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With the modernization of the Fisheries Act, DFO committed to producing 'State of Fish and Fish Habitat' (SOFFH) reports for Canada's freshwater ecosystems. As part of this initiative, DFO's Ontario and Prairie (O&P) Region selected the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario drainage basins (Lower Great Lakes Area; LGLA) and the Alberta East Slopes Area (AESA) as focal areas for reporting on in 2023. A Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat meeting was held June 29-30, 2021, to elicit input from academic, environmental practitioners, FFHPP, and DFO Science on the appropriate indicators, metrics, and data that could be used for the O&P SOFFH report. The five indicators selected by DFO O&P were: Biodiversity, Water Quality, Connectivity, Land Use and Land Cover, and Climate Change. Data for up to six metrics per indicator were summarized for each of the reporting areas. The findings indicated that LGLA has high fish species richness. However, a number of fishes and mussel species have been listed as species at risk. Water quality parameters often exceeded thresholds in areas with the greatest urban and agricultural development, and there was also an absence of natural riparian cover in those areas. Ninety-two per cent of the barriers within the LGLA are known to prevent fish movement. Forward and backward bioclimatic velocities were found to be highest in the assessment units surrounding the Greater Toronto Area and assessment units in the Lake Ontario basin. Flood forecasts showed variable changes in the location and heights of 100-yr floods with climate change. The AESA has lower fish species richness relative to the LGLA and a correspondingly, lower number of species at risk. Water quality parameters were often consistent with guidelines for the protection of aquatic life and connectivity varied amongst watercourses in the area. Land use and land cover in the AESA showed high spatial variance, with rangeland and crops in the southeast and trees and snow/ice in the western and northeastern regions. Due to the presence of large national and provincial parks, entire assessment units were protected in the mountainous regions of AESA. Forward bioclimatic velocities were two times faster and flood heights were also higher in the AESA compared to LGLA. This report provides insight into the SOFFH within the AESA and LGLA. However, limited data were available for some metrics, resulting in high uncertainty related to the SOFFH in some assessment units. As such, we identified key data gaps and limitations of the selected indicators and metrics. This information could be used to prioritize spatial extents and items for future research and monitoring projects. The process outlined in this report demonstrates how a quantitative approach to reporting on the SOFFH could be applied by DFO in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the course of hand osteoarthritis (HOA) and its relationship with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes (DM).Methods: Data were collected at 3 timepoints from 845 Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project participants (two-thirds women, one-third African Americans, mean age 60 yrs) with and without HOA, CVD, or DM. A diagnosis of radiographic HOA (rHOA) required a Kellgren-Lawrence severity grade of ≥ 2 in at least 3 joints in each hand. A 4-state progressive model included transitions based on rHOA and pain or function as defined using the Australian/Canadian HOA Index (AUSCAN). Markov multistate models estimated HR (aHR) and 95% CI for associations between DM or CVD and specific state transitions, adjusting for baseline and time-varying covariates.Results: Participants with DM (vs those without DM) were more likely to experience worsening pain with rHOA. Individuals who had or developed CVD (vs those who did not) were significantly less likely to experience symptomatic improvement, regardless of rHOA status. Those with DM or CVD (vs those without these comorbidities) were less likely to experience improvement in function, although this was statistically significant only for those with DM and no rHOA.Conclusion: Overall, having or developing DM and/or CVD reduced the likelihood of symptomatic and functional improvement over time, suggesting an effect of comorbid CVD and DM on the clinical and radiographic course of HOA. Additional studies are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare characteristics of nursing home (NH) residents by age categories in Western Canada. A cross-sectional, correlational analysis of secondary data. 89,231 residents living in Western Canada NHs in the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and British Columbia in 2016 and 2017. Resident characteristics (age, sex, marital status, body mass index, medical diagnoses, cognitive function, physical function, depressive symptoms) came from the Resident Assessment Instrument–Minimum Data Set 2.0 and were analyzed using chi-square, analysis of variance, and post hoc pairwise tests. Human developmental stage age categories were used to create 5 age groups: 18-34, 35-50, 51-64, 65-80, and 81 years and older. The demographics, medical diagnoses, cognitive function, and physical function characteristics of NH residents among 5 age groups differed considerably (all P <.001). Residents aged 18-34 years were predominately male, never married, with a higher incidence of paralysis and traumatic brain injury. Residents aged 35-50 years had a higher incidence of stroke and multiple sclerosis, and residents aged 51-64 years mainly were morbidly obese and more prone to depression. Residents aged 65-80 years were predominately married and more prone to diabetes, and residents aged 81 years and older were predominately widowed, with a higher incidence of dementia compared with others. Findings describe the uniqueness of younger NH age groups and indicate that the youngest NH residents often have the severe disability and a modest support system (as defined by partnered status) compared to older residents in NHs. Future studies must analyze longitudinal data that track the growth of, and changes in, residents' health and functional status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]