bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a new lactation device ‘Lactamo’ designed to apply massage, heat or cold, and compression to the breast
Authors: Sweet Linda , Vasilevski Vidanka
Published: March 2022

Background

Common approaches to manage breastfeeding problems such as pain, blocked ducts, and milk production issues include breast compression, breast massage, application of warmth or cold, medications, and breastmilk expression. Several devices are available to apply heat or cold to the breast, however, none promote breast compression and/or massage simultaneously. A new device ‘Lactamo’ has been developed to address this.

Methods

This study was a pre-market evaluation of the Lactamo device. The aims were to determine user safety, and satisfaction of Lactamo. The study was conducted in an Australian tertiary maternity hospital in 2019–2020. Women who were less than 3 months post-partum and were currently breastfeeding participated in the study. We conducted structured telephone surveys at 1 and 4 weeks post supply of Lactamo. Questions included demographic information, feedback on safety, usage, and perceived benefits of Lactamo.

Results

The cohort (n = 30) consisted of equal number of primiparous and multiparous women, 50% were born in Australia and the remainder from 11 other countries. A total of 41 telephone surveys were conducted with 27 women. Of these, 26 (96%) had used Lactamo, and the one that did not, felt she did not have a lactation concern to warrant using it. All women indicated that the device was safe to use and had no concerns, apart from one woman who experienced itching because of the device but continued to use it over clothing as she found it beneficial. Most women used it at room temperature or warmed. The frequency of use varied from once per week (17%) to daily (33%), and use was often prompted by a lactation concern such as engorgement, pain, blocked ducts, and low supply.

Conclusion

Lactamo was found to be safe, and a valuable aid for breastfeeding women. More research is needed to understand the efficacy of the device in treating breastfeeding problems such as pain, blocked ducts, and milk production issues.
Risk factors for poor neurological outcomes after unilateral open-door laminoplasty: an analysis of the characteristics of ectopic bone
Authors: Hua Zijian , Li Jia , Li Wenshuai , Zhang Yu , Wang Feng , Wang Linfeng , Shen Yong
Published: March 2022

Background

The factors affecting neurological outcomes with unilateral open-door laminoplasty have been controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the characteristics of ectopic bone on poor neurological outcomes after unilateral open-door laminoplasty.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 112 patients who underwent unilateral open-door laminoplasty from September 2017 to September 2020. According to the Japanese Orthopedic Association score recovery rate after surgery (Japanese Orthopedic Association recovery rate ≥ 50% and < 50%, respectively), all patients were divided into “poor” and “good” groups. The characteristics of ectopic bone and the position relationship between the open side and ectopic bone (for lateral ossification) in the two groups were compared and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the risk factors for poor neurological outcome.

Results

We identified patients with a mean age of 58.39 years and a mean follow-up of 25.43 months. Sixty (53.6%) patients experienced recovery of poor neurological function. On univariable analysis, significant predictors of poor neurological recovery were occupation rate of spinal canal > 60% (p = 0.000), ossification extending to C2 (p = 0.006), lateral ossification (p = 0.032) and opening side on the ipsilateral side of the ectopic bone (p = 0.011). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the occupation rate of spinal canal > 60% (P = 0.003), ossification extending to C2 (P = 0.041) and opening the door on the ipsilateral side for lateral ossification (P = 0.013) were independent risk factors for poor prognosis of neurological function.

Conclusions

An occupation ratio > 60% is the most important risk factor. Another one is ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament extending to C2. Meanwhile, opening the door on the ipsilateral side is indeed a risk factor for lateral ossification. Better neurological function may be obtained by choosing the opposite side of the heterotopic bone as the open side. Therefore, the design of the surgical plan should comprehensively consider these factors.
The landscape of Mucopolysaccharidosis in Southern and Eastern European countries: a survey from 19 specialistic centers
Authors: Tylki-Szymańska Anna , Almássy Zsuzsanna , Christophidou-Anastasiadou Violetta , Avdjieva-Tzavella Daniela , Barisic Ingeborg , Cerkauskiene Rimante , Cuturilo Goran , Djiordjevic Maja , Gucev Zoran , Hlavata Anna , Kieć-Wilk Beata , Magner Martin , Pecin Ivan , Plaiasu Vasilica , Samardzic Mira , Zafeiriou Dimitrios , Zaganas Ioannis , Lampe Christina
Published: March 2022

Background

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of lysosomal storage disorders caused by defects in genes coding for different lysosomal enzymes which degrade glycosaminoglycans. Impaired lysosomal degradation causes cell dysfunction leading to progressive multiorgan involvement, disabling consequences and poor life expectancy. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is now available for most MPS types, offering beneficial effects on disease progression and improving quality of life of patients. The landscape of MPS in Europe is not completely described and studies on availability of treatment show that ERT is not adequately implemented, particularly in Southern and Eastern Europe. In this study we performed a survey analysis in main specialist centers in Southern and Eastern European countries, to outline the picture of disease management in the region and understand ERT implementation. Since the considerable number of MPS IVA patients in the region, particularly adults, the study mainly focused on MPS IVA management and treatment.

Results

19 experts from 14 Southern and Eastern European countries in total responded to the survey. Results outlined a picture of MPS management in the region, with a high number of MPS patients managed in the centers and a high level of care. MPS II was the most prevalent followed by MPS IVA, with a particular high number of adult patients. The study particularly focused on management and treatment of MPS IVA patients. Adherence to current European Guidelines for follow-up of MPS IVA patients is generally adequate, although some important assessments are reported as difficult due to the lack of MPS skilled specialists. Availability of ERT in Southern and Eastern European countries is generally in line with other European regions, even though regulatory, organizational and reimbursement constrains are demanding.

Conclusions

The landscape of MPS in Southern and Eastern European countries is generally comparable to that of other European regions, regarding epidemiology, treatment accessibility and follow up difficulties. However, issues limiting ERT availability and reimbursement should be simplified, to start treatment as early as possible and make it available for more patients. Besides, educational programs dedicated to specialists should be implemented, particularly for pediatricians, clinical geneticists, surgeons, anesthesiologists and neurologists.
Characteristics and motivational factors for joining a lay responder system dispatch to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests
Authors: Högstedt A. , Thuccani M. , Carlström E. , Claesson A. , Bremer A. , Ravn-Fischer A. , Berglund E. , Ringh M. , Hollenberg J. , Herlitz J. , Rawshani A. , Lundgren P.
Published: March 2022

Background

There has been in increase in the use of systems for organizing lay responders for suspected out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) dispatch using smartphone-based technology. The purpose is to increase survival rates; however, such systems are dependent on people’s commitment to becoming a lay responder. Knowledge about the characteristics of such volunteers and their motivational factors is lacking. Therefore, we explored characteristics and quantified the underlying motivational factors for joining a smartphone-based cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) lay responder system.

Methods

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 800 consecutively recruited lay responders in a smartphone-based mobile positioning first-responder system (SMS-lifesavers) were surveyed. Data on characteristics and motivational factors were collected, the latter through a modified version of the validated survey “Volunteer Motivation Inventory” (VMI). The statements in the VMI, ranked on a Likert scale (1–5), corresponded to(a) intrinsic (an inner belief of doing good for others) or (b) extrinsic (earning some kind of reward from the act) motivational factors.

Results

A total of 461 participants were included in the final analysis. Among respondents, 59% were women, 48% between 25 and 39 years of age, 37% worked within health care, and 66% had undergone post-secondary school. The most common way (44%) to learn about the lay responder system was from a CPR instructor. A majority (77%) had undergone CPR training at their workplace. In terms of motivation, where higher scores reflect greater importance to the participant, intrinsic factors scored highest, represented by the category values (mean 3.97) followed by extrinsic categories reciprocity (mean 3.88) and self-esteem (mean 3.22).

Conclusion

This study indicates that motivation to join a first responder system mainly depends on intrinsic factors, i.e. an inner belief of doing good, but there are also extrinsic factors, such as earning some kind of reward from the act, to consider. Focusing information campaigns on intrinsic factors may be the most important factor for successful recruitment. When implementing a smartphone-based lay responder system, CPR instructors, as a main information source to potential lay responders, as well as the workplace, are crucial for successful recruitment.
COVID 19 vaccine in the pediatric age: the recommendation of the Italian Pediatric Society
Authors: Staiano Annamaria , Agostiniani Rino , Bozzola Elena , Russo Rocco , Corsello Giovanni
Published: March 2022

Vaccine is an important and effective tool to protect from preventable infectious diseases. Neverthless, in the COVID-19 pandemic era, scientific and accurate information are required to responde to false and misleading information on efficacy and safety of immunization in the pediatric age.
Saliva collection via capillary method may underestimate arboviral transmission by mosquitoes
Authors: Gloria-Soria A. , Brackney D. E. , Armstrong P. M.
Published: March 2022

Background

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) impose a major health and economic burden on human populations globally, with mosquitoes serving as important vectors. Measuring the ability of a mosquito population to transmit an arbovirus is important in terms of evaluating its public health risk. In the laboratory, a variety of methods are used to estimate arboviral transmission by mosquitoes, including indirect methods involving viral detection from mosquito saliva collected by forced salivation. The accuracy of indirect methods to estimate arbovirus transmission to live animal hosts has not been fully evaluated.

Methods

We compared three commonly used proxies of arboviral transmission, namely, the presence of virus in mosquito legs, in salivary glands (SG) and in saliva collected in capillary tubes using forced salivation, with direct transmission estimates from mosquitoes to suckling mice. We analyzed five vector-virus combinations, includingAedes aegyptiinfected with chikungunya virus, West Nile virus and Zika virus;Culex quinquefasciatusinfected with West Nile virus; andAedes triseriatusinfected with La Crosse virus.

Results

Comparatively, the methods of detecting virus infection in mosquito legs and in SG were equally accurate in predicting transmission. Overall, the presence of virus in mosquito legs was a more accurate predictor of transmission than the commonly implemented viral detection method using forced salivation into a capillary tube, and was subject to less technical variation.

Conclusions

These results suggest that, in general, forced salivation methods tend to underestimate virus transmission, and they provide confidence in the use of mosquito leg screens to evaluate the transmission potential of a mosquito population.

Graphical Abstract
NAFLD in normal weight individuals
Authors: DiStefano Johanna K. , Gerhard Glenn S.
Published: March 2022

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can develop in lean individuals. Despite a better metabolic profile, the risk of disease progression to hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and decompensated cirrhosis in the lean is similar to that in obesity-related NAFLD and lean individuals may experience more severe hepatic consequences and higher mortality relative to those with a higher body mass index (BMI). In the absence of early symptoms and abnormal laboratory findings, lean individuals are not likely to be screened for NAFLD or related comorbidities; however, given the progressive nature of the disease and the increased risk of morbidity and mortality, a clearer understanding of the natural history of NAFLD in lean individuals, as well as efforts to raise awareness of the potential health risks of NAFLD in lean individuals, are warranted. In this review, we summarize available data on NAFLD prevalence, clinical characteristics, outcomes, and mortality in lean individuals and discuss factors that may contribute to the development of NAFLD in this population, including links between dietary and genetic factors, menopausal status, and ethnicity. We also highlight the need for greater representation of lean individuals in NAFLD-related clinical trials, as well as more studies to better characterize lean NAFLD, develop improved screening algorithms, and determine specific treatment strategies based on underlying etiology.
CrossFit® open performance is affected by the nature of past competition experiences
Authors: Mangine Gerald T. , McDougle Jacob M.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

To examine the relationships between past competition performances and 2020 CrossFit® Open (CFO) performance.

Methods

A random selection from the top one thousand athletes (n = 220, 28.5 ± 4.4 years, 178 ± 7 cm, 87.5 ± 10.2 kg) were selected for this study. Overall and weekly performances (including ranks and scores) of the 2020 CFO, as well as overall ranks from all previous CFO, regional, and Games™ competitions in which they competed, were recorded from their publicly available online profile. The highest, lowest, average, and standard deviation (SD) of past rankings, as well as participation statistics (i.e., years since first appearance, total and consecutive appearances, and participation rate), were calculated for each competition stage. Relationships were then assessed between 2020 CFO performance and all past competition experience variables by calculating Kendall’s tau (τ) correlation coefficients and Bayes factors (BF10).

Results

Overall and weekly ranking of the 2020 CFO was extremely favored (p < 0.001, BF10 > 100) to be related to the athlete’s highest previous CFO rank (τ = 0.26–0.39) and individual regional appearances (τ = − 0.26 to − 0.34), as well as individual Games™ appearances (overall and for weeks 1, 3, and 4; τ = − 0.20 to − 0.22, p < 0.001, BF10 > 100). Evidence for all other significant relationships ranged from moderate to very strong (p < 0.05, BF10 = 3–100) and varied among specific 2020 CFO workouts. Few associations were noted for team competition experience, and these were generally limited to Games™ appearances (τ = − 0.12 to − 0.18, p < 0.05, BF10 = 3.3–100).

Conclusions

Although specific relationships were found between 2020 CFO performance and individual appearances at regional and Games™ competitions, the most consistent relationships were seen with participation and ranking in past CFO competitions.
Intra-urban variation in tuberculosis and community socioeconomic deprivation in Lisbon metropolitan area: a Bayesian approach
Authors: Oliveira Olena , Ribeiro Ana Isabel , Duarte Raquel , Correia-Neves Margarida , Rito Teresa
Published: March 2022

Background

Multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a recognized threat to global efforts to TB control and remains a priority of the National Tuberculosis Programs. Additionally, social determinants and socioeconomic deprivation have since long been associated with worse health and perceived as important risk factors for TB. This study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of non-MDR-TB and MDR-TB across parishes of the Lisbon metropolitan area of Portugal and to estimate the association between non-MDR-TB and MDR-TB and socioeconomic deprivation.

Methods

In this study, we used hierarchical Bayesian spatial models to analyze the spatial distribution of notification of non-MDR-TB and MDR-TB cases for the period from 2000 to 2016 across 127 parishes of the seven municipalities of the Lisbon metropolitan area (Almada, Amadora, Lisboa, Loures, Odivelas, Oeiras, Sintra), using the Portuguese TB Surveillance System (SVIG-TB). In order to characterise the populations, we used the European Deprivation Index for Portugal (EDI-PT) as an indicator of poverty and estimated the association between non-MDR-TB and MDR-TB and socioeconomic deprivation.

Results

The notification rates per 10,000 population of non-MDR TB ranged from 18.95 to 217.49 notifications and that of MDR TB ranged from 0.83 to 3.70. We identified 54 high-risk areas for non-MDR-TB and 13 high-risk areas for MDR-TB. Parishes in the third [relative risk (RR) = 1.281, 95% credible interval (CrI): 1.021–1.606], fourth (RR = 1.786, 95% CrI: 1.420–2.241) and fifth (RR = 1.935, 95% CrI: 1.536–2.438) quintile of socioeconomic deprivation presented higher non-MDR-TB notifications rates. Parishes in the fourth (RR = 2.246, 95% CrI: 1.374–3.684) and fifth (RR = 1.828, 95% CrI: 1.049–3.155) quintile of socioeconomic deprivation also presented higher MDR-TB notifications rates.

Conclusions

We demonstrated significant heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of both non-MDR-TB and MDR-TB at the parish level and we found that socioeconomically disadvantaged parishes are disproportionally affected by both non-MDR-TB and MDR-TB. Our findings suggest that the emergence of MDR-TB and transmission are specific from each location and often different from the non-MDR-TB settings. We identified priority areas for intervention for a more efficient plan of control and prevention of non-MDR-TB and MDR-TB.

Graphical Abstract
DNA methylation-based age acceleration observed in IDH wild-type glioblastoma is associated with better outcome—including in elderly patients
Authors: Bady Pierre , Marosi Christine , Weller Michael , Grønberg Bjørn H. , Schultz Henrik , Taphoorn Martin J. B. , Gijtenbeek Johanna M. M. , van den Bent Martin J. , von Deimling Andreas , Stupp Roger , Malmström Annika , Hegi Monika E.
Published: March 2022

Elderly patients represent a growing proportion of individuals with glioblastoma, who however, are often excluded from clinical trials owing to poor expected prognosis. We aimed at identifying age-related molecular differences that would justify and guide distinct treatment decisions in elderly glioblastoma patients. The combined DNA methylome (450 k) of four IDH wild-type glioblastoma datasets, comprising two clinical trial cohorts, was interrogated for differences based on the patients’ age, DNA methylation (DNAm) age acceleration (DNAm age “Horvath-clock” minus patient age), DNA methylation-based tumor classification (Heidelberg), entropy, and functional methylation of DNA damage response (DDR) genes. Age dependent methylation included 19 CpGs (p-value ≤ 0.1, Bonferroni corrected), comprising a CpG located in the ELOVL2 gene that is part of a 13-gene forensic age predictor. Most of the age related CpGs (n = 16) were also associated with age acceleration that itself was associated with a large number of CpGs (n = 50,551). Over 70% age acceleration-associated CpGs (n = 36,348) overlapped with those associated with the DNA methylation based tumor classification (n = 170,759). Gene set enrichment analysis identified associated pathways, providing insights into the biology of DNAm age acceleration and respective commonalities with glioblastoma classification. Functional methylation of several DDR genes, defined as correlation of methylation with gene expression (r ≤ −0.3), was associated with age acceleration (n = 8), tumor classification (n = 12), or both (n = 4), the latter including MGMT. DNAm age acceleration was significantly associated with better outcome in both clinical trial cohorts, whereof one comprised only elderly patients. Multivariate analysis included treatment (RT, RT/TMZ→TMZ; TMZ, RT), MGMT promoter methylation status, and interaction with treatment. In conclusion, DNA methylation features of age acceleration are an integrative part of the methylation-based tumor classification (RTK I, RTK II, MES), while patient age seems hardly reflected in the glioblastoma DNA methylome. We found no molecular evidence justifying other treatments in elderly patients, not owing to frailty or co-morbidities.
Phylogeography of the parasitic mite Laelaps agilis in Western Palearctic shows lineages lacking host specificity but possessing different demographic histories
Authors: Nazarizadeh Masoud , Martinů Jana , Nováková Milena , Stanko Michal , Štefka Jan
Published: March 2022

Background

Laelaps agilis C.L. Koch, 1836 is one the most abundant and widespread parasitic mite species in the Western Palearctic. It is a permanent ectoparasite associated with the Apodemus genus, which transmits Hepatozoon species via the host’s blood. Phylogenetic relationships, genealogy and host specificity of the mite are uncertain in the Western Palearctic. Here, we investigated the population genetic structure of 132 individual mites across Europe from their Apodemus and Clethrionomys hosts. Phylogenetic relationships and genetic variation of the populations were analyzed using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences.

Results

We recovered three main mtDNA lineages within L. agilis in the Western Palearctic, which differentiated between 1.02 and 1.79 million years ago during the Pleistocene period: (i) Lineage A, including structured populations from Western Europe and the Czech Republic, (ii) Lineage B, which included only a few individuals from Greece and the Czech Republic; and (iii) Lineage C, which comprised admixed populations from Western and Eastern Europe. Contrary to their population genetic differentiation, the lineages did not show signs of specificity to different hosts. Finally, we confirmed that the sympatric congener L. clethrionomydis is represented by a separated monophyletic lineage.

Conclusion

Differences in the depth of population structure between L. agilis Lineages A and C, corroborated by the neutrality tests and demographic history analyses, suggested a stable population size in the structured Lineage A and a rapid range expansion for the geographically admixed Lineage C. We hypothesized that the two lineages were associated with hosts experiencing different glaciation histories. The lack of host specificity in L. agilis lineages was in contrast to the co-occurring highly host-specific lineages of Polyplax serrata lice, sharing Apodemus hosts. The incongruence was attributed to the differences in mobility between the parasites, allowing mites to switch hosts more often.
Megacity-centric mass mobility during Eid holidays: a unique concern for infectious disease transmission in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Sorowar
Published: March 2022

Human mobility, particularly during certain festivals in rapidly growing megacities in low- and middle-income countries, has critical implications in infectious diseases surveillance and preparedness. In this perspective, we present the interesting case of Dhaka megacity, the capital of Bangladesh with a population of over 20 million. In recent times, three massive infectious disease outbreaks in Dhaka (chikungunya, dengue and COVID-19) coincided with Muslim religious Eid festivals. From a public health standpoint, it is very important to share this information with the international community to fight against emerging infectious diseases around the world.
Multivariable prediction models for health care spending using machine learning: a protocol of a systematic review
Authors: Huang Andrew W. , Haslberger Martin , Coulibaly Neto , Galárraga Omar , Oganisian Arman , Belbasis Lazaros , Panagiotou Orestis A.
Published: March 2022

Background

With rising cost pressures on health care systems, machine-learning (ML)-based algorithms are increasingly used to predict health care costs. Despite their potential advantages, the successful implementation of these methods could be undermined by biases introduced in the design, conduct, or analysis of studies seeking to develop and/or validate ML models. The utility of such models may also be negatively affected by poor reporting of these studies. In this systematic review, we aim to evaluate the reporting quality, methodological characteristics, and risk of bias of ML-based prediction models for individual-level health care spending.

Methods

We will systematically search PubMed and Embase to identify studies developing, updating, or validating ML-based models to predict an individual’s health care spending for any medical condition, over any time period, and in any setting. We will exclude prediction models of aggregate-level health care spending, models used to infer causality, models using radiomics or speech parameters, models of non-clinically validated predictors (e.g., genomics), and cost-effectiveness analyses without predicting individual-level health care spending. We will extract data based on the Checklist for Critical Appraisal and Data Extraction for Systematic Reviews of Prediction Modeling Studies (CHARMS), previously published research, and relevant recommendations. We will assess the adherence of ML-based studies to the Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) statement and examine the inclusion of transparency and reproducibility indicators (e.g. statements on data sharing). To assess the risk of bias, we will apply the Prediction model Risk Of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST). Findings will be stratified by study design, ML methods used, population characteristics, and medical field.

Discussion

Our systematic review will appraise the quality, reporting, and risk of bias of ML-based models for individualized health care cost prediction. This review will provide an overview of the available models and give insights into the strengths and limitations of using ML methods for the prediction of health spending.
Bilateral Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block With Liposomal Bupivacaine Followed by Severe Hypertension: A Case Report
Authors: Havlik Steven , Chino Kumiko , Lebenson Joshua , Cagniart Pierre , Hamersley Erin , Haldeman Matthew
Published: March 2022

We reviewed a case of bilateral sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) blockade with liposomal bupivacaine for sinus surgery. The case was complicated by severe postoperative hypertension refractory to antihypertensives and needing intensive care unit (ICU) admission. While SPG blockade has been used to treat headaches and provide perioperative analgesia, this complication and a possible mechanism have not been described. We discuss how local anesthetic spread beyond the SPG may have caused prolonged parasympathetic blockade and hypertension. Before approved indications are established, we recommend avoiding the use of liposomal bupivacaine in off-label settings when the function of bilateral autonomic structures could be affected.
Asymptomatic Penetration of the Median Nerve by a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter: A Case Report
Authors: Kikuchi Masaru , Sawada Mana , Nomura Takeshi , Mizuno Yusuke , Goto Takahisa
Published: March 2022

We report a rare case in which a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) asymptomatically penetrated the median nerve. The patient was a 71-year-old man who displayed no neurological symptoms until 4 days after PICC placement. An ultrasound scan revealed that the PICC had penetrated the median nerve. He underwent surgery to remove the catheter and had no sequelae. When placing a PICC, selecting the brachial vein as a puncture site is associated with a high risk of nerve injury. Furthermore, circumspect observation is needed until withdrawal as neurological symptoms may be absent even when the catheter has punctured a nerve.
The Impact of Social Reputation Features in Innovation Tournaments: Evidence from a Natural Experiment
Authors: Deodhar Swanand J. , Gupta Samrat
Published: March 2022

With firms increasingly relying on external knowledge resources for solving complex problems, the role of digital platforms, which make this external search efficient, has become significant. For such platforms, of which Kaggle is an example, a perennial challenge is to elicit high-quality solutions from their voluntary contributors. To this end, our work underscores the importance of platform-wide design decisions for the quality of solutions that the platform's users generate. We show that a social feature that offers reputational gain may lead to significant quality improvements. Therefore, we recommend that platforms should view such features more favorably and include them. In addition, our work also suggests that firms that are using digital platforms to engage with external knowledge sources should time their activities, keeping in mind platform-wide design changes given that such changes can directly impact the firm's surplus.
The art of working in the dark: shining a light on cardiac nursing in the care home setting
Authors: Cowan Helen
Published: March 2022

In this new quarterly column, Helen Cowan sheds some light on the lesser known area of cardiac nursing in care homes, looking at nurse-led diagnosis and management of cardiac conditions.
The attributes of social resilience: understanding refugeesʼ housing choices
Authors: Perugia Francesca
Published: March 2022

The current literature on migrantsʼ housing experience in Australia and internationally often uses spatial and economic conditions of disadvantage and adverse personal circumstances to frame the description of migrantsʼ resettlement. Even when using positive frameworks, such as inclusion and integration, the focus is on the lack of resources and support. This article uses the conceptual lens of resilience as an alternative framework for describing migrantsʼ resettlement experience. Using the case study of the Sudanese refugees living in the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia, this article describes the settlement process from the migrantsʼ perspective, discussing the link between settlement processes and the housing choices of migrants with a refugee background, using the concept of resilience. In particular, the article focuses on the external triggers that ignite, support and strengthen the different components of the migrantsʼ resilience. These triggers are defined as ‘attributes of resilienceʼ. The study identified four attributes of social resilience applicable and relevant to the housing choices and settlement patterns of the Sudanese refugee migrants settled in Perth. These are: knowledge, skills and learning; community networks; people–place connections; and community infrastructures. The article illustrates how the attributes assisted these migrants in developing tools and mechanisms to build new opportunities and negotiate and access suitable housing opportunities. The findings presented in this article stress the need, within the resettlement experience, to consider housing issues outside the simple provision of affordable and appropriate dwellings, including recognising the relationship between social and spatial domains.
Aboriginal social housing in remote Australia: crowded, unrepaired and raising the risk of infectious diseases
Authors: Memmott Paul , Lansbury Nina , Go-Sam Carroll , Nash Daphne , Redmond Andrew Martin , Barnes Samuel , Simpson Patrick (Pepy) , Frank Patricia Narrurlu
Published: March 2022

Sufficient, well-maintained housing infrastructure can support healthy living practices for hygiene, safety and nutrition. This article focuses on the relationship between housing and health through a case study in the remote Barkly region in the Northern Territory, Australia. A research partnership between Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation and academic researchers employed a mixed methodological approach, involving interviews with residents, clinical and outreach staff, and clinical database analysis. The results revealed much higher levels of crowding in remote communities and in Tennant Creek than officially recorded, with up to 22 residents in surveyed households. Interviews with clinicians and public health staff highlighted the impact of crowding on infection transmission, poor sleep and reduced personal safety, and damage to health hardware. The database analysis detailed the types of preventable, hygiene-related infectious diseases that dominated, with over half of the total infectious disease diagnoses being skin, respiratory and ear, nose and throat infections. Repeated infection likely contributes to increased rates of chronic kidney and rheumatic heart diseases. The combined overall findings highlight the parallel conditions of the prevalence of hygiene-related infectious diseases, crowding and environmental health issues (including health hardware). No objective evidence of direct causal relationships was obtained due to the small scale and methodological limitations of the study. More complex future research is outlined in order to understand how to further investigate the burden of disease that the affects morbidity and mortality of Aboriginal Australians, and underlies the urgency for housing policy reform and funding to upgrade housing.
Chronic crisis and nuclear disaster humanitarianism: recuperation of Chernobyl and Fukushima children in Italy
Authors: Zhukova Ekatherina
Published: March 2022

This article situates Henrik Vigh’s concept of ‘chronic crisis’ in social disaster research and humanitarian studies in order to explore how child survivors experience and address the prolonged consequences of disasters. The rationale for mobilising the concept of chronic crisis is that it opens up possibilities for exploring the dynamics and multidimensionality of disasters and humanitarian responses to them. Using the example of nuclear disasters, the article looks at the enduring humanitarian initiatives of Italian non-governmental organisations in recuperating Chernobyl and Fukushima children in Italy. It focuses on the opportunities, challenges and outcomes of these recuperative programmes, and underscores the non-linearity of survivor agency. The article argues that chronic crisis in nuclear disasters can simultaneously contribute to deterioration and ruination of survivors’ lives, catharsis, and hope. It is further argued that humanitarianism can shape chronic crisis either by exacerbating the already-precarious conditions of human existence (through social discrimination and prejudice), or by alleviating survivor suffering (through social and cultural support).
Empowerment through design? Housing cooperatives for women in Montreal
Authors: Türeli Ipek
Published: March 2022

Focusing on the architecture of three co-ops in Montreal established to support women in the 1978–88 period, this article examines the relationship between empowerment and design in the context of gender-conscious cooperative housing. Deindustrialisation from the 1960s was coupled with downtown renewal, which effectively meant many low-income, working-class neighbourhoods were wholesale cleared for new projects. The housing cooperative emerged as a viable model to protect access to housing. Against this backdrop, women in various government and non-profit positions helped each other and other women in precarious housing situations to establish housing co-ops for women. Feminist proponents of permanent and affordable women’s housing argued that housing was central to women’s emancipation, that is, to the designing of ‘non-sexist’ cities. The article treats the built environment of the co-ops as evidence to study if and how residents transformed their surroundings, and complements this with qualitative interviews with former and current residents to understand how the physical environment has, in turn, shaped their lives. While the co-op movement characterises itself as a type of solidarity network with open membership, the quality of architecture, or the deficiency thereof, in a social environment with already scarce resources can lead to tensions among member-residents. However, the historical housing co-ops, as well as ongoing initiatives to establish new women’s co-ops, demonstrate the need and desire to pursue intersectional housing justice via the cooperative model, and the article’s findings point to the need for increased attention to and investment in architectural design.
Crisis as experience and politics
Authors: Fassin Didier
Published: March 2022

In the tradition of Koselleck, crisis has often been approached as an idea or as a narrative, but less research has been conducted on how people produce, respond to, and live through crises. Most of the articles of the present issue explore this perspective, with its dual dimension of experience and politics. In line with it, the present article proposes an analysis of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic through the questions of the rupture in time, the state of exception and the uncovering of inequalities.
Cortical oscillations support sampling-based computations in spiking neural networks
Authors: Korcsak-Gorzo Agnes , Müller Michael G. , Baumbach Andreas , Leng Luziwei , Breitwieser Oliver J. , van Albada Sacha J. , Senn Walter , Meier Karlheinz , Legenstein Robert , Petrovici Mihai A.
Published: March 2022

Being permanently confronted with an uncertain world, brains have faced evolutionary pressure to represent this uncertainty in order to respond appropriately. Often, this requires visiting multiple interpretations of the available information or multiple solutions to an encountered problem. This gives rise to the so-called mixing problem: since all of these “valid” states represent powerful attractors, but between themselves can be very dissimilar, switching between such states can be difficult. We propose that cortical oscillations can be effectively used to overcome this challenge. By acting as an effective temperature, background spiking activity modulates exploration. Rhythmic changes induced by cortical oscillations can then be interpreted as a form of simulated tempering. We provide a rigorous mathematical discussion of this link and study some of its phenomenological implications in computer simulations. This identifies a new computational role of cortical oscillations and connects them to various phenomena in the brain, such as sampling-based probabilistic inference, memory replay, multisensory cue combination, and place cell flickering.
Significant sparse polygenic risk scores across 813 traits in UK Biobank
Authors: Tanigawa Yosuke , Qian Junyang , Venkataraman Guhan , Justesen Johanne Marie , Li Ruilin , Tibshirani Robert , Hastie Trevor , Rivas Manuel A.
Published: March 2022

We present a systematic assessment of polygenic risk score (PRS) prediction across more than 1,500 traits using genetic and phenotype data in the UK Biobank. We report 813 sparse PRS models with significant (p < 2.5 x 10−5) incremental predictive performance when compared against the covariate-only model that considers age, sex, types of genotyping arrays, and the principal component loadings of genotypes. We report a significant correlation between the number of genetic variants selected in the sparse PRS model and the incremental predictive performance (Spearman’s ⍴ = 0.61, p = 2.2 x 10−59for quantitative traits, ⍴ = 0.21, p = 9.6 x 10−4for binary traits). The sparse PRS model trained on European individuals showed limited transferability when evaluated on non-European individuals in the UK Biobank. We provide the PRS model weights on the Global Biobank Engine (https://biobankengine.stanford.edu/prs).
Genome wide association study of Escherichia coli bloodstream infection isolates identifies genetic determinants for the portal of entry but not fatal outcome
Authors: Denamur Erick , Condamine Bénédicte , Esposito-Farèse Marina , Royer Guilhem , Clermont Olivier , Laouenan Cédric , Lefort Agnès , de Lastours Victoire , Galardini Marco ,   the COLIBAFI,   SEPTICOLI groups
Published: March 2022

Escherichia coli is an important cause of bloodstream infections (BSI), which is of concern given its high mortality and increasing worldwide prevalence. Finding bacterial genetic variants that might contribute to patient death is of interest to better understand infection progression and implement diagnostic methods that specifically look for those factors. E. coli samples isolated from patients with BSI are an ideal dataset to systematically search for those variants, as long as the influence of host factors such as comorbidities are taken into account. Here we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using data from 912 patients with E. coli BSI from hospitals in Paris, France. We looked for associations between bacterial genetic variants and three patient outcomes (death at 28 days, septic shock and admission to intensive care unit), as well as two portals of entry (urinary and digestive tract), using various clinical variables from each patient to account for host factors. We did not find any association between genetic variants and patient outcomes, potentially confirming the strong influence of host factors in influencing the course of BSI; we however found a strong association between the papGII operon and entrance of E. coli through the urinary tract, which demonstrates the power of bacterial GWAS when applied to actual clinical data. Despite the lack of associations between E. coli genetic variants and patient outcomes, we estimate that increasing the sample size by one order of magnitude could lead to the discovery of some putative causal variants. Given the wide adoption of bacterial genome sequencing of clinical isolates, such sample sizes may be soon available.
March 2019 dengue fever outbreak at the Kenyan south coast involving dengue virus serotype 3, genotypes III and V
Authors: Muthanje Eric M. , Kimita Gathii , Nyataya Josphat , Njue Winrose , Mulili Cyrus , Mugweru Julius , Mutai Beth , Kituyi Sarah N. , Waitumbi John
Published: March 2022

The first description of a disease resembling dengue fever (DF) was in the 15thcentury slave trade era by Spanish sailors visiting the Tanzania coast. The disease, then associated with evil spirits is now known to be caused by four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV1-4) that are transmitted byAedesmosquitoes. Kenya has experienced multiple outbreaks, mostly associated with DENV-2. In this study, plasma samples obtained from 37 febrile patients during a DF outbreak at Kenya’s south coast in March 2019 were screened for DENV. Total RNA was extracted and screened for the alpha- andflavi-viruses by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). DENV-3 was the only virus detected. Shotgun metagenomics and targeted sequencing were used to obtain DENV whole genomes and the complete envelope genes (E gene) respectively. Sequences were used to infer phylogenies and time-scaled genealogies. Following Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis, two DENV-3 genotypes (III, n = 15 and V, n = 2) were found. We determined that the two genotypes had been in circulation since 2015, and that both had been introduced independently. Genotype III’s origin was estimated to have been from Pakistan. Although the origin of genotype V could not be ascertained due to rarity of these sequences globally, it was most related to a 2006 Brazilian isolate. Unlike genotype III that has been described in East and West Africa multiple times, this was the second description of genotype V in Kenya. Of note, there was marked amino acid variances in the E gene between study samples and the Thailand DENV-3 strain used in the approved Dengvaxia vaccine. It remains to be seen whether these variances negatively impact the efficacy of the Dengvaxia or future vaccines.
Real-life quantitative G6PD screening in Plasmodium vivax patients in the Brazilian Amazon: A cost-effectiveness analysis
Authors: Brito-Sousa Jose Diego , Peixoto Henry M. , Devine Angela , Silva-Neto Alexandre V. , Balieiro Patricia C. S. , Sampaio Vanderson S. , Vitor-Silva Sheila , Mendes Maxwell O. , Souza Brenda K. A. , Lacerda Marcus V. G. , Monteiro Wuelton M.
Published: March 2022

Background

As quantitative glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd) screening tools are evaluated in operational studies, questions remain as to whether they are cost-effective. Here, a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) was performed to estimate the Incremental Cost-effectiveness Ratio (ICER) of the introduction of quantitative screening test to detect G6PDd among P. vivax carriers in two municipalities in the Brazilian Amazon.

Methodology/Principal findings

This cost-effectiveness analysis evaluated the use of the Standard G6PD quantitative screening test in vivax malaria treatment units in two municipalities of the Brazilian Amazon. Using the perspective of the Brazilian public health system, the analysis was performed for the outcome ‘PQ-associated hospitalization avoided’, based on a decision tree model. The results indicated that the G6PDd screening strategy compared with the routine strategy was highly cost-effective, with an ICER of US$495 per additional hospitalization avoided, which represented less than 8% of one Brazilian gross domestic product per capita (US$6,822). The uncertainties evaluated in the sensitivity analysis did not significantly affect the ICER identified in the base-case.

Conclusions/Significance

This cost-effectiveness analysis showed the quantitative G6PD testing was effective in avoiding PQ-associated hospitalizations. The incorporation of G6PD screening is of paramount importance towards P. vivax malaria elimination in the Amazon to promote the safe use of primaquine and tafenoquine.