Central

Carter, Allison; Eun Min, Jeong; Chau, William; Lima, Viviane D.; Kestler, Mary; Pick, Neora; Money, Deborah; Montaner, Julio S G.; Hogg, Robert S.; Kaida, Angela

2014-01-01

Objectives We measured gender differences in “Quality of Care” (QOC) during the first year after initiation of antiretroviral therapy and investigated factors associated with poorer QOC among women. Design QOC was estimated using the Programmatic Compliance Score (PCS), a validated metric associated with all-cause mortality, among all patients (≥19 years) who initiated ART in British Columbia, Canada (2000–2010). Methods PCS includes six indicators of non-compliance with treatment initiation guidelines at baseline (not having drug resistance testing before treatment; starting on a non-recommended regimen; starting therapy at CD4<200 cells/mm3) and during first-year follow-up (receiving <3 CD4 tests; receiving <3 viral load tests; not achieving viral suppression within six months). Summary scores range from 0–6; higher scores indicate poorer QOC. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression was used to measure if female gender was an independent predictor of poorer QOC and factors associated with poorer QOC among women. Results QOC was determined for 3,642 patients (20% women). At baseline: 42% of women (34% men) did not have resistance testing before treatment; 17% of women (9% men) started on a non-recommended regimen (all p<0.001). At follow-up: 17% of women (11% men) received <3 CD4; 17% of women (11% men) received <3 VL; 50% of women (41% men) did not achieve viral suppression (all p<0.001). Overall, QOC was better among men (mean PSC = 1.54 (SD = 1.30)) compared with women (mean = 1.89 (SD = 1.37); p<0.001). In the multivariable model, female gender (AOR = 1.16 [95% CI: 0.99–1.35]; p = 0.062) remained associated with poorer QOC after covariate adjustment. Among women, those with injection drug use history, of Aboriginal ancestry, from Vancouver Island, and who initiated ART in earlier years were more likely to have poorer QOC. Conclusions Poorer QOC among women, especially from marginalized communities, demands that barriers

Metabolic Engineering X Conference

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flach, Evan

The International Metabolic Engineering Society (IMES) and the Society for Biological Engineering (SBE), both technological communities of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), hosted the Metabolic Engineering X Conference (ME-X) on June 15-19, 2014 at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, British Columbia. It attracted 395 metabolic engineers from academia, industry and government from around the globe.

Advanced software development workstation. OOPSLA 1992 Conference. Trip report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Izygon, Michel E.

1992-01-01

This report summarizes the main trends observed at the Object Oriented Programming Systems, Languages, and Applications Conference held in Vancouver, British Columbia. This conference is the main object-oriented event that allows us to assess the dynamism of the technology and to meet the main actors of the field. It is an invaluable source of information for the advanced software development project.

'Heated political dynamics exist ...': examining the politics of palliative care in rural British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Crooks, Valorie A; Castleden, Heather; Hanlon, Neil; Schuurman, Nadine

2011-01-01

Palliative care is delivered by a number of professional groups and informal providers across a range of settings. This arrangement works well in that it maximizes avenues for providing care, but may also bring about complicated 'politics' due to struggles over control and decision-making power. Thirty-one interviews conducted with formal and informal palliative care providers in a rural region of British Columbia, Canada, are drawn upon as a case study. Three types of politics impacting on palliative care provision are identified: inter-community, inter-site, and inter-professional. Three themes crosscut these politics: ownership, entitlement, and administration. The politics revealed by the interviews, and heretofore underexplored in the palliative literature, have implications for the delivery of palliative care. For example, the outcomes of the politics simultaneously facilitate (e.g. by promoting advocacy for local services) and serve as a barrier to (e.g. by privileging certain communities/care sites/provider) palliative care provision.

The Role of Telemedicine in Providing Thoracic Oncology Care to Remote Areas of British Columbia.

PubMed

Humer, Michael F; Campling, Barbara G

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study is to review the role of telemedicine in providing oncology care; we describe our long-standing, high-volume telemedicine experience. The Interior Health Thoracic Surgical Group (IHTSG) uses telemedicine, through Virtual Thoracic Surgical Clinics (VTSC), to provide service to remote patients. The IHTSG serves a population of 1.01 million people over an area of 807,538 km 2 (1.3 persons/km 2 ) in the Interior and North of British Columbia, Canada. Between 2003 and 2015, the IHTSG conducted 15,073 telemedicine patient encounters at 63 geographic sites. Telemedicine saved these patients a total travel distance of 11.5 million km-an average of 766 km per patient. VTSC supports and strengthens the Hub and Spoke model of healthcare delivery-patients residing remotely can easily access centrally delivered service. Telemedicine makes specialized care available to all patients by overcoming a major impediment to access, namely distance.

Barriers to the development of forest carbon offsetting: Insights from British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Peterson St-Laurent, Guillaume; Hagerman, Shannon; Hoberg, George

2017-12-01

In recent years, the provision of economic incentives through carbon financing and carbon offsetting has been central to efforts at forest carbon mitigation. However, notwithstanding their potentially important roles in climate policy, forest carbon offsets face numerous barriers which have limited widespread implementation worldwide. This paper uses the case study of the Canadian province of British Columbia to explore the barriers associated with achieving widespread implementation of forest carbon offsets in the next several decades. Drawing on interviews with experts from government, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and First Nations, six main barriers are identified and discussed: (1) deficiencies of carbon markets, (2) limited economic benefits, (3) uncertain climate effectiveness, (4) negative public opinion, (5) limited and uncertain property rights, and (6) governance issues. While respondents from different sectors agreed on various points, divergence was also observed, notably on the trade-off between generating environmentally sound offsets and promoting cost-effective ways to achieve mitigation. We discuss these differences in the context of the goals and objectives of different actors, and offer insights for understanding the uptake (or not) of carbon offset policies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large bedrock slope failures in a British Columbia, Canada fjord: first documented submarine sackungen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conway, Kim W.; Vaughn Barrie, J.

2018-01-01

Very large (>60×106 m3) sackungen or deep-seated gravitational slope deformations occur below sea level along a steep fjord wall in central Douglas Channel, British Columbia. The massive bedrock blocks were mobile between 13 and 11.5 thousand radiocarbon years BP (15,800 and 13,400 BP) immediately following deglaciation. Deformation of fjord sediments is apparent in sedimentary units overlying and adjacent to the blocks. Faults bound the edges of each block, cutting the glacial section but not the Holocene sediments. Retrogressive slides, small inset landslides as well as incipient and older slides are found on and around the large failure blocks. Lineations, fractures and faults parallel the coastline of Douglas Channel along the shoreline of the study area. Topographic data onshore indicate that faults and joints demarcate discrete rhomboid-shaped blocks which controlled the form, size and location of the sackungen. The described submarine sackungen share characteristic geomorphic features with many montane occurrences, such as uphill-facing scarps, foliated bedrock composition, largely vertical dislocation and a deglacial timing of development.

Large bedrock slope failures in a British Columbia, Canada fjord: first documented submarine sackungen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conway, Kim W.; Vaughn Barrie, J.

2018-06-01

Very large (>60×106 m3) sackungen or deep-seated gravitational slope deformations occur below sea level along a steep fjord wall in central Douglas Channel, British Columbia. The massive bedrock blocks were mobile between 13 and 11.5 thousand radiocarbon years BP (15,800 and 13,400 BP) immediately following deglaciation. Deformation of fjord sediments is apparent in sedimentary units overlying and adjacent to the blocks. Faults bound the edges of each block, cutting the glacial section but not the Holocene sediments. Retrogressive slides, small inset landslides as well as incipient and older slides are found on and around the large failure blocks. Lineations, fractures and faults parallel the coastline of Douglas Channel along the shoreline of the study area. Topographic data onshore indicate that faults and joints demarcate discrete rhomboid-shaped blocks which controlled the form, size and location of the sackungen. The described submarine sackungen share characteristic geomorphic features with many montane occurrences, such as uphill-facing scarps, foliated bedrock composition, largely vertical dislocation and a deglacial timing of development.

Sensitive clay landslide detection and characterization in and around Lakelse Lake, British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geertsema, Marten; Blais-Stevens, Andrée; Kwoll, Eva; Menounos, Brian; Venditti, Jeremy G.; Grenier, Alain; Wiebe, Kelsey

2018-02-01

The Lakelse Lake area in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, has a long history, and prehistory, of rapid sensitive clay landslides moving on very low gradients. However, until now, many landslides have gone undetected. We use an array of modern tools to identify hitherto unknown or poorly known landslide deposits, including acoustic subbottom profiles, multibeam sonar, and LiDAR. The combination of these methods reveals not only landslide deposits, but also geomorphic and sedimentologic structures that give clues about landslide type and mode of emplacement. LiDAR and bathymetric data reveal the areal extent of landslide deposits as well as the orientation of ridges that differentiate between spreading and flowing kinematics. The subbottom profiles show two-dimensional structures of disturbed landslide deposits, including horst and grabens indicative of landslides classified as spreads. A preliminary computer tomography (CT) scan of a sediment core confirms the structures of one subbottom profile. We also use archival data from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and resident interviews to better characterize historic landslides.

Predicting tuberculosis risk in the foreign-born population of British Columbia, Canada: study protocol for a retrospective population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Ronald, Lisa A; Campbell, Jonathon R; Balshaw, Robert F; Roth, David Z; Romanowski, Kamila; Marra, Fawziah; Cook, Victoria J; Johnston, James C

2016-11-25

Improved understanding of risk factors for developing active tuberculosis (TB) will better inform decisions about diagnostic testing and treatment for latent TB infection (LTBI) in migrant populations in low-incidence regions. We aim to examine TB risk factors among the foreign-born population in British Columbia (BC), Canada, and to create and validate a clinically relevant multivariate risk score to predict active TB. This retrospective population-based cohort study will include all foreign-born individuals who acquired permanent resident status in Canada between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2013 and acquired healthcare coverage in BC at any point during this period. Multiple administrative databases and disease registries will be linked, including a National Immigration Database, BC Provincial Health Insurance Registration, physician billings, hospitalisations, drugs dispensed from community pharmacies, vital statistics, HIV testing and notifications, cancer, chronic kidney disease and dialysis treatment, and all TB and LTBI testing and treatment data in BC. Extended proportional hazards regression will be used to estimate risk factors for TB and to create a prognostic TB risk score. Ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the University of British Columbia Clinical Ethics Review Board. Once completed, study findings will be presented at conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. An online TB risk score calculator will also be created. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Clinical characteristics and predictors of mortality for Cryptococcus gattii infection in dogs and cats of southwestern British Columbia

PubMed Central

Duncan, Colleen; Stephen, Craig; Campbell, John

2006-01-01

Since 1999, Cryptococcus gattii has emerged as an important pathogen of humans and animals in southwestern British Columbia. Historically thought to be restricted to the tropics and subtropics, C. gattii has posed new diagnostic and treatment challenges to veterinary practitioners working within the recently identified endemic region. Clinical reports of canine and feline cryptococcosis caused by C. gattii diagnosed between January 1999 and December 2003 were included in this case series. The most common manifestations of disease were respiratory and central nervous system signs. Multivariate survival analysis revealed that the only significant predictor of mortality was the presence of central nervous system signs upon presentation or during therapy. Case fatality rates in both species were high. Further investigation into effective treatment regimes is warranted. PMID:17078248

Eocene melting of Precambrian lithospheric mantle: Analcime-bearing volcanic rocks from the Challis-Kamloops belt of south central British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dostal, J.; Breitsprecher, K.; Church, B. N.; Thorkelson, D.; Hamilton, T. S.

2003-08-01

Potassic silica-undersaturated mafic volcanic rocks form a minor portion of the predominantly calc-alkaline Eocene Challis-Kamloops volcanic belt, which extends from the northwestern United States into central British Columbia (Canada). Their major occurrence is in the Penticton Group in south central British Columbia, where they reach a thickness of up to 500 m and form the northwestern edge of the Montana alkaline province. These analcime-bearing rocks (˜53-52 Ma old) are typically rhomb porphyries of ternary feldspar (An 28Ab 52Or 20). Additional phenocryst phases include clinopyroxene, analcime, phlogopite and rare olivine. The rocks are characterized by high total alkalis, particularly K 2O (>4.5 wt%) as well as by a distinct enrichment of large-ion lithophile elements versus heavy rare-earth elements and high-field-strength elements. They have unusual isotopic compositions compared to most other rocks of the Challis-Kamloops belt, particularly high negative ɛNd values and elevated but relatively uniform initial 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios (˜0.7065). The potassic silica-undersaturated rocks overlie Precambrian crust and lithosphere and were at least in part derived from ancient metasomatized subcontinental mantle lithosphere, which was modified in a Precambrian subduction setting. The alkaline rocks of the Challis-Kamloops belt are related to a slab-window environment. In particular, they were formed above the southern edge of the Kula plate adjacent to the Kula-Farallon slab window, whereas the Montana alkaline province situated well to the southeast was formed directly above the Kula-Farallon slab window. Upwelling of the hotter asthenospheric mantle may have been the thermal trigger necessary to induce melting of fertile and metasomatized lithospheric mantle.

Reassortant highly pathogenic influenza A H5N2 virus containing gene segments related to Eurasian H5N8 in British Columbia, Canada, 2014.

PubMed

Pasick, John; Berhane, Yohannes; Joseph, Tomy; Bowes, Victoria; Hisanaga, Tamiko; Handel, Katherine; Alexandersen, Soren

2015-03-25

In late November 2014 higher than normal death losses in a meat turkey and chicken broiler breeder farm in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia initiated a diagnostic investigation that led to the discovery of a novel reassortant highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N2 virus. This virus, composed of 5 gene segments (PB2, PA, HA, M and NS) related to Eurasian HPAI H5N8 and the remaining gene segments (PB1, NP and NA) related to North American lineage waterfowl viruses, represents the first HPAI outbreak in North American poultry due to a virus with Eurasian lineage genes. Since its first appearance in Korea in January 2014, HPAI H5N8 spread to Western Europe in November 2014. These European outbreaks happened to temporally coincide with migratory waterfowl movements. The fact that the British Columbia outbreaks also occurred at a time associated with increased migratory waterfowl activity along with reports by the USA of a wholly Eurasian H5N8 virus detected in wild birds in Washington State, strongly suggest that migratory waterfowl were responsible for bringing Eurasian H5N8 to North America where it subsequently reassorted with indigenous viruses.

Reassortant Highly Pathogenic Influenza A H5N2 Virus Containing Gene Segments Related to Eurasian H5N8 in British Columbia, Canada, 2014

PubMed Central

Pasick, John; Berhane, Yohannes; Joseph, Tomy; Bowes, Victoria; Hisanaga, Tamiko; Handel, Katherine; Alexandersen, Soren

2015-01-01

In late November 2014 higher than normal death losses in a meat turkey and chicken broiler breeder farm in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia initiated a diagnostic investigation that led to the discovery of a novel reassortant highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N2 virus. This virus, composed of 5 gene segments (PB2, PA, HA, M and NS) related to Eurasian HPAI H5N8 and the remaining gene segments (PB1, NP and NA) related to North American lineage waterfowl viruses, represents the first HPAI outbreak in North American poultry due to a virus with Eurasian lineage genes. Since its first appearance in Korea in January 2014, HPAI H5N8 spread to Western Europe in November 2014. These European outbreaks happened to temporally coincide with migratory waterfowl movements. The fact that the British Columbia outbreaks also occurred at a time associated with increased migratory waterfowl activity along with reports by the USA of a wholly Eurasian H5N8 virus detected in wild birds in Washington State, strongly suggest that migratory waterfowl were responsible for bringing Eurasian H5N8 to North America where it subsequently reassorted with indigenous viruses. PMID:25804829

Extensive feeding on sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka smolts by bull trout Salvelinus confluentus during initial outmigration into a small, unregulated and inland British Columbia river.

PubMed

Furey, N B; Hinch, S G; Lotto, A G; Beauchamp, D A

2015-01-01

Stomach contents were collected and analysed from 22 bull trout Salvelinus confluentus at the edge of the Chilko Lake and Chilko River in British Columbia, Canada, during spring outmigration of sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka smolts. Twenty of the 22 (>90%) stomachs contained prey items, virtually all identifiable prey items were outmigrant O. nerka smolts and stomach contents represented a large portion (0·0-12·6%) of estimated S. confluentus mass. The results demonstrate nearly exclusive and intense feeding by S. confluentus on outmigrant smolts, and support recent telemetry observations of high disappearance rates of O. nerka smolts leaving large natural lake systems prior to entering high-order unregulated river systems. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Transforming family practice in British Columbia: the General Practice Services Committee.

PubMed

Cavers, William J R; Tregillus, Valerie H F; Micco, Angela; Hollander, Marcus J

2010-12-01

To describe a new approach to primary care reform developed in British Columbia (BC) under the leadership of the General Practice Services Committee (GPSC). COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE: The GPSC is a joint committee of the BC Ministry of Health Services, the BC Medical Association, and the Society of General Practitioners of BC. Representatives of BC's health authorities also attend as guests. This paper is based on the 2008-2009 annual report of the GPSC. It summarizes the history and main activities of the GPSC. The GPSC is currently supporting a number of key activities to transform primary care in BC. These activities include the Full Service Family Practice Incentive Program, which provides incentive payments to promote enhanced primary care; the Practice Support Program, which provides family physicians and their medical office assistants with various practical evidence-based strategies and tools for managing practice enhancement; the Family Physicians for BC Program to develop family practices in areas of identified need; the Shared Care Committee, which supports and enables the determination of appropriate scopes of practice among GPs, specialists, and other health care professionals; the Divisions of Family Practice, which are designed to facilitate interactions among family doctors and between doctors and their respective health authorities; and the Community Healthcare and Resource Directory, a Web-based resource to help health care providers find appropriate mental health resources. Early results indicate that the GPSC's initiatives are enhancing the delivery of primary care services in BC.

Squaring Up: Experiences of Transition from Off-Street Sex Work to Square Work and Duality--Concurrent Involvement in Both--in Vancouver, BC.

PubMed

Bowen, Raven R

2015-11-01

Many studies of exit from sex work are inspired by role theory, where people experience a lack of attachment to a role; are faced with individual, interactional, and structural challenges; contemplate transition and exit a role; and then struggle to establish postrole identities and new lives. This framework has been used to explicate the factors and experiences of those who leave or attempt to leave the sex industry; however, it is limited because studies present sex work as a harmful and dangerous profession that people are trapped in, escaping, or have survived. In this paper, I discuss Vancouver's history of violence against sex workers and I review research on sex work exiting and bring forward recommendations for the design of exit program based on the experiences of 22 active and former off-street sex workers from Vancouver, British Columbia. I describe study participants who include Sex-Work-No-More participants who would not return to the industry, Sex-Work-Maybe participants who consider reinvolvement, and Dual-Life participants who are employed in sex work and conventional work simultaneously. These participants uniquely challenge narrow, binary understandings of involvement and transition because they discuss their use of deception to obtain resources needed to make change; the support that clients have provided; their strategic engagement in sex work as a means to exit; their considerations of reentry; and for some, their dual employment. In light of new legislation that criminalizes activities related to sex work-the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act-and the Federal government announcement of $20 million dollars for the creation of exit services nationwide, hearing from sex workers is essential to advancing agendas in this area. © 2015 Canadian Sociological Association/La Société canadienne de sociologie.

Mobile measurement of methane emissions from natural gas developments in northeastern British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atherton, Emmaline; Risk, David; Fougère, Chelsea; Lavoie, Martin; Marshall, Alex; Werring, John; Williams, James P.; Minions, Christina

2017-10-01

-up estimates of 78 000 t of methane for all oil and gas sector sources in British Columbia. Current bottom-up methods for estimating methane emissions do not normally calculate the fraction of emitting oil and gas infrastructure with thorough on-ground measurements. However, this study demonstrates that mobile surveys could provide a more accurate representation of the number of emission sources in an oil and gas development. This study presents the first mobile collection of methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure in British Columbia, and these results can be used to inform policy development in an era of methane emission reduction efforts.

Sources of lead and zinc associated with metal smelting activities in the Trail area, British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Goodarzi, Fariborz; Sanei, Hamed; Labonté, Marcel; Duncan, William F

2002-06-01

The spatial distribution and deposition of lead and zinc emitted from the Trail smelter, British Columbia, Canada, was studied by strategically locating moss bags in the area surrounding the smelter and monitoring the deposition of elements every three months. A combined diffusion/distribution model was applied to estimate the relative contribution of stack-emitted material and material emitted from the secondary sources (e.g., wind-blown dust from ore/slag storage piles, uncovered transportation/trucking of ore, and historical dust). The results indicate that secondary sources are the major contributor of lead and zinc deposited within a short distance from the smelter. Gradually, the stack emissions become the main source of Pb and Zn at greater distances from the smelter. Typical material originating from each source was characterized by SEM/EDX, which indicated a marked difference in their morphology and chemical composition.

Toward Improving Seismic Hazard Estimates for Northwest Coastal British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nykolaishen, L.; Dragert, H.; Wang, K.; James, T. S.

2016-12-01

Planned development for energy and shipping infrastructure in the Prince Rupert/Kitimat area of northern coastal British Columbia precipitated a more detailed study of natural hazards in this region. Over a two-year span beginning in the summer of 2014, an eight-station continuous GNSS network was established in order to measure crustal strain rates which could reveal the likelihood of infrequent but large (M>6) crustal earthquakes along the inner coast. However, the determination of representative regional elastic strain rates is confounded not only by the brevity of the monitoring period but also by the occurrence of the Haida Gwaii M7.8 earthquake which struck the outer coast of Haida Gwaii on Oct. 28, 2012. Significant regional postseismic motions have been observed at GNSS sites on Haida Gwaii (Nykolaishen et al., 2015) and still continue. It is clear that the motions of the Haida Gwaii GNSS stations have not recovered their long-term trends and consequently, the velocities of the newly established stations are also likely affected by postseismic motions. For these new sites, the clear resolution of any exponential decay, characteristic for postseismic motion, is further masked by seasonal effects which are difficult to estimate from the current two-year time series. In addition, the linear signals may also include the effect of inter-annual surface loading, which needs to be modelled and removed to recover the tectonic signal. The similarity of time series for the new stations to the more recent trends at the Haida Gwaii stations underlines the facts that the effects of postseismic motions are wide-spread and regional elastic deformation trends are not likely to be recovered for another 5 years.

The impact of replacing heavy passenger vehicles (LTVs and SUVs) in the British Columbia fleet with lighter versions.

PubMed

Cooper, Peter J; Zheng, Yvonne; Andersen, Linda; Pellegrini, Nicole

2009-10-01

The study reported in this article addressed the potential safety impact of consumer movement toward smaller vehicle choices by examining the makeup of the full British Columbia (BC) vehicle fleet--from smaller cars to heavy commercial vehicles. The basic assumption made was that some operators of heavy light trucks/vans (LTVs) or sport utility vehicles (SUVs) would, in the short term, be induced to downsize to lighter vehicles of the same type. The 2000-2007 BC crash-claim data at the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) was used to create matrices of average information by culpable and nonculpable entities in two-vehicle collisions in 15 weight categories. Models for the effects of various driver/crash characteristics on injury potential were created and used to adjust the effect calculated solely on the basis of weight change. Levels of heavy LTV/SUV replacement from 0.05 to 0.95 of the current population were tested and the redistribution of vehicles was done in such a way that the relationship between small-large vehicle injury ratio and large-small vehicle mass ratio over the whole fleet remained constant as did the relative proportions of culpable and nonculpable involvements. The net effect of downsizing in the manner assumed for this study was mildly positive in terms of overall injury risk--that is, downsizing resulted in slightly fewer total injuries--but not in the case of fatalities, which tended to be increased by a more substantial margin. However, the results showed that even replacing substantial proportions of the heavy LTV/SUV population would not result in a large impact on safety. Replacing almost all the heavy LTV/SUVs with lighter versions should reduce injuries by less than 1 percent and increase fatalities by 3.5 percent percent. Nevertheless, in terms of persons impacted and the associated costs, the effects would be noticeable. The issue for policy-makers is to judge how the environmental benefits associated with encouraging

Sediment underthrusting within a continental magmatic arc: Coast Mountains batholith, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, David M.; MacLeod, Douglas R.; Ducea, Mihai N.; Gehrels, George E.; Jonathan Patchett, P.

2017-10-01

Though continental magmatic arcs are factories for new continental crust, a significant proportion of continental arc magmas are recycled from supracrustal material. To evaluate the relative contributions of retroarc underthrusting and trench side partial sediment subduction for introducing supracrustal rocks to the middle and lower crust of continental magmatic arcs, we present results from the deeply exposed country rocks of the Coast Mountains batholith of western British Columbia. Prior work demonstrates that these rocks underwent widespread partial melting that contributed to the Coast Mountains batholith. We utilize U-Pb zircon geochronology, Sm-Nd thermochronology, and field-based studies to document the protoliths and early burial history of amphibolite and granulite-facies metasedimentary rocks in the Central Gneiss Complex. U-Pb detrital zircon data from the structurally highest sample localities yielded 190 Ma unimodal age peaks and suggest that retroarc rocks of the Stikine terrane constitute a substantial portion of the Central Gneiss Complex. These supracrustal rocks underwent thrust-related burial and metamorphism at >25 km depths prior to 80 Ma. These rocks may also be underlain at the deepest exposed structural levels by Upper Cretaceous metasedimentary rocks, which may have been emplaced as a result of trench side underplating or intraarc burial. These results further our understanding of the mechanisms of material transport within the continental lithosphere along Cordilleran subduction margins.

Paying for volume: British Columbia's experiment with funding hospitals based on activity.

PubMed

Sutherland, Jason M; Liu, Guiping; Crump, R Trafford; Law, Michael

2016-11-01

For decades, Canadian hospitals have been funded using global budgets, a lump sum for providing care irrespective of the volume or mix of patients. In 2010, British Columbia (BC) introduced a controversial, but limited, form of activity-based funding (ABF) for hospitals. This study uses a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the impact of the introduction of ABF funding in the province. Our analysis used the population of patient-level acute hospitalization and day surgery discharge summaries from BC's acute hospitals from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2013. Our outcome measures focused on both the intended and unintended impacts of ABF including the volume of cases, the efficiency of care, and the quality of care delivered. Our analysis used interrupted time series analysis. There was an increase in the volume of inpatient surgical activity associated with the implementation of ABF. The volume of medical cases dropped, and medical patients' lengths of stays increased. There were no changes in measures of quality. Hospitals' measurable responses to ABF policies on a number of key performance measures were mixed. Though BC's experiment with ABF was not associated with increases in hospital volumes for all types of care, the experience provides key lessons that small magnitude and short-term reforms are unlikely to change hospitals' behaviors quickly. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Manipulation of Molecular Quantum Wavepackets with Ultrashort Laser Pulses for Non-destructive Detection of Volatile Explosives

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-01

DTRA-TR-12-65 Manipulation of Molecular Quantum Wavepackets with Ultrashort Laser Pulses for Non-destructive Detection of Volatile Explosives ...Manipulation of Molecular Quantum Wavepackets with Ultrashort Laser Pulses for Non-destructive Detection of Volatile Explosives HDTRA1-09-1-0021 Valery...destructive detection of volatile explosives . Moshe Shapiro1, Valery Milner1 and Jun Ye2 1University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada 2JILA

Spatial variation in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) in coastal British Columbia.

PubMed

Willie, Megan; Esler, Daniel; Boyd, W Sean; Molloy, Philip; Ydenberg, Ronald C

2017-05-15

Barrow's goldeneyes are sea ducks that winter throughout coastal British Columbia (BC). Their diet consists primarily of intertidal blue mussels, which can accumulate PAHs; accordingly, goldeneyes may be susceptible to exposure through contaminated prey. In 2014/15, we examined total PAH concentrations in mussels from undeveloped and developed coastal areas of BC. At those same sites, we used EROD to measure hepatic CYP1A induction in goldeneyes. We found higher mussel PAH concentrations at developed coastal sites. Regionally, goldeneyes from southern BC, which has relatively higher coastal development, had higher EROD activity compared to birds from northern BC. Our results suggest goldeneyes wintering in coastal BC were exposed to PAHs through diet, with higher exposure among birds wintering in coastal areas with greater anthropogenic influence. These results suggest the mussel-goldeneye system is suitable as a natural, multi-trophic-level indicator of contemporary hydrocarbon contamination occurrence and exposure useful for establishing oil spill recovery endpoints. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial variation in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) in coastal British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Willie, Megan; Esler, Daniel N.; Boyd, W. Sean; Molloy, Philip; Ydenberg, Ronald C.

2017-01-01

Barrow's goldeneyes are sea ducks that winter throughout coastal British Columbia (BC). Their diet consists primarily of intertidal blue mussels, which can accumulate PAHs; accordingly, goldeneyes may be susceptible to exposure through contaminated prey. In 2014/15, we examined total PAH concentrations in mussels from undeveloped and developed coastal areas of BC. At those same sites, we used EROD to measure hepatic CYP1A induction in goldeneyes. We found higher mussel PAH concentrations at developed coastal sites. Regionally, goldeneyes from southern BC, which has relatively higher coastal development, had higher EROD activity compared to birds from northern BC. Our results suggest goldeneyes wintering in coastal BC were exposed to PAHs through diet, with higher exposure among birds wintering in coastal areas with greater anthropogenic influence. These results suggest the mussel-goldeneye system is suitable as a natural, multi-trophic-level indicator of contemporary hydrocarbon contamination occurrence and exposure useful for establishing oil spill recovery endpoints.

Estimating the Cost of Cancer Care in British Columbia and Ontario: A Canadian Inter-Provincial Comparison

PubMed Central

Pataky, Reka; Bremner, Karen E.; Rangrej, Jagadish; Chan, Kelvin K.W.; Cheung, Winson Y.; Hoch, Jeffrey S.; Peacock, Stuart; Krahn, Murray D.

2017-01-01

Background: Costing studies are useful to measure the economic burden of cancer. Comparing costs between healthcare systems can inform evaluation, development or modification of cancer care policies. Objectives: To estimate and compare cancer costs in British Columbia and Ontario from the payers' perspectives. Methods: Using linked cancer registry and administrative data, and standardized costing methodology and analyses, we estimated costs for 21 cancer sites by phase of care to determine potential differences between provinces. Results: Overall, costs were higher in Ontario. Costs were highest in the initial post-diagnosis and pre-death phases and lowest in the pre-diagnosis and continuing phases, and generally higher for brain cancer and multiple myeloma, and lower for melanoma. Hospitalization was the major cost category. Costs for physician services and diagnostic tests differed the most between provinces. Conclusions: The standardization of data and costing methodology is challenging, but it enables interprovincial and international comparative costing analyses. PMID:28277207

The 2005 British Columbia smoking cessation mass media campaign and short-term changes in smokers attitudes.

PubMed

Gagné, Lynda

2008-03-01

The effect of the 2005 British Columbia (BC) smoking cessation mass media campaign on a panel (N = 1,341) of 20-30-year-old smokers' attitudes is evaluated. The 5-week campaign consisted of posters, television, and radio ads about the health benefits of cessation. Small impacts on the panel's attitudes toward the adverse impacts of smoking were found, with greater impacts found for those who had no plans to quit smoking at the initial interview. As smokers with no plans to quit increasingly recognized the adverse impacts of smoking, they also increasingly agreed that they use smoking as a coping mechanism. Smokers with plans to quit at the initial interview already were well aware of smoking's adverse impacts. Respondents recalling the campaign poster, which presented a healthy alternative to smoking, decreased their perception of smoking as a coping mechanism and devalued their attachment to smoking. Evidence was found that media ad recall mediates unobserved predictors of attitudes toward smoking.

Experiences with collaborative climate impacts assessments for regional governments in southwestern British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobie, S. R.; Murdock, T. Q.

2016-12-01

Infrastructure vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning have created demand for detailed information about climate change and extreme events from local and regional governments. Individual communities often have distinct priorities regarding climate change impacts. While projections from climate models are available to investigate these impacts, they are not always applicable or easily interpreted by local agencies. We discuss a series of climate impacts assessments for several regional and local governments in southwestern British Columbia. Each of the assessments was conducted with input from the users on project definition from the start of the process and on interpretation of results throughout each project. To produce sufficient detail for the assessment regions, we produce high-resolution (800m) simulations of precipitation and temperature using downscaled climate model projections. Sets of derived climate parameters tailored to each region are calculated from both standard indices such as CLIMDEX and from an energy-balance snowpack model. Involving user groups from the beginning of the analysis helps to convey the meaning and confidence of each set of climate change parameters to users and also clarifies what projections are feasible or not for impact assessments. We discuss the different levels of involvement and collaboration with each organization, and the resulting decisions implemented following each of the projects.

Comparison of breast cancer survival in two populations: Ardabil, Iran and British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Sadjadi, Alireza; Hislop, T Gregory; Bajdik, Chris; Bashash, Morteza; Ghorbani, Anahita; Nouraie, Mehdi; Babaei, Masoud; Malekzadeh, Reza; Yavari, Parvin

2009-10-28

Patterns in survival can provide information about the burden and severity of cancer, help uncover gaps in systemic policy and program delivery, and support the planning of enhanced cancer control systems. The aim of this paper is to describe the one-year survival rates for breast cancer in two populations using population-based cancer registries: Ardabil, Iran, and British Columbia (BC), Canada. All newly diagnosed cases of female breast cancer were identified in the Ardabil cancer registry from 2003 to 2005 and the BC cancer registry for 2003. The International Classification of Disease for Oncology (ICDO) was used for coding cancer morphology and topography. Survival time was determined from cancer diagnosis to death. Age-specific one-year survival rates, relative survival rates and weighted standard errors were calculated using life-tables for each country. Breast cancer patients in BC had greater one-year survival rates than patients in Ardabil overall and for each age group under 60. These findings support the need for breast cancer screening programs (including regular clinical breast examinations and mammography), public education and awareness regarding early detection of breast cancer, and education of health care providers.

Subtidal circulation in a deep-silled fjord: Douglas Channel, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Di; Hannah, Charles G.; Foreman, Michael G. G.; Dosso, Stan

2017-05-01

Douglas Channel, a deep fjord on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, is the main waterway in the fjord system that connects the town of Kitimat to Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait. A 200 m depth sill divides Douglas Channel into an outer and an inner basin. This study examines the low-frequency (from seasonal to meteorological bands) circulation in Douglas Channel from data collected at three moorings deployed during 2013-2015. The deep flows are dominated by a yearly renewal that takes place from May/June to early September. A dense bottom layer with a thickness of 100 m that cascades through the system at the speed of 0.1-0.2 m s-1, which is consistent with gravity currents. Estuarine flow dominates the circulation above the sill depth, and the observed landward net volume flux suggests that it is necessary to include the entire complex channel network to fully understand the estuarine circulation in the system. The influence of the wind forcing on the subtidal circulation is not only at the surface, but also at middepth. The along-channel wind dominates the surface current velocity fluctuations and the sea level response to the wind produces a velocity signal at 100-120 m in the counter-wind direction. Overall, the circulation in the seasonal and the meteorological bands is a mix of estuarine flow, direct wind-driven flow, and the barotropic and baroclinic responses to changes to the surface pressure gradient caused by the wind stress.

Nurses' experience of violence in Alberta and British Columbia hospitals.

PubMed

Duncan, S M; Hyndman, K; Estabrooks, C A; Hesketh, K; Humphrey, C K; Wong, J S; Acorn, S; Giovannetti, P

2001-03-01

This study examined responses to a survey on violence in the workplace from a sample of 8,780 registered nurses practising in 210 hospitals in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Findings relate to the frequency of violence against nurses, reported as the number of times they experienced a violent incident in the workplace. Nearly half (46%) of those surveyed had experienced 1 or more types of violence in the last 5 shifts worked. Frequency varied by type: emotional abuse 38%, threat of assault 19%, physical assault 18%, verbal sexual harassment 7.6%, sexual assault 0.6%. Further, 70% of those who had experienced violence indicated they had not reported it. Patients constituted the main source of all types of violence. The most prevalent type, emotional abuse, was further explored for its possible determinants. This was also the type of violence most evenly distributed among sources (patients, families, co-workers, physicians). Multiple regression modelling using the individual nurse as the unit of analysis showed the significant predictors of emotional abuse to be age, casual job status, quality of care, degree of hospital restructuring, type of unit, relationships among hospital staff, nurse-to-patient ratios, and violence-prevention measures; using the hospital as the unit of analysis the predictors were found to be quality of care, age, relationships with hospital staff, presence of violence-prevention measures, and province. These findings illustrate important differences in models that use the individual and the institution as the unit of analysis. Implications include targeting prevention strategies not only at the nurse but, perhaps more importantly, at the hospital. Overall, the findings suggest that health-care institutions are not always healthy workplaces and may increasingly be stressful and hazardous ones.

Studying levels of Fukushima-derived radioactivity in sockeye salmon collected on the west coast of Vancouver Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domingo, T.; Starosta, K.; Chester, A.; Williams, J.; Ross, P. S.

2017-11-01

To investigate potential radioisotope contamination from the Fukushima nuclear accident, measurements of 10 sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) collected on June 21 and June 31, 2014 in the Alberni Inlet on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada were performed using low-background gamma-ray spectroscopy. Activity concentrations of the anthropogenic radioisotopes 134Cs and 137Cs as well as the naturally occurring radioisotope 40K were measured. Detection of 137Cs occurred in half of the sockeye with activity concentrations ranging from 0.23 to 1.43 Bq/kg dry weight. The 134Cs isotope was detected in a single sockeye salmon with activity concentrations (±σ) measured in the two subsamples of 0.31(8) and 0.37(10) Bq/kg dry weight. The dose contribution from each of the measured radionuclides was calculated. In the sockeye salmon with the greatest radiocesium concentrations, the dose contribution from anthropogenic radiocesium (134Cs+137Cs) was found to be 450 times less than the dose from naturally occurring radionuclides in the same sample. In conclusion, the total radiocesium activity concentration in every sample is at least 500 times lower than Health Canada's action levels for radioactively contaminated food following a nuclear emergency. Assuming all seafood has as much radiocesium as the most contaminated sample measured, the added annual dose from radiocesium to an adult individual with an average Canadian level of seafood consumption would be 0.046 μSv per year.

Estimating the economic value of British Columbia's domestic cannabis market: implications for provincial cannabis policy.

PubMed

Werb, Dan; Nosyk, Bohdan; Kerr, Thomas; Fischer, Benedikt; Montaner, Julio; Wood, Evan

2012-11-01

British Columbia (BC), Canada, is home to a large illegal cannabis industry that is known to contribute to substantial organized crime concerns. Although debates have emerged regarding the potential benefits of a legally regulated market to address a range of drug policy-related social problems, the value of the local (i.e., domestically consumed) cannabis market has not been characterized. Monte Carlo simulation methods were used to generate a median value and 95% credibility interval for retail expenditure estimates of the domestic cannabis market in BC. Model parameter estimates were obtained for the number of cannabis users, the frequency of cannabis use, the quantity of cannabis used, and the price of cannabis from government surveillance data and studies of BC cannabis users. The median annual estimated retail expenditure on cannabis by British Columbians was $407 million (95% Credibility Interval [CI]: $169-948 million). Daily users accounted for the bulk of the cannabis revenue, with a median estimated expenditure of approximately $357 million (95% CI: $149-845 million), followed by weekly users ($44 million, 95% CI: $18-90 million), and monthly users ($6 million, 95% CI: $3-12 million). When under-reporting of cannabis use was adjusted for, the estimated retail expenditure ranged from $443 million (95% CI: $185-1 billion) to $564 million (95% CI: $236-1.3 billion). Based on local consumption patterns, conservative estimates suggest that BC's domestic illegal cannabis trade is worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Given the value of this market and the failure and harms of law enforcement efforts to control the cannabis market, policymakers should consider regulatory alternatives. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seismic wave triggering of nonvolcanic tremor, episodic tremor and slip, and earthquakes on Vancouver Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubinstein, Justin L.; Gomberg, Joan; Vidale, John E.; Wech, Aaron G.; Kao, Honn; Creager, Kenneth C.; Rogers, Garry

2009-02-01

We explore the physical conditions that enable triggering of nonvolcanic tremor and earthquakes by considering local seismic activity on Vancouver Island, British Columbia during and immediately after the arrival of large-amplitude seismic waves from 30 teleseismic and 17 regional or local earthquakes. We identify tremor triggered by four of the teleseismic earthquakes. The close temporal and spatial proximity of triggered tremor to ambient tremor and aseismic slip indicates that when a fault is close to or undergoing failure, it is particularly susceptible to triggering of further events. The amplitude of the triggering waves also influences the likelihood of triggering both tremor and earthquakes such that large amplitude waves triggered tremor in the absence of detectable aseismic slip or ambient tremor. Tremor and energy radiated from regional/local earthquakes share the same frequency passband so that tremor cannot be identified during these smaller, more frequent events. We confidently identify triggered local earthquakes following only one teleseism, that with the largest amplitude, and four regional or local events that generated vigorous aftershock sequences in their immediate vicinity. Earthquakes tend to be triggered in regions different from tremor and with high ambient seismicity rates. We also note an interesting possible correlation between large teleseismic events and episodic tremor and slip (ETS) episodes, whereby ETS events that are "late" and have built up more stress than normal are susceptible to triggering by the slight nudge of the shaking from a large, distant event, while ETS events that are "early" or "on time" are not.

Heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) disease diagnosed on a British Columbia salmon farm through a longitudinal farm study

PubMed Central

Ferguson, Hugh W.; Schulze, Angela D.; Kaukinen, Karia H.; Li, Shaorong; Vanderstichel, Raphaël; Wessel, Øystein; Rimstad, Espen; Gardner, Ian A.; Hammell, K. Larry; Miller, Kristina M.

2017-01-01

Heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) is an emerging disease of marine-farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), first recognized in 1999 in Norway, and later also reported in Scotland and Chile. We undertook a longitudinal study involving health evaluation over an entire marine production cycle on one salmon farm in British Columbia (Canada). In previous production cycles at this farm site and others in the vicinity, cardiac lesions not linked to a specific infectious agent or disease were identified. Histologic assessments of both live and moribund fish samples collected at the farm during the longitudinal study documented at the population level the development, peak, and recovery phases of HSMI. The fish underwent histopathological evaluation of all tissues, Twort’s Gram staining, immunohistochemistry, and molecular quantification in heart tissue of 44 agents known or suspected to cause disease in salmon. Our analysis showed evidence of HSMI histopathological lesions over an 11-month timespan, with the prevalence of lesions peaking at 80–100% in sampled fish, despite mild clinical signs with no associated elevation in mortalities reported at the farm level. Diffuse mononuclear inflammation and myodegeneration, consistent with HSMI, was the predominant histologic observation in affected heart and skeletal muscle. Infective agent monitoring identified three agents at high prevalence in salmon heart tissue, including Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV), and parasites Paranucleospora theridion and Kudoa thyrsites. However, PRV alone was statistically correlated with the occurrence and severity of histopathological lesions in the heart. Immunohistochemical staining further localized PRV throughout HSMI development, with the virus found mainly within red blood cells in early cases, moving into the cardiomyocytes within or, more often, on the periphery of the inflammatory reaction during the peak disease, and reducing to low or undetectable levels later in the

Brucellosis in Moose (Alces alces). A Serological Survey in an Open Range Cattle Area of North Central British Columbia Recently Infected with Bovine Brucellosis

PubMed Central

Hudson, M.; Child, K. N.; Hatler, D. F.; Fujino, K. K.; Hodson, K. A.

1980-01-01

A serological survey for Brucella abortus antibodies in mature cow moose (Alces alces) was made in an area of northcentral British Columbia which recently had been heavily infected with bovine brucellosis and in which there was considerable intermixing of moose and range cattle. No evidence of Brucella infection was found in the moose tested and it was concluded that they were probably not of great significance in the epidemiology of bovine brucellosis in the study area and were therefore unlikely to have hindered attempts to eradicate brucellosis from the cattle in that area. PMID:7363258

Evaluation of different radon guideline values based on characterization of ecological risk and visualization of lung cancer mortality trends in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Branion-Calles, Michael C; Nelson, Trisalyn A; Henderson, Sarah B

2015-11-19

There is no safe concentration of radon gas, but guideline values provide threshold concentrations that are used to map areas at higher risk. These values vary between different regions, countries, and organizations, which can lead to differential classification of risk. For example the World Health Organization suggests a 100 Bq m(-3)value, while Health Canada recommends 200 Bq m(-3). Our objective was to describe how different thresholds characterized ecological radon risk and their visual association with lung cancer mortality trends in British Columbia, Canada. Eight threshold values between 50 and 600 Bq m(-3) were identified, and classes of radon vulnerability were defined based on whether the observed 95(th) percentile radon concentration was above or below each value. A balanced random forest algorithm was used to model vulnerability, and the results were mapped. We compared high vulnerability areas, their estimated populations, and differences in lung cancer mortality trends stratified by smoking prevalence and sex. Classification accuracy improved as the threshold concentrations decreased and the area classified as high vulnerability increased. Majority of the population lived within areas of lower vulnerability regardless of the threshold value. Thresholds as low as 50 Bq m(-3) were associated with higher lung cancer mortality, even in areas with low smoking prevalence. Temporal trends in lung cancer mortality were increasing for women, while decreasing for men. Radon contributes to lung cancer in British Columbia. The results of the study contribute evidence supporting the use of a reference level lower than the current guideline of 200 Bq m(-3) for the province.

A Preliminary Study of Barriers to Engagement in CyberCIEGE

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-24

and also gives some guidance regarding factors that sustain players’ engagement (Michell and Savill Smith , 2004 : Dondlinger, 2007), it is not obvious...Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Mitchell , A. and Savill - Smith , C, “ The use of computer and video games for learning. A literature review...Learning and Skills Development Agency, UK, ISBN-1-85338-904-8, 2004 , pp 44-45. Tuzun, H, “Motivating learners in educational computer games”, Paper

Respiratory health in chrysotile asbestos miners in British Columbia: a longitudinal study.

PubMed Central

Enarson, D A; Embree, V; MacLean, L; Grzybowski, S

1988-01-01

A respiratory survey was undertaken in chrysotile asbestos miners in British Columbia consisting of a questionnaire, spirometry, chest radiography, and physical examination. The tests were performed in 1977 and again in 1983. The population groups studied included 63 "exposed" (working in the plant more than nine years), 52 "controls" (working in the plant less than five years), and 38 residents of the village at the minesite. A subset of 39 was identified with high exposure (worked in the mill more than five years). Measured levels of environmental particulates were similar over the entire period of operation of the plant (1.4 to 14.0 million particles per cubic foot and 0.7-88.0 fibres/cc in the mill; 0.2 to 2.7 mpcf and 0.6 to 9.3 f/cc in the mine). The exposed groups were more likely to report cough and breathlessness than the two other groups and were also more likely to have abnormal FVC and chest x ray films (the latter not significant, p greater than 0.05) and to be more likely to have a combination of these abnormalities. There was no trend to progression in the combination of abnormalities associated with exposure on follow up. The heavily exposed group showed a significantly worse trend in FVC. This adverse trend was confined to those with initial abnormalities. Tobacco smoking did not increase the trend to progression in this group. PMID:2840111

Prevalence and response to antiretroviral therapy of non-B subtypes of HIV in antiretroviral-naive individuals in British Columbia.

PubMed

Alexander, Christopher S; Montessori, Valentina; Wynhoven, Brian; Dong, Winnie; Chan, Keith; O'Shaughnessy, Michael V; Mo, Theresa; Piaseczny, Magda; Montaner, Julio S G; Harrigan, P Richard

2002-03-01

In North America, the B subtype of the major group (M) of HIV-1 predominates. Phylogenetic analysis of HIV reverse transcriptase and protease sequences isolated from 479 therapy-naive patients, first seeking treatment in British Columbia between June 1997 and August 1998, revealed a prevalence of 4.4% non-B virus. A range of different subtypes was identified, including one subtype A, 11 C, two D, five CRF01_AE, and one sample that could not be reliably subtyped. Baseline CD4 courts were significantly lower in individuals harbouring the non-B subtypes (P = 0.02), but baseline viral loads were similar (P = 0.80). In this study, individuals infected with non-B variants did not have a significantly different virological response to therapy after up to 18 months.

Effect of Place of Residence and Treatment on Survival Outcomes in Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in British Columbia

PubMed Central

Lee, Benny; Goktepe, Ozge; Hay, Kevin; Connors, Joseph M.; Sehn, Laurie H.; Savage, Kerry J.; Shenkier, Tamara; Klasa, Richard; Gerrie, Alina

2014-01-01

Background. We examined the relationship between location of residence at the time of diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and health outcomes in a geographically large Canadian province with publicly funded, universally available medical care. Patients and Methods. The British Columbia Cancer Registry was used to identify all patients 18–80 years of age diagnosed with DLBCL between January 2003 and December 2008. Home and treatment center postal codes were used to determine urban versus rural status and driving distance to access treatment. Results. We identified 1,357 patients. The median age was 64 years (range: 18–80 years), 59% were male, 50% were stage III/IV, 84% received chemotherapy with curative intent, and 32% received radiotherapy. There were 186 (14%) who resided in rural areas, 141 (10%) in small urban areas, 183 (14%) in medium urban areas, and 847 (62%) in large urban areas. Patient and treatment characteristics were similar regardless of location. Five-year overall survival (OS) was 62% for patients in rural areas, 44% in small urban areas, 53% in medium urban areas, and 60% in large urban areas (p = .018). In multivariate analysis, there was no difference in OS between rural and large urban area patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7–1.4), although patients in small urban areas (HR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.0–2.0) and medium urban areas (HR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.0–1.9) had worse OS than those in large urban areas. Conclusion. Place of residence at diagnosis is associated with survival of patients with DLBCL in British Columbia, Canada. Rural patients have similar survival to those in large urban areas, whereas patients living in small and medium urban areas experience worse outcomes. PMID:24569946

Effect of place of residence and treatment on survival outcomes in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in British Columbia.

PubMed

Lee, Benny; Goktepe, Ozge; Hay, Kevin; Connors, Joseph M; Sehn, Laurie H; Savage, Kerry J; Shenkier, Tamara; Klasa, Richard; Gerrie, Alina; Villa, Diego

2014-03-01

We examined the relationship between location of residence at the time of diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and health outcomes in a geographically large Canadian province with publicly funded, universally available medical care. The British Columbia Cancer Registry was used to identify all patients 18-80 years of age diagnosed with DLBCL between January 2003 and December 2008. Home and treatment center postal codes were used to determine urban versus rural status and driving distance to access treatment. We identified 1,357 patients. The median age was 64 years (range: 18-80 years), 59% were male, 50% were stage III/IV, 84% received chemotherapy with curative intent, and 32% received radiotherapy. There were 186 (14%) who resided in rural areas, 141 (10%) in small urban areas, 183 (14%) in medium urban areas, and 847 (62%) in large urban areas. Patient and treatment characteristics were similar regardless of location. Five-year overall survival (OS) was 62% for patients in rural areas, 44% in small urban areas, 53% in medium urban areas, and 60% in large urban areas (p = .018). In multivariate analysis, there was no difference in OS between rural and large urban area patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7-1.4), although patients in small urban areas (HR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.0-2.0) and medium urban areas (HR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.0-1.9) had worse OS than those in large urban areas. Place of residence at diagnosis is associated with survival of patients with DLBCL in British Columbia, Canada. Rural patients have similar survival to those in large urban areas, whereas patients living in small and medium urban areas experience worse outcomes.

Risperidone long-acting injection in the treatment of schizophrenia spectrum illnesses: A retrospective chart review of 19 patients in the Vancouver Community Mental Health Organization (Vancouver, Canada)

PubMed Central

Ganesan, Soma; McKenna, Mario; Procyshyn, Ric M.; Zipursky, Sheldon

2007-01-01

Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating disease that affects ~110,000 Canadians (0.55% lifetime prevalence). Risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI) is the first injectable, long-acting, atypical antipsychotic drug marketed in Canada. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness and hospitalization rates of patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophreniform disorder treated with RLAI in a community mental health care setting. Methods: Data were collected between August 1, 2006 and September 30, 2006 via a retrospective chart review of outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophreniform disorder who received treatment from 1 of the 8 mental health teams within the Vancouver Community Mental Health Organization (VCMHO) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Collected data included: frequency and duration of institutional care, discharge and relapse rates, demographic variables, diagnosis history, RLAI medication history, and history of other medications. The overall severity of symptoms before and after RLAI treatment and the improvement in symptoms during treatment were evaluated using the Clinical Global Impression Scales for severity (CGI-S)(1 = not ill to 7 = extremely ill) and improvement (CGI-I)(1 = very much improved to 7 = very much worse). Results: Forty-four patients were identified as having received RLAI. The charts of 19 patients (10 men, 9 women; mean [SD] age at time of chart audit, 36.7 [11.7] years; mean [SD] age at primary diagnosis, 23.6 [7.4] years; race: white, 10 [52.6%]; Asian, 6 [31.6%]; American Indian, 1 [5.3%]; black, 1 [5.3%]; other, 1 [5.3%]) were included in the analysis. The majority of patients (78%) had been treated with another antipsychotic drug prior to treatment with RLAI: risperidone (77%), quetiapine (47%), zuclopenthixol (43%), olanzapine (43%), and loxapine (17%). Mean (SD) CGI-S Scale score declined significantly from 5

Holocene disturbance dynamics from a pine-dominated forest in central British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, K. J.; Hebda, N.; Condor, N.; Hebda, R.; Hawkes, B.

2013-12-01

A lake sediment record was retrieved from the Sub-Boreal Pine-Spruce biogeoclimatic zone on the Chilcotin Plateau in central British Columbia, Canada. The record is being analyzed for charcoal, pollen, and magnetic susceptibility, as well as insect and mollusc content. The oldest radiocarbon age is 9.2 cal BP, illustrating that the record spans most of the Holocene. Regarding fire disturbance, charcoal fragments are persistent throughout the core, revealing that fire disturbance has characterized the site for millennia. In total, 74 fire events were recognized. During the warm dry early Holocene, fire frequency was 12-15 fires 2000 yr-1 and peak magnitudes were low, possibly in response to a more open landscape. A change in fire regime occurred at ca. 5000 cal BP, as fire frequency increased, peaking at ca. 20 fires 2000 yr-1 by 3000 cal BP. Peak magnitude likewise increased notably, possibly in response to the development of denser forest cover. On-going analysis of pollen will better constrain the vegetation history in this poorly sampled region. In contrast to charcoal, which was pervasive, Dendroctonus ponderosae (mountain pine beetle) remains were absent in both modern and paleo samples. Given that several insect outbreaks have occurred in the region in the last 100 years, the scarcity of remains is likely related to taphonomic issues.

Exploring Public Health's roles and limitations in advancing food security in British Columbia.

PubMed

Seed, Barbara A; Lang, Tim M; Caraher, Martin J; Ostry, Aleck S

2014-07-22

This research analyzes the roles and limitations of Public Health in British Columbia in advancing food security through the integration of food security initiatives into its policies and programs. It asks the question, can Public Health advance food security? If so, how, and what are its limitations? This policy analysis merges findings from 38 key informant interviews conducted with government and civil society stakeholders involved in the development of food security initiatives, along with an examination of relevant documents. The Population Health Template is used to delineate and analyze Public Health roles in food security. Public Health was able to advance food security in some ways, such as the adoption of food security as a core public health program. Public Health's leadership role in food security is constrained by a restricted mandate, limited ability to collaborate across a wide range of sectors and levels, as well as internal conflict within Public Health between Food Security and Food Protection programs. Public Health has a role in advancing food security, but it also faces limitations. As the limitations are primarily systemic and institutional, recommendations to overcome them are not simple but, rather, require movement toward embracing the determinants of health and regulatory pluralism. The results also suggest that the historic role of Public Health in food security remains salient today.

Determinants of trends in prescription opioid use in British Columbia, Canada, 2005-2013.

PubMed

Smolina, Kate; Gladstone, Emilie; Morgan, Steven G

2016-05-01

To explore the determinants of total opioid consumption in a Canadian province, and to examine patterns of opioid dispensations by sex, age, and income quintile. We used population-based administrative data on prescription drug dispensations in British Columbia (BC; population ~4 million). We apply an index-based approach to examine how changes in population exposure, type of opioids used, and intensity of use contributed to changes in total morphine equivalents dispensed per 1000 population. Between 2005 and 2013 in BC, opioid consumption increased by 31%, driven by longer duration of opioid therapy and by an increase in the use of stronger opioids. Consumption increased for oxycodone, hydromorphone, fentanyl, and tramadol; and declined for morphine, codeine, and other opioids. While we did not find large sex and age differences, the total level of opioid consumption was three times as high among individuals in the lowest income quintile compared to those in the highest income quintile. Our findings on changes in the type of opioids used and changes in intensity of use suggest that modifications to clinical management of patients on opioid therapy may be warranted. Similar drug utilization statistics, derived from drug information systems, can be reproduced in other jurisdictions to enable a better understanding of the opioid crisis. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The mental health needs of incarcerated youth in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Gretton, Heather M; Clift, Robert J W

2011-01-01

The purpose of the study was to identify the current prevalence of mental disorders and mental health needs among incarcerated male and female youths in Canada, and to present these data in the context of rates found in other jurisdictions. One hundred forty male and 65 female incarcerated young offenders in British Columbia were screened with the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument Version 2 (MAYSI-2); provisional psychiatric diagnoses were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV (DISC-IV); abuse history and aggressive symptoms of Conduct Disorder (CD) were coded from file information. Nearly all youths (91.9% of males and 100% of females) met the criteria for at least one mental disorder. Substance abuse and dependence disorders were highly prevalent (85.5% of males and 100% of females). Aggressive forms of CD were common (72.9% of males and 84.3% of females), as were exposure to physical abuse (60.8% of males and 54.3% of females) and sexual abuse (21.2% of males and 42.4% of females). Female youths had significantly higher odds of presenting with: (1) substance abuse/dependence disorders; (2) current suicide ideation; (3) sexual abuse; (4) PTSD; (5) symptoms of depression and anxiety; (6) Oppositional Defiant Disorder; and (7) multiple mental disorder diagnoses. Male youths had significantly higher odds of presenting with aggressive symptoms of CD. Overall, rates of mental disorder among this sample of serious and violent young offenders were higher than rates previously reported for incarcerated youths - both in Canada and in other jurisdictions. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

External Validation of the Universal Termination of Resuscitation Rule for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in British Columbia.

PubMed

Grunau, Brian; Taylor, John; Scheuermeyer, Frank X; Stenstrom, Robert; Dick, William; Kawano, Takahisa; Barbic, David; Drennan, Ian; Christenson, Jim

2017-09-01

The Universal Termination of Resuscitation Rule (TOR Rule) was developed to identify out-of-hospital cardiac arrests eligible for field termination of resuscitation, avoiding futile transportation to the hospital. The validity of the rule in emergency medical services (EMS) systems that do not routinely transport out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients to the hospital is unknown. We seek to validate the TOR Rule in British Columbia. This study included consecutive, nontraumatic, adult, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests treated by EMS in British Columbia from April 2011 to September 2015. We excluded patients with active do-not-resuscitate orders and those with missing data. Following consensus guidelines, we examined the validity of the TOR Rule after 6 minutes of resuscitation (to approximate three 2-minute cycles of resuscitation). To ascertain rule performance at the different time junctures, we recalculated TOR Rule classification accuracy at subsequent 1-minute resuscitation increments. Of 6,994 consecutive, adult, EMS-treated, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, overall survival was 15%. At 6 minutes of resuscitation, rule performance was sensitivity 0.72, specificity 0.91, positive predictive value 0.98, and negative predictive value 0.36. The TOR Rule recommended care termination for 4,367 patients (62%); of these, 92 survived to hospital discharge (false-positive rate 2.1%; 95% confidence interval 1.7% to 2.5%); however, this proportion steadily decreased with later application. The TOR Rule recommended continuation of resuscitation in 2,627 patients (38%); of these, 1,674 died (false-negative rate 64%; 95% confidence interval 62% to 66%). Compared with 6-minute application, test characteristics at 30 minutes demonstrated nearly perfect positive predictive value (1.0) and specificity (1.0) but a lower sensitivity (0.46) and negative predictive value (0.25). In this cohort of adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, the TOR Rule applied at 6 minutes

STI service delivery in British Columbia, Canada; providers' views of their services to youth

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Little is known about service providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and experiences in relation to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals seeking care for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and how they influence the delivery of services. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of STI care providers and the ways they approached their practice. Methods We used a qualitative approach drawing on methods used in thematic analysis. Individual semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 service providers delivering STI services in youth clinics, STI clinics, reproductive health clinics, and community public health units in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Results Service providers’ descriptions of their activities and roles were shaped by a number of themes including specialization, scarcity, and maintaining the status quo. The analysis suggests that service providers perceive, at times, the delivery of STI care to be inefficient and inadequate. Conclusion Findings from this study identify deficits in the delivery of STI services in BC. To understand these deficits, more research is needed to examine the larger health care structure within which service providers work, and how this structure not only informs and influences the delivery of services, but also how particular structural barriers impinge on and/or restrict practice. PMID:22863400

Isotopic studies of the diet of the people of the coast of British Columbia.

PubMed

Schwarcz, Henry P; Chisholm, Brian S; Burchell, Meghan

2014-11-01

In 1982, Chisholm et al. used δ(13) C data for human burials from shell midden sites widely distributed on the coast of British Columbia (BC) to show the extreme dependence of these individuals on high trophic level marine consumers, principally salmon and marine mammals. Here, we present previously unpublished analyses of δ(15) N for some of the same individuals as well as δ(13) C data for additional individuals. Nitrogen isotope data show that the diet was dominated by high trophic level marine fauna including carnivorous fish and marine mammals. Although most burials were found in shell middens, marine mollusks made up of only a minor component of diet. The data for δ(13) C demonstrate that terrestrial faunal foods are undetectable in the diet of the majority of individuals, and seldom constitute more than 10% of the dietary protein of individuals living on the coast although terrestrial fauna were widely available as a potential source of protein. This dietary pattern of exclusion of land-based animals from their diet persisted for almost 6,000 years along a wide expanse of coastline. In contrast, people from the BC interior (100 km or more from the coast) consumed a mixed diet of terrestrial and marine foods including spawning salmon. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Changing Curriculum: A Critical Inquiry into the Revision of the British Columbia Science Curriculum For Grades K-9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Searchfield, Mary A.

In 2010 British Columbia's Ministry of Education started the process of redesigning the provincial school curriculum, Kindergarten to Grade 12. Mandatory implementation of the new curriculum was set for the 2016/17 school year for Grades K-9, and 2017/18 for Grades 10-12. With a concerted emphasis on personalized learning and through the frame of a Know-Do-Understand curriculum model, the new curriculum aims to meet the needs of today's learners, described as living in a technology-rich, fast-paced and ever-changing world, through a concept-based and competency-driven emphasis. This thesis is a critical analysis of the BC K-9 Science curriculum as written and published, looking specifically at how science is treated as a form of knowledge, its claimed presentation as a story, and on whether the intentions claimed by the designers are matched in the curriculum's final form.

How many work-related injuries requiring hospitalization in British Columbia are claimed for workers' compensation?

PubMed

Alamgir, Hasanat; Koehoorn, Mieke; Ostry, Aleck; Tompa, Emile; Demers, Paul A

2006-06-01

Workplace compensation claims datasets represent an important source of information on work-related injuries. This study investigated the concordance between hospital discharge records and workers' compensation records for work-related serious injuries among a cohort of sawmill workers in British Columbia (BC), Canada. It also examined the extent to which workers' compensation capturing patterns varied by cause, severity of injuries, and demographic characteristics of workers. Work-related injuries were identified in hospitalization records between April 1989 and December 1998, and were matched by dates and description of injury to compensation records. The agreement between the hospital records and compensation records was good (kappa = 0.84, P < 0.01). A lower claim reporting rate for work-related hospitalization was observed for older and non-white workers. More serious injuries defined by longer length of stay and emergency admissions were more likely to be reported. Falls, struck against, and overexertion injuries had lower reporting rates; whereas, machinery-related, cutting/piercing, and caught in/between injuries had higher reporting rates. When compared with hospital discharge records, the compensation agency underreported incidents of serious work-related injuries by 10-15% among the sawmill workers.

Bioaccessibility of metals in fish, shellfish, wild game, and seaweed harvested in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Laird, Brian D; Chan, Hing Man

2013-08-01

Fish, shellfish, wild game, and seaweed are important traditional foods that are essential to the physical and cultural well-being of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The goal of this study was to measure the concentration and bioaccessibility of As, Cd, Hg, Se, Cu and Mn in 45 commonly consumed traditional foods collected by harvested by the First Nations Food, Nutrition, and Environment Study (FNFNES) from 21 First Nations communities in British Columbia, Canada, in 2008-2009. A significant and negative correlation was observed between Hg concentration and Hg bioaccessibility. Metal bioaccessibility tended to be high; median values ranging between 52% (Mn) and 83% (Cu). The notable exceptions were observed for As in wild game organs (7-19%) and rabbit meat (4%) as well as Hg in salmon eggs (10%). Results of Principal Components Analysis confirmed the unique pattern of bioaccessibility of As and Hg in traditional foods, suggesting that, unlike other metals, As and Hg bioaccessibility are not simply controlled by food digestibility under the operating conditions of the in vitro model. These data provide useful information for dietary contaminant risk assessment and intake assessments of essential trace elements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of child safety restraint legislation on child injuries in police-reported motor vehicle collisions in British Columbia: An interrupted time series analysis.

PubMed

Brubacher, Jeffrey R; Desapriya, Ediriweera; Erdelyi, Shannon; Chan, Herbert

2016-05-01

Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) remain a leading cause of death and serious injury in Canadian children. In July 2008, British Columbia introduced child safety seat legislation that aimed to reduce the number of children killed or injured in MVCs. This legislation upgraded previous child seat legislation (introduced in 1985) and affected children zero to three and those four to eight years of age. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this legislation. Deidentified police reports for all MVCs involving zero- to 14-year-olds (2000 to 2012) were used to compare injury rates, booster seat use, and seating position among children before and after booster seat laws. An interrupted time series design was used to estimate the effect of the new law on injuries among children zero to three and four to eight years of age. Estimates were adjusted using children nine to 14 years of age as controls. The booster seat law was associated with a 10.8% (95% CI 2.7% to 18.9%) reduction in the monthly rate of injuries in four- to eight-year-old children (P=0.01). This was equivalent to a decrease of 14.3 injuries per 1,000,000 children. Similarly, the monthly injury rate among children zero to three years of age decreased by 13.0% (95% CI 1.5% to 24.6% [9.8 injuries per 1,000,000]; P=0.03). The results provide evidence that British Columbia's new child safety restraint law was associated with fewer injuries among children covered by the new laws.

Sources of health information among Chinese immigrants to the Pacific Northwest.

PubMed

Woodall, Erica D; Taylor, Victoria M; Teh, Chong; Li, Lin; Acorda, Elizabeth; Tu, Shin-Ping; Yasui, Yutaka; Hislop, T Gregory

2009-01-01

Chinese immigrants to North America experience cancer-related health disparities and underutilize preventive care. Little is known about Chinese immigrants' sources of health information. A population-based survey of Chinese immigrants was conducted in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Seattle, Washington. The study group included 899 individuals. Less than three fourths of the respondents reported receiving health information from health care providers, and only a minority used the Internet as a source of health information. We found significant differences between the sources of health information in Seattle and Vancouver. Health educators should consider available media outlets as well as the characteristics of a target community when planning intervention programs for Chinese immigrants.

STS-41G earth observations

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

41G-43-016 (5-13 Oct 1984) --- The Gulf of Alaska, with the great peaks of the Saint Elias Range of Alaska, Yukon, and British Columbia. Mount Logan, Canada's highest mountain peak at 19,850 feet, is to the left of the center of the photograph. Between Saint Elias Peak and Mount Vancouver, right of center, flows the great Malaspina Glacier in a great lobe of ice shaped like a human ear.

Does general surgery residency prepare surgeons for community practice in British Columbia?

PubMed Central

Hwang, Hamish

2009-01-01

Background Preparing surgeons for clinical practice is a challenging task for postgraduate training programs across Canada. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a single surgeon entering practice was adequately prepared by comparing the type and volume of surgical procedures experienced in the last 3 years of training with that in the first year of clinical practice. Methods During the last 3 years of general surgery training, I logged all procedures. In practice, the Medical Services Plan (MSP) of British Columbia tracks all procedures. Using MSP remittance reports, I compiled the procedures performed in my first year of practice. I totaled the number of procedures and broke them down into categories (general, colorectal, laparoscopic, endoscopic, hepatobiliary, oncologic, pediatric, thoracic, vascular and other). I then compared residency training with community practice. Results I logged a total of 1170 procedures in the last 3 years of residency. Of these, 452 were performed during community rotations. The procedures during residency could be broken down as follows: 392 general, 18 colorectal, 242 laparoscopic, 103 endoscopic, 85 hepatobiliary, 142 oncologic, 1 pediatric, 78 thoracic, 92 vascular and 17 other. I performed a total of 1440 procedures in the first year of practice. In practice the break down was 398 general, 15 colorectal, 101 laparoscopic, 654 endoscopic, 2 hepatobiliary, 77 oncologic, 10 pediatric, 0 thoracic, 70 vascular and 113 other. Conclusion On the whole, residency provided excellent preparation for clinical practice based on my experience. Areas of potential improvement included endoscopy, pediatric surgery and “other,” which comprised mostly hand surgery. PMID:19503663

The Bowser and Sustut Basins, Northern British Columbia, Canada: Insights From Analysis of Magnetic Anomaly Data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, J.; Lowe, C.

2005-12-01

The Bowser and Sustut basins occupy an area of more than 60,000 km2 in northern British Columbia, Canada. They comprise three, dominantly sedimentary, stratigraphic successions, in part overlapping in age: the Bowser Lake Group, the Skeena Group, and the Sustut Group. These three successions overlie arc volcanic and volcaniclastic strata of Stikinia, an allochtonous island arc terrane that accreted to the western margin of North America in the Early Jurassic to early Middle Jurassic. All three basin successions and underlying Stikinia were deformed during development of a thin-skinned fold and thrust belt (the Skeena Fold and Thrust Belt) in Cretaceous and possibly into earliest Tertiary time. Recently, the basins have been the focus of intense geological studies which have resulted in major revisions to the stratigraphic and structural framework of the basins and demonstrated that they have significantly higher petroleum potential than had been previously recognized. To advance these new findings further requires better imaging of the three-dimensional geometry and architecture of the basins. In this study we harness existing magnetic anomaly data to provide the first quantitative estimates of sedimentary thickness across the entire extents of both basins. Our results, which are in general in accord with geological interpretations, indicate that basin-fill is relatively thin and fairly uniform in the Sustut Basin (2.5-3 km), but highly variable in the Bowser Basin, ranging from less than 2 km to more than 6 km. Overall, sedimentary fill is thicker in the northern half of Bowser Basin compared to the south and is typically less than 2 km near the basins northern, western and southern margins. In addition, we demonstrate how a large, buried intrusion beneath the northeast part of Bowser Basin can account for an observed magnetic anomaly and explain the high coalification gradients and localized high maturation levels of the overlying sedimentary rocks. Neither of

Critical levels and loads and the regulation of industrial emissions in northwest British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williston, P.; Aherne, J.; Watmough, S.; Marmorek, D.; Hall, A.; de la Cueva Bueno, P.; Murray, C.; Henolson, A.; Laurence, J. A.

2016-12-01

Northwest British Columbia, Canada, a sparsely populated and largely pristine region, is targeted for rapid industrial growth owing to the modernization of an aluminum smelter and multiple proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. Consequently, air quality in this region is expected to undergo considerable changes within the next decade. In concert, the increase in LNG capacity driven by gas production from shale resources across North America has prompted environmental concerns and highlighted the need for science-based management decisions regarding the permitting of air emissions. In this study, an effects-based approach widely-used to support transboundary emissions policy negotiations was used to assess industrial air emissions in the Kitimat and Prince Rupert airsheds under permitted and future potential industrial emissions. Critical levels for vegetation of SO2 and NO2 and critical loads of acidity and nutrient nitrogen for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems were estimated for both regions and compared with modelled concentration and deposition estimates to identify the potential extent and magnitude of ecosystem impacts. The critical level for SO2 was predicted to be exceeded in an area ranging from 81 to 251 km2 in the Kitimat airshed owing to emissions from an existing smelter, compared with <1 km2 in Prince Rupert under the lowest to highest emissions scenarios. In contrast, the NO2 critical level was not exceeded in Kitimat, and ranged from 4.5 to 6 km2 in Prince Rupert owing to proposed LNG related emissions. Predicted areal exceedance of the critical load of acidity for soil ranged from 1 to 28 km2 in Kitimat and 4-10 km2 in Prince Rupert, while the areal exceedance of empirical critical load for nutrient N was predicted to be greater in the Prince Rupert airshed (20-94 km2) than in the Kitimat airshed (1-31 km2). The number of lakes that exceeded the critical load of acidity did not vary greatly across emissions scenarios in the Kitimat (21

Forecasting client transitions in British Columbia's Long-Term Care Program.

PubMed Central

Lane, D; Uyeno, D; Stark, A; Gutman, G; McCashin, B

1987-01-01

This article presents a model for the annual transitions of clients through various home and facility placements in a long-term care program. The model, an application of Markov chain analysis, is developed, tested, and applied to over 9,000 clients (N = 9,483) in British Columbia's Long Term Care Program (LTC) over the period 1978-1983. Results show that the model gives accurate forecasts of the progress of groups of clients from state to state in the long-term care system from time of admission until eventual death. Statistical methods are used to test the modeling hypothesis that clients' year-over-year transitions occur in constant proportions from state to state within the long-term care system. Tests are carried out by examining actual year-over-year transitions of each year's new admission cohort (1978-1983). Various subsets of the available data are analyzed and, after accounting for clear differences among annual cohorts, the most acceptable model of the actual client transition data occurred when clients were separated into male and female groups, i.e., the transition behavior of each group is describable by a different Markov model. To validate the model, we develop model estimates for the numbers of existing clients in each state of the long-term care system for the period (1981-1983) for which actual data are available. When these estimates are compared with the actual data, total weighted absolute deviations do not exceed 10 percent of actuals. Finally, we use the properties of the Markov chain probability transition matrix and simulation methods to develop three-year forecasts with prediction intervals for the distribution of the existing total clients into each state of the system. The tests, forecasts, and Markov model supplemental information are contained in a mechanized procedure suitable for a microcomputer. The procedure provides a powerful, efficient tool for decision makers planning facilities and services in response to the needs of long

Work-related injury among direct care occupations in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Alamgir, Hasanat; Cvitkovich, Yuri; Yu, Shicheng; Yassi, Annalee

2007-11-01

To examine how injury rates and injury types differ across direct care occupations in relation to the healthcare settings in British Columbia, Canada. Data were derived from a standardised operational database in three BC health regions. Injury rates were defined as the number of injuries per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Poisson regression, with Generalised Estimating Equations, was used to determine injury risks associated with direct care occupations (registered nurses [RNs], licensed practical nurses [LPNs) and care aides [CAs]) by healthcare setting (acute care, nursing homes and community care). CAs had higher injury rates in every setting, with the highest rate in nursing homes (37.0 injuries per 100 FTE). LPNs had higher injury rates (30.0) within acute care than within nursing homes. Few LPNs worked in community care. For RNs, the highest injury rates (21.9) occurred in acute care, but their highest (13.0) musculoskeletal injury (MSI) rate occurred in nursing homes. MSIs comprised the largest proportion of total injuries in all occupations. In both acute care and nursing homes, CAs had twice the MSI risk of RNs. Across all settings, puncture injuries were more predominant for RNs (21.3% of their total injuries) compared with LPNs (14.4%) and CAs (3.7%). Skin, eye and respiratory irritation injuries comprised a larger proportion of total injuries for RNs (11.1%) than for LPNs (7.2%) and CAs (5.1%). Direct care occupations have different risks of occupational injuries based on the particular tasks and roles they fulfil within each healthcare setting. CAs are the most vulnerable for sustaining MSIs since their job mostly entails transferring and repositioning tasks during patient/resident/client care. Strategies should focus on prevention of MSIs for all occupations as well as target puncture and irritation injuries for RNs and LPNs.

Sub-tidal Circulation in a deep-silled fjord: Douglas Channel, British Columbia (Canada)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Di; Hannah, Charles; Foreman, Mike

2016-04-01

Douglas Channel, a deep fjord on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, is the main waterway in Kitimat fjord system that opens to Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait. The fjord is separated from the open shelf by a broad sill that is about 150 m deep, and there is another sill (200 m) that separates the fjord into an outer and an inner basin. This study examines the low-frequency (from seasonal to meteorological bands) circulation in Douglas Channel from data collected from three moorings deployed during 2013-2015, and the water property observations collected during six cruises (2014 and 2015). Estuarine flow dominates the circulation above the sill-depth. The deep flows are dominated by a yearly renewal that takes place from early June to September, and this dense water renews both basins in the form of gravity currents at 0.1 - 0.2 m/s with a thickness of 100 m. At other times of the year, the deep flow structures and water properties suggest horizontal and vertical processes and support the re-circulation idea in the inner and the outer basins. The near surface current velocity fluctuations are dominated by the along-channel wind. Overall, the circulation in the meteorological band is a mix of the estuarine flow, direct wind driven flow, and the baroclinic response to changes to the surface pressure gradient caused by the wind driven currents.

Vancouver shopping mall liable for discrimination against Aboriginal and disabled people.

PubMed

Betteridge, Glenn

2005-12-01

In a decision released on 13 July 2005, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal (the Tribunal) found that the owners of a mall and the security company contracted by the mall had engaged in both individual and systemic discrimination. Among other findings, the Tribunal determined that Henderson Development (Canada) Limited (Henderson) and Securiguard Services Limited (Securiguard) discriminated against mall patrons who were Aboriginal, or who were perceived to be living with a disability, including drug dependence and HIV/AIDS.

The devil is in the details: trends in avoidable hospitalization rates by geography in British Columbia, 1990–2000

PubMed Central

Cloutier-Fisher, Denise; Penning, Margaret J; Zheng, Chi; Druyts, Eric-Bené F

2006-01-01

Background Researchers and policy makers have focussed on the development of indicators to help monitor the success of regionalization, primary care reform and other health sector restructuring initiatives. Certain indicators are useful in examining issues of equity in service provision, especially among older populations, regardless of where they live. AHRs are used as an indicator of primary care system efficiency and thus reveal information about access to general practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to examine trends in avoidable hospitalization rates (AHRs) during a period of time characterized by several waves of health sector restructuring and regionalization in British Columbia. AHRs are examined in relation to non-avoidable and total hospitalization rates as well as by urban and rural geography across the province. Methods Analyses draw on linked administrative health data from the province of British Columbia for 1990 through 2000 for the population aged 50 and over. Joinpoint regression analyses and t-tests are used to detect and describe trends in the data. Results Generally speaking, non-avoidable hospitalizations constitute the vast majority of hospitalizations in a given year (i.e. around 95%) with AHRs constituting the remaining 5% of hospitalizations. Comparing rural areas and urban areas reveals that standardized rates of avoidable, non-avoidable and total hospitalizations are consistently higher in rural areas. Joinpoint regression results show significantly decreasing trends overall; lines are parallel in the case of avoidable hospitalizations, and lines are diverging for non-avoidable and total hospitalizations, with the gap between rural and urban areas being wider at the end of the time interval than at the beginning. Conclusion These data suggest that access to effective primary care in rural communities remains problematic in BC given that rural areas did not make any gains in AHRs relative to urban areas under recent health sector

Incorporating Recreational Users into Marine Protected Area Planning: A Study of Recreational Boating in British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, Darcy L.; Canessa, Rosaline; Rollins, Rick; Keller, C. Peter; Dearden, Philip

2010-08-01

Marine protected areas (MPAs) and zoning plans require an understanding of stakeholders if they are to be successful at achieving social and biological objectives. This study examines recreational boaters in a proposed MPA in British Columbia, Canada, using the recreation opportunity spectrum (ROS) and models of recreation conflict as a basis for investigation. Boaters ( n = 543) visiting the region during the summer completed face-to-face surveys. Results show variability in boater setting preferences, supporting an ROS-based approach to MPA planning and zoning. While boaters as a whole placed the greatest importance on natural settings, sailboat operators expressed stronger preferences for natural and quiet settings relative to motorboats, and motorboat operators expressed stronger preferences for settings characterized by built facilities and extractive activities relative to sailboats. Several marine activities emerged as sources of perceived conflict for boaters, including personal watercraft, commercial whale watching vessels, and shellfish aquaculture. Our analysis indicates that while some of these may be addressed through zoning, others are better addressed through education and communication. Recommendations for both MPA management and future research are made.

British Columbia's fish health regulatory framework's contribution to sustainability goals related to salmon aquaculture.

PubMed

Stephen, Craig; Dicicco, Emiliano; Munk, Brandon

2008-12-01

Salmon farming is a significant contribution to the global seafood market to which the goal of sustainability is often applied. Diseases related to farms are perhaps the most contentious issues associated with sustainable salmon farming. We reviewed literature and policies in British Columbia, Canada, as well as interviewed key informants to examine how fish health regulations do or could support sustainability goals. We found four main obstacles to the development and application of a sustainability-based health management system. First, salmon farming faced the same challenges as other industries when trying to establish an operational definition of sustainability that captures all stakeholders' interests. Second, there was no program responsible for integrating the various regulations, responsible departments, and monitoring efforts to develop a comprehensive view of sustainability. Third, there was inadequate research base and social consensus on the criteria that should be used to track health outcomes for sustainability purposes. Fourth, the regulatory and management paradigm for salmon farming has been focused on diseases and pathogens as opposed to embracing a more inclusive health promotion model that includes biotic, abiotic, and social determinants of health. A transparent and inclusive participatory process that effectively links expert views with community and industry concerns should serve as the foundation for the next generation of health management regulations for salmon farming.

Measurement of biogenic hydrocarbon emissions from vegetation in the Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drewitt, G. B.; Curren, K.; Steyn, D. G.; Gillespie, T. J.; Niki, H.

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) participate in many chemical reactions in the atmosphere and in some cases, adversely affect air quality through increased production of photochemical ozone near urban sources of nitrogen oxides. In order to implement an effective control strategy, the relative role of these biogenic hydrocarbon emissions in producing ground-level ozone must be known. During the summers of 1995 and 1996, a field study was undertaken to determine fluxes of biogenic VOCs from both natural and agricultural surfaces in the Lower Fraser Valley located in southwestern British Columbia. Emissions from agricultural surfaces were measured using a flux gradient approach while emissions from the dominant tree species in the region were measured with a branch enclosure system. Results show very little biogenic VOC production from many agricultural crops such as pasture, Potatoes or Blueberries. Cranberries showed very high emissions during the summer of 1994 but failed to show similar results during the summer of 1995. Emissions of isoprene and monoterpenes from native tree species such as Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir and Coastal Hemlock were quite low. Cottonwood trees on the other hand had fairly low emissions of monoterpenes but extremely high emissions of isoprene. Measurements provided here will be useful for improving our database of hydrocarbon emissions rates from vegetation for future emission inventories and model testing.

Cancer incidence among HIV-positive women in British Columbia, Canada: Heightened risk of virus-related malignancies.

PubMed

Salters, K A; Cescon, A; Zhang, W; Ogilvie, G; Murray, M C M; Coldman, A; Hamm, J; Chiu, C G; Montaner, J S G; Wiseman, S M; Money, D; Pick, N; Hogg, R S

2016-03-01

We used population-based data to identify incident cancer cases and correlates of cancer among women living with HIV/AIDS in British Columbia (BC), Canada between 1994 and 2008. Data were obtained from a retrospective population-based cohort created from linkage of two province-wide databases: (1) the database of the BC Cancer Agency, a province-wide population-based cancer registry, and (2) a database managed by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, which contains data on all persons treated with antiretroviral therapy in BC. This analysis included women (≥ 19 years old) living with HIV in BC, Canada. Incident cancer diagnoses that occurred after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation were included. We obtained a general population comparison of cancer incidence among women from the BC Cancer Agency. Bivariate analysis (Pearson χ(2) , Fisher's exact or Wilcoxon rank-sum test) compared women with and without incident cancer across relevant clinical and sociodemographic variables. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for selected cancers compared with the general population sample. We identified 2211 women with 12 529 person-years (PY) of follow-up who were at risk of developing cancer after HAART initiation. A total of 77 incident cancers (615/100 000 PY) were identified between 1994 and 2008. HIV-positive women with cancer, in comparison to the general population sample, were more likely to be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma and less likely to be diagnosed with cancers of the digestive system. This study observed elevated rates of cancer among HIV-positive women compared to a general population sample. HIV-positive women may have an increased risk for cancers of viral-related pathogenesis. © 2015 British HIV Association.

Facilitators of and barriers to accessing clinical prevention services for the South Asian population in Surrey, British Columbia: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Majid, Sanaa; Douglas, Rachel; Lee, Victoria; Stacy, Elizabeth; Garg, Arun K; Ho, Kendall

2016-01-01

British Columbia falls short in uptake of recommended clinical prevention services, with even lower rates among immigrant populations. This study explored facilitators of and barriers to uptake of clinical prevention services among people from South Asia, who represent 31% of the population in Surrey, British Columbia. We used a qualitative descriptive approach and employed vignettes in a focus group setting to elicit perspectives of South Asian people on accessing clinical prevention services. Participants aged 40 years or more were recruited between October 2014 and February 2015 from health care and community settings such as older-adult housing, day programs and health education events. Letters of introduction to the study were provided in English or Punjabi or both to all potential participants. We conducted qualitative content analysis of the results. Sixty-two South Asian adults (36 women and 26 men) aged 40-87 years participated in 1 of 8 focus groups in health care or community settings. Facilitators of and barriers to accessing clinical prevention services were noted at the patient, primary care provider and health care system levels. Facilitators at the patient level included taking ownership over one's health, health literacy and respecting the provider's advice; barriers included fear of the diagnosis, death and/or procedures, perceived low risk of disease or utility of the intervention, and side effects of procedures. Provider factors centred on a trust-based patient-provider relationship, strong communication and adequate time during visits. Health care system factors included such facilitators as processes to routinely offer prevention services as part of other health care or social services, systems that encourage prevention-oriented family practice and services at low or no cost to the patient. Our findings validate previously identified facilitators of and barriers to accessing preventive care for immigrant populations. However, the results

Dr. Marco Marra: Pioneer and Visionary in Cancer Genomics Research | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

Dr. Marco Marra is a highly distinguished genomics and bioinformatics researcher. He is the Director of Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at the BC Cancer Agency and holds a faculty position at the University of British Columbia. The Centre is a state-of-the-art sequencing facility in Vancouver, Canada, with a major focus on the study of cancers.  Many of their research projects are undertaken in collaborations with other Canadian and international institutions.