Climate change poses numerous risks to the health of Canadians. Extreme weather events, poor air quality, and food insecurity in northern regions are likely to increase along with the increasing incidence and range of infectious diseases. In this study we identify and characterize Canadian federal, provincial, territorial and municipal adaptation to these health risks based on publically available information. Federal health adaptation initiatives emphasize capacity building and gathering information to address general health, infectious disease and heat-related risks. Provincial and territorial adaptation is varied. Quebec is a leader in climate change adaptation, having a notably higher number of adaptation initiatives reported, addressing almost all risks posed by climate change in the province, and having implemented various adaptation types. Meanwhile, all other Canadian provinces and territories are in the early stages of health adaptation. Based on publically available information, reported adaptation also varies greatly by municipality. The six sampled Canadian regional health authorities (or equivalent) are not reporting any adaptation initiatives. We also find little relationship between the number of initiatives reported in the six sampled municipalities and their provinces, suggesting that municipalities are adapting (or not adapting) autonomously.

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In this paper we present Worldsens, an integrated environment for development and rapid prototyping of wireless sensor network applications. Our environment relies on software simulation to help the designer during the whole development process. The refinement is done starting from the high level design choices down to the target code implementation, debug and performance analysis. In the early stages of the design, high level parameters, like for example the node sleep and activity periods, can be tuned using WS-Net, an event driven wireless network simulator. WSNet uses models for applications, protocols and radio medium communication with a parameterized accuracy. The second step of the sensor network application design takes place after the hardware implementation choices. This second step relies on the WSim cycle accurate hardware platform simulator. WSim is used to debug the application using the real target binary code. Precise performance evaluation, including real-time analysis at the interrupt level, are made possible at this low simulation level. WSim can be connected to WSNet, in place of the application and protocol models used during the high level simulation to achieve a full distributed application simulation. WSNet and WSNet+WSim allow a continuous refinement from high level estimations down to low level real-time validation. We illustrate the complete application design process using a real life demonstrator that implements a hello protocol for dynamic neighborhood discovery in a wireless sensor network environment.

BackgroundWe investigated the possible role of antiphospholipid (APA) and anti-human 2 -glycoprotein I (b 2 -GPI) antibodies (Ab) in thrombosis and atherosclerosis in human immunodeficiency (HIV)-positive patients, in whom they seem to be more frequent. MethodsWe measured APA and anti-b 2 -GPI Ab in 58 HIV-positive patients together with markers of disease progression, circulating b 2 -GPI, plasma lipids, biological markers of endothelial activation and integrity (plasma thrombomodulin, von Willebrand factor, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1) and with antimalonic dialdehyde antibodies (anti-MDA Ab). ResultsWe found a 41% frequency of IgG APA in the HIV-positive patients. APA IgMs were rarely positive (7%), and anti-b 2 -GPI IgGs were positive in 3·4% patients. There was no correlation between APA or anti-b 2 -GPI Ab and the presence of opportunistic infections. Although plasma thrombomodulin, von Willebrand factor and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 were significantly increased in the HIV-positive patients, APA was correlated only with vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, suggesting that APAs are correlated with endothelial activation but not with vascular endothelial lesions. A correlation between APA and anti-MDA IgG was demonstrated using multivariate analysis (r ¼ 0·542, P < 0·0001), suggesting a relationship between the targets of these antibodies. Finally, IgG APAs are frequent in HIV infection but are not correlated with biological markers of endothelial injury. ConclusionOur results do not support a role for APA or anti-b 2 -GPI in HIV-associated silent vascular endothelial damage. However, the role of these autoantibodies in clinically relevant thrombotic events should be investigated in HIV-positive patients.