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The purpose of this research is to identify the new challenges and opportunities that companies had faced due to the radical transformation of work schemes during the COVID-19 contingency. During this environment of uncertainty and change, we look for an understanding of how organizational agility has helped companies to implement key Internal Marketing strategies to cope with such challenges, being able to differentiate between “brilliant improvisation” and a repeatable capability to be prepared for a future crisis or environmental challenging scenarios. This paper presents a proposed model that analyzes two relevant research gaps: 1) The relationship between Internal Marketing and Organizational Agility, and 2) The challenges of Internal Marketing inside an organization derived from an external crisis (COVID-19). Eight semi‐structured long interviews, focused on understanding the employer's perspective, were developed with CEOs of SMEs in various industries in Mexico. The findings suggest five main challenges to enable Internal Marketing strategies through organizational agility: 1) communication 2) emotional well-being, 3) safety, 4) empowerment, and 5) digital tools management.

Introduction Endogenous Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is a rare endocrine condition caused by chronic oversecretion of cortisol, resulting in a diverse constellation of symptoms. This study examined the ongoing burden of illness (BOI), from the first appearance of symptoms through treatment, which is currently not well evaluated. Methods A quantitative, cross-sectional, web-enabled survey including 5 validated patient reported outcomes (PRO) measures was conducted in patients with CS who had been diagnosed ≥ 6 months prior and who had received ≥ 1 treatment for their endogenous CS at the time of the survey. Results Fifty-five patients participated in this study; 85% were women. The mean age was 43.4 ± 12.3 years (± standard deviation, SD). On average, respondents reported a 10-year gap between the first occurrence of symptoms and diagnosis; 80% underwent surgical treatment for CS. Respondents experienced symptoms on 16 days in a typical month, and their health-related quality of life was moderately impacted based on the CushingQoL score. Weight gain, muscle fatigue, and weakness were the most common symptoms and 69% percent of patients reported moderate or severe fatigue using the Brief Fatigue Inventory. Following treatment, the occurrence of most symptoms declined over time, although anxiety and pain did not significantly decrease. Overall, 38% of participants reported an annual average of 25 missed workdays due to CS symptoms. Conclusions These results demonstrate a BOI in CS despite ongoing treatment and illustrate the need for interventions to address persistent symptoms, particularly weight gain, pain, and anxiety.

Flare frequency distributions represent a key approach to addressing one of the largest problems in solar and stellar physics: determining the mechanism that counter-intuitively heats coronae to temperatures that are orders of magnitude hotter than the corresponding photospheres. It is widely accepted that the magnetic field is responsible for the heating, but there are two competing mechanisms that could explain it: nanoflares or Alfv\'en waves. To date, neither can be directly observed. Nanoflares are, by definition, extremely small, but their aggregate energy release could represent a substantial heating mechanism, presuming they are sufficiently abundant. One way to test this presumption is via the flare frequency distribution, which describes how often flares of various energies occur. If the slope of the power law fitting the flare frequency distribution is above a critical threshold, $\alpha=2$ as established in prior literature, then there should be a sufficient abundance of nanoflares to explain coronal heating. We performed $>$600 case studies of solar flares, made possible by an unprecedented number of data analysts via three semesters of an undergraduate physics laboratory course. This allowed us to include two crucial, but nontrivial, analysis methods: pre-flare baseline subtraction and computation of the flare energy, which requires determining flare start and stop times. We aggregated the results of these analyses into a statistical study to determine that $\alpha = 1.63 \pm 0.03$. This is below the critical threshold, suggesting that Alfv\'en waves are an important driver of coronal heating., Comment: 1,002 authors, 14 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, published by The Astrophysical Journal on 2023-05-09, volume 948, page 71

BACKGROUND Tomato is widely consumed throughout the world for its flavor and nutritional value. This functional food largely depends on the implementation of new strategies to maintain the nutraceutical value, e.g. lycopene concentration, and overcome the challenges of sustainable production and food security. The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-based biostimulants represents one of the most promising tools for sustainable management of agricultural soils, being fundamental for organic food production, reducing fertilizers and pesticides use, and decreasing environmental damage. This study aimed at elucidating whether native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) could positively affect tomato yield and lycopene concentration. RESULTS Native AMF inoculum consisted of two inoculum types: the single species Claroideoglomus claroideum, and a mix of Scutellospora calospora, Acaulospora laevis, Claroideoglomus claroideum, and Claroideoglomus etunicatum. At the end of the study up to 78% of the root system was colonized by single inoculum. Tomato diameters in single and mix mycorrhizal plants showed increases of 80% and 35% respectively. Fresh weights were 84% and 38% higher with single and mix inocula compared with the controls, respectively. The lycopene concentration in tomato fruits of plants with single and mix inoculum was higher than controls. The lycopene concentration was 124.5% and 113.9% greater in single and mix than non-inoculated plants. CONCLUSION Tomato diameters, fresh weight and lycopene concentration was significantly higher in plants colonized by AMF compared with uninoculated plants. Results suggest that the role of single species Claroideoglomus claroideum could generate better plant performance due to its high production of extraradical mycelium. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports international partners in introducing vaccines, including those against SARS-CoV-2 virus. CDC contributes to the development of global technical tools, guidance, and policy for COVID-19 vaccination and has established its COVID-19 International Vaccine Implementation and Evaluation (CIVIE) program. CIVIE supports ministries of health and their partner organizations in developing or strengthening their national capacities for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination programs. CIVIE's 7 priority areas for country-specific technical assistance are vaccine policy development, program planning, vaccine confidence and demand, data management and use, workforce development, vaccine safety, and evaluation. We discuss CDC's work on global COVID-19 vaccine implementation, including priorities, challenges, opportunities, and applicable lessons learned from prior experiences with Ebola, influenza, and meningococcal serogroup A conjugate vaccine introductions.

The cropVitis vinifera(L.) is of great economic importance as Chile is one of the main wine-producing countries, reaching a vineyard area of 145,000 ha. This vine crop is usually very sensitive to local condition changes and agronomic practices; therefore, strategies to counteract the expected future decrease in water level for agricultural irrigation, temperature increase, extreme water stress (abiotic stress), as well as increase in pathogenic diseases (biotic stress) related to climate change will be of vital importance for this crop. Studies carried out in recent years have suggested that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can provide key ecosystem services to host plants, such as water uptake implementation and enhanced absorption of nutrients such as P and N, which are key factors for improving the nutritional status of the vine. AMF use in viticulture will contribute also to sustainable agronomic management and bioprotection against pathogens. Here we will present (1) the current status of grapevines in Chile, (2) the main problems in grapevines related to water stress and associated with climate change, (3) the importance of AMF to face water stress and pathogens, and (4) the application of AMF as a biotechnological and sustainable tool in vineyards.

Objective:Food security status is a continuum ranging from high to very low food security. While marginal food security falls next to high food security on the spectrum, new quantitative research indicates marginal food security status is associated with negative health outcomes and poor academic performance among college students. Qualitative research focusing on college students experiencing marginal food security has not been conducted. The current study aims to qualitatively explore experiences of college students with marginal food security and to identify themes to better understand and provide context regarding how marginal food security impacts students.Design:Students were recruited for semi-structured interviews with questions designed to study the challenges associated with students’ food situations. All interviews were recorded and transcribed with themes identified via an inductive approach.Setting:A large public university on the US west coast.Participants:Thirty college students.Results:Key themes that emerged: purchasing cheap unhealthy foods, insufficient time to prepare and eat meals on a regular basis, stress and anxiety around the inability to eat healthy food and future health issues, self-perception of health when eating poorly along with physical symptoms and low academic motivation by not fully participating in their courses due to few healthy food options or missing meals.Conclusion:Marginal food security can potentially diminish students’ health and their capacity to learn and succeed in their coursework. The results emphasise that students experiencing marginal food security should not be grouped with students experiencing high food security.

espanolResumen El articulo parte de constatar que los criterios de publicacion en las humanidades dependen de una academia vinculada con el dispositivo tecnocientifico. Asi, la tecnologia del desarrollo plantea al profesor universitario como un empresario de si que se capitaliza a si mismo y a su corporacion por medio de la publicacion de articulos, desde una perspectiva competitiva. Concluye que la narracion emerge como una de las formas discursivas de resistencia posible a este funcionamiento, a partir de la cual los textos dejan de constituirse como artefactos de datos para adquirir la condicion de cuerpos vivos, tensionados por una etica de la existencia. EnglishAbstract The article begins by establishing that the criteria for publication in Human Sciences depends on an academy linked to techno-scientific devices. Thus, the technology of development defines the university professor as an entrepreneur who capitalizes themselves and their company through the publication of articles, from a competitive perspective. The article concludes that the narrative emerges as one of the possible discursive forms of resistance in this operation from which the produced texts cease to be constituted as artifacts of data and acquire the condition of living bodies, permeated by an ethics of existence. portuguesResumo O artigo comeca com a observacao de que os criterios de publicacao nas humanidades dependem de uma academia ligada ao dispositivo tecnocientifico. Assim, a tecnologia do desenvolvimento coloca o professor universitario como empresario que capitaliza a si proprio e a sua corporacao atraves da publicacao de artigos, desde uma perspectiva competitiva. Conclui que a narrativa surge como uma das formas discursivas de resistencia possiveis contra essa operacao, das quais os textos deixam de ser constituidos como artefatos de dados para adquirir a condicao de corpos vivos, coagidos por uma etica da existencia.

In situ synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) were used to study the growth of Pd nanodendrites and quasi-spherical Pd nanoparticles. The metal–ligand environments of both the precursors and growing nanoparticles contribute to nanostructure formation. Specifically, the use of Pd(hfac)2 (hfac=hexafluoroacetylacetonate) as a precursor facilitated nanostructure formation more facilely compared to Pd(acac)2 (acac=acetylacetonate), as quantified by in situ WAXS. This enhanced rate is attributed to the better leaving group properties of the hfac− ligands, and this result demonstrates that fundamental principles from coordination chemistry can guide the selection of precursors in nanomaterial syntheses. This in situ approach also revealed concomitant nucleation, coalescence, and growth processes during the synthesis of monodisperse Pd nanoparticles. Significantly, this finding identifies self-limited growth mediated by the local ligand environment of the particles as the central means of size distribution control and contradicts the typically cited mechanism (LaMer-like growth) for such chemical systems. These observations highlight the importance of applying in situ approaches to study nanostructure formation as intertwined processes can be revealed.

Objective.To understand the genotypic spectrum of environmental contamination ofStaphylococcus aureusin households and its persistenceDesign.Prospective longitudinal cohort investigation.Setting.Index participants identified at 2 academic medical centers.Participants.Adults and children withS. aureusskin infections and their household contacts in Los Angeles and Chicago.Methods.Household fomites were surveyed for contamination at baseline and 3 months. All isolates underwent genetic typing.Results.We enrolled 346 households, 88% of which completed the 3-month follow-up visit.S. aureusenvironmental contamination was 49% at baseline and 51% at 3 months. Among households with a USA300 methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA) body infection isolate, environmental contamination with an indistinguishable MRSA strain was 58% at baseline and 63% at 3 months. Baseline factors associated with environmental contamination by the index subject’s infection isolate were body colonization by any household member with the index subject’s infection isolate at baseline (odds ratio [OR], 10.93 [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.75–20.79]), higher housing density (OR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.10–1.96]), and more frequent household fomite cleaning (OR, 1.62 [95% CI, 1.16–2.27]). Household environmental contamination with the index subject’s infection strain at 3 months was associated with USA300 MRSA and a synergistic interaction between baseline environmental contamination and body colonization by any household member with the index subject’s infection strain.Conclusions.We found that infectingS. aureusisolates frequently persisted environmentally in households 3 months after skin infection. Presence of pathogenicS. aureusstrain type in the environment in a household may represent a persistent reservoir that places household members at risk of future infection.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2014;35(11):1373–1382

By controlling the kinetics of nanocrystal growth via a galvanic replacement process, branched Au nanocrystals, including Au tetrapods and star-shaped decahedra, have been synthesized in high yield. Such control is achieved by the establishment of a Pt(II)/Pt redox couple during nanocrystal formation, which provides locally high concentrations of Au adatoms via galvanic replacement. These remarkable structures have been extensively characterized by microscopy techniques, which illustrate that the internal twin features of the nanocrystals provide a break in the symmetry of the face centered cubic lattice of the Au particles and account for the specific branching patterns observed. Significantly, this study validates a new class of redox couples for use in nanosyntheses and will enable the preparation of other nanocrystals as kinetic products.

Background Influenza illness can range from mild to severe, with serious outcomes occurring in children and the elderly. Flu has been studied extensively in geographies where vaccine is often plentiful. The burden of influenza is not well known in tropical regions where vaccine coverage is scant. Our study examines the impact of introducing flu vaccination on cumulative incidence in a Cameroonian population with Methods The data consists of 1 year of flu surveillance from patients presenting with influenza-like-illness at clinics in Cameroon. Samples underwent RT-PCR influenza screening. Analysis was performed in Berkeley Madonna. We developed ordinary differential equations (ODE)s under the SEIR compartmental model and calculated R0. We estimated the proportion of cases the clinics observed to make inferences to the catchment population of these health facilities. We developed another set of ODEs to introduce vaccination using a pulse function with a 50% efficacy and 45% vaccination coverage. Results We observed 82.9% reduction in flu cases by introducing vaccination at 45% coverage (US average). Cameroon would likely achieve reduced coverage. Therefore, we examined introducing vaccination with 10% coverage, and observed that flu cases were cut by over one third. Conclusion This analysis demonstrates that introducing vaccination in Cameroon clinics would reduce influenza cases substantially even with only a small proportion of the population vaccinated. Flu vaccination campaigns should be strongly considered as they can reduce case count which may reduce the likelihood of transmitting flu to those who are at risk the most severe outcomes. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Background Pre-eclampsia affects approximately 2–8% of pregnant women, causing proteinuria and blood pressure above 140 × 90 mmHg after the 20th week of gestation. If left untreated, PE can lead to the occurrence of self-sustained seizures (Eclampsia) that could eventually evolve to coma, and death of the mother and fetus. In the present study, an experimental model of hypertension was induced in pregnant rats that, later, received a seizure-trigger injection of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) aiming to mimetize the eclampsia clinical picture. Methods Wistar rats were divided into four groups: non-pregnant (NP), pregnant (P), hypertensive (H) and pregnant hypertensive (HP). Hypertension (H and HP) was induced via clipping of the left renal artery. Subsequently, all animals were injected with PTZ and behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) changes were recorded. Results In opposition to control animals (NP and P), those from the H and HP groups presented a steady increase in BP that was first noticed two weeks after the renal artery clipping. PTZ injection at pregnancy days 18, 19 and 20 was able to induce behavioral and electrographic seizures in all groups although the number and the duration of each fit were higher in HP animals when compared to other groups. Besides, EEG analysis revealed that signal power and amplitude during the seizure events were significantly higher in the HP group. Conclusion Renal artery clipping in pregnant female rats was able to induce signs similar to those observed in preeclampsia. Besides, PTZ administration was able to induce behavioral and electrographic seizures significantly more intense in the HP group than those observed in the control groups (NP, P, H).

The predictable synthesis of bimetallic nanostructures via co-reduction of two metal precursors is challenging due to our limited understanding of precursor ligand effects. Here, the influence of different metal–ligand environments is systematically examined in the synthesis of Pd–Pt nanostructures as a model bimetallic system. Nanodendrites with different spatially defined Pd–Pt compositions are achieved, where the local ligand environments of metal precursors dictate if temporally separated co-reduction dominates to achieve core–shell nanostructures or whether electroless co-deposition proceeds to facilitate alloyed nanostructure formation. As the properties of bimetallic nanomaterials depend on crystal ordering and composition, chemical routes to structurally defined bimetallic nanomaterials are critically needed. The approaches reported here should be applicable to other bimetallic compositions given the established reactivity of coordination complexes available for use as precursors.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of infections in community-dwelling persons, especially among those who have contact with the healthcare system and hospitalized patients [1, 2]. Recurrent infections are commonly reported after initial S. aureus skin infection [3–5]. In the United States, the predominant community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clone, USA300 MRSA, has been associated with an upswing in community-associated skin infections and recurrent infections [1, 6]. Recurrence rates have exceeded 50% in some populations [3, 7]. Additionally, community-associated MRSA infections have high attack rates among household contacts of affected persons [8–10]. The reasons for recurrent infection are poorly understood. Nasal S. aureus colonization has been associated with subsequent infections in some populations, especially hospitalized patients [2, 11]. However, the relationship in community-dwelling patients is not strong. Many patients with community-associated S. aureus infection lack antecedent colonization, suggesting that transmission from other persons may predate infection [6]. Acquisition of S. aureus from household fomites is another plausible mechanism that can explain recurrent infections, as it is known that S. aureus contamination of fomites can be found in many households [12–14] and that S. aureus can persist on fomites for months under experimental conditions [15]. In outbreak situations, poor hygienic practices such as sharing towels or inadequate bathing have been associated with a higher risk of S. aureus infection [16, 17]. However, the role of hygiene in recurrent infections is poorly understood. Finally, there are data suggesting that the arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME), which is usually carried by USA300 MRSA, is important in spread and virulence [18]. Transcription and translation of genes located on this element could facilitate recurrent infection. Because data on predictors of recurrent S. aureus infections are limited to certain populations such as those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection [5], we examined predictors of recurrent S. aureus infection among patients with skin infections and their household members in 2 large US cities.

Objective.To understand the genotypic spectrum of environmental contamination ofStaphylococcus aureusin households and its persistenceDesign.Prospective longitudinal cohort investigation.Setting.Index participants identified at 2 academic medical centers.Participants.Adults and children withS. aureusskin infections and their household contacts in Los Angeles and Chicago.Methods.Household fomites were surveyed for contamination at baseline and 3 months. All isolates underwent genetic typing.Results.We enrolled 346 households, 88% of which completed the 3-month follow-up visit.S. aureusenvironmental contamination was 49% at baseline and 51% at 3 months. Among households with a USA300 methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA) body infection isolate, environmental contamination with an indistinguishable MRSA strain was 58% at baseline and 63% at 3 months. Baseline factors associated with environmental contamination by the index subject’s infection isolate were body colonization by any household member with the index subject’s infection isolate at baseline (odds ratio [OR], 10.93 [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.75–20.79]), higher housing density (OR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.10–1.96]), and more frequent household fomite cleaning (OR, 1.62 [95% CI, 1.16–2.27]). Household environmental contamination with the index subject’s infection strain at 3 months was associated with USA300 MRSA and a synergistic interaction between baseline environmental contamination and body colonization by any household member with the index subject’s infection strain.Conclusions.We found that infectingS. aureusisolates frequently persisted environmentally in households 3 months after skin infection. Presence of pathogenicS. aureusstrain type in the environment in a household may represent a persistent reservoir that places household members at risk of future infection.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2014;35(11):1373–1382

Eloquent routes to colloidal metal nanostructures have emerged in recent years, and a central component to any successful nanosynthesis is the initial selection of metal complexes with an appropriate ligand environment. This local ligand environment may be predetermined by the coordination complex selected as the metal precursor; however, recent studies reveal that the ligand environment of coordination complexes can be modified through exchange with other components for the synthesis that include solvent molecules, capping agents, anions, and even reducing agents. Importantly, ligands can often play multiple roles in a synthesis and direct the outcome by manipulating the rates of precursor reduction and particle coalescence, providing colloidal and facet stabilization and even serving as reducing agents themselves. This Feature Article highlights examples in which the ligand environments of metal precursors and nanoparticles contribute to product formation in multiple ways. Acknowledgment of the dual roles of ligands in nanomaterial synthesis will enable new strategies for nanostructures by decoupling the often contradictory roles of ligands.

Hunting and butchering of wildlife in Central Africa are known risk factors for a variety of human diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Due to the high incidence of human exposure to body fluids of non-human primates, the significant prevalence of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in non-human primates, and hunting/butchering associated cross-species transmission of other retroviruses in Central Africa, it is possible that SIV is actively transmitted to humans from primate species other than mangabeys, chimpanzees, and/or gorillas. We evaluated SIV transmission to humans by screening 2,436 individuals that hunt and butcher non-human primates, a population in which simian foamy virus and simian T-lymphotropic virus were previously detected. We identified 23 individuals with high seroreactivity to SIV. Nucleic acid sequences of SIV genes could not be detected, suggesting that SIV infection in humans could occur at a lower frequency than infections with other retroviruses, including simian foamy virus and simian T-lymphotropic virus. Additional studies on human populations at risk for non-human primate zoonosis are necessary to determine whether these results are due to viral/host characteristics or are indicative of low SIV prevalence in primate species consumed as bushmeat as compared to other retroviruses in Cameroon.

summary In the recent past, there has been a rapid increase in the incidence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, especially community-associated (CA)-MRSA. Many media descriptions of MRSA are sensational and focus on its potential for severe disease and contagiousness. Our objective is to describe psychological and social morbidity associated with MRSA infection via a case series of five patients with CA-MRSA infection. We also analyse the resulting stigmatisation associated with being diagnosed with MRSA infection. We learned that patients describe a variety of stigmatisation related to their diagnosis of MRSA, including being shunned at home and in the workplace. Patients describe being asked by family, colleagues, and clients to take extraordinary measures to prevent MRSA transmission. Consequences of MRSA diagnoses have included erosion or termination of key personal and business relationships. In conclusion, stigmatisation resulting from the diagnosis of MRSA can have profound personal and social morbidity. Media and public health awareness of MRSA infection needs to be balanced with information about how MRSA transmission is usually preventable with simple hygienic measures.