Autoimmune liver disease and the Canadian First Nations Aboriginal Communities of British Columbia's Pacific Northwest

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a well-known but uncommon chronic liver disease that is presumed to be of autoimmune etiology. Recently, investigations in British Columbia (BC), a province of Canada situated along the Pacific North-West of North America, have suggested that PBC is not a rare disease amongst BC's Aboriginal (i.e. First Nations) communities. Geographically, BC is adjacent to South East Alaska, an American state that has also reported an increased prevalence of PBC amongst its Aboriginal communities. In this article, the medical evidence supporting a hypothesis of increased risk of PBC amongst BC's First Nations communities is reviewed. Evidence suggesting that autoimmune hepatitis is also more likely amongst BC's First Nations communities is also presented.

Analysis of Impervious Surface Area, and the Impacts on Soil-Based Agriculture and the Hydrologic Cycle: A Case Study in the Agricultural Land Reserve in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The province of British Columbia, Canada, has established an Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) to protect the most suitable soil landscapes for agriculture. Increases in population and urbanization have resulted in development challenges on ALR lands. The Metro Vancouver area is the most productive agricultural area in British Columbia as well as the most rapidly growing urban region. The increase in impervious areas has decreased the amount of arable land for soil-based agriculture and altered the hydrological cycle. Analysis using a combination of aerial imagery and GIS found that impervious areas comprise about 10 percent of the ALR within Metro Vancouver. Farm residences and greenhouses have the largest effect on reducing the soil surface for water infiltration. This decrease in area has negatively influenced the ecosystem heath of the region, as well as, decreasing the amount of agricultural land for soil based agriculture and both surface and groundwater dynamics.

Effects of Aggregate Extraction on Water Storage in the Pepin Creek Watershed, British Columbia, Canada

Aggregate extraction in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada, has affected the soil water storage of the Pepin Creek watershed. Although local government has set regulations for aggregate extraction projects to avoid negative environmental impacts, the gradual loss of soil materials and associated changes in vegetative cover has led to an alteration of the water balance within the watershed, which may affect surface or groundwater levels, and aquatic habitats. The study assessed the effects of aggregate extraction on the water storage of the Pepin Creek watershed and estimated that 25% of the surface area of the Canadian portion of the watershed has been affected by aggregate mining with an estimated loss of water storage of 10%. Evapotranspiration has decreased as a result of the removal of the vegetative cover. Precipitation has remained relatively constant over the study period but the annual discharge measured at Pepin Creek has decreased. Recommendations for enhancing environmental monitoring to better measure and understand ecological functions of the watershed during aggregate extraction are provided.

Analysis of the inflection points of height-diameter models

The inflection point is an important feature of sigmoidal height-diameter(H-D)models.It is often cited as one of the properties favoring sigmoidal model forms.However,there are very few studies analyzing the inflection points of H-D models.The goals of this study were to theoretically and empirically examine the behaviors of inflection points of six common H-D models with a regional dataset.The six models were the Wykoff(WYK),Schumacher(SCH),Curtis(CUR),HossfeldⅣ(HOS),von Bertalanffy-Richards(VBR),and Gompertz(GPZ)models.The models were first fitted in their base forms with tree species as random effects and were then expanded to include functional traits and spatial distribution.The distributions of the estimated inflection points were similar between the two-parameter models WYK,SCH,and CUR,but were different between the threeparameter models HOS,VBR,and GPZ.GPZ produced some of the largest inflection points.HOS and VBR produced concave H-D curves without inflection points for 12.7%and 39.7%of the tree species.Evergreen species or decreasing shade tolerance resulted in larger inflection points.The trends in the estimated inflection points of HOS and VBR were entirely opposite across the landscape.Furthermore,HOS could produce concave H-D curves for portions of the landscape.Based on the studied behaviors,the choice between two-parameter models may not matter.We recommend comparing seve ral three-parameter model forms for consistency in estimated inflection points before deciding on one.Believing sigmoidal models to have inflection points does not necessarily mean that they will produce fitted curves with one.Our study highlights the need to integrate analysis of inflection points into modeling H-D relationships.

Lithium-ion and solvent co-intercalation enhancing the energy density of fluorinated graphene cathode

Fluorinated carbons CF_xhold the highest theoretical energy density(e.g.,2180 W h kg^(-1)when x=1)among all cathode materials of lithium primary batteries.However,the low conductivity and severe polarization limit it to achieve its theory.In this study,we design a new electrolyte,namely 1 M LiBF_(4)DMSO:DOL(1:9 vol.),achieving a high energy density in Li/CF_xprimary cells.The DMSO with a small molecular size and high donor number successfully solvates Li^(+)into a defined Li^(+)-solvation structure.Such solvated Li^(+)can intercalate into the large-spacing carbon layers and achieve an improved capacity.Consequently,when discharged to 1.0 V,the CF_(1.12)cathode demonstrates a specific capacity of 1944 m A h g^(-1)with a specific energy density of 3793 W h kg^(-1).This strategy demonstrates that designing the electrolyte is powerful in improving the electrochemical performance of CF_(x) cathode.

Integration of Agriculture and Wildlife Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of Westham Island, British Columbia, Canada

There is concern regarding the loss of ecosystem goods and services as a result of land use changes such as the expansion and intensification of agricultural activities. Assessments of these interactions require innovative analyses that combine qualitative and quantitative economic analyses. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment framework was applied to a peri-urban region in British Columbia, Canada to assess the effects of the integration of agricultural programs and the maintenance of waterfowl habitat located on the Pacific Flyway. The Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust, a non-governmental organization, has implemented several activities to enhance ecosystem goods and services by cooperative programs among the agricultural community and wildlife interests. The successful collaborative framework has resulted in enhanced soil quality, increased biodiversity, and the maintenance of valuable agriculture and waterfowl habitat.

Integrative analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome reveals seed germination mechanism in Punica granatum L.

We conducted an integrative system biology of metabolome and transcriptome profile analyses during pomegranate(Punica granatum L.) seed germination and utilized a weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA) to describe the functionality and complexity of the physiological and morphogenetic processes as well as gene expression and metabolic differences during seed germination stages. In total, 489 metabolites were detected, including 40 differentially accumulated metabolites. The transcriptomic analysis showed the expression of 6 984 genes changed significantly throughout the whole germination process. Using WGCNA, we identified modules related to the various seed germination stages and hub genes. In the initial imbibition stage(stage 1), the pivotal genes involved in RNA transduction and the glycolytic pathway were most active, while in the sprouting stage(stage 4), the pivotal genes were involved in multiple metabolic pathways. In terms of secondary metabolic pathways, we found flavonoid 4-reductase genes of anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway are most significantly affected during pomegranate seed germination, while the flavonol synthase gene was mainly involved in the regulation of isoflavonoid biosynthesis.

Impact of Reservoir Properties on the Production of the Mannville Coal Measures, South Central Alberta from a Numerical Modelling Parametric Analysis

Numerical simulations are used to investigate the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic reservoir properties on the production from coal and organic rich lithologies in the Lower Cretaceous Mannville coal measures of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. The coal measures are complex reservoirs in which production is from horizontal wells drilled and completed in the thickest coal seam in the succession (1 m versus 3 m), which has production and pressure support from thinner coals in the adjacent stratigraphy and from organic-rich shales interbedded and over and underlying the coal seams. Numerical models provide insight as to the relative importance of the myriad of parameters that may impact production that are not self-evident or intuitive in complex coal measures.

Direct synthesis of single-phase α-CaSO4·0.5H2O whiskers from waste nitrate solution

Single-phaseα-CaSO4·0.5H2O whiskers were directly synthesized from waste Ca(NO3)2 solution using a hydrothermal method,and HNO3 was synchronously regenerated.The effects of reaction temperature and Ca^2+concentration on the phase composition and morphology of products were determined by X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy.On the basis of the experimental results,the formation diagram ofα-CaSO4·0.5H2O was plotted within the range of 5–35 g·L^-1 Ca^2+and 115°C–150°C.In addition,the conditions of the direct synthesis ofα-CaSO4·0.5H2O were determined.Well-crystallized,single-phaseα-CaSO4·0.5H2O whiskers with high aspect ratios(length,1785μm;diameter,10.63μm;aspect ratio,168)and HNO3(70.25 g·L^-1)were obtained at the optimal conditions of 25 g·L^-1 Ca^2+and 125°C.

Early Bilingual Vocabulary Development Among Low-SES Ethnic Minority Learners in China:The Case of Uyghur and Kazak Children

Vocabulary knowledge is one of the most important aspects of language development. For bilingual students, early vocabulary development often predicts their future bilingual success. This paper examines early bilingual receptive vocabulary knowledge of ethnic minority children(N=135) from two large ethnic language communities(Uyghur and Kazak) in three national-level povertystricken counties in Xinjiang, China. The children’s bilingual vocabulary knowledge was assessed using translated versions of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-IV(PPTV-IV) in Putonghua(PTH) and their mother tongue(MT) Uyghur or Kazak. Data were analyzed through four General Linear Models(GLM). The analyses showed that both groups scored higher in MT vocabulary knowledge than that in their PTH, although the Kazak students’ MT vocabulary scores were lower than those of the Uyghurs. While gender, age, L1, or residence location were not significant factors in differences across the two groups in PTH, among the Kazak children, the main effect of age was significant in MT;and among Uyghur children, residence location had a significant effect. The two groups also differed in patterns of acquisition in different parts of speech(nouns, verbs, and attributes) with Uyghur children performing strongest in MT and PTH verbs. The findings have important implications for ensuring the quality of early bilingual education among impoverished Chinese minority communities.

Mental health-related healthcare service utilisation and psychotropic drug dispensation trends in British Columbia during COVID-19 pandemic:a population-based study

Background The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population’s mental health is vital for informing public health policy and decision-making.However,information on mental health-related healthcare service utilisation trends beyond the first year of the pandemic is limited.Aims We examined mental health-related healthcare service utilisation patterns and psychotropic drug dispensations in British Columbia,Canada,during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the prepandemic period.Methods We conducted a retrospective population-based secondary analysis using administrative health data to capture outpatient physician visits,emergency department visits,hospital admissions and psychotropic drug dispensations.We examined time trends of mental health-related healthcare service utilisation and psychotropic drug dispensations between January to December 2019(prepandemic period)and January 2020 to December 2021(pandemic period).In addition,we calculated age-standardised rates and rate ratios to compare mental health-related healthcare service utilisation before and during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic,stratified by year,sex,age and condition.Results By late 2020,except for emergency department visits,utilisation of healthcare services recovered to prepandemic levels.Between 2019 and 2021,the monthly average rate for overall mental health-related outpatient physician visits,emergency department visits and psychotropic drug dispensations increased significantly by 24%,5%and 8%,respectively.Notable and statistically significant increases were observed among 10–14 year-olds(44%in outpatient physician visits,30%in emergency department visits,55%in hospital admissions and 35%in psychotropic drug dispensations)and 15–19 year-olds(45%in outpatient physician visits,14%in emergency department visits,18%in hospital admissions and 34%in psychotropic drug dispensations).Additionally,these increases were more prominent among females than males,with some variation for specific mental health-related conditions.Conclusions The increase in mental health-related healthcare service utilisation and psychotropic drug dispensations during the pandemic likely reflects significant societal consequences of both the pandemic and pandemic management measures.Recovery efforts in British Columbia should consider these findings,especially among the most affected subpopulations,such as adolescents.

Model-based estimation of above-ground biomass in the miombo ecoregion of Zambia

Background：Information on above-ground biomass（AGB） is important for managing forest resource use at local levels,land management planning at regional levels,and carbon emissions reporting at national and international levels.In many tropical developing countries,this information may be unreliable or at a scale too coarse for use at local levels.There is a vital need to provide estimates of AGB with quantifiable uncertainty that can facilitate land use management and policy development improvements.Model-based methods provide an efficient framework to estimate AGB.Methods：Using National Forest Inventory（NFI） data for a^1,000,000 ha study area in the miombo ecoregion,Zambia,we estimated AGB using predicted canopy cover,environmental data,disturbance data,and Landsat 8 OLI satellite imagery.We assessed different combinations of these datasets using three models,a semiparametric generalized additive model（GAM） and two nonlinear models（sigmoidal and exponential）,employing a genetic algorithm for variable selection that minimized root mean square prediction error（RMSPE）,calculated through cross-validation.We compared model fit statistics to a null model as a baseline estimation method.Using bootstrap resampling methods,we calculated 95% confidence intervals for each model and compared results to a simple estimate of mean AGB from the NFI ground plot data.Results：Canopy cover,soil moisture,and vegetation indices were consistently selected as predictor variables.The sigmoidal model and the GAM performed similarly;for both models the RMSPE was -36.8 tonnes per hectare（i.e.,57% of the mean）.However,the sigmoidal model was approximately 30% more efficient than the GAM,assessed using bootstrapped variance estimates relative to a null model.After selecting the sigmoidal model,we estimated total AGB for the study area at 64,526,209 tonnes（＋/- 477,730）,with a confidence interval 20 times more precise than a simple designbased estimate.Conclusions：Our findings demonstrate that NFI data may be combined with freely available satellite imagery and soils data to estimate total AGB with quantifiable uncertainty,while also providing spatially explicit AGB maps useful for management,planning,and reporting purposes.

Review of the energy-based design theory:Towards the application to self-centering systems

Self-centering systems exhibit superior performance during earthquake shaking with lower damage and less resid-ual deformations.Although the equivalent static force design procedure is the commonly used one for most structural systems for seismic applications,the cumulative damage and the effective duration of earthquakes cannot be explicitly considered,which has significantly affected the behaviors and post-earthquake performance of self-centering systems.Energy-based design theory(EBDT),which introduces the energy demand as the crit-ical parameter to establish relations with structural damage,has gained attention around the world in recent decades.The EBDT can provide comprehensive considerations for structural responses and damage in design procedures,especially for self-centering systems.However,few researches and actual energy design projects fo-cus on the use of EBDT for self-centering systems.This paper intends to present thorough review of several critical issues in EBDT.Meanwhile,pivotal gaps that need to be further investigated towards the application of EBDT to self-centering systems are identified and discussed in the paper.

Early Identification and Visualization of Parkinsonian Gaits and their Stages Using Convolution Neural Networks and Finite Element Techniques

Parkinson’s Disease(PD)is a neurodegenerative disease which shows a deficiency in dopaminehormone in the brain.It is a common irreversible impairment among elderly people.Identifying this disease in its preliminary stage is important to improve the efficacy of the treatment process.Disordered gait is one of the key indications of early symptoms of PD.Therefore,the present paper introduces a novel approach to identify pa rkinsonian gait using raw vertical spatiotemporal ground reaction force.A convolution neural network(CNN)is implemented to identify the features in the parkinsonian gaits and their progressive stages.Moreover,the var iations of the gait pressures were visually recreated using ANSYS finite element software package.The CNN model has shown a 97%accuracy of recognizing parkinsonian gait and their different stages,and ANSYS model is implemented to visualize the pressure variation of the foot during a bottom-up approach.

The impacts of organizational culture and neoliberal ideology on the continued existence of incivility and bullying in healthcare institutions:A discussion paper

Countless research studies have demonstrated the detrimental effects of incivility and bullying in healthcare.Despite the abundance of proposed solutions to this issue,many healthcare leaders continue to fail in mitigating the existence of such negative behaviors in the workplace.Personality attributes of perpetrators and victims have received attention,but much less research has examined the organizational and neoliberal causations of incivility and bullying in healthcare.Being the largest occupational group in the health sector,nursing professionals have the greatest influence and are crucial in ending these behaviors.This discussion paper outlines the effects of incivility and bullying in healthcare and provides a critical analysis on how organizational culture and neoliberal ideology influence the pervasiveness and persistence of these negative behaviors.The analysis reveals that organizational cultures that misuse power,disregard equality,and facilitate oppression,foster the existence of incivility and bullying in the workplace.Such cultures permit perpetrators to misuse their authority to control resource allocation,ignorance to social inequalities,and the silence of victims.Furthermore,the neoliberal concept of deregulation,austerity,and individualism further these behaviors.The neoliberal reforms have led to underfunding of anti-bullying programs and policies,use of bullying behaviours as management strategies,and victim-blaming for profit maximization.Financial cutbacks have resulted in denial and acceptance of uncivil and bullying behaviours in healthcare institutions,which endangers the rights of healthcare providers to a safe workplace environment.To curtail these negative behaviors,robust anti-bullying policies and programs must be strictly enforced and sustained in practice.Further exploration on the association of organizational culture and neoliberal principles to incivility and bullying in healthcare is greatly warranted.

Dietary intakes of Karen hill triber children aged 1-6 years in northern Thailand

Malnutrition results from insufficient intakes of food including micronutrients such as vitamin A,iron,iodine, zinc,and folic acid.This paper reported the results from a study of dietary intakes of Karen hill tribe children aged 1-6 years in the north of Thailand.All children aged 1-6 years(n=158;83 boys,75 girls)from the three Karen villages(Mae Hae Tai,Mae Yot,Mae Raek) of Mae Chaem district in the north of Thailand were studied.All children were examined by a qualified medical doctor and were assessed for their nutrient intakes using 24 hours dietary recall.All families had income lower than the Thailand poverty line(US $1000/ year).For children aged 1-3 years,the nutrients generally consumed were much less than the Thai RDA. Compared with the Thai RDA,all children consumed much less energy(28%-40.5%RDA)than protein (55.8%-96.1%RDA).Interestingly,all boys and only girls from Mae Raek village consumed vitamin A more than the Thai RDA but girls from Mae Hae Tai village and Mae Yot village consumed vitamin A less than the Thai RDA.For children aged 4-6 years,boys from Mae Raek village consumed protein(128.4%RDA) and vitamin C(143.1%RDA)above the Thai RDA.Girls from Mae Yot village also consumed vitamin C (132.9%RDA)above the Thai RDA.Both boys and girls from Mae Raek village and also girls from Mae Yot village consumed vitamin A more than the Thai RDA.Other nutrients were consumed much less than the Thai RDA by all children.All children consumed protein more than 10%of the total energy consumption per day. Most of the energy consumed by children came from carbohydrate.Nearly all children consumed carbohydrate more than 50%of the total energy consumption per day except boys aged 1-3 years from Mae Raek village (consumed 45%).All children from Mae Hae Tai village and boys aged 4-6 years from Mae Yot village(consumed 27%)consumed fat less than 30%of the total energy consumption per day.It appeared that the priority recommendations for improving nutrition in Karen villages in Mae Chaem would be increase energy consumption such as fat and oil.More general work is needed on how children’s diets might be improved in a culturally acceptable manner,so as to bring consumption patterns closer to recommended allowance levels.

The (e, 2e) Spectra of Argon

Accurate measurements of the binding energy spectrum and momentum distribution of argon areperformed using the high resolution(ΔE=1.4 eV,Δp=0.1 a.u.)energy multichannel(e,2e)spectrometer(θ_(1)=θ_(2)=45°,j=0°-±30°)built recently in our laboratory.Detailed satellite structure of argon has been observed.Good agreement can be found between the experimental data and the theoretical calculations performed using Hartree-Fock method with the different basis sets and configuration interaction method.

Comment on “Insights into the pathogenesis of cystoid macular edema: leukostasis and related cytokines”

Dear Editor,The review of Chung et al[1]regarding the pathogenesis of cystoid macular edema(CME)raises valid postulates of shared pathogenesis which is based on inflammation and associated permeability.Albeit recognizing diverse etiological conditions,the definition of common pathways has the potential to improve interventionist strategies.One further mechanism for CME that is less appreciated,however,is the cascade of reactions induced or modulated by eicosanoids.

Does Time Studying of Spanish Make Learners More Cognizant of Their Learning Styles？ Evidence From Novice and Senior L2 Spanish Learners

This study explored the perceptual learning style preferences in L2 （second language） Spanish. A group of first-semester and fifth-semester university students participated. The aim was to verify whether time studying of Spanish would strengthen learning preferences making senior students more cognizant of their preferred styles. Senior students were, therefore, more expected to self-report major （i.e., strong） style preferences than novice students. The participants completed a style questionnaire and named preferred in-class language activities. Results showed that the novice rather than the senior students, self-reported strong style preferences. The senior students consistently reported minor preferences and named activities that favored peer collaboration over perceptual styles. It is likely that after several semesters of learning Spanish, senior students were less certain as to whether language learning relies on strong style preferences. Instead, they probably learned to acknowledge the benefits of a flexible disposition, integrating several minor style preferences for a successful learning of Spanish.

Phosphorus Fertilizer Rating and Rhizobia Inoculation for Improved Productivity of Cowpea in Northern Uganda

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an important legume crop in the tropics and subtropical regions of the world. It is mainly grown for its leaves and grains, and to a lesser extent as a fodder crop. Cowpea is considered as the most important food grain legume in the dry savannas of tropical Africa. This study compared the yield of local (Agondire) and improved (SECOW 2W) cowpea varieties grown on an Oxisol. Inorganic P at levels of 0, 10, 20, and 40 kg·ha-1 was tested on each variety with or without rhizobia inoculation. The experiments were set up in a randomized complete block design and replicated thrice during the short and long rains of the 2015/2016 seasons on fifteen fields in Arua district, northern Uganda. Agondire responded significantly (P < 0.05) better than SECOW 2W when high rates of inorganic phosphorus (40 kg P ha-1) were applied. A significant increase of 26.4% and 28.4% in grain yield of Agondire and SECOW 2W, respectively was obtained after inoculation with rhizobia. We concluded that inoculation and P fertilizer application increased the yield of both varieties, but with inoculation, SECOW 2W performs much better at lower P fertilizer rates than Agondire. Therefore, we recommend growing of SECOW 2W under inoculation with 20 kg P ha-1 and an application of 40 kg P ha-1 for Agondire local cowpea variety in northern Uganda.