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Assessing Strategies for the Prevention and Control of Emerging Tick-Borne Diseases in Urban and Peri-Urban Settings
(Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2026-06-03) Ost, Katarina; Kulkarni, Manisha
Lyme disease (LD) is the most rapidly emerging vector-borne disease in Canada. LD risk is expanding into urban and peri-urban areas due to landscape and climatic changes, along with increasing human use of wildlife habitats. Integrative interventions are needed to maximize the effectiveness of LD prevention and control. The objective of my thesis was to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of interventions to reduce LD risk in urban and peri-urban settings, using the city of Ottawa as the study site. I first (1) conducted a systematic literature review and data synthesis of studies on LD prevention and control options comparable to the Canadian context. I then (2) investigated the comparative efficacy of two environmental tick control interventions, by conducting a two-year intervention study in two peri-urban recreational trails in Ottawa. Finally, I (3) assessed the acceptability and feasibility of LD prevention practices used to reduce LD exposure and risk amongst residents of Ottawa using a mixed methods study. The systematic review summarized effectiveness and utility measures of tick and LD control options. The most common intervention domain in this study was host-targeted interventions, while the synthesis showed that chemical control approaches were the most consistently effective. However, reporting on social acceptability, environmental impact, cost, and feasibility, was inconsistent despite their potential impact on intervention uptake. Field study results found that both treated and untreated woodchips significantly reduced I. scapularis adult and nymphal tick density (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.01, 95 % CI: 0.001-0.08 and IRR = 0.52, 95 % CI: 0.34-0.78) respectively, relative to controls, demonstrating that modifying trailside ecotones with these interventions significantly reduces tick density. The mixed-methods analysis indicated that personal protection strategies and landscape strategies were the most comparably acceptable intervention types in the context of the Ottawa region; furthermore, acceptability was more consistently associated with sociodemographic factors than with risk and exposure variables. Overall, this thesis evaluated LD prevention options relevant to a Canadian peri-urban context and examined their acceptability and feasibility in Ottawa, generating evidence to inform further development of evidence-based and publicly acceptable LD risk reduction strategies in Canada.
Mit KI regieren : Vier Maßnahmen zum Aufbau einer transformativen und resilienten öffentlichen Verwaltung
(2026-06-02) Régis, Catherine; Martin-Bariteau, Florian; Adams, Rachel; Brunessen, Bertrand; Effoduh, Jake Okechukwu; Parycek, Peter; Pereira de Souza, Carlos Affonso; Yoon, Hyesun Melissa
Ohne vorherige institutionelle Neugestaltung, hinreichende Kapazitäten und eine eindeutige Governance-Struktur birgt die Einführung von KI das Risiko, bürokratische Fehlfunktionen, Verzerrungen und mangelnde Transparenz zu verfestigen, anstatt zu einer Verbesserung von Leistungsfähigkeit oder Chancengerechtigkeit beizutragen. Der Erfolg von KI in der Verwaltung ist letztlich eine Governance- Herausforderung, keine technische. Die Ergebnisse hängen weniger von der technologischen Reife ab als von institutioneller Kapazität, Rechenschaftsmechanismen, Machtverhältnissen gegenüber Anbietern und Resilienzplanung. Wir empfehlen vier Maßnahmen: Öffentliche Dienste vor dem KI- Einsatz an den Bedarfen der Bevölkerung ausrichten, Investition in institutionelle Kapazität durch Schulung und funktionsübergreifende Teams, Herstellung eines Machtgleichgewichts mit Anbietern durch kollektive Beschaffung und Zusammenarbeit sowie Verankerung einer KI des öffentlichen Sektors in einem „Trust Stack“, der auf Transparenz, Verantwortung, Übersicht und Resilienz basiert. * Original document in English: https://doi.org/10.20381/s959-yx05
STEM Publishing Workshop Worksheets
(2025) Shin, Lisa
Set of 3 worksheets developed for the annual STEM Publishing Workshop
Cement-stabilized marine clay under thermal cycling: strength, suction, and microstructure
(2026-06-01) Liu, Zhe; Fall, Mamadou
Abstract This study investigates the influence of realistic summer daily thermal cycles on the mechanical, hydraulic, and microstructural properties of cement-stabilized sensitive marine clay (SMC), a problematic marine soil widely found in Eastern Canada. SMC samples treated with 5% and 20% cement were subjected to two curing regimes: constant temperature (20 °C) and simulated daily thermal cycles, and tested after 1, 3, 7, and 28 days of curing. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and secant modulus tests were performed to assess mechanical performance, while matric suction monitoring, thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG), and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) were used to evaluate hydration behavior and microstructural evolution. Results show that daily thermal cycles significantly accelerate strength and stiffness development at early curing stages by enhancing cement hydration, leading to finer pore structures and higher matric suction due to rapid self-desiccation. However, a “crossover effect” was observed in TG/DTG results, where prolonged thermal cycling reduced hydration product formation at later stages. MIP results, in contrast, showed continued microstructural densification, likely due to a dilution effect associated with high water-to-cement ratios. These findings provide practical insights for optimizing curing strategies and binder dosages in road and infrastructure projects involving sensitive marine clays under fluctuating thermal conditions.
Lessons learned from longitudinal biomonitoring and birth cohort studies: informing the future of reproductive health research in Canada
(2026-05-29) Ashley-Martin, Jillian; Fisher, Mandy; Khoury, Cheryl; Sathiyamoorthy, Aranee; Borghese, Michael M.; England-Mason, Gillian; Pollock, Tyler; Arbuckle, Tye E.; A. Wise, Lauren; Braun, Joseph M.; Metcalfe, Amy; Buckley, Jessie P.; Palmert, Mark R.; Ricci, Christina; Phipps, Erica; Banerjee, Gopal; Fuller, Erin; Booij, Linda; Hopperton, Kathyrn; Weiler, Hope; MacFarlane, Amanda J.; Bertinato, Jesse; Rawn, Dorothea F. K.; Lavigne, Eric; Timmermann, Amalie; Oken, Emily; Wolfson, Christina; Brandlistuen, Ragnhild E.; Shutt, Robin
Abstract Longitudinal biomonitoring studies during preconception, pregnancy and early childhood are highly valuable tools for assessing environmental chemical exposures during sensitive windows and their effects on health and development. For the past 15 years, the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Research Platform has been Canada’s flagship study of the long-term effects of early life exposure to environmental chemicals. In light of the evolving scientific and legislative landscapes and need to address emerging research questions, MIREC Platform researchers at Health Canada consulted with scientific investigators of other cohort studies to inform the development of a future preconception or pregnancy longitudinal biomonitoring study. This effort included 1) hybrid consultation meetings on Dec 6, 2024 (Toronto, ON) and Jan 21, 2025 (Ottawa, ON) and 2) a virtual seminar series from October 2024 to June 2025 hosted by the Health Canada MIREC team. Our objective here is to share lessons learned from this consultation. We report on key lessons learned related to the themes of: 1) participant engagement, recruitment and retention, 2) validity and causal inference, and 3) study longevity. While the ultimate goal of this consultation was to inform future longitudinal biomonitoring studies in Canada, the content is largely generalizable and relevant to others planning, modifying, or evaluating observational research in reproductive and environmental epidemiology.