A social work roundtable examining impacts and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

As have other disciplines, social work has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Societal shifts and service provision gaps have emerged or been amplified over the course of the pandemic. An online roundtable was convened with five Canadian social work leaders to explore impacts of the pandemic on social work as well as to reflect on lingering effects of the pandemic and lessons learned for moving forward. Panelists’ varied substantive areas of social work practice and/or research included youth advocacy, healthcare, social work education and field education, and community development and disaster response. This paper offers a verbatim reproduction of the roundtable including panelists’ reflections on client and community experiences, social worker experiences, workforce impacts, shifts in the way service and practice are conceptualized and delivered, and implications for moving forward. Recommendations are offered in considered disciplinary, interdisciplinary and community advancement.Comme d’autres disciplines, le travail social a été touché par la pandémie de COVID-19. Des changements sociétaux et des lacunes dans la prestation de services sont apparus ou se sont amplifiés au cours de la pandémie. Une table ronde en ligne a été organisée avec cinq leaders canadiens du travail social pour explorer les impacts de la pandémie sur le travail social ainsi que pour réfléchir aux effets persistants de la pandémie et aux leçons apprises pour aller de l'avant. Les divers domaines de fond de la pratique et/ou de la recherche en travail social des panélistes comprenaient la défense des droits des jeunes, les soins de santé, la formation en travail social et la formation sur le terrain, ainsi que le développement communautaire et la réponse aux catastrophes. Cet article propose une reproduction textuelle de la table ronde comprenant les réflexions des panélistes sur les expériences des clients et de la communauté, les expériences des travailleurs sociaux, les impacts sur la main-d'oeuvre, les changements dans la façon dont les services et les pratiques sont conceptualisés et fournis, et les implications pour l'avenir. Des recommandations sont proposées en matière d’avancement disciplinaire, interdisciplinaire et communautaire

Revisiting ecological carrying capacity indices for bivalve culture

Ecological carrying capacity (ECC) indices for bivalve culture rely on key ecosystem turnover rates: 1. clearance time (CT), the time needed for the cultured bivalves to filter the entire bay volume; 2. renewal time (RT), the time required to replace the entire bay volume with external water; and 3. production time (PT), the time needed for phytoplankton biomass renewal via local primary production. These turnover rates are conceptually straightforward but lack measurement standardizations in the context of ECC assessments. This study compares simple turnover rate methods with more complex approaches designed to address key assumptions and improve accuracy. Method comparisons were performed across multiple embayments (systems) in Prince Edward Island, Canada. When crop aggregation and system-scale refiltration effects were considered, CT increased by a factor of 14 to 22 depending on the system and species under cultivation. Seasonal temperature considerations further impacted CT by a factor of 38 to 142. Regarding RT, validated hydrodynamic models and tidal prism models produced remarkably different outcomes; the tidal prism approach underestimated RT by 77–94% across the studied systems. Conversely, PT was unaffected by contrasting phytoplankton parameterization; pre-aquaculture (1969–1970) and contemporary (2011−2012) datasets led to similar PT outcomes. However, other metrics revealed a contemporary shift towards low phytoplankton biomass and smaller phytoplankton cells (picophytoplankton); these observations suggest that PT provides insufficient granularity regarding microalgae biomass replacement. Overall, the study rejects a common assumption that the bay-scale turnover rates serving the conventional CT/RT and CT/PT indices can be easily and accurately parameterized; these indices should be used cautiously in assessing the sustainability of farming activities.publishedVersio

Effect of Aquaculture-Related Diets on the Long-Term Performance and Condition of the Rock Crab, Cancer irroratus

Shellfish and salmonid aquaculture operations in Eastern Canada attract several mobile epibenthic species as a result of added structural complexity and increased food availability (bivalve fall-off and waste salmonid feed). It is not clear whether the aggregation of predators and scavengers below coastal farms contributes positively or negatively to their population dynamics, due to concerns about the quality of food items found under farms. We conducted an 18-month laboratory study to investigate the effect of diets composed of 1) mixed items, 2) mussels (Mytilus edulis), and 3) salmonid feed on the performance and condition of the rock crab, Cancer irroratus. Diet had no impact on crab survival but several negative consequences were observed in crabs fed the salmonid feed diet when compared to the mixed diet: reduced 1) moulting rates during the second growing season, 2) inter-molt growth, 3) gonad and hepatopancreas indices, 4) hemolymph dissolved compounds, 5) hepatopancreatic glycogen, and 6) shell hardness. Crabs fed the mussel diet had similar performance and condition when compared to the mixed diet. Fatty acid composition of muscle, gonad, and hepatopancreas tissues revealed that a salmonid feed diet decreased n3/n6 ratio when compared to a mixed or a mussel diet; those differences were mostly due to increases in the proportions of terrestrial (18:1n9 and 18:2n6) and decreases in proportions of marine essential (20:5n3 and 22:6n3) fatty acids. Together, these results point to a minimal impact of a mussel-only diet on crabs, whereas the salmonid feed diet resulted in negative impacts on condition. Our experimental results explored the consequences of a ‘worst-case scenario’ in which crabs were forced to feed on a single item for a long period of time; the realized impact in field settings will depend on other factors such as consumption of alternate food items underneath a farm, proportion of time spent in farms, and level of overlap between crab habitat and aquaculture facilities

EHDV-2 Infection Prevalence Varies in Culicoides sonorensis after Feeding on Infected White-Tailed Deer over the Course of Viremia

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease viruses (EHDVs) are arboviral pathogens of white-tailed deer and other wild and domestic ruminants in North America. Transmitted by various species of Culicoides, EHDVs circulate wherever competent vectors and susceptible ruminant host populations co-exist. The impact of variation in the level and duration of EHDV viremia in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on Culicoides infection prevalence is not well characterized. Here we examined how infection prevalence in a confirmed North American vector of EHDV-2 (Culicoides sonorensis) varies in response to fluctuations in deer viremia. To accomplish this, five white-tailed deer were experimentally infected with EHDV-2 and colonized C. sonorensis were allowed to feed on deer at 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 18, and 24 days post infection (dpi). Viremia profiles in deer were determined by virus isolation and titration at the same time points. Blood-fed Culicoides were assayed for virus after a 10-day incubation (27 ◦C) period. We found that increases in deer EHDV blood titers significantly increased both the likelihood that midges would successfully acquire EHDV and the proportion of midges that reached the titer threshold for transmission competence. Unexpectedly, we identified four infected midge samples (three individuals and one pool) after feeding on one deer 18 and 24 dpi, when viremia was no longer detectable by virus isolation. The ability of ruminants with low-titer viremia to serve as a source of EHDV for blood-feeding Culicoides should be explored further to better understand its potential epidemiological significance

Spatial Variation in Population Structure and Its Relation to Movement and the Potential for Dispersal in a Model Intertidal Invertebrate

Dispersal, the movement of an individual away from its natal or breeding ground, has been studied extensively in birds and mammals to understand the costs and benefits of movement behavior. Whether or not invertebrates disperse in response to such attributes as habitat quality or density of conspecifics remains uncertain, due in part to the difficulties in marking and recapturing invertebrates. In the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada, the intertidal amphipod Corophium volutator swims at night around the new or full moon. Furthermore, this species is regionally widespread across a large spatial scale with site-to-site variation in population structure. Such variation provides a backdrop against which biological determinants of dispersal can be investigated. We conducted a large-scale study at nine mudflats, and used swimmer density, sampled using stationary plankton nets, as a proxy for dispersing individuals. We also sampled mud residents using sediment cores over 3 sampling rounds (20–28 June, 10–17 July, 2–11 August 2010). Density of swimmers was most variable at the largest spatial scales, indicating important population-level variation. The smallest juveniles and large juveniles or small adults (particularly females) were consistently overrepresented as swimmers. Small juveniles swam at most times and locations, whereas swimming of young females decreased with increasing mud presence of young males, and swimming of large juveniles decreased with increasing mud presence of adults. Swimming in most stages increased with density of mud residents; however, proportionally less swimming occurred as total mud resident density increased. We suggest small juveniles move in search of C. volutator aggregations which possibly act as a proxy for better habitat. We also suggest large juveniles and small adults move if potential mates are limiting. Future studies can use sampling designs over large spatial scales with varying population structure to help understand the behavioral ecology of movement, and dispersal in invertebrate taxa

Population-level impact and herd effects following the introduction of human papillomavirus vaccination programmes: updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Background More than 10 years have elapsed since human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination was implemented. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of the population-level impact of vaccinating girls and women against human papillomavirus on HPV infections, anogenital wart diagnoses, and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2+ (CIN2+)to summarise the most recent evidence about the effectiveness of HPV vaccines in real-world settings and to quantify the impact of multiple age-cohort vaccination.Methods In this updated systematic review and meta-analysis, we used the same search strategy as in our previous paper. We searched MEDLINE and Embase for studies published between Feb 1, 2014, and Oct 11, 2018. Studies were eligible if they compared the frequency (prevalence or incidence) of at least one HPV-related endpoint (genital HPV infections, anogenital wart diagnoses, or histologically confirmed CIN2+) between pre-vaccination and post-vaccination periods among the general population and if they used the same population sources and recruitment methods before and after vaccination. Our primary assessment was the relative risk (RR) comparing the frequency (prevalence or incidence) of HPV-related endpoints between the pre-vaccination and post-vaccination periods. We stratified all analyses by sex, age, and years since introduction of HPV vaccination. We used random-effects models to estimate pooled relative risks.Findings We identified 1702 potentially eligible articles for this systematic review and meta-analysis, and included 65 articles in 14 high-income countries: 23 for HPV infection, 29 for anogenital warts, and 13 for CIN2+.After 5\u20138 years of vaccination, the prevalence of HPV 16 and 18 decreased significantly by 83% (RR 0\ub717, 95% CI 0\ub711\u20130\ub725) among girls aged 13\u201319 years, and decreased significantly by 66% (RR 0\ub734, 95% CI 0\ub723\u20130\ub749) among women aged 20\u201324 years. The prevalence of HPV 31, 33, and 45 decreased significantly by 54% (RR 0\ub746, 95% CI 0\ub733\u20130\ub766) among girls aged 13\u201319 years. Anogenital wart diagnoses decreased significantly by 67% (RR 0\ub733, 95% CI 0\ub724\u20130\ub746) among girls aged 15\u201319 years, decreased significantly by 54% (RR 0\ub746, 95% CI 0.36\u20130.60) among women aged 20\u201324 years, and decreased significantly by 31% (RR 0\ub769, 95% CI 0\ub753\u20130\ub789) among women aged 25\u201329 years. Among boys aged 15\u201319 years anogenital wart diagnoses decreased significantly by 48% (RR 0\ub752, 95% CI 0\ub737\u20130\ub775) and among men aged 20\u201324 years they decreased significantly by 32% (RR 0\ub768, 95% CI 0\ub747\u20130\ub798). After 5\u20139 years of vaccination, CIN2+ decreased significantly by 51% (RR 0\ub749, 95% CI 0\ub742\u20130\ub758) among screened girls aged 15\u201319 years and decreased significantly by 31% (RR 0\ub769, 95% CI 0\ub757\u20130\ub784) among women aged 20\u201324 years.Interpretation This updated systematic review and meta-analysis includes data from 60 million individuals and up to 8 years of post-vaccination follow-up. Our results show compelling evidence of the substantial impact of HPV vaccination programmes on HPV infections and CIN2+ among girls and women, and on anogenital warts diagnoses among girls, women, boys, and men. Additionally, programmes with multi-cohort vaccination and high vaccination coverage had a greater direct impact and herd effects

Population-level effects of human papillomavirus vaccination programs on infections with nonvaccine genotypes

We analyzed human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalences during prevaccination and postvaccination periods to consider possible changes in nonvaccine HPV genotypes after introduction of vaccines that confer protection against 2 high-risk types, HPV16 and HPV18. Our meta-analysis included 9 studies with data for 13,886 girls and women ≤19 years of age and 23,340 women 20–24 years of age. We found evidence of cross-protection for HPV31 among the younger age group after vaccine introduction but little evidence for reductions of HPV33 and HPV45. For the group this same age group, we also found slight increases in 2 nonvaccine high-risk HPV types (HPV39 and HPV52) and in 2 possible high-risk types (HPV53 and HPV73). However, results between age groups and vaccines used were inconsistent, and the increases had possible alternative explanations; consequently, these data provided no clear evidence for type replacement. Continued monitoring of these HPV genotypes is important

Trans-ethnic Meta-analysis and Functional Annotation Illuminates the Genetic Architecture of Fasting Glucose and Insulin

Knowledge of the genetic basis of the type 2 diabetes (T2D)-related quantitative traits fasting glucose (FG) and insulin (FI) in African ancestry (AA) individuals has been limited. In non-diabetic subjects of AA (n = 20,209) and European ancestry (EA; n = 57,292), we performed trans-ethnic (AA+EA) fine-mapping of 54 established EA FG or FI loci with detailed functional annotation, assessed their relevance in AA individuals, and sought previously undescribed loci through trans-ethnic (AA+EA) meta-analysis. We narrowed credible sets of variants driving association signals for 22/54 EA-associated loci; 18/22 credible sets overlapped with active islet-specific enhancers or transcription factor (TF) binding sites, and 21/22 contained at least one TF motif. Of the 54 EA-associated loci, 23 were shared between EA and AA. Replication with an additional 10,096 AA individuals identified two previously undescribed FI loci, chrX FAM133A (rs213676) and chr5 PELO (rs6450057). Trans-ethnic analyses with regulatory annotation illuminate the genetic architecture of glycemic traits and suggest gene regulation as a target to advance precision medicine for T2D. Our approach to utilize state-of-the-art functional annotation and implement trans-ethnic association analysis for discovery and fine-mapping offers a framework for further follow-up and characterization of GWAS signals of complex trait loc