Stakeholder influence on teaming and absorptive capacity in innovation networks

Through technological developments, innovation increasingly occurs within a network of organizations such as Industry 4.0 fieldlabs. As a result, collaboration between different companies and institutions with different interests needs to take place. Three Dutch smart industry fieldlabs were analysed to study how these collaborative relationships are being established and what their impact is on the absorptive capacity of the network in question. Contrary to what was expected, we found that stakeholders hardly exercised power. Also, a high level of psychological safety was found in the network, which positively affects collaboration. Furthermore, collaborative elements—such as open conversation, collaborating, experimenting and reflecting—are important factors affecting the absorptive capacity in the fieldlabs examined. The article concludes with several practical implications on how to stimulate innovation capability

The Rich Get Richer: Enabling Conditions for Knowledge Use in Organizational Work Teams

Individuals on the periphery of organizational knowledge sharing networks, due to inexperience, location, or lack of social capital, may struggle to access useful knowledge at work. An electronic knowledge repository (KR) has the potential to help peripheral individuals gain access to valuable knowledge because a KR is universally and constantly available and can be used without social interaction. However, for it to serve this equalizing function, those on the periphery of the organization must actually use it, possibly overcoming barriers to doing so. In this paper, we develop a multi-level model of knowledge use in teams and show that individuals whose experience and position already provide them access to vital knowledge use a KR more frequently than individuals on the organizational periphery. We argue that this occurs because the KR – despite its appearance of equivalent accessibility to all – is actually more accessible to central than peripheral players due to their greater experience and access to colleagues. Thus, KR use is not driven primarily by the need to overcome limited access to other knowledge sources. Rather KR use is enabled when actors know how to reap value from the KR, which ironically improves with increasing access to other sources of knowledge. Implications for both team effectiveness and knowledge management research are offered. We conclude that KRs are unlikely to serve as a knowledge equalizer without intervention

Work conversations in healthcare: how, where, when and by whom: a review to understand conversations about work in healthcare and identify opportunities to make work conversations a part of everyday health interactions

Executive summary. As part of a 10-year strategy to improve employment outcomes for working-age people with health conditions and/or disabilities, the Joint Work and Health Unit (WHU) has funded Public Health England (PHE) to implement a 'work as a health outcome' programme. The programme seeks primarily to promote healthcare professionals' (HCPs) understanding of the health benefits of good work and encourage HCPs to have supportive conversations about work and health. The programme has been informed by the evidence base for Making Every Contact Count (MECC) (1). To further understand whether and/or to what extent the MECC framework is transferable to this context, a comprehensive literature review with stakeholder engagement was conducted. Following a search of peer-reviewed and grey literature sources, 79 articles and documents were included in a realist best evidence synthesis. In addition, 59 online stakeholder surveys were completed, and 16 telephone interviews were conducted. Data were synthesised and presented as key findings, aligned to specified research questions. An in-depth examination of interactions with a wide range of HCPs for a variety of health conditions was produced, providing a more detailed understanding of conversations about work in healthcare: how, when, where and by whom. Despite the launch of numerous, potentially relevant initiatives over the last decade, few have been directed specifically at stimulating conversations about work during routine clinical encounters. Promotion and implementation of these initiatives has been limited and, as a result, healthcare awareness, engagement, and adoption has remained low. The evidence reveals many barriers. Most of these barriers are underpinned by the lack of a consistent, agreed description or measure of 'supportive' conversations, and because the purpose of such conversations has not been clearly articulated or formally embedded within clinical practice. There was no evidence from research or evaluation to establish the outcome or efficacy of any particular components, content, or strategies of conversations about work in healthcare, nor how these may be measured. It was found that most HCPs accept that work is generally good for health and wellbeing, but these fundamental limitations mean that most do not engage their patients in conversations about work. However, there are reasons for optimism: the evidence points to some short- and longterm policy solutions that will better equip HCPs to have supportive conversations about work, and to further advance the ‘work as a health outcome’ agenda within routine healthcare. These are conceptualised as 'cultural awareness', 'conversation starters' and 'practice integration'

Effective involvement: a report on the evaluation of a research awareness training package for public involvement in health research

Background: As the role of Patient and Public Involvement contributors expands to all stages of the research cycle, there is increasing demand for training that meets the needs of this diverse population. To help meet this demand the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care, Yorkshire and Humber, worked with members of the public to develop a bespoke training package. The University of Huddersfield’s Public Partnership Group were invited to host the training and undertake an independent evaluation. Methods: Participatory action research was used to structure the evaluation, such that participants in the training and public members of the evaluation team were co-collaborators with a robust, significant and visible share in the process. This is evidenced by public team members’ roles in undertaking the majority of data gathering, including surveys, non-participant observation and interviews, and analysis, engaging in all reflective discussions, leading on producing a formal report and contributing significant sections of this paper. The evaluation was approved by a University ethics panel. Public involvement consisted of the 13 participants who received the training, and 3 of the 6 members of the evaluation team. Data collection took place between November 2017 and March 2018. Results: The evaluation found that participants understood more about the research process from attending the training, gaining greater confidence in their ability to volunteer to get involved. It also highlighted the difficulties of meeting the training needs of a diverse group with varying experiences and expectations. Skilful facilitation was needed to maintain pace, whilst engaging people with different levels of interest and knowledge. The management of the environment to maximise comfort and involvement was important. Early feedback to the delivery team enabled timely updating of the package. Involvement in the evaluation was initially daunting for the three public members of the team, but hugely enjoyable and fulfilling, as well as enriching the process and outcomes. In particular, public involvement in the analysis and interpretation stages increased the authenticity of the evaluation findings. Conclusions: This evaluation validated the training package and demonstrated the value and impact of Public Involvement at all levels in research

Galaxy Zoo: Disentangling the Environmental Dependence of Morphology and Colour

We analyze the environmental dependence of galaxy morphology and colour with two-point clustering statistics, using data from the Galaxy Zoo, the largest sample of visually classified morphologies yet compiled, extracted from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We present two-point correlation functions of spiral and early-type galaxies, and we quantify the correlation between morphology and environment with marked correlation functions. These yield clear and precise environmental trends across a wide range of scales, analogous to similar measurements with galaxy colours, indicating that the Galaxy Zoo classifications themselves are very precise. We measure morphology marked correlation functions at fixed colour and find that they are relatively weak, with the only residual correlation being that of red galaxies at small scales, indicating a morphology gradient within haloes for red galaxies. At fixed morphology, we find that the environmental dependence of colour remains strong, and these correlations remain for fixed morphology \textit{and} luminosity. An implication of this is that much of the morphology--density relation is due to the relation between colour and density. Our results also have implications for galaxy evolution: the morphological transformation of galaxies is usually accompanied by a colour transformation, but not necessarily vice versa. A spiral galaxy may move onto the red sequence of the colour-magnitude diagram without quickly becoming an early-type. We analyze the significant population of red spiral galaxies, and present evidence that they tend to be located in moderately dense environments and are often satellite galaxies in the outskirts of haloes. Finally, we combine our results to argue that central and satellite galaxies tend to follow different evolutionary paths.Comment: 19 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Current posttraumatic stress disorder and exaggerated threat sensitivity associated with elevated inflammation in the Mind Your Heart Study

OBJECTIVE: Elevated inflammation has been repeatedly observed in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it may drive the development of both psychiatric symptoms and physical comorbidities. However, it is not clear if elevated inflammation is a feature of both remitted and current PTSD, and little is known about relationships between specific clusters of PTSD symptoms and inflammation. Exaggerated threat sensitivity, as indexed by threat reactivity and avoidance of perceived threats, may be particularly closely associated with inflammation. METHODS: We assessed PTSD symptoms and threat sensitivity using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale in 735 Veterans Affairs patients (35% current PTSD; 16% remitted PTSD) who participated in the Mind Your Heart Study (mean age=59±11; 94% male). High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), white blood cell count (WBC), and fibrinogen were used as indices of inflammation. Analysis of covariance models with planned contrasts were used to examine differences in inflammation by PTSD status, adjusting for age, sex, race, kidney function and socioeconomic status

A Neural Circuit Arbitrates between Persistence and Withdrawal in Hungry Drosophila

In pursuit of food, hungry animals mobilize significant energy resources and overcome exhaustion and fear. How need and motivation control the decision to continue or change behavior is not understood. Using a single fly treadmill, we show that hungry flies persistently track a food odor and increase their effort over repeated trials in the absence of reward suggesting that need dominates negative experience. We further show that odor tracking is regulated by two mushroom body output neurons (MBONs) connecting the MB to the lateral horn. These MBONs, together with dopaminergic neurons and Dop1R2 signaling, control behavioral persistence. Conversely, an octopaminergic neuron, VPM4, which directly innervates one of the MBONs, acts as a brake on odor tracking by connecting feeding and olfaction. Together, our data suggest a function for the MB in internal state-dependent expression of behavior that can be suppressed by external inputs conveying a competing behavioral drive

Crosstalk between the calcineurin and cell wall integrity pathways prevents chitin overexpression in Candida albicans

Funding Information: We thank Carol Munro for helpful discussions during the research, Raif Yuecel, Elizabeth Adams, Linda Duncan, Barry Lewis and Kimberley Sim for assistance with FACS at Aberdeen Cytometry Core Facility, and Yang Meng and Dominique Sanglard with help in construction of mutants. We also thank Linghuo Jiang, David Soll, Jes?s Pla, Jan Quinn, Terry Roemer and Joseph Heitman for mutant strains. N.A.R.G. acknowledges support from the Wellcome Trust [Senior Investigator (101873/Z/13/Z), Collaborative (200208/A/15/Z and 215599/Z/19/Z) and Strategic (097377/Z11/Z) Awards] and from the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MR/N006364/2). This work was also supported by a Marie Curie FP7-PEOPLE-ITN-2008 grant (MB004 RGE0655 ARIADNE) and by a Wellcome Trust project grant (086827). Open access funding provided by University of Exeter. Deposited in PMC for immediate release.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Agave negatively regulates YAP and TAZ transcriptionally and post-translationally in osteosarcoma cell lines

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most aggressive type of primary solid tumor that develops in bone. Whilst conventional chemotherapy can improve survival rates, the outcome for patients with metastatic or recurrent OS remains poor, so novel treatment agents and strategies are required. Research into new anticancer therapies has paved the way for the utilisation of natural compounds as they are typically less expensive and less toxic compared to conventional chemotherapeutics. Previously published works indicate that Agave exhibits anticancer properties, however potential molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In the present study, we investigate the anticancer effects of Agave leaf extract in OS cells suggesting that Agave inhibits cell viability, colony formation, and cell migration, and can induce apoptosis in OS cell lines. Moreover, Agave sensitizes OS cells to cisplatin (CDDP) and radiation, to overcome chemo- and radio-resistance. We demonstrate that Agave extract induces a marked decrease of Yes Associated Protein (YAP) and Tafazzin (TAZ) mRNA and protein expression upon treatment. We propose an initial mechanism of action in which Agave induces YAP/TAZ protein degradation, followed by a secondary event whereby Agave inhibits YAP/TAZ transcription, effectively deregulating the Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-\u3baB) p65:p50 heterodimers responsible for transcriptional induction of YAP and TAZ