Expanding Education Researchers' Access to Classroom Observation Data With a Remote and Cost-Effective Video Data Collection Protocol.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated long-term shifts to virtual instruction among most US schools presented notable challenges among education researchers. Ongoing projects conducted in school settings experienced sudden losses of access to teacher and student participants, in many cases leading to severe interruptions to data collection efforts. Perhaps most notably, upon returns to in-person instruction in the 2021/22 academic year most schools instigated strict policies limiting the number of non-school personnel who could enter school buildings, including researchers conducting in-person data collections.

Enabling genomic island prediction and comparison in multiple genomes to investigate bacterial evolution and outbreaks.

Outbreaks of virulent and/or drug-resistant bacteria have a significant impact on human health and major economic consequences. Genomic islands (GIs; defined as clusters of genes of probable horizontal origin) are of high interest because they disproportionately encode virulence factors, some antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) genes, and other adaptations of medical or environmental interest. While microbial genome sequencing has become rapid and inexpensive, current computational methods for GI analysis are not amenable for rapid, accurate, user-friendly and scalable comparative analysis of sets of related genomes.

A Cross-Sectional Study Examining the Seroprevalence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antibodies in a University Student Population.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in a university student population.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study based on the World Health Organization population-based seroepidemiological investigational protocol for SARS-CoV-2 conducted between April 29, 2020, and May 8, 2020, examining SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence among 790 university students in Los Angeles, CA. Participants completed a questionnaire on potential risk factors before blood sampling.

Impact of Animal Characters at a Zoo Concession Stand on Healthy Food Sales.

Objective: The primary objectives of the study were to examine: 1) how increased availability of healthier items at a zoo concession stand affects sales and 2) how animal character marketing on zoo menu boards affects sales revenue.

Methods: An intervention was conducted over an 8-week period. On alternating weeks, zoo animal characters were systematically paired with and removed from healthy food items on a zoo concession menu board.

Microbial genomic island discovery, visualization and analysis.

Horizontal gene transfer (also called lateral gene transfer) is a major mechanism for microbial genome evolution, enabling rapid adaptation and survival in specific niches. Genomic islands (GIs), commonly defined as clusters of bacterial or archaeal genes of probable horizontal origin, are of particular medical, environmental and/or industrial interest, as they disproportionately encode virulence factors and some antimicrobial resistance genes and may harbor entire metabolic pathways that confer a specific adaptation (solvent resistance, symbiosis properties, etc). As large-scale analyses of microbial genomes increases, such as for genomic epidemiology investigations of infectious disease outbreaks in public health, there is increased appreciation of the need to accurately predict and track GIs.