Community organization perspectives on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and how they increased COVID-19 vaccine confidence: a Canadian Immunization Research Network, social sciences and humanities network study

BackgroundCOVID-19 vaccines play a critical role in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and despite vaccine availability, disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Canadian subgroups exist. Community organizations are uniquely situated to relay important vaccine messaging around all vaccines, understand components of vaccine hesitancy, and facilitate vaccine uptake within the communities they serve. The objective of this research was to solicit community organizations perspectives specific to COVID-19 vaccines and explore strategies of increasing vaccine uptake within their communities.MethodsA qualitative focus group study was held in the spring of 2021 with 40 community organizations from across the country. Discussions focused on COVID-19 vaccine communication and awareness within their communities, vaccine misinformation, and strategies to increase vaccine acceptance and access. Data were analyzed utilizing thematic and inductive techniques.ResultsVaccine hesitancy was identified among staff and clients. Vaccine confidence, complacency, convenience, and mistrust in government and authorities were identified as contributors to vaccine hesitancy. Community organizations utilized innovative and novel methods to encourage vaccine uptake and increase vaccine confidence. Leveraging established trusting relationships was key to successful messaging within communities.ConclusionCommunity organizations used innovative methods, built on established trust, to increase vaccine confidence within their communities and among their staff. Community agencies played an important role in COVID-19 vaccine uptake within subgroups of the Canadian population. Community organizations are key public health partners and play a critical role in increasing COVID-19 vaccine confidence

Habitat availability and gene flow influence diverging local population trajectories under scenarios of climate change: a place-based approach

Ecological niche theory holds that species distributions are shaped by a large and complex suite of interacting factors. Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used to describe species’ niches and predict the effects of future environmental change, including climate change. Currently, SDMs often fail to capture the complexity of species’ niches, resulting in predictions that are generally limited to climate-occupancy interactions. Here, we explore the potential impact of climate change on the American pika using a replicated place-based approach that incorporates climate, gene flow, habitat configuration, and microhabitat complexity into SDMs. Using contemporary presence–absence data from occupancy surveys, genetic data to infer connectivity between habitat patches, and 21 environmental niche variables, we built separate SDMs for pika populations inhabiting eight US National Park Service units representing the habitat and climatic breadth of the species across the western United States. We then predicted occurrence probability under current (1981–2010) and three future time periods (out to 2100). Occurrence probabilities and the relative importance of predictor variables varied widely among study areas, revealing important local-scale differences in the realized niche of the American pika. This variation resulted in diverse and – in some cases – highly divergent future potential occupancy patterns for pikas, ranging from complete extirpation in some study areas to stable occupancy patterns in others. Habitat composition and connectivity, which are rarely incorporated in SDM projections, were influential in predicting pika occupancy in all study areas and frequently outranked climate variables. Our findings illustrate the importance of a place-based approach to species distribution modeling that includes fine-scale factors when assessing current and future climate impacts on species’ distributions, especially when predictions are intended to manage and conserve species of concern within individual protected areas.Keywords: genetic neighborhood, species distribution modeling, functional connectivity, Random Forest, realized niche, American pika, Ochotona princeps, National Park

Assessment of the Practices and Success of Wisconsin School Gardens

School gardens have demonstrated many benefits to youth, including an increase in health and nutrition, greater interest and performance in academics, increased environmental awareness, and positive social and emotional development. Although there is much enthusiasm and support for school gardening in Wisconsin, little information exists about current practices throughout the state. This research seeks to (1) collect baseline data on the characteristics of Wisconsin school gardens (2) determine the extent to which Wisconsin school gardens are implementing the best practices of a successful school garden program and relate this to perceived success, and (3) gain insight into the current needs of and specific support desired by educators implementing garden-based learning in Wisconsin schools. Survey results of 79 respondents from schools with gardens revealed that the best practices most commonly implemented are in the areas of “committed people” and “funds and materials,” while least implemented are in the areas of “detailed planning” and “instruction and use.” Analysis revealed that best practices are positively correlated to both “perceived success” and “observed benefits.” An assessment of the base-line characteristics and practices of the gardens, as well as the needs and desired assistance expressed by garden educators provided useful insight. The results of this study contribute valuable and timely information towards the efforts being made through the Wisconsin School Garden Initiative to create a state-wide school garden network of support

Phosphate limited cultures of the cyanobacterium Synechoccus are capable of very rapid, opportunistic uptake of phosphate

Phosphate uptake rates were measured in Synechococcus R-2 incubated in artificial secondary- and tertiary-treated sewage. • Phosphate uptake was measured using chemical assay and 32P incorporation. Intracellular pH was measured using accumulation of 14C-labelled weak acids and bases and membrane potentials using 86Rb+/valinomycin. • Synechococcus cells are capable of very rapid, opportunistic uptake of phosphate (10–30 nmol m−2 s−1) even though net uptake by growing cultures was < 0.5 nmol m−2 s−1. Km and Vmax in the light were not significantly different at pHo 7.5 and 10. The mean Km values were 1.91 ± 0.41 mmol m−3 and 0.304 ± 0.055 mmol m−3 for P-sufficient (secondary-treated sewage) and P-deficient (tertiary-treated sewage) cells, respectively. The transport systems probably recognize both H2PO4− and HPO42−. Intracellular inorganic phosphate is +28 to +56 kJ mol−1 from electrochemical equilibrium. In P-sufficient cells uptake is very slow in the dark (c. 0.1 nmol m−2 s−1) but phosphate-starved cells can opportunistically take up P about 100 times faster. • Two separate ATP-driven phosphate uptake mechanisms (1 PO4 in per ATP) appear to be responsible for phosphate uptake by the cells. They have different Km values, different light/dark responses and electrical behaviour

Stakeholder Perspectives on In-home Passive Remote Monitoring to Support Aging in Place in the Province of New Brunswick, Canada: Rapid Qualitative Investigation

BackgroundThe province of New Brunswick (NB) has one of the oldest populations in Canada, providing an opportunity to develop and test innovative strategies to address the unique health challenges faced by older adults. Passive remote monitoring technology has the potential to support independent living among older adults. Limited research has examined the benefits of and barriers to the adoption of this technology among community-dwelling older adults. ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore perceptions of in-home passive remote monitoring technology designed to support aging in place from the perspective of older adults, their family or friend caregivers, social workers, and government decision-makers in the province of NB, Canada. MethodsBetween October 2018 and March 2020, a rapid qualitative investigation of 28 one-on-one interviews was conducted in person or via telephone. Participants included 2 home support services clients and 11 family or friend caregivers who had used passive remote monitoring technology in their homes; 8 social workers who had worked as case managers for home support services clients; and 7 individuals who were key government decision-makers in the adoption, policy development, and use of the technology in the province of NB. The interviews focused on the following topics: decision to adopt the passive remote monitoring system, barriers to adopting the passive remote monitoring system, benefits of the passive remote monitoring system, impact on client health outcomes, and privacy concerns. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by a team of 6 researchers. Data analysis was conducted using a rapid assessment process approach that included matrix analysis. ResultsParticipants reported that the use of the remote monitoring system allowed older adults to live at home longer and provided caregiver relief. Stakeholders were invested in meeting the home support (home care) needs of older adults. However, when it came to the use of remote monitoring, there was a lack of consensus about which clients it was well-suited for and the role that social workers should play in informing clients and caregivers about the service (role ambiguity, gatekeeping, and perceived conflicts of interest). ConclusionsOur findings highlight many benefits and challenges of the adoption of passive remote monitoring for clients, their family or friend caregivers, and public provincial health and social services systems. Passive remote monitoring is a valuable tool that can provide support to older adults and their family or friend caregivers when it is a good fit with client needs. Further work is needed in NB to increase public and social workers’ awareness of the service and its benefits

Social Isolation in Community-Dwelling Older Adults During COVID-19: Understanding the Role of Resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic increased social isolation for many older adults, causing concern for their health and well-being. To enhance understanding of how community-dwelling older adults were impacted by prolonged social isolation during COVID-19, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted to: (1) explore the self-reported factors supporting their resilience during COVID-19 related social isolation, and (2) to help understand the intentional and unintentional outcomes of the government mandated health measures. A total of 19 community dwelling older adults were sampled. Factors that supported older adults’ resilience during COVID-19 included maintaining positivity, drawing on historical experiences of resilience and finding opportunities to connect with their community. However, collective safety came with losses: such as time, freedom, opportunity, engagement, and initiative. The findings provide insight on contributing factors to resilience against social isolation in older adults and suggest the value of collective, community-based approaches to build resilience across variable contexts in this population

Pika Genetic Sample Localities

One .csv file including the xy coordinates (UTM, NAD83) for each pika genetic sample used in analyses. Data was collected in the field on handheld GPS units

SchwalmHabitatAvailabilityGeneAppendixS1FiguresS1-S6.pdf

Ecological niche theory holds that species distributions are shaped by a large and complex suite of interacting factors. Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used to describe species’ niches and predict the effects of future environmental change, including climate change. Currently, SDMs often fail to capture the complexity of species’ niches, resulting in predictions that are generally limited to climate-occupancy interactions. Here, we explore the potential impact of climate change on the American pika using a replicated place-based approach that incorporates climate, gene flow, habitat configuration, and microhabitat complexity into SDMs. Using contemporary presence–absence data from occupancy surveys, genetic data to infer connectivity between habitat patches, and 21 environmental niche variables, we built separate SDMs for pika populations inhabiting eight US National Park Service units representing the habitat and climatic breadth of the species across the western United States. We then predicted occurrence probability under current (1981–2010) and three future time periods (out to 2100). Occurrence probabilities and the relative importance of predictor variables varied widely among study areas, revealing important local-scale differences in the realized niche of the American pika. This variation resulted in diverse and – in some cases – highly divergent future potential occupancy patterns for pikas, ranging from complete extirpation in some study areas to stable occupancy patterns in others. Habitat composition and connectivity, which are rarely incorporated in SDM projections, were influential in predicting pika occupancy in all study areas and frequently outranked climate variables. Our findings illustrate the importance of a place-based approach to species distribution modeling that includes fine-scale factors when assessing current and future climate impacts on species’ distributions, especially when predictions are intended to manage and conserve species of concern within individual protected areas.Keywords: Random Forest, functional connectivity, species distribution modeling, genetic neighborhood, American pika, National Parks, Ochotona princeps, realized nicheKeywords: Random Forest, functional connectivity, species distribution modeling, genetic neighborhood, American pika, National Parks, Ochotona princeps, realized nich