Canadian snow and sea ice: assessment of snow, sea ice, and related climate processes in Canada's Earth system model and climate-prediction system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushner, Paul J.; Mudryk, Lawrence R.; Merryfield, William; Ambadan, Jaison T.; Berg, Aaron; Bichet, Adéline; Brown, Ross; Derksen, Chris; Déry, Stephen J.; Dirkson, Arlan; Flato, Greg; Fletcher, Christopher G.; Fyfe, John C.; Gillett, Nathan; Haas, Christian; Howell, Stephen; Laliberté, Frédéric; McCusker, Kelly; Sigmond, Michael; Sospedra-Alfonso, Reinel; Tandon, Neil F.; Thackeray, Chad; Tremblay, Bruno; Zwiers, Francis W.

2018-04-01

The Canadian Sea Ice and Snow Evolution (CanSISE) Network is a climate research network focused on developing and applying state-of-the-art observational data to advance dynamical prediction, projections, and understanding of seasonal snow cover and sea ice in Canada and the circumpolar Arctic. This study presents an assessment from the CanSISE Network of the ability of the second-generation Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) and the Canadian Seasonal to Interannual Prediction System (CanSIPS) to simulate and predict snow and sea ice from seasonal to multi-decadal timescales, with a focus on the Canadian sector. To account for observational uncertainty, model structural uncertainty, and internal climate variability, the analysis uses multi-source observations, multiple Earth system models (ESMs) in Phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), and large initial-condition ensembles of CanESM2 and other models. It is found that the ability of the CanESM2 simulation to capture snow-related climate parameters, such as cold-region surface temperature and precipitation, lies within the range of currently available international models. Accounting for the considerable disagreement among satellite-era observational datasets on the distribution of snow water equivalent, CanESM2 has too much springtime snow mass over Canada, reflecting a broader northern hemispheric positive bias. Biases in seasonal snow cover extent are generally less pronounced. CanESM2 also exhibits retreat of springtime snow generally greater than observational estimates, after accounting for observational uncertainty and internal variability. Sea ice is biased low in the Canadian Arctic, which makes it difficult to assess the realism of long-term sea ice trends there. The strengths and weaknesses of the modelling system need to be understood as a practical tradeoff: the Canadian models are relatively inexpensive computationally because of their moderate resolution, thus enabling their use in operational seasonal prediction and for generating large ensembles of multidecadal simulations. Improvements in climate-prediction systems like CanSIPS rely not just on simulation quality but also on using novel observational constraints and the ready transfer of research to an operational setting. Improvements in seasonal forecasting practice arising from recent research include accurate initialization of snow and frozen soil, accounting for observational uncertainty in forecast verification, and sea ice thickness initialization using statistical predictors available in real time.

Impact of individual resilience and safety climate on safety performance and psychological stress of construction workers: A case study of the Ontario construction industry.

PubMed

Chen, Yuting; McCabe, Brenda; Hyatt, Douglas

2017-06-01

The construction industry has hit a plateau in terms of safety performance. Safety climate is regarded as a leading indicator of safety performance; however, relatively little safety climate research has been done in the Canadian construction industry. Safety climate may be geographically sensitive, thus it is necessary to examine how the construct of safety climate is defined and used to improve safety performance in different regions. On the other hand, more and more attention has been paid to job related stress in the construction industry. Previous research proposed that individual resilience may be associated with a better safety performance and may help employees manage stress. Unfortunately, few empirical research studies have examined this hypothesis. This paper aims to examine the role of safety climate and individual resilience in safety performance and job stress in the Canadian construction industry. The research was based on 837 surveys collected in Ontario between June 2015 and June 2016. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used to explore the impact of individual resilience and safety climate on physical safety outcomes and on psychological stress among construction workers. The results show that safety climate not only affected construction workers' safety performance but also indirectly affected their psychological stress. In addition, it was found that individual resilience had a direct negative impact on psychological stress but had no impact on physical safety outcomes. These findings highlight the roles of both organizational and individual factors in individual safety performance and in psychological well-being. Construction organizations need to not only monitor employees' safety performance, but also to assess their employees' psychological well-being. Promoting a positive safety climate together with developing training programs focusing on improving employees' psychological health - especially post-trauma psychological health - can improve the safety performance of an organization. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Impact of drought on surface albedo in Canadian Prairie observed from Terra- MODIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Y.; Trishchenko, A. P.; Wang, S.; Khlopenkov, K. V.

2009-05-01

A new technology was developed at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) for generating Canada wide clear-sky surface albedo data based on observations from MODIS sensor onboard TERRA satellite. The data include all seven MODIS land bands (B1-B7) mapped at 250m spatial resolution and 10-day temporal interval from year 2000 through 2008. The new product presents an important spatial enhancement as well as an improved retrieval of water fraction and snow characteristics relative to the standard MODIS archival products. The regional data for the entire Canadian Prairie region are extracted and aggregated for different ecozones, such as north to south, the boreal transition, aspen parkland, moist mixed grassland, and mixed grassland etc. The preliminary results indicate that in comparison to normal summer conditions (2006-2008), the albedo for the drought years (2000-2003) summer increases up to 20 percent in the visible band (B1) and decreases as low as 10 percent in the near infrared band (B2). In the shortwave infrared band (B6) where a large absorption by leaf water occurs, the albedo increases as much as 15 percent for the drought years due to less leaf water content. The derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which represents a density of healthy vegetation, drops dramatically (up to 30 percent) for the drought period of 2000-2003. Among the different ecozones, the grassland shows the largest response to droughts while the boreal zone shows the least. Further applications of this product include mapping of snow cover (fraction and grain size), the fraction of absorbed photo-synthetically active radiation (fAPAR), ecosystem productivity, water and energy budget, as well as impact of various disturbances, such as wildfires, and long term climate induced trends. This work was conducted at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS), Earth Sciences Sector of the Department of Natural Resources Canada as part of the Project J35 of the Program on "Enhancing Resilience in a Changing Climate". This work was also supported by the Canadian Space Agency under the Government Related Initiative Program (GRIP) and the Canadian IPY program. The MODIS data files were acquired from the NASA Distributed Data Archive Center (DAAC).

Effects of climate change and land use on duck abundance in Canadian prairie-parklands

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

Bethke, R.W.; Nudds, T.D.

Recent declines in breeding ducks in the Canadian prairie-parklands may be due to loss of habitat to agriculture. However, prairie-parkland also has experienced wetland loss to drought as well as to agriculture. For sucessful habitat restoration, it is important to separate the effects of anthropogenic changes to the landscape from those caused by changes in climate. The researchers used data from annual air-ground surveys and from precipitation records to develop relationships between indices of abundance of each of 10 species of ducks and indices of wetland conditions during 1955-1974. Average annual deficits within Canadian prairie-parkland over the period 1975-1989 weremore » estimated at 1.2 x 10{sup 6} birds for both Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Northern Pintail (A. acuta), 480 000 for Blue-winged Teal (A. discors), 190 000 for American Wigeon (A. americana), 175 000 for Northern Shoveler (A. clypeata), 50 000 for Gadwall (A. strepera), 10 000 for Green-winged Teal (A. crecca), 40 000 for Canvasback (Aythya valisineria), 25 000 for Lesser Scaup (A. affinis), and 5000 for Redhead (A. americana). The effect of agricultural expansion in the east on prime waterfowl habitat since 1951 appears to have been negligible. There, as much as 90% had been already lost prior to 1951. In the west, however, where prime waterfowl habitat was still relatively abundant in 1951, agricultural development has encroached substantially. The relationship between the lost area of the best breeding habitats and the size of population deficits for Mallards and Northern Pintails in the entire Canadian prairie-parkland region was significant for both species (P < 0.0027 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Consequently, habitat restoration programs located where the highest quality waterfowl habitat and the lowest quality agricultural lands overlap most should have the greatest potential to affect recovery of breeding duck populations in the Canadian prairie-parklands. 39 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.« less

The Distribution of Climate Change Public Opinion in Canada.

PubMed

Mildenberger, Matto; Howe, Peter; Lachapelle, Erick; Stokes, Leah; Marlon, Jennifer; Gravelle, Timothy

2016-01-01

While climate scientists have developed high resolution data sets on the distribution of climate risks, we still lack comparable data on the local distribution of public climate change opinions. This paper provides the first effort to estimate local climate and energy opinion variability outside the United States. Using a multi-level regression and post-stratification (MRP) approach, we estimate opinion in federal electoral districts and provinces. We demonstrate that a majority of the Canadian public consistently believes that climate change is happening. Belief in climate change's causes varies geographically, with more people attributing it to human activity in urban as opposed to rural areas. Most prominently, we find majority support for carbon cap and trade policy in every province and district. By contrast, support for carbon taxation is more heterogeneous. Compared to the distribution of US climate opinions, Canadians believe climate change is happening at higher levels. This new opinion data set will support climate policy analysis and climate policy decision making at national, provincial and local levels.

The Distribution of Climate Change Public Opinion in Canada

PubMed Central

Gravelle, Timothy

2016-01-01

While climate scientists have developed high resolution data sets on the distribution of climate risks, we still lack comparable data on the local distribution of public climate change opinions. This paper provides the first effort to estimate local climate and energy opinion variability outside the United States. Using a multi-level regression and post-stratification (MRP) approach, we estimate opinion in federal electoral districts and provinces. We demonstrate that a majority of the Canadian public consistently believes that climate change is happening. Belief in climate change’s causes varies geographically, with more people attributing it to human activity in urban as opposed to rural areas. Most prominently, we find majority support for carbon cap and trade policy in every province and district. By contrast, support for carbon taxation is more heterogeneous. Compared to the distribution of US climate opinions, Canadians believe climate change is happening at higher levels. This new opinion data set will support climate policy analysis and climate policy decision making at national, provincial and local levels. PMID:27486659

Altitudinal vs Latitudinal Climactic Drivers: A Comparison of a Relict Picea and Abies Forest in the Southern Appalachians versus the Hemi-Boreal Transition Zone off Southern Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, A.; Lafon, C. W.

2015-12-01

Identification of biotic and abiotic determinants of tree species range limits is critical for understanding the effects of climate change on species distributions. Upward shifts of species distributions in montane areas have been widely reported but there have been few reports of latitudinal range retractions. Previous studies have indicated that southern latitudinal limits of a species range are dictated by biotic factors such as competition while others have suggested that abiotic factors, such as temperature, dictate these limits. We investigated the potential climatic gradients at the southern latitudinal limit of the Spruce (Picea) and Fir (Abies) species that dominate the Canadian boreal forest community as well as relict boreal forests containing similar species found in the high elevation areas of the Southern Appalachians. Existing research has suggested that relict ecosystems are more sensitive to climate change and can be indicative of future changes at latitudinal range limits. Expanding on this literature, we hypothesized that we would see similar gradients in climatic variables at the southern latitudinal limit of the Canadian boreal forest and those in the relict boreal forests southern Appalachians acting as controlling factors of these species distributions. We used forty years of climate data from weather stations along the southern edge of the boreal forest in the Canadian Shield provinces, species distribution data from the Canadian National Forest Inventory, (CNFI) geospatial data from the National Park Service (NPS), and historical weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to perform our analysis. Our results indicate different climate variables act as controls of warm edge range limits of the Canadian boreal forest than those of the relict boreal forest of the southern Appalachians. However, we believe range retractions of the relict forest may be indicative of a more gradual response of similar species across a latitudinal gradient.

Paleoeskimo Demographic History in the Canadian Arctic (ca. 4800-800 B.P.) and its Relationship to Mid-Late Holocene Climate Variability.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savelle, J. M.

2014-12-01

Paleoeskimos were the first occupants of the central and eastern Canadian Arctic, spreading east from the Bering Strait region beginning approximately 4800 B.P., and occupied much of the Canadian Arctic through to their eventual disappearance ca. 800 B.P. Extensive regional archaeological site surveys throughout this area by the author and Arthur S. Dyke indicate that Paleoskimo populations underwent a series of population 'boom' (rapid expansion) and 'bust' (population declines and local extinctions) over the 4,000 year occupation history, including in the purported stable 'core area' of Foxe Basin. In this paper, we examine the contemporaneity of the local boom and bust cycles in a pan-Canadian Arctic context, and in turn examine the relationship of these cycles to mid-late Holocene climate variability.

The Canadianization of the GED. The History and Development of the General Educational Development Testing Program in Canada. Occasional Paper, Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quigley, Benjamin Allan

Eight provinces and two territories have built a Canadian General Educational Development (GED) testing program. The Canadian GED program has a number of major Canadian characteristics that have evolved due to a certain inner logic set in motion as the provinces and territories joined the GED program. In order, these provinces and territories have…

A new program of work to conduct research in support of gene conservation, restoration, and proactive deployment of red spruce in light of climate change

Treesearch

K.H. Johnsen; J.R. Butnor; B.S. Crane

2017-01-01

Red spruce’s (Picea rubens Sarg.) range extends from the southern and central Appalachians north into Vermont and Maine and then to the Canadian Maritime provinces with relic populations as far west as Ontario. Due to heavy logging and resultant severe fires in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and more recent declines related to air pollution and...

The Canadian effort to prevent and control hypertension: can other countries adopt Canadian strategies?

PubMed

Campbell, Norm R C; Sheldon, Tobe

2010-07-01

To indicate the key elements of current Canadian programs to treat and control hypertension. In the early 1990s Canada had a hypertension treatment and control rate of 13%. A Canadian strategy to prevent and control hypertension was developed and a coalition of national organizations and volunteers formed to develop increasingly extensive programs. The Canadian effort was largely based on annually updated hypertension management recommendations, an integrated and extensive hypertension knowledge translation program and an increasingly comprehensive outcomes assessment program. After the start of the annual process in 1999, there were very large increases in diagnosis and hypertension treatment coupled with dropping rates of cardiovascular disease. More recent initiatives include an extensive education program for the public and people with hypertension, a program to reduce dietary salt and a funded leadership position. The treatment and control rate increased to 66% when last assessed (2007-2009). The study describes important aspects of the Canadian hypertension management programs to aid those wishing to develop similar programs. Many of the programs could be fully or partially implemented by other countries.

Canadian Federal Support for Climate Change and Health Research Compared With the Risks Posed

PubMed Central

Smith, Tanya R.; Berrang-Ford, Lea

2011-01-01

For emerging public health risks such as climate change, the Canadian federal government has a mandate to provide information and resources to protect citizens' health. Research is a key component of this mandate and is essential if Canada is to moderate the health effects of a changing climate. We assessed whether federal support for climate change and health research is consistent with the risks posed. We audited projects receiving federal support between 1999 and 2009, representing an investment of Can$16 million in 105 projects. Although funding has increased in recent years, it remains inadequate, with negligible focus on vulnerable populations, limited research on adaptation, and volatility in funding allocations. A federal strategy to guide research support is overdue. PMID:21490335

Public perceptions of climate change as a human health risk: surveys of the United States, Canada and Malta.

PubMed

Akerlof, Karen; Debono, Roberto; Berry, Peter; Leiserowitz, Anthony; Roser-Renouf, Connie; Clarke, Kaila-Lea; Rogaeva, Anastasia; Nisbet, Matthew C; Weathers, Melinda R; Maibach, Edward W

2010-06-01

We used data from nationally representative surveys conducted in the United States, Canada and Malta between 2008 and 2009 to answer three questions: Does the public believe that climate change poses human health risks, and if so, are they seen as current or future risks? Whose health does the public think will be harmed? In what specific ways does the public believe climate change will harm human health? When asked directly about the potential impacts of climate change on health and well-being, a majority of people in all three nations said that it poses significant risks; moreover, about one third of Americans, one half of Canadians, and two-thirds of Maltese said that people are already being harmed. About a third or more of people in the United States and Canada saw themselves (United States, 32%; Canada, 67%), their family (United States, 35%; Canada, 46%), and people in their community (United States, 39%; Canada, 76%) as being vulnerable to at least moderate harm from climate change. About one third of Maltese (31%) said they were most concerned about the risk to themselves and their families. Many Canadians said that the elderly (45%) and children (33%) are at heightened risk of harm, while Americans were more likely to see people in developing countries as being at risk than people in their own nation. When prompted, large numbers of Canadians and Maltese said that climate change can cause respiratory problems (78-91%), heat-related problems (75-84%), cancer (61-90%), and infectious diseases (49-62%). Canadians also named sunburn (79%) and injuries from extreme weather events (73%), and Maltese cited allergies (84%). However, climate change appears to lack salience as a health issue in all three countries: relatively few people answered open-ended questions in a manner that indicated clear top-of-mind associations between climate change and human health risks. We recommend mounting public health communication initiatives that increase the salience of the human health consequences associated with climate change.

Public Perceptions of Climate Change as a Human Health Risk: Surveys of the United States, Canada and Malta

PubMed Central

Akerlof, Karen; DeBono, Roberto; Berry, Peter; Leiserowitz, Anthony; Roser-Renouf, Connie; Clarke, Kaila-Lea; Rogaeva, Anastasia; Nisbet, Matthew C.; Weathers, Melinda R.; Maibach, Edward W.

2010-01-01

We used data from nationally representative surveys conducted in the United States, Canada and Malta between 2008 and 2009 to answer three questions: Does the public believe that climate change poses human health risks, and if so, are they seen as current or future risks? Whose health does the public think will be harmed? In what specific ways does the public believe climate change will harm human health? When asked directly about the potential impacts of climate change on health and well-being, a majority of people in all three nations said that it poses significant risks; moreover, about one third of Americans, one half of Canadians, and two-thirds of Maltese said that people are already being harmed. About a third or more of people in the United States and Canada saw themselves (United States, 32%; Canada, 67%), their family (United States, 35%; Canada, 46%), and people in their community (United States, 39%; Canada, 76%) as being vulnerable to at least moderate harm from climate change. About one third of Maltese (31%) said they were most concerned about the risk to themselves and their families. Many Canadians said that the elderly (45%) and children (33%) are at heightened risk of harm, while Americans were more likely to see people in developing countries as being at risk than people in their own nation. When prompted, large numbers of Canadians and Maltese said that climate change can cause respiratory problems (78–91%), heat-related problems (75–84%), cancer (61–90%), and infectious diseases (49–62%). Canadians also named sunburn (79%) and injuries from extreme weather events (73%), and Maltese cited allergies (84%). However, climate change appears to lack salience as a health issue in all three countries: relatively few people answered open-ended questions in a manner that indicated clear top-of-mind associations between climate change and human health risks. We recommend mounting public health communication initiatives that increase the salience of the human health consequences associated with climate change. PMID:20644690

The Canadian clinician-scientist training program must be reinstated.

PubMed

Twa, David D W; Squair, Jordan W; Skinnider, Michael A; Ji, Jennifer X

2015-11-03

Clinical investigators within the Canadian and international communities were shocked when the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announced that their funding for the MD/PhD program would be terminated after the 2015-2016 academic year. The program has trained Canadian clinician-scientists for more than two decades. The cancellation of the program is at odds with the CIHR's mandate, which stresses the translation of new knowledge into improved health for Canadians, as well as with a series of internal reports that have recommended expanding the program. Although substantial evidence supports the analogous Medical Scientist Training Program in the United States, no parallel analysis of the MD/PhD program has been performed in Canada. Here, we highlight the long-term consequences of the program's cancellation in the context of increased emphasis on translational research. We argue that alternative funding sources cannot ensure continuous support for students in clinician-scientist training programs and that platform funding of the MD/PhD program is necessary to ensure leadership in translational research.

Discourse Types in Canadian Basal Reading Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Sharon

This study examined the authorship and discourse types of Canadian basal anthologies to determine whether the lingering centrality of the basal anthology in Canadian programs controls students and teachers by controlling language and reading. Each selection within five Canadian basal series (Gage Expressways II, Ginn Journeys, Holt Impressions,…

Modeling distributional changes in winter precipitation of Canada using Bayesian spatiotemporal quantile regression subjected to different teleconnections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Xuezhi; Gan, Thian Yew; Chen, Shu; Liu, Bingjun

2018-05-01

Climate change and large-scale climate patterns may result in changes in probability distributions of climate variables that are associated with changes in the mean and variability, and severity of extreme climate events. In this paper, we applied a flexible framework based on the Bayesian spatiotemporal quantile (BSTQR) model to identify climate changes at different quantile levels and their teleconnections to large-scale climate patterns such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Pacific-North American (PNA). Using the BSTQR model with time (year) as a covariate, we estimated changes in Canadian winter precipitation and their uncertainties at different quantile levels. There were some stations in eastern Canada showing distributional changes in winter precipitation such as an increase in low quantiles but a decrease in high quantiles. Because quantile functions in the BSTQR model vary with space and time and assimilate spatiotemporal precipitation data, the BSTQR model produced much spatially smoother and less uncertain quantile changes than the classic regression without considering spatiotemporal correlations. Using the BSTQR model with five teleconnection indices (i.e., SOI, PDO, PNA, NP and NAO) as covariates, we investigated effects of large-scale climate patterns on Canadian winter precipitation at different quantile levels. Winter precipitation responses to these five teleconnections were found to occur differently at different quantile levels. Effects of five teleconnections on Canadian winter precipitation were stronger at low and high than at medium quantile levels.

Injuries in the North – analysis of 20 years of surveillance data collected by the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program

PubMed Central

Do, Minh T.; Fréchette, Mylène; McFaull, Steven; Denning, Bryany; Ruta, Mike; Thompson, Wendy

2013-01-01

Background Injury is a major public health concern, particularly for Canadians living in Arctic regions where the harsh physical and social conditions pose additional challenges. Surveillance data collected over the past 2 decades through the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) provide insights into the burden of injuries in certain parts of Canada. Objectives This study aims to summarize and compare patterns of injuries in the Northwest Territories (NWT) and Nunavut to other southern communities across Canada. Methods Analysis was based on CHIRPP data covering the period 1991–2010. Proportionate injury ratio (PIR) and its 95% confidence interval were used to summarize and compare the injury experience of Canadians living in the Arctic regions to other CHIRPP sites across Canada. Results Between 1991 and 2010, there were 65,116 reported injuries. Approximately 83% of the cases were unintentional in nature; however, significantly higher proportions were observed for assaults and maltreatment (PIR=2.80, 95% CI: 2.72–2.88) among Canadians living in northern communities. Significantly higher proportions were also observed for crushing/amputations (PIR=2.28, 95% CI: 2.14–2.44), poison/toxic effects (PIR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.15–1.28), drowning/asphyxiations (PIR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.33–1.74) and frostbites (PIR=7.39, 95% CI: 6.60–8.28). The use of all-terrain vehicles or snowmobiles also resulted in significantly higher proportions of injuries (PIR=1.93, 95% CI: 1.79–2.09). Conclusions This study contributes to the limited literature describing injuries in northern communities where the harsh physical and social climates pose additional challenges. Excesses in the proportions identified in this study could be useful in identifying strategies needed to minimize injury risks in northern communities within Canada. PMID:24062994

Graduate training in Earth science across borders and disciplines: ArcTrain -"Processes and impacts of climate change in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Canadian Arctic"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, Rüdiger; Kucera, Michal; Walter, Maren; de Vernal, Anne

2015-04-01

Due to a complex set of feedback processes collectively known as "polar amplification", the Arctic realm is expected to experience a greater-than-average response to global climate forcing. The cascades of feedback processes that connect the Arctic cryosphere, ocean and atmosphere remain incompletely constrained by observations and theory and are difficult to simulate in climate models. Our capacity to predict the future of the region and assess the impacts of Arctic change processes on global and regional environments hinges on the availability of interdisciplinary experts with strong international experience and understanding of the science/society interface. This is the basis of the International Research Training Group "Processes and impacts of climate change in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Canadian Arctic - ArcTrain", which was initiated in 2013. ArcTrain aims to educate PhD students in an interdisciplinary environment that combines paleoclimatology, physical oceanography, remote sensing and glaciology with comprehensive Earth system modelling, including sea-ice and ice-sheet components. The qualification program for the PhD students includes joint supervision, mandatory research residences at partner institutions, field courses on land and on sea (Floating University), annual meetings and training workshops and a challenging structured training in expert skills and transferrable skills. Its aim is to enhance the career prospects and employability of the graduates in a challenging international job market across academic and applied sectors. ArcTrain is a collaborative project at the University of Bremen and the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven. The German part of the project is designed to continue for nine years and educate three cohorts of twelve PhD students each. The Canadian partners comprise a consortium of eight universities led by the GEOTOP cluster at the Université du Québec à Montréal and including Dalhousie University, McGill University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary and Université du Québec à Rimouski. Further details about ArcTrain are available at: https://www.marum.de/ArcTrain.html

Medical school deans' perceptions of organizational climate: useful indicators for advancement of women faculty and evaluation of a leadership program's impact.

PubMed

Dannels, Sharon; McLaughlin, Jean; Gleason, Katharine A; McDade, Sharon A; Richman, Rosalyn; Morahan, Page S

2009-01-01

The authors surveyed U.S. and Canadian medical school deans regarding organizational climate for faculty, policies affecting faculty, processes deans use for developing faculty leadership, and the impact of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women. The usable response rate was 58% (n = 83/142). Deans perceived gender equity in organizational climate as neutral, improving, or attained on most items and deficient on four. Only three family-friendly policies/benefits were available at more than 68% of medical schools; several policies specifically designed to increase gender equity were available at fewer than 14%. Women deans reported significantly more frequent use than men (P = .032) of practices used to develop faculty leadership. Deans' impressions regarding the impact of ELAM alumnae on their schools was positive (M = 5.62 out of 7), with those having more fellows reporting greater benefit (P = .01). The deans felt the ELAM program had a very positive influence on its alumnae (M = 6.27) and increased their eligibility for promotion (M = 5.7). This study provides a unique window into the perceptions of medical school deans, important policy leaders at their institutions. Their opinion adds to previous studies of organizational climate focused on faculty perceptions. Deans perceive the organizational climate for women to be improving, but they believe that certain interventions are still needed. Women deans seem more proactive in their use of practices to develop leadership. Finally, deans provide an important third-party judgment for program evaluation of the ELAM leadership intervention, reporting a positive impact on its alumnae and their schools.

Spatial and temporal variation in size of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) sexual organs and its use in pollution and climate change studies.

PubMed

Sonne, Christian; Dietz, Rune; Born, Erik W; Riget, Frank F; Leifsson, Pall S; Bechshøft, Thea Ø; Kirkegaard, Maja

2007-11-15

Sexual organs and their development are susceptible to atmospheric transported environmental xenoendocrine pollutants and climate change (food availability). We therefore investigated sexual organs from 55 male and 44 female East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) to obtain information about growth/size and sexual maturity. Then, the genitalia size was compared with those previously reported from Canadian and Svalbard polar bears. Growth models showed that East Greenland male polar bears reached sexual maturity around 7 years of age and females around 4 years of age. When comparing East Greenland and Svalbard polar bears, the size of baculum and uterus were significantly lower in the East Greenland polar bears (ANOVA: all p < 0.05). Based on previously published baculum mean values from Canadian polar bears, a similar baculum pattern was found for East Greenland vs. Canadian polar bears. It is speculated whether this could be a result of the general high variation in polar bear body size, temporal distribution patterns of anthropogenic long-range transported persistent organic pollutants or climate change (decreasing food availability). The present investigation represents conservation and background data for future spatial and temporal assessments of hunting, pollution and climate change scenarios.

Canadian advanced life support capacities and future directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamsey, M.; Graham, T.; Stasiak, M.; Berinstain, A.; Scott, A.; Vuk, T. Rondeau; Dixon, M.

2009-07-01

Canada began research on space-relevant biological life support systems in the early 1990s. Since that time Canadian capabilities have grown tremendously, placing Canada among the emerging leaders in biological life support systems. The rapid growth of Canadian expertise has been the result of several factors including a large and technically sophisticated greenhouse sector which successfully operates under challenging climatic conditions, well planned technology transfer strategies between the academic and industrial sectors, and a strong emphasis on international research collaborations. Recent activities such as Canada's contribution of the Higher Plant Compartment of the European Space Agency's MELiSSA Pilot Plant and the remote operation of the Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse in the Canadian High Arctic continue to demonstrate Canadian capabilities with direct applicability to advanced life support systems. There is also a significant latent potential within Canadian institutions and organizations with respect to directly applicable advanced life support technologies. These directly applicable research interests include such areas as horticultural management strategies (for candidate crops), growth media, food processing, water management, atmosphere management, energy management, waste management, imaging, environment sensors, thermal control, lighting systems, robotics, command and data handling, communications systems, structures, in-situ resource utilization, space analogues and mission operations. With this background and in collaboration with the Canadian aerospace industry sector, a roadmap for future life support contributions is presented here. This roadmap targets an objective of at least 50% food closure by 2050 (providing greater closure in oxygen, water recycling and carbon dioxide uptake). The Canadian advanced life support community has chosen to focus on lunar surface infrastructure and not low Earth orbit or transit systems (i.e. microgravity applications). To advance the technical readiness for the proposed lunar missions, including a lunar plant growth lander, lunar "salad machine" (i.e. small scale plant production unit) and a full scale lunar plant production system, a suite of terrestrial developments and analogue systems are proposed. As has been successfully demonstrated by past Canadian advanced life support activities, terrestrial technology transfer and the development of highly qualified personnel will serve as key outputs for Canadian advanced life support system research programs. This approach is designed to serve the Canadian greenhouse industry by developing compliance measures for mitigating environmental impact, reducing labour and energy costs as well as improving Canadian food security, safety and benefit northern/remote communities.

Canadian Innovation: A Brief History of Canada's First Online School Psychology Graduate Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drefs, Michelle A.; Schroeder, Meadow; Hiebert, Bryan; Panayotidis, E. Lisa; Winters, Katherine; Kerr, Jamie

2015-01-01

This article presents a brief historical review and survey of the current landscape of online graduate psychology programs within the Canadian context. Specific focus is given to outlining the establishment and evolution of the first Canadian online professional specialization program in school psychology. The article argues that given the virtual…

The Canadian Jobs Strategy. A Review of the First Years.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canada Employment and Immigration Commission, Ottawa (Ontario).

In September 1985, the Canadian government introduced the Canadian Jobs Strategy. Two features distinguish the jobs strategy program from Canada's old job development programs and programs for purchasing job training from colleges. These features are: (1) focusing of federal support for labor market adjustment on those individuals who are most in…

Invasion, establishment, and range expansion of two parasitic nematodes in the Canadian Arctic

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Climate warming is modifying host-parasite interactions in the Arctic. Invasion of an arctic island by protostrongylid nematodes appears mediated by sporadic dispersal of muskoxen and seasonal migration by caribou from the Canadian mainland. A newly permissive environment likely facilitated initial ...

Special issue on mercury in Canada's North: summary and recommendations for future research.

PubMed

Chételat, John; Braune, Birgit; Stow, Jason; Tomlinson, Scott

2015-03-15

Important scientific advances have been made over the last decade in identifying the environmental fate of mercury and the processes that control its cycling in the Canadian Arctic. This special issue includes a series of six detailed reviews that summarize the main findings of a scientific assessment undertaken by the Government of Canada's Northern Contaminants Program. It was the first assessment to focus exclusively on mercury pollution in the Canadian Arctic. Key findings, as detailed in the reviews, relate to sources and long-range transport of mercury to the Canadian Arctic, its cycling within marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments, and its bioaccumulation in, and effects on, the biota that live there. While these accomplishments are significant, the complex nature of the mercury cycle continues to provide challenges in characterizing and quantifying the relationships of mercury sources and transport processes with mercury levels in biota and biological effects of mercury exposure. Of particular concern are large uncertainties in our understanding of the processes that are contributing to increasing mercury concentrations in some Arctic fish and wildlife. Specific recommendations are provided for future research and monitoring of the environmental impacts of anthropogenic mercury emissions, influences of climate change, and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies for mercury in the Canadian Arctic. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Climate change impacts on the conservation outlook of populations on the poleward periphery of species ranges: A case study of Canadian black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus).

PubMed

Stephens, Tara; Wilson, Sian C; Cassidy, Ffion; Bender, Darren; Gummer, David; Smith, Des H V; Lloyd, Natasha; McPherson, Jana M; Moehrenschlager, Axel

2018-02-01

Given climate change, species' climatically suitable habitats are increasingly expected to shift poleward. Some imperilled populations towards the poleward edge of their species' range might therefore conceivably benefit from climate change. Interactions between climate and population dynamics may be complex, however, with climate exerting effects both indirectly via influence over food availability and more directly, via effects on physiology and its implications for survival and reproduction. A thorough understanding of these interactions is critical for effective conservation management. We therefore examine the relationship between climate, survival and reproduction in Canadian black-tailed prairie dogs, a threatened keystone species in an imperilled ecosystem at the northern edge of the species' range. Our analyses considered 8 years of annual mark-recapture data (2007-2014) in relation to growing degree days, precipitation, drought status and winter severity, as well as year, sex, age and body mass. Survival was strongly influenced by the interaction of drought and body mass class, and winter temperature severity. Female reproductive status was associated with the interaction of growing degree days and growing season precipitation, with spring precipitation and with winter temperature severity. Results related to body mass suggested that climatic variables exerted their effects via regulation of food availability with potential linked effects of food quality, immunological and behavioural implications, and predation risk. Predictions of future increases in drought conditions in North America's grassland ecosystems have raised concerns for the outlook of Canadian black-tailed prairie dogs. Insights gained from the analyses, however, point to mitigating species management options targeted at decoupling the mechanisms by which climate exerts its negative influence. Our approach highlights the importance of understanding the interaction between climate and population dynamics in peripheral populations whose viability might ultimately determine their species' ability to track climatically suitable space. © 2017 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

CCDST: A free Canadian climate data scraping tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonifacio, Charmaine; Barchyn, Thomas E.; Hugenholtz, Chris H.; Kienzle, Stefan W.

2015-02-01

In this paper we present a new software tool that automatically fetches, downloads and consolidates climate data from a Web database where the data are contained on multiple Web pages. The tool is called the Canadian Climate Data Scraping Tool (CCDST) and was developed to enhance access and simplify analysis of climate data from Canada's National Climate Data and Information Archive (NCDIA). The CCDST deconstructs a URL for a particular climate station in the NCDIA and then iteratively modifies the date parameters to download large volumes of data, remove individual file headers, and merge data files into one output file. This automated sequence enhances access to climate data by substantially reducing the time needed to manually download data from multiple Web pages. To this end, we present a case study of the temporal dynamics of blowing snow events that resulted in ~3.1 weeks time savings. Without the CCDST, the time involved in manually downloading climate data limits access and restrains researchers and students from exploring climate trends. The tool is coded as a Microsoft Excel macro and is available to researchers and students for free. The main concept and structure of the tool can be modified for other Web databases hosting geophysical data.

Detection of meso-micro scale surface features based on microcanonical multifractal formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yuanyuan; Chen, Wei; Xie, Tao; Perrie, William

2018-01-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFC1401007), the Global Change Research Program of China (Grant No. 2015CB953901), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41776181), the Canadian Program on Energy Research and Development (OERD), Canadian Space Agency’s SWOT Program, and the Canadian Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR).

Branching out: Agroforestry as a climate change mitigation and adaptation tool for agriculture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The United States and Canadian agricultural lands are being targeted to provide more environmental and economic services while at the same time their capacity to provide these services under potential climate change (CC) is being questioned. Predictions of future climate conditions include longer gr...

Do They Make a Difference? The Impact of English Language Programs on Second Language Students in Canadian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Janna; Cheng, Liying; Zumbo, Bruno D.

2014-01-01

Few studies have investigated the impact of English language programs on second language (L2) students studying in Canadian universities (Cheng & Fox, 2008; Fox, 2005, 2009). This article reports on questionnaire responses of 641 L2 students studying in 36 English language programs in 26 Canadian universities. The researchers identified…

Perceptions of climate change across the Canadian forest sector: The key factors of institutional and geographical environment.

PubMed

Ameztegui, Aitor; Solarik, Kevin A; Parkins, John R; Houle, Daniel; Messier, Christian; Gravel, Dominique

2018-01-01

Assessing the perception of key stakeholders within the forest sector is critical to evaluating their readiness to engage in adapting to climate change. Here, we report the results of the most comprehensive survey carried out in the Canadian forestry sector to date regarding perceptions of climate change. A total of 1158 individuals, representing a wide range of stakeholders across the five most important forestry provinces in Canada, were asked about climate change, its impact on forest ecosystems, and the suitability of current forest management for addressing future impacts. Overall, we found that respondents were more concerned about climate change than the general population. More than 90% of respondents agreed with the anthropogenic origins of climate change, and > 50% considered it a direct threat to their welfare. Political view was the main driver of general beliefs about the causes of climate change and its future consequences, while the province of origin proved to be the best predictor of perceived current impacts on forest ecosystems and its associated risks; and type of stakeholder was the main driver of perceived need for adaptation. Industrial stakeholders were the most skeptical about the anthropogenic cause(s) of climate change (18% disagreed with this statement, compared to an average of 8% in the other stakeholders), its impacts on forest ecosystems (28% for industry vs. 10% for other respondents), and the need for new management practices (18% vs. 7%). Although the degree of awareness and the willingness to implement adaptive practices were high even for the most skeptical groups, our study identified priority sectors or areas for action when designing awareness campaigns. We suggest that the design of a strategic framework for implementing climate adaptation within the Canadian forest sector should focus on the relationship between climate change and changes in disturbance regimes, and above all on the economic consequences of these changes, but it should also take into account the positions shown by each of the actors in each province.

Perceptions of climate change across the Canadian forest sector: The key factors of institutional and geographical environment

PubMed Central

Parkins, John R.; Houle, Daniel; Messier, Christian; Gravel, Dominique

2018-01-01

Assessing the perception of key stakeholders within the forest sector is critical to evaluating their readiness to engage in adapting to climate change. Here, we report the results of the most comprehensive survey carried out in the Canadian forestry sector to date regarding perceptions of climate change. A total of 1158 individuals, representing a wide range of stakeholders across the five most important forestry provinces in Canada, were asked about climate change, its impact on forest ecosystems, and the suitability of current forest management for addressing future impacts. Overall, we found that respondents were more concerned about climate change than the general population. More than 90% of respondents agreed with the anthropogenic origins of climate change, and > 50% considered it a direct threat to their welfare. Political view was the main driver of general beliefs about the causes of climate change and its future consequences, while the province of origin proved to be the best predictor of perceived current impacts on forest ecosystems and its associated risks; and type of stakeholder was the main driver of perceived need for adaptation. Industrial stakeholders were the most skeptical about the anthropogenic cause(s) of climate change (18% disagreed with this statement, compared to an average of 8% in the other stakeholders), its impacts on forest ecosystems (28% for industry vs. 10% for other respondents), and the need for new management practices (18% vs. 7%). Although the degree of awareness and the willingness to implement adaptive practices were high even for the most skeptical groups, our study identified priority sectors or areas for action when designing awareness campaigns. We suggest that the design of a strategic framework for implementing climate adaptation within the Canadian forest sector should focus on the relationship between climate change and changes in disturbance regimes, and above all on the economic consequences of these changes, but it should also take into account the positions shown by each of the actors in each province. PMID:29897977

Understanding, representing and communicating earth system processes in weather and climate within CNRCWP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sushama, Laxmi; Arora, Vivek; de Elia, Ramon; Déry, Stephen; Duguay, Claude; Gachon, Philippe; Gyakum, John; Laprise, René; Marshall, Shawn; Monahan, Adam; Scinocca, John; Thériault, Julie; Verseghy, Diana; Zwiers, Francis

2017-04-01

The Canadian Network for Regional Climate and Weather Processes (CNRCWP) provides significant advances and innovative research towards the ultimate goal of reducing uncertainty in numerical weather prediction and climate projections for Canada's Northern and Arctic regions. This talk will provide an overview of the Network and selected results related to the assessment of the added value of high-resolution modelling that has helped fill critical knowledge gaps in understanding the dynamics of extreme temperature and precipitation events and the complex land-atmosphere interactions and feedbacks in Canada's northern and Arctic regions. In addition, targeted developments in the Canadian regional climate model, that facilitate direct application of model outputs in impact and adaptation studies, particularly those related to the water, energy and infrastructure sectors will also be discussed. The close collaboration between the Network and its partners and end users contributed significantly to this effort.

Projected Changes to Streamflow Characteristics in Quebec Basins as Simulated by the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM4)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huziy, O.; Sushama, L.; Khaliq, M.; Lehner, B.; Laprise, R.; Roy, R.

2011-12-01

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007), an intensification of the global hydrological cycle and increase in precipitation for some regions around the world, including the northern mid- to high-latitudes, is expected in future climate. This will have an impact on mean and extreme flow characteristics, which need to be assessed for better development of adaptation strategies. Analysis of the mean and extreme streamflow characteristics for Quebec (North-eastern Canada) basins in current climate and their projected changes in future climate are assessed using a 10 member ensemble of current (1970 - 1999) and future (2041 - 2070) Canadian RCM (CRCM4) simulations. Validation of streamflow characteristics, performed by comparing modeled values with those observed, available from the Centre d'expertise hydrique du Quebec (CEHQ) shows that the model captures reasonably well the high flows. Results suggest increase in mean and 10 year return levels of 1 day high flows, which appear significant for most of the northern basins.

Socioeconomic impacts of climate change on U.S. water supplies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frederick, K.D.; Schwarz, G.E.

1999-01-01

A greenhouse warming would have major effects on water supplies and demands. A framework for examining the socioeconomic impacts associated with changes in the long-term availability of water is developed and applied to the hydrologic implications of the Canadian and British Hadley2 general circulation models (GCMs) for the 18 water resource regions in the conterminous United States. The climate projections of these two GCMs have very different implications for future water supplies and costs. The Canadian model suggests most of the nation would be much drier in the year 2030. Under the least-cost management scenario the drier climate could add nearly $105 billion to the estimated costs of balancing supplies and demands relative to the costs without climate change. Measures to protect instream flows and irrigation could result in significantly higher costs. In contrast, projections based on the Hadley model suggest water supplies would increase throughout much of the nation, reducing the costs of balancing water supplies with demands relative to the no-climate-change case.

The Friendly Giant Meets the Fantastic Hulk: Violence in Childrens' TV

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobol, Ken

1976-01-01

Notes that one of the greatest dangers for Canadian television in general is to take American psychological reality as a model for Canadian reality, and to try to build programs around it, instead of around programs that are indigenous to Canadian context. (Author/AM)

Trends in Multicultural Programming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mylopoulos, Chryss

1985-01-01

Outlines basic principles and philosophy behind library multicultural programs and provides brief overview of development of such programs in Canadian libraries. Programing themes (cultural identity, contribution of ethnocultural groups to Canadian society, interpretation of multiculturalism as social policy) and suggestions for integrating…

Vulnerability of waterborne diseases to climate change in Canada: a review.

PubMed

Charron, Dominique; Thomas, M; Waltner-Toews, David; Aramini, Jeffery; Edge, Tom; Kent, Robert; Maarouf, Abdel; Wilson, Jeff

This project addresses two important issues relevant to the health of Canadians: the risk of waterborne illness and the health impacts of global climate change. The Canadian health burden from waterborne illness is unknown, although it presumably accounts for a significant proportion of enteric illness. Recently, large outbreaks with severe consequences produced by E. coli O157:H7 and Cryptosporidium have alarmed Canadians and brought demands for political action. A concurrent need to understand the health impacts of global climate changes and to develop strategies to prevent or prepare for these has also been recognized. There is mounting evidence that weather is often a factor in triggering waterborne disease outbreaks. A recent study of precipitation and waterborne illness in the United States found that more than half the waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States during the last half century followed a period of extreme rainfall. Projections of international global climate change scenarios suggest that, under conditions of global warming most of Canada may expect longer summers, milder winters, increased summer drought, and more extreme precipitation. Excess precipitation, floods, high temperatures, and drought could affect the risk of waterborne illness in Canada. The existing scientific information regarding most weather-related adverse health impacts and on the impacts of global climate change on health in Canada is insufficient for informed decision making. The results of this project address this need through the investigation of the complex systemic interrelationships between disease incidence, weather parameters, and water quality and quantity, and by projecting the potential impact of global climate change on those relationships.

Mapping human dimensions of climate change research in the Canadian Arctic.

PubMed

Ford, James D; Bolton, Kenyon; Shirley, Jamal; Pearce, Tristan; Tremblay, Martin; Westlake, Michael

2012-12-01

This study maps current understanding and research trends on the human dimensions of climate change (HDCC) in the eastern and central Canadian Arctic. Developing a systematic literature review methodology, 117 peer reviewed articles are identified and examined using quantitative and qualitative methods. The research highlights the rapid expansion of HDCC studies over the last decade. Early scholarship was dominated by work documenting Inuit observations of climate change, with research employing vulnerability concepts and terminology now common. Adaptation studies which seek to identify and evaluate opportunities to reduce vulnerability to climate change and take advantage of new opportunities remain in their infancy. Over the last 5 years there has been an increase social science-led research, with many studies employing key principles of community-based research. We currently have baseline understanding of climate change impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability in the region, but key gaps are evident. Future research needs to target significant geographic disparities in understanding, consider risks and opportunities posed by climate change outside of the subsistence hunting sector, complement case study research with regional analyses, and focus on identifying and characterizing sustainable and feasible adaptation interventions.

Projected changes to short- and long-duration precipitation extremes over the Canadian Prairie Provinces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masud, M. B.; Khaliq, M. N.; Wheater, H. S.

2017-09-01

The effects of climate change on April-October short- and long-duration precipitation extremes over the Canadian Prairie Provinces were evaluated using a multi-Regional Climate Model (RCM) ensemble available through the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program. Simulations considered include those performed with six RCMs driven by the National Centre for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis II product for the 1981-2000 period and those driven by four Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs) for the current 1971-2000 and future 2041-2070 periods (i.e. a total of 11 current-to-future period simulation pairs). A regional frequency analysis approach was used to develop 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, and 50-year return values of precipitation extremes from NCEP and AOGCM-driven current and future period simulations that respectively were used to study the performance of RCMs and projected changes for selected return values at regional, grid-cell and local scales. Performance errors due to internal dynamics and physics of RCMs studied for the 1981-2000 period reveal considerable variation in the performance of the RCMs. However, the performance errors were found to be much smaller for RCM ensemble averages than for individual RCMs. Projected changes in future climate to selected regional return values of short-duration (e.g. 15- and 30-min) precipitation extremes and for longer return periods (e.g. 50-year) were found to be mostly larger than those to the longer duration (e.g. 24- and 48-h) extremes and short return periods (e.g. 2-year). Overall, projected changes in precipitation extremes were larger for southeastern regions followed by southern and northern regions and smaller for southwestern and western regions of the study area. The changes to return values were also found to be statistically significant for the majority of the RCM-AOGCM simulation pairs. These projections might be useful as a key input for the future planning of urban drainage infrastructure and development of strategic climate change adaptation measures.

The Canadian kidney paired donation program: a national program to increase living donor transplantation.

PubMed

Cole, Edward H; Nickerson, Peter; Campbell, Patricia; Yetzer, Kathy; Lahaie, Nick; Zaltzman, Jeffery; Gill, John S

2015-05-01

Establishment of a national kidney paired donation (KPD) program represents a unique achievement in Canada's provincially organized health care system. Key factors enabling program implementation included consultation with international experts, formation of a unique organization with a mandate to facilitate interprovincial collaboration, and the volunteer efforts of members of the Canadian transplant community to overcome a variety of logistical barriers. As of December 2013, the program had facilitated 240 transplantations including 10% with Calculated panel reactive antibody (cPRA) ≥97%. Unique features of the Canadian KPD program include participation of n = 55 nondirected donors, performance of only donor specific antibody negative transplants, the requirement for donor travel, and nonuse of bridge donors. The national KPD program has helped maintain the volume of living kidney donor transplants in Canada over the past 5 years and serves as a model of inter-provincial collaboration to improve the delivery of health care to Canadians.

Abortion training in Canadian obstetrics and gynecology residency programs.

PubMed

Liauw, J; Dineley, B; Gerster, K; Hill, N; Costescu, D

2016-11-01

To evaluate the current state of abortion training in Canadian Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs. Surveys were distributed to all Canadian Obstetrics and Gynecology residents and program directors. Data were collected on inclusion of abortion training in the curriculum, structure of the training and expected competency of residents in various abortion procedures. We distributed and collected surveys between November 2014 and May 2015. In total, 301 residents and 15 program directors responded, giving response rates of 55% and 94%, respectively. Based on responses by program directors, half of the programs had "opt-in" abortion training, and half of the programs had "opt-out" abortion training. Upon completion of residency, 66% of residents expected to be competent in providing first-trimester surgical abortion in an ambulatory setting, and 35% expected to be competent in second-trimester surgical abortion. Overall, 15% of residents reported that they were not aware of or did not have access to abortion training within their program, and 69% desired more abortion training during residency. Abortion training in Canadian Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs is inconsistent, and residents desire more training in abortion. This suggests an ongoing unmet need for training in this area. Policies mandating standardized abortion training in obstetrics and gynecology residency programs are necessary to improve delivery of family planning services to Canadian women. Abortion training in Canadian Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs is inconsistent, does not meet resident demand and is unlikely to fulfill the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada objectives of training in the specialty. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term simulations of dissolved oxygen concentrations in Lake Trout lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jabbari, A.; Boegman, L.; MacKay, M.; Hadley, K.; Paterson, A.; Jeziorski, A.; Nelligan, C.; Smol, J. P.

2016-02-01

Lake Trout are a rare and valuable natural resource that are threatened by multiple environmental stressors. With the added threat of climate warming, there is growing concern among resource managers that increased thermal stratification will reduce the habitat quality of deep-water Lake Trout lakes through enhanced oxygen depletion. To address this issue, a three-part study is underway, which aims to: analyze sediment cores to understand the past, develop empirical formulae to model the present and apply computational models to forecast the future. This presentation reports on the computational modeling efforts. To this end, a simple dissolved oxygen sub-model has been embedded in the one-dimensional bulk mixed-layer thermodynamic Canadian Small Lake Model (CSLM). This model is currently being incorporated into the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS), the primary land surface component of Environment Canada's global and regional climate modelling systems. The oxygen model was calibrated and validated by hind-casting temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles from two Lake Trout lakes on the Canadian Shield. These data sets include 5 years of high-frequency (10 s to 10 min) data from Eagle Lake and 30 years of bi-weekly data from Harp Lake. Initial results show temperature and dissolved oxygen was predicted with root mean square error <1.5 °C and <3 mgL-1, respectively. Ongoing work is validating the model, over climate-change relevant timescales, against dissolved oxygen reconstructions from the sediment cores and predicting future deep-water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentrations in Canadian Lake Trout lakes under future climate change scenarios. This model will provide a useful tool for managers to ensure sustainable fishery resources for future generations.

Administrative Restructuring of a Residency Training Program for Improved Efficiency and Output

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Zyl, Louis T.; Finch, Susan J.; Davidson, Paul R.; Arboleda-Florez, Julio

2005-01-01

Objectives: Canadian residency training programs (RTP) have a program director (PD) and a residency program committee (RPC) overseeing program administration. Limited guidance is available about the ideal administrative structure of an RTP. This article describes administrative load in Canadian RTPs, presents a novel approach to delegating core…

RESULTS OF THE CANADIAN PILOT SCALE POTATO IRRADIATION PROGRAM

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

None

1963-04-01

ABS>A potato irradiation program using a Mobile Cobalt-60 Irradiator was carried out in four provinces of Eastern Canada during the 1961-82 season in cooperation with twenty-six members of the potato industry. A total of 400 tons of potatoes was irradiated over a four months' period extending from October to February. Regular observations on both control and irradiated potatoes were conducted during storage by the Fruit and Vegetable Division of the Canada Department of Agriculture until final shipment to consumer markets or processing plants. The dose of 8,000 rads used in the program provided excellent control of sprouting in all storagesmore » regardless of variety, storage temperature, date of irradiation, method of storage or length of storage. When good material suitable for long term storage was irradiated and not mishandled during treatment, there was no effect on the rate of breakdown during storage. Irradiated potatoes were successfully processed into potato chips, instant mashed potato flakes, frozen french fries and pre-peeled fresh boilers. Irradiated potatoes were sold to Canadian consumers in the form of table stock and processed products. No complaints of any kind were received or reported regarding the acceptability of the irradiated potatoes. There was no unfavorable public reaction to the first irradiated food offered for sale in Canada. The results of the potato irradiation program have created a favorable climate for the future of potato irradiation in Canada. The operation of full scale irradiation facilities is envisaged within the next two years. (auth)« less

Concept and technology development for the multispectral imager of the Canadian Polar Communications and Weather mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreau, Louis; Dubois, Patrick; Girard, Frédéric; Tanguay, François; Giroux, Jacques

2012-09-01

The Polar Communications and Weather (PCW) mission is proposed by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), in partnership with Environment Canada, the Department of National Defence, and several other Canadian government departments. The objectives of the PCW mission are to offer meteorological observations and telecommunication services for the Canadian North. These capabilities are particularly important because of increasing interest in the Arctic and the desire to maintain Canadian sovereignty in this region. The PCW mission has completed its Phase A in 2011. The PCW Meteorological Payload is a Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) that will provide near-real time weather imagery for the entire circumpolar region with a refresh period of 15 to 30 minutes. Two satellites on a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) will carry the instrument so as to observe the high latitudes 24 hours per day from a point of view that is almost geostationary. The data from the imagers are expected to greatly enhance accuracy of numerical weather prediction models for North America and globally. The mission will also produce useful information on environment and climate in the North. During Phase A, a certain number of critical technologies were identified. The CSA has initiated an effort to develop some of these so that their Technology Readiness Level (TRL) will be suitable for the follow-on phases of the program. An industrial team lead by ABB has been selected to perform technology development activities for the Meteorological Payload. The goal of the project is to enhance the TRL of the telescope, the spectral separation optics, and the infrared multispectral cameras of the PCW Meteorological Payload by fabricating and testing breadboards for these items. We will describe the Meteorological Payload concept and report on the status of the development activities.

Selection for family medicine residency training in Canada: How consistently are the same students ranked by different programs?

PubMed

Wycliffe-Jones, Keith; Hecker, Kent G; Schipper, Shirley; Topps, Maureen; Robinson, Jeanine; Abedin, Tasnima

2018-02-01

To examine the consistency of the ranking of Canadian and US medical graduates who applied to Canadian family medicine (FM) residency programs between 2007 and 2013. Descriptive cross-sectional study. Family medicine residency programs in Canada. All 17 Canadian medical schools allowed access to their anonymized program rank-order lists of students applying to FM residency programs submitted to the first iteration of the Canadian Resident Matching Service match from 2007 to 2013. The rank position of medical students who applied to more than 1 FM residency program on the rank-order lists submitted by the programs. Anonymized ranking data submitted to the Canadian Resident Matching Service from 2007 to 2013 by all 17 FM residency programs were used. Ranking data of eligible Canadian and US medical graduates were analyzed to assess the within-student and between-student variability in rank score. These covariance parameters were then used to calculate the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for all programs. Program descriptions and selection criteria were also reviewed to identify sites with similar profiles for subset ICC analysis. Between 2007 and 2013, the consistency of ranking by all programs was fair at best (ICC = 0.34 to 0.39). The consistency of ranking by larger urban-based sites was weak to fair (ICC = 0.23 to 0.36), and the consistency of ranking by sites focusing on training for rural practice was weak to moderate (ICC = 0.16 to 0.55). In most cases, there is a low level of consistency of ranking of students applying for FM training in Canada. This raises concerns regarding fairness, particularly in relation to expectations around equity and distributive justice in selection processes. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Climate Change, Drought and Human Health in Canada

PubMed Central

Yusa, Anna; Berry, Peter; Cheng, June J.; Ogden, Nicholas; Bonsal, Barrie; Stewart, Ronald; Waldick, Ruth

2015-01-01

Droughts have been recorded all across Canada and have had significant impacts on individuals and communities. With climate change, projections suggest an increasing risk of drought in Canada, particularly in the south and interior. However, there has been little research on the impacts of drought on human health and the implications of a changing climate. A review of the Canadian, U.S. and international literature relevant to the Canadian context was conducted to better define these impacts and adaptations available to protect health. Drought can impact respiratory health, mental health, illnesses related to exposure to toxins, food/water security, rates of injury and infectious diseases (including food-, water- and vector-borne diseases). A range of direct and indirect adaptation (e.g., agricultural adaptation) options exist to cope with drought. Many have already been employed by public health officials, such as communicable disease monitoring and surveillance and public education and outreach. However, gaps exist in our understanding of the impacts of short-term vs. prolonged drought on the health of Canadians, projections of drought and its characteristics at the regional level and the effectiveness of current adaptations. Further research will be critical to inform adaptation planning to reduce future drought-related risks to health. PMID:26193300

Climate Change, Drought and Human Health in Canada.

PubMed

Yusa, Anna; Berry, Peter; J Cheng, June; Ogden, Nicholas; Bonsal, Barrie; Stewart, Ronald; Waldick, Ruth

2015-07-17

Droughts have been recorded all across Canada and have had significant impacts on individuals and communities. With climate change, projections suggest an increasing risk of drought in Canada, particularly in the south and interior. However, there has been little research on the impacts of drought on human health and the implications of a changing climate. A review of the Canadian, U.S. and international literature relevant to the Canadian context was conducted to better define these impacts and adaptations available to protect health. Drought can impact respiratory health, mental health, illnesses related to exposure to toxins, food/water security, rates of injury and infectious diseases (including food-, water- and vector-borne diseases). A range of direct and indirect adaptation (e.g., agricultural adaptation) options exist to cope with drought. Many have already been employed by public health officials, such as communicable disease monitoring and surveillance and public education and outreach. However, gaps exist in our understanding of the impacts of short-term vs. prolonged drought on the health of Canadians, projections of drought and its characteristics at the regional level and the effectiveness of current adaptations. Further research will be critical to inform adaptation planning to reduce future drought-related risks to health.

Observed SWE trends and climate analysis for Northwest Pacific North America: validation for future projection of SWE using the CRCM and VIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, K. E.; Bronaugh, D.; Rodenhuis, D.

2008-12-01

Observational databases of snow water equivalent (SWE) have been collected from Alaska, western US states and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and territories of NWT, and the Yukon. These databases were initially validated to remove inconsistencies and errors in the station records, dates or the geographic co-ordinates of the station. The cleaned data was then analysed for historical (1950 to 2006) trend using emerging techniques for trend detection based on (first of the month) estimates for January to June. Analysis of SWE showed spatial variability in the count of records across the six month time period, and this study illustrated differences between Canadian and US (or the north and south) collection. Two different data sets (one gridded and one station) were then used to analyse April 1st records, for which there was the greatest spatial spread of station records for analysis with climate information. Initial results show spatial variability (in both magnitude and direction of trend) for trend results, and climate correlations and principal components indicate different drivers of change in SWE across the western US, Canada and north to Alaska. These results will be used to validate future predictions of SWE that are being undertaken using the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM) and the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model for Western Northern America (CRCM) and British Columbia (VIC).

Drought, Climate Change and the Canadian Prairies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, R. E.

2010-03-01

The occurrence of drought is a ubiquitous feature of the global water cycle. Such an extreme does not necessarily lead to an overall change in the magnitude of the global water cycle but it of course affects the regional cycling of water. Droughts are recurring aspects of weather and climate extremes as are floods and tornadoes, but they differ substantially since they have long durations and lack easily identified onsets and terminations. Drought is a relatively common feature of the North American and Canadian climate system and all regions of the continent are affected from time-to-time. However, it tends to be most common and severe over the central regions of the continent. The Canadian Prairies are therefore prone to drought. Droughts in the Canadian Prairies are distinctive in North America. The large scale atmospheric circulations are influenced by blocking from intense orography to the west and long distances from all warm ocean-derived atmospheric water sources; growing season precipitation is generated by a highly complex combination of frontal and convective systems; seasonality is severe and characterized by a relatively long snow-covered and short growing seasons; local surface runoff is primarily produced by snowmelt water; there is substantial water storage potential in the poorly drained, post-glacial topography; and aquifers are overlain by impermeable glacial till, but there are also important permeable aquifers. One example of Prairie drought is the recent one that began in 1999 with cessation of its atmospheric component in 2004/2005 and many of its hydrological components in 2005. This event produced the worst drought for at least a hundred years in parts of the Canadian Prairies. Even in the dust bowl of the 1930s, no single year over the central Prairies were drier than in 2001. The drought affected agriculture, recreation, tourism, health, hydro-electricity, and forestry in the Prairies. Gross Domestic Product fell some 5.8 billion and employment losses exceeded 41,000 jobs for 2001 and 2002. This drought also contributed to a negative or zero net farm income for several provinces for the first time in 25 years with agricultural production over Canada dropping an estimated 3.6 billion in 2001/2002. Previously reliable water supplies such as streams, wetlands, dugouts, reservoirs, and groundwater were placed under stress and often failed. Despite their enormous economic, environmental, and societal impacts, there has never been a coordinated and integrated drought research program in Canada. To begin to address these issues related to drought, the Drought Research Initiative, DRI was established. The overall objective of DRI is "to better understand the physical characteristics of and processes influencing Canadian Prairie droughts, and to contribute to their better prediction, through a focus on the recent severe drought that began in 1999 and largely ended in 2005". DRI is focused on five research objectives: 1. Quantify the physical features of this recent drought 2. Improve the understanding of the processes and feedbacks governing the formation, evolution, cessation and structure of the drought 3. Assess and reduce uncertainties in the prediction of drought and its structure 4. Compare the similarities and differences of the recent drought to previous and future droughts 5. Apply progress to address critical issues of importance to society Major progress is being made within each of these research areas. These coordinated studies furthermore represent an essential step towards our ultimate goal which is to better assess whether there will be more droughts in the future over this region due to climate change, what features these droughts will exhibit, and how we can best prepare for them. The focus of these activities is on changes to occur over the next several decades and significant progress is being made in addressing these issues as well. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of all these studies related to past and future Canadian Prairie drought and to point out implications for other regions of the world.

Operative Landscape at Canadian Neurosurgery Residency Programs.

PubMed

Tso, Michael K; Dakson, Ayoub; Ahmed, Syed Uzair; Bigder, Mark; Elliott, Cameron; Guha, Daipayan; Iorio-Morin, Christian; Kameda-Smith, Michelle; Lavergne, Pascal; Makarenko, Serge; Taccone, Michael S; Wang, Bill; Winkler-Schwartz, Alexander; Sankar, Tejas; Christie, Sean D

2017-07-01

Background Currently, the literature lacks reliable data regarding operative case volumes at Canadian neurosurgery residency programs. Our objective was to provide a snapshot of the operative landscape in Canadian neurosurgical training using the trainee-led Canadian Neurosurgery Research Collaborative. Anonymized administrative operative data were gathered from each neurosurgery residency program from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014. Procedures were broadly classified into cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and miscellaneous procedures. A number of prespecified subspecialty procedures were recorded. We defined the resident case index as the ratio of the total number of operations to the total number of neurosurgery residents in that program. Resident number included both Canadian medical and international medical graduates, and included residents on the neurosurgery service, off-service, or on leave for research or other personal reasons. Overall, there was an average of 1845 operative cases per neurosurgery residency program. The mean numbers of cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and miscellaneous procedures were 725, 466, 48, and 193, respectively. The nationwide mean resident case indices for cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and total procedures were 90, 58, 5, and 196, respectively. There was some variation in the resident case indices for specific subspecialty procedures, with some training programs not performing carotid endarterectomy or endoscopic transsphenoidal procedures. This study presents the breadth of neurosurgical training within Canadian neurosurgery residency programs. These results may help inform the implementation of neurosurgery training as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons residency training transitions to a competence-by-design curriculum.

Satellites in Canadian broadcasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siocos, C. A.

The involvement of Canadian broadcasting and related enterprises in satellite telecommunications is surveyed. This includes point-to-point transmissions and direct ones to the general public. The mode of such utilizations is indicated in both these cases. For the forthcoming DBS systems the many types of service offerings and utilization concepts under discussion elasewhere are presented as well as the business prospects and regulatory climate offering them.

Newer classification and regression tree techniques: Bagging and Random Forests for ecological prediction

Treesearch

Anantha M. Prasad; Louis R. Iverson; Andy Liaw; Andy Liaw

2006-01-01

We evaluated four statistical models - Regression Tree Analysis (RTA), Bagging Trees (BT), Random Forests (RF), and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) - for predictive vegetation mapping under current and future climate scenarios according to the Canadian Climate Centre global circulation model.

Potential effects of climate change on ground water in Lansing, Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Croley, T.E.; Luukkonen, C.L.

2003-01-01

Computer simulations involving general circulation models, a hydrologic modeling system, and a ground water flow model indicate potential impacts of selected climate change projections on ground water levels in the Lansing, Michigan, area. General circulation models developed by the Canadian Climate Centre and the Hadley Centre generated meteorology estimates for 1961 through 1990 (as a reference condition) and for the 20 years centered on 2030 (as a changed climate condition). Using these meteorology estimates, the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory's hydrologic modeling system produced corresponding period streamflow simulations. Ground water recharge was estimated from the streamflow simulations and from variables derived from the general circulation models. The U.S. Geological Survey developed a numerical ground water flow model of the Saginaw and glacial aquifers in the Tri-County region surrounding Lansing, Michigan. Model simulations, using the ground water recharge estimates, indicate changes in ground water levels. Within the Lansing area, simulated ground water levels in the Saginaw aquifer declined under the Canadian predictions and increased under the Hadley.

Contribution of human and climate change impacts to changes in streamflow of Canada.

PubMed

Tan, Xuezhi; Gan, Thian Yew

2015-12-04

Climate change exerts great influence on streamflow by changing precipitation, temperature, snowpack and potential evapotranspiration (PET), while human activities in a watershed can directly alter the runoff production and indirectly through affecting climatic variables. However, to separate contribution of anthropogenic and natural drivers to observed changes in streamflow is non-trivial. Here we estimated the direct influence of human activities and climate change effect to changes of the mean annual streamflow (MAS) of 96 Canadian watersheds based on the elasticity of streamflow in relation to precipitation, PET and human impacts such as land use and cover change. Elasticities of streamflow for each watershed are analytically derived using the Budyko Framework. We found that climate change generally caused an increase in MAS, while human impacts generally a decrease in MAS and such impact tends to become more severe with time, even though there are exceptions. Higher proportions of human contribution, compared to that of climate change contribution, resulted in generally decreased streamflow of Canada observed in recent decades. Furthermore, if without contributions from retreating glaciers to streamflow, human impact would have resulted in a more severe decrease in Canadian streamflow.

Investigating Patterns of Participation and Conversation Content in an Online Mentoring Program for Northern Canadian Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallis, Julie A. M.; Riddell, Julia K.; Pepler, Debra J.; Smith, Claire; Silvertown, Josh

2015-01-01

In this study, we describe participant characteristics, conversation content, and program success of an online mentoring program for northern Canadian youth. We investigate the associations between demographics and program success. The profiles and conversations of students and mentors that participated in the program between 2009 and 2013 were…

Is Evaluative Research on Youth Suicide Programs Theory-Driven? The Canadian Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breton, Jean-Jacques; Boyer, Richard; Bilodeau, Henriette; Raymond, Sylvaine; Joubert, Natacha; Nantel, Marie-Andree

2002-01-01

A review found that only 15 Canadian youth suicide programs were evaluated over the last decade. Descriptions of the programs were incomplete and theoretical bases for programs were not presented. Only two programs led to a reduction in suicidal behavior. Suggests that future evaluative research needs to place greater emphasis on content and…

Integration of students with physical impairment in Canadian university rehabilitation sciences programs.

PubMed

Guitard, Paulette; Duguay, Elise; Thériault, France-Andrée; Sirois, Nathalie Julie; Lajoie, Mélissa

2010-03-01

The purpose of this research was two-fold. First, it sought to determine if Canadian rehabilitation science programs are equipped to admit students with physical impairments and, second, to document the experience of these students. A survey (questionnaire) conducted among all Canadian university rehabilitation science programs (n=34) and interviews with students with physical impairments (n=3) from one university help better delineate this problem. Twenty-three programs completed the survey. Of these, 21 (91%) rehabilitation science programs have admitted students with a variety of physical impairments. Programs have access to their university's Special Service Center to help answer the needs of these students. Strategies have been developed to overcome the difficulties encountered and to meet the programs' requirements. Canadian university rehabilitation science programs seem well equipped to facilitate the integration of individuals with physical impairments. Students report a positive university experience; however, they voice several recommendations to smooth the integration process. Although significant efforts have been made to facilitate the integration process of students with physical limitations, adjustments are still warranted.

Characteristics and outcomes of Canadian MD/PhD program graduates: a cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

Skinnider, Michael A.; Squair, Jordan W.; Twa, David D.W.; Ji, Jennifer X.; Kuzyk, Alexandra; Wang, Xin; Steadman, Patrick E.; Zaslavsky, Kirill; Dey, Ayan K.; Eisenberg, Mark J.; Gagné, Ève-Reine; HayGlass, Kent T.; Lewis, James F.; Margetts, Peter J.; Underhill, D. Alan; Rosenblum, Norman D.; Raymond, Lynn A.

2017-01-01

Background: Combined MD/PhD programs provide a structured path for physician-scientist training, but assessment of their success within Canada is limited by a lack of quantitative data. We collected outcomes data for graduates of Canadian MD/PhD programs. Methods: We developed and implemented a Web-based survey consisting of 41 questions designed to collect outcomes data for Canadian MD/PhD program alumni from 8 Canadian universities who had graduated before September 2015. Respondents were categorized into 2 groups according to whether they had or had not completed all training. Results: Of the 186 eligible alumni of MD/PhD programs, 139 (74.7%) completed the survey. A total of 136/138 respondents (98.6%) had completed or were currently completing residency training, and 66/80 (82%) had completed at least 1 postgraduate fellowship. Most (58 [83%]) of the 70 respondents who had completed all training were appointed as faculty at academic institutions, and 37 (53%) had been principal investigators on at least 1 recent funded project. Among the 58 respondents appointed at academic institutions, 44/57 (77%) dedicated at least 20% of their time to research, and 25/57 (44%) dedicated at least 50% to research. During their combined degree, 102/136 respondents (75.0%) published 3 or more first-author papers, and 133/136 (97.8%) matched with their first choice of specialty. The median length of physician-scientist training was 13.5 years. Most respondents graduated with debt despite having been supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research MD/PhD studentships. Interpretation: Most Canadian MD/PhD program alumni pursued careers consistent with their physician-scientist training, which indicates that these programs are meeting their primary objective. Nevertheless, our findings highlight that a minority of these positions are research intensive; this finding warrants further study. Our data provide a baseline for future monitoring of the output of Canadian MD/PhD programs. PMID:28442493

Canada's new national energy program on oil and gas: What are the main provisions? What are the reactions so far?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burr, K. K.

1981-04-01

The Canadian federal government announced a National Energy Program (NEP) for oil and natural gas to achieve energy self sufficiency. The program deals with two major political and economic influences in Canadian energy: provincial ownership of natural resources and 70% of foreign ownership in the Canadian petroleum industry. The objectives to achieve national energy security, create opportunities for Canadian participation, and share resource benefits among the provinces. The major provisions include: a 80% federal tax on oil and gas production; a natural gas federal excise tax; a pricing scheme which holds conventional oil prices down but gives incentives for oil sands, heavy oil, and tertiary recovery production; a gas pricing scheme which encourages substitution of gas for oil; a 25% carried interest for the government on federal leases; and a Canadianization incentives grant system which replace the depletion allowance system.

Canadian Association in Support of the Native Peoples (L'Association Canadienne d'Appui aux Populations Autochtones), Annual Report, 1977-78.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Association in Support of the Native Peoples, Ottawa (Ontario).

The Canadian Association in Support of the Native Peoples (CASNP) seeks to promote wider awareness and understanding among non-Native Canadians for Native objectives and to assist Native peoples to develop programs and resources to further these objectives. During 1977-78 the CASNP carried out a number of programs fulfilling these dual roles. The…

Insights into aerosols, chemistry, and clouds from NETCARE: Observations from the Canadian Arctic in summer 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbatt, J.

2015-12-01

The Canadian Network on Aerosols and Climate: Addressing Key Uncertainties in Remote Canadian Regions (or NETCARE) was established in 2013 to study the interactions between aerosols, chemistry, clouds and climate. The network brings together Canadian academic and government researchers, along with key international collaborators. Attention is being given to observations and modeling of Arctic aerosol, with the goal to understand underlying processes and so improve predictions of aerosol climate forcing. Motivation to understand the summer Arctic atmosphere comes from the retreat of summer sea ice and associated increase in marine influence. To address these goals, a suite of measurements was conducted from two platforms in summer 2014 in the Canadian Arctic, i.e. an aircraft-based campaign on the Alfred Wegener Institute POLAR 6 and an ocean-based campaign from the CGCS Amundsen icebreaker. NETCARE-POLAR was based out of Resolute Bay, Nunavut during an initial period of little transport and cloud-free conditions and a later period characterized by more transport with potentially biomass burning influence. Measurements included particle and cloud droplet numbers and size distributions, aerosol composition, cloud nuclei, and levels of gaseous tracers. Ultrafine particle events were more frequently observed in the marine boundary layer than above, with particle growth observed in some cases to cloud condensation nucleus sizes. The influence of biological processes on atmospheric constituents was also assessed from the ship during NETCARE-AMUNDSEN, as indicated by high measured levels of gaseous ammonia, DMS and oxygenated VOCs, as well as isolated particle formation and growth episodes. The cruise took place in Baffin Bay and through the Canadian archipelago. Interpretation of the observations from both campaigns is enhanced through the use of chemical transport and particle dispersion models. This talk will provide an overview of NETCARE Arctic observational and related modeling activities, focusing on 2014 Arctic activities and highlighting upcoming presentations within the session and the work of individual research teams. An attempt will be made to synthesize the observations and model results, drawing connections of aerosol sources through to cloud formation and deposition processes.

Arctic tree-line reproduction in Canada and Siberia: Possible greenhouse effect?

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

Nichols, H.

1997-12-31

The arctic tree-line is sensitive to climatic changes as indicated by paleo-ecological studies, and it is predicted to respond strongly to global warming. Northern Canadian studies of tree-line reproduction spanning two decades demonstrate a widespread switch from infertility due to cold summers (early 1970`s) to pollen and cone production (1990s), in line with greenhouse warming predictions. Ecotonal cone formation is usually sporadic and localized, but this largescale reproductive shift, along a 1500 km transect, suggests widespread climatic warming since the 1970s. These Siberian studies (at 27 sites) represented only a modest fraction of the Eurasian tree-line, but the widespread fertilitymore » at so many locations, plus the extensive Canadian evidence, suggests that the predicted polar warming may be responsible. Whether this is due to natural or anthropogenic climatic change, and whether it will be short or long-term, is unclear, and merits further study.« less

Tele-Epidemiology and Public Health in the Canadian Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brazeau, Stephanie; Kotchi, Serge Olivier; Ludwig, Antoinette; Turgeon, Patricia; Pelcat, Yann; Aube, Guy; Ogden, Nicholas H.

2016-08-01

The management of key public health issues requires solid evidence-based knowledge for the prevention and control of various emerging or re-emerging vector borne diseases (e.g. Lyme disease, West Nile virus, etc.) and environmentally-linked diseases (e.g. enteric infections from recreational water contamination). Earth observation (EO) images enhance knowledge and capacity to characterize risk of illness across the vast Canadian territory by deriving new and up-to-date data from population, climatic and environmental determinants of health relevant to public health actions such as risk mapping, risk communication and identification of vulnerable populations.Modeling of infectious disease transmission has made possible the identification of risk areas and the underlying factors (human activities, ecology, environment and climate) that may explain this emergence. New data products derived from Earth observation satellites pertaining to climate, land cover and land use, and distribution and density of animal and human populations have greatly improved the resolution and the specificity of explanatory and predictive models.This article focuses on the scope of tele-epidemiology activities of the Canadian public health community as well as current and potential future fields of application for Earth observation data. It will demonstrate the strength, sustainability and innovative character of these approaches to improve scale-dependent decision- making at different levels of government in Canada (federal, provincial/territorial and regional) and increase the efficiency of many preventive, preparedness and response actions.Examples of tele-epidemiology applications will be presented such as the risk assessment of microbial contamination of recreational waters and modelling the risk of vector borne diseases in the Canadian context.

The intraannual variability of land-atmosphere coupling over North America in the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang Kam Wing, G.; Sushama, L.; Diro, G. T.

2016-12-01

This study investigates the intraannual variability of soil moisture-temperature coupling over North America. To this effect, coupled and uncoupled simulations are performed with the fifth-generation Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5), driven by ERA-Interim. In coupled simulations, land and atmosphere interact freely; in uncoupled simulations, the interannual variability of soil moisture is suppressed by prescribing climatological values for soil liquid and frozen water contents. The study also explores projected changes to coupling by comparing coupled and uncoupled CRCM5 simulations for current (1981-2010) and future (2071-2100) periods, driven by the Canadian Earth System Model. Coupling differs for the northern and southern parts of North America. Over the southern half, it is persistent throughout the year while for the northern half, strongly coupled regions generally follow the freezing line during the cold months. Detailed analysis of the southern Canadian Prairies reveals seasonal differences in the underlying coupling mechanism. During spring and fall, as opposed to summer, the interactive soil moisture phase impacts the snow depth and surface albedo, which further impacts the surface energy budget and thus the surface air temperature; the air temperature then influences the snow depth in a feedback loop. Projected changes to coupling are also season specific: relatively drier soil conditions strengthen coupling during summer, while changes in soil moisture phase, snow depth, and cloud cover impact coupling during colder months. Furthermore, results demonstrate that soil moisture variability amplifies the frequency of temperature extremes over regions of strong coupling in current and future climates.

Competencies Demonstrated by Municipal Employees during Adaptation to Climate Change: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pruneau, Diane; Kerry, Jackie; Blain, Sylvie; Evichnevetski, Evgueni; Deguire, Paul; Barbier, Pierre-Yves; Freiman, Viktor; Therrien, Jimmy; Langis, Joanne; Lang, Mathieu

2013-01-01

Since coastal communities are already subjected to the impacts of climate change, adaptation has become a necessity. This article presents competencies demonstrated by Canadian municipal employees during an adaptation process to sea level rise. To adapt, the participants demonstrated the following competencies: problem solving (highlighting…

Aligning Accreditation and Academic Program Reviews: A Canadian Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowker, Lynne

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the potential benefits and limitations associated with aligning accreditation and academic program reviews in post-secondary institutions, using a descriptive case study approach. Design/methodology/approach: The paper describes two Canadian graduate programs that are subject to both external professional…

Fostering community-based wildlife health monitoring and research in the Canadian North.

PubMed

Brook, Ryan K; Kutz, Susan J; Veitch, Alasdair M; Popko, Richard A; Elkin, Brett T; Guthrie, Glen

2009-06-01

Many northern Canadians have continued a subsistence lifestyle of wildlife harvesting and, therefore, value sustainable wildlife populations. At a regional wildlife workshop in the Sahtu Settlement Area, Northwest Territories in 2002, elders and community leaders raised concerns regarding wildlife health, food safety, and the effects of climate change on wildlife. They requested that efforts be put toward training youth in science and increasing involvement of hunters and youth in wildlife research. In response, we initiated a long-term, integrated approach to foster community-based wildlife health monitoring and research. Annual trips were made to all schools in the Sahtu from 2003 to 2009 to provide hands-on learning for 250-460 students on a range of wildlife topics. In addition, interviews were conducted with 31 hunters and elders to document their local ecological knowledge of wildlife health and local hunters were trained as monitors to collect tissue samples and measurements to assess body condition and monitor health of harvested caribou (n = 69) and moose (n = 19). In 2007 the program was extended to include participation in the annual caribou hunt held by one community. Each year since 2005, a graduate student and/or a postdoctoral trainee in the veterinary or biological sciences has participated in the program. The program has evolved during the last 6 years in response to community and school input, results of empirical research, hunter feedback, local knowledge, and logistical constraints. The continuity of the program is attributed to the energetic collaboration among diverse partners and a unified approach that responds to identified needs.

Heat exposure in the Canadian workplace.

PubMed

Jay, Ollie; Kenny, Glen P

2010-08-01

Exposure to excessive heat is a physical hazard that threatens Canadian workers. As patterns of global climate change suggest an increased frequency of heat waves, the potential impact of these extreme climate events on the health and well-being of the Canadian workforce is a new and growing challenge. Increasingly, industries rely on available technology and information to ensure the safety of their workers. Current Canadian labor codes in all provinces employ the guidelines recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) that are Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) based upon Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). The TLVs are set so that core body temperature of the workers supposedly does not exceed 38.0 degrees C. Legislation in most Canadian provinces also requires employers to install engineering and administrative controls to reduce the heat stress risk of their working environment should it exceed the levels permissible under the WBGT system. There are however severe limitations using the WGBT system because it only directly evaluates the environmental parameters and merely incorporates personal factors such as clothing insulation and metabolic heat production through simple correction factors for broadly generalized groups. An improved awareness of the strengths and limitations of TLVs and the WGBT index can minimize preventable measurement errors and improve their utilization in workplaces. Work is on-going, particularly in the European Union to develop an improved individualized heat stress risk assessment tool. More work is required to improve the predictive capacity of these indices. Copyright 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Teaching Canada for the '80s. Curriculum Series, 35.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgetts, A. B.; Gallagher, Paul

A rationale for Canadian studies and outlines of appropriate content for various grade levels are presented. The book is designed to help teachers, curriculum planners, and teacher educators in preparing effective Canadian studies programs. Chapter I offers a discussion of the need for pan-Canadian understanding. Canadian studies can help young…

The spatiotemporal changes in precipitation extremes over Canada and their connections to large-scale climate patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Gan, T. Y.; Tan, X.

2017-12-01

In the past few decades, there have been more extreme climate events around the world, and Canada has also suffered from numerous extreme precipitation events. In this paper, trend analysis, change point analysis, probability distribution function, principal component analysis and wavelet analysis were used to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of extreme precipitation in Canada. Ten extreme precipitation indices were calculated using long-term daily precipitation data from 164 gauging stations. Several large-scale climate patterns such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Pacific-North American (PNA), and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) were selected to analyze the relationships between extreme precipitation and climate indices. Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), specific humidity, and surface temperature were employed to investigate the potential causes of the trends.The results show statistically significant positive trends for most indices, which indicate increasing extreme precipitation. The majority of indices display more increasing trends along the southern border of Canada while decreasing trends dominate in the central Canadian Prairies (CP). In addition, strong connections are found between the extreme precipitation and climate indices and the effects of climate pattern differ for each region. The seasonal CAPE, specific humidity, and temperature are found to be closely related to Canadian extreme precipitation.

Allies of a Kind: Canadian Army-US Army Relations and the Korean War, 1950-1953

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

lective debauch — the only unit action of its type by Canadians in the Korean War — outraged Stone and hardened his heart to complaints about food...weapons firing that by design drove the faint- hearted and unfit Patricias from his ranks. His program of forced attrition alarmed Canadian personnel...Detention Barracks 1st Canadian Field Security Service 25th Canadian Public Relations Unit 25th Canadian Field Dental Unit, RCDC Unless formally

The Politics of Canadian Space Communication Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Indu B.; McDaniel, Drew O.

In 1968, the Science Council of Canada recommended that Canada focus its scientific and technological effort on the creation of major programs designed to help solve some of the country's social and economic problems and, specifically, that a space program be initiated. The Canadian decision to become involved in space communication activities was…

An EAP Program and Students' Success at a Canadian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keefe, Karin; Shi, Ling

2017-01-01

Many universities have instituted intensive English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs to support international students. This qualitative study used interviews to gain insights into the experiences of 8 non-native English speaking (NNES) students who completed an EAP program before they enrolled in disciplinary courses at a Canadian university.…

Heat and moisture fluxes within a nighttime maritime stratus cloud during CASP II

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

Gultepe, I.; Issac, G.

Stratus clouds in the lower part of the atmosphere over the ocean or land can play an important role in boundary layer processes and in climate change. Physical, dynamical, and radiative processes within marine stratus clouds on both cloud and regional scale are studied for the first time during the First ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) Regional Experiment (FIRE) (Albrecht et al., 1988). These clouds can effect the nowcasting, pollution transfer, and radiative processes (Nicholls and Leighton, 1986). Similar to the FIRE stratus project, the Canadian Atlantic Storms Program (CASP) II field project was planned to obtain a bettermore » understanding of cloud physical, dynamical, radiative characteristics, and mesoscale structure of Canadian east coast storms. Here the dynamical and microphysical data, and a radiative transfer model are used to better understand a developing nighttime stratus cloud over the ocean during CASP II which took place over Atlantic Canada. Observations collected by the Convair aircraft of the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada during the CASP II field project on February 6, 1991 are presented.« less

Trends in historical mercury deposition inferred from lake sediment cores across a climate gradient in the Canadian High Arctic.

PubMed

Korosi, Jennifer B; Griffiths, Katherine; Smol, John P; Blais, Jules M

2018-06-02

Recent climate change may be enhancing mercury fluxes to Arctic lake sediments, confounding the use of sediment cores to reconstruct histories of atmospheric deposition. Assessing the independent effects of climate warming on mercury sequestration is challenging due to temporal overlap between warming temperatures and increased long-range transport of atmospheric mercury following the Industrial Revolution. We address this challenge by examining mercury trends in short cores (the last several hundred years) from eight lakes centered on Cape Herschel (Canadian High Arctic) that span a gradient in microclimates, including two lakes that have not yet been significantly altered by climate warming due to continued ice cover. Previous research on subfossil diatoms and inferred primary production indicated the timing of limnological responses to climate warming, which, due to prevailing ice cover conditions, varied from ∼1850 to ∼1990 for lakes that have undergone changes. We show that climate warming may have enhanced mercury deposition to lake sediments in one lake (Moraine Pond), while another (West Lake) showed a strong signal of post-industrial mercury enrichment without any corresponding limnological changes associated with warming. Our results provide insights into the role of climate warming and organic carbon cycling as drivers of mercury deposition to Arctic lake sediments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Canadian seasonal forecast and the APCC exchange.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archambault, B.; Fontecilla, J.; Kharin, V.; Bourgouin, P.; Ashok, K.; Lee, D.

2009-05-01

In this talk, we will first describe the Canadian seasonal forecast system. This system uses a 4 model ensemble approach with each of these models generating a 10 members ensemble. Multi-model issues related to this system will be describes. Secondly, we will describe an international multi-system initiative. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries or regions including Canada. The APEC Climate Center (APCC) provides seasonal forecasts to their regional climate centers with a Multi Model Ensemble (MME) approach. The APCC MME is based on 13 ensemble prediction systems from different institutions including MSC(Canada), NCEP(USA), COLA(USA), KMA(Korea), JMA(Japan), BOM(Australia) and others. In this presentation, we will describe the basics of this international cooperation.

Circumpolar Genetic Structure and Recent Gene Flow of Polar Bears: A Reanalysis.

PubMed

Malenfant, René M; Davis, Corey S; Cullingham, Catherine I; Coltman, David W

2016-01-01

Recently, an extensive study of 2,748 polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from across their circumpolar range was published in PLOS ONE, which used microsatellites and mitochondrial haplotypes to apparently show altered population structure and a dramatic change in directional gene flow towards the Canadian Archipelago-an area believed to be a future refugium for polar bears as their southernmost habitats decline under climate change. Although this study represents a major international collaborative effort and promised to be a baseline for future genetics work, methodological shortcomings and errors of interpretation undermine some of the study's main conclusions. Here, we present a reanalysis of this data in which we address some of these issues, including: (1) highly unbalanced sample sizes and large amounts of systematically missing data; (2) incorrect calculation of FST and of significance levels; (3) misleading estimates of recent gene flow resulting from non-convergence of the program BayesAss. In contrast to the original findings, in our reanalysis we find six genetic clusters of polar bears worldwide: the Hudson Bay Complex, the Western and Eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the Western and Eastern Polar Basin, and-importantly-we reconfirm the presence of a unique and possibly endangered cluster of bears in Norwegian Bay near Canada's expected last sea-ice refugium. Although polar bears' abundance, distribution, and population structure will certainly be negatively affected by ongoing-and increasingly rapid-loss of Arctic sea ice, these genetic data provide no evidence of strong directional gene flow in response to recent climate change.

Winter temperature conditions (1670-2010) reconstructed from varved sediments, western Canadian High Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amann, Benjamin; Lamoureux, Scott F.; Boreux, Maxime P.

2017-09-01

Advances in paleoclimatology from the Arctic have provided insights into long-term climate conditions. However, while past annual and summer temperature have received considerable research attention, comparatively little is known about winter paleoclimate. Arctic winter is of special interest as it is the season with the highest sensitivity to climate change, and because it differs substantially from summer and annual measures. Therefore, information about past changes in winter climate is key to improve our knowledge of past forced climate variability and to reduce uncertainty in climate projections. In this context, Arctic lakes with snowmelt-fed catchments are excellent potential winter climate archives. They respond strongly to snowmelt-induced runoff, and indirectly to winter temperature and snowfall conditions. To date, only a few well-calibrated lake sediment records exist, which appear to reflect site-specific responses with differing reconstructions. This limits the possibility to resolve large-scale winter climate change prior the instrumental period. Here, we present a well-calibrated quantitative temperature and snowfall record for the extended winter season (November through March; NDJFM) from Chevalier Bay (Melville Island, NWT, Canadian Arctic) back to CE 1670. The coastal embayment has a large catchment influenced by nival terrestrial processes, which leads to high sedimentation rates and annual sedimentary structures (varves). Using detailed microstratigraphic analysis from two sediment cores and supported by μ-XRF data, we separated the nival sedimentary units (spring snowmelt) from the rainfall units (summer) and identified subaqueous slumps. Statistical correlation analysis between the proxy data and monthly climate variables reveals that the thickness of the nival units can be used to predict winter temperature (r = 0.71, pc < 0.01, 5-yr filter) and snowfall (r = 0.65, pc < 0.01, 5-yr filter) for the western Canadian High Arctic over the last ca. 400 years. Results reveal a strong variability in winter temperature back to CE 1670 with the coldest decades reconstructed for the period CE 1800-1880, while the warmest decades and major trends are reconstructed for the period CE 1880-1930 (0.26°C/decade) and CE 1970-2010 (0.37°C/decade). Although the first aim of this study was to increase the paleoclimate data coverage for the winter season, the record from Chevalier Bay also holds great potential for more applied climate research such as data-model comparisons and proxy-data assimilation in climate model simulations.

Canadian Domestic and International Satellite Communications Conference, 1st, Ottawa, Canada, June 14-17, 1983, Proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feher, K.

Topics discussed include highlights of Canadian and US communication-satellite developments, video teleconferencing, modulation/system studies, organization/interface tradeoffs, Canadian satellite programs, performance monitoring techniques, spread spectrum satcom systems, social and educational satellite services, atmospheric/navigational satcom systems, TDMA systems, and Teleglobe/Intelsat and Inmarsat programs. Consideration is also given to SCPC developments, TV and program reception, earth station components, European satcom systems, TCTS/CNCP satellite communications services, satellite designs, coding techniques, Japanese satellite systems, network developments, the ANIK user workshop, industrial/business systems, and satellite antenna technology.

Interspecific variation in growth responses to tree size, competition and climate of western Canadian boreal mixed forests.

PubMed

Jiang, Xinyu; Huang, Jian-Guo; Cheng, Jiong; Dawson, Andria; Stadt, Kenneth J; Comeau, Philip G; Chen, Han Y H

2018-08-01

Tree growth of boreal forest plays an important role on global carbon (C) cycle, while tree growth in the western Canadian boreal mixed forests has been predicted to be negatively affected by regional drought. Individual tree growth can be controlled by many factors, such as competition, climate, tree size and age. However, information about contributions of different factors to tree growth is still limited in this region. In order to address this uncertainty, tree rings of two dominant tree species, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss), were sampled from boreal mixed forest stands distributed across Alberta, Canada. Tree growth rates over different time intervals (10years interval, 1998-2007; 20years interval, 1988-2007; 30years interval, 1978-2007) were calculated to study the effects of different factors (tree size, competition, climate, and age) on tree growth. Results indicated that tree growth of two species were both primarily affected by competition or tree size, while climatic indices showed less effects on tree growth. Growth of trembling aspen was significantly affected by inter- and intraspecific competition, while growth of white spruce was primarily influenced by tree size, followed by competition. Positive relationship was found between growth of white spruce and competition index of coniferous group, suggesting an intraspecific mutualism mechanism within coniferous group. Our results further suggested that competition driven succession was the primary process of forest composition shift in the western Canadian boreal mixed forest. Although drought stress increased tree mortality, decline of stem density under climate change released competition stress of surviving trees, which in turn sustained growth of surviving trees. Therefore, climatic indices showed fewer effects on growth of dominant tree species compared to other factors in our study. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What we know, do not know, and need to know about climate change vulnerability in the western Canadian Arctic: a systematic literature review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, James D.; Pearce, Tristan

2010-01-01

This letter systematically reviews and synthesizes scientific and gray literature publications (n = 420) to identify and characterize the nature of climate change vulnerability in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the western Canadian Arctic and identify gaps in understanding. The literature documents widespread evidence of climate change, with implications for human and biophysical systems. Adaptations are being employed to manage changing conditions and are indicative of a high adaptive capacity. However, barriers to adaptation are evident and are expected to constrain adaptive capacity to future climate change. Continued climate change is predicted for the region, with differential exposure sensitivity for communities, groups and sectors: a function of social-economic-biophysical characteristics and projected future climatic conditions. Existing climate risks are expected to increase in magnitude and frequency, although the interaction between projected changes and socio-economic-demographic trends has not been assessed. The capacity for adapting to future climate change has also not been studied. The review identifies the importance of targeted vulnerability research that works closely with community members and other stakeholders to address research needs. Importantly, the fully categorized list of reviewed references accompanying this letter will be a valuable resource for those working or planning to work in the region, capturing climate change research published since 1990. At a broader level, the systematic review methodology offers a promising tool for climate/environmental change studies in general where there is a large and emerging body of research but limited understanding of research gaps and needs.

Identification of reliable gridded reference data for statistical downscaling methods in Alberta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eum, H. I.; Gupta, A.

2017-12-01

Climate models provide essential information to assess impacts of climate change at regional and global scales. However, statistical downscaling methods have been applied to prepare climate model data for various applications such as hydrologic and ecologic modelling at a watershed scale. As the reliability and (spatial and temporal) resolution of statistically downscaled climate data mainly depend on a reference data, identifying the most reliable reference data is crucial for statistical downscaling. A growing number of gridded climate products are available for key climate variables which are main input data to regional modelling systems. However, inconsistencies in these climate products, for example, different combinations of climate variables, varying data domains and data lengths and data accuracy varying with physiographic characteristics of the landscape, have caused significant challenges in selecting the most suitable reference climate data for various environmental studies and modelling. Employing various observation-based daily gridded climate products available in public domain, i.e. thin plate spline regression products (ANUSPLIN and TPS), inverse distance method (Alberta Townships), and numerical climate model (North American Regional Reanalysis) and an optimum interpolation technique (Canadian Precipitation Analysis), this study evaluates the accuracy of the climate products at each grid point by comparing with the Adjusted and Homogenized Canadian Climate Data (AHCCD) observations for precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature over the province of Alberta. Based on the performance of climate products at AHCCD stations, we ranked the reliability of these publically available climate products corresponding to the elevations of stations discretized into several classes. According to the rank of climate products for each elevation class, we identified the most reliable climate products based on the elevation of target points. A web-based system was developed to allow users to easily select the most reliable reference climate data at each target point based on the elevation of grid cell. By constructing the best combination of reference data for the study domain, the accurate and reliable statistically downscaled climate projections could be significantly improved.

Linking Canadian Population Health Data: Maximizing the Potential of Cohort and Administrative Data

PubMed Central

Doiron, Dany; Raina, Parminder; Fortier, Isabel

2013-01-01

Linkage of data collected by large Canadian cohort studies with provincially managed administrative health databases can offer very interesting avenues for multidisciplinary and cost-effective health research in Canada. Successfully co-analyzing cohort data and administrative health data (AHD) can lead to research results capable of improving the health and well-being of Canadians and enhancing the delivery of health care services. However, such an endeavour will require strong coordination and long-term commitment between all stakeholders involved. The challenges and opportunities of a pan-Canadian cohort-to-AHD data linkage program have been considered by cohort study investigators and data custodians from each Canadian province. Stakeholders acknowledge the important public health benefits of establishing such a program and have established an action plan to move forward. PMID:23823892

Linking Canadian population health data: maximizing the potential of cohort and administrative data.

PubMed

Doiron, Dany; Raina, Parminder; Fortier, Isabel

2013-03-06

Linkage of data collected by large Canadian cohort studies with provincially managed administrative health databases can offer very interesting avenues for multidisciplinary and cost-effective health research in Canada. Successfully co-analyzing cohort data and administrative health data (AHD) can lead to research results capable of improving the health and well-being of Canadians and enhancing the delivery of health care services. However, such an endeavour will require strong coordination and long-term commitment between all stakeholders involved. The challenges and opportunities of a pan-Canadian cohort-to-AHD data linkage program have been considered by cohort study investigators and data custodians from each Canadian province. Stakeholders acknowledge the important public health benefits of establishing such a program and have established an action plan to move forward.

Adult Health Learning and Transformation: A Case Study of a Canadian Community-Based Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coady, Maureen

2013-01-01

This article describes a case study of adult learning in a Canadian multisite Community Cardiovascular Hearts in Motion program. The researcher highlights the informal learning of 40 adult participants in this 12-week community-based cardiac rehabilitation/education program in five rural Nova Scotia communities. The effects of this learning and…

Master's in Economics Programs: Comparing Canada and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walstad, William; Milkman, Martin I.; McCoy, James P.

2008-01-01

The authors compare various characteristics of terminal master's of economics programs in Canada and the United States. As far as they know, this is the first article to present results from a survey of Canadian master's programs in economics. Using a Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test, they found significant differences between the Canadian and U.S.…

Improving Program Results through the Use of Predictive Operational Performance Indicators: A Canadian Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrados, Maria; Blain, J. S.

2013-01-01

In Canada, in-depth evaluations of federal programs are intended to occur every 5 years. As such, evaluation is a periodic retrospective (lag) indicator examining results achieved versus program objectives. In a Canadian context, stand-alone evaluations have proved challenging to implement, time consuming, and not well adapted to annual management…

78 FR 4169 - Distribution of the 2011 Cable Royalty Funds

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-18

... Claimants (represented by National Association of Broadcasters), Music Claimants (represented by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Broadcast Music, Inc., and SESAC, Inc.), Canadian Claimants..., music, public radio programming, and Canadian programming. In Phase II of a cable royalty distribution...

Impact of dynamic vegetation phenology on the simulated pan-Arctic land surface state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teufel, Bernardo; Sushama, Laxmi; Arora, Vivek K.; Verseghy, Diana

2018-03-01

The pan-Arctic land surface is undergoing rapid changes in a warming climate, with near-surface permafrost projected to degrade significantly during the twenty-first century. Vegetation-related feedbacks have the potential to influence the rate of degradation of permafrost. In this study, the impact of dynamic phenology on the pan-Arctic land surface state, particularly near-surface permafrost, for the 1961-2100 period, is assessed by comparing two simulations of the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS)—one with dynamic phenology, modelled using the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM), and the other with prescribed phenology. These simulations are forced by atmospheric data from a transient climate change simulation of the 5th generation Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5) for the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5). Comparison of the CLASS coupled to CTEM simulation to available observational estimates of plant area index, spatial distribution of permafrost and active layer thickness suggests that the model captures reasonably well the overall distribution of vegetation and permafrost. It is shown that the most important impact of dynamic phenology on the land surface occurs through albedo and it is demonstrated for the first time that vegetation control on albedo during late spring and early summer has the highest potential to impact the degradation of permafrost. While both simulations show extensive near-surface permafrost degradation by the end of the twenty-first century, the strong projected response of vegetation to climate warming and increasing CO2 concentrations in the coupled simulation results in accelerated permafrost degradation in the northernmost continuous permafrost regions.

Comparative study of Canadian-United States resources programs

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeYoung,, John H.

1975-01-01

Chapter A: Report of the resource endowment, infrastructure development, tax incentives and exploration financing. Chapter B: Recent changes in Canadian tax laws affecting the mineral industries. Chapter C: The impact of recent changes in Canadian tax laws on the mineral industries.

Does gender impact upon application rejection rate among Canadian radiology residency applicants?

PubMed

Baerlocher, Mark O; Walker, Michelle

2005-10-01

To determine if and how gender ratios have changed within Canadian radiology, and to determine if gender discrimination occurs at the level of the radiology resident selection committee. The Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Association of Radiologists, Canadian Institute for Health Information, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and Canadian Residency Matching Service provided gender-specific data. We compared the proportion of female applicants who ranked a radiology program as their top choice and were rejected from any radiology program with the corresponding proportion for male applicants. The numbers of women and men being awarded an MD from a Canadian university equalized nearly a decade ago. Women continue to be numerically underrepresented among practicing radiologists; however, the proportion of women continues to increase so that there is 1 female radiologist in practice to every 3 male radiologists in practice in 2005. More male medical students ranked a radiology residency training program as their top choice in the residency match; however, of those who did, they were as likely as women to be rejected from a radiology residency training program. Grouping all female and male graduating medical students participating in the residency match and ranking a radiology residency as their top choice between 1993 and 2004, the odds of men being rejected were 1.4 times (95% CI 0.99-1.9, p = 0.07) greater than for women. There continues to be more men than women radiologists in practice; however, the female-to-male ratio continues to increase. Our data suggest that discrimination against female applicants at the level of radiology residency selection does not occur.

Projecting trends in agronomic, economic, and environmental performance of Canadian dairy farms under future climate conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Climate change is expected to increase agricultural productivity in Canada as in many northern areas in the world. This will likely come along with changes in the environmental and economic performance of dairy farms, one of the most important agricultural sectors in Canada. The objective of this s...

In the Field: The Canadian Ecology Centre.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magee, Clare

2000-01-01

The Canadian Ecology Centre (Ontario) offers year-round residential and day programs in outdoor and environmental education for secondary students, field placement and internship opportunities for college students, and ecotourism programs, while providing employment and tax revenues to the local community. Dubbed consensus environmentalism, the…

An assessment of global climate model-simulated climate for the western cordillera of Canada (1961-90)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonsal, Barrie R.; Prowse, Terry D.; Pietroniro, Alain

2003-12-01

Climate change is projected to significantly affect future hydrologic processes over many regions of the world. This is of particular importance for alpine systems that provide critical water supplies to lower-elevation regions. The western cordillera of Canada is a prime example where changes to temperature and precipitation could have profound hydro-climatic impacts not only for the cordillera itself, but also for downstream river systems and the drought-prone Canadian Prairies. At present, impact researchers primarily rely on global climate models (GCMs) for future climate projections. The main objective of this study is to assess several GCMs in their ability to simulate the magnitude and spatial variability of current (1961-90) temperature and precipitation over the western cordillera of Canada. In addition, several gridded data sets of observed climate for the study region are evaluated.Results reveal a close correspondence among the four gridded data sets of observed climate, particularly for temperature. There is, however, considerable variability regarding the various GCM simulations of this observed climate. The British, Canadian, German, Australian, and US GFDL models are superior at simulating the magnitude and spatial variability of mean temperature. The Japanese GCM is of intermediate ability, and the US NCAR model is least representative of temperature in this region. Nearly all the models substantially overestimate the magnitude of total precipitation, both annually and on a seasonal basis. An exception involves the British (Hadley) model, which best represents the observed magnitude and spatial variability of precipitation. This study improves our understanding regarding the accuracy of GCM climate simulations over the western cordillera of Canada. The findings may assist in producing more reliable future scenarios of hydro-climatic conditions over various regions of the country. Copyright

A High-Resolution Record of Holocene Climate Variability from a Western Canadian Coastal Inlet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dallimore, A.; Thomson, R. E.; Enkin, R. J.; Kulikov, E. A.; Bertram, M. A.; Wright, C. A.; Southon, J. R.; Barrie, J. V.; Baker, J.; Pienitz, R.; Calvert, S. E.; Chang, A. S.; Pedersen, T. F.

2004-12-01

Conditions within the Pacific Ocean have a major effect on the climate of northwestern North America. High resolution records of present and past northeast Pacific climate are revealed in our multi-disciplinary study of annually laminated marine sediments from anoxic coastal inlets of British Columbia. Past climate conditions for the entire Holocene are recorded in the sediment record contained in a 40 meter, annually laminated marine sediment core taken in Effingham Inlet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, from the French ship the Marion Dufresne, as part of the international IMAGES program. By combining our eight year continuous instrument record of modern coastal ocean dynamics and climate with high-resolution analysis of depositional processes, we have been able to develop proxy measurements of past climatic and oceanographic changes on annual to millennial time scales. Results indicate that regional climate has oscillated on a variety of time scales throughout the Holocene. At times, climatic change has been dramatically rapid. We are also developing digital methods for statistical time-series analyses of physical sediment properties through the Holocene in order to obtain a more objective quantitative approach for detecting cyclicity in our data. Results of the time series analysis of lamination thickness reveals statistically significant spectral peaks of climate scale variability at established decadal to century time scales. These in turn may be related to solar cycles and quasi-cyclical ocean processes such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. However, the annually laminated time series are periodically interrupted by massive mud intervals which are related to bottom currents and at times paleo-seismic events, illustrating the need for a full understanding of modern oceanographic and sedimentation processes, so an accurate proxy record of past climate can be established.

Impacts and Questions Regarding Future Sea Ice Conditions in the Canadian Arctic: Perspectives of the Canadian Ice Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, K. J.; de Abreu, R.; Falkingham, J.

2006-12-01

The Canadian Ice Service (CIS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting sea ice conditions to support marine shipping and other maritime activities in Canada's Arctic. The location, concentration and movement of perennial (old) ice is the primary control on the level and type of shipping allowable and feasible in Canadian waters. As such, the likelihood and timing of a transition from a perennial ice regime to a seasonal one is of high interest to CIS marine clients. This presentation will review the kinds of questions we are being asked about future sea ice conditions, how we are responding to them given our current understanding, and what we base these responses on. This presentation will highlight the importance of climate change science, as well as present the type of science still needed.

78 FR 28267 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Options Clearing Corporation; Order Approving Proposed Rule...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-14

... By-Laws To Facilitate the Use of the Stock Loan/Hedge Program by Canadian Clearing Members May 8...-Laws to define a Canadian Clearing Member approved to participate in the Stock Loan/Hedge Program as a... rule change is to add provisions to the By-Laws governing the OCC's Stock Loan/Hedge Program to...

Employee assistance programs: an alternative resource for mental health service delivery.

PubMed

Santa-Barbara, J

1984-09-01

The purpose of this article is to provide a very brief introduction to employee assistance programs (EAPs) and their role in the mental health delivery system. In addition, some consideration will be given to the opportunity these programs offer for making a significant impact on both the mental health of Canadians and the productivity of Canadian business.

Competition between plant functional types in the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM) v. 2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melton, J. R.; Arora, V. K.

2015-06-01

The Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM) is the interactive vegetation component in the Earth system model of the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis. CTEM models land-atmosphere exchange of CO2 through the response of carbon in living vegetation, and dead litter and soil pools, to changes in weather and climate at timescales of days to centuries. Version 1.0 of CTEM uses prescribed fractional coverage of plant functional types (PFTs) although, in reality, vegetation cover continually adapts to changes in climate, atmospheric composition, and anthropogenic forcing. Changes in the spatial distribution of vegetation occur on timescales of years to centuries as vegetation distributions inherently have inertia. Here, we present version 2.0 of CTEM which includes a representation of competition between PFTs based on a modified version of the Lotka-Volterra (L-V) predator-prey equations. Our approach is used to dynamically simulate the fractional coverage of CTEM's seven natural, non-crop PFTs which are then compared with available observation-based estimates. Results from CTEM v. 2.0 show the model is able to represent the broad spatial distributions of its seven PFTs at the global scale. However, differences remain between modelled and observation-based fractional coverages of PFTs since representing the multitude of plant species globally, with just seven non-crop PFTs, only captures the large scale climatic controls on PFT distributions. As expected, PFTs that exist in climate niches are difficult to represent either due to the coarse spatial resolution of the model, and the corresponding driving climate, or the limited number of PFTs used. We also simulate the fractional coverages of PFTs using unmodified L-V equations to illustrate its limitations. The geographic and zonal distributions of primary terrestrial carbon pools and fluxes from the versions of CTEM that use prescribed and dynamically simulated fractional coverage of PFTs compare reasonably well with each other and observation-based estimates. The parametrization of competition between PFTs in CTEM v. 2.0 based on the modified L-V equations behaves in a reasonably realistic manner and yields a tool with which to investigate the changes in spatial distribution of vegetation in response to future changes in climate.

Competition between plant functional types in the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM) v. 2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melton, J. R.; Arora, V. K.

2016-01-01

The Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM) is the interactive vegetation component in the Earth system model of the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis. CTEM models land-atmosphere exchange of CO2 through the response of carbon in living vegetation, and dead litter and soil pools, to changes in weather and climate at timescales of days to centuries. Version 1.0 of CTEM uses prescribed fractional coverage of plant functional types (PFTs) although, in reality, vegetation cover continually adapts to changes in climate, atmospheric composition and anthropogenic forcing. Changes in the spatial distribution of vegetation occur on timescales of years to centuries as vegetation distributions inherently have inertia. Here, we present version 2.0 of CTEM, which includes a representation of competition between PFTs based on a modified version of the Lotka-Volterra (L-V) predator-prey equations. Our approach is used to dynamically simulate the fractional coverage of CTEM's seven natural, non-crop PFTs, which are then compared with available observation-based estimates. Results from CTEM v. 2.0 show the model is able to represent the broad spatial distributions of its seven PFTs at the global scale. However, differences remain between modelled and observation-based fractional coverage of PFTs since representing the multitude of plant species globally, with just seven non-crop PFTs, only captures the large-scale climatic controls on PFT distributions. As expected, PFTs that exist in climate niches are difficult to represent either due to the coarse spatial resolution of the model, and the corresponding driving climate, or the limited number of PFTs used. We also simulate the fractional coverage of PFTs using unmodified L-V equations to illustrate its limitations. The geographic and zonal distributions of primary terrestrial carbon pools and fluxes from the versions of CTEM that use prescribed and dynamically simulated fractional coverage of PFTs compare reasonably well with each other and observation-based estimates. The parametrization of competition between PFTs in CTEM v. 2.0 based on the modified L-V equations behaves in a reasonably realistic manner and yields a tool with which to investigate the changes in spatial distribution of vegetation in response to future changes in climate.

Changes in the extremes of the climate simulated by CCC GCM2 under CO{sub 2} doubling

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

Zwiers, F.W.; Kharin, V.V.

Changes due to CO{sub 2} doubling in the extremes of the surface climate as simulated by the second-generation circulation model of the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis are studied in two 20-yr equilibrium simulations. Extreme values of screen temperature, precipitation, and near-surface wind in the control climate are compared to those estimated from 17 yr of the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data and from some Canadian station data. The extremes of screen temperature are reasonably well reproduced in the control climate. Their changes under CO{sub 2} doubling can be connected with other physical changes such as surface albedo changes duemore » to the reduction of snow and sea ice cover as well as a decrease of soil moisture in the warmer world. The signal in the extremes of daily precipitation and near-surface wind speed due to CO{sub 2} doubling is less obvious. The precipitation extremes increase almost everywhere over the globe. The strongest change, over northwest India, is related to the intensification of the summer monsoon in this region in the warmer world. The modest reduction of wind extremes in the Tropics and middle latitudes is consistent with the reduction of the meridional temperature gradient in the 2{times}CO{sub 2} climate. The larger wind extremes occur in the areas where sea ice has retreated.« less

Worksite health and wellness programs: Canadian achievements & prospects.

PubMed

Després, Jean-Pierre; Alméras, Natalie; Gauvin, Lise

2014-01-01

Canada has experienced a substantial reduction in mortality related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). There is a general consensus that more effective and widespread health promotion interventions may lead to further reductions in CVD risk factors and actual disease states. In this paper, we briefly outline the prevalence of selected risk factors for CVD in Canada, describe characteristics of the Canadian labor market and workforce, and depict what is known about health and wellness program delivery systems in Canadian workplaces. Our review indicates that there have been numerous and diverse relevant legislative and policy initiatives to create a context conducive to improve the healthfulness of Canadian workplaces. However, there is still a dearth of evidence on the effectiveness of the delivery system and the actual impact of workplace health and wellness programs in reducing CVD risk in Canada. Thus, while a promising model, more research is needed in this area. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Canadian Urology Fair: a model for minimizing the financial and academic costs of the residency selection process.

PubMed

Grober, Ethan D; Matsumoto, Edward D; Jewett, Michael A S; Chin, Joseph L

2003-12-01

In 1994, the Canadian urology residency training programs designed the "Canadian Urology Fair"--a single-site (Toronto, Ont.), 1-day fair to conduct the personal interview portion of the residency selection process. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the success of the Urology Fair in achieving its original goals of decreasing the financial burden and minimizing time away from medical training for applicants and faculty. Both candidates and Canadian urology training programs were surveyed regarding the financial and academic costs (days absent) of attending the 2001 Urology Fair. Data from the 2001 Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) was used to compare the financial and academic costs of attending personal interviews incurred by candidates declaring urology as their first-choice discipline to candidates interviewing with other surgical specialties throughout Canada. Financial costs incurred by candidates to attend the Urology Fair (mean Can dollar 367) were significantly lower than candidates' estimated costs of attending on-site interviews at the individual programs (mean Can dollar 2065). The financial costs of attending personal interviews by CaRMS applicants declaring urology as their first-choice discipline (mean Can dollar 2002) were significantly lower than the costs incurred by applicants interviewing with other surgical disciplines (mean Can dollar 2744). Financial costs to urology programs attending the fair (mean Can dollar 1931) were not significantly greater than the programs' estimated costs of conducting on-site interviews at their respective program locations (mean Can dollar 1825). Days absent from medical school to attend interviews were significantly lower among CaRMS applicants declaring urology as their first-choice discipline (3 d) compared with applicants who interviewed with other surgical specialties (9.1 d). The Canadian Urology Fair represents an innovative and efficient method for residency programs to conduct the personal interview portion of the residency selection process and should serve as a model for making the interview process less expensive and time-consuming for both candidates and faculty.

Individual Stress Management Coursework in Canadian Teacher Preparation Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Gregory E.

2011-01-01

Teacher stress is a significant issue facing the teaching profession. The current paper explores individual stress management as a viable option to address stress in this profession. Specifically, Canadian teacher education programs are examined to identify the prevalence of pre-service teacher education courses focused on individual stress…

Profile of the International Work of Canadian Universities=Profil de la collaboration internationale des universites Canadiennes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstone, Jennifer, Ed.; Gibbs, Darlene, Ed.

This directory describes international cooperation programs at 66 Canadian colleges and universities. Listed alphabetically, each institution briefly summarizes its international initiatives, provides information on the history and administrative structure of the international activities, includes a list of programs, and provides contact…

E-Democracy and E-Government: How Will These Affect Libraries?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pare, Richard

In the late 1980s, when few Canadian citizens had Internet access, federal departments and agencies in Canada were already preparing for the future by putting information and documentation online. This paper outlines several government-sponsored programs--SchoolNet, the Canadian Investment Fund, Community Access Program, Canada Foundation for…

Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: Results of the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program and review of the literature

PubMed Central

Campbell, Craig; Levin, Simon; Humphreys, Peter; Walop, Wikke; Brannan, Renee

2005-01-01

Background Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) is so rare in developed countries with measles immunization programs that national active surveillance is now needed to capture sufficient number of cases for meaningful analysis of data. Through the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP), the SSPE study was able to document a national incidence and determine the epidemiology of affected Canadian children. Methods Between 1997 and 2000, the CPSP surveyed monthly 1978 to 2294 Canadian pediatricians and sub-specialists for SSPE cases. The response rate varied from 82–86% over those years. Results Altogether, four SSPE cases were reported to the CPSP: one case before, two during and one after the study period. The incidence of SSPE in Canadian children was 0.06/million children/year. Of the four cases, diagnosed between ages four and 17 years, three children had measles infection in infancy. All children showed a progressive course of dementia, loss of motor skills and epilepsy. Two children were treated with isoprinosine and intraventricular interferon but died in less than three years from disease onset. One child did not have any treatment and died after seven years of illness. One child received intraventricular ribavirin and remains alive, but markedly impaired, nine years following diagnosis. Conclusion The CPSP has demonstrated that Canadian paediatricians and paediatric neurologists may encounter cases of SSPE. This report highlights the clinical course of affected Canadian children and provides a review of the disease and its management. PMID:16356180

Impacts of climate changes on ocean surface gravity waves over the eastern Canadian shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Lanli; Sheng, Jinyu

2017-05-01

A numerical study is conducted to investigate the impact of climate changes on ocean surface gravity waves over the eastern Canadian shelf (ECS). The "business-as-usual" climate scenario known as Representative Concentration Pathway RCP8.5 is considered in this study. Changes in the ocean surface gravity waves over the study region for the period 1979-2100 are examined based on 3 hourly ocean waves simulated by the third-generation ocean wave model known as WAVEWATCHIII. The wave model is driven by surface winds and ice conditions produced by the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CanRCM4). The whole study period is divided into the present (1979-2008), near future (2021-2050) and far future (2071-2100) periods to quantify possible future changes of ocean waves over the ECS. In comparison with the present ocean wave conditions, the time-mean significant wave heights ( H s ) are expected to increase over most of the ECS in the near future and decrease over this region in the far future period. The time-means of the annual 5% largest H s are projected to increase over the ECS in both near and far future periods due mainly to the changes in surface winds. The future changes in the time-means of the annual 5% largest H s and 10-m wind speeds are projected to be twice as strong as the changes in annual means. An analysis of inverse wave ages suggests that the occurrence of wind seas is projected to increase over the southern Labrador and central Newfoundland Shelves in the near future period, and occurrence of swells is projected to increase over other areas of the ECS in both the near and far future periods.

The influence of competition between plant functional types in the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM) v. 2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melton, Joe; Arora, Vivek

2015-04-01

The Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM) is the interactive vegetation component in the earth system modelling framework of the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis (CCCma). In its current framework, CTEM uses prescribed fractional coverage of plant functional types (PFTs) in each grid cell. In reality, vegetation cover is continually adjusting to changes in climate, atmospheric composition, and anthropogenic forcing, for example, through human-caused fires and CO2 fertilization. These changes in vegetation spatial patterns occur over timescales of years to centuries as tree migration is a slow process and vegetation distributions inherently have inertia. Here, we present version 2.0 of CTEM that includes a representation of competition between PFTs through a modified version of the Lotka-Volterra (L-V) predator-prey equations. The simulated areal extents of CTEM's seven non-crop PFTs are compared with available observation-based estimates, and simulations using unmodified L-V equations (similar to other models like TRIFFID), to demonstrate that the model is able to represent the broad spatial distributions of its seven PFTs at the global scale. Differences remain, however, since representing the multitude of plant species with just seven non-crop PFTs only allows the large scale climatic controls on the distributions of PFTs to be captured. As expected, PFTs that exist in climate niches are difficult to represent either due to the coarse spatial resolution of the model and the corresponding driving climate or the limited number of PFTs used to model the terrestrial ecosystem processes. The geographic and zonal distributions of primary terrestrial carbon pools and fluxes from the versions of CTEM that use prescribed and dynamically simulated fractional coverage of PFTs compare reasonably with each other and observation-based estimates. These results illustrate that the parametrization of competition between PFTs in CTEM behaves in a reasonably realistic manner while the use of unmodified L-V equations results in unrealistic plant distributions.

Circumpolar Genetic Structure and Recent Gene Flow of Polar Bears: A Reanalysis

PubMed Central

Malenfant, René M.; Davis, Corey S.; Cullingham, Catherine I.; Coltman, David W.

2016-01-01

Recently, an extensive study of 2,748 polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from across their circumpolar range was published in PLOS ONE, which used microsatellites and mitochondrial haplotypes to apparently show altered population structure and a dramatic change in directional gene flow towards the Canadian Archipelago—an area believed to be a future refugium for polar bears as their southernmost habitats decline under climate change. Although this study represents a major international collaborative effort and promised to be a baseline for future genetics work, methodological shortcomings and errors of interpretation undermine some of the study’s main conclusions. Here, we present a reanalysis of this data in which we address some of these issues, including: (1) highly unbalanced sample sizes and large amounts of systematically missing data; (2) incorrect calculation of FST and of significance levels; (3) misleading estimates of recent gene flow resulting from non-convergence of the program BayesAss. In contrast to the original findings, in our reanalysis we find six genetic clusters of polar bears worldwide: the Hudson Bay Complex, the Western and Eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the Western and Eastern Polar Basin, and—importantly—we reconfirm the presence of a unique and possibly endangered cluster of bears in Norwegian Bay near Canada’s expected last sea-ice refugium. Although polar bears’ abundance, distribution, and population structure will certainly be negatively affected by ongoing—and increasingly rapid—loss of Arctic sea ice, these genetic data provide no evidence of strong directional gene flow in response to recent climate change. PMID:26974333

International electives in neurology training: a survey of US and Canadian program directors.

PubMed

Lyons, Jennifer L; Coleman, Mary E; Engstrom, John W; Mateen, Farrah J

2014-01-14

To ascertain the current status of global health training and humanitarian relief opportunities in US and Canadian postgraduate neurology programs. There is a growing interest among North American trainees to pursue medical electives in low- and middle-income countries. Such training opportunities provide many educational and humanitarian benefits but also pose several challenges related to organization, human resources, funding, and trainee and patient safety. The current support and engagement of neurology postgraduate training programs for trainees to pursue international rotations is unknown. A survey was distributed to all program directors in the United States and Canada (December 2012-February 2013) through the American Academy of Neurology to assess the training opportunities, institutional partnerships, and support available for international neurology electives. Approximately half of responding programs (53%) allow residents to pursue global health-related electives, and 11% reported that at least 1 trainee participated in humanitarian relief during training (survey response rate 61%, 143/234 program directors). Canadian programs were more likely to allow residents to pursue international electives than US programs (10/11, 91% vs 65/129, 50%, p = 0.023). The number of trainees participating in international electives was low: 0%-9% of residents (55% of programs) and 10%-19% of residents (21% of programs). Lack of funding was the most commonly cited reason for residents not participating in global health electives. If funding was available, 93% of program directors stated there would be time for residents to participate. Most program directors (75%) were interested in further information on global health electives. In spite of high perceived interest, only half of US neurology training programs include international electives, mostly due to a reported lack of funding. By contrast, the majority of Canadian programs that responded allow international electives, likely due to clearer guidelines from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada compared to the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education. However, the number of both Canadian and US neurology trainees venturing abroad remains a minority. Most program directors are interested in learning more information related to global health electives for neurology residents.

Problem-Based Learning in Canadian Undergraduate and Continuing Medical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jubien, Peggy

2008-01-01

This article provides an overview of problem-based learning (PBL) in Canadian undergraduate medical education and continuing medical education (CME) programs. The CME field in Canada is described, and the major professional associations that require physicians to take annual courses and programs are noted. A brief history of PBL in undergraduate…

Social Justice or Status Quo? Blended Learning in a Western Canadian Teacher Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snow, Kathy

2016-01-01

Sustainable pre-service teacher education is needed to encourage academic success for under-represented populations, through both culturally responsive and alternative programming options (Carr-Stewart, Balzer, & Cottrell, 2013). In 2013, the Western Canadian University that served as the basis for this case study, implemented a blended…

Interprofessional Education in Canadian Nursing Programs and Implications for Continuing Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donato, Emily; Lightfoot, Nancy; Carter, Lorraine; MacEwan, Leigh

2016-01-01

In 2010, the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, the accrediting body for nursing programs in Canada, became part of the Accreditation of Interprofessional Health Education initiative. In turn, interprofessional education (IPE) is now a requirement in nursing curricula. Although the requirement is formally in place, how it is achieved…

Revenue-Generating Language Programs at Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions: Emerging Themes from a Documentation Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Sarah Elaine; Goddard, J. Tim

2008-01-01

This presentation identifies emerging themes in a study combining documentation analysis (Atkinson & Coffey, 2004) and interviews that examine policy statements, promotional materials and various institutional documents from selected English as a Second Language (ESL) programs at one Canadian University. It looks at how and why ESL programs…

The Canadian Canoe Museum: A Place of Wonder and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horwood, Bert

2001-01-01

The Canadian Canoe Museum evokes the essence of canoe with outdoor sound effects and galleries that trace the history of canoes, honor Native arts and crafts, and present current recreational uses of canoes. Experiential educational programs include core programs keyed to curriculum expectations and related optional experiences including basketry,…

Prevalence and factors related to Canadian workplace health programs.

PubMed

Macdonald, Scott; Csiernik, Richard; Durand, Pierre; Rylett, Margaret; Wild, T Cameron

2006-01-01

This study documented the prevalence and factors related to workplace health programs in Canada, including Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), drug testing programs, and Health Promotion Programs (HPPs). A representative sample of 565 Human Resources Managers at worksites with 100 or more employees across Canada completed a questionnaire on the worksite characteristics and the types of programs at their workplace (response rate = 79.8%). EAPs were established in 67.8% of sampled worksites (95% CI: 63.9%-71.7%). The proportion of worksites with EAPs varied significantly across work sectors (p<0.001) but not across regions of Canada. Worksites with EAPs had significantly (p<0.001) fewer visible minorities and had more unionized employees (p<0.001) than worksites without EAPs. For drug-testing programs, about 10.3% of Canadian worksites have them (95% CI: 7.8%-12.8%). Significant differences were noted across regions (p<0.001) with Alberta most likely to have such programs (25.4%) and Ontario least likely (4.6%). Also, safety-sensitive worksites and those with United States ownership were significantly (p<0.05) more likely to have drug testing. The most common type of HPP was fitness programs (29.4%) and the least common was day/elder care programs (5.5%). Fitness programs were most common in the Eastern provinces and least common in Quebec. Overall, Canadian worksites favour a health promotion and treatment approach over a deterrence approach for addressing health and substance use issues in the workplace. Workplace health programs were related to several factors that have created an uneven system of health promotion, treatment and deterrence in Canadian worksites.

Accounts from 19th-century Canadian Arctic explorers' logs reflect present climate conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overland, James E.; Wood, Kevin

The widely perceived failure of 19th-century expeditions to find and transit the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic is often attributed to extraordinary cold climatic conditions associated with the “Little Ice Age” evident in proxy records. However, examination of 44 explorers' logs for the western Arctic from 1818 to 1910 reveals that climate indicators such as navigability, the distribution and thickness of annual sea ice, monthly surface air temperature, and the onset of melt and freeze were within the present range of variability.The quest for the Northwest Passage through the Canadian archipelago during the 19th century is frequently seen as a vain and tragic failure. Polar exploration during the Victorian era seems to us today to have been a costly exercise in heroic futility, which in many respects it was. This perspective has been reinforced since the 1970s, when paleoclimate reconstructions based on Arctic ice core stratigraphy appeared to confirm the existence of exceptionally cold conditions consistent with the period glaciologists had termed the “Little Ice Age” (Figure 1a), with temperatures more than one standard deviation colder relative to an early 20th-century mean [Koerner, 1977; Koerner and Fisher, 1990; Overpeck et al., 1998]. In recent years, the view of the Little Ice Age as a synchronous worldwide and prolonged cold epoch that ended with modern warming has been questioned [Bradley and Jones, 1993; Jones and Briffa, 2001 ;Ogilvie, 2001].

The Red River College model: enhancing success of Native Canadian and other nursing students from disenfranchised groups.

PubMed

Labun, Evelyn

2002-10-01

The recruitment and retention of students from culturally diverse backgrounds remains a critical issue in nursing education. This article describes one program that was very successful in helping Native Canadian and other disenfranchised students succeed academically in nursing. The program design and operation as well as issues related to recruitment and retention of these students are presented. Many aspects of this program are now incorporated into the baccalaureate nursing program in the college.

Investing in Upskilling: Gains for Individuals, Employers and Government. Summary Manitoba

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2012

2012-01-01

Canadians share a common interest in finding ways to raise incomes and reduce dependence on income support programs. Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) and DataAngel Policy Research Incorporated have produced a report that explores the potential of an investment in adult literacy to simultaneously raise Canadians' earnings and reduce…

Investing in Upskilling: Gains for Individuals, Employers and Government. Summary British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2012

2012-01-01

Canadians share a common interest in finding ways to raise incomes and reduce dependence on income support programs. Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) and DataAngel Policy Research Incorporated have produced a report that explores the potential of an investment in adult literacy to simultaneously raise Canadians' earnings and reduce…

Investing in Upskilling: Gains for Individuals, Employers and Government. Summary Quebec

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2012

2012-01-01

Canadians share a common interest in finding ways to raise incomes and reduce dependence on income support programs. Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) and DataAngel Policy Research Incorporated have produced a report that explores the potential of an investment in adult literacy to simultaneously raise Canadians' earnings and reduce…

Investing in Upskilling: Gains for Individuals, Employers and Government. Summary New Brunswick

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2012

2012-01-01

Canadians share a common interest in finding ways to raise incomes and reduce dependence on income support programs. Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) and DataAngel Policy Research Incorporated have produced a report that explores the potential of an investment in adult literacy to simultaneously raise Canadians earnings and reduce…

Investing in Upskilling: Gains for Individuals, Employers and Government. Summary Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2012

2012-01-01

Canadians share a common interest in finding ways to raise incomes and reduce dependence on income support programs. Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) and DataAngel Policy Research Incorporated have produced a report that explores the potential of an investment in adult literacy to simultaneously raise Canadians earnings and reduce…

Investing in Upskilling: Gains for Individuals, Employers and Government. Summary Alberta

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2012

2012-01-01

Canadians share a common interest in finding ways to raise incomes and reduce dependence on income support programs. Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) and DataAngel Policy Research Incorporated have produced a report that explores the potential of an investment in adult literacy to simultaneously raise Canadians earnings and reduce…

Investing in Upskilling: Gains for Individuals, Employers and Government. Summary Nova Scotia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2012

2012-01-01

Canadians share a common interest in finding ways to raise incomes and reduce dependence on income support programs. Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) and DataAngel Policy Research Incorporated have produced a report that explores the potential of an investment in adult literacy to simultaneously raise Canadians' earnings and reduce…

Investing in Upskilling: Gains for Individuals, Employers and Government. Summary Saskatchewan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2012

2012-01-01

Canadians share a common interest in finding ways to raise incomes and reduce dependence on income support programs. Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) and DataAngel Policy Research Incorporated have produced a report that explores the potential of an investment in adult literacy to simultaneously raise Canadians' earnings and reduce…

Investing in Upskilling: Gains for Individuals, Employers and Government. Summary Ontario

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2012

2012-01-01

Canadians share a common interest in finding ways to raise incomes and reduce dependence on income support programs. Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) and DataAngel Policy Research Incorporated have produced a report that explores the potential of an investment in adult literacy to simultaneously raise Canadians' earnings and reduce…

International Perspectives: Polish Post-Secondary Vocational Schools and Canadian Community Colleges: A Comparison Using an Information Technology Conceptual Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Norman L.; Davidson, Barry S.; Pachocinski, Ryszard; Griffith, Kimberly Grantham; Kritsonis, William Allan

2007-01-01

This study compares Polish post-secondary vocational institutions with Canadian community colleges using an information technology conceptual framework. The research concentrated upon programs in information technology delivered by one Polish school Cracow School of Information Technology and two Canadian community colleges Durham (Oshawa,…

Similarities and Differences: Post-Secondary (Grammar) Vocational Schools in Poland and Canadian Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Norman L.; Davidson, Barry S.; Pachocinski, Ryszard; Kritsonis, William Allan

2006-01-01

This article compares Polish post-secondary vocational (grammar) schools with Canadian community colleges. Recent changes in Polish schooling and Canadian government initiatives drive this work. Accessibility, governance and programs are discussed. The theoretical framework for this comparison was supplied by the notion of the school as an…

Canadian Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery clerkship curricula: evolving toward tomorrow’s learners

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Increasing focus is being placed on Clerkship curriculum design and implementation in light of new undergraduate medical education research and accreditation standards. Canadian Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OTOHNS) Clerkship programs are continually but independently evolving towards a common goal of improving Clerkship curriculum. Methods An electronic survey was sent to undergraduate OTOHNS directors at all Canadian medical schools (n = 17) examining their Clerkship curricula. Themes included Clerkship format, teaching methods, faculty support and development, program strengths, and barriers. Results Survey response rate was 76%. All responding schools had OTOHNS Clerkship programs ranging in type (mandatory, selective or elective) and length (<1 to 4 weeks). Learning modalities varied. Electronic learning tools were identified as increasingly important to curriculum delivery. Common strengths included wide clinical exposure and one-on-one mentoring. Multiple challenges were identified in curriculum implementation and evaluation. All schools expressed interest in developing national standards, objectives and e-learning resources. Conclusions Significant variation exists in OTOHNS Clerkship experiences between Canadian medical schools. Many schools perceive barriers of insufficient time, space and curriculum standardization. Interested Canadian OTOHNS educators are eager to collaborate to improve the collective OTOHNS Clerkship experience. PMID:23663703

Realization of entry-to-practice milestones by Canadians who studied medicine abroad and other international medical graduates: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Mathews, Maria; Kandar, Rima; Slade, Steve; Yi, Yanqing; Beardall, Sue; Bourgeault, Ivy

2017-06-19

International medical graduates must realize a series of milestones to obtain full licensure. We examined the realization of milestones by Canadian and non-Canadian graduates of Western or Caribbean medical schools, and Canadian and non-Canadian graduates from other medical schools. Using the National IMG Database (data available for 2005-2011), we created 2 cohorts: 1) international medical graduates who had passed the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part I between 2005 and 2010 and 2) those who had first entered a family medicine postgraduate program between 2005 and 2009, or had first entered a specialty postgraduate program in 2005 or 2006. We examined 3 entry-to-practice milestones; obtaining a postgraduate position, passing the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part II and obtaining a specialty designation. Of the 6925 eligible graduates in cohort 1, 2144 (31.0%) had obtained a postgraduate position. Of the 1214 eligible graduates in cohort 2, 1126 (92.8%) had passed the Qualifying Examination Part II, and 889 (73.2%) had obtained a specialty designation. In multivariate analyses, Canadian graduates of Western or Caribbean medical schools (odds ratio [OR] 4.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.82-5.71) and Canadian graduates of other medical schools (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.31-1.70) were more likely to obtain a postgraduate position than non-Canadian graduates of other (not Western or Caribbean) medical schools. There was no difference among the groups in passing the Qualifying Examination Part II or obtaining a specialty designation. Canadians who studied abroad were more likely than other international medical graduates to obtain a postgraduate position; there were no differences among the groups in realizing milestones once in a postgraduate program. These findings support policies that do not distinguish postgraduate applicants by citizenship or permanent residency status before medical school. Copyright 2017, Joule Inc. or its licensors.

Summary of the Panel Discussion on Modern Language Teaching Methods and Techniques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Ruth; And Others

Each panelist described the program in his school or district. Donald Fraser discussed the elementary school French program in North Vancouver which started in October 1974 and includes ten pilot schools. Classes are held for twenty minutes each day. The materials used were written by Canadian authors and have considerable Canadian content.…

Project Real World: Economic Living Skills for High School Students. Module I, The Canadian Marketplace and You.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal/Provincial Consumer Education and Plain Language Task Force (Canada).

Project Real World, a self-contained, activity-based Canadian consumer science program, provides students with systematic instruction in economic living skills. It gives students in grades 10-12 an orientation to the economic realities and opportunities in society. The program helps students function effectively within the rapidly changing…

Who Stays and for How Long: Examining Attrition in Canadian Graduate Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeClou, Lindsay

2016-01-01

Attrition from Canadian graduate programs is a point of concern on a societal, institutional, and individual level. To improve retention in graduate school, a better understanding of what leads to withdrawal needs to be reached. This paper uses logistic regression and discrete-time survival analysis with time-varying covariates to analyze data…

ParticipACTION: Baseline assessment of the capacity available to the 'New ParticipACTION': A qualitative study of Canadian organizations.

PubMed

Faulkner, Guy; McCloy, Cora; Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Bauman, Adrian; Brawley, Larry R; Chad, Karen; Gauvin, Lise; Spence, John C; Tremblay, Mark S

2009-12-09

Evaluation of the original ParticipACTION campaign effects focused on individual awareness, recall, and understanding. Less studied has been the impact such campaigns have had on the broader organizational capacity to mobilize and advocate for physical activity. With the relaunch of ParticipACTION, the purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore baseline organizational capacity to promote physical activity messages, programs, and services within the Canadian context. Using a purposeful sampling strategy, we conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 49 key informants representing a range of national, provincial, and local organizations with a mandate to promote physical activity. Interview data were analysed using a thematic analytic approach. Key informants painted a generally positive picture of current organizational capacity to promote physical activity messages, programs, and services in Canada. Will and leadership were clear strengths while infrastructure limitations remained the greatest concern. Some specific challenges included: 1) funding issues: the absence of core funding in a climate of shifting funding priorities; 2) the difficulty of working without a national physical activity policy (lack of leadership); 3) inconsistent provincial and educational sector level policies; and 4) a persistent focus on obesity rather than physical inactivity. The data generated here can be utilized to monitor the future impact of ParticipACTION on enhancing and utilizing this organizational capacity. A range of indicators are suggested that could be used to illustrate ParticipACTION's impact on the broad field of physical activity promotion in the future.

Simulations of the Montréal urban heat island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberge, François; Sushama, Laxmi; Fanta, Gemechu

2017-04-01

The current population of Montreal is around 3.8 million and this number is projected to go up in the coming years to decades, which will lead to vast expansion of urban areas. It is well known that urban morphology impacts weather and climate, and therefore should be taken into consideration in urban planning. This is particularly important in the context of a changing climate, as the intensity and frequency of temperature extremes such as hot spells are projected to increase in future climate, and Urban Heat Island (UHI) can potentially raise already stressful temperatures during such events, which can have significant effects on human health and energy consumption. High-resolution regional climate model simulations can be utilized to understand better urban-weather/climate interactions in current and future climates, particularly the spatio-temporal characteristics of the Urban Heat Island and its impact on other weather/climate characteristics such as urban flows, precipitation etc. This paper will focus on two high-resolution (250 m) simulations performed with (1) the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) and (2) CLASS and TEB (Town Energy Balance) model; TEB is a single layer urban canopy model and is used to model the urban fractions. The two simulations are performed over a domain covering Montreal for the 1960-2015 period, driven by atmospheric forcing data coming from a high-resolution Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5) simulation, driven by ERA-Interim. The two simulations are compared to assess the impact of urban regions on selected surface fields and the simulation with both CLASS and TEB is then used to study the spatio-temporal characteristics of the UHI over the study domain. Some preliminary results from a coupled simulation, i.e. CRCM5+CLASS+TEB, for selected years, including extreme warm years, will also be presented.

Curbing Early-Career Teacher Attrition: A Pan-Canadian Document Analysis of Teacher Induction and Mentorship Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutsyuruba, Benjamin; Tregunna, Leigha

2014-01-01

Over the past two decades, the phenomenon of teachers abandoning the profession has been noted internationally, and has increasingly caught the attention of policy makers and educational leaders. Despite this awareness, no pan-Canadian statistics or comprehensive reviews are available. This paper reports on the exploratory, pan-Canadian document…

Investing in Upskilling: Gains for Individuals, Employers and Government. Summary Prince Edward Island

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2012

2012-01-01

Canadians share a common interest in finding ways to raise incomes and reduce dependence on income support programs. Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) and DataAngel Policy Research Incorporated have produced a report that explores the potential of an investment in adult literacy to simultaneously raise Canadians' earnings and reduce…

Chiral chemicals as tracers of atmospheric sources and fate processes in a world of changing climate.

PubMed

F Bidleman, Terry; M Jantunen, Liisa; Binnur Kurt-Karakus, Perihan; Wong, Fiona; Hung, Hayley; Ma, Jianmin; Stern, Gary; Rosenberg, Bruno

2013-01-01

Elimination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under national and international regulations reduces "primary" emissions, but "secondary" emissions continue from residues deposited in soil, water, ice and vegetation during former years of usage. In a future, secondary source controlled world, POPs will follow the carbon cycle and biogeochemical processes will determine their transport, accumulation and fate. Climate change is likely to affect mobilisation of POPs through e.g., increased temperature, altered precipitation and wind patterns, flooding, loss of ice cover in polar regions, melting glaciers, and changes in soil and water microbiology which affect degradation and transformation. Chiral compounds offer advantages for following transport and fate pathways because of their ability to distinguish racemic (newly released or protected from microbial attack) and nonracemic (microbially degraded) sources. This paper discusses the rationale for this approach and suggests applications where chiral POPs could aid investigation of climate-mediated exchange and degradation processes. Multiyear measurements of two chiral POPs, trans-chlordane and α-HCH, at a Canadian Arctic air monitoring station show enantiomer compositions which cycle seasonally, suggesting varying source contributions which may be under climatic control. Large-scale shifts in the enantioselective metabolism of chiral POPs in soil and water might influence the enantiomer composition of atmospheric residues, and it would be advantageous to include enantiospecific analysis in POPs monitoring programs.

Chiral Chemicals as Tracers of Atmospheric Sources and Fate Processes in a World of Changing Climate

PubMed Central

F. Bidleman, Terry; M. Jantunen, Liisa; Binnur Kurt-Karakus, Perihan; Wong, Fiona; Hung, Hayley; Ma, Jianmin; Stern, Gary; Rosenberg, Bruno

2013-01-01

Elimination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under national and international regulations reduces “primary” emissions, but “secondary” emissions continue from residues deposited in soil, water, ice and vegetation during former years of usage. In a future, secondary source controlled world, POPs will follow the carbon cycle and biogeochemical processes will determine their transport, accumulation and fate. Climate change is likely to affect mobilisation of POPs through e.g., increased temperature, altered precipitation and wind patterns, flooding, loss of ice cover in polar regions, melting glaciers, and changes in soil and water microbiology which affect degradation and transformation. Chiral compounds offer advantages for following transport and fate pathways because of their ability to distinguish racemic (newly released or protected from microbial attack) and nonracemic (microbially degraded) sources. This paper discusses the rationale for this approach and suggests applications where chiral POPs could aid investigation of climate-mediated exchange and degradation processes. Multiyear measurements of two chiral POPs, trans-chlordane and α-HCH, at a Canadian Arctic air monitoring station show enantiomer compositions which cycle seasonally, suggesting varying source contributions which may be under climatic control. Large-scale shifts in the enantioselective metabolism of chiral POPs in soil and water might influence the enantiomer composition of atmospheric residues, and it would be advantageous to include enantiospecific analysis in POPs monitoring programs. PMID:24349938

Exploring Resilience of Canadian Rivers to Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creed, I. F.; Paltsev, A.; Accatino, F.; Aldred, D. A.; Guo, J.; Lehner, B.; Ouellet Dallaire, C. O.

2015-12-01

Climate change is leading to a hydrological intensification (i.e., wet areas and periods are becoming wetter; dry areas and periods are becoming drier). Impacts of climate change across Canada will vary, and Canadians would benefit from insights as to where these impacts will occur and what these impacts will be in order to be in a position to effectively respond to these changes. Resilience is a term that is often used - and occasionally misused. We make the distinction between engineering resilience and ecological resilience. Engineering resilience assumes that a system may exist in only one stable equilibrium state, and measures the system's resistance to change. In contrast, ecological resilience assumes that a system may exist in multiple equilibrium states and measures the magnitude of change a system can absorb before shifting from one equilibrium state to another. We adopt the concept of engineering resilience and explore the ability of riverscapes (rivers and their watersheds) to maintain or quickly return to an equilibrium state in response to changing climatic conditions. We use the Budyko curve to examine interactions of climate and water yield in riverscapes across Canada. The Budyko curve describes the relationship between a riverscape's potential evapotranspiration (PET) and its actual evapotranspiration (AET) both normalized by precipitation (P) - i.e., the curve describes AET/P as a function of PET/P. We define elasticity is a measure of a system's ability to maintain this relationship consistent with the Budyko curve as climate changes (ratio of range of PET/P to range of AET/P between different climate periods). We classify each riverscape as resilient (elasticity > 1) or non-resilient (elasticity ≤ 1) in response to climate change - exploring both past and future climate change scenarios. This Budyko approach enables us to characterize the resilience of riverscapes, predict their vulnerability to climate change, and propose management measures that will enable societies to adapt to climate change.

Consideration of land-use and land-cover changes in the projection of climate extremes over North America by the end of the twenty-first century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandru, Adelina

2018-03-01

Changes in the essential climate extremes indices and surface variables for the end of the twenty-first century are assessed in this study based on two transient climate change simulations, with and without land-use and land-cover changes (LULCC), but identical atmospheric forcing. The two simulations are performed with the 5th generation of the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5) driven by the Canadian Earth System Model for the (2006-2100)-Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) scenario. For the simulation with LULCC, land-cover data sets are taken from the global change assessment model (GCAM) representing the RCP4.5 scenario for the period 2006-2100. LULCC in RCP4.5 scenario suggest significant reduction in cultivated land (e.g. Canadian Prairies and Mississippi basin) due to afforestation. CRCM5 climate projections imply a general warming by the end of the twenty-first century, especially over the northern regions in winter. CRCM5 projects more warm spell-days per year over most areas of the continent, and implicitly more summer days and tropical nights at the expense of cold-spell, frost and ice days whose number is projected to decrease by up to 40% by the end of the twenty-first century with respect to the baseline period 1971-2000. Most land areas north of 45°N, in all seasons, as well as the southeastern United States in summer, exhibit increases in mean precipitation under the RCP4.5 scenario. In contrast, central parts of the continent in summer and much of Mexico in all seasons show reduced precipitation. In addition, large areas of North America exhibit changes of 10 to 40% (depending on the season and geographical location) in the number of heavy precipitation days. Results also suggest that the biogeophysical effects of LULCC on climate, assessed through differences between the two simulations, lead to warmer regional climates, especially in winter. The investigation of processes leading to this response shows high sensitivity of the results to changes in albedo as a response to LULCC. Overall, at the seasonal scale, results show that intense afforestation may contribute to an additional 25% of projected changes.

A Decade of Evolution in the Practice Teaching Component of a Canadian Teacher Education Program: What Drove Change, What Insights Were Gleaned, and What Challenges Lie Ahead

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benson, Fiona; Hooton, Kate

2014-01-01

This paper explores the many and diverse factors that have driven changes to the field-based component of a program of teacher education in a large Canadian university over the past 10 years. We look at key contexts of influence to any work in program change; that of internal and external bodies at the institutional level, the operational or…

Research awards program of the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society/Canadian Anesthesia Research Foundation: survey of past recipients.

PubMed

Miller, Donald R; Wozny, Denise

2007-04-01

To review the effectiveness of the Research Grants, Career Scientist Award and Fellowship Program (RGCSFP) of the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society (CAS)/Canadian Anesthesia Research Foundation (CARF) by surveying past recipients. The CAS Research Committee database of past RGCSFP recipients was reviewed to identify all past award recipients from the time of program inception in 1985 until the year 2005. A questionnaire was mailed to all past recipients with retrievable addresses. The questionnaire asked specific questions regarding past and current research, publications, grant procurement and mentoring of trainees. In addition, opinions regarding the program's effectiveness were solicited. Of the 100 mailed survey forms, 66 (66%) were completed and returned. The number of original published articles per respondent was 30.1 +/- 28.5 (mean +/- SD) at the time of the survey, and the life-time number of all publication types was 38.5 +/- 34.6. Cumulative research funding increased in relation to the number of years in research, and amongst past recipients with > 15 years in research, individual research funding from all sources was $585,747 +/- $773,716. Ninety-six percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the program was valuable. The RGCSFP has supported a large number of new and established anesthesia investigators in Canada, and these individuals have demonstrated high research productivity. The program is considered to be very valuable according to past recipients.

Climate Change and West Nile Virus in a Highly Endemic Region of North America

PubMed Central

Chen, Chen C.; Jenkins, Emily; Epp, Tasha; Waldner, Cheryl; Curry, Philip S.; Soos, Catherine

2013-01-01

The Canadian prairie provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta have reported the highest human incidence of clinical cases of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in Canada. The primary vector for WVN in this region is the mosquito Culex tarsalis. This study used constructed models and biological thresholds to predict the spatial and temporal distribution of Cx. tarsalis and WNV infection rate in the prairie provinces under a range of potential future climate and habitat conditions. We selected one median and two extreme outcome scenarios to represent future climate conditions in the 2020 (2010–2039), 2050 (2040–2069) and 2080 (2070–2099) time slices. In currently endemic regions, the projected WNV infection rate under the median outcome scenario in 2050 raised 17.91 times (ranged from 1.29-27.45 times for all scenarios and time slices) comparing to current climate conditions. Seasonal availability of Cx. tarsalis infected with WNV extended from June to August to include May and September. Moreover, our models predicted northward range expansion for Cx. tarsalis (1.06–2.56 times the current geographic area) and WNV (1.08–2.34 times the current geographic area). These findings predict future public and animal health risk of WNV in the Canadian prairie provinces. PMID:23880729

Does sex affect the success rate of Canadian ophthalmology residency applicants?

PubMed

Baerlocher, Mark O; Noble, Jason

2006-04-01

Despite equalization of the ratio of men and women among matriculating medical students, it is possible that different rates of success for applicants at the level of resident selection in the annual residency match may occur on the basis of sex. As part of a larger project, we examined this issue across the medical specialties. In the current article, the effect of sex on resident selection within the specialty of ophthalmology is explored. Data were obtained from the Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Institute for Health Information, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Canadian Ophthalmological Society, and Canadian Residency Matching Service regarding sex- and age-specific demographics, as well as success rates for male and female applicants ranking an ophthalmology residency program as their top choice. The proportion of men who ranked ophthalmology as their top choice but did not match to any ophthalmology program was compared to the corresponding proportion of women. The female: male ratio of practicing ophthalmologists has slowly increased over the past decade and is highest (0.41:1) within the under-45 age group. By grouping data from 1993 to 2004, we found that men who ranked an ophthalmology program as their first choice had odds of not being accepted to an ophthalmology program that were 1.1 times (95% confidence interval 0.8-2.0; p=0.34) the corresponding odds for women. Our data suggest that discrimination on the basis of sex does not occur at the level of residency selection. The lower level of female recruitment may be due to decreased interest in this specialty among women. Nonetheless, the proportion of female ophthalmologists within the Canadian workforce continues to increase.

Controlling the Cost of Drugs: the Canadian Experience

PubMed Central

Fulda, Thomas K.; Dickens, Paul F.

1979-01-01

In 1969 Canada began programs at both the national and provincial levels to lower prescription drug prices. These programs may have contributed to a significant decline between 1970 and 1974 of 39 percent in the average price of 16 drugs selected for study. During this time, the average price for the same drugs in the United States declined only 1.4 percent. One major program, a change in the compulsory patent licensing, is described and analyzed. Other Canadian programs, designed to promote competition in the drug industry, and their effects are discussed. PMID:10309114

Benchmarking 10 Major Canadian Universities at the Divisional Level: A Powerful Tool for Strategic Decision Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proulx, Roland

2010-01-01

A consortium of 10 Canadian research-intensive universities launched a data exchange program in 1999 to share information that could be used to identify and evaluate the best practices of each institution and to help each institution position itself strategically to achieve its mission. One part of the program was devoted to collecting…

Inclusion of Students with Special Education Needs in French as a Second Language Programs: A Review of Canadian Policy and Resource Documents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muhling, Stefanie; Mady, Callie

2017-01-01

This article describes a document analysis of policy and resource documents pertaining to inclusion of students with special education needs (SSEN) in Canadian French as a Second Language (FSL) programs. By recognizing gaps and acknowledging advancements, we aim to inform current implementation and future development of inclusive policy. Document…

Northern Scientific Training Program: Annual Report, 1999-2000 = Programme de formation scientifique dans le Nord: Rapport annuel, 1999-2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

The Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) is managed by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development as part of its mandate to foster science and technology in the Canadian North. NSTP supports Canadian universities in providing training that gives advanced and graduate students the opportunity to gain professional experience in…

The Program for climate Model diagnosis and Intercomparison: 20-th anniversary Symposium

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

Potter, Gerald L; Bader, David C; Riches, Michael

Twenty years ago, W. Lawrence (Larry) Gates approached the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Research (now the Office of Science) with a plan to coordinate the comparison and documentation of climate model differences. This effort would help improve our understanding of climate change through a systematic approach to model intercomparison. Early attempts at comparing results showed a surprisingly large range in control climate from such parameters as cloud cover, precipitation, and even atmospheric temperature. The DOE agreed to fund the effort at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in part because of the existing computing environment andmore » because of a preexisting atmospheric science group that contained a wide variety of expertise. The project was named the Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison (PCMDI), and it has changed the international landscape of climate modeling over the past 20 years. In spring 2009 the DOE hosted a 1-day symposium to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of PCMDI and to honor its founder, Larry Gates. Through their personal experiences, the morning presenters painted an image of climate science in the 1970s and 1980s, that generated early support from the international community for model intercomparison, thereby bringing PCMDI into existence. Four talks covered Gates's early contributions to climate research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the RAND Corporation, and Oregon State University through the founding of PCMDI to coordinate the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP). The speakers were, in order of presentation, Warren Washington [National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)], Kelly Redmond (Western Regional Climate Center), George Boer (Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis), and Lennart Bengtsson [University of Reading, former director of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)]. The afternoon session emphasized the scientific ideas that are the basis of PCMDI's success, summarizing their evolution and impact. Four speakers followed the various PCMDI-supported climate model intercomparison projects, beginning with early work on cloud representations in models, presented by Robert D. Cess (Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Stony Brook University), and then the latest Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Projects (CFMIPs) led by Sandrine Bony (Laboratoire de M'©t'©orologie Dynamique). Benjamin Santer (LLNL) presented a review of the climate change detection and attribution (D & A) work pioneered at PCMDI, and Gerald A. Meehl (NCAR) ended the day with a look toward the future of climate change research.« less

Modeling the Effects of Climate Change on Whitebark Pine Along the Pacific Crest Trail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, R. S.; Nguyen, A.; Gill, N.; Kannan, S.; Patadia, N.; Meyer, M.; Schmidt, C.

2012-12-01

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), one of eight National Scenic Trails, stretches 2,650 miles from Mexico to the Canadian border. At high elevations along this trail, within Inyo and Sierra National Forests, populations of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) have been diminishing due to infestation of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and are threatened due to a changing climate. Understanding the current and future condition of whitebark pine is a primary goal of forest managers due to its high ecological and economic importance, and it is currently a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Using satellite imagery, we analyzed the rate and spatial extent of whitebark pine tree mortality from 1984 to 2011 using the Landsat-based Detection of Trends in Disturbance and Recovery (LandTrendr) program. Climate data, soil properties, and biological features of the whitebark pine were incorporated in the Physiological Principles to Predict Growth (3-PG) model to predict future rates of growth and assess its applicability in modeling natural whitebark pine processes. Finally, the Random Forest algorithm was used with topographic data alongside recent and future climate data from the IPCC A2 and B1 climate scenarios for the years 2030, 2060, and 2090 to model the future distribution of whitebark pine. LandTrendr results indicate beetle related mortality covering 14,940 km2 of forest, 2,880 km2 of which are within whitebark pine forest. By 2090, our results show that under the A2 climate scenario, whitebark pine suitable habitat may be reduced by as much as 99.97% by the year 2090 within our study area. Under the B1 climate scenario, which has decreased CO2 emissions, 13.54% more habitat would be preserved in 2090.

Strategies for the Canadian Smallsat Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Symonds, M. D.

1993-11-01

Canadian industry working together with government representatives have evolved a strategic approach to defining a proposed Canadian Smallsat Program. The strategy is outlined and a framework is established for subsequent papers on industrial infrastructure and specific missions. The strategic objective is to establish a national capability, providing international leadership, and being a low-cost fast-response supplier in providing total system solutions. A major element of the strategy is a vertically integrated, low cost, team approach combining the expertise of various centers of excellence to provide an end-to-end systems capability. This expertise will address Canadian needs but will be export focused. It is proposed that Canada support a series of missions to establish the industrial infrastructure and demonstrate these capabilities. In selecting the missions, consideration is given to the commercial market factors, but scientific interest in smallsats is also recognized.

Trends in subspecialty training by Canadian ophthalmology graduates.

PubMed

Sivachandran, Nirojini; Noble, Jason; Dollin, Michael; O'Connor, Michael D; Gupta, R Rishi

2016-06-01

To evaluate the trends in subspecialty fellowship training by Canadian ophthalmology graduates over the last 25 years. Cross-sectional study. Canadian-funded, Royal College-certified graduates from 1990 to 2014 who completed a full residency in an English-language Canadian ophthalmology postgraduate training program. Data were obtained by contacting all 11 English-language ophthalmology residency programs across Canada for demographic and fellowship information regarding their graduates. Society web sites were then used to corroborate and complement the data set, including those of the Canadian Ophthalmology Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology, and Provincial Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons. Data were organized by demographic variables, and analysis was performed using SPSS v22.0. Of the 528 graduates from 1990 to 2014, 63.5% pursued fellowship training. Males and females were equally likely to undertake fellowship training. The proportion of graduates obtaining fellowship training did not change significantly during this 25-year period. The most popular subspecialty choices were vitreoretinal surgery (24.5%), glaucoma (16.7%), and anterior segment (16.7%). Significantly more males than females pursued vitreoretinal surgery and oculoplastics fellowships (p = 0.001, χ(2) test), whereas females were more likely to train in a paediatric ophthalmology and strabismus fellowship (p = 0.001, χ(2) test). The majority of ophthalmology graduates from English-language residency programs pursue subspecialty fellowship training. An understanding of trends in fellowship training may be helpful for both workforce planning and career decision making. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2009 Canadian Radiation Oncology Resident Survey

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

Debenham, Brock, E-mail: debenham@ualberta.net; Banerjee, Robyn; Fairchild, Alysa

2012-03-15

Purpose: Statistics from the Canadian post-MD education registry show that numbers of Canadian radiation oncology (RO) trainees have risen from 62 in 1999 to approximately 150 per year between 2003 and 2009, contributing to the current perceived downturn in employment opportunities for radiation oncologists in Canada. When last surveyed in 2003, Canadian RO residents identified job availability as their main concern. Our objective was to survey current Canadian RO residents on their training and career plans. Methods and Materials: Trainees from the 13 Canadian residency programs using the national matching service were sought. Potential respondents were identified through individual programmore » directors or chief resident and were e-mailed a secure link to an online survey. Descriptive statistics were used to report responses. Results: The eligible response rate was 53% (83/156). Similar to the 2003 survey, respondents generally expressed high satisfaction with their programs and specialty. The most frequently expressed perceived weakness in their training differed from 2003, with 46.5% of current respondents feeling unprepared to enter the job market. 72% plan on pursuing a postresidency fellowship. Most respondents intend to practice in Canada. Fewer than 20% of respondents believe that there is a strong demand for radiation oncologists in Canada. Conclusions: Respondents to the current survey expressed significant satisfaction with their career choice and training program. However, differences exist compared with the 2003 survey, including the current perceived lack of demand for radiation oncologists in Canada.« less

Meeting Professional Competencies through Specialized Distance Education: The McMaster University Addiction Studies Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Csiernik, Rick; McGaghran, Christie

2013-01-01

Historically, addiction has been an area in which Canadian social workers have received limited formal education. This reality led to the development of 18 core technical competencies through the auspices of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse in 2006. A survey of Canadian schools and faculties of social work found that social work students…

2003 survey of Canadian radiation oncology residents

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

Yee, Don; Fairchild, Alysa; Keyes, Mira

2005-06-01

Purpose: Radiation oncology's popularity as a career in Canada has surged in the past 5 years. Consequently, resident numbers in Canadian radiation oncology residencies are at all-time highs. This study aimed to survey Canadian radiation oncology residents about their opinions of their specialty and training experiences. Methods and Materials: Residents of Canadian radiation oncology residencies that enroll trainees through the Canadian Resident Matching Service were identified from a national database. Residents were mailed an anonymous survey. Results: Eight of 101 (7.9%) potential respondents were foreign funded. Fifty-two of 101 (51.5%) residents responded. A strong record of graduating its residents wasmore » the most important factor residents considered when choosing programs. Satisfaction with their program was expressed by 92.3% of respondents, and 94.3% expressed satisfaction with their specialty. Respondents planning to practice in Canada totaled 80.8%, and 76.9% plan to have academic careers. Respondents identified job availability and receiving adequate teaching from preceptors during residency as their most important concerns. Conclusions: Though most respondents are satisfied with their programs and specialty, job availability and adequate teaching are concerns. In the future, limited time and resources and the continued popularity of radiation oncology as a career will magnify the challenge of training competent radiation oncologists in Canada.« less

Fortification of Foods with Vitamin D in India

PubMed Central

G, Ritu; Gupta, Ajay

2014-01-01

Vitamin D deficiency is widely prevalent in India, despite abundant sunshine. Fortification of staple foods with vitamin D is a viable strategy to target an entire population. Vitamin D fortification programs implemented in the United States and Canada have improved the vitamin D status in these countries, but a significant proportion of the population is still vitamin D deficient. Before fortification programs are designed and implemented in India, it is necessary to study the efficacy of the American and Canadian vitamin D fortification programs and then improve upon them to suit the Indian scenario. This review explores potential strategies that could be used for the fortification of foods in the Indian context. These strategies have been proposed considering the diverse dietary practices necessitated by social, economic, cultural and religious practices and the diverse climatic conditions in India. Fortification of staple foods, such as chapati flour, maida, rice flour and rice, may be more viable strategies. Targeted fortification strategies to meet the special nutritional needs of children in India are discussed separately in a review entitled, “Fortification of foods with vitamin D in India: Strategies targeted at children”. PMID:25221975

How early can the seeding dates of spring wheat be under current and future climate in Saskatchewan, Canada?

PubMed

He, Yong; Wang, Hong; Qian, Budong; McConkey, Brian; DePauw, Ron

2012-01-01

Shorter growing season and water stress near wheat maturity are the main factors that presumably limit the yield potential of spring wheat due to late seeding in Saskatchewan, Canada. Advancing seeding dates can be a strategy to help producers mitigate the impact of climate change on spring wheat. It is unknown, however, how early farmers can seed while minimizing the risk of spring frost damage and the soil and machinery constraints. This paper explores early seeding dates of spring wheat on the Canadian Prairies under current and projected future climate. To achieve this, (i) weather records from 1961 to 1990 were gathered at three sites with different soil and climate conditions in Saskatchewan, Canada; (ii) four climate databases that included a baseline (treated as historic weather climate during the period of 1961-1990) and three climate change scenarios (2040-2069) developed by the Canadian global climate model (GCM) with the forcing of three greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenarios (A2, A1B and B1); (iii) seeding dates of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under baseline and projected future climate were predicted. Compared with the historical record of seeding dates, the predicted seeding dates were advanced under baseline climate for all sites using our seeding date model. Driven by the predicted temperature increase of the scenarios compared with baseline climate, all climate change scenarios projected significantly earlier seeding dates than those currently used. Compared to the baseline conditions, there is no reduction in grain yield because precipitation increases during sensitive growth stages of wheat, suggesting that there is potential to shift seeding to an earlier date. The average advancement of seeding dates varied among sites and chosen scenarios. The Swift Current (south-west) site has the highest potential for earlier seeding (7 to 11 days) whereas such advancement was small in the Melfort (north-east, 2 to 4 days) region. The extent of projected climate change in Saskatchewan indicates that growers in this region have the potential of earlier seeding. The results obtained in this study may be used for adaptation assessments of seeding dates under possible climate change to mitigate the impact of potential warming.

Assessing Climate Change in Early Warm Season and Impacts on Wildfire Potential in the Southwestern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kafatos, M.; Kim, S. H.; Kim, J.; Nghiem, S. V.; Fujioka, F.; Myoung, B.

2016-12-01

Wildfires are an important concern in the Southwestern United States (SWUS) where the prevalent semi-arid to arid climate, vegetation types and hot and dry warm seasons challenge strategic fire management. Although they are part of the natural cycle related to the region's climate, significant growth of urban areas and expansion of the wildland-urban interface, have made wildfires a serious high-risk hazard. Previous studies also showed that the SWUS region is prone to frequent droughts due to large variations in wet season rainfall and has suffered from a number of severe wildfires in the recent decades. Despite the increasing trend in large wildfires, future wildfire risk assessment studies at regional scales for proactive adaptations are lacking. Our previous study revealed strong correlations between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and temperatures during March-June in SWUS. The abnormally warm and dry conditions in an NAO-positive spring, combined with reduced winter precipitation, can cause an early start of a fire season and extend it for several seasons, from late spring to fall. A strong interannual variation of the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) during the early warm season was also found in the 35 year period 1979 - 2013 of the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) dataset. Thus, it is crucial to investigate the climate change impact that early warm season temperatures have on future wildfire danger potential. Our study reported here examines fine-resolution fire-weather variables for 2041-2070 projected in the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP). The high-resolution climate data were obtained from multiple regional climate models (RCM) driven by multiple climate scenarios projected from multiple global climate models (GCMs) in conjunction with multiple greenhouse gas concentration pathways. The local wildfire potential in future climate is investigated using both the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) and the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) which have been widely used for assessing wildfire potential in the U.S.A and Canada, respectively.

The Potential Impacts of a Scenario of C02-Induced Climatic Change on Ontafio, Canada.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, S. J.; Allsopp, T. R.

1988-07-01

In 1984, Environment Canada, Ontario Region, with financial and expert support from the Canadian Climate Program, initiated an interdisciplinary pilot study to investigate the potential impact, on Ontario, of a climate scenario which might be anticipated under doubling of atmospheric C02 conditions.There were many uncertainties involved in the climate scenario development and the impacts modeling. Time and resource constraints restricted this study to one climate scenario and to the selection of several available models that could be adapted to these impact studies. The pilot study emphasized the approach and process required to investigate potential regional impacts in an interdisciplinary manner, rather than to produce a forecast of the future.The climate scenario chosen was adapted from experimental model results produced by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), coupled with current climate normals. Gridded monthly mean temperatures and precipitation were then used to develop projected biophysical effects. For example, existing physical and/or statistical models were adapted to determine impacts on the Great Lakes net basin supplies, levels and outflows, streamflow subbasin, snowfall and length of snow season.The second phase of the study addressed the impacts of the climate system scenario on natural resources and resource dependent activities. For example, the impacts of projected decreased lake levels and outflows on commercial navigation and hydroelectric generation were assessed. The impacts of the climate scenario on municipal water use, residential beating and cooling energy requirements opportunities and constraints for food production and tourism and recreation were determined quantitatively where models and methodologies were available, otherwise, qualitatively.First order interdependencies of the biophysical effects of the climate scenario and resource dependent activities were evaluated qualitatively in a workshop format culminating in a series of statements on (i) possible preventive, compensatory and substitution strategies and (ii) an assessment of current knowledge gaps and deficiencies, with recommendations for future areas of research.

Oncology education in Canadian undergraduate and postgraduate medical programs: a survey of educators and learners

PubMed Central

Tam, V.C.; Berry, S.; Hsu, T.; North, S.; Neville, A.; Chan, K.; Verma, S.

2014-01-01

Background The oncology education framework currently in use in Canadian medical training programs is unknown, and the needs of learners have not been fully assessed to determine whether they are adequately prepared to manage patients with cancer. Methods To assess the oncology education framework currently in use at Canadian medical schools and residency training programs for family (fm) and internal medicine (im), and to evaluate opinions about the content and utility of standard oncology education objectives, a Web survey was designed and sent to educators and learners. The survey recipients included undergraduate medical education curriculum committee members (umeccms), directors of fm and im programs, oncologists, medical students, and fm and im residents. Results Survey responses were received from 677 educators and learners. Oncology education was felt to be inadequate in their respective programs by 58% of umeccms, 57% of fm program directors, and 50% of im program directors. For learners, oncology education was thought to be inadequate by 67% of medical students, 86% of fm residents, and 63% of im residents. When comparing teaching of medical subspecialty–related diseases, all groups agreed that their trainees were least prepared to manage patients with cancer. A standard set of oncology objectives was thought to be possibly or definitely useful for undergraduate learners by 59% of respondents overall and by 61% of postgraduate learners. Conclusions Oncology education in Canadian undergraduate and postgraduate fm and im training programs are currently thought to be inadequate by a majority of educators and learners. Developing a standard set of oncology objectives might address the needs of learners. PMID:24523624

The 1975 Every Student Survey: The Background of Students in Special Education and New Canadian Programs. Research Report No. 141.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gershman, Janis

Presented is the final report based on the 1975 Every Student Survey describing the demographic characteristics of about 13,000 students in the Toronto school system who are enrolled in the New Canadian and each of the 15 Special Education programs. The report describes the socio-economic background, mother tongue, country of birth, and family…

Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women: Issues and the Canadian Situation. Fact Sheets--1992 Update.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Status of Women Canada, Ottawa (Ontario).

The 1992 edition of the fact sheets provides information on new and revised Canadian government programs and policies about the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women program that were adopted at the United Nations World Conference on Women in Kenya in 1985. This edition continues to address the…

"Sodom and Gomorrah were Lovers": The Case for Teaching the Bible in Canadian English Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomkins, Muriel W.

1968-01-01

The current neglect of the study of the Bible in Canadian high school English programs has deprived students of a rich cultural resource of language and literature. The Bible ought to be considered as an unrivaled collection of all types of literature, whose characters are frequently rooted in historical fact and whose themes have relevance today.…

The Canadian Precipitation Analysis (CaPA): Evaluation of the statistical interpolation scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Andrea; Rasmussen, Peter; Fortin, Vincent

2013-04-01

CaPA (Canadian Precipitation Analysis) is a data assimilation system which employs statistical interpolation to combine observed precipitation with gridded precipitation fields produced by Environment Canada's Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) climate model into a final gridded precipitation analysis. Precipitation is important in many fields and applications, including agricultural water management projects, flood control programs, and hydroelectric power generation planning. Precipitation is a key input to hydrological models, and there is a desire to have access to the best available information about precipitation in time and space. The principal goal of CaPA is to produce this type of information. In order to perform the necessary statistical interpolation, CaPA requires the estimation of a semi-variogram. This semi-variogram is used to describe the spatial correlations between precipitation innovations, defined as the observed precipitation amounts minus the GEM forecasted amounts predicted at the observation locations. Currently, CaPA uses a single isotropic variogram across the entire analysis domain. The present project investigates the implications of this choice by first conducting a basic variographic analysis of precipitation innovation data across the Canadian prairies, with specific interest in identifying and quantifying potential anisotropy within the domain. This focus is further expanded by identifying the effect of storm type on the variogram. The ultimate goal of the variographic analysis is to develop improved semi-variograms for CaPA that better capture the spatial complexities of precipitation over the Canadian prairies. CaPA presently applies a Box-Cox data transformation to both the observations and the GEM data, prior to the calculation of the innovations. The data transformation is necessary to satisfy the normal distribution assumption, but introduces a significant bias. The second part of the investigation aims at devising a bias correction scheme based on a moving-window averaging technique. For both the variogram and bias correction components of this investigation, a series of trial runs are conducted to evaluate the impact of these changes on the resulting CaPA precipitation analyses.

Measuring Professional Behaviour in Canadian Physical Therapy Students' Objective Structured Clinical Examinations: An Environmental Scan

PubMed Central

Ellerton, Cindy; Evans, Cathy

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: To identify professional behaviours measured in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) by Canadian university physical therapy (PT) programs. Method: A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted to review current practice and determine which OSCE items Canadian PT programs are using to measure PT students' professional behaviours. Telephone interviews using semi-structured questions were conducted with individual instructors responsible for courses that included an OSCE as part of the assessment component. Results: Nine PT programmes agreed to take part in the study, and all reported conducting at least one OSCE. The number and characteristics of OSCEs varied both within and across programs. Participants identified 31 professional behaviour items for use in an OSCE; these items clustered into four categories: communication (n=14), respect (n=10), patient safety (n=4), and physical therapists' characteristics (n=3). Conclusions: All Canadian entry-level PT programmes surveyed assess professional behaviours in OSCE-type examinations; however, the content and style of assessment is variable. The local environment should be considered when determining what professional behaviours are appropriate to assess in the OSCE context in individual programmes. PMID:25931656

Climate change effects on North American inland fish populations and assemblages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lynch, Abigail J.; Myers, Bonnie; Chu, Cindy; Eby, Lisa A.; Falke, Jeffrey A.; Kovach, Ryan P.; Krabbenhoft, Trevor J.; Kwak, Thomas J.; Lyons, John; Paukert, Craig P.; Whitney, James E.

2016-01-01

Climate is a critical driver of many fish populations, assemblages, and aquatic communities. However, direct observational studies of climate change impacts on North American inland fishes are rare. In this synthesis, we (1) summarize climate trends that may influence North American inland fish populations and assemblages, (2) compile 31 peer-reviewed studies of documented climate change effects on North American inland fish populations and assemblages, and (3) highlight four case studies representing a variety of observed responses ranging from warmwater systems in the southwestern and southeastern United States to coldwater systems along the Pacific Coast and Canadian Shield. We conclude by identifying key data gaps and research needs to inform adaptive, ecosystem-based approaches to managing North American inland fishes and fisheries in a changing climate.

Do the Rights Thing?: The Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the MA in Cultural Studies at the University of Winnipeg

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ready, Kathryn; Keshavjee, Serena

2015-01-01

Education is the self-declared "heart" of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), already generating partnership projects and programs with such organizations as the Canadian Teachers' Federation, the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. The CMHR has…

Overall uncertainty study of the hydrological impacts of climate change for a Canadian watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jie; Brissette, FrançOis P.; Poulin, Annie; Leconte, Robert

2011-12-01

General circulation models (GCMs) and greenhouse gas emissions scenarios (GGES) are generally considered to be the two major sources of uncertainty in quantifying the climate change impacts on hydrology. Other sources of uncertainty have been given less attention. This study considers overall uncertainty by combining results from an ensemble of two GGES, six GCMs, five GCM initial conditions, four downscaling techniques, three hydrological model structures, and 10 sets of hydrological model parameters. Each climate projection is equally weighted to predict the hydrology on a Canadian watershed for the 2081-2100 horizon. The results show that the choice of GCM is consistently a major contributor to uncertainty. However, other sources of uncertainty, such as the choice of a downscaling method and the GCM initial conditions, also have a comparable or even larger uncertainty for some hydrological variables. Uncertainties linked to GGES and the hydrological model structure are somewhat less than those related to GCMs and downscaling techniques. Uncertainty due to the hydrological model parameter selection has the least important contribution among all the variables considered. Overall, this research underlines the importance of adequately covering all sources of uncertainty. A failure to do so may result in moderately to severely biased climate change impact studies. Results further indicate that the major contributors to uncertainty vary depending on the hydrological variables selected, and that the methodology presented in this paper is successful at identifying the key sources of uncertainty to consider for a climate change impact study.

Canadianization a red flag to US firms and their friends in Congress

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

Corrigan, R.

1981-08-01

Efforts to gain control over its own petroleum industry are squeezing US-based oil and gas companies that have dominated Canadian energy development. Foreign-owned firms account for 72% of Canada's industry revenues. The effort is more a de-Americanization than a nationalization in the series of take-over moves and countermoves. The US views this as an abrupt shift in traditional business and trade relationships, with angry industry leaders lobbying Congress for retaliatory action. Trudeau's program to slow the drain of wealth from energy-poor eastern provinces to the west has also sparked controversy in Canada. The program enlarges the federal role in oilmore » companies, regulates foreign acquisitions, gives preferential treatment to Canadian firms, and continues price controls in Canadian crude oil. Several American interagency groups are evaluating Canada's moves, but the administraion is reluctant to move beyond diplomatic persuasion. (DCK)« less

A state-of-practice survey of policy, plan, and program assessment in Canadian provinces

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

Noble, Bram F

2004-04-01

Since the introduction of the 1999 Canadian Cabinet Directive on the environmental assessment of policies, plans, and programs (PPPs), higher-order environmental assessment has been receiving increased attention in Canada. However, while practices and systems are advancing at the federal level, there has been very little attention given to recent developments in PPP assessment at the provincial level. This paper presents the results of a Canada-wide survey of PPP assessment principles and practices in 10 Canadian provincial EA jurisdictions. The findings indicate that there exists considerable variability in the provisions for and practice of PPP assessment amongst Canadian provinces, with onlymore » Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec identifying recent practice experience. Included amongst the main barriers to effective implementation at the provincial level are the lack of legislative requirements for strategic EA, and the limited understanding of the nature and benefits of higher-order impact assessment.« less

Physical rehabilitation following polytrauma. The Canadian Forces Physical Rehabilitation Program 2008-2011.

PubMed

Besemann, Markus

2011-12-01

As a consequence of Canada's involvement in the war in Afghanistan, many members of the Canadian Forces have experienced debilitating injuries. Despite the Canadian Forces Health Services (CFHS) having outstanding relationships with many civilian care providers for the rehabilitation of injured soldiers, it became apparent early on that the high-level goals and aspirations of these returning soldiers were sometimes beyond the capability of these centres to facilitate. From this reality grew the need to develop a Physical Rehabilitation Program within the CFHS. This article describes the lessons learned since the creation of the program and outlines the future vision in terms of unique challenges and opportunities. The primary purpose of this article is to describe a hybrid model of civilian-military rehabilitation for injured soldiers and discuss the benefits and challenges of such a model of care.

Climate Effects on Methylmercury Bioaccumulation Along a Latitudinal Gradient in the Eastern Canadian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chetelat, J.; Richardson, M.; MacMillan, G. A.; Amyot, M.; Hintelmann, H.; Crump, D.

2014-12-01

Recent evidence indicates that inorganic mercury (Hg) loadings to Arctic lakes decline with latitude. However, monomethylmercury (MMHg) concentrations in fish and their prey do not decline in a similar fashion, suggesting that higher latitude lakes are more vulnerable to Hg inputs. Preliminary results will be presented from a three-year study (2012-2015) of climate effects on MMHg bioaccumulation in lakes of the eastern Canadian Arctic. We have investigated mercury transport and accumulation processes in lakes and ponds from three study regions along a latitudinal gradient in climate-controlled ecosystem types in the Canadian Arctic, specifically sub-Arctic taiga, Arctic tundra and polar desert. In each water body, we measured key aspects of MMHg bioaccumulation—MMHg bioavailability to benthic food webs and organism growth rates—as well as how watershed characteristics affect the transport of Hg and organic carbon to lakes. Novel approaches were incorporated including the use of passive samplers (Diffusive Gradient in Thin Film samplers or DGTs) to estimate sediment bioavailable MMHg concentrations and tissue RNA content to compare organism short-term growth rates. A comparison of Arctic tundra and sub-Arctic taiga lakes showed that surface water concentrations of MMHg were strongly and positively correlated to total Hg concentrations both within and among study regions, implying strong control of inorganic Hg supply. Sediment concentrations of bioavailable MMHg were highly variable among lakes, although average concentrations were similar between study regions. Local environmental conditions appear to have a strong influence on sediment potential for MMHg supply. Lake-dwelling Arctic char from tundra lakes had similar or higher total Hg concentrations compared with brook trout from sub-Arctic lakes that were exposed to higher water MMHg concentrations. Potential environmental drivers of these patterns will be discussed. This latitudinal study will provide new information on how climate change may affect temporal and geographic trends of Hg bioaccumulation in the Arctic.

Validation of snow characteristics and snow albedo feedback in the Canadian Regional Climate Model simulations over North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, B.; Sushama, L.; Diro, G. T.

2015-12-01

Snow characteristics and snow albedo feedback (SAF) over North America, as simulated by the fifth-generation Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5), when driven by ERA-40/ERA-Interim, CanESM2 and MPI-ESM-LR at the lateral boundaries, are analyzed in this study. Validation of snow characteristics is performed by comparing simulations against available observations from MODIS, ISCCP and CMC. Results show that the model is able to represent the main spatial distribution of snow characteristics with some overestimation in snow mass and snow depth over the Canadian high Arctic. Some overestimation in surface albedo is also noted for the boreal region which is believed to be related to the snow unloading parameterization, as well as the overestimation of snow albedo. SAF is assessed both in seasonal and climate change contexts when possible. The strength of SAF is quantified as the amount of additional net shortwave radiation at the top of the atmosphere as surface albedo decreases in association with a 1°C increase in surface temperature. Following Qu and Hall (2007), this is expressed as the product of the variation in planetary albedo with surface albedo and the change in surface albedo for 1°C change in surface air temperature during the season, which in turn is determined by the strength of the snow cover and snowpack metamorphosis feedback loops. Analysis of the latter term in the seasonal cycle suggests that for CRCM5 simulations, the snow cover feedback loop is more dominant compared to the snowpack metamorphosis feedback loop, whereas for MODIS, the two feedback loops have more or less similar strength. Moreover, the SAF strength in the climate change context appears to be weaker than in the seasonal cycle and is sensitive to the driving GCM and the RCP scenario.

Committing Canadian sociology: developing a Canadian sociology and a sociology of Canada.

PubMed

Matthews, Ralph

2014-05-01

This paper is a slightly revised version of the author's "Outstanding Career Award Lecture" presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Sociological Association in Victoria, British Columbia on June 6, 2013. The paper distinguishes between Canadian Sociology and the Sociology of Canada. The former involves the explanatory stance that one takes to understanding Canada. The latter addresses the significant social dimensions that underlie Canadian social organization, culture, and behavior. I make a case for a Canadian Sociology that focuses on the unique features of Canadian society rather than adopting a comparative perspective. I also argue that there is a continuing need within the Sociology of Canada to address the issues of staples development. However, I argue that "new" staples analysis must have a directional change from that of the past, in that social processes now largely determine the pattern of staples development. Moreover, new staples analysis must include issues that were never part of earlier staples analysis, such as issues of environmental impacts and of staples depletion under conditions, such as climate change. The paper concludes by analyzing four factors that provide the dominant social contexts for analyzing modern staples development: (1) the rise of neoliberal government, (2) the implementation of globalization and its social consequences, (3) the assumption of aboriginal rights and entitlement, and (4) the rise of environmentalism. These factors were generally not considered in earlier staples approaches. They are critical to understanding the role of staples development and its impact on Canada in the present time.

A Large Eddy Simulation Study of Heat Entrainment under Sea Ice in the Canadian Arctic Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramudu, E.; Yang, D.; Gelderloos, R.; Meneveau, C. V.; Gnanadesikan, A.

2016-12-01

Sea ice cover in the Arctic has declined rapidly in recent decades. The much faster than projected retreat suggests that climate models may be missing some key processes, or that these processes are not accurately represented. The entrainment of heat from the mixed layer by small-scale turbulence is one such process. In the Canadian Basin of the Arctic Ocean, relatively warm Pacific Summer Water (PSW) resides at the base of the mixed layer. With an increasing influx of PSW, the upper ocean in the Canadian Basin has been getting warmer and fresher since the early 2000s. While studies show a correlation between sea ice reduction and an increase in PSW temperature, others argue that PSW intrusions in the Canadian Basin cannot affect sea ice thickness because the strongly-stratified halocline prevents heat from the PSW layer from being entrained into the mixed layer and up to the basal ice surface. In this study, we try to resolve this conundrum by simulating the turbulent entrainment of heat from the PSW layer to a moving basal ice surface using large eddy simulation (LES). The LES model is based on a high-fidelity spectral approach on horizontal planes, and includes a Lagrangian dynamic subgrid model that reduces the need for empirical inputs for subgrid-scale viscosities and diffusivities. This LES tool allows us to investigate physical processes in the mixed layer at a very fine scale. We focus our study on summer conditions, when ice is melting, and show for a range of ice-drift velocities, halocline temperatures, and halocline salinity gradients characteristic of the Canadian Basin how much heat can be entrained from the PSW layer to the sea ice. Our results can be used to improve parameterizations of vertical heat flux under sea ice in coarse-grid ocean and climate models.

Building Bridges: Experiential and Integrative Learning in a Canadian Women's Prison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollack, Shoshana

2016-01-01

This article reports on a study of student experiences of a Walls to Bridges (W2B) class taught by Faculty of Social Work instructors in a Canadian women's prison. The Walls to Bridges (W2B) program is based on the U. S. Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program and brings students from the university together with students from the prison to study for a…

Wildlife strikes to Canadian aircraft : 2008 summary report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

This report provides a summary of Canadian wildlife strike statistics for 2008. It is : intended for the use of all stakeholders involved with Airport Bird and Mammal Control : Programs. Included in this group are pilots, airfield staff, airline main...

Canadian pediatric gastroenterology workforce: Current status, concerns and future projections

PubMed Central

Morinville, Véronique; Drouin, Éric; Lévesque, Dominique; Espinosa, Victor M; Jacobson, Kevan

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: There is concern that the Canadian pediatric gastroenterology workforce is inadequate to meet health care demands of the pediatric population. The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Pediatric Committee performed a survey to determine characteristics and future plans of the Canadian pediatric gastroenterology workforce and trainees. METHODS: Estimates of total and pediatric populations were obtained from the 2001 Census of Population, Statistics Canada (with estimates to July 1, 2005). Data on Canadian pediatric gastroenterologists, including clinical full-time equivalents, sex, work interests, opinions on workforce adequacy, retirement plans, fellowship training programs and future employment plans of fellows, were gathered through e-mail surveys and telephone correspondence in 2005 and 2006. RESULTS: Canada had an estimated population of 32,270,507 in 2005 (6,967,853 people aged zero to 17 years). The pediatric gastroenterology workforce was estimated at 9.2 specialists per million children. Women accounted for 50% of the workforce. Physician to pediatric population ratios varied, with Alberta demonstrating the highest and Saskatchewan the lowest ratios (1:69,404 versus 1:240,950, respectively). Between 1998 and 2005, Canadian pediatric gastroenterology fellowship programs trained 65 fellows (65% international trainees). Twenty-two fellows (34%) entered the Canadian workforce. CONCLUSIONS: The survey highlights the variable and overall low numbers of pediatric gastroenterologists across Canada, an increasingly female workforce, a greater percentage of part-time physicians and a small cohort of Canadian trainees. In conjunction with high projected retirement rates, greater demands on the work-force and desires to partake in nonclinical activities, there is concern for an increasing shortage of pediatric gastroenterologists in Canada in future years. PMID:17948136

The pediatric hematology/oncology educational laboratory in-training examination (PHOELIX): A formative evaluation of laboratory skills for Canadian pediatric hematology/oncology trainees.

PubMed

Leung, Elaine; Dix, David; Ford, Jason; Barnard, Dorothy; McBride, Eileen

2015-11-01

Pediatric hematologists/oncologists need to be skilled clinicians, and must also be adept and knowledgeable in relevant areas of laboratory medicine. Canadian training programs in this subspecialty have a minimum requirement for 6 months of training in acquiring "relevant laboratory diagnostic skills." The Canadian pediatric hematology/oncology (PHO) national specialty society, C17, recognized the need for an assessment method in laboratory skills for fellows graduating from PHO training programs. Canadian pediatric hematologists/oncologists were surveyed regarding what were felt to be the essential laboratory-related knowledge and skills deemed necessary for graduating pediatric hematology/oncology trainees. The PHOELIX (Pediatric hematology/oncology educational laboratory in-training examination) was then developed to provide an annual formative evaluation of laboratory skills in Canadian PHO trainees. The majority of PHO respondents (89%) felt that laboratory skills are important in clinical practice. An annual formative examination including review of glass slides was implemented starting in 2010; this provides feedback regarding knowledge of laboratory medicine to both trainees and program directors (PDs). We have successfully created a formative examination that can be used to evaluate and educate trainees, as well as provide PDs with a tool to gauge the effectiveness of their laboratory training curriculum. Feedback has been positive from both trainees and PDs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Capturing pan-Canadian Primary Health Care indicator data using multiple approaches for data collection.

PubMed

Walker, Vicky; Sullivan-Taylor, Patricia; Webster, Greg; Macphail, Judith

2009-01-01

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), in collaboration with diverse stakeholders, led the development of pan-Canadian indicators to measure primary health care. In 2006, CIHI released a set of 105 pan-Canadian Primary Health Care (PHC) indicators that were developed with the assistance of national, provincial and territorial representatives, clinicians and researchers. Additionally, data gaps were identified in a series of reports. In 2006 and 2007, CIHI assessed options for closing the data gaps so that the indicators could be measured and reported. CIHI then began a program to build the data infrastructure needed for the PHC indicators. The program included the development of content standards for electronic medical records, a prototype of a voluntary reporting system, enhancements to surveys, and the development of reports. In 2006, fewer than 10% of the 105 indicators could be calculated with existing data sources. Now, four projects have begun and over 50% of the indicators are being captured. Important relationships have been established with key collaborators. These relationships will lead to the development of a reporting system prototype and to the refinement of PHC indicators and electronic medical record (EMR) content standards. The project for pan-Canadian PHC indicators has encouraged consultation and synergy. It has motivated CIHI to establish an information program to fill data gaps and to make PHC indicators available.

Infection prevention and control practices related to Clostridium difficile infection in Canadian acute and long-term care institutions.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Krista; Gravel, Denise; Taylor, Geoffrey; McGeer, Allison; Simor, Andrew; Suh, Kathryn; Moore, Dorothy; Kelly, Sharon; Boyd, David; Mulvey, Michael; Mounchili, Aboubakar; Miller, Mark

2011-04-01

Clostridium difficile is an important pathogen in Canadian health care facilities, and infection prevention and control (IPC) practices are crucial to reducing C difficile infections (CDIs). We performed a cross-sectional study to identify CDI-related IPC practices in Canadian health care facilities. A survey assessing facility characteristics, CDI testing strategies, CDI contact precautions, and antimicrobial stewardship programs was sent to Canadian health care facilities in February 2005. Responses were received from 943 (33%) facilities. Acute care facilities were more likely than long-term care (P < .001) and mixed care facilities (P = .03) to submit liquid stools from all patients for CDI testing. Physician orders were required before testing for CDI in 394 long-term care facilities (66%)-significantly higher than the proportions in acute care (41%; P < .001) and mixed care sites (49%; P < .001). A total of 841 sites (93%) had an infection control manual, 639 (76%) of which contained CDI-specific guidelines. Antimicrobial stewardship programs were reported by 40 (29%) acute care facilities; 19 (54%) of these sites reported full enforcement of the program. Canadian health care facilities have widely varying C difficile IPC practices. Opportunities exist for facilities to take a more active role in IPC policy development and implementation, as well as antimicrobial stewardship. Copyright © 2011 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Wound CARE Instrument: the process for developing standards for wound management education and programming.

PubMed

Orsted, Heather L; Woodbury, M Gail; Stevenson, Kimberly

2012-06-01

This article describes the collaborative process undertaken by the Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy and the Canadian Association of Wound Care in an effort to improve the quality of wound prevention and management education and programming. The end result of this process is the Wound CARE Instrument which promotes an interprofessional, collaborative appraisal process to support the development, adoption or adaption of wound management educational events and programs. © 2011 The Authors. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and Medicalhelplines.com Inc.

Extended family medicine training: Measuring training flows at a time of substantial pedagogic change.

PubMed

Slade, Steve; Ross, Shelley; Lawrence, Kathrine; Archibald, Douglas; Mackay, Maria Palacios; Oandasan, Ivy F

2016-12-01

To examine trends in family medicine training at a time when substantial pedagogic change is under way, focusing on factors that relate to extended family medicine training. Aggregate-level secondary data analysis based on the Canadian Post-MD Education Registry. Canada. All Canadian citizens and permanent residents who were registered in postgraduate family medicine training programs within Canadian faculties of medicine from 1995 to 2013. Number and proportion of family medicine residents exiting 2-year and extended (third-year and above) family medicine training programs, as well as the types and numbers of extended training programs offered in 2015. The proportion of family medicine trainees pursuing extended training almost doubled during the study period, going from 10.9% in 1995 to 21.1% in 2013. Men and Canadian medical graduates were more likely to take extended family medicine training. Among the 5 most recent family medicine exit cohorts (from 2009 to 2013), 25.9% of men completed extended training programs compared with 18.3% of women, and 23.1% of Canadian medical graduates completed extended training compared with 13.6% of international medical graduates. Family medicine programs vary substantially with respect to the proportion of their trainees who undertake extended training, ranging from a low of 12.3% to a high of 35.1% among trainees exiting from 2011 to 2013. New initiatives, such as the Triple C Competency-based Curriculum, CanMEDS-Family Medicine, and Certificates of Added Competence, have emerged as part of family medicine education and credentialing. In acknowledgment of the potential effect of these initiatives, it is important that future research examine how pedagogic change and, in particular, extended training shapes the care family physicians offer their patients. As part of that research it will be important to measure the breadth and uptake of extended family medicine training programs. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Extended family medicine training

PubMed Central

Slade, Steve; Ross, Shelley; Lawrence, Kathrine; Archibald, Douglas; Mackay, Maria Palacios; Oandasan, Ivy F.

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective To examine trends in family medicine training at a time when substantial pedagogic change is under way, focusing on factors that relate to extended family medicine training. Design Aggregate-level secondary data analysis based on the Canadian Post-MD Education Registry. Setting Canada. Participants All Canadian citizens and permanent residents who were registered in postgraduate family medicine training programs within Canadian faculties of medicine from 1995 to 2013. Main outcome measures Number and proportion of family medicine residents exiting 2-year and extended (third-year and above) family medicine training programs, as well as the types and numbers of extended training programs offered in 2015. Results The proportion of family medicine trainees pursuing extended training almost doubled during the study period, going from 10.9% in 1995 to 21.1% in 2013. Men and Canadian medical graduates were more likely to take extended family medicine training. Among the 5 most recent family medicine exit cohorts (from 2009 to 2013), 25.9% of men completed extended training programs compared with 18.3% of women, and 23.1% of Canadian medical graduates completed extended training compared with 13.6% of international medical graduates. Family medicine programs vary substantially with respect to the proportion of their trainees who undertake extended training, ranging from a low of 12.3% to a high of 35.1% among trainees exiting from 2011 to 2013. Conclusion New initiatives, such as the Triple C Competency-based Curriculum, CanMEDS–Family Medicine, and Certificates of Added Competence, have emerged as part of family medicine education and credentialing. In acknowledgment of the potential effect of these initiatives, it is important that future research examine how pedagogic change and, in particular, extended training shapes the care family physicians offer their patients. As part of that research it will be important to measure the breadth and uptake of extended family medicine training programs. PMID:27965351

Quebec. Reference Series No. 30.

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 Quebec and is suitable for teacher reference or student reading. Separate sections discuss geography, climate, population, history, political history, recent politics, agriculture, forestry, mining, manufacturing and industry, hydroelectric power,…

School Effectiveness and Leadership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dow, I. I.; Oakley, W. F.

1992-01-01

Fiedler's contingency theory relates school effectiveness to a combination of principals' leadership style and situational favorability for the principal. Data from teacher questionnaires on school climate and effectiveness and measures of principal's leadership in 176 Canadian elementary schools did not support Fiedler's model. Contains 54…

Workplace wellness programs in Canada: an exploration of key issues.

PubMed

Morrison, Erin; MacKinnon, Neil J

2008-01-01

Faced with the reality of rising health costs, Canadian employers are thinking beyond traditional notions of responsibility for employee health and have begun to embrace Workplace Wellness Programs (WWPs). This article investigates the critical issues of WWPs in the Canadian context from the perspective of key stakeholders. Using a combination of literature and key informant interviews, seven key themes are presented along with recommendations for wider implementation of WWPs in Canada.

Quality Programming in H.P.E.R. Selected Papers Presented at the Convention of the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (British Columbia, Canada, June 10-13, 1981). Physical Education Series Number 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, John J., Ed.; Turkington, H. David, Ed.

These papers, presented during the 1981 convention of the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, addressed eight major topics: (1) the physical education and sport profession in Canada; (2) physical fitness (community agencies, radiology, aging and physical activity, the effective physical education program, aerobic…

Building Collaboration: A Scoping Review of Cultural Competency and Safety Education and Training for Healthcare Students and Professionals in Canada.

PubMed

Guerra, Olivia; Kurtz, Donna

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: This scoping literature review summarizes current Canadian health science education and training aimed to lessen health gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. Keyword searches of peer-reviewed and gray literature databases, websites, and resources recommended by local Aboriginal community members identified 1,754 resources. Using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 26 resources relevant to education and training of healthcare professionals and students in Canada were selected. Information included self-assessment for cultural competency/safety skills, advocacy within Canadian healthcare, and descriptions of current programs and training approaches. In spite of increasing awareness and use of cultural competency and safety concepts, few programs have been successfully implemented. Insights: A concerted effort among health science education and training bodies to develop integrated and effective programs could result in comprehensive processes that hasten the Canadian culturally safe healthcare provision, thus reducing the gaps among populations.

Fire as the dominant driver of central Canadian boreal forest carbon balance.

PubMed

Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Peckham, Scott D; Ahl, Douglas E; Gower, Stith T

2007-11-01

Changes in climate, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and fire regimes have been occurring for decades in the global boreal forest, with future climate change likely to increase fire frequency--the primary disturbance agent in most boreal forests. Previous attempts to assess quantitatively the effect of changing environmental conditions on the net boreal forest carbon balance have not taken into account the competition between different vegetation types on a large scale. Here we use a process model with three competing vascular and non-vascular vegetation types to examine the effects of climate, carbon dioxide concentrations and fire disturbance on net biome production, net primary production and vegetation dominance in 100 Mha of Canadian boreal forest. We find that the carbon balance of this region was driven by changes in fire disturbance from 1948 to 2005. Climate changes affected the variability, but not the mean, of the landscape carbon balance, with precipitation exerting a more significant effect than temperature. We show that more frequent and larger fires in the late twentieth century resulted in deciduous trees and mosses increasing production at the expense of coniferous trees. Our model did not however exhibit the increases in total forest net primary production that have been inferred from satellite data. We find that poor soil drainage decreased the variability of the landscape carbon balance, which suggests that increased climate and hydrological changes have the potential to affect disproportionately the carbon dynamics of these areas. Overall, we conclude that direct ecophysiological changes resulting from global climate change have not yet been felt in this large boreal region. Variations in the landscape carbon balance and vegetation dominance have so far been driven largely by increases in fire frequency.

Multivariate quantile mapping bias correction: an N-dimensional probability density function transform for climate model simulations of multiple variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannon, Alex J.

2018-01-01

Most bias correction algorithms used in climatology, for example quantile mapping, are applied to univariate time series. They neglect the dependence between different variables. Those that are multivariate often correct only limited measures of joint dependence, such as Pearson or Spearman rank correlation. Here, an image processing technique designed to transfer colour information from one image to another—the N-dimensional probability density function transform—is adapted for use as a multivariate bias correction algorithm (MBCn) for climate model projections/predictions of multiple climate variables. MBCn is a multivariate generalization of quantile mapping that transfers all aspects of an observed continuous multivariate distribution to the corresponding multivariate distribution of variables from a climate model. When applied to climate model projections, changes in quantiles of each variable between the historical and projection period are also preserved. The MBCn algorithm is demonstrated on three case studies. First, the method is applied to an image processing example with characteristics that mimic a climate projection problem. Second, MBCn is used to correct a suite of 3-hourly surface meteorological variables from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis Regional Climate Model (CanRCM4) across a North American domain. Components of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System, a complicated set of multivariate indices that characterizes the risk of wildfire, are then calculated and verified against observed values. Third, MBCn is used to correct biases in the spatial dependence structure of CanRCM4 precipitation fields. Results are compared against a univariate quantile mapping algorithm, which neglects the dependence between variables, and two multivariate bias correction algorithms, each of which corrects a different form of inter-variable correlation structure. MBCn outperforms these alternatives, often by a large margin, particularly for annual maxima of the FWI distribution and spatiotemporal autocorrelation of precipitation fields.

On improving cold region hydrological processes in the Canadian Land Surface Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganji, Arman; Sushama, Laxmi; Verseghy, Diana; Harvey, Richard

2017-01-01

Regional and global climate model simulated streamflows for high-latitude regions show systematic biases, particularly in the timing and magnitude of spring peak flows. Though these biases could be related to the snow water equivalent and spring temperature biases in models, a good part of these biases is due to the unaccounted effects of non-uniform infiltration capacity of the frozen ground and other related processes. In this paper, the treatment of frozen water in the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS), which is used in the Canadian regional and global climate models, is modified to include fractional permeable area, supercooled liquid water and a new formulation for hydraulic conductivity. The impact of these modifications on the regional hydrology, particularly streamflow, is assessed by comparing three simulations performed with the original and two modified versions of CLASS, driven by atmospheric forcing data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) reanalysis (ERA-Interim) for the 1990-2001 period over a northeast Canadian domain. The two modified versions of CLASS differ in the soil hydraulic conductivity and matric potential formulations, with one version being based on formulations from a previous study and the other one is newly proposed. Results suggest statistically significant decreases in infiltration and therefore soil moisture during the snowmelt season for the simulation with the new hydraulic conductivity and matric potential formulations and fractional permeable area concept compared to the original version of CLASS, which is also reflected in the increased spring surface runoff and streamflows in this simulation with modified CLASS over most of the study domain. The simulated spring peaks and their timing in this simulation are also in better agreement to those observed. This study thus demonstrates the importance of treatment of frozen water for realistic simulation of streamflows.

Nova Scotia. Reference Series No. 32.

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 Nova Scotia and is suitable for teacher reference or student reading. Separate sections discuss the geography and climate, history, economic development, fishing, agriculture, forestry, mining, manufacturing, energy, education, arts and culture, and…

Newfoundland. Reference Series No. 34.

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 Newfoundland and is suitable for teacher reference or student reading. Separate sections discuss geography and climate, history, economy, population and settlement, arts and culture, leisure and recreation, and heritage. Specific topics include the…

Ontario. Reference Series No. 29.

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 Ontario and is suitable for teacher reference or student reading. Separate sections discuss geography, climate, history, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, manufacturing, transportation, energy, arts and culture, sports and recreation, and people and…

IYA2009 Programs in Canada: The "Big Picture” In June, 2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesser, James E.; Lane, D.; Langill, P. P. L.; Percy, J. R.; Canada Committee, IYA

2008-05-01

The Canadian partnership--Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), Fédération des astronomes amateurs du Québec (FAAQ) and Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA)--is implementing elements designed to offer an engaging astronomy experience to every Canadian during 2009. Our goals for all themes envision creating long-lasting impacts, especially in the education and inspiration of youth. Wherever possible we seek to leverage and extend existing programs, and we aim to provide materials in both English and French. To make IYA2009 successful, both the RASC and FAAQ have committed significant funds over and above their extensive in-kind contributions of volunteer time. Through The Galileo Moment theme we aim to get more than one million Canadians to look through a telescope, or participate in cultural and outreach events that bring a strong sense of personal astronomical discovery. An Astronomy Kit of physical and virtual components is under development. A partnership led by Cape Breton University faculty proposes extensive participation by Canada's Aboriginal Communities, including a series of activities designed to bring elders and youth together. Reinvigoration of the RASC's long-standing efforts to create Dark Sky Preserves is another cross-cutting theme. Outreach programs of Canada's major Planetaria and Science Centres, a National Astronomy Lecture Series, as well as partnerships with Arts and Cultural Organizations, offer hopes of reaching both traditional and non-traditional audiences in fun, engaging ways. Individual volunteer efforts are emerging to implement From the Earth to the Universe astronomical image exhibits from material developed by both IAU and Canadian curatorial teams in high-traffic locales. Efforts are underway to secure commemorative stamps and coins, with recent encouraging news about the former. The Canadian Space Agency has agreed to launch in 2010 a CD/DVD with names of the Canadians who register their Galileo Moment experience. Fund raising is underway in earnest. See www.astronomy2009.ca for current information.

Zooming in on cirrus with the Canadian Regional Climate Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanof, C.; Stefanof, A.; Beaulne, A.; Munoz Alpizar, R.; Szyrmer, W.; Blanchet, J.

2004-05-01

The Canadian Regional Climate Model plus a microphysical scheme: two-moments microphysics with three hydrometeor categories (cloud liquid water, pristine ice crystals and larger precipitation crystals) is used to test the simulation in forecast mode using ECMWF data at 0.4 X 0.4 degree. We are zooming in on cirrus at higher resolutions (9, 1.8, 0.36 km). We are currently using the data set measured in APEX-E3, measurements of radar, lidar, passive instruments and interpreted microphysics for some flights (G-II, C404, B200). The radar and lidar data are available for high level cirrus. The south west of Japon is the flight region. The dates are March 20, March 27 and April 2, 2003. We first focus on the March 27 frontal system. We did a rigorous synoptical analysis for the cases. The cirrus at 360 m resolution are simulated. The cloud structure and some similarities between model simulation and observations will be presented.

Towards an operational high-resolution air quality forecasting system at ECCC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munoz-Alpizar, Rodrigo; Stroud, Craig; Ren, Shuzhan; Belair, Stephane; Leroyer, Sylvie; Souvanlasy, Vanh; Spacek, Lubos; Pavlovic, Radenko; Davignon, Didier; Moran, Moran

2017-04-01

Urban environments are particularly sensitive to weather, air quality (AQ), and climatic conditions. Despite the efforts made in Canada to reduce pollution in urban areas, AQ continues to be a concern for the population, especially during short-term episodes that could lead to exceedances of daily air quality standards. Furthermore, urban air pollution has long been associated with significant adverse health effects. In Canada, the large percentage of the population living in urban areas ( 81%, according to the Canada's 2011 census) is exposed to elevated air pollution due to local emissions sources. Thus, in order to improve the services offered to the Canadian public, Environment and Climate Change Canada has launched an initiative to develop a high-resolution air quality prediction capacity for urban areas in Canada. This presentation will show observed pollution trends (2010-2016) for Canadian mega-cities along with some preliminary high-resolution air quality modelling results. Short-term and long-term plans for urban AQ forecasting in Canada will also be described.

How do IMGs compare with Canadian medical school graduates in a family practice residency program?

PubMed Central

Andrew, Rodney F.

2010-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To compare international medical graduates (IMGs) with Canadian medical school graduates in a family practice residency program. DESIGN Analysis of the results of the in-training evaluation reports (ITERs) and the Certification in Family Medicine (CCFP) examination results for 2 cohorts of IMGs and Canadian-trained graduates between the years 2006 and 2008. SETTING St Paul’s Hospital (SPH) in Vancouver, BC, a training site of the University of British Columbia (UBC) Family Practice Residency Program. PARTICIPANTS In-training evaluation reports were examined for 12 first-year and 9 second-year Canadian-trained residents at the SPH site, and 12 first-year and 12 second-year IMG residents at the IMG site at SPH; CCFP examination results were reviewed for all UBC family practice residents who took the May 2008 examination and disclosed their results. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pass or fail rates on the CCFP examination; proportions of evaluations in each group of residents given each of the following designations: exceeds expectations, meets expectations, or needs improvement. The May 2008 CCFP examination results were reviewed. RESULTS Compared with the second-year IMGs, the second-year SPH Canadian-trained residents had a greater proportion of exceeds expectations designations than the IMGs. For the first-year residents, both the SPH Canadian graduates and IMGs had similar results in all 3 categories. Combining the results of the 2 cohorts, the Canadian-trained residents had 310 (99%) ITERs that were designated as either exceeds expectations or meets expectations, and only 3 (1%) ITERs were in the needs improvement category. The IMG results were 362 (97.6%) ITERs in the exceeds expectations or meets expectations categories; 9 (2%) were in the needs improvement category. Statistically these are not significant differences. Seven of the 12 (58%) IMG candidates passed the CCFP examination compared with 59 of 62 (95%) of the UBC family practice residents. CONCLUSION The IMG residents compared favourably with their Canadian-trained colleagues when comparing ITERs but not in passing the CCFP examination. Further research is needed to elucidate these results. PMID:20841570

Brighter Smiles Africa--translation of a Canadian community-based health-promoting school program to Uganda.

PubMed

Macnab, A J; Radziminski, N; Budden, H; Kasangaki, A; Zavuga, R; Gagnon, F A; Mbabali, M

2010-08-01

PROJECT GOAL: To adapt a successful Canadian health-promoting school initiative to a Ugandan context through international partnership. Rural children face many health challenges worldwide; health professionals in training understand these better through community-based learning. Aboriginal leaders in a Canadian First-Nations community identified poor oral health as a child health issue with major long-term societal impact and intervened successfully with university partners through a school-based program called "Brighter Smiles". Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda (MUK) sought to implement this delivery model for both the benefit of communities and the dental students. MUK identified rural communities where hospitals could provide dental students with community-based learning and recruited four local schools. A joint Ugandan and Canadian team of both trainees and faculty planned the program, obtained ethics consent and baseline data, initiated the Brighter Smiles intervention model (daily at-school tooth-brushing; in-class education), and recruited a cohort to receive additional bi-annual topical fluoride. Hurdles included: challenging international communication and planning due to inconsistent internet connections; discrepancies between Canadian and developing world concepts of research ethics and informed consent; complex dynamics for community engagement and steep learning curve for accurate data collection; an itinerant population at one school; and difficulties coordinating Canadian and Ugandan university schedules. Four health-promoting schools were established; teachers, children, and families were engaged in the initiative; community-based learning was adopted for the university students; quarterly team education/evaluation/service delivery visits to schools were initiated; oral health improved, and new knowledge and practices were evident; an effective international partnership was formed providing global health education, research and health care delivery.

Future human health research directions for the Canadian Northern Contaminants Program.

PubMed

Donaldson, Shawn G; Curren, Meredith S; Adlard, Bryan; Provost, Jonathan; Leech, Tara; Tikhonov, Constantine; Feeley, Mark; Tomlinson, Scott; Shearer, Russel

2013-01-01

Studies conducted in the mid-1980s and early 1990s demonstrated that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals were reaching the Arctic ecosystem at unexpectedly high levels, many of which had no Arctic or Canadian sources. Epidemiological and toxicological studies in Canada and in other countries have found that these contaminants may pose a risk to human health. The objective of this paper is to provide the foundation for the discussion on future northern human health research under the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) in Canada. This short discussion of human health priorities will help guide a path forward for future northern human health research in Canada to address on-going and new health concerns related to contaminants exposure in the Canadian Arctic.

Acceleration of thaw slump activity in glaciated landscapes of the Western Canadian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segal, Rebecca A.; Lantz, Trevor C.; Kokelj, Steven V.

2016-03-01

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of thermokarst, but the influences of regional climate and physiography remain poorly understood. Retrogressive thaw slumping is one of the most dynamic forms of thermokarst and affects many areas of glaciated terrain across northwestern Canada. In this study, we used airphotos and satellite imagery to investigate the influence of climate and landscape factors on thaw slump dynamics. We assessed slump size, density, and growth rates in four regions of ice-rich terrain with contrasting climate and physiographic conditions: the Jesse Moraine, the Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, the Bluenose Moraine, and the Peel Plateau. Observed increases in: (1) the area impacted by slumps (+2 to +407%), (2) average slump sizes (+0.31 to +1.82 ha), and (3) slump growth rates (+169 to +465 m2 yr-1) showed that thermokarst activity is rapidly accelerating in ice-rich morainal landscapes in the western Canadian Arctic, where slumping has become a dominant driver of geomorphic change. Differences in slump characteristics among regions indicate that slump development is strongly influenced by topography, ground ice conditions, and Quaternary history. Observed increases in slump activity occurred in conjunction with increases in air temperature and precipitation, but variation in slump activity among the four regions suggests that increased precipitation has been an important driver of change. Our observation that the most rapid intensification of slump activity occurred in the coldest environment (the Jesse Moraine on Banks Island) indicates that ice-cored landscapes in cold permafrost environments are highly vulnerable to climate change.

Effects of climate on numbers of northern prairie wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larson, Diane L.

1995-01-01

The amount of water held in individual wetland basins depends not only on local climate patterns but also on groundwater flow regime, soil permeability, and basin size. Most wetland basins in the northern prairies hold water in some years and are dry in others. To assess the potential effect of climate change on the number of wetland basins holding water in a given year, one must first determine how much of the variability in number of wet basins is accounted for by climatic variables. I used multiple linear regression to examine the relationship between climate variables and percentage of wet basins throughout the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada and the United States. The region was divided into three areas: parkland, Canadian grassland, and United States grassland (i.e., North Dakota and South Dakota). The models - which included variables for spring and fall temperature, yearly precipitation, the previous year's count of wet basins, and for grassland areas, the previous fall precipitation - accounted for 63 to 65% of the variation in the number of wet basins. I then explored the sensitivities of the models to changes in temperature and precipitation, as might be associated with increased greenhouse gas concentrations. Parkland wetlands are shown to be much more vulnerable to increased temperatures than are wetlands in either Canadian or United States grasslands. Sensitivity to increased precipitation did not vary geographically. These results have implications for waterfowl and other wildlife populations that depend on availability of wetlands in the parklands for breeding or during periods of drought in the southern grasslands.

Canadian Unilateralism in the Arctic: Using Scenario Planning to Help Canada Achieve Its Strategic Goals in the North

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-23

IN THE NORTH, by Major Sonny T. Hatton, 78 pages. Climate change and global warming could open up the Arctic to unprecedented energy and resource...heating up, both literally and figuratively. Climate change and global warming are melting the Polar ice cap in the North at an unprecedented rate...grow for Arctic nations as access increases due to global warming .35 Increased access and development in the Arctic will continue to encourage the

Cost-Control Mechanisms in Canadian Private Drug Plans

PubMed Central

Kratzer, Jillian; McGrail, Kimberlyn; Strumpf, Erin; Law, Michael R.

2013-01-01

Approximately 68% of Canadians receive prescription drug coverage through an employer-sponsored private plan. However, we have very limited data on the structure of these plans. This study aims to identify and describe the use of cost-control mechanisms in private drug plans in Canada and describe what private coverage looks like for the average Canadian. Using 2010 data from over 113,000 different private drug plans, provided by Applied Management Consultants, we determined the overall use of key cost-control measures, and the cost-control tools that appear to be gaining currency compared to a report on benefits coverage in 1998. We found that the use of common cost-control measures is relatively low among Canadian private benefits programs. Co-insurance is much more common in private coverage plans than co-payments. Deductibles are uncommon in Canada and, when in place, are very small. The use of annual and lifetime maximums is increasing. Canadian private benefits programs use few cost-control measures to respond to increasing costs, particularly in comparison to their public counterparts. These results suggest there are ample opportunities for greater efficiency in private sector drug coverage plans. PMID:23968672

The 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2): Process, Progress and Institutional Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, G.; Cavallaro, N.; Zhu, Z.; Larson, E. K.; Butler, J. H.

2017-12-01

Over 200 scientists and program managers from U.S., Mexican and Canadian government and non-government institutions have been collaborating on SOCCR-2 since 2015. Responding to the U.S. Global Change Research Act (1990) and the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan (2011), this special Sustained National Climate Assessment report covers many of the GCRA mandated sectors such as agriculture, energy, forestry, aquatic systems, coasts, wetlands, atmospheric and human social systems, integrating the scientific uncertainties and analyzing the effects of global change on the carbon cycle and vice versa, including projections for both human- induced and natural changes. This presentation covers the SOCCR-2 process, progress and institutional context, providing a historical perspective on the interagency instruments and mechanisms that have facilitated the last decades of carbon cycle science reflected in SOCCR-2.

The Canadian Ozone Watch and UV-B advisory programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerr, J. B.; Mcelroy, C. T.; Tarasick, D. W.; Wardle, D. I.

1994-01-01

The Ozone Watch, initiated in March, 1992, is a weekly bulletin describing the state of the ozone layer over Canada. The UV-B advisory program, which started in May, 1992, produces daily forecasts of clear-sky UV-B radiation. The forecast procedures use daily ozone measurements from the eight-station monitoring network, the output from the Canadian operational forecast model and a UV-B algorithm based on three years of spectral UV-B measurements with the Brewer spectrophotometer.

Building organizational capacity for evidence use: the experience of two Canadian healthcare organizations.

PubMed

Humphries, Serena; Hampe, Tanis; Larsen, Derrick; Bowen, Sarah

2013-01-01

The use of evidence to inform decisions at the program level within healthcare organizations is a priority. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of an innovative collaboration between two Canadian healthcare organizations to build organizational capacity for evidence use in program planning, implementation, and evaluation. The lessons learned from the initiative suggest that other healthcare organizations would find the capacity-building strategies identified and developed through the initiative useful.

Quality Programming in H.P.E.R. Volume II. Selected Papers Presented at the Convention of the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (British Columbia, Canada, June 10-13, 1981). Physical Education Series Number 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, John J., Ed.; Turkington, H. David, Ed.

This volume contains 27 edited papers, and abstracts of 14 papers, presented during the 1981 convention of the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Subjects discussed are listed in 10 categories: (1) working together for quality programs; (2) challenges facing the physical education teacher; (3) skill development and…

The effect of health care reform on academic medicine in Canada. Editorial Committee of the Canadian Institute for Academic Medicine.

PubMed

Hollenberg, C H

1996-05-15

Although Canadian health care reform has constrained costs and improved efficiency, it has had a profound and mixed effect on Canadian academic medicine. Teaching hospitals have been reduced in number and size, and in patient programs have shifted to ambulatory and community settings. Specialized care programs are now multi-institutional and multidisciplinary. Furthermore, the influence of regional planning bodies has grown markedly. Although these changes have likely improved clinical service, their impact on the quality of clinical education is uncertain. Within the academic clinical department, recruitment of young faculty has been greatly complicated by constraints on licensing, billing numbers, fee-for-service income and research funding. The departmental practice plan based on university funds and fee-for-service income is being replaced by less favourable funding arrangements. However, emphasis on multidisciplinary programs has rendered these departments more flexible in structure. The future of Canadian academic medicine depends on an effective alliance with government. Academia and government must agree, particularly on human-resource requirements, research objectives and the delivery of clinical and academic programs in regional and community settings. The establishment of focal points for academic health sciences planning within academic health sciences centres and within governments would assist in these developments. Finally, government and the academic health sciences sector must work together to remove the current impediments to the recruitment of highly qualified young faculty.

Labour Studies Units.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Eric; And Others

The nine units highlight the history, activities, values, and aspirations of the Canadian labor force. The program's purpose is to help secondary school social studies students develop a more objective appreciation of labor and of labor's role in Canadian social history. The first unit, "Union Today," analyzes contemporary union activity…

The right to the best medical care: Dr. W.P. Warner and the Canadian Department of Veterans Affairs, 1945-55.

PubMed

Tremblay, M

1998-01-01

Dr. W.P. Warner was appointed as the first Director General of Treatment Services of the Canadian Department of Veterans Affairs, in March 1945. Prior to his appointment, Warner had been the Deputy Director General of Medical Services in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC). During his 10 years as Director General, Warner dramatically re-organized Treatment Services to ensure the right of every disabled veteran to "the best medical care." To meet his goal he drew on his experience in academic and military medicine and established new links between Canadian faculties of medicine and veterans medical services. Physicians, involved in diagnosis and treatment, were employed on a part-time basis and held university appointments. Postgraduate and undergraduate teaching programs for physicians and other health professions were established. Professional consultants and Medical Advisory Committees were developed to provide advice on all aspects of medical care. Finally, medical research and new clinical investigative units were established in Canadian veterans' hospitals. As a result of Warner's new policies, academic medicine was placed in the forefront of veterans medical services and developed the first national model for the integration of medical care, education, and research in Canada. Indeed, many current Canadian practices in medical care, education, and research can find some of their roots in the policies and programs of Treatment Services that began in 1945 under Warner's leadership.

The Canadian general surgery resident: defining current challenges for surgical leadership.

PubMed

Tomlinson, Corey; Labossière, Joseph; Rommens, Kenton; Birch, Daniel W

2012-08-01

Surgery training programs in Canada and the United States have recognized the need to modify current models of training and education. The shifting demographic of surgery trainees, lifestyle issues and an increased trend toward subspecialization are the major influences. To guide these important educational initiatives, a contemporary profile of Canadian general surgery residents and their impressions of training in Canada is required. We developed and distributed a questionnaire to residents in each Canadian general surgery training program, and residents responded during dedicated teaching time. In all, 186 surveys were returned for analysis (62% response rate). The average age of Canadian general surgery residents is 30 years, 38% are women, 41% are married, 18% have dependants younger than 18 years and 41% plan to add to or start a family during residency. Most (87%) residents plan to pursue postgraduate education. On completion of training, 74% of residents plan to stay in Canada and 49% want to practice in an academic setting. Almost half (42%) of residents identify a poor balance between work and personal life during residency. Forty-seven percent of respondents have appropriate access to mentorship, whereas 37% describe suitable access to career guidance and 40% identify the availability of appropriate social supports. Just over half (54%) believe the stress level during residency is manageable. This survey provides a profile of contemporary Canadian general surgery residents. Important challenges within the residency system are identified. Program directors and chairs of surgery are encouraged to recognize these challenges and intervene where appropriate.

The Two Edged Sword; Illinois' Risk Reduction Success Through Managed Retreat And Strong Regulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osman, P.

2017-12-01

Illinois has the nation's largest inland system of rivers, lakes, and streams. Two thirds of the continental US and two Canadian provinces drain thru Illinois. Although a blessing, these waterways also result in frequent flooding. Historically, Illinois ranked among the top five states in the nation for flood losses. However, using a combination of strong floodplain regulations and proactive flood mitigation programs, Illinois now ranks near the bottom of flood loss states. Following the 1993 flood, the State of Illinois began an aggressive program to remove flood prone structures from the floodplain. Using a combination of state, federal, and local funds, towns like Valmeyer and Grafton have largely been relocated outside of the floodplain. Likewise, in dozens of communities across the state, thousands of structures have been have purchased to create open space in the floodplain. In addition, new structures in the floodplain must meet strict state and local floodplain construction standards. Major floods now routinely pass Illinois unnoticed. Many communities once ravaged by flooding now pass large floods unscathed. Due largely to climate change, flood losses in many areas are evolving. The majority of flood losses in Illinois now occur outside of the mapped floodplain. The State of Illinois has recently completed a detailed analysis of the state's urban flood exposure. Flood risk is changing and methods to address that risk must evolve accordingly. Accurate climate change data on major inland waterways and urban areas remain elusive. This presentation will highlight simple steps any state or community can take to reduce existing flood losses and be better prepared to address changing impacts due to climate change.

The Strategic Technologies for Automation and Robotics (STEAR) program: Protection of materials in the space environment subprogram

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, Lorne R.; Francoeur, J.; Aguero, Alina; Wertheimer, Michael R.; Klemberg-Sapieha, J. E.; Martinu, L.; Blezius, J. W.; Oliver, M.; Singh, A.

1995-01-01

Three projects are currently underway for the development of new coatings for the protection of materials in the space environment. These coatings are based on vacuum deposition technologies. The projects will go as far as the proof-of-concept stage when the commercial potential for the technology will be demonstrated on pilot-scale fabrication facilities in 1996. These projects are part of a subprogram to develop supporting technologies for automation and robotics technologies being developed under the Canadian Space Agency's STEAR Program, part of the Canadian Space Station Program.

International electives in neurology training

PubMed Central

Lyons, Jennifer L.; Coleman, Mary E.; Engstrom, John W.

2014-01-01

Objective: To ascertain the current status of global health training and humanitarian relief opportunities in US and Canadian postgraduate neurology programs. Background: There is a growing interest among North American trainees to pursue medical electives in low- and middle-income countries. Such training opportunities provide many educational and humanitarian benefits but also pose several challenges related to organization, human resources, funding, and trainee and patient safety. The current support and engagement of neurology postgraduate training programs for trainees to pursue international rotations is unknown. Methods: A survey was distributed to all program directors in the United States and Canada (December 2012–February 2013) through the American Academy of Neurology to assess the training opportunities, institutional partnerships, and support available for international neurology electives. Results: Approximately half of responding programs (53%) allow residents to pursue global health–related electives, and 11% reported that at least 1 trainee participated in humanitarian relief during training (survey response rate 61%, 143/234 program directors). Canadian programs were more likely to allow residents to pursue international electives than US programs (10/11, 91% vs 65/129, 50%, p = 0.023). The number of trainees participating in international electives was low: 0%–9% of residents (55% of programs) and 10%–19% of residents (21% of programs). Lack of funding was the most commonly cited reason for residents not participating in global health electives. If funding was available, 93% of program directors stated there would be time for residents to participate. Most program directors (75%) were interested in further information on global health electives. Conclusions: In spite of high perceived interest, only half of US neurology training programs include international electives, mostly due to a reported lack of funding. By contrast, the majority of Canadian programs that responded allow international electives, likely due to clearer guidelines from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada compared to the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education. However, the number of both Canadian and US neurology trainees venturing abroad remains a minority. Most program directors are interested in learning more information related to global health electives for neurology residents. PMID:24319037

Prince Edward Island. Reference Series No. 33.

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 Prince Edward Island and is suitable for teacher reference or student reading. Separate sections discuss geography, climate, history, early trade, development, agriculture, the potato industry, forests, fisheries, aquaculture, industry, tourism, energy,…

A summary of joint US-Canadian augmentor wing powered-lift STOL research programs at the Ames Research Center, NASA, 1975-1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hindson, W. S.; Hardy, G.

1980-01-01

Several different flight research programs carried out by NASA and the Canadian Government using the Augmentor Wing Jet STOL Research Aircraft to investigate the design, operational, and systems requirements for powered-lift STOL aircraft are summarized. Some of these programs considered handling qualities and certification criteria for this class of aircraft, and addressed pilot control techniques, control system design, and improved cockpit displays for the powered-lift STOL approach configuration. Other programs involved exploiting the potential of STOL aircraft for constrained terminal-area approaches within the context of present or future air traffic control environments. Both manual and automatic flight control investigations are discussed, and an extensive bibliography of the flight programs is included.

Influence of social ties to environmentalists on public climate change perceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tindall, D. B.; Piggot, Georgia

2015-06-01

An emerging body of research proposes that climate change concern is shaped by one's social ties and cultural milieu. This work aligns with findings in the well-established field of social network analysis, whereby individuals are understood as being embedded in social networks, and network position can be used to predict attitudes. Here we examine whether having ties to environmental movement organization members is correlated with climate change attitudes amongst the general public. We use data from a nationwide survey of the Canadian public to demonstrate that having social ties to environmental organization members increases the likelihood that an individual member of the public has a plan to deal with climate change. These findings reinforce the value of focusing on social context when examining climate change attitudes, and highlight the role that environmental organization members play in mobilizing climate change responses.

Polish Post-Secondary Vocational Schools and Canadian Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Norman L.

2005-01-01

The aim of this dissertation was to compare Canadian community colleges with post-secondary vocational schools in Poland. The comparison concentrated upon programs in nursing, tourism and information technology delivered by the following three Polish schools Krakowska Szkola Medyczna, (Cracow, Poland), Policealne Studium Zawodowe, (Cracow,…

Campus Suicide Prevention and Intervention: Putting Best Practice Policy into Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washburn, Cheryl A.; Mandrusiak, Michael

2010-01-01

Findings from biannual American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment surveys have highlighted the prevalence of depression, suicidal ideation, and attempted suicides on Canadian university campuses and the need for comprehensive suicide prevention programs. This article explores how one large western Canadian university…

The historic predictive value of Canadian orthopedic surgery residents' orthopedic in-training examination scores on their success on the RCPSC certification examination.

PubMed

Yen, David; Athwal, George S; Cole, Gary

2014-08-01

Positive correlation between the orthopedic in-training examination (OITE) and success in the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery examination has been reported. Canadian training programs in internal medicine, anesthesiology and urology have found a positive correlation between in-training examination scores and performance on the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) certification examination. We sought to determine the potential predictive value of the OITE scores of Canadian orthopedic surgery residents on their success on their RCPSC examinations. A total of 118 Canadian orthopedic surgery residents had their annual OITE scores during their 5 years of training matched to the RCPSC examination oral and multiple-choice questions and to overall examination pass/fail scores. We calculated Pearson correlations between the in-training examination for each postgraduate year and the certification oral and multiple-choice questions and pass/fail marks. There was a predictive association between the OITE and success on the RCPSC examination. The association was strongest between the OITE and the written multiple-choice examination and weakest between the OITE and the overall examination pass/fail marks. Overall, the OITE was able to provide useful feedback to Canadian orthopedic surgery residents and their training programs in preparing them for their RCPSC examinations. However, when these data were collected, truly normative data based on a Canadian sample were not available. Further study is warranted based on a more refined analysis of the OITE, which is now being produced and includes normative percentile data based on Canadian residents.

Implications of climate change for northern Canada: freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems.

PubMed

Prowse, Terry D; Furgal, Chris; Wrona, Fred J; Reist, James D

2009-07-01

Climate variability and change is projected to have significant effects on the physical, chemical, and biological components of northern Canadian marine, terrestrial, and freshwater systems. As the climate continues to change, there will be consequences for biodiversity shifts and for the ranges and distribution of many species with resulting effects on availability, accessibility, and quality of resources upon which human populations rely. This will have implications for the protection and management of wildlife, fish, and fisheries resources; protected areas; and forests. The northward migration of species and the disruption and competition from invading species are already occurring and will continue to affect marine, terrestrial, and freshwater communities. Shifting environmental conditions will likely introduce new animal-transmitted diseases and redistribute some existing diseases, affecting key economic resources and some human populations. Stress on populations of iconic wildlife species, such as the polar bear, ringed seals, and whales, will continue as a result of changes in critical sea-ice habitat interactions. Where these stresses affect economically and culturally important species, they will have significant effects on people and regional economies. Further integrated, field-based monitoring and research programs, and the development of predictive models are required to allow for more detailed and comprehensive projections of change to be made, and to inform the development and implementation of appropriate adaptation, wildlife, and habitat conservation and protection strategies.

Applying a Systems Approach to Monitoring and Assessing Climate Change Mitigation Potential in Mexico's Forest Sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olguin-Alvarez, M. I.; Wayson, C.; Fellows, M.; Birdsey, R.; Smyth, C.; Magnan, M.; Dugan, A.; Mascorro, V.; Alanís, A.; Serrano, E.; Kurz, W. A.

2017-12-01

Since 2012, the Mexican government through its National Forestry Commission, with support from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, the Forest Services of Canada and USA, the SilvaCarbon Program and research institutes in Mexico, has made important progress towards the use of carbon dynamics models ("gain-loss" approach) for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions monitoring and projections into the future. Here we assess the biophysical mitigation potential of policy alternatives identified by the Mexican Government (e.g. net zero deforestation rate, sustainable forest management) based on a systems approach that models carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems, harvested wood products and substitution benefits in two contrasting states of Mexico. We provide key messages and results derived from the use of the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector and a harvested wood products model, parameterized with input data from Mexicós National Forest Monitoring System (e.g. forest inventories, remote sensing, disturbance data). The ultimate goal of this tri-national effort is to develop data and tools for carbon assessment in strategic landscapes in North America, emphasizing the need to include multiple sectors and types of collaborators (scientific and policy-maker communities) to design more comprehensive portfolios for climate change mitigation in accordance with the Paris Agreement of the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (e.g. Mid-Century Strategy, NDC goals).

Patterns of Cross-Continental Variation in Tree Seed Mass in the Canadian Boreal Forest

PubMed Central

Liu, Jushan; Bai, Yuguang; Lamb, Eric G.; Simpson, Dale; Liu, Guofang; Wei, Yongsheng; Wang, Deli; McKenney, Daniel W.; Papadopol, Pia

2013-01-01

Seed mass is an adaptive trait affecting species distribution, population dynamics and community structure. In widely distributed species, variation in seed mass may reflect both genetic adaptation to local environments and adaptive phenotypic plasticity. Acknowledging the difficulty in separating these two aspects, we examined the causal relationships determining seed mass variation to better understand adaptability and/or plasticity of selected tree species to spatial/climatic variation. A total of 504, 481 and 454 seed collections of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.), white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb) across the Canadian Boreal Forest, respectively, were selected. Correlation analyses were used to determine how seed mass vary with latitude, longitude, and altitude. Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine how geographic and climatic variables influence seed mass. Climatic factors explained a large portion of the variation in seed mass (34, 14 and 29%, for black spruce, white spruce and jack pine, respectively), indicating species-specific adaptation to long term climate conditions. Higher annual mean temperature and winter precipitation caused greater seed mass in black spruce, but annual precipitation was the controlling factor for white spruce. The combination of factors such as growing season temperature and evapotranspiration, temperature seasonality and annual precipitation together determined seed mass of jack pine. Overall, sites with higher winter temperatures were correlated with larger seeds. Thus, long-term climatic conditions, at least in part, determined spatial variation in seed mass. Black spruce and Jack pine, species with relatively more specific habitat requirements and less plasticity, had more variation in seed mass explained by climate than did the more plastic species white spruce. As traits such as seed mass are related to seedling growth and survival, they potentially influence forest species composition in a changing climate and should be included in future modeling of vegetation shifts. PMID:23593392

Perceptions of Graduate Supervision: Relationships with Time of Reflection and Post-Secondary Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Elizabeth; Gadbois, Shannon A.

2013-01-01

This paper discusses the similarities and differences between Canadian doctoral students and new faculty members regarding their experiences with and perceptions of their graduate supervisors and mentoring. Participants' responses were considered in light of the current post-secondary culture that emphasizes increased productivity and…

Critical Environmental Adult Education in Canada: Student Environmental Activism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lange, Elizabeth; Chubb, Aaron

2009-01-01

Today recent polls have indicated that the Canadian public considers the environment and climate change as their top concern (De Souza, 2007), perhaps eclipsed only by recent economic fears. In keeping with the historical responsiveness of adult educators, environmental adult education (EAE) is widespread across North America. However, this area…

NCEP Data Products

Science.gov Websites

Image of NCEP Logo WHERE AMERICA'S CLIMATE AND WEATHER SERVICES BEGIN Inventory of Data Products on Generated Products Image of horizontal rule Global Forecast System (GFS) GFS Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS of horizontal rule External Products Image of horizontal rule Canadian Ensemble Forecast System

Future human health research directions for the Canadian Northern Contaminants Program

PubMed Central

Donaldson, Shawn G.; Curren, Meredith S.; Adlard, Bryan; Provost, Jonathan; Leech, Tara; Tikhonov, Constantine; Feeley, Mark; Tomlinson, Scott; Shearer, Russel

2013-01-01

Studies conducted in the mid-1980s and early 1990s demonstrated that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals were reaching the Arctic ecosystem at unexpectedly high levels, many of which had no Arctic or Canadian sources. Epidemiological and toxicological studies in Canada and in other countries have found that these contaminants may pose a risk to human health. The objective of this paper is to provide the foundation for the discussion on future northern human health research under the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) in Canada. This short discussion of human health priorities will help guide a path forward for future northern human health research in Canada to address on-going and new health concerns related to contaminants exposure in the Canadian Arctic. PMID:24282784

Analyses of Mentoring Expectations, Activities, and Support in Canadian Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrington, Marni R.; Marshall, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Mentoring expectations, activities, and support in Canadian college and university libraries were investigated by surveying 332 recent MLIS graduates, practicing academic librarians, and library administrators. Findings indicate that the presence of a mentoring program will help attract new librarians, retain them, and aid in restructuring efforts…

Polish Post-Secondary Vocational Schools and Canadian Community Colleges: International Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Norman L.; Pachocinski, Ryszard; Davidson, Barry S.; Marshall, Robert L.; Kritsonis, Wiilliam Allan; Van Patten, James J.; Borman, Kathryn M.; Johanningmeier, Erwin; Orlosfsky, Michael

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare Canadian community colleges with post-secondary vocational schools in Poland. The comparison concentrated upon programs in nursing, tourism and information technology delivered by the following three Polish schools Krakowska Szkola Medyczna, (Cracow, Poland), Policealne Studium Zawodowe, (Cracow, Poland),…

Media Psychology: An Application in the Canadian Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewin, L. L.; And Others

During the last three decades there has been growing dissatisfaction with remedial mental health approaches and a greater tendency to focus on primary prevention in mental health programs. A recent development in Canadian radio broadcasting is media psychology, whereby the masses are exposed to new attempts to disseminate psychoeducational…

Inclusive Education in Canada: Issues in Teacher Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCrimmon, Adam W.

2015-01-01

Inclusive education (IE) is widely adopted in Canadian educational systems. However, few Canadian universities require students in undergraduate teacher preparation programs to complete coursework on the topic of IE, and the few courses on this topic do not adequately prepare future teachers to work in inclusive classrooms with students with…

World Perspective Case Descriptions on Educational Programs for Adults: Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curran, David; And Others

This document contains 11 case studies of Canadian adult education and extension projects. Titles are: (1) Buchans Community Transmitter: A Threatened Community Considers Its Future (Curran); (2) Canadian Congress for Learning Opportunities for Women (Gaskin); (3) Healthline: Center for Corporate Health Promotion (Pratt); (4) Distance Education at…

Entrepreneurship and Educational Leadership Development: Canadian and Australian Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webber, Charles F.; Scott, Shelleyann

2008-01-01

This article reports the entrepreneurial activities of two university faculties, one Canadian and the other Australian, that were designed to meet the educational needs of students and to garner the resources necessary for program delivery. A conceptual framework for educational entrepreneurship, containing six dimensions, is proposed. The…

Three Portraits of Resistance: The (Un)Making of Canadian Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenzie, Marcia

2006-01-01

In this article I have outlined several modes of resistance to popular media and dominant cultural narratives suggested in three Canadian educational programs with a focus on social and environmental change. Exploring discourses of awareness, inactive caring, thinking differently, lifestyle activism, impacting the world, and contingent agency, I…

Canadian Plastic Surgery Resident Work Hour Restrictions: Practices and Perceptions of Residents and Program Directors.

PubMed

McInnes, Colin W; Vorstenbosch, Joshua; Chard, Ryan; Logsetty, Sarvesh; Buchel, Edward W; Islur, Avinash

2018-02-01

The impact of resident work hour restrictions on training and patient care remains a highly controversial topic, and to date, there lacks a formal assessment as it pertains to Canadian plastic surgery residents. To characterize the work hour profile of Canadian plastic surgery residents and assess the perspectives of residents and program directors regarding work hour restrictions related to surgical competency, resident wellness, and patient safety. An anonymous online survey developed by the authors was sent to all Canadian plastic surgery residents and program directors. Basic summary statistics were calculated. Eighty (53%) residents and 10 (77%) program directors responded. Residents reported working an average of 73 hours in hospital per week with 8 call shifts per month and sleep 4.7 hours/night while on call. Most residents (88%) reported averaging 0 post-call days off per month and 61% will work post-call without any sleep. The majority want the option of working post-call (63%) and oppose an 80-hour weekly maximum (77%). Surgical and medical errors attributed to post-call fatigue were self-reported by 26% and 49% of residents, respectively. Residents and program directors expressed concern about the ability to master surgical skills without working post-call. The majority of respondents oppose duty hour restrictions. The reason is likely multifactorial, including the desire of residents to meet perceived expectations and to master their surgical skills while supervised. If duty hour restrictions are aggressively implemented, many respondents feel that an increased duration of training may be necessary.

How are Canadian universities training and supporting undergraduate medical, physiotherapy and occupational therapy students for global health experiences in international low-resource settings?

PubMed

Bessette, Jennifer; Camden, Chantal

2016-12-27

Canadian medical (MD), physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) students increasingly show an interest in global health experiences (GHEs). As certain moral hazards can occur as a result of student GHEs, a growing consensus exists that universities must have an established selection process, in-depth pre-departure training (PDT), adequate onsite supervision and formal debriefing for their students. This study aimed to identify current practices in Canadian MD, PT and OT programs and discuss areas for improvement by comparing them with recommendations found in the literature. Canadian MD, PT and OT programs (n = 45) were invited to answer an online survey about their current practices for GHE support and training. The survey included 24 close-ended questions and 18 open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics and a thematic analysis were performed on the data and results were discussed in comparison with recommendations found in the literature. Twenty-three programs responded to the survey. Student selection processes varied across universities; examples included using academic performance, interviews and motivation letters. All but one MD program had mandatory PDT; content and teaching formats varied, as did training duration (2-38 hours). All but one MD program had onsite supervision; local clinicians were frequently involved. Debriefing, although not systematic, covered similar content; debriefing was variable in duration (1-8 hours). Many current practices are encouraging, but areas for improvement exist. Integrating global health content into the regular curriculum, with advanced study options for students participating in GHEs, could help universities standardize support and training.

Building an ensemble of climate scenarios for decision-making in hydrology: benefits, pitfalls and uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braun, Marco; Chaumont, Diane

2013-04-01

Using climate model output to explore climate change impacts on hydrology requires several considerations, choices and methods in the post treatment of the datasets. In the effort of producing a comprehensive data base of climate change scenarios for over 300 watersheds in the Canadian province of Québec, a selection of state of the art procedures were applied to an ensemble comprising 87 climate simulations. The climate data ensemble is based on global climate simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project - Phase 3 (CMIP3) and regional climate simulations from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) and operational simulations produced at Ouranos. Information on the response of hydrological systems to changing climate conditions can be derived by linking climate simulations with hydrological models. However, the direct use of raw climate model output variables as drivers for hydrological models is limited by issues such as spatial resolution and the calibration of hydro models with observations. Methods for downscaling and bias correcting the data are required to achieve seamless integration of climate simulations with hydro models. The effects on the results of four different approaches to data post processing were explored and compared. We present the lessons learned from building the largest data base yet for multiple stakeholders in the hydro power and water management sector in Québec putting an emphasis on the benefits and pitfalls in choosing simulations, extracting the data, performing bias corrections and documenting the results. A discussion of the sources and significance of uncertainties in the data will also be included. The climatological data base was subsequently used by the state owned hydro power company Hydro-Québec and the Centre d'expertise hydrique du Québec (CEHQ), the provincial water authority, to simulate future stream flows and analyse the impacts on hydrological indicators. While this submission focuses on the production of climatic scenarios for application in hydrology, the submission « The (cQ)2 project: assessing watershed scale hydrological changes for the province of Québec at the 2050 horizon, a collaborative framework » by Catherine Guay describes how Hydro-Québec and CEHQ put the data into use.

Emergency Health Services Informational and Educational Programs

PubMed Central

Pace, F. C.

1967-01-01

The development and present status of the Emergency Health Services (EHS) national and educational programs are discussed. Instituted in 1951 for medical and dental practitioners at a military school at Camp Borden, professional civilian indoctrination was later assumed by EHS at Canadian Emergency Measures College (CEMC). The federally sponsored courses there are now specialized; provincial EHS authorities undertake general indoctrination. Courses for graduates in pharmacy and nursing are also offered at CEMC. Hospital Disaster Institutes have been held across the country since 1954; Public Health Disaster Institutes, since 1966. Schools of Hygiene include the subject in graduate programs. Some years ago, three medical faculties introduced undergraduate teaching in mass casualty care; now, encouraged by the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges, a larger number are doing so. Several faculties of Dentistry, all faculties of Pharmacy, and 132 of 177 nursing schools teach apposite aspects. Professional journals have published many articles on this subject; this, for example, is the fourth Emergency Health Services Symposium presented by The Canadian Medical Association Journal. PMID:6015744

Emergency health services informational and educational programs: development and present status.

PubMed

Pace, F C

1967-01-28

The development and present status of the Emergency Health Services (EHS) national and educational programs are discussed. Instituted in 1951 for medical and dental practitioners at a military school at Camp Borden, professional civilian indoctrination was later assumed by EHS at Canadian Emergency Measures College (CEMC). The federally sponsored courses there are now specialized; provincial EHS authorities undertake general indoctrination. Courses for graduates in pharmacy and nursing are also offered at CEMC. Hospital Disaster Institutes have been held across the country since 1954; Public Health Disaster Institutes, since 1966. Schools of Hygiene include the subject in graduate programs. Some years ago, three medical faculties introduced undergraduate teaching in mass casualty care; now, encouraged by the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges, a larger number are doing so. Several faculties of Dentistry, all faculties of Pharmacy, and 132 of 177 nursing schools teach apposite aspects. Professional journals have published many articles on this subject; this, for example, is the fourth Emergency Health Services Symposium presented by The Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Mineralogical, geochemical, and magnetic signatures of surface sediments from the Canadian Beaufort Shelf and Amundsen Gulf (Canadian Arctic)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamboa, Adriana; Montero-Serrano, Jean-Carlos; St-Onge, Guillaume; Rochon, André; Desiage, Pierre-Arnaud

2017-02-01

Mineralogical, geochemical, magnetic, and siliciclastic grain-size signatures of 34 surface sediment samples from the Mackenzie-Beaufort Sea Slope and Amundsen Gulf were studied in order to better constrain the redox status, detrital particle provenance, and sediment dynamics in the western Canadian Arctic. Redox-sensitive elements (Mn, Fe, V, Cr, Zn) indicate that modern sedimentary deposition within the Mackenzie-Beaufort Sea Slope and Amundsen Gulf took place under oxic bottom-water conditions, with more turbulent mixing conditions and thus a well-oxygenated water column prevailing within the Amundsen Gulf. The analytical data obtained, combined with multivariate statistical (notably, principal component and fuzzy c-means clustering analyses) and spatial analyses, allowed the division of the study area into four provinces with distinct sedimentary compositions: (1) the Mackenzie Trough-Canadian Beaufort Shelf with high phyllosilicate-Fe oxide-magnetite and Al-K-Ti-Fe-Cr-V-Zn-P contents; (2) Southwestern Banks Island, characterized by high dolomite-K-feldspar and Ca-Mg-LOI contents; (3) the Central Amundsen Gulf, a transitional zone typified by intermediate phyllosilicate-magnetite-K-feldspar-dolomite and Al-K-Ti-Fe-Mn-V-Zn-Sr-Ca-Mg-LOI contents; and (4) mud volcanoes on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf distinguished by poorly sorted coarse-silt with high quartz-plagioclase-authigenic carbonate and Si-Zr contents, as well as high magnetic susceptibility. Our results also confirm that the present-day sedimentary dynamics on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf is mainly controlled by sediment supply from the Mackenzie River. Overall, these insights provide a basis for future studies using mineralogical, geochemical, and magnetic signatures of Canadian Arctic sediments in order to reconstruct past variations in sediment inputs and transport pathways related to late Quaternary climate and oceanographic changes.

Teaching Programs in Geriatric Optometry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenbloom, Albert A.

1985-01-01

Results of a survey of U.S. and Canadian optometry programs concerning curriculum design, clinical and residency training programs, continuing education, and research projects planned or under way in geriatric optometry are presented and discussed. (MSE)

A current landscape of provincial perinatal data collection in Canada.

PubMed

Massey, Kiran A; Magee, Laura A; Dale, Sheryll; Claydon, Jennifer; Morris, Tara J; von Dadelszen, Peter; Liston, Robert M; Ansermino, J Mark

2009-03-01

The Canadian Perinatal Network (CPN) was launched in 2005 as a national perinatal database project designed to identify best practices in maternity care. The inaugural project of CPN is focused on interventions that optimize maternal and perinatal outcomes in women with threatened preterm birth at 22+0 to 28+6 weeks' gestation. To examine existing data collection by perinatal health programs (PHPs) to inform decisions about shared data collection and CPN database construction. We reviewed the database manuals and websites of all Canadian PHPs and compiled a list of data fields and their definitions. We compared these fields and definitions with those of CPN and the Canadian Minimal Dataset, proposed as a common dataset by the Canadian Perinatal Programs Coalition of Canadian PHPs. PHPs collect information on 2/3 of deliveries in Canada. PHPs consistently collect information on maternal demographics (including both maternal and neonatal personal identifiers), past obstetrical history, maternal lifestyle, aspects of labour and delivery, and basic neonatal outcomes. However, most PHPs collect insufficient data to enable identification of obstetric (and neonatal) practices associated with improved maternal and perinatal outcomes. In addition, there is between-PHP variability in defining many data fields. Construction of a separate CPN database was needed although harmonization of data field definitions with those of the proposed Canadian Minimal Dataset was done to plan for future shared data collection. This convergence should be the goal of researchers and clinicians alike as we construct a common language for electronic health records.

Simulation in Canadian postgraduate emergency medicine training - a national survey.

PubMed

Russell, Evan; Hall, Andrew Koch; Hagel, Carly; Petrosoniak, Andrew; Dagnone, Jeffrey Damon; Howes, Daniel

2018-01-01

Simulation-based education (SBE) is an important training strategy in emergency medicine (EM) postgraduate programs. This study sought to characterize the use of simulation in FRCPC-EM residency programs across Canada. A national survey was administered to residents and knowledgeable program representatives (PRs) at all Canadian FRCPC-EM programs. Survey question themes included simulation program characteristics, the frequency of resident participation, the location and administration of SBE, institutional barriers, interprofessional involvement, content, assessment strategies, and attitudes about SBE. Resident and PR response rates were 63% (203/321) and 100% (16/16), respectively. Residents reported a median of 20 (range 0-150) hours of annual simulation training, with 52% of residents indicating that the time dedicated to simulation training met their needs. PRs reported the frequency of SBE sessions ranging from weekly to every 6 months, with 15 (94%) programs having an established simulation curriculum. Two (13%) of the programs used simulation for resident assessment, although 15 (94%) of PRs indicated that they would be comfortable with simulation-based assessment. The most common PR-identified barriers to administering simulation were a lack of protected faculty time (75%) and a lack of faculty experience with simulation (56%). Interprofessional involvement in simulation was strongly valued by both residents and PRs. SBE is frequently used by Canadian FRCPC-EM residency programs. However, there exists considerable variability in the structure, frequency, and timing of simulation-based activities. As programs transition to competency-based medical education, national organizations and collaborations should consider the variability in how SBE is administered.

Demographics, Interests, and Quality of Life of Canadian Neurosurgery Residents.

PubMed

Iorio-Morin, Christian; Ahmed, Syed Uzair; Bigder, Mark; Dakson, Ayoub; Elliott, Cameron; Guha, Daipayan; Kameda-Smith, Michelle; Lavergne, Pascal; Makarenko, Serge; Taccone, Michael S; Tso, Michael K; Wang, Bill; Winkler-Schwartz, Alexander; Fortin, David

2018-03-01

Neurosurgical residents face a unique combination of challenges, including long duty hours, technically challenging cases, and uncertain employment prospects. We sought to assess the demographics, interests, career goals, self-rated happiness, and overall well-being of Canadian neurosurgery residents. A cross-sectional survey was developed and sent through the Canadian Neurosurgery Research Collaborative to every resident enrolled in a Canadian neurosurgery program as of April 1, 2016. We analyzed 76 completed surveys of 146 eligible residents (52% response rate). The median age was 29 years, with 76% of respondents being males. The most popular subspecialties of interest for fellowship were spine, oncology, and open vascular neurosurgery. The most frequent self-reported number of worked hours per week was the 80- to 89-hour range. The majority of respondents reported a high level of happiness as well as stress. Sense of accomplishment and fatigue were reported as average to high and overall quality of life was low for 19%, average for 49%, and high for 32%. Satisfaction with work-life balance was average for 44% of respondents and was the only tested domain in which significant dissatisfaction was identified (18%). Overall, respondents were highly satisfied with their choice of specialty, choice of program, surgical exposure, and work environment; however, intimidation was reported in 36% of respondents and depression by 17%. Despite a challenging residency and high workload, the majority of Canadian neurosurgery residents are happy and satisfied with their choice of specialty and program. However, work-life balance, employability, resident intimidation, and depression were identified as areas of active concern.

Land-Sea relationships of climate-related records: example of the Holocene in the eastern Canadian Arctic and Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vernal, Anne; Fréchette, Bianca; Hillaire-Marcel, Claude

2017-04-01

Anne de Vernal, Bianca Fréchette, Claude Hillaire-Marcel Important progresses have been made to reconstruct climate and ocean changes through time. However, there is often a hiatus between the land-based climate reconstructions and paleoceanographical data. The reconstructed parameters are not the same (e.g. surface air temperature vs. sea-surface temperature). Moreover, the spatial (local to regional) and temporal dimensions (seasonal, annual to multi-decadal) of proxy-data are often inconsistent, thus preventing direct correlation of time series and often leading to uncertainties in multi-site, multi-proxy compilations. Here, we address the issue of land-sea relationships in the eastern Canadian Arctic-Baffin Bay-Labrador Sea-western Greenland based on the examination of different climate-related information from marine cores (dinocysts) collected nearshore vs. offshore, ice cores (isotopes), fjord and lake data (pollen). The combined information tends to indicate that "climate" changes are not easily neither adequately captured by temperature and temperature shifts. However, the seasonal contrast of temperatures seems to be a key parameter. Whereas it is often attenuated offshore, it is generally easy to reconstruct nearshore, where water stratification is usually stronger. The confrontation of data also shows a relationship between ice core data and sea-ice cover and/or sea-surface salinity, suggesting that air-sea exchanges in basins surrounding ice sheets play a significant role with respect to their isotopic composition. On the whole, combined onshore-offshore data consistently suggest a two-step shift towards optimal summer and winter conditions the circum Baffin Bay and northern Labrador Sea at 7.5 and 6 ka BP. These delayed optimal conditions seem to result from ice-meltwater discharges maintaining low salinity conditions in marine surface waters and thus a strong seasonality.

Interpolation and Meta-Analysis of IPCC AR4 General Circulation Model Scenarios applied to North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, D. T.; Joyce, L. A.; McKenney, D. W.

2009-12-01

Projections of future climate simulated by four state-of-art general circulation models (GCM), namely the U.S. NCAR CCSM 3.0, Canadian CGCM 3.1, Australian CSIRO Mk. 3.5 and Japanese MIROC 3.2, forced by each of the IPCC AR4 SRA2, SRB1 and SRA1B greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions scenarios, were downscaled for Canada and the continental USA. For each GCM projection, monthly climate values for a rectangle covering North America were interpolated using ANUSPLIN (e.g., Hutchinson 1995), to a common 0.0833° geographic grid. The resulting 12 high resolution scenarios provide projected change factors for monthly solar radiation, windspeed and vapor pressure, air temperature and precipitation, for the 21st century, referenced to the averages of simulated monthly means for 1961-1990. The 12 interpolated scenario data sets were subjected to a meta-analysis. Data for each projected variable of each climate scenario were averaged for three consecutive 30-year periods (starting in 2011), to create scenario maps of changes in annual and seasonal means. The contiguous 48 U.S. States were grouped into seven regions based on the classification of Bailey (1994), with Alaska forming an eighth region, while Canada was divided into twelve regions based on the Canadian Terrestrial Ecozones (Wiken, 1986). In each region, data were spatially averaged (with area-weighting) and used to create graphs and summary tables of annual and seasonal trends, including long-term changes in interannual variability. Overall, the meta-analysis showed remarkable agreement among the four GCMs, in terms both of their sensitivity to increasing GHG forcing (SRB1→SRA1B→SRA2) and in the relative magnitudes of the climate changes projected for each scenario in each region. Temperatures were projected to increase by 2-4 °C in the southern USA (summer) to as much as 4-8 °C in northern Canada and Alaska (winter minima), by the mid-2080s, relative to 2000. Precipitation was projected to increase by 5-10% over the same period, but with distinct seasonal trends that differed among regions; one GCM projected significant decreases in precipitation in the southern USA. Solar radiation inputs were generally projected to decline slightly, showing consistent inverse relationships to projected precipitation changes, while vapor pressure generally increased, particularly in summer and particularly in coastal regions. Projected changes in interannual variability (based on ratios of predicted to observed standard deviations of annual and seasonal means for 2071-2100 and 1961-1990) were generally less consistent but often tended to decrease with increasing GHG forcing. The data sets will support national and regional climate change impacts studies, including the USDA Forest Service National Renewable Resource Assessment for 2010 and Canadian forest vulnerability assessment for the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers in 2011.

Facing Climate Change: Connecting Coastal Communities with Place-Based Ocean Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelz, M.; Dewey, R. K.; Hoeberechts, M.; McLean, M. A.; Brown, J. C.; Ewing, N.; Riddell, D. J.

2016-12-01

As coastal communities face a wide range of environmental changes, including threats from climate change, real-time data from cabled observatories can be used to support community members in making informed decisions about their coast and marine resources. Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) deploys and operates an expanding network of community observatories in the Arctic and coastal British Columbia, which enable communities to monitor real-time and historical data from the local marine environment. Community observatories comprise an underwater cabled seafloor platform and shore station equipped with a variety of sensors that collect environmental data 24/7. It is essential that data being collected by ONC instruments are relevant to community members and can contribute to priorities identified within the community. Using a community-based science approach, ONC is engaging local parties at all stages of each project from location planning, to instrument deployment, to data analysis. Alongside the science objectives, place-based educational programming is being developed with local educators and students. As coastal populations continue to grow and our use of and impacts on the ocean increase, it is vital that global citizens develop an understanding that the health of the ocean reflects the health of the planet. This presentation will focus on programs developed by ONC emphasizing the connection to place and local relevance with an emphasis on Indigenous knowledge. Building programs which embrace multiple perspectives is effective both in making ocean science more relevant to Indigenous students and in linking place-based knowledge to ocean science. The inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge into science-based monitoring programs also helps develop a more complete understanding of local conditions. We present a case study from the Canadian Arctic, in which ONC is working with Inuit community members to develop a snow and ice monitoring program to assist with predictions and modelling of sea-ice.

Operationally Monitoring Sea Ice at the Canadian Ice Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Abreu, R.; Flett, D.; Carrieres, T.; Falkingham, J.

2004-05-01

The Canadian Ice Service (CIS) of the Meteorological Service of Canada promotes safe and efficient maritime operations and protects Canada's environment by providing reliable and timely information about ice and iceberg conditions in Canadian waters. Daily and seasonal charts describing the extent, type and concentration of sea ice and icebergs are provided to support navigation and other activities (e.g. oil and gas) in coastal waters. The CIS relies on a suite of spaceborne visible, infrared and microwave sensors to operationally monitor ice conditions in Canadian coastal and inland waterways. These efforts are complemented by operational sea ice models that are customized and run at the CIS. The archive of these data represent a 35 year archive of ice conditions and have proven to be a valuable dataset for historical sea ice analysis. This presentation will describe the daily integration of remote sensing observations and modelled ice conditions used to produce ice and iceberg products. A review of the decadal evolution of this process will be presented, as well as a glimpse into the future of ice and iceberg monitoring. Examples of the utility of the CIS digital sea ice archive for climate studies will also be presented.

Strategic plan for bioenergy research, 1998--2003, the Canadian Forest Service five-year plan: Implementing the Canadian bioenergy research strategy (in English;French)

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

NONE

1998-10-01

This document supersedes the previous one, taking into account changes that have taken place in the CFS Science and Technology (S and T) program structure and organization, and in the structure of the Program of Energy Research and Development, the source of funding for CFS bioenergy research. It explains the rationale and overall objective for the bioenergy research program and briefly reviews the accomplishments to date. It indicates the planning context within which the program operates, states the specific objectives for the period of the plan, and details the strategic priorities developed for this period. Finally, it outlines the implementationmore » process for the plan.« less

Canadians Seeking Solutions and Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD): Form and Function

PubMed Central

Levin, Adeera; Adams, Evan; Barrett, Brendan J.; Beanlands, Heather; Burns, Kevin D.; Chiu, Helen Hoi-Lun; Chong, Kate; Dart, Allison; Ferera, Jack; Fernandez, Nicolas; Fowler, Elisabeth; Garg, Amit X.; Gilbert, Richard; Harris, Heather; Harvey, Rebecca; Hemmelgarn, Brenda; James, Matthew; Johnson, Jeffrey; Kappel, Joanne; Komenda, Paul; McCormick, Michael; McIntyre, Christopher; Mahmud, Farid; Pei, York; Pollock, Graham; Reich, Heather; Rosenblum, Norman D.; Scholey, James; Sochett, Etienne; Tang, Mila; Tangri, Navdeep; Tonelli, Marcello; Turner, Catherine; Walsh, Michael; Woods, Cathy; Manns, Braden

2018-01-01

Purpose of review This article serves to describe the Can-SOLVE CKD network, a program of research projects and infrastructure that has excited patients and given them hope that we can truly transform the care they receive. Issue Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a complex disorder that affects more than 4 million Canadians and costs the Canadian health care system more than $40 billion per year. The evidence base for guiding care in CKD is small, and even in areas where evidence exists, uptake of evidence into clinical practice has been slow. Compounding these complexities are the variations in outcomes for patients with CKD and difficulties predicting who is most likely to develop complications over time. Clearly these gaps in our knowledge and understanding of CKD need to be filled, but the current state of CKD research is not where it needs to be. A culture of clinical trials and inquiry into the disease is lacking, and much of the existing evidence base addresses the concerns of the researchers but not necessarily those of the patients. Program overview The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has launched the national Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), a coalition of federal, provincial, and territorial partners dedicated to integrating research into care. Canadians Seeking Solutions and Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD) is one of five pan-Canadian chronic kidney disease networks supported through the SPOR. The vision of Can-SOLVE CKD is that by 2020 every Canadian with or at high risk for CKD will receive the best recommended care, experience optimal outcomes, and have the opportunity to participate in studies with novel therapies, regardless of age, sex, gender, location, or ethnicity. Program objective The overarching objective of Can-SOLVE CKD is to accelerate the translation of knowledge about CKD into clinical research and practice. By focusing on the patient’s voice and implementing relevant findings in real time, Can-SOLVE CKD will transform the care that CKD patients receive, and will improve kidney health for future generations. PMID:29372064

Advancing Articulation: Models of College-University Collaboration in Canadian Higher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirby, Dale

2008-01-01

This paper reports on the results of an analysis of program articulation between the college and university sectors in Canada. The Canadian post-secondary system is best described as a binary system with discrete university and non-university sectors. While there are complex sectoral differences between the two institutional types in terms of…

School Outreach and Museum-Architect Partnerships: An Initiative at the Canadian Centre for Architecture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalas, Agnieszka

2006-01-01

This thesis focuses on an educational partnership between the Canadian Centre for Architecture and Architects in Action, which explores the potential of utilizing professional arts practitioners in an outreach capacity to extend museum programming. It seeks to answer the following questions: How did the architects' experiences compare to their…

How Companies Respond to New Safety Regulations: A Canadian Investigation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saari, J.; And Others

1993-01-01

A study of safety training programs in 66 Canadian companies found that those who provided tailor-made training already offered better working conditions, greater management involvement in safety work, and more safety activities than those who used outside training sources. This suggests that safety regulations benefit good companies more than…

Moral Education Polices in Five Canadian Provinces: Seeking Clarity, Consistency and Coherency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leinweber, K.; Donlevy, J. K.; Gereluk, D.; Patterson, P.; Brar, J.

2012-01-01

This paper asks the question, "What is the current status of provincial moral education polices in the five Canadian provinces which have mandated or optional moral education programs: Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta?" It then offers a response through an analysis of the relevant policies in those provinces…

Canada's Schools Abroad: Expanding the Pathways. CBIE Market Reports Number 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) - Bureau canadien de l’éducation internationale (BCEI), 2014

2014-01-01

This CBIE pathways study, jointly supported by the Global Opportunities for Associations (GOA) program and by CBIE, aims to support recruitment efforts by Canadian institutions in priority markets by outlining the current situation and identifying best practices for increasing the number of Canadian offshore school graduates choosing a Canadian…

Polish Post-Secondary Vocational Institutions and Canadian Community Colleges: A Comparison Using an Information Technology Conceptual Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Norman L.; Pachocinski, Ryszard; Davidson, Barry S.

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare Polish post-secondary vocational institutions with Canadian community colleges using an information technology theoretical framework consisting of three parts: participation, feedback and partnership. The research concentrated upon programs in nursing, tourism and information technology delivered by the three…

In Canada, Business Schools Lead Push for Globalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewington, Jennifer

2012-01-01

At Canadian universities, business schools are light-years ahead of the rest of the campus in raising their global profile. Intensive foreign-student-recruitment efforts, friendly Canadian immigration rules, mandatory study-abroad requirements, and, in some cases, the option to pursue programs in multiple languages have combined to pack a punch in…

Homelessness and the Homeless: Responses and Innovations. A Canadian Contribution to IYSH 1987.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oberlander, H. Peter; Fallick, Arthur L.

This report presents descriptions of successful Canadian public and private programs to aid the homeless and alleviate homelessness as part of participation in the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (IYSH). Part 1, "The International Year of Shelter for the Homeless," includes the following: (1) objectives; (2) global…

System architecture for the Canadian interim mobile satellite system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shariatmadar, M.; Gordon, K.; Skerry, B.; Eldamhougy, H.; Bossler, D.

1988-01-01

The system architecture for the Canadian Interim Mobile Satellite Service (IMSS) which is planned for commencement of commercial service in late 1989 is reviewed. The results of an associated field trial program which was carried out to determine the limits of coverage and the preliminary performance characteristics of the system are discussed.

Promoting Racial and Ethnic Diversity among Canadian Academic Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kandiuk, Mary

2014-01-01

This study examines racial and ethnic diversity among Canadian academic librarians and discusses the findings of a nationwide survey. The survey posed questions related to equity plans and programs as well as recruitment practices for academic librarians from equity-seeking groups with a focus on Aboriginal and visible/racial minority librarians.…

Exploring Levels of Student-Athlete Burnout at Two Canadian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubuc-Charbonneau, Nicole; Durand-Bush, Natalie; Forneris, Tanya

2014-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to examine the levels of burnout among student-athletes at two Canadian universities and to investigate whether there were significant differences related to gender, sport, year of university sport participation, academic year, and academic program. Burnout was measured by administering Raedeke and Smith's…

Falling Enrolments and Rising Expenditures: The School Board's Dilemma.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharples, Brian

Previous increases in the costs of Canadian education were easily explained by rising enrollments. In an era of declining enrollments, increased costs are much more difficult to explain. One reason for increased costs is the large proportion of Canadian student population concentrated in high schools where programs are more expensive than at other…

76 FR 81910 - Request for Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection; End-Use Certificate Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-29

... Request: Extension. Abstract: This information collection is to ensure that Canadian wheat imported into... importers, subsequent buyers, and end-users that assists in tracking the Canadian wheat within the U.S... to average 0.175 hours per response. Respondents: Wheat importers, traders, and end-users. Estimated...

Getting Practical Experience in a New Country

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Allan; Dantanarayana, Pitson

2007-01-01

It is very difficult for new Canadians to find work that draws on and recognizes their experience and qualifications. About three years ago the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) established a policy to try to help new Canadians achieve hands-on experience in their field of expertise through a special volunteer program. Since then,…

A Blended Approach to Canadian First Nations Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sacher, Martin; Sacher, Mavis; Vaughan, Norman

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to investigate if and how a blended approach to Canadian First Nations education could be used to foster student engagement and success. The study examined the SCcyber E-Learning Community program (2012) through the lens of the "Seven Principles of Effective Teaching" (Chickering & Gamson,…

First Nations Approaches to Childhood Obesity: Healthy Lifestyles in Canada Compared with Alternatives for Alaska Native Communities

PubMed Central

de Schweinitz, Peter A.; Wojcicki, Janet M.

2017-01-01

Alaska Native and American Indian children have among the highest prevalence of obesity in the United States. Canadian Aboriginal populations including First Nations also have high rates of obesity but obesity rates among children are noticeably lower. We highlight some of the important differences between American and Canadian approaches to healthy lifestyles and Aboriginal/Native health, including diet and physical activity, which may in part explain the differences in obesity prevalence. Specifically, the Canadian government provides a food subsidy program to bring perishable fruits and vegetable to remote, rural Canadian areas and secondly supports the use of traditional foods and harvesting/gathering through a number of government supported programs. Lastly, there may be a better sense of community and overall life satisfaction for Aboriginals compared with Alaska Natives, in part because of the incorporation of healthcare and other services within the larger overall community, as opposed to separate services as is the case for Alaska Natives. This perspective provides insight into some of these potential differences. PMID:28492517

The competencies required by professional hospice palliative care spiritual care providers.

PubMed

Cooper, Dan; Aherne, Michael; Pereira, José

2010-07-01

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (2002) identifies spiritual care of the dying and their families as a core service for Hospice Palliative Care programs. Yet, until the Spiritual Care Development Initiative of the Canadian Pallium Project, there was no published literature indicating systematic profiling of occupationally relevant core competencies or competency-based training programs specific to this specialized field of practice. This article describes a Canadian Community of Practice process to develop an occupational analysis-based competency profile for the Professional Hospice Palliative Care Spiritual Care Provider utilizing a modified Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) methodology. Competency profiles are important contributions to the development of curricula to train care providers who are recognized by other professions and by institutions as possessing the requisite theoretical and clinical expertise, particularly in academic tertiary care settings.

Professional Preparation in Athletic Administration and Sport Management: Undergraduate and Graduate Programs in Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parkhouse, Bonnie L.; Stoy, Christopher J.

1979-01-01

Programs in athletic administration and sport management offered by four Canadian institutions are briefly outlined with information including availability of financial aid, degree requirements, and program description. (JMF)

Canadian Pacific Railway mechanical services' 5-Alive safety program shows promise in reducing injuries.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-09-01

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Human Factors Research and Development (R&D) Program is sponsoring an Alternative Safety Measures Program to explore alternative methods for evaluating whether safety programs improve safety outcomes and the ...

Indigenous community based participatory research and health impact assessment: A Canadian example

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

Kwiatkowski, Roy E., E-mail: roy_kwiatkowski@hc-sc.gc.c

The Environmental Health Research Division (EHRD) of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada conducts science-based activities and research with Canadian Indigenous communities in areas such as climate change adaptation, environmental contaminants, water quality, biomonitoring, risk assessment, health impact assessment, and food safety and nutrition. EHRD's research activities have been specifically designed to not only inform Health Canada's policy decision-makers but as well, Indigenous community decision-makers. This paper will discuss the reasons why Indigenous community engagement is important, what are some of the barriers preventing community engagement; and the efforts by EHRD to carry out community-based participatory researchmore » activities with Indigenous peoples.« less

Women in physics in Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Li-Hong; Ghose, Shohini; Milner-Bolotin, Marina; McKenna, Janis; Bhadra, Sampa; Predoi-Cross, Adriana; Dasgupta, Arundhati; Campbell, Melanie; Barkanova, Svetlana; Steinitz, Michael

2015-12-01

While the overall climate for women physicists both in academia and industry has improved significantly over the past decade in Canada, it will be some time before women are well represented. Numbers of women in physics at all academic levels have increased, but are less than ideal at the full professor level. Organizations such as the Canadian Association of University Teachers and local initiatives are striving to minimize the socio-economic and professional gaps between women and men. The Canadian Association of Physicists, through its Committee to Encourage Women in Physics, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council are supportive and serve as catalysts, bringing together men and women to discuss and address issues concerning women in physics across Canada.

Institutional Diversity and Funding Universities in Ontario: Is There a Link?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piché, Pierre Gilles

2015-01-01

The fiscal climate of restraint in the Canadian province of Ontario has led to increased calls for a more diversified higher education system. Significant diversity in the university sector in Ontario has not been achieved that underscores the importance of understanding government policy and its related influences on institutional diversity. This…

Canadian Building Digests 1-100 (With Index).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa (Ontario). Div. of Building Research.

One hundred different topics related to the technical aspects of building design and construction are discussed. The major areas of discussion are--(1) the effects of climate on building materials, (2) site and soil analysis, (3) acoustical and thermal design considerations, (4) fire and building design, (5) structural analysis and design, and (6)…

Re-measurement of whitebark pine infection and mortality in the Canadian Rockies

Treesearch

Cyndi M. Smith; Brenda Shepherd; Cameron Gillies; Jon Stuart-Smith

2011-01-01

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) populations are under threat across the species' range from white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), fire exclusion and climate change (Tomback and Achuff 2010). Loss of whitebark pine is predicted to have cascading effects on the following ecological services: provision of...

The Emerging Educator: Working in Early Childhood Settings. Book Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, Karen

1998-01-01

Reviews the textbook "The Emerging Educator: Working in Early Childhood Settings" by Diane Nyistor and Eva Stelzer Rudick. Maintains that it serves as an introduction to the field, but also suggest that the work would benefit from including Canadian foundations, expanded presentation of personnel policies, employment climate, budget management,…

Canadian snow and sea ice: historical trends and projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mudryk, Lawrence R.; Derksen, Chris; Howell, Stephen; Laliberté, Fred; Thackeray, Chad; Sospedra-Alfonso, Reinel; Vionnet, Vincent; Kushner, Paul J.; Brown, Ross

2018-04-01

The Canadian Sea Ice and Snow Evolution (CanSISE) Network is a climate research network focused on developing and applying state of the art observational data to advance dynamical prediction, projections, and understanding of seasonal snow cover and sea ice in Canada and the circumpolar Arctic. Here, we present an assessment from the CanSISE Network on trends in the historical record of snow cover (fraction, water equivalent) and sea ice (area, concentration, type, and thickness) across Canada. We also assess projected changes in snow cover and sea ice likely to occur by mid-century, as simulated by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) suite of Earth system models. The historical datasets show that the fraction of Canadian land and marine areas covered by snow and ice is decreasing over time, with seasonal and regional variability in the trends consistent with regional differences in surface temperature trends. In particular, summer sea ice cover has decreased significantly across nearly all Canadian marine regions, and the rate of multi-year ice loss in the Beaufort Sea and Canadian Arctic Archipelago has nearly doubled over the last 8 years. The multi-model consensus over the 2020-2050 period shows reductions in fall and spring snow cover fraction and sea ice concentration of 5-10 % per decade (or 15-30 % in total), with similar reductions in winter sea ice concentration in both Hudson Bay and eastern Canadian waters. Peak pre-melt terrestrial snow water equivalent reductions of up to 10 % per decade (30 % in total) are projected across southern Canada.

Teaching and evaluation of ethics and professionalism

PubMed Central

Pauls, Merril A.

2012-01-01

Abstract Objective To document the scope of the teaching and evaluation of ethics and professionalism in Canadian family medicine postgraduate training programs, and to identify barriers to the teaching and evaluation of ethics and professionalism. Design A survey was developed in collaboration with the Committee on Ethics of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. The data are reported descriptively and in aggregate. Setting Canadian postgraduate family medicine training programs. Participants Between June and December of 2008, all 17 Canadian postgraduate family medicine training programs were invited to participate. Main outcome measures The first part of the survey explored the structure, resources, methods, scheduled hours, and barriers to teaching ethics and professionalism. The second section focused on end-of-rotation evaluations, other evaluation strategies, and barriers related to the evaluation of ethics and professionalism. Results Eighty-eight percent of programs completed the survey. Most respondents (87%) had learning objectives specifically for ethics and professionalism, and 87% had family doctors with training or interest in the area leading their efforts. Two-thirds of responding programs had less than 10 hours of scheduled instruction per year, and the most common barriers to effective teaching were the need for faculty development, competing learning needs, and lack of resident interest. Ninety-three percent of respondents assessed ethics and professionalism on their end-of-rotation evaluations, with 86% assessing specific domains. The most common barriers to evaluation were a lack of suitable tools and a lack of faculty comfort and interest. Conclusion By far most Canadian family medicine postgraduate training programs had learning objectives and designated faculty leads in ethics and professionalism, yet there was little curricular time dedicated to these areas and a perceived lack of resident interest and faculty expertise. Most programs evaluated ethics and professionalism as part of their end-of-rotation evaluations, but only a small number used novel means of evaluation, and most cited a lack of suitable assessment tools as an important barrier. PMID:23242906

Should Canadian health promoters support a food stamp-style program to address food insecurity?

PubMed

Power, Elaine M; Little, Margaret H; Collins, Patricia A

2015-03-01

Food insecurity is an urgent public health problem in Canada, affecting 4 million Canadians in 2012, including 1.15 million children, and associated with significant health concerns. With little political will to address this significant policy issue, it has been suggested that perhaps it is time for Canada to try a food stamp-style program. Such a program could reduce rates of food insecurity and improve the nutritional health of low-income Canadians. In this article, we explore the history of the US food stamp program; the key impetus of which was to support farmers and agricultural interests, not to look after the needs of people living in poverty. Though the US program has moved away from its roots, its history has had a lasting legacy, cementing an understanding of the problem as one of lack of food, not lack of income. While the contemporary food stamp program, now called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), reduces rates of poverty and food insecurity, food insecurity rates in the USA are significantly higher than those in Canada, suggesting a food stamp-style program per se will not eliminate the problem of food insecurity. Moreover, a food stamp-style program is inherently paternalistic and would create harm by reducing the autonomy of participants and generating stigma, which in itself has adverse health effects. Consequently, it is ethically problematic for health promoters to advocate for such a program, even if it could improve diet quality. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Aerosol size and chemical composition measurements at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Lab (PEARL) in Eureka, Nunavut

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, P. L.; Tremblay, S.; Chang, R. Y. W.; Leaitch, R.; Kolonjari, F.; O'Neill, N. T.; Chaubey, J. P.; AboEl Fetouh, Y.; Fogal, P.; Drummond, J. R.

2016-12-01

This study presents observations of aerosol chemical composition and particle number size distribution at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) in the Canadian High Arctic (80N, 86W). The current aerosol measurement program at PEARL has been ongoing for more than a year providing long-term observations of Arctic aerosol size distributions for both coarse and fine modes. Particle nucleation events were frequently observed during the summers of 2015 and 2016. The size distribution data are also compared against similar measurements taken at the Alert Global Atmospheric Watch Observatory (82N, 62W) for July and August 2015. The nucleation events are correlated at the two sites, despite a distance of approximately 500 km, suggesting regional conditions favorable for particle nucleation and growth during this period. Size resolved chemical composition measurements were also carried out using an aerosol mass spectrometer. The smallest measured particles between 40 and 60 nm are almost entirely organic aerosol (OA) indicating that the condensation of organic vapors is responsible for particle growth events and possibly particle nucleation. This conclusion is further supported by the relatively high oxygen content of the OA, which is consistent with secondary formation of OA via atmospheric oxidation.Lastly, surface measurements of the aerosol scattering coefficient are compared against the coefficient values calculated using Mie theory and the measured aerosol size distribution. Both the actual and the calculated scattering coefficients are then compared to sun photometer measurements to understand the relationship between surface and columnar aerosol optical properties. The measurements at PEARL provide a unique combination of surface and columnar data sets on aerosols in the High Arctic, a region where such measurements are scarce despite the important impact of aerosols on Arctic climate.PEARL research is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). In addition, the Alert GAW Observatory is supported by ECCC.

How Competitive Is Plastic Surgery? An Analysis of the Canadian and American Residency Match.

PubMed

Morzycki, Alexander; Bezuhly, Michael; Williams, Jason G

2018-02-01

Plastic surgery (PS) is considered to be one of the most competitive specialties. As a result, some students are discouraged from applying, reducing the overall number of PS candidates. Still, much of what we know of the match is based in conjecture. To examine the Canadian PS match data from 1997 to 2016. To our knowledge, this is the first long-term analysis of the Canadian PS residency match. We examined the Canadian Residency Matching Service reports from 1997 to 2016, extracting key match statistics, including available positions, number of applicants, positions filled, positions unfilled, and gender-specific match results. To examine competitiveness, the ratio of total applicants per quota per year (CR) and the ratio of applicants who chose PS as their first-choice specialty per quota per year were calculated (FC-CR). The National Residency Matching Program data were used to assess the American integrated PS match over the past decade and served as a comparison. The CR of Canadian PS programs declined over the last 20 years ( P < .001), indicating fewer applicants applied to the program per available position. Similarly, the FC-CR also declined over the last 20 years ( P < .001). The number of females matching to their first-choice discipline of PS increased from 1997 ( P < .001). There was no significant change in the number of males matching to their first-choice discipline of PS ( P = .15). There was no significant change in the competitiveness (CR) of the American integrated PS match over the last decade ( P = 0.087). Encouragingly, today PS has more training positions and more female residents; yet, the overall number of applicants has remained relatively static over the past 20 years. This analysis serves as a valuable reference for PS programs and should assist in developing strategies to encourage the best applicants to apply.

Implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming Arctic.

PubMed

Peacock, Elizabeth; Sonsthagen, Sarah A; Obbard, Martyn E; Boltunov, Andrei; Regehr, Eric V; Ovsyanikov, Nikita; Aars, Jon; Atkinson, Stephen N; Sage, George K; Hope, Andrew G; Zeyl, Eve; Bachmann, Lutz; Ehrich, Dorothee; Scribner, Kim T; Amstrup, Steven C; Belikov, Stanislav; Born, Erik W; Derocher, Andrew E; Stirling, Ian; Taylor, Mitchell K; Wiig, Øystein; Paetkau, David; Talbot, Sandra L

2015-01-01

We provide an expansive analysis of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) circumpolar genetic variation during the last two decades of decline in their sea-ice habitat. We sought to evaluate whether their genetic diversity and structure have changed over this period of habitat decline, how their current genetic patterns compare with past patterns, and how genetic demography changed with ancient fluctuations in climate. Characterizing their circumpolar genetic structure using microsatellite data, we defined four clusters that largely correspond to current ecological and oceanographic factors: Eastern Polar Basin, Western Polar Basin, Canadian Archipelago and Southern Canada. We document evidence for recent (ca. last 1-3 generations) directional gene flow from Southern Canada and the Eastern Polar Basin towards the Canadian Archipelago, an area hypothesized to be a future refugium for polar bears as climate-induced habitat decline continues. Our data provide empirical evidence in support of this hypothesis. The direction of current gene flow differs from earlier patterns of gene flow in the Holocene. From analyses of mitochondrial DNA, the Canadian Archipelago cluster and the Barents Sea subpopulation within the Eastern Polar Basin cluster did not show signals of population expansion, suggesting these areas may have served also as past interglacial refugia. Mismatch analyses of mitochondrial DNA data from polar and the paraphyletic brown bear (U. arctos) uncovered offset signals in timing of population expansion between the two species, that are attributed to differential demographic responses to past climate cycling. Mitogenomic structure of polar bears was shallow and developed recently, in contrast to the multiple clades of brown bears. We found no genetic signatures of recent hybridization between the species in our large, circumpolar sample, suggesting that recently observed hybrids represent localized events. Documenting changes in subpopulation connectivity will allow polar nations to proactively adjust conservation actions to continuing decline in sea-ice habitat.

Implications of the Circumpolar Genetic Structure of Polar Bears for Their Conservation in a Rapidly Warming Arctic

PubMed Central

Peacock, Elizabeth; Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; Obbard, Martyn E.; Boltunov, Andrei; Regehr, Eric V.; Ovsyanikov, Nikita; Aars, Jon; Atkinson, Stephen N.; Sage, George K.; Hope, Andrew G.; Zeyl, Eve; Bachmann, Lutz; Ehrich, Dorothee; Scribner, Kim T.; Amstrup, Steven C.; Belikov, Stanislav; Born, Erik W.; Derocher, Andrew E.; Stirling, Ian; Taylor, Mitchell K.; Wiig, Øystein; Paetkau, David; Talbot, Sandra L.

2015-01-01

We provide an expansive analysis of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) circumpolar genetic variation during the last two decades of decline in their sea-ice habitat. We sought to evaluate whether their genetic diversity and structure have changed over this period of habitat decline, how their current genetic patterns compare with past patterns, and how genetic demography changed with ancient fluctuations in climate. Characterizing their circumpolar genetic structure using microsatellite data, we defined four clusters that largely correspond to current ecological and oceanographic factors: Eastern Polar Basin, Western Polar Basin, Canadian Archipelago and Southern Canada. We document evidence for recent (ca. last 1–3 generations) directional gene flow from Southern Canada and the Eastern Polar Basin towards the Canadian Archipelago, an area hypothesized to be a future refugium for polar bears as climate-induced habitat decline continues. Our data provide empirical evidence in support of this hypothesis. The direction of current gene flow differs from earlier patterns of gene flow in the Holocene. From analyses of mitochondrial DNA, the Canadian Archipelago cluster and the Barents Sea subpopulation within the Eastern Polar Basin cluster did not show signals of population expansion, suggesting these areas may have served also as past interglacial refugia. Mismatch analyses of mitochondrial DNA data from polar and the paraphyletic brown bear (U. arctos) uncovered offset signals in timing of population expansion between the two species, that are attributed to differential demographic responses to past climate cycling. Mitogenomic structure of polar bears was shallow and developed recently, in contrast to the multiple clades of brown bears. We found no genetic signatures of recent hybridization between the species in our large, circumpolar sample, suggesting that recently observed hybrids represent localized events. Documenting changes in subpopulation connectivity will allow polar nations to proactively adjust conservation actions to continuing decline in sea-ice habitat. PMID:25562525

Implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming Arctic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peacock, Elizabeth; Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; Obbard, Martyn E.; Boltunov, Andrei N.; Regehr, Eric V.; Ovsyanikov, Nikita; Aars, Jon; Atkinson, Stephen N.; Sage, George K.; Hope, Andrew G.; Zeyl, Eve; Bachmann, Lutz; Ehrich, Dorothee; Scribner, Kim T.; Amstrup, Steven C.; Belikov, Stanislav; Born, Erik W.; Derocher, Andrew E.; Stirling, Ian; Taylor, Mitchell K.; Wiig, Øystein; Paetkau, David; Talbot, Sandra L.

2015-01-01

We provide an expansive analysis of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) circumpolar genetic variation during the last two decades of decline in their sea-ice habitat. We sought to evaluate whether their genetic diversity and structure have changed over this period of habitat decline, how their current genetic patterns compare with past patterns, and how genetic demography changed with ancient fluctuations in climate. Characterizing their circumpolar genetic structure using microsatellite data, we defined four clusters that largely correspond to current ecological and oceanographic factors: Eastern Polar Basin, Western Polar Basin, Canadian Archipelago and Southern Canada. We document evidence for recent (ca. last 1–3 generations) directional gene flow from Southern Canada and the Eastern Polar Basin towards the Canadian Archipelago, an area hypothesized to be a future refugium for polar bears as climate-induced habitat decline continues. Our data provide empirical evidence in support of this hypothesis. The direction of current gene flow differs from earlier patterns of gene flow in the Holocene. From analyses of mitochondrial DNA, the Canadian Archipelago cluster and the Barents Sea subpopulation within the Eastern Polar Basin cluster did not show signals of population expansion, suggesting these areas may have served also as past interglacial refugia. Mismatch analyses of mitochondrial DNA data from polar and the paraphyletic brown bear (U. arctos) uncovered offset signals in timing of population expansion between the two species, that are attributed to differential demographic responses to past climate cycling. Mitogenomic structure of polar bears was shallow and developed recently, in contrast to the multiple clades of brown bears. We found no genetic signatures of recent hybridization between the species in our large, circumpolar sample, suggesting that recently observed hybrids represent localized events. Documenting changes in subpopulation connectivity will allow polar nations to proactively adjust conservation actions to continuing decline in sea-ice habitat.

Investigation of the 2013 Alberta flood from weather and climate perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teufel, Bernardo; Diro, G. T.; Whan, K.; Milrad, S. M.; Jeong, D. I.; Ganji, A.; Huziy, O.; Winger, K.; Gyakum, J. R.; de Elia, R.; Zwiers, F. W.; Sushama, L.

2017-05-01

During 19-21 June 2013 a heavy precipitation event affected southern Alberta and adjoining regions, leading to severe flood damage in numerous communities and resulting in the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history. This flood was caused by a combination of meteorological and hydrological factors, which are investigated from weather and climate perspectives with the fifth generation Canadian Regional Climate Model. Results show that the contribution of orographic ascent to precipitation was important, exceeding 30 % over the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Another contributing factor was evapotranspiration from the land surface, which is found to have acted as an important moisture source and was likely enhanced by antecedent rainfall that increased soil moisture over the northern Great Plains. Event attribution analysis suggests that human induced greenhouse gas increases may also have contributed by causing evapotranspiration rates to be higher than they would have been under pre-industrial conditions. Frozen and snow-covered soils at high elevations are likely to have played an important role in generating record streamflows. Results point to a doubling of surface runoff due to the frozen conditions, while 25 % of the modelled runoff originated from snowmelt. The estimated return time of the 3-day precipitation event exceeds 50 years over a large region, and an increase in the occurrence of similar extreme precipitation events is projected by the end of the 21st century. Event attribution analysis suggests that greenhouse gas increases may have increased 1-day and 3-day return levels of May-June precipitation with respect to pre-industrial climate conditions. However, no anthropogenic influence can be detected for 1-day and 3-day surface runoff, as increases in extreme precipitation in the present-day climate are offset by decreased snow cover and lower frozen water content in soils during the May-June transition months, compared to pre-industrial climate.

Long-term monitoring at multiple trophic levels suggests heterogeneity in responses to climate change in the Canadian Arctic tundra

PubMed Central

Gauthier, Gilles; Bêty, Joël; Cadieux, Marie-Christine; Legagneux, Pierre; Doiron, Madeleine; Chevallier, Clément; Lai, Sandra; Tarroux, Arnaud; Berteaux, Dominique

2013-01-01

Arctic wildlife is often presented as being highly at risk in the face of current climate warming. We use the long-term (up to 24 years) monitoring records available on Bylot Island in the Canadian Arctic to examine temporal trends in population attributes of several terrestrial vertebrates and in primary production. Despite a warming trend (e.g. cumulative annual thawing degree-days increased by 37% and snow-melt date advanced by 4–7 days over a 23-year period), we found little evidence for changes in the phenology, abundance or productivity of several vertebrate species (snow goose, foxes, lemmings, avian predators and one passerine). Only primary production showed a response to warming (annual above-ground biomass of wetland graminoids increased by 123% during this period). We nonetheless found evidence for potential mismatches between herbivores and their food plants in response to warming as snow geese adjusted their laying date by only 3.8 days on average for a change in snow-melt of 10 days, half of the corresponding adjustment shown by the timing of plant growth (7.1 days). We discuss several reasons (duration of time series, large annual variability, amplitude of observed climate change, nonlinear dynamic or constraints imposed by various rate of warming with latitude in migrants) to explain the lack of response by herbivores and predators to climate warming at our study site. We also show how length and intensity of monitoring could affect our ability to detect temporal trends and provide recommendations for future monitoring. PMID:23836788

Data sharing as a national quality improvement program: reporting on BRCA1 and BRCA2 variant-interpretation comparisons through the Canadian Open Genetics Repository (COGR).

PubMed

Lebo, Matthew S; Zakoor, Kathleen-Rose; Chun, Kathy; Speevak, Marsha D; Waye, John S; McCready, Elizabeth; Parboosingh, Jillian S; Lamont, Ryan E; Feilotter, Harriet; Bosdet, Ian; Tucker, Tracy; Young, Sean; Karsan, Aly; Charames, George S; Agatep, Ronald; Spriggs, Elizabeth L; Chisholm, Caitlin; Vasli, Nasim; Daoud, Hussein; Jarinova, Olga; Tomaszewski, Robert; Hume, Stacey; Taylor, Sherryl; Akbari, Mohammad R; Lerner-Ellis, Jordan

2018-03-01

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to develop a national program for Canadian diagnostic laboratories to compare DNA-variant interpretations and resolve discordant-variant classifications using the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes as a case study.MethodsBRCA1 and BRCA2 variant data were uploaded and shared through the Canadian Open Genetics Repository (COGR; http://www.opengenetics.ca). A total of 5,554 variant observations were submitted; classification differences were identified and comparison reports were sent to participating laboratories. Each site had the opportunity to reclassify variants. The data were analyzed before and after the comparison report process to track concordant- or discordant-variant classifications by three different models.ResultsVariant-discordance rates varied by classification model: 38.9% of variants were discordant when using a five-tier model, 26.7% with a three-tier model, and 5.0% with a two-tier model. After the comparison report process, the proportion of discordant variants dropped to 30.7% with the five-tier model, to 14.2% with the three-tier model, and to 0.9% using the two-tier model.ConclusionWe present a Canadian interinstitutional quality improvement program for DNA-variant interpretations. Sharing of variant knowledge by clinical diagnostic laboratories will allow clinicians and patients to make more informed decisions and lead to better patient outcomes.

Meeting the Needs of Chinese International Students: Is There Anything We Can Learn from Their Home System?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Wei; Lin, Xiaobing

2016-01-01

Discussed in this article are the different governance models in international student services in Canadian and Chinese universities. Informing this study were 39 international student service providers from 38 top Chinese universities while interacting with their Canadian counterparts in a professional development program in Canada. The derived…

Ready or Not...: Perspectives on Literacy and Essential Skills in this Economic Downturn--A Canadian Baseline Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Janet; Yerichuk, Deanna; Murray-Smith, Nick

2009-01-01

In March 2009, Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL) commissioned "Resources for Results", a private research and evaluation firm, to conduct a baseline study to explore the effects of the recent economic downturn on literacy and essential skills programs across Canada. The "Resources for Results" research team interviewed 35…

Children's Television Programming: Some Prior Considerations and Research Designs for Canadian Broadcasts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solberg, Janet

This handbook was produced to address some of the questions raised at a workshop for producers, programmers, performers, researchers, and writers in the field of Canadian children's television. Three main areas are covered. The first section provides an indication of some of the information that research can supply for the improvement of…

Human Rights and/or Market Logic: Neoliberalism, Difficult Knowledge, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milne, Heather

2015-01-01

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) has been plagued by controversy since before its construction even began. Outcries regarding perceived oversights in the museum's programming and objections to the cost of construction, curatorial development, and staffing have erupted frequently in local media. Critical analyses of public responses to…

Magsat investigation. [Canadian shield

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, D. H. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

A computer program was prepared for modeling segments of the Earth's crust allowing for heterogeneity in magnetization in calculating the Earth's field at Magsat heights. This permits investigation of a large number of possible models in assessing the magnetic signatures of subprovinces of the Canadian shield. The fit between the model field and observed fields is optimized in a semi-automatic procedure.

Children's Rough and Tumble Play: Perspectives of Teachers in Northern Canadian Indigenous Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Shelley Stagg; Madsen, Audrey; San Miguel, Jayson; Jang, Soon Young

2018-01-01

Ten teachers in kindergarten and grade one classrooms in remote northern Canadian Ojibway communities, and two consultants from a First Nations Student Success Program participated in focus group discussions about the place of rough and tumble and superhero play, and teachers' roles in preventing relational and physically aggressive play in…

Non-Formal Adult Learning Programs at Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions: Trends, Issues, and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirby, Dale; Curran, Vernon; Hollett, Ann

2009-01-01

A number of recent policy reports have suggested that Canadian universities and community colleges should play a more significant role in response to the adult education and training needs of Canada's workforce. This article discusses the results of a study that examined investment trends and the characteristics of non-formal adult learner…

Violence in the Schools: Programs and Policies for Prevention. A Report from the Canadian Education Association.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacDougall, Jyl

This publication offers some insight into the problem of violence in Canadian schools and provides examples of ways to reduce it. The forms of violent activities examined include youth/youth-gang violence, violence against teachers, bullying, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. Each chapter presents research findings and examples of programs…

Academic Relations between Canada and China: 1970-95.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, Martin

This report reviews development of Sino-Canadian academic relations over the past 25 years. It offers an overview of four periods of Sino-Canadian academic relations (1970-79, 1979-83, 1983-89, and 1989-95), and briefly describes a number of programs in six areas: (1) foreign trade and economic cooperation, (2) foreign affairs and international…

[Proceedings of the] 20th Anniversary Conference of the Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education (Quebec, Canada, May 25-27, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nesbit, Tom, Ed.

This document contains 29 papers and 7 roundtable presentations from a Canadian conference on the study of adult education. The following papers are among those included: "Cultivating Knowledge" (Mike Ambach); "Subsistence Learning" (Rose Barg); "Non-Governmental Organizations and Popular Education Programs" (Bijoy P.…

Survey of Biology Capstone Courses in American and Canadian Higher Education: Requirement, Content, and Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haave, Neil C.

2015-01-01

Capstone experiences have high educational impact with various approaches available for biology. However, no information exists regarding the pervasiveness of capstone courses in Canadian and American biology programs. This study surveyed the prevalence and character of biology capstone courses in the USA and Canada. The survey included a majority…

The Effect of Employer-Supported Child Care in Three Canadian Hospitals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayfield, Margie I.

The general purpose of this year-long study was to evaluate the effects of the Edmonton Hospital Workers' Child Care Society programs in three Canadian hospitals on the employers, the employees, and the children served. Specifically, this study investigated the effects of employer-supported child care on (1) employee absenteeism; (2) tardiness;…

Some Preliminary Notes Concerning an Inquiry into the Heritage of Canadian Adult Education. Occasional Paper No. 19.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, J. Roby

As an introductory sketch to further understanding of the present in terms of the past, a conceptual framework is helpful for studying Canadian adult education. The suggested approach utilizes factors--time periods, influences, and activities, methods, programs, and organizations--to try to establish interrelationships. There were three major time…

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…

Community based monitoring: engaging and empowering Alberta ranchers

Treesearch

Michael S. Quinn; Jennifer E. Dubois

2005-01-01

Community based monitoring (CBM), a form of citizen science, is presented as a potential contributor to ecosystem management and sustainable development. A conceptual model for CBM and lessons learned from a Canadian national pilot program, the Canadian Community Monitoring Network, are summarized along with a description of the European university-based “science shop...

Web-Based Learning: A Bridge to Meet the Needs of Canadian Nurses for Doctoral Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurucz, Sue; Rietze, Lori; Lim, Angie; Swamy, Mindy

2015-01-01

Canada does not have enough nurses with doctoral degrees. Such nurses fill important roles as researchers, educators, leaders, and clinicians. While a growing number of Canadian universities offer doctorate degrees in nursing, most institutions have only traditional on-campus programs, posing barriers for nurses who reside in places geographically…

In Pursuit of Being Canadian: Examining the Challenges of Culturally Relevant Education in Teacher Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dlamini, S. Nombuso; Martinovic, Dragana

2007-01-01

This article is about an ongoing initiative that addresses the challenges confronted by teacher candidates to whom English is an additional language and whose cultures are considered different from those of the Canadian mainstream. The initiative is a seminar, Language and Cultural Engagement, in which teacher candidates are prepared for practice…

A Portrait of the Audience for Instruction in Web Searching: Results of a Survey Conducted at Two Canadian Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tillotson, Joy

2003-01-01

Describes a survey that was conducted involving participants in the library instruction program at two Canadian universities in order to describe the characteristics of students receiving instruction in Web searching. Examines criteria for evaluating Web sites, search strategies, use of search engines, and frequency of use. Questionnaire is…

Post-Secondary (Grammar) Vocational Schools in Poland and Canadian Community Colleges: A Summary of the Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Norman L.; Davidson, Barry S.; Pachocinski, Ryszard

2006-01-01

This article compares Polish post-secondary vocational (grammar) schools with Canadian community colleges. Accessibility, governance and programs are discussed. The theoretical framework for this comparison was supplied by the notion of the school as an organization and social institution. We found that it is necessary for educators in both Canada…

Impact of Holocene climate variability on Arctic vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gajewski, K.

2015-10-01

This paper summarizes current knowledge about the postglacial history of the vegetation of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) and Greenland. Available pollen data were used to understand the initial migration of taxa across the Arctic, how the plant biodiversity responded to Holocene climate variability, and how past climate variability affected primary production of the vegetation. Current evidence suggests that most of the flora arrived in the area during the Holocene from Europe or refugia south or west of the region immediately after local deglaciation, indicating rapid dispersal of propagules to the region from distant sources. There is some evidence of shrub species arriving later in Greenland, but it is not clear if this is dispersal limited or a response to past climates. Subsequent climate variability had little effect on biodiversity across the CAA, with some evidence of local extinctions in areas of Greenland in the late Holocene. The most significant impact of climate changes is on vegetation density and/or plant production.

Managing Water-Food-Energy Futures in the Canadian Prairies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wheater, H. S.; Hassanzadeh, E.; Nazemi, A.; Elshorbagy, A. A.

2016-12-01

The water-food-energy nexus is a convenient phrase to highlight competing societal uses for water and the need for cross-sectoral policy integration, but this can lead to oversimplification of the multiple dimensions of water (and energy) management. In practice, water managers must balance (and prioritize) demands for water for many uses, including environmental flows, and reservoir operation often involves managing conflicting demands, for example to maximize retention for supply, reduce storage to facilitate flood control, and constrain water levels and releases for habitat protection. Agriculture and water quality are also inextricably linked: irrigated agriculture requires appropriate water quality for product quality and certification, but agriculture can be a major source of nutrient pollution, with impacts on human and ecosystem health, drinking water treatment and amenity. And energy-water interactions include energy production (hydropower and cooling water for thermal power generation) and energy consumption (e.g. for pumping and water and wastewater treatment). These dependencies are illustrated for the Canadian prairies, and a risk-based approach to the management of climate change is presented. Trade-offs between economic benefits of hydropower and irrigation are illustrated for alternative climate futures, including implications for freshwater habitats. The results illustrate that inter-sector interactions vary as a function of climate and its variability, and that there is a need for policy to manage inter-sector allocations as a function of economic risk.

Comparison of stigmatizing experiences between Canadian and Korean patients with depression and bipolar disorders.

PubMed

Lee, Hyewon; Milev, Roumen; Paik, Jong-Woo

2015-12-01

Stigma is one of the key barriers to mental health services, and there have been growing efforts to develop antistigma programs. However, little research has been done on quantifying experiences of stigma and their psychosocial impacts in the perspectives of those who suffer from mental illnesses. It is essential to develop an instrument that quantifies the extent and impact of stigma. Therefore, we conducted a study to conduct a field test on The Inventory of Stigmatizing Experiences and measure the difference in perceived stigma and its psychosocial impacts on Korean and Canadian patients with depression and bipolar disorders. A cross-sectional comparison study was conducted. Data collection took place at a tertiary care hospital located in Seoul, South Korea. Data for the Canadian patient group were retrieved from a previous study conducted by Lazowski et al. In total, 214 Canadian and 51 Korean individuals with depression and bipolar disorder participated. Canadian participants reported significantly higher experience with stigma (P<0.05) and its impact (P<0.05) compared with Korean participants. Both subscales of the inventory (the Stigma Experiences Scale and the Stigma Impact Scale) were highly reliable, with reliability coefficients of 0.81 and 0.93, respectively. In conclusion, there seems to be higher level of stigma and impact in the Canadian population compared with the Korean population. These differences in stigma experience and their impact in different populations suggest the need to develop more tailored antistigma programs. The Inventory of Stigmatizing Experiences is a highly reliable instrument. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

An Environmental Scan of Academic Emergency Medicine at the 17 Canadian Medical Schools: Why Does this Matter to Emergency Physicians?

PubMed

Stiell, Ian G; Artz, Jennifer D; Lang, Eddy S; Sherbino, Jonathan; Morrison, Laurie J; Christenson, James; Perry, Jeffrey J; Topping, Claude; Woods, Robert; Green, Robert S; Lim, Rodrick; Magee, Kirk; Foote, John; Meckler, Garth; Mensour, Mark; Field, Simon; Chung, Brian; Kuuskne, Martin; Ducharme, James; Klein, Vera; McEwen, Jill

2017-01-01

We sought to conduct a major objective of the CAEP Academic Section, an environmental scan of the academic emergency medicine programs across the 17 Canadian medical schools. We developed an 84-question questionnaire, which was distributed to academic heads. The responses were validated by phone by the lead author to ensure that the questions were answered completely and consistently. Details of pediatric emergency medicine units were excluded from the scan. At eight of 17 universities, emergency medicine has full departmental status and at two it has no official academic status. Canadian academic emergency medicine is practiced at 46 major teaching hospitals and 13 specialized pediatric hospitals. Another 69 Canadian hospital EDs regularly take clinical clerks and emergency medicine residents. There are 31 full professors of emergency medicine in Canada. Teaching programs are strong with clerkships offered at 16/17 universities, CCFP(EM) programs at 17/17, and RCPSC residency programs at 14/17. Fourteen sites have at least one physician with a Master's degree in education. There are 55 clinical researchers with salary support at 13 universities. Sixteen sites have published peer-reviewed papers in the past five years, ranging from four to 235 per site. Annual budgets range from $200,000 to $5,900,000. This comprehensive review of academic activities in emergency medicine across Canada identifies areas of strengths as well as opportunities for improvement. CAEP and the Academic Section hope we can ultimately improve ED patient care by sharing best academic practices and becoming better teachers, educators, and researchers.

Is Canadian surgical residency training stressful?

PubMed

Aminazadeh, Nasser; Farrokhyar, Forough; Naeeni, Amir; Naeeni, Marjan; Reid, Susan; Kashfi, Arash; Kahnamoui, Kamyar

2012-08-01

Surgical residency has the reputation of being arduous and stressful. We sought to determine the stress levels of surgical residents, the major causes of stress and the coping mechanisms used. We developed and distributed a survey among surgical residents across Canada. A total of 169 participants responded: 97 (57%) male and 72 (43%) female graduates of Canadian (83%) or foreign (17%) medical schools. In all, 87% reported most of the past year of residency as somewhat stressful to extremely stressful, with time pressure (90%) being the most important stressor, followed by number of working hours (83%), residency program (73%), working conditions (70%), caring for patients (63%) and financial situation (55%). Insufficient sleep and frequent call was the component of residency programs that was most commonly rated as highly stressful (31%). Common coping mechanisms included staying optimistic (86%), engaging in enjoyable activities (83%), consulting others (75%) and exercising (69%). Mental or emotional problems during residency were reported more often by women (p = 0.006), who were also more likely than men to seek help (p = 0.026), but men reported greater financial stress (p = 0.036). Foreign graduates reported greater stress related to working conditions (p < 0.001), residency program (p = 0.002), caring for family members (p = 0.006), discrimination (p < 0.001) and personal and family safety (p < 0.001) than Canadian graduates. Time pressure and working hours were the most common stressors overall, and lack of sleep and call frequency were the most stressful components of the residency program. Female sex and graduating from a non-Canadian medical school increased the likelihood of reporting stress in certain areas of residency.

Capacity development in health systems and policy research: a survey of the Canadian context.

PubMed

Grudniewicz, Agnes; Hedden, Lindsay; Kromm, Seija; Lavergne, Ruth; Menear, Matthew; Sivananthan, Saskia

2014-02-07

Over the past decade, substantial global investment has been made to support health systems and policy research (HSPR), with considerable resources allocated to training. In Canada, signs point to a larger and more highly skilled HSPR workforce, but little is known about whether growth in HSPR human resource capacity is aligned with investments in other research infrastructure, or what happens to HSPR graduates following training. We collected data from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada's national health research funding agency, and the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research on recent graduates in the HSPR workforce. We also surveyed 45 Canadian HSPR training programs to determine what information they collect on the career experiences of graduates. No university programs are currently engaged in systematic follow-up. Collaborative training programs funded by the national health research funding agency report performing short-term mandated tracking activities, but whether and how data are used is unclear. No programs collected information about whether graduates were using skills obtained in training, though information collected by the national funding agency suggests a minority (<30%) of doctoral-level trainees moving on to academic careers. Significant investments have been made to increase HSPR capacity in Canada and around the world but no systematic attempts to evaluate the impact of these investments have been made. As a research community, we have the expertise and responsibility to evaluate our health research human resources and should strive to build a stronger knowledge base to inform future investment in HSPR research capacity.

Follow-up of participants in the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Scholars' Program, 2006 to 2012.

PubMed

Lam, Mindy Ching Wan; Sey, Michael Sl; Gregor, Jamie; Wong, Clarence

2014-02-01

The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) Scholars' Program (previously known as the Bright Lights Course) is designed to encourage trainees to consider a subspecialty career in gastroenterology. A formal analysis of the Scholars' Program performed in 2007 revealed that 82% of participants invited to the program pursued or were planning to pursue a career in gastroenterology. The positive results are consistent with the CAG's strategic plan of developing "the next generation of gastroenterology clinical practitioners, researchers, educators, and leaders" and to "attract, train, and retain the best and the brightest to gastroenterology". The present study was a follow-up analysis of participants in the Scholars' Program between 2006 and 2012. Although 93.1% of participants had an interest in gastroenterology before attending the Scholars' Program, the majority (68.7%) reported a greater interest in gastroenterology after the program. Similar to the study from 2007, the present study again illustrates the importance and success of the Scholars' Program in generating interest and retaining candidates in gastroenterology.

77 FR 46527 - Distribution of the 2010 Cable Royalty Funds

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-03

... (represented by National Association of Broadcasters), Music Claimants (represented by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Broadcast Music, Inc., and SESAC, Inc.), Canadian Claimants Group... programming, commercial and noncommercial broadcaster-owned programming, religious programming, music, public...

Canadian Medicare: prognosis guarded.

PubMed

Naylor, C D; Fooks, C; Williams, J I

1995-08-01

Beset by unprecedented fiscal pressures, Canadian medicare has reached a crossroads. The authors review the impact of recent cuts in federal transfer payments on provincial health care programs and offer seven suggestions to policymakers trying to accommodate these reductions. (1) Go slowly: public health care spending is no longer rising and few provinces have the necessary systems in place to manage major reductions. (2) Target reductions, rewarding quality and efficiency instead of making across-the-board cuts. (3) Replace blame with praise:give health care professionals and institutions credit for their contributions. (4) Learn from the successful programs and policies already in place across the country. (5) Foster horizontal and vertical integration of services. (6) Promote physician leadership by rewarding efforts to promote the efficient use of resources. (7) Monitor the effects of cutbacks: physician groups should cooperate with government in maintaining a national "report card" on services, costs and the health status of Canadians.

The 2010 Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines for the diagnosis and management of heart failure update: Heart failure in ethnic minority populations, heart failure and pregnancy, disease management, and quality improvement/assurance programs

PubMed Central

Howlett, Jonathan G; McKelvie, Robert S; Costigan, Jeannine; Ducharme, Anique; Estrella-Holder, Estrellita; Ezekowitz, Justin A; Giannetti, Nadia; Haddad, Haissam; Heckman, George A; Herd, Anthony M; Isaac, Debra; Kouz, Simon; Leblanc, Kori; Liu, Peter; Mann, Elizabeth; Moe, Gordon W; O’Meara, Eileen; Rajda, Miroslav; Siu, Samuel; Stolee, Paul; Swiggum, Elizabeth; Zeiroth, Shelley

2010-01-01

Since 2006, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society heart failure (HF) guidelines have published annual focused updates for cardiovascular care providers. The 2010 Canadian Cardiovascular Society HF guidelines update focuses on an increasing issue in the western world – HF in ethnic minorities – and in an uncommon but important setting – the pregnant patient. Additionally, due to increasing attention recently given to the assessment of how care is delivered and measured, two critically important topics – disease management programs in HF and quality assurance – have been included. Both of these topics were written from a clinical perspective. It is hoped that the present update will become a useful tool for health care providers and planners in the ongoing evolution of care for HF patients in Canada. PMID:20386768

A framework for assessing cumulative effects in watersheds: an introduction to Canadian case studies.

PubMed

Dubé, Monique G; Duinker, Peter; Greig, Lorne; Carver, Martin; Servos, Mark; McMaster, Mark; Noble, Bram; Schreier, Hans; Jackson, Lee; Munkittrick, Kelly R

2013-07-01

From 2008 to 2013, a series of studies supported by the Canadian Water Network were conducted in Canadian watersheds in an effort to improve methods to assess cumulative effects. These studies fit under a common framework for watershed cumulative effects assessment (CEA). This article presents an introduction to the Special Series on Watershed CEA in IEAM including the framework and its impetus, a brief introduction to each of the articles in the series, challenges, and a path forward. The framework includes a regional water monitoring program that produces 3 core outputs: an accumulated state assessment, stressor-response relationships, and development of predictive cumulative effects scenario models. The framework considers core values, indicators, thresholds, and use of consistent terminology. It emphasizes that CEA requires 2 components, accumulated state quantification and predictive scenario forecasting. It recognizes both of these components must be supported by a regional, multiscale monitoring program. Copyright © 2013 SETAC.

A review of screening mammography participation and utilization in Canada.

PubMed

Doyle, G P; Major, D; Chu, C; Stankiewicz, A; Harrison, M L; Pogany, L; Mai, V M; Onysko, J

2011-09-01

Participation rate is an important indicator for a screening program's effectiveness; however, the current approach to measuring participation rate in Canada is not comparable with other countries. The objective of this study is to review the measurement of screening mammography participation in Canada, make international comparisons, and propose alternative methods. Canadian breast cancer screening program data for women aged 50 to 69 years screened between 2004 and 2006 were extracted from the Canadian Breast Cancer Screening Database (CBCSD). The fee-for-services (FSS) mammography data (opportunistic screening mammography) were obtained from the provincial ministries of health. Both screening mammography program participation and utilization were examined over 24 and 30 months. Canada's screening participation rate increases from 39.4% for a 24-month cut-off to 43.6% for a 30-month cut-off. The 24-month mammography utilization rate is 63.1% in Canada, and the 30-month utilization rate is 70.4%. Due to the differences in health service delivery among Canadian provinces, both programmatic participation and overall utilization of mammography at 24 months and 30 months should be monitored.

SWAT-CS: Revision and testing of SWAT for Canadian Shield catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Congsheng; James, April L.; Yao, Huaxia

2014-04-01

Canadian Shield catchments are under increasing pressure from various types of development (e.g., mining and increased cottagers) and changing climate. Within the southern part of the Canadian Shield, catchments are generally characterized by shallow forested soils with high infiltration rates and low bedrock infiltration, generating little overland flow, and macropore and subsurface flow are important streamflow generation processes. Large numbers of wetlands and lakes are also key physiographic features, and snow-processes are critical to catchment modeling in this climate. We have revised the existing, publicly available SWAT (version 2009.10.1 Beta 3) to create SWAT-CS, a version representing hydrological processes dominating Canadian Shield catchments, where forest extends over Precambrian Shield bedrock. Prior to this study, very few studies applying SWAT to Canadian Shield catchments exist (we have found three). We tested SWAT-CS using the Harp Lake catchment dataset, an Ontario Ministry of Environment research station located in south-central Ontario. Simulations were evaluated against 30 years of observational data, including streamflow from six headwater sub-catchments (0.1-1.9 km2), outflow from Harp Lake (5.4 km2) and five years of weekly snow water equivalent (SWE). The best Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) results for daily streamflow calibration, daily streamflow validation, and SWE were 0.60, 0.65, and 0.87, respectively, for sub-catchment HP4 (with detailed land use and soil data). For this range of catchment scales, land cover and soil properties were found to be transferable across sub-catchments with similar physiographic features, namely streamflow from the remaining five sub-catchments could be modeled well using sub-catchment HP4 parameterization. The Harp Lake outflow was well modeled using the existing reservoir-based target release method, generating NSEs of 0.72 and 0.67 for calibration and verification periods respectively. With significant changes to the infiltration module (introducing macropore flow and reduced bedrock percolation), more than 90% of interflow was generated close to the soil-bedrock interface and the contribution of groundwater flow to total runoff was reduced to small amounts, consistent with hydrological process understanding in this terrain. These two changes also allowed for a positive linear relationship between NSE of SWE and Q, whereas prior to these changes there was a negative relationship. With these key revisions to the infiltration and bedrock percolations modules, it is concluded that SWAT-CS can reasonably capture key hydrological processes within Canadian Shield catchments. Further testing will examine water quality modeling and larger-scale applications.

Thoracic surgery training in Canada according to the residents: the thoracic surgery resident survey, of the Canadian thoracic manpower and education study (T-Med).

PubMed

Schieman, Colin; Kelly, Elizabeth; Gelfand, Gary; Graham, Andrew; McFadden, Sean P; Edwards, Janet; Grondin, Sean C

2010-01-01

The resident component of the Canadian Thoracic Manpower and Education Study (T-MED) was conducted to understand the basic demographic of Canadian thoracic surgery residents, the factors influencing their selection of training programs, current work conditions, training and competencies, and opinions in regard to the manpower needs for the specialty. A modified Delphi process was used to develop a survey applicable to thoracic surgery residents. In May and June 2009, residents completed the voluntary anonymous Internet-based survey. All Canadian residents participated in the survey, providing a 100% response rate. Most respondents were male (11/12), and the average age was 34 years old with an anticipated debt greater than $50,000 on graduation. All residents worked more than 70 hours per week, with most doing 1 : 3 or 1 : 4 on-call. Two-thirds of respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their training program. Rates of anticipated competence in performing various thoracic surgeries on graduation differed between residents and program directors. Two-thirds (8/12) of residents planned to practice thoracic surgery exclusively, and hoped to practice in an academic setting. Most residents (10/12) agreed or strongly agreed that not enough jobs are available in Canada for graduating trainees and that the number of residency positions should reflect the predicted availability of jobs. This study has provided detailed information on thoracic surgery resident demographics and training programs. Most thoracic surgery residents are satisfied with their current training program but have concerns about their job prospects on graduation, and they believe that the number of training positions should reflect potential job opportunities. This survey represents the first attempt to characterize the current state of thoracic surgery training in Canada from the resident's perspective and may help in directing educational and manpower planning. Copyright © 2010 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Turbulence Observations in the Upper Ocean During the Surface Wave Processes Program in the Northeast Pacific, February to March 1990

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

AD-A283 895 S cientific Excellence • Resource Protection & Conservation • Benefits for Canadians Excellence scientifique • Protection et conservation...V8L 4B2 . 1992 Thi- :lci,,-nrit has been approved1 Icr P’--1iC •Lae•_se and sole; its J dIt:isbution is tuoni-ited. Canadian Data Report of...Hydrography and Ocean Sciences No. 106 94-27566 • 94 8 26 116 I I Fisheries Pdches and Oceans et Oceans Ca adc Canadian Data Report Of II’.drographý and Ocean

Integrating peatlands into the coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) v3.6 and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM) v2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuanqiao; Verseghy, Diana L.; Melton, Joe R.

2016-08-01

Peatlands, which contain large carbon stocks that must be accounted for in the global carbon budget, are poorly represented in many earth system models. We integrated peatlands into the coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM), which together simulate the fluxes of water, energy, and CO2 at the land surface-atmosphere boundary in the family of Canadian Earth system models (CanESMs). New components and algorithms were added to represent the unique features of peatlands, such as their characteristic ground floor vegetation (mosses), the slow decomposition of carbon in the water-logged soils and the interaction between the water, energy, and carbon cycles. This paper presents the modifications introduced into the CLASS-CTEM modelling framework together with site-level evaluations of the model performance for simulated water, energy and carbon fluxes at eight different peatland sites. The simulated daily gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration are well correlated with observations, with values of the Pearson correlation coefficient higher than 0.8 and 0.75 respectively. The simulated mean annual net ecosystem production at the eight test sites is 87 g C m-2 yr-1, which is 22 g C m-2 yr-1 higher than the observed annual mean. The general peatland model compares well with other site-level and regional-level models for peatlands, and is able to represent bogs and fens under a range of climatic and geographical conditions.

Integrating peatlands into the coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) v3.6 and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM) v2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Y.; Verseghy, D. L.; Melton, J. R.

2015-11-01

Peatlands, which contain large carbon stocks that must be accounted for in the global carbon budget, are poorly represented in many earth system models. We integrated peatlands into the coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM), which together simulate the fluxes of water, energy and CO2 at the land surface-atmosphere boundary in the family of Canadian Earth System Models (CanESMs). New components and algorithms were added to represent the unique features of peatlands, such as their characteristic ground floor vegetation (mosses), the slow decomposition of carbon in the water-logged soils and the interaction between the water, energy and carbon cycles. This paper presents the modifications introduced into the CLASS-CTEM modelling framework together with site-level evaluations of the model performance for simulated water, energy and carbon fluxes at eight different peatland sites. The simulated daily gross primary production and ecosystem respiration are well correlated with observations, with values of the Pearson correlation coefficient higher than 0.8 and 0.75 respectively. The simulated mean annual net ecosystem production at the eight test sites is 87 g C m-2 yr-1, which is 22 g C m-2 yr-1 higher than the observed annual mean. The general peatland model compares well with other site-level and regional-level models for peatlands, and is able to represent bogs and fens under a range of climatic and geographical conditions.

Canadian Pacific Railway Investigation of Safety-Related Occurrences Protocol considered helpful by both labor and management.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-09-01

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Human Factors Research and Development (R&D) Program sponsored an Alternative Safety Measures Program designed to explore alternative methods for evaluating whether safety programs improve safety outcomes and...

76 FR 55122 - Distribution of the 2009 Cable Royalty Funds

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-06

... Association of Broadcasters), Music Claimants (represented by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Broadcast Music, Inc., and SESAC, Inc.), Canadian Claimants, National Public Radio, and the... noncommercial broadcaster-owned programming, religious programming, music, public radio programming, and...

75 FR 66798 - Distribution of the 2008 Cable Royalty Funds

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-29

... Association of Broadcasters), Music Claimants (represented by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Broadcast Music, Inc., and SESAC, Inc.), Canadian Claimants, National Public Radio, and the... noncommercial broadcaster-owned programming, religious programming, music, public radio programming, and...

Employee Assistance Programs in Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaffe, Peter; And Others

1988-01-01

Employee assistance programs (EAP) are evaluated in questionnaire responses from 73 of 109 (67 percent) Canadian school boards and 35 (50 percent) of the clients of the EAP in London, Ontario. Explores the nature of current programs and emerging trends in this field. (MLF)

A National Survey on Teaching and Assessing Technical Proficiency in Vascular Surgery in Canada.

PubMed

Drudi, Laura; Hossain, Sajjid; Mackenzie, Kent S; Corriveau, Marc-Michel; Abraham, Cherrie Z; Obrand, Daniel I; Vassiliou, Melina; Gill, Heather; Steinmetz, Oren K

2016-05-01

This survey aims to explore trainees' perspectives on how Canadian vascular surgery training programs are using simulation in teaching and assessing technical skills through a cross-sectional national survey. A 10-min online questionnaire was sent to Program Directors of Canada's Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons' of Canada approved training programs in vascular surgery. This survey was distributed among residents and fellows who were studying in the 2013-2014 academic year. Twenty-eight (58%) of the 48 Canadian vascular surgery trainees completed the survey. A total of 68% of the respondents were part of the 0 + 5 integrated vascular surgery training program. The use of simulation in the assessment of technical skills at the beginning of training was reported by only 3 (11%) respondents, whereas 43% reported that simulation was used in their programs in the assessment of technical skills at some time during their training. Training programs most often provided simulation as a method of teaching and learning endovascular abdominal aortic or thoracic aneurysm repair (64%). Furthermore, 96% of trainees reported the most common resource to learn and enhance technical skills was dialog with vascular surgery staff. Surveyed vascular surgery trainees in Canada report that simulation is rarely used as a tool to assess baseline technical skills at the beginning of training. Less than half of surveyed trainees in vascular surgery programs in Canada report that simulation is being used for skills acquisition. Currently, in Canadian training programs, simulation is most commonly used to teach endovascular skills. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Support to Industry Partners in Achieving Designation/Certification for the US Safety Act (Soutien aux Partenaires de L’industrie afin de les Aider a Obtenir la Designation/Certification Associee a la Loi Americaine sur la Securite)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

partners of the CRTI and PSTP programs in applying and receiving positive status under the SAFTEY Act is a valuable service that DRDC-CSS can supply...Canadian industry partners of the CRTI/PSTP program into successfully applying for designation under the USA SAFETY Act, and preferably to be added...to the Department of Homeland Security Approved Product List (APL). This will enable Canadian companies to access these markets with the outputs of

Occupational Task Profiles: A Pan-Canadian Snapshot of the Canadian Literacy and Essential Skills Workforce--A Think Paper. Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harwood, Chris

2012-01-01

Because Literacy and Essential Skills are so important to economic development, it is vital to know the competencies needed by the educators who deliver Literacy and Essential Skills programming. Likewise, Literacy and Essential Skills are crucial for labour market attachment. Low-skilled work has been most affected by technological change. There…

Associated Canadian Theological Schools: Building an Online Graduate Information Literacy Course without a Blueprint

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badke, William

2007-01-01

Associated Canadian Theological Schools is a graduate seminary consortium affiliated with Trinity Western University. Since its beginning in 1988 it has had a required one credit research course as a prerequisite for all programs. Several factors demanded the creation of an online version of the course as an alternative to the ongoing live course,…

Promises and Pitfalls: Experience in Collaboration between the Canadian Federal Government and the Voluntary Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Good, David A.

2003-01-01

In 1997, the Canadian federal government faced a difficult policy problem. It wanted to make greater use of voluntary sector organizations to deliver government programs and to shape social policy. A first question for government was whom in the voluntary sector to engage. Unlike the United Kingdom, Canada does not have a tradition of national…

Polish Post-Secondary Vocational Schools and Canadian Community Colleges: A Comparison Using the School as an Organization and Social Institution as a Conceptual Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Norman L.; Davidson, Barry S.; Pachocinski, Ryszard; Griffith, Kimberly Grantham; Kritsonis, Wiilliam Allan

2007-01-01

The aim of this study is to compare Polish post-secondary vocational institutions with Canadian community colleges. The research concentrates upon programs in tourism and information technology delivered by the two following Polish schools: "Policealne Studium Zawodowe" (Cracow, Poland), Cracow School of Information Technology; and…

Task-Based Language Teaching and English for Academic Purposes: An Investigation into Instructor Perceptions and Practice in the Canadian Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglas, Scott Roy; Kim, Marcia

2014-01-01

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs designed to meet postsecondary English language proficiency requirements are a common pathway to higher education for students from non-English-speaking backgrounds. Grounded in a Canadian context, this study seeks to examine the prevalence of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) in EAP, common examples…

Inuit Student Teachers' Agency, Positioning and Symbolic Action: Reflections from a "Qallunaat" on Music Teaching in the Canadian Arctic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Joan

2006-01-01

This article examines how three Inuit student teachers in the Nunavut Teacher Education Program invested their "social and cultural capital" during a music course for classroom teachers, which the author taught in the Canadian Arctic. She describes how, through the musical games they invented for use in Inuit classrooms, these students…

Worth the Risk: Four Approaches to Safety in International Learning, Including Selected and Annotated Resource Guide. CBIE Research Millennium Series No. 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myles, Wayne; Mitchell, Lynne

2000-01-01

More and more Canadians are departing the country for international study, training and work experiences. Increasingly Canadian organizations and institutions are developing programs that further this mobility. However there is a dearth of resources and a lack of guidelines related to ensuring health and safety while abroad. "Worth the…

An Examination of Charitable Meal Programs in Five Canadian cities.

PubMed

Pettes, Tyler; Dachner, Naomi; Gaetz, Stephen; Tarasuk, Valerie

2016-01-01

While there has recently been considerable research and public investment in strategies to address homelessness in Canada, food charity remains the primary response to hunger, with little evaluation of current efforts and no initiatives to develop more effective approaches. Using data from a 2010-2011 survey of charitable food assistance in five Canadian cities, this study was undertaken to describe charitable meal provisioning in each city and to compare the relative roles of emergency programs and multi-service agencies and their capacity to meet food needs. Most meals were provided by multi-service agencies, but like emergency programs, these agencies were heavily dependent on donations and they were more likely than emergency programs to report constraints and service interruptions because demands exceeded available supplies. Our findings underscore the resource-limited and often fragile nature of charitable meal programs in Canada and highlight the need for more effective models of response to problems of hunger.

Development of key indicators to quantify the health impacts of climate change on Canadians.

PubMed

Cheng, June J; Berry, Peter

2013-10-01

This study aimed at developing a list of key human health indicators for quantifying the health impacts of climate change in Canada. A literature review was conducted in OVID Medline to identify health morbidity and mortality indicators currently used to quantify climate change impacts. Public health frameworks and other studies of climate change indicators were reviewed to identify criteria with which to evaluate the list of proposed key indicators and a rating scale was developed. Total scores for each indicator were calculated based on the rating scale. A total of 77 health indicators were identified from the literature. After evaluation using the chosen criteria, 8 indicators were identified as the best for use. They include excess daily all-cause mortality due to heat, premature deaths due to air pollution (ozone and particulate matter 2.5), preventable deaths from climate change, disability-adjusted life years lost from climate change, daily all-cause mortality, daily non-accidental mortality, West Nile Disease incidence, and Lyme borreliosis incidence. There is need for further data and research related to health effect quantification in the area of climate change.

The freshwater export from the Arctic Ocean and the circulation of liquid freshwater around Greenland - constraints, interactions & consequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudels, Bert

2010-05-01

The freshwater added to the Arctic Ocean is stored as sea ice and as liquid freshwater residing primarily in the upper layers. This allows for simple zero order estimates of the liquid freshwater content and export based on rotationally controlled baroclinic flow. At present the freshwater outflow occurs on both sides of Greenland. In Fram Strait the sea ice export in the East Greenland Current is significantly larger than the liquid freshwater outflow, while the liquid freshwater export dominates in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Although the outflow in the upper layer and the freshwater export respond to short periodic wind events and longer periodic atmospheric circulation patterns, the long-term trend is controlled by the net freshwater supply - the freshwater input minus the ice export. As the ice formation and ice export are expected to diminish in a warmer climate the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, comprising several passages, should gradually carry more of the total Arctic Ocean freshwater outflow. However, the channels in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago discharge into the restricted Baffin, which also receives a part of the Fram Strait freshwater export via the West Greenland Current. In a situation with increased glacial melting and freshwater discharge from Greenland the density of the upper layer in Baffin Bay may decrease considerably. This would reduce the sea level difference between the Arctic Ocean and Baffin Bay and thus weaken the outflow through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, in extreme cases perhaps even reverse the flow. This would shift the main Arctic Ocean liquid freshwater export from The Canadian Arctic Archipelago to Fram Strait. The zero order dynamics of the exchanges through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Baffin Bay are described and the possibility for a weakening of the outflow is examined.

Assessing the response of area burned to changing climate in western boreal North America using a Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Balshi, M. S.; McGuire, A.D.; Duffy, P.; Flannigan, M.; Walsh, J.; Melillo, J.

2009-01-01

Fire is a common disturbance in the North American boreal forest that influences ecosystem structure and function. The temporal and spatial dynamics of fire are likely to be altered as climate continues to change. In this study, we ask the question: how will area burned in boreal North America by wildfire respond to future changes in climate? To evaluate this question, we developed temporally and spatially explicit relationships between air temperature and fuel moisture codes derived from the Canadian Fire Weather Index System to estimate annual area burned at 2.5?? (latitude ?? longitude) resolution using a Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS) approach across Alaska and Canada. Burned area was substantially more predictable in the western portion of boreal North America than in eastern Canada. Burned area was also not very predictable in areas of substantial topographic relief and in areas along the transition between boreal forest and tundra. At the scale of Alaska and western Canada, the empirical fire models explain on the order of 82% of the variation in annual area burned for the period 1960-2002. July temperature was the most frequently occurring predictor across all models, but the fuel moisture codes for the months June through August (as a group) entered the models as the most important predictors of annual area burned. To predict changes in the temporal and spatial dynamics of fire under future climate, the empirical fire models used output from the Canadian Climate Center CGCM2 global climate model to predict annual area burned through the year 2100 across Alaska and western Canada. Relative to 1991-2000, the results suggest that average area burned per decade will double by 2041-2050 and will increase on the order of 3.5-5.5 times by the last decade of the 21st century. To improve the ability to better predict wildfire across Alaska and Canada, future research should focus on incorporating additional effects of long-term and successional vegetation changes on area burned to account more fully for interactions among fire, climate, and vegetation dynamics. ?? 2009 The Authors Journal compilation ?? 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

An Evaluation of a Suicide Bereavement Peer Support Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barlow, Constance A.; Waegemakers Schiff, Jeannette; Chugh, Urmil; Rawlinson, Dixie; Hides, Elizabeth; Leith, Judy

2010-01-01

Peer support, a cornerstone in recovery programs for mental illness and addiction, has not been widely applied to service programs for survivors of suicide. In 2004-2006 Canadian Mental Health Association Suicide Services in Calgary, Alberta, introduced the Peer Support Program for adults, an adjunct to conventional individual and group…

NATAL-74; Towards a Common Programming Language for CAL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brahan, J. W.; Colpitts, B. A.

NATAL-74 is a programing language designed for Canadian computer aided learning (CAL) programs. The language has two fundamental elements: the UNIT provides the interface between the student and the subject matter, and the PROCEDURE element embodies teaching strategy. Desirable features of several programing languages have been adapted to cope…

Predicting the need for vascular surgeons in Canada.

PubMed

Lotfi, Shamim; Jetty, Prasad; Petrcich, William; Hajjar, George; Hill, Andrew; Kubelik, Dalibor; Nagpal, Sudhir; Brandys, Tim

2017-03-01

With the introduction of direct entry (0+5) residency programs in addition to the traditional (5+2) programs, the number of vascular surgery graduates across Canada is expected to increase significantly during the next 5 to 10 years. Society's need for these newly qualified surgeons is unclear. This study evaluated the predicted requirement for vascular surgeons across Canada to 2021. A program director survey was also performed to evaluate program directors' perceptions of the 0+5 residency program, the expected number of new trainees, and faculty recruitment and retirement. The estimated and projected Canadian population numbers for each year between 2013 and 2021 were determined by the Canadian Socio-economic Information and Management System (CANSIM), Statistics Canada's key socioeconomic database. The number of vascular surgery procedures performed from 2008 to 2012 stratified by age, gender, and province was obtained from the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database. The future need for vascular surgeons was calculated by two validated methods: (1) population analysis and (2) workload analysis. In addition, a 12-question survey was sent to each vascular surgery program director in Canada. The estimated Canadian population in 2013 was 35.15 million, and there were 212 vascular surgeons performing a total of 98,339 procedures. The projected Canadian population by 2021 is expected to be 38.41 million, a 9.2% increase from 2013; however, the expected growth rate in the age group 60+ years, who are more likely to require vascular procedures, is expected to be 30% vs 3.4% in the age group <60 years. Using population analysis modeling, there will be a surplus of 10 vascular surgeons in Canada by 2021; however, using workload analysis modeling (which accounts for the more rapid growth and larger proportion of procedures performed in the 60+ age group), there will be a deficit of 11 vascular surgeons by 2021. Program directors in Canada have a positive outlook on graduating 0+5 residents' skill, and the majority of programs will be recruiting at least one new vascular surgeon during the next 5 years. Although population analysis projects a potential surplus of surgeons, workload analysis predicts a deficit of surgeons because it accounts for the rapid growth in the 60+ age group in which the majority of procedures are performed, thus more accurately modeling future need for vascular surgeons. This study suggests that there will be a need for newly graduating vascular surgeons in the next 5 years, which could have an impact on resource allocation across training programs in Canada. Copyright © 2016 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of funding gastroenterology research in Canada illustrates the beneficial role of partnerships

PubMed Central

Sherman, Philip M; Hart, Kimberly Banks; Rose, Keeley; Bosompra, Kwadwo; Manuel, Christopher; Belanger, Paul; Daniels, Sandra; Sinclair, Paul; Vanner, Stephen; Buret, André G

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND: Funders of health research in Canada seek to determine how their funding programs impact research capacity and knowledge creation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a focused grants and award program that was cofunded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, and the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology; and to measure the impact of the Program on the career paths of funded researchers and assess the outcomes of research supported through the Program. METHODS: A survey of the recipients of grants and awards from 2000 to 2008 was conducted in 2012. The CIHR Funding Decisions database was searched to determine subsequent funding; a bibliometric citation analysis of publications arising from the Program was performed. RESULTS: Of 160 grant and award recipients, 147 (92%) completed the survey. With >$17.4 million in research funding, support was provided for 131 fellowship awards, seven career transition awards, and 22 operating grants. More than three-quarters of grant and award recipients continue to work or train in a research-related position. Combined research outputs included 545 research articles, 130 review articles, 33 book chapters and 11 patents. Comparative analyses indicate that publications supported by the funding program had a greater impact than other Canadian and international comparators. CONCLUSIONS: Continuity in support of a long-term health research funding partnership strengthened the career development of gastroenterology researchers in Canada, and enhanced the creation and dissemination of new knowledge in the discipline. PMID:24340317

Mentoring from Afar: Nurse Mentor Challenges in the Canadian Armed Forces.

PubMed

Neal, Laura D M

2015-06-01

There is an integral connection between leadership, mentoring and professional career progression within the nursing profession. The purpose of this article is to examine recommendations and best practices from the literature and provide a basis to construct a formalized successful mentoring dyad program with guidelines on establishing and maintaining a productive mentoring relationship over long distance. Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) nurses practice within a unique domain both domestically and abroad. The military environment incorporates many aspects of mentoring that could benefit significantly by distance interchange. Supported through examining literature within nursing, CAF publications and other professions along with contrasting successful distance mentoring programs, the findings suggest that a top-down, leadership-driven formal mentoring program could be beneficial to CAF nurses. The literature review outlines definitions of terms for mentorship and distance mentoring or e-mentoring. A cross section of technology is now embedded in all work environments with personal communication devices commonplace. Establishing mentoring relationships from afar is practical and feasible. This article provides a guided discussion for nursing leaders, managers and grassroots nurses to implement mentoring programs over distances. The recommendations and findings of this article could have universal applications to isolated nursing environments outside of Canadian military operational frameworks. Copyright © 2015 Longwoods Publishing.

Development of a Canadian deceased donation education program for health professionals: a needs assessment survey.

PubMed

Hancock, Jennifer; Shemie, Sam D; Lotherington, Ken; Appleby, Amber; Hall, Richard

2017-10-01

The purpose of this survey was to determine how Canadian healthcare professionals perceive their deficiencies and educational requirements related to organ and tissue donation. We surveyed 641 intensive care unit (ICU) physicians, 1,349 ICU nurses, 1,561 emergency room (ER) physicians, and 1,873 ER nurses. The survey was distributed by the national organization for each profession (the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the National Emergency Nurses Association). Canadian Blood Services developed the critical care physician list in collaboration with the Canadian Critical Care Society. Survey development included questions related to comfort with, and knowledge of, key competencies in organ and tissue donation. Eight hundred thirty-one (15.3%) of a possible 5,424 respondents participated in the survey. Over 50% of respondents rated the following topics as highly important: knowledge of general organ and tissue donation, neurological determination of death, donation after cardiac death, and medical-legal donation issues. High competency comfort levels ranged from 14.7-50.9% for ICU nurses and 8.0-34.6% for ER nurses. Competency comfort levels were higher for ICU physicians (67.5-85.6%) than for ER physicians who rated all competencies lower. Respondents identified a need for a curriculum on national organ donation and preferred e-learning as the method of education. Both ICU nurses and ER practitioners expressed low comfort levels with their competencies regarding organ donation. Intensive care unit physicians had a much higher level of comfort; however, the majority of these respondents were specialty trained and working in academic centres with active donation and transplant programs. A national organ donation curriculum is needed.

A 20-Year Comparison of Football-Related Injuries in American and Canadian Youth Aged 6 to 17 Years: A Replication Study.

PubMed

Keays, Glenn; Friedman, Debbie; Gagnon, Isabelle

2016-06-01

Introduction Little is known about Canadian youth football injuries. The objectives of this study were (a) to contrast the injuries in Canadian and American football players aged 6 to 17 years and (b) compare the injuries sustained during organized football with those in nonorganized football. Methods Using a retrospective cohort design based on data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program and the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System a comparison of injuries was made. Results Trends in injuries were comparable. Proportions and odds of injuries were similar, except for a few exceptions. In Canada, more girls were injured and fractures were more prevalent. Compared with nonorganized football, organized football players were older, involved more males, and suffered more traumatic brain injuries and injuries to their lower extremities. Conclusion Canadian and American youth football injuries were similar. The type of football, be it organized or nonorganized, has an impact on injuries. © The Author(s) 2015.

Citizen Science: linking the recent rapid advances of plant flowering in Canada with climate variability.

PubMed

Gonsamo, Alemu; Chen, Jing M; Wu, Chaoyang

2013-01-01

The timing of crucial events in plant life cycles is shifting in response to climate change. We use phenology records from PlantWatch Canada 'Citizen Science' networks to study recent rapid shifts of flowering phenology and its relationship with climate. The average first flower bloom day of 19 Canadian plant species has advanced by about 9 days during 2001-2012. 73% of the rapid and unprecedented first bloom day advances are explained by changes in mean annual national temperature, allowing the reconstruction of historic flower phenology records starting from 1948. The overall trends show that plant flowering in Canada is advancing by about 9 days per °C. This analysis reveals the strongest biological signal yet of climate warming in Canada. This finding has broad implications for niche differentiation among coexisting species, competitive interactions between species, and the asynchrony between plants and the organisms they interact with.

Possible Analogs for Small Valleys on Mars at the Haughton Impact Crater Site, Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, P.; Rice, J. W., Jr.; Bunch, Theodore E.; Grieve, R. A. F.; McKay, C. P.; Schutt, J. W.; Zent, A. P.

1999-01-01

Small valleys are perhaps the clearest evidence for an aqueous past on Mars. While small valley formation has occurred even in Amazonian times, most small valleys on Mars are associated with the heavily cratered Noachian terrains. Martian small valleys are often cited as evidence for a putative warmer and wetter climate on Early Mars in which rain and subsequent surface runoff would have acted as significant erosional agents, but the morphology of many small valleys has at the same time been recognized as having several unusual characteristics, making their origin still enigmatic and climatic inferences from them uncertain. Meanwhile, martian climate modeling efforts have been facing difficulties over the past decades with the problem of making the early martian climate warm enough to achieve temperature above 273 K to allow rainfall and the sustained flow of liquid water at the martian surface.

Demographic Characteristics of Applicants to, and Students of, Ontario Physiotherapy Education Programs, 2004-2014: Trends in Gender, Geographical Location, Aboriginal Identity, and Immigrant Status.

PubMed

Coghlan, Cara M; Mallinger, Hilary; McFadden, Alison; Richard, Jocelynn; Stern, Arlee; Norman, Kathleen E

2017-01-01

Purpose: The authors analyzed the demographics of potential future physiotherapists to determine whether they were representative of the Canadian population. The specific objectives were to examine selected demographic variables from all applicants to and students in Ontario English-language Master of Physical Therapy programmes in admission cycles 2004-2014, inclusive, and to analyze the results as compared with Canadian population data. Method: Anonymized applicant records ( n =14,135) were obtained for admission cycles 2004-2014, inclusive. Variables examined for applicants and students included their gender, geographical location from Canadian and international regions, Aboriginal identity, and immigrant status. A descriptive analysis of counts and proportions was conducted for all variables. Results: The majority of applicants were women (70%), from southern Ontario (73%), and Canadian born (82%). Aboriginal and rural applicants made up small proportions of the applicant pool (1% and 12%, respectively). The number of applicants from British Columbia was proportionally high relative to those from other Canadian provinces. Conclusion: Although Ontario's physiotherapy education programmes remain female dominated, the demographics of applicants and students are otherwise mostly representative of the diverse Canadian population, although very low in the number of Aboriginal peoples. Further research is needed to understand the diversity and composition of the Canadian physiotherapy workforce.

Self-Perceived Eating Habits and Food Skills of Canadians.

PubMed

Slater, Joyce J; Mudryj, Adriana N

2016-01-01

This study identified and described Canadians' self-perceived eating habits and food skills through the use of population-based data. Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2013 Rapid Response on Food Skills was used to examine the eating quality and patterns of Canadians. Data were collected from all provinces in January and February 2013. Respondent variables (sex, age, Aboriginal/immigrant status) were examined to assess differentiations between socio-demographic groupings (family structure, marital status, education, and income). Logistic regression was used to determine whether demographic variables increased the likelihood of certain responses. Forty-six percent of Canadians believe they have excellent/very good eating habits, with 51% categorizing their habits as good or fair. Similarly, the majority report having good food skills. Sex and age were significantly associated with food skills, with women rating their cooking skill proficiency higher than men (72% vs 55%), and older Canadians reporting higher food skill knowledge than their younger counterparts. Results indicate that while portions of the Canadian population have adequate food skills, others are lacking, which may negatively impact their diet. Findings from this study have implications for education and health promotion programs focusing on foods skills, particularly among vulnerable target groups. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Snapshot of School-Based Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Canada: Where We Are and Where It Leads Us

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manion, Ian; Short, Kathy H.; Ferguson, Bruce

2013-01-01

The Mental Health Commission of Canada supported a comprehensive research project to determine the current state of mental health and substance use programs and practices in Canadian schools. The School-Based Mental Health and Substance Abuse Consortium is made up of a group of 40 leading Canadian researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. The…

Securing an OTL-HNS residency: how competitive is it? Comparing medical student perceptions to actual Canadian statistics.

PubMed

Kay-Rivest, E; Varma, N; Scott, G M; Manoukian, J J; Desrosiers, M; Vaccani, J P; Nguyen, L H P

2017-02-27

The residency match is an important event in an aspiring physician's career. Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (OTL-HNS) is a surgical specialty that has enjoyed high numbers of applicants to its residency programs. However, recent trends in Canada show a decline in first-choice applicants to several surgical fields. Factors thought to influence a medical student's choice include role models, career opportunities and work-life balance. The notion of perceived competitiveness is a factor that has not yet been explored. This study sought to compare competitiveness of OTL-HNS, as perceived by Canadian medical students to residency match statistics published yearly by CaRMS (Canadian Residency Matching Service), with the hope of informing future decisions of surgical residency programs. An electronic survey was created and distributed to all medical students enrolled in the 17 Canadian medical schools. After gathering demographic information, students were asked to rank what they perceived to be the five most competitive disciplines offered by CaRMS. They were also asked to rank surgical specialties from most to least competitive. Publically available data from CaRMS was then collected and analyzed to determine actual competitiveness of admissions to Canadian OTL-HNS residency programs. 1194 students, from first to fourth year of medical school, completed the survey. CaRMS statistics over the period from 2008 to 2014 demonstrated that the five most competitive specialties were Plastic Surgery, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Emergency Medicine and OTL-HNS. Among surgical disciplines, OTL-HNS was third most competitive, where on average 72% of students match to their first-choice discipline. When students were questioned, 35% ranked OTL-HNS amongst the top five most competitive. On the other hand 72%, 74% and 80% recognized Opthalmology, Dermatology and Plastic Surgery as being among the five most competitive, respectively. We found that fourth-year medical students were significantly more knowledgeable about the competitiveness of both OTL-HNS and Plastic Surgery compared to first-year students (p < 0.01). Overall, Canadian medical students may underestimate the competitiveness of OTL-HNS. Furthermore, competitiveness would appear to be a concept that resonates with medical students during the match process.

Atmospheric mercury in the Canadian Arctic. Part II: insight from modeling.

PubMed

Dastoor, Ashu; Ryzhkov, Andrew; Durnford, Dorothy; Lehnherr, Igor; Steffen, Alexandra; Morrison, Heather

2015-03-15

A review of mercury in the Canadian Arctic with a focus on field measurements is presented in part I (see Steffen et al., this issue). Here we provide insights into the dynamics of mercury in the Canadian Arctic from new and published mercury modeling studies using Environment Canada's mercury model. The model simulations presented in this study use global anthropogenic emissions of mercury for the period 1995-2005. The most recent modeling estimate of the net gain of mercury from the atmosphere to the Arctic Ocean is 75 Mg year(-1) and the net gain to the terrestrial ecosystems north of 66.5° is 42 Mg year(-1). Model based annual export of riverine mercury from North American, Russian and all Arctic watersheds to the Arctic Ocean are in the range of 2.8-5.6, 12.7-25.4 and 15.5-31.0 Mg year(-1), respectively. Analysis of long-range transport events of Hg at Alert and Little Fox Lake monitoring sites indicates that Asia contributes the most ambient Hg to the Canadian Arctic followed by contributions from North America, Russia, and Europe. The largest anthropogenic Hg deposition to the Canadian Arctic is from East Asia followed by Europe (and Russia), North America, and South Asia. An examination of temporal trends of Hg using the model suggests that changes in meteorology and changes in anthropogenic emissions equally contribute to the decrease in surface air elemental mercury concentrations in the Canadian Arctic with an overall decline of ~12% from 1990 to 2005. A slow increase in net deposition of Hg is found in the Canadian Arctic in response to changes in meteorology. Changes in snowpack and sea-ice characteristics and increase in precipitation in the Arctic related with climate change are found to be primary causes for the meteorology-related changes in air concentrations and deposition of Hg in the region. The model estimates that under the emissions reduction scenario of worldwide implementation of the best emission control technologies by 2020, mercury deposition could potentially be reduced by 18-20% in the Canadian Arctic. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Estimates of runoff using water-balance and atmospheric general circulation models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolock, D.M.; McCabe, G.J.

1999-01-01

The effects of potential climate change on mean annual runoff in the conterminous United States (U.S.) are examined using a simple water-balance model and output from two atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs). The two GCMs are from the Canadian Centre for Climate Prediction and Analysis (CCC) and the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research (HAD). In general, the CCC GCM climate results in decreases in runoff for the conterminous U.S., and the HAD GCM climate produces increases in runoff. These estimated changes in runoff primarily are the result of estimated changes in precipitation. The changes in mean annual runoff, however, mostly are smaller than the decade-to-decade variability in GCM-based mean annual runoff and errors in GCM-based runoff. The differences in simulated runoff between the two GCMs, together with decade-to-decade variability and errors in GCM-based runoff, cause the estimates of changes in runoff to be uncertain and unreliable.

Groundwater Storage and Flow Pathways in a Rock Glacier Complex in the Canadian Rockies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, M.; Mozil, A.; Harrington, J.; Bentley, L. R.

2015-12-01

Hydrological functions of alpine glaciers and their responses to the warming climate have received much attention by hydrologists working in alpine catchments around the world. As alpine glaciers retreat, they commonly leave debris-covered ice or ice-cored moraine behind, which can remain frozen in ground for many decades or centuries. In many alpine catchments, characteristic landforms indicating rock glaciers or their relicts are found in locations where glaciers do not exist under the current climate. These landscape features associated with mountain permafrost are ubiquitous in alpine catchments, but their hydrological functions have not received much attention. Do rock glaciers and other mountain-permafrost features contribute significantly to storage of snowmelt water and its delayed release to sustain baseflow in the critical alpine stream habitats? How are these storage functions responding to the climate warming? In order to answer these questions, we initiated a hydrological study of rock glaciers in an alpine catchment in the Canadian Rockies in 2014. We will present preliminary results of our study using geophysical imaging techniques, hydro-meteorological monitoring, and groundwater tracing using various environmental tracers. Key findings are: 1) substantial amount of permafrost exists in the rock glacier which is inactive (i.e. no active motion) under the present climate, 2) spatial distribution of permafrost is controlled by both meteorological and geological factors, 3) the rock glacier complex contributes 30-50 % of summer stream flow even though they occupy less than 5% of the catchment area, and 4) the low temperature (< 2 C) of groundwater discharging at the toe of rock glacier plays a significant role in regulating the temperature of stream, which hosts a population of trout species that is listed as "threatened" in the list of the status of endangered wildlife in Canada.

Young People's Confidence in School, Community, and the Future: Why It Matters and What We Can Do about It

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freiler, Christa

2012-01-01

The Canadian Education Association (CEA) has just completed a research project that looked at young people's confidence in their learning environments and their future. We know that students' future trust in institutions is significantly shaped by their school experiences, in particular by whether there is an open climate for classroom discussion…

76 FR 22744 - Notice of Availability of the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-22

... greenhouse gas (GHG) and climate change considerations. Appendices to the SDEIS include copies of new reports... facilities at the border of the U.S. and Canada for the transport of crude oil across the U.S.-Canada... project (Keystone XL Project) that is designed to transport Canadian crude oil production from the Western...

Making Schools Safe and Inclusive: Gay-Straight Alliances and School Climate in Ontario

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitchen, Julian; Bellini, Christine

2013-01-01

Gay-straight alliances (GSAs) have become widespread in Ontario schools and, starting in 2012, all schools are required to permit students to form GSAs. While American research suggests that GSAs have a positive impact on school safety and inclusion, there is little research on the impact of GSAs in Canadian schools. This study, based on a survey…

Inside the Digital Wild West: How School Leaders Both Access and Avoid Social Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corrigan, Laurie; Robertson, Lorayne

2015-01-01

This study examines the roles of Canadian school leaders in response to the rising phenomenon of student use of social media which impacts school climate and safety. The use of social media has resulted in more online text and image-based communication to multiple users and less face-to-face communication with single users. Adolescent…

Addressing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Issues in Teacher Education: Teacher Candidates' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitchen, Julian; Bellini, Christine

2012-01-01

Homophobic harassment and bullying are persistent issues in Canadian schools despite recent initiatives to improve school climate. Among the reasons is that educators feel reluctant or ill-prepared to address these issues. The purpose of this paper is to examine how teacher education can help make schools safer by addressing LGBTQ issues and…

Multiresolution comparison of precipitation datasets for large-scale models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chun, K. P.; Sapriza Azuri, G.; Davison, B.; DeBeer, C. M.; Wheater, H. S.

2014-12-01

Gridded precipitation datasets are crucial for driving large-scale models which are related to weather forecast and climate research. However, the quality of precipitation products is usually validated individually. Comparisons between gridded precipitation products along with ground observations provide another avenue for investigating how the precipitation uncertainty would affect the performance of large-scale models. In this study, using data from a set of precipitation gauges over British Columbia and Alberta, we evaluate several widely used North America gridded products including the Canadian Gridded Precipitation Anomalies (CANGRD), the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis, the Water and Global Change (WATCH) project, the thin plate spline smoothing algorithms (ANUSPLIN) and Canadian Precipitation Analysis (CaPA). Based on verification criteria for various temporal and spatial scales, results provide an assessment of possible applications for various precipitation datasets. For long-term climate variation studies (~100 years), CANGRD, NCEP, WATCH and ANUSPLIN have different comparative advantages in terms of their resolution and accuracy. For synoptic and mesoscale precipitation patterns, CaPA provides appealing performance of spatial coherence. In addition to the products comparison, various downscaling methods are also surveyed to explore new verification and bias-reduction methods for improving gridded precipitation outputs for large-scale models.

Simulating Snow in Canadian Boreal Environments with CLASS for ESM-SnowMIP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; Bartlett, P. A.; Derksen, C.; Ireson, A. M.; Essery, R.

2017-12-01

The ability of land surface schemes to provide realistic simulations of snow cover is necessary for accurate representation of energy and water balances in climate models. Historically, this has been particularly challenging in boreal forests, where poor treatment of both snow masking by forests and vegetation-snow interaction has resulted in biases in simulated albedo and snowpack properties, with subsequent effects on both regional temperatures and the snow albedo feedback in coupled simulations. The SnowMIP (Snow Model Intercomparison Project) series of experiments or `MIPs' was initiated in order to provide assessments of the performance of various snow- and land-surface-models at selected locations, in order to understand the primary factors affecting model performance. Here we present preliminary results of simulations conducted for the third such MIP, ESM-SnowMIP (Earth System Model - Snow Model Intercomparison Project), using the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) at boreal forest sites in central Saskatchewan. We assess the ability of our latest model version (CLASS 3.6.2) to simulate observed snowpack properties (snow water equivalent, density and depth) and above-canopy albedo over 13 winters. We also examine the sensitivity of these simulations to climate forcing at local and regional scales.

Perceptions of ESL Program Management in Canadian Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Sarah Elaine

2017-01-01

ESL programs at post-secondary institutions must often generate revenue in addition to teaching students English. Institutions often impose explicit expectations on these programs to generate profit, creating unique challenges for those who administer them. This qualitative case study investigated challenges faced by ESL program directors at one…

Narrowing the Skills Gap: Workplace Literacy Programs in Canada. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ottawa Univ. (Ontario).

This report documents, in case study format, eight workplace literacy programs in Canada. Introductory materials highlight conclusions and discuss reasons for undertaking the project to document the Canadian experience in basic skills training from the perspective of the employer and employee and program design. Each case study or program profile…

Curricular Ethics in Early Childhood Education Programming: A Challenge to the Ontario Kindergarten Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heydon, Rachel M.; Wang, Ping

2006-01-01

Through a case study of a key Canadian early childhood education program, The Kindergarten Program (Ontario Ministry of Education and Training, 1998a), we explore the relationship between curricular paradigms and early childhood education (ECE) models, and the opportunities that each creates for enacting ethical teaching and learning…

Examining Predictors of Breakfast Skipping and Breakfast Program Use among Secondary School Students in the Compass Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godin, Katelyn M.; Patte, Karen A.; Leatherdale, Scott T.

2018-01-01

Background: Many Canadian schools offer breakfast programs; however, students' engagement in these programs is low, while breakfast skipping is highly prevalent among youth. This study examined whether the availability of breakfast programs supports adolescents' regular breakfast eating, and identified characteristics of breakfast skippers who are…

Graduate Programs and Faculty in Reading. Third Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seifert, Mary, Comp.

More than 300 graduate reading programs in the United States and Canada are listed in this book. The programs are arranged alphabetically by state, with Canadian institutions listed separately. The programs within each state or province are then arranged alphabetically by institution. Each listing provides the name and address of the program…

Fieldwork in Geography Education: Defining or Declining? The State of Fieldwork in Canadian Undergraduate Geography Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Heather; Leydon, Joseph; Wincentak, Joanna

2017-01-01

This paper investigates the prevalence of fieldwork in undergraduate Geography programs in Canada. It examines the presence of fieldwork, provided through both field courses and courses that include fieldwork components, by reviewing program requirements and course offerings in undergraduate geography programs. The research explores the extent to…

Follow-up of participants in the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Scholars’ Program, 2006 to 2012

PubMed Central

Lam, Mindy CW; Sey, Michael SL; Gregor, Jamie; Wong, Clarence

2014-01-01

The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) Scholars’ Program (previously known as the Bright Lights Course) is designed to encourage trainees to consider a subspecialty career in gastroenterology. A formal analysis of the Scholars’ Program performed in 2007 revealed that 82% of participants invited to the program pursued or were planning to pursue a career in gastroenterology. The positive results are consistent with the CAG’s strategic plan of developing “the next generation of gastroenterology clinical practitioners, researchers, educators, and leaders” and to “attract, train, and retain the best and the brightest to gastroenterology”. The present study was a follow-up analysis of participants in the Scholars’ Program between 2006 and 2012. Although 93.1% of participants had an interest in gastroenterology before attending the Scholars’ Program, the majority (68.7%) reported a greater interest in gastroenterology after the program. Similar to the study from 2007, the present study again illustrates the importance and success of the Scholars’ Program in generating interest and retaining candidates in gastroenterology. PMID:24288694

Crime Seasonality: Examining the Temporal Fluctuations of Property Crime in Cities With Varying Climates.

PubMed

Linning, Shannon J; Andresen, Martin A; Brantingham, Paul J

2017-12-01

This study investigates whether crime patterns fluctuate periodically throughout the year using data containing different property crime types in two Canadian cities with differing climates. Using police report data, a series of ordinary least squares (OLS; Vancouver, British Columbia) and negative binomial (Ottawa, Ontario) regressions were employed to examine the corresponding temporal patterns of property crime in Vancouver (2003-2013) and Ottawa (2006-2008). Moreover, both aggregate and disaggregate models were run to examine whether different weather and temporal variables had a distinctive impact on particular offences. Overall, results suggest that cities that experience greater variations in weather throughout the year have more distinct increases of property offences in the summer months and that different climate variables affect certain crime types, thus advocating for disaggregate analysis in the future.

Fossil palm beetles refine upland winter temperatures in the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum

PubMed Central

Archibald, S. Bruce; Morse, Geoffrey E.; Greenwood, David R.; Mathewes, Rolf W.

2014-01-01

Eocene climate and associated biotic patterns provide an analog system to understand their modern interactions. The relationship between mean annual temperatures and winter temperatures—temperature seasonality—may be an important factor in this dynamic. Fossils of frost-intolerant palms imply low Eocene temperature seasonality into high latitudes, constraining average winter temperatures there to >8 °C. However, their presence in a paleocommunity may be obscured by taphonomic and identification factors for macrofossils and pollen. We circumvented these problems by establishing the presence of obligate palm-feeding beetles (Chrysomelidae: Pachymerina) at three localities (a fourth, tentatively) in microthermal to lower mesothermal Early Eocene upland communities in Washington and British Columbia. This provides support for warmer winter Eocene climates extending northward into cooler Canadian uplands. PMID:24821798

Fossil palm beetles refine upland winter temperatures in the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum.

PubMed

Archibald, S Bruce; Morse, Geoffrey E; Greenwood, David R; Mathewes, Rolf W

2014-06-03

Eocene climate and associated biotic patterns provide an analog system to understand their modern interactions. The relationship between mean annual temperatures and winter temperatures-temperature seasonality-may be an important factor in this dynamic. Fossils of frost-intolerant palms imply low Eocene temperature seasonality into high latitudes, constraining average winter temperatures there to >8 °C. However, their presence in a paleocommunity may be obscured by taphonomic and identification factors for macrofossils and pollen. We circumvented these problems by establishing the presence of obligate palm-feeding beetles (Chrysomelidae: Pachymerina) at three localities (a fourth, tentatively) in microthermal to lower mesothermal Early Eocene upland communities in Washington and British Columbia. This provides support for warmer winter Eocene climates extending northward into cooler Canadian uplands.

Toward Understanding Dynamics in Shifting Biomes: An Individual Based Modeling Approach to Characterizing Drought and Mortality in Central Western Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, A. H.; Foster, A.; Rogers, B. M.; Hogg, T.; Michaelian, M.; Shuman, J. K.; Shugart, H. H., Jr.; Goetz, S. J.

2017-12-01

The Arctic-Boreal zone is known be warming at an accelerated rate relative to other biomes. Persistent warming has already affected the high northern latitudes, altering vegetation productivity, carbon sequestration, and many other ecosystem processes and services. The central-western Canadian boreal forests and aspen parkland are experiencing a decade long drought, and rainfall has been identified as a key factor controlling the location of the boundary between forest and prairie in this region. Shifting biome with related greening and browning trends are readily measureable with remote sensing, but the dynamics that create and result from them are not well understood. In this study, we use the University of Virginia Forest Model Enhanced (UVAFME), an individual-based forest model, to simulate the changes that are occurring across the southern boreal and parkland forests of west-central Canada. We present a parameterization of UVAFME for western central Canadian forests, validated with CIPHA data (Climate Change Impacts on the Productivity and Health of Aspen), and improved mortality. In order to gain a fine-scale understanding of how climate change and specifically drought will continue to affect the forests of this region, we simulated forest conditions following CMIP5 climate scenarios. UVAFME predictions were compared with statistical models and satellite observations of productivity across the landscape. Changes in forest cover, forest type, aboveground biomass, and mortality and recruitment dynamics are presented, highlighting the high vulnerability of this region to vegetation transitions associated with future droughts.

Negative impacts of high temperatures on growth of black spruce forests intensify with the anticipated climate warming.

PubMed

Girardin, Martin P; Hogg, Edward H; Bernier, Pierre Y; Kurz, Werner A; Guo, Xiao Jing; Cyr, Guillaume

2016-02-01

An increasing number of studies conclude that water limitations and heat stress may hinder the capacity of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) trees, a dominant species of Canada's boreal forests, to grow and assimilate atmospheric carbon. However, there is currently no scientific consensus on the future of these forests over the next century in the context of widespread climate warming. The large spatial extent of black spruce forests across the Canadian boreal forest and associated variability in climate, demography, and site conditions pose challenges for projecting future climate change responses. Here we provide an evaluation of the impacts of climate warming and drying, as well as increasing [CO2 ], on the aboveground productivity of black spruce forests across Canada south of 60°N for the period 1971 to 2100. We use a new extensive network of tree-ring data obtained from Canada's National Forest Inventory, spatially explicit simulations of net primary productivity (NPP) and its drivers, and multivariate statistical modeling. We found that soil water availability is a significant driver of black spruce interannual variability in productivity across broad areas of the western to eastern Canadian boreal forest. Interannual variability in productivity was also found to be driven by autotrophic respiration in the warmest regions. In most regions, the impacts of soil water availability and respiration on interannual variability in productivity occurred during the phase of carbohydrate accumulation the year preceding tree-ring formation. Results from projections suggest an increase in the importance of soil water availability and respiration as limiting factors on NPP over the next century due to warming, but this response may vary to the extent that other factors such as carbon dioxide fertilization, and respiration acclimation to high temperature, contribute to dampening these limitations. © 2015 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Natural Resources Canada.

Dynamical downscaling with the fifth-generation Canadian regional climate model (CRCM5) over the CORDEX Arctic domain: effect of large-scale spectral nudging and of empirical correction of sea-surface temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takhsha, Maryam; Nikiéma, Oumarou; Lucas-Picher, Philippe; Laprise, René; Hernández-Díaz, Leticia; Winger, Katja

2017-10-01

As part of the CORDEX project, the fifth-generation Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5) is used over the Arctic for climate simulations driven by reanalyses and by the MPI-ESM-MR coupled global climate model (CGCM) under the RCP8.5 scenario. The CRCM5 shows adequate skills capturing general features of mean sea level pressure (MSLP) for all seasons. Evaluating 2-m temperature (T2m) and precipitation is more problematic, because of inconsistencies between observational reference datasets over the Arctic that suffer of a sparse distribution of weather stations. In our study, we additionally investigated the effect of large-scale spectral nudging (SN) on the hindcast simulation driven by reanalyses. The analysis shows that SN is effective in reducing the spring MSLP bias, but otherwise it has little impact. We have also conducted another experiment in which the CGCM-simulated sea-surface temperature (SST) is empirically corrected and used as lower boundary conditions over the ocean for an atmosphere-only global simulation (AGCM), which in turn provides the atmospheric lateral boundary conditions to drive the CRCM5 simulation. This approach, so-called 3-step approach of dynamical downscaling (CGCM-AGCM-RCM), which had considerably improved the CRCM5 historical simulations over Africa, exhibits reduced impact over the Arctic domain. The most notable positive effect over the Arctic is a reduction of the T2m bias over the North Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean in all seasons. Future projections using this method are compared with the results obtained with the traditional 2-step dynamical downscaling (CGCM-RCM) to assess the impact of correcting systematic biases of SST upon future-climate projections. The future projections are mostly similar for the two methods, except for precipitation.

Climate impacts on northern Canada: regional background.

PubMed

Prowse, Terry D; Furgal, Chris; Bonsal, Barrie R; Peters, Daniel L

2009-07-01

Understanding the implications of climate change on northern Canada requires a background about the size and diversity of its human and biogeophysical systems. Occupying an area of almost 40% of Canada, with one-third of this contained in Arctic islands, Canada's northern territories consist of a diversity of physical environments unrivaled around the circumpolar north. Major ecozones composed of a range of landforms, climate, vegetation, and wildlife include: Arctic, boreal and taiga cordillera; boreal and taiga plains; taiga shield; and northern and southern Arctic. Although generally characterized by a cold climate, there is an enormous range in air temperature with mean annual values being as high as -5 degrees C in the south to as low as -20 degrees C in the high Arctic islands. A similar contrast characterizes precipitation, which can be > 700 mm y(-1) in some southern alpine regions to as low as 50 mm y(-1) over islands of the high Arctic. Major freshwater resources are found within most northern ecozones, varying from large glaciers or ice caps and lakes to extensive wetlands and peat lands. Most of the North's renewable water, however, is found within its major river networks and originates in more southerly headwaters. Ice covers characterize the freshwater systems for multiple months of the year while permafrost prevails in various forms, dominating the terrestrial landscape. The marine environment, which envelops the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is dominated by seasonal to multiyear sea ice often several meters thick that plays a key role in the regional climate. Almost two-thirds of northern Canadian communities are located along coastlines with the entire population being just over 100 000. Most recent population growth has been dominated by an expansion of nonaboriginals, primarily the result of resource development and the growth of public administration. The economies of northern communities, however, remain quite mixed with traditional land-based renewable resource-subsistence activities still being a major part of many local economies.

Reevaluating Canada's policy for blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM).

PubMed

Jubran, Bellal; Billick, Maxime; Devlin, Gabriel; Cygler, Jeremy; Lebouché, Bertrand

2016-12-01

During the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, most of the developed world instituted a permanent ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM). In recent years, public health agencies across Europe and North America are reconsidering and rescinding these restrictions. We examine the Canadian climate, where MSM may donate blood only after a 5-year deferral period. We review circumstances of the initial ban on MSM blood donations and recent social, legal, and economic changes that have encouraged Canadian public health officials to consider policy reform. We also review international evidence about the impact of reforming MSM blood donations. Given improvements in HIV screening technology, results from mathematical modeling studies, and empirical data from Italy, the UK, and Australia, we conclude that changing Canada's MSM blood donation policy from a 5- to a 1-year deferral would not increase the number of transfusion-transmitted HIV infections. We provide empirical support to the recently elected Liberal Canadian government's political promise to decrease restrictions on MSM blood donations.

Home-based intermediate care program vs hospitalization: Cost comparison study.

PubMed

Armstrong, Catherine Deri; Hogg, William E; Lemelin, Jacques; Dahrouge, Simone; Martin, Carmel; Viner, Gary S; Saginur, Raphael

2008-01-01

To explore whether a home-based intermediate care program in a large Canadian city lowers the cost of care and to look at whether such home-based programs could be a solution to the increasing demands on Canadian hospitals. Single-arm study with historical controls. Department of Family Medicine at the Ottawa Hospital (Civic campus) in Ontario. Patients requiring hospitalization for acute care. Participants were matched with historical controls based on case-mix, most responsible diagnosis, and level of complexity. Placement in the home-based intermediate care program. Daily home visits from the nurse practitioner and 24-hour access to care by telephone. Multivariate regression models were used to estimate the effect of the program on 5 outcomes: length of stay in hospital, cost of care substituted for hospitalization (Canadian dollars), readmission for a related diagnosis, readmission for any diagnosis, and costs incurred by community home-care services for patients following discharge from hospital. The outcomes of 43 hospital admissions were matched with those of 363 controls. Patients enrolled in the program stayed longer in hospital (coefficient 3.3 days, P < .001), used more community care services following discharge (coefficient $729, P = .007), and were more likely to be readmitted to hospital within 3 months of discharge (coefficient 17%, P = .012) than patients treated in hospital. Total substituted costs of home-based care were not significantly different from the costs of hospitalization (coefficient -$501, P = .11). While estimated cost savings were not statistically significant, the limitations of our study suggest that we underestimated these savings. In particular, the economic inefficiencies of a small immature program and the inability to control for certain factors when selecting historical controls affected our results. Further research is needed to determine the economic effect of mature home-based programs.

The Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program, ACTive (IMPACT): Active surveillance for vaccine adverse events and vaccine-preventable diseases

PubMed Central

Bettinger, JA; Halperin, SA; Vaudry, W; Law, BJ; Scheifele, DW

2014-01-01

For almost 25 years the Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program, ACTive (IMPACT) has been conducting active surveillance for severe adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) and vaccine-preventable diseases in children. The network, which consists of volunteer paediatric infectious diseases investigators at 12 tertiary care paediatric hospitals, is an important component of Canada’s AEFI monitoring. The network employs nurses at each of the sites to search for and report possible AEFIs to local, provincial and national public health authorities. The active nature of the surveillance ensures a high level of vigilance for severe AEFIs in children. PMID:29769912

French immersion in Canada: Theory and practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safty, Adel

1991-12-01

French immersion programs are rapidly becoming an integral part of the Canadian education system. Its educational and linguistic achievements have been the subject of an abundant literature that continues to grow. The popularity of the program has helped it expand at a phenomenal rate. From one school and a handful of students in the experimental classes 25 years ago, there are now more than 17,000 schools offering French immersion instruction to close to 250,000 students in all major Canadian cities. The major theoretical foundations on which French immersion was explicitly and sometimes implicitly based may be summarized as follows: Early exposure to a second language is better than late exposure.

Headwaters: The Next Stage in High School Integrated Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elrick, Mike

2010-01-01

In 2006, the grade 12 program "Headwaters" was initiated and offered the following four courses: (1) Environment and Resource Management; (2) Canadian Literature; (3) Outdoor Activities; and (4) Interdisciplinary Studies. The author has always described the program as simply "school." The teachers teach curriculum courses…

Schools and Programs in Canada: Programs and Services Chart.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Annals of the Deaf, 2003

2003-01-01

This chart provides detailed information on the programs and services provided by Canadian schools for preschool, elementary, and secondary children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Schools are listed by province and information is provided on enrollment, age range, educational services, and communication options. (CR)

Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Qualifications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Water and Sewage Works, 1979

1979-01-01

This article summarizes in tabular form the U.S. and Canadian programs for classification of water and wastewater treatment plant personnel. Included are main characteristics of the programs, educational and experience requirements, and indications of requirement substitutions. (CS)

The School Malaise Trap Program: Coupling educational outreach with scientific discovery

PubMed Central

Breton, Vanessa; Berzitis, Emily; Hebert, Paul D. N.

2017-01-01

The School Malaise Trap Program (SMTP) provides a technologically sophisticated and scientifically relevant educational experience that exposes students to the diversity of life, enhancing their understanding of biodiversity while promoting environmental stewardship. Since 2013, the SMTP has allowed 15,000 students at 350 primary and secondary schools to explore insect diversity in Canadian schoolyards. Students at each school collected hundreds of insects for an analysis of DNA sequence variation that enabled their rapid identification to a species. Through this hands-on approach, they participated in a learning exercise that conveys a real sense of scientific discovery. As well, the students contributed valuable data to the largest biodiversity genomics initiative ever undertaken: the International Barcode of Life project. To date, the SMTP has sequenced over 80,000 insect specimens, which includes representatives of 7,990 different species, nearly a tenth of the Canadian fauna. Both surprisingly and importantly, the collections generated the first DNA barcode records for 1,288 Canadian species. PMID:28437475

The reform of home care services in Ontario: opportunity lost or lesson learned?

PubMed

Randall, Glen

2007-06-01

With the release of the Romanow Commission report, Canadian governments are poised to consider the creation of a national home care program. If occupational and physical therapists are to have input in shaping such a program, they will need to learn from lost opportunities of the past. This paper provides an overview of recent reforms to home care in Ontario with an emphasis on rehabilitation services. Data were collected from documents and 28 key informant interviews with rehabilitation professionals. Home care in Ontario has evolved in a piecemeal manner without rehabilitation professionals playing a prominent role in program design. Rehabilitation services play a critical role in facilitating hospital discharges, minimizing readmissions, and improving the quality of peoples' lives. Canadians will benefit if occupational and physical therapists seize the unique opportunity before them to provide meaningful input into creating a national home care program.

Provincial division of the Asian part of the Siberian-Canadian paleofloristic region in the Late Cretaceous

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golovneva, L. B.

2014-05-01

The following provinces are recognized in the Late Cretaceous within the Asian part of the Siberian-Canadian paleofloristic region: Chulym-Yenisei, Lena-Vilyui, North Siberian, Verkhoyansk, Mountain Okhotsk-Chukotka, Anadyr', Amur, Sikhote-Alin, and Sakhalin-Japanese. It is proposed to consider the Central Asian (Turan) Province as belonging to the Euro-Sinian paleofloristic region. In the Cenomanian, the province also included the area of the southern Chulym-Yenisei Depression. In the maritime and northern provinces, a considerable occurrence of Mesozoic relics compared to the southern and continental ones is recorded. Similarity and distinctions between the floras of different provinces varied during the Late Cretaceous. Climatic conditions played a considerable role in species diversity and degree of differentiation or unification of the floras.

A Tool for Rating the Resilience of Critical Infrastructures in Extreme Fires

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

provide a tool for NRC to help the Canadian industry to develop extreme fire protection materials and technologies for critical infrastructures. Future...supported by the Canadian Safety and Security Program (CSSP) which is led by Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science, in...in oil refinery and chemical industry facilities. The only available standard in North America that addresses the transportation infrastructure is

Can We Get National Labour Market Information into the Classroom Faster? The Information Technology Professional Program. An Association of Canadian Community Colleges Sponsored Sectoral Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diakun, Denyce; Phillips, Rodger

The Software Human Resource Council (SHRC) is a nonprofit sectoral council that speaks for software professionals throughout the Canadian economy. The SHRC's mission is to increase the number of Information Technology (IT) workers in Canada. This paper gives a brief overview of the evolution of SHRC's Information Technology Professional Program…

Guide to Canadian Aerospace-Related Industries

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-08-01

Quebec PLANT SIZE: 28,700 sq ft Canada H4L 4X8 EXPERIENCE: Barringer experience is worldwide. Recent R &D clients Plan t include Transport Canada, Revenue...Products, Ampheno Canada, ard J R Longts!affe"tel: (604) 530-2324 Fax: (604) 530-6242 CAPABILITY: Bruce D Vallillee Electronics Ltd, Marketing Consultants...Helicopters) BRISTOL AEROSPACE Ltd Instrumentation R &O (Helicopters) CANADIAN HELICOPTERS Ltd Quality Assurance Programs BRUCE D VALLILLEE R &O

Canada-U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-03

Canadian and U.S. officials announced a new Joint Border Air Quality Strategy; under the initiative, pilot programs to reduce air pollution will be...ranging from the catastrophe of an oil spill, to more cumulative pollution caused by ocean dumping of ballast and garbage by transiting vessels. In...between Zug Island in Detroit and Brighton Beach area of Windsor. The DRIC proposal is supported by the Canadian government, which believes a new

Alcohol, Marijuana, and Tobacco Use among Canadian Youth: Do We Need More Multi-Substance Prevention Programming?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leatherdale, Scott T.; Ahmed, Rashid

2010-01-01

Data from the Canadian Youth Smoking Survey (n = 27,030 in 2006; n = 16,705 in 2004; n = 11,757 in 2002) were used to examine changes in the prevalence and comorbid use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana over time and examine if demographic factors and binge drinking are associated with comorbid substance use among youth. Alcohol was the most…

Science Traverses in the Canadian High Arctic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williamson, Marie-Claude

2012-01-01

The presentation is divided into three parts. Part I is an overview of early expeditions to the High Arctic, and their political consequences at the time. The focus then shifts to the Geological Survey of Canada s mapping program in the North (Operation Franklin), and to the Polar Continental Shelf Project (PCSP), a unique organization that resides within the Government of Canada s Department of Natural Resources, and supports mapping projects and science investigations. PCSP is highlighted throughout the presentation so a description of mandate, budgets, and support infrastructure is warranted. In Part II, the presenter describes the planning required in advance of scientific deployments carried out in the Canadian High Arctic from the perspective of government and university investigators. Field operations and challenges encountered while leading arctic field teams in fly camps are also described in this part of the presentation, with particular emphasis on the 2008 field season. Part III is a summary of preliminary results obtained from a Polar Survey questionnaire sent out to members of the Arctic research community in anticipation of the workshop. The last part of the talk is an update on the analog program at the Canadian Space Agency, specifically, the Canadian Analog Research Network (CARN) and current activities related to Analog missions, 2009-2010.

Sexual Recovery Following Prostate Cancer: Recommendations From 2 Established Canadian Sexual Rehabilitation Clinics.

PubMed

Elliott, Stacy; Matthew, Andrew

2018-04-01

Supportive sexual health care is much-needed adjuvant care to oncologic management for men with prostate cancer (PCa). To inspire the initiation of biopsychosocial sexual health programming where it does not exist and to inform program enhancement in existing sexual rehabilitation clinics (SRCs). This article reviews the combined 30-year experience of 2 well-established Canadian SRCs for men and their partners after PCa treatments, interwoven with empirical evidence. To comprehensively review the biopsychosocial approach to sexual health assessment of men with PCa and their partners to direct the practicalities of running a successful and sustainable SRC. A full description of the biomedical and psychosocial approaches, inclusive of comprehensive sexual function, the penile rehabilitation controversy, and other medical and relationship issues affecting sexual adjustment, is provided to highlight the relevance of proper assessment and follow-through for sexual adaptation and adjustment. 10 recommendations for a successful SRC are discussed, including the principles behind developing a sustainable business plan, staff acquisition and training, budget, integration of treatment and research priorities, respectful and multidisciplinary approaches to care, and suggestions of visit formats, protocols, and questionnaires. We recommend a phased approach of an SRC into usual care with the option to provide accessible and equitable care to patients not within proximal access of treating institutions. Sexual rehabilitation after treatment for PCa requires a complex treatment process. Providing sustainable sexual rehabilitation programming under the financially strained environment of the Canadian medical system is a challenge; therefore, to provide Canadian patients and their partners with comprehensive cancer care, they deserve a biopsychosocial approach combined with a creative and systematic implementation strategy. Elliott S, Matthew A. Sexual Recovery Following Prostate Cancer: Recommendations From 2 Established Canadian Sexual Rehabilitation Clinics. Sex Med Rev 2018;6:279-294. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Uptake and effectiveness of the Children's Fitness Tax Credit in Canada: the rich get richer.

PubMed

Spence, John C; Holt, Nicholas L; Dutove, Julia K; Carson, Valerie

2010-06-21

The Government of Canada implemented a Children's Fitness Tax Credit (CFTC) in 2007 which allows a non-refundable tax credit of up to $500 to register a child in an eligible physical activity (PA) program. The purposes of this study were to assess whether the awareness, uptake, and perceived effectiveness of this tax credit varied by household income among Canadian parents. An internet-based panel survey was conducted in March 2009 with a representative sample of 2135 Canadians. Of those, parents with children aged 2 to 18 years of age (n = 1004) were asked if their child was involved in organized PA programs (including dance and sports), the associated costs to register their child in these programs, awareness of the CFTC, if they had claimed the CFTC for the tax year 2007, and whether they planned to claim it in the upcoming year. Parents were also asked if they believed the CFTC has lead to their child being more involved in PA programs. Among parents, 54.4% stated their child was in organized PA and 55.5% were aware of the CFTC. Parents in the lowest income quartile were significantly less aware and less likely to claim the CFTC than other income groups. Among parents who had claimed the CFTC, few (15.6%) believed it had increased their child's participation in PA programs. More than half of Canadian parents with children have claimed the CFTC. However, the tax credit appears to benefit the wealthier families in Canada.

The Alberta K-9 Mathematics Program of Studies with Achievement Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Education, 2007

2007-01-01

The "Alberta K-9 Mathematics Program of Studies with Achievement Indicators" has been derived from "The Common Curriculum Framework for K-9 Mathematics: Western and Northern Canadian Protocol," May 2006 (the Common Curriculum Framework). The program of studies incorporates the conceptual framework for Kindergarten to Grade 9…

National Directory of Financial Assistance Programs for Post-Secondary Students with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Estey, Steven; Alphonse, Laurie

This directory is intended to provide a comprehensive source of information on financial assistance for Canadian post-secondary students with disabilities. The directory includes descriptions of funding programs, mailing addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses for further information. Government funding programs described…

"Stepping Up": A Focus on Facilitator Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kostouros, Patricia; Warthe, D. Gaye; Carter-Snell, Catherine; Burnett, Che

2016-01-01

This article examines the impact on peer facilitators in "Stepping Up," a dating violence prevention program at a Canadian university. A focus group held eight months following the delivery of the program determined the personal impact of involvement in the program. Results indicate that peer facilitators experienced personal growth as…

Helping the Transition: Mentorship to Support International Students in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Clint; Esses, Victoria M.

2016-01-01

We developed a program that paired newcomer international students with Canadian student mentors. These pairs met weekly throughout a semester and international student participants completed measures at both the beginning and end of the program. We found that program participants experienced positive changes in sociocultural and psychological…

Making Youth Tobacco Control Programs More Ecological: Organizational and Professional Profiles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richard, Lucie; Gauvin, Lise; Potvin, Louise; Denis, Jean-Louis; Kishchuk, Natalie

2002-01-01

Examined organizational and professional correlates of the integration of the ecological approach in Canadian public health organizations' youth tobacco control programs. Surveys of 110 tobacco control programs in 90 organizations indicated that organizational environment and staff preparation played a critical role in adoption of the ecological…

Workplace Basic Skills. A Study of 10 Canadian Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Maurice

Presented in case study format, this report looks at different types of workplace literacy programs across Canada. It describes in some detail 10 particular work environments and the unique characteristics that have enabled each to offer quality worker education programs. Each case study provides information in these categories: profile (an…

21st Century Carbon-Climate Change as Simulated by the Canadian Earth System Model CanESM1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curry, C.; Christian, J. R.; Arora, V.; Boer, G. J.; Denman, K. L.; Flato, G. M.; Scinocca, J. F.; Merryfield, W. J.; Lee, W. G.; Yang, D.

2009-12-01

The Canadian Earth System Model CanESM1 is a fully coupled climate/carbon-cycle model with prognostic ocean and terrestrial components. The model has been used to simulate the 1850-2000 climate using historical greenhouse gas emissions, and future climates using IPCC emission scenarios. Modelled globally averaged CO2 concentration, land and ocean carbon uptake compare well with observation-based values at year 2000, as do the annual cycle and latitudinal distribution of CO2, instilling confidence that the model is suitable for future projections of carbon cycle behaviour in a changing climate. Land use change emissions are calculated explicitly using an observation-based time series of fractional coverage of different plant functional types. A more complete description of the model may be found in Arora et al. (2009). Differences in the land-atmosphere CO2 flux from the present to the future period under the SRES A2 emissions scenario show an increase in land sinks by a factor of 7.5 globally, mostly the result of CO2 fertilization. By contrast, the magnitude of the global ocean CO2 sink increases by a factor of only 2.3 by 2100. Expressed as a fraction of total emissions, ocean carbon uptake decreases throughout the 2000-2100 period, while land carbon uptake increases until around 2050, then declines. The result is an increase in airborne CO2 fraction after the mid-21st century, reaching a value of 0.55 by 2100. The simulated decline in ocean carbon uptake over the 21st century occurs despite steadily rising atmospheric CO2. This behaviour is usually attributed to climate-induced changes in surface temperature and salinity that reduce CO2 solubility, and increasing ocean stratification that weakens the biological pump. However, ocean biological processes such as dinitrogen fixation and calcification may also play an important role. Although not well understood at present, improved parameterizations of these processes will increase confidence in projections of future trends in CO2 uptake.

The last interglacial in eastern Canada and the northwest North Atlantic : further evidence for warmer climate and ocean conditions than during the Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vernal, A.; Fréchette, B.; Hillaire-Marcel, C.; van Nieuwenhove, N.; Retailleau, S.

2012-04-01

The climate conditions of the last interglacial (LI) in northeastern and southeastern Canada are documented from pollen data of Baffin Island and Cape Breton Island respectively. The LI pollen assemblages indicate very different vegetation than at present and a northern limit of the deciduous forest biome as far as 500 km north of its modern position. The application of the modern analogue technique also reveal warmer climate during the LI than at present, 4-5°C warmer on Baffin Island at ~67-70°N in the Canadian Arctic, and up to 7°C warmer on Cape Breton Island at ~45°N in the southeastern Canada. The contrast between LI and Holocene climates is also shown from marine data (dinocysts, foraminifers, oxygen and carbon isotopes) that document warmer than Holocene conditions in surface waters (up to 5.5°C in summer, notably off southwest Greenland) and very distinct distribution of intermediate to deep waters in northern and southern part of the Labrador Sea. An important zonal atmospheric circulation component at mid-latitudes of the North Atlantic is also evidenced from the pollen content of marine cores collected in central North Atlantic (IODP Site 1304), which strongly suggests an origin from southeastern Canada. Altogether the data demonstrate much warmer conditions along the eastern Canadian margins, from North to South. The mild conditions along the coastlines and the relatively warm waters off eastern Canada and southern Greenland suggest reduced Arctic outflow components through the East Greenland Current and Labrador Current. Comparisons with records from eastern North Atlantic lead us to conclude in a more zonal climate during the LI than the Holocene, especially the early Holocene that was marked by a particularly pronounced west to east gradient of temperatures. Hence, the thermal optimum of the LI and that of the Holocene provide two examples of very different climate and ocean circulation regimes in the circum-Atlantic region during the "warm" episodes of the recent geological past.

Hypertension Canada's 2016 Canadian Hypertension Education Program Guidelines for Blood Pressure Measurement, Diagnosis, Assessment of Risk, Prevention, and Treatment of Hypertension.

PubMed

Leung, Alexander A; Nerenberg, Kara; Daskalopoulou, Stella S; McBrien, Kerry; Zarnke, Kelly B; Dasgupta, Kaberi; Cloutier, Lyne; Gelfer, Mark; Lamarre-Cliche, Maxime; Milot, Alain; Bolli, Peter; Tremblay, Guy; McLean, Donna; Tobe, Sheldon W; Ruzicka, Marcel; Burns, Kevin D; Vallée, Michel; Prasad, G V Ramesh; Lebel, Marcel; Feldman, Ross D; Selby, Peter; Pipe, Andrew; Schiffrin, Ernesto L; McFarlane, Philip A; Oh, Paul; Hegele, Robert A; Khara, Milan; Wilson, Thomas W; Penner, S Brian; Burgess, Ellen; Herman, Robert J; Bacon, Simon L; Rabkin, Simon W; Gilbert, Richard E; Campbell, Tavis S; Grover, Steven; Honos, George; Lindsay, Patrice; Hill, Michael D; Coutts, Shelagh B; Gubitz, Gord; Campbell, Norman R C; Moe, Gordon W; Howlett, Jonathan G; Boulanger, Jean-Martin; Prebtani, Ally; Larochelle, Pierre; Leiter, Lawrence A; Jones, Charlotte; Ogilvie, Richard I; Woo, Vincent; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Trudeau, Luc; Petrella, Robert J; Hiremath, Swapnil; Drouin, Denis; Lavoie, Kim L; Hamet, Pavel; Fodor, George; Grégoire, Jean C; Lewanczuk, Richard; Dresser, George K; Sharma, Mukul; Reid, Debra; Lear, Scott A; Moullec, Gregory; Gupta, Milan; Magee, Laura A; Logan, Alexander G; Harris, Kevin C; Dionne, Janis; Fournier, Anne; Benoit, Geneviève; Feber, Janusz; Poirier, Luc; Padwal, Raj S; Rabi, Doreen M

2016-05-01

Hypertension Canada's Canadian Hypertension Education Program Guidelines Task Force provides annually updated, evidence-based recommendations to guide the diagnosis, assessment, prevention, and treatment of hypertension. This year, we present 4 new recommendations, as well as revisions to 2 previous recommendations. In the diagnosis and assessment of hypertension, automated office blood pressure, taken without patient-health provider interaction, is now recommended as the preferred method of measuring in-office blood pressure. Also, although a serum lipid panel remains part of the routine laboratory testing for patients with hypertension, fasting and nonfasting collections are now considered acceptable. For individuals with secondary hypertension arising from primary hyperaldosteronism, adrenal vein sampling is recommended for those who are candidates for potential adrenalectomy. With respect to the treatment of hypertension, a new recommendation that has been added is for increasing dietary potassium to reduce blood pressure in those who are not at high risk for hyperkalemia. Furthermore, in selected high-risk patients, intensive blood pressure reduction to a target systolic blood pressure ≤ 120 mm Hg should be considered to decrease the risk of cardiovascular events. Finally, in hypertensive individuals with uncomplicated, stable angina pectoris, either a β-blocker or calcium channel blocker may be considered for initial therapy. The specific evidence and rationale underlying each of these recommendations are discussed. Hypertension Canada's Canadian Hypertension Education Program Guidelines Task Force will continue to provide annual updates. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Charting a course for cardiac electrophysiology training in Canada: the vital role of fellows in advanced cardiovascular care.

PubMed

Leather, Richard A; Gardner, Martin; Green, Martin S; Kavanagh, Katherine; Macle, Laurent; Ahmad, Kamran; Gray, Chris; Ayala-Paredes, Felix; Guerra, Peter G; O'Hara, Gilles; Essebag, Vidal; Sturmer, Marcio; Baranchuk, Adrian; Hruczkowski, Tomasz; Lahevsky, Ilan; Novak, Paul; Chakrabarti, Shanta; Harris, Louise; Gula, Lorne J; Morillo, Carlos; Sanatani, Shubhayan; Hamilton, Robert M; Gow, Robert M; Krahn, Andrew D

2013-11-01

Canadian electrophysiology (EP) fellowship programs have evolved in an ad hoc fashion over 30 years. This evolution has occurred in many fields in medicine and is natural when innovators and pioneers attract research fellows who help change the status quo from predominantly research to a predominantly clinical application and focus. Fellows not only push their supervisors and their centres into new areas of inquiry but also function at the most advanced level to encourage and teach junior trainees and to provide examples of excellence to residents, medical students, and other health professionals. Funding for fellows has never been provided in the traditional way through the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Advanced Education. Each Canadian centre has over the years found novel ways to fund fellowship programs, and many centres have used value-adds from procurement programs. These sources of funding are eroding as provincial government agencies are beginning to assume procurement responsibilities and local flexibility to fund fellowships is lost. In particular, provincial government agencies feel that valuable financial resources should be restricted to Canadian trainees only, despite the international consensus that fellowship is an essential time for advanced trainees to travel abroad to acquire a broad a range of experience, learn new techniques and approaches, make lifelong research connections, and hopefully return home with these skills and expertise. This article summarizes the long history of EP fellowship training in Canada, as well as EP fellowship experiences at home and abroad by Canadian electrophysiologists, in an attempt to contextualize these new realities. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Substance abuse: a national survey of Canadian residency program directors and site chiefs at university-affiliated anesthesia departments.

PubMed

Boulis, Sherif; Khanduja, P Kristina; Downey, Kristi; Friedman, Zeev

2015-09-01

The abuse of substances available to anesthesiologists in their workspace is a potentially lethal occupational hazard. Our primary objective was to define the prevalence of substance abuse cases among Canadian anesthesiologists at university-affiliated hospitals. Our secondary aim was to describe the current management of confirmed cases, rehabilitation procedures being offered, and preventative strategies being employed. We conducted a cross-sectional electronic survey of all Canadian anesthesia residency program directors and site chiefs at university-affiliated hospitals. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. The survey response rate was 54% (53/98). Substance abuse was reported as 1.6% for residents and 0.3% for clinical fellows over a ten-year period ending in June 2014. Fentanyl was abused in nine of 24 reported cases. At present, one of 22 respondents (4.5%) reported a formal education program on substance abuse for faculty members, and 72% described mandatory education for residents. The majority of participants did not perceive substance abuse as a growing problem. Seventy-one percent of respondents indicated that methods for controlled-drug handling had changed in the previous ten years; however, 66% did not think that the incidence of controlled substance abuse could be decreased further by more stringent measures. Only 21% of respondents supported the introduction of random urine drug testing. The prevalence of substance abuse among Canadian anesthesiologists and the substances abused appear comparable with data from the United States, with residents being the group most often affected. Early recognition and treatment of chemically dependent anesthesiologists remain imperfect.

On the Frozen Soil Scheme for High Latitude Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganji, A.; Sushama, L.

2014-12-01

Regional and global climate model simulated streamflows for high-latitude regions show systematic biases, particularly in the timing and magnitude of spring peak flows. Though these biases could be related to the snow water equivalent and spring temperature biases in models, a good part of these biases is due to the unaccounted effects of non-uniform infiltration capacity of the frozen ground and other related processes. In this paper, the frozen scheme in the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS), which is used in the Canadian regional and global climate models, is modified to include fractional permeable area, supercooled liquid water and a new formulation for hydraulic conductivity. Interflow is also included in these experiments presented in this study to better explain the steamflows after snow melt season. The impact of these modifications on the regional hydrology, particularly streamflow, is assessed by comparing three simulations, performed with the original and two modified versions of CLASS, driven by atmospheric forcing data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis data (ERA-Interim), for the 1990-2001 period, over a northeast Canadian domain. The two modified versions of CLASS differ in the soil hydraulic conductivity and matric potential formulations, with one version being based on formulations from a previous study and the other one is newly proposed. Results suggest statistically significant decreases in infiltration for the simulation with the new hydraulic conductivity and matric potential formulations and fractional permeable area concept, compared to the original version of CLASS, which is also reflected in the increased spring surface runoff and streamflows in this simulation with modified CLASS, over most of the study domain. The simulated spring peaks and their timing in this simulation is also in better agreement to those observed.

Towards 250 m mapping of terrestrial primary productivity over Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonsamo, A.; Chen, J. M.

2011-12-01

Terrestrial ecosystems are an important part of the climate and global change systems. Their role in climate change and in the global carbon cycle is yet to be well understood. Dataset from satellite earth observation, coupled with numerical models provide the unique tools for monitoring the spatial and temporal dynamics of territorial carbon cycle. The Boreal Ecosystems Productivity Simulator (BEPS) is a remote sensing based approach to quantifying the terrestrial carbon cycle by that gross and net primary productivity (GPP and NPP) and terrestrial carbon sinks and sources expressed as net ecosystem productivity (NEP). We have currently implemented a scheme to map the GPP, NPP and NEP at 250 m for first time over Canada using BEPS model. This is supplemented by improved mapping of land cover and leaf area index (LAI) at 250 m over Canada from MODIS satellite dataset. The results from BEPS are compared with MODIS GPP product and further evaluated with estimated LAI from various sources to evaluate if the results capture the trend in amount of photosynthetic biomass distributions. Final evaluation will be to validate both BEPS and MODIS primary productivity estimates over the Fluxnet sites over Canada. The primary evaluation indicate that BEPS GPP estimates capture the over storey LAI variations over Canada very well compared to MODIS GPP estimates. There is a large offset of MODIS GPP, over-estimating the lower GPP value compared to BEPS GPP estimates. These variations will further be validated based on the measured values from the Fluxnet tower measurements over Canadian. The high resolution GPP (NPP) products at 250 m will further be used to scale the outputs between different ecosystem productivity models, in our case the Canadian carbon budget model of Canadian forest sector CBM-CFS) and the Integrated Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon model (InTEC).

A methodological framework to assess PMP and PMF in snow-dominated watersheds under changing climate conditions - A case study of three watersheds in Québec (Canada)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouhani, Hassan; Leconte, Robert

2018-06-01

Climate change will affect precipitation and flood regimes. It is anticipated that the Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) and Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) will be modified in a changing climate. This paper aims to quantify and analyze climate change influences on PMP and PMF in three watersheds with different climatic conditions across the province of Québec, Canada. Output data from the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM) was used to estimate PMP and Probable Maximum Snow Accumulation (PMSA) in future climate projections, which was then used to force the SWAT hydrological model to estimate PMF. PMP and PMF values were estimated for two time horizons each spanning 30 years: 1961-1990 (recent past) and 2041-2070 (future). PMP and PMF were separately analyzed for two seasons: summer-fall and spring. Results show that PMF in the watershed located in southern Québec would remain unchanged in the future horizon, but the trend for the watersheds located in the northeastern and northern areas of the province is an increase of up to 11%.

"I Don't Want Him Hitting on Me": The Role of Masculinities in Creating a Chilly High School Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bortolin, Sandra

2010-01-01

This study reports on a qualitative analysis of data from interviews with 15 heterosexual males ages 16-18 in Canadian high schools. Findings indicate that gay male youth often occupy lower status positions in the school's social hierarchy. Heterosexual males did not typically want to associate with gay male peers for fear of being perceived as…

Assessing the response of area burned to changing climate in western boreal North America using a Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) approach

Treesearch

Michael S. Balshi; A. David McGuire; Paul Duffy; Mike Flannigan; John Walsh; Jerry Melillo

2009-01-01

We developed temporally and spatially explicit relationships between air temperature and fuel moisture codes derived from the Canadian Fire Weather Index System to estimate annual area burned at 2.5o (latitude x longitude) resolution using a Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS) approach across Alaska and Canada. Burned area was...

Reconstruction of Centennial and Millennial-scale Climate and Environmental Variability during the Holocene in the Central Canadian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolland, N.; Porinchu, D.; MacDonald, G.; Moser, K.

2007-12-01

The Arctic and sub-Arctic regions are experiencing dramatic changes in surface temperature, sea-ice extent, glacial melt, river discharge, soil carbon storage and snow cover. According to the IPCC high latitude regions are expected to warm between 4°C and 7°C over the next 100 years. The magnitude of warming and the rate at which it occurs will dwarf any previous warming episodes experienced by latitude regions over the last 11,000 years. It is critical that we improve our understanding of how the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions responded to past periods of warming, especially in light of the changes these regions will be experiencing over the next 100 years. One of the lines of evidence increasingly utilized in multi-proxy paleolimnological research is the Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera). Also known as non-biting midge flies, chironomids are ubiquitous, frequently the most abundant insects found in freshwater ecosystems and very sensitive to environmental conditions. This research uses Chironomidae to quantitatively characterize climate and environmental conditions of the continental interior of Arctic Canada during the Holocene. Spanning four major vegetation zones (boreal forest, forest-tundra, birch tundra and herb tundra), the surface samples of 80 lakes recovered from the central Canadian Arctic were used to assess the relationship of 22 environmental variables with the chironomid distribution. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified four variables, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), pH, summer surface water temperature (SSWT) and depth, which best explain the variance in the distribution of chironomids within these ecoregions. In order to provide new quantitative estimates of SSWT, a 1-component weighted average partial least square (WA-PLS) model was developed (r2jack = 0.76, RMSEP = 1.42°C) and applied downcore in two low arctic continental Nunavut lakes located approximately 50 km and 200 km north of modern treeline. This robust midge-inferred temperature reconstruction of the Holocene thermal conditions will then be compared with previous research describing vegetation development in this region. This study provides new and important data which helps to further resolve millennial and centennial-scale climate variability in the central Canadian Arctic during the Holocene.

Developing a Canadian Curriculum for Simulation-Based Education in Obstetrics and Gynaecology: A Delphi Study.

PubMed

Craig, Catherine; Posner, Glenn D

2017-09-01

As obstetrics and gynaecology (Ob/Gyn) residency training programs move towards a competence-based approach to training and assessment, the development of a national standardized simulation curriculum is essential. The primary goal of this study was to define the fundamental content for the Canadian Obstetrics and Gynecology Simulation curriculum. A modified Delphi technique was used to achieve consensus in three rounds by surveying residency program directors or their local simulation educator delegates in 16 accredited Canadian Ob/Gyn residency programs. A consensus rate of 80% was agreed upon. Survey results were collected over 11 months in 2016. Response rates for the Delphi were 50% for the first round, 81% for the second round, and 94% for the third round. The first survey resulted in 84 suggested topics. These were organized into four categories: obstetrics high acuity low frequency events, obstetrics common events, gynaecology high acuity low frequency events, and gynaecology common events. Using the modified Delphi method, consensus was reached on 6 scenarios. This study identified the content for a national simulation-based curriculum for Ob/Gyn residency training programs and is the first step in the development of this curriculum. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/La Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Scoping Review of Immigrant Experience of Health Care Access Barriers in Canada.

PubMed

Kalich, Angela; Heinemann, Lyn; Ghahari, Setareh

2016-06-01

Canadian population-based surveys report comparable access to health care services between immigrant and non-immigrant populations, yet other research reports immigrant-specific access barriers. A scoping review was conducted to explore research regarding Canadian immigrants' unique experiences in accessing health care, and was guided by the research question: "What is currently known about the barriers that adult immigrants face when accessing Canadian health care services?" The findings of this study suggest that there are unmet health care access needs specific to immigrants to Canada. In reviewing research of immigrants' health care experiences, the most common access barriers were found to be language barriers, barriers to information, and cultural differences. These findings, in addition to low cultural competency reported by interviewed health care workers in the reviewed articles, indicate inequities in access to Canadian health care services for immigrant populations. Suggestions for future research and programming are discussed.

A pan-Canadian web-based education program to support screening for distress: evaluation of outcomes.

PubMed

McLeod, Deborah L; Morck, Angela C; Curran, Janet A

2014-02-01

Cancer-related distress has been endorsed as the sixth vital sign by many international cancer organizations, and some countries such as Canada have implemented national screening for distress programs. The completion of a screening tool is an important first step in improving responsiveness to cancer-related distress, but screening must be followed with skilled supportive care to make a difference in patient-reported outcomes. Our objective was to create a web-based education program to support nurses and other frontline staff in providing an initial response to screening results. To address screening and supportive care learning needs, the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO), with support from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, created a web-based education program as one component of the national screening for distress agenda. The program provides clinically grounded and interactive learning through the use of PowerPoint presentations, video clips of clinical interactions with patients and family members, and test questions. Presentation topics include, for example, strategies for dealing with screening results, managing referrals, and supportive counseling. We employed a matched pairs, pre-post survey design to assess the effect of the education program on confidence in screening and in providing initial supportive care. Our analysis of the first 147 matched pairs to complete the course suggests that satisfaction with the course was high. Statistically significant increases in confidence in relation to screening for distress and assessing distress, and in providing initial supportive care, were evident. Our ongoing experience with CAPO's Interprofessional Psychosocial Oncology Distance Education (IPODE) project (www.ipode.ca) project suggests that healthcare professionals value web-based learning for its accessibility and convenience. Such programs appear to offer excellent opportunities for cost-effective education that supports practice change.

2010 Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Society of Echocardiography Guidelines for Training and Maintenance of Competency in Adult Echocardiography.

PubMed

Burwash, Ian G; Basmadjian, Arsene; Bewick, David; Choy, Jonathan B; Cujec, Bibiana; Jassal, Davinder S; MacKenzie, Scott; Nair, Parvathy; Rudski, Lawrence G; Yu, Eric; Tam, James W

2011-01-01

Guidelines for the provision of echocardiography in Canada were jointly developed and published by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Canadian Society of Echocardiography in 2005. Since their publication, recognition of the importance of echocardiography to patient care has increased, along with the use of focused, point-of-care echocardiography by physicians of diverse clinical backgrounds and variable training. New guidelines for physician training and maintenance of competence in adult echocardiography were required to ensure that physicians providing either focused, point-of-care echocardiography or comprehensive echocardiography are appropriately trained and proficient in their use of echocardiography. In addition, revision of the guidelines was required to address technological advances and the desire to standardize echocardiography training across the country to facilitate the national recognition of a physician's expertise in echocardiography. This paper summarizes the new Guidelines for Physician Training and Maintenance of Competency in Adult Echocardiography, which are considerably more comprehensive than earlier guidelines and address many important issues not previously covered. These guidelines provide a blueprint for physician training despite different clinical backgrounds and help standardize physician training and training programs across the country. Adherence to the guidelines will ensure that physicians providing echocardiography have acquired sufficient expertise required for their specific practice. The document will also provide a framework for other national societies to standardize their training programs in echocardiography and will provide a benchmark by which competency in adult echocardiography may be measured. Copyright © 2011 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Climate Variability & Predictability (CVP) Program at NOAA - Recent Program Advancements in Understanding AMOC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucas, S. E.

2016-12-01

The Climate Variability & Predictability (CVP) Program supports research aimed at providing process-level understanding of the climate system through observation, modeling, analysis, and field studies. This vital knowledge is needed to improve climate models and predictions so that scientists can better anticipate the impacts of future climate variability and change. To achieve its mission, the CVP Program supports research carried out at NOAA and other federal laboratories, NOAA Cooperative Institutes, and academic institutions. The Program also coordinates its sponsored projects with major national and international scientific bodies including the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), the International and U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR/US CLIVAR) Program, and the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). The CVP program sits within NOAA's Climate Program Office (http://cpo.noaa.gov/CVP). This poster will present the recently funded CVP projects on improving the understanding Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), its impact on decadal predictability, and its relationship with the overall climate system.

Water Footprint of Hydroelectricity: A Case Study of Two Large Canadian Boreal Watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irambona, C.; Music, B.; Nadeau, D.; Mahdi, T. F.; Strachan, I. B.

2015-12-01

20% of Canada's total freshwater is located in the province of Quebec, where 30% of the country's energy is produced from hydropower. Hydroelectric generation uses a considerable amount of water through evaporation from the reservoirs. The blue water footprint is an indicator of the annual freshwater consumption related to hydropower production. Although environmental effects of reservoir impounding have been previously investigated, their impacts on local and regional evapotranspiration are still not well understood due to the lack of long-term observation data. This study aims to assess the blue water footprint of two large hydroelectric systems located in the Canadian boreal forest. To do so, we use hydro-meteorological data from two specially designed climate simulations (a 'no-reservoir' and a 'post-impoundment' simulation) performed by the fifth generation of the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5) driven by the ERA-Interim reanalysis. Land-surface processes in the CRCM5 are parameterized by the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS V3.6), while surface fluxes over the water bodies are simulated by the 1-D lake model (Flake). A 'no-reservoir' and a 'post-impoundment' simulation are carried by adjusting the water fraction on the reservoir grids. Both simulations cover a 42 years period (1970-2012) at 0.11° horizontal resolution, consisting of 300 x 300 grid points centered on the province of Quebec. The two watersheds under study (200 000 km² total) are located in Northern Quebec (49-54°N), Canada, where more than 42% of the province power generation capacity is installed with eight reservoirs covering a total area of 10 000 km². A first validation of the 'post-impoundment' simulation is performed using micrometeorological ground observations, complemented with available hydro-meteorological data from Environment Canada weather stations. Then, each reservoir water footprint is calculated using the 'post-impoundment' simulation. Finally, the net evapotranspiration and the pre and post impoundment water budgets are assessed on the watershed scale. Results from this study are expected to be useful for water resources management in Quebec and other similar boreal environments.

A Multitemporal, Multisensor Approach to Mapping the Canadian Boreal Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reith, Ernest

The main anthropogenic source of CO2 emissions is the combustion of fossil fuels, while the clearing and burning of forests contribute significant amounts as well. Vegetation represents a major reservoir for terrestrial carbon stocks, and improving our ability to inventory vegetation will enhance our understanding of the impacts of land cover and climate change on carbon stocks and fluxes. These relationships may be an indication of a series of troubling biosphere-atmospheric feedback mechanisms that need to be better understood and modeled. Valuable land cover information can be provided to the global climate change modeling community using advanced remote sensing capabilities such as Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR). Individually and synergistically, data were successfully used to characterize the complex nature of the Canadian boreal forest land cover types. The multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis process was applied against seasonal AVIRIS data to produce species-level vegetated land cover maps of two study sites in the Canadian boreal forest: Old Black Spruce (OBS) and Old Jack Pine (OJP). The highest overall accuracy was assessed to be at least 66% accurate to the available reference map, providing evidence that high-quality, species-level land cover mapping of the Canadian boreal forest is achievable at accuracy levels greater than other previous research efforts in the region. Backscatter information from multichannel, polarimetric SAR utilizing a binary decision tree-based classification technique methodology was moderately successfully applied to AIRSAR to produce maps of the boreal land cover types at both sites, with overall accuracies at least 59%. A process, centered around noise whitening and principal component analysis features of the minimum noise fraction transform, was implemented to leverage synergies contained within spatially coregistered multitemporal and multisensor AVIRIS and AIRSAR data sets to successfully produce high-accuracy boreal forest land cover maps. Overall land cover map accuracies of 78% and 72% were assessed for OJP and OBS sites, respectively, for either seasonal or multitemporal data sets. High individual land cover accuracies appeared to be independent of site, season, or multisensor combination in the minimum-noise fraction-based approach.

The opioid crisis: past, present and future policy climate in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Morin, Kristen A; Eibl, Joseph K; Franklyn, Alexandra M; Marsh, David C

2017-11-02

Addressing opioid use disorder has become a priority in Ontario, Canada, because of its high economic, social and health burden. There continues to be stigma and criticism relating to opioid use disorder and treatment options. The result has been unsystematic, partial, reactive policies and programs developed based on divergent points of view. The aim of this manuscript is to describe how past and present understandings, narratives, ideologies and discourse of opioid use, have impacted policies over the course of the growing opioid crisis. Assessing the impact of policy is complex. It involves consideration of conceptual issues of what impacts policy change. In this manuscript we argue that the development of polices and initiatives regarding opioids, opioid use disorder and opioid agonist treatment in the last decade, have been more strongly associated with the evolution of ideas, narratives and discourses rather than research relating to opioids. We formulate our argument using a framework by Sumner, Crichton, Theobald, Zulu, and Parkhurs. We use examples from the Canadian context to outline our argument such as: the anti- drug legislation from the Canadian Federal Conservative government in 2007; the removal of OxyContin™ from the drug formulary in 2012; the rapid expansion of opioid agonist treatment beginning in the early 2000s, the unilateral decision made regarding fee cuts for physicians providing opioid agonist treatment in 2015; and the most recent implementation of a narcotics monitoring system, which are all closely linked with the shifts in public opinion and discourse at the time of which these policies and programs are implemented. We conclude with recommendations to consider a multifactorial response using evidence and stakeholder engagement to address the opioid crisis, rather than a reactive policy approach. We suggest that researchers have an important role in shaping future policy by reframing ideas through knowledge translation, formation of values, creation of new knowledge and adding to the quality of public discourse and debate.

Program director and resident perspectives of a competency-based medical education anesthesia residency program in Canada: a needs assessment

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Purpose: In July 2015, the University of Ottawa introduced a competency-based medical education (CBME) postgraduate program for anesthesia. Prior to program implementation, this study aimed to identify Canadian anesthesiology program directors perceptions of CBME and residents’ opinion on how the program should be designed and perceived consequences of CBME. Methods: This two-phase, qualitative study included semi-structured interviews with Canadian anesthesia program directors (Phase I) and a focus group interview with residents enrolled in the University of Ottawa time-based anesthesia program (Phase II). Both phases sought to gauge participant’s perceptions of CBME. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Results: Data was combined to protect anonymity of the six participants (three program directors and three residents). Participants spoke about the perceived advantages of CBME, the need to establish definitions, and challenges to a CBME program highlighting logistical factors, implications for trainees and the role assessment plays in CBME. Conclusion: These findings will inform CBME implementation strategies in anesthesia programs across the country, and may assist other residency programs in the design of their programs. Furthermore, our findings may help identify potential challenges and issues that other postgraduate specialties may face as they transition to a CBME model. PMID:26913772

Thermal balance testing of the MSAT spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samson, Serge; Choueiry, Elie; Pang, Kenneth

1994-01-01

This paper reports on the recently completed thermal balance/thermal vacuum testing of an MSAT satellite, the first satellite to provide mobile communications service for all of continental North America. MSAT is a two-spacecraft program, using a three-axis-stabilized HUGHES HS-601 series bus as the vehicle for the Canadian-designed payload. The thermal tests performed at the Canadian Space Agency's David Florida Laboratory in Ottawa, Canada, lasted approximately 32 days.

How To Collaborate through the Ups and Downs in Our Economy? A Successful College/Cegep/Employer/Union Partnership in the Steel Industry. An Association of Canadian Community Colleges Sponsored Sectoral Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergeron, Francine; Nakitsas, George

This study reviews the relationship that has been established in the steel industry between the Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress (CSTEC) and education/training institutions called upon to provide steelworker job training and development programs. It describes the forces that brought the parties together and the difficulties in forming…

Climatic Redistribution of Canada's Water Resources (CROCWR): An analysis of spatial and temporal hydrological trends and patterns in western Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bawden, A. J.; Burn, D. H.; Prowse, T. D.

2012-12-01

Climate variability and change can have profound impacts on the hydrologic regime of a watershed. These effects are likely to be especially severe in regions particularly sensitive to changes in climate, such as the Canadian north, or when there are other stresses on the hydrologic regime, such as may occur when there are large withdrawals from, or land-use changes within, a watershed. A recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stressed that future climate is likely to accelerate the hydrologic cycle and hence may affect water security in certain locations. For some regions, this will mean enhanced access to water resources, but because the effects will not be spatially uniform, other regions will experience reduced access. Understanding these patterns is critical for water managers and government agencies in western Canada - an area of highly contrasting hydroclimatic regimes and overlapping water-use and jurisdictional borders - as adapting to climate change may require reconsideration of inter-regional transfers and revised allocation of water resources to competing industrial sectors, including agriculture, hydroelectric production, and oil and gas. This research involves the detection and examination of spatial and temporal streamflow trends in western Canadian rivers as a response to changing climatic factors, including temperature, precipitation, snowmelt, and the synoptic patterns controlling these drivers. The study area, known as the CROCWR region, extends from the Pacific coast of British Columbia as far east as the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border and from the Canada-United States international border through a large portion of the Northwest Territories. This analysis examines hydrologic trends in monthly and annual streamflow for a collection of 34 hydrometric gauging stations believed to adequately represent the overall effects of climate variability and change on flows in western Canada by means of the Mann-Kendall non-parametric trend test. Large-scale spatial patterns are determined through examination of trends and contrasts between upper and lower reaches of individual sub-basins, as well as via analysis of streamflow redistributions within the CROCWR region as an entirety (i.e. north, south, east and/or west-moving patterns). Results are used to predict future implications of hydroclimatic variability and change on western Canada's water resources and recommend measures to be taken by water managers in response to these changes. This research is part of a larger hydroclimatic study that includes an analysis of the climatic drivers contributing to shifting flow regimes in western Canada as well as a study of the controlling synoptic patterns and teleconnections associated with changes in these driving forces.

An in-depth analysis of ethics teaching in Canadian physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs.

PubMed

Laliberté, Maude; Hudon, Anne; Mazer, Barbara; Hunt, Matthew R; Ehrmann Feldman, Debbie; Williams-Jones, Bryn

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine current approaches and challenges to teaching ethics in entry-level Canadian physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) programs. Educators responsible for teaching ethics in the 28 Canadian PT and OT programs (n = 55) completed an online survey. The quantity of ethics teaching is highly variable, ranging from 5 to 65 h. Diverse obstacles to ethics teaching were reported, relating to the organization and structure of academic programs, student issues and the topic of ethics itself. Specific challenges included time constraints, large class sizes, a lack of pedagogical tools adapted to teaching this complex subject, a perceived lack of student interest for the subject and a preference for topics related to clinical skills. Of note, 65% of ethics educators who participated in the survey did not have any specialized training in ethics. Significant cross-program variation in the number of hours dedicated to ethics and the diversity of pedagogical methods used suggests that there is little consensus about how best to teach ethics. Further research on ethics pedagogy in PT and OT programs (i.e. teaching and evaluation approaches and effectiveness of current ethics teaching) would support the implementation of more evidence-based ethics education. Implications for Rehabilitation Ethics educators in Canadian PT and OT programs are experimenting with diverse educational approaches to teach ethical reasoning and decision-making to students, including lectures, problem-based learning, directed readings, videos, conceptual maps and clinical elective debriefing, but no particular method has been shown to be more effective for developing ethical decision-making/reasoning. Thus, research on the effectiveness of current methods is needed to support ethics educators and programs to implement evidence-based ethics education training. In our survey, 65% of ethics educators did not have any specialized training in ethics. Ensuring that educators are well equipped to support the development of necessary theoretical and applied competencies can be promoted by initiatives including the creation of tailored ethics teaching and evaluation tools, and by establishing communities of practice among ethics educators. This survey identified heterogeneity in ethics teaching content, format and duration, and location within the curriculum. In order to be able to assess more precisely the place accorded to ethics teaching in PT and OT programs, careful mapping of ethics content inside and across rehabilitation programs is needed - both in Canada and internationally. These initiatives would help advance understanding of ethics teaching practices in rehabilitation.

Interorganizational networks: fundamental to the Accreditation Canada program.

PubMed

Mitchell, Jonathan I; Nicklin, Wendy; MacDonald, Bernadette

2014-01-01

Within the Canadian healthcare system, the term population-accountable health network defines the use of collective resources to optimize the health of a population through integrated interventions. The leadership of these networks has also been identified as a critical factor, highlighting the need for creative management of resources in determining effective, balanced sets of interventions. In this article, using specific principles embedded in the Accreditation Canada program, the benefits of a network approach are highlighted, including knowledge sharing, improving the consistency of practice through standards, and a broader systems-and-population view of healthcare delivery across the continuum of care. The implications for Canadian health leaders to leverage the benefits of interorganizational networks are discussed.

Projecting crop yield in northern high latitude area.

PubMed

Matsumura, Kanichiro

2014-01-01

Changing climatic conditions on seasonal and longer time scales influence agricultural production. Improvement of soil and fertilizer is a strong factor in agricultural production, but agricultural production is influenced by climate conditions even in highly developed countries. It is valuable if fewer predictors make it possible to conduct future projections. Monthly temperature and precipitation, wintertime 500hPa geopotential height, and the previous year's yield are used as predictors to forecast spring wheat yield in advance. Canadian small agricultural divisions (SAD) are used for analysis. Each SAD is composed of a collection of Canadian Agricultural Regions (CAR) of similar weather and growing conditions. Spring wheat yields in each CAR are forecast from the following variables: (a) the previous year's yield, (b) earlier stages of the growing season's climate conditions and, (c) the previous year's wintertime northern hemisphere 500hPa geopotential height field. Arctic outflow events in the Okanagan Valley in Canada are associated with episodes of extremely low temperatures during wintertime. Principal component analysis (PCA) is applied for wintertime northern hemisphere 500hPa geopotential height anomalies. The spatial PCA mode1 is defined as Arctic Oscillation and it influences prevailing westerlies. The prevailing westerlies meanders and influences climatic conditions. The spatial similarity between wintertime top 5 Arctic outflow event year's composites of 500hPa geopotential height anomalies and mode 3's spatial pattern is found. Mode 3's spatial pattern looks like the Pacific/North American (PNA) pattern which describes the variation of atmospheric circulation pattern over the Pacific Ocean and North America. Climate conditions from April to June, May to July, mode 3's time coefficients, and previous year's yield are used for forecasting spring wheat yield in each SAD. Cross-validation procedure which generates eight sets of models for the eight validation periods is used. To show the reproducing projection between observed and calculated values, the root mean squared error for skill score (RMSE SS) with the persistence model serving as the reference model is used. The persistence model is used as a benchmark. The results show that SADs near USA border show better RMSE SS values and mode 3's time coefficients can be a useful predictor especially for inland province such as Manitoba. Among 27 Canadian Prairie's SADs with perfect yield data, 67% of Alberta's SADs, 86% of Manitoba's SADs, and 77% of Saskatchewan's SADs can get positive skill scores. In each SAD, future yield projection is calculated applying predictors in 2013 for the obtained eight sets of models and eight sets of forecasted values in 2013 are averaged and a near future projection result is obtained. Series of outputs including calculated forecasted yield value in each SAD is provided by smart phone application. A system for providing climatic condition for a point with a permission of Climatic Research Unit - University of East Anglia and for obtaining patent is proposed. There are several patented systems similar to the system proposed in this paper. However, these patents are different in essence. The system proposed in this paper consists of two parts. First part is to estimate equations using time series data. The second part is to acquire and apply latest climatic conditions for obtained equations and calculate future projection. If the procedure is refined and devices are originally developed, series of idea can be patented. For future work, crop index, Hokkaido is also introduced.

The Power of Woman-Positive Literacy Work. Program-Based Action Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd, Betty-Ann; And Others

The experiences of Canadian women in adult basic education and literacy (ABEL) were examined in a national research project during which 2 contact women from each of 12 ABEL programs across Canada spend one-half day each week "researching" their program's "woman-positive" activities and the consequences of those activities for…

Establishing the LINC (Learning Individualized for Canadians) Program: A Manual for Administrators and Instructors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tippett, Glen; Mullen, Vernon

A manual to accompany LINC courses in communications and mathematics, containing information on background, objectives, components, individualized process, and procedures for curriculum development and implementation of LINC Program, is presented. It was formerly referred to as The LINC Program User's Manual. An appendix includes a Reading List…

Canada Education Savings Program: Annual Statistical Review 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2012

2012-01-01

The Canada Education Savings Program (CESP) has been an initiative of the Government of Canada since 1998. As part of the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, the program administers the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) and the Canada Learning Bond (CLB). These two initiatives help Canadian families save for a child's…

Investigating Positive Psychology Approaches in Case Management and Residential Programming with Incarcerated Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Lara E.; Morrison, William; Peterson, Patricia; Domene, Jose F.

2012-01-01

This article examines how a rural Canadian secure custody facility for youth implemented positive psychology principles in its case management protocols and residential programming. A directed content analysis design was utilized to identify specific factors of positive psychology in the facility's policy and programming manual, as well as in…

Survey of Clinical Pharmacology Programs in U.S. and Canadian Medical Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

And Others; Fisher, James W.

1980-01-01

A survey is reported that was undertaken by the Association for Medical School Pharmacology to assess the status of developing clinical pharmacology programs in medical schools in the United States and Canada and to determine why some schools have been unable to mount such programs. Survey questions are included. (Author/JMD)

A Survey of Motion Picture, Still Photography, and Graphic Arts Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horrell, C. William

Over 2,500 U.S. and 60 Canadian schools provided data for this report on post secondary institutions offering programs in motion picture, still photography, and graphic arts instruction. Included are tables summarizing program-related data such as enrollment, institutions offering programs, and degrees offered. Also included is a directory of…

Canada Education Savings Program: Annual Statistical Review--2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2009

2009-01-01

The Canada Education Savings Program is an initiative of the Government of Canada. As part of the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development, the program administers the Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond. These two initiatives help Canadian families save for a child's post-secondary education in Registered…

Canada Education Savings Program: Annual Statistical Review 2011

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2011

2011-01-01

The Canada Education Savings Program has been an initiative of the Government of Canada since 1998. As part of the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development, the program administers the Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond. These two initiatives help Canadian families save for a child's post-secondary education in…

15 CFR 700.55 - Assistance programs with Canada and other nations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the United Kingdom in support of approved programs. (b) Canada. (1) The joint U.S.-Canadian military arrangements for the defense of North America and the integrated nature of their defense industries as set... Assistance programs with Canada and other nations. (a) To promote military assistance to foreign nations...

15 CFR 700.55 - Assistance programs with Canada and other nations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the United Kingdom in support of approved programs. (b) Canada. (1) The joint U.S.-Canadian military arrangements for the defense of North America and the integrated nature of their defense industries as set... Assistance programs with Canada and other nations. (a) To promote military assistance to foreign nations...

15 CFR 700.55 - Assistance programs with Canada and other nations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the United Kingdom in support of approved programs. (b) Canada. (1) The joint U.S.-Canadian military arrangements for the defense of North America and the integrated nature of their defense industries as set... Assistance programs with Canada and other nations. (a) To promote military assistance to foreign nations...

15 CFR 700.55 - Assistance programs with Canada and other nations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... the United Kingdom in support of approved programs. (b) Canada. (1) The joint U.S.-Canadian military arrangements for the defense of North America and the integrated nature of their defense industries as set... Assistance programs with Canada and other nations. (a) To promote military assistance to foreign nations...

15 CFR 700.55 - Assistance programs with Canada and other nations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... the United Kingdom in support of approved programs. (b) Canada. (1) The joint U.S.-Canadian military arrangements for the defense of North America and the integrated nature of their defense industries as set... Assistance programs with Canada and other nations. (a) To promote military assistance to foreign nations...

Proximate Effects of a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program in Elementary School Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hebert, Martine; Lavoie, Francine; Piche, Christiane; Poitras, Michele

2001-01-01

The effects of the sexual child abuse prevention program ESPACE were evaluated with 133 Canadian children (grades 1-3). Children participating in the prevention program showed greater preventive knowledge and skills relative to children not participating. Follow-up data showed knowledge gains were maintained while the preventive skill gains may…

Story and Illustration Reconstituted: Children's Literature in Canadian Reading Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Martha L.; Phillips, Linda M.; Leithead, Marion R.; Norris, Stephen P.

2004-01-01

This study addresses the differences between literature in children's trade books and the literature in commercial elementary language arts reading programs used in Canada. Although the nature of the literature included in language arts programs has received considerable scrutiny in the United States, there is no parallel body of research in the…

Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the CHAMPS Questionnaire in French Canadians with COPD

PubMed Central

Mak, Susanne; Soicher, Judith E.; Mayo, Nancy E.; Wood-Dauphinee, Sharon; Bourbeau, Jean

2016-01-01

Physical activity is difficult to measure in individuals with COPD. The Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire demonstrated strong clinometric properties when used with the elderly and with those affected by chronic disease. Study objectives were to translate, culturally adapt the CHAMPS into French, and reexamine its test-retest reliability and construct validity in French and English Canadians with COPD. This paper presents the cross-cultural adaptation of the CHAMPS; results of its clinometric testing will be described in another article. The CHAMPS examines the degree of physical activity performed in a typical week through two summary scales, caloric expenditure and activity frequency. The CHAMPS was only in English; thus, a cross-cultural adaptation was needed to translate the CHAMPS into French for use in French Canadians with COPD. Cross-cultural adaptation consisted of forward and back translation, with expert review at each stage of translation: minor inconsistencies were uncovered and rectified. Five French participants with COPD completed the finalized Canadian French CHAMPS and participated in cognitive debriefing; no problematic items were identified. A structured and stepwise, cross-cultural adaptation process produced the Canadian French CHAMPS, with items of equivalent meaning to the English version, for use in French Canadians with COPD. PMID:27445570

Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the CHAMPS Questionnaire in French Canadians with COPD.

PubMed

Mak, Susanne; Soicher, Judith E; Mayo, Nancy E; Wood-Dauphinee, Sharon; Bourbeau, Jean

2016-01-01

Physical activity is difficult to measure in individuals with COPD. The Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire demonstrated strong clinometric properties when used with the elderly and with those affected by chronic disease. Study objectives were to translate, culturally adapt the CHAMPS into French, and reexamine its test-retest reliability and construct validity in French and English Canadians with COPD. This paper presents the cross-cultural adaptation of the CHAMPS; results of its clinometric testing will be described in another article. The CHAMPS examines the degree of physical activity performed in a typical week through two summary scales, caloric expenditure and activity frequency. The CHAMPS was only in English; thus, a cross-cultural adaptation was needed to translate the CHAMPS into French for use in French Canadians with COPD. Cross-cultural adaptation consisted of forward and back translation, with expert review at each stage of translation: minor inconsistencies were uncovered and rectified. Five French participants with COPD completed the finalized Canadian French CHAMPS and participated in cognitive debriefing; no problematic items were identified. A structured and stepwise, cross-cultural adaptation process produced the Canadian French CHAMPS, with items of equivalent meaning to the English version, for use in French Canadians with COPD.

Future Effects of Southern Hemisphere Stratospheric Zonal Asymmetries on Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stone, K.; Solomon, S.; Kinnison, D. E.; Fyfe, J. C.

2017-12-01

Stratospheric zonal asymmetries in the Southern Hemisphere have been shown to have significant influences on both stratospheric and tropospheric dynamics and climate. Accurate representation of stratospheric ozone in particular is important for realistic simulation of the polar vortex strength and temperature trends. This is therefore also important for stratospheric ozone change's effect on the troposphere, both through modulation of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and more localized climate. Here, we characterization the impact of future changes in Southern Hemisphere zonal asymmetry on tropospheric climate, including changes to future tropospheric temperature, and precipitation. The separate impacts of increasing GHGs and ozone recovery on the zonal asymmetric influence on the surface are also investigated. For this purpose, we use a variety of models, including Chemistry Climate Model Initiative simulations from the Community Earth System Model, version 1, with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (CESM1(WACCM)) and the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator-Chemistry Climate Model (ACCESS-CCM). These models have interactive chemistry and can therefore more accurately represent the zonally asymmetric nature of the stratosphere. The CESM1(WACCM) and ACCESS-CCM models are also compared to simulations from the Canadian Can2ESM model and CESM-Large Ensemble Project (LENS) that have prescribed ozone to further investigate the importance of simulating stratospheric zonal asymmetry.

75 FR 22391 - Notice of Web Site Publication for the Climate Program Office

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-28

...-01] Notice of Web Site Publication for the Climate Program Office AGENCY: Climate Program Office (CPO... its Web site at http://www.climate.noaa.gov . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Locklear; Chief... information is available on the Climate Program Office Web site pertaining to the CPO's research strategies...

Arctic Risk Management (ARMNet) Network: Linking Risk Management Practitioners and Researchers Across the Arctic Regions of Canada and Alaska To Improve Risk, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Through Comparative Analysis and Applied Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garland, A.

2015-12-01

The Arctic Risk Management Network (ARMNet) was conceived as a trans-disciplinary hub to encourage and facilitate greater cooperation, communication and exchange among American and Canadian academics and practitioners actively engaged in the research, management and mitigation of risks, emergencies and disasters in the Arctic regions. Its aim is to assist regional decision-makers through the sharing of applied research and best practices and to support greater inter-operability and bilateral collaboration through improved networking, joint exercises, workshops, teleconferences, radio programs, and virtual communications (eg. webinars). Most importantly, ARMNet is a clearinghouse for all information related to the management of the frequent hazards of Arctic climate and geography in North America, including new and emerging challenges arising from climate change, increased maritime polar traffic and expanding economic development in the region. ARMNet is an outcome of the Arctic Observing Network (AON) for Long Term Observations, Governance, and Management Discussions, www.arcus.org/search-program. The AON goals continue with CRIOS (www.ariesnonprofit.com/ARIESprojects.php) and coastal erosion research (www.ariesnonprofit.com/webinarCoastalErosion.php) led by the North Slope Borough Risk Management Office with assistance from ARIES (Applied Research in Environmental Sciences Nonprofit, Inc.). The constituency for ARMNet will include all northern academics and researchers, Arctic-based corporations, First Responders (FRs), Emergency Management Offices (EMOs) and Risk Management Offices (RMOs), military, Coast Guard, northern police forces, Search and Rescue (SAR) associations, boroughs, territories and communities throughout the Arctic. This presentation will be of interest to all those engaged in Arctic affairs, describe the genesis of ARMNet and present the results of stakeholder meetings and webinars designed to guide the next stages of the Project.

Content in Native Literature Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Agnes

Including Native literature in school curricula is an important way of enhancing the Native student's self-concept and providing accurate Native cultural knowledge to Native and non-Native students alike. Nevertheless, Canadian school literature programs generally contain neither contemporary nor traditional Native literature. Some programs…

Enhancing the sustainability and climate resiliency of health care facilities: a comparison of initiatives and toolkits.

PubMed

Balbus, John; Berry, Peter; Brettle, Meagan; Jagnarine-Azan, Shalini; Soares, Agnes; Ugarte, Ciro; Varangu, Linda; Prats, Elena Villalobos

2016-09-01

Extreme weather events have revealed the vulnerability of health care facilities and the extent of devastation to the community when they fail. With climate change anticipated to increase extreme weather and its impacts worldwide-severe droughts, floods, heat waves, and related vector-borne diseases-health care officials need to understand and address the vulnerabilities of their health care systems and take action to improve resiliency in ways that also meet sustainability goals. Generally, the health sector is among a country's largest consumers of energy and a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Now it has the opportunity lead climate mitigation, while reducing energy, water, and other costs. This Special Report summarizes several initiatives and compares three toolkits for implementing sustainability and resiliency measures for health care facilities: the Canadian Health Care Facility Climate Change Resiliency Toolkit, the U.S. Sustainable and Climate Resilient Health Care Facilities Toolkit, and the PAHO SMART Hospitals Toolkit of the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization. These tools and the lessons learned can provide a critical starting point for any health system in the Americas.

Climate change and forest fires.

PubMed

Flannigan, M D; Stocks, B J; Wotton, B M

2000-11-15

This paper addresses the impacts of climate change on forest fires and describes how this, in turn, will impact on the forests of the United States. In addition to reviewing existing studies on climate change and forest fires we have used two transient general circulation models (GCMs), namely the Hadley Centre and the Canadian GCMs, to estimate fire season severity in the middle of the next century. Ratios of 2 x CO2 seasonal severity rating (SSR) over present day SSR were calculated for the means and maximums for North America. The results suggest that the SSR will increase by 10-50% over most of North America; although, there are regions of little change or where the SSR may decrease by the middle of the next century. Increased SSRs should translate into increased forest fire activity. Thus, forest fires could be viewed as an agent of change for US forests as the fire regime will respond rapidly to climate warming. This change in the fire regime has the potential to overshadow the direct effects of climate change on species distribution and migration.

The importance of polynyas, ice edges, and leads to marine mammals and birds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stirling, Ian

1997-01-01

The correlation between areas of open water in ice-covered seas and increased biological productivity has been noted for some time. To date, most attention has been focused on larger polynyas, such as the Northeast Water and the Northwater. Although spectacular in their own right, these large polynyas represent only part of a vitally important continuum of biological productivity that varies significantly between geographic areas and ice habitats, that includes the multi-year pack of the polar ocean and small localized polynyas in annual ice. Surveys of the distribution and abundance of ringed seals in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago have shown differences in density that are correlated with the presence or absence of polynyas. There is also significant variation in the biological productivity of polynya areas of the Canadian High Arctic Archipelago and northern Greenland, all of which receive inflow from the polar basin. Long-term studies of polar bears and ringed seals in western Hudson Bay and the eastern Beaufort Sea show significant but dissimilar patterns of change in condition and reproductive rates between the two regions and suggest that fundamentally different climatic or oceanographic processes may be involved. Projections of climate models suggest that, if warming occurs, then the extent of ice cover in Hudson Bay may be among the first things affected. Long-term studies of polar bears and ringed seals in the eastern Beaufort Sea and Hudson Bay would suggest these two species to be suitable indicators of significant climatic or oceanographic changes in the marine ecosystem.

Simulating the convective precipitation diurnal cycle in a North American scale convection-permitting model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scaff, L.; Li, Y.; Prein, A. F.; Liu, C.; Rasmussen, R.; Ikeda, K.

2017-12-01

A better representation of the diurnal cycle of convective precipitation is essential for the analysis of the energy balance and the water budget components such as runoff, evaporation and infiltration. Convection-permitting regional climate modeling (CPM) has been shown to improve the models' performance of summer precipitation, allowing to: (1) simulate the mesoscale processes in more detail and (2) to provide more insights in future changes in convective precipitation under climate change. In this work we investigate the skill of the Weather Research and Forecast model (WRF) in simulating the summer precipitation diurnal cycle over most of North America. We use 4 km horizontal grid spacing in a 13-years long current and future period. The future scenario is assuming no significant changes in large-scale weather patterns and aims to answer how the weather of the current climate would change if it would reoccur at the end of the century under a high-end emission scenario (Pseudo Global Warming). We emphasize on a region centered on the lee side of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where the summer precipitation amount shows a regional maximum. The historical simulations are capable to correctly represent the diurnal cycle. At the lee-side of the Canadian Rockies the increase in the convective available potential energy as well as pronounced low-level moisture flux from the southeast Prairies explains the local maximum in summer precipitation. The PGW scenario shows an increase in summer precipitation amount and intensity in this region, consistently with a stronger source of moisture and convective energy.

The Cretaceous Polar and Western Interior seas: paleoenvironmental history and paleoceanographic linkages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schröder-Adams, Claudia

2014-03-01

This study reviews the Cretaceous histories of the Polar and Western Interior seas as recorded in the Canadian High Arctic Sverdrup Basin, Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin of northwest Canada and Western Canadian Foreland Basin. Newly emerging stratigraphic, paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental interpretations from the polar realm allow for a fresh look at the response of this oceanic system to global climatic trends and sea-level histories over 35 Ma. Sverdrup basin localities on Axel Heiberg and Ellef Ringnes islands represent shelf to slope environments that contrasted with the shallow water and low gradient settings of the Canadian Western Interior Sea. Both marine systems, connected throughout Aptian to Maastrichtian time, responded to global transgressive-regressive cycles resulting in dynamic paleogeographic changes. The upper Aptian to Campanian succession of the Polar Sea shows at least two unconformable boundaries; one at the Albian/Cenomanian transition and another within the upper Cenomanian. The shallow basin setting and in particular the forebulge and backbulge settings of the Western Canadian Foreland Basin are characterized by multiple erosional surfaces throughout the Cretaceous succession. The Upper Albian disconformity is widely discernible close to the entrance of the Western Interior Sea to the Polar Sea. This suggests a short-lived closure of the latest Albian Mowry Sea that might have been responsible for the large loss of benthic foraminiferal species at this time. Several oceanic anoxic events are documented in these basins representing their response to global climate dynamics. During the Late Cretaceous temperature maximum benthic foraminiferal communities were severely restricted by bottom water hypoxia in both basins. A stratified water column might have been the result of increased freshwater runoff under warm, humid conditions. These conditions supported vegetation up into the polar latitudes that added abundant organic matter to marine shelf systems. Conversely, the Canadian Western Interior Sea biotic communities were controlled by watermasses of two or maybe three different sources and physical properties including the Polar, Tethyan and a possibly third source from the emerging Labrador Sea through the Hudson Seaway. Where the southern and northern watermasses mixed, plankton might have been influenced by oceanic fronts, forming mass kills through sinking of dense waters. Migration of calcareous phyto- and zooplankton was controlled by a temperature and salinity gradient and did not invade northern regions. Siliceous plankton occurred and is more commonly found in the Sverdrup Basin, but taphonomic loss through deep burial needs to be taken into account.

Refining estimates of public health spending as measured in national health expenditure accounts: the Canadian experience.

PubMed

Ballinger, Geoff

2007-01-01

The recent focus on public health stemming from, among other things, severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian flu has created an imperative to refine health-spending estimates in the Canadian Health Accounts. This article presents the Canadian experience in attempting to address the challenges associated with developing the needed taxonomies for systematically capturing, measuring, and analyzing the national investment in the Canadian public health system. The first phase of this process was completed in 2005, which was a 2-year project to estimate public health spending based on a more classic definition by removing the administration component of the previously combined public health and administration category. Comparing the refined public health estimate with recent data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development still positions Canada with the highest share of total health expenditure devoted to public health than any other country reporting. The article also provides an analysis of the comparability of public health estimates across jurisdictions within Canada as well as a discussion of the recommendations for ongoing improvement of public health spending estimates. The Canadian Institute for Health Information is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides Canadians with essential statistics and analysis on the performance of the Canadian health system, the delivery of healthcare, and the health status of Canadians. The Canadian Institute for Health Information administers more than 20 databases and registries, including Canada's Health Accounts, which tracks historically 40 categories of health spending by 5 sources of finance for 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions. Until 2005, expenditure on public health services in the Canadian Health Accounts included measures to prevent the spread of communicable disease, food and drug safety, health inspections, health promotion, community mental health programs, public health nursing, as well as all the costs for the general administration of government health departments.

Fast ice in the Canadian Arctic: Climatology, Atmospheric Forcing and Relation to Bathymetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galley, R. J.; Barber, D. G.

2010-12-01

Mobile sea ice in the northern hemisphere has experienced significant reductions in both extent and thickness over the last thirty years, and global climate models agree that these decreases will continue. However, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) creates a much different icescape than in the central Arctic Ocean due to its distinctive topographic, bathymetric and climatological conditions. Of particular interest is the continued viability of landfast sea ice as a means of transportation and platform for transportation and hunting for the Canadian Inuit that reside in the region, as is the possibility of the Northwest Passage becoming a viable shipping lane in the future. Here we determine the climatological average landfast ice conditions in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago over the last 27 years, we investigate variability and trends in these landfast ice conditions, and we attempt to elucidate the physical parameters conducive to landfast sea ice formation in sub-regions of the CAA during different times of the year. We use the Canadian Ice Service digital sea ice charts between 1983 and 2009 on a 2x2km grid to determine the sea ice concentration-by-type and whether the sea ice in a grid cell was landfast on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis depending on the time of year. North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) atmospheric data were used in this work, including air temperature, surface level pressure and wind speed and direction. The bathymetric data employed was from the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean. Results indicate that the CAA sea ice regime is not climatologically analogous to the mobile sea ice of the central Arctic Ocean. The sea ice and the atmospheric and bathymetric properties that control the amount and timing of landfast sea ice within the CAA are regionally variable.

Using cloud and climate data to understand warm season hydrometeorology from diurnal to monthly timescales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betts, A. K.; Tawfik, A. B.; Desjardins, R. L.

2016-12-01

We use 600 station years of hourly data from 14 stations on the Canadian Prairies to map the warm season hydrometeorology. The months from April (after snowmelt) to September, have a very similar coupling between surface thermodynamics and opaque cloud cover, which has been calibrated to give cloud radiative forcing. We can derive both the mean diurnal ranges and the diurnal imbalances as a function of opaque cloud cover. For the monthly diurnal climate, we compute the coupling coefficients with opaque cloud cover and lagged precipitation. In April the diurnal cycle climate has memory of precipitation back to freeze-up in November. During the growing season months of June, July and August, there is memory of precipitation back to March. Monthly mean temperature depends strongly on cloud but little on precipitation, while monthly mean mixing ratio depends on precipitation, but rather little on cloud. The coupling coefficients to cloud and precipitation change with increasing monthly precipitation anomaly. This observational climate analysis provides a firm basis for model evaluation.

Evidence for 20th century climate warming and wetland drying in the North American Prairie Pothole Region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Werner, B.A.; Johnson, W. Carter; Guntenspergen, Glenn R.

2013-01-01

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America is a globally important resource that provides abundant and valuable ecosystem goods and services in the form of biodiversity, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood attenuation, and water and forage for agriculture. Numerous studies have found these wetlands, which number in the millions, to be highly sensitive to climate variability. Here, we compare wetland conditions between two 30-year periods (1946–1975; 1976–2005) using a hindcast simulation approach to determine if recent climate warming in the region has already resulted in changes in wetland condition. Simulations using the WETLANDSCAPE model show that 20th century climate change may have been sufficient to have a significant impact on wetland cover cycling. Modeled wetlands in the PPR's western Canadian prairies show the most dramatic effects: a recent trend toward shorter hydroperiods and less dynamic vegetation cycles, which already may have reduced the productivity of hundreds of wetland-dependent species.

Evidence for 20th century climate warming and wetland drying in the North American Prairie Pothole Region.

PubMed

Werner, Brett A; Johnson, W Carter; Guntenspergen, Glenn R

2013-09-01

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America is a globally important resource that provides abundant and valuable ecosystem goods and services in the form of biodiversity, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood attenuation, and water and forage for agriculture. Numerous studies have found these wetlands, which number in the millions, to be highly sensitive to climate variability. Here, we compare wetland conditions between two 30-year periods (1946-1975; 1976-2005) using a hindcast simulation approach to determine if recent climate warming in the region has already resulted in changes in wetland condition. Simulations using the WETLANDSCAPE model show that 20th century climate change may have been sufficient to have a significant impact on wetland cover cycling. Modeled wetlands in the PPR's western Canadian prairies show the most dramatic effects: a recent trend toward shorter hydroperiods and less dynamic vegetation cycles, which already may have reduced the productivity of hundreds of wetland-dependent species.

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

LaRow, Timothy

The SSTs used in our study come from the Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) (Gent et al 2011) and from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis (CanESM2) (Chylek et al20ll) climate models from the fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) (Taylor et al2012). We've examined the tropical cyclones using both the historical simulation that employs volcanic and aerosol forcing as well as the representative concentration pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5). In addition, we've compared the present day North Atlantic tropical cyclone metrics from a previous study (LaRow, 2013) to these climate change experiments. The experimental setup is shownmore » in Table 1. We considered the CMIP5 experiment number '3.2 historical' (Taylor et al,201l), which provides simulations of the recent past (1850-2005). The second set of CMIP5 SSTs is the RCp4.5 experiment where the radiative forcing stabilizes at 45W m-2 after 2100 (experiment number 4.1 in Taylor etal2}ll).« less

Impact of Land Cover Characterization and Properties on Snow Albedo in Climate Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; Bartlett, P. A.; Chan, E.; Montesano, P.

2017-12-01

The simulation of winter albedo in boreal and northern environments has been a particular challenge for land surface modellers. Assessments of output from CMIP3 and CMIP5 climate models have revealed that many simulations are characterized by overestimation of albedo in the boreal forest. Recent studies suggest that inaccurate representation of vegetation distribution, improper simulation of leaf area index, and poor treatment of canopy-snow processes are the primary causes of albedo errors. While several land cover datasets are commonly used to derive plant functional types (PFT) for use in climate models, new land cover and vegetation datasets with higher spatial resolution have become available in recent years. In this study, we compare the spatial distribution of the dominant PFTs and canopy cover fractions based on different land cover datasets, and present results from offline simulations of the latest version Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) over the northern Hemisphere land. We discuss the impact of land cover representation and surface properties on winter albedo simulations in climate models.

Attitudes and factors contributing to attrition in Canadian surgical specialty residency programs.

PubMed

Adams, Simon; Ginther, David Nathan; Neuls, Evan; Hayes, Paul

2017-08-01

We recently studied attrition in Canadian general surgical programs; however, there are no data on whether residents enrolled in other surgical residencies harbour the same intents as their general surgical peers. We sought to determine how many residents in surgical disciplines in Canada consider leaving their programs and why. An anonymous survey was administered to all residents in 9 surgical disciplines in Canada. Significance of association was determined using the Pearson χ2 test. The Canadian Post-MD Education Registry (CAPER) website was used to calculate the response rate. We received 523 responses (27.6% response rate). Of these respondents, 140 (26.8%) were either "somewhat" or "seriously" considering leaving their program. Residents wanting to pursue additional fellowship training and those aspiring to an academic career were significantly less likely to be considering changing specialties ( p = 0.003 and p = 0.005, respectively). Poor work-life balance and fear of unemployment/underemployment were the top reasons why residents would change specialty (55.5% and 40.8%, respectively), although the reasons cited were not significantly different between those considering changing and those who were not ( p = 0.64). Residents who were considering changing programs were significantly less likely to enjoy their work and more likely to cite having already invested too much time to change as a reason for continuing ( p < 0.001). More than one-quarter of residents in surgical training programs in Canada harbour desires to abandon their surgical careers, primarily because of unsatisfactory work-life balance and limited employment prospects. Efforts to educate prospective residents about the reality of the surgical lifestyle and to optimize employment prospects may improve completion rates.

A survey of resuscitation training in Canadian undergraduate medical programs.

PubMed

Goldstein, D H; Beckwith, R K

1991-07-01

To establish a national profile of undergraduate training in resuscitation at Canadian medical schools, to compare the resuscitation training programs of the schools and to determine the cost of teaching seven resuscitation courses. Mail survey in 1989 and follow-up telephone interviews in 1991 to update and verify the information. The undergraduate deans of the 16 Canadian medical schools. The mail survey asked five questions: (a) Is completion of a standard first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) course a requirement for admission to medical school? (b) Are these courses and those in basic and advanced cardiac, trauma and neurologic life support for children and adults provided to undergraduate students? (c) During which undergraduate year are these courses offered? (d) Is their successful completion required for graduation? and (e) Who funds the training courses? The medical schools placed emphasis on the seven courses differently. More than half the schools required the completion of courses before admission or taught some courses but did not require the completion of the courses for graduation. On average, fewer than three of the seven courses were taught, and the completion of fewer than two was required for graduation. About half of the courses were funded by the universities. The annual projected maximum cost of teaching the seven courses was $1790 per medical student. The seven resuscitation courses have not been fully implemented at the undergraduate level in Canadian medical schools.

Cross-sectional-derived determinants of satisfaction with physician-scientist training among Canadian MD/PhD graduates.

PubMed

Twa, David D W; Skinnider, Michael A; Squair, Jordan W; Lukac, Christine D

2017-01-01

Although MD/PhD programs require considerable commitment on behalf of students and learning institutions, they serve as an integral means of training future physician-scientists; individuals who engage in translational medicine. As attrition from these programs has longstanding effects on the community of translational medicine and comes at substantial cost to MD/PhD programs, we aimed to identify determinants that were associated with satisfaction among MD/PhD graduates, a feature that might inform on limiting program attrition. Anonymized data from a national survey of 139 Canadian MD/PhD alumni was analyzed. Factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the reliability of three questions that measured satisfaction and logistic regression was used to assess the association of outcomes with 17 independent determinants. Eighty-one percent of graduates were satisfied with MD/PhD training. Factor analysis confirmed the reliability of the questions measuring satisfaction. Determinants of self-reported satisfaction with physician-scientist training included co-authorship of more than six manuscripts during MD/PhD training. Additionally, protected research time at the place of current appointment was strongly associated with agreement that MD/PhD training had helped career progression. Demographic variables were not associated with any satisfaction indicator. Taken together, the majority of Canadian MD/PhD graduates are satisfied with their physician-scientist training. Project collaboration leading to co-authorships and protected research time were strongly associated with training satisfaction among graduates. If the value of collaboration can be realized among current and future physician-scientist trainees who are dissatisfied with their training, this might ultimately reduce program attrition.

Uptake and effectiveness of the Children's Fitness Tax Credit in Canada: the rich get richer

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The Government of Canada implemented a Children's Fitness Tax Credit (CFTC) in 2007 which allows a non-refundable tax credit of up to $500 to register a child in an eligible physical activity (PA) program. The purposes of this study were to assess whether the awareness, uptake, and perceived effectiveness of this tax credit varied by household income among Canadian parents. Methods An internet-based panel survey was conducted in March 2009 with a representative sample of 2135 Canadians. Of those, parents with children aged 2 to 18 years of age (n = 1004) were asked if their child was involved in organized PA programs (including dance and sports), the associated costs to register their child in these programs, awareness of the CFTC, if they had claimed the CFTC for the tax year 2007, and whether they planned to claim it in the upcoming year. Parents were also asked if they believed the CFTC has lead to their child being more involved in PA programs. Results Among parents, 54.4% stated their child was in organized PA and 55.5% were aware of the CFTC. Parents in the lowest income quartile were significantly less aware and less likely to claim the CFTC than other income groups. Among parents who had claimed the CFTC, few (15.6%) believed it had increased their child's participation in PA programs. Conclusions More than half of Canadian parents with children have claimed the CFTC. However, the tax credit appears to benefit the wealthier families in Canada. PMID:20565963

Biogeography of boreal passerine range dynamics in western North America: past, present, and future

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stralberg, Diana; Matsuoka, Steven M.; Handel, Colleen M.; Schmiegelow, Fiona K.A.; Hamann, Andreas; Bayne, Erin M.

2017-01-01

Many of the Neotropical migrant bird species that breed throughout the Canadian boreal region are not found in the Alaskan boreal region, separated by the northwestern cordilleran mountains, despite the presence of climatically suitable habitat. We asked whether biological or climatic factors constrain certain species from crossing this geographic barrier. Analyzing a comprehensive dataset for 80 boreal passerine species, we used phylogenetic logistic regression to evaluate the relative importance of physical, migratory and competition metrics versus current and paleoclimatic suitability factors. Controlling for current climatic suitability within boreal Alaska, we found that species with the greatest climatic suitability across the northwestern cordillera, presently and also during the mid-Holocene period, were most likely to be regular breeders in the Alaskan boreal region. Migratory strategy also played a role, but could not be disentangled from its strong phylogenetic basis. Our analysis suggests that the perceived barrier of the northwestern cordillera may be easily weakened as climate change improves conditions there for many forest species. The weakening of this barrier may lead to relatively rapid range expansions and the reshuffling of species communities. Species’ realized distributional shifts will be a function of the interplay between a changing climate and static topographic features.

Milestones on the social accountability journey: Family medicine practice locations of Northern Ontario School of Medicine graduates.

PubMed

Hogenbirk, John C; Timony, Patrick E; French, Margaret G; Strasser, Roger; Pong, Raymond W; Cervin, Catherine; Graves, Lisa

2016-03-01

To assess the effect of different levels of exposure to the Northern Ontario School of Medicine's (NOSM's) distributed medical education programs in northern Ontario on FPs' practice locations. Cross-sectional design using longitudinal survey and administrative data. Canada. All 131 Canadian medical graduates who completed FP training in 2011 to 2013 and who completed their undergraduate (UG) medical degree or postgraduate (PG) residency training or both at NOSM. Exposure to NOSM's medical education program at the UG (n = 49) or PG (n = 31) level or both (n = 51). Primary practice location in September of 2014. Approximately 16% (21 of 129) of FPs were practising in rural northern Ontario, 45% (58 of 129) in urban northern Ontario, and 5% (7 of 129) in rural southern Ontario. Logistic regression found that more rural Canadian background years predicted rural practice in northern Ontario or Ontario, with odds ratios of 1.16 and 1.12, respectively. Northern Canadian background, sex, marital status, and having children did not predict practice location. Completing both UG and PG training at NOSM predicted practising in rural and northern Ontario locations with odds ratios of 4.06 to 48.62. Approximately 61% (79 of 129) of Canadian medical graduate FPs who complete at least some of their training at NOSM practise in northern Ontario. Slightly more than a quarter (21 of 79) of these FPs practise in rural northern Ontario. The FPs with more years of rural background or those with greater exposure to NOSM's medical education programs had higher odds of practising in rural northern Ontario. This study shows that NOSM is on the road to reaching one of its social accountability milestones.

Enablers and barriers in delivery of a cancer exercise program: the Canadian experience

PubMed Central

Mina, D. Santa; Petrella, A.; Currie, K.L.; Bietola, K.; Alibhai, S.M.H.; Trachtenberg, J.; Ritvo, P.; Matthew, A.G.

2015-01-01

Background Exercise is an important therapy to improve well-being after a cancer diagnosis. Accordingly, cancer-exercise programs have been developed to enhance clinical care; however, few programs exist in Canada. Expansion of cancer-exercise programming depends on an understanding of the process of program implementation, as well as enablers and barriers to program success. Gaining knowledge from current professionals in cancer-exercise programs could serve to facilitate the necessary understanding. Methods Key personnel from Canadian cancer-exercise programs (n = 14) participated in semistructured interviews about program development and delivery. Results Content analysis revealed 13 categories and 15 subcategories, which were grouped by three organizing domains: Program Implementation, Program Enablers, and Program Barriers. ■ Program Implementation (5 categories, 8 subcategories) included Program Initiation (clinical care extension, research project expansion, program champion), Funding, Participant Intake (avenues of awareness, health and safety assessment), Active Programming (monitoring patient exercise progress, health care practitioner involvement, program composition), and Discharge and Follow-up Plan.■ Program Enablers (4 categories, 4 subcategories) included Patient Participation (personalized care, supportive network, personal control, awareness of benefits), Partnerships, Advocacy and Support, and Program Characteristics.■ Program Barriers (4 categories, 3 subcategories) included Lack of Funding, Lack of Physician Support, Deterrents to Participation (fear and shame, program location, competing interests), and Disease Progression and Treatment. Conclusions Interview results provided insight into the development and delivery of cancer-exercise programs in Canada and could be used to guide future program development and expansion in Canada. PMID:26715869

Estimating Changes in Runoff and Carbon Exports From Northern Canadian Catchments Under a 2X CO2 Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clair, T. A.; Ehrman, J. M.

2006-12-01

The doubling of atmospheric CO2 on temperature and precipitation will change annual runoff and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export patterns in northern Canada. Because of the physical size and the range of climatic changes of northern Canada, we found it necessary to model potential changes in river water and carbon exports in the region using a neural network approach. We developed a model for hydrology and one for DOC using as inputs, monthly General Circulation Model temperature and precipitation predictions, historical hydrology and dissolved organic carbon values, as well as catchment size and slope. Mining Environment Canada's historical hydrology and water chemistry databases allowed us to identify 20 sites suitable for our analysis. The site results were summarized within the Canadian Terrestrial Ecozone classification system. Our results show spring melts occurring one month sooner in all northern ecozones except for the Hudson Bay Plains zone, with changes in melt intensity occurring in most regions. The DOC model predicts that exports from catchments will increase by between 10 and 20% depending on the ecozone. Generally, we predict that major changes in both hydrology and carbon cycling should be expected in northern Canadian ecosystems in a warmer planet.

Juvenile Prostitution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Csapo, Marg

1986-01-01

Recent research and Canadian government committee reports concerning juvenile prostitution are reviewed. Proposals are made in the realms of law and social policy; and existing programs are described. (DB)

Canadian Policy Responses to International Comparison Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volante, Louis

2013-01-01

This paper examines policy responses across Canada to international student assessment programs such as the program for international student assessment, trends in international mathematics and science study, and progress in international reading and literacy study. Literature reviewed included refereed and non-refereed journal articles,…

The Education of the Gifted Child in Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nash, Chris, Ed.

1989-01-01

Fourteen articles on the education of the gifted child in Canada are presented. Topics addressed include the giftedness construct, Canadian law and policy, integrative program policy, program planning and evaluation, teacher training, disabled gifted students, psychosocial dimensions of giftedness, the Ontario experience, innovative and…

Homme, Technologie et Societe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dube, Jacques

1974-01-01

The article, written in French, describes programs in the various Canadian Provinces to train teachers in the technical and vocational sector. All require a degree plus certification in a trade; special attention is paid to Quebec's experimental program of "situational pedagogy," which aims to create a master-craftsman/apprentice…

An Evaluation of h-Index as a Measure of Research Productivity Among Canadian Academic Plastic Surgeons.

PubMed

Hu, Jiayi; Gholami, Arian; Stone, Nicholas; Bartoszko, Justyna; Thoma, Achilleas

2018-02-01

Evaluation of research productivity among plastic surgeons can be complex. The Hirsch index (h-index) was recently introduced to evaluate both the quality and quantity of one's research activity. It has been proposed to be valuable in assessing promotions and grant funding within academic medicine, including plastic surgery. Our objective is to evaluate research productivity among Canadian academic plastic surgeons using the h-index. A list of Canadian academic plastic surgeons was obtained from websites of academic training programs. The h-index was retrieved using the Scopus database. Relevant demographic and academic factors were collected and their effects on the h-index were analyzed using the t test and Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney U test. Nominal and categorical variables were analyzed using χ 2 test and 1-way analysis of variance. Univariate and multivariate models were built a priori. All P values were 2 sided, and P < .05 was considered to be significant. Our study on Canadian plastic surgeons involved 175 surgeons with an average h-index of 7.6. Over 80% of the surgeons were male. Both univariable and multivariable analysis showed that graduate degree ( P < .0001), academic rank ( P = .03), and years in practice ( P < .0001) were positively correlated with h-index. Limitations of the study include that the Scopus database and the websites of training programs were not always up-to-date. The h-index is a novel tool for evaluating research productivity in academic medicine, and this study shows that the h-index can also serve as a useful metric for measuring research productivity in the Canadian plastic surgery community. Plastic surgeons would be wise to familiarize themselves with the h-index concept and should consider using it as an adjunct to existing metrics such as total publication number.