A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

DMTs and Covid-19 severity in MS: a pooled analysis from Italy and France

We evaluated the effect of DMTs on Covid-19 severity in patients with MS, with a pooled-analysis of two large cohorts from Italy and France. The association of baseline characteristics and DMTs with Covid-19 severity was assessed by multivariate ordinal-logistic models and pooled by a fixed-effect meta-analysis. 1066 patients with MS from Italy and 721 from France were included. In the multivariate model, anti-CD20 therapies were significantly associated (OR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.39–3.02, p < 0.001) with Covid-19 severity, whereas interferon indicated a decreased risk (OR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.18–0.99, p = 0.047). This pooled-analysis confirms an increased risk of severe Covid-19 in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and supports the protective role of interferon

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics' resources: focus on curated databases

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (www.isb-sib.ch) provides world-class bioinformatics databases, software tools, services and training to the international life science community in academia and industry. These solutions allow life scientists to turn the exponentially growing amount of data into knowledge. Here, we provide an overview of SIB's resources and competence areas, with a strong focus on curated databases and SIB's most popular and widely used resources. In particular, SIB's Bioinformatics resource portal ExPASy features over 150 resources, including UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, ENZYME, PROSITE, neXtProt, STRING, UniCarbKB, SugarBindDB, SwissRegulon, EPD, arrayMap, Bgee, SWISS-MODEL Repository, OMA, OrthoDB and other databases, which are briefly described in this article

Will Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer Provide Biological Samples for Research Purposes?

Little is known about the response rates for biological sample donation and attitudes towards control recruitment, especially in younger women. The goals of this pilot study were to determine in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer, the proportion of cases willing to provide biological samples and for purposes of control recruitment, contact information for friends or colleagues.A population-based sample of breast cancer cases (n = 417, 25-74 years) was recruited from the Ontario Cancer Registry in 2010 and self-administered questionnaires were completed to determine willingness to provide samples (spot or 24-hr urine, saliva, blood) and contact information for friends/colleagues for control recruitment. Using Χ2 analyses of contingency tables we evaluated if these proportions varied by age group (<45 and 45+) and other factors such as ethnicity, education, income, body mass index (BMI), smoking status and alcohol consumption.Cases were willing to provide blood samples, by visiting a clinic (62%) or by having a nurse visit the home (61%). Moreover, they would provide saliva (73%), and morning or 24-hr urine samples (66% and 52%). Younger cases (≤45) were 3 times (OR) more likely more than older cases to agree to collect morning urine (95% CI: 1.15-8.35). Only 26% of cases indicated they would provide contact information of friends or work colleagues to act as controls. Educated cases were more likely to agree to provide samples, and cases who consumed alcohol were more willing to provide contact information. Ethnicity, income, BMI and smoking had little effect on response rates.Reasonable response rates for biological sample collection should be expected in future case controls studies in younger women, but other methods of control selection must be devised

Descriptive characteristics of study participants (N = 278).

<p>^<i>a</i><i>Of the 278 cases there were 33 (12%) under the age of 45 and 245 (88%) 45 years of age and older</i></p><p>^<i>b</i> Southeast Asian includes Japanese, Chinese</p><p>^c Other includes South Asian (eg. East India, Pakistan) and Black</p><p>^<i>d</i> BMI = body mass index</p><p>^eTotal drinks based on beer or hard cider (12 oz/350mL, wine (4 oz/120 mL), and sake, sherry, port, spirits, liqueurs, brandy or liquor (1 oz/30 mL)</p><p>Descriptive characteristics of study participants (N = 278).</p

Overall and age related distribution of breast cancer cases willing to provide biological samples and contact information of friends and work colleagues.

<p>^<i>a</i> CI = exact binomial confidence interval</p><p>Overall and age related distribution of breast cancer cases willing to provide biological samples and contact information of friends and work colleagues.</p

Stratégie sur l’alimentation et la nutrition de l’Ontario : établissement d'indicateurs de l’accès aux aliments et de l’alphabétisme alimentaire pour un premier suivi de l’environnement alimentaire

Introduction : Une approche intergouvernementale multilatérale globale en matière d’élaboration de politiques est essentielle pour permettre aux Canadiens et aux Canadiennes de faire face aux défis que pose leur environnement alimentaire. Des indicateurs de l’environnement alimentaire sont nécessaires pour évaluer l’état et l’évolution de la population. La Stratégie sur l’alimentation et la nutrition de l’Ontario (SANO), qui regroupe les secteurs de l’alimentation, de l’agriculture et de la nutrition, vise à améliorer la santé de la population ontarienne par des interventions favorisant des systèmes et des environnements alimentaires sains. Cet article décrit le processus d’établissement d'indicateurs pour 11 secteurs d’intervention de la SANO dans deux orientations stratégiques : l’accès à des aliments sains et l’alphabétisme et les compétences alimentaires. Méthodologie : Le groupe consultatif sur les indicateurs de la SANO a suivi un processus en cinq étapes pour choisir les indicateurs : 1) choix des indicateurs potentiels dans les sources de données provinciales et nationales, 2) catégorisation des indicateurs par orientation stratégique, par secteur d’intervention et par type de données, 3) établissement, essai pilote et finalisation des critères de sélection, 4) application des critères finaux pour améliorer la liste des indicateurs et 5) établissement des indicateurs prioritaires après cette application finale des critères de sélection. Résultats : Soixante-neuf indicateurs potentiels ont été recensés au départ, mais un grand nombre d’entre eux offraient des mesures individuelles et non collectives. Après l’application finale des critères de sélection, ont été jugés prioritaires un indicateur individuel et six indicateurs collectifs associés à cinq secteurs d’intervention, aucun indicateur n’étant disponible pour les six autres secteurs d’intervention. Conclusion : Les limites des données existantes laissent penser qu’on ne peut sans doute pas qualifier certaines caractéristiques importantes de l’environnement alimentaire, d’où l’importance de prendre des mesures et d’allouer des ressources pour améliorer les indicateurs collectifs et d’appuyer le suivi de l’environnement alimentaire et de la santé alimentaire tant en Ontario que dans le reste du Canada

The Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy: identifying indicators of food access and food literacy for early monitoring of the food environment

Introduction: To address challenges Canadians face within their food environments, a comprehensive, multistakeholder, intergovernmental approach to policy development is essential. Food environment indicators are needed to assess population status and change. The Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy (OFNS) integrates the food, agriculture and nutrition sectors, and aims to improve the health of Ontarians through actions that promote healthy food systems and environments. This report describes the process of identifying indicators for 11 OFNS action areas in two strategic directions (SDs): Healthy Food Access, and Food Literacy and Skills. Methods: The OFNS Indicators Advisory Group used a five-step process to select indicators: (1) potential indicators from national and provincial data sources were identified; (2) indicators were organized by SD, action area and data type; (3) selection criteria were identified, pilot tested and finalized; (4) final criteria were applied to refine the indicator list; and (5) indicators were prioritized after reapplication of selection criteria. Results: Sixty-nine potential indicators were initially identified; however, many were individual-level rather than system-level measures. After final application of the selection criteria, one individual-level indicator and six system-level indicators were prioritized in five action areas; for six of the action areas, no indicators were available. Conclusion: Data limitations suggest that available data may not measure important aspects of the food environment, highlighting the need for action and resources to improve system-level indicators and support monitoring of the food environment and health in Ontario and across Canada