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Peptide-based materials incorporate the hierarchical structure of proteins: amino acids on the molecular scale dictate the secondary structure, which in turn affects the overall protein folding and function. Similarly, peptides and proteins can promote the growth of inorganic minerals with extreme precision, creating the composite substances that make up skeletons, shells, and other hard biological materials. The ability to synthetically harness this capability and use it to make equally precise materials in a laboratory could lead to the synthesis of new materials with applications in optics, sensing, and nanotechnology. By studying biomineralization, scientists have learned some of the design rules to synthesizing functional hybrid nanomaterials. The Rosi group has spent over a decade developing a peptide-based assembly system for inorganic nanoparticles (NPs). Starting with a peptide amphiphile designed to bind gold nanoparticles (Au NP) and assemble into fibers, we have developed a suite of design rules to synthesize a variety of nanostructures as well as dictate their structural morphology and function. This dissertation describes several research projects aimed at understanding the effect of molecular changes to the peptide conjugate within an Au NP assembly system and leveraging them as tunable handles that we can use to control structural parameters of the resultant Au NP superstructures. In Chapter 1, a general discussion of peptide amphiphiles and peptide biomineralization is followed by an introduction of the group’s work on nanoparticle assembly. In Chapter 2, the assembly module (organic tail and peptide N-terminal amino acids) of the peptide conjugate was examined, and a method to tune fiber and Au NP assembly propensity by increasing the -sheet contribution of the peptide sequence was developed. In Chapter 3, the role of the particle binding module (C-terminal amino acids) in superstructural differentiation is investigated. By introducing a series of

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people's engagement in health behaviors, especially those that protect individuals from SARS-CoV-2 transmission, such as handwashing/sanitizing. This study investigated whether adherence to the World Health Organization's (WHO) handwashing guidelines (the outcome variable) was associated with the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic, as measured by the following 6 indicators: (i) the number of new cases of COVID-19 morbidity/mortality (a country-level mean calculated for the 14 days prior to data collection), (ii) total cases of COVID-19 morbidity/mortality accumulated since the onset of the pandemic, and (iii) changes in recent cases of COVID-19 morbidity/mortality (a difference between country-level COVID-19 morbidity/mortality in the previous 14 days compared to cases recorded 14-28 days earlier). METHODS: The observational study (#NCT04367337) enrolled 6064 adults residing in Australia, Canada, China, France, Gambia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, and Switzerland. Data on handwashing adherence across 8 situations (indicated in the WHO guidelines) were collected via an online survey (March-July 2020). Individual-level handwashing data were matched with the date- and country-specific values of the 6 indices of the trajectory of COVID-19 pandemic, obtained from the WHO daily reports. RESULTS: Multilevel regression models indicated a negative association between both accumulation of the total cases of COVID-19 morbidity (B = -.041, SE = .013, p = .013) and mortality (B = -.036, SE = .014 p = .002) and handwashing. Higher levels of total COVID-related morbidity and mortality were related to lower handwashing adherence. However, increases in recent cases of COVID-19 morbidity (B = .014, SE = .007, p = .035) and mortality (B = .022, SE = .009, p = .015) were associated with higher levels of handwashing adherence. Analyses controlled for participants' COVID-19-related situation (their

Laura M Fullerton,1 Sydney Brooks,2 Raquel Sweezie,2 Vandana Ahluwalia,3 Claire Bombardier,4 Anna R Gagliardi4 1Ontario Best Practices Research Initiative, Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Ontario Division, Arthritis Society, Toronto, ON, Canada; 3Department of Rheumatology, William Osler Health System, Brampton, ON, Canada; 4Toronto General Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaCorrespondence: Sydney BrooksArthritis Society, 393 University Avenue, Suite 1700, Toronto M5G 3E6, CanadaTel +416 979-7228Fax +416 979-8366Email sbrooks@arthritis.caPurpose: The objective of this qualitative study was to explore patient, rheumatologist, and extended role practitioner (ERP) perspectives on the integration of an allied health rheumatology triage (AHRT) intervention in Ontario rheumatology clinics. Triage is the process of identifying the urgency of a patient’s condition to ensure they receive specialist care within an appropriate length of time. This research explores the clinical/logistical impact of triage by occupational and physical therapists with advanced arthritis training (ERPs), including facilitators and barriers of success, and recommendations for future application.Participants and Methods: Semi-structured telephone interviews were held with participating rheumatologists, ERPs, and a sample of patients from each clinical site (4 community, 3 hospital) in five Ontario cities. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using basic qualitative description. Two independent researchers compared coding and achieved consensus.Results: Patients (n=10), rheumatologists (n=6), and ERPs (n=5) participated in the study and reported reduced wait-times to rheumatology care, diagnosis, and treatment for those with inflammatory arthritis (IA). Rheumatologists and ERPs perceived that the intervention improved clinical efficiency and quality of care. Patients reported high satisfactio

Sydney Brooks, St. James Street, London, England; United Kingdom, letter, 1924 July 6, to Hamlin Garland. "I am sorry to say that my wife has an engagement for tomorrow…" -- first line.