Functional correlates of skull shape in Chiroptera: feeding and echolocation adaptations.

Morphological, functional and behavioural adaptations of bats are among the most diverse within mammals. A strong association between bat skull morphology and feeding behaviour has been suggested previously. However, morphological variation related to other drivers of adaptation, in particular echolocation, remains understudied. We assessed variation in skull morphology with respect to ecology (diet and emission type) and function (bite force, masticatory muscles and echolocation characteristics) using geometric morphometrics and comparative methods. Our study suggests that variation in skull shape of 10 bat families is the result of adaptations to broad dietary categories and sound emission types (oral or nasal). Skull shape correlates with echolocation parameters only in a subsample of insectivorous species, possibly because they (almost) entirely rely on this sensory system for locating and capturing prey. Insectivores emitting low frequencies are characterised by a ventrally tilted rostrum, a trait not associated with feeding parameters. This result questions the validity of a trade-off between feeding and echolocation function. Our study advances understanding of the relationship between skull morphology and specific features of echolocation and suggests that evolutionary constraints due to echolocation may differ between different groups within the Chiroptera

Nursing leadership to facilitate patient participation in fundamental care: An ethnographic qualitative study.

AIMS: To explore and describe hospital nurses' perceptions of leadership behaviours in facilitating patient participation in fundamental care. DESIGN: An ethnographic interview study. METHODS: Individual semi-structured interviews with 12 nurses with a bachelor's or master's degree working at a university medical centre were conducted between February and April 2021. The interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Six themes were derived from the data: (1) nursing leadership; (2) patient participation; (3) using patients' preferences; (4) building relationships; (5) task-focused nursing; (6) need for role modelling. CONCLUSION: Nurses indicated leadership behaviour to facilitate patient participation in fundamental care as inviting patients to participate and eliciting and supporting patients' preferences. Although nurses also regarded leadership as motivating colleagues to act and enhancing evidence-based practice, they appeared not to practise this themselves about patient participation. Role modelling was indicated as a need for improvement. IMPACT: The findings established that not all leadership behaviours mentioned were used in practice about patient participation in fundamental care. Role modelling and the use of evidence-based practice are needed to increase patient participation. Further research will be necessary to develop and test leadership interventions to improve patient participation in fundamental care