Scientific sinkhole: estimating the cost of peer review based on survey data with snowball sampling.

BACKGROUND: There are a variety of costs associated with publication of scientific findings. The purpose of this work was to estimate the cost of peer review in scientific publishing per reviewer, per year and for the entire scientific community. METHODS: Internet-based self-report, cross-sectional survey, live between June 28, 2021 and August 2, 2021 was used. Participants were recruited via snowball sampling. No restrictions were placed on geographic location or field of study. Respondents who were asked to act as a peer-reviewer for at least one manuscript submitted to a scientific journal in 2020 were eligible. The primary outcome measure was the cost of peer review per person, per year (calculated as wage-cost x number of initial reviews and number of re-reviews per year). The secondary outcome was the cost of peer review globally (calculated as the number of peer-reviewed papers in Scopus x median wage-cost of initial review and re-review). RESULTS: A total of 354 participants completed at least one question of the survey, and information necessary to calculate the cost of peer-review was available for 308 participants from 33 countries (44% from Canada). The cost of peer review was estimated at $US1,272 per person, per year ($US1,015 for initial review and $US256 for re-review), or US$1.1-1.7 billion for the scientific community per year. The global cost of peer-review was estimated at US$6 billion in 2020 when relying on the Dimensions database and taking into account reviewed-but-rejected manuscripts. CONCLUSIONS: Peer review represents an important financial piece of scientific publishing. Our results may not represent all countries or fields of study, but are consistent with previous estimates and provide additional context from peer reviewers themselves. Researchers and scientists have long provided peer review as a contribution to the scientific community. Recognizing the importance of peer-review, institutions should acknowledge these costs in job descriptions, performance measurement, promotion packages, and funding applications. Journals should develop methods to compensate reviewers for their time and improve transparency while maintaining the integrity of the peer-review process.

Global Matrix 4.0 Physical Activity Report Card Grades for Children and Adolescents: Results and Analyses From 57 Countries.

BACKGROUND: The Global Matrix 4.0 on physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents was developed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the global variation in children's and adolescents' (5-17 y) PA, related measures, and key sources of influence. The objectives of this article were (1) to summarize the findings from the Global Matrix 4.0 Report Cards, (2) to compare indicators across countries, and (3) to explore trends related to the Human Development Index and geo-cultural regions. METHODS: A total of 57 Report Card teams followed a harmonized process to grade the 10 common PA indicators. An online survey was conducted to collect Report Card Leaders' top 3 priorities for each PA indicator and their opinions on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted child and adolescent PA indicators in their country. RESULTS: Overall Physical Activity was the indicator with the lowest global average grade (D), while School and Community and Environment were the indicators with the highest global average grade (C+). An overview of the global situation in terms of surveillance and prevalence is provided for all 10 common PA indicators, followed by priorities and examples to support the development of strategies and policies internationally. CONCLUSIONS: The Global Matrix 4.0 represents the largest compilation of children's and adolescents' PA indicators to date. While variation in data sources informing the grades across countries was observed, this initiative highlighted low PA levels in children and adolescents globally. Measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, local/international conflicts, climate change, and economic change threaten to worsen this situation.

Profiles of mental health and their association with negative impacts and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Canadian perspective.

Background: Mental health among Canadians has worsened since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to identify profiles of mental health difficulties and to quantify the relationships between mental health profiles, negative impacts related to the pandemic and suicidal ideation. Data and methods: Participants were 22,721 adults (18 years and older) from the 2020 and 2021 Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health. Latent profile analysis was used to identify patterns of anxiety, depression and psychological distress. The relationships between mental health profiles, negative impacts and suicidal ideation were examined using logistic regression models. Results: Three mental health profiles were identified. Individuals were classified as having no mental health difficulties (Profile 1, 65.70%), low-to-moderate mental health difficulties (Profile 2, 25.52%) and severe mental health difficulties (Profile 3, 8.78%). Individuals in Profiles 2 and 3 were at greater odds than individuals in Profile 1 of experiencing emotional distress; the death of a family member, friend or colleague; difficulty in meeting financial obligations or essential needs; the loss of a job or income; feelings of loneliness or isolation; physical health problems; challenges in personal relationships with household members; and other impacts. Individuals in Profile 2 (4.27%, odds ratio (OR) = 24.30) and Profile 3 (19.09%, odds ratio (OR) = 115.75) were considerably more likely to have contemplated suicide since the onset of the pandemic compared with those in Profile 1 (0.16%). Interpretation: Individuals who experienced high levels of anxiety, depression and psychological distress were most vulnerable to negative impacts related to the pandemic and suicidal ideation.

Assessing the impact of varying levels of case detection and contact tracing on COVID-19 transmission in Canada during lifting of restrictive closures using a dynamic compartmental model.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began with a detected cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Endemic transmission was recognized in Canada in early February 2020, making it urgent for public health stakeholders to have access to robust and reliable tools to support decision-making for epidemic management. The objectives of this paper are to present one of these tools-an aged-stratified dynamic compartmental model developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada in collaboration with Statistics Canada-and to model the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on the attack rate of COVID-19 infection in Canada. METHODS: This model simulates the impact of different levels of non-pharmaceutical interventions, including case detection/isolation, contact tracing/quarantine and changes in the level of physical distancing in Canada, as restrictive closures began to be lifted in May 2020. RESULTS: This model allows us to highlight the importance of a relatively high level of detection and isolation of cases, as well as tracing and quarantine of individuals in contact with those cases, in order to avoid a resurgence of the epidemic in Canada as restrictive closures are lifted. Some level of physical distancing by the public will also likely need to be maintained. CONCLUSION: This study underlines the importance of a cautious approach to lifting restrictive closures in this second phase of the epidemic. This approach includes efforts by public health to identify cases and trace contacts, and to encourage Canadians to get tested if they are at risk of having been infected and to maintain physical distancing in public areas.