Alberta - Science topic

Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) provide dual ecosystem services, as the adults act as pollinators and the larvae can be predators of crop pests. Because bloom time is limited in mass-flowering crops, resources within crops for hoverfly adults can also be limited and change temporally. Therefore, hoverflies need to move between crops and their borde...

This paper rigorously explores the multifaceted standards and procedures for building management and maintenance as prescribed by Alberta's governmental regulations. Through an examination of various sectors, from window cleaning to electrical system maintenance, it highlights the essential practices and innovative strategies employed to ensure str...

The hydrology and hydrography of the Canadian Prairies are complex and difficult to represent in hydrological models. Recent studies suggest that runoff velocities on the Canadian Prairies may be much smaller than generally assumed. Times to peak, basin-scale flow velocities and roughnesses were derived from hourly streamflow hydrographs from 23 ba...

The low-frequency content of seismic waves in exploration is of substantial value as it can benefit imaging and inversion by providing deeper penetration, broader-band energy, and wavelet stability. However, characterizing the factors contributing to low frequencies (the seismic source, response of the receiver, and spectral signal-to-noise) and th...

Petrologic investigation of the El Ali IAB iron meteorite (Somalia) revealed three new minerals: elaliite [ $\begin{array}{} \displaystyle {\rm Fe_{8}^{2+}} \end{array}$Fe³⁺(PO4)O8, IMA 2022-087], elkinstantonite [Fe4(PO4)2O, IMA 2022-088], and olsenite [KFe4(PO4)3, IMA 2022-100]. The name elaliite recognizes the occurrence of this mineral within t...

Objectives: This study explored how group-based early parent education impacts development in preterm infants. Methods: This retrospective cohort study, with a historical control group, included preterm infants (n = 246) with corrected ages (CAs) of 0–3 months. Those visiting the clinic between July 2017 and December 2018 formed the control group (...

Objective Examination of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rates of antipsychotic medication use, initiation and discontinuation, among newly admitted long-term care residents. Design Repeated cross-sectional study. Settings and Participants Long-term care home residents in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, Canada assessed with the Mini...

Background/Objectives: Family physicians are essential to a well-functioning healthcare system; however, they face significant administrative and cognitive burdens that contribute to their burnout and reduce the quality of patient care they provide. Digital health tools offer potential solutions to these problems. This study examined the interface...

Background Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare disorder that was initially documented by Prader and Willi in 1956. Despite significant advancements in the understanding of PWS over recent decades, no bibliometric studies have been reported on this field. We aimed to analyze and explore the research trends and hotspots of PWS using a bibliometric...

Background Family physicians in Canada’s universal healthcare system often manage low back pain patients using interventions not recommended in clinical guidelines, such as pharmaceuticals, imaging and spinal injections, while guideline-based treatments like education and exercise remain unfunded. The Alberta Back Care pathway was developed to addr...

Several broadleaf crops on the Canadian prairies suffer economic damage by Lygus bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae), populations of which are suppressed by parasitoids in the genus Peristenus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). We used three different methods to assess levels of this parasitism for different instars of Lygus collected in southern Alberta, Canada. Sc...

The economic importance of insect pests in agricultural fields and the potential biological control by their natural enemies warrant foundational studies for the development of integrated pest management strategies. An insect survey was conducted in alfalfa (Fabaceae) seed production fields in southern Alberta, Canada, during the bud, flowering, an...

Background Addressing a lack of diversity in the physician workforce is a priority in the Canadian healthcare system. Data describing demographics of residents and their experiences of discrimination, harassment, and racism at work are incomplete. The objective of this work was to describe the demographics and perceptions of workplace discriminatio...

The Neoproterozoic Kerur Formation of Badami Group, Kaladgi Basin, Karnataka deposited in an alluvial fan-fluvial to shallow marine setting, is known to host unconformity related uranium mineralization in India. The uranium exploration in Kaladgi Basin is successful only in the western sector of the basin, near Belgaum, while in the eastern sector,...

Purpose Clinicians monitor scoliosis progression using radiographs during growth. Three standing positions were assessed because the arms must be elevated to visualize all vertebrae on radiographs, possibly affecting sagittal parameters. 3D Ultrasound (3DUS) is safe to assess positions without radiation, but its test–retest reliability has not been...

Environmental policies vary across space, and a growing body of empirical research compares land prices across administrative boundaries to estimate the causal effects of local policies. However, this approach can be confounded if the market anticipates the boundaries may change and land prices respond accordingly. We propose a way to separately id...

Background With a growing older adult population, the number of persons with dementia is expected to rise. Consequently, the number of persons needing decision-making capacity assessments (DMCA) will increase. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted how we deliver patient care including DMCAs with a much more rapid shift to virtual assessments. Virtual...

The mountain pine beetle has recently expanded its range into northern and central Alberta, posing an immediate threat to the novel host, jack pine. To date, some experiments suggest that jack pine has limited defensive capabilities despite of the restrictions from the physical environment. In this work, we explore the susceptibility of jack pine c...

With the growing complexity of challenges facing our forests – from wildfires and pest outbreaks to declining overall health – AI offers innovative solutions and a new lens through which to address these issues. In this presentation, I share my expertise with The Strategic Forest Initiatives and Policy Branch of Alberta’s Ministry of Forestry and...

Abstract Species of Saurolophus are known from the early-middle Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous. Saurolophus osborni (Brown, 1912) is from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation, early Maastrichtian (70 mya), Alberta, Canada, and Saurolophus angustirostris (Rozhdestvensky, 1952), Nemegt Formation, middle Maastrichtian (68 mya), Mongolia. Fresno County, Cali...

A 500 m long, 60 m high rock slope adjacent to Highway 837 in Alberta, Canada (C018 site) has a long history of landslides, with multiple occurrences of fallen material reaching and blocking the highway. Since 2000, 11 landslides have been reported. Previous studies have shown that a relationship exists between weather conditions and three distinct...

This paper contributes to the political economic analysis of industrial forestry in the Global North (GN) by introducing and applying elements of an analytical framework for extractivist valorization. The proposed framework serves as a complement, systematization, and extension of the concepts of valorization and (post-fossil) extractivism. It scru...

This study delves into the complex dynamics of leadership within Alberta’s K-12 education system, specifically focusing on the relationship between age, gender, maternity and parental leaves and women’s career progression. Using an explanatory mixed-method approach, comprising a survey of 416 educational leaders and two focus groups of 20 women in...

Purpose The association between the Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT Score (ASPECTS) and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients undergoing thrombolysis remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the relationship between ASPECTS and thrombolysis-associated outcomes, focusing on symptomatic (sICH) and asymptomatic...

This study investigates the synoptic conditions associated with lake-effect snow (LES) over northwestern Pennsylvania with a focus on classifying cases based on the tracks of cyclones influencing the region, including Nor’easters (NEs), Alberta Clippers (ACs), Colorado Lows (COs), and Great Lakes Lows (GLs). Synoptic composites were constructed usi...

Fungal communities are important components of soil biology and play crucial roles in multiple ecosystem functions and services; therefore, they can be used as effective indicators of soil function in stockpiled reclamation soils. We profiled the fungal communities of seven stockpiles of different ages (0.5, 1.5, 2, 5, 7, 11, and 28 years old) at v...

Departures from historical wildfire regimes due to climate change have significant implications for the structure and composition of forests, as well as for fire management and operations in the Alberta region of Canada. This study analyzed the relationship between climate and wildfire and used a random forest algorithm to predict future wildfire f...

Introduction Individuals experiencing housing instability face significant health inequities. Addressing housing instability requires an understanding of the factors that contribute to these inequities—a responsibility that has been assumed by community-based organizations. Interviewing individuals from 3 Canadian provinces, the present study aimed...

Background Excessive antimicrobial exposure is associated with an increase in neonatal mortality, morbidities and adverse neurodevelopment. Canadian Neonatal Network has been promoting judicious antimicrobial use through the Evidence-based Practice for Improving Quality processes. Our objective was to evaluate the antimicrobial consumption among ne...

AAC Planet is a semi-leafless and powdery mildew (caused by Erysiphe pisi Syd.) resistant field pea (Pisum sativum L.) variety developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. It has high yielding potential, late maturity, tall plant height with good lodging resistance, medium seed si...

The method of in-line flocculation or in-line polymer addition is a niche dewatering method that is commonly used in the oil sands industry in Northern Alberta, Canada. This method promotes tailings slurry to release clear water, increase the yield stress, and create a steepened beach slope, without the need for additional capital-intensive dewater...

Background The rate of 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions can affect the funding a hospital receives. An accurate and reliable readmission prediction model could save money and increase quality-of-care. Few projects have explored formulating this task as a survival prediction problem, where models can exploit a real-valued time-to-readmission t...

The provision of timely and comprehensive healthcare is a fundamental aspect of resettlement for refugees, who often experience critical unmet health needs. In Canada, this includes connecting refugees with primary care providers to treat acute health conditions, as well as to provide longitudinal and preventative care. However, refugee access to h...

Apooyak'ii / Tiffany Hind Bull – Prete has contributed the beautiful cover photograph entitled: “Placidity”. As importantly, Prete developed a photo journal with some wonderful photographs of the stunning landscape and flora of the lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy in Southern Alberta. At times, the photographs complement, at other times they serv...

This article pulls a thick thread around the story of a Metis man who lived his life on disputed territory in Northern Alberta; the thread exteds to bring forward historical events impacting the lives of all Alberta Metis during the early 1900s and into the present. Negative attitudes towards Metis people in the 1930s are described briefly, and sho...

This article explores one example of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada’s, Calls to Action #69, being implemented through the work of the Galt Museum & Archives with a Blackfoot researcher within the Treaty 7 area in Southern Alberta. Call to Action #69 recommends that museums and archives allocate more resources and develop pr...

Background Epilepsy management during pregnancy is crucial for both the mother and fetus. The use of antiseizure medications (ASMs) during pregnancy requires careful consideration due to their potential effects on maternal and fetal health. Methods This study analyzed trends in ASMs use among pregnant people in four Canadian provinces over 20 year...

In a multistressor world, evidence-based stewardship of aquatic ecosystems requires long-term monitoring data to understand the timing and magnitude of environmental change and potential causes. At the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD; northeastern Alberta, Canada), concern for aquatic ecosystem degradation has triggered renewed and urgent calls by Indig...

Objective This study was undertaken to determine whether admission to dedicated seizure monitoring units (SMUs) result in reduced health care use (HCU). Methods This was a retrospective open cohort study covering the years 2010–2018 of patients residing in Alberta, Canada, who were referred to the Calgary Comprehensive Epilepsy Program and admitte...

Background: Approximately 25% of adolescents live with chronic pain, with many reporting symptoms of functional impairment and poor sleep quality. Both chronic pain and poor sleep quality can negatively impact brain functional connectivity and efficiency. Better sleep quality may improve pain outcomes through its relationship with brain functional...

Objective Venous outflow (VO) impairment predicts unfavorable outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion (AIS‐LVO). Prolonged venous transit (PVT), a visual qualitative VO marker on CT perfusion (CTP) time to maximum (Tmax) maps, has been associated with unfavorable 90‐day functional outcomes despite successful...

Background Lactation has many established benefits for women’s long-term health; however, its influence on menopause is less clear. This study investigated the association between lifetime duration of lactation and the timing and type of menopause in midlife women. Methods We analyzed survey data on 19,783 parous women aged 40 to 65 years at enrol...

Live capture is an important tool for wildlife research, conservation, and management as it allows for insight into movement, behavior, demographics, diet, and health of wildlife populations. Live capture is also used for conservation translocations or to remove animals from human‐wildlife conflict situations. Improving trapping efficiency is benef...

Here I recall my encounters with Howard O'Hagan's novel, Tay John. My memories are coloured by my contacts with Sheila W atson and E.D. Blodgett at the University of Alberta. Teaching Tay John was a pioneering adventure in the context of competing views of Canadian Literature, theory and the role of the critical reader.

Neoichnology provides insights essential for interpreting trace fossils in the rock record. Despite the wealth of studies conducted in marine nearshore environments, non-marine environments including lacustrine settings have received comparably little attention. Moreover, previous neoichnological studies of lakes are restricted to arid, semi-arid,...

AAC McMurphy is a semi-leafless, yellow cotyledonary field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. It has a maturity of 90 days, one-thousand-seed weight of 246 g, and a lodging score of 2.9 on the scale of 1–9. The seed crude protein content of...

Research indicates that recording medical consultations benefits patients by helping them recall information pertinent to their care. Cancer Care Alberta set out to develop a mobile recording app to enable patients to safely and securely record appointments and take notes. Stakeholder engagement was conducted with patients, healthcare providers, an...

Signs and symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are present at preschool ages and often not identified for early intervention. We aimed to use machine learning to detect ADHD early among kindergarten-aged children using population-level administrative health data and a childhood developmental vulnerability surveillance tool: E...

Background Decades of medical data show worse patient outcomes among racial and gender minorities due to implicit, explicit, and structural biases. Increasing representation of marginalized groups among care providers is imperative to help address this. Limited literature exists on bias awareness strategies for interviewers during the selection of...

Chapter 7: "Content Analyses Findings" presents the core of the research, focusing on the observation of illegitimate rhetorical constraints through content analysis of the deliberative democratic process during the July 20, 2015, public hearing on land use change for the Paskapoo Slopes in Calgary, Alberta. This chapter outlines four key analyses...

Background Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) has improved diagnosis and treatment planning in paediatric dentistry, but no bibliometric studies have examined the research landscape. This study provides an overview of CBCT in paediatric dentistry. Methods A bibliometric review was conducted using articles from the Web of Science database up to Fe...

Chapter 4: "Power Dynamics and BIA" situates the case study within the broader academic discourse on the relationship between assessments and power, serving as a literature review. The first half traces the evolution of scholarly discussions on EIA and power, exploring current hypotheses for addressing EIA’s potential misuse of power and positionin...

Background: In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action 22 to 24 around health, the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Calgary piloted a novel Indigenous Health Longitudinal Elective (IHLE) to give first year residents longitudinal experiences in Indigenous healthcare environments. The purpose of...

Chapter 2 “Chronology of Resistance to Development” places the contested greenfield of the case study within the context of local resistance history and the evolution of EIA practices and environmental awareness leading up to the democratic deliberations on land use change of the public hearing of July 20, 2015. This chapter lays the groundwork for...

Revised Reflection on Can the 'NIMBY' Speak? Examining the Rhetorical Authority of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in Urban Land Use Decisions: An Illustrative Case Study, explore the intersection of speech act theory and power dynamics within EIAs in urban North American colonial contexts. The primary goal is to assess the legitimacy of a...

The oil sands in Alberta, Canada is a significant source of air pollution. Observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the NASA Aura satellite have been used to quantify NOx emissions from the surface mining region of the oil sands. Two related emissions methods were utilized, one for point and one for area sources, where OMI vertica...

Radio astronomy observatories, such as the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in Penticton, British Columbia, try to limit radio frequency interference to observe incredibly faint astronomical signals. These protective measures include placing observatories in geographically remote locations, the implementation of radio-frequency-interference...

Purpose To create medical school service regions and examine national in-region graduate retention patterns across the medical education continuum and into professional practice as one approach to advancing social accountability in medical education. Methods Medical school service regions were created in Canada using publicly available data and ma...

Purpose To present EQ-5D-5L population norms for the general adult population in Alberta, Canada. Methods We analyzed data from 11 population-based surveys conducted in Alberta between 2012 and 2021. By applying appropriate sampling weights, we estimated normative data for the EQ-5D-5L dimensions, index scores, and visual analogue scale (VAS) scor...

Numerous tick species are undergoing significant range expansion in Canada, including several Dermacentor spp Koch (Acari: Ixodidae). With the recent description of Dermacentor similis Lado in the western United States, additional research is required to determine the current range of this species. Five hundred ninety-eight Dermacentor spp. were co...

We present six observations, including photographs, of at least four individual hummingbirds from Alberta and British Columbia that we have identified as hybrids between the Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris) and Rufous (Selasphorus rufus) Hummingbirds, a hybrid combination currently poorly documented in the literature. Diagnostic features includ...

As grazing lands expand it is important to understand the effect cattle (Bos taurus) may have on native ungulates. Cattle presence in a landscape can cause both spatial and temporal partitioning in wild ungulates. We used remote cameras to investigate the impacts of seasonal rest-rotational cattle grazing on both the temporal and spatial behaviors...

Objectives Long-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with higher risk of cardiovascular mortality. Less is known about the association of air pollution with initial development of cardiovascular disease. Herein, the association between low-level exposure to air pollutants and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in adults without known...

Objective While many medical practitioners value the interactive nature of in-person conferences, results of these interactions are often poorly documented. The objective of this study was to pilot the Delphi method for developing consensus following a national conference and to compare the results between experts who did and did not attend. Metho...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on healthcare systems worldwide, leading to changes in presentation types, service utilization, and admission rates to emergency departments (ED). This study examines changes in ED visit patterns and triage misclassifications during the pandemic in Alberta, Canada. Methods: We conducted...

Housing is a key part of the sustainability discourse of any community. It can affect the recruitment and retention of workers and their families that, in turn, support the resilience of rural communities, businesses, and economies. The purpose of this paper is to examine the scalar dimensions of transition management to support socio-economic deve...

Objectives The primary objective of this study was to identify clinical and socioeconomic predictors of hospital and ED use among children with medical complexity within 1 and 5 years of an initial discharge between 2010 and 2013. A secondary objective was to estimate marginal associations between important predictors and resource use. Methods Thi...