Early pandemic impacts on family environments that shape childhood development and health: A Canadian study.

OBJECTIVES: Changes to income and employment are key social determinants of health that have impacted many families during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research aimed to understand how changes to employment and income influenced family environments that contribute to early childhood development and health. METHODS: A concurrent triangulation mixed method design was used through a cross-sectional survey on early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic involving families with young children in the Canadian Maritime provinces (n = 2158). Analyses included multivariate regression models to examine whether changes to employment and income predicted changes to Family access to resources and social support, parenting Abilities and self-care at home, and home Routines and Environments (FARE Change Scale). Content analysis was used to identify themes from the open-ended questions. RESULTS: Changes to employment and income early in the pandemic like no longer working but continued to receive salary, working fewer hours for the same salary earned before the pandemic, no longer working nor receiving salary, working fewer hours resulting in salary reduction, essential worker status and household income were significant predictors of FARE Change Scale when ethnicity/cultural background and province of residence are controlled (P < .05). Themes provided a description of family impacts, including shifting employment and income, finding time and capacity, feelings of guilt and the creation of new routines. CONCLUSION: Our study provides insight on the implications of public health restrictions, such as the importance of increased time for parents (through reduced work hours) and access to resources and social support to support child development and health.

USE OF CLINDAMYCIN IN PALLAS' CATS [OTOCOLOBUS (FELIS) MANUL] TO REDUCE JUVENILE TOXOPLASMOSIS-ASSOCIATED MORTALITY RATES.

Pallas' cat [Otocolobus (Felis) manul] experiences a high mortality rate from toxoplasmosis. During the period 2006-2016, the overall mortality rate for this species from all causes during the first year of life was 71.59% in European Association of Zoos and Aquaria institutions, with the most significant infectious cause from systemic toxoplasmosis (20.6%) as confirmed by postmortem examination and histopathology. Clindamycin was used starting in 2014 in two collections that had previously experienced 100% mortality rates by toxoplasmosis in kittens less than one year of age, covering key Toxoplasma gondii exposure periods for kittens (n = 17) as a prophylactic measure. This protocol resulted in a 67.03% (95% confidence interval 41.76-78.61%) reduction in the first year mortality rate over a two-year period to 5.88% in those animals treated.

The Role of Attention in Therapy for Children and Adolescents Who Stutter: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Interventions.

Method: This clinical discussion paper will explore two aspects of attention in relation to young people who stutter and their parents: (a) what we attend to as human beings and (b) how we attend. It will draw on research and clinical practice informed by CBT and MBIs. Specifically, information-processing theory in CBT explains psychological well-being partly in terms of what individuals focus their attention on, whereas MBIs focus on the relationship between how individuals attend to their internal experiences and their psychological well-being. Conclusions: Although a nascent field, MBIs may be useful as a part of therapy for children and adolescents who stutter. The concepts highlighted by MBIs may also help to resolve some clinical issues.

CLINICAL SIGNS, ANTEMORTEM DIAGNOSTICS, AND PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS ASSOCIATED WITH MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM SUBSPECIES PARATUBERCULOSIS INFECTION IN MISHMI TAKIN ( BUDORCAS TAXICOLOR TAXICOLOR).

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is a cause of contagious and typically fatal enteric disease, primarily affecting ruminant and pseudoruminant species. During a MAP outbreak in a captive collection, six of nine adult Mishmi takin ( Budorcas taxicolor taxicolor) showed marked weight loss over 1-3 mo, followed by an acute deterioration. Fecal culture and microscopy failed to identify MAP shedding. Necropsy findings included grossly normal intestines and marked enlargement of mesenteric lymph nodes. Histological findings included multibacillary granulomatous enteritis, mesenteric lymphadenitis, and periportal hepatitis. MAP was confirmed by culture of intestinal and lymph node tissues from the index case. Results of antemortem serological testing using an indirect ELISA (ID SCREEN® Paratuberculosis Indirect) were corroborated by findings at necropsy or survival of the outbreak. Mishmi takin appear to show high MAP susceptibility and a rapid disease course compared with domestic ruminant species.

Transforming staff practice through active support.

BACKGROUND: Active support is being introduced in many residential and respite homes in an effort to improve engagement in meaningful activity of people with intellectual disability. METHOD: A train-the-trainer approach was used in a large government organisation that supports people with intellectual disability in Australia. Five apprentice trainers were trained to provide active support training to 65 staff associated with 6 group homes. These 5 trainers were then monitored to provide training to 54 staff in another 6 group homes. Staff evaluated their interactive training experiences, and pre and post outcome data were collected for a small number of service users from the second set of group homes, along with staff outcome data regarding residential working practices, group home management, and staffing practices. RESULTS: The train-the-trainer model proved to be an effective strategy for training large numbers of staff. The interactive training component was particularly effective and was associated with improvements in service user engagement in domestic tasks and decreased depression levels. Staff job satisfaction increased and significant improvements were recorded in residential working practices. CONCLUSIONS: Active support training is an effective strategy for empowering staff to better support people with an intellectual disability to be meaningfully engaged in daily activities. There are implications for organisations related to ongoing implementation and practice improvement.

Use of citrate adonitol agar as a selective medium for the isolation of Escherichia fergusonii from a captive reindeer herd.

Escherichia fergusonii is an emerging potentially zoonotic organism which has been recovered from a broad range of human and animal sources. Efforts to recover E. fergusonii from mixed flora hitherto however have been constrained by the lack of a suitable selective medium for its isolation. This paper reports for the first time the recovery of E. fergusonii from reindeer carcases in a wildlife park and the use of citrate adonitol agar to selectively screen for the presence of this organism in faecal samples from further animals in the park, and reindeer in their natural habitat in Norway.