Polarity Based Model for Guiding Medical School Strategy During Crisis - A Cross Sectional Qualitative Study

Background: Crises like the COVID pandemic in academia can best be dealt with as a polarity that needs to be leveraged rather than a problem that needs to be solved. This work aimed at utilizing the Polarity Approach for Continuity and Transformation (PACT)™ to establish a guide for medical schools during times of crisis to minimize the effect of crisis-driven decisions on strategic growth. Methods: A qualitative study followed the 5-Steps of the PACT process was conducted. A virtual mapping session was held with 108 medical educators from 22 countries to determine the upsides and downsides of strategic orientation and crisis management subsequently. Results: Four polarity maps were generated identifying four tension areas; University reputation, mission, teams, and individuals followed by a 72-item assessment and another mapping session to map the warning signs and action steps. A comparison between private school scores and the whole cohort of respondents showed that private schools had higher scores in all tension areas but still showed the least score for the “teams” tension. Conclusion: This study highlighted the importance of taking measures to communicate the mission and supporting team functions inside universities either by enhancing resources or utilizing time and effort-saving strategies.

Modulation of odour-guided behaviour in mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are emerging as model systems with which to study innate behaviours through neuroethology and functional genomics. Decades of work on these disease vectors have provided a solid behavioural framework describing the distinct repertoire of predominantly odour-mediated behaviours of female mosquitoes, and their dependence on life stage (intrinsic factors) and environmental cues (extrinsic factors). The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of how intrinsic factors, including adult maturation, age, nutritional status, and infection, affect the attraction to plants and feeding on plant fluids, host seeking, blood feeding, supplemental feeding behaviours, pre-oviposition behaviour, and oviposition in female mosquitoes. With the technological advancements in the recent two decades, we have gained a better understanding of which volatile organic compounds are used by mosquitoes to recognise and discriminate among various fitness-enhancing resources, and characterised their neural and molecular correlates. In this review, we present the state of the art of the peripheral olfactory system as described by the neural physiology, functional genomics, and genetics underlying the demonstrated changes in the behavioural repertoire in female mosquitoes. The review is meant as a summary introduction to the current conceptual thinking in the field.

‘All Ears’: A Questionnaire of 1516 Owner Perceptions of the Mental Abilities of Pet Rabbits, Subsequent Resource Provision, and the Effect on Welfare

Pet rabbit welfare is a hidden crisis: Inappropriately housed, fed, and not routinely provided healthcare—rabbits can often suffer painful conditions and shortened lifespans. This study provides novel understanding of owners’ perceptions of rabbits’ mental capabilities; how this impacts their husbandry; and subsequent effects on rabbits’ welfare. A survey was designed to investigate owner and rabbit demographics, owner perception of rabbits, resources provided, and rabbit behavior. Distributed online and by the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, the survey received 1516 responses. It was found that increased owner perceptions of pain, emotions, and intelligence resulted in increased likelihood of providing a partner, increased enrichment variation, and a more appropriate diet and type of housing. Welfare scores were associated with diet, housing, variety of enrichment, and time spent with owners. These results suggest that a practical approach to improving the welfare standard provided to rabbits may be to target improving owner perceptions of the species’ intelligence, emotionality, and experience of pain. This information would be beneficial in tailoring public education programs to increase provision of welfare enhancing resources, improve the human–animal relationship, and thus improve the welfare standards for this species.

Patient safety challenges in primary health care: a scoping review

ABSTRACT Objectives: to identify the patient safety challenges described by health professionals in Primary Health Care. Methods: a scoping review was conducted on the LILACS, MEDLINE, IBECS, BDENF, and CINAHL databases, and on the Cochrane, SciELO, Pubmed, and Web of Science libraries in January 2019. Original articles on patient safety in the context of Primary Health Care by health professionals were included. Results: the review included 26 studies published between 2002 and 2019. Four categories resulted from the analysis: challenges of health professionals, administration challenges of health services, challenges with the patient and family, and the potential enhancing resources for patient safety. Conclusions: patient safety challenges for Primary Care professionals are multiple and complex. This study provides insight into resources to improve patient safety for health care professionals, patients, administrators, policy makers, educators, and researchers.

THE S.O.C. MODEL OF AGING IN DOCUMENTARY FILMS: POSITIVE ADAPTATION TO AGE-RELATED LOSS IN THEORY AND EVERYDAY LIFE

There is overwhelming evidence that “pop culture” depictions of age-related losses are primarily negative, ignoring positive adaptive experiences associated with the second half of life. Unfortunately, film as an entertainment medium often creates and reinforces this negative status quo. This presentation describes the usefulness of the Baltes and Baltes S.O.C. Model for offsetting losses – via narrowing and revision of goal priorities (Selection), locating and enhancing resources to achieve positive outcomes (Optimization), and using these to increase one’s personal limits and reserve capacities (Compensation). In addition, positive “S.O.C. Solutions” (Spiehs, 2018) are illustrated for everyday loss scenarios within four new documentary films. These include positive adaptations to four loss domains – personal autonomy (driving), physical capacity (sexual responsiveness), psychological well-being (loneliness and belonging), and environmental destruction (place dependency). Annotated sources will be made available.

When do investors value board gender diversity?

PurposeThis paper aims to use the passage of the Italian Gender Diversity Law to help isolate the effects of board gender diversity on firm value by investigating conditions under which such diversity provides greater role-enhancing resources to the board.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used a one-day event study to measure when gender diversity matters to investors. Abnormal returns from Italian firms were used to study investors’ anticipated outcomes of the effect of gender diversity on firm value.FindingsBoard gender diversity is financially beneficial especially for firms with a male dual CEO and board chair and with few or no women on board committees and firms that operate in industries with greater levels of competition. Addition of these moderators more than doubles the variance explained. Moreover, the effect of gender is isolated in this study, which examined investor reaction to the expectation of increases in the number of female board members, rather than to specific female appointees.Social implicationsDetermining the conditions when a gender diverse matters to firm value is important for shareholders, policymakers and advocates for gender equality. The findings illustrate precise conditions for stakeholders to make the case for board gender diversity as achieving financial reward, in addition to societal benefit.Originality/valueThe value of a gender diverse board is contingent on the company’s need for diverse resources (e.g. more competition, lack of gender diversity on committees or CEO duality). This paper provides insight as to why prior research linking board gender diversity to firm value finds seemingly contradictory results. Thus, this paper provides useful insights for researchers, boards and legislative bodies.