Complementary Expertise Research Articles

Diagnostic guidelines for familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis revisited

AbstractCurrent hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis 2004 (HLH-2004)–based diagnostic criteria for familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) are based on expert opinion. Here, we performed a case-control study to test and possibly improve these criteria. We also developed 2 complementary expert opinion–based diagnostic strategies for FHL in patients with signs/symptoms suggestive of HLH, based on genetic and cellular cytotoxicity assays. The cases (N = 366) were children aged <16 years with verified familial and/or genetic FHL (n = 341) or Griscelli syndrome type 2 (n = 25); 276 from the HLH-94/HLH-2004 databases and 90 from the Italian HLH Registry. All fulfilled the HLH-94/HLH-2004 patient inclusion criteria. Controls were 374 children with systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and 329 + 361 children in 2 cohorts with febrile infections that could be confused with HLH and sepsis, respectively. To provide complete data sets, multiple imputations were performed. The optimal model, based on 17 variables studied, revealed almost similar diagnostic thresholds as the existing criteria, with accuracy 99.1% (sensitivity 97.1%; specificity 99.5%); the original HLH-2004 criteria had accuracy 97.4% (sensitivity 99.0%; specificity 97.1%). Because cellular cytotoxicity assays here constitute a separate diagnostic strategy, HLH-2004 criteria without natural killer (NK)–cell function was also studied, which showed accuracy 99.0% (sensitivity, 96.2%; specificity, 99.5%). Thus, we conclude that the HLH-2004 criteria (without NK-cell function) have significant validity in their current form when tested against severe infections or sJIA. It is important to exclude underlying malignancies and atypical infections. In addition, complementary cellular and genetic diagnostic guidelines can facilitate necessary confirmation of clinical diagnosis.

Using Palliative Care Needs Rounds in the UK for care home staff and residents: an implementation science study.

Care home residents often lack access to end-of-life care from specialist palliative care providers. Palliative Care Needs Rounds, developed and tested in Australia, is a novel approach to addressing this. To co-design and implement a scalable UK model of Needs Rounds. A pragmatic implementation study using the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework. Implementation was conducted in six case study sites (England, n = 4, and Scotland, n = 2) encompassing specialist palliative care service working with three to six care homes each. Phase 1: interviews (n = 28 care home staff, specialist palliative care staff, relatives, primary care, acute care and allied health practitioners) and four workshops (n = 43 care home staff, clinicians and managers from specialist palliative care teams and patient and public involvement and engagement representatives). Phase 2: interviews (n = 58 care home and specialist palliative care staff); family questionnaire (n = 13 relatives); staff questionnaire (n = 171 care home staff); quality of death/dying questionnaire (n = 81); patient and public involvement and engagement evaluation interviews (n = 11); fidelity assessment (n = 14 Needs Rounds recordings). (1) Monthly hour-long discussions of residents' physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs, alongside case-based learning, (2) clinical work and (3) relative/multidisciplinary team meetings. A programme theory describing what works for whom under what circumstances with UK Needs Rounds. Secondary outcomes focus on health service use and cost effectiveness, quality of death and dying, care home staff confidence and capability, and the use of patient and public involvement and engagement. Semistructured interviews and workshops with key stakeholders from the six sites; capability of adopting a palliative approach, quality of death and dying index, and Canadian Health Care Evaluation Project Lite questionnaires; recordings of Needs Rounds; care home data on resident demographics/health service use; assessments and interventions triggered by Needs Rounds; semistructured interviews with academic and patient and public involvement and engagement members. The programme theory: while care home staff experience workforce challenges such as high turnover, variable skills and confidence, Needs Rounds can provide care home and specialist palliative care staff the opportunity to collaborate during a protected time, to plan for residents' last months of life. Needs Rounds build care home staff confidence and can strengthen relationships and trust, while harnessing services' complementary expertise. Needs Rounds strengthen understandings of dying, symptom management, advance/anticipatory care planning and communication. This can improve resident care, enabling residents to be cared for and die in their preferred place, and may benefit relatives by increasing their confidence in care quality. COVID-19 restricted intervention and data collection. Due to an insufficient sample size, it was not possible to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of Needs Rounds or calculate the treatment effect or family perceptions of care. Our work suggests that Needs Rounds can improve the quality of life and death for care home residents, by enhancing staff skills and confidence, including symptom management, communications with general practitioners and relatives, and strengthen relationships between care home and specialist palliative care staff. Conduct analysis of costs-benefits and treatment effects. Engagement with commissioners and policy-makers could examine integration of Needs Rounds into care homes and primary care across the UK to ensure equitable access to specialist care. This study is registered as ISRCTN15863801. This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR128799) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 19. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Breastfeeding Following Spinal Cord Injury: Consumer Guide for Mothers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants be breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months of age. However, there are few resources available on the effects a spinal cord injury (SCI) can have for breastfeeding mothers. It is difficult to find information to address the unique challenges women with SCI experience when planning or trying to breastfeed. Our international team, including women with SCI, health care providers, and SCI researchers, aims to address the information gap through the creation of this consumer guide. The purpose of this consumer guide is to share the most common issues women with SCI experience during breastfeeding and provide information, practical suggestions, recommendations, and key resources in lay language. General information about breastfeeding is available on the internet, in books, or from friends and health care providers. We do not intend to repeat nor replace general breastfeeding information or medical advice. Breastfeeding for mothers with SCI is complex and requires a team of health care providers with complementary expertise. Such a team may include family physician, obstetrician, physiatrist, neurologist, occupational and physical therapist, lactation consultant, midwife, and psychologist. We hope this consumer guide can serve as a quick reference guide for mothers with SCI planning of trying to breastfeed. This guide will also be helpful to health care providers as an educational tool.

Drug Discovery Efforts to Identify Novel Treatments for Neglected Tropical Diseases - Cysteine Protease Inhibitors.

Neglected tropical diseases are a severe burden for mankind, affecting an increasing number of people around the globe. Many of those diseases are caused by protozoan parasites in which cysteine proteases play a key role in the parasite's pathogenesis. In this review article, we summarize the drug discovery efforts of the research community from 2017 - 2022 with a special focus on the optimization of small molecule cysteine protease inhibitors in terms of selectivity profiles or drug-like properties as well as in vivo studies. The cysteine proteases evaluated by this methodology include Cathepsin B1 from Schistosoma mansoni, papain, cruzain, falcipain, and rhodesain. Exhaustive literature searches were performed using the keywords "Cysteine Proteases" and "Neglected Tropical Diseases" including the years 2017 - 2022. Overall, approximately 3'000 scientific papers were retrieved, which were filtered using specific keywords enabling the focus on drug discovery efforts. Potent and selective cysteine protease inhibitors to treat neglected tropical diseases were identified, which progressed to pharmacokinetic and in vivo efficacy studies. As far as the authors are aware of, none of those inhibitors reached the stage of active clinical development. Either the inhibitor's potency or pharmacokinetic properties or safety profile or a combination thereof prevented further development of the compounds. More efforts with particular emphasis on optimizing pharmacokinetic and safety properties are needed, potentially by collaborations of academic and industrial research groups with complementary expertise. Furthermore, new warheads reacting with the catalytic cysteine should be exploited to advance the research field in order to make a meaningful impact on society.

Opportunities for changing teacher norms vary by underlying factors in teachers' selves, situations, standards, and society

Teachers are pivotal to any efforts to raise the devastatingly low levels of foundational learning that persist across much of the Global South. However, in many education systems, teachers are not equipped with the resources needed for effecting such change. Moreover, numerous reforms have failed to change either children's learning levels or the teacher norms that inadvertently contribute to low learning levels. Moving beyond these circumstances requires an understanding of the factors underlying such norms and of how these factors affect opportunities for changing teacher norms. I examine this question by analyzing the transcripts of interviews with 14 pairs of interlocutors from various contexts who have complementary expertise related to teacher norms. Based on this analysis, I develop a conceptual framework for mapping the factors that sustain teacher norms onto four domains of teachers' experiences: selves (“what I value”), situations (“what can be done”), standards (“what those in charge expect”), and society (broader influences). Different configurations of underlying factors can yield different types of norms: coherent norms, compromise norms, and contestation norms. Drawing on the interviews, I illustrate coherence, compromise, and contestation by discussing examples of teaching narrowly to certain standards and being absent from the classroom during scheduled lessons. Each type of norm offers distinct opportunities for changing the status quo by influencing particular aspects of teachers' selves, situations, and standards. Additionally, one broader opportunity for change is reshaping societal narratives about education and the teaching profession.

Oscillating Between Hope and Despair: Understanding Migrants’ Reflections on Ambivalence in ‘Transit’

This paper investigates the under-explored question of how migrants in so-called ‘transit countries’ make sense of migration aspirations. Drawing from recent scholarship on migration-related ambivalence, we focus on how people reflect on the past and present of their migration aspirations, employing a migrant-centered approach. Based on semi-structured interviews with refugees in Libya and Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as complementary expert interviews, we find that ambivalence, which (re-)shapes migration aspirations, is a necessary reaction to the structures of uncertainty installed in current European externalization measures beyond EU borders. By adopting a migrant-centered approach and taking into account the multidimensional and processual nature of ambivalence, our research contributes to a better understanding of migrants as self-critical and reflective actors facing the challenges of making decisions in situations of uncertainty; thus, ambivalence is produced in a dialectic interplay between migrants’ agency and the opportunities/limitations of changing structures that surround them which, in turn, informs the interplay between forward and backward migration aspirations.

Complementary expert balanced learning for long-tail cross-modal retrieval

Complementary expert balanced learning for long-tail cross-modal retrieval

Three Heads Are Better than One: Complementary Experts for Long-Tailed Semi-supervised Learning

We address the challenging problem of Long-Tailed Semi-Supervised Learning (LTSSL) where labeled data exhibit imbalanced class distribution and unlabeled data follow an unknown distribution. Unlike in balanced SSL, the generated pseudo-labels are skewed towards head classes, intensifying the training bias. Such a phenomenon is even amplified as more unlabeled data will be mislabeled as head classes when the class distribution of labeled and unlabeled datasets are mismatched. To solve this problem, we propose a novel method named ComPlementary Experts (CPE). Specifically, we train multiple experts to model various class distributions, each of them yielding high-quality pseudo-labels within one form of class distribution. Besides, we introduce Classwise Batch Normalization for CPE to avoid performance degradation caused by feature distribution mismatch between head and non-head classes. CPE achieves state-of-the-art performances on CIFAR-10-LT, CIFAR-100-LT, and STL-10-LT dataset benchmarks. For instance, on CIFAR-10-LT, CPE improves test accuracy by over &gt;2.22% compared to baselines. Code is available at https://github.com/machengcheng2016/CPE-LTSSL.

Gut Microbiome Integration in Drug Discovery and Development of Small Molecules.

Human microbiomes, particularly in the gut, could have a major impact on the efficacy and toxicity of drugs. However, gut microbial metabolism is often neglected in the drug discovery and development process. Medicen, a Paris-based human health innovation cluster, has gathered more than 30 international leading experts from pharma, academia, biotech, clinical research organizations, and regulatory science to develop proposals to facilitate the integration of microbiome science into drug discovery and development. Seven subteams were formed to cover the complementary expertise areas of 1) pharma experience and case studies, 2) in silico microbiome-drug interaction, 3) in vitro microbial stability screening, 4) gut fermentation models, 5) animal models, 6) microbiome integration in clinical and regulatory aspects, and 7) microbiome ecosystems and models. Each expert team produced a state-of-the-art report of their respective field highlighting existing microbiome-related tools at every stage of drug discovery and development. The most critical limitations are the growing, but still limited, drug-microbiome interaction data to produce predictive models and the lack of agreed-upon standards despite recent progress. In this paper we will report on and share proposals covering 1) how microbiome tools can support moving a compound from drug discovery to clinical proof-of-concept studies and alert early on potential undesired properties stemming from microbiome-induced drug metabolism and 2) how microbiome data can be generated and integrated in pharmacokinetic models that are predictive of the human situation. Examples of drugs metabolized by the microbiome will be discussed in detail to support recommendations from the working group. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Gut microbial metabolism is often neglected in the drug discovery and development process despite growing evidence of drugs' efficacy and safety impacted by their interaction with the microbiome. This paper will detail existing microbiome-related tools covering every stage of drug discovery and development, current progress, and limitations, as well as recommendations to integrate them into the drug discovery and development process.

Land Cover Mapping From Multiple Complementary Experts Under Heavy Class Imbalance

Land Cover Mapping From Multiple Complementary Experts Under Heavy Class Imbalance

The taxing implementation of densification: The missed opportunity of the German land value tax

Densification and more efficient use of land are important planning challenges across Europe intended to aid the pursuit of sustainability goals. Property taxation influences land use. It can discourage or incentivize efficient land use. In the international academic debate, the land value tax is considered an effective land policy instrument that can promote more efficient use of land. Germany is currently transforming its property taxation system and has discussed different property tax models in the political decision-making process. This paper explores the political motivations of this reform based on a discourse analysis of plenary sessions and complementary in-depth expert interviews. On the one hand, the empirical findings highlight the experts’ positive assessment of the potential of the land value tax for efficient land use and densification. On the other hand, they also show how the potential allocative effects of the land value tax were largely overlooked during the political debates. Instead, discussion centred around distributional aspects of the property tax. It can be shown that despite the great potential for tackling urgent planning issues, policymakers are hesitant to adopt and apply instruments of land policy that intervene in existing private property rights.

Development of a neuroimaging biomarker of the pro‐coagulant state in Alzheimer’s disease: The BioClotAD Project

AbstractBackgroundAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia1. Its multifactorial profile includes a strong vascular factor, partially driven by an early haemostatic dysregulation. Accordingly, fibrin, the main protein component of blood clots, is significantly increased in AD‐patients’ brains2. Furthermore, amyloid‐β contributes to this process by interacting with fibrin and producing degradation‐resistant clots3. Consequently, this pro‐thrombotic milieu intensifies hypoperfusion, neurodegeneration and blood‐brain barrier (BBB) disruption4, but it does not affect all patients. Therefore, early detection of these phenomena would be invaluable to identify patients likely to benefit from anticoagulant therapies5. Therefore, the BioClotAD Project aims to develop an imaging biomarker based on a fibrin binding probe (FBP)6 to non‐invasively identify AD’s pro‐coagulant state.MethodBioClotAD involves four partners in three European countries with complementary expertise. To optimize and test FBP we use extensive in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo assays, including AD animal models and human AD samples. Our project is comprised of three blocks: 1) Testing the FBP to in vivo detect the cerebral occlusions by nuclear imaging. 2) Detecting fibrin deposits inside the brain parenchyma with FBP coupled to a transferrin receptor antibody (FBP‐TfR) to facilitate BBB crossing7. FBP‐TfR will be labelled for optical and nuclear imaging. 3) Validating the most promising FBP probes in frozen brain samples of AD patients by autoradiography or fluorescence microscopy.ResultBioClotAD provides feasible neuroimaging strategies to in vivo detect the fibrin cerebral accumulation of AD models and identify the specific regional distribution in the brain. Our project will set the basis for future clinical trials on neuroimaging of the cerebral fibrin accumulation in AD.ConclusionBioClotAD neuroimaging biomarkers will allow the early detection of the pro‐thrombotic state in AD, opening a window of opportunity to delay the disease progression by personalized anticoagulant therapies. Funding: EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND)

Development of a decision-support system to select nature-based solutions for domestic wastewater treatment

ABSTRACT Nature-based solutions are increasingly used in domestic wastewater treatment, because of their potential to remove contaminants and pathogens from water (e.g., stormwater, river water, wastewater) as well as their provided co-benefits, such as mitigation of the heat island effect or enhanced biodiversity. The transition from traditional grey technologies towards nature-based solutions in domestic wastewater treatment might yield multiple benefits for local communities while enhancing biodiversity. Although some nature-based solutions such as treatment wetlands have been used for decades in domestic wastewater treatment, this is not the case for others such as green walls or roofs, which lack implementation guidelines and design criteria. Aiming to support implementation of nature-based solutions in domestic wastewater treatment, we have developed an online decision-support system for the pre-selection of the best nature-based solution to use in each socio-environmental context and adapted to the needs, as well as an estimate of the required area. Our decision-support system's recommendations are based on an expert knowledge-driven approach, building on two complementary expert knowledge elicitation workshops. We hope the developed online decision-support system will support the transition towards integrating nature-based solutions into urban water and wastewater treatment systems.

Collaborative pathways

This extended abstract delineates a collaborative endeavor between the School of Communication &amp; Design and the Learning Design team at RMIT Vietnam. The project’s core objective was to uplift and reimagine blended learning approaches across selected courses. In line with the growing body of research endorsing the role of academic-designer partnerships in fostering technology-enhanced learning (Ellis et al., 2016; Nihuka &amp; Voogt, 2012; Huber &amp; Jacka, 2022; McDonald &amp; Mayes, 2005), this initiative thrived on the close collaboration between academics and learning designers. What sets our approach apart is the non-homogenized implementation of blended learning changes. Instead of uniformly transitioning courses from face-to-face to a blended format, changes were specifically tailored based on the needs and learning outcomes of each course. This bespoke approach, combined with our multifaceted support framework and adaptive project management strategies, ensured that the course design was both effective and reflective of individual course characteristics. The multifaceted support framework leveraged initial design workshops to establish core principles and a shared vision, codesign of initial proof of concept course modules, design templates, a central site providing blended learning exemplars and pedagogical resources and ongoing consultations. Embedded throughout these were foundational frameworks for online and blended learning including Backward Design and Community of Inquiry (Wiggins &amp; McTighe, 2005, Garrison et al., 2001). New tools to support active, social, asynchronous learning were also integrated into the LMS. Adaptive project management strategies addressed challenges as they arose. The transformed courses showcase innovative blended learning approaches personalized to disciplinary contexts, leading to positive measurable impacts. Academics reported feeling empowered by new skills gained through the collaboration and this positive reception extended the reach of the program, providing a catalyst for academics not directly involved to implement the approaches and tools used in the program in their own course design. Despite its success, the initiative was not devoid of challenges. Different priorities necessitated compromise, and academics required additional support to adapt to new the new technologies and pedagogical strategies. The project’s collaborative nature proved instrumental in surmounting these hurdles, enabling learning designers to progressively build academic involvement whilst addressing issues central to blended learning implementation in a Vietnamese context such as lack of familiarity and experience with blended learning (Le et al., 2021). The outcomes of this collaboration underscore the value of leveraging complementary expertise of academics and designers. Beyond elevating technology-enhanced learning, the project fostered mutual understanding, leading to wider impacts than initially anticipated. Insights gained can inform effective collaboration strategies and highlight organizational enablers to nurture such relationships and promote the move to blended learning and uplifting of courses on a larger scale. This tailored approach not only represents a best practice example in the TEL context but also signifies a progressive step in the broader landscape of higher education, which is rapidly evolving towards online and blended modalities. While our experience is grounded in the Vietnamese context, the inherent flexibility and adaptability of our methods make it a model that can be replicated and customised for diverse tertiary educational settings globally. As higher education continues its evolutionary trajectory, academic-designer collaborations such as this one, rooted in blended learning enhancement, will grow in significance. The insights and methods presented here offer valuable pointers for those aiming to advance pedagogical innovation.

The Retinal Ganglion Cell Repopulation, Stem Cell Transplantation, and Optic Nerve Regeneration Consortium

The Retinal Ganglion Cell (RGC) Repopulation, Stem Cell Transplantation, and Optic Nerve Regeneration (RReSTORe) consortium was founded in 2021 to help address the numerous scientific and clinical obstacles that impede development of vision-restorative treatments for patients with optic neuropathies. The goals of the RReSTORe consortium are: (1) to define and prioritize the most critical challenges and questions related to RGC regeneration; (2) to brainstorm innovative tools and experimental approaches to meet these challenges; and (3) to foster opportunities for collaborative scientific research among diverse investigators. The RReSTORe consortium currently includes > 220 members spanning all career stages worldwide and is directed by an organizing committee comprised of 15 leading scientists and physician-scientists of diverse backgrounds. Herein, we describe the structure and organization of the RReSTORe consortium, its activities to date, and the perceived impact that the consortium has had on the field based on a survey of participants. In addition to helping propel the field of regenerative medicine as applied to optic neuropathies, the RReSTORe consortium serves as a framework for developing large collaborative groups aimed at tackling audacious goals that may be expanded beyond ophthalmology and vision science. The development of innovative interventions capable of restoring vision for patients suffering from optic neuropathy would be transformative for the ophthalmology field, and may set the stage for functional restoration in other central nervous system disorders. By coordinating large-scale, international collaborations among scientists with diverse and complementary expertise, we are confident that the RReSTORe consortium will help to accelerate the field toward clinical translation. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be foundin the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Similar skills, different frames: a thematic analysis exploring conceptualizations held by community-based organization practitioners and academics regarding skills to use evidence-based interventions to address cancer inequities

BackgroundCommunity-based organizations (CBOs) are critical partners in delivering evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to address cancer inequities. However, CBO practitioners do not typically have access to opportunities to build the necessary capacity (skills, knowledge, motivation, and resources) for using EBIs. Although capacity-building interventions can offer a solution, inconsistent definitions and measurements of capacity limit the ability to develop and evaluate such efforts. We explored how and why conceptualizations of core skills for EBI use differ between practitioners and academics addressing cancer and other health inequities. We anchored the inquiry with a commonly used set of target skills for EBI capacity-building efforts.MethodsThe study was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of academic researchers and CBO practitioners. We gathered data through semi-structured, hour-long interviews with practitioners and academics working to address cancer and other health inequities (n = 19). After hearing a brief vignette about a CBO addressing cervical cancer inequities, participants considered a widely accepted list of skills for EBI use that included assessing needs, engaging stakeholders, and selecting, adapting, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining the EBI. We used a team-based, reflexive thematic analysis approach grounded in critical and constructivist perspectives.ResultsOverall, the original list resonated with practitioners and academics and they added new skills to the list (cultural humility and systems change). Practitioners’ responses described skills from the reference point of addressing broader community needs and context and achieving change over the long term, emphasizing aspects of health promotion in their descriptions. Academics offered a mix of perspectives, with some focused on addressing community needs (and related flexibility regarding EBIs) but more emphasized skills needed to deliver a specific EBI to achieve a focused set of health and equity outcomes.ConclusionsThere is a significant opportunity to leverage complementary expertise and perspectives held by practitioners and academics addressing cancer inequities. However, the different frames utilized suggest proactive efforts will be required to find alignment across groups, particularly in valuing diverse contributions and identifying relevant outcomes of interest for each group. Such alignment is critical to designing effective capacity-building interventions and supporting the routine utilization of EBIs to address cancer inequities.

Mobilizing participatory approaches to introduce transdisciplinary research elements when exploring the interface of commodity crop production and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa

The production of commodity crops such as oil palm, sugarcane, cotton or cocoa has important ramifications for sustainability at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Food security is among the most heavily debated impacts of commodity crop production, especially in developing regions characterized by high rates of malnutrition and food insecurity such as Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies have identified diverse pathways through which commodity crop production can have positive or negative impacts on the different pillars of food security. This Methodology paper outlines how different participatory approaches can be mobilized to introduce transdisciplinarity research elements when exploring the adoption and impacts of commodity crop production, especially in developing regions such as SSA. It draws from the lessons learned during the design and implementation of five research projects that explored the food security outcomes of commodity crop production in different countries of SSA. Collectively these research projects mobilized very diverse participatory approaches such as expert interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), participatory mapping, mediated modeling, and participatory scenario analysis. Beyond being instrumental for data collection, these participatory approaches served multiple other research functions. In particular they helped (a) identify research priorities, knowledge gaps, and underlying phenomena, (b) formalize impact mechanisms and develop methodology, and (c) interpret data and validate findings. Furthermore, they contributed to the credibility and relevance of the research, and to a lesser extent to the legitimacy and effectiveness, all of which are considered important principles of transdisciplinary research. Through these diverse contributions they were instrumental in integrating valuable insights from stakeholders holding very complementary expertise in commodity crop value chains at different scales. In this sense they can act as valuable entry points to introduce transdisciplinary research elements in projects exploring the interface of food security and commodity crop value chains (or food systems more broadly), especially in contexts that truly transdisciplinary research is not feasible or desirable.

How Green Bankers Promote Behavioral Integration of Green Investment and Financing Teams—Evidence from Chinese Commercial Banks

Facing the need for green investment and financing brought about by the process of “carbon neutrality”, more and more leaders of commercial banks have begun to initiate green transformation of their enterprises and become green bankers with green finance awareness and vision, while their subordinate green investment and financing teams, as executive units with complementary green finance knowledge, skills, information, and expertise, have become a key link in the bank’s green investment and financing management. Relying on structuration theory and using the multi-case study method, this research analyzes how green bankers promote the behavioral integration of green investment and financing teams from the perspective of team structure construction and deconstructs the process of transforming the development vision of green bankers into green investment and financing practices. Through a pairing study of eight commercial banks, it was found that green bankers can build a green investment and financing team structure to promote their behavioral integration through resources and rules. There are six effective strategies in the construction behavior, including: building a consensus on green finance strategy within the enterprise; guiding the green investment and financing team to exploratively learn green finance knowledge; facilitating collaboration across positions; implementing a fair “result-oriented” salary structure; granting rights to subordinate employees who are competent for green investment and financing tasks; and building a job division and operation mechanism with clear responsibilities. Finally, suggestions are put forward to improve the salary system of green bankers, optimize the training system of green financial talents, and use digital management to ensure the independent authority of green investment and financing positions.

Cover Feature: Sparkling Organic Phosphorescence from Fluorinated Tetrathia[7]helicenes: Synthesis and Photophysical, Electrochemical and Computational Studies (Chem. Eur. J. 28/2023)

Trees are emblems of wisdom, power and prosperity, and recall a growing force connecting different elements (earth, air, water and lives). Philosophers consider trees to be witnesses of the evolution of humans and the planet. In the scientific world the “tree of life” is a metaphor for the connection between complementary fields and expertise. This image communicates that, through appropriate collaborations, interesting research results (the fruits of a tree) can be achieved from which humans could benefit. More information can be found in the Research Article by A. Bossi, E. Licandro and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202300339). Image by Dr. Sara Grecchi, Department of Chemistry, University of Milan.

Abstract A042: Addressing prostate cancer disparities through the Inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity (iCCaRE) for Black men consortium

Abstract Background: The prostate cancer (CaP) disparities experienced by Black men (BM) in the US is a microcosm of the burden of CaP seen in BM globally. The complexity of CaP disparities and the need for a unique approach to better understand and address a complex chronic disease, such as CaP, underscores the need for consortium research that is multilevel, collaborative, translational, and global. In response to this need, we brought together CaP survivors, advocates, scientists and clinicians to form the inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity (iCCaRE) for Black Men Consortium. Aim: Our overall goal is to optimize CaP diagnosis experiences, treatment and survivorship based on the Science of Survivorship (S.O.S). Our primary aim was to develop a consortium co-led by CaP scientists and survivors with multiple S.O.S research projects supported by research cores/services across multiple institutions. Methodology: The consortium was developed to comprise multiple individuals with complementary expertise and resources working collaboratively to achieve the common purpose of eliminating CaP disparities globally. Building on the expertise, resources, and relationships of collaborating CaP investigators, survivors and advocates, the iCCaRE Consortium was proposed to “advance health equity and reduce disparities in CaP” by studying the within-group differences among ethnically diverse BM and comparing US-born BM to their ancestral populations, including West African immigrant men in the US and indigenous West African men. Results: Through the Department of Defense Health Equity Research and Outcomes Improvement Consortium (HEROIC) Award, the iCCaRE Consortium was launched in 2022. There are five pilot projects (PPs), each co-led by a scientist PI and community PI: PP1 will plan and develop a Virtual Robot Assistant (ViRA) that will provide SDOH navigation services, psycho-oncology support and emotional support for BM newly diagnosed with CaP. PP2 will develop and analyze the impact of a patient-centered home cancer care system on health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL), access to healthcare, and PROs. PP3 will plan and develop a ViRA to improve HRQOL in Black CaP survivors. PP4 will employ the social determinants of migrant health framework to understand and address the needs of sub-Saharan African immigrant CaP survivors. PP5 will explore how biological factors induced by cancer cells contribute to poor mental health of CaP survivors. The PPs are supported by an Administrative Core, Translational Research &amp; Clinical Intervention Service, Data Management and Analytics Services, Partnership Engagement Services, Pathology Resource &amp; Biospecimen Core, Methodology and Measures Services and Digital Health &amp; Human Services. Conclusion: The iCCaRE Consortium will “improve HRQOL to enhance outcomes and overall health and wellness for those impacted by CaP” by developing and implementing Artificial Intelligence interventions that address social determinants of health, psycho-oncology support and emotional support for newly diagnosed CaP patients. Citation Format: Folakemi Odedina, Roxana Dronca, Kimlin Ashing, Ernest Kaninjing, Solomon Rotimi, Che Ngufor, Arnold Merriweather, Jennifer Crook, Manisha Salinas, Fathi Parisa, Sha’Reff Rashad, John McCall, Ebenezer Erefah, Ayinde Yahaya. Addressing prostate cancer disparities through the Inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity (iCCaRE) for Black men consortium [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A042.