Scientific Institutions Should Support Inclusive Engagement: Reflections on the AAAS Center for Public Engagement Approach

Scientists’ engagement with society on critical environmental and health issues is essential to reaching positive and equitable long-term outcomes. We argue that stronger institutional support for public engagement is necessary and that inclusive practices should be built into public engagement training and relationships. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)’s Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology provides a model of support for scientists that we believe other scientific institutions can replicate and expand on. This model prioritizes representative and accessible science communication training, resources (e.g., funding and staff and peer support), opportunities to practice engagement, and rewards and incentives for doing engagement. We describe our programs in each of these areas and reflect on how well each builds scientists’ engagement skills and institutional capacity, and whether each embodies and models thoughtful, accessible, and representative engagement. Through these various approaches, the Center communicates to other scientific institutions that engagement by scientists should be valued, celebrated, and supported, and builds capacity for individual scientists to do effective engagement. We argue that these supports can be applied by other scientific institutions to reflect and incorporate society’s diverse needs and concerns, thus truly serving the public and making science and scientific institutions stronger for it.

PERENCANAAN ULANG GEOMETRIK DAN PERKERASAN JALAN PADA RUAS JALAN BATAS KOTA PADANG – KOTA PAINAN KM 70+000 - KM 72+700

Software bisa membantu pekerjaan menjadi mudah dan cepat. Autodesk Infraworks adalah salah satu software yang dapat mempermudah perencanaan jalan dan merupakan software yang cukup banyak digunakan oleh negara maju. Perencanaan ulang geometrik jalan meliputi perhitungan tebal perkerasan serta anggaran biaya dengan studi kasus pada jalan batas Kota Padang - Kota Painan KM 70+000 - KM 72+700 yang berlokasi di Sago Salido, IV Jurai, Kabupaten Pesisir Selatan, Provinsi Sumatera Barat. Jalan batas Kota Padang - Kota Painan ini merupakan jalur Lintas Sumatra yang menghubungkan antara Provinsi Sumatera Barat dengan Provinsi Bengkulu. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah merencanakan ulang geometrik jalan, tebal perkerasan jalan, dan rencana anggaran biaya berdasarkan standar dan peraturan yang berlaku di Indonesia, sehingga dapat bermanfaat sebagai referensi dalam perencanaan jalan dengan menggunakan software Autodesk Infraworks yang disesuaikan dengan peraturan yang berlaku di Indonesia. Perencanaan geometrik jalan menggunakan aplikasi Autodesk infraworks didapatkan hasil untuk jalan kolektor kelas III A ini, sepanjang 2706,38 m yang memiliki 8 tikungan dan 6 lengkung vertikal serta volume galian sebesar 21550,44 m3 dan volume timbunan sebesar 21519,47 m3. Perhitungan tebal perkerasan dilakukan berdasarkan Manual Desain Perkerasan (MDP) tahun 2017 dengan menggunakan struktur perkerasan kaku sehingga didapatkan struktur perkerasan dengan hasil pelat beton dengan tebal 40 mm, lapis fondasi LMC dengan tebal 60 mm dan lapis drainase dengan tebal 145 mm. Dari perencanaan jalan ini diperoleh rencana anggaran biaya sebesar Rp. 43.447.698.000,00 (empat puluh tiga milyar empat ratus empat puluh tujuh juta enam ratus sembilan puluh delapan ribu rupiah). Sehingga dapat disimpulkan aplikasi Autodesk Infraworks dinilai dapat mempermudah pelaksanaan dan penggambaran dalam pekerjaan serta menghemat waktu, dengan standar AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) tahun 2011 dengan perbedaan hasil perhitungan kecil dari 1%.

Numerical simulation of box culverts subjected to different physical actions and design regulations

This research work was intended to provide a broad and suffcient solution to areas of diffcult vehicular traffic, where during the rainy season some watersheds present a non negligible water flow. The research carried out the structural design of different geometries of box culverts, to provide a solution to vehicular continuity in areas affected by water ows that interrupt pedestrian and vehicle traffic, endangering human lives. The structural designs followed the standards established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Offcials and the Colombian bridge code. The designs were carried out using commercial software SAP2000 for analysis and design through Visual Basic programming, allowing a wide range of geometries and boundary conditions to be established. The structural designs indicated a significant difference in quantities of work in the construction of the box culverts for different geometries, indicating higher volumes of concrete for the designs made using the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Offcials code compared to Colombian bridge code. The Colombian bridge code has higher steel requirements for fills less than 3.00 m, while for greater heights the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Offcials code has the highest steel requirements.

Treatment of thyroid dysfunction in a medical specialist’s office – the role of levothyroxine

Synthetic levothyroxine is the first line treatment for hypothyroidism, one of the most common endocrine disorders, independently its cause, in all age groups. The Polish Endocrinological Society, together with European Thyroid Association, American Thyroid Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, do not recommend the use of dried thyroid preparations, triiodothyronine or combined preparations of thyroxine with triiodothyronine. The objective of treatment is to achieve biochemical and clinical euthyroidism monitored by TSH and/or FT4 levels. The daily dose of levothyroxine depends on many factors, including the etiology and severity of hypothyroidism, age, body weight, pregnancy and comorbidities. Routinely, levothyroxine is administered on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before breakfast (ATA 2014 recommend up to 60 minutes interval between meal and taking the drug). Levothyroxine can also be used in combination therapy in Graves’ disease. Currently, the routine use of synthetic sodium levothyroxine in patients with multinodular goiter is not recommended because it increases the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and atrial fibrillation in patients after 60 year of life.

Incidence and Reasons for a Surgical Cancellation at a Hospital in Rwanda

BackgroundSurgery cancellation is a challenging and costly event resulting in operating theatre inefficiency and psychological and financial problems for the patients and their families. This study aimed to find out the incidence and reasons for surgical cancellation at a Rwandan hospital.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on 736 patients’ files obtained from theatre registry lists of surgical operations done from January to March 2017. The American Association of Perioperative Nurses (AORN) checklist for documenting cancelled surgical cases was used to establish the rate and reasons for cancellation. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage descriptive statistics.ResultsOut of the 736 surgeries booked, 179 (24.3%) were cancelled as follows: Orthopedic and general surgeries (28.2%) respectively, gynecology and obstetrics (27.4%), urology surgeries (15.5%), maxillofacial surgeries (15.9%), ENT (15.6%) and plastic surgeries (13.3%). Time constrain/long list (19.6%), acute change in medical status (10.6%), non-turn-up of the patient (8.4%), and abnormal lab findings (7.8%) were the most prevalent reasons.ConclusionThe surgical cancellation rate at the study hospital was 24%, increasing with the number of patients booked and the type of surgical procedure. A prospective study is required to gain more insight into the reason for cancellations, mostly amenable to mitigation measures.Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2021;4(3):379-386

Analysis of Consumer Exposure Cases for Alcohol-Based Disinfectant and Hand Sanitizer Use against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

The development and distribution of vaccines and treatments as well as the use of disinfectants and hand sanitizers to cope with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has increased rapidly. As the use of disinfectants and hand sanitizers increased, the number of unintended exposures to these substances also increased. A total of 8016 cases of toxic exposure to disinfectants and hand sanitizers were reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) from 1 January 2017 to 30 May 2021. The cases have been characterized by substance, sex, patient age, exposure reason and site, treatments received, and outcomes. The number of exposures correlates closely to the rise of COVID-19 cases, rising significantly in March 2020. About half of the total cases involved children less than 10 years old and 97% of those exposures per year were unintentional. In addition, the most common exposure site was the patient’s own residence. Over-exposure to disinfectants and hand sanitizers can cause symptoms such as burning and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, chest tightness, headache, choking, and, in severe cases, death.