bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Talent management strategies and functions: a systematic review
Authors: Yildiz Ramazan Ozkan , Esmer Soner
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The primary purpose of this study was to identify and conceptualize talent management (TM) functions by combining management and human resources functions, based on a rigorous, in-depth literature review. The secondary purpose was to identify the most common TM strategies and classify them in terms of TM functions to provide a more systematic foundation for the concept of TM.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review supported by qualitative content analysis was used to determine the main TM strategies in the current literature and to classify them under basic TM functions.

Findings

This study identified seven core TM functions that were previously addressed in the TM literature but not labeled and conceptualized as TM functions. These seven core functions (talent planning, talent identification, talent attraction, talent acquisition, talent development, talent deployment and talent retention) structure the TM system, influence each other and operate as a cycle through their respective strategies in identifying, formulating and achieving business objectives (e.g. enhanced firm performance and sustainable competitive advantage). The findings also indicate that talent retention strategies were the most discussed topic within this field between 2006 and July 2022, followed by talent planning and talent development strategies.

Originality/value

TM is still a young and developing field that needs more conceptual work for its development and recognition as a discipline. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this unique study is one of the first attempts to comprehensively define TM functions and offer a framework for the detailed and systematic classification of TM strategies under seven core TM functions. This framework makes clear the multidimensional concept and system of TM and reveals, through the notion of TM functions, the main lines and structural factors necessary to implement the strategies effectively. Based on the strategies presented in this study, TM is an important source of ideas for organizations that want to implement TM and provides a bench-marking tool for organizations that are currently implementing TM.
Gig workers’ self-protective behaviour against legal risks: an application of protection motivation theory
Authors: Au Wai Ching Wilson , Tsang Nelson K.F.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Given the illegal nature of the gig economy in some cities, this study aims to draw on protection motivation theory to examine the formation of Uber drivers’ self-protective behaviour against legal risks.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth interviews with 10 Uber drivers in Hong Kong were conducted to yield eight maladaptive perceptions, which were then validated using online surveys completed by 232 Uber drivers. These results were then used to examine a mechanism through which threat appraisal, coping appraisal and maladaptive perceptions influence drivers’ unwillingness to work and weekly working hours.

Findings

Eight maladaptive perceptions were found to empirically fit a bidimensional conceptualization of cognitive and affective components that significantly reduce workers’ unwillingness to work illegally in the gig economy. The effects on Uber drivers’ unwillingness to work and weekly working hours varied across threat appraisal, coping appraisal and maladaptive perceptions.

Practical implications

Platform companies should find the results insightful because they demonstrate ways of negotiating with governments about its legality of the gig economy. The findings can also assist governments with policy development to make sense of illegal gig work or to legalize the gig economy.

Originality/value

This study complements the overoptimistic discussion of the gig economy to investigate why people engage in illegal work in this context. Protection motivation theory is applied to a new domain to explore gig workers’ maladaptive perceptions of illegal working.
Asymmetric effect of remittances and financial development on carbon emissions in sub-Saharan Africa: an application of panel NARDL approach
Authors: Mensah Barbara Deladem , Abdul-Mumuni Abdallah
Published: September 2022

Purpose

While several existing panel studies have focused on the linear specifications of the effect of remittances and financial development on carbon emissions, nonlinear panel studies on this subject remain thin on the ground. The purpose of this paper is to examine the asymmetric effect of remittances and financial development on carbon emissions in 31 selected sub-Saharan African countries for the period spanning from 1996 to 2018.

Design/methodology/approach

The Kao, Pedroni and Johansen–Fisher co-integration tests were conducted to ascertain a long-run relationship among the studied variables, whereas the nonlinear panel autoregressive distributed lag approach was applied to account for asymmetries.

Findings

The study revealed, among other things, that remittances and financial development asymmetrically influence carbon emissions in the selected panel of sub-Saharan African countries. In the long run, the positive shock in remittances on carbon emissions is greater than in the negative shock in remittances. Additionally, both positive and negative shocks in financial development mitigate carbon emissions.

Research limitations/implications

The implications of this study include the need to provide tax incentives to remitters and encourage them to invest in clean technologies so as to maintain sustainable development and low carbon emissions in the environment. There is also the need for governments and policymakers to formulate policies aimed at improving the functioning of the financial sectors in sub-Saharan Africa.

Originality/value

The positive and negative shocks of remittances and financial development on carbon emissions are examined to ascertain their asymmetric relationships.
Learning to teach: cross-cultural internship teaching of a mainland Chinese Master's student in a Macao university
Authors: Luo Lin , Shao Yanju
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This paper examines the cross-cultural internship teaching experience of a mainland Chinese student of a Master's program on adult education in a Macao university.

Design/methodology/approach

Using autobiography, the data were collected from the teaching journals, biographical notes, and deep reflections of the student teacher, tracking the whole process of cross-cultural internship teaching. The data were analyzed in a grounded way, by scrutinizing the process to overcome the difficulties and challenges encountered in the two-month internship teaching period.

Findings

Three key themes were identified: (a) constructing relationship with mentor teacher as the key condition; (b) classroom interaction as an important influencing factor; (c) professional identity as the result of the learning-to-teach process. Furthermore, this paper reveals an adaptation process during the internship, where the student teacher went through three phases, namely, novice anxiety, adjustment, and ability acquisition.

Originality/value

This paper’s analysis on the internship teaching experience reflecting practical issues in the process has extended the literature of academic adaptation in internship learning of non-local students. Based on this cross-cultural student case under the unique mainland China-Macao cross-border context, some suggestions are provided for university policy makers and educators in Macao.
Effect of using mobile translation applications for translating collocations
Authors: Mahdi Hassan Saleh , Alotaibi Hind , AlFadda Hind
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effects of using mobile translation applications for translating collocations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study followed an experimental design where 47 students of English as foreign language in a Saudi university were randomly categorized into two groups. Both the groups were given a translation task consisting of 30 sentences with fixed, medium-strength and weak collocations. The participants in the experimental group (n 23) were asked to use a mobile App (Reverso) to translate the sentences, while the control group (n 24) was allowed to use only paper-based dictionaries. The translations were scored and analyzed to measure if there was any significant difference between the two groups.

Findings

The results indicated that the mobile translation application was more effective in translating fixed and medium-strength collocations than weak collocations, and in translating collocations in both translation directions (i.e. from Arabic into English or vice-versa).

Originality/value

The findings suggest that integrating translation technologies in general and mobile translation applications in particular in translation can enhance the translation process. Students can utilize mobile translation applications to enhance their translation skills, especially for translating collocations.
Detours Through the Black Country: On Al‐An deSouza's Expeditionary Under‐Writings
Authors: Tsien Moi
Published: September 2022

During the summer of the 2016 Brexit vote, the artist Al‐An deSouza (formerly known as Allan deSouza), in the persona of Hafeed Sidi Mubarak Mumbai, was in London conducting a performative expedition, Through the Black Country (TBC). The expedition culminated in a travelling exhibition consistent with deSouza's larger practice of ‘restaging the material culture of the colonial period in order to identify its ongoing aftermath’. TBC rescripts Henry Stanley's published expedition diaries, Through the Dark Continent (1878), to describe instead a ‘reverse’ journey from Zanzibar to England. This essay contextualizes TBC and related projects through deSouza's history of multiple migrations, involvement in the Black Arts movement in 1980s Britain, and their claim to a multiple self as simultaneous self‐explication and resistant opacity. Central to deSouza's project are questions of what it means to be not‐British, a consideration of ‘British art’ as counter‐imperial, and their implications for post‐Brexit nationalism and empire‐nostalgia.
Riley in Cairo: British Art and Egypt in the 1980s
Authors: Johns Richard
Published: September 2022

In the early 1980s, Bridget Riley produced a series of paintings distinguished by their use of the same group of colours, said to have been inspired by the vividly preserved painted tombs that she encountered during a visit to Egypt in the winter of 1979–80. Though clearly related to the black‐and‐white paintings that propelled Riley to international fame in the 1960s, these new works represented a notable change in the artist's methods, combining an intuitive arrangement of colour with a simple compositional motif: the stripe. While determinedly abstract, the imaginative origins of Riley's stripe paintings are registered in many of the titles that they carry: Ka (1980); Ra (1981); Luxor (1982); Winter Palace (1981). This essay reconsiders the making, display and reception of Riley's so‐called ‘Egyptian palette’ within a longer history of encounter and exchange between Britain and Egypt, ranging across more than a century of military occupation and resistance, Cold War entrenchment, and neoliberal diplomacy. In doing so, it situates Riley's work between colonial and post‐colonial ways of seeing.
Synaptic Visualizations: Reading ‘the Global’ in and through the Work of Sutapa Biswas
Authors: Park Gill
Published: September 2022

This essay focuses on the work of British contemporary artist Sutapa Biswas (born 1962). Over the past forty years, Biswas has engaged, through film, photography and other media, with the complex structures and aesthetics of the global, in relation to her own migratory experience. Having come to Britain from West Bengal as a child, the artist's return in the 1980s to the place of her birth precipitated a series of works that deal with the complexity of homeland and identity, memory and desire, while also challenging a Eurocentric vision of the world. Through an analysis of two film works, Kali (1984–85) and Birdsong (2004), and by focusing on Biswas's own conceptualization of the synaptic, this essay addresses the way in which the artist challenges idealized notions of post‐colonial unity, while also pointing to the possibilities of seeing and knowing across different vantage points.
Effect of high hydrostatic pressure processing on the structure, functionality, and nutritional properties of food proteins: A review
Authors: Wang Wenxin , Yang Peiqing , Rao Lei , Zhao Liang , Wu Xiaomeng , Wang Yongtao , Liao Xiaojun
Published: September 2022

Proteins are important food ingredients that possess both functional and nutritional properties. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is an emerging nonthermal food processing technology that has been subject to great advancements in the last two decades. It is well established that pressure can induce changes in protein folding and oligomerization, and consequently, HHP has the potential to modify the desired protein properties. In this review article, the research progress over the last 15 years regarding the effect of HHP on protein structures, as well as the applications of HHP in modifying protein functionalities (i.e., solubility, water/oil holding capacity, emulsification, foaming and gelation) and nutritional properties (i.e., digestibility and bioactivity) are systematically discussed. Protein unfolding generally occurs during HHP treatment, which can result in increased conformational flexibility and the exposure of interior residues. Through the optimization of HHP and environmental conditions, a balance in protein hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity may be obtained, and therefore, the desired protein functionality can be improved. Moreover, after HHP treatment, there might be greater accessibility of the interior residues to digestive enzymes or the altered conformation of specific active sites, which may lead to modified nutritional properties. However, the practical applications of HHP in developing functional protein ingredients are underutilized and require more research concerning the impact of other food components or additives during HHP treatment. Furthermore, possible negative impacts on nutritional properties of proteins and other compounds must be also considered.
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis: Common and uncommon presentations
Authors: Tee Qiao Xin , Wong Aaron , Nambiar Mithun , Lau Kenneth K
Published: September 2022

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a multisystemic autoimmune small vessel vasculitis predominantly affecting the respiratory and renal systems. Other systems such as the central nervous system, orbital, cardiac and gastrointestinal systems may also be involved to a lesser degree. Although there are no imaging features that are pathognomonic for GPA, there are known radiological patterns suggestive of the disease and imaging plays an important role in diagnosis, assessment and monitoring of disease activity. This is more evident when combined with clinical features, biochemical values and histopathology results. This pictorial review aims to present both common and uncommon radiological features of GPA.
Crisis and state investment funds with expiration dates: Risks and opportunities in a decarbonization context
Authors: Braunstein Juergen
Published: September 2022

Since the beginning of the COVID‐19 crises the establishment of new state‐owned funds with expiration dates has accelerated. This new type of fund acquires shares or silent partnerships, or it would take over other components of a company's equity. Through recapitalization, the state funds' assets grow when the injection of capital is needed and the funds shrinks during periods of economic recovery. In other words, the expiration date ensures the eventual transfer of equity stakes to private ownership. While this is a sensible choice for avoiding generous public handouts for ailing firms some unintended long‐term risks remain. Many debt and equity investments have been directed into sectors such as the automotive, energy, or aviation industries. These sectors will face increasing pressure in the future due to structural and policy‐induced changes (e.g., decarbonization efforts to reduce climate change).
Introduction to the practitioners' special section: Financing the green transition in times of crisis
Authors: Søndergaard‐Jensen Mariane , Klasen Andreas
Published: September 2022

Making innovation, trade, investment and environment policy goals mutually supportive creates challenges for internationally‐oriented firms, financial institutions, governments and other stakeholders. Will the Ukraine war derail the green energy transition? How can governments and the financial system work together to broaden, deepen, and accelerate the global transition to net‐zero? What are innovation, trade and investment opportunities for green growth? How to refocus government financing instruments to support countries and trade partners meet their climate targets in times of crisis? The IfTI Global Symposium 2022 hosted by the Institute of Trade and Innovation (IfTI) at Offenburg University discussed challenges to trade in a new global order, as well as opportunities and threats of the green transition. This Special Section brings together practitioner commentaries of key symposium speakers.
Safety and efficacy of infliximab and corticosteroid therapy in checkpoint inhibitor‐induced colitis
Authors: Dahl Emilie Kristine , Abed Osama Karim , Kjeldsen Jens , Donia Marco , Svane Inge Marie , Dige Anders , Agnholt Jørgen Steen , Bjerrum Jacob Tveiten , Seidelin Jakob Benedict
Published: September 2022

Background

Cancer patients treated with immune check point inhibitors are at risk of developing severe colitis. However, the efficacy and safety of treatment of severe colitis is poorly understood.

Aims

To explore the safety and efficacy of infliximab and corticosteroids in severe immune‐mediated enterocolitis (IMC)

Method

We performed a nationwide retrospective cohort study on 140 cancer patients treated with infliximab due to IMC in Denmark from 2011 to 2021.

Results

The rate of complete remission with infliximab was 52% after one dose, increasing to 73% after two or more doses. Thirteen patients (10%) required additional treatment with vedolizumab. Patients were heavily exposed to corticosteroids and received a median accumulated dose of 3978 mg (interquartile range [IQR] 2552–6414). Age‐ and cancer‐adjusted Cox regression analysis found that a high dose of prednisolone at start of tapering ≥75 mg/day was associated with increased mortality (HR 1.67, 1.04–2.69, p = 0.035). Patients responding to infliximab experienced an improvement of symptoms after 3 days (IQR 2–4) and complete remission after 31 days (IQR 14–61). Twenty‐four percent required hospitalisation for infection during treatment for IMC, lasting 7 days (median). Secondary gastrointestinal infections occurred in 16%, with Clostridioides difficile being most common (64%). Further, 10% had a thromboembolic event during the first 90 days after infliximab treatment.

Conclusions

Infliximab led to complete resolution of symptoms in 73% of patients with IMC. High prednisolone dose at tapering was associated with increased mortality rate and a high incidence of infections and hospitalisations in patients with severe IMC. We suggest optimised infliximab treatment before escalation of steroid doses.
Reflections on Interrupted Analysis
Authors: Srebrny Krzysztof
Published: September 2022

The paper describes an analysis with a very difficult, emotionally inaccessible patient who, after more than a year, unexpectedly terminated the analysis, leaving the analyst with a sense of frustration due to incomplete and interrupted analysis. In the theoretical section of the paper, the author presents his understanding of the creation of such a pathological organization, starting with Freud's concept of death drive, then going on to Melanie Klein's and her successor's discoveries. John Steiner's concept of ‘psychic retreat’ helps us to understand the process of development of a pathological organization of personality. In the last part, the author describes how he works through mourning and prompts reflection on the reasons for the premature termination of the treatment by the patient. He indicates the causes in both the patient and the analyst.
Mutant C/EBPα p30 alleviates immunosuppression of CD8+ T cells by inhibiting autophagy‐associated secretion of IL‐1β in AML
Authors: Wang Jun‐Dan , Xu Jue‐Qiong , Zhang Xue‐Ning , Huang Ze‐Wei , Liu Ling‐Ling , Zhang Ling , Lei Xin‐Xing , Xue Man‐Jie , Weng Jian‐Yu , Long Zi‐Jie
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Mutant C/EBPα p30 (mp30), the product of C/EBPα double mutations (DM), lacks transactivation domain 1 and has C‐terminal loss‐of‐function mutation. Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients harbouring C/EBPα DM could be classified as a distinct subgroup with favourable prognosis. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive.

Materials and Methods

Autophagy regulated by mp30 was detected by western blot and immunofluorescence. Immune infiltration analysis and GSEA were performed to investigate autophagic and inflammatory status of AML patients from the GSE14468 cohort. Flow cytometry was applied to analyse T cell activation.

Results

Mp30 inhibited autophagy by suppressing nucleus translocation of NF‐κB. Autophagy‐associated secretion of IL‐1β was decreased in mp30‐overexpressed AML cells. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that inflammatory status was attenuated, while CD8+ T cell infiltration was upregulated in C/EBPα DM AML patients. Consistently, the proportion of CD8+CD69+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was upregulated after co‐culture with mp30 AML cell conditional culture medium. Knock‐out of IL‐1β in AML cells also enhanced CD8+ T cell activation. Accordingly, IL‐1β expression was significantly reduced in the bone marrow (BM) cells of C/EBPα DM AML patients compared to the wildtype, while the CD8+CD69+ T cell proportion was specifically elevated.

Conclusions

C/EBPα DM alleviates immunosuppression of CD8+ T cells by inhibiting the autophagy‐associated secretion of IL‐1β, which elucidated that repression of autophagy‐related inflammatory response in AML patients might achieve a favourable clinical benefit.
Utility of geriatric assessments in evaluation of older adults for kidney transplantation
Authors: Campbell Kellie H. , Ahn Daniel J. , Enger Frances , Zasadzinski Lindsay , Tanumihardjo Jacob , Becker Yolanda , Josephson Michelle , Saunders Milda R.
Published: September 2022

Background

While kidney transplantation has favorable outcomes in patients aged 65 years and older, many are not referred for evaluation despite having no contraindications. We wanted to determine whether incorporating geriatrics and geriatric assessments (GA), as part of kidney transplant evaluation at the University of Chicago Medicine, would help identify suitable candidates and improve transplantation outcomes among older adults.

Methods

Between 2012 and 2016, as part of their multi‐disciplinary transplant evaluation, 171 patients underwent an initial GA with the study geriatrician, who rated them on a five‐point scale from “poor” to “excellent,” and presented their cases to multidisciplinary transplant review meetings. Patients were followed until June 1st, 2021. Predictor variables included geriatric recommendation, clinical characteristics, and demographics. Outcomes of interest were mortality, receipt of transplant, and waitlist placement.

Results

Compared to patients rated “poor,” “marginal,” or “fair,” we found that patients that the geriatrician recommended as “good” or “excellent” were more likely to be waitlisted and receive a transplant. Favorably rated patients were also less likely to be removed from the waitlist due to becoming medically unfit, meaning worsening medical morbidity, frailty, and cognitive status.

Conclusion

Including geriatricians to perform GAs as part of the transplant evaluation process can help identify suitable elderly candidates.
Evaluation of left ventricular function and myocardial deformation in children with beta‐thalassemia major by real‐time three‐dimensional (four‐dimensional) and speckle tracking echocardiography
Authors: Eroğlu Ayşe Güler , Uluğ Nujin , Karakaş Hasan , Yüksel Esra Karabıyık , Akyel Nazlı Gülsüm , Çığ Gülnaz , Adaletli İbrahim , Özdemir Gül Nihal , Türkkan Emine , Celkan Tülin Tiraje
Published: September 2022

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the role of real‐time three‐dimensional (four‐dimensional) and speckle tracking echocardiography for early detection of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and also for the relationship between myocardial deformation parameters and myocardial iron load which is measured by cardiac magnetic resonance relaxation time T2* values in asymptomatic children with beta‐thalassemia major.

Material and Methods

This multicenter cross‐sectional study included 40 patients (mean age 15.4 ± 2.9, 42.1% male) and 40 healthy children whose age, gender, and body mass index‐matched with patients. Each participant underwent conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging. Left ventricular ejection fraction; global longitudinal, circumferential, radial strains; twist; and torsion were measured by real‐time three‐dimensional and speckle tracking echocardiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging T2* was measured in patients.

Results

Left ventricular global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strains were decreased despite preserved global ventricular function in patients compared to healthy children (p = p = .029, p = p < .001, p = .003, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences between patients with T2* ≥ 20 ms and patients with T2* < 20 ms for all echocardiographic parameters. Also, there were no significant correlations between all echocardiographic parameters and T2* values in all patients, those with T2* ≥ 20 ms, and T2* < 20 ms.

Conclusion

We found that even in asymptomatic children with beta‐thalassemia major, left ventricular longitudinal, circumferential and, radial functions were impaired by real‐time three‐dimensional (four‐dimensional) and speckle tracking echocardiography. This novel echocardiographic method might be an important tool for detecting subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction irrespective of T2* values.
Continent‐wide patterns of song variation predicted by classical rules of biogeography
Authors: Sebastianelli Matteo , Lukhele Sifiso M. , Nwankwo Emmanuel C. , Hadjioannou Louis , Kirschel Alexander N. G.
Published: September 2022

Physiological constraints related to atmospheric temperature pose a limit to body and appendage size in endothermic animals. This relationship has been summarised by two classical principles of biogeography: Bergmann's and Allen's rules. Body size may also constrain other phenotypic traits important in ecology, evolution and behaviour, and such effects have seldom been investigated at a continental scale. Through a multilevel‐modelling approach, we demonstrate that continent‐wide morphology of related African barbets follows predictions of Bergmann's rule, and that body size mirrors variation in song pitch, an acoustic trait important in species recognition and sexual selection. Specifically, effects on song frequency in accordance with Bergmann's rule dwarf those of acoustic adaptation at a continental scale. Our findings suggest that macroecological patterns of body size can influence phenotypic traits important in ecology and evolution, and provide a baseline for further studies on the effects of environmental change on bird song.
The pragmatic resistance of Chinese learners of Korean
Authors: Chen Xi
Published: September 2022

The Challenge

Native‐speaker norms remain influential in Korean language teaching and assessment, but do Korean language learners choose to emulate native‐speaker norms? This study investigates the choice of resisting the native norms made by Chinese learners of Korean, the largest group of overseas students in Korea.
Behavioural indicators of compassionate nursing care of individuals with complex needs: A naturalistic inquiry
Authors: Younas Ahtisham , Porr Caroline , Maddigan Joy , Moore Julia , Navarro Pablo , Whitehead Dean
Published: September 2022

Aims and objectives

To explore behavioural indicators of compassionate nursing care from the perspectives of individuals with multimorbidities and complex needs.

Background

Complex patients are individuals with multimorbidity and/or mental health concerns, andoften with medication and drug‐related problems requiring ongoing person‐centered care, mental health interventions, and family and community resources. They are frequent consumers of health‐care services and it is documented that these patients experience discrimination and substandard care. Compassionate care can improve patient care experiences and health outcomes. However, missing is the guidance on how to provide compassionate care for this population from the perspectives of complex patients.

Design

A qualitative descriptive approach was conducted in eastern Canada from December 2020–April 2021. The COREQ guidelines were followed for reporting.

Methods

Data from in‐person and virtual semi‐structured interviews with 23 individuals having experiences as complex patients were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Among them 19 were homeless and lived in a shelter.

Findings

Six indicators of compassionate nursing care were generated: sensitivity, awareness, a non‐judgmental approach, a positive demeanour, empathic understanding, and altruism.

Conclusions

Individuals perceived that nurses who acknowledge personal biases are better at providing compassionate care by manifesting compassion through their genuine and selfless interest in the complicated health problems and underlying socio‐cultural determinants of each patient. Kindness, positivity, and a respectful nursing approach elicit openness and the sharing of heartfelt concerns.

Relevance to clinical practice

Comprehensive health assessment, dedicated efforts to know the patient as a human being, and listening to the patient's preferences can improve health outcomes among individuals with complex needs. Healthcare administrators can effect the change by supporting nurses to address complex health and social care needs with compassion.

Patient or public contribution

Patients and healthcare professionals helped in data collection at the community care centre.
Scavenger assemblages are structured by complex competition and facilitation processes among vultures
Authors: Naves‐Alegre L. , Morales‐Reyes Z. , Sánchez‐Zapata J. A. , Sebastián‐González E.
Published: September 2022

Understanding the factors that allow multiple species to coexist and share resources is an outstanding question in community ecology. Animals that share resources tend to use different strategies to decrease potential competition, through morphological adaptations, establishment of hierarchies, behavioral adaptations or spatial or temporal segregation. The main objective of this study was to infer interspecific processes of competition and facilitation through the study of species co‐occurrence patterns in a vertebrate scavenger guild in de Brazilian cerrado. We analyzed patterns of spatial and temporal co‐occurrence between species pairs, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and determined the activity patterns of the different scavenger species. For this purpose, we placed and monitored 11 large (i.e. goat) and 45 small (i.e. chicken) carcasses by camera‐trapping, obtaining a total of 27 448 images. Our results show complex competitive and facilitative relationships among scavenging species in the Brazilian cerrado that are influenced by carcass size and change depending on the spatial and temporal scale at which they are analyzed. The scavenger assemblages that consumed large and small carcasses were different, evidencing resource partitioning between obligate and facultative scavengers. Furthermore, as an alternative to reduce competition levels, most species showed differences in their scavenging patterns, in addition to a strong temporal segregation during carcass consumption. Regarding New World vultures, our results suggest a strong interference competition between species with clear differences in their ecological traits (e.g. size, social behavior). However, we also found evidence of facilitation processes between vulture species in the location and access to the interior of the carcasses. Our findings highlight the role of obligate scavengers both in competition and facilitation processes in this vertebrate scavenger community. Future research should focus on investigating which species play the most important role in the structure and dynamics of this community, also considering intraspecific and behavioral patterns.
Microbiome composition is shaped by geography and population structure in the parasitic wasp Asobara japonica, but not in the presence of the endosymbiont Wolbachia
Authors: Brinker Pina , Chen Fangying , Chehida Yacine Ben , Beukeboom Leo W. , Fontaine Michael C. , Salles Joana Falcao
Published: September 2022

The microbial community composition is crucial for diverse life‐history traits in many organisms. However, we still lack a sufficient understanding of how the host microbiome is acquired and maintained, a pressing issue in times of global environmental change. Here we investigated to what extent host genotype, environmental conditions, and the endosymbiont Wolbachia influence the bacterial communities in the parasitic wasp Asobara japonica. We sampled multiple wasp populations across 10 locations in their natural distribution range in Japan and sequenced the host genome (whole genome sequencing) and microbiome (16S rRNA gene). We compared the host population structure and bacterial community composition of wasps that reproduce sexually and are uninfected with Wolbachia with wasps that reproduce asexually and carry Wolbachia. The bacterial communities in asexual wasps were highly similar due to a strong effect of Wolbachia rather than host genomic structure. In contrast, in sexual wasps, bacterial communities appear primarily shaped by a combination of population structure and environmental conditions. Our research highlights that multiple factors shape the bacterial communities of an organism and that the presence of a single endosymbiont can strongly alter their compositions. This information is crucial to understanding how organisms and their associated microbiome will react in the face of environmental change.
Is uncertainty tolerance an epiphenomenon?
Authors: Ilgen Jonathan S. , Watsjold Bjorn K. , Regehr Glenn
Published: September 2022

Is uncertainty tolerance merely an epiphenomenon? Ilgen tackles the question of whether uncertainty tolerance is an effect or a cause of competence in context.
A positive blood culture is associated with a lower haemoglobin increment in hospitalized patients after red blood cell transfusion
Authors: Qadri Syed M. , Liu Yang , Barty Rebecca L. , Heddle Nancy M. , Sheffield William P.
Published: September 2022

Background and Objectives

Abundant clinical evidence supports the safety of red blood cell (RBC) concentrates for transfusion irrespective of storage age, but still, less is known about how recipient characteristics may affect post‐transfusion RBC recovery and function. Septic patients are frequently transfused. We hypothesized that the recipient environment in patients with septicaemia would blunt the increase in post‐transfusion blood haemoglobin (Hb). The main objective was to compare the post‐transfusion Hb increment in hospitalized patients with or without a positive blood culture.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective cohort study using data from the Transfusion Research, Utilization, Surveillance, and Tracking database (TRUST) was performed. All adult non‐trauma in‐patients transfused between 2010 and 2017 with ≥1 RBC unit, and for whom both pre‐ and post‐transfusion complete blood count and pre‐transfusion blood culture data were available were included. A general linear model with binary blood culture positivity was fit for continuous Hb increment after transfusion and was adjusted for patient demographic parameters and transfusion‐related covariates.

Results

Among 210,263 admitted patients, 6252 were transfused: 596 had positive cultures, and 5656 had negative blood cultures. A modelled Hb deficit of 1.50 g/L in blood culture‐positive patients was found. All covariates had a significant effect on Hb increment, except for the age of the transfused RBC.

Conclusion

Recipient blood culture positivity was associated with a statistically significant but modestly lower post‐transfusion Hb increment in hospitalized patients. In isolation, the effect is unlikely to be clinically significant, but it could become so in combination with other recipient characteristics.
Understanding of the Single-Item Physical Activity Question for Population Surveillance
Authors: Bauman Adrian E. , Richards Justin A.
Published: September 2022

Background: Sport New Zealand conducts continuous representative “Active NZ” surveys. Between 2019 and 2020 (n = 13,887), these surveys asked International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)—long-form questions, the single-item days (SI-days) per week question, and 1 question on hours per week (single-item hours [SI-hours] per week). This study examines relationships between the established SI-days question and meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines (150 min moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week from SI-hours question and IPAQ). Methods: Analyses were descriptive, and the best fit between SI-days and the PA thresholds was estimated using area under the receiver operator characteristic curves and Youden index. Results: Using SI-hours, 60.6% achieved 150+ minutes; 85.2% reported the IPAQ-total minimum threshold, and 40.8% met the IPAQ-leisure time PA-only threshold. Receiver operator characteristic analyses showed area under the curve values with IPAQ between 0.63 and 0.76, but the SI-days showed a very good area under the curve of 0.82 (0.81–0.83) with the SI-hours 150-minute threshold. Youden index suggested the best fit was at 3+ days per week for maximizing Sensitivity and Specificity to meet IPAQ or SI-hours-defined PA guidelines. Discussion: The SI-days per week question reflects achieving PA guidelines, and the best fit was with the SI-hours per week question. This provides surveillance-relevant concurrent validity for the SI-days measure, but the cut point for broadly meeting guidelines appears to be at least 3 days per week, not 5 days per week as previously thought.
A Nonadjuvanted Whole-Inactivated Pneumococcal Vaccine Induces Multiserotype Opsonophagocytic Responses Mediated by Noncapsule-Specific Antibodies
Authors: David Shannon C. , Brazel Erin B. , Singleton Eve V. , Minhas Vikrant , Laan Zoe , Scougall Catherine , Chen Austen Y. , Wang Hui , Gates Chloe J. , McLean Kimberley T. , Brown Jeremy S. , Ercoli Giuseppe , Higgins Rachel A. , Licciardi Paul V. , Mulholland Kim , Davies Justin B. , Hirst Timothy R. , Paton James C. , Alsharifi Mohammed
Published: September 2022

The target pathogen of this study,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, kills over 300,000 children <5 years of age every single year, and is the leading cause of pneumonia-associated mortality globally. While the capsular polysaccharide (CPS)-based vaccine Prevnar13 prevents serious illness caused by 13 serotypes, ongoing Prevnar13 use has driven the emergence of nonincluded serotypes as major causes of infection and disease.
Decreased Sensitivity of Rapid Antigen Test Is Associated with a Lower Viral Load of Omicron than Delta SARS-CoV-2 Variant
Authors: Cocherie Théophile , Bastide Mathilda , Sakhi Soraya , Zafilaza Karen , Flandre Philippe , Leducq Valentin , Jary Aude , Burrel Sonia , Louet Martine , Calvez Vincent , Marcelin Anne-Geneviève , Marot Stéphane
Published: September 2022

Previous reports have shown a variability in the diagnostic performance of RDTs. In the era of SARS-CoV-2 variants and the use of RDT, mutation associated with these variants could affect the test performance.
Highly Multiplexed Serology for Nonhuman Mammals
Authors: Schuettenberg Alexa , Piña Alejandra , Metrailer Morgan , Peláez-Sánchez Ronald Guillermo , Agudelo-Flórez Piedad , Lopez Juan Álvaro , Ryle Luke , Monroy Fernando P. , Altin John A. , Ladner Jason T.
Published: September 2022

Antibodies are generated in response to infections with viruses and other pathogens, and they help protect against future exposures. Mature antibodies are long lived, are highly specific, and can bind to their protein targets with high affinity.
On the Sensitivity of the Virion Envelope to Lipid Peroxidation
Authors: Correa Sierra Consuelo B. , Schang Luis M.
Published: September 2022

Small molecules that induce lipoperoxidation have been proposed repeatedly as potential antiviral drugs based on a presumed unique sensitivity of virions to this type of damage. Several small molecules that inactivate virions without affecting cells have been proposed to act primarily by inducing lipoperoxidation.
Examining students’ perception of rural practice following an educational strategy aimed at preparing postsecondary students for rural careers: a systematic review protocol for qualitative studies
Authors: Button Brenton , Regalado Sophie M , Cameron Erin
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Rural areas are widely acknowledged as being at a workforce disadvantage when compared with urban populations. One of the factors contributing to this disparity is the paucity of workforce professionals who live and practice in rural areas. Educational strategies used to train these workforce professionals may help better prepare students for rural careers and thus increase retention. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine students’ perceptions of rural practice following an educational strategy used to prepare students for rural careers.

Methods and analysis

Searches will be conducted in the following databases: Medline (Ovid), CINAHL (Ebscohost), ERIC (Proquest), Social Services Abstracts (Proquest), PsycINFO (Proquest) and IEEE Xplore. The literature search will be limited to articles published in English in the last 20 years. Data will be extracted for author(s), year of publication (2001–2021), country of origin, research question, research design, participants, where the study takes place (eg, classroom, community), educational strategies used, theoretical approach and findings related to the research question (ie, student perceptions). Methodological validity will be assessed using standardised tools. Two independent reviewers will conduct data extraction and quality appraisal, and any disagreement will be adjudicated by discussion or with a third reviewer. Results will be presented in tabular and narrative formats.

Ethics and dissemination

This review does not require formal ethical approval as it does not involve direct student contact or student-identifiable data. The final systematic review will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
Health economic evaluation of the ‘Flying Intervention Team’ as a novel stroke care concept for rural areas: study protocol of the TEMPiS-GÖA study
Authors: Coors Marie , Flemming Ronja , Schüttig Wiebke , Hubert Gordian Jan , Hubert Nikolai Dominik , Sundmacher Leonie
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Providing comprehensive stroke care poses major organisational and financial challenges to the German healthcare system. The quasi-randomised TEMPiS–Flying Intervention Team (TEMPiS-FIT) study aims to close the gap in the treatment of patients who had ischaemic stroke in rural areas of Southeast Bavaria by flying a team of interventionalists via helicopter directly to patients in the regional TEMPiS hospitals instead of transporting the patients to the next comprehensive stroke centre. The objective of the present paper is to describe the methods for the economic evaluation (TEMPiS-Gesundheitsökonomische Analyse (TEMPiS-GÖA)) alongside the TEMPiS-FIT study to determine whether the new form of care is cost-effective compared with standard care.

Methods and analysis

The within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and cost–utility analysis (CUA) will be performed from a statutory health insurance perspective as well as from a societal perspective over the time horizon of 12 months after the patients’ hospital discharge. Direct costs from outpatient and inpatient care are collected from routine data of the participating health insurance funds, while medical and non-medical costs from a patient’s perspective are retrieved from primary data collected during the TEMPiS-FIT study and follow-up questionnaires. Results will be presented as incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and incremental cost-utility ratio quantifying the incremental costs and health benefits compared with standard care practice. The outcome of the CEA will be measured in costs per minute reduction in mean process time to thrombectomy. The outcome of the CUA will be presented as costs per quality-adjusted life year gained.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval for the TEMPiS-FIT study was granted by the Bavarian State Medical Association Ethics Committee (# 17056). Results will be disseminated via reports, presentations of the results in publications and at conferences and on the TEMPiS website.

Trial registration number

German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00023885. Registered on 2 July 2021 – retrospectively registered.
Improving prediction of response to neoadjuvant treatment in patients with breast cancer by combining liquid biopsies with multiparametric MRI: protocol of the LIMA study – a multicentre prospective observational cohort study
Authors: Janssen Liselore M , Suelmann Britt B M , Elias Sjoerd G , Janse Markus H A , van Diest Paul J , van der Wall Elsken , Gilhuijs Kenneth G A
Published: September 2022

Introduction

The response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer has important prognostic implications. Dynamic prediction of tumour regression by NAC may allow for adaption of the treatment plan before completion, or even before the start of treatment. Such predictions may help prevent overtreatment and related toxicity and correct for undertreatment with ineffective regimens. Current imaging methods are not able to fully predict the efficacy of NAC. To successfully improve response prediction, tumour biology and heterogeneity as well as treatment-induced changes have to be considered. In the LIMA study, multiparametric MRI will be combined with liquid biopsies. In addition to conventional clinical and pathological information, these methods may give complementary information at multiple time points during treatment.

Aim

To combine multiparametric MRI and liquid biopsies in patients with breast cancer to predict residual cancer burden (RCB) after NAC, in adjunct to standard clinico-pathological information. Predictions will be made before the start of NAC, approximately halfway during treatment and after completion of NAC.

Methods

In this multicentre prospective observational study we aim to enrol 100 patients. Multiparametric MRI will be performed prior to NAC, approximately halfway and after completion of NAC. Liquid biopsies will be obtained immediately prior to every cycle of chemotherapy and after completion of NAC. The primary endpoint is RCB in the surgical resection specimen following NAC. Collected data will primarily be analysed using multivariable techniques such as penalised regression techniques.

Ethics and dissemination

Medical Research Ethics Committee Utrecht has approved this study (NL67308.041.19). Informed consent will be obtained from each participant. All data are anonymised before publication. The findings of this study will be submitted to international peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT04223492.