Annual Gathering Research Articles

Collector's Note: Women's Mineral/Mining Retreat on Petersen Mountain, Nevada

All photos by Gail Copus Spann unless otherwise notedThe third annual gathering of the Women's Mineral/Mining Retreat started on 29 May and ended on 1 June; it was organized by Melissa Palermo, Mar...

Impact of the Hajj on pneumococcal carriage and the effect of various pneumococcal vaccines

BackgroundThe Islamic Hajj pilgrimage is the largest annual mass gathering in the world. The overcrowding of people promotes the acquisition, spread and transmission of respiratory pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae. MethodsWe conducted a methodological review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. The objective was to summarize the available data regarding the prevalence of pneumococcal carriage among Hajj pilgrims and about carriage acquisition and circulation of S. pneumoniae among pilgrims before and after participating in the Hajj according to their vaccination status. ResultsEight articles met eligibility criteria for pneumococcal carriage and impact of pneumococcal vaccination on carriage. Seven of them showed a significant increase in nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci following the pilgrimage, with acquisition rates ranging from 18 to 36%. Serotypes 3, 19F and 34 are the most common. A significant increase in antibiotic resistant strains was observed following participation in the Hajj. A lower prevalence was found in pilgrims treated with antibiotics, those who used a hand sanitizer, or those who washed their hands more frequently than usual. An increased carriage of pneumococcal serotypes included in pneumococcal vaccines (10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10), 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23)) was observed following participation in the Hajj. To date, no study has shown a significant reduction in pneumococcal carriage among pilgrims after vaccination with PPV23 or PCV. In fact, no significant difference was currently observed in the prevalence ratio of pneumococcal carriage between vaccinated and unvaccinated pilgrims. ConclusionThe studies analyzed in this review showed an increased carriage of pneumococcus in post-Hajj pilgrims compared to pre-Hajj pilgrims, including vaccine serotypes. Further studies are needed to investigate the possible relationships between carriage, disease and vaccine in pilgrims.

Highlights from the 2018 WIN Symposium, 25-26 June 2018, Paris: designing the future of precision oncology.

The Worldwide Innovative Networking (WIN) Symposium is the annual gathering of WIN consortium members from across the globe, representing academic institutions, pharmaceutical partners, technology companies and charitable organisations, to discuss ongoing research and the latest developments in precision oncology. The symposium held in Paris, France on 25–26 June was structured into five plenary sessions, two open forums and poster presentations.This year marked the 10th anniversary of the consortium, and the programme anchored itself with retrospectives of recent breakthroughs in personalised medicine, programme sessions reviewing the iterative design of trials in precision oncology at present, and the future of implementing personalised medicine initiatives in US and EU healthcare systems for the maximum patient benefit.This year was also marked by the absence of Dr John Mendelsohn, who has stepped down as chairman, and co-founder Professor Tomas Tursz, who passed away in April this year. The latter was given a brief memorial session at the conclusion of the symposium.

Assessing and Adapting Rituals That Reproduce a Collectivity

Tantrists, non-monastic religious specialists of Tibetan Buddhism, constitute a diffuse, non-centralized form of clergy. In an area like Repkong, where they present a high demographic density, large-scale supra-local annual ritual gatherings of tantrists are virtually synonymous with, and crucial for, their collective existence. In the largest of these rituals, the ‘elders’ meeting’ is in effect an institutionalized procedure for evaluating the ritual performance, its conditions and effects, and, if necessary, for adjusting aspects of the ritual. At a recent meeting, the ‘elders’ decided to abandon a powerful and valued but violent and problematical component of the ritual, due to its potential detrimental effects on the fabric of social relations on which the ritual depends for its continued existence. Thus, a highly scripted, ‘liturgy-centered’ ritual (per Atkinson) can be adapted to the social context. The specialists of these textual rituals demonstrate collectively an expertise that extends into the sociological dynamics surrounding the ritual.

Report on the 7th International Workshop on Bibliometric-enhanced Information Retrieval (BIR 2018)

The Bibliometric-enhanced Information Retrieval (BIR) workshop series has started at ECIR in 2014 and serves as the annual gathering of IR researchers who address various information-related tasks on scientific corpora and bibliometrics. We welcome contributions elaborating on dedicated IR systems, as well as studies revealing original characteristics on how scientific knowledge is created, communicated, and used. This report presents all accepted papers at the 7th BIR workshop at ECIR 2018 in Grenoble, France.

Respiratory infections due toStreptococcus pneumoniaeand the influenza virus in South Africans undertaking the Hajj

The Hajj is the largest annual mass gathering on Earth. Respiratory infections are one of the leading causes of disease and hospitalisation during the pilgrimage, with pneumonia and influenza most ...

Respiratory infections due to Streptococcus pneumoniae and the influenza virus in South Africans undertaking the Hajj

The Hajj is the largest annual mass gathering on Earth. Respiratory infections are one of the leading causes of disease and hospitalisation during the pilgrimage, with pneumonia and influenza most common among these infections despite the availability of prophylactic vaccines. In fact, immunisation against influenza and pneumococcal disease is currently not a requirement for South African pilgrims entering Saudi Arabia. This review examines the burden of respiratory infections during the Hajj, particularly pneumonia and influenza, with a focus on pilgrims from South Africa. Although the number of South African pilgrims attending the Hajj has been capped at 2 000 since 2013, 30 000 South Africans perform the minor Umrah pilgrimage annually. Understanding the aetiology of disease in this group could have implications for medical resourcing during the Hajj.

Refiguring Pan-Africanism Through Algerian–Moroccan Competitive Festivals

I investigate the politics underlying Pan-African festivals in Algeria and Morocco and argue the two political regimes’ scramble for influence in sub-Saharan Africa has shifted to the festivalization of Tijāniyya Sufi order and the organization of Africa-themed cultural festivals. Analyzing the politics undergirding the organization of Tijāni mawāsim (annual gatherings) and Essaouira Gnawa World Music Festival, I make a case for a refigured meaning of Pan-Africanism, which has shifted to focus on spiritual and religious communities. However, this spiritual Pan-Africanism, which is performed through official patronage and a high degree of ritualization, is just one aspect of an ongoing resignification of this seminal concept. The institutionalization of Pan-African religious foundations that bring together African religious scholars is the latest aspect of this resignification. Finally, Essaouira Gwana World Music Festival is another site in which a secular aspect of this refigured Pan-Africanism plays out to address both Africa and the diaspora.

Optimised to Perfection

Starrag Group’s ‘Turbine Technology Days’ annual gathering does what it says on the tin. If turbine blade or blisk machining is your interest, this is right on target, and aerospace is a central theme. Andrew Allcock reports (extended online: https://is.gd/gojohe )

Community Service-Learning in Canada: Emerging Conversations

This special issue invites engaged learning practitioners and scholars, both established and emerging, to take stock of the history of CSL, assess current practices, and consider how to move forward in the future. Is CSL the biggest thing to hit Canadian campuses since the late 1990s? With approximately fifty CSL programs or units across the country (Dorow et al., 2013), annual gatherings of scholars and practitioners, and a network of individuals who remain devoted to CSL despite challenges in funding and logistics, CSL in Canada has certainly made its mark, embedded in the context of a larger movement of engaged scholarship on campuses across the country—a movement exemplified in this very Engaged Scholar Journal, the first of its kind in Canada to focus on publishing community-engaged work.

Risk and protective factors for mental health at a youth mass gathering.

Mass gatherings are well-documented for their public health risks; however, little research has examined their impact on mental health or focused on young people specifically. This study explores risk and protective factors for mental health at mass gatherings, with a particular focus on characterising attendees with high levels of psychological distress and risk taking. Data collection was conducted in situ at "Schoolies", an annual informal week-long mass gathering of approximately 30,000 Australian school leavers. Participants were 812 attendees of Schoolies on the Gold Coast in 2015 or 2016 (74% aged 17years old). In both years, attendee mental health was found to be significantly better than population norms for their age peers. Identification with the mass gathering predicted better mental health, and this relationship became stronger across the course of the mass gathering. Attendees with high levels of psychological distress were more likely to be male, socially isolated, impulsive, and in a friendship group where risk taking was normative. Mass gatherings may have a net benefit for attendee mental health, especially for those attendees who are subjectively committed to the event. However, a vulnerable subgroup of attendees requires targeted mental health support.

2016 Children's Tumor Foundation conference on neurofibromatosis type 1, neurofibromatosis type 2, and schwannomatosis

Organized and hosted by the Children's Tumor Foundation (CTF), the Neurofibromatosis (NF) conference is the premier annual gathering for clinicians and researchers interested in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), and schwannomatosis (SWN). The 2016 edition constituted a blend of clinical and basic aspects of NF research that helped in clarifying different advances in the field. The incorporation of next generation sequencing is changing the way genetic diagnostics is performed for NF and related disorders, providing solutions to problems like genetic heterogeneity, overlapping clinical manifestations, or the presence of mosaicism. The transformation from plexiform neurofibroma (PNF) to malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is being clarified, along with new management and treatments for benign and premalignant tumors. Promising new cellular and in vivo models for understanding the musculoskeletal abnormalities in NF1, the development of NF2 or SWN associated schwannomas, and clarifying the cells that give rise to NF1-associated optic pathway glioma were presented. The interaction of neurofibromin and SPRED1 was described comprehensively, providing functional insight that will help in the interpretation of pathogenicity of certain missense variants identified in NF1 and Legius syndrome patients. Novel promising imaging techniques are being developed, as well as new integrative and holistic management models for patients that take into account psychological, social, and biological factors. Importantly, new therapeutic approaches for schwannomas, meningiomas, ependymomas, PNF, and MPNST are being pursued. This report highlights the major advances that were presented at the 2016 CTF NF conference.

Influenza vaccination among Saudi Hajj pilgrims: Revealing the uptake and vaccination barriers

BackgroundHajj is the world’s largest annual mass gathering that attracts two to three million Muslims from around the globe to a religious assemblage in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The risk of acquisition and transmission of influenza among Hajj pilgrims is high. Therefore, influenza vaccination is recommended, and was monitored frequently among pilgrims from different countries. However, the vaccination uptake among Saudi pilgrims has not been assessed in recent years. ObjectiveThis analysis aims to evaluate influenza vaccine uptake among Saudi Hajj pilgrims, and identify the key barriers to vaccination. MethodData on influenza vaccination were obtained from Saudi pilgrims who took part in a large trial during the Hajj of 2013, 2014 and 2015. Pilgrims were met and recruited in Mina, Makkah during the peak period of Hajj and were asked to complete a baseline questionnaire that recorded their influenza vaccination history, including reason(s) for non-receipt of vaccine. ResultsA total of 6974 Saudi pilgrims aged between 18 and 95 (median 34) years were recruited; male to female ratio was 1:1.2. Of the total, 90.8% declared their influenza vaccination history, 51.3% of them reported receiving influenza vaccine before travel to Hajj. The vaccination rates for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 21.4%, 48.2% and 58.1%, respectively (P < 0.001). Of 1,269 pilgrims who were at higher risk of severe disease, 54.5% received the vaccine. Lack of awareness (47.5%), reliance on natural immunity (15.8%) and being busy (15.5%) were the main reasons for non-receipt. ConclusionThese data from a convenience sample indicate that influenza vaccine uptake among Saudi Hajj pilgrims is increasing over years but still needs further improvement. Lack of awareness and misperceptions are the main barriers. Education of Saudi pilgrims and health professionals is required to raise awareness about influenza vaccination. Further studies are needed to understand pilgrims’ misperceptions.

Impact of a Mass Gathering Alcohol Sobering Facility on Emergency Resources

Objective: Alcohol consumption has been implicated as an important factor driving the demand for medical care at mass gatherings. Patients exhibiting signs of possible alcohol intoxication are frequently diverted from traditional medical support facilities located within mass gathering events due to their disruptive behavior or need for prolonged observation. This conventional strategy can place additional stress on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Emergency Department (ED) resources. The purpose of this study was to determine if incorporation of an on-site alcohol sobering facility to supplement existing on-site medical support resources was associated with changes in EMS and ED resource utilization during an annual mass gathering. Methods: This retrospective observational study of a large, annual mass gathering included prospectively collected data from before and after the deployment of an on-site alcohol sobering facility. One year of EMS data along with 2 years of ED data from the pre-deployment time period were compared to 3 years of post-deployment data. The primary outcomes for this study were the number of EMS transports and ED visits. Results: Average single day event attendance was 176,116 during the 2012–13 time period before the ACS was deployed and 183,544 in the 3 years following. The odds of an EMS transport from the event to the ED decreased in the post-deployment period, OR 0.37 (95% CI = 0.16–0.86; p = 0.01). ED volume increased by 7.23% (p = 0.56) and ED LOS increased by 1.29% (p = 0.97) in the post-deployment period. Conclusion: This study reports on a unique strategy to improve resource utilization at large mass gatherings and the impact of this strategy on EMS and ED resource utilization. It appears that the addition of an on-site alcohol sobering facility to existing medical support services was associated with a significant decrease in EMS transports but no change in ED resource utilization. Further work is needed to determine if these findings can be reproduced at other mass gatherings.

User need and experience of Hajj mobile and ubiquitous systems: Designing for the largest religious annual gathering

The Hajj pilgrimage is one of the largest annual events in the world. Each year, millions of Muslims visit the holy sites in Makkah. While Hajj mobile applications that help pilgrims perform Hajj activities efficiently are gaining popularity, little has been done to investigate pilgrims’ needs and their experiences of these applications. During the 2017 Hajj season, we conducted a study to investigate the needs and experiences of Hajj mobile service users. We used a questionnaire to investigate the need for 20 Hajj mobile features and found that maps (particularly offline maps) were the most needed feature. We also interviewed 16 pilgrims to investigate user experience (UX) of Hajj mobile applications. Three major themes emerged from our qualitative analysis of the perceptions reported by our participants: UX problems with the current mobile applications, the importance level of application features, and opportunities for improving the UX of applications. We relate these themes to specific implications for designing a better UX of mobile applications used for Hajj and its related domain (religion) and to applications for use in similar contexts (e.g., crowd and movement situations).

HRM practices of MNEs and domestic firms in Ghana: divergence or convergence?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to adopt the convergence-divergence perspective to examine the extent of similarities and differences in human resource management practices between multinational enterprise subsidiaries and local firms in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws from multiple case study evidence using in-depth face-to-face interviews and document analysis. The data were analyzed in four stages using both thematic analysis and cross-case analysis techniques.FindingsThe authors found both convergence and divergence, however, the evidence points to more convergence and direction toward convergence between MNEs and local firms’ HRM practices.Research limitations/implicationsEven though there was evidence of cultural embeddedness within local firms in the adoption of certain HRM practices, the influence of national culture on HRM practice convergence between MNEs and local firms has been limited. Thus, the convergence-divergence debate through the lens of national culture may need to be re-examined.Practical implicationsThe evidence of convergence and direction toward convergence tendencies within the context can be argued to be less underpinned by local isomorphism limited host-country influence. Practically, there is something to learn from indigenous Ghanaian organizations that can contribute to HRM advancement, the Ghanaian concept of annual durbars, annual or semi-annual gatherings to take stock of past activities and to award hard working staff, could provide the platform to strengthen the employer-employee relationship at the firm level.Originality/valueThis study fills an important contextual gap (a less developed country’s context) within the convergence-divergence debate and contributes to informing new knowledge of the convergence-divergence debate, which points to more convergence and direction toward convergence between MNEs and local firms’ HRM practices.

Karl-Heinz Rieder

Physicist and surface scientist Karl-Heinz Rieder, referred to by colleagues as the “quiet pioneer,” died in Zürich, Switzerland, on 7 March 2017 following a prolonged illness. Karl-Heinz Rieder PPT|High resolutionBorn on 1 September 1942 in Eisenstadt, Austria, Karl-Heinz studied physics and mathematics at the University of Vienna. During his studies, in 1965 he was able to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, an annual gathering in Germany that brings together about 30 Nobelists and hundreds of young scientists. He met such luminaries as Otto Hahn, Paul Dirac, and Werner Heisenberg, who greatly influenced his career.In 1968 Karl-Heinz obtained his doctorate at the Seibersdorf Laboratories in Austria. His thesis was on inelastic neutron scattering of microscopic crystallites, a subject he continued working on after he took a position at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, Germany. In 1975 he moved to the IBM Research Laboratory in Rüschlikon, Switzerland. There he and Thomas Engel developed helium scattering as a method to study surfaces. Ten years later he went to the Free University of Berlin, where he initially continued to work on elastic and inelastic helium scattering and on high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy.Subsequently, Karl-Heinz became active in low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy; his research group was the second, after the IBM Almaden group, to manipulate individual atoms, molecules, and surfaces. He retired in 2005 yet continued to work at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology in Dübendorf and at the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin.Karl-Heinz’s accomplishments cover a broad range of surface science. As a result of his work, helium scattering and helium-atom microscopy have become established methods for studying surfaces down to atomic resolution. Early in his tenure at IBM, he realized the impact of the scanning tunneling microscopy technique that his colleagues Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer were developing in the late 1970s. He loaned them his single-crystal samples for the initial measurements, and he sometimes received them back as molten lumps of metal.Karl-Heinz might be most renowned for his later work developing methods for targeted manipulation of individual atoms and molecules at surfaces. His measurements offered insight into the fundamental physics of place-exchange processes, the associated forces, and excitation by transient attachment of electrons. In a particularly noteworthy achievement, he and his group used a scanning tunneling microscope as a nanoscale manipulator to conduct the chemical synthesis of an organic species one molecule at a time by forming a covalent bond between two surface-attached phenyl radicals. In the 1990s they studied graphene nanoribbons.In addition, Karl-Heinz is remembered for his appreciation of the arts. For instance, a humorous poem he wrote about the surface-science community was included in the special issue of Journal of Physics published in his honor for his 70th birthday. A clarinet and saxophone player, he was part of several ensembles. For a while, he also focused on painting.Karl-Heinz had a unique combination of scientific curiosity, brilliance in predicting experimental results, openheartedness, and supportiveness— always seasoned with kind humor. Those attributes enabled his research group to prosper and its members to feel appreciated and ready to tackle grand challenges. Despite his success, Karl-Heinz remained humble. His coworkers treasure the time they spent in his research group; some 20 of them are now faculty members at various research universities in Germany, the US, Austria, Switzerland, and elsewhere. The guidance Karl-Heinz gave and the example he was to them has made them better group leaders. He has achieved a lasting impact on the surface-science community in particular. He is missed most for his kindness and generosity.© 2017 American Institute of Physics.

Recruiting long-term healthcare missionaries

Background: The CMDA/MedSend Healthcare Missions Leadership Summit is an annual gathering of 75 mission sending agencies who share Christ through healthcare missions. The summit is jointly sponsored by MedSend and the Christian Medical &amp; Dental Associations (CMDA). The purpose of the meeting is to network, examine relevant research issues (such as recruiting), etc. &#x0D; Objective: The purpose of the 2015 Launch survey was to learn from medical missionaries how to more effectively recruit and launch new healthcare professionals and their families into long-term missions. The objective of the 2016 Relocating for the Gospel survey was to learn from students and other aspiring healthcare missionaries the obstacles they perceive in their journey into long-term missions. Results were presented at the 2015 and 2016 Healthcare Missions Leadership Summits.&#x0D; Methods: Two multiple-choice surveys were developed to ascertain the positive and negative factors involved in the decision making process to launch into the healthcare mission field. Participants were invited to participate in the surveys via email.&#x0D; Results: The 2015 Launch survey analyzed 177 responses from healthcare missionaries with 63% of respondents still currently serving as long-term missionaries. 37% of the respondents are former missionaries. Participants included millennials (39), Gen Xers (54), and baby boomers (84). Responses indicated that key positive factors include personal interaction with a long-term worker as well as a supportive agency, leader, or team to join. The 2016 Relocating for the Gospel survey analyzed responses from students and other aspiring missionaries who are millennials (79). The strongest overall factor that discouraged missions involvement was student loan debt. Other key obstacles include concerns over being lonely or isolated overseas, as well as difficulty in finding a good fit with a team or organization.&#x0D; Conclusion: The overall findings from the two surveys include four main points. First, effective launch into missions service is more relationally dependent than informationally dependent. Second, launching into missions service is more like a marathon than a sprint. Third, those who are exploring missions want to join a team so they will not feel lonely or isolated. Finally, aspiring missionaries want a placement that fits them well even if that does not match the top priorities of the agency.

Indian Medical Mission at Hajj-2016: Mass-Gathering Medicine Perspectives, Challenges, and Opportunities in a Mission Posture

Introduction: Hajj is an annual mass gathering of over 3.5 million pilgrims congregating from 200 countries in the desert climate of Saudi Arabia. Mass gathering medicine at Hajj is challenged by issues of healthcare accessibility, infection control, on-site treatment, referral, evacuation, and response to disasters and public health emergencies. The Indian Medical Mission at Hajj 2016 established, operated, and coordinated a strategic network of mass gathering medical operations, the proceeds of which are discussed herein. Methods: The mission was designed to provide holistic health security through health intelligence for pre-existing chronic diseases, epidemic intelligence for endemic and exotic diseases, public-health and disaster-health preparedness, and tiered healthcare through mobile medical task forces, static clinics, tent clinics, secondary care hospitals, and evacuation capabilities. Results: Primary care, secondary care, and tertiary care treated 374 475, 930, and 523 patients, respectively. Patients exhibited limited compliance with pre-instituted treatments and precautionary protocols. Respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, cardiorespiratory, trauma, and heat illnesses were seen. Epidemic intelligence revealed an outbreak of food poisoning. Respiratory infections were reported by 90% of the healthcare personnel. Surge capacity was overwhelmed with patient throughput and ambulance transfers. Crude unadjusted mortality was 11.99/10 000. Conclusion: The Indian Medical Mission at Hajj 2016 yielded solutions to the challenges faced during the 2016 Hajj pilgrimage. The mission posture of the Indian Medical Mission in Hajj presents a modus operandi for handling crisis scenarios in mass gathering. The situational analysis of the Hajj health mission calls for dynamic interventions in preparedness, clientele, and health systems.

Emergence of drug resistant bacteria at the Hajj: A systematic review.

Hajj is the annual mass gathering of Muslims, and is a reservoir and potential source of bacterial transmission. The emergence of bacterial transmission, including multi-drug resistance (MDR) bacteria, during Hajj has not been systematically assessed. Articles in Pubmed, Scopus, and Google scholar were identified using controlled words relating to antibiotic resistance (AR) at the Hajj from January 2002 to January 2017. Eligible studies were identified by two researchers. AR patterns of bacteria were obtained for each study. We included 31 publications involving pilgrims, Hajj workers or local patients attending hospitals in Mecca, Mina, and the Medina area. Most of these publications provided antibiotic susceptibility results. Ten of them used the PCR approach to identify AR genes. MRSA carriage was reported in pilgrims and food handlers at a rate of 20%. Low rates of vancomycin-resistant gram-positive bacteria were reported in pilgrims and patients. The prevalence of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant bacteria was common in the Hajj region. Across all studies, carbapenem-resistant bacteria were detected in fewer than 10% of E.coli isolates tested but up to 100% in K.pneumoniae and A.baumannii. Colistin-resistant Salmonella enterica, including mcr-1 colistin-resistant E.coli and K.pneumoniae were only detected in the pilgrim cohorts. This study provides an overview of the prevalence of MDR bacteria at the Hajj. Pilgrims are at high risk of AR bacterial transmission and may carry and transfer these bacteria when returning to their home countries. Thus, pilgrims should be instructed by health care practitioners about hygiene practices aiming at reducing traveler's diarrhea and limited use of antibiotics during travel in order to reduce the risk of MDR bacterial transmission.