COVID-19 Seroprevalence in a Mixed Cohort of SARS-CoV-2 PCR Positive and Exposed Subjects

Early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was reserved for symptomatic patients. However, many infections were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. Positive serologic antibody (Ab) testing is theorized to be a marker of prior infection, allowing for identification of the true burden of the disease and the establishment of links between outbreaks. The objective was to assess serologic testing in subjects after PCR testing and compare seropositivity rates of household vs. non-household close contacts. We identified subjects who were PCR-positive between March 2020 and May 2021. Index cases and close contacts then underwent serologic testing for IgG against the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid N-protein. One hundred and thirteen subjects underwent serologic testing with a sensitivity of 65.0%, specificity of 78.9%, positive predictive value of 92.9%, and negative predictive value of 34.9%. Index cases comprised 20.5% of subjects, and 73.9% were seropositive (p = 0.01). Close contacts included 72% household contacts and 28% non-household contacts. One seropositive case had no prior PCR and four were PCR negative. No statistical difference existed in seropositivity between household and non-household contact (53.1% vs. 43.8%, p = 0.4). Testing for IgG against SARS-CoV-2 N-protein may identify previously unrecognized infections in the community. Seropositivity rates of household vs. non-household contacts were not significantly different, and >50% of household contacts were seropositive

Recovery of physical activity levels in adolescents after lower limb fractures: a longitudinal, accelerometry-based activity monitor study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In adolescents, loss of bone mineral mass usually occurs during phases of reduced physical activity (PA), such as when an injured extremity spends several weeks in a cast. We recorded the PA of adolescents with lower limb fractures during the cast immobilization, at 6 and at 18 months after the fracture, and we compared these values with those of healthy controls.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty adolescents with a first episode of limb fracture and a control group of 50 healthy cases were recruited for the study through an advertisement placed at the University Children’s Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland. PA was assessed during cast immobilization and at 6- and 18-month follow-up by accelerometer measurement (Actigraph® 7164, MTI, Fort Walton Beach, FL, USA). Patients and their healthy peers were matched for gender and age. Time spent in PA at each level of intensity was determined for each participant and expressed in minutes and as a percentage of total valid time.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>From the 50 initial teenagers with fractures, 44 sustained functional evaluations at 6 months follow-up, whereas only 38 patients were studied at 18 months. The total PA count (total number of counts/min) was lower in patients with lower limb fractures (-62.4%) compared with healthy controls (<it>p</it><0.0001) during cast immobilization. Similarly, time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA was lower by 76.6% (<it>p</it><0.0001), and vigorous PA was reduced by 84.4% (<it>p</it><0.0001) in patients with cast immobilization for lower limb injuries compared to healthy controls values. At 6 and 18 months after the fracture, the mean PA level of injured adolescents was comparable to those of healthy teenagers (-2.3%, and -1.8%, respectively).</p> <p>Importantly, we observed that time spent in vigorous PA, which reflects high-intensity forces beneficial to skeletal health, returned to similar values between both groups from the six month follow-up in adolescents who sustained a fracture. However, a definitive reduction in time spent in moderate PA was observed among patients with a lower limb fracture at 18 months, when comparing with healthy controls values (<it>p</it> = 0.0174).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>As cast immobilization and reduced PA are known to induce bone mineral loss, this study provides important information to quantify the decrease of skeletal loading in adolescents with limb fractures. The results of this study demonstrate that the amount of skeletal loading returns to normal values in adolescents with lower limb fractures after bone healing and is probably linked to an overall better pattern of functional recovery among this age group. When comparing both populations of adolescents, a definitive decrease in time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA was observed among patients with a lower limb fracture at 18 months and may suggest a modification of lifestyle. The high rate of missing data (26.5%) due to above all non compliance with monitor wearing among teenagers complicates the data analysis, and requires a more cautious interpretation of the results. Future studies using accelerometer to monitor PA in adolescents should therefore include strategies for improving the rate of adherence and minimizing the ratio of missing data.</p

You Get What You Pay For: The Effect of Top Executives\u27 Compensation on Advertising and R&D Spending Decisions and Stock Market Return

Although there is literature on how top executives\u27 compensation influences general management decisions, relatively little is known about whether and how compensation influences advertising and research-and-development (R&D) spending decisions. This study addresses two questions. First, is there an incentive effect of long- versus short-term compensation on advertising and R&D spending? Second, is there a mediation effect of advertising and R&D spending on the relationship between long- versus short-term compensation and stock market return? The authors address these questions using a combination of ExecuComp, Compustat, and Center for Research in Security Prices data on 842 firms during the 1993–2005 period. They find that an increase in the equity to bonus compensation ratio is positively associated with an increase in advertising and R&D spending as a share of sales. Advertising and R&D spending as a share of sales also mediates the effect of equity to bonus ratio on stock market return. The authors discuss implications for top management seeking to mitigate myopic management of resources by employing compensation to incentivize a longer-term orientation for advertising and R&D spending to improve stock return