BackgroundFive cases of severe neutropenia (neutrophil counts < 0.5 per 109 cells/L) associated with exposure to cocaine and levamisole, an antihelimithic agent no longer available in Canada, were identified in Alberta in 2008. Alberta and British Columbia (BC) public health officials issued an advisory and urged health care professionals to report cases to public health. This paper presents the findings of the public health investigations.MethodsCases were identified prospectively through reporting by clinicians and a retrospective review of laboratory and medical examiners data from January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2009. Cases were categorized as confirmed, probable or suspect. Only the confirmed and probable cases are included in this paper.ResultsWe compare cases of severe neutropenia associated with tainted cocaine (NATC) identified in Alberta and BC between January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009. Of the 42 NATC cases: 23(55%) were from Alberta; 19(45%) were from British Columbia; 57% of these cases reported crack cocaine use (93% of those who identified type of cocaine used); 7% reported using cocaine powder; and the main route of cocaine administration was from smoking (72%). Fifty percent of the NATC cases had multiple episodes of neutropenia associated with cocaine use. Cases typically presented with bacterial/fungal infections and fever. One Alberta NATC case produced anti-neutrophil antibodies, and four were positive for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA). Analysis of two crack pipes and one drug sample obtained from NATC cases confirmed the presence of both cocaine and levamisole. A further 18 cases were identified through the retrospective review of laboratory and medical examiner data in AlbertaInterpretationOur findings support a link between neutropenia and levamisole tainted cocaine; particularly from smoking the crack form of cocaine. Some patients may be genetically predisposed to develop levamisole-related neutropenia. Awareness of the differential diagnosis will assist clinicians with case timely detection and appropriate management.

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Western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn) populations were planted out on a reforestation site and measured, during the summer, to define their gas exchange processes in relation to evaporative demand under nonlimiting light and edaphic conditions. These populations came from various locations across a longitudinal transect representing various biogeoclimatic subzones, differing in annual and summer precipitation, in British Columbia, Canada. The study was designed to determine whether there was population variation in gas exchange patterns and if this variation was adaptive to environmental conditions of the source geographic region (i.e., descriptors of population seed-origin). Both instantaneous gas exchange and carbon isotope composition were measured. All western redcedar populations had a decrease in foliage conductance (g wv ) and net photosynthesis (P n ) as vapor pressure deficit (VPD) increased. There was evidence of genetic variation in both g wv and P n responses to VPD, with the two Vancouver Island populations having greater g wv and P n levels than most other populations across the full range of VPD conditions. For all populations, intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE I ) was fairly stable across the full range of VPD conditions. There was a relationship between foliage carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) and both the ratio of internal to ambient CO 2 concentration (C I /C a ) and WUE I measured during the summer growing season. There was a stronger relationship between g wv and Δ than between P n and Δ. There was population variation in Δ with trees from two submaritime locations having the lowest Δ levels and the highest WUE I across all field site VPD conditions. In contrast, the two Vancouver Island populations as well as trees from a very dry interior location had the lowest seasonal WUE I and the highest Δ levels. Measured gas exchange response and long-term water use efficiency (WUE) patterns did not consistently correspond to environmental conditions of the source geographic region.

1994. The relative contribution of elastic and osmotic adjustments to turgor maintenance of woody species. -Physiol. Plant. 90; 408-413.To determine how tissue water relations vary and contribute to turgor maintenance in species from contrasting ecological zones, seedlings of jack pine {Pinus banksiana Lamb.), black .spruce iPicea mariana |Mill) B.S.P.I and flooded gum (Eucalyptus grandis W. Hilt ex Maiden) were subjected to an 8 day drought stress by water withholding with and without prior mild water stress conditioning. Jack pine, a deep-rooted species from dry, sandy boreal sites, lost turgor at the low est relative water content (75-659^) and water potential, and had lowest maximum bulk elastic mtxlulus te^.,, of 5.2-5.S MPa). Although this suggests a high inherent dehydration tolerance, jack pine did not further adjust its elasticity when repeatedly stressed. Black spruce, a shallow-rooted species from predominantly moist sites in the boreal region, lost turgor at intermediate relative water content (86^769!) and water potential, but could adjust its elasticity to maintain turgor in repeatedly stressed tissues. Flooded gum, a deeprooted species from moist, warm temperate-subtropical regions, had a low inherenl drought tolerance since it lost turgor a! higher relative water content (88-849r) and water potential, but was capable of some adjustment when the stress was repeated. Elastic adjustment (<3.7 MPa) was more important for turgor maintenance than osmotic adjustment (<0.i3 MPa). which was statistically nonsignificanE. Maximum bulk modulus of elasticity, but not o.smotic potentials at full turgor, was significantly correlated with the relative water content and water potential at zero turgor in droughted seedlings. These results highlight the importance of tissue shrinkage for dehydration tolerance. Both the inherent capacity for turgor maintenance of a spKcies under drought and its ability to adjust to repeated drought .should be considered in genetic selections for drought tolerance.

1994. The relative contribution of elastic and osmotic adjustments to turgor maintenance of woody species. -Physiol, Plant. W: 408-413.To determine how tissue water relations vary and contribute to turgor inainienance in species from contrasting ecological zones, seedlings of jack pine (P/HU.V banksiaiia Lamb.), black .spruce iPicea mariana |Mill) B.S.P.I and flooded gum (Eucalyptus grandis W. Hilt ex Maiden) were subjected to an 8 day drought stress by water withholding with and without prior mild water stress conditioning. Jack pine, a deep-rooted species from dry. sandy boreal sites, lost turgor at the lowest relative water content (75-^59^) and water potential, and had lowest maximum bulk clastic mtxlulus (E^J, of 5.2-.'),S MPa). .Mthough this suggests a high inherent dehydration tolerance, jack pine did not further adjust its elasticity when repeatedly stressed. Black spruce, a shallow-rooted species from predominantly moist sites in the boreal region, lost turgor at intermediate relative water content (86^769!) and water potential, bul could adjust its elasticity to maintain turgor in repeatedly stressed tissues. Flooded gum, a deeprooted species from moist, warm temperate-subtropical regions, had a low inherent drought tolerance since it lost turgor a! higher relative water content (i correlated with the relative water content and water potential at zero turgor in droughted seedlings. These results highlight the importance of tissue shrinkage for dehydration tolerance. Bolh the inherent capacity for turgor maintenance of a spKcies under drought and its ability to adjust to repeated drought .should be considered in genetic selections for drought tolerance.