bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Polygenic Risk Score to Predict Future Adult Short Stature Among Children
Authors: Lu Tianyuan , Forgetta Vincenzo , Wu Haoyu , Perry John R B , Ong Ken K , Greenwood Celia M T , Timpson Nicholas J , Manousaki Despoina , Richards J Brent
Published: March 2021

Context

Adult height is highly heritable, yet no genetic predictor has demonstrated clinical utility compared to mid-parental height.

Objective

To develop a polygenic risk score for adult height and evaluate its clinical utility.

Design

A polygenic risk score was constructed based on meta-analysis of genomewide association studies and evaluated on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort.

Subjects

Participants included 442 599 genotyped White British individuals in the UK Biobank and 941 genotyped child-parent trios of European ancestry in the ALSPAC cohort.

Interventions

None.

Main Outcome Measures

Standing height was measured using stadiometer; Standing height 2 SDs below the sex-specific population average was considered as short stature.

Results

Combined with sex, a polygenic risk score captured 71.1% of the total variance in adult height in the UK Biobank. In the ALSPAC cohort, the polygenic risk score was able to identify children who developed adulthood short stature with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.84, which is close to that of mid-parental height. Combining this polygenic risk score with mid-parental height or only one of the child’s parent’s height could improve the AUROC to at most 0.90. The polygenic risk score could also substitute mid-parental height in age-specific Khamis-Roche height predictors and achieve an equally strong discriminative power in identifying children with a short stature in adulthood.

Conclusions

A polygenic risk score could be considered as an alternative or adjunct to mid-parental height to improve screening for children at risk of developing short stature in adulthood in European ancestry populations.
The Role of Active Rehabilitation in Concussion Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: CARTER KATHRYN M. , PAUHL ALEXANDRA N. , CHRISTIE ANITA D.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of active rehabilitation on concussion management. We also examined moderator variables that may contribute to differences across studies: symptom scale, physical activity type, time of injury to recruitment, and mechanism of injury.

Methods

The standardized effect size of physical activity on concussion management was computed for 23 studies (29 effect sizes). Effect sizes were coded as positive when studies reported an improvement in symptom scores, which was represented by a decrease in postconcussive symptom scores.

Results

The overall effect size of physical activity on concussion recovery was large and positive (g = 1.03). Subthreshold aerobic activity provided the largest effect size (g = 1.71), whereas multimodal interventions had a moderate effect size (g = 0.70). All other moderator variables produced positive effect sizes ranging from g = 0.59 to g = 1.46.

Conclusions

This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that current evidence supports the notion that physical activity is beneficial in decreasing postconcussive symptoms in both the acute and chronic phases after concussion. The results indicate that unimodal subthreshold aerobic activity may be the best course of action compared with multimodal interventions. Despite this growing body of evidence, additional research is needed to determine the optimal intensity, duration, and time to initiation of aerobic exercise after concussion.
W′ Recovery Kinetics after Exhaustion: A Two-Phase Exponential Process Influenced by Aerobic Fitness
Authors: CAEN KEVIN , BOURGOIS GIL , DAUWE CHARLES , BLANCQUAERT LAURA , VERMEIRE KOBE , LIEVENS ELINE , VAN DORPE JO , DERAVE WIM , BOURGOIS JAN G. , PRINGELS LAUREN , BOONE JAN
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The aims of this study were 1) to model the temporal profile of W′ recovery after exhaustion, 2) to estimate the contribution of changing V˙O2 kinetics to this recovery, and 3) to examine associations with aerobic fitness and muscle fiber type (MFT) distribution.

Methods

Twenty-one men (age = 25 ± 2 yr, V˙O2peak = 54.4 ± 5.3 mL·min−1·kg−1) performed several constant load tests to determine critical power and W′ followed by eight trials to quantify W′ recovery. Each test consisted of two identical exhaustive work bouts (WB1 and WB2), separated by a variable recovery interval of 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, 600, or 900 s. Gas exchange was measured and muscle biopsies were collected to determine MFT distribution. W′ recovery was quantified as observed W′ recovery (W′
OBS), model-predicted W′ recovery (W′
BAL), and W′ recovery corrected for changing V˙O2 kinetics (W′
ADJ). W′
OBS and W′
ADJ were modeled using mono- and biexponential fitting. Root-mean-square error (RMSE) and Akaike information criterion (∆AICC) were used to evaluate the models’ accuracy.

Results

The W′
BAL model (τ = 524 ± 41 s) was associated with an RMSE of 18.6% in fitting W′
OBS and underestimated W′ recovery for all durations below 5 min (P < 0.002). Monoexponential modeling of W′
OBS resulted in τ = 104 s with RMSE = 6.4%. Biexponential modeling of W′
OBS resulted in τ
1 = 11 s and τ
2 = 256 s with RMSE = 1.7%. W′
ADJ was 11% ± 1.5% lower than W′
OBS (P < 0.001). ∆AICC scores favored the biexponential model for W′
OBS, but not for W′
ADJ. V˙O2peak (P = 0.009) but not MFT distribution (P = 0.303) was associated with W′
OBS.

Conclusion

We showed that W′ recovery from exhaustion follows a two-phase exponential time course that is dependent on aerobic fitness. The appearance of a fast initial recovery phase was attributed to an enhanced aerobic energy provision resulting from changes in V˙O2 kinetics.
Competitive Entry of Information Goods Under Quality Uncertainty
Authors: Zhang Zan , Nan Guofang , Li Minqiang , Tan Yong
Published: March 2021

When confronted with a new product, consumers often find it difficult to predict how it will perform, and such uncertainty reduces consumers’ willingness to adopt the product. In this paper, we consider a market whereby consumers decide when and which product to buy, given that they know the product quality of the incumbent but are uncertain about that of the entrant. We investigate how consumer uncertainty about product quality affects firms’ behavior-based pricing and customer acquisition and retention dynamics. Using a two-period vertical model, we find that, under high-end encroachment, an increase in consumer uncertainty reduces the entrant’s profit and hurts the incumbent’s profit when the quality differential between the products is relatively small, whereas, under low-end encroachment, increasing uncertainty not only benefits the incumbent but also can favor the entrant. An important implication for entrants is that the marketing activities, which aim to reduce consumer uncertainty about product functionalities, may fail to improve profitability. We also find that the entrant lowers the price for uninformed customers and raises the price for repeat buyers under high-end encroachment but lowers the price for all customers under low-end encroachment. We further examine the subsidy strategy and show that, when the entrant’s product has a significant quality advantage and consumer uncertainty is high but not very high, the optimal strategy for the entrant is to acquire all consumers who do not buy from the incumbent by providing subsidies and to drop the low-valuation customers by means of a high price after their uncertainty is resolved.

This paper was accepted by Anandhi Bharadwaj, information systems.
Pengembangan Sistem Logistik Produk Halal di Indonesia
Authors: Ashari Reza Tanah
Published: March 2021

Penyediaan produk halal merupakan salah satu kondisi yang harus dilakukan dalam negara yang beragama muslim dan memberikan sertifikasi halal pada produk tersebut. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode review literatur dari berbagai jurnal yang berkaitan dengan logistik produk halal dengan sub tema penelitian kerangka konsep penelitian dan strategi pengembangan logistik produk halal. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ada 2 konsep penting dalam logistik produk halal, yaitu integrasi produk halal dan segregasi kelayakan produk serta sistem logistik. Kedua konsep ini saling berkaitan satu dengan lainnya. Integritas produk halal berkaitan dengan tindakan pencegahan terjadinya kontaminasi produk halal dengan non-halal dan segregasi berkaitan dengan pemisahan produk halal dan non-halal. Strategi dalam pengembangan sistem logistik produk halal ada dua, yaitu party logistic dengan 4 klasifikasi, yaitu 1 PL, 2 PL, 3 PL, 4 PL, dan 5 PL serta manajemen pengetahuan. Teknologi blockchain menjadi faktor dalam pengembangan sistem logistik halal sehingga kualitas produk halal dan kinerja keuangan menjadi baik, serta terjadi transparansi informasi tentang kehalalan produk yang disediakan dari penyedia produk hingga penjualan. Aspek yang terpenting dalam pengembangan sistem logistik produk halal adalah integritas produk halal yang difokuskan pada pencegahan kontaminan produk dengan konsep pembersihan secara sertu dan integrasi strategi 5 PL dengan manajemen pengetahuan dan inovasi teknologi blockchain. Dengan demikian, pengembangan sistem logistik di Indonesia menjadi lebih baik.
Kebijakan Pemotongan Sapi di RPH (Rumah Potong Hewan) Dalam Kaitannya dengan Prinsip Manajemen Halal dan HACPP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point)
Authors: Mail Dwi Aprilia Anggraini , Fahmi Norma Farizah , Putri Devi Anggraini , Hakiki Moh. Saiful
Published: March 2021

Kebijakan merupakan suatu kumpulan keputusan yang diambil oleh seorang pelaku atau kelompok politik dalam usaha memilih tujuan-tujuan dan cara-cara untuk mencapai tujuan. Kebijakan pemerintah terkait pemotongan sapi di Rumah Potong Hewan (RPH) berkaitan dengan perlindungan konsumen, yaitu manajemen ASUH (Aman, Sehat, Utuh, dan Halal) dan prinsip HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) dengan identifikasi titik-titik kritis tahap penanganan dan proses produksi sudah dibentuk beberapa aturan kebijakan. Dalam prosesnya, masih ditemui beberapa kendala, seperti kebersihan kualitas daging, RPH yang kurang bersih, ataupun kontaminasi silang saat pemotongan daging sampai pengepakannya. Kebijakan tersebut perlu diimbangi dengan edukasi dari tingkat RPH paling tradisional atau pada para peternak tentang pentingnya perlindungan konsumen. Contoh program kebijakan pemerintah yang dilaksanakan adalah Good Farming Practice untuk menghasilkan ternak potong yang sehat dan berkualitas. Namun, hal tersebut perlu diimbangi dengan pembentukan pengawas pangan (food inspector) dan riset untuk mendukung kebijakan tersebut agar berjalan baik. Tujuan dari jurnal review ini adalah untuk membantu pihak RPH mendapat pedoman yang sesuai kebijakan pemotongan sapi di RPH sebagai upaya perlindungan konsumen. Pencarian database yang digunakan termasuk Jurnal Veteriner, Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat, Jurnal Vektor Penyakit, Jurnal Studi Kasus, Jurnal, Medik Veteriner, Jurnal SainVet, Jurnal Ilmu Lingkungan, Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen Bisnis, Jurnal Peternakan, Jurnal Teknik Industri dan Jurnal Pengkajian Teknologi. Kata kunci yang digunakan dalam pencarian artikel, yaitu kebijakan kualitas daging, rumah potong hewan, pemotongan sapi, manajemen halal, HACCP, SNI, peternakan sapi, mikroorganisme, ISO, limbah RPH. Terdapat 30 artikel yang diperoleh dan 19 artikel dianalisis melalui analisis tujuan, kesesuaian topik, metode penelitian yang digunakan, ukuran sampel, etik penelitian, hasil dari setiap artikel, serta keterbatasan yang terjadi.
Evaluasi Kesadaran dan Persepsi Generasi Milenial Terhadap Restoran Bersertifikasi Halal di Indonesia
Authors: Huda Muhammad Qomarul , Hidayah Nur Aeni , Fetrina Elvi
Published: March 2021

Studi tentang sistem halal telah mendapatkan banyak perhatian dari kalangan peneliti maupun dari kalangan praktisi atau pelaku bisnis. Penerapan sertifikasi halal secara global tidak hanya berlaku secara eksklusif untuk produk makanan saja tetapi mencakup produk dan layanan jasa lainnya. Ini berarti penelitian tentang sistem halal mencakup area yang sangat luas yang memerlukan berbagai macam pendekatan penelitian (multi dimension approach) dan dalam konteks yang bervariasi. Meningkatnya kesadaran konsumen Muslim atas kewajiban agama mereka juga telah berkontribusi pada meningkatnya permintaan produk dan layanan halal. Akibatnya, permintaan terhadap produk makanan halal yang besar akan menyebabkan peningkatan pasokan untuk jaminan sertifikat dan logo Halal. Paper ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi kesadaran dan persepsi generasi milenial khususnya di wilayah perkotaan terhadap restoran bersertifikasi halal di Indonesia. Penelitian ini menggunakan lima variabel ukur yaitu religious beliefs, self identity, religious commitment, attitude toward Halal Certified, dan social influences. Hasil penelitian ini mengindikasikan bahwa religious commitment dan self identity tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap kesadaran dan persepsi generasi milenial pada Restoran Bersertifikat Halal. Hasil dan temuan penelitian ini diharapkan dapat membantu pemerintah khususnya kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia dalam menerapkan kebijakan pada sistem sertifikasi halal ke depannya.
Review Jurnal: Kajian tentang Keajaiban dan Manfaat Urine Unta
Authors: Rosyidah Afifah , Atmaja Lukman
Published: March 2021

Sebagai ciptaan Allah SWT, unta merupakan binatang yang mempunyai keistimewaan luar biasa. Kajian ini membahas tentang urine unta yang didasarkan atas studi nalar hadis serta pendekatan medis. Sedangkan rumusan masalah serta tujuan utama kajian ini adalah guna mendapatkan pemahaman yang sahih tentang kedudukan hadis-hadis dalam mengkaji tentang urine unta, menganalisis pendapat para ulama tentang pengobatan menggunakan urine unta berdasarkan hadis Rasulullah SAW, serta mendeskripsikan manfaat urine unta dalam bidang medis. Beberapa jurnal menyatakan manfaat urine unta yang luar biasa untuk pengobatan. Selain susu, urine unta mempunyai efek positif yang tidak kalah penting, yaitu untuk penyembuhan berbagai macam penyakit, terutama penyakit kanker dan berbagai penyakit yang disebabkan oleh kuman patogen (mikroba penyebab berbagai macam penyakit). Bebarapa ulama dan ahli fikih serta hadis-hadis yang kuat sanadnya menyatakan tidak najis dan diperbolehkan mengonsumsi urine unta. Meski demikian, ada juga yang menyatakan bahwa urine unta najis.
Severe anxiety – coping as a dental nurse
Authors: Patel Dhruvi
Published: March 2021

Dhruvi Patel tells her story of how anxiety has affected the career she so clearly adores – and shares some of her management tips
There are many paths to success
Authors: Saleem Farah
Published: March 2021

Dental nursing doesn't always get the praise it deserves. Here, Farah Saleem assesses the landscape to reset your parameters and guide you on a rewarding journey
How to … support yourself and others through mental health issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Ashurst Adrian , Ramadan Francesca
Published: March 2021

It is inevitable that the events of the last year are taking a toll on the mental health of care professionals. Adrian Ashurst discusses the importance of supporting those experiencing trauma because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tension band plates have greater risks of complications in temporary epiphysiodesis
Authors: Cheng You-Hung , Lee Wei-Chun , Tsai Yi-Feng , Kao Hsuan-Kai , Yang Wen-E , Chang Chia-Hsieh
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of decreasing leg-length discrepancy (LLD) and postoperative complications between tension band plates (TBP) and percutaneous transphyseal screws (PETS).

Methods

This retrospective study reviewed LLD patients who underwent temporary epiphysiodesis at the distal femur and/or proximal tibia from 2010 to 2017 (minimum two years follow-up). Efficacy of decreasing LLD was assessed one and two years postoperatively. Complications were classified with the modified Clavien-Dindo-Sink complication classification system. Knee deformities were assessed by percentile and zone of mechanical axis across the tibial plateau.

Results

In total, 53 patients (25 boys, 28 girls) underwent temporary epiphysiodesis (mean age, 11.4 years). The efficacy of decreasing LLD at two years between the TBP (n = 38) and PETS (n = 15) groups was comparable. Seven grade III complications were recorded in six TBP patients and in one PETS patient who underwent revision surgeries for knee deformities and physis impingement. Four grade I and two grade II complications occurred in the TBP group. The mechanical axis of the leg shifted laterally in the PETS group and medially in the TBP groups (+7.1 percentile versus -4.2 percentile; p < 0.05). Shifting of the mechanical axis by two zones was noted medially in four TBP patients and laterally in two PETS patients.

Conclusion

More implant-related complications and revision surgeries for angular deformities were associated with TBP. A tendency of varus and valgus deformity after epiphysiodesis using TBP and PETS was observed, respectively. Patients and families should be informed of the risks and regular postoperative follow-up is recommended.

Level of evidence

Level III
Modified method for reconstruction of thumb abduction function in children undergoing surgical treatment of thumb duplication
Authors: Zhou Tong , Zhang Xu , Yu Xiaofei , Bai Yanbin , Chen Huan , Li Jia , Li Hongjie , Yu Yadong
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This study was performed to evaluate a modified method of reconstructing the thumb abduction function in children undergoing surgical treatment of thumb duplication.

Methods

This retrospective study included 33 children (38 thumbs) with Wassel type III to VII thumb duplication who underwent excision of the polydactylism and osteotomy of the preserved thumb. Among them, 16 children (19 thumbs) underwent reconstruction of the attachment of the articular capsule and collateral ligament of the metacarpophalangeal joint, abductor pollicis brevis and flexor pollicis brevis by the anchor technique (Group A), while 17 children (19 thumbs) underwent suturing the attachment of the above-mentioned soft tissues to the periosteum (Group B). All children were followed up for six years after surgery. The appearance, function and joint stability of the preserved thumb were compared between the two groups; the bone alignment and development were observed.

Results

The deformity rate of preserved thumbs and the positive rate of lateral stress test were significantly lower in Group A than B (p < 0.05). The modified Tada score and the distance of first web were significantly higher in Group A than B (p < 0.05). Flexion, extension, adduction, abduction and palmar movement of the thumbs were good; bone alignment and development were good and no osteophyte or anchor shadow was left in the preserved thumbs in Group A.

Conclusion

Reconstruction of the abduction function using the anchor technique is effective in children undergoing surgical treatment for Wassel type III to VII thumb duplication and it may be superior to the conventional technique.

Level of evidence

III
Corrigendum: A randomized clinical trial of freeze-dried amniotic membrane transplantation and conjunctival-limbal graft for pterygium excision and evaluation of conjunctival inflammation marker in tears
Authors: Susiyanti Made , Panjaitan Manoa , Wangge Grace , Gondhowiardjo Tjahjono Darminto
Published: March 2021

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.13181/mji.oa.203818]
Elevated extracellular CO2 level affects the adaptive transcriptional response and survival of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells toward hypoxia and oxidative stress
Authors: Wanandi Septelia Inawati , Arumsari Sekar , Afitriansyah Edwin , Syahrani Resda Akhra , Dewantara Idham Rafly , Nurachman Luthfian Aby , Amin Ihya Fakhrurizal , Haryono Putera Dewa , Budiman Kenny , Sugiharta Adrianus Jonathan , Remedika Amino Aytiwan , Tafikulhakim Farhan Hilmi , Iswanti Febriana Catur , Lee Jason Youngbin , Banerjee Debabrata
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND High carbon dioxide (CO2) level from indoor environments, such as classrooms and offices, might cause sick building syndrome. Excessive indoor CO2 level increases CO2 level in the blood, and over-accumulation of CO2 induces an adaptive response that requires modulation of gene expression. This study aimed to investigate the adaptive transcriptional response toward hypoxia and oxidative stress in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exposed to elevated CO2 level in vitro and its association with cell viability.

METHODS PBMCs were treated in 5% CO2 and 15% CO2, representatives a high CO₂ level condition for 24 and 48 hours. Extracellular pH (pHe) was measured with a pH meter. The levels of reactive oxygen species were determined by measuring superoxide and hydrogen peroxide with dihydroethidium and dichlorofluorescin-diacetate assay. The mRNA expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, HIF-2α, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) were analyzed using a real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell survival was determined by measuring cell viability.

RESULTS pHe increased in 24 hours after 15% CO₂ treatment, and then decreased in 48 hours. Superoxide and hydrogen peroxide levels increased after the 24- and 48-hour of high CO₂ level condition. The expression levels of NF-κB, MnSOD, HIF-1α, and HIF-2α decreased in 24 hours and increased in 48 hours. The increased antioxidant mRNA expression in 48 hours showed that the PBMCs were responsive under high CO2 conditions. Elevated CO2 suppressed cell viability significantly in 48 hours.

CONCLUSIONS After 48 hours of high CO₂ level condition, PBMCs showed an upregulation in genes related to hypoxia and oxidative stress to overcome the effects of CO2 elevation.
Validation of EuroSCORE II to predict mortality in post-cardiac surgery patients in East Java tertiary hospital
Authors: Sembiring Yan Efrata , Ginting Adhitya , Puruhito  , Budiono
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND The European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (EuroSCORE) II is one of the established risk models used to predict mortality after cardiac surgery. However, its application as a mortality predictor for Indonesian adult cardiac surgery is still unknown. This study aimed to examine the validation of EuroSCORE II in predicting the mortality following adult cardiac surgery in Indonesian adults.

METHODS This retrospective cohort study collected data from the medical records and the database of the Department of Thoracic Cardiac and Vascular Surgery at Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya. Data on the EuroSCORE II variables were collected for patients aged >18 years who underwent coronary artery bypass, heart valve, heart tumors, aortic surgeries, or a combination of these surgeries between January 2016 and December 2018. In-hospital mortality prediction was calculated using the online calculator at www.euroscore.org. The calibration of the EuroSCORE II model was conducted using the Hosmer–Lemeshow test, and discrimination analysis was done using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves with area under the ROC curve (AUC) calculation.

RESULTS A total of 213 patients met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed for this study. Mortality was 8.9%. The predicted and actual mortalities were 1.74% and 8.9%, respectively. The significance (p-value) of the Hosmer–Lemeshow test was 0.55, indicating good calibration. The AUC of ROC curve was 0.85 (95% CI = 0.77–0.92, p<0.001), suggesting good discrimination.

CONCLUSIONS EuroSCORE II has a good calibration and discrimination for cardiac surgery in Indonesian adults.
Disability and family violence prevention: a case study on participation in evidence making
Authors: Robinson Sally , valentine kylie , Idle Jan
Published: March 2021

Background:

The paper draws on empirical evidence from a project investigating service responses to disabled women and children experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV). Service provision in these sectors is often rationed due to resource constraints, and increasingly marketised, and disabled people often do not have their needs met. Their opportunities for participation in policy and practice are also constrained.

Aims and objectives:

Our aim is to bring critical studies of intersectionality into dialogue with ‘evidence-making’ scholarship on policy implementation, to allow for new analyses of the inclusion of lived experience expertise in policy.

We ask:

What are the potential drivers for new forms of practice and evidence making in policy and service settings?

Methods:

The multi-method study comprised literature and policy review and qualitative research about the experience and implementation of an early intervention violence prevention support programme. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers (n=27) and children (n=7), and service providers (n=28).

Findings:

Many mothers did not identify as disabled, although they discussed the effects of impairment. However, children were all diagnosed, and diagnosis was a means of accessing funding and services. The service was focused on brokering responses to family needs, and formal participation mechanisms for clients were not prioritised.

Discussion and conclusion:

Resource constraints and workforce capacity are ongoing concerns in the disability and violence prevention sectors. Relationships that facilitate trust, agency and choice remain key. Insights from critical policy scholarship suggest opportunities to recognise existing relationships as participation, with implications for policy and practice.
Understanding knowledge brokerage and its transformative potential: a Bourdieusian perspective
Authors: Chew Sarah , Armstrong Natalie , Martin Graham P.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Knowledge brokering is promoted as a means of enabling exchange between fields and closer collaboration across institutional boundaries. Yet examples of its success in fostering collaboration and reconfiguring boundaries remain few.

Aims and objectives:

We consider the introduction of a dedicated knowledge-brokering role in a partnership across healthcare research and practice, with a view to examining the interaction between knowledge brokers’ location and attributes and the characteristics of the fields across which they work.

Methods:

We use qualitative data from a four-year ethnographic study, including observations, interviews, focus groups, reflective diaries and other documentary sources. Our analysis draws on Pierre Bourdieu’s conceptual framework.

Findings:

In efforts to transform the boundaries between related but disjointed fields, a feature posited as advantageous – knowledge brokers’ liminality – may in practice work to their disadvantage. An unequal partnership between two fields, where the capitals (the resources, relationships, markers of prestige and forms of knowledge) valued in one are privileged over the other, left knowledge brokers without a prior affiliation to either field adrift between the two.

Discussion and conclusions:

Lacking legitimacy to act across fields and bridge the gap between them, knowledge brokers are likely to seek to develop their skills on one side of the boundary, focusing on more limited and conservative activities, rather than advance the value of a distinctive array of capitals in mediating between fields. We identify implications for the construction and deployment of knowledge-brokering interventions towards collaborative objectives.
Breaking hegemony: coalition as decolonial-intersectional praxis
Authors: Townsend-Bell Erica
Published: March 2021

In 2012 and 2013, Uruguay decriminalised abortion, legalised equal marriage and decriminalised the usage and self-cultivation of marijuana. Uruguayan social movements produced a wide-ranging, multi-issue coalition that mobilised around all of these bills as a package, in which they agreed to a specific sequence on the prioritisation of bills. The bridge actors that constituted the coalition operated within a framework grounded in combating the invisibilisation of marginalised groups and their specific interests. In other words, they sought to engage in a form of intersectional praxis through the platform of coalition. This article examines the workings of intersectional praxis in this case, and the actors and logic that drive it. It argues that a dual bridging model is at work in which bridge actors engage a decolonial-intersectional logic of action, working from a perspective that conceives of difference and plurality as both constitutive of social life and a normative good.
Polarization-oriented LiNbO3 nanocrystals by femtosecond laser irradiation in LiO2–Nb2O5–SiO2–B2O3 glasses
Authors: Muzi Elisa , Cavillon Maxime , Lancry Matthieu , Brisset François , Sapaly Benjamin , Janner Davide , Poumellec Bertrand
Published: March 2021

This work investigates the role of a B2O3 addition (up to 21 mole %) into a lithium niobium silicate glass matrix, focusing on the orientational dependency of second harmonic generation (SHG), induced after femtosecond laser irradiation. We detected the sharp emission of light at 515 nm, characteristic of SHG, in both static and scanning configurations, using pulse energy, repetition rate, and laser polarization as varying parameters. Among the results to highlight, the SHG signature appears within a few seconds in highly doped B2O3 glass, i.e., one order of magnitude smaller than in B2O3-free glass. Additionally, we found that the orientability of the polar axis of LiNbO3 nanocrystals by writing laser polarization can be obtained in glasses when SiO2 is substituted with B2O3. These preliminary results open the door to the fabrication of crystal / glass based photonic devices with lower laser power deposited and much faster crystallization kinetics.
Shedding Light on the Human Brain
Authors: Kim Meeri
Published: March 2021

The freedom of functional near-infrared spectroscopy opens a
window into brain activity outside the confines of an MRI machine.
The long-term impact of the Leprosy Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (LPEP) program on leprosy incidence: A modelling study
Authors: Blok David J. , Steinmann Peter , Tiwari Anuj , Barth-Jaeggi Tanja , Arif Mohammad A. , Banstola Nand Lal , Baskota Rabindra , Blaney David , Bonenberger Marc , Budiawan Teky , Cavaliero Arielle , Gani Zaahira , Greter Helena , Ignotti Eliane , Kamara Deusdedit V. , Kasang Christa , Manglani Pratap R. , Mieras Liesbeth , Njako Blasdus F. , Pakasi Tiara , Saha Unnati R. , Saunderson Paul , Smith W. Cairns S. , Stäheli René , Suriyarachchi Nayani D. , Tin Maung Aye , Shwe Tin , van Berkel Jan , van Brakel Wim H. , Vander Plaetse Bart , Virmond Marcos , Wijesinghe Millawage S. D. , Aerts Ann , Richardus Jan Hendrik
Published: March 2021

Background

The Leprosy Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (LPEP) program explored the feasibility and impact of contact tracing and the provision of single dose rifampicin (SDR) to eligible contacts of newly diagnosed leprosy patients in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. As the impact of the programme is difficult to establish in the short term, we apply mathematical modelling to predict its long-term impact on the leprosy incidence.

Methodology

The individual-based model SIMCOLEP was calibrated and validated to the historic leprosy incidence data in the study areas. For each area, we assessed two scenarios: 1) continuation of existing routine activities as in 2014; and 2) routine activities combined with LPEP starting in 2015. The number of contacts per index patient screened varied from 1 to 36 between areas. Projections were made until 2040.

Principal findings

In all areas, the LPEP program increased the number of detected cases in the first year(s) of the programme as compared to the routine programme, followed by a faster reduction afterwards with increasing benefit over time. LPEP could accelerate the reduction of the leprosy incidence by up to six years as compared to the routine programme. The impact of LPEP varied by area due to differences in the number of contacts per index patient included and differences in leprosy epidemiology and routine control programme.

Conclusions

The LPEP program contributes significantly to the reduction of the leprosy incidence and could potentially accelerate the interruption of transmission. It would be advisable to include contact tracing/screening and SDR in routine leprosy programmes.
An assessment of risk factors for contracting rabies among dog bite cases recorded in Ward 30, Murewa district, Zimbabwe
Authors: Chikanya Enica , Macherera Margaret , Maviza Auther
Published: March 2021

Background

Zoonoses are a major threat to human health. Worldwide, rabies is responsible for approximately 59 000 deaths annually. In Zimbabwe, rabies is one of the top 5 priority diseases and it is notifiable. It is estimated that rabies causes 410 human deaths per year in the country. Murewa district recorded 938 dog bite cases and 4suspected rabies deaths between January 2017 and July 2018, overshooting the threshold of zero rabies cases. Of the 938dog bite cases reported in the district, 263 were reported in Ward 30 and these included all the 4suspected rabies deaths reported in the district. This necessitated a study to assess risk factors for contracting rabies in Ward 30, Murewa.

Methodology/ Principal findings

A descriptive cross sectional survey was used for a retrospective analysis of a group of dog bite cases reported at Murewa Hospital, in Ward 30. Purposive sampling was used to select dog bite cases and snowball sampling was used to locate unvaccinated dogs and areas with jackal presence. The dog bite cases and relatives of rabies cases were interviewed using a piloted interviewer-administered questionnaire. Geographical Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of dog bite cases, vaccinated and unvaccinated dogs and jackal presence were collected using handheld GPS device. QGIS software was used to spatially analyse and map them. Dog owners were 10 times more likely to contract rabies compared to non-dog owners (RR = 10, 95% CI 1.06–93.7). Owners of unvaccinated dogs were 5 times more likely to contract rabies compared to owners of vaccinated dogs (RR = 5.01, 95% CI 0.53–47.31). Residents of the high density cluster (area with low cost houses and stand size of 300 square meters and below) were 64 times more likely to contract rabies compared to non-high density cluster residents (RR = 64.87, 95% CI 3.6039–1167.82). Participants who were not knowledgeable were 0.07 times more likely to contract rabies, compared to those who had knowledge about rabies. (RR = 0.07, 95% CI 0.004–1.25).

Our study shows that the risk factors for contacting rabies included; low knowledge levels regarding rabies, dog ownership residing in the high density cluster, owning unvaccinated dogs and spatial overlap of jackal presence with unvaccinated dogs.
Gait variability is affected more by peripheral artery disease than by vascular occlusion
Authors: Rahman Hafizur , Pipinos Iraklis I. , Johanning Jason M. , Myers Sara A.
Published: March 2021

Background

Patients with peripheral artery disease with intermittent claudication (PAD-IC) have altered gait variability from the first step they take, well before the onset of claudication pain. The mechanisms underlying these gait alterations are poorly understood.

Aims

To determine the effect of reduced blood flow on gait variability by comparing healthy older controls and patients with PAD-IC. We also determined the diagnostic value of gait variability parameters to identify the presence of PAD.

Methods

A cross-sectional cohort design was used. Thirty healthy older controls and thirty patients with PAD-IC walked on a treadmill at their self-selected speed in pain free walking (normal walking for healthy older controls; prior to claudication onset for PAD) and reduced blood flow (post vascular occlusion with thigh tourniquet for healthy older controls; pain for PAD) conditions. Gait variability was assessed using the largest Lyapunov exponent, approximate entropy, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation of ankle, knee, and hip joints range of motion. Receiver operating characteristics curve analyses of the pain free walking condition were performed to determine the optimal cut-off values for separating individuals with PAD-IC from those without PAD-IC.

Results and discussion

Patients with PAD-IC have increased amount of variability for knee and hip ranges of motion compared with the healthy older control group. Regarding the main effect of condition, reduced blood flow demonstrated increased amount of variability compared with pain free walking. Significant interactions between group and condition at the ankle show increased values for temporal structure of variability, but a similar amount of variability in the reduced blood flow condition. This demonstrates subtle interactions in the movement patterns remain distinct between PAD-IC versus healthy older controls during the reduced blood flow condition. A combination of gait variability parameters correctly identifies PAD-IC disease 70% of the time or more.

Conclusions

Gait variability is affected both by PAD and by the mechanical induction of reduced blood flow. Gait variability parameters have potential diagnostic ability, as some measures had 90.0% probability of correctly identifying patients with PAD-IC.
Falling through the cracks: Modeling the formation of social category boundaries
Authors: Yang Vicky Chuqiao , van der Does Tamara , Olsson Henrik
Published: March 2021

Social categorizations divide people into “us” and “them”, often along continuous attributes such as political ideology or skin color. This division results in both positive consequences, such as a sense of community, and negative ones, such as group conflict. Further, individuals in the middle of the spectrum can fall through the cracks of this categorization process and are seen as out-group by individuals on either side of the spectrum, becominginbetweeners. Here, we propose a quantitative, dynamical-system model that studies the joint influence of cognitive and social processes. We model where two social groups draw the boundaries between “us” and ‘them” on a continuous attribute. Our model predicts that both groups tend to draw a more restrictive boundary than the middle of the spectrum. As a result, each group sees the individuals in the middle of the attribute space as an out-group. We test this prediction using U.S. political survey data on how political independents are perceived by registered party members as well as existing experiments on the perception of racially ambiguous faces, and find support.
Containment of COVID-19: Simulating the impact of different policies and testing capacities for contact tracing, testing, and isolation
Authors: Fiore Vincenzo G. , DeFelice Nicholas , Glicksberg Benjamin S. , Perl Ofer , Shuster Anastasia , Kulkarni Kaustubh , O’Brien Madeline , Pisauro M. Andrea , Chung Dongil , Gu Xiaosi
Published: March 2021

Efficient contact tracing and testing are fundamental tools to contain the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We used multi-agent simulations to estimate the daily testing capacity required to find and isolate a number of infected agents sufficient to break the chain of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, so decreasing the risk of new waves of infections. Depending on the non-pharmaceutical mitigation policies in place, the size of secondary infection clusters allowed or the percentage of asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic (i.e., subclinical) infections, we estimated that the daily testing capacity required to contain the disease varies between 0.7 and 9.1 tests per thousand agents in the population. However, we also found that if contact tracing and testing efficacy dropped below 60% (e.g. due to false negatives or reduced tracing capability), the number of new daily infections did not always decrease and could even increase exponentially, irrespective of the testing capacity. Under these conditions, we show that population-level information about geographical distribution and travel behaviour could inform sampling policies to aid a successful containment, while avoiding concerns about government-controlled mass surveillance.
Assessing pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe: Results from a systematic chart review
Authors: Balkus Jennifer E. , Neradilek Moni , Fairlie Lee , Makanani Bonus , Mgodi Nyaradzo , Mhlanga Felix , Nakabiito Clemensia , Mayo Ashley , Harrell Tanya , Piper Jeanna , Bunge Katherine E. ,   on behalf of the MTN-042B Study Team
Published: March 2021

A systematic chart review was performed to estimate the frequency of pregnancy outcomes, pregnancy complications and neonatal outcomes at facilities in Blantyre, Malawi; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kampala, Uganda; and Chitungwiza and Harare, Zimbabwe to provide comparisons with estimates from an ongoing clinical trial evaluating the safety of two biomedical HIV prevention interventions in pregnancy. A multi-site, cross-sectional chart review was conducted at Maternal Obstetric Units and hospitals where women participating in the ongoing clinical trial would be expected to deliver. All individuals delivering at the designated facilities or admitted for postpartum care within seven days of a delivery elsewhere (home, health clinic, etc.) were included in the review. Data were abstracted for pregnancy outcomes, pregnancy complications, maternal and neonatal death, and congenital anomalies. Data from 10,138 records were abstracted across all four sites (Blantyre n = 2,384; Johannesburg n = 1,888; Kampala n = 3,708; Chitungwiza and Harare n = 2,158), which included 10,426 pregnancy outcomes. The prevalence of preterm birth was 13% (range across sites: 10.4–20.7) and 4.1% of deliveries resulted in stillbirth (range: 3.1–5.5). The most commonly noted pregnancy complication was gestational hypertension, reported among 4.4% of pregnancies. Among pregnancies resulting in a live birth, 15.5% were low birthweight (range: 13.8–17.4) and 2.0% resulted in neonatal death (range:1.2–3.2). Suspected congenital anomalies were noted in 1.2% of pregnancies. This study provides systematically collected data on background rates of pregnancy outcomes, pregnancy complications and neonatal outcomes that can be used as a reference in support of ongoing HIV prevention studies. In addition, estimates from this study provide important background data for future studies of investigational products evaluated in pregnancy in these urban settings.
Different semantic and affective meaning of the words associated to physical and social pain in cancer patients on early palliative/supportive care and in healthy, pain-free individuals
Authors: Borelli Eleonora , Bigi Sarah , Potenza Leonardo , Artioli Fabrizio , Eliardo Sonia , Mucciarini Claudia , Cagossi Katia , Razzini Giorgia , Pasqualini Antonella , Lui Fausta , Ferlazzo Fabio , Cruciani Massimiliano , Bruera Eduardo , Efficace Fabio , Luppi Mario , Cacciari Cristina , Porro Carlo Adolfo , Bandieri Elena
Published: March 2021

Early palliative/supportive care (ePSC) is a medical intervention focused on patient’s needs, that integrates standard oncological treatment, shortly after a diagnosis of advanced/metastatic cancer. ePSC improves the appropriate management of cancer pain. Understanding the semantic and emotional impact of the words used by patients to describe their pain may further improve its assessment in the ePSC setting. Psycholinguistics assumes that the semantic and affective properties of words affect the ease by which they are processed and comprehended. Therefore, in this cross-sectional survey study we collected normative data about the semantic and affective properties of words associated to physical and social pain, in order to investigate how patients with cancer pain on ePSC process them compared to healthy, pain-free individuals. One hundred ninety patients and 124 matched controls rated the Familiarity, Valence, Arousal, Pain-relatedness, Intensity, and Unpleasantness of 94 words expressing physical and social pain. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed on ratings in order to unveil patients’ semantic and affective representation of pain and compare it with those from controls. Possible effects of variables associated to the illness experience were also tested. Both groups perceived the words conveying social pain as more negative and pain-related than those expressing physical pain, confirming previous evidence of social pain described as worse than physical pain. Patients rated pain words as less negative, less pain-related, and conveying a lower intense and unpleasant pain than controls, suggesting either an adaptation to the pain experience or the role played by ePSC in improving patients’ ability to cope with it. This exploratory study suggests that a chronic pain experience as the one experienced by cancer patients on ePSC affects the semantic and affective representation of pain words.
Diagnostic accuracy of two commercial SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detecting rapid tests at the point of care in community-based testing centers
Authors: Berger Alice , Nsoga Marie Therese Ngo , Perez-Rodriguez Francisco Javier , Aad Yasmine Abi , Sattonnet-Roche Pascale , Gayet-Ageron Angèle , Jaksic Cyril , Torriani Giulia , Boehm Erik , Kronig Ilona , Sacks Jilian A. , de Vos Margaretha , Bausch Frédérique Jacquerioz , Chappuis François , Renzoni Adriana , Kaiser Laurent , Schibler Manuel , Eckerle Isabella
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Determine the diagnostic accuracy of two antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) for SARS-CoV-2 at the point of care and define individuals’ characteristics providing best performance.

Methods

We performed a prospective, single-center, point of care validation of two Ag-RDT in comparison to RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal swabs.

Results

Between October 9th and 23rd, 2020, 1064 participants were enrolled. The PanbioTM Covid-19 Ag Rapid Test device (Abbott) was validated in 535 participants, with 106 positive Ag-RDT results out of 124 positive RT-PCR individuals, yielding a sensitivity of 85.5% (95% CI: 78.0–91.2). Specificity was 100.0% (95% CI: 99.1–100) in 411 RT-PCR negative individuals. The Standard Q Ag-RDT (SD Biosensor, Roche) was validated in 529 participants, with 170 positive Ag-RDT results out of 191 positive RT-PCR individuals, yielding a sensitivity of 89.0% (95%CI: 83.7–93.1). One false positive result was obtained in 338 RT-PCR negative individuals, yielding a specificity of 99.7% (95%CI: 98.4–100). For individuals presenting with fever 1–5 days post symptom onset, combined Ag-RDT sensitivity was above 95%. Lower sensitivity of 88.2% was seen on the same day of symptom development (day 0).

Conclusions

We provide an independent validation of two widely available commercial Ag-RDTs, both meeting WHO criteria of ≥80% sensitivity and ≥97% specificity. Although less sensitive than RT-PCR, these assays could be beneficial due to their rapid results, ease of use, and independence from existing laboratory structures. Testing criteria focusing on patients with typical symptoms in their early symptomatic period onset could further increase diagnostic value.