Research indicates CLA may have considerable benefits for human health, including the prevention and reduction of several chronic diseases, says Dr. Spencer Proctor.
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Dr. Spencer Proctor
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The over-arching goal of the CLA Network's human health module has been to increase knowledge of the human health importance of naturally derived CLA, says Dr. Spencer Proctor, Director of the Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases Laboratory at the University of Alberta.
"This has been a modest initiative, but we've seen some strong achievements," says Proctor, leader of the module. "The module's initial focus has been to lay the required research groundwork to provide a basis for further research in all modules of the CLA Network. The results to date have been very encouraging, which bodes well for our future efforts."
Though CLA human health research is in early stages around the world, pioneering studies based largely on animal models have shown CLA has considerable potential for human health benefits related to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, bone density and obesity.
Research by the CLA Network human health module has helped to both confirm important links to health benefits and supply new knowledge to further support and understand those links, says Proctor, who presented a summary of module progress at the CLA Summit 2007 conference.
A key thrust for the module has been to look at many different CLA types (isomers) and determine which health outcomes or benefits each different structure may have.
The most dramatic area of CLA human health research has been cancer treatment and prevention, says Proctor. In a series of cell culture studies, researchers participating in the CLA Network have confirmed specific types of CLA can reduce the proliferation of cancerous cells. "Both key isomers demonstrated anti-cancerous potential in a number of studies," says Proctor.
The most striking results were obtained in the preliminary studies using a type of human breast cancerous cells known as MCF-7. These are estrogen receptor positive cells and are used as a model to represent one of the common forms of cancer that women get. In these studies, CLA isomers inhibited cell growth by approximately 33 percent with CLA 9,11 and by 39 percent with CLA 10,12. "Several other human cells are being studied and the mechanisms underlying these results are now being explored," he says.
These and other achievements were realized using a cancerous cell line developed by the CLA Network as a model for anti-proliferative bio-activity.
Progress has also been made to uncover beneficial effects of CLA on obesity associated inflammation. Module studies using an obese rat model have identified a pro-inflammatory state that occurs during obesity. They have also indicated that CLA decreases inflammatory-related production of nitric oxide.
"Obesity itself is now often thought of as a pro-inflammatory state," says Proctor. "Our research has served to validate findings that CLA may help mitigate this state."
Additional research has focused on CLA effects on cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance. Using a new rat model they developed to examine inflammation during cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance, module researchers identified numerous positive effects of mixed isomers of CLA. These positive effects included weight loss, improvements in lipid metabolism related to cardiovascular disease risk factors and reduction of insulin sensitivity. Researchers also identified dramatic effects of reduced kidney disease.
"This research indicated strong multi-benefits of CLA to assist with a number of human health issues," says Proctor.
Recent and ongoing work includes: Further focus on using the new rat model to examine CLA effects on obesity, cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance; long-term animal feeding trials using CLA-enriched butter oil extract; and acute animal feeding trials using a pure form of the CLA precursor vaccenic acid, which is known to be converted into CLA 9,11 once consumed.
Several key results have already been achieved in these areas. Studies with the new rat model have further indicated potential CLA benefits related to early type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Enriched butter oil studies have shown some beneficial effects on lipid metabolism following "fat challenge" - an induced boost in triglycerides and chylomicrons – as well as continued reduced kidney disease.
Research with vaccenic acid has been particularly encouraging, says Proctor. There has been little data about natural trans fatty acids, including vaccenic acid, but now module researchers have produced the first evidence that high vaccenic acid enriched butter oil may confer some health benefit.
"This is very significant because vaccenic acid is often the highest single trans-fatty acid in dairy and beef products," says Proctor. "This is further evidence that can help change the negative image associated with animal fats. In this context, we are hoping to initiate clinical studies that will yield yet another milestone for the CLA Network."
Research has unveiled strong prospects for dairy products with enhanced CLA, says Dr. John Kennelly.
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Dr. John Kennelly
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With continued research and development progress, CLA shows excellent promise to become a valuable marketing feature of dairy products in the future, says Dr. John Kennelly, a professor of dairy cattle nutrition and metabolism and Dean of the University of Alberta Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics.
"CLA has shown significant health promoting properties," says Kennelly, leader of the CLA Network's dairy production and development module. "In the dairy module, our role is to generate knowledge to support the commercial potential of CLA for dairy products. As this progress is married with progress on the human health front, we can take great steps forward to benefit both the dairy industry and consumers of dairy products."
Kennelly presented an overview of CLA Network dairy module progress at the CLA Summit 2007 conference.
Among the highlights, he outlined how, at the production level, researchers have conducted several studies to provide insight into the biology of milk synthesis. This has identified several regulatory factors that influence the amount and type of CLA in milk.
"We've focused a lot on what happens in the rumen and now we're extending that to the small intestine and mammary gland," says Kennelly. "We've made great strides in developing production strategies that will support specific, consistent CLA levels to provide a basis for product development opportunities. This includes opportunities for products with enhanced levels of natural CLA."
In dairy animals, the majority of CLA appears to be produced in the mammary gland, notes Kennelly. In conjunction with partners, researchers in the CLA Network have pursued fundamental research to better understand the conditions that cause enzymes in the mammary gland to make best use of the feed-derived material – called substrate – that's available for CLA synthesis. "This can further help us in designing diets that optimize CLA production," he says.
Several studies have also focused on dietary factors that influence CLA in milk, says Kennelly. This research has included initiatives to identify new feed ingredients and to develop new feeding strategies to affect CLA increases in milk. One of the most simple and effective strategies identified is to supplement dairy animal diets with plant oil or seed that is high in linoleic acid.
"Already, we have shown that by using practical dairy feeding strategies it is possible to increase the concentration of CLA in bovine milk by five times or more," says Kennelly. Researchers are currently working with partners on a grazing experiment, to take a closer look at why grazed animals produce higher levels of CLA. "A theory we're exploring is that different bacterial populations present in a grazing situation may have some effect."
Along with attaining high levels of CLA in milk, researchers have worked on strategies to minimize the amount of substrate required to reach those high levels. "This will help reduce costs associated with the substrate," says Kennelly. "It will also minimize any detrimental effects of increased substrate on overall digestion in the rumen."
At the level of product development, dairy module researchers have worked on several fronts with industry partners to bring new products to the market that feature enhanced natural CLA levels. This effort involves work with Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, to prepare regulatory pathways for CLA-enriched products as they advance further toward commercialization stages.
A key accomplishment for module researchers has been to establish a base level of CLA in the milk of dairy cattle at the University of Alberta's Dairy Research and Technology Centre. They are using this milk for a variety of research purposes, including to generate products such as butter oil, for use in experiments to study the health benefits of naturally-produced CLA.
The work is also addressing the need to standardize and optimize these CLA-enhanced products for use in future human health trials, notes Kennelly. "We've determined the extent of natural variation in CLA levels in dairy products. This will help us to ensure consistency of those levels."
Understanding how animals produce CLA and how that influences other important processes is key to harvesting benefits, says Dr. Erasmus Okine.
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Dr. Erasmus Okine
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Much of the key to capturing the potential of CLA lies in understanding how beef and dairy cattle produce this unique fatty acid and how that influences other important processes that impact both production and product quality, says Dr. Erasmus Okine of the University of Alberta. This is the focus of the CLA Network's animal mechanisms module, which in particular has examined animal mechanisms related to CLA isomers CLA 9,11 and CLA 10, 12.
"Our approach has been to better understand the processes within the animal that produce CLA and have related implications for the production and composition of dairy and beef products," says Okine, leader of the CLA Network's animal mechanisms module. "The knowledge we gain from this effort provides us with new opportunities to improve these products, not only in terms of CLA but also in the context of broader related benefits."
Studies by researchers participating in the CLA Network have confirmed that beef and dairy products already contain natural CLA and these natural levels may be increased substantially through simple livestock production approaches, says Okine, who presented an overview of animal mechanisms module progress at the CLA Summit 2007 conference.
Through a combination of several animal mechanism studies, researchers have come a long way in identifying the process by which these microbes take linoleic acid and move it into the two forms of CLA currently of greatest interest – CLA 9,11 and CLA 10,12. Among the key findings, this research has shown that simple dietary manipulation can consistently produce CLA increases of five times or more in milk fat or two-to-three times in beef.
"A major focus for us has been to examine the processes that underlie these increases, as well as to examine the effects of increased CLA on other animal mechanisms that have important implications for production and product quality," says Okine.
Among recent research, this has included a series of studies to investigate the effects of CLA 9,11 and CLA 10,12 on fat formation and deposition in beef cattle. These studies found that feeding modified diets to increase CLA in beef cattle also resulted in carcasses with higher levels of desirable marbling fat and lower levels of undesirable backfat.
"This is a very important finding," says Okine. "With CLA, it appears we have found a simple, cost effective means to reduce backfat and to generate greater volumes of high quality beef with CLA health attributes that will meet premium market demand."
Waste fat has been estimated to cost the North American beef industry approximately $4.4 billion per year – $2 billion to produce and $2.4 billion to remove and ship, notes Okine. In addition, degree of marbling is one of the most important factors influencing the consumer eating experience.
"Our studies have shown an opportunity for using CLA to dramatically reduce a major industry cost and improve the consumer eating experience," says Okine. "Because these benefits are achieved by increasing natural CLA, this further enhances the product health value."
In a study with dairy animals, researchers identified an enzyme in the mammary gland that takes vaccenic acid – a CLA precursor – and transforms it into CLA.
"Learning more about this mechanism will support the development of strategies to optimize CLA levels in dairy products and to target related market opportunities," says Okine.
In the course of this research, Okine and colleagues made several other findings that will assist in understanding the best CLA strategies.
Among these findings, the researchers found that, during the growth phase, CLA 9,11 was shown to have profound effects types of fat cells known as 3+3-L1 fat cells as well as fat cells located outside the muscle. However, this CLA type didn't seem to affect marbling fat cells during the same phase. An additional finding showed that CLA 10,12 tends to decrease lipid formation in all fat cells.
At this stage, these findings are of most interest to researchers. They provide knowledge that will aid the development of CLA strategies to reduce backfat and increase marbling.
Market analysis, consumer surveys and production advances all point to strong marketing potential for CLA products, says Yulian Ding.
Consumer studies have indicated there is a strong interest and a willingness to pay a premium for CLA-enriched products, says Yulian Ding of the University of Alberta.
This is a key result of work by the CLA Network's marketing module, says Ding, who provided an update on module progress at the CLA Summit 2007 conference. "We've done a lot to gain an initial understanding of the marketing prospects for CLA," says Ding. "The results so far have been encouraging. They have also provided insights that can support marketing strategies for CLA-related dairy and beef products."
To assist in the development of strategies for developing and marketing CLA-enriched dairy and beef products, researchers conducted a study to identify what can be learned from the example of omega-3 eggs.
"The study identified potential for CLA-enriched products to enjoy similar success to omega-3 eggs," says Ding. The key is to address consumers' health concerns, by creating a brand that meets consumers' perceptions about healthy products, she says. Health information on labels and for retail display purposes would provide a key support.
Two major consumer surveys were conducted by the marketing module, to uncover new knowledge of consumer attitudes toward potential CLA enriched dairy and beef products. The surveys were designed to provide a benchmark of attitudes and to identify key factors that may help determine consumers' acceptance of these products.
This effort included a dairy survey conducted by telephone with more than 800 respondents in Alberta and British Columbia, as well as a beef survey conducted in store with over 800 consumers in Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and Quebec City.
"Our consumer surveys have indicated not only strong interest, but also a willingness to pay a premium for CLA-enriched products," says Ding.
In both surveys, respondents were provided with summary information on CLA and its links to health benefits.
In the dairy survey, respondents estimated that CLA-enriched milk was worth $0.39 more per litre than the price of regular milk – an average of 35.5 percent more than the base price.
In the beef survey, respondents also showed a strong willingness to pay a premium for products with a label denoting high CLA content. Compared to the price of normal beef products, this included a willingness to pay an additional $2.83/ kg to $2.96/kg for a product with a "CLA-enhanced" label and an additional $3.29/kg to $3.97/kg for a product with a "Rich in CLA" label.
Both surveys also harvested broad information that will be used to help determine what product development and marketing approaches for CLA are likely to be most successful.
The marketing module has driven progress on several other fronts to support the development of CLA products within two key streams – enriched products within a normal range of variation, as well as enriched products with higher CLA levels than a normal range that may require "novel food" regulatory approval.
Among recent examples, the module has worked with regulatory bodies to prepare for new CLA enriched products. It has also assisted in the dairy module to produce milk with specific amounts of CLA, which can be processed to generate products, such as CLA-enhanced butter oil. In addition, the module is working with a range of partners to bring new CLA-enhanced products to the market. The most advanced of these efforts is a project with an Alberta-based dairy operation to develop and market CLA-enhanced yogurt.
Choosing the right regulatory pathways is critical to the development and success of CLA products, says Jyoti Sahasrabudhe.
The road to CLA success is strewn not only with scientific challenges but with the formidable task of navigating a complex regulatory environment.
To provide insight into the best regulatory pathways for CLA success, Jyoti Sahasrabudhe, of Calgary-based Sahasrabudhe & Associates, delivered a presentation titled "Canadian Regulatory and Novel Food Aspects" at the CLA Summit 2007.
As a consultant to the CLA Network, Sahasrabudhe has worked with network leaders to not only examine the current marketplace and evaluate opportunities for CLA products, but to develop specific strategic approaches to potential food content declarations, health claims and novel food hurdles.
The current regulatory environment in Canada, concerning CLA, is shaped by three major forces, says Sahasrabudhe. These are: The Food and Drugs Act (FDA) and Regulations, which has been around since 1953; the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) 2003 Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising; and, most recently, Health Canada's Interim Guidance Document on preparing a submission for foods with health claims.
Current labelling regulations, which govern the content of the mandatory "Nutrition Facts" table on most prepackaged food products marketed in Canada, include mandatory listing of 13 key nutrients such as calories, fat – including breakdown of saturated fat and trans fat – cholesterol, carbohydrate and protein. In addition, the regulations allow option for inclusion of information on an additional 30 nutrients, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid content.
"Under the current regulations, a quantitative declaration of content of CLA would be allowed outside this table, to complement the table information," says Sahasrabudhe.
Nutrition claims, which go beyond declarations of content, must be approved by Health Canada, she says. They take the form of regulated statements made when or if a food meets certain criteria. "Nutrition claims should assist the consumer in making choices and they are based on current science and health criteria," says Sahasrabudhe. There are a number of approved claim statements that food companies can use, each with specific additional requirements.
The framework for health claims distinguishes between two types of claims. The first is a generic claim for nutrients and other food components or food groups which contribute to a dietary pattern of eating associated with a reduction in risk for a disease. The second is a product specific claim for a specific food which demonstrates a measurable health benefit beyond body function, growth, development or maintenance of good health. The five currently allowable claims are generic claims.
Of more immediate relevance for CLA is an additional element – the new Novel Food regulations, introduced in 1999 as an amendment to the Food and Drug Act. Under these regulations, "novel food" applies to products that do not have a history of safe use as a food, as well as to those that have been manufactured, prepared, preserved or packaged by a process that has not been previously applied to that food and / or causes the food to undergo a major change.
"Novel Food regulations do not apply to food products that already contain what are considered normal levels of CLA," says Sahasrabudhe. "But they would apply if levels are enhanced to a level that would meet the 'major change' criteria of the regulations."
The CLA Network's approach has centred on investigating two phases of regulatory initiatives, she says. The first is to get a product on the shelf that declares levels of enhanced CLA that are considered within a normal range of variation. The second is to further enhance the CLA content to levels considered outside the normal range of variation and obtain novel food approval for that type of product."
A strong communications effort is critical to drive progress and increase awareness of CLA benefits, says Gail Ewan.
Much of the CLA Network effort is about providing "CLArity." This includes providing clarity on the potential of CLA and clarity on how to capture this promise. It also includes supporting clarity between the CLA Network and all of its stakeholders, from primary dairy and beef producers all the way to consumers.
For the CLA Network, the key to meeting these goals is to deliver a strong communications program to complement other core network efforts in research and development, says Gail Ewan, Senior Program Manager Nutrition with Dairy Farmers of Canada and a member of the CLA Network communications module.
"Communications plays a critical role in supporting the progress of the CLA Network by delivering knowledge and information to key internal and external stakeholders," says Ewan, who provided an update on communications module progress at the CLA Summit 2007 conference. "This role has become increasingly important, as CLA developments occur with greater frequency and potential new products advance toward commercial channels."
The CLA Network's communications module has delivered information to a broad range of stakeholders, including the network itself, funding supporters, dairy and beef industries, health professionals, the broader research community and the general public.
To date, progress of the module has been driven heavily by the funding support and assistance of industry partners, and has delivered a strong return for that investment through numerous initiatives, says Ewan. A major component of this effort has also been working with Meristem, a Calgary-based communications agency, to develop and deliver a number of communications tools.
"The knowledge and information delivered has great capacity to benefit many stakeholders, most directly the network and its partners, dairy and beef industries and consumers, by facilitating CLA progress and increasing awareness of benefits," says Ewan.
The processes to deliver information to stakeholders is based on a solid foundation of strategic planning, says Ewan.
The CLA Network developed a communications module team with both provincial and national perspective and representation of both dairy and beef sectors. This team currently includes representatives of Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Beef Information Centre, Alberta Milk and Alberta Agriculture and Food, with a range of expertise in areas including industry, nutrition, communications, marketing and administration.
This team then conducted thorough analysis, including a strong element of direct stakeholder consultation, as the basis for creating a strategic communications plan.
"A major part of the plan is to leverage partner resources," says Ewan. "This helps to maintain cost efficiency and to take advantage of effective channels already in place to carry the CLA Network message."
The result is broad distribution of materials, she says. CLA Network partners include not only Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Beef Information Centre, Alberta Milk and Alberta Agriculture and Food, but also the University of Alberta, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Alberta Agricultural Research Institute, Agriculture and Food Council, Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund, Alberta Beef Producers and the Teagasc Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority.
The development process toward the strategic communications plan also included SWOT analysis, the crafting of key messages and roll-out plans for targeting various audiences.
For example, says Ewan, a focus at the current stage of the communications effort has been to place a strong emphasis not on targeting consumers directly but on targeting health professionals. These health professionals have a high reputation of trust with consumers, so are a good carrier of early messages about CLA, its benefits and its potential. While modest efforts to target consumers directly are also part of the effort, those will take on a stronger emphasis as part of future education and marketing efforts once CLA related products enter commercial channels and gain profile.
"The original communications plan included a number of components to support and anticipate CLA Network developments," says Ewan. "This plan continues to evolve with these developments, with continued feedback and analysis from partners and other stakeholders."
The CLA Summit conference itself is a major component of the ongoing strategic planning process, notes Ewan. The Summit, hosted by the CLA Network, was designed to provide an overview of the major progress achieved under the past three years of CLA Network funding, as well as perspectives from leading researchers and industry representatives on new opportunities.
The final day of the Summit included a round table stakeholder feedback session. Also, the broad CLA Network stakeholders in attendance were provided with evaluation forms to provide feedback on the conference itself as well as on the performance and future direction of the network. The comments received will help drive the direction of the network as it sets the stage for a new generation of progress beginning during the remainder of 2007 and extending for several years beyond.
Much of the communications effort has been delivered through the development and use/distribution of several communications tools and initiatives, says Ewan.
A chief example has been the development of a major CLA Network Web site, at www.CLAnetwork.com. This Web site provides quick access to all the latest news, developments and educational resources on CLA Network progress. Though promotion of the site is in early stages, it consistently enjoys strong use, as evidenced by tracking of key data such as hits and visits.
Other examples include development of a strong branded image through visual identity components such as a wordmark, tagline, distinct design for information materials and a major display booth.
The display booth is a large, multi-panel, attractive full color exhibit that is used regularly at major conferences and events, says Ewan. "The display was designed to capture the promise of CLA and get people interested. The response has been very positive."
Related to use of the display booth and other resources, a major part of the communications module effort has been to provide representation of the CLA Network at conferences and events. Among prominent examples from the past year, several CLA Network scientists and communications team members attended and delivered presentations at the BIOCLA Symposium in Fermoy, Ireland – a major European conference on CLA progress. A few other examples, among many, include display and presentation efforts at the Dieticians of Canada conference in Vancouver, the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar in Red Deer and the AgChoices event in Red Deer.
Further key items developed and delivered by the communications program include editorial-based information tools such as brochures, articles, fact sheets, advertorials, news releases, electronic newsletters and Power Point presentations. The Power Point presentations are based on a regularly updated "macro version" of all key CLA Network information, which may be tailored for a variety of specific uses.
"Items such as the news releases and articles are broadly distributed and often reprinted or redistributed by partners, media, industry organizations and others," notes Ewan. All of the latest reports, along with easy-to-access archived reports are also available on the Web site at www.CLAnetwork.com. Examples of recent news release and article headlines include, "The producer payback of CLA," "New hope in battling diseases" and "Science blazing trait for CLA benefits."
The many initiatives have also included a number of more targeted, high impact efforts, she says. To name a few examples, the network delivered a direct mail-out package of materials on CLA and CLA Network progress and activity to over 5,000 members of the Dieticians of Canada, placed advertorials in major consumer magazines such as Canadian Living, and developed an electronic newsletter tool, "The CLA Network Insider," that is distributed directly to network members, partners and industry stakeholders.
The Insider is designed for the CLA Network's internal audience. It delivers advance notices of upcoming communications materials, as well as perspectives on network activity, challenges and opportunities. To receive the Insider visit the Web site www.CLAnetwork.com and click on "Become an Insider."
The impact of the various communications module efforts are reflected in numerous ways, all of which provide indications of success for both the communications module and the CLA Network as a whole, says Ewan.
These "measures of success" are analyzed regularly to provide important indications of client, stakeholder and team member satisfaction.
Monitoring partner use of communications materials. One key indicator is use of CLA Network communications materials, such as news releases and articles, by organizations that include clients, stakeholders and team members. These materials describe CLA Network progress. As a result, their use is a validation by partners that this progress has strong enough value to warrant awareness by their members or stakeholders they represent. The CLA Network regularly contacts partners directly to inquire on their use of materials and also monitors this use by viewing partner publications, Web sites, etc.
Monitoring media publication of communications materials. Similarly, media publication of communications materials is another key indicator of satisfaction. Media are important judges of the value of information to producers, industry, consumers and other stakeholders. The CLA Network, through its communications consultant partner, regularly monitors this use, which is recorded in a Media Clippings Report. One recent example of high profile coverage was use of CLA Network materials, along with original material from interviews with CLA Network sources, in a feature article on page one of the Edmonton Journal health section.
Monitoring of "Insider" stakeholder communications participation. The Insider, which is the monthly electronic newsletter developed and distributed by the CLA Network, is targeted exclusively to internal members, partners and stakeholders of the network. This newsletter provides notice of new communications materials available, advance notice of upcoming communications materials and highlighted perspectives on issues of importance to the CLA Network.
Distribution is targeted to a list of internal audience members; members of this audience may sign-up to receive the newsletter. The ongoing increase in the distribution list, combined with the lack of those requesting to be removed from the list, is an important indicator of satisfaction. The newsletter also regularly encourages feedback, which may be provided directly by email or by phone – this provides an additional means to capture and analyze satisfaction.
Monitoring of Web use. Use of the CLA Network Web space, at www.CLAnetwork.com, and the material it contains, such as network news releases and articles, is also monitored as an indicator of satisfaction. The CLA Network, through its communications consultant partner, monitors this use on a monthly basis. Monitoring is based on a combination of standard statistics from Telus, along with enhanced analysis through a more sophisticated Google service.
Monitoring of the potential negatives indicator. Avoiding major negative media coverage or other forms of negative profile is an important indicator of satisfaction. All monitoring of CLA Network coverage includes specific monitoring for potential negative coverage, which has been virtually non-existent to date.
As with all CLA Network activity, communications module efforts are driven by stakeholder feedback, which is encouraged regularly in numerous ways. A couple prominent examples related to communications module activity include manned use of the CLA Network display at major events as well as regular feedback encouragement in communications materials such as articles and other reports.
"Effective communication is a two-way process," says Ewan. "That's why in addition to delivering a variety of information, the CLA Network strongly encourages comments, questions and other feedback from all of our stakeholders."
Reprintable with credit. Individual articles in the Report on CLA Summit 2007 are available for reprint, with acknowledgement of the source: The CLA Network. For broader reprint requests or reprint assistance contact the CLA Network at CLAnetwork@gov.ab.ca.
