Cophylogeny Reconstruction Allowing for Multiple Associations Through Approximate Bayesian Computation.

Phylogenetic tree reconciliation is extensively employed for the examination of coevolution between host and symbiont species. An important concern is the requirement for dependable cost values when selecting event-based parsimonious reconciliation. Although certain approaches deduce event probabilities unique to each pair of host and symbiont trees, which can subsequently be converted into cost values, a significant limitation lies in their inability to model the invasion of diverse host species by the same symbiont species (termed as a spread event), which is believed to occur in symbiotic relationships. Invasions lead to the observation of multiple associations between symbionts and their hosts (indicating that a symbiont is no longer exclusive to a single host), which are incompatible with the existing methods of coevolution. Here, we present a method called AmoCoala (an enhanced version of the tool Coala) that provides a more realistic estimation of cophylogeny event probabilities for a given pair of host and symbiont trees, even in the presence of spread events. We expand the classical 4-event coevolutionary model to include 2 additional outcomes, vertical and horizontal spreads, that lead to multiple associations. In the initial step, we estimate the probabilities of spread events using heuristic frequencies. Subsequently, in the second step, we employ an approximate Bayesian computation approach to infer the probabilities of the remaining 4 classical events (cospeciation, duplication, host switch, and loss) based on these values. By incorporating spread events, our reconciliation model enables a more accurate consideration of multiple associations. This improvement enhances the precision of estimated cost sets, paving the way to a more reliable reconciliation of host and symbiont trees. To validate our method, we conducted experiments on synthetic datasets and demonstrated its efficacy using real-world examples. Our results showcase that AmoCoala produces biologically plausible reconciliation scenarios, further emphasizing its effectiveness.

Espalier: Efficient Tree Reconciliation and Ancestral Recombination Graphs Reconstruction Using Maximum Agreement Forests.

In the presence of recombination individuals may inherit different regions of their genome from different ancestors, resulting in a mosaic of phylogenetic histories across their genome. Ancestral recombination graphs (ARGs) can capture how phylogenetic relationships vary across the genome due to recombination, but reconstructing ARGs from genomic sequence data is notoriously difficult. Here, we present a method for reconciling discordant phylogenetic trees and reconstructing ARGs using maximum agreement forests (MAFs). Given two discordant trees, a MAF identifies the smallest possible set of topologically concordant subtrees present in both trees. We show how discordant trees can be reconciled through their MAF in a way that retains discordances strongly supported by sequence data while eliminating conflicts likely attributable to phylogenetic noise. We further show how MAFs and our reconciliation approach can be combined to select a path of local trees across the genome that maximizes the likelihood of the genomic sequence data, minimizes discordance between neighboring local trees, and identifies the recombination events necessary to explain remaining discordances to obtain a fully connected ARG. While heuristic, our ARG reconstruction approach is often as accurate as more exact methods while being much more computationally efficient. Moreover, important demographic parameters such as recombination rates can be accurately estimated from reconstructed ARGs. Finally, we apply our approach to plant infecting RNA viruses in the genus Potyvirus to demonstrate how true recombination events can be disentangled from phylogenetic noise using our ARG reconstruction methods.

A newly developed algorithm for switching outpatient medications to medications listed in the hospital formulary: a prospective real-word evaluation in patients admitted electively to hospital.

PURPOSE: In many countries, outpatient and inpatient care are separated. During hospitalization, therefore, switching the outpatient medication to medication of the hospital formulary is required. METHODS: We newly designed a switching algorithm in six switching steps (S0-S5) and conducted a study at Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg (300 beds, 80% civilians). We performed (i) a medication reconciliation to obtain information on outpatient medications and (ii) a medication review to solve drug-related-problems, e.g., drug-drug interactions. We applied (iii) the algorithm to switch medications to the hospital formulary. RESULTS: (i) We identified 475 outpatient medications (median per patient: 4; Q25/Q75 2/7) in 100 patients consecutively admitted to hospital (median age: 71; Q25/Q75: 64/80 years). Of 475 medications, the switching algorithm could not be used since product names were missing in 23.9% and strength in 1.7%. In 3.2%, switching was not required since medication was not prescribed during the hospital stay. (ii) Drug-drug interactions were identified in 31 of 79 patients with more than one medication. (iii) Of 475 medications, 18.5% were on the hospital formulary and therefore did not need to be  switched (S0), 0.2% were on a substitution-exclusion list not allowing switching (S1), 42.0% were switched to a generic medication of the hospital formulary (S2), 1.7% to a therapeutically equivalent medication (S3), 0.4% were patient-individually switched (S4), and for 8.2% a standardized/patient-individual switching was not possible (S5). CONCLUSIONS: Despite comprehensive medication reconciliation, patient- and medication-related information for switching medications to the hospital formulary was often missing. Once all the necessary information was available, standardized switching could be easily carried out according to a newly developed switching algorithm.

Factors associated with disease knowledge and attitude among ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes - a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a multifactorial disease state that requires adequate patient monitoring for improved health outcomes. Diabetes knowledge and attitude, and associated factors such as medication adherence, medication discrepancy, health literacy, and glycemic control were evaluated in this study. The selected factors were also compared with diabetes knowledge and attitude. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among ambulatory diabetes patients in three tertiary healthcare facilities in Nigeria. An interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire was utilized for data collection. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the level of significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 188 diabetes patients participated in the study; 51 (27.1%) at the Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta, 69 (36.7%) at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, and 68 (36.2%) at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin. One hundred and twelve (59.6%) female patients participated in the study and patients' average age was 58.69 ± 13.68 years. Medication discrepancy was observed among 101 (53.7%) patients. One hundred and three (54.8%), 47 (25.0%) and 38 (20.2%) had high, medium, and low medication adherence, respectively. Ninety-one (48.4%) had high health literacy. Mean diabetes knowledge score was 14.64 ± 2.55 points out of a maximum obtainable score of 18 points. Mean diabetes attitude of patients was 62.50 ± 6.86 points out of a maximum obtainable score of 70 points. Significant positive association was observed between diabetes knowledge and health literacy (Beta = 0.021, p = 0.029). Diabetes knowledge was higher in patients with higher level of formal education (p = 0.046), higher diabetes attitude (p < 0.001) and high health literacy (p = 0.002). Patients' diabetes attitude was higher in individuals older than 60 years of age (p = 0.029), and those with high health literacy (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The diabetes patients displayed good disease knowledge, attitude and medication adherence. Average levels of health literacy and medication discrepancy was observed among the patients. Significant differences were observed between patients' diabetes knowledge and level of formal education, diabetes attitude, health literacy and age. Patients' health literacy was significantly associated with diabetes knowledge.

Stakeholder perceptions of and attitudes towards problematic polypharmacy and prescribing cascades: a qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Problematic polypharmacy is the prescribing of five or more medications potentially inappropriately. Unintentional prescribing cascades represent an under-researched aspect of problematic polypharmacy and occur when an adverse drug reaction (ADR) is misinterpreted as a new symptom resulting in the initiation of a new medication. The aim of this study was to elicit key stakeholders' perceptions of and attitudes towards problematic polypharmacy, with a focus on prescribing cascades. METHODS: qualitative one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with predefined key stakeholder groups. Inductive thematic analysis was employed. RESULTS: Thirty-one stakeholders were interviewed: six patients, two carers, seven general practitioners, eight pharmacists, four hospital doctors, two professional organisation representatives and two policymakers. Three main themes were identified: (i) ADRs and prescribing cascades-a necessary evil. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) expressed concern that experiencing an ADR would negatively impact patients' confidence in their doctor. However, patients viewed ADRs pragmatically as an unpredictable risk. (ii) Balancing the risk/benefit tipping point. The complexity of prescribing decisions in the context of polypharmacy made balancing this tipping point challenging. Consequently, HCPs avoided medication changes. (iii) The minefield of medication reconciliation. Stakeholders, including patients and carers, viewed medication reconciliation as a perilous activity due to systemic communication deficits. CONCLUSION: Stakeholders believed that at a certain depth of polypharmacy, the risk that a new symptom is being caused by an existing medication becomes incalculable. Therefore, in the absence of harm, medication changes were avoided. However, medication reconciliation post hospital discharge compelled prescribing decisions and was seen as a high-risk activity by stakeholders.

Providing information about medication changes upon discharge from a geriatric unit: the community healthcare professionals' point of view.

INTRODUCTION: It is well known that polypharmacy is associated with adverse drug events. Accordingly, specialist geriatric units have to pay particular attention to the appropriateness of prescription and the withdrawal of potentially inappropriate medications. Even though community healthcare professionals are keen to received medication reconciliation results, the literature data show that the quality of communication between the hospital and the community needs to be improved. OBJECTIVE: To assess community healthcare professionals' opinions about the receipt of medication reconciliation results when a patient is discharged from a specialist geriatric unit. METHOD: We performed a qualitative study of general practitioners, community pharmacists and retirement home physicians recruited by phone in the Indre-et-Loire region of France. A grounded theory method was used to analyze interviews in multidisciplinary focus groups. RESULTS: The 17 community healthcare professionals first explained why the receipt of medication reconciliation results was important to them: clarifying the course and outcomes of hospital stays and reducing the lack of dialogue with the hospital, so that the interviewees could provide the care expected of them. The interviewees also described mistrust of the hospital and uncertainty when the modifications were received; these two concepts accentuated each other over time. Lastly, they shared their opinions about the information provided by the hospital, which could improve patient safety and provide leverage for treatment changes but also constituted a burden. PERSPECTIVES: Our participants provided novel feedback and insight, constituting the groundwork for an improved medication reconciliation form that could be evaluated in future research. Exploring hospital-based professionals' points of view might help to determine whether the requested changes in the medication reconciliation form are feasible and might provide a better understanding of community-to-hospital communication.

Pharmacist-led medication reconciliation service for patients after discharge from tertiary hospitals to primary care in Singapore: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Medication discrepancies commonly occur when patients are transferred between care settings. Despite the presence of medication reconciliation services (MRS), medication discrepancies are still prevalent, which has clinical costs and implications. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of various stakeholders on how the MRS can be optimized in Singapore. METHODS: This is a descriptive qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews with 30 participants from the National Healthcare Group, including family physicians (N = 10), pharmacists (N = 10), patients recently discharged from restructured hospitals (N = 7) and their caregivers (N = 3) were conducted. All transcribed interviews were coded independently by three coders and inductive thematic analysis approach was used. RESULTS: Five core themes were identified. (1) The MRS enhanced healthcare services in various aspects including efficiency and health literacy; (2) There were several challenges in delivering the MRS covering processes, technology and training; (3) Issues with suitable patient selection and follow-up; (4) Barriers to scaling up of MRS that involve various stakeholders, cross-sector integration and environmental restrictions; and finally (5) Role definition of the pharmacist to all the stakeholders. CONCLUSION: This study identified the role of MRS in enhancing healthcare services and explored the challenges encountered in the provision of MRS from family physicians, pharmacists, patients and their caregivers. These findings supported the need for a shift of MRS towards a more comprehensive medication review model. Future improvement work to the MRS can be conducted based on the findings.

Health professionals' experience and perceived obstacles with managing patients' medication information in Norway: cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Access to correct and up to date medication information is crucial for effective patient treatment. However, persistent discrepancies exist. This study examines the experiences and challenges health professionals encounter while utilizing current digital solutions in the Norwegian healthcare system to manage patients' medication information. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive analysis using quantitative survey data was conducted to investigate how health professionals managed patients' medication information. Content analysis was used to analyze free-text responses concerning challenges they encountered when transferring medication information and to identify factors deemed necessary for implementing the Shared Medication List in Norway. RESULTS: A total of 262 doctors and 244 nurses responded to the survey. A higher percentage of doctors (72.2%) expressed concerns regarding obtaining accurate and updated medication lists than nurses (42.9%), particularly for patients with polypharmacy (35.3%) or transitioning between primary and specialist care services (27.6%). The patient's verbal information was the main source for hospital doctors (17%) to obtain an overview of the patient's medication usage, while general practitioners (19%) and nurses (working in both primary and specialist care services, 28% and 27% respectively) predominantly relied on electronic prescriptions. Doctors, in particular general practitioners, reported carrying excessive responsibilities in coordinating with other health actors (84.8%) and managing patients' medication information. The vast majority of both doctors (84.4%) and nurses (82.0%) were in favor of a Shared Medication List. However, about a third of doctors (36.3%) and nurses (29.8%) expressed the need for a more balanced responsibility in updating and managing patients' medication information, while ensuring compatibility with existing digital systems. CONCLUSIONS: Fragmented resources for medication information and unclear responsibilities were prevalent concerns among both professional groups. Doctors voiced more concern than nurses about the accuracy of patients' medication list. While both groups are positive about a shared medication list, successful implementation requires proactive training initiatives and clearer role clarification.

Nurse-led medication management as a critical component of transitional care for preventing drug-related problems.

Drug-related problems (DRPs) are critical medical issues during transition from hospital to home with high prevalence. The application of a variety of interventional strategies as part of the transitional care has been studied for preventing DRPs. However, it remains challenging for minimizing DRPs in patients, especially in older adults and those with high risk of medication discrepancies after hospital discharge. In this narrative review, we demonstrated that age, specific medications and polypharmacy, as well as some patient-related and system-related factors all contribute to a higher prevalence of transitional DPRs, most of which could be largely prevented by enhancing nurse-led multidisciplinary medication reconciliation. Nurses' contributions during transitional period for preventing DRPs include information collection and evaluation, communication and education, enhancement of medication adherence, as well as coordination among healthcare professionals. We concluded that nurse-led strategies for medication management can be implemented to prevent or solve DRPs during the high-risk transitional period, and subsequently improve patients' satisfaction and health-related outcomes, prevent the unnecessary loss and waste of medical expenditure and resources, and increase the efficiency of the multidisciplinary teamwork during transitional care.

Diversity and development of Indigenous rehabilitation professional student identity.

BACKGROUND: In Canada, disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples continue to exist in health and education because of the past and current harms of racism and colonization. One step towards closing health gaps is clinicians who can provide health and social care services that are free of racism and mistrust. Indigenous health providers are in the best position to provide this culturally relevant and safe care to their own communities. Therefore, more Indigenous students graduating from health professional programs are required to meet these needs. Indigenous identity support can be a facilitator for Indigenous student academic success but developing one's Indigenous identity can be challenging in post-secondary education environments. We explored how Indigenous rehabilitation students expressed, and wanted to be supported in their identity and academic success. METHODS: Using a narrative inquiry approach, we conducted interviews with seven students from the occupational, physical, and respiratory therapy programs of a Canadian university. Students were asked to tell their story of learning about, applying to, and being in their rehabilitation program and how their Indigenous identity impacted these experiences. Data analysis was conducted by Indigenous and non-Indigenous team members, analyzing the stories on interaction of the participant with (1) themselves and others, (2) time, and (3) situation or place. RESULTS: The researchers developed seven mini-stories, one for each participant, to illustrate the variation between participant experiences in the development of their Indigenous and professional identity, before and during their rehabilitation program. The students appreciated the opportunities afforded to them by being admitted to their programs in a Indigenous Peoples category, including identity affirmation. However, for most students, being in this category came with feared and/or experienced stigma. The work to develop a health professional identity brought even more complexity to the already complex work of developing and maintaining an Indigenous identity in the colonized university environment. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the complexity of developing a rehabilitation professional identity as an Indigenous student. The participant stories call for universities to transform into an environment where Indigenous students can be fully accepted for their unique gifts and the identities given to them at birth.

How much time do emergency department physicians spend on medication-related tasks? A time- and-motion study.

BACKGROUND: Medication-related problems are an important cause of emergency department (ED) visits, and medication errors are reported in up to 60% of ED patients. Procedures such as medication reconciliation and medication review can identify and prevent medication-related problems and medication errors. However, this work is often time-consuming. In EDs without pharmacists, medication reconciliation is the physician's responsibility, in addition to the primary assignments of examining and diagnosing the patient. The aim of this study was to identify how much time ED physicians spend on medication-related tasks when no pharmacists are present in the EDs. METHODS: An observational time-and-motion study of physicians in three EDs in Northern Norway was conducted using Work Observation Method by Activity Timing (WOMBAT) to collect and time-stamp data. Observations were conducted in predefined two-hour observation sessions with a 1:1 relationship between observer and participant, during Monday to Friday between 8 am and 8 pm, from November 2020 to October 2021. RESULTS: In total, 386 h of observations were collected during 225 observation sessions. A total of 8.7% of the physicians' work time was spent on medication-related tasks, of which most time was spent on oral communication about medications with other physicians (3.0%) and medication-related documentation (3.2%). Physicians spent 2.2 min per hour on medication reconciliation tasks, which includes retrieving medication-related information directly from the patient, reading/retrieving written medication-related information, and medication-related documentation. Physicians spent 85.6% of the observed time on non-medication-related clinical or administrative tasks, and the remaining time was spent standby or moving between tasks. CONCLUSION: In three Norwegian EDs, physicians spent 8.7% of their work time on medication-related tasks, and 85.6% on other clinical or administrative tasks. Physicians spent 2.2 min per hour on tasks related to medication reconciliation. We worry that patient safety related tasks in the EDs receive little attention. Allocating dedicated resources like pharmacists to contribute with medication-related tasks could benefit both physicians and patients.

A Typology of National Park Co-management Agreements in the Era of Reconciliation in Canada.

Parks Canada, in response to commitments undertaken towards reconciliation, has signaled its readiness to reassess the participation of Indigenous peoples in the co-management of national parks, national park reserves, and national marine conservation areas (NMCAs). However, the effectiveness of co-management, as the established framework underpinning these and other longstanding partnerships between the state and Indigenous groups, has been disputed, based on an uneven track record in meeting the needs, interests, and aspirations of Indigenous communities. This paper explores the potential of co-management to facilitate reconciliation within national parks, reserves and NMCAs by developing a typology of various types of co-management agreements. Addressing a critical knowledge gap in co-management governance, we provide a comprehensive review of 23 negotiated co-management agreements involving the state and Indigenous groups in a national park context. The resulting typology categorizes these agreements according to contextual factors and governance arrangements, offering insights into the feasibility of shared governance approaches with Parks Canada. Moreover, it identifies the strengths and weaknesses of co-management agreements in fulfilling reconciliation commitments. Our findings indicate that, although Parks Canada has implemented innovative approaches to co-management and shown a willingness to support Indigenous-led conservation efforts, true shared governance with Indigenous groups, as defined by international standards, is limited by the Canadian government's evident reluctance to amend the foundational legislation to effectively share authority in national parks.

Insights from First Nations, Government and Industry Leaders on Criteria for Successful Impact Benefit Agreements.

Over the past decade, British Columbia, Canada's westernmost province, has begun developing liquified natural gas (LNG) mega projects that can transport Canadian resources to foreign markets across the Pacific region. These projects have gained significant profile due to high-level debates over their environmental, social and economic impacts. While LNG projects are required to undergo environmental impact assessment procedures, there is growing recognition of the need to ensure that positive social, economic and environmental impacts are fairly distributed to local communities. Similar to other extractive industries, many corporations leading the development of these projects engage in negotiations over so-called "impact benefit agreements (IBAs)"-legal agreements between a corporation, a government and/or a community that details how projects can benefit the local community and on what timeline so as to build social license to operate and investor confidence. This contribution details the findings of a qualitative study highlighting the perspectives of First Nations, provincial and federal government, and industry leaders to examine what makes an IBA successful and from whose perspective. The paper provides an introduction to IBA structures and processes, a brief review of the legal context, a qualitative methodology co-developed between academic researchers and Indigenous community leaders, and describes key criteria to inform future successful IBA agreements that create equitable multi-party benefits in an era of Indigenous reconciliation.

Entanglement-Based CV-QKD with Information Reconciliation over Entanglement-Assisted Link.

An entanglement-based continuous variable (CV) QKD scheme is proposed, performing information reconciliation over an entanglement-assisted link. The same entanglement generation source is used in both raw key transmission and information reconciliation. The entanglement generation source employs only low-cost devices operated in the C-band. The proposed CV-QKD scheme with information reconciliation over an entanglement-assisted link significantly outperforms the corresponding CV-QKD scheme with information reconciliation over an authenticated public channel. It also outperforms the CV-QKD scheme in which a classical free-space optical communication link is used to perform information reconciliation. An experimental demonstration over the free-space optical testbed established at the University of Arizona campus indicates that the proposed CV-QKD can operate in strong turbulence regimes. To improve the secret key rate performance further, adaptive optics is used.

Efficient Integration of Rate-Adaptive Reconciliation with Syndrome-Based Error Estimation and Subblock Confirmation for Quantum Key Distribution.

An effective post-processing algorithm is essential for achieving high rates of secret key generation in quantum key distribution. This work introduces an approach to quantum key distribution post-processing by integrating the three main steps into a unified procedure: syndrome-based error estimation, rate-adaptive reconciliation, and subblock confirmation. The proposed scheme employs low-density parity-check codes to estimate the quantum bit error rate using the syndrome information, and to optimize the channel coding rates based on the Slepian-Wolf coding scheme for the rate-adaptive method. Additionally, this scheme incorporates polynomial-based hash verification in the subblock confirmation process. The numerical results show that the syndrome-based estimation significantly enhances the accuracy and consistency of the estimated quantum bit error rate, enabling effective code rate optimization for rate-adaptive reconciliation. The unified approach, which integrates rate-adaptive reconciliation with syndrome-based estimation and subblock confirmation, exhibits superior efficiency, minimizes practical information leakage, reduces communication rounds, and guarantees convergence to the identical key. Furthermore, the simulations indicate that the secret key throughput of this approach achieves the theoretical limit in the context of a BB84 quantum key distribution system.

Prescription of potentially inappropriate medications after an intensive care unit stay for acute respiratory failure.

BACKGROUND: Among survivors of critical illness, prescription of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) at hospital discharge is thought to be an important, modifiable patient safety concern. To date, there are little empirical data evaluating this issue. RESEARCH QUESTION: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of PIM prescribed to survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) at hospital discharge and explore their association with readmissions or death within 90 days of hospital discharge. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Prospective multicenter cohort study of ARF survivors admitted to ICUs and discharged home. Prospective of new PIMs with a high-adverse-effect profile ("high impact") at discharge was the primary exposure. Potential inappropriateness was determined by a structured consensus process using Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions-Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment, Beers' criteria, and clinical context of prescriptions by a multidisciplinary team. Covariate balancing propensity score was used for the primary analysis. RESULTS: Of the 195 Addressing Post Intensive Care Syndrome-01 (APICS-01) patients, 169 (87%) had ≥1 new medications prescribed at discharge, with 154 (91.1%) prescribed with one or more high-impact (HI) medications. Patients were prescribed a median of 5 [3-7] medications, of which 3 [1-4] were HI. Twenty percent of HI medications were potentially inappropriate. Medications with significant central nervous system side-effects were most prescribed potentially inappropriately. Forty-six (30%) patients experienced readmission or death within 90 days of hospital discharge. After adjusting for prespecified covariates, the association between prescription of potentially inappropriate HI medications and the composite primary outcome did not meet the prespecified threshold for statistical significance (risk ratio: 0.54; 0.26-1.13; p = 0.095) or with the constituent endpoints: readmission (risk ratio: 0.57, 0.27-1.11) or death (0.7, 0.05-9.32). CONCLUSION: At hospital discharge, most ARF survivors are prescribed medications with a high-adverse-effect profile and approximately one-fifth are potentially inappropriate. Although prescription of such medications was not associated with 90-day readmissions and mortality, these results highlight an area for additional investigation.

'I keep forgetting them': Lacrosse, indigenous women and girls and reconciliation in Canada.

In Canada, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its list of Calls to Action (CTA) in 2015, and five Calls were directly related to reconciliation and sport. Within these five sport-related CTA, there was no specific reference to gender. Lacrosse, as an Indigenous cultural practice that has been culturally appropriated by white settlers, is a complex site to investigate how the TRC's CTA is (or are not) being implemented and the ways in which these efforts are gendered. In this paper, we examined how staff at Canadian lacrosse organizations address the CTA and Indigenous women's and girls' participation in lacrosse. Through the use of Indigenous feminist theory, feminist methodologies informed by the tenets of Indigenous methodologies, semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis, our findings demonstrate that Indigenous women and girls are commonly overlooked, and gender is typically an afterthought within the implementation of sport-related CTA by lacrosse organizing bodies in Canada - if they are implemented at all. As a result, we argue that there is a need to make gender a central organizing principle when lacrosse organizations within Canada implement the TRC's CTA.

[Use of support and relief services for parents of children in need of care: Results of the FamBer observational study]. / Inanspruchnahme von Unterstützungs- und Entlastungsdiensten für Eltern pflegebedürftiger Kinder.

Use of support and relief services for parents of children in need of care: Results of the FamBer observational study Abstract: Background: Parents of children in need of care in Germany can fall back on a variety of relief and support services. So far, however, there has been a lack of systematic studies and quantitative data on the use of such offers at the individual level of parents and other legal guardians. Aim: The study on the compatibility of care and work for parents with a child in need of care (FamBer; funding: Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Germany) examines the knowledge of relief and support services, their use and the perceived benefits of these offers. Methods: 1070 parents answered a multidimensional online questionnaire in the cross-sectional study that was developed based on the Kindernetzwerk Study 2 from 2013 and the German socio-economic panel (SOEP). In addition to descriptive analyses, group comparisons were carried out using Chi2, Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis H tests. Results: 43 to 58% of parents are aware of the respective legal options for taking time off work, but only very few families make use of them. The other support offers differ significantly in terms of the level of knowledge and utilization; these vary primarily with the education of the parents and the care needs of the child. They assessed the used services for consultation and advice as only little helpful. Conclusions: Due to the study design, we cannot rule out that the findings are also based on personal characteristics of the parents and their living conditions. Nevertheless, a large number of problems (e.g. a lack of information, low using, ineffectiveness of support services) can be identified that need to be overcome.

xenoGI 3: using the DTLOR model to reconstruct the evolution of gene families in clades of microbes.

To understand genome evolution in a group of microbes, we need to know the timing of events such as duplications, deletions and horizontal transfers. A common approach is to perform a gene-tree / species-tree reconciliation. While a number of software packages perform this type of analysis, none are geared toward a complete reconstruction for all families in an entire clade. Here we describe an update to the xenoGI software package which allows users to perform such an analysis using the newly developed DTLOR (duplication-transfer-loss-origin-rearrangement) reconciliation model starting from genome sequences as input.

Revisiting ancient polyploidy in leptosporangiate ferns.

Ferns, and particularly homosporous ferns, have long been assumed to have experienced recurrent whole-genome duplication (WGD) events because of their substantially large genome sizes, surprisingly high chromosome numbers, and high degrees of polyploidy among many extant members. As the number of sequenced fern genomes is limited, recent studies have employed transcriptome data to find evidence for WGDs in ferns. However, they have reached conflicting results concerning the occurrence of ancient polyploidy, for instance, in the lineage of leptosporangiate ferns. Because identifying WGDs in a phylogenetic context is the foremost step in studying the contribution of ancient polyploidy to evolution, we here revisited earlier identified WGDs in leptosporangiate ferns, mainly the core leptosporangiate ferns, by building KS -age distributions and applying substitution rate corrections and by conducting statistical gene tree-species tree reconciliation analyses. Our integrative analyses not only identified four ancient WGDs in the sampled core leptosporangiate ferns but also identified false positives and false negatives for WGDs that recent studies have reported earlier. In conclusion, we underscore the significance of substitution rate corrections and uncertainties in gene tree-species tree reconciliations in calling WGD events and advance an exemplar workflow to overcome such often-overlooked issues.