Individual and organizational resilience—Insights from healthcare providers in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic

We explored the effects of resilience in the healthcare setting during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Our study sheds light on the cross-level effects of resilience in hospitals and thus responds to calls to research this empirically. In a cross-sectional study design, the perceptions of resilience of employees in hospitals and of transformations at the individual, team, and organizational level were analyzed. An online survey was conducted in summer 2020 in Germany in which 1,710 healthcare workers completed a self-report questionnaire. Results indicate that resilience is both a highly interrelated construct on the individual and organizational level and also positively linked to perceptions of transformation as an indicator for demonstration of resilience. We also found a partial mediation effect of organizational resilience and team efficacy, respectively, on the relationship between individual resilience and perceived transformation on the individual and organizational level as well as a full mediation on the team level. The study highlights the interdependence of individual and organizational resilience (which is mediated by team efficacy) and its impact on perceived transformation in German hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas team efficacy is crucial for performance in regular work operations, during a pandemic the organizational level becomes more relevant. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed

Food truck temático como embaixador cultural : estudo de caso com o Samurai truck em Brasília

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Centro de Excelência em Turismo, 2018.Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo geral compreender se os food trucks temáticos são vistos como embaixadores culturais. Para isso, alguns aspectos foram identificados: alimentação, identidade, embaixador cultural, branding, turismo cultural, turismo cidadão, história dos food trucks e resultados da pesquisa. Para a pesquisa, foi utilizado um food truck de comida japonesa em Brasília-DF. Foram feitas leituras para o referencial teórico e análise de dados. Para a coleta dos dados, foram feitas entrevistas semiestruturadas com consumidores e dono do food truck pesquisado e com um funcionário da Associação Brasiliense de Food Trucks. Por meio das entrevistas e análises, foi possível identificar que os food trucks não atuam como embaixadores culturais, resultado diferente do esperado.This general objective of this research is to understand if thematic food trucks are seen as cultural ambassadors. For this, some aspects were identified: food, identity, cultural ambassador, branding, cultural tourism, citizen tourism, food trucks history and research results. For the research, a Japanese food food truck in Brasília-DF was used. Readings were made for the theoretical reference and data analysis. For the data collection, semi-structured interviews were conducted with consumers and the owner of the food truck researched and with an employee of the Associação Brasiliense de Food Trucks. Through interviews and analysis, it was possible to identify that food trucks do not act as cultural ambassadors, a different result than expected

The Compassion Balance: Understanding the Interrelation of Self- and Other-Compassion for Optimal Well-being

Objectives: This study examined the role of self-other harmony in the relations between self-compassion, other-compassion, and well-being. Past research has shown self- and other-compassion to be positively related. But we hypothesised that self-compassion can be perceived as incompatible with other-compassion, and that self-compassion and other-compassion might be uncorrelated or negatively correlated in daily life for some individuals. We termed this pattern lack of self-other harmony in compassion and hypothesised that it would undermine the benefits of compassion. Method: Using an experience sampling method in patients (n=154) with a variety of diagnoses, we measured self-compassion, other-compassion, life-satisfaction, mood, and contextual variables six times per day for 42 time points. Results: For most participants, self-compassion was positively associated with other-compassion. However, there was substantial heterogeneity in this effect. The degree of self-other harmony moderated the link between compassion directed towards self or other and well-being. Higher levels of compassion were associated with higher levels of well-being, but only for those who experienced the harmony. When the two forms of compassion were not in harmony, levels of self/other-compassion were largely unrelated to well-being. Conclusions: The findings emphasise the importance of personalised compassion interventions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Increasing self-compassion or other-compassion is likely to improve well-being for most people. However, for a minority lacking the self-other harmony, it may be necessary to assess their interpretation of self- and other-compassion, then work with them to promote the compassion balance optimal for their well-being

State of knowledge regarding the potential of macroalgae cultivation in providing climate-related and other ecosystem services

Macroalgae (or seaweed) aquaculture can potentially provide many ecosystem services, including climate change mitigation, coastal protection, preservation of biodiversity and improvement of water quality. Nevertheless, there are still many constraints and knowledge gaps that need to be overcome, as well as potential negative impacts or scale-dependent effects that need to be considered, before macroalgae cultivation in Europe can be scaled up successfully and sustainably. To investigate these uncertainties, the Expert Working Group (EWG) on Macroalgae was established. Its role was to determine the state of knowledge regarding the potential of macroalgae culture in providing climate-related and other ecosystem services (ES) and to identify specific knowledge gaps that must be addressed before harvesting this potential. The methodological framework combined a multiple expert consultation with Delphi process and a Quick Scoping Review (QSR). To analyse the outcome of both approaches, the EWG classified the findings under the categories Political, Environmental, Social, Technical, Economic and Legal (PESTEL approach) and categorised the ES based on the CICES 5.1 classification. Although representative stakeholders from many different disciplines were contacted, the majority of responses to the Delphi process were from representatives of academia or research. While the results of each method differed in many ways, both methods identified the following top six ecosystem services provided by seaweed cultivation: i) provisioning food, ii) provisioning hydrocolloids and feed, iii) regulating water quality, iv) provisioning habitats, v) provisioning of nurseries and vi) regulating climate. Diverse technological knowledge gaps were identified by both methods at all scales of the macroalgae cultivation process, followed by economic and environmental knowledge gaps depending on the method used. Based on suggestions from the expert respondents in the Delphi process, there is a clear need for an European-wide strategy for reducing risks for seaweed producers, providing clear standards and guidelines for obtaining permits, and providing financial support to improve technological innovation, that will ensure consistent quality. Legal (e.g., safety regulations), economic (e.g., lack of demand for seaweeds in many countries) and technological (e.g., production at large scale) constraints represented almost 70% of the total responses in the Delphi process, whereas environmental and technical constraints were more dominant in the literature. The most commonly identified potential negative impacts of macroalgae cultivation both among the expert responses and the reviewed articles were unknown environmental impacts, e.g. to deep sea, benthic and pelagic ecosystems. The present study provides an assessment of the state of knowledge regarding ES provided by seaweed cultivation and identifies the associated knowledge gaps, constraints and potential negative impacts. One of the main hurdles recognised by the EWG was the understanding of ES themselves by the different stakeholders, as well as the issue of scale. Studies providing clear evidence of ES provided by seaweed cultivation and/or valorisation of these services were lacking in the literature, and some aspects, like cultural impact etc. were missing in the responses to the questionnaires during the Delphi process. The issue of scale and scaling-up was omnipresent both in assessing the ES provided by seaweed cultivation and in identifying knowledge gaps, constraints and potential negative impacts. For example, the ES provided will depend on the scale of cultivation, the main technological knowledge gaps were often related to scale of cultivation. Likewise at a large scale of operations, there could be multiple associated potential side effects, which need to be further investigated. Based on the outcomes of this investigation, we provide an outlook with open questions that need to be answered to support the sustainable scaling-up of seaweed cultivation in Europe

Galectins-1,-3, and-7 Are Prognostic Markers for Survival of Ovarian Cancer Patients

There is a tremendous need for developing new useful prognostic factors in ovarian cancer. Galectins are a family of carbohydrate binding proteins which have been suggested to serve as prognostic factors for various cancer types. In this study, the presence of Galectin-1, -3, and -7 was investigated in 156 ovarian cancer specimens by immunochemical staining. Staining was evaluated in the cytoplasm and nucleus of cancer cells as well as the peritumoral stroma using a semi quantitative score (Remmele (IR) score). Patients' overall survival was compared between different groups of Galectin expression. Galectin (Gal)-1 and -3 staining was observed in the peritumoral stroma as well as the nucleus and cytoplasm of tumor cells, while Gal-7 was only present in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. Patients with Gal-1 expression in the cytoplasm or high Gal-1 expression in the peritumoral stroma showed reduced overall survival. Nuclear Gal-3 staining correlated with a better outcome. We observed a significantly reduced overall survival for cases with high Gal-7 expression and a better survival for Gal-7 negative cases, when compared to cases with low expression of Gal-7. We were able to show that both tumor and stroma staining of Gal-1 could serve as negative prognostic factors for ovarian cancer. We were able to confirm cytoplasmic Gal-7 as a negative prognostic factor. Gal-3 staining in the nucleus could be a new positive prognosticator for ovarian cancer

Overall Survival of Ovarian Cancer Patients Is Determined by Expression of Galectins-8 and-9

The evaluation of new prognostic factors that can be targeted in ovarian cancer diagnosis and therapy is of the utmost importance. Galectins are a family of carbohydrate binding proteins with various implications in cancer biology. In this study, the presence of galectin (Gal)-8 and -9 was investigated in 156 ovarian cancer samples using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Staining was evaluated using semi-quantitative immunoreactivity (IR) scores and correlated to clinical and pathological data. Different types of galectin expression were compared with respect to disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Gal-8 served as a new positive prognostic factor for the OS and DFS of ovarian cancer patients. Gal-9 expression determined the DFS and OS of ovarian cancer patients in two opposing waysmoderate Gal-9 expression was correlated with a reduced outcome as compared to Gal-9 negative cases, while patients with high Gal-9 expression showed the best outcome

CCL1 is a major regulatory T cell attracting factor in human breast cancer

BACKGROUND Regulatory T cells (Treg) suppress cytotoxic T cell anti-tumoral immune responses and thereby promote tumor progression. Prevention of intratumoral Treg accumulation by inhibition of their migration to the tumor microenvironment is a promising therapeutic strategy. The aim of this study was to identify the role of the two major Treg-attracting chemokines CCL1 and CCL22 in human breast cancer. METHODS One hundred ninety-nine tissue samples of patients with invasive breast cancer were stained for CCL1 and CCL22 by immunohistochemistry. Chemokine expression and tumor infiltration by regulatory T cells, determined by expression of the transcription factor FoxP3, were quantified and their correlation to clinical features was statistically analyzed. RESULTS Both CCL1 and CCL22 were expressed in most breast cancer tissues. CCL1 was significantly over-expressed in invasive breast cancer as compared to normal breast tissue. CCL1, but surprisingly not CCL22, showed a significant correlation with the number of tumor-infiltrating FoxP3+ Treg (p< 0.001). High numbers of intratumoral CCL1 expressing cells were related to high grade tumors (G4) and a positive estrogen receptor (ER) status whereas high CCL22 expression was generally seen in lower grade tumors. The median survival of 88 patients with high intratumoral CCL1 expression was 37 months compared to 50 months for the 87 patients with low CCL1 levels, this trend was however not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS We found a high expression of CCL1 in human breast cancer. CCL1 significantly correlated with the infiltration of immunosuppressive FoxP3+ Treg, that are known to negatively affect survival. Thus, CCL1 may serve as prognostic marker and novel therapeutic target in breast cancer

Sex in basic research – Concepts in the cardiovascular field

Women and men, female and male animals and cells are biologically different, and acknowledgement of this fact is critical to advancing medicine. However, incorporating concepts of sex-specific analysis in basic research is largely neglected, introducing bias into translational findings, clinical concepts and drug development.Research funding agencies recently approached these issues but implementation of policy changes in the scientific community is still limited probably due to deficits in concepts, knowledge and proper methodology. This expert review is based on the EUGenMed project (www.eugenmed.eu) developing a roadmap for implementing sex and gender in biomedical and health research. For sake of clarity and conciseness, examples are mainly taken from the cardiovascular field that may serve as a paradigm for others, since a significant amount of knowledge how sex and estrogen determine the manifestation of many cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has been accumulated. As main concepts for implementation of sex in basic research, the study of primary cell and animals of both sexes, the study of the influence of genetic versus hormonal factors and the analysis of sex chromosomes and sex specific statistics in genome wide association studies (GWAS) are discussed. The review also discusses methodological issues, and analyses strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in implementing sex-sensitive aspects into basic research

Inattention, Working Memory, and Goal Neglect in a Community Sample

Executive function deficits have been linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it has been theorized that the symptom inattention is specifically related to problems with complex verbal working memory (WM). Using the Conners Adult ADHD rating scale, adults aged 18–35 were assessed for ADHD symptoms, and completed tasks designed to tap verbal and spatial aspects of WM (Experiment 1). Results showed that high inattention predicted poor performance on both simple and complex verbal WM measures. Results relating to spatial WM were inconclusive. In a follow up experiment based on the theory that those with inattention have problems receiving verbal instructions, a measure of goal neglect assessing integration of information into a task model in WM was employed (Experiment 2). Results showed that high inattention uniquely predicted performance on this task, representing the first reported association between inattention and the phenomenon of goal neglect. The results from both experiments lend support to the WM theory of inattentio