Aquatic Condition Index: optimization of a rapid wetland assessment tool for evaluating urban wetland health.

Unlabelled: Urbanization poses significant threats to wetland ecosystems, leading to habitat loss, hydrological alterations, and the introduction of invasive species that adversely affect essential ecosystem services. This widespread threat underscores the need to develop a robust management tool for gauging urban wetland health. The Aquatic Condition Index (ACI) was developed as a diagnostic tool for monitoring urban wetland health in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Specific retinal neurons regulate context-dependent defensive responses to visual threat.

While encountering a visual threat, an animal assesses multiple factors to choose an appropriate defensive strategy. For example, when a rodent detects a looming aerial predator, its behavioral response can be influenced by a specific environmental context, such as the availability of a shelter. Indeed, rodents typically escape from a looming stimulus when a shelter is present; otherwise, they typically freeze.

Rapid, high-throughput, cost-effective whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 using a condensed library preparation of the Illumina DNA Prep kit.

Unlabelled: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic necessitates cost-effective, high-throughput, and timely whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viruses for outbreak investigations, identifying variants of concern (VoC), characterizing vaccine breakthrough infections, and public health surveillance. In addition, the enormous demand for WGS on supply chains and the resulting shortages of laboratory supplies necessitated the use of low-reagent and low-consumable methods. Here, we report an optimized library preparation method (the BCCDC cutdown method) that can be used in a high-throughput scenario, where one technologist can perform 576 library preparations (6 plates of 96 samples) over the course of one 8-hour shift.

Prospective, clinical comparison of self-collected throat-bilateral nares swabs and saline gargle compared to health care provider collected nasopharyngeal swabs among symptomatic outpatients with potential SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: In British Columbia (BC), self-collected saline gargle (SG) is the only alternative to health care provider (HCP)-collected nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs to detect SARS-CoV-2 in an outpatient setting by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). However, some individuals cannot perform a SG. Our study aimed to assess combined throat-bilateral nares (TN) swabbing as a swab-based alternative.

Brn3b regulates the formation of fear-related midbrain circuits and defensive responses to visual threat.

Defensive responses to visually threatening stimuli represent an essential fear-related survival instinct, widely detected across species. The neural circuitry mediating visually triggered defensive responses has been delineated in the midbrain. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating the development and function of these circuits remain unresolved.

Factors affecting perception of laypeople and dental professionals toward different smile esthetics.

Abstract Background: /purpose: Several factors such as identity, income, and age potentially associated with smile perceptions. This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the smile esthetic perception in different identities (layperson, general dentist and orthodontist) and to detect the extent of their association with smile perception.

Materials And Methods: Extraoral photographs in frontal, lateral, and three-quarter views were shot and adjusted on Adobe Photoshop into 95 smile photographs with different smile patterns.

How Can We Do Citizen Science Better? A Case Study Evaluating Grizzly Bear Citizen Science Using in Alberta, Canada.

Citizen science offers an excellent opportunity to engage the public in scientific data collection, educational opportunities, and applied management. However, the practicalities of developing and implementing citizen science programming are often more complex than considered. Some challenges to effective citizen science include scientists' skepticism about the ability of public participants to rigorously collect quality data; a lack of clarity on or confidence in the utility of data; scientists' hesitancy in engaging the public in projects; limited financial commitments; and challenges associated with the temporal and geographic scales of projects.

Survey of state conjunctivitis policies for school-age students.

Purpose: To examine state policies regarding school-age students with conjunctivitis.

Methods: Analysis included the following evidence: publicly available policies for disposition of affected students; indications for exclusion and return to classroom; and completeness of information, including mention of different etiologies of conjunctivitis; signs and symptoms of viral versus bacterial conjunctivitis; student disposition and treatment based on etiology; internally consistent recommendations; reference to credible resources; and mention of the possibility of a conjunctivitis outbreak.

Results: Fifteen of 50 states have no policies.

Extensive sampling of in Taiwan reveals ecology and evolution of predomesticated lineages.

The ecology and genetic diversity of the model yeast before human domestication remain poorly understood. Taiwan is regarded as part of this yeast's geographic birthplace, where the most divergent natural lineage was discovered. Here, we extensively sampled the broadleaf forests across this continental island to probe the ancestral species' diversity.

Mutations in emerging variant of concern lineages disrupt genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 clinical specimens.

Mutations in emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineages can interfere with laboratory methods used to generate viral genome sequences for public health surveillance. We identified 20 mutations that are widespread in variant of concern lineages and affect widely used sequencing protocols by the ARTIC network and Freed et al. Three of these mutations disrupted sequencing of P.

Effect of anterior overbite malocclusion on smile esthetics in adult patients.

Objective: To investigate whether overbite affects smile esthetics.

Methods: This study involved 106 patients with complete pretreatment records. Lateral cephalometric tracings were used to measure hard tissue variables.

Rapid Increase in SARS-CoV-2 P.1 Lineage Leading to Codominance with B.1.1.7 Lineage, British Columbia, Canada, January-April 2021.

Several severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants of concern (VOCs) emerged in late 2020; lineage B.1.1.

The relationship between dentofacial morphology and smile characteristics in lateral and oblique views.

Background/purpose: The purposes of this study were to develop smile measurements for lateral and oblique view photographs to help in orthodontic analysis and treatment planning, to quantitatively evaluate the relationship between smile esthetics and different types of malocclusion using lateral and oblique view photographs, to identify the cephalometric factors affecting smile measurements.

Materials And Methods: Patients who came to orthodontic department of a university hospital from 2014 to 2017 and met the inclusion criteria were included and divided into three groups according to Angle's classification. Thirteen variables were measured for cephalometric analysis.

Evidence of Extensive Intraspecific Noncoding Reshuffling in a 169-kb Mitochondrial Genome of a Basidiomycetous Fungus.

Comparative genomics of fungal mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) have revealed a remarkable pattern of rearrangement between and within major phyla owing to horizontal gene transfer and recombination. The role of recombination was exemplified at a finer evolutionary time scale in basidiomycetes group of fungi as they display a diversity of mitochondrial DNA inheritance patterns. Here, we assembled mitogenomes of six species from the Hymenochaetales order of basidiomycetes and examined 59 mitogenomes from 2 genetic lineages of Phellinus noxius.

Traumatic Hallux Varus in Association with Agenesis of the Fibular Sesamoid: A Case Study.

Hallux varus is most commonly seen iatrogenically following overaggressive lateral release, removal of the fibular sesamoid, or overaggressive removal of the medial eminence. There are several reported cases of traumatic hallux varus, although this is much less common. We present a case of traumatic hallux varus in a patient who was later found to have bilateral absence of her fibular sesamoids.

Perspectives on Indigenous cultural competency and safety in Canadian hospital emergency departments: A scoping review.

Background: Emergency departments are primary health care entry points for Indigenous persons in Canada. They are also among the settings where Indigenous patients report access barriers and discriminatory treatment. Cultural competency and cultural safety have been proposed as approaches to improving emergency care.

Use of genomics to design a diagnostic assay to discriminate between Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae.

Distinuishing the species of mitis group streptococci is challenging due to ambiguous phenotypic characteristics and high degree of genetic similarity. This has been particularly true for resolving atypical Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae. We used phylogenetic clustering to demonstrate specific and separate clades for both S.

Development and validation of a real-time, reverse transcription PCR assay for rapid and low-cost genotyping of hepatitis C virus genotypes 1a, 1b, 2, and 3a.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects millions of people and leads to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Treatment regimen selection requires HCV genotype (Gt) and Gt 1 subtype determination. Use of a laboratory developed, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay was explored as a low-cost, high-throughput screening approach for the major HCV genotypes and subtypes in North America.

Exploring Parents' Perceptions and How Physiotherapy Supports Transition from Rehabilitation to School for Youth with an ABI.

Aims: To explore parents' perceptions of their youth's transition from rehabilitation to school following an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and how physiotherapy influenced the youth's participation and physical function during the transition.

Methods: The study utilized phenomenological qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews with 11 parents of youth 10 to 18 years of age recruited from one pediatric rehabilitation hospital in Ontario. Each interview was audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed.

Hedgehog pathway dysregulation contributes to the pathogenesis of human gastrointestinal stromal tumors via GLI-mediated activation of KIT expression.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) arise within the interstitial cell of Cajal (ICC) lineage due to activating KIT/PDGFRA mutations. Both ICC and GIST possess primary cilia (PC), which coordinate PDGFRA and Hedgehog signaling, regulators of gastrointestinal mesenchymal development. Therefore, we hypothesized that Hedgehog signaling may be altered in human GIST and controls KIT expression.

No-Pass Zone: Multidisciplinary Approach to Responding to Patient Needs.

A nurse's need to juggle multiple priorities often leads to delays in responses to patient call lights, which may result in the patient's needs not being met quickly. Low patient satisfaction scores related to hospital staff responding to patient needs created urgency for this system to implement the No-Pass Zone, a multidisciplinary team approach to responding to call lights. A successful implementation of this intervention resulted in patients' needs being met more quickly as indicated by improved Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems performance postimplementation.

Rapid Detection of KPC, NDM, and OXA-48-Like Carbapenemases by Real-Time PCR from Rectal Swab Surveillance Samples.

We describe a multiplex real-time PCR assay for use on the ABI 7500 Fast TaqMan platform to detect all currently described Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPC), New Delhi metallo-β-lactamases (NDM), and the OXA-48-like family of carbapenemases from bacterial culture lysates or sample enrichment broth lysates.