Blastomycosis: a new endemic focus in Canada.

A survey of the 38 patients resident in Ontario from whose sputum, body fluids or tissues Blastomyces dermatitidis was cultured by our laboratory between 1970 and 1981 revealed a new endemic focus to the north and east of Lake Superior, where 20 of 27 traceable patients lived. Direct microscopy revealed B. dermatitidis in 90% of the cases. A lack of clinical awareness, however, had often resulted in a delay (average 15 weeks) in diagnosis. In two cases the disease was identified only at autopsy. About 80% of the patients survived.     

First record of Lipoptena depressa (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) from Alberta, Canada

Lipoptena depressa is reported for the first time from Alberta on a 2 1/2-mo-old white-tailed deer fawn. This ked fly is one of four species occurring on deer in North America. The fawn had severe hemorrhagic enteritis of undetermined cause.     

An enigmatic organism from the 'Exshaw' Formation (Devonian-Carboniferous), Alberta, Canada

Libodiscus ascitus gen. et. sp. nov. (incertae sedis) consists of a flask-like body (mean length of 15 mm; mean maximum width of 9 mm) bearing a flange of plates or flattened tentacles. At one end a pair of arm-like extensions connects with a disc with concentric markings. The flask has transverse structures with prominent relief. Some of these are more or less regularly arranged, but in other specimens they are much more irregular. On what appears to be the inner wall of the flask there are closely spaced striations. Libodiscus is known only from Devonian-Carboniferous transitional strata ('Exshaw' Formation) at Crowsnest Pass, southwest Alberta, Canada. Its affinities are speculative and no secure relationship can be demonstrated with metazoans, plants or other problematica such as chitinozoans. The disc is, however, similar to a number of discoidal fossils that previously have been assigned to chondrophorine medusoid hydrozoans. □ Libodiscus ascitus, Exshaw, Devonian, Carboniferous, problematica.     

Circulation of parasites among fishes from lakes in the Caribou Mountains,Alberta, Canada

Circulation of 24 macroparasite species among 12 species of fish was evaluated within samples of hosts collected from 9 lakes on an isolated plateau in northern Alberta, Canada. Twenty-seven parasite taxa (24 species plus the larval stages of Triaenophorus crassus, T. stizostedionis, and Raphidascaris acus) had the potential to be circulated among hosts. Sixteen parasite taxa were recovered from a single host species within a lake. Of the 11 remaining nonspecialist taxa, 4 were larval stages that matured in fish or birds and 7 were adults. Eight of the 11 cases of circulation among hosts involved lake whitefish, and this host was involved in the transmission of 5 species to piscivorous fishes. Despite evidence for the circulation of 7 taxa among the 4 species of sympatric Salmonidae, 60-99% of all worms were recovered from just 1 species of host. These results indicated that approximately 60% of the parasite taxa that infected fish in these lakes were absolute host specialists. The remaining 40% of parasite taxa had restricted host ranges, with most examples of parasite circulation limited to the 2 species of sympatric coregonid.     

Probable Ankylosaur Ossicles from the Middle Cenomanian Dunvegan Formation of Northwestern Alberta,Canada

A sample of six probable fragmentary ankylosaur ossicles, collected from Cenomanian deposits of the Dunvegan Formation along the Peace River, represent one of the first dinosaurian skeletal fossils reported from pre-Santonian deposits in Alberta. Specimens were identified as ankylosaur by means of a palaeohistological analysis. The primary tissue is composed of zonal interwoven structural fibre bundles with irregularly-shaped lacunae, unlike the elongate lacunae of the secondary lamellar bone. The locality represents the most northerly Cenomanian occurrence of ankylosaur skeletal remains. Further fieldwork in under-examined areas of the province carries potential for additional finds.     

Nasal bots and lice from white-tailed deer in southern Alberta, Canada

Heads of 64 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns, harvested in the vicinity of Magrath, Alberta, Canada, (49 degrees 24'782'N, 112 degrees 52'113'W) were examined for the presence of nasal bots and lice. The deer were collected between 8-30 January 2004 as part of a government-approved herd reduction protocol. The entire surface of each head was scanned visually for the presence of lice. Each head was split longitudinally, and the nasal passages, sinuses, and ethmoid region were washed for recovery of nasal bots. First instar Cephenemyia spp. were recovered from 17 heads (27%). Intensity of infestation ranged from 1-18 larvae (mean intensity 4.8). Among fawns, there were no significant differences in prevalence or mean intensity between the sexes. Two species of nasal bots were identified. Smaller larvae, tentatively identified as C. jellisoni, were present in 16 of 17 infested deer while larger specimens, tentatively identified as C. phobifera, were found in four deer; and in three of the four it co-occurred with C. jellisoni. The presence of C. phobifera in Alberta would represent a range extension for this species, which has not been known to occur west of North Dakota. Thirty-one fawns (48%) were infested with the sucking louse Solenopotes ferrisi. One infested fawn also had one specimen of the chewing louse, Tricholiopeurus lipeuroides.     

Adiaspiromycosis in striped skunks in Alberta, Canada

Pulmonary adiaspiromycosis was diagnosed in seven of 25 striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in east-central Alberta. The infection varied from mild, where only microscopic lesions were seen, to severe, where gross lesions of grayish-white nodules were observed in the lung parenchyma. Mild lesions were restricted to the lung, while severe lesions extended to the tracheobronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes. Histologically, the lesions were characterized by a centrally located fungal spherule, surrounded by granulomatous inflammation. The morphology of the fungal spherules was consistent with that of Emmonsia crescens. By electron microscopy, the fungal cells had an outer thick fibrillar wall and an inner cytoplasm filled with large lipid vacuoles with relatively few mitochondria, ribosomes or glycogen inclusions. The absence of endosporulation and budding suggested that each fungal cell in the lung represented a separate inhaled spore. Infection was by inhalation, nevertheless adiaspores may disseminate to the regional lymph nodes.     

Syngamosis,an unusual cause of asthma: the first reported case in Canada.

The first case of syngamosis in a human in Canada is reported. The patient, a traveller to the Caribbean islands, presented with a chronic dry cough. The nematode Syngamus laryngeus is found in wild and domestic birds and mammals in the tropics and subtropics. Humans are only accidental hosts. The diagnosis of syngamosis is usually made by fibreoptic bronchoscopic examination, which reveals the Y-shaped worms in the bronchi or the characteristic eggs in the sputum or feces. Physicians must be alerted to the possibility of syngamosis in patients with symptoms of asthma who have recently travelled to South America or the Caribbean islands.     

Flowering plant phenology and weather in Alberta,Canada

Plant phenology can be used for biomonitoring climate change. The flowering of certain temperate zone plant species occurs in response to accumulated heat. Networks of observers presently provide data on the timing of the growth of native and crop plants to Agro-meteorological Departments in Europe and the United States. In Alberta, a phenological survey which began in 1987 records flowering times for 15 native plants, with about 200 volunteers contributing observations annually. Six years of data have been summarized and correlated with temperature measurements. The Alberta phenological data can provide a key to sound decision-making in two ways: by providing proxy data on key variables to which vegetation responds, and by providing a model for transforming simple weather data into biologically meaningful zones.     

Spring phenology trends in Alberta, Canada: links to ocean temperature

Warmer winter and spring temperatures have been noted over the last century in Western Canada. Earlier spring plant development in recent decades has been reported for Europe, but not for North America. The first-bloom dates for Edmonton, Alberta, were extracted from four historical data sets, and a spring flowering index showed progressively earlier development. For Populus tremuloides, a linear trend shows a 26-day shift to earlier blooming over the last century. The spring flowering index correlates with the incidence of El Niño events and with Pacific sea-surface temperatures.     

Adoption Practices of The Blood Indians of Alberta,Canada

Abstract

Adoption is practiced in many parts of the world, but its mechanics are rarely spelled out in detail. The following paper is an effort to correct this lack for the Blood (Blackfoot) Indians living in Alberta in 1939. The introduction of a money economy and life on a reservation brought about certain modifications, but at the time this investigation was made “the Indians themselves” said adoption was “frequent in former times.” There is reason to believe that the motives for adoption and the varying attitudes of those who adopt and of those who are adopted have not changed radically through the years. Many parallels in adoption are apparent, not only in other Blackfoot tribes, but also in such North American Indian groups as the Crow, Omaha, Winnebago and Ojibwa.     

Herpesvirus infection in woodland caribou in Alberta, Canada

Sera and genital swabs collected from 121 adult woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in five subpopulations in northern Alberta, Canada, between December 1997 and October 1999, were examined for evidence of infection with herpesviruses or pestiviruses. No virus was isolated from sera or swabs, and no antibodies against bovine viral diarrhea virus were detected. However, 63 (52%) of the 121 animals had neutralizing antibody titers against bovine herpesvirus 1. There was sufficient serum from 37 of the 121 caribou to allow parallel testing for antibodies against a new alphaherpesvirus isolated from an elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni), and 20 animals had antibodies against this virus. Paired sera collected 11 mo apart from 14 caribou showed seroconversion in seven animals, indicating that an active herpesvirus infection was present. Virus neutralization data suggest that these caribou are infected with a distinct alphaherpesvirus.     

Blastomycosis in a Papanicolaou Smear. Report of a case with possible venereal transmission

An incidental case of cervical blastomycosis discovered by examination of a Papanicolaou smear is reported. Examinations revealed no other focus of blastomycosis in the patient. Since her husband was undergoing treatment for disseminated blastomycosis involving the lungs and prostate at the time the fungus was found, this case may represent venereally transmitted blastomycosis.     

A synopsis of lake sturgeon management in Alberta, Canada

The lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ) is resident in the North and South Saskatchewan rivers of Alberta. Because of their confined distribution, low abundance, and vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts, lake sturgeon in Alberta have been the focus of specific management actions for nearly 60 years.
Lake sturgeon harvest was prohibited in Alberta from 1940 to 1968, after which a limited harvest was again permitted, but only as a hook-and-line sport fishery. After being reopened the fishery was primarily managed as a "trophy" fishery. Sport fishery harvest statistics have been compiled annually since 1968, through mail-out questionnaires sent to all holders of sturgeon angling licenses.
Few research studies have been undertaken on the life history or habitat requirements of lake sturgeon in the province, and biologists have relied primarily on anglers to provide information for management decisions. Preliminary population information for the South Saskatchewan River, from mark-recapture data, suggests a population size of about 3700 fish. Recent studies in the North Saskatchewan River indicate a population of about 1300 fish. Studies indicate that a portion of the population in both rivers is trans-boundary, moving between the waters of the adjoining provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and creating concerns because of differences in angling regulations. During recent decades, major consumptive uses of water have also contributed to depletion of lake sturgeon habitat in the province.
After reviewing past management strategies and actions, Alberta Environmental Protection implemented a number of regulatory changes in 1987 to further protect lake sturgeon populations in the province while continuing to provide angling opportunities and maintaining a controlled harvest.     

Postfire carbon balance in boreal bogs of Alberta, Canada

Boreal peatland ecosystems occupy about 3.5 million km² of the earth's land surface and store between 250 and 455 Pg of carbon (C) as peat. While northern hemisphere boreal peatlands have functioned as net sinks for atmospheric C since the most recent deglaciation, natural and anthropogenic disturbances, and most importantly wildfire, may compromise peatland C sinks. To examine the effects of fire on local and regional C sink strength, we focused on a 12 000 km² region near Wabasca, AB, Canada, where ombrotrophic Sphagnum‐dominated bogs cover 2280 km² that burn with a fire return interval of 123±26 years. We characterized annual C accumulation along a chronosequence of 10 bog sites, spanning 1–102 years‐since‐fire (in 2002). Immediately after fire, bogs represent a net C source of 8.9±8.4 mol m⁻² yr⁻¹. At about 13 years after fire, bogs switch from net C sources to net C sinks, mainly because of recovery of the moss and shrub layers. Subsequently, black spruce biomass accumulation contributes to the net C sink, with fine root biomass accumulation peaking at 34 years after fire and aboveground biomass and coarse root accumulation peaking at 74 years after fire. The overall C sink strength peaks at 18.4 mol C m⁻² yr⁻¹ at 75 years after fire. As the tree biomass accumulation rate declines, the net C sink decreases to about 10 mol C m⁻² yr⁻¹ at 100 years‐since‐fire. We estimate that across the Wabasca study region, bogs currently represent a C sink of 14.7±5.1 Gmol yr⁻¹. A decrease in the fire return interval to 61 years with no change in air temperature would convert the region's bogs to a net C source. An increase in nonwinter air temperature of 2 °C would decrease the regional C sink to 6.8±2.3 Gmol yr⁻¹. Under scenarios of predicted climate change, the current C sink status of Alberta bogs is likely to diminish to the point where these peatlands become net sources of atmospheric CO₂‐C.     

Subcategory assessment method for social life cycle assessment: a case study of high-density polyethylene production in Alberta,Canada

Purpose

The aim of this study is to develop and test the applicability of a new subcategory assessment method (SAM) for social life cycle assessment using a case study on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) production by Dow Chemical Canada facility in Alberta, Canada.

Methods

The methodology is characterized by six steps: (1) definition of the goal and scope of the assessment; (2) life cycle inventory data collection including context data at country level and company-specific data for foreground processes; (3) impact assessment where the subcategories’ results for foreground processes at company level are evaluated using a new SAM developed and the country social performance in the different subcategories is evaluated using some assessment intervals; (4) comparing the social performance of foreground processes to the social background context in sector or country; (5) evaluating the social performance of background processes using sector performance evaluation from Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment (PSILCA) database or country performance evaluation conducted in the study; (6) and discussion and conclusion.

Results and discussion

The method developed was able to identify the subcategories that need high level or some level of improvements along the cradle-to-gate life cycle of HDPE. In addition, the stakeholders with high negative effect were highlighted in every life cycle stage. Through this approach, Dow Chemical Canada is able to prioritize its actions and focus on the areas where its performance is still low compared to its peers in the sector or compared to the situation in the country. Moreover, through using PSILCA database or country performance evaluation to investigate the social performance of background processes, Dow Chemical Canada can determine the social hotspots areas that need more focus from its suppliers.

Conclusions

Applying the new subcategory assessment approach proposed in this study provides an objective way to assess the subcategories while differentiating between two levels of assessment: (1) the commitment to the social subcategory in the company’s policy (defined as cutoff requirement) and (2) the evidence of good/bad practices of the subcategory. In addition, the comparison of performance of the companies in foreground processes to the social background in sector or country has improved the objectivity further.