Areas Of Ontario Research Articles

Examining Elementary Teachers' Use of Online Learning Environments: An Exploratory Study

This article presents the results of a study that examined elementary teachers' use of online learning environments for their informal professional learning in literacy instruction. Forty-five elementary teachers from a metropolitan area in Ontario, Canada, completed an online survey and participated in a semistructured interview. Survey and interview data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative methods. Key findings include the types of online learning environments used most often by participants and the motivational factors that influence participants' use of Web-based learning environments for their informal professional learning in literacy instruction. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

South Asian immigrant women’s suggestions for culturally-tailored HIV education and prevention programs

ABSTRACTUsing a community-based, socialist feminist qualitative study, and an emergent research design, we explored the unique individual experiences of South Asian immigrant women living with HIV in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) of Ontario, Canada. We assessed both the HIV risk context and the strategies for HIV education and prevention as expressed by study participants. Grounded in Connell’s social theory of gender, a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 12 women yielded six themes related to the power and impact of stigmatization, community’s denial of HIV, infidelity, manifested in resistance to discussing sex and condom use, non-disclosure, and lack of HIV knowledge. This study validated the legitimacy of listening to the voices of South Asian immigrant women living with HIV, who communicated 20 recommendations for researchers, educators, community organizations, and service providers to culturally-tailor HIV education programs.

Tissue Distribution of Substituted Diphenylamine Antioxidants and Benzotriazole Ultraviolet Stabilizers in White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii) from an Urban Creek in Canada

Substituted diphenylamine antioxidants (SDPAs) and benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BZT-UVs) have been detected in aquatic organisms, but little is known about their tissue distribution and elimination in wildlife. This study investigates the distribution of SDPAs and BZT-UVs in blood plasma, bile, liver, and carcass (without gill and internal organs) of white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) and evaluates the extent of biliary excretion in fish. Fish were collected from a creek upstream and downstream of an urban area in Ontario, Canada. Downstream fish showed levels of contamination of many target compounds [e.g., 4,4′-bis(α,α-dimethylbenzyl)diphenylamine and monononyl-diphenylamine] higher than those of upstream fish, indicating the input of these contaminants from the urban area. The concentration (wet weight) of target compounds generally decreased in the following order: liver > carcass homogenate ≥ bile > plasma. This indicates that liver is a major tissue for accumulation of these contaminant...

AAC Shock navy dry bean

AAC Shock is a high-yielding navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar with a semi-upright, indeterminate bush growth habit, large seed size, and resistance to common bacterial blight and races 1 and 15 of bean common mosaic virus. AAC Shock is recommended for dry bean growing areas in Ontario, Canada.

Leaching characteristics of nickeliferous pyrrhotite tailings from the Sudbury, Ontario area

ABSTRACTMineralogical characterisation showed the deportment of Ni to be similar in the Vale and Glencore tailings, with 60% of the total Ni locked in pyrrhotite, and the balance 40% associated with pentlandite. Nickel leaching was correlated with the dissolution extents of pyrrhotite and pentlandite as functions of four leaching regimes: ‘anoxic acid’ (with and without pH control), ‘oxic acid’ (oxygen sparging), ‘oxic acid’ (air sparging), and ‘oxic ferric’ (air sparging). The results showed that the maximum Ni dissolution was obtained during the pH controlled oxic acid leach with oxygen sparging at pH 1.5, while the anoxic acid leach at pH 1.5 resulted in minimum Ni dissolution (10–15%) from pyrrhotite. An overall Ni mass balance showed that pyrrhotite and pentlandite dissolve simultaneously in the presence of Fe(III) and oxygen, in contrast to the preferential dissolution of pyrrhotite in the absence of Fe(III). Elemental sulphur yield increased with increasing temperature, but no observable trend could be linked to ferric or ferrous ion concentration.

Sport and Muslim men in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada: an exploratory study

This study is based on semi-structured interviews with nine Muslim men, between 19 and 25 years of age, living in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada, about their sport experiences. Study participants tried to balance their sporting interests with their desire to follow their faith, demonstrating varying degrees and dimensions of social inclusion. Sometimes physical education teachers and coaches facilitated inclusion, especially with regards to prayers and limiting activity levels during Ramadan. In contrast, with respect to factors not directly part of the game or sport, the men had to negotiate and reconcile conflicts between their beliefs and some of the normalized practices within the sport culture they were in. This included gendered norms of coarse and sexualized language, alcohol consumption and the provision of non-halal food. A few participants therefore found it far more comfortable and easier to participate in Muslim-led or Islamic informed sport.

Risk Assessment During the Pan American and Parapan American Games, Toronto, 2015.

During the summer of 2015, the Pan American and Parapan American Games took place in the Greater Toronto area of Ontario, Canada, bringing together thousands of athletes and spectators from around the world. The Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance (ACES) system-a syndromic surveillance system that captures comprehensive hospital visit triage information from acute care hospitals across Ontario-monitored distinct syndromes throughout the games. We describe the creation and use of a risk assessment tool to evaluate alerts produced by ACES during this period. During the games, ACES generated 1420 alerts, 4 of which were considered a moderate risk and were communicated to surveillance partners for further action. The risk assessment tool was useful for public health professionals responsible for surveillance activities during the games. Next steps include integrating the tool within the ACES system.

Registration of black-seeded douchi food grade soybean Germplasm, HS-172

HS-172 is a black-seeded food-grade soybean line [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] suitable for use to make douchi or fermented, salt-preserved black soybean. It is adapted to the areas of southwest Ontario with 3100 or more crop heat units and has a relative maturity rating of 2.5.

Analyzing the Potential Risk of Climate Change on Lyme Disease in Eastern Ontario, Canada Using Time Series Remotely Sensed Temperature Data and Tick Population Modelling

The number of Lyme disease cases (Lyme borreliosis) in Ontario, Canada has increased over the last decade, and that figure is projected to continue to increase. The northern limit of Lyme disease cases has also been progressing northward from the northeastern United States into southeastern Ontario. Several factors such as climate change, changes in host abundance, host and vector migration, or possibly a combination of these factors likely contribute to the emergence of Lyme disease cases in eastern Ontario. This study first determined areas of warming using time series remotely sensed temperature data within Ontario, then analyzed possible spatial-temporal changes in Lyme disease risk in eastern Ontario from 2000 to 2013 due to climate change using tick population modeling. The outputs of the model were validated by using tick surveillance data from 2002 to 2012. Our results indicated areas in Ontario where Lyme disease risk changed from unsustainable to sustainable for sustaining Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick) populations. This study provides evidence that climate change has facilitated the northward expansion of black-legged tick populations’ geographic range over the past decade. The results demonstrate that remote sensing data can be used to increase the spatial detail for Lyme disease risk mapping and provide risk maps for better awareness of possible Lyme disease cases. Further studies are required to determine the contribution of host migration and abundance on changes in eastern Ontario’s Lyme disease risk.

Incorporation of wastes by native species during and after an experimental aquaculture operation

Freshwater aquaculture increases dissolved and particulate nutrients near fish cages, but the degree to which they are incorporated into tissues of native animals is uncertain. At the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario, Canada, a cage culture of Rainbow Trout was operated seasonally for 5 y, and invertebrates and fishes were collected before, during, and after culturing from the experimental lake and a reference lake to assess changes in stable isotopes of C and N in their tissues. The feed contained marine fishmeal and was higher in C and N isotope values (δ13C and δ15N) than lake biota by ≥4‰ (all taxa) and 3‰ (all invertebrates), respectively. During the aquaculture operation, δ15N of littoral and pelagic invertebrates, profundal chironomids, minnows, and Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) increased by 2 to 5‰ relative to before aquaculture values. In the 1st and 2nd years after aquaculture, δ15N of several invertebrate taxa and all fishes continued to increase 1 to 2‰/y. In contrast, during aquaculture, only minnows and trout had significant increases (up to 3‰) in δ13C. In the period after aquaculture, the δ13C of fishes, plankton, and profundal chironomids declined to below values measured before or during aquaculture. Isotopic analysis of native biota can be used to monitor assimilation of cage culture wastes in freshwater ecosystems.

Spaces of well-being among young adults with physical disabilities transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare

BackgroundYouth with disabilities are at risk of poor health outcomes as they transition to adult healthcare. Although space and place play an important role in accessing healthcare little is known about the spatial aspects of youth's transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. ObjectiveTo understand the spaces of well-being as youth with physical disabilities transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. MethodsThis study draws on a qualitative design involving 63 in-depth interviews with young adults (n = 22), parents (n = 17), and clinicians (n = 24) involved in preparing young adults for transition. All participants were recruited from a pediatric rehabilitation hospital within a metropolitan area of Ontario, Canada. Data were analyzed using an inductive content analysis approach that was informed by the spaces of well-being framework. ResultsThe results highlight that within the ‘spaces of capability’ those with more disability-related complications and/or those using a mobility device encountered challenges in their transition to adult care. The ‘spaces of security’ influencing youth's well-being during their transition included: temporary (in)security while they were away at college, and health (in)security. Most of the focus on youth's transition included ‘integrative spaces’, which can enhance or hinder their well-being. Such spaces included: spatial (dis)connections (distance to access care), embeddedness (family and community), physical access, and distance. Meanwhile, therapeutic spaces involved having spaces that youth were satisfied with and enhanced their well-being as they transitioned to adult care. ConclusionsIn applying the spaces of well-being framework, the findings showed that youth had varied experiences regarding spaces of capability, security, integrative, and therapeutic spaces.

Registration of edamame food grade soybean Germplasm, HS-171

HS-171 is a large-seeded edamame food-grade soybean genotype [Glycine max. (L.) Merr.] with yellow hilum, low oil, and high protein and sucrose concentrations. It is adapted to the areas of southwest Ontario with 3100 or more crop heat units and has a relative maturity rating of 2.6.

Implementation and Utilisation of Telepsychiatry in Ontario: A Population-Based Study.

Rural areas in Ontario have fewer psychiatrists, making access to specialist mental health care challenging. Our objective was to characterise psychiatrists delivering and patients receiving telepsychiatry in Ontario and to determine the number of patients who accessed a psychiatrist via telepsychiatry following discharge from psychiatric hospitalisation. We conducted a serial panel study to evaluate the characteristics of psychiatrists providing telepsychiatry from April 2007 to March 2013. In addition, we conducted a cross-sectional study for fiscal year 2012-2013 to examine telepsychiatry patient characteristics and create an in-need patient cohort of individuals with a recent psychiatric hospitalisation that assessed if they had follow-up with a psychiatrist in person or through telepsychiatry within 1 year of discharge. In fiscal year 2012-2013, a total of 3801 people had 5635 telepsychiatry visits, and 7% ( n = 138) of Ontario psychiatrists provided telepsychiatry. Of the 48,381 people identified as in need of psychiatric care, 60% saw a local psychiatrist, 39% saw no psychiatrist, and less than 1% saw a psychiatrist through telepsychiatry only or telepsychiatry in addition to local psychiatry within a year. Three northern regions had more than 50% of in-need patients fail to access psychiatry within 1 year. Currently, relatively few patients and psychiatrists use telepsychiatry. In addition, patients scarcely access telepsychiatry for posthospitalisation follow-up. This study, which serves as a preliminary baseline for telepsychiatry in Ontario, demonstrates that telepsychiatry has not evolved systematically to address need and highlights the importance of system-level planning when implementing telepsychiatry to optimise access to care.

Caught between a rock and a hard place: mental health of migrant live-in caregivers in Canada

BackgroundCanada depends on Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs), also known as migrant workers, to fill labour shortage in agriculture, hospitality, construction, child/senior care, and other low-skilled occupations. Evidence shows that TFWs, especially women live-in caregivers (LC), constitute a vulnerable population. Their health is compromised by the precarious and harsh working and living conditions they encounter. There is a paucity of research on the mental health of LCs, their support systems and access to mental health services.MethodIn this community-based exploratory study, we used mixed methods of survey and focus groups to explore the work related experiences and mental health of migrant live-in caregivers in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants. The inclusion criteria were: being 18 years or older, initially migrated to Canada as TFWs under LC program, resided in the Greater Toronto Area, and able to understand and converse in English based on self-report. This paper reports on the focus group results derived from inductive thematic analysis.ResultsA total of 30 women LCs participated in the study. Most of them were from the Philippines. A number of key themes emerged from the participants’ narratives: (1) precarious migration-employment status (re)produces exploitation; (2) deskilling and downward social mobility reinforce alienation; (3) endurance of hardship for family back home; (4) double lives of public cheerfulness and private anguish; and (4) unrecognized mental health needs. The study results reflected gross injustices experienced by these women.ConclusionA multi-faceted approach is required to improve the working and living conditions of this vulnerable group and ultimately their health outcomes. We recommend the following: government inspection to ensure employer compliance with the labour standards and provision of safe working and living conditions; change immigration policy to allow migrant caregivers to apply for permanent residence upon arrival; the TFWs Program to establish fair wages and subsidized housing so that caregivers can truly access the live-out option; and local ethno-specific, settlement and faith organizations be leveraged to provide TFWs with social support as well as information about their rights and how to access health and social care.

Derivation of the characteristics of the Surface Urban Heat Island in the Greater Toronto area using thermal infrared remote sensing

ABSTRACTFor the past decades, there have been increasing concerns about urban environmental degradation, especially under the circumstance of urbanization. This paper compares the trends between air temperature and surface temperature, and characterizes spatial distribution and connection with relevant urban characteristics, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) of Ontario in the context of surface urban heat island (SUHI). The trends in annual and seasonal temperature were investigated in the GTA from 1984 to 2014. A local scale investigation was continued by applying Landsat and ASTER thermal-band images in order to characterize SUHI intensity in the study area. Results show that strong SUHI phenomenon is mainly observed at downtown Toronto and industrial areas and the temperature variation is consistent with the pace of urbanization, such as low NDVI, land use change, increasing population and new roads.

Home Ranges and Movements of Elk (<i>Cervus canadensis</i>) Restored to Southern Ontario, Canada

During 2000 and 2001, Elk (Cervus canadensis) were restored to the Bancroft, Ontario area. The objective of this study was to determine the home range and movements of six social units of Elk, 5–12 years after restoration, in an area of about 2500 km2 near Bancroft. Home range and movements were calculated from 40 221 Global Positioning System locations acquired from 56 collared Elk (16 bulls and 40 cows) between 2006 and 2013. Annual home ranges were found to be significantly greater (mean 110.3 km2, standard error [SE] 11.2) for Elk in areas where winter feeding by humans did not occur compared with those (mean 51.0 km2, SE 9.0) where winter feeding was prevalent. Elk in winter feeding areas had smaller ranges in winter than other seasons. On a seasonal basis, home range size was larger for Elk in areas where winter feeding did not occur; mean winter home range for Elk in non-feeding areas was 73.4 km2 (SE34.0) compared with 8.3 km2 (SE 2.6) for Elk in areas where winter feeding occurred. The 20 Elk that were monitored for multiple years exhibited home range fidelity among years. The entire range of all radio-collared Elk within the social groups studied covered 1716.4 km2 during 2006–2013. Average daily movements of Elk in the study arearanged from 1.0 to 2.1 km/day with greatest movements occurring during spring and summer. However, some Elk were capable of moving an average of 5–7km in a 12-h interval. Movements (about 5 km) to winter range occurred during October to December each year. Cows moved to calving areas in May with mean movements of Elk to spring/summer range about 6 km. Cow/calf groups moved to fall ranges by early September with mean movements of about 4 km. During the rut, mean bull movements of 16.0 km to cow groups over 1–5 days occurred in early September. Hunting of Elk during the fall of 2011 and 2012 did not appear to significantly affect the movements and dispersion of Elk in the study area.

Impact of the rural pipeline in medical education: practice locations of recently graduated family physicians in Ontario

BackgroundThe “rural pipeline” suggests that students educated in rural, or other underserviced areas, are more likely to establish practices in such locations. It is upon this concept that the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) was founded. Our analysis answers the following question: Are physicians who were educated at NOSM more likely to practice in rural and northern Ontario compared with physicians who were educated at other Canadian medical schools?MethodsWe used data from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. We compared practice locations of certified Ontario family physicians who had graduated from NOSM vs. other Canadian medical schools in 2009 or later. We categorized the physicians according to where they completed their undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) training, either at NOSM or elsewhere. We used logistic regression models to determine if the location of UG and PG training was associated with rural or northern Ontario practice location.ResultsOf the 535 physicians examined, 67 had completed UG and/or PG medical education at NOSM. Over two thirds of physicians with any NOSM education were practicing in northern areas and 25.4% were practicing in rural areas of Ontario compared with those having no NOSM education, with 4.3 and 10.3% in northern and rural areas, respectively. Physicians who graduated from NOSM-UG were more likely to have practices located in rural Ontario (OR = 2.57; p = 0.014) whereas NOSM-PG physicians were more likely to have practices in northern Ontario (OR = 57.88; p < 0.001).ConclusionsNOSM education was associated with an increased likelihood of practicing in rural (NOSM-UG) and northern (NOSM-PG) Ontario.

Naturopaths in Ontario, Canada: geographic patterns in intermediately-sized metropolitan areas and integration implications.

Evaluating conventional medicine (CM) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with respect to integration opportunities (such as patient referrals and professional knowledge sharing) and possible geographic implications is novel. This research utilizes nearest neighbour and local spatial autocorrelation statistical analyses and surveys directed towards Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine (NDs) and their patients to better understand the geographic patterns of NDs and potential integration qualities. While the statistical tests reveal that the offices of NDs and Doctors of Medicine (MDs) display clustered patterns in intermediately-sized census metropolitan areas in Ontario and that the majority of NDs are near MDs, proximity is not manifesting in discernible integration tendencies between NDs and MDs. The NDs polled were strongly in favour of greater integration with the CM sector (as were their patients) to: achieve better patient health outcomes and to gain efficiencies within the health care system. Yet, both surveys also indicate that the barriers to integration are substantial and, generally speaking, centre on the perception that many MDs lack respect for, and/or knowledge about, naturopathic approaches. It is speculated that as students in conventional medical schools are increasingly exposed to CAM approaches, perhaps more MDs in the future will be receptive to greater integration with CAM. Should this occur, then it is also possible that geographic proximity may be a catalyst for deeper CAM-CM integration; as it has been for CAM-CAM relationships.

Perceptions of health care social workers in Ontario: challenges and facilitators to reflective practice

Background: Reflective practice in health care social work ensures that social workers provide effective and efficient services to clients as well as maintaining their mental and physical health. In this study, we aim to determine how health care social workers engage in and describe reflective practice and challenges related to their reflective practice in their work in the health care system.Methods: We used the Reflective Dialogue Rating Scale (RDRS) developed by Marion Bogo et al. to structure qualitative face-to-face interviews with 23 health care social workers employed in a hospital in a large urban area in Ontario, Canada.Results: Findings illustrated that all participants regularly engaged in reflective practice in order to carry out everyday social work activities, promote ethical practice, and to enhance the provision of services to their clients. The social worker participants consistently agreed that as a profession they faced challenges maintaining their knowledge of current research due to few opportunities for professional development, workload competing with educational opportunities, and a work climate that is not conducive to gaining professional development, thereby challenging reflective practice. Supportive working environments include: peer supervision, safe and private spaces to talk to colleagues, a supportive supervisor, and an overall positive organizational culture.Discussion and conclusion: Reflective practice is a key component in health care social work. All 23 social workers stated that they used reflective techniques (such as peer supervision and debriefing) to deal with their own reactions and operated in a purposeful and intentional manner to form therapeutic relationships with clients. As such, participants stated that lifelong learning was paramount in providing quality care to clients.

Abstract WP180: Rural-Urban Differences in Stroke Incidence, Mortality and Risk Factor Prevalence in Ontario

Introduction: Little is known about stroke incidence, mortality and risk factor prevalence in rural versus urban regions. We used linked population-based administrative databases to compare cardiovascular risk factors, stroke incidence and stroke-related death in residents of rural and urban Ontario, Canada. Methods: We used a sub-population of the Cardiovascular Health in Ambulatory Care Research Team (CANHEART) cohort, consisting of individuals aged 40 to 105 in Ontario with no known hospitalization for stroke in the 20 years prior to January 1, 2008. We defined rural regions as those with a population size ≤ 30, 000. We compared the age- and sex- standardized prevalence of risk factors, as well as 5-year stroke incidence and stroke-related mortality rates, in people residing in rural versus urban areas. Results: The study sample consisted of 6,207,032 individuals. Compared to residents of urban regions, rural residents were more likely to smoke (25.3% versus 19.3%), be obese (25.1% versus 19.3%) and live in a low-income area (43.5% versus 38.3%) (P&lt;0.001 for all comparisons). However, there were no differences in the proportion of residents with hypertension, diabetes and atrial fibrillation. Age- and sex-standardized stroke incidence was higher in rural compared to urban areas (2.18 versus 1.99 events/1000 person-years; p&lt;0.001), as was stroke-related mortality (0.79 versus 0.65 events/1000 person-years; p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Certain cardiovascular risk factors have increased prevalence in rural areas compared to urban areas. Furthermore, stroke incidence and mortality rates were greater in rural areas in Ontario. Future efforts should focus on reducing regional discrepancies in social determinants of health and addressing risk factor prevalence, particularly smoking and obesity, in rural regions.