Successful leadership requires leaders to make their followers aware of expectations regarding the goals to achieve, norms to follow, and task responsibilities to take over. This awareness is often ...achieved through leader-follower communication. In times of economic globalization and digitalization, however, leader-follower communication has become both more digitalized (virtual, rather than face-to-face) and less frequent, making successful leader-follower-communication more challenging. The current research tested in four studies (three preregistered) whether digitalization and frequency of interaction predict task-related leadership success. In one cross-sectional (Study 1, N = 200), one longitudinal (Study 2, N = 305), and one quasi-experimental study (Study 3, N = 178), as predicted, a higher frequency (but not a lower level of digitalization) of leader-follower interactions predicted better task-related leadership outcomes (i.e., stronger goal clarity, norm clarity, and task responsibility among followers). Via mediation and a causal chain approach, Study 3 and Study 4 (N = 261) further targeted the mechanism; results showed that the relationship between (higher) interaction frequency and these outcomes is due to followers perceiving more opportunities to share work-related information with the leaders. These results improve our understanding of contextual factors contributing to leadership success in collaborations across hierarchies. They highlight that it is not the digitalization but rather the frequency of interacting with their leader that predicts whether followers gain clarity about the relevant goals and norms to follow and the task responsibilities to assume.
Successful leadership requires leaders to make their followers aware of expectations regarding the goals to achieve, norms to follow, and task responsibilities to take over. This awareness is often ...achieved through leader-follower communication. In times of economic globalization and digitalization, however, leader-follower communication has become both more digitalized (virtual, rather than face-to-face) and less frequent, making successful leader-follower-communication more challenging. The current research tested in four studies (three preregistered) whether digitalization and frequency of interaction predict task-related leadership success. In one cross-sectional (Study 1, N = 200), one longitudinal (Study 2, N = 305), and one quasi-experimental study (Study 3, N = 178), as predicted, a higher frequency (but not a lower level of digitalization) of leader-follower interactions predicted better task-related leadership outcomes (i.e., stronger goal clarity, norm clarity, and task responsibility among followers). Via mediation and a causal chain approach, Study 3 and Study 4 (N = 261) further targeted the mechanism; results showed that the relationship between (higher) interaction frequency and these outcomes is due to followers perceiving more opportunities to share work-related information with the leaders. These results improve our understanding of contextual factors contributing to leadership success in collaborations across hierarchies. They highlight that it is not the digitalization but rather the frequency of interacting with their leader that predicts whether followers gain clarity about the relevant goals and norms to follow and the task responsibilities to assume.
This review evaluates the efficacy and safety of novel respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines approved for adults aged 60 years and older.
A literature search through February 27, 2024 was ...conducted using search terms, such as RSV, viral respiratory illness, vaccine, RSVpreF, RSVpreF3, Prefusion F, Abrysvo, and Arexvy.
Data from primary literature and vaccine prescribing information were reviewed, encompassing evaluations of clinical pharmacology, efficacy, safety, adverse events, warnings, and precautions.
The literature review process resulted in 10 articles included within this article's scope, including the results of 2 major phase III trials presented in detail. Two RSV vaccines, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine (recombinant adjuvanted; RSVpreF3-ASO1E, Arexvy) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine (recombinant; RSVpreF, Abrysvo), approved for preventing RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) in adults aged 60 years or older in the United States are discussed. Results from Phase III trials have demonstrated the efficacy of 1 dose of these vaccines in preventing RSV-associated LRTD across 2 RSV seasons.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices currently recommends use of these vaccines under shared clinical decision-making for adults aged 60 years or older. Most common adverse effects include injection site reactions (eg, site pain, redness, and swelling). Administration requires a single intramuscular injection of 0.5 mL, reconstituted prior to administration.
The RSVpreF3-ASO1E and RSVpreF vaccines effectively prevent RSV-associated LRTD in adults aged 60 years and older.
Background
The ultimate goal of pain research is to provide effective routes for pain relief. Nevertheless, the perception pain relief as a change in pain intensity and un‐/pleasantness has only been ...rarely investigated. It has been demonstrated that pain relief has rewarding and reinforcing properties, but it remains unknown whether the perception of pain relief changes when pain reductions occur repeatedly. Further, it remains an open question whether the perception of pain relief depends on the controllability of the preceding pain.
Methods
In this study, healthy volunteers (N = 38) received five cycles of painful heat stimulation and reduction of this stimulation to a non‐painful warm stimulation once in a condition with control of the stimulation and once without control. Participants rated perceived intensity and un‐/pleasantness on visual analogue scales during the heat stimulation and immediately after its reduction.
Results
Results showed that perceived pain relief, estimated by the difference in ratings during ongoing heat stimulation and after its reduction, increased with repetitions. However, this increase levelled off after two to four repetitions. Further, perceived pain relief was larger in the condition without control compared to the condition with control.
Conclusion
The perception of pain relief can be modulated similar to the perception of pain by stimulus characteristics and psychological factors. Mechanistic knowledge about such modulating factors is important, because they can determine, e.g., the amount of requested pain killers in clinical settings and the efficacy of pain relief as a reinforcing stimulus.
Significance
When in pain, pain relief can become an all‐dominate goal. The perception of such pain relief can vary depending on external and internal characteristics and thus modulate, e.g., requests for pain killers in clinical settings. Here, we show that perceived intensity and pleasantness of pain relief changes with repetitions and whether the preceding pain is perceived as uncontrollable. Such mechanistic knowledge needs to be considered to maximize the effects of pain relief as a rewarding and reinforcing stimulus.
Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide and infection by
is the strongest risk factor. We have reported increased epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation ...in the
-induced human carcinogenesis cascade, and association with DNA damage. Our goal was to determine the role of EGFR activation in gastric carcinogenesis.
We evaluated gefitinib, a specific EGFR inhibitor, in chemoprevention of
-induced gastric inflammation and cancer development. Mice with genetically targeted epithelial cell-specific deletion of
(
mice) were also used.
In C57BL/6 mice, gefitinib decreased
and
expression by gastric epithelial cells, myeloperoxidase-positive inflammatory cells in the mucosa and epithelial DNA damage induced by
infection. Similar reductions in chemokines, inflammatory cells and DNA damage occurred in infected
versus
control mice. In
-infected transgenic insulin-gastrin (INS-GAS) mice and gerbils, gefitinib treatment markedly reduced dysplasia and carcinoma. Gefitinib blocked
ri-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/3 (MAPK1/3) and activator protein 1 in gastric epithelial cells, resulting in inhibition of chemokine synthesis. MAPK1/3 phosphorylation and JUN activation was reduced in gastric tissues from infected wild-type and INS-GAS mice treated with gefitinib and in primary epithelial cells from
versus
mice. Epithelial EGFR activation persisted in humans and mice after
eradication, and gefitinib reduced gastric carcinoma in INS-GAS mice treated with antibiotics.
These findings suggest that epithelial EGFR inhibition represents a potential strategy to prevent development of gastric carcinoma in
-infected individuals.
•Numerical model for a comprehensive study of the flow in labyrinth seals.•Assessment of different seal lands structures in the straight-through labyrinth seal.•Design of Experiment and screening ...methods result in leakage reduction in the seal.•Selection of the most important parameters which influence the seal performance.
The labyrinth seal with a honeycomb land is one of the most typical sealing solutions used in gas turbines. The paper presents an analysis of a straight-through seal with two fins. Such seals are used in places with limited space and where design and tribological constraints are of great importance. At a small number of the labyrinth fins, an improvement in the labyrinth performance can bring notable operating benefits.
The paper presents optimisation of the seal labyrinth with different geometrical land configurations. The first part describes the labyrinth seal geometry and individual land types. The analysis covers seals with a honeycomb land, a squeezed-honeycomb land, a rhomboid land and a smooth land. The seal computational model and the optimisation task algorithm are presented. The objective function is minimization of the discharge coefficient, and the parameters are the labyrinth geometrical quantities: the fin height, the fin position, the fin thickness and the fin inclination angle. The optimisation task is solved for each land type.
The results of individual optimisation tasks are presented and discussed, and the potential for improvement in the seal efficiency by means of appropriate selection of both the labyrinth parameters and the type of the land is pointed out. The obtained values of the reduction in the discharge coefficient reach 18% compared to the reference labyrinth configuration. However, taking account of both the labyrinth and the land shape, the benefit of 22.4% is achieved in comparison to the reference configuration with a honeycomb land.
BACKGROUND: Congenital toxoplasmosis presents as severe, life-altering disease in North America. If mothers of infants with congenital toxoplasmosis could be identified by risks, it would provide ...strong support for educating pregnant women about risks, to eliminate this disease. Conversely, if not all risks are identifiable, undetectable risks are suggested. A new test detecting antibodies to sporozoites demonstrated that oocysts were the predominant source of Toxoplasma gondii infection in 4 North American epidemics and in mothers of children in the National Collaborative Chicago-based Congenital Toxoplasmosis Study (NCCCTS). This novel test offered the opportunity to determine whether risk factors or demographic characteristics could identify mothers infected with ocysts. METHODS: Acutely infected mothers and their congenitally infected infants were evaluated, including in-person interviews concerning risks and evaluation of perinatal maternal serum samples. RESULTS: Fifty-nine (78%) of 76 mothers of congenitally infected infants in NCCCTS had primary infection with oocysts. Only 49% of these mothers identified significant risk factors for sporozoite acquisition. Socioeconomic status, hometown size, maternal clinical presentations, and ethnicity were not reliable predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Undetected contamination of food and water by oocysts frequently causes human infections in North America. Risks are often unrecognized by those infected. Demographic characteristics did not identify oocyst infections. Thus, although education programs describing hygienic measures may be beneficial, they will not suffice to prevent the suffering and economic consequences associated with congenital toxoplasmosis. Only a vaccine or implementation of systematic serologic testing of pregnant women and newborns, followed by treatment, will prevent most congenital toxoplasmosis in North America.
Background & Aims Helicobacter pylori –induced gastric carcinogenesis has been linked to the microbial oncoprotein cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA). Spermine oxidase (SMO) metabolizes the polyamine ...spermine into spermidine and generates H2 O2 , which causes apoptosis and DNA damage. We determined if pathogenic effects of CagA are attributable to SMO. Methods Levels of SMO, apoptosis, and DNA damage (8-oxoguanosine) were measured in gastric epithelial cell lines infected with cagA+ or cagA− H pylori strains, or transfected with a CagA expression plasmid, in the absence or presence of SMO small interfering RNA, or an SMO inhibitor. The role of CagA in induction of SMO and DNA damage was assessed in H pylori –infected gastritis tissues from humans, gerbils, and both wild-type and hypergastrinemic insulin-gastrin mice, using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Results cagA+ strains or ectopic expression of CagA, but not cagA− strains, led to increased levels of SMO, apoptosis, and DNA damage in gastric epithelial cells, and knockdown or inhibition of SMO blocked apoptosis and DNA damage. There was increased SMO expression, apoptosis, and DNA damage in gastric tissues from humans infected with cagA+ , but not cagA− strains. In gerbils and mice, DNA damage was CagA-dependent and present in cells that expressed SMO. Gastric epithelial cells with DNA damage that were negative for markers of apoptosis accounted for 42%–69% of cells in gerbils and insulin-gastrin mice with dysplasia and carcinoma. Conclusions By inducing SMO, H pylori CagA generates cells with oxidative DNA damage, and a subpopulation of these cells are resistant to apoptosis and thus at high risk for malignant transformation.
The microsporidian genus Nosema is primarily known to infect insects of economic importance stimulating high research interest, while other hosts remain understudied. Nosema granulosis is one of the ...formally described Nosema species infecting amphipod crustaceans, being known to infect only two host species. Our first aim was to characterize Nosema spp. infections in different amphipod species from various European localities using the small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU) marker. Second, we aimed to assess the phylogenetic diversity, host specificity and to explore the evolutionary history that may explain the diversity of gammarid-infecting Nosema lineages by performing a phylogenetic reconstruction based on RNA polymerase II subunit B1 (RPB1) gene sequences. For the host species Gammarus balcanicus, we also analyzed whether parasites were in excess in females to test for sex ratio distortion in relation with Nosema infection. We identified Nosema spp. in 316 individuals from nine amphipod species being widespread in Europe. The RPB1-based phylogenetic reconstruction using newly reported sequences and available data from other invertebrates identified 39 haplogroups being associated with amphipods. These haplogroups clustered into five clades (A-E) that did not form a single amphipod-infecting monophyletic group. Closely related sister clades C and D correspond to Nosema granulosis. Clades A, B and E might represent unknown Nosema species infecting amphipods. Host specificity seemed to be variable with some clades being restricted to single hosts, and some that could be found in several host species. We show that Nosema parasite richness in gammarid hosts is much higher than expected, illustrating the advantage of the use of RPB1 marker over SSU. Finally, we found no hint of sex ratio distortion in Nosema clade A infecting G. balcanicus. This study shows that Nosema spp. are abundant, widespread and diverse in European gammarids. Thus, Nosema is as diverse in aquatic as in terrestrial hosts.
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