Do Micronutrient and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements Affect Human Maternal Immunity during Pregnancy? A Scoping Review

Maternal dietary micronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids support development of the fetal and neonatal immune system. Whether supplementation is similarly beneficial for the mother during gestation has received limited attention. A scoping review of human trials was conducted looking for evidence of biochemical, genomic, and clinical effects of supplementation on the maternal immune system. The authors explored the literature on PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases from 2010 to the present day using PRISMA-ScR methodology. Full-length human trials in English were searched for using general terms and vitamin A, B12, C, D, and E; choline; iodine; iron; selenium; zinc; and docosahexaenoic/eicosapentaenoic acid. Of 1391 unique articles, 36 were eligible for inclusion. Diverse biochemical and epigenomic effects of supplementation were identified that may influence innate and adaptive immunity. Possible clinical benefits were encountered in malaria, HIV infections, anemia, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, and preventing preterm delivery. Only limited publications were identified that directly explored maternal immunity in pregnancy and the effects of micronutrients. None provided a holistic perspective. It is concluded that supplementation may influence biochemical aspects of the maternal immune response and some clinical outcomes, but the evidence from this review is not sufficient to justify changes to current guidelines.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Far from Colorblind. Reflections on Racialization in Contemporary Europe

European history is to a significant extent also a history about racialization and racism. Since the colonizers of past centuries defined boundaries between “civilized” and “savages” by applying value standards in which the notions of race, ethnicity, culture, and religion were interwoven and imposed on human beings perceived as fundamentally different from themselves, racialization became deeply inherent in how (white) Europeans viewed the world, themselves, and others. In this Special Issue, we assume that colonialist racialization constitutes the base of a persistent and often unreflective and indirect racism. Implicit value systems according to which white people are automatically considered as more competent, more desirable, preferable in general terms, and more “European” translate into patterns of everyday racism affecting the self-image and life chances of white and non-white Europeans. In this introductory article, which defines the conceptual framework for the special issue, we contest the idea of a “post-racial” condition and discuss the consequences of ethno-racial differentiation and stigmatization for racialized groups such as Black Europeans, European Roma, and non-white migrants in general. Finally, we argue for the need to further problematize and critically examine whiteness.

Questioning the quest for Pluralism: How Decolonial is Non-Western IR?

Since early 2000s, scholars of international relations have been questioning the Western-centrism of their home discipline and, in a quest for pluralism, have been envisioning ways of conceptualizing the world beyond the West. At the same time, an intellectual movement known as modernity/coloniality research collective has been critically reflecting about modernity and its often-neglected counterpart, coloniality, to resist universalism and to decolonize knowledge. Engaging with the attempts to procure pluralism in the discourse of international relations, the purpose of this article is to question the different perspectives of non-Western international relations from a decolonial angle to identify intellectual projects that could lead to decolonizing the discipline. In its discussion of how decolonial non-Western IR theory is, the article argues that while some perspectives within the subfield openly reject or simply ignore the concerns raised by decolonial thought, others put forward intellectual projects where decolonial arguments resonate. Hence, rather than characterizing the subfield in general terms, the article distinguishes those perspectives that are attentive to the need of generating a true dialog among knowledges and, by so doing, it contributes to critical scholarship within international relations.

Management of Medico-Legal Risks in Digital Health Era: A Scoping Review

Artificial intelligence needs big data to develop reliable predictions. Therefore, storing and processing health data is essential for the new diagnostic and decisional technologies but, at the same time, represents a risk for privacy protection. This scoping review is aimed at underlying the medico-legal and ethical implications of the main artificial intelligence applications to healthcare, also focusing on the issues of the COVID-19 era. Starting from a summary of the United States (US) and European Union (EU) regulatory frameworks, the current medico-legal and ethical challenges are discussed in general terms before focusing on the specific issues regarding informed consent, medical malpractice/cognitive biases, automation and interconnectedness of medical devices, diagnostic algorithms and telemedicine. We aim at underlying that education of physicians on the management of this (new) kind of clinical risks can enhance compliance with regulations and avoid legal risks for the healthcare professionals and institutions.

Energy Metabolism and Hyperactivation of Spermatozoa from Three Mouse Species under Capacitating Conditions

Mammalian sperm differ widely in sperm morphology, and several explanations have been presented to account for this diversity. Less is known about variation in sperm physiology and cellular processes that can give sperm cells an advantage when competing to fertilize oocytes. Capacitation of spermatozoa, a process essential for mammalian fertilization, correlates with changes in motility that result in a characteristic swimming pattern known as hyperactivation. Previous studies revealed that sperm motility and velocity depend on the amount of ATP available and, therefore, changes in sperm movement occurring during capacitation and hyperactivation may involve changes in sperm bioenergetics. Here, we examine differences in ATP levels of sperm from three mouse species (genus Mus), differing in sperm competition levels, incubated under non-capacitating and capacitating conditions, to analyse relationships between energetics, capacitation, and swimming patterns. We found that, in general terms, the amount of sperm ATP decreased more rapidly under capacitating conditions. This descent was related to the development of a hyperactivated pattern of movement in two species (M. musculus and M. spicilegus) but not in the other (M. spretus), suggesting that, in the latter, temporal dynamics and energetic demands of capacitation and hyperactivation may be decoupled or that the hyperactivation pattern differs. The decrease in ATP levels during capacitation was steeper in species with higher levels of sperm competition than in those with lower levels. Our results suggest that, during capacitation, sperm consume more ATP than under non-capacitating conditions. This higher ATP consumption may be linked to higher velocity and lateral head displacement, which are associated with hyperactivated motility.

The response of law enforcement agencies and police officers' experiences under the Covid-19 state of alarm in Catalonia, Spain

PurposeLaw enforcement agencies and police officers' efforts were crucial to oversee the public health measures and legal regulations introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study had two objectives: to examine the strategies implemented by law enforcement agencies in Catalonia (Spain) to monitor the pandemic and to explore the adverse working conditions of police officers and their personal difficulties during the state of alarm.Design/methodology/approachA total of 96 experienced police officers completed a closed-ended, anonymous online survey. In addition, complementary information was collected about the management of law enforcement agencies through open interviews. A descriptive analysis was carried out and the association between variables was explored.FindingsIn general terms, law enforcement agencies managed the uncertainty of the situation, with a focus on official information and communication channels between officers. However, many difficulties were reported by the police officers, such us inconsistency between rules, lack of preventive material or changes in work schedules. Besides, the officers' main concern, beyond the emotional impact suffered during this period, was the possibility of being infected or infecting others.Practical implicationsThe congruence between the job requirements and resources, as well as the increase of communication channels during situations of high risk are important variables to assure good job development and personal satisfaction of police officers.Originality/valueTo the knowledge of the authors, at the time of writing this paper, this is the first study in Spain to explore the management of law enforcement agencies and police officers' personal experiences during the Covid-19.

Understanding the Occupational Burnout Experience of Medical Specialists at the Time of Education and Career Launch: A Case Study of the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University Students and Residents of the Alekseev Psychiatric Hospital N1

BACKGROUND: Occupational burnout in the most general terms is seen as a long-lasting stressful situation resulting from continuing occupational stress of moderate intensity. AIM: The objective of this article is to provide analysis of occupational burnout in psychiatrists and nurses of psychiatric hospitals, and the development of occupational burnout in students and residents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The level of occupational burnout was determined using the “Attitude to work and occupational burnout” test, Seashore Group Cohesion Index, Stolin’s Self-Concept Questionnaire, and the Freiburg Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (Freiburg Personality Inventory). The study proved the existence of patterns of occupational burnout in psychiatrists and nurses of psychiatric hospitals, as well as in students and residents. RESULTS: It has been revealed that the development of the burnout syndrome is influenced by personal qualities of psychiatrists and nurses (residents and students), and the managerial features of their activities, and that occupational burnout develops in psychiatrists and nurses over the course of their professional careers, but starts to emerge during their education. The score of the Integrative Burnout Index ranges from 48.99 in students of the [BLINDED] University to 23.52 in psychiatrists of the Alekseev Psychiatric Hospital N1. Occupational burnout syndrome is spread in medical students worldwide, with its level higher than in the overall population, in students of other specialties. CONCLUSIONS: Burnout at the stage of getting the education can hinder the professional development of students, expose patients to risk, and promote the development of various personality problems in future psychiatrists and nurses. The need of preventing professional burnout at the stage of obtaining a specialty has been substantiated.

The Moderating Effect of Family Management on R&D Productivity in Privately Held Firms

The aim of this chapter is to analyze the moderating effect of family management on the relationship between R&D inputs and R&D outcomes, that is, R&D productivity. Using a longitudinal sample of 337 Spanish privately held manufacturing firms, the results show that in general terms, although family managed firms invest less in R&D than their non-family managed counterparts, they reinforce the conversion of R&D inputs into R&D outcomes. Moreover, the findings reveal that the strengthening effect of family management on R&D productivity is contingent upon the level of R&D expenditures. Thus, this chapter contributes to shedding some light into the debate regarding innovation management in privately held family firms.

The Vampire Lovers and Hammer's Post-1970 Production Strategy

This article firstly examines the artistic and commercial merits of The Vampire Lovers, which was adapted from the Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla. The production of the film was subcontracted by James Carreras at Hammer to Fantale Films, a company established by Harry Fine, Michael Style and Tudor Gates. The article then proceeds by examining various different and competing artistic judgements that have been made about the film, and also the construction of its unusual dreamy atmosphere. It documents both its UK and US box-office performances and goes on to examine Hammer's post-1970 production strategy in more general terms and in relation to the overall financial performance of the company in the period 1967–72, just before and after The Vampire Lovers. Finally, it examines Hammer's receipt of the Queen's Award for Industry in 1968, the effect of its rolling production-line (or ‘pipeline’) model of film-making on the company's general level of profitability, and some of the consequences of Michael Carreras's assumption of managerial control at Hammer after 1970.

„Gazeta Polska Bukowiny” jako źródło do badań współczesnej polszczyzny pisanej na Ukrainie

The Magazine Gazeta Polska Bukowiny as a Source for the Study of Contemporary Written Polish in UkraineThis article presents the magazine Gazeta Polska Bukowiny [The Polish Gazette of Bukovina], which has been published in Ukraine since 2007, as a source for the study of contemporary written Polish under the conditions of its contact with other languages in Ukraine. The analysis is set against the background of research on the press of the Polish national minority in the country. The article offers a discussion of the advantages and prospects of the linguistic study of texts published in Gazeta Polska Bukowiny, including the use of the electronic corpus of this periodical as a research tool. The study outlines the characteristics of the magazine (time of publication, structure, topics of texts, their authors, editing) and, in the most general terms, the scope of deviations from the general Polish norm, which can be analysed on the basis of texts written by people of Polish descent. The linguistic specificity of these texts is more precisely illustrated on the example of case forms of nouns which deviate from their normative Polish equivalents. The author considers the potential impact of interference resulting from contact between Polish and Ukrainian and – directly or indirectly – Russian, which functions in Ukraine alongside the official language of the country. „Gazeta Polska Bukowiny” jako źródło do badań współczesnej polszczyzny pisanej na UkrainieCelem publikacji jest przedstawienie „Gazety Polskiej Bukowiny”, ukazującej się od 2007 roku na Ukrainie, jako źródła do badań nad współczesną polszczyzną pisaną w tym kraju w warunkach jej kontaktu z innymi językami. Na tle pokazania stanu badań nad językiem prasy polskiej mniejszości narodowej na Ukrainie omawia się zalety i perspektywy studiów językoznawczych prowadzonych na materiale tekstów „Gazety Polskiej Bukowiny”, w tym także z uwzględnieniem – jako narzędzia badawczego – utworzonego na potrzeby naukowe elektronicznego korpusu tego periodyku. Podaje się charakterystykę gazety (czas wydawania, struktura, zakres tematyczny publikacji, ich autorzy, redakcja) i najogólniej określa się zasięg odstępstw od ogólnopolskiej normy językowej, które można analizować na podstawie tekstów publikacji pisanych przez osoby polskiego pochodzenia. Dokładniej zaś specyfikę językową ilustruje się na przykładzie deklinacyjnych form rzeczownika odbiegających od normatywnych odpowiedników ogólnopolskich. Przytacza się komentarze o możliwych wpływach zewnątrzinterferencyjnych w wyniku kontaktów polszczyzny z językiem ukraińskim i – bezpośrednio lub pośrednio – rosyjskim, który aktywnie funkcjonuje na Ukrainie obok języka państwowego.