Sites In Quebec Research Articles

Organization of Vaccination Sites in Quebec: Perception of Users, Employees and managers

Abstract Since late 2020, vaccination sites have emerged rapidly in order to protect the population against COVID-19. Health services in Montérégie (Québec) are provided by three organizations. Each adopted a different approach to immunization. The Regional Public Health Department took this opportunity to describe, compare, and explain these three approaches. A mixed methods design through a multiple case study was conducted. Users, employees and managers were interviewed at the end of 2021 on several performance-related topics. Individual interviews with employees and managers in mid-2022 further explored these topics. 38 managers, 360 employees, and 946 users participated in the survey. 9 managers and 10 employees were interviewed. Most participants were satisfied with vaccination organization regardless of the model used, mainly because of high geographic and temporal accessibility of the sites. Further signage to indicate directions could optimize accessibility. High adaptability was essential for managers and employees. Training strategies such as people to refer to and pairing allowed to better deal with frequent changes and staff rotation. The addition of ongoing training could be beneficial. Rapid changes in employee schedules were identified as a challenge. The use of technology-based scheduling tools, accessible to all, brought added flexibility, which was appreciated. Several ideas were used to communicate updates on a daily basis. However, timely implementation of new recommendations remained an ongoing challenge. Dedicated clinics for specific clienteles were successful. Community partnerships were generally beneficial, although establishing more of them could potentially reach other vulnerable communities. To improve accessibility and minimize health social inequities, a greater investment in local partnerships might reach more vulnerable clienteles. Regular communication and innovative employee support are key elements to improve fluidity of operations. Key messages • Reaching out for vulnerable clienteles is essential to minimize health social inequities. • Rapid changes in services needs underlign fluidity communication importance.

Reasons Explaining High Emergency Department Use in Patients With Mental Illnesses: Different Staff Perspectives.

For patients with mental illnesses (MIs), emergency departments (EDs) are often the entry point into the healthcare system, or their only resort for quickly accessing mental health treatment. A better understanding of the various barriers justifying high ED use among patients with MIs may help recommend targeted interventions that better meet their needs. This explorative qualitative study aimed to identify such barriers and the solutions brought forth to reduce ED use based on the perspectives of clinicians and managers working in EDs, other hospital departments or the community sector. Interviews were conducted between April 2021 and February 2022; 86 mental health professionals (22% were nurses) from four large urban ED sites in Quebec (Canada) were interviewed. Barriers were identified in relation to patient profiles, healthcare system and organisational features and professional characteristics. The key barriers that were found to explain high ED use were patients having serious MIs (e.g., psychotic disorders) or social issues (e.g., poverty), lack of coordination and patient referrals between EDs and other health services, insufficient access to mental health and addiction services and inadequacy of care. Very few solutions were implemented to improve care for high ED users. Better deployment of ED interventions in collaboration with outpatient care may be prioritised to reduce high ED use for patients with MIs. Improvements to the referral and transfer processes to outpatient care, particularly through care plans and case management programs, may be implemented to reduce high ED use and improve outpatient care among patients with multiple health and social needs.

Abstract PO1-16-12: The McPeak-Sirois Group Breast Metastases Registry

Abstract Background: In 2020, the McPeak-Sirois Group (MPSG), a Quebec-based breast cancer trials consortium, launched a feasibility pilot project to register prospectively cases of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This Breast Metastases Registry (BMR) had the following objectives: a) to measure real-world progression-free and overall survival; b) to capture real-world evidence in efficacy of novel therapeutic approaches and c) to facilitate the development of clinical research projects in MBC. Methods: The pilot phase was initiated in three major academic hospitals with the intention of testing the feasibility of building a BMR and to assess barriers before extension to other hospitals in the province of Quebec. Funding was obtained through non-profit organizations and the pharmaceutical industry. The project was approved by a research ethics board and informed consent was obtained from each patient. The main inclusion criteria was a MBC diagnosis at the time of enrolment. Metastatic diseases were considered de novo if the metastatic condition was detected at the same time of the primary disease diagnosis or within the following 4 months. The information in the BMR relates to participants’ health status, including but not limited to hospitalizations, diagnoses, medications, medical procedures and imaging, pathology, genetic and laboratory results. In addition to the prospective data, the registry also captures information retrospective to the date of enrollment. Results: Between July 30, 2021 and April 22, 2023, a total of 427 patients were approached by a research nurse and 423 patients enrolled and 4 refused (99.2% participation rate). Approximately one third of the cohort was diagnosed between 2021-2023 (30.3%) while 69.7% were in 2002-2020 timeframe. The majority was either HR+/HER2- (55.3%) or HER2+ (26.9%). The median age at the time of MBC diagnosis was 57 years (Q1-Q3 range: 47-67 years). We observed that 57.9% of patients had a relapsed MBC while de novo MBC comprised 42.1% of the cohort with the highest percentage in the HER2+ group (59.6%). The median time between primary cancer and metastatic disease in those with relapsed MBC is shorter in triple negative breast cancer (28.9 months) compared to 71.4 months in HR+ disease. Among all lines of treatment for metastatic disease, independently of age at time of MBC diagnosis, 21% of patients participated in a clinical trial. Discussion: The pilot project demonstrated the acceptability and feasibility of building a MBC provincial registry as illustrated by the high participation rate (more than 99%). The next step is to expand the registry to other hospital sites in Quebec, however, the main difficulty is having the necessary manpower (oncology registrars) to ensure data entry. Over one third of the MBC patients presented as de novo disease (and more than half of these with HER2+ disease). This proportion of de novo MBC is unusually high and is likely due to a recruitment bias during the pilot phase as data entry was prioritised for de novo diagnoses over MBC at time of recurrence and patients were recruited at any time in their MBC trajectory and not only at the time of their MBC diagnosis. Clinical trial participation was higher in our cohort compared to the usually reported 5% participation rate. This may be due to recruitment bias but needs to be evaluated further. Conclusion: We have found that recruiting patients in a metastatic cancer registry and collecting their real-world data is not only feasible but well received by patients. The limiting factor for expansion to other hospitals is lack of oncology registrars. At maturity, the BMR will be a unique and powerful resource for breast cancer research and will allow researchers and their collaborators to unite their efforts to better understand how stage IV breast cancer is treated and how management of the disease can be improved. The BMR could also have the potential to improve participation in clinical trials and to stimulate clinical research. Citation Format: Julie Lemieux, Danielle Charpentier, Dominique Johnson, Nathalie Bolduc, Caty Blanchette, Claude Nadon, Sarkis Meterissian. The McPeak-Sirois Group Breast Metastases Registry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-16-12.

Site properties, environmental factors, and crop identify influence soil bacterial communities more than municipal biosolid application

Reducing the environmental impact of Canadian field crop agriculture, including the reliance on conventional synthesised fertilisers, are key societal targets for establishing long-term sustainable practices. Municipal biosolids (MSB) are an abundant, residual organic material, rich in phosphate, nitrogen and other oligo-nutrients, that could be used in conjunction with conventional fertilisers to decrease their use. Though MBS have previously been shown to be an effective fertiliser substitute for different crops, including corn and soybean, there remain key knowledge gaps concerning the impact of MBS on the resident soil bacterial communities in agro-ecosystems. We hypothesised that the MBS fertiliser amendment would not significantly impact the structure or function of the soil bacterial communities, nor contribute to the spread of human pathogenic bacteria, in corn or soybean agricultural systems. In field experiments, fertiliser regimes for both crops were amended with MBS, and compared to corn and soybean plots with standard fertiliser treatments. We repeated this across four different agricultural sites in Quebec, over 2021 and 2022. We sampled MBS-treated, and untreated soils, and identified the composition of the soil bacterial communities via 16S rRNA metabarcoding. We found no indication that the MBS fertiliser amendment altered the structure of the soil bacterial communities, but rather that the soil type and crop identities were the most significant factors in structuring the bacterial communities. Moreover, there was no evidence that the MBS-treated soils were enriched in potential human bacterial pathogens over the two years of our study. Our analysis indicates that not only can MBS function as substitutes for conventional, synthesised fertilisers, but that they also do not disrupt the structure of the resident soil bacterial communities in the short term. Finally, we suggest that the use of MBS in agro-ecosystems poses no greater concern to the public than existing soil bacterial communities. This highlights the significant role MBS could potentially have in reducing the use of conventional industrial fertilisers and improving agricultural production, without risking environmental contamination.

A descriptive study on spatial and temporal distributions of genetic clusters of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infecting pig sites in Quebec, Canada, between 2010 and 2019

BackgroundThe wide diversity of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) strains combined with incomplete heterologous cross-protection complicates the management of the disease at both the herd and the regional levels. The objectives of this study were to describe the spatial and temporal distribution of various PRRSV genetic clusters infecting pig sites in Quebec, Canada, and to compare PRRSV regional diversity of wild-type sequences over the years.Materials and methodsA retrospective surveillance-based study was conducted on all pig sites which had PRRSV ORF5 sequences from field submissions transferred into the Laboratoire d'épidémiologie et de médecine porcine database from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree inferred from multiple sequence alignment was used to identify genetic clusters. For each wild-type cluster gathering ≥ 15 sequences, the number of pig sites in which the cluster was detected per administrative region and per year were displayed on bubble charts and the spatiotemporal distribution of pig sites was illustrated using pie chart maps. A molecular analysis of variance was performed to compare PRRSV wild-type sequence diversity according to the administrative region for each year.ResultsA total of 32 wild-type clusters gathering 1653 PRRSV2 sequences from 693 pig sites were described. Each cluster was detected on up to 132 pig sites and 7 administrative regions over the 10-year period. Annually, the mean (min–max) number of wild-type clusters detected in at least one pig site reached 24 (17–29). Some clusters remained localized on a few sites over time whereas others were widespread over the territory during a few or many years. For each year, regional differences were also observed in PRRSV diversity of wild-type sequences.ConclusionsThe differences observed in both the spatiotemporal distributions of PRRSV clusters and in the regional diversity of wild-type sequences highlight the importance of ongoing provincial surveillance to improve collective PRRS management strategies.

Predicted Contribution of Snowmelt to Subsurface Drainage Discharge in Two Subsurface-Drained Fields in Southern Quebec and Ontario

Highlights RZ-SHAW model delivered a satisfactory simulation for winter subsurface drainage discharge. Snowmelt dominated the drainage discharge during the winter and spring snowmelt seasons in southern Quebec. Snowmelt contributed to 29% and 18% of winter and annual drainage discharge, respectively, in southern Ontario. Abstract. Late winter/early spring has been recognized as a critical period for subsurface drainage discharge and associated nutrient losses due to snowmelt and rainfall in croplands under cold, humid climates in North America and Europe. Although the detachment and transport processes of soil particles under snowmelt and rainfall are known to be different, studies quantifying the contribution of snowmelt to winter drainage discharge are limited. This study aims to investigate the contribution of snowmelt to subsurface drainage discharge at two winterized experimental sites in southern Quebec and Ontario, Canada, using observed data and the Root Zone Water Quality Model-Simultaneous Heat and Water model (RZ-SHAW model). The RZ-SHAW model was calibrated and validated against the measured snow depth and year-round subsurface drainage discharge data from 2021 to 2023 at St. Emmanuel, Quebec, and from 2000 to 2003 at Harrow, Ontario. RZ-SHAW demonstrated satisfactory Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency values (NSE = 0.50) for simulating snow depth, soil temperature, and winter subsurface drainage discharge. The calibrated RZ-SHAW model was used to simulate the contribution of snowmelt to subsurface drainage for the two sites from 1990 to 2022. The snowmelt was predicted to contribute 55% and 44% of the winter and annual subsurface drainage discharge for the cropland in Southern Quebec. In contrast, for the southern Ontario site, the contribution of snowmelt to winter and annual subsurface drainage discharge was 29% and 18%, respectively. Considering that snowmelt in Southern Quebec contributed a significant fraction of winter and annual subsurface drainage discharge, more attention should be devoted to adapting and developing new winter management for nutrient loss in future research in the region. Keywords: Cold region, Cropland drainage, Drainage partition, RZ-SHAW, RZWQM2, Snowmelt, Soil freeze and thaw, Winter subsurface drainage.

Overwintering spruce budworm population density as predictor of following-year larval density and defoliation on balsam fir

The Early Intervention Strategy (EIS) was developed to control spruce budworm (SBW) populations before an outbreak develops. It uses an action threshold population density originally based on feeding fourth-instar larvae (L4) sampled in spring. But in practice, in all SBW management strategies, it is the density of overwintering second-instar larvae (L2) sampled in the previous fall that is used in decision making. Those densities serve to predict defoliation and plan control operations for the following summer. Therefore, there was a need to establish a relationship between L2 and L4 (apparent survival) by which to adequately express treatment thresholds in terms of L2 rather than L4. This was done with samples collected in each life stage in several sites in Quebec and New Brunswick and over three different periods between 1999 and 2022. We found that the distribution of L2 is more aggregated than that of L4, and thus that sample sizes needed for precise density estimation in that stage are larger than at the L4. We also found that apparent survival between L2 and L4 varies at low and high L2 densities for different reasons. For example, movement of larvae from the inner crown, bole, or non-host trees affect apparent survival at the lowest population densities. In contrast, at very high densities survival of populations during these early larval stages is reduced by crowding effects. At densities in the mid-range where control decisions need to be made, apparent survival is very close to 100% and varies little among years. The current threshold density is 3.5 L4 per 45-cm branch tip and was established as 7 L2 per 75-cm branch by assuming 50% mortality. Considering the results presented here, we recommend that the current EIS intervention threshold be set at 3.5 L2 per 75-cm branch. In this density, defoliation typically ranges between 15 and 30% in the following summer in the absence of treatment.

“I thought it was for guys that did needles”: Medication perceptions and lay expertise among medical research participants

IntroductionAlthough randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examine “objective” indicators of safety and efficacy of investigational drugs, participants may not perceive study medications as neutral entities. Some medications are imbued with social and cultural meaning, such as stigmatized medications for opioid use disorders. Such perceptions surrounding substance use treatments can extend to the research context and shape RCT participants' experiences with and adherence to study medications. MethodsConsidering these complexities in substance use research, we conducted a nested qualitative study within a multi-site, pragmatic RCT in Canada testing two treatments (methadone versus buprenorphine/naloxone) for opioid use disorder. Between 2017 and 2020, we conducted 115 interviews with 75 RCT participants across five trial sites in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. ResultsUsing an abductive coding approach, we characterized participants by their previous experience with medication for opioid use disorder and by their exposure to drug culture and drug scenes. Across these experience types, we identified systematic differences around participants' perceptions of the study medications, sources of information and expertise, and medication stigma. ConclusionOur findings illustrate the critical importance of social context in shaping medication beliefs and study experiences among people who use drugs, with implications for the conduct of future RCTs in substance use.

Recent decline in sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) growth extends to the northern parts of its distribution range in eastern Canada

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) growth in the species’ southern range has been declining since the 1980s, putting at risk a variety of ecosystem services that the species provides. Heatwaves, drought, frosts, acidic deposition, and insect defoliation, all reducing photosynthetic activity, have been suggested to be behind the phenomenon. Because the geographic scope of previous studies on maple growth is limited to the southern temperate biome, it is not currently understood whether the same negative trends and factors affecting growth rates apply to the species in more northern regions of its distribution range. Here we used annual ring-width data of 1675 trees from a network of 21 sites in Quebec and Ontario between 45˚N and 48˚N to reconstruct maple growth and to analyze its trends and climatic drivers since 1950 CE. We developed a retrospective tree growth index by employing a Generalized Additive Mixed Model (GAMM) that accounted for tree age and size, terrain altitude, slope, competition and mean site climatology. Our reconstruction suggested considerable geographical variations in maple growth trends, with declining growth being less pronounced in the central portion of the study region. The growth decline persisted at the time of sampling in 2019 and 2020. Maple growth negatively correlated with the summer vapour pressure deficit (VPD) during both the previous and current growth seasons. As the decline in sugar maple growth is observed at the northern limit of its distribution, climate change may not favor the expansion of sugar maples to the north. The observed decline along with increasing VPD will likely have a negative impact on the ecosystem services supported by this species and calls for management adaptation measures.

Comparing phenocam color indices with phenological observations of black spruce in the boreal forest

Bud phenology identifies the growing period of trees and determines the pattern of mass and energy exchanges between forest and atmosphere over time and space. Canopy color metrics derived from phenocams have been widely used to investigate tree phenology. However, it remains unclear which color-based index better tracks the seasonal variations of tree phenology in evergreen forest ecosystems. Herein, we compared four color metrics (red chromatic coordinate (RCC), green chromatic coordinate (GCC), vegetation contrast index (VCI) and excess green index (ExG)) derived from phenocam images with bud phenological phases recorded in black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S·P] during 2017–2020 at a boreal forest site in Quebec, Canada. Canopy redness (RCC) and greenness (GCC, ExG, and VCI) showed a bimodal and bell-shaped seasonal pattern, respectively. The phases of bud burst and bud set lasted from end-May to end-June and from mid-July to end-September, respectively. The neural network model indicated that GCC had the best predictive ability in capturing the sequential phases of bud phenology. Bud phenological phases predicted by GCC showed the highest correlation with actual bud phenological phases among four indices, with R2 above 0.9 and RMSE lower than 0.5. Overall, color indices performed better when representing bud burst than bud set. Our findings improve the efficiency and confidence of the phenocam greenness index to characterize the growing season of evergreen forests.

Baseline Inappropriate Antibiotic Use in Primary Care Patients with Viral Respiratory Tract Infections with 2019 and 2020.

Context: Respiratory tract infection (RTI) is the leading cause of avoidable antimicrobial use in primary care. How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted antibiotic prescribing practices across Canada is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine rates of antibiotic prescribing for RTI in primary care during the first year of the pandemic (2020), compared to baseline in 2019. Study Design and Analysis: Cross sectional study. Dataset: Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network electronic medical record data from sites in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Population Studied: Patients that met the case definition criteria for an RTI or a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in 2019, and in 2020. Outcome measures: We examined oral antibiotic prescribing for patients who were identified as having a primary care visit for RTI. The same analysis was repeated for urinary tract infection (UTI) as a tracer condition. The antibiotic use considered avoidable for RTI was defined by Choosing Wisely Canada. Results: A total of 1,692,876 patients with a valid birth year and sex and at least one visit to primary care in 2019 and 2020 were included. Patient visits for RTI decreased from 2.3% in 2019 to 1.6% in 2020 (p<.0001), as did patient visits for UTI (1.1% vs 0.7%, p<.0001). In 2019, 28.0% of patients visits for RTI were prescribed an antibiotic, and this proportion decreased significantly to 20.6% in 2020 (<.0001). The drop in antibiotic prescriptions for RTI was driven by a decrease in prescribing for common cold (13.6% vs. 11.3%, <.0001) and for acute bronchitis/asthma (15.2% vs. 7.3%, p<.0001). In comparison, antibiotic prescribing for visits related to UTI increased marginally between 2019 and 2020 (71.6% vs. 72.3%, p=0.007). Conclusions: A significant decrease in antibiotic prescribing for RTI across primary care was observed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, likely related to the changes in epidemiology and care delivery models in primary care. CPCSSN can provide pan-Canadian surveillance of antibiotic prescribing practices in primary care that can be used for provider feedback and quality improvement.

The velocity of postglacial migration of fire-adapted boreal tree species in eastern North America

The Earth's climate has been warming rapidly since the beginning of the industrial era, forcing terrestrial organisms to adapt. Migration constitutes one of the most effective processes for surviving and thriving, although the speed at which tree species migrate as a function of climate change is unknown. One way to predict latitudinal movement of trees under the climate of the twenty-first century is to examine past migration since the Last Glacial Maximum. In this study, radiocarbon-dated macrofossils were used to calculate the velocity of past migration of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) and black spruce (Picea mariana), two important fire-adapted conifers of the North American boreal forest. Jack pine migrated at a mean rate of 19 km per century (km-cent) from unglaciated sites in the central and southeastern United States to the northern limit of the species in subarctic Canada. However, the velocity increased between unglaciated and early deglaciated sites in southern Quebec and slowed from early to mid-Holocene in central and eastern Quebec. Migration was at its lowest speed in late-Holocene times, when it stopped about 3,000 y ago. Compared with jack pine, black spruce migrated at a faster mean rate of 25 km-cent from the ice border at the last interstadial (Bølling/Allerød) to the species tree limit. The modern range of both species was nearly occupied about 6,000 y ago. The factors modulating the changing velocity of jack pine migration were closely associated with the warm-dry climate of the late Pleistocene-Holocene transition and the more humid climate of the mid- and late-Holocene.

Older Age and Frailty are Associated with Higher Mortality but Lower ICU Admission with COVID-19.

BackgroundWe report characteristics and outcomes of adults admitted to Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) Serious Outcomes Surveillance (SOS) Network hospitals with COVID-19 in 2020.MethodsPatients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to 11 sites in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and Nova Scotia up to December 31, 2020 were enrolled in this prospective observational cohort study. Measures included age, sex, demographics, housing, exposures, Clinical Frailty Scale, comorbidities; in addition, length of stay, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, and survival were assessed. Descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted.ResultsAmong 2,011 patients, mean age was 71.0 (range 19–105) years. 29.7% were admitted from assisted living or long-term care facilities. The full spectrum of frailty was represented in both younger and older age groups. 81.8% had at least one underlying comorbidity and 27.2% had obesity. Mortality was 14.3% without ICU admission, and 24.6% for those admitted to ICU. Older age and frailty were independent predictors of lower ICU use and higher mortality; accounting for frailty, obesity was not an independent predictor of mortality, and associations of comorbidities with mortality were weakened.ConclusionsFrailty is a critical clinical factor in predicting outcomes of COVID-19, which should be considered in research and clinical settings.

Field assessment of trace element phytoextraction by different Populus clones established on brownfields in southern Quebec (Canada)

Fast-growing hybrid poplars have been tested for their potential to remove trace elements (TE) from polluted soil in several temperate regions. Despite their potential, they have rarely been tested in countries with a cold temperate climate. The current study screened four different Populus hybrids for phytoextraction of four TEs (i.e., As, Cu, Pb, and Zn) on an abandoned brownfield site in southern Quebec (Canada). The main results showed that under the current experimental conditions, the most important traits determining the actual phytoextraction rate are Biological Concentration Factor (BCF) and TE accumulation in the aboveground biomass, rather than biomass productivity. Although the overall performance of the chosen hybrids was rather poor, the presence of poplar stands enhanced the movement of mobile contaminants in soil, which led to an increase in their concentration in the root zone. This aspect suggests possible strategies for using these plants with high transpiration rates in future phytoremediation projects, including either possible rotation with more effective TE phytoextractor plants (e.g., hyperaccumulators) that can remove high TE amounts that have migrated from the deeper soil layers following poplar plantation, or phytostabilization.

Effects of maternal docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on brain development and neurodevelopmental outcomes of breastfed preterm neonates: protocol for a follow-up at preschool age of a randomised clinical trial (MOBYDIckPS)

IntroductionDocosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, is important for brain development with possible implications in neurodevelopmental outcomes. In the two-arm, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Maternal Omega-3 Supplementation to Reduce Bronchopulmonary...

Effects of temperature, analysis and modelling uncertainties on the reliability of base-isolated bridges in Eastern Canada

The seismic response of base-isolated bridges depends strongly on the seismic isolation system (SIS) properties, which typically vary under the effect of multiple conditions, such as temperature. The North American Bridge Design Codes and the EN-Eurocode 8 recommend a bounding analysis method in order to consider the effect of SIS properties variation with different conditions. However, this method is not founded on a rigorous probabilistic approach, and thus does not impact the reliability of base-isolated bridges. This paper presents an estimate of the seismic reliability and its variation range for a typical two-span concrete base-isolated bridge located in Montreal, a typical site for Eastern Canada. Temperature, bidirectional horizontal seismic hazard and the main parameters affecting the resistance of bridge components, specifically, dimensions, material properties of the bridge pier and SIS properties are all modelled as Random Variables (RVs). Bridge failure associated with two limit states is examined: (1) damage at the pier base by lack of bending moment capacity and (2) SIS failure due to a lack of displacement capacity. The Monte-Carlo method is used to evaluate each limit state’s reliability and probability of failure. In earlier studies, epistemic uncertainties (EUs) associated with the modelling and seismic analysis method were either ignored or not thoroughly considered. A main innovation of the present study is to include EUs associated with the seismic response analysis method and the lead core heating of the lead rubber bearing SIS are modelled as RVs. Their margins of variation are estimated, and their probabilistic distribution parameters are identified. The effects of these EUs on the reliability of the bridge are investigated. The effect of the natural rubber material type on the reliability of the bridge is also studied. Preliminary results show that, due to any of these uncertainties, the global reliability index is within a range of [3.36–3.62], whereas the reliability index when these EUs are not included is 3.49. When including the epistemic uncertainty associated with the response analysis method, the reliability index of the pier base flexural behaviour limit state varies between 3.52 and 3.76(as compared to a value of 3.56 obtained without including the above EUs). Similarly, when including the epistemic uncertainty associated with the heating effect, the reliability index of the SIS displacement limit state varies between 3.31, for an extreme effect, and 3.49 for a more representative effect (as compared toa value of 3.51 obtained without including the above EUs). Earlier studies considering fewer variability sources showed that the global seismic reliability varies between 3.47 and 3.52 for the same typical two-span base-isolated bridge in Montreal. In these studies, the SIS material and geometrical properties were considered deterministic. Other sites in Quebec have shown comparable reliabilities to those at the studied site, with a maximum variation of 3% between sites.

Vadose zone modeling to identify controls on groundwater recharge in an unconfined granular aquifer in a cold and humid environment with different meteorological data sources

Groundwater recharge (GR) is a complex process that is difficult to quantify. Increasing attention has been given to unsaturated zone modeling to estimate GR and better understand the processes controlling it. Continuous soil-moisture time series have been shown to provide valuable information in this regard. The objectives of this study were to (i) analyze the processes and factors controlling GR in an unconfined granular aquifer in a cold and humid environment and (ii) assess the uncertainties associated with the use of data from different sources. Soil moisture data monitored over three years at three experimental sites in southern Quebec (Canada) were used to calibrate the HYDRUS-1D model and to estimate ranges of possible GR in a region where groundwater is increasingly used as a source of fresh water. The simulations identified and quantified important factors responsible for the near-surface water balance that leads to GR. The resulting GR estimates from 2016 to 2018 showed marked differences between the three sites, with values ranging from 347 to 735 mm/y. Mean GR for the three sites was 517 mm/y for 2016–2018 and 455 mm/y for the previous 12-year period. GR was shown to depend on monthly variations in precipitation and on soil textural parameters in the root zone, both controlling soil-water retention and evapotranspiration. Monthly recharge patterns showed distinct preferential GR periods during the spring snowmelt (38–45% of precipitation) and in the fall (29% of precipitation). The use of different meteorological datasets was shown to influence the GR estimates.

Views and Experiences of Parents in the Family Justice Process in Ontario and Quebec: Report on the First Stage of a Longitudinal Research Project

ABSTRACT As part of a larger prospective longitudinal research project to track parents as they navigate the family court system in Canada’s two largest provinces, this paper reports on the mixed methodology results at Time 1 as parents came into contact with the family courts. Data was collected by using in-person surveys at seven family court sites in Ontario and five family court sites in Quebec. A total of n = 1,539 litigants in Ontario (n = 865) and Quebec (n = 674) were recruited for Time 1. Reflecting differences in eligibility for Legal Aid, significantly more Quebec (86%) litigants had a lawyer than in Ontario (37%). Only a minority of those who attended government supported mediation found it helpful. Those who were unrepresented generally expected a worse outcome and slower resolution because they did not have a lawyer. Implications for parents accessing family court services are considered.

Quantifying the relationship linking the community-weighted means of plant traits and soil fertility.

Is it possible to generalize relationships between certain plant traits and soil fertility? In particular, are there quantitative relationships between community-weighted mean (CWM) trait values of leaf dry-matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), plant height, and Grime's competitor-stress tolerator-ruderal (CSR) strategy scores and the generalized soil fertility, FG (i.e., the capacity of a soil to produce biomass when all nonsoil variables are held constant) that are generalizable across different species assemblages and geographical areas? We assessed FG in 21 sites in southern Quebec and 7 sites in southern France using a previously published method based on structural equationmodeling. We then determined the CWM values of LDMC, SLA, plant height, and CSR scores in the 21 Quebec sites to obtain quantitative relationships between FG and these CWM traits. Using these relationships, we independently tested the generality of the trait-fertility relationships using data from French sites. The relationships between FG and the CWM traits were nonlinear, but displayed the expected qualitative trends as reported in the literature. In particular, the S score and CWM LDMC decreased with increasing soil fertility, and the R score and CWM SLA increased. CWM traits were more strongly correlated to measures of FG (r2 up to 0.48) than to measures of other soil characteristics (r2 up to 0.17 for nitrogen flux). Importantly, the independently tested French FG -trait relationships showed no significant deviations from these quantitative relationships. Further investigation is necessary to confirm if the same trend applies to other regions and or ecosystems.

Soil bacterial diversity related to soil compaction and aggregates sizes in potato cropping systems

Soil microorganisms play a key role in soil physical structure. Soil microbial community structure and functions are in turn affected by soil aggregation or degradation. The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of (1) soil aggregate-size distribution and (2) soil compaction on bacterial community richness and structure under three intensive potato (Solanum tuberosum) cropping systems. In June and July 2014, soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-20 cm from 16 sites in Quebec, Canada. The samples were analyzed for aggregate-size distribution, particle-size distribution, total carbon, total nitrogen, total sulfur, oxalate-extractable potassium and phosphorus, gravimetric moisture content, pH and degree of compactness (DC). Soil bacterial community diversity was assessed by using the high-throughput sequencing Illumina MiSeq platform to target the V6-V8 region of bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Bacterial alpha diversity and community structure were found to be affected by cropping systems. Faith's phylogenetic diversity index and bacterial richness increased with increasing proportions of the 1–0.5 mm and 2–1 mm aggregate-size fractions and micro-aggregates in soils. Redundancy analysis revealed a strong correlation between soil bacterial community structure and soil aggregate-size distribution. Eight of the 27 dominant bacterial classes had a significant relationship with aggregate size fractions >2 mm, 1- 0.5 mm and < 0.1 mm. In addition, the degree of soil compaction had a significant effect on soil bacterial community structure, with 70% of the dominant classes showing greater relative abundance in the moderate and high DC groups than in the low DC group. This research provided a benchmark for bacterial community structure in potato agroecosystems as impacted by soil aggregation and compaction.