Survey of Academic Field Experiences (SAFE): Trainees Report Harassment and Assault

Little is known about the climate of the scientific fieldwork setting as it relates to gendered experiences, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. We conducted an internet-based survey of field scientists (N = 666) to characterize these experiences. Codes of conduct and sexual harassment policies were not regularly encountered by respondents, while harassment and assault were commonly experienced by respondents during trainee career stages. Women trainees were the primary targets; their perpetrators were predominantly senior to them professionally within the research team. Male trainees were more often targeted by their peers at the research site. Few respondents were aware of mechanisms to report incidents; most who did report were unsatisfied with the outcome. These findings suggest that policies emphasizing safety, inclusivity, and collegiality have the potential to improve field experiences of a diversity of researchers, especially during early career stages. These include better awareness of mechanisms for direct and oblique reporting of harassment and assault and, the implementation of productive response mechanisms when such behaviors are reported. Principal investigators are particularly well positioned to influence workplace culture at their field sites

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Systemic inflammation is associated with ovarian follicular dynamics during the human menstrual cycle.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian processes and the timing of ovulation are important predictors of both female fertility and reproductive pathology. Multiple waves of antral follicular development have been documented during the menstrual cycle in women. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of follicular waves and their clinical significance are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) and follicular waves in healthy women. We wanted to determine whether follicular wave dynamics influence systemic inflammation, as ovarian activity increases local inflammatory processes and blood flow. We tested the hypothesis that women with 3 follicular waves would have higher CRP concentrations than those with 2 waves. We further hypothesized that a greater number of major waves (those with a dominant follicle) would be positively associated with CRP. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Thirty-nine healthy women underwent daily transvaginal ultrasound examinations for one interovulatory interval, as part of an earlier study. Serum was collected every 3 days during the interovulatory interval (IOI). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were conducted to quantify serum CRP concentrations. Women with 3 waves had higher average log CRP concentrations (n = 14, -0.43±0.35) over the IOI than those with 2 waves (n = 25, -0.82±0.47, p = 02). Average log CRP concentrations were greater in women with 3 (0.30±0.31) versus 1 (-0.71±0.55) or 2 (-0.91±0.47) major waves (p = 0.03). Greater average CRP over the IOI was attributed to greater CRP in the follicular, but not the luteal phase, of the IOI. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: A greater number of total antral follicular waves, in particular major waves, corresponded to greater serum concentrations of CRP. These findings suggest that women with a greater number of follicular waves exhibit greater tissue remodeling and therefore greater local and systemic inflammation

Mean CRP concentrations over the IOI in women with different patterns of major and minor follicle development.

<p>Two waves: −+ and ++; three waves: −−+, −++ and +++. Non-transformed data are shown as the mean ± SEM.</p

CRP concentrations across the IOI in women with two versus three follicle waves.

<p>Non-transformed data are shown.</p

Differences in IOI, follicular and luteal phase lengths among the different wave patterns.

<p>Values are shown as the mean ± standard deviation. Within columns, values with different superscripts are different (p<0.05).</p

Differences in age, gravidity, parity and BMI between women with 2 versus 3 waves, among the 5 follicular wave patterns, and among those with different numbers of waves emerging in the follicular phase.

<p>Values are shown as the mean ± standard deviation. Within columns, values with different superscripts are different (p<0.05).</p

Mean CRP concentrations over the IOI in women with one, two or three major waves, irrespective of total number of waves.

<p>Non-transformed data are shown as the mean ± SEM.</p

Mean CRP concentrations over the IOI in women with two or three follicle waves.

<p>Non-transformed data are shown as the mean ± SEM.</p

Distribution of survey respondents who experienced inappropriate comments (harassment) or unwanted physical contact (assault) by gender and professional status at the time of the event.

<p>*Not all respondents provided an answer to these questions.</p