CanWEA Pan-Canadian wind integration study paper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tremblay, Martin [GL Garrad Hassan Canada Inc, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Gardner, Paul [GL Garrad Hassan and Partners, Glasgow (United Kingdom); Price, Doug; Le, Don [GL Garrad Hassan America, San Diego, CA (United States)

2010-07-01

GL Garrad Hassan has been contracted by CanWEA to undertake a scoping study for a future Pan-Canadian Wide-Scale Wind Integration Study. The scoping study provides the methodology and the rationale on which the actual wind integration study and request for proposals will be based on. Major system operators and owners of each Canadian Province along with experts involved in major US wind integration studies have been consulted and contributed to the decisional process. This paper provides a summary of the factors considered in the study and outline the actual methodology that was adopted for the future Pan-Canadian wind integration study. (orig.)

A card game for the treatment of delusional ideas: A naturalistic pilot trial

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Benzakin Laetitia

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background "Michael's game" is a card game which aims at familiarizing healthcare professionals and patients with cognitive behavioral therapy of psychotic symptoms. This naturalistic study tests the feasibility and the impact of the intervention in various naturalistic settings. Method Fifty five patients were recruited in seven centers. They were assessed in pre and post-test with the Peters Delusion Inventory – 21 items (PDI-21. Results Forty five patients completed the intervention significantly reducing their conviction and preoccupation scores on the PDI-21. Conclusion This pilot study supports the feasibility and effectiveness of "Michael's game" in naturalistic setting. Additional studies could validate the game in a controlled fashion.

Safety-critical event risk associated with cell phone tasks as measured in naturalistic driving studies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, Sarah M; Hicks, Anne; Caird, Jeff K

2016-02-01

A systematic review and meta-analysis of naturalistic driving studies involving estimates of safety-critical event risk associated with handheld device use while driving is described. Fifty-seven studies identified from targeted databases, journals and websites were reviewed in depth, and six were ultimately included. These six studies, published between 2006 and 2014, encompass seven sets of naturalistic driver data and describe original research that utilized naturalistic methods to assess the effects of distracting behaviors. Four studies involved non-commercial drivers of light vehicles and two studies involved commercial drivers of trucks and buses. Odds ratios quantifying safety-critical event (SCE) risk associated with talking, dialing, locating or answering, and texting or browsing were extracted. Stratified meta-analysis of pooled odds ratios was used to estimate SCE risk by distraction type; meta-regression was used to test for sources of heterogeneity. The results indicate that tasks that require drivers to take their eyes off the road, such as dialing, locating a phone and texting, increase SCE risk to a greater extent than tasks that do not require eyes off the road such as talking. Although talking on a handheld device did not increase SCE risk, further research is required to determine whether it indirectly influences SCE risk (e.g., by encouraging other cell phone activities). In addition, a number of study biases and quality issues of naturalistic driving studies are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Driver Behavior During Overtaking Maneuvers from the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Rong; Kusano, Kristofer D; Gabler, Hampton C

2015-01-01

Lane changes with the intention to overtake the vehicle in front are especially challenging scenarios for forward collision warning (FCW) designs. These overtaking maneuvers can occur at high relative vehicle speeds and often involve no brake and/or turn signal application. Therefore, overtaking presents the potential of erroneously triggering the FCW. A better understanding of driver behavior during lane change events can improve designs of this human-machine interface and increase driver acceptance of FCW. The objective of this study was to aid FCW design by characterizing driver behavior during lane change events using naturalistic driving study data. The analysis was based on data from the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study, collected by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The 100-Car study contains approximately 1.2 million vehicle miles of driving and 43,000 h of data collected from 108 primary drivers. In order to identify overtaking maneuvers from a large sample of driving data, an algorithm to automatically identify overtaking events was developed. The lead vehicle and minimum time to collision (TTC) at the start of lane change events was identified using radar processing techniques developed in a previous study. The lane change identification algorithm was validated against video analysis, which manually identified 1,425 lane change events from approximately 126 full trips. Forty-five drivers with valid time series data were selected from the 100-Car study. From the sample of drivers, our algorithm identified 326,238 lane change events. A total of 90,639 lane change events were found to involve a closing lead vehicle. Lane change events were evenly distributed between left side and right side lane changes. The characterization of lane change frequency and minimum TTC was divided into 10 mph speed bins for vehicle travel speeds between 10 and 90 mph. For all lane change events with a closing lead vehicle, the results showed that drivers change

Approaching French Language Literature in Canadian Studies

OpenAIRE

Mansfield, Charlie

2005-01-01

This book forms a self-study pack and teaching guide to help English speakers start using computers and the web to support their studies of French Canadian Literature, song, film and multimedia. Readers will need access to the Internet so that they can experience ‘Electronic Encounters’ with Canadian media in French and English. The approach is underpinned with ideas drawn from the analysis of travel writing.

Road Safety Data, Collection, Transfer and Analysis DaCoTa. Workpackage 6, Driver Behaviour Monitoring through Naturalistic Driving: Deliverable 6.2: Part B: Sampling techniques and naturalistic driving study design.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Commandeur, J.J.F.

2015-01-01

In this document we provide an overview of sampling and estimation methods that can be used to obtain population values of risk exposure data and safety performance indicators based on naturalistic driving study designs. More specifically, we discuss how to determine the optimal sample size required

Naturalistic decision-making in expert badminton players.

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Macquet, A C; Fleurance, P

2007-09-01

This paper reports on a study of naturalistic decision-making in expert badminton players. These decisions are frequently taken under time-pressured conditions, yet normally lead to successful performance. Two male badminton teams participated in this study. Self-confrontation interviews were used to collect data. Inductive data analysis revealed three types of intentions during a rally: to maintain the rally; to take the advantage; and to finish the point. It also revealed eight types of decision taken in this situation: to ensure an action; to observe the opponent's response to an action; to realize a limited choice; to influence the opponent's decision; to put pressure on an opponent; to surprise the opponent; to reproduce an efficient action; and to play wide. A frequent decision was to put pressure on the opponent. Different information and knowledge was linked to specific decisions. The results are discussed in relation to research that has considered naturalistic decision-making.

Needed for Teacher Education: Naturalistic Research that Is Culturally Responsive.

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Tabachnick, B. Robert

1989-01-01

This article examines some of the advantages and problems in using qualitative (naturalistic) research methods to understand teaching, learning, and schooling. An example of naturalistic research involving first year teachers is included. (IAH)

Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study: Findings and Lessons Learned

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Simons-Morton, Bruce G.; Klauer, Sheila G.; Ouimet, Marie Claude; Guo, Feng; Albert, Paul S.; Lee, Suzanne E.; Ehsani, Johnathon P.; Pradhan, Anuj K.; Dingus, Thomas A.

2015-01-01

Problem This paper summarizes the findings on novice teenage driving outcomes (e.g., crashes and risky driving behaviors) from the Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study. Method Survey and driving data from a data acquisition system (Global Positioning System, accelerometers, cameras) were collected from 42 newly-licensed teenage drivers and their parents during the first 18 months of teenage licensure; stress responsivity was also measured in teenagers. Result Overall teenage crash and near crash (CNC) rates declined over time, but were >4 times higher among teenagers than adults. Contributing factors to teenage CNC rates included secondary task engagement (e.g., distraction), kinematic risky driving, low stress responsivity, and risky social norms. Conclusion The data support the contention that the high novice teenage CNC risk is due both to inexperience and risky driving behavior, particularly kinematic risky driving and secondary task engagement. Practical Applications Graduated driver licensing policy and other prevention efforts should focus on kinematic risky driving, secondary task engagement, and risky social norms. PMID:26403899

Naturalistic Cognition: A Research Paradigm for Human-Centered Design

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Storkerson, Peter

2010-01-01

Naturalistic thinking and knowing, the tacit, experiential, and intuitive reasoning of everyday interaction, have long been regarded as inferior to formal reason and labeled primitive, fallible, subjective, superstitious, and in some cases ineffable. But, naturalistic thinking is more rational and definable than it appears. It is also relevant to…

Teen Driving Risk and Prevention: Naturalistic Driving Research Contributions and Challenges

OpenAIRE

Simons-Morton, Bruce G.; Ehsani, Johnathon P.; Gershon, Pnina; Klauer, Sheila G.; Dingus, Thomas A.

2017-01-01

Naturalistic driving (ND) methods may be particularly useful for research on young driver crash risk. Novices are not safe drivers initially, but tend to improve rapidly, although the pace of learning is highly variable. However, knowledge is lacking about how best to reduce the learning curve and the variability in the development of safe driving judgment. A great deal has been learned from recent naturalistic driving (ND) studies that have included young drivers, providing objective informa...

Coaching Parents to Use Naturalistic Language and Communication Strategies

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Akamoglu, Yusuf; Dinnebeil, Laurie

2017-01-01

Naturalistic language and communication strategies (i.e., naturalistic teaching strategies) refer to practices that are used to promote the child's language and communication skills either through verbal (e.g., spoken words) or nonverbal (e.g., gestures, signs) interactions between an adult (e.g., parent, teacher) and a child. Use of naturalistic…

Knowledge Translation and Patient Safety: The Canadian Adverse Events Study

OpenAIRE

Baker, G. Ross; Norton, Peter; Flintoft, Virginia

2006-01-01

The Canadian Adverse Events Study was the first national study of adverse events in Canadian hospitals. Learning from the controversy surrounding similar studies in other countries, the team engaged in extensive knowledge translation activities throughout the life of the project. Using meetings, Web-based communication and other tools, the team successfully prepared most Canadian stakeholders for the study’s release, allowing them to develop anticipatory patient safety initiatives. However, u...

Who's Afraid of the Naturalistic Fallacy?

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Oliver Curry

2006-01-01

Full Text Available David Hume argued that values are the projections of natural human desires, and that moral values are the projections of desires that aim at the common good of society. Recent developments in game theory, evolutionary biology, animal behaviour and neuroscience explain why humans have such desires, and hence provide support for a Humean approach to moral psychology and moral philosophy. However, few philosophers have been willing to pursue this naturalistic approach to ethics for fear that it commits something called ‘the naturalistic fallacy’. This paper reviews several versions of the fallacy, and demonstrates that none of them present an obstacle to this updated, evolutionary version of Humean ethical naturalism.

[A naturalistic study: 100 consecutive episodes of acute agitation in a psychiatric emergency department].

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Pascual, J C; Madre, M; Puigdemont, D; Oller, S; Corripio, I; Díaz, A; Faus, G; Perez, V; Alvarez, E

2006-01-01

Psychomotor agitation is a common event in psychiatric emergency services (PES) with a prevalence of approximately 10 %. There is no general consensus on to how to manage psychomotor agitation; benzodiazepines, typical antipsychotics and now atypical antipsychotics have demonstrated similar efficacy. The aim of our study was to describe the epidemiology and clinical management of agitation in "real-life" in a psychiatric emergency service. A naturalistic study was performed in acutely agitated patients recruited consecutively in a psychiatric emergency service. Demographics, clinical and therapeutic characteristics were analyzed. Efficacy was assessed by the Excitement Component of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-EC) and the Agitation-Calmness Evaluation Scale (ACES). Pragmatic variables such as the need for second pharmacological intervention and the need for physical restraints were assessed. The study included 100 patients with psychomotor agitation. Mean age was 36.2 % and 54% were women. The most prevalent diagnoses were psychotic disorder (48 %) and personality disorder (24 %). Physical restraint was required in 39 % of patients and 52 % accepted oral treatment. Haloperidol was the most frequent oral treatment and olanzapine was the most frequent intramuscular treatment. A naturalistic approach provides data based on clinical reality in psychiatric emergency services. Strict research designs of clinical trials of efficacy imply sample selection biases and are generally distanced from the clinical reality. Atypical antipsychotics have become the first-line treatment in acute agitation

fMRI-activation during drawing a naturalistic or sketchy portrait.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaer, K; Jahn, G; Lotze, M

2012-07-15

Neural processes for naturalistic drawing might be discerned into object recognition and analysis, attention processes guiding eye hand interaction, encoding of visual features in an allocentric reference frame, a transfer into the motor command and precise motor guidance with tight sensorimotor feedback. Cerebral representations in a real life paradigm during naturalistic drawing have sparsely been investigated. Using a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) paradigm we measured 20 naive subjects during drawing a portrait from a frontal face presented as a photograph. Participants were asked to draw the portrait in either a naturalistic or a sketchy characteristic way. Tracing the contours of the face with a pencil or passive viewing of the face served as control conditions. Compared to passive viewing, naturalistic and sketchy drawing recruited predominantly the dorsal visual pathway, somatosensory and motor areas and bilateral BA 44. The right occipital lobe, middle temporal (MT) and the fusiform face area were increasingly active during drawing compared to passive viewing as well. Compared to tracing with a pencil, both drawing tasks increasingly involved the bilateral precuneus together with the cuneus and right inferior temporal lobe. Overall, our study identified cerebral areas characteristic for previously proposed aspects of drawing: face perception and analysis (fusiform gyrus and higher visual areas), encoding and retrieval of locations in an allocentric reference frame (precuneus), and continuous feedback processes during motor output (parietal sulcus, cerebellar hemisphere). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pathways to Language: A Naturalistic Study of Children with Williams Syndrome and Children with Down Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Yonata; Eilam, Ariela

2013-01-01

This is a naturalistic study of the development of language in Hebrew-speaking children with Williams syndrome (WS) and children with Down syndrome (DS), whose MLU extended from 1[multiplied by]0 to 4[multiplied by]4. Developmental curves over the entire span of data collection revealed minor differences between children with WS, children with DS,…

"Naturalist Inquiry" and Grounded Theory

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Barney G. Glaser

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The world of Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA methodology became quite taken with LINCOLN and GUBA's book "Naturalist Inquiry" (1985. I have no issue with it with respect to its application to QDA; it helped clarify and advance so many QDA issues. However, its application to Grounded Theory (GT has been a major block on GT, as originated, by its cooptation and corruption hence remodeling of GT by default. LINCOLN and GUBA have simply assumed GT is just another QDA method, which it is not. In "The Grounded Theory Perspective II" (GLASER 2002a, Chapter 9 on credibility, I have discussed "Naturalist In­quiry" (NI thought regarding how LINCOLN and GUBA's notion of "trustworthy" data (or worrisome data orientation and how their view of constant comparison can and has remodeled and eroded GT. In this paper I will consider other aspects of NI that remodel GT. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs040170

Naturalistic Extremes in Al Aswaany’s The Yacoubian Building

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Hussein H. Zeidanin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Emile Zola and other naturalistic novelists such as Stephen Crane, Jack London, Edith Wharton, Frank Norris, John Steinbeck and Richard Wright perceive naturalism as an anti-romantic philosophy dispensing with emotions, sentiments and imagination and parodying the romantic paradigm for idealizing the past and avoiding realities. They view literature as experimental and investigational as science and the novelist as scientist who objectively and methodologically observes and tests the actions and reactions of representative fictional characters under controlled conditions.  On the contrary, the writings of the opponents of naturalism like those of A. Plantinga (2010, H. Putnam (2000, J. Kim (2008, J. Spencer (2010, R. Bush (2003, and R. Gerhardt (2010 criticize naturalistic literature for focusing on the negative side instead of the bright side of life, attaching violence and threatening behaviors to the low class people, and representing a pessimistic view of life and human progress. Our paper seeks to recapitulate the epistemological premises of naturalism and the views of its proponents and opponents who debate over the materialism, atheism and sensationism of naturalism. The paper further analyzes the predominant correlation between environment and man, fate and man and biology and man from the perspective of naturalists. The study finds out that the actions and reactions of the fictional characters of Busayna el Sayed and Zaki el Dessouki in Al Aswany’s The Yacoubian Building (2003 are not self-determined; rather, they are predetermined by the triad of environment, fate and biology. In addition, the study observes that the absence of hope pervading the characters’ lives gives rise to their pessimistic worldviews and stoic behaviors. The study’s analysis and findings are based on Al Aswany’s text because it, on one hand, epitomizes the naturalistic poetics of classism, fatalism and predeterminism in the Egyptian society. On the other

Interpretive signs designed to trigger naturalist intelligence at two American zoos

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Bryant, Martha

An investigation of interpretive graphics was conducted in 2005 at two mid-sized AZA-accredited zoos, Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, Florida and Knoxville Zoo, Knoxville, Tennessee. The Lowry Park Zoo study investigated signs at a red-tailed hawk and sandhill crane exhibit. Combination signs and wordless signs were more effective helping visitors see animals, increasing holding time, and number of engagements than treatments of no signs, or signs with words only. A second study, at Knoxville Zoo, tested combination and wordless signs in a children's zoo, investigating 31 signs at a 3.5-acre exhibit. Comparisons of visitors seeing the animals/using interactive exhibit elements, holding time, and engagement activities, showed wordless signs were more effective than combination signs. Differences in gender ratio, age, group size, and other demographics were not significant. Visit motivation differed between zoos, with visitors from Lowry Park Zoo more often articulating reason for a visit as wanting to see animals. Visitors at Knoxville Zoo most often said they wanted to spend time with family and friends. Differences in potential for naturalist intelligence were probably related to local practices rather than to innate differences in naturalist intelligence. The number of communities in Florida that regulate pet ownership and provide lawn service could account for the lower number of people who have pets and plants. At both institutions, behaviors supported educational theories. The importance of signs as advanced organizers was shown where signs were removed at the bird exhibit at Lowry Park Zoo, with fewer visitors seeing the animals. Social interaction was noted at both zoos, with intra- and inter-group conversations observed. If naturalist intelligence is necessary to see animals, visitors run a continuum. Some are unable to see animals with signs and assistance from other visitors; others see animals with little difficulty. The importance of honing naturalist

Using naturalistic driving films as a design tool for investigating driver requirements in HMI design for ADAS.

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Wang, Minjuan; Sun, Dong; Chen, Fang

2012-01-01

In recent years, there are many naturalistic driving projects have been conducted, such as the 100-Car Project (Naturalistic Driving study in United State), EuroFOT(European Large-Scale Field Operational Tests on Vehicle Systems), SeMi- FOT(Sweden Michigan Naturalistic Field Operational Test and etc. However, those valuable naturalistic driving data hasn't been applied into Human-machine Interaction (HMI) design for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), a good HMI design for ADAS requires a deep understanding of drive environment and the interactions between the driving car and other road users in different situations. The results demonstrated the benefits of using naturalistic driving films as a mean for enhancing focus group discussion for better understanding driver's needs and traffic environment constraints. It provided an efficient tool for designers to have inside knowledge about drive and the needs for information presentation; The recommendations for how to apply this method is discussed in the paper.

Naturalist Intelligence Among the Other Multiple Intelligences [In Bulgarian

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R. Genkov

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The theory of multiple intelligences was presented by Gardner in 1983. The theory was revised later (1999 and among the other intelligences a naturalist intelligence was added. The criteria for distinguishing of the different types of intelligences are considered. While Gardner restricted the analysis of the naturalist intelligence with examples from the living nature only, the present paper considered this problem on wider background including objects and persons of the natural sciences.

Focus: the peculiar persistence of the naturalistic fallacy. Introduction.

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Milam, Erika Lorraine

2014-09-01

Although "naturalistic fallacy" is a term coined in the twentieth century, scholars have long voiced myriad anxieties over the mechanisms by which their contemporaries have derived moral, social, and political lessons from natural phenomena--often as gambits for advancing their own alternative explanations. The essays in this Focus section explore five episodes in the history of such concerns with naturalistic reasoning in order to shed new light on the persistence of naturalism itself.

Intuitions in Epistemology: Towards a Naturalistic Alternative

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahlström, Kristoffer

2009-01-01

The present paper revisits the main methodological problems with conceptual analysis and considers two attempts to rectify them in terms of prototypes and reflective equilibria, respectively. Finding both wanting for the purposes of epistemological analysis, a naturalistic alternative is then ske......The present paper revisits the main methodological problems with conceptual analysis and considers two attempts to rectify them in terms of prototypes and reflective equilibria, respectively. Finding both wanting for the purposes of epistemological analysis, a naturalistic alternative...... is then sketched that explores the positive implications of aforementioned problems for the demarcation of the respective roles of intuitions and empirical investigation within three epistemological domains, viz., the evaluation of epistemological hypotheses, the amelioration of epistemic practices...

Duration of untreated illness and suicide in bipolar disorder: a naturalistic study.

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Altamura, A Carlo; Dell'Osso, Bernardo; Berlin, Heather A; Buoli, Massimiliano; Bassetti, Roberta; Mundo, Emanuela

2010-08-01

The aim of this naturalistic study was to evaluate the potential influence of the duration of untreated illness (DUI)--defined as the time elapsed between the occurrence of the first mood episode and the first adequate pharmacological treatment with mood stabilizers--on the clinical course of bipolar disorder (BD). Three hundred and twenty outpatients (n = 320) with a DSM-IV diagnosis of BD--either Type I or Type II--were interviewed; their clinical features were collected and they were naturalistically followed-up for 5 years. At the end of the follow-up observation, the sample was subdivided into two groups: one group with a DUI 2 years (n = 255). The main demographic and clinical variables were analyzed and compared between the two subgroups of patients using chi-square tests for dichotomous variables or Mann-Whitney U tests for continuous variables. Patients with a longer DUI showed a higher frequency of suicide attempts (Z = -2.11, P = 0.035), a higher number of suicide attempters (chi(2) = 4.13, df = 1, P = 0.04), and a longer duration of illness (Z = -6.79, P < 0.0001) when compared to patients with a shorter DUI. Moreover, patients with a longer DUI had a depressive first episode more frequently than patients with a shorter DUI (chi(2) = 11.28, df = 2, P = 0.004). A further analysis performed dividing the total sample into two subgroups on the basis of a DUI of 6 years (corresponding to the median value of the DUI in the study sample) confirmed prior findings. Results indicate a potential association between a longer DUI and a worse outcome in BD, particularly in terms of suicidality, and confirm the clinical relevance of early diagnosis and pharmacological intervention with mood stabilizers in BD.

Road Safety Data, Collection, Transfer and Analysis DaCoTa. Workpackage 6, Driver Behaviour Monitoring through Naturalistic Driving: Deliverable 6.3: Report on small scale naturalistic driving pilot.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pilgerstorfer, M. Runda, K. Brandstätter, C. Christoph, M. Hakkert, S. Ishaq, R. Toledo, T. & Gatscha, M.

2012-01-01

WP6 of DaCoTA, Driver Behaviour Monitoring through Naturalistic Driving, aims to develop an implementation plan for a large scale activity that uses Naturalistic Driving (ND) Observations to continuously monitor relevant road safety data within the framework of the European Road Safety Observatory.

Environmental assessment of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles using naturalistic drive cycles and vehicle travel patterns: A Michigan case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, Brandon M.; Kelly, Jarod C.; Lee, Tae-Kyung; Keoleian, Gregory A.; Filipi, Zoran

2013-01-01

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) use grid electricity as well as on-board gasoline for motive force. These multiple energy sources make prediction of PHEV energy consumption challenging and also complicate evaluation of their environmental impacts. This paper introduces a novel PHEV energy consumption modeling approach and compares it to a second approach from the literature, each using actual trip patterns from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). The first approach applies distance-dependent fuel efficiency and on-road electricity consumption rates based on naturalistic or real world, driving information to determine gasoline and electricity consumption. The second uses consumption rates derived in accordance with government certification testing. Both approaches are applied in the context of a location-specific case study that focuses on the state of Michigan. The two PHEV models show agreement in electricity demand due to vehicle charging, gasoline consumption, and life cycle environmental impacts for this case study. The naturalistic drive cycle approach is explored as a means of extending location-specific driving data to supplement existing PHEV impact assessments methods. - Highlights: • Travel patterns from survey data are combined with naturalistic drive cycles. • More realistic PHEV energy modeling using these synthesized real-world drive cycles. • Methodology is demonstrated for PHEVs in Michigan but applicable for other regions. • Energy and emissions findings have major implications for PHEV standards and policy

Recording and automated analysis of naturalistic bioptic driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Gang; Peli, Eli

2011-05-01

People with moderate central vision loss are legally permitted to drive with a bioptic telescope in 39 US states and the Netherlands, but the safety of bioptic driving remains highly controversial. There is no scientific evidence about bioptic use and its impact on safety. We propose searching for evidence by recording naturalistic driving activities in patients' cars. In a pilot study we used an analogue video system to record two bioptic drivers' daily driving activities for 10 and 5 days, respectively. In this technical report, we also describe our novel digital system that collects vehicle manoeuvre information and enables recording over more extended periods, and discuss our approach to analyzing the vast amount of data. Our observations of telescope use by the pilot subjects were quite different from their reports in a previous survey. One subject used the telescope only seven times in nearly 6 h of driving. For the other subject, the average interval between telescope use was about 2 min, and Mobile (cell) phone use in one trip extended the interval to almost 5 min. We demonstrate that computerized analysis of lengthy recordings based on video, GPS, acceleration, and black box data can be used to select informative segments for efficient off-line review of naturalistic driving behaviours. The inconsistency between self reports and objective data as well as infrequent telescope use underscores the importance of recording bioptic driving behaviours in naturalistic conditions over extended periods. We argue that the new recording system is important for understanding bioptic use behaviours and bioptic driving safety. © 2011 The College of Optometrists.

The impact of sleep disorders on driving safety-findings from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program naturalistic driving study.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shu-Yuan; Perez, Miguel A; Lau, Nathan

2018-04-01

This study investigated the association between driving safety and seven sleep disorders amongst 3541 participants of the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) naturalistic driving study. SHRP 2 collected naturalistic driving data from participants between 16 and 98 years old by instrumenting participants' vehicles. The analyses used logistic regression to determine the likelihood of crash or near-crash involvement, Poisson log-linear regression to assess crash or near-crash rate, and ordinal logistic regression to assess driver maneuver appropriateness and crash or near-crash severity. These analyses did not account for any medical treatments for the sleep disorders. Females with restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease (RLS/WED), drivers with insomnia or narcolepsy, are associated with significantly higher risk of crash or near-crash. Drivers with shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) are associated with significantly increased crash or near-crash rate. Females with RLS/WED or sleep apnea and drivers with SWSD are associated with less safe driver maneuver and drivers with periodic limb movement disorder are associated with more severe events. The four analyses provide no evidence of safety decrements associated with migraine. This study is the first examination on the association between seven sleep disorders and different measures of driving risk using large-scale naturalistic driving study data. The results corroborate much of the existing simulator and epidemiological research related to sleep-disorder patients and their driving safety, but add ecological validity to those findings. These results contribute to the empirical basis for medical professionals, policy makers, and employers in making decisions to aid individuals with sleep disorders in balancing safety and personal mobility.

The effects of self-esteem and ego threat on interpersonal appraisals of men and women: a naturalistic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vohs, Kathleen D; Heatherton, Todd F

2003-11-01

A naturalistic study examined the effects of self-esteem and threats to the self on interpersonal appraisals. Self-esteem scores, ego threat (operationalized as a substantial decrease in self-esteem across an average of 9 months), and their interaction were used to predict likability and personality perceptions of college men and women. The results revealed a curvilinear function explaining likability: Moderate to low self-esteem men and women were higher in likability when threatened, whereas high self-esteem men were seen as less likable when threatened. Personality ratings indicated that high self-esteem men and women who were threatened were rated highest on Antagonism (i.e., fake, arrogant, unfriendly, rude, and uncooperative). Mediational analyses revealed that differences in Antagonism statistically accounted for differences in likability. These patterns are interpreted with respect to gender and time in interpersonal perceptions as well as naturalistic versus laboratory investigations.

CASID and Canadian Journal of Development Studies ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

CASID and Canadian Journal of Development Studies : Organizational Strengthening 2007- ... with its Executive Council, as well as an external organizational assessment. ... Sharing opportunities for innovation in climate change adaptation.

Diagnostic accuracy of the Eurotest for dementia: a naturalistic, multicenter phase II study

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Frank Ana

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Available screening tests for dementia are of limited usefulness because they are influenced by the patient's culture and educational level. The Eurotest, an instrument based on the knowledge and handling of money, was designed to overcome these limitations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Eurotest in identifying dementia in customary clinical practice. Methods A cross-sectional, multi-center, naturalistic phase II study was conducted. The Eurotest was administered to consecutive patients, older than 60 years, in general neurology clinics. The patients' condition was classified as dementia or no dementia according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. We calculated sensitivity (Sn, specificity (Sp and area under the ROC curves (aROC with 95% confidence intervals. The influence of social and educational factors on scores was evaluated with multiple linear regression analysis, and the influence of these factors on diagnostic accuracy was evaluated with logistic regression. Results Sixteen neurologists recruited a total of 516 participants: 101 with dementia, 380 without dementia, and 35 who were excluded. Of the 481 participants who took the Eurotest, 38.7% were totally or functionally illiterate and 45.5% had received no formal education. Mean time needed to administer the test was 8.2+/-2.0 minutes. The best cut-off point was 20/21, with Sn = 0.91 (0.84–0.96, Sp = 0.82 (0.77–0.85, and aROC = 0.93 (0.91–0.95. Neither the scores on the Eurotest nor its diagnostic accuracy were influenced by social or educational factors. Conclusion This naturalistic and pragmatic study shows that the Eurotest is a rapid, simple and useful screening instrument, which is free from educational influences, and has appropriate internal and external validity.

The clinical utility of naturalistic action test in differentiating mild cognitive impairment from early dementia in memory clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, Irene; Ntlholang, Ontefetse; Crosby, Lisa; Cunningham, Conal; Lawlor, Brian

2016-03-01

This study aimed to examine the validity of the Naturalistic Action Test in differentiating Mild Cognitive Impairment from early dementia compared to clinical diagnosis and ascertain Naturalistic Action Test cut-off points. This was a cross-sectional study of 70 consecutive patients diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment attending the memory clinic in St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. Patients with a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment who attended for routine annual assessment were asked to participate in the study. The Naturalistic Action Test was carried out after the patient had completed their routine assessment in the clinic. The Area under the Curve, AUC ± SE was 0.808 ± 0.058, p Cognitive Impairment in our study (PPV 50%, NPV 91%, sensitivity 78%, specificity 73% and accuracy of 74%). There was discrepancy in 18 patients using the new cut-off point (≥11 for Mild Cognitive Impairment vs ≤10 for dementia). The Naturalistic Action Test is a useful tool that can increase diagnostic accuracy in differentiating Mild Cognitive Impairment from early dementia. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

'Who's a good boy?!' Dogs prefer naturalistic dog-directed speech.

Science.gov (United States)

Benjamin, Alex; Slocombe, Katie

2018-05-01

Infant-directed speech (IDS) is a special speech register thought to aid language acquisition and improve affiliation in human infants. Although IDS shares some of its properties with dog-directed speech (DDS), it is unclear whether the production of DDS is functional, or simply an overgeneralisation of IDS within Western cultures. One recent study found that, while puppies attended more to a script read with DDS compared with adult-directed speech (ADS), adult dogs displayed no preference. In contrast, using naturalistic speech and a more ecologically valid set-up, we found that adult dogs attended to and showed more affiliative behaviour towards a speaker of DDS than of ADS. To explore whether this preference for DDS was modulated by the dog-specific words typically used in DDS, the acoustic features (prosody) of DDS or a combination of the two, we conducted a second experiment. Here the stimuli from experiment 1 were produced with reversed prosody, meaning the prosody and content of ADS and DDS were mismatched. The results revealed no significant effect of speech type, or content, suggesting that it is maybe the combination of the acoustic properties and the dog-related content of DDS that modulates the preference shown for naturalistic DDS. Overall, the results of this study suggest that naturalistic DDS, comprising of both dog-directed prosody and dog-relevant content words, improves dogs' attention and may strengthen the affiliative bond between humans and their pets.

The Alabama VIP older driver study rationale and design: examining the relationship between vision impairment and driving using naturalistic driving techniques.

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Owsley, Cynthia; McGwin, Gerald; Antin, Jonathan F; Wood, Joanne M; Elgin, Jennifer

2018-02-07

Older drivers aged ≥70 years old have among the highest rates of motor vehicle collisions (MVC) compared to other age groups. Driving is a highly visual task, and older adults have a high prevalence of vision impairment compared to other ages. Most studies addressing visual risk factors for MVCs by older drivers utilize vehicle accident reports as the primary outcome, an approach with several methodological limitations. Naturalistic driving research methods overcome these challenges and involve installing a high-tech, unobtrusive data acquisition system (DAS) in an older driver's own vehicle. The DAS continuously records multi-channel video of driver and roadway, sensor-based kinematics, GPS location, and presence of nearby objects in front of the vehicle, providing an objective measure of driving exposure. In this naturalistic driving study, the purpose is to examine the relationship between vision and crashes and near-crashes, lane-keeping, turning at intersections, driving performance during secondary tasks demands, and the role of front-seat passengers. An additional aim is to compare results of the on-road driving evaluation by a certified driving rehabilitation specialist to objective indicators of driving performance derived from the naturalistic data. Drivers ≥70 years old are recruited from ophthalmology clinics and a previous population-based study of older drivers, with the goal of recruiting persons with wide ranging visual function. Target samples size is 195 drivers. At a baseline visit, the DAS is installed in the participant's vehicle and a battery of health and functional assessments are administered to the driver including visual-sensory and visual-cognitive tests. The DAS remains installed in the vehicle for six months while the participant goes about his/her normal driving with no imposed study restrictions. After six months, the driver returns for DAS de-installation, repeat vision testing, and an on-road driving evaluation by a certified

Cognitive schema and naturalistic decision making in evidence-based practices.

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Falzer, Paul R

2004-04-01

A recent article in this journal proposed a naturalistic approach to decision making that overcomes problems intrinsic to classical decision theory. The approach emphasizes cognitive and multi-level processes, the development of expert reasoning, and the role of decision support in individual and organizational decision making. The current paper builds on this effort by suggesting a naturalistic, multi-level, theory that can facilitate the dissemination of evidence-based practices (EBPs). The paper presents "Image Theory," a theory that has been extensively investigated in other disciplines, but has yet to be utilized in medical decision research. It is suggested that its rich, empirically tested, distinctions among kinds of cognitive and organizational processes and types of decisions and tasks make Image Theory especially valuable in describing impediments to implementing EBPs. The paper discusses how naturalistic theory can assist clinicians, administrators, researchers, and policy makers in achieving a balance between evidence-based medicine and patient-centered practice.

Is the naturalistic course of depression in older people related to received support over time? Results from a longitudinal population-based study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houtjes, W.; Deeg, D.J.H.; van de Ven, P.M.; van Meijel, B.; van Tilburg, T.G.; Beekman, A.T.F.

Objectives: To test the interrelation of the naturalistic course of depression in older people with long-term support received. Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Methods: A sample of 277 adults age 55-85years participating in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, with clinically relevant

Sympathetic science: Charles Darwin, Joseph Hooker, and the passions of Victorian naturalists.

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Endersby, Jim

2009-01-01

This essay examines the complex tangle of emotional and scientific attachments that linked Darwin and botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker. Analyzing their roles as husbands, fathers, and novel readers demonstrates that possessing and expressing sympathy was as important for Victorian naturalists as it was for Victorian husbands. Sympathy was a scientific skill that Victorian naturalists regarded as necessary to fully understand the living world; although sympathy became increasingly gendered as feminine over the course of the century, its importance to male naturalists requires us to rethink the ways gender roles were negotiated in Victorian Britain. Botany was, for men like Darwin and Hooker, an acceptably masculine pursuit that nevertheless allowed--and even required--them to be sensitive and sympathetic.

Cocaine behavioral economics: From the naturalistic environment to the controlled laboratory setting

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Greenwald, Mark K.; Steinmiller, Caren L.

2017-01-01

Background We previously observed that behavioral economic factors predict naturalistic heroin seeking behavior that correlates with opioid seeking in the experimental laboratory. The present study sought to replicate and extend these prior findings with regular cocaine users. Methods Participants (N = 83) completed a semi-structured interview to establish income-generating and cocaine-purchasing/use repertoire during the past month. Questions addressed sources/amounts of income and expenditures; price (money and time) per purchase; and frequency/amounts of cocaine purchased and consumed. Naturalistic cocaine purchasing and use patterns were: (1) analyzed as a function of income quartile, (2) perturbed by hypothetical changes in cost factors to assess changes in purchasing/use habits, and (3) correlated with experimental cocaine seeking. Results Income was positively related to naturalistic cocaine seeking/use pattern (i.e., income elastic), and behaviors were cost-efficient and sensitive to supply chain. Income was unrelated to proportional expenditure on cocaine (≈55%) but inversely related to food expenditure. In all hypothetical scenarios (changes in income or dealer, loss of income assistance from government or family/friends, and increasing arrest risk when purchasing), the high-income group reported they would continue to use more cocaine daily than other groups. Number of laboratory cocaine choices significantly correlated with cocaine purchase time (positively) and purity of cocaine (negatively) in the naturalistic setting. Conclusions These results replicate and extend findings with regular heroin users, demonstrate the importance of income, cost-efficiency and supply-mindedness in cocaine seeking/use, and suggest that this interview-based approach has good external validity. PMID:24878248

Da Costa on ontology: a naturalistic interpretation

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Antonio Mariano Nogueira Coelho

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Da Costa's conception of being modifies that of Quine to incorporate relativization to non-classical logics. A naturalistic view of this conception is discussed. This view tries to extend to logic some ideas of Maddy's naturalism concerning mathematics.

A naturalistic inquiry into the social world of whitewater kayakers

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Jason W. Whiting; Katharine A. Pawelko

2012-01-01

This exploratory research focused on kayakers at whitewater kayaking parks; the social and recreational characteristics of this specific user group had not previously been studied from a managerial and theoretical standpoint. Twelve kayakers were interviewed at whitewater kayaking parks in Colorado and Utah. The interviewers utilized naturalistic methodology with a...

Impact of naturalistic lighting on hospitalized stroke patients in a rehabilitation unit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

West, Anders; Jennum, Poul; Simonsen, Sofie Amalie

2017-01-01

Introduction and rationale: Stroke is a major cause of acquired cerebral disability among adults, frequently accompanied by depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, disrupted sleep and fatigue. New ways of intervention to prevent these complications are therefore needed. The major circadian...... a positive impact on the health of poststroke patients admitted to rehabilitation. We test specifically for improved sleep and less fatigue (questionnaires, polysomnography, Actiwatch), improved well-being (questionnaires), lessen anxiety and depression (questionnaires), improved cognition (tests...... on patients during long-term hospitalization in a real hospital setting. The hypotheses are based on preclinical research, as studies using naturalistic light have never been performed before. Investigating the effects of naturalistic light in a clinical setting is therefore much needed....

Getting Real: A Naturalistic Methodology for Using Smartphones to Collect Mediated Communications

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Chad C. Tossell

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper contributes an intentionally naturalistic methodology using smartphone logging technology to study communications in the wild. Smartphone logging can provide tremendous access to communications data from real environments. However, researchers must consider how it is employed to preserve naturalistic behaviors. Nine considerations are presented to this end. We also provide a description of a naturalistic logging approach that has been applied successfully to collecting mediated communications from iPhones. The methodology was designed to intentionally decrease reactivity and resulted in data that were more accurate than self-reports. Example analyses are also provided to show how data collected can be analyzed to establish empirical patterns and identify user differences. Smartphone logging technologies offer flexible capabilities to enhance access to real communications data, but methodologies employing these techniques must be designed appropriately to avoid provoking naturally occurring behaviors. Functionally, this methodology can be applied to establish empirical patterns and test specific hypotheses within the field of HCI research. Topically, this methodology can be applied to domains interested in understanding mediated communications such as mobile content and systems design, teamwork, and social networks.

The use of meta-analysis or research synthesis to combine driving simulation or naturalistic study results on driver distraction.

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Caird, Jeff K; Johnston, Katherine A; Willness, Chelsea R; Asbridge, Mark

2014-06-01

Three important and inter-related topics are addressed in this paper. First, the importance of meta-analysis and research synthesis methods to combine studies on traffic safety, in general, and on driver distraction, in particular, is briefly reviewed. Second, naturalistic, epidemiologic, and driving simulation studies on driver distraction are used to illustrate convergent and divergent results that have accumulated thus far in this domain of research. In particular, mobile phone conversation, passenger presence, and text messaging naturalistic studies use meta-analyses and research syntheses to illustrate important patterns of results that are in need of more in-depth study. Third, a number of driver distraction study limitations such as poorly defined dependent variables, lack of methodological detail, and omission of statistical information prevent the integration of many studies into meta-analyses. In addition, the overall quality of road safety studies suffers from these same limitations and suggestions for improvement are made to guide researchers and reviewers. Practical Applications. The use of research synthesis and meta-analysis provide comprehensive estimates of the impact of distractions on driving performance, which can be used to guide public policy and future research. Copyright © 2014 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Naturalistic and Supernaturalistic Disclosures: The Possibility of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Naturalistic and Supernaturalistic Disclosures: The Possibility of Relational Miracles. Amy Fisher Smith. Abstract. This paper explores naturalism and supernaturalism as modes of disclosure that reveal and conceal different aspects of relationality. Naturalism is presented as a worldview or set of philosophical assumptions ...

Sparse coding reveals greater functional connectivity in female brains during naturalistic emotional experience.

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Yudan Ren

Full Text Available Functional neuroimaging is widely used to examine changes in brain function associated with age, gender or neuropsychiatric conditions. FMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging studies employ either laboratory-designed tasks that engage the brain with abstracted and repeated stimuli, or resting state paradigms with little behavioral constraint. Recently, novel neuroimaging paradigms using naturalistic stimuli are gaining increasing attraction, as they offer an ecologically-valid condition to approximate brain function in real life. Wider application of naturalistic paradigms in exploring individual differences in brain function, however, awaits further advances in statistical methods for modeling dynamic and complex dataset. Here, we developed a novel data-driven strategy that employs group sparse representation to assess gender differences in brain responses during naturalistic emotional experience. Comparing to independent component analysis (ICA, sparse coding algorithm considers the intrinsic sparsity of neural coding and thus could be more suitable in modeling dynamic whole-brain fMRI signals. An online dictionary learning and sparse coding algorithm was applied to the aggregated fMRI signals from both groups, which was subsequently factorized into a common time series signal dictionary matrix and the associated weight coefficient matrix. Our results demonstrate that group sparse representation can effectively identify gender differences in functional brain network during natural viewing, with improved sensitivity and reliability over ICA-based method. Group sparse representation hence offers a superior data-driven strategy for examining brain function during naturalistic conditions, with great potential for clinical application in neuropsychiatric disorders.

A Brief Coaching Intervention for Teaching Naturalistic Strategies to Parents

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Lane, Justin D.; Ledford, Jennifer R.; Shepley, Collin; Mataras, Theologia K.; Ayres, Kevin M.; Davis, Alicia B.

2016-01-01

Coaching parents to implement evidence-based strategies is one method for increasing the number of hours young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) access intervention services. The purpose of this study was to teach parents of young children with ASD to implement naturalistic strategies during play in a clinic setting. Results indicate a…

Characterizing Smartphone Engagement for Schizophrenia: Results of a Naturalist Mobile Health Study.

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Torous, John; Staples, Patrick; Slaters, Linda; Adams, Jared; Sandoval, Luis; Onnela, J P; Keshavan, Matcheri

2017-08-04

Despite growing interest in smartphone apps for schizophrenia, little is known about how these apps are utilized in the real world. Understanding how app users are engaging with these tools outside of the confines of traditional clinical studies offers an important information on who is most likely to use apps and what type of data they are willing to share. The Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America, in partnership with Self Care Catalyst, has created a smartphone app for schizophrenia that is free and publically available on both Apple iTunes and Google Android Play stores. We analyzed user engagement data from this app across its medication tracking, mood tracking, and symptom tracking features from August 16 th 2015 to January 1 st 2017 using the R programming language. We included all registered app users in our analysis with reported ages less than 100. We analyzed a total of 43,451 mood, medication and symptom entries from 622 registered users, and excluded a single patient with a reported age of 114. Seventy one percent of the 622 users tried the mood-tracking feature at least once, 49% the symptom tracking feature, and 36% the medication-tracking feature. The mean number of uses of the mood feature was two, the symptom feature 10, and the medication feature 14. However, a small subset of users were very engaged with the app and the top 10 users for each feature accounted for 35% or greater of all entries for that feature. We find that user engagement follows a power law distribution for each feature, and this fit was largely invariant when stratifying for age or gender. Engagement with this app for schizophrenia was overall low, but similar to prior naturalistic studies for mental health app use in other diseases. The low rate of engagement in naturalistic settings, compared to higher rates of use in clinical studies, suggests the importance of clinical involvement as one factor in driving engagement for mental health apps. Power law

Comparison of the antidepressant effects of venlafaxine and dosulepin in a naturalistic setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bukh, Jens Drachmann; Jørgensen, Martin Balslev; Dam, Henrik

2009-01-01

practice. This study sought to evaluate in a naturalistic setting the treatment outcomes of dosulepin and venlafaxine for patients with depressive episodes. At the university hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 1998 and early 2001, the first-line treatment for psychiatric inpatients with depression...... was dosulepin; after that time, venlafaxine was the first-line medication. We compared the treatment outcomes among inpatients during the respective periods. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome parameters between the two groups. A tendency in favour of dosulepin confirmed by a post...... because of an underpowered design) after replacing dosulepin with venlafaxine as first-line drug for depression in a naturalistic inpatient setting....

Re-evaluating concepts of biological function in clinical medicine: towards a new naturalistic theory of disease.

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Chin-Yee, Benjamin; Upshur, Ross E G

2017-08-01

Naturalistic theories of disease appeal to concepts of biological function, and use the notion of dysfunction as the basis of their definitions. Debates in the philosophy of biology demonstrate how attributing functions in organisms and establishing the function-dysfunction distinction is by no means straightforward. This problematization of functional ascription has undermined naturalistic theories and led some authors to abandon the concept of dysfunction, favoring instead definitions based in normative criteria or phenomenological approaches. Although this work has enhanced our understanding of disease and illness, we need not necessarily abandon naturalistic concepts of function and dysfunction in the disease debate. This article attempts to move towards a new naturalistic theory of disease that overcomes the limitations of previous definitions and offers advantages in the clinical setting. Our approach involves a re-evaluation of concepts of biological function employed by naturalistic theories. Drawing on recent insights from the philosophy of biology, we develop a contextual and evaluative account of function that is better suited to clinical medicine and remains consistent with contemporary naturalism. We also show how an updated naturalistic view shares important affinities with normativist and phenomenological positions, suggesting a possibility for consilience in the disease debate.

Czy naturalistyczna etyka jest możliwa? (Is Naturalistic Ethics Possible?

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Artur Szutta

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The paper concerns the possibility of naturalistic ethics. It seems that ethics properly understood must be described as a discipline necessarily focused on evaluation of human action, analyzed in the light of its moral value. Such evaluation, in turn, presupposes an agent who is responsible for his or her actions. The possibility of so understood agent seems not to be possible without agent’s being capable of self-determination in action. According to the naturalistic thesis, however, such freedom is impossible; all human action is causally determined, with no place for ‘sui generis’ causation, and such a thesis must be interpreted as excluding the possibility of responsibility for one’s action. If so, then the concept of naturalistic ethics seems contradictory. Nonetheless, some authors (ex. H. Frankfurt and D. Dennett try to show that the concept of moral responsibility (so crucial to ethics does not necessarily entail freedom understood as ‘sui generis’ causation, and therefore it is compatible with determinism. In this paper I analyze their argumentation with the purpose to assess its conclusiveness. The conclusion I reach is that responsibility postulated by Frankfurt or Dennett is to be understood as merely epiphenomenal, as such it must be treated more like an illusion than a real property of human beings. Therefore, the thesis that naturalistic ethics is a contradictory concept seems to maintain its soundness.

"An aristocracy of talent": the South Carolina physician-naturalists and their times.

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Bryan, Charles S; Whitehead, A Weaver

2014-01-01

During the natural history movement of the 18th and early 19th centuries, Charleston as a center was rivaled in the United States only by Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. Prominent physician-naturalists included Alexander Garden (for whom the gardenia is named), John Edwards Holbrook ("father of American herpetology"), and Francis Peyre Porcher (whose Resources of Southern Fields and Forests helped Confederates compensate for drug shortages). The Charleston physician-naturalists belonged to an "aristocracy of talent" as distinguished from the "aristocracy of wealth" of lowcountry planters, who probably did more than any other group to perpetuate slavery and propel the South toward a disastrous civil war. None of the physician-naturalists actively opposed slavery or secession, a reminder that we are all prisoners of the prevailing paradigms and prejudices of our times.

Temporal integration windows for naturalistic visual sequences.

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Scott L Fairhall

Full Text Available There is increasing evidence that the brain possesses mechanisms to integrate incoming sensory information as it unfolds over time-periods of 2-3 seconds. The ubiquity of this mechanism across modalities, tasks, perception and production has led to the proposal that it may underlie our experience of the subjective present. A critical test of this claim is that this phenomenon should be apparent in naturalistic visual experiences. We tested this using movie-clips as a surrogate for our day-to-day experience, temporally scrambling them to require (re- integration within and beyond the hypothesized 2-3 second interval. Two independent experiments demonstrate a step-wise increase in the difficulty to follow stimuli at the hypothesized 2-3 second scrambling condition. Moreover, only this difference could not be accounted for by low-level visual properties. This provides the first evidence that this 2-3 second integration window extends to complex, naturalistic visual sequences more consistent with our experience of the subjective present.

Canadian Consumer Food Safety Practices and Knowledge: Foodbook Study.

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Murray, Regan; Glass-Kaastra, Shiona; Gardhouse, Christine; Marshall, Barbara; Ciampa, Nadia; Franklin, Kristyn; Hurst, Matt; Thomas, M Kate; Nesbitt, Andrea

2017-10-01

Understanding consumers' food safety practices and knowledge supports food safety education for the prevention of foodborne illness. The objective of this study was to describe Canadian consumer food safety practices and knowledge. This study identifies demographic groups for targeted food safety education messaging and establishes a baseline measurement to assess the effectiveness of food safety interventions over time. Questions regarding consumer food safety practices and knowledge were included in a population-based telephone survey, Foodbook, conducted from November 2014 to March 2015. The results were analyzed nationally by age group and by gender. The results showed that approximately 90% of Canadians reported taking the recommended cleaning and separating precautions when handling raw meat to prevent foodborne illness. Only 29% of respondents reported using a food thermometer when cooking any meat, and even fewer (12%) reported using a food thermometer for small cuts of meat such as chicken pieces. The majority (>80%) of Canadians were aware of the foodborne illness risks related to chicken and hamburger, but fewer (poultry.

Canadian Council for Area Studies Learned Societies - 2007-2008 ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

CCASLS) ... for four area studies associations: the Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS); the ... IDRC invites applications for the IDRC Doctoral Research Awards ... Canada can learn from Uganda's gender budgeting experience.

Canadian National Dairy Study: Herd-level milk quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauman, C A; Barkema, H W; Dubuc, J; Keefe, G P; Kelton, D F

2018-03-01

The objective of this study was to estimate Canadian national milk quality parameters and estimate the bulk tank milk (BTM) prevalence of 4 mastitis pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Mycoplasma bovis, and Prototheca spp., on Canadian dairy farms. A questionnaire was sent to all Canadian dairy producers. Of the 1,062 producers who completed the questionnaire, 374 producers from across the country were visited and milking hygiene was assessed. Farm-level milk quality data for all Canadian dairy producers was collected from the provincial marketing boards and combined with the questionnaire and farm visit data. In addition, a BTM sample was collected either during the farm visit or by the marketing board in November of 2015 and was tested for 4 major mastitis pathogens using the PathoProof Mastitis Major 4 PCR Assay (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Waltham, MA). Apparent herd-level prevalence was 46% for S. aureus, 6% for Prototheca spp., 0% for M. bovis, and 0% for Strep. agalactiae. Due to the low prevalence of M. bovis and Strep. agalactiae and a lack of significant factors associated with farms testing positive for Prototheca spp., an association analysis could only be carried out for Staph. aureus-positive farms. Factors associated with Staph. aureus-positive farms were not fore-stripping cows before milking (odds ratio = 1.87), milking with a pipeline system (odds ratio = 2.21), and stall bases made of a rubberized surface (mats and mattresses), whereas protective factors were using blanket dry cow therapy (odds ratio = 0.49) and applying a tag or visible mark on cows known to have chronic mastitis infections (odds ratio = 0.45). The Canadian national production-weighted geometric mean somatic cell count was determined to be 208,000 cells/mL. This is the first national dairy study conducted in Canada. Participating farms had higher milk yield; were more likely to have a loose housing system, parlor, or automated milking system; and had

Road Safety Data, Collection, Transfer and Analysis DaCoTa. Workpackage 6, Driver Behaviour Monitoring through Naturalistic Driving: Deliverable 6.5: Naturalistic Driving for cross-national monitoring of SPIs and Exposure : an overview.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wegman, R.W.N. & Bos, N.M.

2015-01-01

WP6 of DaCoTA, Driver Behaviour Monitoring through Naturalistic Driving, focuses on the usefulness and feasibility of applying the Naturalistic Driving method for monitoring within the framework of ERSO. The aim is to continuously collect comparable information about the road safety level in EU

Mental health concerns among Canadian physicians: results from the 2007-2008 Canadian Physician Health Study.

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Compton, Michael T; Frank, Erica

2011-01-01

In light of prior reports on the prevalence of stress, depression, and other mental health problems among physicians in training and practice, we examined the mental health concerns of Canadian physicians using data from the 2007-2008 Canadian Physician Health Study. Among 3213 respondents, 5 variables (depressive symptoms during the past year, anhedonia in the past year, mental health concerns making it difficult to handle one's workload in the past month, problems with work-life balance, and poor awareness of resources for mental health problems) were examined in relation to sex, specialty, practice type (solo practice vs group or other practice settings), and practice setting (inner city, urban/suburban, or rural/small town/remote). Nearly one quarter of physicians reported a 2-week period of depressed mood, and depression was more common among female physicians and general practitioners/family physicians. Anhedonia was reported by one fifth; anesthesiologists were most likely to report anhedonia, followed by general practitioners/family physicians. More than one quarter reported mental health concerns making it difficult to handle their workload, which was more common among female physicians and general practitioners/family physicians and psychiatrists. Nearly one quarter reported poor work-life balance. Lack of familiarity with mental health resources was problematic, which was more prominent among female physicians and specialists outside of general practice/family medicine or psychiatry. Mental health concerns are relatively common among Canadian physicians. Training programs and programmatic/policy enhancements should redouble efforts to address depression and other mental health concerns among physicians for the benefit of the workforce and patients served by Canadian physicians. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An open-label naturalistic pilot study of acamprosate in youth with autistic disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Craig A; Early, Maureen; Stigler, Kimberly A; Wink, Logan K; Mullett, Jennifer E; McDougle, Christopher J

2011-12-01

To date, placebo-controlled drug trials targeting the core social impairment of autistic disorder (autism) have had uniformly negative results. Given this, the search for new potentially novel agents targeting the core social impairment of autism continues. Acamprosate is U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to treat alcohol dependence. The drug likely impacts both gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate neurotransmission. This study describes our initial open-label experience with acamprosate targeting social impairment in youth with autism. In this naturalistic report, five of six youth (mean age, 9.5 years) were judged treatment responders to acamprosate (mean dose 1,110 mg/day) over 10 to 30 weeks (mean duration, 20 weeks) of treatment. Acamprosate was well tolerated with only mild gastrointestinal adverse effects noted in three (50%) subjects.

Does Joshua Greene’s Dual Process Theory of Moral Judgment Commit the Naturalistic Fallacy?

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Javier Gracia Calandín

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In this article I analyse whether Joshua Greene’s dual process theory of moral judgment commits the naturalistic fallacy. Firstly, and against current authors such as Patricia S. Churchland, I uphold the validity of the naturalistic fallacy denounced by Moore for more than a century. Secondly, I highlight and question Greene’s naturalized way of understanding Deontologism. Thirdly, I assert the distinction between "neural basis" and "moral foundation" as the key to avoid committing the naturalistic fallacy. Finally and according to that key distinction I assess Greene’s neuroethical approach and I analyse some of its most critical aspects related to normative issues.

Investigating gaze of children with ASD in naturalistic settings.

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Basilio Noris

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Visual behavior is known to be atypical in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD. Monitor-based eye-tracking studies have measured several of these atypicalities in individuals with Autism. While atypical behaviors are known to be accentuated during natural interactions, few studies have been made on gaze behavior in natural interactions. In this study we focused on i whether the findings done in laboratory settings are also visible in a naturalistic interaction; ii whether new atypical elements appear when studying visual behavior across the whole field of view. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Ten children with ASD and ten typically developing children participated in a dyadic interaction with an experimenter administering items from the Early Social Communication Scale (ESCS. The children wore a novel head-mounted eye-tracker, measuring gaze direction and presence of faces across the child's field of view. The analysis of gaze episodes to faces revealed that children with ASD looked significantly less and for shorter lapses of time at the experimenter. The analysis of gaze patterns across the child's field of view revealed that children with ASD looked downwards and made more extensive use of their lateral field of view when exploring the environment. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The data gathered in naturalistic settings confirm findings previously obtained only in monitor-based studies. Moreover, the study allowed to observe a generalized strategy of lateral gaze in children with ASD when they were looking at the objects in their environment.

Cognitive aspects of sexual functioning: differences between East Asian-Canadian and Euro-Canadian women.

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Morton, Heather; Gorzalka, Boris B

2013-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the sexual beliefs of female undergraduates, as well as the thoughts they experience during sexual experiences. The study aimed to determine potential differences in these variables between East Asian-Canadians and Euro-Canadians, as well as the influence of acculturation on these variables. In addition, the relationships between sexual beliefs, automatic thoughts, and specific aspects of sexual functioning were examined. Euro-Canadian (n = 77) and East Asian-Canadian (n = 123) undergraduate women completed the Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire, the Sexual Modes Questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index, and the Vancouver Index of Acculturation. East Asian women endorsed almost all sexual beliefs assessed in this study more than did Euro-Canadian women, and endorsement of these beliefs was associated with acculturation. In addition, East Asian-Canadian and Euro-Canadian women differed in the frequency of experiencing negative automatic thoughts. Results also revealed associations between difficulties in sexual functioning, and both sexual beliefs and automatic thoughts. Together, these results provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that differences in cognitive aspects of sexuality may underlie the differences in sexual functioning previously observed between these two groups.

Recurrence of panic disorder during pregnancy: a 7-year naturalistic follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dannon, Pinhas N; Iancu, Iulian; Lowengrub, Katherine; Grunhaus, Leon; Kotler, Moshe

2006-01-01

The aim of this naturalistic follow-up study was to examine the effect of pregnancy as a predicting factor of relapse in patients with panic disorder (PD). Eighty-five female patients with PD (between the ages of 20 and 35 years) were included in this study. They were divided into 2 groups based on whether the onset of PD had been during pregnancy (PD-pregnancy [PD-P]) or whether the onset of PD had been while not pregnant (PD-nonpregnant [PD-NP]). Patients were treated with paroxetine up to 40 mg/day for 12 months, and the full responders were tapered off their medication and were monitored for an additional 6 years. Treatment response was assessed using the Panic Self-Questionnaire (PSQ) with full response being defined as "0" panic attacks. Assessments using the PSQ were made at baseline and every 4 weeks for the first twelve months. During the 6-year drug-free follow-up period, patients were assessed using the PSQ every 3 months. Relapse was defined as the occurrence of a panic attack in any phase of the study. The effect of group membership (PD-P vs. PD-NP) and new pregnancies as risk factors for relapse were explored. Sixty-eight patients completed the 6-year follow-up, and each of the study groups (PD-P and PD-NP) was composed of 34 patients. Twenty-six of 34 (76.6%) patients in the PD-P group had another pregnancy, and 15/26 (57%) in this group experienced a relapse during the subsequent pregnancy. Three of 8 (37%) PD-P patients experienced a relapse without pregnancy. Among the second group (PD-NP), 18/34 (52.9%) became pregnant and 8/18 (44.4%) experienced a relapse at the time of pregnancy, whereas 4/16 (25%) experienced a relapse while not pregnant. Patients who relapsed during pregnancy had a more severe relapse (as defined by the severity of the PSQ score) compared with nonpregnant relapsers. Our naturalistic follow-up study demonstrated that pregnancy might confer an increased risk of relapse in PD. Moreover, when compared with patients who develop

Mind-wandering and alterations to default mode network connectivity when listening to naturalistic versus artificial sounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Gould van Praag, Cassandra D; Garfinkel, Sarah N; Sparasci, Oliver; Mees, Alex; Philippides, Andrew O; Ware, Mark; Ottaviani, Cristina; Critchley, Hugo D

2017-03-27

Naturalistic environments have been demonstrated to promote relaxation and wellbeing. We assess opposing theoretical accounts for these effects through investigation of autonomic arousal and alterations of activation and functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) of the brain while participants listened to sounds from artificial and natural environments. We found no evidence for increased DMN activity in the naturalistic compared to artificial or control condition, however, seed based functional connectivity showed a shift from anterior to posterior midline functional coupling in the naturalistic condition. These changes were accompanied by an increase in peak high frequency heart rate variability, indicating an increase in parasympathetic activity in the naturalistic condition in line with the Stress Recovery Theory of nature exposure. Changes in heart rate and the peak high frequency were correlated with baseline functional connectivity within the DMN and baseline parasympathetic tone respectively, highlighting the importance of individual neural and autonomic differences in the response to nature exposure. Our findings may help explain reported health benefits of exposure to natural environments, through identification of alterations to autonomic activity and functional coupling within the DMN when listening to naturalistic sounds.

Short-Term Cognitive-Behavioural Group Treatment for Hoarding Disorder: A Naturalistic Treatment Outcome Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Moulding, Richard; Nedeljkovic, Maja; Kyrios, Michael; Osborne, Debra; Mogan, Christopher

2017-01-01

The study aim was to test whether a 12-week publically rebated group programme, based upon Steketee and Frost's Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based hoarding treatment, would be efficacious in a community-based setting. Over a 3-year period, 77 participants with clinically significant hoarding were recruited into 12 group programmes. All completed treatment; however, as this was a community-based naturalistic study, only 41 completed the post-treatment assessment. Treatment included psychoeducation about hoarding, skills training for organization and decision making, direct in-session exposure to sorting and discarding, and cognitive and behavioural techniques to support out-of-session sorting and discarding, and nonacquiring. Self-report measures used to assess treatment effect were the Savings Inventory-Revised (SI-R), Savings Cognition Inventory, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales. Pre-post analyses indicated that after 12 weeks of treatment, hoarding symptoms as measured on the SI-R had reduced significantly, with large effect sizes reported in total and across all subscales. Moderate effect sizes were also reported for hoarding-related beliefs (emotional attachment and responsibility) and depressive symptoms. Of the 41 participants who completed post-treatment questionnaires, 14 (34%) were conservatively calculated to have clinically significant change, which is considerable given the brevity of the programme judged against the typical length of the disorder. The main limitation of the study was the moderate assessment completion rate, given its naturalistic setting. This study demonstrated that a 12-week group treatment for hoarding disorders was effective in reducing hoarding and depressive symptoms in an Australian clinical cohort and provides evidence for use of this treatment approach in a community setting. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. A 12-week group programme delivered in a community setting was effective for helping with

Breast cancer incidence and mortality in the Canadian fluoroscopy study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howe, G.R.

1993-03-01

This report describes the formation of the National Cancer Incidence Reporting System in a data base format suitable for computerized record linkage, and the linkage of the data from the Canadian study of cancer following multiple fluoroscopies to that database and to the Canadian National Mortality Data Base between 1940 and 1987. A comprehensive statistical analysis of the breast cancer mortality data occurring among female members of the cohort between 1950 and 1987 with respect to exposure to low-LET radiation is reported, together with a parallel analysis of the breast cancer incidence data between 1975 and 1983. The Canadian fluoroscopy study is a cohort study of tuberculosis patients first treated in Canadian institutions between 1930 and 1952. The present mortality analysis relates to the breast cancer mortality experience between 1950 and 1987. A total of 677 deaths from breast cancer was observed in this period. The most appropriate dose-response relationship appears to be a simple linear one. There is a strong modifying influence of age at first exposure; women first exposed past the age of 30 have little excess risk due to radiation exposure. The breast cancer incidence analysis is based upon 628 cases observed between 1975 and 1983. Again a simple linear model appears to provide an adequate fit to the data. There is a suggestion of time dependency under the additive model, but this is not statistically significant. The results from this latest analysis continue to be reassuring in terms of radiation risk from mammography. (L.L.) 15 refs., figs., tabs

“An Aristocracy of Talent”: The South Carolina Physician-Naturalists and their Times

Science.gov (United States)

Bryan, Charles S.; Whitehead, A. Weaver

2014-01-01

During the natural history movement of the 18th and early 19th centuries, Charleston as a center was rivaled in the United States only by Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. Prominent physician-naturalists included Alexander Garden (for whom the gardenia is named), John Edwards Holbrook (“father of American herpetology”), and Francis Peyre Porcher (whose Resources of Southern Fields and Forests helped Confederates compensate for drug shortages). The Charleston physician-naturalists belonged to an “aristocracy of talent” as distinguished from the “aristocracy of wealth” of lowcountry planters, who probably did more than any other group to perpetuate slavery and propel the South toward a disastrous civil war. None of the physician-naturalists actively opposed slavery or secession, a reminder that we are all prisoners of the prevailing paradigms and prejudices of our times. PMID:25125748

Canadian attitudes to nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, J.E.O.

1977-01-01

In the past ten years, public interest in nuclear power and its relationship to the environment has grown. Although most Canadians have accepted nuclear power as a means of generating electricity, there is significant opposition to its use. This opposition has effectively forced the Canadian nuclear industry to modify its behaviour to the public in the face of growing concern over the safety of nuclear power and related matters. The paper reviews Canadian experience concerning public acceptance of nuclear power, with special reference to the public information activities of the Canadian nuclear industry. Experience has shown the need for scientific social data that will permit the nuclear industry to involve the public in a rational examination of its concern about nuclear power. The Canadian Nuclear Association sponsored such studies in 1976 and the findings are discussed. They consisted of a national assessment of public attitudes, two regional studies and a study of Canadian policy-makers' views on nuclear energy. The social data obtained were of a base-line nature describing Canadian perceptions of and attitudes to nuclear power at that time. This research established that Canadian levels of knowledge about nuclear power are very low and that there are marked regional differences. Only 56% of the population have the minimum knowledge required to indicate that they know that nuclear power can be used to generate electricity. Nevertheless, 21% of informed Canadians oppose nuclear power primarily on the grounds that it is not safe. Radiation and waste management are seen to be major disadvantages. In perspective, Canadians are more concerned with inflation than with the energy supply. About half of all Canadians see the question of energy supplies as a future problem (within five years), not a present one. A more important aspect of energy is seen by the majority of Canadians to be some form of energy independence. The use of data from these studies is no easy

"My appointment received the sanction of the Admiralty": why Charles Darwin really was the naturalist on HMS Beagle.

Science.gov (United States)

van Wyhe, John

2013-09-01

For decades historians of science and science writers in general have maintained that Charles Darwin was not the 'naturalist' or 'official naturalist' during the 1831-1836 surveying voyage of HMS Beagle but instead Captain Robert FitzRoy's 'companion', 'gentleman companion' or 'dining companion'. That is, Darwin was primarily the captain's social companion and only secondarily and unofficially naturalist. Instead, it is usually maintained, the ship's surgeon Robert McCormick was the official naturalist because this was the default or official practice at the time. Although these views have been repeated in countless accounts of Darwin's life, this essay aims to show that they are incorrect. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Prospective Naturalistic Contact on the Stigma of Mental Illness

Science.gov (United States)

Couture, Shannon M.; Penn, David L.

2006-01-01

The primary aim of this study was to determine whether naturalistic, interpersonal contact with persons with a severe mental illness (SMI) could reduce stigma. Participants from the agency Compeer (which pairs volunteers with people with SMI) were compared to volunteers from a control agency and to nonvolunteer participants from the community on…

Creation of the Naturalistic Engagement in Secondary Tasks (NEST) distracted driving dataset.

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, Justin M; Angell, Linda; Hankey, Jonathan M; Foley, James; Ebe, Kazutoshi

2015-09-01

Distracted driving has become a topic of critical importance to driving safety research over the past several decades. Naturalistic driving data offer a unique opportunity to study how drivers engage with secondary tasks in real-world driving; however, the complexities involved with identifying and coding relevant epochs of naturalistic data have limited its accessibility to the general research community. This project was developed to help address this problem by creating an accessible dataset of driver behavior and situational factors observed during distraction-related safety-critical events and baseline driving epochs, using the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) naturalistic dataset. The new NEST (Naturalistic Engagement in Secondary Tasks) dataset was created using crashes and near-crashes from the SHRP2 dataset that were identified as including secondary task engagement as a potential contributing factor. Data coding included frame-by-frame video analysis of secondary task and hands-on-wheel activity, as well as summary event information. In addition, information about each secondary task engagement within the trip prior to the crash/near-crash was coded at a higher level. Data were also coded for four baseline epochs and trips per safety-critical event. 1,180 events and baseline epochs were coded, and a dataset was constructed. The project team is currently working to determine the most useful way to allow broad public access to the dataset. We anticipate that the NEST dataset will be extraordinarily useful in allowing qualified researchers access to timely, real-world data concerning how drivers interact with secondary tasks during safety-critical events and baseline driving. The coded dataset developed for this project will allow future researchers to have access to detailed data on driver secondary task engagement in the real world. It will be useful for standalone research, as well as for integration with additional SHRP2 data to enable the

Differences in Anticipatory Behaviour between Rats (Rattus norvegicus) Housed in Standard versus Semi-Naturalistic Laboratory Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Makowska, I Joanna; Weary, Daniel M

2016-01-01

Laboratory rats are usually kept in relatively small cages, but research has shown that they prefer larger and more complex environments. The physiological, neurological and health effects of standard laboratory housing are well established, but fewer studies have addressed the sustained emotional impact of a standard cage environment. One method of assessing affective states in animals is to look at the animals' anticipatory behaviour between the presentation of a cue signalling the arrival of a reward and the arrival of that reward. The primary aim of this study was to use anticipatory behaviour to assess the affective state experienced by female rats a) reared and housed long-term in a standard laboratory cage versus a semi-naturalistic environment, and b) before and after treatment with an antidepressant or an anxiolytic. A secondary aim was to add to the literature on anticipatory behaviour by describing and comparing the frequency and duration of individual elements of anticipatory behaviour displayed by rats reared in these two systems. In all experiments, total behavioural frequency was higher in standard-housed rats compared to rats from the semi-naturalistic condition, suggesting that standard-housed rats were more sensitive to rewards and experiencing poorer welfare than rats reared in the semi-naturalistic environment. What rats did in anticipation of the reward also differed between housing treatments, with standard-housed rats mostly rearing and rats from the semi-naturalistic condition mostly sitting facing the direction of the upcoming treat. Drug interventions had no effect on the quantity or form of anticipatory behaviour, suggesting that the poorer welfare experienced by standard-housed rats was not analogous to depression or anxiety, or alternatively that the drug interventions were ineffective. This study adds to mounting evidence that standard laboratory housing for rats compromises rat welfare, and provides further scientific support for

Differences in Anticipatory Behaviour between Rats (Rattus norvegicus Housed in Standard versus Semi-Naturalistic Laboratory Environments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Joanna Makowska

Full Text Available Laboratory rats are usually kept in relatively small cages, but research has shown that they prefer larger and more complex environments. The physiological, neurological and health effects of standard laboratory housing are well established, but fewer studies have addressed the sustained emotional impact of a standard cage environment. One method of assessing affective states in animals is to look at the animals' anticipatory behaviour between the presentation of a cue signalling the arrival of a reward and the arrival of that reward. The primary aim of this study was to use anticipatory behaviour to assess the affective state experienced by female rats a reared and housed long-term in a standard laboratory cage versus a semi-naturalistic environment, and b before and after treatment with an antidepressant or an anxiolytic. A secondary aim was to add to the literature on anticipatory behaviour by describing and comparing the frequency and duration of individual elements of anticipatory behaviour displayed by rats reared in these two systems. In all experiments, total behavioural frequency was higher in standard-housed rats compared to rats from the semi-naturalistic condition, suggesting that standard-housed rats were more sensitive to rewards and experiencing poorer welfare than rats reared in the semi-naturalistic environment. What rats did in anticipation of the reward also differed between housing treatments, with standard-housed rats mostly rearing and rats from the semi-naturalistic condition mostly sitting facing the direction of the upcoming treat. Drug interventions had no effect on the quantity or form of anticipatory behaviour, suggesting that the poorer welfare experienced by standard-housed rats was not analogous to depression or anxiety, or alternatively that the drug interventions were ineffective. This study adds to mounting evidence that standard laboratory housing for rats compromises rat welfare, and provides further

Human mesostriatal response tracks motivational tendencies under naturalistic goal conflict

Science.gov (United States)

Gonen, Tal; Soreq, Eyal; Eldar, Eran; Ben-Simon, Eti; Raz, Gal

2016-01-01

Goal conflict situations, involving the simultaneous presence of reward and punishment, occur commonly in real life, and reflect well-known individual differences in the behavioral tendency to approach or avoid. However, despite accumulating neural depiction of motivational processing, the investigation of naturalistic approach behavior and its interplay with individual tendencies is remarkably lacking. We developed a novel ecological interactive scenario which triggers motivational behavior under high or low goal conflict conditions. Fifty-five healthy subjects played the game during a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. A machine-learning approach was applied to classify approach/avoidance behaviors during the game. To achieve an independent measure of individual tendencies, an integrative profile was composed from three established theoretical models. Results demonstrated that approach under high relative to low conflict involved increased activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), peri-aquaductal gray, ventral striatum (VS) and precuneus. Notably, only VS and VTA activations during high conflict discriminated between approach/avoidance personality profiles, suggesting that the relationship between individual personality and naturalistic motivational tendencies is uniquely associated with the mesostriatal pathway. VTA–VS further demonstrated stronger coupling during high vs low conflict. These findings are the first to unravel the multilevel relationship among personality profile, approach tendencies in naturalistic set-up and their underlying neural manifestation, thus enabling new avenues for investigating approach-related psychopathologies. PMID:26833917

Western University (No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital and No. 14 Canadian General Hospital): a study of medical volunteerism in the First World War.

Science.gov (United States)

Istl, Alexandra C; McAlister, Vivian C

2016-12-01

The Canadian government depended on chaotic civilian volunteerism to staff a huge medical commitment during the First World War. Offers from Canadian universities to raise, staff and equip hospitals for deployment, initially rejected, were incrementally accepted as casualties mounted. When its offer was accepted in 1916, Western University Hospital quickly adopted military decorum and equipped itself using Canadian Red Cross Commission guidelines. Staff of the No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital and the No. 14 Canadian General Hospital retained excellent morale throughout the war despite heavy medical demand, poor conditions, aerial bombardment and external medical politics. The overwhelming majority of volunteers were Canadian-born and educated. The story of the hospital's commanding officer, Edwin Seaborn, is examined to understand the background upon which the urge to volunteer in the First World War was based. Although many Western volunteers came from British stock, they promoted Canadian independence. A classical education and a broad range of interests outside of medicine, including biology, history and native Canadian culture, were features that Seaborn shared with other leaders in Canadian medicine, such as William Osler, who also volunteered quickly in the First World War.

Motivational Climate and Fundamental Motor Skill Performance in a Naturalistic Physical Education Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Ellen H.; Rudisill, Mary E.; Hastie, Peter A.

2009-01-01

Background: The literature on motivation suggests that student learning and performance is influenced by the motivational climate, and that positive benefits can be derived from exposure to a mastery motivational climate. Nonetheless, to date, only a few studies have attempted to investigate a mastery motivational climate in a naturalistic setting…

Philosophy of biology: naturalistic or transcendental?

Science.gov (United States)

Kolen, Filip; Van de Vijver, Gertrudis

2007-01-01

The aim of this article is to clarify the meaning of a naturalistic position within philosophy of biology, against the background of an alternative view, founded on the basic insights of transcendental philosophy. It is argued that the apparently minimal and neutral constraints naturalism imposes on philosophy of science turn out to involve a quite heavily constraining metaphysics, due to the naturalism's fundamental neglect of its own perspective. Because of its intrinsic sensitivity to perspectivity and historicity, transcendental philosophy can avoid this type of hidden metaphysics.

Canadian prediction equations of spirometric lung function for Caucasian adults 20 to 90 years of age: Results from the Canadian Obstructive Lung Disease (COLD) study and the Lung Health Canadian Environment (LHCE) study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tan, Wan C; Bourbeau, J; Hernandez, P

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: Currently, no reference or normative values for spirometry based on a randomly selected Canadian population exist. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present analysis was to construct spirometric reference values for Canadian adults 20 to 90 years of age by combining data collected from health...

Cardiovascular Reactivity During Marital Conflict in Laboratory and Naturalistic Settings: Differential Associations with Relationship and Individual Functioning Across Contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Baucom, Brian R W; Baucom, Katherine J W; Hogan, Jasara N; Crenshaw, Alexander O; Bourne, Stacia V; Crowell, Sheila E; Georgiou, Panayiotis; Goodwin, Matthew S

2018-03-25

Cardiovascular reactivity during spousal conflict is considered to be one of the main pathways for relationship distress to impact physical, mental, and relationship health. However, the magnitude of association between cardiovascular reactivity during laboratory marital conflict and relationship functioning is small and inconsistent given the scope of its importance in theoretical models of intimate relationships. This study tests the possibility that cardiovascular data collected in laboratory settings downwardly bias the magnitude of these associations when compared to measures obtained in naturalistic settings. Ambulatory cardiovascular reactivity data were collected from 20 couples during two relationship conflicts in a research laboratory, two planned relationship conflicts at couples' homes, and two spontaneous relationship conflicts during couples' daily lives. Associations between self-report measures of relationship functioning, individual functioning, and cardiovascular reactivity across settings are tested using multilevel models. Cardiovascular reactivity was significantly larger during planned and spontaneous relationship conflicts in naturalistic settings than during planned relationship conflicts in the laboratory. Similarly, associations with relationship and individual functioning variables were statistically significantly larger for cardiovascular data collected in naturalistic settings than the same data collected in the laboratory. Our findings suggest that cardiovascular reactivity during spousal conflict in naturalistic settings is statistically significantly different from that elicited in laboratory settings both in magnitude and in the pattern of associations with a wide range of inter- and intrapersonal variables. These differences in findings across laboratory and naturalistic physiological responses highlight the value of testing physiological phenomena across interaction contexts in romantic relationships. © 2018 Family Process

Does Joshua Greene’s Dual Process Theory of Moral Judgment Commit the Naturalistic Fallacy?

OpenAIRE

Javier Gracia Calandín

2017-01-01

In this article I analyse whether Joshua Greene’s dual process theory of moral judgment commits the naturalistic fallacy. Firstly, and against current authors such as Patricia S. Churchland, I uphold the validity of the naturalistic fallacy denounced by Moore for more than a century. Secondly, I highlight and question Greene’s naturalized way of understanding Deontologism. Thirdly, I assert the distinction between "neural basis" and "moral foundation" as the key to avoid committing the natura...

Human mesostriatal response tracks motivational tendencies under naturalistic goal conflict.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonen, Tal; Soreq, Eyal; Eldar, Eran; Ben-Simon, Eti; Raz, Gal; Hendler, Talma

2016-06-01

Goal conflict situations, involving the simultaneous presence of reward and punishment, occur commonly in real life, and reflect well-known individual differences in the behavioral tendency to approach or avoid. However, despite accumulating neural depiction of motivational processing, the investigation of naturalistic approach behavior and its interplay with individual tendencies is remarkably lacking. We developed a novel ecological interactive scenario which triggers motivational behavior under high or low goal conflict conditions. Fifty-five healthy subjects played the game during a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. A machine-learning approach was applied to classify approach/avoidance behaviors during the game. To achieve an independent measure of individual tendencies, an integrative profile was composed from three established theoretical models. Results demonstrated that approach under high relative to low conflict involved increased activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), peri-aquaductal gray, ventral striatum (VS) and precuneus. Notably, only VS and VTA activations during high conflict discriminated between approach/avoidance personality profiles, suggesting that the relationship between individual personality and naturalistic motivational tendencies is uniquely associated with the mesostriatal pathway. VTA-VS further demonstrated stronger coupling during high vs low conflict. These findings are the first to unravel the multilevel relationship among personality profile, approach tendencies in naturalistic set-up and their underlying neural manifestation, thus enabling new avenues for investigating approach-related psychopathologies. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The "Canadian" in Canadian Children's Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Bainbridge, Joyce; Wolodko, Brenda

2001-01-01

Notes that a rich body of Canadian children's literature exists that reflects the country's literary and socio-cultural values, beliefs, themes and images, including those of geography, history, language and identity. Discusses how Canadians tend to identify themselves first by region or province and then by nation. (SG)

The Canadian Dollar and the Dutch and Canadian Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serge Coulombe

2013-10-01

Full Text Available With the spectacular rise of the dollar, along with rising natural-resource prices during the first decade of the 21st century, Canadians heard a great deal about Dutch disease. Many politicians and pundits blamed the phenomenon — in which a country’s currency, inflated by rising commodity prices, renders manufacturing exports increasingly uncompetitive — for rising unemployment in the Canadian manufacturing industry. But a close look at what happened during that period reveals that the Dutch disease mechanism was only part of the story. The other part, and quantitatively the most important, is an affliction of an altogether different providence: Canadian disease. Canadian disease is the economic trouble that can be caused by Canada’s extraordinarily heavy reliance on the United States as a trading partner. As a consequence, a sudden depreciation of the U.S, dollar will deteriorate the competitiveness of Canadian manufacturing exporters. Such a phenomenon was at work during the “Great Appreciation” of the Canadian dollar between 2002 and 2008 — the largest such appreciation on record in this country. The depreciation of the U.S. dollar is a phenomenon that is independent of the resource boom and the resulting consequences on the Canadian economy cannot be endorsed to a Dutch disease. Almost 2/3 of the employment losses that are exchange rate related in the trade-exposed manufacturers in Canada during the 2002–2008 period could be attributed to the Canadian disease. The Canadian dollar is partly driven by commodity prices, and the appreciation of the Canadian dollar exerts a negative impact on manufacturing industries that are exposed to international competition. This phenomenon can be coined as a Dutch Affair. The Dutch Affair becomes a disease in the long run when the non-renewable resource is depleted and the manufacturing base is gone. New manufacturing activities might not reappear due to a variety of obstacles. In Canada

Moving Perspectives on Patient Competence: A Naturalistic Case Study in Psychiatry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruissen, A M; Abma, T A; Van Balkom, A J L M; Meynen, G; Widdershoven, G A M

2016-03-01

Patient competence, defined as the ability to reason, appreciate, understand, and express a choice is rarely discussed in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and coercive measures are seldom used. Nevertheless, a psychiatrist of psychologist may doubt whether OCD patients who refuse treatment understand their disease and the consequences of not being treated, which could result in tension between respecting the patient's autonomy and beneficence. The purpose of this article is to develop a notion of competence that is grounded in clinical practice and corresponds with the experiences of patients with obsessions and/or compulsions. We present a naturalistic case study giving both the patient's and the therapist's perspective based on in-depth interviews and a narrative analysis. The case study shows that competence is not merely an assessment by a therapist, but also a co-constructed reality shaped by the experiences and stories of patient and therapist. The patient, a medical student, initially told her story in a restitution narrative, focusing on cognitive rationality. Reconstructing the history of her disease, her story changed into a quest narrative where there was room for emotions, values and moral learning. This fitted well with the therapist's approach, who used motivational interventions with a view to appealing to the patient's responsibility to deal with her condition. We conclude that in practice both the patient and therapist used a quest narrative, approaching competence as the potential for practical reasoning to incorporate values and emotions.

Mind-wandering and alterations to default mode network connectivity when listening to naturalistic versus artificial sounds

OpenAIRE

Gould van Praag, CD; Garfinkel, SN; Sparasci, O; Mees, A; Philippides, AO; Ware, M; Ottaviani, C; Critchley, HD

2017-01-01

Naturalistic environments have been demonstrated to promote relaxation and wellbeing. We assess opposing theoretical accounts for these effects through investigation of autonomic arousal and alterations of activation and functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) of the brain while participants listened to sounds from artificial and natural environments. We found no evidence for increased DMN activity in the naturalistic compared to artificial or control condition, however,...

Rationale, design, and methods for Canadian alliance for healthy hearts and minds cohort study (CAHHM) - a Pan Canadian cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Anand, Sonia S; Tu, Jack V; Awadalla, Philip; Black, Sandra; Boileau, Catherine; Busseuil, David; Desai, Dipika; Després, Jean-Pierre; de Souza, Russell J; Dummer, Trevor; Jacquemont, Sébastien; Knoppers, Bartha; Larose, Eric; Lear, Scott A; Marcotte, Francois; Moody, Alan R; Parker, Louise; Poirier, Paul; Robson, Paula J; Smith, Eric E; Spinelli, John J; Tardif, Jean-Claude; Teo, Koon K; Tusevljak, Natasa; Friedrich, Matthias G

2016-07-27

The Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds (CAHHM) is a pan-Canadian, prospective, multi-ethnic cohort study being conducted in Canada. The overarching objective of the CAHHM is to understand the association of socio-environmental and contextual factors (such as societal structure, activity, nutrition, social and tobacco environments, and access to health services) with cardiovascular risk factors, subclinical vascular disease, and cardiovascular and other chronic disease outcomes. Participants between 35 and 69 years of age are being recruited from existing cohorts and a new First Nations Cohort to undergo a detailed assessment of health behaviours (including diet and physical activity), cognitive function, assessment of their local home and workplace environments, and their health services access and utilization. Physical measures including weight, height, waist/hip circumference, body fat percentage, and blood pressure are collected. In addition, eligible participants undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, heart, carotid artery and abdomen to detect early subclinical vascular disease and ectopic fat deposition. CAHHM is a prospective cohort study designed to investigate the impact of community level factors, individual health behaviours, and access to health services, on cognitive function, subclinical vascular disease, fat distribution, and the development of chronic diseases among adults living in Canada.

Naturalistic rapid deceleration data: Drivers aged 75 years and older

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Chevalier

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The data presented in this article are related to the research manuscript “Predictors of older drivers’ involvement in rapid deceleration events”, which investigates potential predictors of older drivers’ involvement in rapid deceleration events including measures of vision, cognitive function and driving confidence (A. Chevalier et al., 2016 [1]. In naturalistic driving studies such as this, when sample size is not large enough to allow crashes to be used to investigate driver safety, rapid deceleration events may be used as a surrogate safety measure. Naturalistic driving data were collected for up to 52 weeks from 182 volunteer drivers aged 75–94 years (median 80 years, 52% male living in the suburban outskirts of Sydney. Driving data were collected using an in-vehicle monitoring device. Accelerometer data were recorded 32 times per second and Global Positioning System (GPS data each second. To measure rapid deceleration behavior, rapid deceleration events (RDEs were defined as having at least one data point at or above the deceleration threshold of 750 milli-g (7.35 m/s2. All events were constrained to a maximum 5 s duration. The dataset provided with this article contains 473 events, with a row per RDE. This article also contains information about data processing, treatment and quality control. The methods and data presented here may assist with planning and analysis of future studies into rapid deceleration behaviour using in-vehicle monitoring.

Naturalistic assessment of demand for cigarettes, snus, and nicotine gum.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Jeffrey S; Wilson, A George; Koffarnus, Mikhail N; Judd, Michael C; Bickel, Warren K

2017-01-01

Behavioral economic measures of demand provide estimates of tobacco product abuse liability and may predict effects of policy-related price regulation on consumption of existing and emerging tobacco products. In the present study, we examined demand for snus, a smokeless tobacco product, in comparison to both cigarettes and medicinal nicotine. We used both a naturalistic method in which participants purchased these products for use outside the laboratory, as well as laboratory-based self-administration procedures. Cigarette smokers (N = 42) used an experimental income to purchase their usual brand of cigarettes and either snus or gum (only one product available per session) across a range of prices, while receiving all products they purchased from one randomly selected price. In a separate portion of the study, participants self-administered these products during laboratory-based, progressive ratio sessions. Demand elasticity (sensitivity of purchasing to price) was significantly greater for snus than cigarettes. Elasticity for gum was intermediate between snus and cigarettes but was not significantly different than either. Demand intensity (purchasing unconstrained by price) was significantly lower for gum compared to cigarettes, with no significant difference observed between snus and cigarettes. Results of the laboratory-based, progressive ratio sessions were generally discordant with measures of demand elasticity, with significantly higher "breakpoints" for cigarettes compared to gum and no significant differences between other study products. Moreover, breakpoints and product purchasing were generally uncorrelated across tasks. Under naturalistic conditions, snus appears more sensitive to price manipulation than either cigarettes or nicotine gum in existing smokers.

The Differential Effect of Three Naturalistic Language Interventions on Language Use in Children with Autism

Science.gov (United States)

Ingersoll, Brooke

2011-01-01

Naturalistic interventions show promise for improving language in children with autism. Specific interventions differ in direct elicitation of child language and indirect language stimulation, and thus may produce different language outcomes. This study compared the effects of responsive interaction, milieu teaching, and a combined intervention on…

Safety and effectiveness of olanzapine in monotherapy: a multivariate analysis of a naturalistic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciudad, Antonio; Gutiérrez, Miguel; Cañas, Fernando; Gibert, Juan; Gascón, Josep; Carrasco, José-Luis; Bobes, Julio; Gómez, Juan-Carlos; Alvarez, Enrique

2005-07-01

This study investigated safety and effectiveness of olanzapine in monotherapy compared with conventional antipsychotics in treatment of acute inpatients with schizophrenia. This was a prospective, comparative, nonrandomized, open-label, multisite, observational study of Spanish inpatients with an acute episode of schizophrenia. Data included safety assessments with an extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) questionnaire and the report of spontaneous adverse events, plus clinical assessments with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness (CGI-S). A multivariate methodology was used to more adequately determine which factors can influence safety and effectiveness of olanzapine in monotherapy. 339 patients treated with olanzapine in monotherapy (OGm) and 385 patients treated with conventional antipsychotics (CG) were included in the analysis. Treatment-emergent EPS were significantly higher in the CG (pOGm (p=0.005). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the only variable significantly correlated with treatment-emergent EPS and clinical response was treatment strategy, with patients in OGm having 1.5 times the probability of obtaining a clinical response and patients in CG having 5 times the risk of developing EPS. In this naturalistic study olanzapine in monotherapy was better-tolerated and at least as effective as conventional antipsychotics.

Naturalistic validation of an on-road driving test of older drivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, Brian R; Papandonatos, George D; Davis, Jennifer D; Barco, Peggy P

2012-08-01

The objective was to compare a standardized road test to naturalistic driving by older people who may have cognitive impairment to define improvements that could potentially enhance the validity of road testing in this population. Road testing has been widely adapted as a tool to assess driving competence of older people who may be at risk for unsafe driving because of dementia; however, the validity of this approach has not been rigorously evaluated. For 2 weeks, 80 older drivers (38 healthy elders and 42 with cognitive impairment) who passed a standardized road test were video recorded in their own vehicles. Using a standardized rating scale, 4 hr of video was rated by a driving instructor. The authors examine weighting of individual road test items to form global impressions and to compare road test and naturalistic driving using factor analyses of these two assessments. The road test score was unidimensional, reflecting a major factor related to awareness of signage and traffic behavior. Naturalistic driving reflected two factors related to lane keeping as well as traffic behavior. Maintenance of proper lane is an important dimension of driving safety that appears to be relatively underemphasized during the highly supervised procedures of the standardized road test. Road testing in this population could be improved by standardized designs that emphasize lane keeping and that include self-directed driving. Additional information should be sought from observers in the community as well as crash evidence when advising older drivers who may be cognitively impaired.

An inventory of Canadian pregnancy and birth cohort studies: research in progress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joly Marie-Pier

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A web-based inventory was developed as a voluntary registry of Canadian pregnancy and birth cohort studies, with the objective to foster collaboration and sharing of research tools among cohort study groups as a means to enrich research in maternal and child health across Canada. Description Information on existing birth cohort studies conducted in Canada exclusively or as part of broader international initiatives was accessed by searching the literature in PubMed and PsychInfo databases. Additional studies were identified by enquiring about the research activities of researchers at Canadian universities or working in affiliated hospitals or research centres or institutes. Of the fifty-eight birth cohort studies initially identified, forty-six were incorporated into the inventory if they were of a retrospective and/or prospective longitudinal design and with a minimum of two phases of data collection, with the first period having occurred before, during, or shortly after pregnancy and had an initial study sample size of a minimum of 200 participants. Information collected from each study was organized into four main categories: basic information, data source and period of collection, exposures, and outcome measures and was coded and entered into an Excel spreadsheet. The information incorporated into the Excel spreadsheet was double checked, completed when necessary, and verified for completeness and accuracy by contacting the principal investigator or research coordinator. All data collected were then uploaded onto the website of the Institute of Human Development Child and Youth Health of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Subsequently, the database was updated and developed as an online searchable inventory on the website of the Maternal, Infant, Child and Youth Research Network. Conclusions This inventory is unique, as it represents detailed information assembled for the first time on a large number of Canadian

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions: Empirically Validated Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Schreibman, Laura; Dawson, Geraldine; Stahmer, Aubyn C.; Landa, Rebecca; Rogers, Sally J.; McGee, Gail G.; Kasari, Connie; Ingersoll, Brooke; Kaiser, Ann P.; Bruinsma, Yvonne; McNerney, Erin; Wetherby, Amy; Halladay, Alycia

2015-01-01

Earlier autism diagnosis, the importance of early intervention, and development of specific interventions for young children have contributed to the emergence of similar, empirically supported, autism interventions that represent the merging of applied behavioral and developmental sciences. "Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions…

Canadian petroleum industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dagher, J.H.

1969-12-01

This study covers the following Canadian petroleum industry categories: (1) a brief history; (2) the demand for Alberta crude; (3) U.S. oil policies; (4) overseas exploration; (5) the national oil policy; (6) the Montreal pipeline and its targets; (7) a continental oil policy; and (8) the impact of Arctic reserves. It is noted that large potential benefits will improve from the Manhattan navigating the Northwest Passage. Without prejudging the analysis now applied to the information gathered on this voyage, the Manhattan has greatly contributed to the solution of the problem of access to the Arctic islands. The picture for natural gas is less fraught with uncertainties. Unlike oil, where domestic and international considerations may weigh in U.S. policy decision, Canadian natural gas is likely to be allowed to enjoy its full economic potential in bridging the foreseeable U.S. supply gap and, inasmuch as this potential is ultimately tied with that for crude oil markets, the anticipated U.S. needs for Canadian natural gas may be expected to enhance U.S. interest in the overall well-being of the Canadian petroleum industry.

Rationale, design, and methods for Canadian alliance for healthy hearts and minds cohort study (CAHHM – a Pan Canadian cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia S. Anand

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds (CAHHM is a pan-Canadian, prospective, multi-ethnic cohort study being conducted in Canada. The overarching objective of the CAHHM is to understand the association of socio-environmental and contextual factors (such as societal structure, activity, nutrition, social and tobacco environments, and access to health services with cardiovascular risk factors, subclinical vascular disease, and cardiovascular and other chronic disease outcomes. Methods/Design Participants between 35 and 69 years of age are being recruited from existing cohorts and a new First Nations Cohort to undergo a detailed assessment of health behaviours (including diet and physical activity, cognitive function, assessment of their local home and workplace environments, and their health services access and utilization. Physical measures including weight, height, waist/hip circumference, body fat percentage, and blood pressure are collected. In addition, eligible participants undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI of the brain, heart, carotid artery and abdomen to detect early subclinical vascular disease and ectopic fat deposition. Discussion CAHHM is a prospective cohort study designed to investigate the impact of community level factors, individual health behaviours, and access to health services, on cognitive function, subclinical vascular disease, fat distribution, and the development of chronic diseases among adults living in Canada.

Talking on a Wireless Cellular Device While Driving: Improving the Validity of Crash Odds Ratio Estimates in the SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard A. Young

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Dingus and colleagues (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2016, 113, 2636–2641 reported a crash odds ratio (OR estimate of 2.2 with a 95% confidence interval (CI from 1.6 to 3.1 for hand-held cell phone conversation (hereafter, “Talk” in the SHRP 2 naturalistic driving database. This estimate is substantially higher than the effect sizes near one in prior real-world and naturalistic driving studies of conversation on wireless cellular devices (whether hand-held, hands-free portable, or hands-free integrated. Two upward biases were discovered in the Dingus study. First, it selected many Talk-exposed drivers who simultaneously performed additional secondary tasks besides Talk but selected Talk-unexposed drivers with no secondary tasks. This “selection bias” was removed by: (1 filtering out records with additional tasks from the Talk-exposed group; or (2 adding records with other tasks to the Talk-unexposed group. Second, it included records with driver behavior errors, a confounding bias that was also removed by filtering out such records. After removing both biases, the Talk OR point estimates declined to below 1, now consistent with prior studies. Pooling the adjusted SHRP 2 Talk OR estimates with prior study effect size estimates to improve precision, the population effect size for wireless cellular conversation while driving is estimated as 0.72 (CI 0.60–0.88.

Naturalistic driving observations of manual and visual-manual interactions with navigation systems and mobile phones while driving.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Christoph, M. Nes, N. van & Knapper, A.

2014-01-01

This paper discusses a naturalistic driving study on the use of mobile phones and navigation systems while driving. Manual interactions with these devices while driving can cause distraction from the driving task and reduce traffic safety. In this study 21 subjects were observed for 5 weeks. Their

Cost as a barrier to accessing dental care: findings from a Canadian population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Brandy; Cooney, Peter; Lawrence, Herenia; Ravaghi, Vahid; Quiñonez, Carlos

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of Canadians who report cost barriers to dental care. An analysis of data collected from the 2007/09 Canadian Health Measures Survey was undertaken from a sample of 5,586 Canadian participants aged 6-79. Cost barriers to dental care were operationalized through two questions: "In the past 12 months, have you avoided going to a dental professional because of the cost of dental care?" and "In the past 12 months, have you avoided having all the dental treatment that was recommended because of the cost?" Logistic regressions were conducted to identify relationships between covariates and positive responses to these questions. Approximately 17.3 percent of respondents had avoided a dental professional because of cost within the previous year, and 16.5 percent had declined recommended dental treatment because of cost. Adjusted estimates demonstrate that respondents with lower incomes and without dental insurance were over four times more likely to avoid a dental professional because of cost and approximately two and a half times more likely to decline recommended dental treatment because of cost. Nearly one out of five Canadians surveyed reported cost barriers to dental care. This study provides valuable baseline information for future studies to assess whether financial barriers to dental care are getting better or worse for Canadians. © 2014 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Intuitions in Epistemology: Towards a Naturalistic Alternative

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristoffer Ahlstrom

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The present paper revisits the main methodological problems with conceptual analysis and considers two attempts to rectify them in terms of prototypes and reflective equilibria, respectively. Finding both wanting for the purposes of epistemological analysis, a naturalistic alternative is then sketched that explores the positive implications of aforementioned problems for the demarcation of the respective roles of intuitions and empirical investigation within three epistemological domains, viz., the evaluation of epistemological hypotheses, the amelioration of epistemic practices, and the construction of a theory of epistemic value.

Intentional forgetting: note-taking as a naturalistic example.

Science.gov (United States)

Eskritt, Michelle; Ma, Sierra

2014-02-01

In the present study, we examined whether note-taking as a memory aid may provide a naturalistic example of intentional forgetting. In the first experiment, participants played Concentration, a memory card game in which the identity and location of pairs of cards need to be remembered. Before the game started, half of the participants were allowed to study the cards, and the other half made notes that were then unexpectedly taken away. No significant differences emerged between the two groups for remembering identity information, but the study group remembered significantly more location information than did the note-taking group. In a second experiment, we examined whether note-takers would show signs of proactive interference while playing Concentration repeatedly. The results indicated that they did not. The findings suggest that participants adopted an intentional-forgetting strategy when using notes to store certain types of information.

A study of supply-chain capabilities in the Canadian wind power industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wittholz, H.; Pan, D.

2004-11-01

In recent years, Canadian wind energy has developed to a total installed capacity of 439 MW. It is possible that by 2012, the cumulative installed wind power capacity may reach 5,600 MW, representing an investment of $8.4 billion. This analysis of the supply-chain structure in the life cycle of a wind farm identified many potential areas where Canadian companies can offer services. Opportunities for both manufacturers and service providers were presented. It was emphasized that although wind energy is a growth industry, Canada has not participated in the development and commercialization of large wind turbine technology. The technical barriers facing Canadian suppliers regarding wind turbine generator (WTG) assembly and component manufacturing were presented. Currently, Canada imports all large WTGs and components. In order to maximize benefits to the Canadian economy, it was recommended that Canadian companies acquire European technology through licences, joint ventures or foreign investment. Technology transfer funding, training and technical assistance funding, tax incentives for capital equipment and support to universities and colleges were also recommended. It was suggested that Canadian companies should focus on manufacturing rotor blades, towers, base frames, nacelle covers and spinners, flexible drive shafts, disk brakes, vibration mounts, inverters, control cabinets, and generators. tabs., figs

Dynamics of brain activity underlying working memory for music in a naturalistic condition

OpenAIRE

Burunat Pérez, Iballa

2012-01-01

Working memory (WM) is at the core of any cognitive function as it is necessary for the integration of information over time. Despite WM’s critical role in high-level cognitive functions, its implementation in the neural tissue is poorly understood. Preliminary studies on auditory WM show differences between linguistic and musical memory, leading to the speculation of specific neural networks encoding memory for music. Moreover, in neuroscience WM has not been studied in naturalistic listenin...

Institutional Facts and the NaturalisticFallacy : Confronting Searle with Searle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hindriks, Frank

2002-01-01

In 1964 Searle argued against the naturalistic fallacy thesis that an ought-statement can in fact be derived from is-statements. From an analysis of this argument and of Searle’s social ontology of 1995 – which includes a full-blown theory of institutional facts – I conclude that this argument is

Areas of interest of potential users for naturalistic observation studies. PROmoting real Life Observations for Gaining Understanding of road user behaviour in Europe PROLOGUE, Deliverable D1.2.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schagen, I.N.L.G. van Craen, S. de Nes, N. van & Eenink, R.

2010-01-01

Identification of the interests of potential users is crucial for setting up a useful and broadly supported large-scale naturalistic driving (ND) study. This report describes the results of a survey amongst 72 road transport professionals in Europe from different organisation types that aimed at

Naturalistic Validation of an On-Road Driving Test of Older Drivers

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, Brian R.; Papandonatos, George D.; Davis, Jennifer D.; Barco, Peggy P.

2013-01-01

Objective The objective was to compare a standardized road test to naturalistic driving by older people who may have cognitive impairment to define improvements that could potentially enhance the validity of road testing in this population. Background Road testing has been widely adapted as a tool to assess driving competence of older people who may be at risk for unsafe driving because of dementia; however, the validity of this approach has not been rigorously evaluated. Method For 2 weeks, 80 older drivers (38 healthy elders and 42 with cognitive impairment) who passed a standardized road test were video recorded in their own vehicles. Using a standardized rating scale, 4 hr of video was rated by a driving instructor. The authors examine weighting of individual road test items to form global impressions and to compare road test and naturalistic driving using factor analyses of these two assessments. Results The road test score was unidimensional, reflecting a major factor related to awareness of signage and traffic behavior. Naturalistic driving reflected two factors related to lane keeping as well as traffic behavior. Conclusion Maintenance of proper lane is an important dimension of driving safety that appears to be relatively underemphasized during the highly supervised procedures of the standardized road test. Application Road testing in this population could be improved by standardized designs that emphasize lane keeping and that include self-directed driving. Additional information should be sought from observers in the community as well as crash evidence when advising older drivers who may be cognitively impaired. PMID:22908688

Preventing pressure ulcers on the heel: a Canadian cost study.

Science.gov (United States)

Torra I Bou, Joan-Enric; Rueda López, Justo; Camañes, Gemma; Herrero Narváez, Elias; Blanco Blanco, Joan; Ballesté Torralba, Jordi; Martinez-Esparza, Elvira Hernández; García, Lorena San Miguel; Soriano, José Verdú

2009-01-01

An adaptation of a clinical study of 130 patients at risk of developing a pressure ulcer on the heels was performed using Canadian costs. The aim of the study was to compare the cost effectiveness of a specially shaped hydrocellular dressing (Allevyn Heel) versus that of a protective heel bandage (Soffban and gauze) in pressure ulcer prevention over an 8-week period.

Affective State Level Recognition in Naturalistic Facial and Vocal Expressions.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Hongying; Bianchi-Berthouze, Nadia

2014-03-01

Naturalistic affective expressions change at a rate much slower than the typical rate at which video or audio is recorded. This increases the probability that consecutive recorded instants of expressions represent the same affective content. In this paper, we exploit such a relationship to improve the recognition performance of continuous naturalistic affective expressions. Using datasets of naturalistic affective expressions (AVEC 2011 audio and video dataset, PAINFUL video dataset) continuously labeled over time and over different dimensions, we analyze the transitions between levels of those dimensions (e.g., transitions in pain intensity level). We use an information theory approach to show that the transitions occur very slowly and hence suggest modeling them as first-order Markov models. The dimension levels are considered to be the hidden states in the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) framework. Their discrete transition and emission matrices are trained by using the labels provided with the training set. The recognition problem is converted into a best path-finding problem to obtain the best hidden states sequence in HMMs. This is a key difference from previous use of HMMs as classifiers. Modeling of the transitions between dimension levels is integrated in a multistage approach, where the first level performs a mapping between the affective expression features and a soft decision value (e.g., an affective dimension level), and further classification stages are modeled as HMMs that refine that mapping by taking into account the temporal relationships between the output decision labels. The experimental results for each of the unimodal datasets show overall performance to be significantly above that of a standard classification system that does not take into account temporal relationships. In particular, the results on the AVEC 2011 audio dataset outperform all other systems presented at the international competition.

An appraisal of the naturalistic fallacy | Okon | Sophia: An African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract The phrase 'naturalistic fallacy' smacks of a violation of any rules of logic. This becomes more worrisome especially fresh students of philosophy and the lay reader when it is observed that the context of the problem is ethics not logic. Thus, the first question is "how tenable is the phraseology within an ethical ...

"Canadianizing" an American Communication Textbook.

Science.gov (United States)

Maclennan, Jennifer M.

2000-01-01

Presents a study on the process involved in the "Canadianization" of U.S. textbooks for the domestic market. Explores whether disciplinary values have been shaped by the United States in the field of communication. Focuses on the experience of developing the Canadian edition of the book "Public Speaking: Strategies for Success"…

Measuring Holocaust Knowledge and Its Impact: A Canadian Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Jedwab, Jack

2010-01-01

This article examines the responses of some 1,500 Canadians to a public opinion survey on knowledge of the Holocaust, awareness of genocide, and attitudes towards discrimination and diversity. Based on one of the most detailed surveys conducted to date on Holocaust knowledge, the study found strong correlations between greater reported Holocaust…

Naturalistic driving study of rear seat child occupants: Quantification of head position using a Kinect™ sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Arbogast, Kristy B; Kim, Jinyong; Loeb, Helen; Kuo, Jonny; Koppel, Sjaan; Bohman, Katarina; Charlton, Judith L

2016-09-01

Restraint performance is evaluated using anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) positioned in prescribed, optimal seating positions. Anecdotally, humans-children in particular-assume a variety of positions that may affect restraint performance. Naturalistic driving studies (NDSs), where cameras and other data acquisition systems are placed in a vehicle used by participants during their regular transportation, offer means to collect these data. To date, these studies have used conventional video and analysis methods and, thus, analyses have largely been qualitative. This article describes a recently completed NDS of child occupants in which their position was monitored using a Kinect sensor to quantify their head position throughout normal, everyday driving trips. A study vehicle was instrumented with a data acquisition system to measure vehicle dynamics, a set of video cameras, and a Kinect sensor providing 3D motion capture at 1 Hz of the rear seat occupants. Participant families used the vehicle for all driving trips over 2 weeks. The child occupants' head position was manually identified via custom software from each Kinect color image. The 3D head position was then extracted and its distribution summarized by seat position (left, rear, center) and restraint type (forward-facing child restraint system [FFCRS], booster seat, seat belt). Data from 18 families (37 child occupants) resulted in 582 trips (with children) for analysis. The average age of the child occupants was 45.6 months and 51% were male. Twenty-five child occupants were restrained in FFCRS, 9 in booster seats, and 3 in seat belts. As restraint type moved from more to less restraint (FFCRS to booster seat to seat belt), the range of fore-aft head position increased: 218, 244, and 340 mm on average, respectively. This observation was also true for left-right movement for every seat position. In general, those in the center seat position demonstrated a smaller range of head positions. For the first

An Analysis of Naturalistic Interventions for Increasing Spontaneous Expressive Language in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Justin D.; Lieberman-Betz, Rebecca; Gast, David L.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this review was to identify naturalistic language interventions for increasing spontaneous expressive language (defined in this review as absence of verbal prompt or other verbalization from adults or peers) in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Also, the methodological rigor and effectiveness of each study were evaluated…

Canadian consumer battery baseline study : final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-02-01

This report provided information about the estimated number of consumer and household batteries sold, re-used, stored, recycled, and disposed each year in Canada. The report discussed the ways in which different batteries posed risks to human health and the environment, and legislative trends were also reviewed. Data used in the report were obtained from a literature review as well as through a series of interviews. The study showed that alkaline batteries are the most common primary batteries used by Canadians, followed by zinc carbon batteries. However, lithium primary batteries are gaining in popularity, and silver oxide and zinc air button cell batteries are also used in applications requiring a flat voltage and high energy. Secondary batteries used in laptop computers, and cell phones are often made of nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydroxide, and lithium ion. Small sealed lead batteries are also commonly used in emergency lighting and alarm systems. Annual consumption statistics for all types of batteries were provided. Results of the study showed that the primary battery market is expected to decline. Total units of secondary batteries are expected to increase to 38.6 million units by 2010. The report also used a spreadsheet model to estimate the flow of consumer batteries through the Canadian waste management system. An estimated 347 million consumer batteries were discarded in 2004. By 2010, it is expected that an estimated 494 million units will be discarded by consumers. The study also considered issues related to lead, cadmium, mercury, and nickel disposal and the potential for groundwater contamination. It was concluded that neither Canada nor its provinces or territories have initiated legislative or producer responsibility programs targeting primary or secondary consumer batteries. 79 refs., 37 tabs., 1 fig

Training Decision Makers for Complex Environments: Implications of the Naturalistic Decision Making Perspective

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Canon-Bowers, Janis A; Bell, Herbert H

1997-01-01

Perhaps the most significant contribution of the Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) perspective is that it has forced researchers to reevaluate the assumptions they hold about how people make decisions in "real" environments...

Canadian gas resource

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1989-01-01

Canadian exports of gas to the United States are a critical component of EMF-9 (North American Gas Supplies). However, it has been noted that there are differences between US expectations for imports and Canadian forecasts of export supply capacity. Recent studies by the National Petroleum Council (NPC) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) indicate that 1.8 to 2.4 Tcf of imports may be required in the mid to late 1990's; A recent study by Canada's National Energy Board (NEB) indicates that the conventional resource base may not be able to provide continued gas exports to the US after the mid 1990's and that frontier sources would need to be developed to meet US expectations. The discrepancies between US expectations and Canadian estimates of capacity are of great concern to US policymakers because they call into question the availability of secure supplies of natural gas and suggest that the cost of imports (if available) will be high. By implication, if shortages are to be averted, massive investment may be required to bring these higher cost sources to market. Since the long-term supply picture will be determined by the underlying resource base, EMF-9 participants have been asked to provide estimates of critical components of the Canadian resource base. This paper provides a summary of ICF-Lewin's recent investigation of both the Conventional and Tight Gas resource in Canada's Western Sedimentary Basin, which includes both quantitative estimates and a brief sketch of the analysis methodology

The 2 × 2 model of perfectionism: a comparison across Asian Canadians and European Canadians.

Science.gov (United States)

Franche, Véronique; Gaudreau, Patrick; Miranda, Dave

2012-10-01

The 2 × 2 model of perfectionism posits that the 4 within-person combinations of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism (i.e., pure SOP, mixed perfectionism, pure SPP, and nonperfectionism) can be distinctively associated with psychological adjustment. This study examined whether the relationship between the 4 subtypes of perfectionism proposed in the 2 × 2 model (Gaudreau & Thompson, 2010) and academic outcomes (i.e., academic satisfaction and grade-point average [GPA]) differed across 2 sociocultural groups: Asian Canadians and European Canadians. A sample of 697 undergraduate students (23% Asian Canadians) completed self-report measures of dispositional perfectionism, academic satisfaction, and GPA. Results replicated most of the 2 × 2 model's hypotheses on ratings of GPA, thus supporting that nonperfectionism was associated with lower GPA than pure SOP (Hypothesis 1a) but with higher GPA than pure SPP (Hypothesis 2). Results also showed that mixed perfectionism was related to higher GPA than pure SPP (Hypothesis 3) but to similar levels as pure SOP, thus disproving Hypothesis 4. Furthermore, results provided evidence for cross-cultural differences in academic satisfaction. While all 4 hypotheses were supported among European Canadians, only Hypotheses 1a and 3 were supported among Asian Canadians. Future lines of research are discussed in light of the importance of acknowledging the role of culture when studying the influence of dispositional perfectionism on academic outcomes. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Naturalistic speeding data: Drivers aged 75 years and older

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Chevalier

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “A longitudinal investigation of the predictors of older drivers׳ speeding behavior” (Chevalier et al., 2016 [1], wherein these speed events were used to investigate older drivers speeding behavior and the influence of cognition, vision, functional decline, and self-reported citations and crashes on speeding behavior over a year of driving. Naturalistic speeding behavior data were collected for up to 52 weeks from volunteer drivers aged 75–94 years (median 80 years, 52% male living in the suburban outskirts of Sydney. Driving data were collected using an in-vehicle monitoring device. Global Positioning System (GPS data were recorded at each second and determined driving speed through triangulation of satellite collected location data. Driving speed data were linked with mapped speed zone data based on a service-provider database. To measure speeding behavior, speed events were defined as driving 1 km/h or more, with a 3% tolerance, above a single speed limit, averaged over 30 s. The data contains a row per 124,374 speed events. This article contains information about data processing and quality control. Keywords: Older drivers, Speed, Road safety, Naturalistic, In-vehicle monitoring, Device

Conversational Skills for Autistic Adolescents: Teaching Assertiveness in Naturalistic Game Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

McGee, Gail G.; And Others

1984-01-01

A naturalistic social skills training program was used to teach assertive responses to three autistic adolescents in the context of two game situations. Results demonstrated the effectiveness of the procedure in generating high levels of positive and negative assertions that maintained across a 4.5-month follow-up interval. (Author/CL)

Naturalistic perspectives of traditional Tibetan medicine and contemporary relevance

OpenAIRE

Chengxin ZHAO; Li TONG

2016-01-01

Traditional Tibetan Medicine (TTM) has unique naturalistic connotation. Understanding naturalism from the TTM helps us to increase our understanding of organic cosmology and naturalism itself. It also helps us to realize the potential of naturalism. Hopefully this will show us a broader Asian naturalism and multidimensional prospect of the international organic cosmology. This paper intends to describe and analyze the naturalism hidden in the TTM by combining the source, theory, system and pr...

Canadian Forces Experience with Turbofan HCF - Case Study

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kinart, Corey; Theriault, Pierre

2005-01-01

High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) cracking of a Canadian Forces (CF) turbofan engine fuel tube resulted in a six year, multinational effort to identify the root cause and to ultimately develop and implement a solution...

The Canadian National Retirement Risk Index: employing statistics Canada's LifePaths to measure the financial security of future Canadian seniors.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Bonnie-Jeanne; Moore, Kevin D; Chen, He; Brown, Robert L

2011-01-01

This article measures a Canadian National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI). Originally developed by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, the NRRI is a forward-looking measure that evaluates the proportion of working-aged individuals who are at risk of not maintaining their standard of living in retirement. The Canadian retirement income system has been very effective in reducing elderly poverty, but our results suggest that it has been much less successful in maintaining the living standards of Canadians after retirement. Since the earlier years of the new millennium, we find that approximately one-third of retiring Canadians have been unable to maintain their working-age consumption after retirement—a trend that is projected to worsen significantly for future Canadian retirees. The release of the Canadian NRRI is timely given the widespread concern that the current Canadian retirement income system is inadequate. Many proposals have recently emerged to extend and/or enhance Canadian public pensions, and the NRRI is a tool to test their merit. The methodology underlying the Canadian NRRI is uniquely sophisticated and comprehensive on account of our employment of Statistics Canada’s LifePaths, a state-of-the-art stochastic microsimulation model of the Canadian population. For instance, the Canadian NRRI is novel in that it models all of the relevant sources of consumption before and after retirement, while accounting for important features that are typically neglected in retirement adequacy studies such as family size, the variation of consumption over a person’s lifetime, and the heterogeneity among the life courses of individuals.

Characterizing the motivational orientation of students in higher education: a naturalistic study in three Hong Kong universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Kember, David; Hong, Celina; Ho, Amber

2008-06-01

Consideration of motivation in higher education has often been drawn upon theories and research that were based upon school or workplace studies. This paper reports an open naturalistic study to better characterize the motivational orientation of students in higher education. Open semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 36 students from three universities in Hong Kong. The analysis used an exploratory grounded theory approach. Motivation was characterized as a framework with six continua with positive and negative poles. On enrolment, students had positions on the six facets of motivation, which shifted as they progressed through their degree, according to perceptions of their teaching and learning environment. The positive poles of the six continua were given labels: compliance, individual goal setting, interest, career, sense of belonging and university lifestyle. The formulation of motivational orientation is consistent with contemporary social cognitive theories of motivation in that it has been characterized as a multifaceted phenomenon, with students expressing context-dependent multiple motives.

Research Awards: Canadian Partnerships Program Deadline: 12 ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Jean-Claude Dumais

2012-09-12

Sep 12, 2012 ... IDRC's Canadian Partnerships (CP) Program offers a Research ... For this, they may consider quantitative and qualitative methods, case studies, ... What types of processes do Canadian organizations use to learn about their ...

Psychodramatic psychotherapy combined with pharmacotherapy in major depressive disorder: an open and naturalistic study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Costa Elisabeth Maria Sene

2006-01-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVE: Recent literature has highlighted the role of psychotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Combined therapies comprising both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy have presented the best results. Although several kinds of psychotherapies have been studied in the treatment of depressive disorders, there remains a lack of data on psychodramatic psychotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of psychodramatic psychotherapy (in a sample of major depressive disorder patients. METHOD: This is an open, naturalistic, controlled, non-randomized study. Twenty major depressive disorder patients (according to the DSM-IV criteria, under pharmacological treatment for depression, with Hamilton Depression Scale total scores between 7 and 20 (mild to moderate depression, were divided into two groups. Patients in the psychotherapeutic group took part in 4 individual and 24 structured psychodramatic group sessions, whilst subjects in the control group did not participate in this psychodramatic psychotherapy. Both groups were evaluated with the Social Adjustment Scale - Self Report and the Hamilton Depression Scale. RESULTS: Psychotherapeutic group patients showed a significant improvement according to the Social Adjustment Scale - Self Report and the Hamilton Depression Scale scores at endpoint, compared to those of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that individual and group psychodramatic psychotherapy, associated to pharmacological treatment, provides good clinical benefits in the treatment of major depressive disorder.

Caroline Dormon:the South’s exceptional forest conservationist and naturalist

Science.gov (United States)

James P. Barnett; Sarah M. Troncale

2018-01-01

Caroline C. “Carrie” Dormon was a renowned forest conservationist and one of the most influential American naturalists of the early 20th century. In an era when women had no role in forestry, she led the effort to establish the Kisatchie National Forest, developed forestry education materials for schools, and promoted support for forestry among civic and community...

Naturalistic Assessment of Novice Teenage Crash Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Suzanne E.; Simons-Morton, Bruce G.; Klauer, Sheila E.; Ouimet, Marie Claude; Dingus, Thomas A.

2011-01-01

Background Crash risk is highest during the first months after licensure. Current knowledge about teenagers’ driving exposure and the factors increasing their crash risk is based on self-reported data and crash database analyses. While these research tools are useful, new developments in naturalistic technologies have allowed researchers to examine newly-licensed teenagers’ exposure and crash risk factors in greater detail. The Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study (NTDS) described in this paper is the first study to follow a group of newly-licensed teenagers continuously for 18 months after licensure. The goals of this paper are to compare the crash and near-crash experience of drivers in the NTDS to national trends, to describe the methods and lessons learned in the NTDS, and to provide initial data on driving exposure for these drivers. Methods A data acquisition system was installed in the vehicles of 42 newly-licensed teenage drivers 16 years of age during their first 18 months of independent driving. It consisted of cameras, sensors (accelerometers, GPS, yaw, front radar, lane position, and various sensors obtained via the vehicle network), and a computer with removable hard drive. Data on the driving of participating parents was also collected when they drove the instrumented vehicle. Findings The primary findings after 18 months included the following: (1) crash and near-crash rates among teenage participants were significantly higher during the first six months of the study than the final 12 months, mirroring the national trends; (2) crash and near-crash rates were significantly higher for teenage than adult (parent) participants, also reflecting national trends; (3) teenaged driving exposure averaged between 507-710 kilometers (315-441 miles) per month over the study period, but varied substantially between participants with standard errors representing 8-14 percent of the mean; and (4) crash and near-crash types were very similar for male and female

Health practices of Canadian physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, Erica; Segura, Carolina

2009-08-01

To study the health and health practices of Canadian physicians, which can often influence patient health. Mailed survey. Canada. A random sample of 8100 Canadian physicians; 7934 were found to be eligible and 3213 responded (40.5% response rate). Factors that influence health, such as consumption of fruits and vegetables, amount of exercise and alcohol consumption, smoking status, body mass idex, and participation in preventive health screening measures, as well as work-life balance and emotional stability. Canadian physicians are healthy. More than 90% reported being in good to excellent health, and only 5% reported that poor physical or mental health made it difficult to handle their workload more than half the time in the previous month (although a quarter had reduced work activity because of long-term health conditions). Eight percent were obese, 3% currently smoked cigarettes, and 1% typically consumed 5 drinks or more on days when they drank alcohol. Physicians averaged 4.7 hours of exercise per week and ate fruits and vegetables 4.8 times a day. Their personal screening practices were largely compliant with Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care recommendations. They averaged 38 hours per week on patient care and 11 hours on other professional activities. Fifty-seven percent agreed that they had a good work-life balance, and 11% disagreed with the statement "If I can, I work when I am ill." Compared with self-reports from the general Canadian population, Canadian physicians, like American physicians, seem to be healthy and to have generally healthy behaviour. There is, however, room for improvement in physicians' personal and professional well-being, and improving their personal health practices could be an efficient and beneficent way to improve the health of all Canadians.

The potential benefits of naturalistic driving for road safety research : theoretical and empirical considerations and challenges for the future.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schagen, I.N.L.G. van & Sagberg, F.

2012-01-01

Naturalistic driving (ND) is a research method that provides insight in everyday driver behaviour. Typically, in an ND study vehicles are equipped with several small cameras and sensors, which continuously and inconspicuously register vehicle manoeuvres, driver behaviour, and external conditions.

Child Maltreatment among Children with Intellectual Disability in the Canadian Incidence Study

Science.gov (United States)

Dion, Jacinthe; Paquette, Geneviève; Tremblay, Karine-N.; Collin-Vézina, Delphine; Chabot, Martin

2018-01-01

This study aims to compare, among a representative sample of substantiated child maltreatment cases, the characteristics of those with intellectual disability (ID) from those without ID. Using the 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect, 5,797 cases of substantiated maltreatment that involved children aged between 0 and…

2007 Canadian vehicle survey : summary report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcha, A.; Norup, S.; Kormylo, A.

2009-09-15

The Canadian vehicle survey is a quarterly survey of vehicle transportation activities in Canada that began in 1999. This report presented the results of the Canadian vehicle survey for 2007. The purpose of the survey is to encourage Canadians to make energy-efficient choices regarding their driving habits. The study shed light on Canadian fuel consumption behaviour, modes of transportation and consumer trends. This report examined the composition of Canada's vehicle fleet, the main characteristics of this fleet, and the patterns of vehicle use. Some behavioural characteristics of Canadian drivers were also discussed. Specific topics that were presented included Canada's on-road vehicle fleet; geographic analysis; light vehicles; heavy vehicles such as medium and heavy trucks; and trip analysis such as road types used by vehicles, rush hour and fuel consumption, and driver's age and gender. It was concluded that vehicles in Canada consumed 31 billion litres of gasoline and 11 billion litres of diesel. In addition, fuel efficiency for heavy trucks increased 21 percent between 2000 and 2007. 15 tabs., 39 figs., 4 appendices.

Protest: The Canadian pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lott, J.E.

1979-01-01

This popularly written article compares Canadian attitudes to protests against nuclear power to those in the United States. Canadian protesters are more peaceful, expressing their opinions within the law. The article describes the main anti-nuclear groups in Canada and presents the results of public opinion surveys of Canadians on the use of nuclear power for generating electricity. (TI)

A Canadian naturalistic study of a community-based cohort treated for bipolar disorder

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Chandresena Ranjith

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bipolar illness is associated with significant psychosocial morbidity and health resource utilization. Second generation antipsychotics, used alone or in combination with mood stabilizers are effective in treating acute mania in community settings. This study was designed to compare the change in clinical parameters and resource utilization at one month in a group of patients who required treatment intervention for exacerbation of mania. The clinical response at one year was also evaluated. Methods 496 patients were enrolled at 75 psychiatric practices across Canada. The Olanzapine cohort (n = 287 included patients who had olanzapine added to their medication regimen or the dose of olanzapine increased. The Other cohort (n = 209 had a medication other than olanzapine added or the dose adjusted. Changes from baseline in the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS, Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory and SF-12 Health Survey were compared at one month using ANCOVA. Categorical variables at one month for health resource utilization, employment status, abuse/dependency, and the number of suicide attempts were compared using Fisher's Exact test. Patients were followed for one year and a subgroup was evaluated. Results At one month, patients in the Olanzapine cohort recorded a mean reduction in the YMRS of 11.5, significantly greater than the mean reduction in the Other cohort of 9.7 (ANCOVA P = 0.002. The Olanzapine cohort was significantly improved compared to the Other cohort on the scales for depression and anxiety and did not experience the deterioration in physical functioning seen in the Other cohort. No significant differences were detected in health-related quality-of-life measures, employment status, drug abuse/dependency, number of suicide attempts, mental functioning, emergency room visits or inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations. In a subgroup treated for 12 months with a single second generation

Aging and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Naturalistic, Longitudinal Study of the Comorbidities and Behavioral and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Adults with ASD

Science.gov (United States)

Wise, Elizabeth A.; Smith, Marcia D.; Rabins, Peter V.

2017-01-01

Little is known about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in persons over age 50. In a retrospective, naturalistic review of 74 individuals aged 30 and older meeting DSM-5 criteria for ASD, the point prevalence of behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms (BNPS) declined significantly for 12 of 13 BNPS over a mean of 25 years while many other features…

Waste management in Canadian nuclear programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyne, P.J.

The objectives of the Canadian radioactive waste management program are described. Recycling actinides through reactors is being studied. Low and medium level waste treatments such as reverse osmosis concentration, immobilization in bitumen and plastics, and incineration are under study. Spent fuel can be stored dry in concrete canisters above ground and ultimate storage of wastes in salt deposits or hard rock is appropriate to Canadian conditions. (E.C.B.)

Outlook for Canadian refining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boje, G.

1998-01-01

The petroleum supply and demand balance was discussed and a comparison between Canadian and U.S. refineries was provided. The impact of changing product specifications on the petroleum industry was also discussed. The major changes include sulphur reductions in gasoline, benzene and MMT additives. These changes have been made in an effort to satisfy environmental needs. Geographic margin variations in refineries between east and west were reviewed. An overview of findings from the Solomon Refining Study of Canadian and American refineries, which has been very complimentary of the Canadian refining industry, was provided. From this writer's point of view refinery utilization has improved but there is a threat from increasing efficiency of US competitors. Environmental issues will continue to impact upon the industry and while the chances for making economic returns on investment are good for the years ahead, it will be a challenge to maintain profitability

Injuries at a Canadian National Taekwondo Championships: a prospective study

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Pieter Willy

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the injury rates in male and female adult Canadian Taekwondo athletes relative to total number of injuries, type and body part injured. Methods Subjects (219 males, 99 females participated in the 1997 Canadian National Taekwondo Championships in Toronto, Canada. Injuries were recorded on an injury form to documents any injury seen and treatment provided by the health care team. These data were later used for this study. The injury form describes the athlete and nature, site, severity and mechanism of the injury. Results The overall rate of injuries was 62.9/1,000 athlete-exposures (A-E. The males (79.9/1,000 A-E sustained significantly more injuries than the females (25.3/1,000 A-E. The lower extremities were the most commonly injured body region in the men (32.0 /1,000 A-E, followed by the head and neck (18.3/1,000 A-E. Injuries to the spine (neck, upper back, low back and coccyx were the third most often injured body region in males (13.8/1,000 A-E. All injuries to the women were sustained to the lower extremities. The most common type of injury in women was the contusion (15.2/1,000 A-E. However, men's most common type of injury was the sprain (22.8/1,000 A-E followed by joint dysfunction (13.7/1,000A-E. Concussions were only reported in males (6.9/1,000 A-E. Compared to international counterparts, the Canadian men and women recorded lower total injury rates. However, the males incurred more cerebral concussions than their American colleagues (4.7/1,000 A-E. Conclusions Similar to what was found in previous studies, the current investigation seems to suggest that areas of particular concern for preventive measures involve the head and neck as well as the lower extremities. This is the first paper to identify spinal joint dysfunction.

Detection of Risky Driving Behaviors in the Naturalistic Environment in Healthy Older Adults and Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

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Jennifer D. Davis

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Analyzing naturalistic driving behavior recorded with in-car cameras is an ecologically valid method for measuring driving errors, but it is time intensive and not easily applied on a large scale. This study validated a semi-automated, computerized method using archival naturalistic driving data collected for drivers with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD; n = 44 and age-matched healthy controls (HC; n = 16. The computerized method flagged driving situations where safety concerns are most likely to occur (i.e., rapid stops, lane deviations, turns, and intersections. These driving epochs were manually reviewed and rated for error type and severity, if present. Ratings were made with a standardized scoring system adapted from DriveCam®. The top eight error types were applied as features to train a logistic model tree classifier to predict diagnostic group. The sensitivity and specificity were compared among the event-based method, on-road test, and composite ratings of two weeks of recorded driving. The logistic model derived from the event-based method had the best overall accuracy (91.7% and sensitivity (97.7% and high specificity (75.0% compared to the other methods. Review of driving situations where risk is highest appears to be a sensitive data reduction method for detecting cognitive impairment associated driving behaviors and may be a more cost-effective method for analyzing large volumes of naturalistic data.

Analysis and Comparison of Naturalistic Themes in Iranian and Britain Modern Children's Poems

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Shayesteh Ebrahimi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Today, children's literature given the concept of childhood, has gained a special status in the studies of humanities. Children's poetry is one of the branches of this type of literature. Naturalistic themes have the highest frequency among the themes of children poems in two countries. The population of this research consists of collections that have been published from 1921 to 2011. Children's literature was born in England in the eighteenth century and before that the first didactic books for children had come into existence in England. In addition, due to industrial growth, the emergence of the new middle class and expansion of formal education the UK was pioneering among Europe and the world countries. Therefore, to find the roots of the formation of children's literature should be referred to the UK. Therefore, in this paper Britain children’s poem has been selected to be compared with Iranian children’s poem so that by revealing the similarities and differences one can deal with the pathology of poems for children in Iran and to detect shortcomings and strengths and present some guidelines that be helpful for children and young poets as well as critics and researchers in this field. Keywords: Naturalistic themes, children literature, Iranian children's poems, Britain children's poems, comparative literature

Dictionaries of Canadian English | Considine | Lexikos

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... its best, reached a high degree of sophistication, there are still major opportunities waiting to be taken. keywords: dictionary, lexicography, canadian english, canadianisms, national dictionaries, canadian french, canadian first nations lan-guages, bilingual dictionaries, regional dictionaries, unfinished diction-ary projects ...

Naturalistic study on the usage of smartphone applications among Finnish drivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kujala, Tuomo; Mäkelä, Jakke

2018-06-01

We present results from a naturalistic study that tracked how Finnish drivers use their smartphones while on the move. We monitored 30 heavy in-car smartphone users in Finland during June-September 2016, recording the times that they used their phones, the application used at the time of touch (calls excluded), the location and driving speed. Touches per time unit were used as a proxy for estimating visual-manual distraction due to visual-manual tasks. Our data set allows the determining of whether drivers use their phones differently on varying road types (highway, main road, local rural road, urban road). We found that the road type has an effect on phone use but the effect is contrary to what we expected. Drivers produced more touches per hour on urban roads, yet the use instances tend to be shorter than on the highway or main roads. We also collected statistics on the applications that were used. By far the highest overall rankings in the number of drivers using, number of uses, and duration per use instance was associated with the WhatsApp messaging service. One instance of WhatsApp use had a median of 8 touches, and had a median duration of 35 s. In contrast, navigation application use included a median of 3 touches and lasted for 11 s. The findings suggest that the Finnish smartphone heavy-users do not decrease their phone use when the demands of the traffic conditions increase and that the greatest risk from smartphone use may be currently caused by messaging applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A naturalistic study of the directional interpretation process of discrete emotions during high-stakes table tennis matches.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinent, Guillaume; Ferrand, Claude

2009-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the directional interpretation process of discrete emotions experienced by table tennis players during competitive matches by adopting a naturalistic qualitative video-assisted approach. Thirty self-confrontation interviews were conducted with 11 national table tennis players (2 or 3 matches per participants). Nine discrete emotions were identified through the inductive analyses of the participants' transcriptions: anger, anxiety, discouragement, disappointment, disgust, joy, serenity, relief, and hope. Inductive analyses revealed the emergence of 4 categories and 13 themes among the 9 discrete emotions: positive direction (increased concentration, increased motivation, increased confidence, positive sensations, and adaptive behaviors), negative direction (decreased concentration, decreased motivation, too confident, decreased confidence, negative sensations, and maladaptive behaviors), neutral direction (take more risk and take less risk), and no perceived influence on own performance. Results are discussed in terms of current research on directional interpretation and emotions in sport.

Investigate moped-car conflicts in China using a naturalistic driving study approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser, Yi G; Guo, Feng; Fang, Youjia; Deng, Bing; Hankey, Jonathan

2017-12-01

Mopeds are a popular transportation mode in Europe and Asia. Moped-related traffic accidents account for a large proportion of crash fatalities. To develop moped-related crash countermeasures, it is important to understand the characteristics of moped-related conflicts. Naturalistic driving study data were collected in Shanghai, China from 36 car drivers. The data included 2,878h and 78,296km driven from 13,149 trips. Moped-car conflicts were identified and examined from the passenger car driver's perspective using kinematic trigger algorithms and manual video reduction. A total of 119 moped-car conflicts were identified, including 74 high g-force conflicts and 45 low g-force events. These conflicts were classified into 22 on-road configurations where both similarities and differences were found as compared to Western Countries. The majority of the conflicts occurred on secondary main roads and branch roads. Hard braking was the primary response that the car drivers made to these conflicts rather than hard steering. The identified on-road vehicle-moped conflict configurations in Shanghai, China may be attributed to the complicated traffic environment and risky behavior of moped riders. The lower prevalence of hard steering in Shanghai as compared to the United States may be due to the lower speeds at event onsets or less available steering space, e.g., less available shoulder area on Chinese urban roads. The characteristics of moped-car conflicts may impact the design of active safety countermeasures on passenger cars. The pilot data from Shanghai urban areas suggest that countermeasures developed for China may require some modifications to those developed for the United States and European countries, although this recommendation may not be conclusive given the small sample size of the study. Future studies with large samples may help better understand the characteristics of moped-car conflicts. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Individual differences in compliance and agreement for sleep logs and wrist actigraphy: A longitudinal study of naturalistic sleep in healthy adults.

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Steven M Thurman

Full Text Available There is extensive laboratory research studying the effects of acute sleep deprivation on biological and cognitive functions, yet much less is known about naturalistic patterns of sleep loss and the potential impact on daily or weekly functioning of an individual. Longitudinal studies are needed to advance our understanding of relationships between naturalistic sleep and fluctuations in human health and performance, but it is first necessary to understand the efficacy of current tools for long-term sleep monitoring. The present study used wrist actigraphy and sleep log diaries to obtain daily measurements of sleep from 30 healthy adults for up to 16 consecutive weeks. We used non-parametric Bland-Altman analysis and correlation coefficients to calculate agreement between subjectively and objectively measured variables including sleep onset time, sleep offset time, sleep onset latency, number of awakenings, the amount of wake time after sleep onset, and total sleep time. We also examined compliance data on the submission of daily sleep logs according to the experimental protocol. Overall, we found strong agreement for sleep onset and sleep offset times, but relatively poor agreement for variables related to wakefulness including sleep onset latency, awakenings, and wake after sleep onset. Compliance tended to decrease significantly over time according to a linear function, but there were substantial individual differences in overall compliance rates. There were also individual differences in agreement that could be explained, in part, by differences in compliance. Individuals who were consistently more compliant over time also tended to show the best agreement and lower scores on behavioral avoidance scale (BIS. Our results provide evidence for convergent validity in measuring sleep onset and sleep offset with wrist actigraphy and sleep logs, and we conclude by proposing an analysis method to mitigate the impact of non-compliance and measurement

Heart Disease and Occupational Risk Factors in the Canadian Population: An Exploratory Study Using the Canadian Community Health Survey

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Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background: The objective of this study is to find temporal trends in the associations between cardiovascular disease and occupational risk factors in the context of the Canadian population. Methods: Population data were analyzed from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS collected between 2001 and 2014 for trends over time between heart disease and various occupational risk factors: hours worked, physical exertion at work, and occupation type (management/arts/education, business/finance, sales/services, trades/transportations, and primary industry/processing. Results: We found no significant difference in the average number of hours worked/wk between individuals who report having heart disease in all years of data except in 2011 (F1,96 = 7.02, p = 0.009 and 2012 (F1,96 = 8.86, p = 0.004. We also found a significant difference in the degree of physical exertion at work in 2001 (F1,79 = 7.45, p = 0.008. There were statistically significant results of occupation type on self-reported heart disease from 2003 to 2014. Conclusion: Canadian data from the CCHS do not exhibit a trend toward an association between heart disease and the number of hours worked/wk. There is an association between heart disease and physical exertion at work, but the trend is inconsistent. The data indicate a trend toward an association between heart disease and occupation type, but further analysis is required to determine which occupation type may be associated with heart disease. Keywords: occupational health, occupation type, physical exertion, self-reported cardiovascular disease

Useful Brazilian plants listed in the field books of the French naturalist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire (1779-1853).

Science.gov (United States)

Brandão, Maria G L; Pignal, Marc; Romaniuc, Sergio; Grael, Cristiane F F; Fagg, Christopher W

2012-09-28

Information regarding the use of beneficial, native Brazilian plants was compiled by European naturalists in the 19th century. The French botanist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire (1779-1853) was one of the most important such naturalists; however, his manuscripts (field books) have not yet been studied, especially in the context of useful plants. To present data documented by Saint-Hilaire in his field book regarding the use of native plants by the Brazilians. Data on useful plants were obtained from field books (six volumes) deposited in the Muséum national d' Histoire naturelle in Paris, France. The vernacular names of the plants, registered as "N.V." or "Nom Vulg." in the field book, were carefully searched. Traditional information about these plants was translated and organised using a computer. The botanical identification of each plant was determined and updated from the original descriptions and names cited in the field books by A. de Saint-Hilaire. Correlated pharmacological studies were obtained from PubMed. A total of 283 useful plants were recorded from the field books and 165 (58.3%) could be identified to genus or species. Fifty-eight different traditional uses were registered for the identified plants; the most common were as purgatives and febrifuges. Other data recovered were related to edible fruits and plants with interesting sensorial characteristics. For the few species that have been subjected to laboratory studies, the efficacy of the recorded traditional uses was confirmed. The data recorded by the French naturalist A. de Saint-Hilaire represent a rich, unexplored source of information regarding the traditional uses of Brazilian plants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

South Asian Canadian experiences of depression

OpenAIRE

Grewal, Amarjit

2010-01-01

This narrative research study explored the socio-cultural context surrounding depression through semi-structured interviews with six South Asian Canadian participants, who self identified as having experienced depression. The study sought to expand on the knowledge of depression and South Asian Canadians by considering the roles of the family, the community, and the culture in the experiences of depression. Thematic analysis of the participant interviews resulted in five major themes: the exp...

Reduction, supervenience, emergence and naturalistic truth: reductionism, holism and the description of human nature

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Carlos Castrodeza

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Methodological reduction is often wrongly identified with ontological reduction. For anyontology has always existential problems of its own which are absent in a methodological approach. Emergence would also be problematic unless it is also contemplated methodologically. As anyphilosophical issue, the question of emergence-reduction is used from a naturalistic stance as aplatform to promote personal ideals of survival. For example, Richard Dawkins would promote aDarwinially reduced world. On the contrary, Richard Lewontin for one would implement a holisticworld essentially Kropotkian. In this context, a contentious term is that of replicator. But this termneed not be either as reductive as Dawkins would have us believe nor as useless as Lewontin thinks.For again evolution by natural selection would always be defended naturalistically along one’s ownideological tenets.

Prospective, naturalistic study of open-label OROS methylphenidate treatment in Chinese school-aged children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHENG Yi; GONG Mei-en; YIN Qing-yun; MAI Jian-ning; JING Jin; LUO Xiang-yang; MA Hong-wei; LI Hai-bo; XIE Ling; LI Yan; Kuang Gui-fang; WANG Yu-feng; YI Ming-ji; WANG Feng; ZHU Xiao-hua; YAO Yah-bin; QIN Jiong; WANG Li-wen; ZOU Li-ping; JIN Xing-ming; XU Tong; WANG Yi; QI Yuan-li

2011-01-01

Background Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders during childhood,characterized by the core symptoms of hyperactivity,impulsivity and inattention and puts great burden on children themselves,their families and the society.Osmotic release oral system methylphenidate (OROS-MPH) is a once-daily controlled-release formulation developed to overcome some of the limitations associated with immediate-release methylphenidate (IR-MPH).It has been marketed in China since 2005 but still lacks data from large-sample clinical trials on efficacy and safety profiles.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of OROS-MPH in children aged 6 to 16 years with ADHD under naturalistic clinical setting.Methods This 6-week,multi-center,prospective,open-label study enrolled 1447 ADHD children to once-daily OROS-MPH (18 mg,36 mg or 54 mg) treatment.The effectiveness measures were parent-rated Inattention and Overactivity With Aggression (IOWA) Conners I/O and O/D subscales,physician-rated CGI-I and parent-rated global efficacy assessment scale.Blood pressure,pulse rate measurement,adverse events (AEs) and concomitant medications and treatment review were conducted by the investigator and were served as safety measures.Results A total of 1447 children with ADHD (mean age (9.52±2.36) years) were enrolled in this trial.Totally 96.8％children received an OROS-MPH modal dose of 18 mg,3.1％ with 36 mg and 0.1％ with 54 mg at the endpoint of study.The parent IOWA Conners I/O score at the end of week 2 showed statistically significant (P ＜0.001) improvement with OROS-MPH (mean:6.95±2.71) versus the score at baseline (10.45±2.72).The change in the parent IOWA Conners O/D subscale,CGI-I and parent-rated global efficacy assessment scale also supported the superior efficacy for OROS-MPH treatment.Fewer than half of 1447 patients (511 (35.3％)) reported AEs,and the majority of the events reported were mild (68.2�

Cross-situational consistency of trait expressions and injunctive norms among Asian Canadian and European Canadian undergraduates.

Science.gov (United States)

Locke, Kenneth D; Sadler, Pamela; McDonald, Kelly

2018-06-14

In the current paper, we sought to clarify when and why Asian Americans/Canadians and European Americans/Canadians differ in self-consistency (the consistency of personality traits across situations). European Canadian (n = 220) and second-generation Asian Canadian (n = 166) undergraduates (Mage = 19 years) described the traits they expressed and the traits others wanted them to express (i.e., injunctive norms, or injunctions) in four different social situations (i.e., with parents, with friends, with siblings, and with professors). Self-consistency was greater among European Canadians than Asian Canadians, but only when comparing behavior with parents versus with peers (i.e., friends and siblings). The same pattern was found for injunctive consistency (cross-situational consistency of trait injunctions). Injunctions strongly predicted the behavior of both Asian and European Canadians, but because the injunctions from parents versus peers diverged more for Asian Canadians, so did their behaviors. Controlling for the effect of inconsistent injunctions across situations eliminated the ethnic difference in self-consistency. Finally, Asian Canadians who perceived their immigrant parents as embracing a Canadian identity were as cross-situationally consistent as European Canadians because they tended to behave-and believe their parents approved of their behaving-with parents similarly to how they behaved with peers (e.g., more carefree and outspoken). Contrary to previous theorizing, cultural influences on broad cognitive or motivational dispositions (e.g., dialecticism, collectivism) alone cannot explain the observed pattern of ethnic differences in consistency. To understand when bicultural individuals are less consistent across situations also requires an understanding of the specific situations across which they tend to encounter divergent social norms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Modeling Lane-Changing Behavior in Freeway Off-Ramp Areas from the Shanghai Naturalistic Driving Study

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Lanfang Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to investigate lane-changing characteristics in freeway off-ramp areas using Shanghai Naturalistic Driving Study (SH-NDS data, considering a four-lane freeway stretch in various traffic conditions. In SH-NDS, the behavior of drivers is observed unobtrusively in a natural setting for a long period of time. We identified 433 lane-changing events with valid time series data from the whole dataset. Based on the logit model developed to analyze the choice of target lanes, a likelihood analysis of lane-changing behavior was graphed with respect to three traffic conditions: free flow, medium flow, and heavy flow. The results suggested that lane-changing behavior of exiting vehicles is the consequence of the balance between route plan (mandatory incentive and expectation to improve driving condition (discretionary incentive. In higher traffic density, the latter seems to play a significant role. Furthermore, we found that lane-change from the slow lane to the fast lane would lead to higher speed variance value, which indicates a higher crash risk. The findings contribute to a better understanding on drivers’ natural driving behavior in freeway off-ramp areas and can provide important insight into road network design and safety management strategies.

Function and coding in the blowfly H1 neuron during naturalistic optic flow

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hateren, J.H. van; Kern, R.; Schwerdtfeger, G.; Egelhaaf, M.

2005-01-01

Naturalistic stimuli, reconstructed from measured eye movements of flying blowflies, were replayed on a panoramic stimulus device. The directional movement-sensitive H1 neuron was recorded from blowflies watching these stimuli. The response of the H1 neuron is dominated by the response to fast

Inequalities in the spiritual health of young Canadians: a national, cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Michaelson, Valerie; Freeman, John; King, Nathan; Ascough, Hannah; Davison, Colleen; Trothen, Tracy; Phillips, Sian; Pickett, William

2016-11-28

Spiritual health, along with physical, emotional, and social aspects, is one of four domains of health. Assessment in this field of research is challenging methodologically. No contemporary population-based studies have profiled the spiritual health of adolescent Canadians with a focus on health inequalities. In a 2014 nationally representative sample of Canadians aged 11-15 years we therefore: (1) psychometrically evaluated a series of items used to assess the perceived importance of spiritual health and its four potential sub-domains (connections with: self, others, nature and the natural environment, and the transcendent) to adolescents; (2) described potential inequalities in spiritual health within adolescent populations, overall and by spiritual health sub-domain, by key socio-demographic factors. Cross-sectional analysis of survey reports from the 2014 (Cycle 7) of the Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (weighted n = 25,036). Principal components analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis were used to explore the psychometric properties of the spiritual health items and the associated composite scale describing perceived importance of spiritual health. Associations among this composite scale, its individual sub-domains, and key socio-demographic factors were then explored. The principal components analysis best supported a four-factor structure where the eight scale items loaded highly according to the original four domains. This was also supported in confirmatory factor analyses. We then combined the eight items into composite spiritual health score as supported by theory, principal components analysis findings, and acceptable tests of reliability. Further confirmatory factor analysis suggested the need for additional refinements to this scale. Based upon exploratory cross-sectional analyses, strong socio-demographic inequalities were observed in the spiritual health measures by age, gender, relative material wealth

Comparative Analysis of Institutional Policy Definitions of Plagiarism: A Pan-Canadian University Study

Science.gov (United States)

Eaton, Sarah Elaine

2017-01-01

This article shares the findings of a study investigating institutional policy definitions of plagiarism at twenty English-speaking Canadian universities. The types of primary sources consulted for this study included: (1) university academic calendars for 2016-2017, (2) institutional policies on academic misconduct, and (3) student academic codes…

Age and gender differences in time to collision at braking from the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Montgomery, Jade; Kusano, Kristofer D; Gabler, Hampton C

2014-01-01

Forward collision warning (FCW) is an active safety system that aims to mitigate the effect of forward collisions by warning the driver of objects in front of the vehicle. Success of FCW relies on how drivers react to the alerts. Drivers who receive too many warnings that they deem as unnecessary-that is, nuisance alarms-may grow to distrust and turn the system off. To reduce the perception of nuisance alarms, FCW systems can be tailored to individual driving styles, but these driving styles must first be characterized. The objective of this study was to characterize differences in braking behavior between age and gender groups in car-following scenarios using data from the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study. The data source for this study was the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study, which recorded the driving of 108 primary drivers for approximately a year. Braking behavior was characterized in terms of time to collision (TTC) at brake application, a common metric used in the design of warning thresholds of FCW. Because of the large volume of data analyzed, the TTC at which drivers braked during car-following situations was collected via an automated search algorithm. The minimum TTC for each vehicle speed 10 mph increment from 10 mph to 80 mph was recorded for each driver. Mixed model analysis of variance was used to examine the differences between age and gender groups. In total, 527,861 brake applications contained in 11,503 trips were analyzed. Differences in TTC at braking were statistically significant for age and gender (Pbraking of 2.5±0.8 s, and females age 31-50 (n=6) had the highest average minimum TTC at braking of 6.4±0.9 s. On average, women (n=32) braked at a TTC 1.3 s higher than men (n=52). Age was a statistically significant factor for TTC at braking between participants under 30 (n=42) and participants over 30 (n=42), with the latter braking 1.7 s on average before the former. No statistical significance was found between ages 18-20 (n=15) and

Canadian attitudes to nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, J.E.O.; Dobson, J.K.; Baril, R.G.

1977-05-01

A national assessment was made of public attitudes towards nuclear power, along with regional studies of the Maritimes and mid-western Canada and a study of Canadian policy-makers' views on nuclear energy. Public levels of knowledge about nuclear power are very low and there are marked regional differences. Opposition centers on questions of safety and is hard to mollify due to irrational fear and low institutional credibility. Canadians rate inflation as a higher priority problem than energy and see energy shortages as a future problem (within 5 years) and energy independence as a high priority policy. (E.C.B.)

Framing Canadian federalism

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Saywell, John; Anastakis, Dimitry; Bryden, Penny E

2009-01-01

... the pervasive effects that federalism has on Canadian politics, economics, culture, and history, and provide a detailed framework in which to understand contemporary federalism. Written in honour of John T. Saywell's half-century of accomplished and influential scholarly work and teaching, Framing Canadian Federalism is a timely and fitting t...

Canadian seismic agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wetmiller, R.J.; Lyons, J.A.; Shannon, W.E.; Munro, P.S.; Thomas, J.T.; Andrew, M.D.; Lamontagne, M.; Wong, C.; Anglin, F.M.; Plouffe, M.; Lapointe, S.P.; Adams, J.; Drysdale, J.A.

1990-04-01

This is the twenty-first progress report under the agreement entitled Canadian Seismic Agreement between the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Canadian Commercial Corporation. Activities undertaken by the Geophysics Division of the Geological Survey of Canada (GD/GSC) during the period from July 01, 1988 to June 30, 1989 and supported in part by the NRC agreement are described below under four headings; Eastern Canada Telemetred Network and local network developments, Datalab developments, strong motion network developments and earthquake activity. In this time period eastern Canada experienced its largest earthquake in over 50 years. This earthquake, which has been christened the Saguenay earthquake, has provided a wealth of new data pertinent to earthquake engineering studies in eastern North America and is the subject of many continuing studies, which are presently being carried out at GD and elsewhere. 41 refs., 21 figs., 7 tabs

The parasitic model of L2 and L3 vocabulary acquisition: evidence from naturalistic and experimental studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Ecke

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews evidence for the Parasitic Model of Vocabulary Acquisition for second and third language learners/developing multilinguals. It first describes the model’s predictions about default processes based on the detection and use of similarity at the three stages involved in the development of individual lexical items: (1 the establishing of a form representation, (2 the building of connections to syntactic frame and concept representations, and (3 the strengthening and automatization of representations and access routes. The paper then summarizes both naturalistic and experimental evidence for processes involved at these three stages. Finally it discusses open issues and potential areas for future investigation.

On the use of naturalistic methods to examine safety-relevant behaviours amongst children and evaluate a cycling education program.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatfield, J; Dozza, M; Patton, D A; Maharaj, P; Boufous, S; Eveston, T

2017-11-01

School-based cycling education programs aim to improve cycling safety and participation amongst children. Available research suggests that typical programs, which focus on bicycle manoeuvring skills, have limited effects on behaviour observed on a track or planned route. The current study uses theoretically more valid, naturalistic cycling data, to evaluate Safe Cycle, a program that incorporates hazard and self-awareness training. Soon after Safe Cycle was delivered at treatment schools, research bicycles instrumented with a rearward- and a forward-facing camera were loaned to six children from treatment schools and six children from (waitlist) control schools. In each group half the children were in Year 6, and half were in Year 7/8. Each child was instructed to ride the research bicycle instead of their own bicycle for the 1-2 weeks that they had a research bicycle. Video data were reduced using a purpose-designed coding scheme that identified whether participants performed specific safety-relevant behaviours in appropriate circumstances. While the participants controlled their bicycles well, gave way appropriately to traffic at intersections, and stopped at red lights, participants frequently removed one or both hands from the handlebars, and seldom signalled turns, conducted over-shoulder-checks when changing lanes, or looked in multiple directions at intersections (except when crossing a road). While aspects of design and small sample sizes limited evaluation findings, this research demonstrated the feasibility and potential of naturalistic data to support cycling education program evaluation. Further, the study substantially extended available naturalistic study of children's cycling behaviour to highlight behaviours which might be targeted by cycling safety initiatives. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment and Evaluation of the Utah Master Naturalist Program: Implications for Targeting Audiences

Science.gov (United States)

Larese-Casanova, Mark

2011-01-01

The Utah Master Naturalist Program trains citizens who provide education, outreach, and service to promote citizen stewardship of natural resources within their communities. In 2007-2008, the Watersheds module of the program was evaluated for program success, and participant knowledge was assessed. Assessment and evaluation results indicated that…

Job displacement effects of Canadian immigrants by country of origin and occupation.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, A S

1997-01-01

"Some previous Canadian studies have shown that considering the labor market as a whole and also pooling all immigrants as a group, immigrants do not have any job displacement effects on the Canadian born. This study presents some new evidence. It disaggregates immigrants by country of origin and by occupation groups and provides an analysis of job displacement effects of immigrants on the native-born Canadians by these dimensions. The study finds that (1) U.S. immigrants and the Canadians are substitutes [for] competing groups in the labor market and the effect is quite significant; (2) Canadians and Europeans are competing groups in certain occupations, while they have complementary skills in others; and (3) immigrants from the Third World and the Canadians are slightly competing groups in certain occupations." excerpt

The Liberalization of Canadian Immigration Policy (1945-1976

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariia Burtseva

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Immigration policy has played a key role in Canadian history since the second half of 19th century. Certainly, immigration legislation was a major element of it. Some of the most important reforms in Canadian immigration policy took place in the first decades after the Second World War. This was a time of multiple legislative reforms conducted by the Canadian government, but in general, the immigration regulations introduced during that period started the process of liberalization in this area. The Immigration Act of 1976 played a key role in building up the new liberal strategy of Canadian immigration. The pre-reform period is also important because it helps to understand the evolution process from discrimi¬native legislation to liberal policy. Therefore, the focus of this study is on the development of Canadian immigration policy from 1945 to 1976. The present research examines the main preconditions for the adoption of the 1976 Immigration Act. It analyses legislation regulations, which paved the ground for post-war Canadian immigration policy, with a particular emphasis on regula-tions enacted from 1945 to 1976. This article provides an overview of Canadian immigration policy in post-war period. It also identifies successive documents that proved particularly influential for Canadian immigration policy at the time. The findings of this research point to a variety of causes for the legislation changes, from foreign and domestic policy to economy policy.

Adherence to Canadian C-Spine Rule in a regional hospital: a retrospective study of 406 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Paxton, Mark; Heal, Clare F; Drobetz, Herwig

2012-10-01

Cervical spine radiography may be over-utilised in an emergency department setting. The Canadian C-Spine Rule has been developed to reduce unnecessary radiography. Our aim was to retrospectively determine the proportion of cervical spine radiographs requested through the emergency department for trauma patients that were clinically indicated, according to the Canadian C-Spine Rule. This was a cross-sectional survey conducted at a regional centre in Northern Queensland, Australia. All cervical spine radiographs for trauma, performed at the Mackay Base Hospital from 1 January 2009 to the 31 December 2009, were reviewed. The relevant patient charts were audited for evidence of indications for radiography. Of 406 patients in the study, 155 patients (38%) (95% confidence interval 33.3%, 42.7%) had cervical spine imaging performed that was not indicated according to the Canadian C-Spine Rule. None of these patients had a significant cervical spine injury on radiography. Applying the Canadian C-Spine Rule would have safely reduced the incidence of cervical spine radiography by 38%. This would also reduce costs, patient morbidity and radiation exposure. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology © 2012 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

Nuclear power and the Canadian public

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greer-Wootten, B; Mitson, L

1976-06-01

The purpose of the study was to ascertain the opinions and attitudes of Canadians to the use of nuclear power for generating electricity, as an initial step in developing information programs attuned to the demonstrated needs of the public. This report presents the findings from the survey of the Canadian public aged 18 years and over. Over 2100 persons responded to our interviewers, generating about 200,000 answers to the questions.

Ethno-linguistic peculiarities of French Canadian and English ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

When English Canadian and French Canadian phraseology is compared, the greater role of religion in the French Canadian community is evident, rather than in English Canadian; the influence of the Canadian variant of the English language on the Canadian variant of French is clearly expressed. With all the differences, ...

Calcium, Vitamin D, Iron, and Folate Messages in Three Canadian Magazines.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Marcia; Zalot, Lindsay; Wadsworth, Laurie A

2014-12-01

Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey showed that calcium, vitamin D, iron, and folate are nutrients of concern for females 19-50 years of age. The study objectives were to assess the quantity, format, and accuracy of messages related to these nutrients in selected Canadian magazines and to examine their congruency with Canadian nutrition policies. Using content analysis methodology, messages were coded using a stratified sample of a constructed year for Canadian Living, Chatelaine, and Homemakers magazines (n = 33) from 2003-2008. Pilot research was conducted to assess inter-coder agreement and to develop the study coding sheet and codebook. The messages identified (n = 595) averaged 18 messages per magazine issue. The most messages were found for calcium, followed by folate, iron, and vitamin D, and the messages were found primarily in articles (46%) and advertisements (37%). Overall, most messages were coded as accurate (82%) and congruent with Canadian nutrition policies (90%). This research demonstrated that the majority of messages in 3 Canadian magazines between 2003 and 2008 were accurate and reflected Canadian nutrition policies. Because Canadian women continue to receive much nutrition information via print media, this research provides important insights for dietitians into media messaging.

Eliciting Naturalistic Cortical Responses with a Sensory Prosthesis via Optimized Microstimulation

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-12

Eliciting naturalistic cortical responses with a sensory prosthesis via optimized microstimulation John S Choi1, Austin J Brockmeier2, David B...applied to single electrodes in the ventral caudal thalamus evoke percepts that are both place and modality-specific, and yet ‘unnatural’ in feeling ...information on touch parameters, they do so with the same timing, as would be expected for a biomimetic sensory prosthesis . The discriminability of natural

The Canadian elder standard - pricing the cost of basic needs for the Canadian elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Bonnie-Jeanne; Andrews, Doug; Brown, Robert L

2010-03-01

We determined the after-tax income required to finance basic needs for Canadian elders living with different circumstances in terms of age, gender, city of residence, household size, homeowner or renter status, means of transportation, and health status. Using 2001 as our base year, we priced the typical expenses for food, shelter, medical, transportation, miscellaneous basic living items and home-based long-term care for elders living in five Canadian cities. This is the first Canadian study of basic living expenses tailored to elders instead of adults in general, prepared on an absolute rather than a relative basis. We also accounted for an individual's unique life circumstances and established the varying effect that they have on the cost of basic expenses, particularly for home care. We found that the maximum Guaranteed Income Supplement and Old Age Security benefit did not meet the cost of basic needs for an elder living in poor circumstances.

Occupation and risk of prostate cancer in Canadian men: A case-control study across eight Canadian provinces.

Science.gov (United States)

Sritharan, Jeavana; Demers, Paul A; Harris, Shelley A; Cole, Donald C; Peters, Cheryl E; Villeneuve, Paul J

2017-06-01

The etiology of prostate cancer continues to be poorly understood, including the role of occupation. Past Canadian studies have not been able to thoroughly examine prostate cancer by occupation with detailed information on individual level factors. Occupation, industry and prostate cancer were examined using data from the National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System, a large population-based case-control study conducted across eight Canadian provinces from 1994 to 1997. This analysis included 1737 incident cases and 1803 controls aged 50 to 79 years. Lifetime occupational histories were used to group individuals by occupation and industry employment. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated and adjustments were made for known and possible risk factors. By occupation, elevated risks were observed in farming and farm management (OR=1.37, 95% CI 1.02-1.84), armed forces (OR=1.33, 95% CI 1.06-1.65) and legal work (OR=2.58, 95% CI 1.05-6.35). Elevated risks were also observed in office work (OR=1.20, 95% CI 1.00-1.43) and plumbing (OR=1.77, 95% CI 1.07-2.93) and with ≥10 years duration of employment. Decreased risks were observed in senior management (OR=0.65, 95% CI 0.46-0.91), construction management (OR=0.69, 95% CI 0.50-0.94) and travel work (OR=0.37, 95% CI 0.16-0.88). Industry results were similar to occupation results, except for an elevated risk in forestry/logging (OR=1.54, 95% CI 1.06-2.25) and a decreased risk in primary metal products (OR=0.70, 95% CI 0.51-0.96). This study presents associations between occupation, industry and prostate cancer, while accounting for individual level factors. Further research is needed on potential job-specific exposures and screening behaviours. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Naturalistic, Randomized Pilot Trial of E-Cigarettes: Uptake, Exposure, and Behavioral Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Matthew J; Heckman, Bryan W; Wahlquist, Amy E; Wagener, Theodore L; Goniewicz, Maciej L; Gray, Kevin M; Froeliger, Brett; Cummings, K Michael

2017-12-01

Background: Most studies of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) compare self-selected users versus nonusers. The few randomized studies to date generally support a positive impact on reducing smoking behavior, but these studies are focused on guided ENDS use. This study presents a randomized, naturalistic trial of ENDS with prospective outcomes of uptake and behavioral changes in smoking. Methods: Adult smokers with minimal ENDS history were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive product for 3 weeks ( n = 46), or not ( n = 22). Changes in nicotine delivery (16 vs. 24 mg), midway through the study allowed a compelling opportunity to examine two ENDS products compared with the control group. Primary outcomes, assessed via daily diaries during sampling period and in-person laboratory visits over 4 months, included uptake and usage of ENDS, cessation-related outcomes, and exposure to smoke constituents. Results: All ENDS participants tried product at least once, with 48% of 24 mg and 30% of 16 mg using their assigned product for the entire sampling period. Within the 24 mg ENDs group, 57% made an independent purchase of ENDS, versus 28% of 16 mg, and 14% of control participants ( P = 0.01). Smokers in both ENDS groups significantly reduced their smoking, whereas control participants did not ( P = 0.03). Cessation behaviors (quit attempts, biologically verified abstinence) numerically but not statistically favored ENDS participants. Conclusions: Results suggest that cigarette smokers are willing to use ENDS with trends toward reduced cigarette smoking and positive changes in cessation-related behaviors. Impact: Randomized, naturalistic trials such as presented herein are needed to understand the population impact of e-cigarettes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(12); 1795-803. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Physical activity of Canadian children and youth: accelerometer results from the 2007 to 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Colley, Rachel C; Garriguet, Didier; Janssen, Ian; Craig, Cora L; Clarke, Janine; Tremblay, Mark S

2011-03-01

Physical activity is an important determinant of health and fitness. This study provides contemporary estimates of the physical activity levels of Canadians aged 6 to 19 years. Data are from the 2007 to 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. The physical activity of a nationally representative sample was measured using accelerometers. Data are presented as time spent in sedentary, light, moderate and vigorous intensity movement, and in steps accumulated per day. An estimated 9% of boys and 4% of girls accumulate 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on at least 6 days a week. Regardless of age group, boys are more active than girls. Canadian children and youth spend 8.6 hours per day-62% of their waking hours-in sedentary pursuits. Daily step counts average 12,100 for boys and 10,300 for girls. Based on objective and robust measures, physical activity levels of Canadian children and youth are low.

Back to basics: a naturalistic assessment of the experience and regulation of emotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Heiy, Jane E; Cheavens, Jennifer S

2014-10-01

Emotion regulation research links regulatory responding to important outcomes in psychological well-being, physical health, and interpersonal relations, but several fundamental questions remain. As much of the previous research has addressed generalized regulatory habits, far less is known about the ways in which individuals respond to emotions in daily life. The literature is particularly sparse in explorations of positive emotion regulation. In the current study, we provide an assessment of naturalistic experiences and regulation of emotion, both positive and negative in valence. Using an electronic experience sampling methodology, participants reported on their use of 40 regulatory strategies in response to 14 emotions for 10 consecutive days. On average, participants used 15 different regulatory strategies in response to negative emotions over this time, most frequently relying on acceptance, behavioral activation, and rumination. Participants used a similarly large repertoire of strategies, approximately 16 total, in response to positive emotions, particularly savoring, future focus, and behavioral activation. Participants' mood ratings following strategy use, however, indicated that the most frequently used strategies were often not the most effective strategies. The results of this study provide estimates of the frequency and effectiveness of a large number of emotion regulation strategies in response to both negative and positive emotions. Such findings characterize naturalistic emotion regulation, and estimates of normative emotion regulation processes are imperative to determining the ways in which deviations (e.g., small emotion regulation repertoires, insufficient attention to regulation of positive emotions) impact emotional functioning. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Training support for Naturalistic Decision Making : Serious gaming for adaptive performance of military personnel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mun, Y.; Hulst, A.H. van der; Oprins, E.A.P.B.; Schraagen, J.M.C.

2017-01-01

Introduction: For effective decision making in the 21st century where operational environments are complex and uncertain, there is a strong need for training support and its practical application to naturalistic, real-world settings. In this contribution, we focus on training of adaptive performance

Evaluating depressive symptoms in mania: a naturalistic study of patients with bipolar disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Allan H; Eberhard, Jonas

2015-01-01

Objective This study aimed to evaluate patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I) who have mania with depressive symptoms and who meet the new “with mixed features” specifier of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). Method This prospective, multinational, naturalistic study surveyed psychiatrists and their patients with BD-I from October 2013 to March 2014. Eligible patients had BD-I, had a (current) manic episode, and had experienced onset of a manic episode within the previous 3 months. Psychiatrists provided patient information on depressive symptoms (DSM-5 criteria); symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and agitation; suicide attempts; and physician satisfaction with treatment response. Data were stratified according to whether patients met the criteria for the BD-I “with mixed features” specifier of DSM-5 (≥3 depressive symptoms) or not, and characteristics were compared between the two subgroups. Patients also self-reported on depressive symptoms using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview module questionnaire. Results Overall, 34% of 1,035 patients met the criteria for BD-I “with mixed features,” exhibiting ≥3 depressive symptoms during their current manic episode. This correlated with the matched patient self-reports of depressive symptoms. During their current manic episode, BD-I patients “with mixed features” had more severe symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and agitation (average composite severity score of 4.1 vs 3.4), a higher incidence of suicide attempts (38% vs 9%), and more physician dissatisfaction with treatment response (22% vs 14%), compared to patients with 0–2 depressive symptoms (all P<0.05). Conclusion This study found that patients with BD-I “with mixed features” (ie, ≥3 depressive symptoms during a manic episode), suffered, on average, from a greater burden of disease than patients with pure mania. Improved identification of these patients may help to optimize

The development of prospective memory in preschool children using naturalistic tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Stephanie J; Martin, Gerard M; Courage, Mary L

2014-11-01

The development of prospective memory (PM) in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children (N=123) was assessed in two experiments using several naturalistic game-like tasks that varied in the explicitness of the cues for retrieval that they provided. The goals of the study were to evaluate age differences in PM (a) with the effects of retrospective memory (RM) factored out and (b) as a function of increasing retrieval cue specificity. Results from Experiment 1 showed that there were age differences in PM on a simulated Shopping Trip task that favored older children after age differences attributable to RM were identified in a hierarchical regression. PM and RM components followed the same developmental trajectory. Because the Shopping Trip task provided a visual cue for retrieval, a second naturalistic PM task that was incidental to the Shopping Trip task (i.e., to ask for stickers at the end of the shopping trip) was included but provided no explicit cue other than the end of Shopping Trip task itself. A binary logistic regression showed that age did not predict children who succeeded and those who did not succeed. Because the end of the Shopping Trip task might have cued PM, two new tasks without any explicit cues for retrieval were examined in Experiment 2. Logistic regressions revealed that age predicted PM success on both tasks. With additional cues following failure to retrieve the PM intention, nearly all children succeeded, but the number of cues needed increased with age. The joint and separate contributions of PM and RM to successful task performance are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Denials of Racism in Canadian English Language Textbooks

Science.gov (United States)

Gulliver, Trevor; Thurrell, Kristy

2016-01-01

This critical discourse analysis examines denials of racism in descriptions of Canada and Canadians from English language textbooks. Denials of racism often accompany racist and nationalist discourse, preempting observations of racism. The study finds that in representations of Canada or Canadians, English language texts minimize and downplay…

Leading Lean: a Canadian healthcare leader's guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Fine, Benjamin A; Golden, Brian; Hannam, Rosemary; Morra, Dante

2009-01-01

Canadian healthcare organizations are increasingly asked to do more with less, and too often this has resulted in demands on staff to simply work harder and longer. Lean methodologies, originating from Japanese industrial organizations and most notably Toyota, offer an alternative - tried and tested approaches to working smarter. Lean, with its systematic approaches to reducing waste, has found its way to Canadian healthcare organizations with promising results. This article reports on a study of five Canadian healthcare providers that have recently implemented Lean. We offer stories of success but also identify potential obstacles and ways by which they may be surmounted to provide better value for our healthcare investments.

Prevalence and characteristics of Postpartum Depression symptomatology among Canadian women: a cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuk Jennifer L

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study aims to look at the prevalence and characteristics of postpartum depression symptomatology (PPDS among Canadian women. Studies have found that in developed countries, 10-15% of new mothers were affected by major postpartum depression. Mothers who suffer from postpartum depression may endure difficulties regarding their ability to cope with life events, as well as negative clinical implications for maternal-infant attachment. Methods An analysis based on 6,421 Canadian women, who had a live birth between 2005 and 2006 and were part of the Maternity Experience Survey (MES, was performed. PPDS was measured based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Various factors that assessed socio-economic status, demographic factors, and maternal characteristics were considered for the multinomial regression model. Results The national prevalence of minor/major and major PPDS was found to be 8.46% and 8.69% respectively. A mother's stress level during pregnancy, the availability of support after pregnancy, and a prior diagnosis of depression were the characteristics that had the strongest significant association with the development of PPDS. Conclusions A significant number of Canadian women experience symptoms of postpartum depression. Findings from this study may be useful to increase both the attainment of treatment and the rate at which it can be obtained among new mothers. Interventions should target those with the greatest risk of experiencing PPDS, specifically immigrant and adolescent mothers.

Better together? a naturalistic qualitative study of inter-professional working in collaborative care for co-morbid depression and physical health problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Knowles, Sarah E; Chew-Graham, Carolyn; Coupe, Nia; Adeyemi, Isabel; Keyworth, Chris; Thampy, Harish; Coventry, Peter A

2013-09-20

Mental-physical multi-morbidities pose challenges for primary care services that traditionally focus on single diseases. Collaborative care models encourage inter-professional working to deliver better care for patients with multiple chronic conditions, such as depression and long-term physical health problems. Successive trials from the United States have shown that collaborative care effectively improves depression outcomes, even in people with long-term conditions (LTCs), but little is known about how to implement collaborative care in the United Kingdom. The aim of the study was to explore the extent to which collaborative care was implemented in a naturalistic National Health Service setting. A naturalistic pilot study of collaborative care was undertaken in North West England. Primary care mental health professionals from IAPT (Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies) services and general practice nurses were trained to collaboratively identify and manage patients with co-morbid depression and long-term conditions. Qualitative interviews were performed with health professionals at the beginning and end of the pilot phase. Normalization Process Theory guided analysis. Health professionals adopted limited elements of the collaborative care model in practice. Although benefits of co-location in primary care practices were reported, including reduced stigma of accessing mental health treatment and greater ease of disposal for identified patients, existing norms around the division of mental and physical health work in primary care were maintained, limiting integration of the mental health practitioners into the practice setting. Neither the mental health practitioners nor the practice nurses perceived benefits to joint management of patients. Established divisions between mental and physical health may pose particular challenges for multi-morbidity service delivery models such as collaborative care. Future work should explore patient perspectives about

THE INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY OF WRITING COURSE AT ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF UMS: A NATURALISTIC STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fibrian Anindyawati

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research is to get a thorough description of the teaching learning process of Writing Course at English Department of Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta, covering the syllabuses, the learning objectives, the instructional materials, the teachers’ roles, the students’ roles, the classroom techniques, the classroom procedures, the teaching media, and the assessment models. The data of this research were collected through observation, interview, and documentation. This research was a naturalistic study. The result shows that the syllabus used in Writing I & II is grammatical syllabus and Writing III & IV task-based syllabus. The learning objectives categorized into two namely, general objectives and specific objectives. The instructional materials were divided into three categories: printed materials, visual materials, and materials from the internet. The teachers’ roles were as organizer, consultant, feedback provider, assessor, and motivator. The students’ roles were as active participant, peer reviewer, and peer editor. The classroom techniques consist of brainstorming, discussion, question and answer, self-correction, assignment. The classroom procedures of Writing I & II were BKOF-MOT-ICOT; Writing III were reviewing, gathering ideas, organizing, build writing activity; and Writing IV were reviewing, explaining the materials, gathering ideas, organizing, build writing activity. The media used were LCD Projector, board, slides, and videos. The assessment model consisted of: multiple choices, weekly assignments, quizzes, mid-test, and final-test.     Keywords: Instruction, writing course, teaching writing

African-Canadian Educators' Perspectives: Critical Factors for Success

Science.gov (United States)

Finlayson, Maureen

2011-01-01

This study investigates the perspectives of African-Canadian educators on critical factors for success in their educational careers. Interviews were conducted and life histories were constructed to analyze the complex and multifaceted nature of the experiences of ten African-Canadian educators. These data indicate that family and community…

Quality of Childcare and Otitis Media: Relationship to Children's Language during Naturalistic Interactions at 18, 24, and 36 Months

Science.gov (United States)

Vernon-Feagans, Lynne; Hurley, Megan M.; Yont, Kristine M.; Wamboldt, Patricia M.; Kolak, Amy

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the quality of childcare and experience with otitis media (middle ear disease) as they relate to children's early naturalistic language development. Sixty children were followed longitudinally from childcare entry in the first year of life until three years of age. Half the children…

Canadian competitive advantage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wills, J.

1997-01-01

The evolution of the Canadian petrochemical industry was outlined, emphasizing the proximity to feedstocks as the principal advantage enjoyed by the industry over its international competitors. Annual sales statistics for 1995 were provided. Key players in the Canadian petrochemical industry (Nova, Dow, DuPont, Methanex, Esso, Union Carbide, Shell and Celanese), their share of the market and key products were noted. Manufacturing facilities are located primarily in Alberta, southern Ontario and Quebec. The feedstock supply infrastructure, historical and alternative ethane pricing in Canada and the US, the North American market for petrochemicals, the competitiveness of the industry, tax competitiveness among Canadian provinces and the US, the Canada - US unit labour cost ratio, ethylene facility construction costs in Canada relative to the US Gulf Coast, and projected 1997 financial requirements were reviewed. 19 figs

Defending metropolitan identity through colonial politics: The role of Portuguese naturalists (1870-91).

Science.gov (United States)

Gamito-Marques, Daniel

2018-06-01

This paper explores how João de Andrade Corvo and José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage, two nineteenth-century Portuguese naturalists, were able to reach prominent political positions in their country by means of their work in, respectively, botany and agriculture, and zoology. The authority they derived from their scientific activities and the knowledge they acquired in the process, favored by their proximity to particular political quarters, elevated them to important governmental offices, in the context of which they implemented policies that reinforced Portugal's identity as an imperial nation. The colonial policies and agreements signed by Corvo and Bocage aimed at securing Portuguese colonial territories, which, aside from their economic relevance, constituted a symbol of power that reinforced the sovereignty of a small nation in a Europe dominated by the rule of increasingly vaster and stronger states. In spite of their different scientific careers and personal interests, both naturalists played key roles in Portuguese foreign affairs and colonial negotiations of the late nineteenth century, especially during the Scramble for Africa.

Using SHRP 2 naturalistic driving data to assess drivers' speed choice while being engaged in different secondary tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneidereit, Tina; Petzoldt, Tibor; Keinath, Andreas; Krems, Josef F

2017-09-01

The engagement in secondary tasks while driving has been found to result in considerable impairments of driving performance. Texting has especially been suspected to be associated with an increased crash risk. At the same time, there is evidence that drivers use various self-regulating strategies to compensate for the increased demands caused by secondary task engagement. One of the findings reported from multiple studies is a reduction in driving speed. However, most of these studies are of experimental nature and do not let the drivers decide for themselves to (not) engage in the secondary task, and therefore, eliminate other strategies of self-regulation (e.g., postponing the task). The goal of the present analysis was to investigate if secondary task engagement results in speed adjustment also under naturalistic conditions. Our analysis relied on data of the SHRP 2 naturalistic driving study. To minimize the influence of potentially confounding factors on drivers' speed choice, we focused on episodes of free flow driving on interstates/highways. Driving speed was analyzed before, during, and after texting, smoking, eating, and adjusting/monitoring radio or climate control; in a total of 403 episodes. Data show some indication for speed adjustment for texting, especially when driving with high speed. However, the effect sizes were small and behavioral patterns varied considerably between drivers. The engagement in the other tasks did not influence drivers' speed behavior significantly. While drivers might indeed reduce speed slightly to accommodate for secondary task engagement, other forms of adaptation (e.g., strategic decisions) might play a more important role in a natural driving environment. The use of naturalistic driving data to study drivers' self-regulatory behavior at an operational level has proven to be promising. Still, in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding about drivers' self-regulatory behavior, a mixed-method approach is required

Canadian Hydrogen Association workshop on building Canadian strength with hydrogen systems. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

The Canadian Hydrogen Association workshop on 'Building Canadian Strength with Hydrogen Systems' was held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on October 19-20, 2006. Over 100 delegates attended the workshop and there were over 50 presentations made. The Canadian Hydrogen Association (CHA) promotes the development of a hydrogen infrastructure and the commercialization of new, efficient and economic methods that accelerate the adoption of hydrogen technologies that will eventually replace fossil-based energy systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This workshop focused on defining the strategic direction of research and development that will define the future of hydrogen related energy developments across Canada. It provided a forum to strengthen the research, development and innovation linkages among government, industry and academia to build Canadian strength with hydrogen systems. The presentations described new technologies and the companies that are making small scale hydrogen and hydrogen powered vehicles. Other topics of discussion included storage issues, hydrogen safety, competition in the hydrogen market, hydrogen fuel cell opportunities, nuclear-based hydrogen production, and environmental impacts

Comparison of two simulation methods for testing of algorithms to detect cyclist and pedestrian accidents in naturalistic data

OpenAIRE

Madsen, Tanja; Christensen, Mads; Sloth Andersen, Camilla; Varhelyi, Andras; Laureshyn, Aliaksei; Moeslund, Thomas; Lahrmann, Harry

2017-01-01

Naturalistic studies can potentially be used to detect accidents of vulnerable road users and thus overcome the large degree of under-reporting in the official accident records. In this study, simulated cycling and walking accidents were performed by a stuntman and with a crash test dummy to test how they differ from each other and the potential implications of using simulated accidents as an alternative to real accidents. The study consisted of simulations of common accident types for cyclis...

Conference summaries. Canadian Nuclear Association 29. annual conference; Canadian Nuclear Society 10. annual conference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1990-12-31

Separate abstracts were prepared for 15 papers from the twenty-ninth Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association. Abstracts were also prepared for the 102 papers from the tenth Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society.

Conference summaries. Canadian Nuclear Association 29. annual conference; Canadian Nuclear Society 10. annual conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

Separate abstracts were prepared for 15 papers from the twenty-ninth Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association. Abstracts were also prepared for the 102 papers from the tenth Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society

Self-Perceived Eating Habits and Food Skills of Canadians.

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Modeling Driving Performance Using In-Vehicle Speech Data From a Naturalistic Driving Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Jonny; Charlton, Judith L; Koppel, Sjaan; Rudin-Brown, Christina M; Cross, Suzanne

2016-09-01

We aimed to (a) describe the development and application of an automated approach for processing in-vehicle speech data from a naturalistic driving study (NDS), (b) examine the influence of child passenger presence on driving performance, and (c) model this relationship using in-vehicle speech data. Parent drivers frequently engage in child-related secondary behaviors, but the impact on driving performance is unknown. Applying automated speech-processing techniques to NDS audio data would facilitate the analysis of in-vehicle driver-child interactions and their influence on driving performance. Speech activity detection and speaker diarization algorithms were applied to audio data from a Melbourne-based NDS involving 42 families. Multilevel models were developed to evaluate the effect of speech activity and the presence of child passengers on driving performance. Speech activity was significantly associated with velocity and steering angle variability. Child passenger presence alone was not associated with changes in driving performance. However, speech activity in the presence of two child passengers was associated with the most variability in driving performance. The effects of in-vehicle speech on driving performance in the presence of child passengers appear to be heterogeneous, and multiple factors may need to be considered in evaluating their impact. This goal can potentially be achieved within large-scale NDS through the automated processing of observational data, including speech. Speech-processing algorithms enable new perspectives on driving performance to be gained from existing NDS data, and variables that were once labor-intensive to process can be readily utilized in future research. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

A moving story: Whole-body motor training selectively improves the appraisal of action meanings in naturalistic narratives.

Science.gov (United States)

Trevisan, Piergiorgio; Sedeño, Lucas; Birba, Agustina; Ibáñez, Agustín; García, Adolfo M

2017-10-02

This study examined whether systematic whole-body stimulation and increased attention to visuospatial motion patterns can enhance the appraisal of action meanings evoked by naturalistic texts. Participants listened to action and neutral (non-action) narratives before and after videogame-based bodily training, and responded to questions on information realized by verbs (denoting abstract and action processes) and circumstances (conveying locative or temporal details, for example). Strategically, we worked with dyslexic children, whose potential comprehension deficits could give room to post-training improvements. Results showed a selective boost in understanding of action information, even when controlling for baseline performance. Also, this effect proved uninfluenced by short-term memory skills, and it was absent when training relied on non-action videogames requiring minimal bodily engagement. Of note, the movements described in the texts did not match those performed by participants, suggesting that well-established effector- and direction-specific language embodiment effects may be accompanied by more coarse-grained sensorimotor resonance, driven by activation of motor and visuospatial sensory systems. In sum, the stimulation of movement-related mechanisms seems to selectively boost the appraisal of actions evoked by naturalistic texts. By demonstrating such links between two real-life activities, our study offers an empirical tie between embodied and situated accounts of cognition.

Evaluating depressive symptoms in mania: a naturalistic study of patients with bipolar disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Allan H; Eberhard, Jonas

2015-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I) who have mania with depressive symptoms and who meet the new "with mixed features" specifier of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). This prospective, multinational, naturalistic study surveyed psychiatrists and their patients with BD-I from October 2013 to March 2014. Eligible patients had BD-I, had a (current) manic episode, and had experienced onset of a manic episode within the previous 3 months. Psychiatrists provided patient information on depressive symptoms (DSM-5 criteria); symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and agitation; suicide attempts; and physician satisfaction with treatment response. Data were stratified according to whether patients met the criteria for the BD-I "with mixed features" specifier of DSM-5 (≥3 depressive symptoms) or not, and characteristics were compared between the two subgroups. Patients also self-reported on depressive symptoms using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview module questionnaire. Overall, 34% of 1,035 patients met the criteria for BD-I "with mixed features," exhibiting ≥3 depressive symptoms during their current manic episode. This correlated with the matched patient self-reports of depressive symptoms. During their current manic episode, BD-I patients "with mixed features" had more severe symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and agitation (average composite severity score of 4.1 vs 3.4), a higher incidence of suicide attempts (38% vs 9%), and more physician dissatisfaction with treatment response (22% vs 14%), compared to patients with 0-2 depressive symptoms (all Pmixed features" (ie, ≥3 depressive symptoms during a manic episode), suffered, on average, from a greater burden of disease than patients with pure mania. Improved identification of these patients may help to optimize treatment outcomes.

Three year naturalistic outcome study of panic disorder patients treated with paroxetine.

Science.gov (United States)

Dannon, Pinhas N; Iancu, Iulian; Cohen, Ami; Lowengrub, Katherine; Grunhaus, Leon; Kotler, Moshe

2004-06-11

This naturalistic open label follow-up study had three objectives: 1) To observe the course of illness in Panic Disorder patients receiving long-term versus intermediate-term paroxetine treatment, 2) To compare the relapse rates and side-effect profile after long-term paroxetine treatment between patients with Panic Disorder and Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia, 3) To observe paroxetine's tolerability over a 24 month period. 143 patients with panic disorder (PD), with or without agoraphobia, successfully finished a short-term (ie 12 week) trial of paroxetine treatment. All patients then continued to receive paroxetine maintenance therapy for a total of 12 months. At the end of this period, 72 of the patients chose to discontinue paroxetine pharmacotherapy and agreed to be monitored throughout a one year discontinuation follow-up phase. The remaining 71 patients continued on paroxetine for an additional 12 months and then were monitored, as in the first group, for another year while medication-free. The primary limitation of our study is that the subgroups of patients receiving 12 versus 24 months of maintenance paroxetine therapy were selected according to individual patient preference and therefore were not assigned in a randomized manner. Only 21 of 143 patients (14%) relapsed during the one year medication discontinuation follow-up phase. There were no significant differences in relapse rates between the patients who received intermediate-term (up to 12 months) paroxetine and those who chose the long-term course (24 month paroxetine treatment). 43 patients (30.1%) reported sexual dysfunction. The patients exhibited an average weight gain of 5.06 kg. All patients who eventually relapsed demonstrated significantly greater weight increase (7.3 kg) during the treatment phase. The extension of paroxetine maintenance treatment from 12 to 24 months did not seem to further decrease the risk of relapse after medication discontinuation. Twenty-four month paroxetine

Three year naturalistic outcome study of panic disorder patients treated with paroxetine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lowengrub Katherine

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This naturalistic open label follow-up study had three objectives: 1 To observe the course of illness in Panic Disorder patients receiving long-term versus intermediate-term paroxetine treatment 2 To compare the relapse rates and side-effect profile after long-term paroxetine treatment between patients with Panic Disorder and Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. 3 To observe paroxetine's tolerability over a 24 month period. Methods 143 patients with panic disorder (PD, with or without agoraphobia, successfully finished a short-term (ie 12 week trial of paroxetine treatment. All patients then continued to receive paroxetine maintenance therapy for a total of 12 months. At the end of this period, 72 of the patients chose to discontinue paroxetine pharmacotherapy and agreed to be monitored throughout a one year discontinuation follow-up phase. The remaining 71 patients continued on paroxetine for an additional 12 months and then were monitored, as in the first group, for another year while medication-free. The primary limitation of our study is that the subgroups of patients receiving 12 versus 24 months of maintenance paroxetine therapy were selected according to individual patient preference and therefore were not assigned in a randomized manner. Results Only 21 of 143 patients (14% relapsed during the one year medication discontinuation follow-up phase. There were no significant differences in relapse rates between the patients who received intermediate-term (up to 12 months paroxetine and those who chose the long-term course (24 month paroxetine treatment. 43 patients (30.1% reported sexual dysfunction. The patients exhibited an average weight gain of 5.06 kg. All patients who eventually relapsed demonstrated significantly greater weight increase (7.3 kg during the treatment phase. Conclusions The extension of paroxetine maintenance treatment from 12 to 24 months did not seem to further decrease the risk of relapse after

Hydrogeology and water quality of the North Canadian River alluvium, Concho Reserve, Canadian County, Oklahoma

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, C.J.

1998-01-01

A growing user population within the Concho Reserve in Canadian County, Oklahoma, has increased the need for drinking water. The North Canadian River alluvium is a reliable source of ground water for agriculture, industry, and cities in Canadian County and is the only ground-water source capable of meeting large demands. This study was undertaken to collect and analyze data to describe the hydrogeology and ground-water quality of the North Canadian River alluvium within the Concho Reserve. The alluvium forms a band about 2 miles long and 0.5 mile wide along the southern edge of the Concho Reserve. Thickness of the alluvium ranges from 19 to 75 feet thick and averages about 45 feet in the study area. Well cuttings and natural gamma-ray logs indicate the alluvium consists of interfingering lenses of clay, silt, and sand. The increase of coarse-grained sand and the decrease of clay and silt with depth suggests that the water-bearing properties of the aquifer within the study area improve with depth. A clay layer in the upper part of the aquifer may be partially responsible for surface water ponding in low areas after above normal precipitation and may delay the infiltration of potentially contaminated water from land surface. Specific conductance measurements indicate the ground-water quality improves in a northern direction towards the terrace. Water-quality properties, bacteria counts, major ion and nutrient concentrations, trace-element and radionuclide concentrations, and organic compound concentrations were measured in one ground-water sample at the southern edge of the Concho Reserve and comply with the primary drinking-water standards. Measured concentrations of iron, manganese, sulfate, and total dissolved solids exceed the secondary maximum contaminant levels set for drinking water. The ground water is a calcium sulfate bicarbonate type and is considered very hard, with a hardness of 570 milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate.

Linear Discriminant Analysis achieves high classification accuracy for the BOLD fMRI response to naturalistic movie stimuli.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hendrik eMandelkow

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Naturalistic stimuli like movies evoke complex perceptual processes, which are of great interest in the study of human cognition by functional MRI (fMRI. However, conventional fMRI analysis based on statistical parametric mapping (SPM and the general linear model (GLM is hampered by a lack of accurate parametric models of the BOLD response to complex stimuli. In this situation, statistical machine-learning methods, a.k.a. multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA, have received growing attention for their ability to generate stimulus response models in a data-driven fashion. However, machine-learning methods typically require large amounts of training data as well as computational resources. In the past this has largely limited their application to fMRI experiments involving small sets of stimulus categories and small regions of interest in the brain. By contrast, the present study compares several classification algorithms known as Nearest Neighbour (NN, Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB, and (regularised Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA in terms of their classification accuracy in discriminating the global fMRI response patterns evoked by a large number of naturalistic visual stimuli presented as a movie.Results show that LDA regularised by principal component analysis (PCA achieved high classification accuracies, above 90% on average for single fMRI volumes acquired 2s apart during a 300s movie (chance level 0.7% = 2s/300s. The largest source of classification errors were autocorrelations in the BOLD signal compounded by the similarity of consecutive stimuli. All classifiers performed best when given input features from a large region of interest comprising around 25% of the voxels that responded significantly to the visual stimulus. Consistent with this, the most informative principal components represented widespread distributions of co-activated brain regions that were similar between subjects and may represent functional networks. In light of these

Adjunctive antipsychotic in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder - A retrospective naturalistic case note study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashid, Haroon; Khan, Akif A; Fineberg, Naomi A

2015-06-01

A retrospective naturalistic case note study to determine the frequency, co-morbidity and treatment-response of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Records from 280 patients attending a highly specialised obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)/BDD service were analysed. The clinical outcome was measured either through scoring of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) for OCD/BDD, or textual analysis of case notes for evidence of symptomatic improvement, treatment tolerability, and premature disengagement. A total of 32 patients (11.43%) were diagnosed with BDD. Of these, 28 (87.5%) had at least one co-morbidity. All patients were offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Adjunctive low-dose antipsychotic was prescribed for 21 (66%) patients. Overall, 18/32 (56%) responded, and 7/32 (22%) disengaged prematurely. Patients offered antipsychotic, SSRI and CBT (n = 21) were compared with those offered SSRI and CBT only (n = 11). The treatment was well-tolerated. Whereas there was no significant inter-group difference in the clinical response rate, premature disengagement occurred less frequently in the antipsychotic-treated patients (9.5% versus 45%; Fisher's Exact Test P = 0.0318). BDD frequently presents with co-morbidity, treatment-resistance and premature disengagement. Adjunctive antipsychotic was associated with significantly better treatment adherence, but responder rates did not differ significantly, possibly related to the small sample-size. A well-powered randomised controlled study is warranted, to determine clinical outcomes with adjunctive antipsychotic in BDD.

Comparison of two simulation methods for testing of algorithms to detect cyclist and pedestrian accidents in naturalistic data

OpenAIRE

Madsen, Tanja Kidholm Osmann; Christensen, Mads Bock; Andersen, Camilla Sloth; Várhelyi, András; Laureshyn, Aliaksei; Moeslund, Thomas B.; Lahrmann, Harry Spaabæk

2017-01-01

Naturalistic studies can potentially be used to detect accidents of vulnerable road users and thus overcome the large degree of under-reporting in the official accident records. In this study, simulated cycling and walking accidents were performed by a stunt man and with a crash test dummy to test how they differ from each other and the potential implications of using simulated accidents as an alternative to real accidents. The study consisted of simulations of common accident types for cycli...

An overview of the evaluations of nuclear power by Canadians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrados, Maria

1980-01-01

Limited data are available on Canadian evaluations of nuclear power. General observations are made, based on a 1976 national study by B. Greer-Wootten and a 1978 Canadian Gallup Poll survey. Little change in the knowledge Canadians have of nuclear power appears to have taken place. A sizeable proportion of the population is willing to offer an opinion about the use of nuclear power while knowing nothing about it. Increased knowledge is not associated with more positive or negative evaluations of nuclear power. In more specific evaluations of nuclear safety, increased knowledge is found to be associated with a lowered confidence in the safety of Canadian reactors. There appears to have been a drop in the proportions of Canadians somewhat in favour of nuclear power between 1976 and 1978. Since many Canadians do not know much about the use of nuclear power and the majority of opinions are not strongly committed, there is considerable potential for fluctuation in these figures. Increased emphasis appears to be put on waste management issues in 1978, while nuclear power plants are less likely to be perceived as unsafe. This may be the result of increased discussion of Canadian power reactors. (LL)

Financial outlook for the Canadian gas industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedenberg, B.

1995-01-01

The financial outlook for the Canadian gas industry depends on the outlook for gas prices at Canadian producing basins, the cost of producing in Canada and the volume of production of Canadian natural gas. Price, cost and volume determine the health of the Canadian industry. Industry's costs are the basis of the supply (volume) offered on the market and price is determined by the interaction of supply and demand. (author)

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Transnational archives: the Canadian case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Creet

2011-05-01

Full Text Available This paper is a brief overview of the concept of the transnational archive as a counterpoint to the idea that a national archive is necessarily a locus of a static idea of nation. The Canadian national archives is used as a case study of an archives that was transnational in its inception, and one that has continued to change in its mandate and materials as a response to patterns in migration and changing notions of multiculturalism as a Canadian federal policy. It introduces the most recent formation of the transnational archive and its denizens: the genealogical archive inhabited by family historians.

International Disputes and Cultural Ideas in the Canadian Arctic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burke, Danita Catherine

of the Canadian-Arctic relationship. Using Canada as the focus for the analysis, the purpose of this project is to contribute to the existing Arctic studies and international relations literature by examining how interests and disputes in the Canadian Arctic region have been affected by domestic cultural...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

The turning black tide : energy prices and the Canadian dollar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Issa, R.; Lafrance, R.; Murray, J.

2008-01-01

This paper examined the relationship between energy prices and the Canadian-United States dollar real exchange rate. The researchers evaluated the standard Amano-van Norden (AvN) equation formulated to demonstrate that higher real energy prices lead to a depreciation of the Canadian dollar. Major developments in the Canadian energy market were discussed, as well as policy initiatives designed to address Canada's trade balance by increasing energy exports. The study examined the AvN equation using Monte Carlo experiments to determine the parameter stability of the equation. Results indicated that the co-integrating relationship in the standard AvN equation were no longer supported. Structural break tests were used to demonstrate that major changes in Canada's energy policies and cross-border trade and investment strategies have led to an increase in the Canadian dollar's value when energy prices are high. The study presented a new equation designed to account for Canadian dollar's appreciation since 2003. It was concluded that net energy exports in the 1990s outweighed the negatives associated with Canada's energy-intensive production processes. 39 refs., 6 tabs., 10 figs

The naturalist view of Universal Darwinism: an application to the evolutionary theory of the firm

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stoelhorst, J.W.; Finch, J.; Orillard, M.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to recent efforts to ground evolutionary theory in economics in the principles of Universal Darwinism. The paper contrasts two views of evolution, based on the Ultra-Darwinian and Naturalist theory of biological evolution, both of which are consistent with

Diet and Blood Pressure Control in Chinese Canadians: Cultural Considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Ping

2017-04-01

Hypertension is highly prevalent in Chinese Canadians and diet has been identified as an important modifiable risk factor for hypertension. The current anti-hypertensive dietary recommendations in hypertension care guidelines lack examination of cultural factors, are not culturally sensitive to ethnic populations, and cannot be translated to Chinese Canadian populations without cultural considerations. Guided by Leininger's Sunrise Model of culture care theory, this paper investigates how cultural factors impact Chinese Canadians' dietary practice. It is proposed that English language proficiency, health literacy, traditional Chinese diet, migration and acculturation, and Traditional Chinese Medicine influence Chinese Canadians' dietary practices. A culturally congruent nursing intervention should be established and tailored according to related cultural factors to facilitate Chinese Canadians' blood pressure control. In addition, further study is needed to test the model adapted from Sunrise Model and understand its mechanism.

Canadian gas supply : an update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rochefort, T.

1998-01-01

An overview of the daily production from the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) from 1986 to 1997 was presented. This presentation also outlined Canadian production trends, Canadian reserves and resources, and supply challenges. Ultimate conventional marketable gas from the WCSB, the Scotian Shelf, the Beaufort Sea and Canada's Arctic region was estimated at 591 TCF. Issues regarding supply and demand of natural gas such as the impact of electricity restructuring on pricing, generation fuel mix, the capacity of the U.S. market to absorb Canadian heavy oil production, and the influence of the rate of technological advances on supply and demand were outlined. The overall conclusion confirmed the health and competitiveness of the Canadian upstream sector and expressed confidence that the WCSB can support rising levels of production to meet the expected continued market growth. tabs., figs

Areas activated during naturalistic reading comprehension overlap topological visual, auditory, and somatotomotor maps.

Science.gov (United States)

Sood, Mariam R; Sereno, Martin I

2016-08-01

Cortical mapping techniques using fMRI have been instrumental in identifying the boundaries of topological (neighbor-preserving) maps in early sensory areas. The presence of topological maps beyond early sensory areas raises the possibility that they might play a significant role in other cognitive systems, and that topological mapping might help to delineate areas involved in higher cognitive processes. In this study, we combine surface-based visual, auditory, and somatomotor mapping methods with a naturalistic reading comprehension task in the same group of subjects to provide a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the cortical overlap between sensory-motor maps in all major sensory modalities, and reading processing regions. Our results suggest that cortical activation during naturalistic reading comprehension overlaps more extensively with topological sensory-motor maps than has been heretofore appreciated. Reading activation in regions adjacent to occipital lobe and inferior parietal lobe almost completely overlaps visual maps, whereas a significant portion of frontal activation for reading in dorsolateral and ventral prefrontal cortex overlaps both visual and auditory maps. Even classical language regions in superior temporal cortex are partially overlapped by topological visual and auditory maps. By contrast, the main overlap with somatomotor maps is restricted to a small region on the anterior bank of the central sulcus near the border between the face and hand representations of M-I. Hum Brain Mapp 37:2784-2810, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Antipsychotic monotherapy and polypharmacy in the naturalistic treatment of schizophrenia with atypical antipsychotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Correll Christoph

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Antipsychotic monotherapy is recognized as the treatment of choice for patients with schizophrenia. Simultaneous treatment with multiple antipsychotics (polypharmacy is suggested by some expert consensus guidelines as the last resort after exhausting monotherapy alternatives. This study assessed the annual rate and duration of antipsychotic monotherapy and its inverse, antipsychotic polypharmacy, among schizophrenia patients initiated on commonly used atypical antipsychotic medications. Methods Data were drawn from a large prospective naturalistic study of patients treated for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, conducted 7/1997–9/2003. Analyses focused on patients (N = 796 who were initiated during the study on olanzapine (N = 405, quetiapine (N = 115, or risperidone (N = 276. The percentage of patients with monotherapy on the index antipsychotic over the 1-year post initiation, and the cumulative number of days on monotherapy were calculated for all patients and for each of the 3 atypical antipsychotic treatment groups. Analyses employed repeated measures generalized linear models and non-parametric bootstrap re-sampling, controlling for patient characteristics. Results During the 1-year period, only a third (35.7% of the patients were treated predominately with monotherapy (>300 days. Most patients (57.7% had at least one prolonged period of antipsychotic polypharmacy (>60 consecutive days. Patients averaged 195.5 days on monotherapy, 155.7 days on polypharmacy, and 13.9 days without antipsychotic therapy. Olanzapine-initiated patients were significantly more likely to be on monotherapy with the initiating antipsychotic during the 1-year post initiation compared to risperidone (p = .043 or quetiapine (p = .002. The number of monotherapy days was significantly greater for olanzapine than quetiapine (p Conclusion Despite guidelines recommending the use of polypharmacy only as a last resort, the use of antipsychotic

Risk Factors for Progression of Alzheimer Disease in a Canadian Population: The Canadian Outcomes Study in Dementia (COSID).

Science.gov (United States)

Herrmann, Nathan; Harimoto, Tetsuhiro; Balshaw, Robert; Lanctôt, Krista L

2015-04-01

To determine risk factors for clinically significant progression during 12 months in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease. Community-dwelling patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease were enrolled in a 3-year prospective study, the Canadian Outcomes Study in Dementia (commonly referred to as COSID), at 32 Canadian sites. Assessments included the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) for disease severity, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognition, the Functional Autonomy Measurement System (SMAF) for daily functioning, and the NeuroPsychiatric Inventory (NPI) for behaviour, measured at baseline and at 12 months. Logistic regression identified factors associated with GDS decline, and subsequent stepwise regression identified key independent predictors. Area under the curve (AUC) was then calculated for the model. Among 488 patients (mean age 76.5 years [SD 6.4], MMSE 22.1 [SD4.6], 44.1% male), 225 (46%) showed GDS decline. After adjusting for age, baseline risk factors for deterioration included the following: poorer cognition (lower MMSE score, OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.4 to 0.72 per 5 points, P ≤ 0.001), greater dependence (lower SMAF, OR 0.72; 95% CI 0.63 to 0.83 per 5 points, P ≤ 0.001), and more neuropsychiatric symptoms (higher NPI, OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.2 per 5 points, P = 0.02), with a protective effect of male sex (OR 0.59; 95% CI 0.39 to 0.9, P = 0.02), and higher (worse) GDS score (very mild, compared with mild OR 0.25; 95% CI 0.09 to 0.70, P ≤ 0.01; compared with moderate, OR 0.08; 95% CI 0.03 to 0.23, P Alzheimer disease in Canada can be predicted using readily available clinical information.

Radioactive waste disposal - ethical and environmental considerations - A Canadian perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roots, F.

1994-01-01

This work deals with ethical and environmental considerations of radioactive waste disposal in Canada. It begins with the canadian attitudes toward nature and environment. Then are given the canadian institutions which reflect an environmental ethic, the development of a canadian radioactive waste management policy, the establishment of formal assessment and review process for a nuclear fuel waste disposal facility, some studies of the ethical and risk dimensions of nuclear waste decisions, the canadian societal response to issues of radioactive wastes, the analysis of risks associated with fuel waste disposal, the influence of other energy related environmental assessments and some common ground and possible accommodation between the different views. (O.L.). 50 refs

Market potential for Canadian crude oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heath, M.; Fisher, L.; Golosinski, D.; Luthin, A.; Gill, L.; Raggett, C.

1997-01-01

Future key markets for Canadian crude were evaluated, and probable flow volumes and prices were identified. Key concerns of market participants such as pricing, alternative crude sources, pipeline tariffs and crude quality, were examined. An overview of the competition faced by Canadian crude supply in global markets was presented. World crude oil supply and demand was discussed. US and Canadian crude oil supply (2000 to 2010), refinery demand for light and heavy crudes, existing future crude oil and refined product pipeline infrastructure, and pricing implications of changing crude oil flows were analyzed. The general conclusion was that the US market will continue to provide growing markets for Canadian crude oil, and that the Canadian supply to fulfill increased export requirements will be available due to the combined effects of increasing heavy crude supply, growing production from the east coast offshore, and recent and ongoing pipeline expansions and additions. 20 refs., 64 tabs., 42 figs

Canadian hydrogen safety program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacIntyre, I.; Tchouvelev, A.V.; Hay, D.R.; Wong, J.; Grant, J.; Benard, P.

2007-01-01

The Canadian hydrogen safety program (CHSP) is a project initiative of the Codes and Standards Working Group of the Canadian transportation fuel cell alliance (CTFCA) that represents industry, academia, government, and regulators. The Program rationale, structure and contents contribute to acceptance of the products, services and systems of the Canadian Hydrogen Industry into the Canadian hydrogen stakeholder community. It facilitates trade through fair insurance policies and rates, effective and efficient regulatory approval procedures and accommodation of the interests of the general public. The Program integrates a consistent quantitative risk assessment methodology with experimental (destructive and non-destructive) failure rates and consequence-of-release data for key hydrogen components and systems into risk assessment of commercial application scenarios. Its current and past six projects include Intelligent Virtual Hydrogen Filling Station (IVHFS), Hydrogen clearance distances, comparative quantitative risk comparison of hydrogen and compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling options; computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling validation, calibration and enhancement; enhancement of frequency and probability analysis, and Consequence analysis of key component failures of hydrogen systems; and fuel cell oxidant outlet hydrogen sensor project. The Program projects are tightly linked with the content of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 19 Hydrogen Safety. (author)

The amazing vanishing Canadian dermatologist: results from the 2006 Canadian Dermatology Association member survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, Eunice Y; Searles, Gordon E

2010-01-01

The 2006 Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) member survey tracked the Canadian dermatology workforce. Information on use of nondermatologist extenders, impact of financial burden on practice style, and wait times was collected in the survey. To survey Canadian dermatologists for specialty-specific physician resource information including demographics, workload, and future career plans and compare it to results from the 2001 survey. In addition, to explore three other areas not covered in the previous survey: patient access to dermatologic care through wait times, the use of nondermatologist extenders, and potential impact of educational financial debt on practice styles. CDA members in 2006 were surveyed by mail. Follow-up mailings were done for nonresponders. Survey results were compared to those of the 2001 survey. Thirty-six percent (216 of 602) of Canadian dermatologists responded (70% in 2001). The national distribution was identical between surveys. The median age increased to 55 years; two-thirds of dermatologists are male. The median retirement age remained at 65 years. There was a shift from rural to urban practice locations; 78% practice in private offices. Three-fifths of dermatologists do mainly medical dermatology, a decrease between surveys. Pediatric dermatology decreased 10%, whereas surgical dermatology increased 52% between surveys. Fewer practitioners perform noninsured services, and half as many perform research or hospital consultations or teach medical students. Financial debt burden had no impact on selection of practice style. Median wait times for nonurgent consultations doubled from 5 to 10 weeks; follow-up visits increased from 4 to 5 weeks; noninsured consultations increased from 4 to 5 weeks. The national median wait time for a third available consultation appointment was 42 days (range 7-161 days). Seventeen percent of dermatologists reported using nondermatologist extenders. Training programs produce only 60% of new practitioners

Severe accident considerations in Canadian nuclear power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omar, A.M.; Measures, M.P.; Scott, C.K.; Lewis, M.J.

1990-08-01

This paper describes a current study on severe accidents being sponsored by the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) and provides background on other related Canadian work. Scoping calculations are performed in Phase I of the AECB study to establish the relative consequences of several permutations resulting from six postulated initiating events, nine containment states, and a selection of meteorological conditions and health effects mitigating criteria. In Phase II of the study, selected accidents sequences would be analyzed in detail using models suitable for the design features of the Canadian nuclear power reactors

Qualitative Insights from a Canadian Multi-Institutional Research Study: In Search of Meaningful E-Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Lorraine M.; Salyers, Vince; Myers, Sue; Hipfner, Carol; Hoffart, Caroline; MacLean, Christa; White, Kathy; Matus, Theresa; Forssman, Vivian; Barrett, Penelope

2014-01-01

This paper reports the qualitative findings of a mixed methods research study conducted at three Canadian post-secondary institutions. Called the Meaningful E-learning or MEL project, the study was an exploration of the teaching and learning experiences of faculty and students as well as their perceptions of the benefits and challenges of…

Attention Strongly Modulates Reliability of Neural Responses to Naturalistic Narrative Stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Ki, Jason J; Kelly, Simon P; Parra, Lucas C

2016-03-09

Attentional engagement is a major determinant of how effectively we gather information through our senses. Alongside the sheer growth in the amount and variety of information content that we are presented with through modern media, there is increased variability in the degree to which we "absorb" that information. Traditional research on attention has illuminated the basic principles of sensory selection to isolated features or locations, but it provides little insight into the neural underpinnings of our attentional engagement with modern naturalistic content. Here, we show in human subjects that the reliability of an individual's neural responses with respect to a larger group provides a highly robust index of the level of attentional engagement with a naturalistic narrative stimulus. Specifically, fast electroencephalographic evoked responses were more strongly correlated across subjects when naturally attending to auditory or audiovisual narratives than when attention was directed inward to a mental arithmetic task during stimulus presentation. This effect was strongest for audiovisual stimuli with a cohesive narrative and greatly reduced for speech stimuli lacking meaning. For compelling audiovisual narratives, the effect is remarkably strong, allowing perfect discrimination between attentional state across individuals. Control experiments rule out possible confounds related to altered eye movement trajectories or order of presentation. We conclude that reliability of evoked activity reproduced across subjects viewing the same movie is highly sensitive to the attentional state of the viewer and listener, which is aided by a cohesive narrative. Copyright © 2016 Ki et al.

Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF). The Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFS-RF) is a collaborative program of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and IDRC valued at CA $61 654 707 (CIDA: CA $50 000 000; IDRC: CA $11 654 707). The program ...

Canadian incentives for oil and gas exploration. [Applicability to USA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-04-01

During the 1970s a number of different exploration and production incentive programs were put in place in Canada, in particular in the Province of Alberta, Canada's principal oil- and gas-producing province. The DOE/RA is evaluating Canadian incentives for oil and gas exploration, and this study is intended to provide information that will help guide DOE/RA in determining the applicability of Canadian incentive programs in US energy policy. The study describes and documents the fiscal structure in which the Canadian oil industry operates. The incentive features of pricing policy, taxation policy, and provincial royalty systems are discussed. A principal focus of the study is on one of the most important of Canada's specific incentive programs, the Alberta Exploratory Drilling Incentive Credit Program (EDICP). The study describes and evaluates the effect of the EDICP on increased oil and gas exploration activity. Similarly, the study also reviews and evaluates other specific incentive programs such as the Alberta Geophysical Incentive Program, Frontier Exploration Allowances, and various tar sand and heavy oil development incentives. Finally the study evaluates the applicability of Canadian incentives to US energy policy.

Neighborhood Walkability and Body Mass Index Trajectories: Longitudinal Study of Canadians.

Science.gov (United States)

Wasfi, Rania A; Dasgupta, Kaberi; Orpana, Heather; Ross, Nancy A

2016-05-01

To assess the impact of neighborhood walkability on body mass index (BMI) trajectories of urban Canadians. Data are from Canada's National Population Health Survey (n = 2935; biannual assessments 1994-2006). We measured walkability with the Walk Score. We modeled body mass index (BMI, defined as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters [kg/m(2)]) trajectories as a function of Walk Score and sociodemographic and behavioral covariates with growth curve models and fixed-effects regression models. In men, BMI increased annually by an average of 0.13 kg/m(2) (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.11, 0.14) over the 12 years of follow-up. Moving to a high-walkable neighborhood (2 or more Walk Score quartiles higher) decreased BMI trajectories for men by approximately 1 kg/m(2) (95% CI = -1.16, -0.17). Moving to a low-walkable neighborhood increased BMI for men by approximately 0.45 kg/m(2) (95% CI = 0.01, 0.89). There was no detectable influence of neighborhood walkability on body weight for women. Our study of a large sample of urban Canadians followed for 12 years confirms that neighborhood walkability influences BMI trajectories for men, and may be influential in curtailing male age-related weight gain.

The turning black tide : energy prices and the Canadian dollar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Issa, R.; Lafrance, R.; Murray, J. [Bank of Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2008-08-15

This paper examined the relationship between energy prices and the Canadian-United States dollar real exchange rate. The researchers evaluated the standard Amano-van Norden (AvN) equation formulated to demonstrate that higher real energy prices lead to a depreciation of the Canadian dollar. Major developments in the Canadian energy market were discussed, as well as policy initiatives designed to address Canada's trade balance by increasing energy exports. The study examined the AvN equation using Monte Carlo experiments to determine the parameter stability of the equation. Results indicated that the co-integrating relationship in the standard AvN equation were no longer supported. Structural break tests were used to demonstrate that major changes in Canada's energy policies and cross-border trade and investment strategies have led to an increase in the Canadian dollar's value when energy prices are high. The study presented a new equation designed to account for Canadian dollar's appreciation since 2003. It was concluded that net energy exports in the 1990s outweighed the negatives associated with Canada's energy-intensive production processes. 39 refs., 6 tabs., 10 figs.

Forecasting Canadian nuclear power station construction costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keng, C.W.K.

1985-01-01

Because of the huge volume of capital required to construct a modern electric power generating station, investment decisions have to be made with as complete an understanding of the consequences of the decision as possible. This understanding must be provided by the evaluation of future situations. A key consideration in an evaluation is the financial component. This paper attempts to use an econometric method to forecast the construction costs escalation of a standard Canadian nuclear generating station (NGS). A brief review of the history of Canadian nuclear electric power is provided. The major components of the construction costs of a Canadian NGS are studied and summarized. A database is built and indexes are prepared. Based on these indexes, an econometric forecasting model is constructed using an apparently new econometric methodology of forecasting modelling. Forecasts for a period of 40 years are generated and applications (such as alternative scenario forecasts and range forecasts) to uncertainty assessment and/or decision-making are demonstrated. The indexes, the model, and the forecasts and their applications, to the best of the author's knowledge, are the first for Canadian NGS constructions. (author)

Comparative study of radon exposure in Canadian homes and uranium mines - a discussion on the importance of national radon program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Jing

2017-01-01

The history of lung cancer in uranium miners is well known for over hundreds of years when the disease was referred to as 'miner's disease' or 'mountain sickness'. Radon levels in uranium mines have decreased significantly over the past 30 years as a result of effective radiation protection measures at workplaces. For the most recent 10-year period, the average radon concentrations to underground and surface workers in Canadian uranium mines were 111 and 11 Bq m -3 , respectively. Based on the recent radon survey carried out in roughly 14 000 homes in 121 health regions across Canada and the more recent radon and thoron survey in 33 Canadian cities and 4000 homes, the average radon concentration in Canadian homes is 77 Bq m -3 . This study demonstrates that, nowadays, workers are exposed to radon in underground mines at a comparable radon level to what Canadians are exposed to at home. Since exposure to indoor radon is the main source of natural radiation exposure to the population, it is important for the National Radon Program to further increase radon awareness, and to encourage more Canadians to take appropriate actions to reduce radon exposure. (authors)

Canadian small wind market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moorhouse, E.

2010-01-01

This PowerPoint presentation discussed initiatives and strategies adopted by the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) to support the development of Canada's small wind market. The general public has shown a significant interest in small wind projects of 300 kW. Studies have demonstrated that familiarity and comfort with small wind projects can help to ensure the successful implementation of larger wind projects. Small wind markets include residential, farming and commercial, and remote community applications. The results of CanWEA market survey show that the small wind market grew by 78 percent in 2008 over 2007, and again in 2009 by 32 percent over 2008. The average turbine size is 1 kW. A total of 11,000 turbines were purchased in 2007 and 2008. Global small wind market growth increased by 110 percent in 2008, and the average turbine size was 2.4 kW. Eighty-seven percent of the turbines made by Canadian mid-size wind turbine manufacturers are exported, and there is now a significant risk that Canada will lose its competitive advantage in small wind manufacturing as financial incentives have not been implemented. American and Canadian-based small wind manufacturers were listed, and small wind policies were reviewed. The presentation concluded with a set of recommendations for future incentives, educational programs and legislation. tabs., figs.

Long-term outcome of patients with dysthymia and panic disorder: a naturalistic 9-year follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Svanborg, Cecilia; Wistedt, Anna Aberg; Svanborg, Pär

2008-01-01

The highly prevalent psychiatric disorders dysthymia and panic disorder have often a chronic or recurrent course with superimposed major depression. The prominent comorbidity between these diagnoses constitutes a confounding factor in the study of long-term outcome. We performed a 9-year follow-up of 38 patients with "pure" diagnoses, i.e. without comorbid dysthymia and panic disorder, selected from two 2-year naturalistic treatment studies with psychotherapy and antidepressant medication. The aims of the present study were to investigate 1) the stability of change, and 2) the impact of comorbid personality disorders (PDs) on long-term outcome. Patients were reassessed with SCID-I and SCID-II interviews, SCL-90/BSI and a detailed, modified life-charting interview, investigating course and treatment over time. About 50% of patients showed substantial improvement, of whom about half were in remission. Comorbid PD was a negative prognostic factor independently of Axis I diagnosis. Although patients with panic disorder had a lower frequency of comorbid PD, later onset, shorter duration of illness and better outcome after the original studies, there was no difference in the long-term outcome. The less stable outcome among panic patients suggests that standard treatments are not resulting in enduring remission. In order to achieve remission, it is necessary to 1) address comorbid PDs, 2) perform careful assessments of all comorbid diagnoses, and 3) build routines for the follow-up and augmentation of treatments.

[Constant Duméril (1774-1860) anatomist doctor and naturalist, about a portrait by G. Devers].

Science.gov (United States)

Le Floch-Prigent, P

2008-12-01

André, Marie, Constant Duméril (1774-1860) served as a professor in the from 1801 to 1855. He was also chairman of herpetology and ichthyology of the in Paris. The Paris-Descartes University (department of anatomy) owns a great, framed portrait which is an oil painting by Giuseppe Devers, 1855, representing C. Duméril sat on a chair. The study of his portrait, biography and bibliography brings precisions on a noticeable scholar of the anatomical and naturalistic field in Paris in the first half of the 19th century.

The Canadian nuclear fuel waste management program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rummery, T.E.; Rosinger, E.L.J.

1983-05-01

The Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program is now well established. This report outlines the generic research and technological development underway in this program to assess the concept of immobilization and subsequent disposal of nuclear fuel waste deep in a stable plutonic rock in the Canadian Shield. The program participants, funding, schedule and associated external review processes are briefly outlined. The major scientific and engineering components of the program, namely, immobilization studies, geoscience research and environmental and safety assessment, are described in more detail

Microplastics in aquatic environments: Implications for Canadian ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Julie C; Park, Bradley J; Palace, Vince P

2016-11-01

Microplastics have been increasingly detected and quantified in marine and freshwater environments, and there are growing concerns about potential effects in biota. A literature review was conducted to summarize the current state of knowledge of microplastics in Canadian aquatic environments; specifically, the sources, environmental fate, behaviour, abundance, and toxicological effects in aquatic organisms. While we found that research and publications on these topics have increased dramatically since 2010, relatively few studies have assessed the presence, fate, and effects of microplastics in Canadian water bodies. We suggest that efforts to determine aquatic receptors at greatest risk of detrimental effects due to microplastic exposure, and their associated contaminants, are particularly warranted. There is also a need to address the gaps identified, with a particular focus on the species and conditions found in Canadian aquatic systems. These gaps include characterization of the presence of microplastics in Canadian freshwater ecosystems, identifying key sources of microplastics to these systems, and evaluating the presence of microplastics in Arctic waters and biota. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Canadian Irradiation Centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-05-01

The Canadian Irradiation Centre is a non-profit cooperative project between Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Radiochemical Company and Universite du Quebec, Institut Armand-Frappier, Centre for Applied Research in Food Science. The Centre's objectives are to develop, demonstrate and promote Canada's radiation processing technology and its applications by conducting applied research; training technical, professional and scientific personnel; educating industry and government; demonstrating operational and scientific procedures; developing processing procedures and standards, and performing product and market acceptance trials. This pamphlet outlines the history of radoation technology and the services offered by the Canadian Irradiation Centre

A naturalistic decision making model for simulated human combatants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

HUNTER, KEITH O.; HART, WILLIAM E.; FORSYTHE, JAMES C.

2000-01-01

The authors describe a naturalistic behavioral model for the simulation of small unit combat. This model, Klein's recognition-primed decision making (RPD) model, is driven by situational awareness rather than a rational process of selecting from a set of action options. They argue that simulated combatants modeled with RPD will have more flexible and realistic responses to a broad range of small-scale combat scenarios. Furthermore, they note that the predictability of a simulation using an RPD framework can be easily controlled to provide multiple evaluations of a given combat scenario. Finally, they discuss computational issues for building an RPD-based behavior engine for fully automated combatants in small conflict scenarios, which are being investigated within Sandia's Next Generation Site Security project

Engendering migrant health: Canadian perspectives

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Spitzer, Denise L

2011-01-01

... these and other issues at the intersections of gender, immigration, and health in the lives of new Canadians. Situating their work within the context of Canadian policy and society, the contributors illuminate migrants' testimonies of struggle, resistance, and solidarity as they negotiate a place for themselves in a new country. Topics range fr...

The Canadian Dermatology Workforce Survey: implications for the future of Canadian dermatology--who will be your skin expert?

Science.gov (United States)

Maguiness, Sheilagh; Searles, Gordon E; From, Lynn; Swiggum, Susan

2004-01-01

To survey Canadian dermatologists for specialty-specific physician resource information including demographics, workload and future career plans. In 2001, the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) surveyed 555 dermatologists in Canada to gain specialty-specific physician resource information. Three hundred and seventy-one dermatologists (69%) provided information about themselves, their workloads and their future career goals. The average Canadian dermatologist is 52 years old and 35% of practicing dermatologists are over the age of 55. Eighty-nine percent of dermatologists practice in an urban setting, 19% include practice in a rural setting while less than 0.5% practice in remote areas. Canadian dermatologists spend 61% of their clinical time providing services in Medical Dermatology. Within 5 years, 50% of dermatologists reported that they plan to reduce their practices or retire. The Canadian Dermatology Workforce Survey provides a snapshot of the current practice of dermatology in Canada. It also serves to highlight the critical shortage of dermatologists, which will continue to worsen without immediate, innovative planning for the future.

Operative Landscape at Canadian Neurosurgery Residency Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

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.

A Fresh Pair of Eyes : A Blind Observation Method for Evaluating Social Skills of Children with ASD in a Naturalistic Peer Situation in School

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dekker, Vera; Nauta, Maaike H.; Mulder, Erik J.; Sytema, Sjoerd; de Bildt, Annelies

The Social skills Observation Measure (SOM) is a direct observation method for social skills used in naturalistic everyday situations in school. This study describes the development of the SOM and investigates its psychometric properties in 86 children with Autism spectrum disorder, aged 9.8-13.1

As traduções de Bates: dois naturalistas no Rio Amazonas Bates's translations: two naturalists in the Amazon River

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Carneiro Rodrigues

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Neste trabalho analisam-se duas traduções do relato da viagem do naturalista Henry Walter Bates pela Amazônia, uma publicada em 1944 na Coleção Brasiliana feita pelo naturalista Candido de Mello-Leitão, outra editada em 1979 na Coleção Reconquista do Brasil, assinada por Regina Regis Junqueira. O objetivo do artigo é problematizar a demarcação de limites nítidos entre uma ética da diferença e uma ética da igualdade, pois, em ambos os textos, tanto ocorre um movimento no sentido de preservar a alteridade do texto e do autor, quanto no de domesticar o texto. A análise busca também evidenciar que cada tradução, realizada a partir de diferentes projetos editoriais e tradutórios, acaba por suscitar diferentes imagens do naturalista e dos lugares por ele visitados.Two translations of the travel writing by the naturalist Henry Walter Bates in the Amazon are analyzed in this work: one published in 1944 in the Brasiliana Collection by the naturalist Candido de Mello-Leitão, and another edited in 1979 in the Reconquista do Brasil Collection, signed by Regina Regis Junqueira. The purpose of this study is to examine the delimitation of clear boundaries between an ethics of difference and an ethics of equality, since the two texts present a movement that both preserves the otherness of the text and the author and domesticates the text. The analysis also aims to evidence that each translation, carried out from different editorial and translational projects, ultimately projects different images of naturalist and the places visited by him.

The influence of naturalistic, directionally non-specific motion on the spatial deployment of visual attention in right-hemispheric stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Cazzoli, Dario; Hopfner, Simone; Preisig, Basil; Zito, Giuseppe; Vanbellingen, Tim; Jäger, Michael; Nef, Tobias; Mosimann, Urs; Bohlhalter, Stephan; Müri, René M; Nyffeler, Thomas

2016-11-01

An impairment of the spatial deployment of visual attention during exploration of static (i.e., motionless) stimuli is a common finding after an acute, right-hemispheric stroke. However, less is known about how these deficits: (a) are modulated through naturalistic motion (i.e., without directional, specific spatial features); and, (b) evolve in the subacute/chronic post-stroke phase. In the present study, we investigated free visual exploration in three patient groups with subacute/chronic right-hemispheric stroke and in healthy subjects. The first group included patients with left visual neglect and a left visual field defect (VFD), the second patients with a left VFD but no neglect, and the third patients without neglect or VFD. Eye movements were measured in all participants while they freely explored a traffic scene without (static condition) and with (dynamic condition) naturalistic motion, i.e., cars moving from the right or left. In the static condition, all patient groups showed similar deployment of visual exploration (i.e., as measured by the cumulative fixation duration) as compared to healthy subjects, suggesting that recovery processes took place, with normal spatial allocation of attention. However, the more demanding dynamic condition with moving cars elicited different re-distribution patterns of visual attention, quite similar to those typically observed in acute stroke. Neglect patients with VFD showed a significant decrease of visual exploration in the contralesional space, whereas patients with VFD but no neglect showed a significant increase of visual exploration in the contralesional space. No differences, as compared to healthy subjects, were found in patients without neglect or VFD. These results suggest that naturalistic motion, without directional, specific spatial features, may critically influence the spatial distribution of visual attention in subacute/chronic stroke patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2003 survey of Canadian radiation oncology residents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yee, Don; Fairchild, Alysa; Keyes, Mira; Butler, Jim; Dundas, George

2005-01-01

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 was 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

The Specifics of Post-War Canadian Immigration Policy (1945–1957

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariia Burtseva

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Immigration plays a significant role in various areas of the society’s life and the international policy. Investigating the Canadian experience of immigration is one of the major elements for understanding different aspects of actual mass relocation. The principal objective of this study is to investigate the specifics of Canadian immigration policy following the Second World War. The research is based on analyzing legislation regulations that established Canadian immigration policy from 1945 to 1957. The findings indicated that there were multilateral causes for the after-war immigration changes. And that in reality, Canadian immigration policy in the post-war decade was quite ambiguous because of enacting liberal and discriminatory legislation at the same time.

Chernobyl - a Canadian technical perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howieson, J.Q.; Snell, V.G.

1987-01-01

In this report we present the design review done to date in Canada by AECL. From the Canadian point of view it covers: 1) relevant information on the Chernobyl design and the accident, both as presented by the Soviets at the Post-Accident Review Meeting (PARM) held in Vienna from August 25-29, 1986, and as deduced from publicly available Soviet documentation; and 2) details of AECL's technical review of the CANDU PHWR (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor) against the background of the Chernobyl accident, and implications of the Chernobyl accident. Reviews of operational aspects are underway by the Canadian electrical utilities and a review by the Canadian regulatory agency (the Atomic Energy Control Board) is near completion

Canadian environmental sustainability indicators: highlights 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-12-01

Canadians' health and their social and economic well-being are fundamentally linked to the quality of their environment. Recognizing this, in 2004 the Government of Canada committed to establishing national indicators of freshwater quality, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of these new indicators is to provide Canadians with more regular and reliable information on the state of their environment and how it is linked with human activity. Canadians need clearly defined environmental indicators - measuring sticks that can track the results that have been achieved through the efforts of governments, industries and individuals to protect and improve the environment. Environment Canada, Statistics Canada and Health Canada are working together to further develop and communicate these indicators. Reflecting the joint responsibility for environmental management in Canada, this effort has benefited from the cooperation and input of the provinces and territories. The indicators are: air quality; greenhouse gas emissions; and, freshwater quality. Air quality tracks Canadians' exposure to ground-level ozone - a key component of smog. The indicator measures one of the most common, harmful air pollutants to which people are exposed. The use of the seasonal average of ozone concentrations reflects the potential for long-term health effects. Greenhouse gas emissions tracks the annual releases of the six greenhouse gases that are the major contributors to climate change. The indicator comes directly from the greenhouse gas inventory report prepared by Environment Canada for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol. The data are widely used to report on progress toward Canada's Kyoto target for reduced emissions. Freshwater quality reports the status of surface water quality at selected monitoring sites across the country. For this first report, the focus of the indicator is on the protection of aquatic life, such as

Canadian guidelines for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Alan

2014-01-01

Objective To provide a clinical summary of the Canadian clinical practice guidelines for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS) that includes relevant considerations for family physicians. Quality of evidence Guideline authors performed a systematic literature search and drafted recommendations. Recommendations received both strength of evidence and strength of recommendation ratings. Input from external content experts was sought, as was endorsement from Canadian medical societies (Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada, Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Canadian Society of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, and the Family Physicians Airways Group of Canada). Main message Diagnosis of ABRS is based on the presence of specific symptoms and their duration; imaging or culture are not needed in uncomplicated cases. Treatment is dependent on symptom severity, with intranasal corticosteroids (INCSs) recommended as monotherapy for mild and moderate cases, although the benefit might be modest. Use of INCSs plus antibiotics is reserved for patients who fail to respond to INCSs after 72 hours, and for initial treatment of patients with severe symptoms. Antibiotic selection must account for the suspected pathogen, the risk of resistance, comorbid conditions, and local antimicrobial resistance trends. Adjunct therapies such as nasal saline irrigation are recommended. Failure to respond to treatment, recurrent episodes, and signs of complications should prompt referral to an otolaryngologist. The guidelines address situations unique to the Canadian health care environment, including actions to take during prolonged wait periods for specialist referral or imaging. Conclusion The Canadian guidelines provide up-to-date recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of ABRS that reflect an evolving understanding of the disease. In addition, the guidelines offer useful tools to help

On Realities of Canadian Multiculturalism

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李梦辰

2013-01-01

Canada is a multicultural country which was mainly established by immigrants. Just because of that, Canadian govern⁃ment has carried out the policy of multiculturalism since1970s. However, it has encountered many problems such as policy con⁃flicts, national identity, democracy-inquiry and racial discrimination, etc. Hence the Canadian multiculturalism has been in a di⁃lemma.

Canadian perspectives on food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunstadt, P.

1988-01-01

Canada has been in the forefront of irradiation technology for some 30 years. Nearly 90 of the 140 irradiators used worldwide are Canadian-built, yet Canadian food processors have been very slow to use the technology. The food irradiation regulatory situation in Canada, the factors that influence it, and some significant non-regulatory developments are reviewed. (author)

Canadian national nuclear forensics capability project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, J.; Dimayuga, I.; Summerell, I.; Totland, M.; Jonkmans, G.; Whitlock, J.; El-jaby, A.; Inrig, E.

2015-01-01

Following the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit, Canada expanded its existing capability for nuclear forensics by establishing a national nuclear forensics laboratory network, which would include a capability to perform forensic analysis on nuclear and other radioactive material, as well as on traditional evidence contaminated with radioactive material. At the same time, the need for a national nuclear forensics library of signatures of nuclear and radioactive materials under Canadian regulatory control was recognized. The Canadian Safety and Security Program, administered by Defence Research and Development Canada's Centre for Security Science (DRDC CSS), funds science and technology initiatives to enhance Canada's preparedness for prevention of and response to potential threats. DRDC CSS, with assistance from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, formerly Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, is leading the Canadian National Nuclear Forensics Capability Project to develop a coordinated, comprehensive, and timely national nuclear forensics capability. (author)

Mercury in Canadian crude oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollebone, B.P.

2005-01-01

Estimates for average mercury concentrations in crude oil range widely from 10 ng/g of oil to 3,500 ng/g of oil. With such a broad range of estimates, it is difficult to determine the contributions of the petroleum sector to the total budget of mercury emissions. In response to concerns that the combustion of petroleum products may be a major source of air-borne mercury pollution, Environment Canada and the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute has undertaken a survey of the average total mercury concentration in crude oil processed in Canadian refineries. In order to calculate the potential upper limit of total mercury in all refined products, samples of more than 30 different types of crude oil collected from refineries were measured for their concentration of mercury as it enters into a refinery before processing. High temperature combustion, cold vapour atomic absorption and cold vapour atomic fluorescence were the techniques used to quantify mercury in the samples. The results of the study provide information on the total mass of mercury present in crude oil processed in Canada each year. Results can be used to determine the impact of vehicle exhaust emissions to the overall Canadian mercury emission budget. 17 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs

In their own words: describing Canadian physician leadership.

Science.gov (United States)

Snell, Anita J; Dickson, Graham; Wirtzfeld, Debrah; Van Aerde, John

2016-07-04

Purpose This is the first study to compile statistical data to describe the functions and responsibilities of physicians in formal and informal leadership roles in the Canadian health system. This mixed-methods research study offers baseline data relative to this purpose, and also describes physician leaders' views on fundamental aspects of their leadership responsibility. Design/methodology/approach A survey with both quantitative and qualitative fields yielded 689 valid responses from physician leaders. Data from the survey were utilized in the development of a semi-structured interview guide; 15 physician leaders were interviewed. Findings A profile of Canadian physician leadership has been compiled, including demographics; an outline of roles, responsibilities, time commitments and related compensation; and personal factors that support, engage and deter physicians when considering taking on leadership roles. The role of health-care organizations in encouraging and supporting physician leadership is explicated. Practical implications The baseline data on Canadian physician leaders create the opportunity to determine potential steps for improving the state of physician leadership in Canada; and health-care organizations are provided with a wealth of information on how to encourage and support physician leaders. Using the data as a benchmark, comparisons can also be made with physician leadership as practiced in other nations. Originality/value There are no other research studies available that provide the depth and breadth of detail on Canadian physician leadership, and the embedded recommendations to health-care organizations are informed by this in-depth knowledge.

Evaluation of a Short Message Service diary methodology in a nonclinical, naturalistic setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Erin I; Brinker, Jay K

2012-11-01

Particularly suited to repeated measures in naturalistic settings, Short Message Service (SMS) is garnering increasing attention as a viable method of data collection. The current study explored issues of practical importance for the development of this methodology, including factors impacting on attrition and compliance, and participant perception of SMS. Using a business-card-sized questionnaire key, 98 university students were sent prompt SMS messages nightly for a week. Completion and compliance were very high in all participants who responded to at least one prompt SMS; those who responded at least once (n=63) responded to 83 percent of all seven prompts, with 95 percent of responses containing appropriate alphanumeric answers to all questions. However, a time lag between recruitment and participation was associated with a failure to commence the diary study. Participants reported positive perceptions of SMS privacy and convenience.

Canadian perspectives in evaluating transparency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herwig, L.

2007-01-01

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's mission is to regulate the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect the health, safety, and security of Canadians and the environment, as well as to respect Canada's international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. In 2001, the CNSC established a vision to be one of the best nuclear regulators in the world and established four strategic priorities of effectiveness, transparency, excellence in staff, and efficiency. While fulfilling a very comprehensive mandate, the CNSC operates with a. very clear vision of its clientele - the Canadian people. That commitment guides every employee and every action of the CNSC and ensures a firm commitment to transparency. The presentation will begin with a brief overview of the worldwide context of transparency and transparency measurement, with a look at what lessons can be learned from other organizations and initiatives. It will look broadly at the Canadian context and the government framework that establishes transparency, including the keystone legislation of the Access to Information Act. The presentation will then focus on the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The CNSC is firmly committed to putting additional measures in place to ensure transparency, which is being done concurrently with an overall organisational performance measurement system. It is within this framework that the presentation will address the transparency efforts at the CNSC as well transparency measurement activities. And, finally, the presentation will look at future directions for transparency and its measurement at the CNSC. (author)

Qualitative Insights from a Canadian Multiinstitutional Research Study: In Search of Meaningful E-learning

OpenAIRE

Lorraine M. Carter; Vince Salyers; Sue Myers; Carol Hipfner; Caroline Hoffart; Christa MacLean; Kathy White; Theresa Matus; Vivian Forssman; Penelope Barrett

2014-01-01

This paper reports the qualitative findings of a mixed methods research study conducted at three Canadian post-secondary institutions. Called the Meaningful E-learning or MEL project, the study was an exploration of the teaching and learning experiences of faculty and students as well as their perceptions of the benefits and challenges of e-learning. Importantly, e-learning was conceptualized as the integration of pedagogy, instructional technology, and the Internet into teaching ...

Evaluating depressive symptoms in mania: a naturalistic study of patients with bipolar disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young AH

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Allan H Young,1 Jonas Eberhard1,21Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, UK; 2Corporate Medical Affairs, H. Lundbeck A/S, Copenhagen, DenmarkObjective: This study aimed to evaluate patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I who have mania with depressive symptoms and who meet the new “with mixed features” specifier of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5.Method: This prospective, multinational, naturalistic study surveyed psychiatrists and their patients with BD-I from October 2013 to March 2014. Eligible patients had BD-I, had a (current manic episode, and had experienced onset of a manic episode within the previous 3 months. Psychiatrists provided patient information on depressive symptoms (DSM-5 criteria; symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and agitation; suicide attempts; and physician satisfaction with treatment response. Data were stratified according to whether patients met the criteria for the BD-I “with mixed features” specifier of DSM-5 (≥3 depressive symptoms or not, and characteristics were compared between the two subgroups. Patients also self-reported on depressive symptoms using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview module questionnaire.Results: Overall, 34% of 1,035 patients met the criteria for BD-I “with mixed features,” exhibiting ≥3 depressive symptoms during their current manic episode. This correlated with the matched patient self-reports of depressive symptoms. During their current manic episode, BD-I patients “with mixed features” had more severe symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and agitation (average composite severity score of 4.1 vs 3.4, a higher incidence of suicide attempts (38% vs 9%, and more physician dissatisfaction with treatment response (22% vs 14%, compared to patients with 0–2 depressive symptoms (all P<0.05.Conclusion: This study found that patients with BD-I “with mixed features” (ie, ≥3 depressive symptoms

The task ahead: a Canadian federal regulator's perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, F.F.

1983-06-01

The author discusses the role of the Canadian National Energy Board (NEB) in any possible future exports of nuclear-generated electric power. The federal government has already indicated that it would support New Brunswick Power in its efforts to develop a second reactor at Point Lepreau dedicated to power export, and that similar support would be extended to other utilities. The NEB Act requires that a proposed energy export be surplus to reasonable foreseeable Canadian requirements and that the price be just and reasonable. The output of a plant built for power exports would be surplus to Canadian needs, but the problem comes in determining if producing that surplus would result in a net benefit to Canadians. Negotiating sales contracts will not be easy; purchase of Canadian firm power is only one option among others available to US utilities. However, the Canadian policy framework exists and the NEB is ready to receive applications for export licences

Fording Canadian Coal Trust

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popowich, J.; Millos, R. [Elk Valley Coal Corporation, Calgary, AB (Canada)

2004-07-01

This is the first of five slide/overhead presentations presented at the Fording Canadian Coal Trust and Tech Cominco Ltd. investor day and mine tour. The Fording Canadian Coal Trust is described. The Trust's assets comprise six Elk Valley metallurgical coal mines and six wollastonite operations (in the NYCO Group). Trust structure, corporate responsibility, organizational structure, reserves and resources, management philosophy, operating strategies, steel market dynamics, coal market, production expansion, sales and distribution are outlined. 15 figs., 5 tabs.

Driver behavior analysis for right-turn drivers at signalized intersections using SHRP 2 naturalistic driving study data.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jianqing; Xu, Hao

2017-12-01

Understanding driver behavior is important for traffic safety and operation, especially at intersections where different traffic movements conflict. While most driver-behavior studies are based on simulation, this paper documents the analysis of driver-behavior at signalized intersections with the SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) data. This study analyzes the different influencing factors on the operation (speed control) and observation of right-turn drivers. A total of 300 NDS trips at six signalized intersections were used, including the NDS time-series sensor data, the forward videos and driver face videos. Different factors of drivers, vehicles, roads and environments were studied for their influence on driver behavior. An influencing index function was developed and the index was calculated for each influencing factor to quantitatively describe its influencing level. The influencing index was applied to prioritize the factors, which facilitates development and selection of safety countermeasures to improve intersection safety. Drivers' speed control was analyzed under different conditions with consideration of the prioritized influencing factors. Vehicle type, traffic signal status, conflicting traffic, conflicting pedestrian and driver age group were identified as the five major influencing factors on driver observation. This research revealed that drivers have high acceleration and low observation frequency under Right-Turn-On-Red (RTOR), which constituted potential danger for other roadway users, especially for pedestrians. As speed has a direct influence on crash rates and severities, the revealed speed patterns of the different situations also benefit selection of safety countermeasures at signalized intersections. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Prevalence, risk factors and awareness of albuminuria on a Canadian First Nation: A community-based screening study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zacharias James

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Both diabetic and non-diabetic end stage renal disease (ESRD are more common among Canadian First Nations people than among the general Canadian population. The purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for albuminuria in a Canadian First Nation population at high risk for ESRD and dialysis. Methods Data from a community-based screening study of 483 residents of a Plains Ojibway First Nation in Manitoba was used. Participants provided random urine samples. Proteinuria was defined as any dipstick positive for protein (≥1 g/L or those with ACR in the macroalbuminuric range (≥30 mg/mmol on at least one sample. Microalbuminuria was defined as ACR ≥2 mg/mmol for males and ≥2.8 mg/mmol for females. Other measures included fasting glucose, haemoglobin A1c, triglycerides, cholesterol, blood pressure, height, weight and waist and hip circumferences. Results Twenty percent of study participants had albuminuria, (5% proteinuria and 15% microalbuminuria. Of participants with diabetes, 42% (56/132 had albuminuria compared to 26% (7/27 among those with impaired fasting glucose and 10% (30/303 among those with normal glucose tolerance. Only 5.3% of those with albuminuria were aware of any degree of renal disease. In a multivariate logistic regression, independent associations with albuminuria were male gender [p = 0.002], increasing fasting glucose [p Conclusions The independent association between BMI and albuminuria has not been previously reported among indigenous populations. There is a high prevalence of albuminuria in this Canadian First Nation population; the high proportion of patients with diabetes and undiagnosed kidney disease demonstrates the need for screening, education and intervention to halt the progression and development of albuminuria and ultimately ESRD and CVD.

Prevalence and determinants of visual impairment in Canada: cross-sectional data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Aljied, Rumaisa; Aubin, Marie-Josée; Buhrmann, Ralf; Sabeti, Saama; Freeman, Ellen E

2018-06-01

To determine the prevalence and determinants of visual impairment in Canada. Cross-sectional population-based study. 30,097 people in the Comprehensive Cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging METHODS: Inclusion criteria included being between the ages of 45 and 85 years old, community-dwelling, and living near one of the 11 data collection sites across 7 Canadian provinces. People were excluded if they were in an institution, living on a First Nations reserve, were a full-time member of the Canadian Armed Forces, did not speak French or English, or had cognitive impairment. Visual acuity was measured using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart while participants wore their usual prescription for distance, if any. Visual impairment was defined as presenting binocular acuity worse than 20/40. Of Canadian adults, 5.7% (95% CI 5.4-6.0) had visual impairment. A wide variation in the provincial prevalence of visual impairment was observed ranging from a low of 2.4% (95% CI 2.0-3.0) in Manitoba to a high of 10.9% (95% CI 9.6-12.2) in Newfoundland and Labrador. Factors associated with a higher odds of visual impairment included older age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.07, 95% CI 1.06-1.08), lower income (OR = 2.07 for those earning less than $20 000 per year, 95% CI 1.65-2.59), current smoking (OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.25-1.85), type 2 diabetes (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.03-1.41), and memory problems (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.04-2.01). Refractive error was the leading cause of visual impairment. Older age, lower income, province, smoking, diabetes, and memory problems were associated with visual impairment. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-Assessment of Japanese as a Second Language: The Role of Experiences in the Naturalistic Acquisition

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Yuichi

2015-01-01

Self-assessment has been used to assess second language proficiency; however, as sources of measurement errors vary, they may threaten the validity and reliability of the tools. The present paper investigated the role of experiences in using Japanese as a second language in the naturalistic acquisition context on the accuracy of the…

Canadian national nuclear forensics capability project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ball, J.; Dimayuga, I., E-mail: joanne.ball@cnl.ca [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada); Summerell, I. [Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Totland, M. [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada); Jonkmans, G. [Defence Research and Development Canada, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Whitlock, J. [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada); El-jaby, A. [Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Inrig, E. [Defence Research and Development Canada, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

2015-06-15

Following the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit, Canada expanded its existing capability for nuclear forensics by establishing a national nuclear forensics laboratory network, which would include a capability to perform forensic analysis on nuclear and other radioactive material, as well as on traditional evidence contaminated with radioactive material. At the same time, the need for a national nuclear forensics library of signatures of nuclear and radioactive materials under Canadian regulatory control was recognized. The Canadian Safety and Security Program, administered by Defence Research and Development Canada's Centre for Security Science (DRDC CSS), funds science and technology initiatives to enhance Canada's preparedness for prevention of and response to potential threats. DRDC CSS, with assistance from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, formerly Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, is leading the Canadian National Nuclear Forensics Capability Project to develop a coordinated, comprehensive, and timely national nuclear forensics capability. (author)

Canadian petroleum history bibliography. Release update

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cass, D.

2010-01-07

The petroleum history bibliography was created over several years as a record dedicated to preserving the history of the Canadian petroleum industry. It comprises a list of more than 5000 publications, including books, theses, films, audio tapes, published articles and stories of the many companies that have come and gone. It aims to include all publications and audio visual products from the Social Sciences and Humanities on company histories, biographies, autobiographies, fiction, poetry and humour. An author index is included. Most government documents are excluded as they are accessible through Library and Archives Canada. This bibliography is an ongoing piece of work, and welcomes any additions relating to the study and preservation of Canadian petroleum industry history.

Study of the economic and environmental impacts of the research and development program of the Canadian Carbonization Research Association (CCRA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-06-01

A partnership between the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology (CANMET) Energy Technology Centre (CETC) of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), and the Canadian coal and steel industries, the Canadian Carbonization Research Association (CCRA) which conducts research and development activities with its partners. This document summarizes the economic and environmental impacts of the research and development program administered by the CCRA. More than 25 research programs have been undertaken by the CCRA since it was established in 1964. The activities dealt with specific technical challenges which the Canadian coal industry faced with regard to the production and marketing of metallurgical coal, as well as the uses of coal and alternative fuels such as natural gas to make coke used in blast furnaces. The report detailed the scope of CETC's energy for high temperature processes, then addressed program resources and study methodology. Three categories of impacts were discussed: general-level impacts, economic and environmental impacts, and quantitative estimates of economic impacts. The attribution of impacts was examined and future directions were examined in the last section of the report. It was determined that CETC participation in the research program is still required, due to the fact that it is Canada's only technical support available to the Canadian coking coal industry. The survival of Canadian coal producers owes something to the economic impacts derived from the CCRA under the current decreasing metallurgical coal prices conditions. 2 tabs

A perspective on Canadian shale gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Mike; Davidson, Jim; Mortensen, Paul

2010-09-15

In a relatively new development over just the past few years, shale formations are being targeted for natural gas production. Based on initial results, there may be significant potential for shale gas in various regions of Canada, not only in traditional areas of conventional production but also non-traditional areas. However, there is much uncertainty because most Canadian shale gas production is currently in experimental or early developmental stages. Thus, its full potential will not be known for some time. If exploitation proves to be successful, Canadian shale gas may partially offset projected long-term declines in Canadian conventional natural gas production.

2010 Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Heart Rhythm Society Training Standards and Maintenance of Competency in Adult Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Martin S; Guerra, Peter G; Krahn, Andrew D

2011-01-01

The last guidelines on training for adult cardiac electrophysiology (EP) were published by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society in 1996. Since then, substantial changes in the knowledge and practice of EP have mandated a review of the previous guidelines by the Canadian Heart Rhythm Society, an affiliate of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Novel tools and techniques also now allow electrophysiologists to map and ablate increasingly complex arrhythmias previously managed with pharmacologic or device therapy. Furthermore, no formal attempt had previously been made to standardize EP training across the country. The 2010 Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Heart Rhythm Society Training Standards and Maintenance of Competency in Adult Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology represent a consensus arrived at by panel members from both societies, as well as EP program directors across Canada and other select contributors. In describing program requirements, the technical and cognitive skills that must be acquired to meet training standards, as well as the minimum number of procedures needed in order to acquire these skills, the new guidelines provide EP program directors and committee members with a template to develop an appropriate curriculum for EP training for cardiology fellows here in Canada. Copyright © 2011 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Canadian experience in frontier environmental protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, G.H.

1991-01-01

Early Canadian frontier exploration (from 1955 onshore and from 1966 for offshore drilling) caused insignificant public concern. The 1967-1968 Torrey Canyon Tanker and Santa Barbara disasters roused public opinion and governments. In Canada, 1969-1970 Arctic gas blowouts, a tanker disaster, and damage to the 'Manhattan' exacerbated concerns and resulted in new environmental regulatory constraints. From 1970, the Arctic Petroleum Operations Association learned to operate safely with environmental responsibility. It studied physical environment for design criteria, and the biological and human environment to ameliorate impact. APOA's research projects covered sea-ice, permafrost, sea-bottom, oil-spills, bird and mammal migration, fish habitat, food chains, oceanography, meteorology, hunters'/trappers' harvests, etc. In 1971 Eastcoast Petroleum Operators' Association and Alaska Oil and Gas Association followed APOA's cooperative research model. EPOA stressed icebergs and fisheries. Certain research was handled by the Canadian Offshore Oil Spill Research Association. By the mid-1980s these associations had undertaken $70,000,000 of environmental oriented research, with equivalent additional work by member companies on specific needs and similar sums by Federal agencies often working with industry on complementary research. The frontier associations then merged with the Canadian Petroleum Association, already active environmentally in western Canada. Working with government and informing environmental interest groups, the public, natives, and local groups, most Canadian frontier petroleum operations proceeded with minimal delay and environmental disturbance

Medical end-of-life practices among Canadian physicians: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcoux, Isabelle; Boivin, Antoine; Mesana, Laura; Graham, Ian D; Hébert, Paul

2016-01-01

Medical end-of-life practices are hotly debated in Canada, and data from other countries are used to support arguments. The objective of this pilot study was twofold: to adapt and validate a questionnaire designed to measure the prevalence of these practices in Canada and the underlying decision-making process, and to assess the feasibility of a nationally representative study. In phase 1, questionnaires from previous studies were adapted to the Canadian context through consultations with a multidisciplinary committee and based on a scoping review. The modified questionnaire was validated through cognitive interviews with 14 physicians from medical specialties associated with a higher probability of being involved with dying patients recruited by means of snowball sampling. In phase 2, we selected a stratified random sample of 300 Canadian physicians in active practice from a national medical directory and used the modified tailored method design for mail and Web surveys. There were 4 criteria for success: modified questions are clearly understood; response patterns for sensitive questions are similar to those for other questions; respondents are comparable to the overall sampling frame; and mean questionnaire completion time is less than 20 minutes. Phase 1: main modifications to the questionnaire were related to documentation of all other medical practices (including practices intended to prolong life) and a question on the proportionality of drugs used. The final questionnaire contained 45 questions in a booklet style. Phase 2: of the 280 physicians with valid addresses, 87 (31.1%) returned the questionnaire; 11 of the 87 declined to participate, for a response rate of 27.1% (n = 76). Most respondents (64 [84%]) completed the mail questionnaire. All the criteria for success were met. It is feasible to study medical end-of-life practices, even for practices that are currently illegal, including the intentional use of lethal drugs. Results from this pilot study

Canadian--American relations and the nuclear weapons controversy, 1958--1963

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghent, J.M.

1976-01-01

This study attempts to explain the nuclear weapons controversy as it developed between 1958 and 1963. The nuclear controversy centered around Canada's acceptance of a nuclear role, within the American alliance system, for the Canadian armed forces. In the period 1958-1959, when the critical weapons decisions were being taken, Canadian political authorities lost control of the policy-making process, permitting the Canadian and American military bureacracies to initiate nuclear plans suited to their common needs and objectives. Prime Minister Diefenbaker's reluctance to arm the systems acquired by transborder bureaucratic coalition is also re-examined. Previous analysts have regarded the government's hesitations over nuclear weapons as the product of Diefenbaker's personal antagonism towards President Kennedy or as a futile attempt to reverse the process of continental integration. The opening of the Kennedy papers reveals the degree to which Diefenbaker was committed to close Canadian-American cooperation and the effort he made to overcome the president's hostility towards him. This study emphasizes the importance of Diefenbaker's sensitivity to public, parliamentary, and cabinet opposition to nuclear arms. The secret U.S. demand for nuclear bases in Labrador and Newfoundland is revealed. Thus the question of nuclear storage in Canada for Canadian forces was complicated by U.S. insistence that Canada simultaneously provide nuclear storage for the strategic forces of the U.S. Finally, the extent of American responsibility for Diefenbaker's demise is re-assessed, and the conclusion is reached that the U.S., through Canadian-American military interaction and the initiative of the ambassador in Ottawa, did in fact help to bring down the government of Canada

Talent Management Programmes at British, American and Canadian Universities: Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Boichenko, Maryna

2015-01-01

The article deals with the peculiarities of talent management programmes implementation at the top British, American and Canadian universities. The essence of the main concepts of research--talent and talent management--has been revealed. Talent management is referred to as the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement,…

A queer day in Canada: examining Canadian high school students' experiences with school-based homophobia in two large-scale studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Peter, Tracey; Taylor, Catherine; Chamberland, Line

2015-01-01

The goal of the study is to examine how location (nationally, compared to Canadian regions) is related to indicators of a hostile school environment for sexual minority youth, particularly when physical abuse is used as the outcome variable. Data representing 5,766 Canadian students were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate techniques. Results from the multivariate analyses showed that non-physical abuse was the most significant predictor of homophobically based physical abuse, for both LGBQ and non-LGBQ students. Findings reiterate the importance of considering the progression of harmful events as an escalation of violence as well as the need to view homophobic bullying as having a significant impact on all students. Finally, while the presence of homophobia is prevalent across all Canadian regions, there are, nevertheless, many regional differences, which could be used to inform region-specific action plans.

Canadian perspectives on food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunstadt, P.

1990-01-01

Canada has been in the forefront of irradiation technology for over 30 years. Some 83 of the 147 irradiators used worldwide are Canadian-built, yet Canadian food processors have been very slow to use the technology. This paper is an update on the food irradiation regulatory situation in Canada and the factors that influence it. It also reviews some significant non-regulatory developments. (author)

Youth De-Radicalization: A Canadian Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hafal (Haval Ahmad

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Youth radicalization leading to violence has become a growing fear among Canadians, as terrorist attacks are carried out in Western states. Although Canada has suffered relatively fewer acts of violence, this fear has intensified and a de-radicalization strategy is needed in the Canadian context. In a qualitative case study methodology, interviews were conducted with school counsellors, religious leaders, and academics to explore solutions to youth radicalization. Youth de-radicalization approaches from the United Kingdom were analyzed and found that community-based initiatives were missing from programming. Social identity theory is used to explain that youth join radicalized groups to feel a sense of belonging and have to be provided an alternative and moderate group identity to de-radicalize. This study found youth de-radicalization in Canada is best served through a community collaboration approach.

Measuring vaccine acceptance among Canadian parents: A survey of the Canadian Immunization Research Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubé, Eve; Gagnon, Dominique; Ouakki, Manale; Bettinger, Julie A; Witteman, Holly O; MacDonald, Shannon; Fisher, William; Saini, Vineet; Greyson, Devon

2018-01-25

Parental decision making about childhood vaccinations is complex and multidimensional. There is a perception that the number of parents having concerns regarding childhood vaccinations has been increasing in Canada. The aim of this study was to explore vaccine hesitancy among Canadian parents and to examine factors associated with a parent's intention to vaccinate his/her child. Informed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) this study assesses potential associations between parents' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs toward vaccination and their intention to vaccinate their child in the future. A national sample of Canadian parents of children aged 24-59 months (N = 2013) was surveyed using an online survey methodology. Half of the surveyed parents strongly intended to have their child vaccinated in the future. Parents' information needs and searches as well as parents' trust in different institutions were associated with intention to vaccinate. Parents who reported having frequently looked for vaccine information, who considered that it was their role as parents to question vaccines, or who had previously experienced difficulty accessing vaccination services were less likely to strongly intend to vaccinate their child in the future. Parents who had a high level of trust in doctors and public health were most likely to strongly intend to vaccinate their child. Results of the multivariate analysis showed that positive attitudes (aOR = 8.0; 95% CI: 6.0, 10.4), higher perceived social support (aOR = 3.0; 95% CI: 2.3, 3.93), and higher perceived behavioural control (aOR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.4, 2.43) were associated with parents' intention to vaccinate their child. Findings of this study suggest that trust-building interventions that promote pro-vaccine social norms and that address negative attitudes toward vaccination could enhance vaccine acceptance among Canadian parents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparisons of Portable Sleep Monitors of Different Modalities: Potential as Naturalistic Sleep Recorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masahiro Matsuo

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Humans spend more than a fourth of their life sleeping, and sleep quality has been significantly linked to health. However, the objective examination of ambulatory sleep quality remains a challenge, since sleep is a state of unconsciousness, which limits the reliability of self-reports. Therefore, a non-invasive, continuous, and objective method for the recording and analysis of naturalistic sleep is required.Objective: Portable sleep recording devices provide a suitable solution for the ambulatory analysis of sleep quality. In this study, the performance of two activity-based sleep monitors (Actiwatch and MTN-210 and a single-channel EEG-based sleep monitor (SleepScope were compared in order to examine their reliability for the assessment of sleep quality.Methods: Twenty healthy adults were recruited for this study. First, data from daily activity recorded by Actiwatch and MTN-210 were compared to determine whether MTN-210, a more affordable device, could yield data similar to Actiwatch, the de-facto standard. In addition, sleep detection ability was examined using data obtained by polysomnography as reference. One simple analysis included comparing the sleep/wake detection ability of Actiwatch, MTN-210, and SleepScope. Furthermore, the fidelity of sleep stage determination was examined using SleepScope in finer time resolution. Results: The results indicate that MTN-210 demonstrates an activity pattern comparable to that of Actiwatch, although their sensitivity preferences were not identical. Moreover, MTN-210 provides assessment of sleep duration comparable to that of the wrist-worn Actiwatch when MTN-210 was attached to the body. SleepScope featured superior overall sleep detection performance among the three methods tested. Furthermore, SleepScope was able to provide information regarding sleep architecture, although systemic bias was found. Conclusion: The present results suggest that single-channel EEG-based sleep monitors are

Implications of globalization on pricing for Canadian crudes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Black, R. [Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

1998-05-01

The effects of globalization on Canadian crude oil prices was discussed. Since deregulation in October 1985, Canadian crude oil has competed directly against international crude oil through the use of the NYMEX contract price for light sweet crude oil as the base for establishing the price for Canadian crudes. Prior to that date, Alberta crude was marketed by the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission using the old block matrix which was loosely tied to the world market price. In addition to world crude oil prices other factors that affect the price of Canadian crude oil include technology impacts and global integration. Also, when the Sarnia to Montreal pipeline (Line 9) is reversed to bring offshore crude oil into the Ontario refining community, Canadian producers can expect some adverse effects on the price they are paid for their products leading up to the reversal as refiners start to swing over to their alternate suppliers. The offshore supply is expected to be about 140,000 barrels/day of light sweet crude oil, but all grades of Canadian crude oil will be affected.

Where in the World are Canadian Oil and Gas Companies? 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niloo Hojjati

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Begun in 2011 as an internal research tool for the development of the Extractive Resource Governance Program, this study seeks to answer the vital question: Where in the world are Canadian oil and gas companies? To answer this question, we extract firm-level information from publicly traded Canadian companies in order to establish the location of their activities around the globe.1 The data collected in the “Where in the World” (hereafter WIW project are presented through a publicly accessible interactive world map, which allows users to explore a specific country or region over time. This map can be accessed online at http://www.policyschool.ca/research-teaching/teaching-training/extractiveresource-governance/ergp-map/. For background information regarding the WIW project, including an extensive overview of the methodology, please refer to http://www.policyschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Where-in-the-WorldHojjati-Horsfield-Jordison-final.pdf. For a summarized overview of the annual data gathered in 2011, please refer to http://www.policyschool.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2017/06/2011-Where-in-the-World-Hojjati-Horsfield-Jordison-final.pdf. This report, as in the earlier report in this series, presents an extensive account of the global presence of Canadian oil and gas (hereafter O&G companies in the 2012 year of study.2 In total, 228 Canadian O&G companies conducted operations in 85 countries in 2012, extending their presence to every region of the world. While North America continued to serve as the primary destination for Canadian exploration and production activities, the role of Canadian O&G service companies increased significantly in the Middle Eastern oil and gas industry, particularly in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman. This report begins with a regional overview of the international activities of Canadian exploration and production (E&P companies, followed by a summary of the level of activities on a

Short wavelengths filtering properties of sunglasses on the Canadian market: are we protected?

Science.gov (United States)

Trang, Nataly; Lalonde, Gilles; Dubé, Yolande; Bourgault, Serge; Rochette, Patrick J

2018-04-01

Exposure to solar radiation is a risk factor for multiple ocular pathologies. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is involved in ocular diseases, including pterygium, ocular surface squamous neoplasia, and cataracts. High-energy visible light (HEV) is associated with age-related macular degeneration. Ocular protection against solar radiation seems essential to protect our eyes against the adverse effects of those harmful rays. Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States are the only regions with mandatory standards for UV transmission for sunglasses. Adherence to Canadian standards by sunglasses manufacturers is not mandatory. In this study, we evaluated the UV and visible transmission of sunglasses in the Canadian market to test their compliance with Canadian standards. The transmittance of 207 pairs of sunglasses, divided in 3 categories according to their price range, was measured. We show that close to 100% of the sunglasses tested respect the Canadian standards. The average HEV transmittance is around 10%, regardless the price range. Our study demonstrated that even if following Canadian standards is optional, most sunglasses sold on the Canadian market follow national and international standards. We also found that sunglasses filter around 90% of HEV. With the recent findings on the potential effects of HEV in retinal pathologies, we can ask whether this filtering capacity is sufficient to protect eyes from harmful HEV light. More work needs to be done to determine acceptable HEV light transmission limits to the existing Canadian standards. Copyright © 2018 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Baseline Face Detection, Head Pose Estimation, and Coarse Direction Detection for Facial Data in the SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paone, Jeffrey R [ORNL; Bolme, David S [ORNL; Ferrell, Regina Kay [ORNL; Aykac, Deniz [ORNL; Karnowski, Thomas Paul [ORNL

2015-01-01

Keeping a driver focused on the road is one of the most critical steps in insuring the safe operation of a vehicle. The Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) has over 3,100 recorded videos of volunteer drivers during a period of 2 years. This extensive naturalistic driving study (NDS) contains over one million hours of video and associated data that could aid safety researchers in understanding where the driver s attention is focused. Manual analysis of this data is infeasible, therefore efforts are underway to develop automated feature extraction algorithms to process and characterize the data. The real-world nature, volume, and acquisition conditions are unmatched in the transportation community, but there are also challenges because the data has relatively low resolution, high compression rates, and differing illumination conditions. A smaller dataset, the head pose validation study, is available which used the same recording equipment as SHRP2 but is more easily accessible with less privacy constraints. In this work we report initial head pose accuracy using commercial and open source face pose estimation algorithms on the head pose validation data set.

Assessing availability of scientific journals, databases, and health library services in Canadian health ministries: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Léon, Grégory; Ouimet, Mathieu; Lavis, John N; Grimshaw, Jeremy; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre

2013-03-21

Evidence-informed health policymaking logically depends on timely access to research evidence. To our knowledge, despite the substantial political and societal pressure to enhance the use of the best available research evidence in public health policy and program decision making, there is no study addressing availability of peer-reviewed research in Canadian health ministries. To assess availability of (1) a purposive sample of high-ranking scientific journals, (2) bibliographic databases, and (3) health library services in the fourteen Canadian health ministries. From May to October 2011, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among librarians employed by Canadian health ministries to collect information relative to availability of scientific journals, bibliographic databases, and health library services. Availability of scientific journals in each ministry was determined using a sample of 48 journals selected from the 2009 Journal Citation Reports (Sciences and Social Sciences Editions). Selection criteria were: relevance for health policy based on scope note information about subject categories and journal popularity based on impact factors. We found that the majority of Canadian health ministries did not have subscription access to key journals and relied heavily on interlibrary loans. Overall, based on a sample of high-ranking scientific journals, availability of journals through interlibrary loans, online and print-only subscriptions was estimated at 63%, 28% and 3%, respectively. Health Canada had a 2.3-fold higher number of journal subscriptions than that of the provincial ministries' average. Most of the organisations provided access to numerous discipline-specific and multidisciplinary databases. Many organisations provided access to the library resources described through library partnerships or consortia. No professionally led health library environment was found in four out of fourteen Canadian health ministries (i.e. Manitoba Health, Northwest

Canadian natural gas liquids : market outlook 2000 - 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gill, L.; Mortensen, P.

2001-01-01

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the availability of Canadian natural gas liquids. The analysis was developed from production profiles and gas compositions for individual gas pools and takes into account the effects of market factors. On the demand side, the effects of new infrastructure and changes in corporate structures have been evaluated. The study was initiated at a time when energy prices were stable and the major concern was to see how the addition of the Alliance pipeline, the Aux Sable gas processing plant, the Empress V straddle plant and the Nova/UCC E3 ethylene plant would affect the Canadian liquids business. The study was complicated by the advent of unexpected factors affecting the supply and demand of natural gas liquids (NGLs). These included extremely high prices for natural gas, an apparent inability of the supply basin to respond to the high gas prices with increased supply, and the very high electricity costs in Alberta. The weak supply of NGLs coincides with the increase in ethane demand from the start-up of Alberta's fourth ethylene facility and the addition of the high vapour pressure Alliance pipeline. This weak supply suggests there will be an ethane shortage for at least the next few years. The longer term outlook, however, is less certain and will require an analysis of the outlook for gas production, gas composition and NGL extraction capacity. This study developed two forecasts for natural gas prices. Both presume rising gas demand across North America driven by increased gas use for power generation. The Low Case assumes modest growth in domestic Canadian gas demand and the High case predicts strong growth in domestic demand as higher levels of exports to the United States, resulting in a doubling in growth for Canadian gas production from 2000-2015 compared to the Low Case. Both High and Low Case scenarios suggest that prices will decline from current levels so that Alberta plant gate prices fall by 2005 and will then

Canadian natural gas liquids : market outlook 2000 - 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gill, L.; Mortensen, P.

2001-04-01

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the availability of Canadian natural gas liquids. The analysis was developed from production profiles and gas compositions for individual gas pools and takes into account the effects of market factors. On the demand side, the effects of new infrastructure and changes in corporate structures have been evaluated. The study was initiated at a time when energy prices were stable and the major concern was to see how the addition of the Alliance pipeline, the Aux Sable gas processing plant, the Empress V straddle plant and the Nova/UCC E3 ethylene plant would affect the Canadian liquids business. The study was complicated by the advent of unexpected factors affecting the supply and demand of natural gas liquids (NGLs). These included extremely high prices for natural gas, an apparent inability of the supply basin to respond to the high gas prices with increased supply, and the very high electricity costs in Alberta. The weak supply of NGLs coincides with the increase in ethane demand from the start-up of Alberta's fourth ethylene facility and the addition of the high vapour pressure Alliance pipeline. This weak supply suggests there will be an ethane shortage for at least the next few years. The longer term outlook, however, is less certain and will require an analysis of the outlook for gas production, gas composition and NGL extraction capacity. This study developed two forecasts for natural gas prices. Both presume rising gas demand across North America driven by increased gas use for power generation. The Low Case assumes modest growth in domestic Canadian gas demand and the High case predicts strong growth in domestic demand as higher levels of exports to the United States, resulting in a doubling in growth for Canadian gas production from 2000-2015 compared to the Low Case. Both High and Low Case scenarios suggest that prices will decline from current levels so that Alberta plant gate prices fall by 2005 and will

Canadian nuclear power plant construction cost forecast and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keng, C.W.K.

1985-01-01

Because of the huge volume of capital required to construct a modern electric power generating station, investment decisions have to be made with as complete an understanding of the consequence of the decision as possible. This understanding must be provided by the evaluation of the situation to take place in the future. This paper attempts to use an econometric method to forecast the construction costs escalation of a standard Canadian nuclear generating station (NGS). A review of the history of Canadian nuclear electric power is provided. The major components of the construction costs of a Canadian NGS are studied and summarized. A data base is built and indexes are prepared. Based on these indexes an econometric forecasting model is constructed using an apparently new econometric methodology of forecasting modelling. Forecasts for a period of forty years are generated and applications of alternative scenario forecasts and range forecasts to uncertainty assessment are demonstrated. The indexes, the model, and the forecasts and their applications, to the best of the author's knowledge, are the very first ever done for Canadian NGS constructions

Do Children Who Bully Their Peers Also Play Violent Video Games? A Canadian National Study

Science.gov (United States)

Dittrick, Crystal J.; Beran, Tanya N.; Mishna, Faye; Hetherington, Ross; Shariff, Shaheen

2013-01-01

The study examined whether children who bully others are likely to prefer playing video games that are rated high in maturity and violence. A stratified random sample of Canadian children ages 10 to 17 years from the provinces of Canada was obtained. Parents (n = 397) and their children (n = 492) completed an online survey of children's bullying…

The Influence of Cultural Background on Parental Perceptions of Adolescent Gambling Behaviour: A Canadian Study

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Colin A.; Derevensky, Jeffrey L.; Meerkamper, Eric; Cutajar, Jo

2012-01-01

Considerable research has begun to address youth gambling issues from a bio-psycho-social perspective. The current Canadian national study adds to this body of knowledge by examining the cultural influences impacting parent's attitudes, behaviors and perceptions of youth gambling. A total of 3,279 parents with a child between the ages of 13 and 18…

The flow of radionuclides through the Canadian archipelago

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellis, K.; Smith, J.N.

1999-01-01

The transport of contaminants to the Canadian Arctic by air and in water and their concentration through the marine food web has lead to enhanced levels of contaminants in several foods of Canadian northern inhabitants. Artificial radionuclides in the marine water can be used to determine water circulation and to trace contaminant transport through the Canadian Archipelago

Creating a driving profile for older adults using GPS devices and naturalistic driving methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Babulal, Ganesh M; Traub, Cindy M; Webb, Mollie; Stout, Sarah H; Addison, Aaron; Carr, David B; Ott, Brian R; Morris, John C; Roe, Catherine M

2016-01-01

Background/Objectives : Road tests and driving simulators are most commonly used in research studies and clinical evaluations of older drivers. Our objective was to describe the process and associated challenges in adapting an existing, commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS), in-vehicle device for naturalistic, longitudinal research to better understand daily driving behavior in older drivers. Design : The Azuga G2 Tracking Device TM was installed in each participant's vehicle, and we collected data over 5 months (speed, latitude/longitude) every 30-seconds when the vehicle was driven.  Setting : The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine. Participants : Five individuals enrolled in a larger, longitudinal study assessing preclinical Alzheimer disease and driving performance.  Participants were aged 65+ years and had normal cognition. Measurements :  Spatial components included Primary Location(s), Driving Areas, Mean Centers and Unique Destinations.  Temporal components included number of trips taken during different times of the day.  Behavioral components included number of hard braking, speeding and sudden acceleration events. Methods :  Individual 30-second observations, each comprising one breadcrumb, and trip-level data were collected and analyzed in R and ArcGIS.  Results : Primary locations were confirmed to be 100% accurate when compared to known addresses.  Based on the locations of the breadcrumbs, we were able to successfully identify frequently visited locations and general travel patterns.  Based on the reported time from the breadcrumbs, we could assess number of trips driven in daylight vs. night.  Data on additional events while driving allowed us to compute the number of adverse driving alerts over the course of the 5-month period. Conclusions : Compared to cameras and highly instrumented vehicle in other naturalistic studies, the compact COTS device was quickly installed and transmitted high

Trends in Canadian Newspaper Coverage of Gay-Straight Alliances, 2000-2009

Science.gov (United States)

Herriot, Lindsay

2011-01-01

Gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in Canadian public schools have gained considerable attention from print media since reports first surfaced in the year 2000. This study tracked and analyzed Canadian newspaper reporting about GSA creation. It summarized the shift in public opinion toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth…

Aging and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Naturalistic, Longitudinal Study of the Comorbidities and Behavioral and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Adults with ASD.

Science.gov (United States)

Wise, Elizabeth A; Smith, Marcia D; Rabins, Peter V

2017-06-01

Little is known about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in persons over age 50. In a retrospective, naturalistic review of 74 individuals aged 30 and older meeting DSM-5 criteria for ASD, the point prevalence of behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms (BNPS) declined significantly for 12 of 13 BNPS over a mean of 25 years while many other features of ASD remained stable. GI disorders (68.9%) and seizure disorders (23%) were common, and 25.7% of the sample had a BMI >30. Females were more likely to engage in screaming (p < 0.05) and oppositional behavior (p < 0.05). Current age did not have a significant effect on BNPS prevalence.

Internet Exposure Associated With Canadian Parents' Perception of Risk on Childhood Immunization: Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tustin, Jordan Lee; Crowcroft, Natasha Sarah; Gesink, Dionne; Johnson, Ian; Keelan, Jennifer

2018-01-19

There is a large presence of provaccination and antivaccination content on the Internet. The Internet has been identified as an important source for parents to seek and share vaccine information. There are concerns that parental fears or hesitancy on childhood immunizations are increasing due to the popularity of social media and exposure to online antivaccination sentiment. No other studies have investigated the association between seeking vaccine information online and Canadian parents' perception of risk on childhood immunization. We aimed to investigate the potential association between seeking vaccine information on the Internet and Canadian parents' perception of risk on childhood immunization in order to quantify the perceived association and increase our understanding on the impact of the Internet to help guide public health interventions. We analyzed this association in two population samples: a self-selecting Web-based sample of Canadian parents recruited through Facebook (n=966) and a population-based sample of parents recruited by random digit dialing (RDD; n=951). The outcome was parental perception of vaccine safety on a seven-point ordinal scale from "not safe" to "extremely safe." An ordinal regression model was used to investigate if Internet information seeking on childhood vaccination predicted parental perception of vaccine safety. After adjusting for income level, Internet reliability, age of parent, and region, the odds of perceiving vaccines as less safe rather than more safe were 1.6 times higher (95% CI 1.3-2.1) for parents who used the Internet to search for vaccination information compared to parents who did not search the Internet in the Web-based sample, and 2.0 times higher (95% CI 1.6-2.5) in the population-based RDD sample. The results suggest the Internet is significantly associated with Canadian parents' negative perception of vaccine risk. Governmental and scientific sectors should consider the development and implementation of

Conference summaries of the Canadian Nuclear Association 30. annual conference, and the Canadian Nuclear Society 11. annual conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This volume contains conference summaries for the 30. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association, and the 11. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. Topics of discussion include: energy needs and challenges facing the Canadian nuclear industry; the environment and nuclear power; the problems of maintaining and developing industrial capacity; the challenges of the 1990's; programmes and issues for the 1990's; thermalhydraulics; reactor physics and fuel management; nuclear safety; small reactors; fuel behaviour; energy production and the environment; computer applications; nuclear systems; fusion; materials handling; and, reactor components

Recent Books on Canadian Business History.

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Christopher

1979-01-01

Reviews Canadian business history books published since 1972 as well as reprints of useful older works. Topics dealt with are the fish, timber, and wheat industry, transportation, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship, Canadian economy during World War I, the development of natural resources, and the lives of the rich and the powerful. (KC)

Canadian Postcolonialism: Recovering British Roots

Science.gov (United States)

Doughty, Howard A.

2005-01-01

The field of Postcolonial Studies is one of the academic fashions that has arisen in an attempt to amend or replace radical theories of social power since the alleged discrediting of Marxism. The Canadian case is more ambiguous. Postcolonialism, already an essentially contested concept, is especially conflicted where Canada is concerned. Canada…

Canadian advanced life support capacities and future directions

Science.gov (United States)

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

Recognising safety critical events: can automatic video processing improve naturalistic data analyses?

Science.gov (United States)

Dozza, Marco; González, Nieves Pañeda

2013-11-01

New trends in research on traffic accidents include Naturalistic Driving Studies (NDS). NDS are based on large scale data collection of driver, vehicle, and environment information in real world. NDS data sets have proven to be extremely valuable for the analysis of safety critical events such as crashes and near crashes. However, finding safety critical events in NDS data is often difficult and time consuming. Safety critical events are currently identified using kinematic triggers, for instance searching for deceleration below a certain threshold signifying harsh braking. Due to the low sensitivity and specificity of this filtering procedure, manual review of video data is currently necessary to decide whether the events identified by the triggers are actually safety critical. Such reviewing procedure is based on subjective decisions, is expensive and time consuming, and often tedious for the analysts. Furthermore, since NDS data is exponentially growing over time, this reviewing procedure may not be viable anymore in the very near future. This study tested the hypothesis that automatic processing of driver video information could increase the correct classification of safety critical events from kinematic triggers in naturalistic driving data. Review of about 400 video sequences recorded from the events, collected by 100 Volvo cars in the euroFOT project, suggested that drivers' individual reaction may be the key to recognize safety critical events. In fact, whether an event is safety critical or not often depends on the individual driver. A few algorithms, able to automatically classify driver reaction from video data, have been compared. The results presented in this paper show that the state of the art subjective review procedures to identify safety critical events from NDS can benefit from automated objective video processing. In addition, this paper discusses the major challenges in making such video analysis viable for future NDS and new potential

Liquid fuels from Canadian coals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, G. W.

1979-06-15

In Canadian energy planning, the central issue of security of supply must be addressed by developing flexible energy systems that make the best possible use of available resources. For liquid fuel production, oil sands and heavy oil currently appear more attractive than coal or biomass as alternatives to conventional crude oil, but the magnitude of their economic advantage is uncertain. The existence of large resources of oil sands, heavy oils, natural gas and low-sulfur coals in Western Canada creates a unique opportunity for Canadians to optimize the yield from these resources and develop new technology. Many variations on the three basic liquefaction routes - hydroliquefaction, pyrolysis and synthesis - are under investigation around the world, and the technology is advancing rapidly. Each process has merit under certain circumstances. Surface-mineable subbituminous and lignite coals of Alberta and Saskatchewan appear to offer the best combination of favorable properties, deposit size and mining cost, but other deposits in Alberta, Nova Scotia and British Columbia should not be ruled out. The research effort in Canada is small by world standards, but it is unlikely that technology could be imported that is ideally suited to Canadian conditions. Importing technology is undesirable: innovation or process modification to suit Canadian coals and markets is preferred; coprocessing of coal liquids with bitumen or heavy oils would be a uniquely Canadian, exportable technology. The cost of synthetic crude from coal in Canada is uncertain, estimates ranging from $113 to $220/m/sup 3/ ($18 to $35/bbl). Existing economic evaluations vary widely depending on assumptions, and can be misleading. Product quality is an important consideration.

Accounting for variation in wind deployment between Canadian provinces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferguson-Martin, Christopher J.; Hill, Stephen D.

2011-01-01

Wind energy deployment varies widely across regions and this variation cannot be explained by differences in natural wind resources alone. Evidence suggests that institutional factors beyond physical wind resources can influence the deployment of wind energy systems. Building on the work of , this study takes a historical institutionalist approach to examine the main factors influencing wind energy deployment across four Canadian provinces Canada: Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Our case studies suggest that wind energy deployment depends upon a combination of indirect causal factors-landscape values, political and social movements, government electricity policy, provincial electricity market structure and incumbent generation technologies and direct causal factors-grid architecture, ownership patterns, renewable incentive programs, planning and approvals processes and stakeholder support and opposition. - Research highlights: → Examines the reasons for variations in wind deployment between Canadian provinces. → Employs a historical institutional approach to the analysis. → Discusses social factors that affect wind deployment across Canadian jurisdictions.

A Fresh Pair of Eyes: A Blind Observation Method for Evaluating Social Skills of Children with ASD in a Naturalistic Peer Situation in School

Science.gov (United States)

Dekker, Vera; Nauta, Maaike H.; Mulder, Erik J.; Sytema, Sjoerd; de Bildt, Annelies

2016-01-01

The Social skills Observation Measure (SOM) is a direct observation method for social skills used in naturalistic everyday situations in school. This study describes the development of the SOM and investigates its psychometric properties in 86 children with Autism spectrum disorder, aged 9.8-13.1 years. The interrater reliability was found to be…

Tuberculosis in Aboriginal Canadians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vernon H Hoeppner

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Endemic tuberculosis (TB was almost certainly present in Canadian aboriginal people (aboriginal Canadians denotes status Indians, Inuit, nonstatus Indians and metis as reported by Statistics Canada before the Old World traders arrived. However, the social changes that resulted from contact with these traders created the conditions that converted endemic TB into epidemic TB. The incidence of TB varied inversely with the time interval from this cultural collision, which began on the east coast in the 16th century and ended in the Northern Territories in the 20th century. This relatively recent epidemic explains why the disease is more frequent in aboriginal children than in Canadian-born nonaboriginal people. Treatment plans must account for the socioeconomic conditions and cultural characteristics of the aboriginal people, especially healing models and language. Prevention includes bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccination and chemoprophylaxis, and must account for community conditions, such as rates of suicide, which have exceeded the rate of TB. The control of TB requires a centralized program with specifically directed funding. It must include a program that works in partnership with aboriginal communities.

Expanding U.S. markets for Canadian crude oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heath, M.; Angevine, G.; Chan, K.; Renne, G.; Stariha, J.; MacKay, E.

1993-01-01

The quantities and types of Canadian, U.S. and competing foreign crudes flowing into U.S. market regions and the potential to retain and/or expand Canadian crude oil sales in each of those markets, was studied. The various pipeline system expansion/construction proposals were reviewed. Findings of the study with respect to prospects for crude oil sales into each of the U.S. market regions were presented. Opportunities and constraints with regard to the potential for incremental crude oil sales into each of the U.S. market regions were detailed. The study concluded that there was a substantial market in the U.S. for incremental sales of Canadian crudes. Most of the refineries in the U.S. market regions were more flexible in terms of their crude diet than they were before the rationalization and restructuring of the industry began. The market for crude oil in the U.S. was shown to be one of the most competitive in the world and the most volatile. The study also revealed that there were risks associated with large additions to the capacity to ship crude oil by pipeline from Western Canada, given the uncertainties surrounding future supply. 4 refs., figs., tabs

Academic Integrity, Remix Culture, Globalization: A Canadian Case Study of Student and Faculty Perceptions of Plagiarism

Science.gov (United States)

Evans-Tokaryk, Tyler

2014-01-01

This article presents the results of a case study at a Canadian university that used a combination of surveys and focus groups to explore faculty members' and students' perceptions of plagiarism. The research suggests that the globalization of education and remix culture have contributed to competing and contradictory understandings of plagiarism…

There be dragons: Canadian explorers in international fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Meara, D

1999-11-01

International hotspots of Canadian exploration and production companies are described. Examples of mid-sized Canadian companies competing successfully in many parts of the world are recounted. Being Canadian and having access to countries that Americans do not because of trade sanctions, allows Canadian companies to bring to these countries all the North American technology without the associated politics. Successes by Canadian Occidental Petroleum in Yemen, in Africa, the former Soviet Union and South America, or Alberta Energy Company International's recent commitment to explore in Azerbaijan with estimated reserves of 5.9 billion barrels of oil-equivalent, are only some of the examples where Canadian explorers have been very successful. Some of the problems faced by international operators such as scarcity of indigenous trained personnel, lack of infrastructure, unstable governments, and/or unfriendly government policies, tribal wars, unfavourable public reaction 'back home' to repressive regimes in parts of the world ( e.g. Talisman Energy in Sudan) are some of the dangers faced by companies venturing into the global arena, driven by dreams of untold riches, but also by the prospects of diminishing reserves on home turf.

There be dragons: Canadian explorers in international fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Meara, D.

1999-11-01

International hotspots of Canadian exploration and production companies are described. Examples of mid-sized Canadian companies competing successfully in many parts of the world are recounted. Being Canadian and having access to countries that Americans do not because of trade sanctions, allows Canadian companies to bring to these countries all the North American technology without the associated politics. Successes by Canadian Occidental Petroleum in Yemen, in Africa, the former Soviet Union and South America, or Alberta Energy Company International's recent commitment to explore in Azerbaijan with estimated reserves of 5.9 billion barrels of oil-equivalent, are only some of the examples where Canadian explorers have been very successful. Some of the problems faced by international operators such as scarcity of indigenous trained personnel, lack of infrastructure, unstable governments, and/or unfriendly government policies, tribal wars, unfavourable public reaction 'back home' to repressive regimes in parts of the world ( e.g. Talisman Energy in Sudan) are some of the dangers faced by companies venturing into the global arena, driven by dreams of untold riches, but also by the prospects of diminishing reserves on home turf.

Benchmarking participation of Canadian university health sciences librarians in systematic reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Susan A; Boden, Catherine

2015-04-01

This study describes the current state of Canadian university health sciences librarians' knowledge about, training needs for, and barriers to participating in systematic reviews (SRs). A convenience sample of Canadian librarians was surveyed. Over half of the librarians who had participated in SRs acknowledged participating in a traditional librarian role (e.g., search strategy developer); less than half indicated participating in any one nontraditional librarian role (e.g., data extractor). Lack of time and insufficient training were the most frequently reported barriers to participating in SRs. The findings provide a benchmark for tracking changes in Canadian university health sciences librarians' participation in SRs.

Canadian geologic isolation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyne, P.J.

1976-01-01

The Canadian geologic isolation program is directed at examining the potential of (1) salt deposits and (2) hard rock as repositories for radioactive wastes. It was felt essential from the inception that alternative host rocks be evaluated over a fairly large geographical area. The studies on salt deposits to date are based on existing geological information and have identified the areas that show some potential and merit further study. The factors considered include depth, thickness and purity of the deposit, overlying aquifers, and the potential for gas and oil exploration as well as potash recovery. The studies on hard rock are restricted to plutonic igneous rocks in the Ontario part of the Canadian Shield. Because geological information on their nature and extent is sparse, the study is limited to bodies that are well exposed and for which information is available.for which information is available. Field studies in the next two seasons are aimed at mapping the fault and joint patterns and defining the geologic controls on their development. In 1977 and 1978, two or three of the more favorable sites will be mapped in greater detail, and an exploratory drilling program will be established to determine the extent of fracturing at depth and the hydrology of these fractures. Conceptual designs of mined repositories in hard rock are also being made with the hope of identifying, at an early stage in this program, special problems in hard-rock repositories that may require development and study

Canadian petroleum industry review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feick, R. M.

1997-01-01

A wide ranging discussion about the factors that have influenced oil and natural gas prices, the differences of the Canadian market from international markets, the differences between eastern and western Canadian markets, and shareholders' perspectives on recent commodity price developments was presented. Developments in the OPEC countries were reviewed, noting that current OPEC production of 25 mmbbls is about 60 per cent higher than it was in 1985. It is expected that OPEC countries will continue to expand capacity to meet expected demand growth and the continuing need created by the UN embargo on Iraqi oil sales. Demand for natural gas is also likely to continue to rise especially in view of the deregulation of the electricity industry where natural gas may well become the favored fuel for incremental thermal generation capacity. Prices of both crude oil and natural gas are expected to hold owing to unusually low storage levels of both fuels. The inadequacy of infrastructure, particularly pipeline capacity as a key factor in the Canadian market was noted, along with the dynamic that will emerge in the next several years that may have potential consequences for Canadian production - namely the reversal of the Sarnia to Montreal pipeline. With regard to shareholders' expectations the main issues are (1) whether international markets reach back to the wellhead, hence the producer's positioning with respect to transportation capacity and contract portfolios, and (2) whether the proceeds from increased prices are invested in projects that are yielding more than the cost of capital. 28 figs

Social Workers' Role in the Canadian Mental Health Care System

Science.gov (United States)

Towns, Ashley M.; Schwartz, Karen

2012-01-01

Objective: Using Canadian survey data this research provides social workers in Canada with a better understanding of their role in the Canadian mental health care system. Methods: By analyzing data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 1.2 Mental Health and Well-being, the role of social workers in the Canadian mental health system was…

Job satisfaction, workplace stress, unhealthy lifestyle choices, and productivity among Canadian nurses: an empirical study

OpenAIRE

Karen J. Buhr

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: Nurses’ occupational stress and job satisfaction can have an affect on lifestyle choices and productivity. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to provide a detailed examination of the relationship between job satisfaction, job stress, unhealthy lifestyle choices, and productivity among Canadian nurses. METHODS: This study uses data from the confidential master data files of the 2005 National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses (NSWHN). Ordinary least squares regressions...

A Call for More Religious Education in the Secondary Social Studies Curriculum of Western Canadian Provinces

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Margaretta L.

2015-01-01

The inclusion of religion in public education remains contentious in many countries, including Canada. As multiple religions fill the public sphere, some religious education is necessary if Canadians are to understand each other. Social studies is seen as an appropriate subject to include such education given its foci on diversity and citizenship.…

Assessing perceived health risks of climate change : Canadian public opinion 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-03-01

This paper discussed a survey conducted to evaluate the awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of Canadians in relation to climatic change. A total of 1600 telephone surveys were conducted with a broad range of age groups. The study showed that climate change is considered by many Canadians to pose a significant threat at both local and global levels. Evidence of climate change has been noted in many communities. However, relatively few Canadians understand how climate change may impact human health. While many Canadians associated climatic change with air pollution hazards and ozone depletion, most Canadians were not aware of the potential negative health impacts related to changes in disease vectors, extreme weather events, and coastal flooding. The strongest awareness and concern about health impacts were expressed by Canadians concerned about global warming. Individuals with chronic health conditions were more likely to be attuned to the potential health impacts of climatic change. Seniors viewed climate change as a longer term problem. Only 10 per cent of Canadians viewed global warming as a major health risk. Sixty-nine per cent of Canadians believed that global warming was happening, while 63 per cent attributed climate change to human activity. Nearly half of all respondents believed that an extreme weather disaster would affect their community during the course of their lifetime. The report suggested that marketing or communications campaigns should build public awareness of the health risks associated with direct or proximal environmental risks. Information about health risks should be specific, and communications should be tailored to age cohorts. Television and print media should be used to build awareness of the health risks of climate change. Provincial concerns related to climatic change were also outlined. tabs., figs

The effects of outdoor air pollution on the respiratory health of Canadian children: A systematic review of epidemiological studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Villamizar, Laura Andrea; Magico, Adam; Osornio-Vargas, Alvaro; Rowe, Brian H

2015-01-01

Outdoor air pollution is a global problem with serious effects on human health, and children are considered to be highly susceptible to the effects of air pollution. To conduct a comprehensive and updated systematic review of the literature reporting the effects of outdoor air pollution on the respiratory health of children in Canada. Searches of four electronic databases between January 2004 and November 2014 were conducted to identify epidemiological studies evaluating the effect of exposure to outdoor air pollutants on respiratory symptoms, lung function measurements and the use of health services due to respiratory conditions in Canadian children. The selection process and quality assessment, using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, were conducted independently by two reviewers. Twenty-seven studies that were heterogeneous with regard to study design, population, respiratory outcome and air pollution exposure were identified. Overall, the included studies reported adverse effects of outdoor air pollution at concentrations that were below Canadian and United States standards. Heterogeneous effects of air pollutants were reported according to city, sex, socioeconomic status and seasonality. The present review also describes trends in research related to the effect of air pollution on Canadian children over the past 25 years. The present study reconfirms the adverse effects of outdoor air pollution on the respiratory health of children in Canada. It will help researchers, clinicians and environmental health authorities identify the available evidence of the adverse effect of outdoor air pollution, research gaps and the limitations for further research.

Canadian heavy water production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahlinger, A.; Lockerby, W.E.; Rae, H.K.

1977-01-01

The paper reviews Canadian experience in the production of heavy water, presents a long-term supply projection, relates this projection to the anticipated long-term electrical energy demand, and highlights principal areas for further improvement that form the bulk of the Canadian R and D programme on heavy water processes. Six Canadian heavy water plants with a total design capacity of 4000Mg/a are in operation or under construction. All use the Girdler-Sulphide (GS) process, which is based on deuterium exchange between water and hydrogen sulphide. Early operating problems have been overcome and the plants have demonstrated annual capacity factors in excess of 70%, with short-term production rates equal to design rates. Areas for further improvement are: to increase production rates by optimizing the control of foaming to give both higher sieve tray efficiency and higher flow rates, to reduce the incapacity due to deposition of pyrite (FeS 2 ) and sulphur (between 5% and 10%), and to improve process control and optimization of operating conditions by the application of mathematical simulations of the detailed deuterium profile throughout each plant. Other processes being studied, which look potentially attractive are the hydrogen-water exchange and the hydrogen-amine exchange. Even if they become successful competitors to the GS process, the latter is likely to remain the dominant production method for the next 10-20 years. This programme, when related to the long-term electricity demand, indicates that heavy water supply and demand are in reasonable balance and that the Candu programme will not be inhibited because of shortages of this commodity. (author)

Results of the 2014-2015 Canadian Society of Nephrology workforce survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, David R; Manns, Braden; Gil, Sarah; Au, Flora; Kappel, Joanne E

2016-01-01

Nephrology was previously identified as a subspecialty with few Canadian employment opportunities, and in recent years, fewer trainees are choosing nephrology. The objective of this study is to better understand the current Canadian adult nephrology workforce and the expected workforce trends over the next 5 years. This is an online self-administered survey. This study is set in Canada. Survey participants are Canadian adult nephrologists, including self-identified division heads. The measurements of this study are demographics, training, current practice characteristics, work hours, and projected workforce needs. Survey questions were based on previous workforce surveys. Ethics approval was obtained through the University of Saskatchewan. The survey was piloted in both English and French and modified based on the feedback to ensure that responses accurately reflected the information desired. It was circulated to all identified Canadian nephrologists via an anonymous e-mail link for self-administration. Categorical data was aggregated, and free-text answers were thematically analyzed. Additional descriptive analysis was conducted by all authors. Five hundred ninety-two Canadian nephrologists were contacted and 48 % responded, with representation from all Canadian provinces. One third of the respondents were female, and the largest age cohort was 41-50 years. Most nephrologists are trained in Canada and 61 % completed additional training. The majority of the respondents (69.1 %) began working as a nephrologist immediately upon completion of fellowship training. Younger nephrologists reported more challenges in finding a job. Eighty percent of responding nephrologists were satisfied with their current work hours, 13.1 % will reduce work hours within 3 years, an additional 8.2 % will reduce work hours within 5 years, and a further 14.2 % will reduce work hours within 10 years. Nephrology division heads forecasted the number of clinical and academic

Where in the World are Canadian Oil and Gas Companies? 2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niloo Hojjati

2017-06-01

number of active companies or levels of production. The focus of this project is on two types of Canadian O&G companies, namely exploration and production (E&P companies and service companies. For the purposes of the WIW project, an O&G company is defined to be “Canadian” if it meets two selection criteria: (i the company must have its headquarters (or head office2 in Canada; and (ii the company must be publicly traded on a Canadian exchange.3 Companies must fulfill both selection criteria simultaneously to be considered a Canadian O&G company, and thus be included in the findings of this project. This report, the first in a series, provides an extensive account of annual data collected in the WIW project for the 2011 year of study. It begins with an overview of the international activities of Canadian E&P companies, presenting the level of activities in a regional context, as well as on a country basis. The report then continues by providing the same analysis for Canadian O&G service companies.

Associations between sensory loss and social networks, participation, support, and loneliness: Analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Mick, Paul; Parfyonov, Maksim; Wittich, Walter; Phillips, Natalie; Kathleen Pichora-Fuller, M

2018-01-01

To determine if hearing loss, vision loss, and dual sensory loss were associated with social network diversity, social participation, availability of social support, and loneliness, respectively, in a population-based sample of older Canadians and to determine whether age or sex modified the associations. Cross-sectional population-based study. Canada. The sample included 21 241 participants in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging tracking cohort. The sample was nationally representative of English- and French-speaking, non-institutionalized 45- to 89-year-old Canadians who did not live on First Nations reserves and who had normal cognition. Participants with missing data for any of the variables in the multivariable regression models were excluded from analysis. Hearing and vision loss were determined by self-report. Dual sensory loss was defined as reporting both hearing and vision loss. Univariate analyses were performed to assess cross-sectional associations between hearing, vision, and dual sensory loss, and social, demographic, and medical variables. Multivariable regression models were used to analyze cross-sectional associations between each type of sensory loss and social network diversity, social participation, availability of social support, and loneliness. Vision loss (in men) and dual sensory loss (in 65- to 85-year-olds) were independently associated with reduced social network diversity. Vision loss and dual sensory loss (in 65- to 85-year-olds) were each independently associated with reduced social participation. All forms of sensory loss were associated with both low availability of social support and loneliness. Sensory impairment is associated with reduced social function in older Canadians. Interventions and research that address the social needs of older individuals with sensory loss are needed. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Public Health Adaptation to Climate Change in Canadian Jurisdictions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie E. Austin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Climate change poses numerous risks to the health of Canadians. Extreme weather events, poor air quality, and food insecurity in northern regions are likely to increase along with the increasing incidence and range of infectious diseases. In this study we identify and characterize Canadian federal, provincial, territorial and municipal adaptation to these health risks based on publically available information. Federal health adaptation initiatives emphasize capacity building and gathering information to address general health, infectious disease and heat-related risks. Provincial and territorial adaptation is varied. Quebec is a leader in climate change adaptation, having a notably higher number of adaptation initiatives reported, addressing almost all risks posed by climate change in the province, and having implemented various adaptation types. Meanwhile, all other Canadian provinces and territories are in the early stages of health adaptation. Based on publically available information, reported adaptation also varies greatly by municipality. The six sampled Canadian regional health authorities (or equivalent are not reporting any adaptation initiatives. We also find little relationship between the number of initiatives reported in the six sampled municipalities and their provinces, suggesting that municipalities are adapting (or not adapting autonomously.

Public Health Adaptation to Climate Change in Canadian Jurisdictions

Science.gov (United States)

Austin, Stephanie E.; Ford, James D.; Berrang-Ford, Lea; Araos, Malcolm; Parker, Stephen; Fleury, Manon D.

2015-01-01

Climate change poses numerous risks to the health of Canadians. Extreme weather events, poor air quality, and food insecurity in northern regions are likely to increase along with the increasing incidence and range of infectious diseases. In this study we identify and characterize Canadian federal, provincial, territorial and municipal adaptation to these health risks based on publically available information. Federal health adaptation initiatives emphasize capacity building and gathering information to address general health, infectious disease and heat-related risks. Provincial and territorial adaptation is varied. Quebec is a leader in climate change adaptation, having a notably higher number of adaptation initiatives reported, addressing almost all risks posed by climate change in the province, and having implemented various adaptation types. Meanwhile, all other Canadian provinces and territories are in the early stages of health adaptation. Based on publically available information, reported adaptation also varies greatly by municipality. The six sampled Canadian regional health authorities (or equivalent) are not reporting any adaptation initiatives. We also find little relationship between the number of initiatives reported in the six sampled municipalities and their provinces, suggesting that municipalities are adapting (or not adapting) autonomously. PMID:25588156

2009 Canadian Radiation Oncology Resident Survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debenham, Brock; Banerjee, Robyn; Fairchild, Alysa; Dundas, George; Trotter, Theresa; Yee, Don

2012-01-01

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 program 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.

2009 Canadian Radiation Oncology Resident Survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Debenham, Brock, E-mail: debenham@ualberta.net [Department of Radiation Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada); Banerjee, Robyn [Department of Radiation Oncology, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta (Canada); Fairchild, Alysa; Dundas, George [Department of Radiation Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada); Trotter, Theresa [Department of Radiation Oncology, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta (Canada); Yee, Don [Department of Radiation Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)

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 program 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.

Dominant Cultural Narratives, Racism, and Resistance in the Workplace: A Study of the Experiences of Young Black Canadians.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasford, Julian

2016-03-01

Although many studies have examined lived experiences of racism and resistance in various contexts, relatively little research has examined such experiences among Black youth within the workplace-particularly in the Canadian context. In this study I use qualitative analyses of narrative interviews with 24 Black Canadian youth and young adults (aged 16-35) to examine the impact of dominant cultural narratives on lived experiences of workplace racism and resistance. Findings are presented using theatrical games as a central conceptual metaphor, suggesting that: (a) dominant cultural narratives have a major impact on relational dynamics of oppression in the workplace; (b) identity performance is a critical strategy for negotiating dominant cultural narratives in the workplace; and (c) panopticism (the internalized gaze) is a significant aspect of internalized oppression. Implications for future research and action are discussed. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

Use of synchrotron tomography to image naturalistic anatomy in insects

Science.gov (United States)

Socha, John J.; De Carlo, Francesco

2008-08-01

Understanding the morphology of anatomical structures is a cornerstone of biology. For small animals, classical methods such as histology have provided a wealth of data, but such techniques can be problematic due to destruction of the sample. More importantly, fixation and physical slicing can cause deformation of anatomy, a critical limitation when precise three-dimensional data are required. Modern techniques such as confocal microscopy, MRI, and tabletop x-ray microCT provide effective non-invasive methods, but each of these tools each has limitations including sample size constraints, resolution limits, and difficulty visualizing soft tissue. Our research group at the Advanced Photon Source (Argonne National Laboratory) studies physiological processes in insects, focusing on the dynamics of breathing and feeding. To determine the size, shape, and relative location of internal anatomy in insects, we use synchrotron microtomography at the beamline 2-BM to image structures including tracheal tubes, muscles, and gut. Because obtaining naturalistic, undeformed anatomical information is a key component of our studies, we have developed methods to image fresh and non-fixed whole animals and tissues. Although motion artifacts remain a problem, we have successfully imaged multiple species including beetles, ants, fruit flies, and butterflies. Here we discuss advances in biological imaging and highlight key findings in insect morphology.

A DASH dietary pattern and the risk of colorectal cancer in Canadian adults

OpenAIRE

Jones-McLean, E.; Hu, J.; Greene-Finestone, L. S.; de Groh, M.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a high incidence cancer affecting many Canadian adults each year. Diet is important in the etiology of CRC with many dietary components identified as potential risk factors. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is a well-established pattern to characterize overall eating. The purpose of this study was to characterize a DASH pattern within the Canadian context and to assess its relationship to the risk of CRC in Canadian adults. Metho...

People, Processes, and Policy-Making in Canadian Post-secondary Education, 1990-2000

Science.gov (United States)

Axelrod, Paul; Desai-Trilokekar, Roopa; Shanahan, Theresa; Wellen, Richard

2011-01-01

Policy-making in Canadian post-secondary education is rarely the subject of intensive, systematic study. This paper seeks to identify the distinctive ways in which Canadian post-secondary education policy decisions were constructed and implemented, and to posit an analytical framework for interpreting policy-making process in post-secondary…

Depression and suicidal ideation among Canadians aged 15 to 24.

Science.gov (United States)

Findlay, Leanne

2017-01-18

Among Canadians aged 15 to 24, the rate of depression is higher than at any other age, and suicide is the second leading cause of death. The current study provides detailed information about depression and suicidal ideation among young Canadians, including their use of mental health support. Data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS-MH) were used to describe rates and experiences of depression and suicidal ideation among Canadians aged 15 to 24, including psychosocial characteristics of those who had depression or reported suicidal thoughts. Characteristics associated with seeking professional support were also examined. About 11% of Canadians aged 15 to 24 had experienced depression in their lifetime; 7%, in the past year. Approximately 14% reported having had suicidal thoughts in their lifetime; 6%, in the past year. Lifetime depression and suicidal thoughts were moderately correlated (r = .34, p ⟨ .001). Individuals with lifetime depression had more than four times the odds of seeking professional support in the previous year, compared with those who did not have lifetime depression; those with lifetime suicidal thoughts had more than three times the odds of seeking professional support, compared with those who did not have lifetime suicidal thoughts. Psychosocial factors such as negative social interactions and lower perceived ability to deal with stress were associated with depression and suicidal thoughts, although these associations differed for males and females. The findings suggest that many young Canadians have depression and/or suicidal thoughts. Their odds of seeking professional support are significantly high.

Mercury in the Canadian Arctic terrestrial environment: an update.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamberg, Mary; Chételat, John; Poulain, Alexandre J; Zdanowicz, Christian; Zheng, Jiancheng

2015-03-15

Contaminants in the Canadian Arctic have been studied over the last twenty years under the guidance of the Northern Contaminants Program. This paper provides the current state of knowledge on mercury (Hg) in the Canadian Arctic terrestrial environment. Snow, ice, and soils on land are key reservoirs for atmospheric deposition and can become sources of Hg through the melting of terrestrial ice and snow and via soil erosion. In the Canadian Arctic, new data have been collected for snow and ice that provide more information on the net accumulation and storage of Hg in the cryosphere. Concentrations of total Hg (THg) in terrestrial snow are highly variable but on average, relatively low (Porcupine caribou herd vary among years but there has been no significant increase or decrease over the last two decades. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of the amygdala in naturalistic mentalising in typical development and in autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenblau, Gabriela; Kliemann, Dorit; Lemme, Benjamin; Walter, Henrik; Heekeren, Hauke R; Dziobek, Isabel

2016-06-01

The substantial discrepancy between mentalising in experimental settings v. real-life social interactions hinders the understanding of the neural basis of real-life social cognition and of social impairments in psychiatric disorders. To determine the neural mechanisms underlying naturalistic mentalising in individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder. We investigated mentalising with a new video-based functional magnetic resonance imaging task in 20 individuals with autism spectrum disorder and 22 matched healthy controls. Naturalistic mentalising implicated regions of the traditional mentalising network (medial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction), and additionally the insula and amygdala. Moreover, amygdala activity predicted implicit mentalising performance on an independent behavioural task. Compared with controls, the autism spectrum disorder group did not show differences in neural activity within classical mentalising regions. They did, however, show reduced amygdala activity and a reduced correlation between amygdala activity and mentalising accuracy on the behavioural task, compared with controls. These findings highlight the crucial role of the amygdala in making accurate implicit mental state inferences in typical development and in the social cognitive impairments of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Benchmarking participation of Canadian university health sciences librarians in systematic reviews

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Susan A.; Boden, Catherine

2015-01-01

This study describes the current state of Canadian university health sciences librarians' knowledge about, training needs for, and barriers to participating in systematic reviews (SRs). A convenience sample of Canadian librarians was surveyed. Over half of the librarians who had participated in SRs acknowledged participating in a traditional librarian role (e.g., search strategy developer); less than half indicated participating in any one nontraditional librarian role (e.g., data extractor). Lack of time and insufficient training were the most frequently reported barriers to participating in SRs. The findings provide a benchmark for tracking changes in Canadian university health sciences librarians' participation in SRs. PMID:25918485

Tearing the Fabric of Canada: The Broadcast Media and Canadian Identity.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Elaine F.

This paper explores the perceived threat of American cultural "imperialism" in Canada, the effect of constant exposure to American broadcasting on the Canadian national identity, the role broadcasting plays in shaping Canadian identity, and the efforts by the Canadian government to "Canadianize" its broadcasting. A brief…

Criminal Profiling Belief and Use : A Study of Canadian Police Officer Opinion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snook, Brent; Haines, Amanda; Taylor, Paul J.; Bennell, Craig

2007-01-01

Fifty-one Canadian police officers, working in major crime divisions, were interviewed about their experiences with criminal profiling (CP), and their beliefs about its utility and validity. The majority of officers agreed that CP helps solve cases, is a valuable investigative tool, and advances

Guide to Canadian Aerospace Related Industries,

Science.gov (United States)

1983-01-01

Research and Development (US). Digital Radar - Contract with Fundacao Educacional Data Processing de Bauru, Brazil. Satellite/Radar - Contract with Canadian... especially suitable for cartography and thematic mapping. The principal applications to date have been to Vehicle Mobility mapping for the Canadian Forces...This latter capability is especially applied to the repair and rebuilding of sawmill and pulpmill machinery, and mining equipment. Ebco is

The effects of HIV disease and older age on laboratory-based, naturalistic, and self-perceived symptoms of prospective memory: does retrieval cue type and delay interval matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Avci, G; Loft, S; Sheppard, D P; Woods, S P

2016-11-01

There is a rising prevalence of older HIV+ adults who are at risk of deficits in higher order neurocognitive functions and associated problems in everyday functioning. The current study applied multiprocess theory to examine the effects of HIV and aging on measures of laboratory-based, naturalistic, and self-perceived symptoms of prospective memory (PM). Participants included 125 Younger (48 with HIV, age = 32 ± 4.6 years) and 189 Older (112 with HIV, age = 56 ± 4.9 years) adults. Controlling for global neurocognitive functioning, mood, and other demographics, older age and HIV had independent effects on long-delay time-based PM in the laboratory, whereas on a naturalistic PM task older HIV- adults performed better than older HIV+ adults and younger persons. In line with the naturalistic findings, older age, but not HIV, was associated with a relative sparing of self-perceived PM failures in daily life across longer delay self-cued intervals. Findings suggest that, even in relatively younger aging cohorts, the effects of HIV and older age on PM can vary across PM delay intervals by the strategic demands of the retrieval cue type, are expressed differently in the laboratory and in daily life, and are independent of other higher order neurocognitive functions (e.g., retrospective memory).

Canadian ethane market overview

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stauft, T. [TransCanada Midstream, Calgary, AB (Canada)

1999-07-01

A review of the Canadian petrochemical industry, the supply and demand for ethane, and the longer-term outlook for ethane are presented. Recent projections of natural gas production by the National Energy Board are examined, along with the impact on ethane supply and demand by Alliance. It is suggested that reduced gas will flow past Cochrane and Empress, Alberta ethane and gas prices will increase relative to US Gulf Coast prices, and since expansion is based on ethane demand, the combined influence of these factors will be to delay the construction of new extraction capacity. Present capacity is considered sufficient to produce ethane for the current round of petrochemical plant expansions. Excess supplies will exist for the next few years, and Alberta ethane prices are likely to strengthen due to the tight supply/demand balance. The combination of the impact of the Alliance Pipeline project and the ultimate potential of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin are the major uncertainties. On the plus side, both the US and Canadian regulatory agencies appear to be moving away from regulating ethane, and towards allowing a competitive market to develop.

Canadian ethane market overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stauft, T.

1999-01-01

A review of the Canadian petrochemical industry, the supply and demand for ethane, and the longer-term outlook for ethane are presented. Recent projections of natural gas production by the National Energy Board are examined, along with the impact on ethane supply and demand by Alliance. It is suggested that reduced gas will flow past Cochrane and Empress, Alberta ethane and gas prices will increase relative to US Gulf Coast prices, and since expansion is based on ethane demand, the combined influence of these factors will be to delay the construction of new extraction capacity. Present capacity is considered sufficient to produce ethane for the current round of petrochemical plant expansions. Excess supplies will exist for the next few years, and Alberta ethane prices are likely to strengthen due to the tight supply/demand balance. The combination of the impact of the Alliance Pipeline project and the ultimate potential of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin are the major uncertainties. On the plus side, both the US and Canadian regulatory agencies appear to be moving away from regulating ethane, and towards allowing a competitive market to develop

Literature on the periphery of capitalism: Brazilian theory, Canadian culture Literature on the periphery of capitalism: Brazilian theory, Canadian culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imre Szeman

2008-04-01

Full Text Available In order to get past the blind spots that have developed in contemporary postcolonial theory, it is essential to seek out complementarities and solidarities in different national situations and in different modernities. This essay undertakes this task by exploring the homologous situations faced in Brazil and Canada in their respective attempts to create genuine national cultures. As in many postcolonial situations, the problem of creating an authentic culture is directly related to the sense that postcolonial culture is necessarily imitative and belated. In Misplaced Ideas, Roberto Schwarz exposes the hidden class character of the problem of cultural authenticity in Brazil, and in so doing, shows that the trauma of national-cultural identity merely reflects the contradictory structural position of Brazil’s postcolonial elite. Using Schwarz’s insights to explore the Canadian situation, the author shows that the same forces are at work in Canada. Though the crisis of a lack of an authentic Canadian culture has recently been surmounted as a result of the apparent international success of Canadian culture (especially literary fiction, that author cautions that this “success” story hides the class basis of Canadian culture in both its belated and isochronic phases (the latter being the moment when cultural belatedness is overcome. Making use of Brazilian theory to examine problems in Canadian culture allows us to see that Canadian modernity, long thought to be simply a derivative of the UK and USA, has similarities with Brazilian modernity that are essential to understanding the space and place Canada occupies in globalization. In order to get past the blind spots that have developed in contemporary postcolonial theory, it is essential to seek out complementarities and solidarities in different national situations and in different modernities. This essay undertakes this task by exploring the homologous situations faced in Brazil

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

Science.gov (United States)

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…

Responsible Canadian energy progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-07-01

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) represents oil and gas companies throughout Canada; its members produce over 90% of Canada's natural gas and crude oil output. The aim of the Association is to improve the economics of the Canadian upstream petroleum sector in an environmentally and socially responsible way. The aim of this Responsible Canadian Energy report is to present the performance data of CAPP's members for the year 2009. Data, trends, and performance analyses are provided throughout the document. This analysis makes it possible to determine where progress has been made and where performance improvement is necessary. It also presents success stories and best practices so that other companies can learn from them how to improve their own performance. This paper provides useful information on the performance of the upstream petroleum industry in Canada and highlights where the focus should be for further improvement in its performance.

Management of Hepatitis B: A Longitudinal National Survey – Impact of the Canadian Hepatitis B Consensus Guidelines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Marotta

2010-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver, and The Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Canada, jointly developed the Canadian Chronic Hepatitis B (HBV Consensus Guidelines to assist practitioners involved in the management of this complex disease. These guidelines were published in The Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology in June 2007 and distributed to all Canadian gastroenterologists and hepatologists.

The Sea Stacks Project: Enhancing the Use of Regional Literature in Atlantic Canadian Schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vivian Howard

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Research over the past two decades has amply demonstrated the importance of literature to the formation of both regional and national cultural identity, particularly in the face of mass market globalization of children’s book publishing in the 21st century as well as the predominance of non-Canadian content from television, movies, books, magazines and internet media. However, Canadian children appear to have only very limited exposure to Canadian authors and illustrators. In Atlantic Canada, regional Atlantic Canadian authors and illustrators for children receive very limited critical attention, and resources for the study and teaching of Atlantic Canadian children’s literature are few. Print and digital information sources on regional children’s books, publishing, authors and illustrators are scattered and inconsistent in quality and currency. This research project directly addresses these key concerns by summarizing the findings of a survey of Atlantic Canadian teachers on their use of regional books. In response to survey findings, the paper concludes by describing the creation of the Sea Stacks Project an authoritative web-delivered information resource devoted to contemporary Atlantic Canadian literature for children and teens.

2003 Canadian Asthma Consensus Guidelines Executive Summary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Becker Allan

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma have been published over the last 15 years; however, there has been little focus on issues relating to asthma in childhood. Since the last revision of the 1999 Canadian Asthma Consensus Report, important new studies, particularly in children, have highlighted the need to incorporate new information into the asthma guidelines. The objectives of this article are to review the literature on asthma published between January 2000 and June 2003 and to evaluate the influence of new evidence on the recommendations made in the 1999 Canadian Asthma Consensus Report and its 2001 update, with a major focus on pediatric issues. Methods The diagnosis of asthma in young children and prevention strategies, pharmacotherapy, inhalation devices, immunotherapy, and asthma education were selected for review by small expert resource groups. The reviews were discussed in June 2003 at a meeting under the auspices of the Canadian Network For Asthma Care and the Canadian Thoracic Society. Data published through December 2004 were subsequently reviewed by the individual expert resource groups. Results This report evaluates early-life prevention strategies and focuses on treatment of asthma in children, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and preventive therapy, the benefits of additional therapy, and the essential role of asthma education. Conclusion We generally support previous recommendations and focus on new issues, particularly those relevant to children and their families. This document is a guide for asthma management based on the best available published data and the opinion of health care professionals, including asthma experts and educators.

Characteristics of martial art injuries in a defined Canadian population: a descriptive epidemiological study.

Science.gov (United States)

McPherson, Mark; Pickett, William

2010-12-30

The martial arts have emerged as common activities in the Canadian population, yet few studies have investigated the occurrence of associated injuries on a population basis. We performed such an investigation and suggest potential opportunities for prevention. The data source was 14 years (1993 to 2006) of records from the Kingston sites of the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP). 920 cases were identified. Incidence rates were initially estimated using census data as denominators. We then imputed annual injury rates per 10000 using a range of published estimates of martial arts participation available from a national survey. Rates of injury in males and females were 2300 and 1033 per 10000 (0.3% participation) and 575 and 258 per 10000 (1.2% participation). Injuries were most frequently reported in karate (33%) and taekwondo (14%). The most common mechanisms of injury were falls, throws and jumps (33%). Fractures (20%) were the most frequently reported type of injury and the lower limb was the most common site of injury (41%). Results provide a foundation for potential interventions with a focus on falls, the use of weapons, participation in tournaments, as well as head and neck trauma.

Linkage of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging to provincial administrative health care databases in Nova Scotia.

Science.gov (United States)

Yip, A M; Kephart, G; Rockwood, K

2001-01-01

The Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA) was a cohort study that included 528 Nova Scotian community-dwelling participants. Linkage of CSHA and provincial Medical Services Insurance (MSI) data enabled examination of health care utilization in this subsample. This article discusses methodological and ethical issues of database linkage and explores variation in the use of health services by demographic variables and health status. Utilization over 24 months following baseline was extracted from MSI's physician claims, hospital discharge abstracts, and Pharmacare claims databases. Twenty-nine subjects refused consent for access to their MSI file; health card numbers for three others could not be retrieved. A significant difference in healthcare use by age and self-rated health was revealed. Linkage of population-based data with provincial administrative health care databases has the potential to guide health care planning and resource allocation. This process must include steps to ensure protection of confidentiality. Standard practices for linkage consent and routine follow-up should be adopted. The Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA) began in 1991-92 to explore dementia, frailty, and adverse health outcomes (Canadian Study of Health and Aging Working Group, 1994). The original CSHA proposal included linkage to provincial administrative health care databases by the individual CSHA study centers to enhance information on health care utilization and outcomes of study participants. In Nova Scotia, the Medical Services Insurance (MSI) administration, which drew the sampling frame for the original CSHA, did not retain the list of corresponding health card numbers. Furthermore, consent for this access was not asked of participants at the time of the first interview. The objectives of this study reported here were to examine the feasibility and ethical considerations of linking data from the CSHA to MSI utilization data, and to explore variation in health

Omega-3 Index of Canadian adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Langlois, Kellie; Ratnayake, Walisundera M N

2015-11-01

Cardioprotective properties have been associated with two fatty acids-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The Omega-3 Index indicates the percentage of EPA+DHA in red blood cell fatty acids. Omega-3 Index levels of the Canadian population have not been directly measured. Data for respondents aged 20 to 79 from cycle 3 (2012/2013) of the Canadian Health Measures Survey were used to calculate means and the prevalence of Omega-3 Index coronary heart disease (CHD) risk cut-offs-high (4% or less), moderate (more than 4% to less than 8%), and low (8% or more)-by sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, including fish consumption and use of omega-3 supplements. Associations between the Omega-3 Index and CHD-related factors including biomarkers, risk factors, and previous CHD events, were examined in multivariate regression models. The mean Omega-3 Index level of Canadians aged 20 to 79 was 4.5%. Levels were higher for women, older adults, Asians and other non-white Canadians, omega-3 supplement users, and fish consumers; levels were lower for smokers and people who were obese. Fewer than 3% of adults had levels associated with low CHD risk; 43% had levels associated with high risk. No CHD-related factor was associated with the Omega-3 Index when control variables were taken into account. Omega-3 Index levels among Canadian adults were strongly related to age, race, supplement use, fish consumption, smoking status and obesity. Fewer than 3% of adults had Omega-3 Index levels associated with low risk for CHD.

From naturalistic neuroscience to modeling radical embodiment with narrative enactive systems

Science.gov (United States)

Tikka, Pia; Kaipainen, Mauri Ylermi

2014-01-01

Mainstream cognitive neuroscience has begun to accept the idea of embodied mind, which assumes that the human mind is fundamentally constituted by the dynamical interactions of the brain, body, and the environment. In today’s paradigm of naturalistic neurosciences, subjects are exposed to rich contexts, such as video sequences or entire films, under relatively controlled conditions, against which researchers can interpret changes in neural responses within a time window. However, from the point of view of radical embodied cognitive neuroscience, the increasing complexity alone will not suffice as the explanatory apparatus for dynamical embodiment and situatedness of the mind. We suggest that narrative enactive systems with dynamically adaptive content as stimuli, may serve better to account for the embodied mind engaged with the surrounding world. Among the ensuing challenges for neuroimaging studies is how to interpret brain data against broad temporal contexts of previous experiences that condition the unfolding experience of nowness. We propose means to tackle this issue, as well as ways to limit the exponentially growing combinatoria of narrative paths to a controllable number. PMID:25339890

From naturalistic neuroscience to modeling radical embodiment with narrative enactive systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Tikka, Pia; Kaipainen, Mauri Ylermi

2014-01-01

Mainstream cognitive neuroscience has begun to accept the idea of embodied mind, which assumes that the human mind is fundamentally constituted by the dynamical interactions of the brain, body, and the environment. In today's paradigm of naturalistic neurosciences, subjects are exposed to rich contexts, such as video sequences or entire films, under relatively controlled conditions, against which researchers can interpret changes in neural responses within a time window. However, from the point of view of radical embodied cognitive neuroscience, the increasing complexity alone will not suffice as the explanatory apparatus for dynamical embodiment and situatedness of the mind. We suggest that narrative enactive systems with dynamically adaptive content as stimuli, may serve better to account for the embodied mind engaged with the surrounding world. Among the ensuing challenges for neuroimaging studies is how to interpret brain data against broad temporal contexts of previous experiences that condition the unfolding experience of nowness. We propose means to tackle this issue, as well as ways to limit the exponentially growing combinatoria of narrative paths to a controllable number.

Ten-year prospective follow-up study of the naturalistic course of dysthymic disorder and double depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Daniel N; Shankman, Stewart A; Rose, Suzanne

2006-05-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the 10-year course and outcome of dysthymic disorder. The authors conducted a naturalistic, prospective, longitudinal follow-up of 97 adults with early-onset dysthymic disorder and 45 adults with nonchronic major depressive disorder selected from consecutive admissions to several outpatient facilities. Follow-up data were obtained for 90% of the cohort. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 30, 60, 90, and 120 months. Measures included the Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. The Kaplan-Meier estimated recovery rate from dysthymic disorder was 73.9%, with a median time to recovery of 52 months. Among patients who recovered, the estimated risk of relapse into another period of chronic depression was 71.4%. Chronic depressive relapses took a variety of forms and were not limited to dysthymia. Nonetheless, the distinction between chronic and nonchronic forms of depression was relatively stable over the follow-up period. Mixed-effects models indicated that patients with dysthymic disorder experienced a significantly slower rate of improvement in symptoms over time and exhibited significantly greater depression at the 10-year point, compared to patients with nonchronic major depression. Dysthymic disorder has a protracted course and is associated with a high risk of relapse. The nature of chronic depressive episodes varies over time within individuals, indicating that the various manifestations of chronic depression in DSM-IV do not represent distinct disorders. However, the distinction between chronic and nonchronic forms of depression is relatively stable and may provide a useful basis for subtyping in genetic and neurobiological research.

48 CFR 249.7000 - Terminated contracts with Canadian Commercial Corporation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Canadian Commercial Corporation. 249.7000 Section 249.7000 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE... Termination Requirements 249.7000 Terminated contracts with Canadian Commercial Corporation. (a) Terminate contracts with the Canadian Commercial Corporation in accordance with— (1) The Letter of Agreement (LOA...

Canadians assess the future of uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Law, C.

1980-01-01

Some of the views expressed at a seminar held at Calgary on uranium marketing indicate the issues presently concerning Canadian uranium producers. There was apprehension that price rises might result from selling of the strategic stockpile by the Government. Long term growth prospects and the need for continuous exploration were discussed. Criticisms were also expressed of the Canadian safequard system and its tight export regulations. (U.K.)

Exploring the Psychological Contract of the Canadian Forces

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Nordick, Glenn

1999-01-01

... between the members of the Canadian Forces, the military leadership, and the Government of Canada. This paper uses the theory of psychological contracting to explore the culture of the Canadian Forces (CF...

AUCC-IDRC Partnership Grant 2013-2016: Canadian University ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

AUCC-IDRC Partnership Grant 2013-2016: Canadian University Student Mobility in North-South Partnerships ... This project will identify promising practices in Canadian universities' student ... Using digital tech to improve life for refugees.

NAFTA Renegotiations: An opportunity for Canadian Dairy?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugene Beaulieu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available What are the implications of a renegotiated NAFTA for Canadian dairy producers? Many observers dread the prospect of even the slightest liberalization in the dairy sector. This paper takes a different perspective, arguing that opening Canada’s dairy sector would come with benefits not just for consumers, which is undeniable, but could also transform the industry and lead to a more productive dairy sector in Canada. Canadian dairy producers have been protected domestically through supply management and internationally through import-restricting border controls for over 40 years. This combination of domestic and foreign policies keeps Canadian dairy prices artificially high and allows producers to gain enormously from the system while hitting dairy consumers directly in the pocketbook. These policies are extremely costly for Canadian consumers and benefit the protected domestic dairy producers. Canadian international trade policies result in 200-percent tariffs on imports of many dairy products and almost 300-percent tariffs on over-quota imports of cheese. The OECD estimates that from 2010 to 2016, Canadian trade policy with respect to dairy and the “supply management system” annually transfers over US$2.9 billion from Canadian consumers and taxpayers to milk producers. This is extremely expensive for Canadian consumers and this transfer to Canadian dairy producers underscores why our trade partners have focused on the exorbitant tariffs that support this system. We argue that it is not only consumers that are hurt by the status quo, but that the industry itself can evolve and thrive from increased competition. According to standard trade theory, liberalizing trade in an industry like this leads the least productive producers to exit the industry as the most-productive producers increase market share and expand. These dynamics generate a more competitive and productive industry. We present evidence that these dynamics played out in Canada

The full moon as a synchronizer of circa-monthly biological rhythms: Chronobiologic perspectives based on multidisciplinary naturalistic research.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinberg, Alain; Smolensky, Michael H; Touitou, Yvan

Biological rhythmicity is presumed to be an advantageous genetic adaptation of fitness and survival value resulting from evolution of life forms in an environment that varies predictably-in-time during the 24 h, month, and year. The 24 h light/dark cycle is the prime synchronizer of circadian periodicities, and its modulation over the course of the year, in terms of daytime photoperiod length, is a prime synchronizer of circannual periodicities. Circadian and circannual rhythms have been the major research focus of most scientists. Circa-monthly rhythms triggered or synchronized by the 29.5 day lunar cycle of nighttime light intensity, or specifically the light of the full moon, although explored in waterborne and certain other species, have received far less study, perhaps because of associations with ancient mythology and/or an attitude naturalistic studies are of lesser merit than ones that entail molecular mechanisms. In this editorial, we cite our recent discovery through multidisciplinary naturalistic investigation of a highly integrated circadian, circa-monthly, and circannual time structure, synchronized by the natural ambient nyctohemeral, lunar, and annual light cycles, of the Peruvian apple cactus (C. peruvianus) flowering and reproductive processes that occur in close temporal coordination with like rhythms of the honey bee as its pollinator. This finding led us to explore the preservation of this integrated biological time structure, synchronized and/or triggered by environmental light cues and cycles, in the reproduction of other species, including Homo sapiens, and how the artificial light environment of today in which humans reside may be negatively affecting human reproduction efficiency.

Coaching Teaching Assistants to Implement Naturalistic Behavioral Teaching Strategies to Enhance Social Communication Skills during Play in the Preschool Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Frantz, Rebecca Jane

2017-01-01

Naturalistic behavioral interventions increase the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of child social communication skills among children with developmental delays (DD). Teaching Assistants (TAs) are ideal interventionists for delivering social communication interventions because of the significant amount of time they spend working…

Effects of neurofeedback on adult patients with psychiatric disorders in a naturalistic setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheon, Eun-Jin; Koo, Bon-Hoon; Seo, Wan-Seok; Lee, Jun-Yeob; Choi, Joong-Hyeon; Song, Shin-Ho

2015-03-01

Few well-controlled studies have considered neurofeedback treatment in adult psychiatric patients. In this regard, the present study investigates the characteristics and effects of neurofeedback on adult psychiatric patients in a naturalistic setting. A total of 77 adult patients with psychiatric disorders participated in this study. Demographic data and neurofeedback states were retrospectively analyzed, and the effects of neurofeedback were evaluated using clinical global impression (CGI) and subjective self-rating scales. Depressive disorders were the most common psychiatric disorders (19; 24.7 %), followed by anxiety disorders (18; 23.4 %). A total of 69 patients (89.6 %) took medicine, and the average frequency of neurofeedback was 17.39 ± 16.64. Neurofeedback was applied to a total of 39 patients (50.6 %) more than 10 times, and 48 patients (62.3 %) received both β/SMR and α/θ training. The discontinuation rate was 33.8 % (26 patients). There was significant difference between pretreatment and posttreatment CGI scores (neurofeedback as an effective complimentary treatment for adult patients with psychiatric disorders.

Canadian fusion program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, T.S.

1982-06-01

The National Research Council of Canada is establishing a coordinated national program of fusion research and development that is planned to grow to a total annual operating level of about $20 million in 1985. The long-term objective of the program is to put Canadian industry in a position to manufacture sub-systems and components of fusion power reactors. In the near term the program is designed to establish a minimum base of scientific and technical expertise sufficient to make recognized contributions and thereby gain access to the international effort. The Canadian program must be narrowly focussed on a few specializations where Canada has special indigenous skills or technologies. The programs being funded are the Tokamak de Varennes, the Fusion Fuels Technology Project centered on tritium management, and high-power gas laser technology and associated diagnostic instrumentation

The Canadian Safeguards Support Program - A future outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keeffe, R.; Truong, Q.S. Bob

2001-01-01

Full text: The Canadian Safeguards Support Program (CSSP) is one of the first safeguards support programs with an overall objective to assist the IAEA by providing technical assistance and other resources and by developing equipment to improve the effectiveness of international safeguards. This paper provides a brief discussion of the evolution of the CSSP, from the beginning when the program was under joint management between the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), a Canadian crown corporation, until recent years when the AECB became responsible for all projects and financial management. Recently, new legislation came into force and the AECB became the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). However, the mandate and management of the CSSP under the CNSC remain fundamentally unchanged. Major CSSP activities are devoted to the following areas: (a) Human resource assistance through the provision of cost-free experts (CFEs) to the IAEA; (b) Training of IAEA inspectors and facility operators, development of training resources and integrated approaches for training; (c) System studies, e.g. the development of integrated safeguards approach for CANDU reactors, geological repository, and physical model; (d) Equipment development, e.g. the VXI Integrated Fuel Monitor, Digital Cerenkov Viewing Device, seals, remote monitoring, encryption and authentication; (e) Information technology which includes satellite imagery, Geographical Information System (GIS), and position tracking of spent fuel containers. The CSSP has continued to evolve during the past 25 years. Although formerly larger the CSSP budget has settled to a stable level of just slightly above (Canadian) $2M. Leveraging of the CSSP budget through collaborations with several Member State Support Programs and Canadian government departments has provided mutual benefits for all parties involved and useful results that have been put into practical use by the IAEA. (author)

Quality in Family Child Care: A Focus Group Study with Canadian Providers

Science.gov (United States)

Doherty, Gillian

2015-01-01

A substantial proportion of American, Canadian and English preschoolers regularly participate in family child care making its quality of vital importance for the children concerned, their parents, the school system and the society in which they live. This article discusses the seven key caregiver behaviors and physical space characteristics…

The Canadian petroleum industry: An activity study. 1987 Annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

This report provides financial aspects of activity in the Canadian petroleum and natural gas industry. Data are given in graphic and tabular form on revenues, sources and destinations of funds (including financing, incentives, dividend payments, capital and operational expenditures); on comparisons with other industries; on how revenues are shared between the industry and various levels of government; and on principal trends observed. Data are broken down by various industry sectors where applicable. 10 figs., 15 tabs

Using Mobile Technology to Enhance Undergraduate Student Digital Information Literacy Skills: A Canadian Case Study

OpenAIRE

Alice Schmidt Hanbidge; Nicole Sanderson; Tony Tin

2015-01-01

Learning essential information literacy skills through the use of mobile phones is an innovative mlearning pilot project that was collaboratively undertaken in a Canadian university college over the course of two academic terms by faculty and the library staff. The research pilot project involved ninety one undergraduate students in five different classes majoring in psychology, social work, education or social development studies in an attempt to determine the effectiveness of us...

Cost of allogeneic and autologous blood transfusion in Canada. Canadian Cost of Transfusion Study Group.

OpenAIRE

Tretiak, R; Laupacis, A; Rivière, M; McKerracher, K; Souêtre, E

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cost, from a societal perspective, of blood transfusion in Canada. STUDY DESIGN: Cost-structure analysis. SETTING: Data were collected from eight hospitals and from six blood centres operated by the Canadian Red Cross Society in four provinces. OUTCOME MEASURES: Costs associated with four stages of transfusion-- collection, production, distribution and delivery--in 1933 were assessed. Costs were divided into the following categories; personnel, purchases, external ...

Canadian tax policy and renewable energy : are the benefits illusory : a comparison of Canadian and US approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chant, A.

2008-01-01

Tax policies for targeted activities such as wind energy need to be efficient and effective in promoting activities that may not otherwise take place. An efficient tax policy will not have unintended consequences that may lead to tax leakage or benefits outside the targeted activity, and will be consistent with other incentives promoting the target activity. This presentation discussed Canadian tax policies related to wind power and then compared them to tax policies in the United States directed at promoting wind energy development. Benefits and subsidies available to Canadian wind energy producers include the ecoEnergy program, the Canadian Renewable and Conservation Expense (CRCE) program; and Class 43.2 directed at high efficiency and renewable energy generation equipment. The Canadian valuation methodology considers capacity factors; capital costs; leverage; interest rates; corporate tax rates; and required equity. While the ecoEnergy program is valuable as it removes the tax risk for the recipient, the CRCE may be more valuable as it does not expire and is not subject to limitations on amounts deductible. Class 43.2 is valuable but constrained by the limitations of a project's income. The United States has a production tax credit (PTC) for wind developers based on a tax credit of $15 per MWh subject to adjustment, and is available for a 10-year period, is transferable to taxable investors, and has a current value of $20. It was concluded that while Canadian subsidies are the equivalent of $7.15, US subsidies are the equivalent of $17. tabs., figs

Development of the Canadian Marginalization Index: a new tool for the study of inequality.

Science.gov (United States)

Matheson, Flora I; Dunn, James R; Smith, Katherine L W; Moineddin, Rahim; Glazier, Richard H

2012-04-30

Area-based measures of socio-economic status are increasingly used in population health research. Based on previous research and theory, the Canadian Marginalization Index (CAN-Marg) was created to reflect four dimensions of marginalization: residential instability, material deprivation, dependency and ethnic concentration. The objective of this paper was threefold: to describe CAN-Marg; to illustrate its stability across geographic area and time; and to describe its association with health and behavioural problems. CAN-Marg was created at the dissemination area (DA) and census tract level for census years 2001 and 2006, using factor analysis. Descriptions of 18 health and behavioural problems were selected using individual-level data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 3.1 and 2007/08. CAN-Marg quintiles created at the DA level (2006) were assigned to individual CCHS records. Multilevel logistic regression modeling was conducted to examine associations between marginalization and CCHS health and behavioural problems. The index demonstrated marked stability across time and geographic area. Each of the four dimensions showed strong and significant associations with the selected health and behavioural problems, and these associations differed depending on which of the dimensions of marginalization was examined. CAN-Marg is a census-based, empirically derived and theoretically informed tool designed to reflect a broader conceptualization of Canadian marginalization.

The importance of nature to Canadians: survey highlights

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

DuWors, E

1999-01-01

.... The 1996 Survey on the Importance of Nature to Canadians (the Nature Survey) also tells us that Canadians commit large amounts of their leisure time to activities that depend on natural areas and wildlife...

Naturalistic distraction and driving safety in older drivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Aksan, Nazan; Dawson, Jeffrey D; Emerson, Jamie L; Yu, Lixi; Uc, Ergun Y; Anderson, Steven W; Rizzo, Matthew

2013-08-01

In this study, we aimed to quantify and compare performance of middle-aged and older drivers during a naturalistic distraction paradigm (visual search for roadside targets) and to predict older drivers performance given functioning in visual, motor, and cognitive domains. Distracted driving can imperil healthy adults and may disproportionally affect the safety of older drivers with visual, motor, and cognitive decline. A total of 203 drivers, 120 healthy older (61 men and 59 women, ages 65 years and older) and 83 middle-aged drivers (38 men and 45 women, ages 40 to 64 years), participated in an on-road test in an instrumented vehicle. Outcome measures included performance in roadside target identification (traffic signs and restaurants) and concurrent driver safety. Differences in visual, motor, and cognitive functioning served as predictors. Older drivers identified fewer landmarks and drove slower but committed more safety errors than did middle-aged drivers. Greater familiarity with local roads benefited performance of middle-aged but not older drivers.Visual cognition predicted both traffic sign identification and safety errors, and executive function predicted traffic sign identification over and above vision. Older adults are susceptible to driving safety errors while distracted by common secondary visual search tasks that are inherent to driving. The findings underscore that age-related cognitive decline affects older drivers' management of driving tasks at multiple levels and can help inform the design of on-road tests and interventions for older drivers.

Added value of 18F-florbetaben amyloid PET in the diagnostic workup of most complex patients with dementia in France: A naturalistic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ceccaldi, Mathieu; Jonveaux, Thérèse; Verger, Antoine; Krolak-Salmon, Pierre; Houzard, Claire; Godefroy, Olivier; Shields, Trevor; Perrotin, Audrey; Gismondi, Rossella; Bullich, Santiago; Jovalekic, Aleksandar; Raffa, Nicola; Pasquier, Florence; Semah, Franck; Dubois, Bruno; Habert, Marie-Odile; Wallon, David; Chastan, Mathieu; Payoux, Pierre; Stephens, Andrew; Guedj, Eric

2018-03-01

Although some studies have previously addressed the clinical impact of amyloid positron emission tomography (PET), none has specifically addressed its selective and hierarchical implementation in relation to cerebrospinal fluid analysis in a naturalistic setting. This multicenter study was performed at French tertiary memory clinics in patients presenting with most complex clinical situations (i.e., early-onset, atypical clinical profiles, suspected mixed etiological conditions, unexpected rate of progression), for whom cerebrospinal fluid analysis was indicated but either not feasible or considered as noncontributory (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02681172). Two hundred five patients were enrolled with evaluable florbetaben PET scans; 64.4% of scans were amyloid positive. PET results led to changed diagnosis and improved confidence in 66.8% and 81.5% of patients, respectively, and altered management in 80.0% of cases. High-level improvement of diagnostic certainty and management is provided by selective and hierarchical implementation of florbetaben PET into current standard practices for the most complex dementia cases. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Results of the 2014–2015 Canadian Society of Nephrology Workforce Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David R. Ward

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Nephrology was previously identified as a subspecialty with few Canadian employment opportunities, and in recent years, fewer trainees are choosing nephrology. Objective: The objective of this study is to better understand the current Canadian adult nephrology workforce and the expected workforce trends over the next 5 years. Design: This is an online self-administered survey. Setting: This study is set in Canada. Survey participants: Survey participants are Canadian adult nephrologists, including self-identified division heads. Measurements: The measurements of this study are demographics, training, current practice characteristics, work hours, and projected workforce needs. Methods: Survey questions were based on previous workforce surveys. Ethics approval was obtained through the University of Saskatchewan. The survey was piloted in both English and French and modified based on the feedback to ensure that responses accurately reflected the information desired. It was circulated to all identified Canadian nephrologists via an anonymous e-mail link for self-administration. Categorical data was aggregated, and free-text answers were thematically analyzed. Additional descriptive analysis was conducted by all authors. Results: Five hundred ninety-two Canadian nephrologists were contacted and 48 % responded, with representation from all Canadian provinces. One third of the respondents were female, and the largest age cohort was 41–50 years. Most nephrologists are trained in Canada and 61 % completed additional training. The majority of the respondents (69.1 % began working as a nephrologist immediately upon completion of fellowship training. Younger nephrologists reported more challenges in finding a job. Eighty percent of responding nephrologists were satisfied with their current work hours, 13.1 % will reduce work hours within 3 years, an additional 8.2 % will reduce work hours within 5 years, and a further 14.2 % will reduce work

Computer Language Settings and Canadian Spellings

Science.gov (United States)

Shuttleworth, Roger

2011-01-01

The language settings used on personal computers interact with the spell-checker in Microsoft Word, which directly affects the flagging of spellings that are deemed incorrect. This study examined the language settings of personal computers owned by a group of Canadian university students. Of 21 computers examined, only eight had their Windows…

Beyond Infrastructure: Canadian and European Identities in Cyberspace

OpenAIRE

d’Haenens, Leen

2017-01-01

The Canadian discourse is neither the American way nor the European way, but an oppositional culture trapped midway between economy and history. This is to say that the Canadian mind is that of the in-between: a restless oscillation between the pragmatic will to live at all costs of the Americans and a searing lament for that which has been suppressed by the modem, technical order. The essence of the Canadian intellectual condition is this: it is our fate by virtue of historical circumstance ...

A national study of the provision of oncology sperm banking services among Canadian fertility clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Yee, S; Buckett, W; Campbell, S; Yanofsky, R A; Barr, R D

2013-07-01

The purpose of this study was to survey the current state of oncology sperm banking services provided by fertility clinics across Canada. A total of 78 Canadian fertility facilities were invited to complete a questionnaire related to the availability, accessibility, affordability and utilisation of sperm banking services for cancer patients. The total response rate was 59%, with 20 (69%) in vitro fertilisation clinics and 26 (53%) other fertility centres returning the survey. A total of 24 responding facilities accepted oncology sperm banking referrals. The time frame to book the first banking appointment for 19 (79%) facilities was within 2 days. Inconsistent practice was found regarding the consent process for cancer patients who are of minority age. Eight (33%) facilities did not provide any subsidy and charged a standard banking fee regardless of patients' financial situations. Overall, the utilisation of oncology sperm banking services was low despite its availability and established efficacy, suggesting that Canadian cancer patients are notably underserved. The study has highlighted some important issues for further consideration in improving access to sperm banking services for cancer patients, especially for adolescents. Better collaboration between oncology and reproductive medicine to target healthcare providers would help to improve sperm banking rates. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The other-race effect in face learning: Using naturalistic images to investigate face ethnicity effects in a learning paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayward, William G; Favelle, Simone K; Oxner, Matt; Chu, Ming Hon; Lam, Sze Man

2017-05-01

The other-race effect in face identification has been reported in many situations and by many different ethnicities, yet it remains poorly understood. One reason for this lack of clarity may be a limitation in the methodologies that have been used to test it. Experiments typically use an old-new recognition task to demonstrate the existence of the other-race effect, but such tasks are susceptible to different social and perceptual influences, particularly in terms of the extent to which all faces are equally individuated at study. In this paper we report an experiment in which we used a face learning methodology to measure the other-race effect. We obtained naturalistic photographs of Chinese and Caucasian individuals, which allowed us to test the ability of participants to generalize their learning to new ecologically valid exemplars of a face identity. We show a strong own-race advantage in face learning, such that participants required many fewer trials to learn names of own-race individuals than those of other-race individuals and were better able to identify learned own-race individuals in novel naturalistic stimuli. Since our methodology requires individuation of all faces, and generalization over large image changes, our finding of an other-race effect can be attributed to a specific deficit in the sensitivity of perceptual and memory processes to other-race faces.

Burnout among Canadian Psychiatry Residents: A National Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Halli, Priyanka; Ogrodniczuk, John S.; Hadjipavlou, George

2016-01-01

Objective: Burnout is a serious problem for health care providers that has implications for clinical practice and personal health. While burnout is known to affect residents, no studies have examined the prevalence or impact of burnout among Canadian psychiatry residents. Method: Residents in all Canadian psychiatry training programs were surveyed between May 1, 2014, and July 1, 2014. The survey included a well-validated, single-item measure to assess symptoms of burnout, several demographic questions, and Likert-scale items to assess residents’ appraisals of empathic functioning and strategies for coping with stress from patient encounters. Results: Responses were obtained from 400 residents, for a response rate of 48%. Twenty-one percent (N = 84) of residents reported symptoms of burnout. Burnout was reported more frequently by residents in postgraduate year 2 than by those in other years and was associated with engagement in personal psychotherapy during residency. No association was found between burnout and age, gender, or location of residency program. Residents who endorsed symptoms of burnout reported higher levels of compromised empathic functioning, were less likely to consult with supervisors about stressful clinical experiences, and were more likely to engage in unhealthy coping strategies. Conclusions: Symptoms of burnout affect one-fifth of Canadian psychiatry residents. The associations between burnout symptoms and problematic clinical and personal functioning suggest areas of concern for those involved in the training of Canadian psychiatry residents. PMID:27310237

Dictionaries of Canadian English

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Considine

2011-10-01

Full Text Available

Abstract: The lexicographical record of English in Canada began with wordlists of the late eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. From the beginning of the twentieth century onwards, the general vocabulary of English in Canada has been represented in bilingual and monolingual dictionaries, often adapted from American or British dictionaries. In the 1950s, several important projects were initiated, resulting in the publication of general dictionaries of English in Canada, and of dictionaries of Canadianisms and of the vocabulary of particular regions of Can-ada. This article gives an overview of these dictionaries and of their reception, contextualizing them in the larger picture of the lexicography of Canada's other official language, French, and of a number of its non-official languages. It concludes by looking at the future of English-language lexicography in Canada, and by observing that although it has, at its best, reached a high degree of sophistication, there are still major opportunities waiting to be taken.

Keywords: DICTIONARY, LEXICOGRAPHY, CANADIAN ENGLISH, CANADIANISMS, NATIONAL DICTIONARIES, CANADIAN FRENCH, CANADIAN FIRST NATIONS LAN-GUAGES, BILINGUAL DICTIONARIES, REGIONAL DICTIONARIES, UNFINISHED DICTIONARY PROJECTS

Opsomming: Woordeboeke van Kanadese Engels. Die leksikografiese optekening van Engels in Kanada begin met woordelyste van die laat agtiende, neëntiende en vroeë twintigste eeue. Van die begin van die twintigste eeu af en verder, is die algemene woordeskat van Engels weergegee in tweetalige en eentalige woordeboeke, dikwels met wysiginge ontleen aan Ameri-kaanse en Britse woordeboeke. In die 1950's is verskeie belangrike projekte onderneem wat gelei het tot die publikasie van algemene woordeboeke van Engels in Kanada, en van woordeboeke van Kanadeïsmes en van die woordeskat van bepaalde streke van Kanada. Hierdie artikel gee 'n oorsig van dié woordeboeke, en van hul ontvangs, deur

A Road Map to Canadian Chemical Recovery Handbook for Inhabited Areas: Scoping Study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-05-01

A Road Map to Canadian Chemical Recovery Handbook for I © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National...Australia (EMA) Office of Attorney General, Canberra. b) Australian Emergency Management Institute Mount Macedon, Victoria

Naturalistically observed conflict and youth asthma symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tobin, Erin T; Kane, Heidi S; Saleh, Daniel J; Naar-King, Sylvie; Poowuttikul, Pavadee; Secord, Elizabeth; Pierantoni, Wayne; Simon, Valerie A; Slatcher, Richard B

2015-06-01

To investigate the links between naturalistically observed conflict, self-reported caregiver-youth conflict, and youth asthma symptoms. Fifty-four youth with asthma (age range: 10-17 years) wore the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) for a 4-day period to assess interpersonal conflict and caregiver-youth conflict as they occur in daily life. Conflict also was assessed with baseline self-report questionnaires and daily diaries completed by youth participants and their caregivers. Asthma symptoms were assessed using daily diaries, baseline self-reports, and wheezing, as coded from the EAR. EAR-observed measures of conflict were strongly associated with self-reported asthma symptoms (both baseline and daily diaries) and wheezing coded from the EAR. Further, when entered together in regression analyses, youth daily reports of negative caregiver-youth interactions and EAR-observed conflict uniquely predicted asthma symptoms; only EAR-observed conflict was associated with EAR-observed wheezing. These findings demonstrate the potential impact of daily conflict on youth asthma symptoms and the importance of assessing conflict as it occurs in everyday life. More broadly, they point to the importance of formulating a clear picture of family interactions outside of the lab, which is essential for understanding how family relationships "get under the skin" to affect youth health. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Naturalistically-Observed Conflict and Youth Asthma Symptoms

Science.gov (United States)

Tobin, Erin T.; Kane, Heidi S.; Saleh, Daniel J.; Naar-King, Sylvie; Poowuttikul, Pavadee; Secord, Elizabeth; Pierantoni, Wayne; Simon, Valerie; Slatcher, Richard B.

2014-01-01

Objective To investigate the links between naturalistically-observed conflict, self-reported caregiver-youth conflict, and youth asthma symptoms. Method Fifty-four youth with asthma (aged 10-17) wore the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) for a 4-day period to assess interpersonal conflict and caregiver-youth conflict as they occur in daily life. Conflict also was assessed with baseline self-report questionnaires and daily diaries completed by the youth participants and their caregiver. Asthma symptoms were assessed via daily diaries and baseline self-reports and wheezing as coded from the EAR. Results EAR-observed measures of conflict were strongly associated with self-reported asthma symptoms (both baseline and daily diaries) and wheezing coded from the EAR. Further, when entered together in regression analyses, youth daily reports of negative caregiver-youth interactions and EAR-observed conflict uniquely predicted asthma symptoms; only EAR-observed conflict was associated with EAR-observed wheezing. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the potential impact of daily conflict on youth asthma symptoms and the importance of assessing conflict as it occurs in everyday life. More broadly, they point to the importance of formulating a clear picture of family interactions outside of the lab, which is essential for understanding how family relationships “get under the skin” to affect youth health. PMID:25222090

Strategies for the Canadian Smallsat Program

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Fitts’ Law in the Control of Isometric Grip Force With Naturalistic Targets

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Zachary C. Thumser

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Fitts’ law models the relationship between amplitude, precision, and speed of rapid movements. It is widely used to quantify performance in pointing tasks, study human-computer interaction, and generally to understand perceptual-motor information processes, including research to model performance in isometric force production tasks. Applying Fitts’ law to an isometric grip force task would allow for quantifying grasp performance in rehabilitative medicine and may aid research on prosthetic control and design. We examined whether Fitts’ law would hold when participants attempted to accurately produce their intended force output while grasping a manipulandum when presented with images of various everyday objects (we termed this the implicit task. Although our main interest was the implicit task, to benchmark it and establish validity, we examined performance against a more standard visual feedback condition via a digital force-feedback meter on a video monitor (explicit task. Next, we progressed from visual force feedback with force meter targets to the same targets without visual force feedback (operating largely on feedforward control with tactile feedback. This provided an opportunity to see if Fitts’ law would hold without vision, and allowed us to progress toward the more naturalistic implicit task (which does not include visual feedback. Finally, we changed the nature of the targets from requiring explicit force values presented as arrows on a force-feedback meter (explicit targets to the more naturalistic and intuitive target forces implied by images of objects (implicit targets. With visual force feedback the relation between task difficulty and the time to produce the target grip force was predicted by Fitts’ law (average r2 = 0.82. Without vision, average grip force scaled accurately although force variability was insensitive to the target presented. In contrast, images of everyday objects generated more reliable grip forces

Fitts' Law in the Control of Isometric Grip Force With Naturalistic Targets.

Science.gov (United States)

Thumser, Zachary C; Slifkin, Andrew B; Beckler, Dylan T; Marasco, Paul D

2018-01-01

Fitts' law models the relationship between amplitude, precision, and speed of rapid movements. It is widely used to quantify performance in pointing tasks, study human-computer interaction, and generally to understand perceptual-motor information processes, including research to model performance in isometric force production tasks. Applying Fitts' law to an isometric grip force task would allow for quantifying grasp performance in rehabilitative medicine and may aid research on prosthetic control and design. We examined whether Fitts' law would hold when participants attempted to accurately produce their intended force output while grasping a manipulandum when presented with images of various everyday objects (we termed this the implicit task). Although our main interest was the implicit task, to benchmark it and establish validity, we examined performance against a more standard visual feedback condition via a digital force-feedback meter on a video monitor (explicit task). Next, we progressed from visual force feedback with force meter targets to the same targets without visual force feedback (operating largely on feedforward control with tactile feedback). This provided an opportunity to see if Fitts' law would hold without vision, and allowed us to progress toward the more naturalistic implicit task (which does not include visual feedback). Finally, we changed the nature of the targets from requiring explicit force values presented as arrows on a force-feedback meter (explicit targets) to the more naturalistic and intuitive target forces implied by images of objects (implicit targets). With visual force feedback the relation between task difficulty and the time to produce the target grip force was predicted by Fitts' law (average r 2 = 0.82). Without vision, average grip force scaled accurately although force variability was insensitive to the target presented. In contrast, images of everyday objects generated more reliable grip forces without the visualized

Canadian Mathematical Congress

CERN Document Server

1977-01-01

For two weeks in August, 1975 more than 140 mathematicians and other scientists gathered at the Universite de Sherbrooke. The occasion was the 15th Biennial Seminar of the Canadian Mathematical Congress, entitled Mathematics and the Life Sciences. Participants in this inter­ disciplinary gathering included researchers and graduate students in mathematics, seven different areas of biological science, physics, chemistry and medical science. Geographically, those present came from the United States and the United Kingdom as well as from academic departments and government agencies scattered across Canada. In choosing this particular interdisciplinary topic the programme committee had two chief objectives. These were to promote Canadian research in mathematical problems of the life sciences, and to encourage co-operation and exchanges between mathematical scientists" biologists and medical re­ searchers. To accomplish these objective the committee assembled a stim­ ulating programme of lectures and talks. Six ...

Reference Values of Pulmonary Function Tests for Canadian Caucasians

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Carlos Gutierrez

2004-01-01

Full Text Available A multicentre, cross-sectional study was carried out in six centres across Canada to establish a national standard for pulmonary function tests using healthy, lifetime nonsmokers, with each centre aiming to test 10 men and 10 women from each decade from 20 to 80 years of age. Data from each centre were used to derive prediction equations for each centre, and pooled data from all centres (total: 327 women and 300 men were used to derive Canadian predicted equations. The predictive models were compared with three widely used published models for selected tests. It was found that, in general, the equations modelled for each centre could be replaced by the models obtained when pooling all data (Canadian model. Comparisons with the published references showed good agreement and similar slopes for most tests. The results suggest that pulmonary function test results obtained from different centres in Canada were comparable and that standards currently used remain valid for Canadian Caucasians.

How Canadians feel about nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1989-01-01

A survey conducted by Decima Research in April 1989 showed that 50% of Canadians were somewhat or strongly in favour of nuclear energy, the percentage varying from 37% in British Columbia to 65% in Ontario. A majority (56%) questioned the nuclear industry's ability to handle its waste safely, but 45% believed that it was working hard to solve the problem. It was evident that an advertising campaign by the Canadian Nuclear Association had an effect

Encoding of naturalistic optic flow by motion sensitive neurons of nucleus rotundus in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dennis eEckmeier

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The retinal image changes that occur during locomotion, the optic flow, carry information about self-motion and the three-dimensional structure of the environment. Especially fast moving animals with only little binocular vision depend on these depth cues for manoeuvring. They actively control their gaze to facilitate perception of depth based on cues in the optic flow. In the visual system of birds, nucleus rotundus neurons were originally found to respond to object motion but not to background motion. However, when background and object were both moving, responses increase the more the direction and velocity of object and background motion on the retina differed. These properties may play a role in representing depth cues in the optic flow. We therefore investigated how neurons in nucleus rotundus respond to optic flow that contains depth cues. We presented simplified and naturalistic optic flow on a panoramic LED display while recording from single neurons in nucleus rotundus of anaesthetized zebra finches. Unlike most studies on motion vision in birds, our stimuli included depth information.We found extensive responses of motion selective neurons in nucleus rotundus to optic flow stimuli. Simplified stimuli revealed preferences for optic flow reflecting translational or rotational self-motion. Naturalistic optic flow stimuli elicited complex response modulations, but the presence of objects was signalled by only few neurons. The neurons that did respond to objects in the optic flow, however, show interesting properties.

Proceedings of the 29th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association and 10th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. V. 1-3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harvey, M; Fehrenbach, P J [eds.

1990-12-31

The symposium was designed to highlight how the technical information for nuclear energy came to Canada, the effect this information had in Canada in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Nuclear Power. Volume 1 is the combined proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Association twenty-ninth annual conference and the Canadian Nuclear Society tenth annual conference. Volume 2 is the proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Association twenty-ninth annual conference, and volume 3 is the proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Society tenth annual conference.

Proceedings of the 29th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association and 10th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. V. 1-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvey, M.; Fehrenbach, P.J.

1989-01-01

The symposium was designed to highlight how the technical information for nuclear energy came to Canada, the effect this information had in Canada in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Nuclear Power. Volume 1 is the combined proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Association twenty-ninth annual conference and the Canadian Nuclear Society tenth annual conference. Volume 2 is the proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Association twenty-ninth annual conference, and volume 3 is the proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Society tenth annual conference

Coding early naturalists' accounts into long-term fish community changes in the Adriatic Sea (1800-2000.

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Tomaso Fortibuoni

Full Text Available The understanding of fish communities' changes over the past centuries has important implications for conservation policy and marine resource management. However, reconstructing these changes is difficult because information on marine communities before the second half of the 20(th century is, in most cases, anecdotal and merely qualitative. Therefore, historical qualitative records and modern quantitative data are not directly comparable, and their integration for long-term analyses is not straightforward. We developed a methodology that allows the coding of qualitative information provided by early naturalists into semi-quantitative information through an intercalibration with landing proportions. This approach allowed us to reconstruct and quantitatively analyze a 200-year-long time series of fish community structure indicators in the Northern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea. Our analysis provides evidence of long-term changes in fish community structure, including the decline of Chondrichthyes, large-sized and late-maturing species. This work highlights the importance of broadening the time-frame through which we look at marine ecosystem changes and provides a methodology to exploit, in a quantitative framework, historical qualitative sources. To the purpose, naturalists' eyewitness accounts proved to be useful for extending the analysis on fish community back in the past, well before the onset of field-based monitoring programs.

Pharmacists' Scope of Practice: Supports for Canadians with Diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansell, Kerry; Edmunds, Kirsten; Guirguis, Lisa

2017-12-01

The pharmacists' role in Canada has significantly advanced over the past decade, resulting in increasing access to primary care services. This study aimed to characterize pharmacists' expanded scope of practice as it relates to providing services to Canadians with diabetes. This environmental scan characterized services that could be useful to Canadians with diabetes in each of the provinces (excluding the territories): immunizations, medication prescribing, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, and medication reviews. Researchers also collected information on pharmacists' access to health information. Data were collected from regulatory authorities in each province, from pharmacy stakeholders and through a web search. Pharmacists' scope of practice varies widely across the Canadian provinces. Three provinces have medication-review programs focused specifically on diabetes, and many people with diabetes can access publicly funded medication reviews. Other than in Quebec, pharmacists can provide influenza (publicly funded) and pneumococcal vaccinations (publicly funded in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba). All pharmacists in Canadian provinces can renew prescriptions to ensure continuity of therapy. Pharmacists have varying levels of other prescriptive authority. Pharmacists in all provinces (except Ontario) can access provincial prescription information; in 4 provinces, they can access laboratory results, and in 3 provinces, they can order and interpret laboratory results, such as glycated hemoglobin levels. Canadians with diabetes can expect to receive influenza vaccines and have medications renewed at their pharmacies. Many patients with diabetes qualify for a publicly funded medication review, and some provinces allow pharmacists to order and interpret laboratory results. This expanded scope provides greater opportunities for pharmacists to help support patients with diabetes in conjunction with other health-care team members. Copyright © 2017

Canadian Nuclear Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, John

1992-01-01

It is the view of the Canadian Nuclear Association that continuing creation of economic wealth is vital to sustainable development. A plentiful supply of cheap energy is essential. Nuclear energy provides the cleanest source of bulk energy generation essential to any path of sustainable development

The mental health of Canadian transgender youth compared with the Canadian population

Science.gov (United States)

Veale, Jaimie F.; Watson, Ryan J.; Peter, Tracey; Saewyc, Elizabeth M.

2017-01-01

Objectives This study documents the prevalence of mental health concerns among Canadian transgender youth and makes comparisons with cisgender or mostly-cisgender population-based studies. This study also compares gender identity subgroups (transgender girls/women, boys/men, and non-binary) and age subgroups (14–18 year olds and 19–25 year olds) on mental health outcomes. Methods A nonprobability sample of 923 transgender youth from across Canada completed a bilingual online survey. Participants were recruited through community organizations, healthcare settings, social media, and the researchers’ networks. Mental health measures were drawn from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey and the Canadian Community Health Survey. Results Transgender youth had a higher risk of reporting psychological distress, self-harm, major depressive episode, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Risk ratios ranged from 3.8 to 16.1. Transgender boys/men and non-binary youth were most likely to report self-harm and non-binary youth also reported lower overall mental health. Rates of self-harm and suicide were lower in the 19–25 age group than the 14–18 age group, but reported overall mental health was the same across these age groups. Conclusions Although a notable minority of transgender youth reported good mental health, this study shows the mental health disparities faced by transgender youth in Canada are considerable. Policy Implications These findings underscore the need for policies and laws protecting transgender people from discrimination, training for transgender competency for mental healthcare providers, providers, and further development of transgender-specific interventions to promote positive mental health and reduce mental health problems among transgender youth. PMID:28007056

An analysis of driving and working hour on commercial motor vehicle driver safety using naturalistic data collection.

Science.gov (United States)

Soccolich, Susan A; Blanco, Myra; Hanowski, Richard J; Olson, Rebecca L; Morgan, Justin F; Guo, Feng; Wu, Shih-Ching

2013-09-01

Current hours-of-service (HOS) regulations prescribe limits to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers' operating hours. By using naturalistic-data-collection, researchers were able to assess activities performed in the 14-h workday and the relationship between safety-critical events (SCEs) and driving hours, work hours, and breaks. The data used in the analyses were collected in the Naturalistic Truck Driving Study and included 97 drivers and about 735,000 miles of continuous driving data. An assessment of the drivers' workday determined that, on average, drivers spent 66% of their shift driving, 23% in non-driving work, and 11% resting. Analyses evaluating the relationship between driving hours (i.e., driving only) and SCE risk found a time-on-task effect across hours, with no significant difference in safety outcomes between 11th driving hour and driving hours 8, 9 or 10. Analyses on work hours (i.e., driving in addition to non-driving work) found that risk of being involved in an SCE generally increased as work hours increased. This suggests that time-on-task effects may not be related to driving hours alone, but implies an interaction between driving hours and work hours: if a driver begins the day with several hours of non-driving work, followed by driving that goes deep into the 14-h workday, SCE risk was found to increase. Breaks from driving were found to be beneficial in reducing SCEs (during 1-h window after a break) and were effective in counteracting the negative effects of time-on-task. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mutagenicity of smoke condensates from Canadian cigarettes with different design features.

Science.gov (United States)

Mladjenovic, Nemanja; Maertens, Rebecca M; White, Paul A; Soo, Evelyn C

2014-01-01

There is currently limited knowledge regarding the impact of different cigarette designs on the toxicological properties of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC). This study used the Salmonella Mutagenicity Assay to examine the mutagenic activity of mainstream CSCs from 11 commercial Canadian cigarette brands with different design features or tobacco blend. The brands were selected to include design features that are common for cigarettes sold in the Canadian market, as well as cigarettes with alternate filters (charcoal or MicroBlue™), the super slim design, and cigarettes containing mixed blends of different tobacco types. CSCs were obtained using the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Health Canada Intense (HCI) smoking regimes, and mutagenic activity was assessed using Salmonella strains TA98, YG1041 and YG5185. Comparisons of the commercial brands to the Kentucky 3R4F, the Canadian Monitor 8 reference and a Canadian best seller revealed no significant reduction in CSC mutagenicity for cigarettes with alternate filters. However, the super slim design did afford some reduction in mutagenic potency. Nevertheless, since the study did not attempt to evaluate the impact of the cigarette designs on human health at the individual or population level, the super slim cigarettes cannot be considered 'reduced-harm' cigarettes.

The representations of work-life balance in Canadian newspapers.

Science.gov (United States)

Reece, Katherine T; Davis, Jane A; Polatajko, Helene J

2009-01-01

Work-life balance has become a topic of increasing interest in the media as well as a concern among working Canadians. Since print media discourse can both reflect and shape societal values, cultural norms and ideals of workers in this country, it is important to understand this representation and its potential influence on the occupational engagement and life transitions of Canadian workers. Articles from four major Canadian newspapers published between 2003 and 2005 were used as data sources to examine the media construction of "work-life balance". Thematic analysis of 100 articles was performed using a modified affinity diagramming process. Representations within the Canadian print media conveyed both themes pertaining to the perceived experiences of imbalance and balance, as well as, a process of life balance. Obtaining balance was portrayed as an ongoing process during which an individual negotiates and sacrifices in an attempt to achieve his or her ideal level of balance. Environmental expectations and individual practices and perceptions were conveyed as reasons for the success or derailment of balance. The representations of work-life balance found in the Canadian print media were predominantly of professionals, focused on the demands of work and family, and did not appear to be a broad representation of the multiple realities that all Canadians face.

Work-life policies for Canadian medical faculty.

Science.gov (United States)

Gropper, Aaron; Gartke, Kathleen; MacLaren, Monika

2010-09-01

This study aims to catalogue and examine the following work-life flexibility policies at all 17 Canadian medical schools: maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, extension of the probationary period for family responsibilities, part-time faculty appointments, job sharing, and child care. The seven work-life policies of Canadian medical schools were researched using a consistent and systematic method. This method involved an initial web search for policy information, followed by e-mail and telephone contact. The flexibility of the policies was scored 0 (least flexible) to 3 (most flexible). The majority of policies were easily accessible online. Work-life policies were scored out of 3, and average policy scores ranged from 0.47 for job sharing to 2.47 for part-time/work reduction. Across schools, total scores ranged from 7 to 16 out of 21. Variation in scores was noted for parenting leave and child care, whereas minimal variation was noted for other policies. Canadian medical schools are committed to helping medical faculty achieve work-life balance, but improvements can be made in the policies offered at all schools. Improving the quality of work flexibility policies will enhance working conditions and job satisfaction for faculty. This could potentially reduce Canada's loss of talented young academicians.

SOFTWARE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT: AWARENESS, USE, AND BENEFITS IN CANADIAN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FIRMS

OpenAIRE

CHEVERS, DELROY

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Since 1982, the software development community has been concerned with the delivery of quality systems. Software process improvement (SPI) is an initiative to avoid the delivery of low quality systems. However, the awareness and adoption of SPI is low. Thus, this study examines the rate of awareness, use, and benefits of SPI initiatives in Canadian software development firms. Using SPSS as the analytical tool, this study found that 59% of Canadian software development firms are aware...

Relapse and long-term cognitive performance after brief pulse or ultrabrief pulse right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy: A multicenter naturalistic follow up

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verwijk, E.; Spaans, H.P.; Comijs, H.C.; Kho, K.H.; Sienaert, P.; Bouckaert, F.; Obbels, J.; Scherder, E.J.A.; Stek, M.L.; Kok, R.M.

2015-01-01

Background Superior cognitive functioning for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with right unilateral (RUL) ultrabrief pulse (UBP) stimulation compared to RUL brief pulse (BP) stimulation is not clearly established and long-term data is needed. Methods We conducted a prospective naturalistic follow-up

Financing Canadian international operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beagle, G.

1996-01-01

A primer on financing international operations by Canadian corporations was provided. Factors affecting the availability to project finance (location, political risk), the various forms of financing (debt, equity, and combinations), the main sources of government backed financing to corporations (the International Finance Corporation) (IFC), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Overseas Property Insurance Corporation (OPIC), government or agency guarantees, political risk coverage, the use of offshore financial centres, and the where, when and how these various organizations operate, were reviewed. Examples of all of the above, taken from the experiences of Canadian Occidental Petroleum of Calgary in the U.S., in South America, in the Middle and Far East, and in Kazakhstan, were used as illustrations. figs

Issues in Canadian LLRW management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charlesworth, D.H.

1988-01-01

Some of the issues which are of concern in Canada are similar to those being discussed in the US because Canadian low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) production is similar in quantity and characteristics to that which will be handled by some state compacts. This paper gives a Canadian viewpoint of: the choice between interim storage and permanent disposal; the importance of considering inadvertent intrusion; the role of waste categorization and stability; and the concerns in assessing disposal performance. The discussion is related to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's LLRW disposal program, and its approach to resolving these issues

Canadian capital spending to slip 4.7% in 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

Total capital and exploration spending by the Canadian petroleum industry is estimated at $6.579 billion in 1993, a drop of 4.7% from estimated 1992 outlays. Last year Canadian capital spending of $6.9 billion represented a drop of 8.9% from 1991 outlays, according to an Oil and Gas Journal survey. All survey related spending estimates in this paper are in U.S. dollars. All individual company spending estimates are in Canadian dollars

Characteristics of martial art injuries in a defined Canadian population: a descriptive epidemiological study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pickett William

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The martial arts have emerged as common activities in the Canadian population, yet few studies have investigated the occurrence of associated injuries on a population basis. Methods We performed such an investigation and suggest potential opportunities for prevention. The data source was 14 years (1993 to 2006 of records from the Kingston sites of the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP. Results 920 cases were identified. Incidence rates were initially estimated using census data as denominators. We then imputed annual injury rates per 10000 using a range of published estimates of martial arts participation available from a national survey. Rates of injury in males and females were 2300 and 1033 per 10000 (0.3% participation and 575 and 258 per 10000 (1.2% participation. Injuries were most frequently reported in karate (33% and taekwondo (14%. The most common mechanisms of injury were falls, throws and jumps (33%. Fractures (20% were the most frequently reported type of injury and the lower limb was the most common site of injury (41%. Conclusions Results provide a foundation for potential interventions with a focus on falls, the use of weapons, participation in tournaments, as well as head and neck trauma.

Neuronal encoding of object and distance information: A model simulation study on naturalistic optic flow processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick eHennig

2012-03-01

Full Text Available We developed a model of the input circuitry of the FD1 cell, an identified motion-sensitive interneuron in the blowfly’s visual system. The model circuit successfully reproduces the FD1 cell’s most conspicuous property: Its larger responses to objects than to spatially extended patterns. The model circuit also mimics the time-dependent responses of FD1 to dynamically complex naturalistic stimuli, shaped by the blowfly’s saccadic flight and gaze strategy: The FD1 responses are enhanced when, as a consequence of self-motion, a nearby object crosses the receptive field during intersaccadic intervals. Moreover, the model predicts that these object-induced responses are superimposed by pronounced pattern-dependent fluctuations during movements on virtual test flights in a three-dimensional environment with systematic modifications of the environmental patterns. Hence, the FD1 cell is predicted to detect not unambiguously objects defined by the spatial layout of the environment, but to be also sensitive to objects distinguished by textural features. These ambiguous detection abilities suggest an encoding of information about objects - irrespective of the features by which the objects are defined - by a population of cells, with the FD1 cell presumably playing a prominent role in such an ensemble.

Will an Unsupervised Self-Testing Strategy Be Feasible to Operationalize in Canada? Results from a Pilot Study in Students of a Large Canadian University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nitika Pant Pai

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. A convenient, private, and accessible HIV self-testing strategy stands to complement facility-based conventional testing. Over-the-counter oral HIV self-tests are approved and available in the United States, but not yet in Canada. Canadian data on self-testing is nonexistent. We investigated the feasibility of offering an unsupervised self-testing strategy to Canadian students. Methods. Between September 2011 and May 2012, we recruited 145 students from a student health clinic of a large Canadian university. Feasibility of operationalization (i.e., self-test conduct, acceptability, convenience, and willingness to pay was evaluated. Self-test conduct was computed with agreement between the self-test performed by the student and the test repeated by a healthcare professional. Other metrics were measured on a survey. Results. Participants were young (median age: 22 years, unmarried (97%, and 47% were out of province or international students. Approximately 52% self-reported a history of unprotected casual sex and sex with multiple partners. Self-test conduct agreement was high (100%, so were acceptability (81%, convenience (99%, and willingness to pay (74% for self-tests. Concerns included accuracy of self-tests and availability of expedited linkages. Conclusion. An unsupervised self-testing strategy was found to be feasible in Canadian students. Findings call for studies in at-risk populations to inform Canadian policy.

RESOURCES OF CANADIAN ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES.

Science.gov (United States)

DOWNS, ROBERT B.

ALTHOUGH IT EMPHASIZES ACADEMIC LIBRARIES, THIS STUDY ALSO INCLUDES THE NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL LIBRARIES, LARGE PUBLIC LIBRARIES, AND SPECIAL LIBRARIES THAT SERVE CANADIAN SCHOLARS, STUDENTS, AND RESEARCH WORKERS. WITH THE DATA OBTAINED FROM A QUESTIONNAIRE ON LIBRARY STATISTICS AND HOLDINGS, VISITS TO THE LIBRARIES, INTERVIEWS WITH LIBRARIANS…

Whither Chinese involvement in the Canadian oil industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz, B.

2006-01-01

Chinese oil companies have become increasingly focused on securing Canadian oil. However, most of the oil sands leases with good geological and economic prospects are owned by Canadian or Canadian subsidiary companies that have proven unwilling to sell future revenue and reserves bases to the Chinese. The opportunity for a trade of Canadian oil assets for improved Chinese market entry has been limited to Husky, which has existing Chinese connections, as well as to global companies such as Exxon, Shell and BP. In May 2005, the Chinese company Sinopec completed a $105 million deal with Calgary-based Synenco and formed a joint venture for oil sands production and an upgrader. Chinese interests are also involved in the Calgary-based Value Creation Group of Companies as well as in BA Energy. Enbridge has recently invested $25 million in the Heartland upgrader project, presumably with the aim of building pipelines to move new products to Asia. The most significant problem for Canadian oil sands companies and the greatest opportunity for Chinese companies involves the utilization of trained Chinese workers for the $100 billion in oil sands construction planned for the next decade. Significant immigration barriers exist for Chinese workers in Canada, and there is a legitimate concern that Chinese workers may want to stay in Canada. It was concluded that while there may be mutual opportunities for collaboration between Chinese and Canadian energy companies, the Alberta government currently faces challenges in work shortages, immigration, and pressures from unions and environmental lobbyists. 1 fig

Whither Chinese involvement in the Canadian oil industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schulz, B. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada). Haskayne School of Business

2006-09-15

Chinese oil companies have become increasingly focused on securing Canadian oil. However, most of the oil sands leases with good geological and economic prospects are owned by Canadian or Canadian subsidiary companies that have proven unwilling to sell future revenue and reserves bases to the Chinese. The opportunity for a trade of Canadian oil assets for improved Chinese market entry has been limited to Husky, which has existing Chinese connections, as well as to global companies such as Exxon, Shell and BP. In May 2005, the Chinese company Sinopec completed a $105 million deal with Calgary-based Synenco and formed a joint venture for oil sands production and an upgrader. Chinese interests are also involved in the Calgary-based Value Creation Group of Companies as well as in BA Energy. Enbridge has recently invested $25 million in the Heartland upgrader project, presumably with the aim of building pipelines to move new products to Asia. The most significant problem for Canadian oil sands companies and the greatest opportunity for Chinese companies involves the utilization of trained Chinese workers for the $100 billion in oil sands construction planned for the next decade. Significant immigration barriers exist for Chinese workers in Canada, and there is a legitimate concern that Chinese workers may want to stay in Canada. It was concluded that while there may be mutual opportunities for collaboration between Chinese and Canadian energy companies, the Alberta government currently faces challenges in work shortages, immigration, and pressures from unions and environmental lobbyists. 1 fig.

Multicenter study of environmental contamination with cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and methotrexate in 66 Canadian hospitals: A 2016 follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Roland, C; Caron, N; Bussières, J F

2017-08-01

Oncology workers are occupationally exposed to antineoplastic drugs. This exposure can induce adverse health effects. To reduce their exposure, contamination on surfaces should be kept as low as possible. The main objective of this study was to monitor environmental contamination with cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and methotrexate in oncology pharmacy and patient care areas in Canadian centers. The secondary objective was to describe the impact of some factors that may limit contamination. This is a descriptive study. Twelve standardized sites were sampled in each participating center (six in the pharmacy and six in patient care areas). Samples were analyzed for the presence of cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and methotrexate by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry technology. Descriptive statistical analyses were done and results were compared with a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for independent samples. In 2016, 66 centers participated in this study (66/202, 32.7%). Overall, 43.4% (326/752) of the samples were positive for cyclophosphamide, 13.2% (99/752) for ifosfamide and 6.9% (52/752) for methotrexate. The 75th percentile value of cyclophosphamide surface concentration was 6.8 pg/cm 2 and lower than the limit of detection for ifosfamide and methotrexate. Centers who prepared more antineoplastic drugs per year (p contamination to cyclophosphamide. Environmental surveillance is one part of a comprehensive approach for minimizing hazardous exposures in healthcare. This study highlights a low level of contamination of three hazardous drugs amongst 66 Canadian centers. Regular environmental monitoring is a good practice to maintain contamination as low as reasonably achievable.

Percentile curves for skinfold thickness for Canadian children and youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhle, Stefan; Ashley-Martin, Jillian; Maguire, Bryan; Hamilton, David C

2016-01-01

Background. Skinfold thickness (SFT) measurements are a reliable and feasible method for assessing body fat in children but their use and interpretation is hindered by the scarcity of reference values in representative populations of children. The objective of the present study was to develop age- and sex-specific percentile curves for five SFT measures (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, medial calf) in a representative population of Canadian children and youth. Methods. We analyzed data from 3,938 children and adolescents between 6 and 19 years of age who participated in the Canadian Health Measures Survey cycles 1 (2007/2009) and 2 (2009/2011). Standardized procedures were used to measure SFT. Age- and sex-specific centiles for SFT were calculated using the GAMLSS method. Results. Percentile curves were materially different in absolute value and shape for boys and girls. Percentile girls in girls steadily increased with age whereas percentile curves in boys were characterized by a pubertal centered peak. Conclusions. The current study has presented for the first time percentile curves for five SFT measures in a representative sample of Canadian children and youth.

Exploring Canadian Echinoderm Diversity through DNA Barcodes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kara K S Layton

Full Text Available DNA barcoding has proven an effective tool for species identification in varied groups of marine invertebrates including crustaceans, molluscs, polychaetes and echinoderms. In this study, we further validate its utility by analyzing almost half of the 300 species of Echinodermata known from Canadian waters. COI sequences from 999 specimens were assigned to 145 BINs. In most cases, species discrimination was straightforward due to the large difference (25-fold between mean intra- (0.48% and inter- (12.0% specific divergence. Six species were flagged for further taxonomic investigation because specimens assigned to them fell into two or three discrete sequence clusters. The potential influence of larval dispersal capacity and glacial events on patterns of genetic diversity is discussed for 19 trans-oceanic species. Although additional research is needed to clarify biogeographic patterns and resolve taxonomic questions, this study represents an important step in the assembly of a DNA barcode library for all Canadian echinoderms, a valuable resource for future biosurveillance programs.

Analysis of clinical characteristics and antipsychotic medication prescribing practices of first-episode schizophrenia in Israel: a naturalistic prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Strous, Rael D; Bar, Faina; Keret, Noa; Lapidus, Raya; Kosov, Nikolai; Chelben, Joseph; Kotler, Moshe

2006-01-01

Investigation of the clinical presentation and treatment of first-episode psychosis is important in order to exclude effects of age, chronic illness, long-term treatment and institutionalization. The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate the management practices of first-episode schizophrenia in a cohort of patients in Israel and to document use of the various "typical" or "atypical" antipsychotic agents. Fifty-one consecutive patients (26 M, 25 F) with first-episode psychosis were recruited for study participation and were administered either typical or atypical antipsychotic medications in a naturalistic manner. While an approximately equal number of subjects received typical and atypical medications at illness onset, a prominent shift to atypical antipsychotic treatment occurred over the study course; 18 subjects had medication class shifts: 17 from typical to atypical, and one from atypical to typical. Negative symptoms did not affect length of hospitalization, but were associated with aggression. Higher depression rates were noted in patients with long hospitalizations who received typical antipsychotic medications. Immigrants were admitted at an age approximately four years older than native-born Israelis. The prominent shift from "typical" to "atypical" antipsychotic medications may indicate sensitivity of first-episode psychotic patients to side-effects of "typical" medications and prominence of use of atypical medications in this patient subpopulation be it due to improved efficacy over time or successful marketing. Unique cultural and population characteristics may contribute to the manifestation of first-episode psychosis and suggest the importance of more effective outreach to the immigrant population in order to manage an apparent treatment delay.

Where in the World are Canadian Oil and Gas Companies? 2013

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niloo Hojjati

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Begun in 2011 as an internal research tool for the development of the Extractive Resource Governance Program, this project seeks to answer the vital question: Where in the world are Canadian oil and gas companies? To answer this question, we extract firm-level information for publicly traded Canadian companies in order to establish the location of their activities around the globe.1 The data collected in the “Where in the World” (hereafter WIW project are presented through a publicly accessible interactive world map, which allows users to explore a specific country or region over time. This map can be accessed online at http://www.policyschool.ca/research-teaching/teaching-training/ extractive-resource-governance/ergp-map/. For further information regarding the WIW project, including a comprehensive overview of the methodology, please refer to http://www.policyschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Where-in-theWorld-Hojjati-Horsfield-Jordison-final.pdf. In addition, summary reports of the annual data collection for the 2011 and 2012 years of analysis are also available at http://www.policyschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2011-Where-in-theWorld-Hojjati-Horsfield-Jordison-final.pdf and http://www.policyschool.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2017/06/2012-Where-in-the-World-Hojjati-final.pdf. This report, as in the earlier reports in this series, provides an account of emerging trends and highlights variations in the level of global activities of Canadian oil and gas companies (hereafter O&G for the 2013 year of study.2 In 2013, a total of 226 Canadian O&G companies engaged in global exploration and service activities in 99 countries worldwide. The Middle East and Europe experienced the greatest increase in the concentration of Canadian exploration and production (E&P companies. Meanwhile, the international presence of Canadian O&G service companies continued to grow in several countries, including Colombia, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. This report

Canadian Petroleum Products Inst. annual report, 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The Canadian Petroleum Products Institute (CPPI) was created in 1989 as a nonprofit association of Canadian refiners and marketers of petroleum products. In 1991, the Atlantic Petroleum Association, the Quebec Petroleum Association, the Ontario Petroleum Association, the Canada West Petroleum Association, and the Petroleum Association for Conservation of the Canadian Environment (PACE) were integrated into the CPPI. The objective of the CPPI is to serve and represent the refining and marketing sectors of the petroleum industry with respect to environment, health and safety, and business issues. An industry overview is provided, as well as highlights of environmental achievements and challenges, and economics and operations for the year. Lists of CPPI publications, standing committees, and officers are also included. 9 figs

Are obsessive-compulsive personality traits associated with a poor outcome in anorexia nervosa? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials and naturalistic outcome studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Crane, Anna M; Roberts, Marion E; Treasure, Janet

2007-11-01

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) traits are commonly associated with anorexia nervosa (AN). The aim of this review was to systematically search the literature to examine whether OCPD traits have an impact on the outcome of AN. A systematic electronic search of the literature (using Medline, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) was undertaken to identify relevant publications (randomized controlled trials (RCT's) and naturalistic studies), until February 2006. Eleven prospective longitudinal studies and 12 RCT's met criteria for inclusion. A meta-analysis was not feasible as the studies were too heterogeneous. Just over half of published longitudinal studies found that OCPD traits were associated with a negative outcome in AN. Additionally, results from three RCTs suggested that these traits may moderate outcome. OCPD traits were reduced after treatment in five RCTs. There is tentative support to suggest that individuals with AN and concomitant OCPD traits have a poorer prognosis, and that these traits moderate outcome. A reduction in these traits may mediate this change. An individualized case formulation with treatment tailored to OCPD traits may improve the outcome of AN. (c) 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Naturalistic music and dance: Cortical phase synchrony in musicians and dancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Poikonen, Hanna; Toiviainen, Petri; Tervaniemi, Mari

2018-01-01

Expertise in music has been investigated for decades and the results have been applied not only in composition, performance and music education, but also in understanding brain plasticity in a larger context. Several studies have revealed a strong connection between auditory and motor processes and listening to and performing music, and music imagination. Recently, as a logical next step in music and movement, the cognitive and affective neurosciences have been directed towards expertise in dance. To understand the versatile and overlapping processes during artistic stimuli, such as music and dance, it is necessary to study them with continuous naturalistic stimuli. Thus, we used long excerpts from the contemporary dance piece Carmen presented with and without music to professional dancers, musicians, and laymen in an EEG laboratory. We were interested in the cortical phase synchrony within each participant group over several frequency bands during uni- and multimodal processing. Dancers had strengthened theta and gamma synchrony during music relative to silence and silent dance, whereas the presence of music decreased systematically the alpha and beta synchrony in musicians. Laymen were the only group of participants with significant results related to dance. Future studies are required to understand whether these results are related to some other factor (such as familiarity to the stimuli), or if our results reveal a new point of view to dance observation and expertise.

Naturalistic music and dance: Cortical phase synchrony in musicians and dancers

Science.gov (United States)

Toiviainen, Petri; Tervaniemi, Mari

2018-01-01

Expertise in music has been investigated for decades and the results have been applied not only in composition, performance and music education, but also in understanding brain plasticity in a larger context. Several studies have revealed a strong connection between auditory and motor processes and listening to and performing music, and music imagination. Recently, as a logical next step in music and movement, the cognitive and affective neurosciences have been directed towards expertise in dance. To understand the versatile and overlapping processes during artistic stimuli, such as music and dance, it is necessary to study them with continuous naturalistic stimuli. Thus, we used long excerpts from the contemporary dance piece Carmen presented with and without music to professional dancers, musicians, and laymen in an EEG laboratory. We were interested in the cortical phase synchrony within each participant group over several frequency bands during uni- and multimodal processing. Dancers had strengthened theta and gamma synchrony during music relative to silence and silent dance, whereas the presence of music decreased systematically the alpha and beta synchrony in musicians. Laymen were the only group of participants with significant results related to dance. Future studies are required to understand whether these results are related to some other factor (such as familiarity to the stimuli), or if our results reveal a new point of view to dance observation and expertise. PMID:29672597

The potential for energy efficiency gains in the Canadian commercial building sector: A stochastic frontier study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buck, J.; Young, D.

2007-01-01

The achievement of energy efficiency in commercial buildings is a function of the activities undertaken, the technology in place, and the extent to which those technologies are used efficiently. We study the factors that affect efficient energy use in the Canadian commercial sector by applying a stochastic frontier approach to a cross-section of Canadian commercial buildings included in the Commercial and Institutional Building Energy Use Survey (CIBEUS). Structural and climate-control features of the buildings as well as climatic conditions are assumed to determine the location of the frontier, while management-related variables including such factors as ownership type and activities govern whether or not the maximally attainable efficiency along the frontier is achieved. Our results indicate that although, on average, buildings appear to be fairly efficient, certain types of operations are more likely than others to exhibit energy efficiencies that are significantly worse than average. These results, along with those related to the effects of physical characteristics on the stochastic efficiency frontier, suggest that there is scope for focused policy initiatives to increase energy efficiency in this sector

Childhood Sibling Relationships of Eminent Canadian Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Yewchuk, Carolyn R.; Schlosser, Grace A.

1996-01-01

This study compared differences between 72 eminent Canadian women who reported close sibling relationships and 72 similar women who reported no close sibling relationships. Those with close siblings expressed their responsibility within the relationship and rivalry within the sibship. Those not close to siblings often blamed this on age…

Policy Analysis of the Canadian Oil Sands Experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2013-09-01

For those who support U.S. oil sands development, the Canadian oil sands industry is often identified as a model the U.S. might emulate, yielding financial and energy security benefits. For opponents of domestic oil sands development, the Canadian oil sands experience illustrates the risks that opponents of development believe should deter domestic policymakers from incenting U.S. oil sands development. This report does not seek to evaluate the particular underpinnings of either side of this policy argument, but rather attempts to delve into the question of whether the Canadian experience has relevance as a foundational model for U.S. oil sands development. More specifically, this report seeks to assess whether and how the Canadian oil sands experience might be predictive or instructive in the context of fashioning a framework for a U.S. oil sands industry. In evaluating the implications of these underpinnings for a prospective U.S. oil sands industry, this report concentrates on prospective development of the oil sands deposits found in Utah.

Antioxidant health messages in Canadian women's magazines.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinberg, Alissa; Paisley, Judy; Bandayrel, Kristofer

2011-01-01

Recently, antioxidants have taken centre stage in media and advertising messages. While 80% of Canadians think they are well-informed about nutrition, many are confused about the health effects of specific nutrients. Forty-six percent of Canadians seek information from newspapers and books, and 67% of women rely on magazines. We examined the content and accuracy of antioxidant health messages in Canadian women's magazines. The top three Canadian magazines targeted at women readers were selected. A screening tool was developed, pilot tested, and used to identify eligible articles. A coding scheme was created to define variables, which were coded and analyzed. Seventy-seven percent of 36 magazine issues contained articles that mentioned antioxidants (n=56). Seventy-one percent (n=40) of articles reported positive health effects related to antioxidant consumption, and 36% and 40% of those articles framed those effects as definite and potential, respectively (p<0.01). The articles sampled conveyed messages about positive antioxidant health effects that are not supported by current evidence. Improved standards of health reporting are needed. Nutrition professionals may need to address this inaccuracy when they develop communications on antioxidants and health risk.

Canadian capabilities in fusion fuels technology and remote handling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-10-01

This report describes Canadian expertise in fusion fuels technology and remote handling. The Canadian Fusion Fuels Technology Project (CFFTP) was established and is funded by the Canadian government, the province of Ontario and Ontario Hydro to focus on the technology necessary to produce and manage the tritium and deuterium fuels to be used in fusion power reactors. Its activities are divided amongst three responsibility areas, namely, the development of blanket, first wall, reactor exhaust and fuel processing systems, the development of safe and reliable operating procedures for fusion facilities, and, finally, the application of these developments to specific projects such as tritium laboratories. CFFTP also hopes to utilize and adapt Canadian developments in an international sense, by, for instance, offering training courses to the international tritium community. Tritium management expertise is widely available in Canada because tritium is a byproduct of the routine operation of CANDU reactors. Expertise in remote handling is another byproduct of research and development of of CANDU facilities. In addition to describing the remote handling technology developed in Canada, this report contains a brief description of the Canadian tritium laboratories, storage beds and extraction plants as well as a discussion of tritium monitors and equipment developed in support of the CANDU reactor and fusion programs. Appendix A lists Canadian manufacturers of tritium equipment and Appendix B describes some of the projects performed by CFFTP for offshore clients

Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the CHAMPS Questionnaire in French Canadians with COPD

Science.gov (United States)

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanne Mak

2016-01-01

Full Text Available 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.

Developing a Canadian Curriculum for Simulation-Based Education in Obstetrics and Gynaecology: A Delphi Study.

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Views on interracial dating among Chinese and European Canadians: The roles of culture, gender, and mainstream cultural identity

OpenAIRE

Uskul, Ayse K.; Lalonde, Richard N.; Cheng, Lynda

2007-01-01

The present study examines cross-cultural and gender differ-ences in the norms regarding interracial dating among Chinese and European Canadians. In response to a scenario describing an interracial dating conflict between a young adult and his/her parents, Chinese Canadians gave greater support to parents than did European Canadians, who in turn gave greater support to the young adult than did Chinese Canadians. With regard to self-report measures of views on interracial dating, Chinese Canad...

The Canadian nuclear industry - a national asset

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-03-01

The economic importance of the Canadian nuclear industry in saving costs and creating jobs is expounded. The medical work of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is also extolled. The Canadian Nuclear Association urges the federal government to continue to support the industry at home, and to continue to promote nuclear exports. This report was prepared in response to the Federal Finance Minister's 'A New Direction for Canada'

Bridging Grant : Building Canadian Support for Global Health ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research (CCGHR) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting research for global health equity. The CCGHR provides a networking and action platform for the Canadian global health research community and partners in low- and middle-income countries. This grant will ...

Canadians' perceptions of food, diet, and health--a national survey.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alyssa Schermel

Full Text Available Poor nutrition is harmful to one's health as it can lead to overweight and obesity and a number of chronic diseases. Understanding consumer perceptions toward diet and nutrition is critical to advancing nutrition-related population health interventions to address such issues. The purpose of this paper was to examine Canadians' perceived health and diet status, compared to their actual health status, and general concern about their own diet and beliefs about health. Also analyzed were some of the perceived barriers to eating "healthy" foods, with a focus on the availability of "healthy" processed foods.Two surveys were administered online to a group of Canadian panelists from all ten provinces during May 2010 to January 2011. Thirty thousand were invited; 6,665 completed the baseline survey and 5,494 completed the second survey. Panelists were selected to be nationally representative of the Canadian adult population by age, sex, province and education level, according to 2006 census data.Approximately one third of Canadians perceived their health or diet to be very good while very few Canadians perceived their health or diet to be very poor. While the majority of Canadians believed food and nutrition to be very important for improving one's health, fewer Canadians were concerned about their own diets. The majority of Canadians reported difficulty finding "healthy" processed foods (low in salt and sugar and with sufficient vitamins and minerals. Many also reported difficulty finding healthy foods that are affordable.Although consumers believe that nutrition is one of the most important factors for maintaining health, there are still a number of attitudinal and perceived environmental barriers to healthy eating.

Management of patients with refractory angina: Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Pain Society joint guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

McGillion, Michael; Arthur, Heather M; Cook, Allison; Carroll, Sandra L; Victor, J Charles; L'allier, Philippe L; Jolicoeur, E Marc; Svorkdal, Nelson; Niznick, Joel; Teoh, Kevin; Cosman, Tammy; Sessle, Barry; Watt-Watson, Judy; Clark, Alexander; Taenzer, Paul; Coyte, Peter; Malysh, Louise; Galte, Carol; Stone, James

2012-01-01

Refractory angina (RFA) is a debilitating disease characterized by cardiac pain resistant to conventional treatments for coronary artery disease including nitrates, calcium-channel and β-adrenoceptor blockade, vasculoprotective agents, percutaneous coronary interventions, and coronary artery bypass grafting. The mortality rate of patients living with RFA is not known but is thought to be in the range of approximately 3%. These individuals suffer severely impaired health-related quality of life with recurrent and sustained pain, poor general health status, psychological distress, impaired role functioning, and activity restriction. Effective care for RFA sufferers in Canada is critically underdeveloped. These guidelines are predicated upon a 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Position Statement which identified that underlying the problem of RFA management is the lack of a formalized, coordinated, interprofessional strategy between the cardiovascular and pain science/clinical communities. The guidelines are therefore a joint initiative of the CCS and the Canadian Pain Society (CPS) and make practice recommendations about treatment options for RFA that are based on the best available evidence. Concluding summary recommendations are also made, giving direction to future clinical practice and research on RFA management in Canada. Copyright © 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Canadian natural gas winter 2005-06 outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-11-01

An outline of the Canadian natural gas commodity market was presented along with an outlook for Canadian natural gas supply and prices for the winter heating season of 2005-2006. In Canada, the level of natural gas production is much higher than domestic consumption. In 2004, Canadian natural gas production was 16.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), while domestic consumption was much lower at 8.2 Bcf/d. The United States, whose natural gas consumption is higher than production, imported about 16 per cent of its natural gas supply from Canada and 3 per cent from other countries via liquefied natural gas imports. Canadian natural gas exports to the United States in 2004 was 8.7 Bcf/d, representing 51 per cent of Canada's production. In Canada, the most important natural gas commodity markets that determine natural gas commodity prices include the intra-Alberta market and the market at the Dawn, Ontario natural gas hub. A well connected pipeline infrastructure connects the natural gas commodity markets in Canada and the United States, allowing supply and demand fundamentals to be transferred across all markets. As such, the integrated natural gas markets in both countries influence the demand, supply and price of natural gas. Canadian natural gas production doubled from 7 to 16.6 Bcf/d between 1986 and 2001. However, in the past 3 years, production from western Canada has leveled out despite record high drilling activity. This can be attributed to declining conventional reserves and the need to find new natural gas in smaller and lower-quality reservoirs. The combination of steady demand growth with slow supply growth has resulted in high natural gas prices since the beginning of 2004. In particular, hurricane damage in August 2005 disrupted natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico's offshore producing region, shutting-in nearly 9 Bcf/d at the height of damage. This paper summarized some of the key factors that influence natural gas market and prices, with

Mathematic Achievement of Canadian Private School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Cadigan, Francoise Jane; Wei, Yichun; Clifton, Rodney A.

2013-01-01

Very little Canadian research has examined the academic achievement of private school students. Data from The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 were used to examine the achievement of private school students. The study found that private school students outperformed their public school peers. In addition, the students'…

Survey of Canadian hospitals radiation emergency plans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, C [Social Data Research Ltd./The Flett Consulting Group, Inc., Ottawa, ON (Canada)

1996-02-01

This report documents the findings of a survey of Canadian hospitals conducted by Social Data Research Ltd. during the Spring and Summer, 1995. The main objective of the survey was to determine the state of readiness of Canadian hospitals in respect of radiation emergency planning. In addition, the AECB was interested in knowing the extent to which a report by the Group of Medical Advisors, `GMA-3: Guidelines on Hospital Emergency Plans for the Management of Minor Radiation Accidents`, which was sponsored and distributed in 1993, was received and was useful to hospital administrators and emergency personnel. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 598 acute care hospitals, and 274 responses were received. The main conclusion of this study is that, with the exception of a few large institutions, hospitals generally do not have specific action plans to handle minor radiation accidents. (author).

Survey of Canadian hospitals radiation emergency plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, C.

1996-02-01

This report documents the findings of a survey of Canadian hospitals conducted by Social Data Research Ltd. during the Spring and Summer, 1995. The main objective of the survey was to determine the state of readiness of Canadian hospitals in respect of radiation emergency planning. In addition, the AECB was interested in knowing the extent to which a report by the Group of Medical Advisors, 'GMA-3: Guidelines on Hospital Emergency Plans for the Management of Minor Radiation Accidents', which was sponsored and distributed in 1993, was received and was useful to hospital administrators and emergency personnel. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 598 acute care hospitals, and 274 responses were received. The main conclusion of this study is that, with the exception of a few large institutions, hospitals generally do not have specific action plans to handle minor radiation accidents. (author)

Political Ideology and Economic Freedom across Canadian Provinces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørnskov, Christian; Potrafke, Niklas

This paper examines how political ideology influenced economic freedom in the Canadian provinces. We analyze the dataset of economic freedom indicators compiled by the Fraser Institute in 10 Canadian provinces over the 1981-2005 period and introduce two different indices of political ideology......: government and parliament ideology. The results suggest that government ideology influenced labor market reforms: market-oriented governments promoted liberalization of the labor market. Parliamentary ideology did not influence economic liberalization at all. This finding (1) identifies differences between...... leftist and rightwing governments concerning the role of government in the economy and (2) indicates that ideological polarization concerns governments but less parliamentary fractions in the Canadian provinces. ...

Value of Canadian oil sands... to the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pugliaresi, Lucian

2011-01-01

Since the beginning of the recession in late 2007, the American economy has been subject to great change, affecting the way energy is produced and consumed. The structure of oil imports and exports has changed significantly and U.S. imports are now primarily from Canada. The current study shows how and why the U.S. has become dependent on imports of oil from the Canadian oil sands. Oil from Canadian oil sands is transported to different Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADD) via the Keystone pipeline. As imports from Canada increased, the U.S. refinery sector was restructured. Small refineries were closed while larger refineries were expanded and investment was made to increase their processing capacity. The increased import and processing of oil from the Canadian oil sands led to an advantageous decrease in oil prices. If the Keystone XL project were to be approved, the pipeline would increase the area with access to the means of transporting oil, allowing the increasing demand for oil to be met and, potentially, stabilizing world oil prices.

Cross-sectional study of Hepatitis B Awareness among Chinese and Southeast Asian Canadians in the Vancouver-Richmond community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justin Cheung

2005-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B (HBV is endemic and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Asia. British Columbia has the highest proportion of Chinese and Southeast Asians among all Canadian provinces. The present study was designed to evaluate the degree of concern for and knowledge of HBV in this high-risk community.

Risk factors in stock returns of Canadian oil and gas companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadorsky, P.

2001-01-01

This paper uses a multifactor market model to estimate the expected returns to Canadian oil and gas industry stock prices. Results are presented to show that exchange rates, crude oil prices and interest rates each have large and significant impacts on stock price returns in the Canadian oil and gas industry. In particular, an increase in the market or oil price factor increases the return to Canadian oil and gas stock prices while an increase in exchange rates or the term premium decreases the return to Canadian oil and gas stock prices. Furthermore, the oil and gas sector is less risky than the market and its moves are pro-cyclical. This suggests that Canadian oil and gas stocks may not be a good hedge against inflation

Mining Legal and Business Resources on Canadian Banking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajiv Johal

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Given the distinct nature of the Canadian banking system, it is important for novice researchers to know which business and legal resources to consult in order to quickly find information that is particular to Canadian banking. However, there are very few articles or monographs in the library literature that describe how to find information sources exclusively on this subject from a Canadian perspective. Most available publications tend to specialize in sources for the US banking and Federal Reserve System with little attention to Canada. The paper begins with a brief introduction to Canadian banking. From there, the authors demonstrate where researchers can find primary sources such as legislation, regulations and case law. In addition, this article identifies and discusses the different types of information found on the websites of associations and government agencies such as the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, which supervises and regulates various areas of Canada’s financial system. Also discussed are secondary sources such as industry research and reports that are available from reliable websites and subscription-based resources. This paper also explores the best business and legal databases for researchers. Based on results from searching in periodical directories and indexes, the paper additionally provides a description of the most pertinent academic, trade and general publications relevant to the Canadian banking system and where their contents are indexed.

The Canadian Natural Health Products (NHP regulations: industry perceptions and compliance factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boon Heather

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of natural health products, such as vitamins, minerals, and herbs, by Canadians has been increasing with time. As a result of consumer concern about the quality of these products, the Canadian Department of Health created the Natural Health Products (NHP Regulations. The new Canadian regulations raise questions about whether and how the NHP industry will be able to comply and what impact they will have on market structure. The objectives of this study were to explore who in the interview sample is complying with Canada's new NHP Regulations (i.e., submitted product licensing applications on time; and explore the factors that affect regulatory compliance. Methods Twenty key informant interviews were conducted with employees of the NHP industry. The structured interviews focused on the level of satisfaction with the Regulations and perceptions of compliance and non-compliance. Interviews were tape recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Data were independently coded, using qualitative content analysis. Team meetings were held after every three to four interviews to discuss emerging themes. Results The major finding of this study is that most (17 out of 20 companies interviewed were beginning to comply with the new regulatory regime. The factors that contribute to likelihood of regulatory compliance were: perceptions and knowledge of the regulations and business size. Conclusion The Canadian case can be instructive for other countries seeking to implement regulatory standards for natural health products. An unintended consequence of the Canadian NHP regulations may be the exit of smaller firms, leading to industry consolidation.

Television viewing, computer use and total screen time in Canadian youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Mark, Amy E; Boyce, William F; Janssen, Ian

2006-11-01

Research has linked excessive television viewing and computer use in children and adolescents to a variety of health and social problems. Current recommendations are that screen time in children and adolescents should be limited to no more than 2 h per day. To determine the percentage of Canadian youth meeting the screen time guideline recommendations. The representative study sample consisted of 6942 Canadian youth in grades 6 to 10 who participated in the 2001/2002 World Health Organization Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey. Only 41% of girls and 34% of boys in grades 6 to 10 watched 2 h or less of television per day. Once the time of leisure computer use was included and total daily screen time was examined, only 18% of girls and 14% of boys met the guidelines. The prevalence of those meeting the screen time guidelines was higher in girls than boys. Fewer than 20% of Canadian youth in grades 6 to 10 met the total screen time guidelines, suggesting that increased public health interventions are needed to reduce the number of leisure time hours that Canadian youth spend watching television and using the computer.

Canadian nuclear risk experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamel, P.E.

1982-05-01

Risk assessment in the Canadian nuclear fuel cycle is a very important and complex subject. Many levels of government are involved in deciding the acceptable limits for the risks, taking into account the benefits for society [fr

Access to health-care in Canadian immigrants: a longitudinal study of the National Population Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Setia, Maninder Singh; Quesnel-Vallee, Amelie; Abrahamowicz, Michal; Tousignant, Pierre; Lynch, John

2011-01-01

Immigrants often lose their health advantage as they start adapting to the ways of the new society. Having access to care when it is needed is one way that individuals can maintain their health. We assessed the healthcare access in Canadian immigrants and the socioeconomic factors associated with access over a 12-year period. We compared two measures of healthcare access (having a regular doctor and reporting an unmet healthcare need in the past 12 months) among immigrants and Canadian-born men and women, aged more than 18 years. We applied a logistic random effects model to evaluate these outcomes separately, in 3081 males and 4187 females from the National Population Health Survey (1994-2006). Adjusting for all covariates, immigrant men and women (white and non-white) had similar odds of having a regular doctor than the Canadian-born individuals (white immigrants: males OR: 1.32, 95% C.I.: 0.89-1.94, females OR: 1.14, 95% C.I.: 0.78-1.66; non-white immigrants: males OR: 1.28, 95% C.I.: 0.73-2.23, females OR: 1.23, 95% C.I.: 0.64-2.36). Interestingly, non-white immigrant women had significantly fewer unmet health needs (OR: 0.32, 95% C.I.: 0.17-0.59). Among immigrants, time since immigration was associated with having access to a regular doctor (OR per year: 1.02, 95% C.I.: 1.00-1.04). Visible minority female immigrants were least likely to report an unmet healthcare need. In general, there is little evidence that immigrants have worse access to health-care than the Canadian-born population. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Comparing Canadian and American normative scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Allyson G; Armstrong, Irene T; Harrison, Laura E; Lange, Rael T; Iverson, Grant L

2014-12-01

Psychologists practicing in Canada must decide which set of normative data to use for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). The purpose of this study was to compare the interpretive effects of applying American versus Canadian normative systems in a sample of 432 Canadian postsecondary-level students who were administered the WAIS-IV as part of an evaluation for a learning disability, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or other mental health problems. Employing the Canadian normative system yielded IQ, Index, and subtest scores that were systematically lower than those obtained using the American norms. Furthermore, the percentage agreement in normative classifications, defined as American and Canadian index scores within five points or within the same classification range, was between 49% and 76%. Substantial differences are present between the American and Canadian WAIS-IV norms. Clinicians should consider carefully the implications regarding which normative system is most appropriate for specific types of evaluations. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Increase in Utilization of Afterhours Medical Imaging: A Study of Three Canadian Academic Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhry, Shivani; Dhalla, Irfan; Lebovic, Gerald; Rogalla, Patrik; Dowdell, Timothy

2015-11-01

The objectives of our study were to assess trends in afterhours medical imaging utilization for emergency department (ED) and inpatient (IP) patient populations from 2006-2013, including analysis by modality and specialty and with adjustment for patient volume. For this retrospective study, we reviewed the number of CT, MRI, and ultrasound studies performed for the ED and IP patients during the afterhours time period (5pm - 8am on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and statutory holidays) from 2006-2013 at three different Canadian academic hospitals. We used the Jonckheere-Terpstra (JT) test to determine statistical significance of imaging and patient volume trends. A regression model was used to examine whether there was an increasing trend over time in the volume of imaging tests per 1000 patients. For all three sites from 2006-2013 during the afterhours time period: There was a statistically significant increasing trend in total medical imaging volume, which also held true when the volumes were assessed by modality and by specialty. There was a statistically significant increasing trend in ED and IP patient volume. When medical imaging volumes were adjusted for patient volumes, there was a statistically significant increasing trend in imaging being performed per patient. Afterhours medical imaging volumes demonstrated a statistically significant increasing trend at all three sites from 2006-2013 when assessed by total volume, modality, and specialty. During the same time period and at all three sites, the ED and IP patient volumes also demonstrated a statistically significant increasing trend with more medical imaging, however, being performed per patient. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Association of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The health meanings and practices of older Greek-Canadian widows.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbaum, J N

1991-11-01

Folk health and illness beliefs and practices were abstracted from a large-scale study of older Greek-Canadian widows conceptualized within Leininger's theory of Cultural Care Diversity and Universality using ethnographic, ethnonursing, and life health-care history methods. Data were collected using observation-participation and interviews in three Greek-Canadian communities with 12 widowed key informants and 30 general informants. Interview inquiry guides, Leininger's Life History Health Care Protocol, and field journal recordings assisted data collection. Data were analysed using Leininger's phases of analysis for qualitative data. A major health theme which was abstracted from the raw data and patterns was: health for Greek-Canadian widows meant a state of well-being, ability to perform daily role activities, and avoidance of pain and illness. The findings, which also included folk health care and illness beliefs and practices, will stimulate future nursing research related to health and nursing care of people of diverse cultures.

Driving context influences drivers' decision to engage in visual-manual phone tasks: Evidence from a naturalistic driving study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tivesten, Emma; Dozza, Marco

2015-06-01

Visual-manual (VM) phone tasks (i.e., texting, dialing, reading) are associated with an increased crash/near-crash risk. This study investigated how the driving context influences drivers' decisions to engage in VM phone tasks in naturalistic driving. Video-recordings of 1,432 car trips were viewed to identify VM phone tasks and passenger presence. Video, vehicle signals, and map data were used to classify driving context (i.e., curvature, other vehicles) before and during the VM phone tasks (N=374). Vehicle signals (i.e., speed, yaw rate, forward radar) were available for all driving. VM phone tasks were more likely to be initiated while standing still, and less likely while driving at high speeds, or when a passenger was present. Lead vehicle presence did not influence how likely it was that a VM phone task was initiated, but the drivers adjusted their task timing to situations when the lead vehicle was increasing speed, resulting in increasing time headway. The drivers adjusted task timing until after making sharp turns and lane change maneuvers. In contrast to previous driving simulator studies, there was no evidence of drivers reducing speed as a consequence of VM phone task engagement. The results show that experienced drivers use information about current and upcoming driving context to decide when to engage in VM phone tasks. However, drivers may fail to sufficiently increase safety margins to allow time to respond to possible unpredictable events (e.g., lead vehicle braking). Advanced driver assistance systems should facilitate and possibly boost drivers' self-regulating behavior. For instance, they might recognize when appropriate adaptive behavior is missing and advise or alert accordingly. The results from this study could also inspire training programs for novice drivers, or locally classify roads in terms of the risk associated with secondary task engagement while driving. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Canadian initiative to bring the international thermonuclear experimental reactor to Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, R.A.

1996-01-01

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is the next step in fusion research. It is expected to be the last major experimental facility, before the construction of a prototype commercial reactor. The Engineering Design Activities (EDA) of ITER are being funded by the USA, Japan, the Russian Federation, and the European Union, with each of the major parties contributing about 25% of the cost. Canada participates as part of the European coalition. The EDA is due to be completed in 1998, and the major funding partners are preparing for the decision on the siting and construction of ITER. The Canadian Fusion Fuels Technology Project (CFFTP) formed a Canadian ITER Siting Task Group to study siting ITER in Canada. The study indicated that hosting ITER would provide significant benefits, both technological and economic, to Canada. We have also confirmed that there would be substantial benefits to the ITER Project. CFFTP then formed a Canadian ITER Siting Board, with representation from a broad range of stakeholders, to champion, 'Canada as Host'. This paper briefly outlines the ITER Project, and the benefits to both Canada and the Project of a Canadian site. With this as background, the paper discusses the international scene and assesses Canada's prospects of being chosen to host ITER. (author)

Race, Racialization and Indigeneity in Canadian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Henry, Frances; Dua, Enakshi; Kobayashi, Audrey; James, Carl; Li, Peter; Ramos, Howard; Smith, Malinda S.

2017-01-01

This article is based on data from a four-year national study of racialization and Indigeneity at Canadian universities. Its main conclusion is that whether one examines representation in terms of numbers of racialized and Indigenous faculty members and their positioning within the system, their earned income as compared to white faculty, their…

Statistics in action a Canadian outlook

CERN Document Server

Lawless, Jerald F

2014-01-01

Commissioned by the Statistical Society of Canada (SSC), Statistics in Action: A Canadian Outlook helps both general readers and users of statistics better appreciate the scope and importance of statistics. It presents the ways in which statistics is used while highlighting key contributions that Canadian statisticians are making to science, technology, business, government, and other areas. The book emphasizes the role and impact of computing in statistical modeling and analysis, including the issues involved with the huge amounts of data being generated by automated processes.The first two c

Canadian nurse practitioner job satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

LaMarche, Kimberley; Tullai-McGuinness, Susan

2009-01-01

To examine the level of job satisfaction and its association with extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction characteristics among Canadian primary healthcare nurse practitioners (NPs). A descriptive correlational design was used to collect data on NPs' job satisfaction and on the factors that influence their job satisfaction. A convenience sample of licensed Canadian NPs was recruited from established provincial associations and special-interest groups. Data about job satisfaction were collected using two valid and reliable instruments, the Misener Nurse Practitioner Job Satisfaction Survey and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and regression analysis were used to describe the results. The overall job satisfaction for this sample ranged from satisfied to highly satisfied. The elements that had the most influence on overall job satisfaction were the extrinsic category of partnership/collegiality and the intrinsic category of challenge/autonomy. These findings were consistent with Herzberg's Dual Factor Theory of Job Satisfaction. The outcomes of this study will serve as a foundation for designing effective human health resource retention and recruitment strategies that will assist in enhancing the implementation and the successful preservation of the NP's role.

Crashes and near-crashes on horizontal curves along rural two-lane highways: Analysis of naturalistic driving data.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bo; Hallmark, Shauna; Savolainen, Peter; Dong, Jing

2017-12-01

Prior research has shown the probability of a crash occurring on horizontal curves to be significantly higher than on similar tangent segments, and a disproportionally higher number of curve-related crashes occurred in rural areas. Challenges arise when analyzing the safety of horizontal curves due to imprecision in integrating information as to the temporal and spatial characteristics of each crash with specific curves. The second Strategic Highway Research Program(SHRP 2) conducted a large-scale naturalistic driving study (NDS),which provides a unique opportunity to better understand the contributing factors leading to crash or near-crash events. This study utilizes high-resolution behavioral data from the NDS to identify factors associated with 108 safety critical events (i.e., crashes or near-crashes) on rural two-lane curves. A case-control approach is utilized wherein these events are compared to 216 normal, baseline-driving events. The variables examined in this study include driver demographic characteristics, details of the traffic environment and roadway geometry, as well as driver behaviors such as in-vehicle distractions. Logistic regression models are estimated to discern those factors affecting the likelihood of a driver being crash-involved. These factors include high-risk behaviors, such as speeding and visual distractions, as well as curve design elements and other roadway characteristics such as pavement surface conditions. This paper successfully integrated driver behavior, vehicle characteristics, and roadway environments into the same model. Logistic regression model was found to be an effective way to investigate crash risks using naturalistic driving data. This paper revealed a number of contributing factors to crashes on rural two-lane curves, which has important implications in traffic safety policy and curve geometry design. This paper also discussed limitations and lessons learned from working with the SHRP 2 NDS data. It will benefit

Ties that Bind? American Influences on Canadian Education

Science.gov (United States)

Von Heyking, Amy

2004-01-01

Concerns about the "Americanization" of Canadian schools have been raised frequently throughout the history of Canadian education. Fear of American influence was behind the requirement in the 1816 Common School Act in Upper Canada that all teachers take an oath of allegiance to the Crown. It was the reason for the strong promotion of the…

Essentials of tuberculosis control for the practising physician. Tuberculosis Committee, Canadian Thoracic Society.

Science.gov (United States)

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To recommend guidelines for the management of tuberculosis (TB), particularly in high-risk groups including poor and homeless people, aboriginal Canadians, immigrants from countries where TB is highly prevalent and people with HIV infection. OPTIONS: Diagnosis, pharmacotherapy, vaccination and chemoprophylaxis. OUTCOMES: Prevention of infection and diagnosis and cure of TB. EVIDENCE: The evidence was gathered in late 1992 from previous guidelines, recommendations by specialist societies and new studies. VALUES: Evidence was categorized into four levels: I, randomized clinical trials of therapeutic interventions or prospective studies of diagnostic strategies; II, case-control studies; III, retrospective descriptive studies; and IV, consensus of the committee members and published statements. The Tuberculosis Committee of the Canadian Thoracic Society comprises experts in TB from across Canada. BENEFITS, HARM AND COSTS: The benefits of early diagnosis and prompt initiation of therapy are well documented. The cost effectiveness of antituberculous therapy in developing countries is well documented. In developed countries chemoprophylaxis has been shown to be cost effective, and directly observed chemotherapy has recently been hypothesized to have economic benefits. RECOMMENDATIONS: In the appropriate clinical setting, particularly when patients are known to be at high risk of TB, clinicians should consider TB, reserve body secretions for mycobacteriologic tests and conduct other investigations such as chest radiography. Furthermore, if TB is strongly suspected or confirmed by appropriate investigation the early initiation of multi-drug therapy, including at least three first-line drugs, is strongly recommended. If drug resistance is suspected a regimen of four to five drugs, including at least two drugs with which the patient has not been treated, should be started. If the strain is found to be resistant to any of the drugs in the regimen appropriate

Percentile curves for skinfold thickness for Canadian children and youth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Kuhle

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background. Skinfold thickness (SFT measurements are a reliable and feasible method for assessing body fat in children but their use and interpretation is hindered by the scarcity of reference values in representative populations of children. The objective of the present study was to develop age- and sex-specific percentile curves for five SFT measures (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, medial calf in a representative population of Canadian children and youth. Methods. We analyzed data from 3,938 children and adolescents between 6 and 19 years of age who participated in the Canadian Health Measures Survey cycles 1 (2007/2009 and 2 (2009/2011. Standardized procedures were used to measure SFT. Age- and sex-specific centiles for SFT were calculated using the GAMLSS method. Results. Percentile curves were materially different in absolute value and shape for boys and girls. Percentile girls in girls steadily increased with age whereas percentile curves in boys were characterized by a pubertal centered peak. Conclusions. The current study has presented for the first time percentile curves for five SFT measures in a representative sample of Canadian children and youth.

The prospects for Canadian uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salaff, S.

1983-07-01

The 1980s have seen a decline in markets for uranium concentrate, largely as a result of falling estimates for reactor fuel requirements and rising inventories. Spot market prices fell to $44 in September 1982, but have since risen back to $60. World production also fell in 1982 and is not expected to increase significantly before 1990. Some opportunities exist for Canadian producers with new low-cost deposits to replace high-cost producers in Canada and other countries, particularly the United States. There will be strong competition between Canadian producers as well as from Australia. Australia's reserves are somewhat larger than Canada's, although the reported ore grades tend to be lower than those of Saskatchewan

CanWEA/CME wind industry supply chain opportunities for Canadian manufacturers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-04-01

Between 1999 and 2009, worldwide wind energy production capacity has increased at an average annual rate of 25 percent. One of the most important opportunities for Canada's industrial supply base involves providing products and services to the North American wind energy industry. This report discussed global wind energy development, with particular reference to North American wind energy development; United States wind energy development; and Canadian wind energy development. The energy price benefit of wind was also discussed. Other topics that were discussed included the aging infrastructure, market growth and greenhouse gas reduction commitments; provincial wind development opportunities; and wind development opportunities for the Canadian supply chain. The report concluded with some recommended actions to encourage a globally competitive Canadian wind supply industry. Recommendations were provided under the headings of communication; partnership facilitation; capability development; and policy to develop a sustainable Canadian supply chain. It was concluded that a priority should be placed on accelerating the development of a Canadian supply chain for the wind power industry to ensure maximum economic benefit for Canadian business. 2 tabs., 1 fig.

Inclusive Education Policy: What the Leadership of Canadian Teacher Associations Has to Say about It

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, S. Anthony; Lyons, Wanda; Timmons, Vianne

2015-01-01

In inclusive education research, rarely are teacher associations a topic of investigation despite their critical role in its implementation and efficacy. A study was conducted as part of the Canadian Disability Policy Alliance using a "learning collaborative" methodology that explored the extent to which Canadian provincial/territorial…

Meeting Canadian Forces Expansion Goals through Retention

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-01

poverty, etc. The recruiting slogan has resonated well with the Canadian Public thanks to an effective advertising campaign. 2 Canadian Department of...for Joint Task Force Two selection is most probably trying to realize his full potential; an armour officer who enrolls in a voluntary continuing...meet with a recruiting staff member to start the process. This has opened the CF entry door much wider to those living in remote locations ; they

The Canadian HIV and aging cohort study - determinants of increased risk of cardio-vascular diseases in HIV-infected individuals: rationale and study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Durand, Madeleine; Chartrand-Lefebvre, Carl; Baril, Jean-Guy; Trottier, Sylvie; Trottier, Benoit; Harris, Marianne; Walmsley, Sharon; Conway, Brian; Wong, Alexander; Routy, Jean-Pierre; Kovacs, Colin; MacPherson, Paul A; Monteith, Kenneth Marc; Mansour, Samer; Thanassoulis, George; Abrahamowicz, Michal; Zhu, Zhitong; Tsoukas, Christos; Ancuta, Petronela; Bernard, Nicole; Tremblay, Cécile L

2017-09-11

With potent antiretroviral drugs, HIV infection is becoming a chronic disease. Emergence of comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become a leading concern for patients living with the infection. We hypothesized that the chronic and persistent inflammation and immune activation associated with HIV disease leads to accelerated aging, characterized by CVD. This will translate into higher incidence rates of CVD in HIV infected participants, when compared to HIV negative participants, after adjustment for traditional CVD risk factors. When characterized further using cardiovascular imaging, biomarkers, immunological and genetic profiles, CVD associated with HIV will show different characteristics compared to CVD in HIV-negative individuals. The Canadian HIV and Aging cohort is a prospective, controlled cohort study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. It will recruit patients living with HIV who are aged 40 years or older or have lived with HIV for 15 years or more. A control population, frequency matched for age, sex, and smoking status, will be recruited from the general population. Patients will attend study visits at baseline, year 1, 2, 5 and 8. At each study visit, data on complete medical and pharmaceutical history will be captured, along with anthropometric measures, a complete physical examination, routine blood tests and electrocardiogram. Consenting participants will also contribute blood samples to a research biobank. The primary outcome is incidence of a composite of: myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, stroke, hospitalization for angina or congestive heart failure, revascularization or amputation for peripheral artery disease, or cardiovascular death. Preplanned secondary outcomes are all-cause mortality, incidence of the metabolic syndrome, incidence of type 2 diabetes, incidence of renal failure, incidence of abnormal bone mineral density and body fat distribution. Patients participating to the

Providing cleaner air to Canadians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-02-01

This booklet is designed to explain salient aspects of the Ozone Annex, negotiated and signed recently by Canada and the United States, in a joint effort to improve air quality in North America. By significantly reducing the transboundary flows of air pollutants that cause smog, the Ozone Annex will benefit some 16 million people in central and eastern Canada and provide an example for a future round of negotiations to address concerns of the millions of Canadians and Americans who live in the border area between British Columbia and Washington State. The brochure provide summaries of the Canadian and American commitments, focusing on transportation, monitoring and reporting. The Ozone Annex complements other air quality initiatives by the Government of Canada enacted under the Environmental Protection Act, 1999. These measures include regulations to reduce sulphur content to 30 parts per million by Jan 1, 2005; proposing to restrict toxic particulate matter (PM) to less than 10 microns; establishing daily smog forecasts in the Maritimes and committing to a national program built upon existing smog advisories and forecasts in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia; and investing in more clean air research through the newly created Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences

Ecknomic benefits arising from the Canadian nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-03-01

This document is a collection of surveys of the Canadian nuclear industry, with forecasts covering a number of possible scenarios. Topics covered include uranium mining and processing; economic benefits arising from the design, manufacture and construction of CANDU generating stations; employment and economic activity in the Canadian nqclear industry; and an overview of the remainder of the industry

Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society/Canadian Heart Rhythm Society joint position statement on the perioperative management of patients with implanted pacemakers, defibrillators, and neurostimulating devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Healey, Jeff S; Merchant, Richard; Simpson, Chris; Tang, Timothy; Beardsall, Marianne; Tung, Stanley; Fraser, Jennifer A; Long, Laurene; van Vlymen, Janet M; Manninen, Pirjo; Ralley, Fiona; Venkatraghavan, Lashmi; Yee, Raymond; Prasloski, Bruce; Sanatani, Shubhayan; Philippon, François

2012-01-01

There are more than 200,000 Canadians living with permanent pacemakers or implantable defibrillators, many of whom will require surgery or invasive procedures each year. They face potential hazards when undergoing surgery; however, with appropriate planning and education of operating room personnel, adverse device-related outcomes should be rare. This joint position statement from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) and the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society (CAS) has been developed as an accessible reference for physicians and surgeons, providing an overview of the key issues for the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care of these patients. The document summarizes the limited published literature in this field, but for most issues, relies heavily on the experience of the cardiologists and anesthesiologists who contributed to this work. This position statement outlines how to obtain information about an individual's type of pacemaker or implantable defibrillator and its programming. It also stresses the importance of determining if a patient is highly pacemaker-dependent and proposes a simple approach for nonelective evaluation of dependency. Although the document provides a comprehensive list of the intraoperative issues facing these patients, there is a focus on electromagnetic interference resulting from electrocautery and practical guidance is given regarding the characteristics of surgery, electrocautery, pacemakers, and defibrillators which are most likely to lead to interference. The document stresses the importance of preoperative consultation and planning to minimize complications. It reviews the relative merits of intraoperative magnet use vs reprogramming of devices and gives examples of situations where one or the other approach is preferable. Copyright © 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The impact of climate change on Canadian peatlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarnocai, C.

2009-01-01

This paper discussed the sensitivity of Canadian peatlands to climate change, with particular emphasis on the carbon dynamics, water regime changes and the contribution of peatlands to atmospheric greenhouse gases. Peatlands cover 12 per cent of the Canadian landscape, with most occurring in the boreal and subarctic regions. In total, the peatlands contain nearly 147 Gt of soil organic carbon, or about 56 per cent of the organic carbon stored in all Canadian soils. A peatland sensitivity model that was used to determine the effect of climate warming on peatlands revealed that about 60 per cent of the boreal and subarctic regions and 56 per cent of the organic carbon mass in all Canadian peatlands will be severely to extremely severely affected by climate change, and at an accelerated rate than ever before. Climate change predictions suggest that the greatest effects of climate warming on Canadian peatlands will occur in areas with perennially frozen peat. The major concern in these areas is that the melting of the frozen peat will result in waterlogged conditions. In contrast, drying of non-permafrost peatlands will result in a higher frequency and extent of wildfires. As a result of these changes, large amounts of carbon in the forms of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) will be released into the atmosphere from these peatlands, which will further accelerate climate warming. 43 refs., 2 tabs., 7 figs.

Short-term Canadian natural gas deliverability 2007-2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

This report examined factors that may influence gas supply in the near future, and presented an outlook for natural gas deliverability up to the year 2009. Deliverability was projected under the following 3 scenarios to reflect varying levels of drilling investment that may occur: (1) a reference case; (2) a high case; and (3) a low case. Canadian natural gas has provided approximately 25 per cent of North America's natural gas production over the past few years. Marketable gas sales in 2006 were approximately $42 billion. Approximately 98 per cent of the total Canadian volume of natural gas is produced in the western Canadian sedimentary basin (WCSB). Results of the scenario analyses showed that deliverability decreased in all 3 projected scenarios. By 2009, Canadian natural gas deliverability was projected to decrease to between 410 and 449 million m 3 /d. The report also noted that the annual decline rate of the average natural gas well is 55 per cent. Producers have been maintaining deliverability by increasing the number of wells drilled annually. Gas producers are now targeting the western side of the basin, and are drilling deeper wells in order to access richer deposits of gas. Coalbed methane (CBM) production is also expected to increase over the next few years. It was concluded that Canadian deliverability will continue to play an important role in North American gas supplies. 6 tabs., 6 figs

Canadian contribution to the European Union Home Team program for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murdoch, D.K.; Blevins, J.D.; Gierszewski, P.; Matsugu, R.

1998-01-01

Canadian participation in R and D and design tasks for the ITER project is predominantly in the fuel cycle, remote handling and safety fields. These tasks are carried out in Canada by Ontario Hydro, research institutes, industry and universities. In addition, Canada provides the services of a number of specialist engineers and scientists in key positions at the three ITER work sites and in the European Home Team. The Canadian contribution, which is coordinated by the Canadian Fusion Fuels Technology Project (CFFTP), forms an integral part of the European Union Home Team program. The key components of the Canadian contribution are described. (author)

Tulsa 1000: a naturalistic study protocol for multilevel assessment and outcome prediction in a large psychiatric sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Victor, Teresa A; Khalsa, Sahib S; Simmons, W Kyle; Feinstein, Justin S; Savitz, Jonathan; Aupperle, Robin L; Yeh, Hung-Wen; Bodurka, Jerzy; Paulus, Martin P

2018-01-24

Although neuroscience has made tremendous progress towards understanding the basic neural circuitry underlying important processes such as attention, memory and emotion, little progress has been made in applying these insights to psychiatric populations to make clinically meaningful treatment predictions. The overall aim of the Tulsa 1000 (T-1000) study is to use the NIMH Research Domain Criteria framework in order to establish a robust and reliable dimensional set of variables that quantifies the positive and negative valence, cognition and arousal domains, including interoception, to generate clinically useful treatment predictions. The T-1000 is a naturalistic study that will recruit, assess and longitudinally follow 1000 participants, including healthy controls and treatment-seeking individuals with mood, anxiety, substance use and eating disorders. Each participant will undergo interview, behavioural, biomarker and neuroimaging assessments over the course of 1 year. The study goal is to determine how disorders of affect, substance use and eating behaviour organise across different levels of analysis (molecules, genes, cells, neural circuits, physiology, behaviour and self-report) to predict symptom severity, treatment outcome and long-term prognosis. The data will be used to generate computational models based on Bayesian statistics. The final end point of this multilevel latent variable analysis will be standardised assessments that can be developed into clinical tools to help clinicians predict outcomes and select the best intervention for each individual, thereby reducing the burden of mental disorders, and taking psychiatry a step closer towards personalised medicine. Ethical approval was obtained from Western Institutional Review Board screening protocol #20101611. The dissemination plan includes informing health professionals of results for clinical practice, submitting results to journals for peer-reviewed publication, presenting results at national

Factors associated with the grief after stillbirth: a comparative study between Brazilian and Canadian women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gisele Ferreira Paris

Full Text Available Abstract OBJECTIVE To verify the association between complicated grief and sociodemographic, reproductive, mental, marital satisfaction, and professional support characteristics in women after stillbirth. METHOD Cross-sectional study with 26 women who had stillbirth in 2013, living in the city of Maringá, Brazil, and eight women who attended the Centre d'Études et de Rechercheen Intervention Familiale at the University of Quebec en Outaouais, in Canada. The instrument was administered as an interview to a small number of mothers of infants up to three months (n=50, who did not participate in the validation study. RESULTS By applying the short version of the Perinatal Grief Scale, the prevalence of complicated grief in Brazilian women was found to be higher (35% in relation to Canadian women (12%.Characteristics of the Brazilian women associated with the grief period included the presence of previous pregnancy with live birth, absence of previous perinatal loss, postpartum depression, and lack of marital satisfaction. For the Canadians it was observed that 80% of the women presenting no grief made use of the professional support group. In both populations the occurrence of complicated grief presented a higher prevalence in women with duration of pregnancy higher than 28 weeks. CONCLUSION The women that must be further investigated during the grief period are those living in Brazil, making no use of a professional support group, presenting little to no marital satisfaction, having no religion, and of a low educational level.

The Dividend and Share Repurchase Policies of Canadian Firms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. de Jong (Abe); R. van Dijk (Ronald); C.H. Veld

2001-01-01

textabstractWe empirically investigate dividend and share repurchase policies of Canadian firms. We have sent a questionnaire to the 500 largest non-financial Canadian companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, of which 191 usable responses were returned. These data are used to measure

Computers behind bars : Information technology in Canadian prison libraries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prange, Laurie

of information can have upon Canadian prison libraries. Gathered information is compared with the results of Canadian policy regarding the provision of information to inmates. The analysis of the collected facts can provide insight to help prison librarians deal with the increasing popularity of electronic...

Cultural influences on stigmatization of problem gambling: East Asian and Caucasian canadians.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhillon, Jasmin; Horch, Jenny D; Hodgins, David C

2011-12-01

Cultural influences on problem gambling stigma were examined using a between subject vignette study design. Students of East Asian (n = 64) and Caucasian (n = 50) ancestry recruited from a Canadian University rated a vignette describing either an East Asian problem gambler or a Caucasian problem gambler on a measure of attitudinal social distance. In accordance with the hypothesis, a factorial ANOVA revealed that East Asian Canadians stigmatize problem gambling more than Caucasian Canadians. Moreover, East Asian participants stigmatized the East Asian individual described in the vignette more than they did the Caucasian individual. Individuals with gambling problems were generally not perceived as being dangerous. However, participants who perceived problem gambling as a dangerous condition wanted more social distance than those who did not perceive individuals with a gambling problem as dangerous.

The role of Canadian heavy crude oil in the North American market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mink, F J; Antonia, H A

1977-01-01

Canadian reserves of heavy gravity crude oil are vast and the potential producibility from those reserves is expected to be surplus to Canadian requirements into the 1990s. This study focuses on the impact that market constraints may have on the future supply of heavy gravity crude oils from the W. Canadian basin. It observes that severe export restrictions will not only limit the orderly development of available reserves in the area but also will impair the prospects of additional enhanced recovery of conventional heavy crude reserves and restrict future experimental applications of oil sands recovery in the Cold Lake deposit of Alberta. Since it is expected that export restrictions for heavy gravity crude oil will be lifted in the future, the outlook for expanded development of indigenous reserves is promising.

Knowledge synthesis and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Ian D

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR is Canada's premier health-research funding agency. We fund nearly 14,000 researchers and trainees in four theme areas: biomedical, clinical, health services, and population and public-health research. Our mandate is 'to excel according to international standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system'. Knowledge synthesis is a key element of the knowledge-translation objectives of CIHR, as outlined in our definition of knowledge-translation.

Proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Society 12. annual conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This volume contains the Proceedings of the seventeen Technical Sessions from the Twelfth Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, June 9 to 12, 1991. As in previous years, the Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society was held in conjunction with the Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association. The major topics of discussion included: reactor physics; thermal hydraulics; industrial irradiation; computer applications; fuel channel analysis; small reactors; severe accidents; fuel behaviour under accident conditions; reactor components; safety related computer software; nuclear fuel management; nuclear waste management; and, uranium mining processing

Volunteering with Newcomers: The Perspectives of Canadian- and Foreign-born Volunteers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behnam Behnia

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Canadian- and foreign-born volunteers have contributed to the settlement of newcomers into Canadian society. Despite their important contribution, little has been reported about the experiences and perspectives of these volunteers. Using the information collected from face-to-face interviews with 60 Canadian- and foreign-born volunteers who support newcomers, this article discusses factors that motivate people to volunteer with newcomers. The study results revealed among other findings that (1 to become a volunteer, one not only needs to be motivated but also needs to believe that volunteering will produce the expected positive results and to have confidence in one’s ability to complete the assigned tasks, (2 once people become volunteers, the experience of volunteering tests their perceived self-efficacy and their belief about the effectiveness of their volunteer work. Success or failure in their expectations influences their decision tocontinue or discontinue their volunteer work.

Canadian crude oil production and supply forecast 2006-2020

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-05-01

In order to enable members to plan for pipeline capacity requirements for transporting Canadian crude oil to markets, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) 2006-2020 crude oil production and supply forecast provides a long-range outlook of Canadian crude oil production. It provides a forecast of supply and demand for both western and eastern Canada. Because offshore eastern oil production does not rely on pipeline access to reach markets, the analysis primarily focuses on western Canadian production and supply. Over the next fifteen years, Alberta's oil sands provides the main source of growth in the western Canadian production forecast. A survey of CAPP members encompassing all oil sands projects was conducted. Survey responses reflect both planned and envisioned projects over a fifteen year period, although some of the envisioned projects have been risk adjusted by modifying the potential completion schedules for projects which are deemed more uncertain. Detailed tables are provided on forecast data. Three sets of tables are included to show production, two supply scenarios and a high level assessment of the need for incremental pipeline capacity. The report also discusses delays and risk factors that could slow the pace of oil sands development and the corresponding increase in production being forecast in the base case. 16 tabs