Dissolved polycyclic aromatic compounds in Canada's Athabasca River in relation to Oil Sands from 2013 through 2019.

The Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring (OSM) Program began long-term surface water quality monitoring on the lower Athabasca River in 2012. Sampling of low level, bio-accumulative polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) targeted a suite of parent and alkylated compounds in the Athabasca River (AR) mainstem using semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs). Samples were collected along a gradient from upstream reference near Athabasca, Alberta, through exposure to the Athabasca oil sands deposit (AOSD), various tributary inflows, and mining activities within the OSMA, to downstream recovery near Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) and reference on the Slave River. The program adapted over the years, shifting in response to program review and environmental events. The AOSD chemical fingerprint was present in samples collected within the AOSD, through the oil sands mineable area (OSMA), downstream to recovery from 2013 to 2019. PACs were dominated by alkylated phenanthrenes/anthracenes (PAs) and dibenzothiophenes (Ds), with elevated levels of alkylated fluorenes (Fs), naphthalenes (Ns), fluoranthenes/pyrenes (FlPys) and benzo[a]anthracenes/chrysenes (BaACs), increasing in concentration from C1 < C2 < C3 < C4. Concentrations of these petrogenic PACs were at their highest within the OSMA and downstream of tributaries. The AOSD fingerprint was absent from sites located outside of the influence of the AOSD and downstream of the Peace-Athabasca Delta on the Slave River. PAC concentrations in the AR increased with mainstem discharge and loadings from tributaries, were moderated by the PAD, and diluted by the Peace River. This work bolsters the baseline PAC information previously reported for the Athabasca River and waters downstream, reporting 7 years of data, from all sites within the mainstem monitoring program, and exploring potential regional and hydrological drivers of these between sites and over time.

Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Rivers Dominated by Petrogenic Sources after a Boreal Megafire.

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) threaten the health of aquatic ecosystems. In northeastern Alberta, Canada, decades of oil sands mining and upgrading activities have increased PAC delivery into freshwaters. This PAC pollution adds to natural inputs from river erosion of bitumen-bearing McMurray Formation outcrops and wildfire inputs. Quantifying these petrogenic and pyrogenic PAC inputs, which is key for understanding industrial impacts, remains a challenge. To distinguish petrogenic from pyrogenic inputs, we characterized river water PACs before and after the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, one of the largest natural disasters in Canadian history. Samples of wildfire ash and outcropping bitumen allow us to distinguish between these important PAC sources. River PAC concentrations ranged over multiple orders of magnitude (10s-10 000s ng/L). Petrogenic PACs dominated most of the postfire period with only short-term episodes of pyrogenic signatures in burned watersheds due to the wash-in of ash from the watershed. Wildfire PAC inputs during these events resulted in exceptional increases in concentrations that met or exceeded high (petrogenic) background concentrations, driven by the natural erosion of outcropping bitumen. Our dataset offers the first quantification of these two important PAC sources in this industrialized region and provides new insight into the impacts of increasing wildfire frequency and severity across the Boreal Forest.

The essential conditions needed to implement the Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program: a focused ethnography.

BACKGROUND: The Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program (IYMP) is a 20-week communal, relationship-based afterschool healthy living program for Indigenous youth in Canada. IYMP embraces the Anishnaabe/Nehiyawak concepts of Mino-Bimaadiziwin/miyo-pimâtisiwin ("living in a good way") via its core components of physical activities/games, healthy snacks, and relationship-building. A strength of IYMP is that it values autonomy, adaptability, and the school community context. However, this presents challenges when evaluating its implementation, given that traditional implementation science methods tend to oversimplify the process. In response, essential conditions for the implementation of school-based healthy living programs across diverse contexts have been developed. The purpose of this research was to understand the applicability of these essential conditions within the context of IYMP. METHODS: 15 participants (n = 10 Young Adult Health Leaders; n = 5 coordinators) with experience implementing IYMP in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec were purposefully sampled. Focused ethnography was the guiding method and one-on-one semi-structured interviews were used as the data generation strategy. The purpose of the interviews was to understand what conditions are needed to implement IYMP. The interview guide was based on previously established essential conditions developed by the research team. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and content analysis was used to identify patterns in the data. RESULTS: The overarching theme that emerged from the interviews was the applicability of the essential conditions when implementing IYMP. Participants felt the eight core conditions (students as change agents, school/community-specific autonomy, demonstrated administrative leadership, higher-level support, dedicated champion(s) to engage school community, community support, quality and use of evidence, and professional development) and four contextual conditions (time, funding and project support, readiness and understanding, and prior community connectivity) were necessary, but made suggestions to modify two conditions (youth led and learning opportunities) to better reflect their experiences implementing IYMP. In addition, a new core condition, rooted in relationship, emerged as necessary for implementation. CONCLUSIONS: This research adds to the literature by identifying and describing what is needed in practice to implement a communal, relationship-based afterschool healthy living program. The essential conditions may support other researchers and communities interested in implementing and rippling similar programs.

Validation of reference genes for real-time PCR of cord blood mononuclear cells, differentiating endothelial progenitor cells, and mature endothelial cells.

In the last ten years, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have gained interest as an attractive cell population in regenerative medicine for vascular applications. This population is defined as the precursor of endothelial mature cells (ECs) through a process of differentiation. To our knowledge, no single marker can be used to discriminate them from mature ECs. To effectively study their differentiation kinetics, gene expression must be assessed. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) is widely used to analyze gene expression. To minimize the impact of variances from RT-qPCR, a rigorous selection of reference genes must be performed prior to any experiments due to variations in experimental conditions. In this study, CD34+ mononuclear cells were extracted from human cord blood and differentiated into EPCs after seeding for a maximum period of 21 days. To choose the best combinations of reference genes, we compared the results of EPCs, CD34+ mononuclear cells, and mature endothelial cells to ensure that the differentiation kinetics did not affect the expression of our selected reference genes. The expression levels of seven genes, namely, YWHAZ, GAPDH, HPRT1, RPLP0, UBC, B2M, and TBP were thus compared. The algorithms geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and the Comparative ΔCt method were employed to assess the expression of each candidate gene. Overall results reveal that the expression stability of reference genes may differ depending on the statistical program used. YWHAZ, GAPDH, and UBC composed the optimal set of reference genes for the gene expression studies performed by RT-qPCR in our experimental conditions. This work can thus serve as a starting point for the selection of candidate reference genes to normalize the levels of gene expression in endothelial progenitor cell populations.

Enhancing Indigenous Health Promotion Research Through Two-Eyed Seeing: A Hermeneutic Relational Process.

The intention of this article is to demonstrate how Indigenous and allied health promotion researchers learned to work together through a process of Two-Eyed Seeing. This process was first introduced as a philosophical hermeneutic research project on diabetes prevention within an Indigenous community in Quebec Canada. We, as a research team, became aware that hermeneutics and the principles of Haudenosaunee decision making were characteristic of Two-Eyed Seeing. This article describes our experiences while working with each other. Our learning from these interactions emphasized the relational aspects needed to ensure that we became a highly functional research team while working together and becoming Two-Eyed Seeing partners.

Characterization of the School Neighborhood Food Environment in Three Mexican Cities.

Food resources in school neighborhoods can negatively influence diet; however, this environment is understudied. This study characterized the school neighborhood food environment in Guadalajara (n=11), Puerto Vallarta (n=7), and Mexico City (n=14). Convenience stores, table-service restaurants, and taco stands were highly available in all three cities. Grocery stores were highly available in Mexico City school neighborhoods, yet less frequently observed in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. Socioeconomic differences in food cart and grocery store availability were observed in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. Policy and intervention strategies are needed to address the saturation of food resources in Mexico school neighborhoods.

Influence of parental perception of school safety and gender on children's physical activity in Mexico: A cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This cross sectional study aims to determine the effects of gender and parental perception of safety at school on children's physical activity (PA) levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Parents of school aged Mexican children residing in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Puerto Vallarta, completed surveys about their children's PA measures. The physical activity indicators were evaluated using linear and logistical regression models. RESULTS: Analysis did not indicate that gender moderated the relationship between parental perception of safety and PA measures, but significant gender issues exist with girls participating less than boys in the three measures of PA in this study (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Results suggest the need for additional interventions promoting physical activity in girls in Mexico.

Assessing the physical activity environment in Mexican healthcare settings.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the informational, educational and instrumental environments among Mexican healthcare settings for their potential to promote physical activity (PA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Environmental Physical Activity Assessment Tool for Healthcare Settings (EPATHS) was developed to assess the PA environments of 40 clinics/hospitals representing the three Mexican healthcare systems in Guadalajara. The EPATHS assessed the presence and quality of PA enhancing features in the informational (e.g. signage), educational (e.g. pamphlets), and instrumental (e.g. stairs) environments of included clinics/hospitals. RESULTS: 28 (70%) clinics/hospitals had more than one floor with stairs; 60% of these had elevators. Nearly 90% of stairs were visible, accessible and clean compared to fewer than 30% of elevators. Outdoor spaces were observed in just over half (55%) of clinics/hospitals, and most (70%) were of good quality. Only 25% clinics/hospitals had educational PA materials. CONCLUSIONS: The PA instrumental environment of Mexican healthcare settings is encouraging. The informational and educational environments could improve.

An ecological and theoretical deconstruction of a school-based obesity prevention program in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Ecological intervention programs are recommended to prevent overweight and obesity in children. The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico implemented a successful ecological intervention program to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in school age children. This study assessed the integration of ecological principles and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) constructs in this effective school-based obesity prevention program implemented in 15 elementary schools in Mexico City. METHODS: Two coders applied the Intervention Analysis Procedure (IAP) to "map" the program's integration of ecological principles. A checklist gauged the use of SCT theory in program activities. RESULTS: Thirty-two distinct intervention strategies were implemented in one setting (i.e., school) to engage four different target-groups (students, parents, school representatives, government) across two domains (Nutrition and Physical Activity). Overall, 47.5% of the strategies targeted the school infrastructure and/or personnel; 37.5% of strategies targeted a key political actor, the Public Education Secretariat while fewer strategies targeted parents (12.5%) and children (3%). More strategies were implemented in the Nutrition domain (69%) than Physical Activity (31%). The most frequently used SCT construct within both intervention domains was Reciprocal Determinism (e.g., where changes to the environment influence changes in behavior and these behavioral changes influence further changes to the environment); no significant differences were observed in the use of SCT constructs across domains. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide insight into a promising combination of strategies and theoretical constructs that can be used to implement a school-based obesity prevention program. Strategies emphasized school-level infrastructure/personnel change and strong political engagement and were most commonly underpinned by Reciprocal Determinism for both Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines among adult immigrants in Canada.

OBJECTIVES: The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines include recommendations for healthy levels of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep. Meeting these recommendations could help immigrants stay healthy. However, little is known about the movement behaviours of adult immigrants in Canada nor how these differ in relation to non-immigrants or time since immigration. The objectives were to estimate and compare the prevalence of meeting the 24-Hour Movement Guideline recommendations among adult non-immigrants, established immigrants, and recent immigrants in Canada across different sex groups. METHODS: Self-reported data from the 2017 and 2018 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey were used. Meeting the guideline recommendations was based on the following: accumulating ≥ 150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), limiting screen time to ≤ 3 h/day, and getting 7-9 h/day of sleep for adults aged 18-64 or 7-8 h/day of sleep for adults aged 65 + . Logistic regression was used to compare guideline adherence according to immigration status while controlling for age, sex, income, marital status, and education. RESULTS: Among immigrants, 21.5% met all three guideline recommendations, 43.7% met 2 of 3 recommendations, and 28.5% met a single recommendation. The corresponding values for non-immigrants were 26.2%, 42.7%, and 24.6%. Compared to established immigrants, recent immigrants were more likely to meet all three recommendations (OR = 1.27; 95% CI (1.07, 1.50)) and to meet the sleep recommendation (OR = 1.29; 95% CI (1.07, 1.54)) after controlling for confounders. CONCLUSION: Approximately 1 in 5 immigrants in Canada met all three recommendations of the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. Movement behaviours vary according to immigrant status.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: La conformité aux Directives canadiennes en matière de mouvement sur 24 heures pour les adultes, qui comprennent des recommandations concernant des niveaux sains d'activité physique, de comportement sédentaire et de sommeil, pourrait aider les immigrants à rester en bonne santé. Cependant, on connait peu de choses sur les comportements de mouvement des immigrants adultes au Canada, ni sur la façon dont ces comportements pourraient différer par rapport aux non-immigrants ou par rapport au nombre d'années depuis l'immigration. Les objectifs de cette étude étaient d'estimer et de comparer la prévalence de la conformité aux recommandations en matière de mouvement sur 24 heures chez les non-immigrants, les immigrants établis et les nouveaux immigrants au Canada. MéTHODES: Les données tirées des cycles 2017 et 2018 de l'Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes (ESCC) ont été utilisées. La conformité aux recommandations reposait sur les éléments suivants : accumulation de ≥ 150 min/semaine d'activité physique d'intensité moyenne à élevée, ≤ 3 heures/jour de temps de loisir devant un écran, et 7 à 9 heures/jour de sommeil pour les adultes âgés de 18 à 64 ans ou 7 à 8 heures/jour de sommeil pour les adultes âgés de 65 ans et plus. Les modèles de régression logistique ont été ajustés en ce qui a trait à l'âge, le sexe, le revenu, l'état matrimonial et l'éducation. RéSULTATS: Parmi les immigrants, 21,5 % se conformaient aux trois recommandations, 43,7 % se conformaient à 2 des 3 recommandations, et 28,5 % se conformaient à une seule recommandation. Les valeurs correspondantes pour les non-immigrants étaient de 26,2 %, 42,7 %, et 24,6 %. Comparativement aux immigrants établis, les nouveaux immigrants étaient plus aptes à se conformer aux trois recommandations (RCa = 1,27; IC de 95% (1,07 à 1,50)) et à la recommandation en matière de sommeil (RCa = 1,29; IC de 95% (1,07 à 1,54)). CONCLUSION: Environ un immigrant sur cinq au Canada se conformait aux trois recommandations des Directives canadiennes en matière de mouvement sur 24 heures pour les adultes. Les comportements de mouvement varient selon le statut d'immigré.

Promoting healthful diet and physical activity in the Mexican school system for the prevention of obesity in children.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the rationale, design, and methods of a two-year randomized controlled trial conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an environmental intervention in 27 elementary schools in Mexico City. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were two units of analysis, school level addressing changes in elementary public part-time schools, and individual-level addressing behavioral changes in students 9 to 11 years of age. Two intensities of an intervention program were implemented (basic and plus), each containing two intervention components: physical activity and nutrition, supported by a communication/education component. Evaluation of the intervention was carried out during the school cycles 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. RESULTS: Primary outcomes were overweight and obesity prevalence and fitness; environmental and behavioural measures were also examined. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first institutional multilevel, multifactorial project, consistent with the best practices available in current literature, carried out in Mexico to prevent childhood obesity in schools.

Impact of a school-based intervention program on obesity risk factors in Mexican children.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of an 18-month school obesity prevention intervention on the health behaviors of 4th and 5th grade students based on ecological principles and formative research conducted in Mexico. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Randomized Control Trial (RCT), design was used to assign 27 schools to one of three conditions: basic or plus interventions and control. School environment measures, children's eating and physical activity behaviors, and body mass index were assessed four times over a 2-year period in a sample of 830 students. RESULTS: In the intervention schools, the availability of healthy foods increased with a concomitant decrease in unhealthy food availability. Food intake showed the same trend. In the intervention schools, children did not engage in more moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in physical education (PE) class or recess but increased steps taken. Obesity prevalence did not change. CONCLUSION: The intervention improved the school food environment and child healthy behaviors.

How Societal Forces of Change Are Transforming Youth Physical Activity Promotion in North America.

BACKGROUND: Climate change, increasing recognition of institutionalized discrimination, and the COVID-19 pandemic are large-scale, societal events (ie, forces of change) that affect the timing, settings, and modes of youth physical activity. Despite the impact that forces of change have on youth physical activity and physical activity environments, few studies consider how they affect physical activity promotion. METHODS: The authors use 2 established frameworks, the ecological model of physical activity and the youth physical activity timing, how, and setting framework, to highlight changes in physical activity patterns of youth in North America that have resulted from contemporary forces of change. RESULTS: North American countries-Canada, Mexico, and the United States-have faced similar but contextually different challenges for promoting physical activity in response to climate change, increasing recognition of institutionalized discrimination, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Innovative applications of implementation science, digital health technologies, and community-based participatory research methodologies may be practical for increasing and sustaining youth physical activity in response to these forces of change. CONCLUSIONS: Thoughtful synthesis of existing physical activity frameworks can help to guide the design and evaluation of new and existing physical activity initiatives. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are encouraged to carefully consider the intended and unintended consequences of actions designed to respond to forces of change.

Associations between Screen-Based Activities, Physical Activity, and Dietary Habits in Mexican Schoolchildren.

Screen-based activities are associated with increased risk of obesity and contribute to physical inactivity and poor dietary habits. The primary aim of this study was to examine the associations among screen-based activities, physical activity, and dietary habits in school-aged children in Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, and Mexico City, Mexico. The secondary aim was to examine these associations across sex. The School Physical Activity and Nutrition survey was used to assess screen-based activities (TV watching, video game use, computer use), physical activity, and dietary habits. Organized activity/sports participation, unhealthy dietary habits, and household income were correlated with screen-based activities. While TV watching was associated with decreased participation in organized activity/sports participation, computer and video game use was associated with increased organized activity/sports participation. Boys engaged in more TV watching and video game use compared to girls. All screen-based activities were associated with age among boys; whereas video game and computer use were associated with higher income among girls. These findings suggest a need for sex- and age-specific strategies that acknowledge the differential use of screen-based activities across sex and age. Future research should continue to identify underlying correlates linking screen-based activities with health behaviors to inform strategies to reduce screen-time in Mexican children.

Results From the 2019 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Adults.

BACKGROUND: The ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Adults is a knowledge exchange tool representing a synthesis of the literature and data available at the national level. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the results of the inaugural 2019 edition. METHODS: Thirteen physical activity indicators, grouped into 4 categories, were graded by a committee of experts using a process that was informed by the best available evidence. Sources included national surveys, peer-reviewed literature, and gray literature such as government and nongovernment reports and online content. RESULTS: Grades were assigned to Daily Behaviors (overall physical activity: D; daily movement: C; moderate to vigorous physical activity: F; muscle and bone strength: INC; balance: INC; sedentary behavior: INC; sleep: B-), Individual Characteristics (intentions: B+), Settings and Sources of Influence (social support: INC; workplace: INC; community and environment: B-; health and primary care settings: C-), and Strategies and Investments (government: B-). CONCLUSIONS: Generally, lower grades were given to behavior-related indicators (eg, overall physical activity) and better grades for indicators related to investments, community supports, and strategies and policies. Research gaps and future recommendations and directions are identified for each indicator to support future practice, policy, and research directions.

Ontario's daily physical activity policy for elementary schools: is everything in place for success?

OBJECTIVES: The development, implementation, and evaluation of policies may play an important role in promoting health behaviours such as physical activity. The Ontario Ministry of Education (OME) recently mandated Memorandum No. 138 requiring daily physical activity (DPA) for Ontario elementary students in grades one through eight. The purpose of this paper is to examine implementation strategies. METHODS: Hogwood and Gunn's 10 preconditions for "perfect implementation" are used to examine publicly available Ministry DPA policy documents to assess whether these implementation strategies have been considered in the policy documents. RESULTS: Several preconditions (e.g., allocation of resources, task specification) appear to have been considered, however a number of preconditions (e.g., the sustainability of resources, extent to which the policy is valued, and evaluation plans) thought to be important require additional attention to ensure optimal DPA implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Additional reflection upon Hogwood and Gunn's implementation preconditions would, in our opinion, assist in facilitating optimal DPA implementation as per Memorandum No. 138.

Using an analytic framework to identify potential targets and strategies for ecologically based physical activity interventions in middle schools.

The objective was to demonstrate the value of applying an ecological analytic framework to formative data in conjunction with ecological planning frameworks (e.g., intervention mapping) to ensure a high degree of ecological program integration as illustrated through a physical activity program for students in middle school. Eight focus groups were conducted with 38 students in four schools to examine student perceptions of who or what in their school made it easy or difficult for students to be physically active. Qualitative data were used to identify potential intervention targets according to the analytic framework. Frequency analysis revealed that most identified physical activity barriers/facilitators were associated with organization (59.4%) targets. Five different intervention strategies were identified, with organizational modification being most popular. Applying the analytic framework to formative data enabled us to identify potential targets, strategies, and activities for an ecologically based physical-activity-promotion program relevant to the priority population.

Partnering with libraries to promote walking among community-dwelling adults: a Kingston gets active pilot pedometer-lending project.

Most adults do not walk enough to obtain health benefits. Pedometers have been successfully utilized to motivate and increase walking. Given that libraries are a place where community members seek health resources, they are a logical setting for increasing community accessibility to pedometers. The purpose was to examine the feasibility of lending pedometers to library patrons to increase walking. In five Canadian public libraries, 90 pedometers were made available for 6 months. A total of 41 library patrons (33 women, 8 men, age range 18 to 65 or older) completed a survey about their walking patterns and pedometer use. More than 330 loans were made. Chisquare analysis found significant associations between walking and motivation to walk more (p < .05), walking and goal setting (p < .05), and motivation to walk more and setting a walking goal (p < .001). Results provide preliminary evidence that lending pedometers through local libraries is an effective, low-cost approach to enhance walking in community members.

Increasing Cell Seeding Density Improves Elastin Expression and Mechanical Properties in Collagen Gel-Based Scaffolds Cellularized with Smooth Muscle Cells.

Vascular tissue engineering combines cells with scaffold materials in vitro aiming the development of physiologically relevant vascular models. For natural scaffolds such as collagen gels, where cells can be mixed with the material solution before gelation, cell seeding density is a key parameter that can affect extracellular matrix deposition and remodeling. Nonetheless, this parameter is often overlooked and densities sensitively lower than those of native tissues, are usually employed. Herein, the effect of seeding density on the maturation of tubular collagen gel-based scaffolds cellularized with smooth muscle cells is investigated. The compaction, the expression, and deposition of key vascular proteins and the resulting mechanical properties of the constructs are evaluated up to 1 week of maturation. Results show that increasing cell seeding density accelerates cell-mediated gel compaction, enhances elastin expression (more than sevenfold increase at the highest density, Day 7) and finally improves the overall mechanical properties of constructs. Of note, the tensile equilibrium elastic modulus, evaluated by stress-relaxation tests, reach values comparable to native arteries for the highest cell density, after a 7-day maturation. Altogether, these results show that higher cell seeding densities promote the rapid maturation of collagen gel-based vascular constructs toward structural and mechanical properties better mimicking native arteries.