Recruitment Issues Research Articles

НАЧАЛО БОЕВОЙ СЛУЖБЫ 41-ГО ЕГЕРСКОГО ПОЛКА В СОСТАВЕ ОТДЕЛЬНОГО КАВКАЗСКОГО КОРПУСА. 1819–1826 ГГ.

The purpose of the article is to study the military actions of the Russian army in the initial period of the Caucasian War. The author pays attention to topical issues of recruitment and organization of light infantry units of a Separate Caucasian Corps. The information about the contribution of General A.P. Ermolov to the reorganization of troops and their preparation for conducting operations against irregular formations of the enemy is summarized. The problem of establishing a historical connection between the 41st Jaeger regiment and its successors from among the combat units of the Separate Caucasian Corps is considered. The author gives concrete examples of combat operations of the 41st Jaeger Regiment in 1820-1826. As a result, the author concludes that the adaptation of the jaeger units to the specific conditions of the theater of the Caucasus-Mountain war of the 19th century took place in a short time.

Estimating pregnancy rate from blubber progesterone levels of a blindly biopsied beluga population poses methodological, analytical and statistical challenges.

Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) from the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada, have been declining since the early 2000s, suggesting recruitment issues as a result of low fecundity, abnormal abortion rates or poor calf or juvenile survival. Pregnancy is difficult to observe in cetaceans, making the ground truthing of pregnancy estimates in wild individuals challenging. Blubber progesterone concentrations were contrasted among 62 SLE beluga with a known reproductive state (i.e. pregnant, resting, parturient and lactating females), that were found dead in 1997 to 2019. The suitability of a threshold obtained from decaying carcasses to assess reproductive state and pregnancy rate of freshly-dead or free-ranging and blindly-sampled beluga was examined using three statistical approaches and two data sets (135 freshly harvested carcasses in Nunavik, and 65 biopsy-sampled SLE beluga). Progesterone concentrations in decaying carcasses were considerably higher in known-pregnant (mean ± sd: 365 ± 244ng g-1 of tissue) than resting (3.1 ± 4.5ng g-1 of tissue) or lactating (38.4 ± 100ng g-1 of tissue) females. An approach based on statistical mixtures of distributions and a logistic regression were compared to the commonly-used, fixed threshold approach (here, 100ng g-1) for discriminating pregnant from non-pregnant females. The error rate for classifying individuals of known reproductive status was the lowest for the fixed threshold and logistic regression approaches, but the mixture approach required limited a priori knowledge for clustering individuals of unknown pregnancy status. Mismatches in assignations occurred at lipid content < 10% of sample weight. Our results emphasize the importance of reporting lipid contents and progesterone concentrations in both units (ng g-1 of tissue and ng g-1 of lipid) when sample mass is low. By highlighting ways to circumvent potential biases in field sampling associated with capturability of different segments of a population, this study also enhances the usefulness of the technique for estimating pregnancy rate of free-ranging population.

Цифровізація управлінської праці HR-менеджера

The subject of the research is theoretical and methodological issues of digitalization of the process of work of an HR manager with personnel and justification of the possibility of investing in digitalization of the enterprise. The structure of private Austrian Investments LLC is described and the dynamics of its activity is analyzed. It is proved that the organizational level of the enterprise is a hierarchical structure of employees with a clear distinction between rights and obligations. This provides opportunities for professional and job development of personnel based on reasoned measurements of evaluating their work and individual characteristics. HR management covers the digitalization of the processes of planning, selection, training, evaluation, retraining and motivation of personnel. The authors conducted a study of the state of digitalization of the HR manager's work; analyzed the current state of information and digital provision of resources to the recruitment manager; developed recommendations for improving the digitalization of the HR manager’s work. Information support of the enterprise is characterized by an average level of digitalization. Theoretical and applied priorities for introducing new activity trends, namely aspects of digitalization of the HR manager’s work, are determined. The stages of the personnel strategy on digitalization issues and directions for implementing the chatbot project in the company’s Telegram channel are substantiated. The HR Manager fully ensures all processes of working with personnel, participates in solving managerial problems related to working with personnel at the enterprise. The HR strategy of digitalization in the enterprise is formed, organized and controlled by the HR manager in relation to personnel. The responsibilities of such a manager are: automated planning of HR processes and control of the number of employees; automation of HR functions for recruitment (recruitment and hiring), personnel career, rating using artificial intelligence in the enterprise management system; online training and staff adaptation; methods of integration of cloud services for the development and professional training of personnel, creation of coaching, corporate training system, certification; creating a database for the personnel Reserve; predictable people analytics on motivation and professional burnout, determining the effectiveness of staff work; introduction of augmented reality (VR) technology through talent acquisition and virtualization of corporate culture development through social networks. Practical significance lies in the development of directions and recommendations for improving the work of the HR manager on recruitment issues of the enterprise based on the personnel strategy of digitalization.

Embracing Te Ao Māori to Rebuild a Sustainable Future for Chefs in Aotearoa New Zealand

The professional kitchen is a fast-paced environment often founded on hierarchical structures and stressful working conditions. Within this environment, tensions often run high resulting in aggressive behaviours, and at times, bullying and violence towards junior chefs. For the last decade the hospitality sector has been struggling to recruit and retain aspiring chefs into the professional kitchen. Compounding the recruitment issue is the social narrative that the hospitality industry is a poorly paid profession that works long and unsociable hours. Due to the global pandemic the hospitality sector has suffered significant upheaval resulting in significant numbers of its workforce choosing to leave the industry. Like other countries around the globe, the hospitality sector in Aotearoa New Zealand is having to rethink and reset the way it operates in a new post covid landscape. Central to this is the questioning of established modes of practice and reimagining a new hospitality future. In response to the changing landscape of hospitality, the Bachelor of Culinary Arts programme at Te Kura Matakini ki Otago (Otago Polytechnic), Aotearoa New Zealand developed a bicultural pedagogic framework that embraces te ao Māori values. As a strategy to educate chefs into alternative workplace behaviours and cultures the values of manaakitaka (care and integrity towards self and others), whānaukataka (integrity of relationship), and kotahitaka (a sense of collective unity and ownership) are deliberately integrated into the programmes pedagogy and the courses learning outcomes. In doing so, this pedagogic framework upholds the world views, values, and mana of Aotearoa’s takata whenua (Indigenous people), while also attempting to rebalance the historical practices of the professional kitchen.

Premature termination of clinical trials in Spain: reasons, characteristics, and opportunities to improve.

The aim of this study is to determine the rate of prematurely terminated clinical trials (CTs) and describe primary reasons and characteristics, and suggest strategies to improve. We performed a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study including all CTs registered in the Spanish Registry of Clinical Studies (REec) from January 1, 2013 to November 31, 2021. A descriptive analysis of reasons for premature termination was made. To assess characteristics associated with a premature termination, the relative risks (RR) with a 95% confidence interval were calculated. In total, 21% (718) of CT were prematurely terminated. Reasons for premature termination included patient recruitment issues in 25% (179) of cases, efficacy or futility problems in 18% (132), and commercial or strategic decisions from the sponsor in 12% (87). Characteristics significantly associated with an increased risk of premature termination included the following: presence of placebo (RR 2.08); multiple study sites (RR 1.32); pediatric and geriatric populations (RR 1.29 children; RR 1.47 preschoolers; RR 1.92 newborns; RR 1.27 > 64years of age). In addition, circumstances such as investigations in phase II (RR 1.21), of cancer (RR 1.37), and of digestive pathology (RR 1.65) were also associated with increased risk of premature termination. Recruitment of the study subjects in a CT must be meticulous and account for age of participants. In addition, CT study sites should be evaluated to ensure they have appropriate resources and the desired patient population. Based on intermediate analyses, CT protocols should describe the criteria to terminate a study due to futility. These approaches are essential to avoid harm to participants, ensure internal validity of studies, and improve the use of resources in CT development.

Graduate recruitment

With recruitment and retention issues across the early years sector it would be wrong not to open up career opportunities to as wide a base of people as possible, including graduates. The sector has traditionally sought its new recruits from school leavers and non-graduate career changers, however we need to expand the field of candidates into the graduate field and let them know what an exciting and rewarding career they can have in early years.

A Survey of Citizen Science Gaming Experiences

Citizen science games (CSGs) are a valuable means for motivating citizen science participation. However, many CSGs still suffer from the recruitment and retention issues of traditional citizen science projects, despite much prior literature on what motivates CSG players. In this study, we take a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) perspective to explore in what ways CSGs are still failing to provide motivating play experiences for players. Using Qualitative Content Analysis, we conducted and analyzed an online survey of 185 players from 9 citizen science games. This survey contributes insights to the current state of CSG experiences and next steps for developers to address these issues. We found that major concerns included scientific communication, instructional design, user interface and controls, task quality, and software issues.

Telehealth for Parkinson disease patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: the TeleParkinson study.

Telemedicine allows Parkinson disease (PD) patients to overcome physical barriers to access health care services and increases accessibility for people with mobility impairments. To investigate the feasibility indicators of a telehealth intervention for PD patients, including patient recruitment, attendance, technical issues, satisfaction, and benefits on levels of physical activity and sleep. We conducted a single-center, single-arm study of telehealth video consultations using WhatsApp (Meta Platforms, Inc., Menlo Park, CA, USA). Also, we collected the feasibility indicators as the primary endpoints. All the patients in the study were previously evaluated in person by the same team. Patient recruitment, attendance, and technical issues rates were 61.3%, 90.5%, and 13.3%, respectively, with good scores of patient acceptance and satisfaction with the study intervention. The telehealth intervention improved physical activity, including the number of walks for at least 10 continuous minutes (p = 0.009) and the number of moderate-intensity activities lasting at least 10 continuous minutes (p = 0.001). The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scores also improved for one of its components: perceived sleep duration (p < 0.001) and for total Pittsburgh score (p < 0,001). The average travel time saving was 289.6 minutes, and money-saving was R$106.67 (around USD 18; almost 10% of the current minimum wage in Brazil). Direct-to-patient telehealth video consultations proved to be feasible and effective and had a positive impact on physical activity levels and sleep in PD patients.

Obstacles to the career progression of professional female project managers (PFPMs) in the Ghanaian construction industry

PurposeThere are significantly fewer women than men in managerial positions, mainly project management. This problem is noticeable in the construction and engineering sectors, traditionally male-dominated industries with leadership much dependent on masculine qualities. This study examines the obstacles to the career progression of professional female project managers (PFPMs) in the Ghanaian construction industry.Design/methodology/approachTwenty potential obstacles to women's career progression in the construction industry were identified from a comprehensive review of the literature. A questionnaire was prepared and administered among eighty project managers who work in large construction firms in Ghana. Data obtained were analysed using one sample t-test, Kendall's concordance test, Chi-square test and exploratory factor analysis.FindingsThe findings suggest the significance of all the twenty factors as potential obstacles to the career progression of PFPMs. The exploratory factor analysis identified five underlying grouped obstacles: “leadership and human capital related issues”, “issues related to discrimination of all forms”, “career aspiration and planning issues”, “female related role conflicts”, and “recruitment and selection issues”.Research limitations/implicationsThe subjective nature of the views of the respondents could influence the evaluation of the obstacles. With this study only exploring the dimensions underlying the significant obstacles, future studies could examine the interrelationships between the various obstacles and move on to determine their impacts on the career progression of professional female PMs as well.Practical implicationsHaving an in-depth understanding of these obstacles, stakeholders and other industry practitioners in Ghana could make informed decisions on measures to put in place to address some of these critical issues to raise the standard of professional female PMs in the construction industry. Policymakers and gender advocates in Ghana could also take up some of the critical obstacles identified and provide suitable strategies to educate and create the needed awareness of the industry on those obstacles. Practically, the findings from this study can be valuable for informing decision-making at different management levels in the construction industry.Originality/valueWith country-specific (Ghana) obstacles identified, the findings significantly contribute to the literature on the career advancement of females in the construction sector.

An Ecological Exploration into the Agency of Four Former Early Childhood Teachers

Issues of Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) shortages, recruitment, and retention are of concern in many nations, with ECT attrition being a contributing factor. Simultaneously, scholars argue that neoliberal influences are restricting the agency of ECTs. This article explores the relationship between ECT attrition and agency by re-examining narratives shared by four individuals who chose to leave early childhood teaching in Victoria, Australia. Through an analytical framework grounded in ecological systems, I delve into how agency was experienced in relation to the incidents that led participants to leave the profession at the individual, micro-, meso-, exo-, macro-, and chrono-systems. The findings suggest that upon entering the profession, participants had anticipated and found the need to advocate for their professional aspirations. Notably, their relationships with colleagues, particularly management and leadership, either afforded or constrained their agency. Other system factors influencing their agency, and reasons for leaving the profession, include the everyday busyness of teaching, educator-child ratios, and working conditions as defined by their employment entitlements. I argue that early childhood managers and leaders act as agency gatekeepers and concur with scholars who suggest a need to reimagine early childhood education and care as a public good, and to reconsider current hierarchical structures. This article aims to initiate further research concerned with the agency of ECTs and how they are or can be supported to not only remain but thrive within in the profession.

The National Teacher Shortage: Addressing the Needs of LGBTQ+ Educators to Increase Recruitment and Retention

The LGBTQ+ community is one overlooked and underresearched in education recruitment and retention, as compared with other minoritized groups. A growing teacher shortage is rooted both in recruitment and in retention and can be mitigated by examining policies that support equitable preservice programs and reduce high teacher rates of attrition. This article investigates the current teacher shortage, examines its roots in issues of retention and recruitment, and situates the role of LGBTQ+ educators. I propose that the teacher shortage could be mitigated by creating a pipeline more attuned to the needs of queer teachers and reimagining school systems to become more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. This article argues for increased representation and imagines a school system that actively recruits and retains LGBTQ+ people.

Methodological Reflections on Capturing Augmented Space: Insights From an Augmented Reality Field Study

The growing popularity of augmented reality has led to an increased overlaying of physical, offline space with digital, augmented space. This is particularly evident in the public space of big cities, which already feature a multitude of holographic content that can be experienced via augmented reality devices. But how can we methodically capture the interrelation between physical and augmented space? In this augmented reality field study, a historical building was holographically reconstructed in its original size on a public city square. The test people were then able to move around and view the hologram from different angles via high-tech augmented reality glasses. Due to its explorative character and constantly changing field conditions, including, among other things, the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to critically reflect and adapt our methods to take into account technical, environmental, social, operationalisation, and recruitment issues. After evaluating our solutions to these issues, this article aims to illustrate the methodological challenges and opportunities of augmented reality field studies and to provide an overview of best practices for capturing the interrelationship of physical and augmented space.

Women Entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia: A Portrait of Progress in the Context of Their Drivers and Inhibitors

This study explores the barriers and challenges faced by Saudi women entrepreneurs along with the motivational forces that drives them towards entrepreneurship. This study employs a qualitative research design, and is based on the interview of 11 Saudi women entrepreneurs and includes a review of data on the motivational factors and challenges faced by them using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Research participants’ perspectives have been quoted for each distinct theme that emerged from the interview finding. The factors motivating Saudi women towards entrepreneurship have been identified as passion, identification of opportunity, dissatisfaction and family support. Barriers that are exclusive to Saudi women entrepreneurs are difficulty in maintaining work-life balance, lack of business networking, limited access to financial resources, lack of understanding of business-related tasks and functions, fear of deception, lack of trust, reservation about work-related travel, recruitment and training issues like lack of experienced and trained Saudi workers and negative attitude and non-willingness to work under female leadership. Decision-makers in government and other relevant organisations can develop a solid framework of focussed agendas, policies and measures to address the barriers identified in this study. Arab countries especially Saudi Arabia can use these results to fully utilise the entrepreneurial skills of Saudi women to boost economic growth and development. This pioneering study reveals the intricacy of Saudi women entrepreneurs’ experiences in the presence of gender-bias and internalising socio-cultural values and attributed gender roles during the formation of their entrepreneurial identities through a unique non-western viewpoint.

How do the working lives of general practitioners in rural areas compare with elsewhere in Scotland? Cross-sectional analysis of the Scottish School of Primary Care National GP Survey.

Like many countries around the world, Scotland faces a shortage of general practitioners (GPs) due to both recruitment and retention issues. Such workforce shortages are of particular concern in rural areas. There are many reasons why GPs are leaving general practice; however, satisfaction with working life is an important predictor of GP retention. It is important, therefore, to understand working life satisfaction of rural GPs. The purpose of this study was to compare the working lives and intentions to reduce work participation of rural GPs and GPs working elsewhere in Scotland. This study was a quantitative analysis of survey data from the Scottish School of Primary Care national working lives survey. GPs were classified as working in 'non-rural' or 'rural' practices based on the Scottish Government's rural binary classification system, and were compared using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis on four domains of working lives: job satisfaction, job stressors, positive and negative job attributes, and four intentions to reduce work participation: reducing working hours, working abroad, leaving direct patient care and leaving medical work entirely. A total of 2465 GPs returned the survey, giving a response rate of 56%. Three-hundred and forty seven GPs who returned the survey worked in practices in rural areas (14.1%). Rural GPs were more likely to do out-of-hours work (p<0.001), to have worked in their practice for fewer years (p=0.014), to work in single-GP partnerships (p<0.001), and to work in practices with smaller list sizes (p<0.001), than GPs in non-rural settings. Compared with GPs elsewhere, rural GPs reported higher mean job satisfaction (5.23 v 5.39, respectively; p<0.005), lower mean job stressors (3.58 v 3.29; p<0.001) and lower mean negative job attributes (4.08 vs 3.78; p<0.001). These differences remained highly significant after controlling for potential confounders (age, gender and the differences in work practices shown above). In regression analysis, a significant interaction was found between gender and rurality for job satisfaction (p=0.008), which indicated that rural female GPs' higher job satisfaction mainly accounted for rural GPs' increased job satisfaction. No significant interaction was found between gender and rurality for the other domains of working lives. Compared with GPs elsewhere, however, rural GPs were more likely to intend to work abroad (mean 1.39 v 1.55; p=0.013) and leave medical work entirely within 5 years (mean 2.15 v 2.36; p=0.039). These intentions remained significant after controlling for potential confounders. No significant interaction was found between gender and rurality for variables for intentions to reduce work participation. Rural GPs in Scotland are more satisfied with their working lives than GPs working elsewhere in Scotland, which is mainly due to higher job satisfaction in female GPs in rural areas. Despite this, rural GPs as a whole have a higher intention to leave their job in the next 5 years than their non-rural counterparts. Although some of these differences are small, they may signal serious implications for the future care of patients in rural areas and require further research to understand the drivers of this.

“We Want a Quota!”

Abstract During the Black Student Movement of the late 1960s and ‘70s, campus activists organized to demand, among other requests, a racial quota system. In response, university administrators often developed race-neutral scholarship programs and recruitment strategies to enroll more students of color without setting quotas. The quota controversy at the University of Texas at Austin reveals important elements of race-conscious and colorblind admissions programs. After the Afro-Americans for Black Liberation demanded the first quota system in 1969, Black students engaged in a decade-long battle with administrators over strategies to increase Black student enrollment. To alleviate the pressure from Black student organizations, University of Texas administrators established scholarships, affirmative action policies, and information-sharing programs to recruit and retain students of color. The struggle between Black students and white administrators is representative of Black student activists’ ideological shift from colorblind policies to race-conscious remedies during the era of civil rights and Black Power. While administrators used colorblind, or race-neutral, policies to diversify the campus community, Black students fought for a race-conscious quota system that would result in a minimum number of accepted students of color each year. Administrators, weary of antiwhite “reverse discrimination,” used race-neutral admissions policies and programs to subvert race-conscious demands for a quota system. In fact, evidence shows that Black student activists’ persistence in setting quotas worked to the benefit of white students, particularly those that did not meet the university's general admissions standards. Overall, the issue of Black student recruitment at the University of Texas uncovers the process by which administrators adopted colorblind logic in reaction to Black student demands, maintained the racial status quo at a predominately white institution, and widened racial inequality.

Analysis of Recruitment and Selection Quality Improvement on The Indonesian National Armed Forces Personnel: A Case Study of The Garuda Task Force in MINUSCA

Peacekeeping-related research has increased in the last two decades as the number and complexity of peacekeeping operations, and the associated resource commitments have increased. However, studies investigating recruitment and selection issue remains understudied. Indonesia is known as a contributing country that deploys uniformed personnel as peacekeepers and serves under the banner of the United Nations. Efforts to ensure competent peacekeeping forces can be carried out through an objective recruitment and selection process. By reviewing the literature, this article aims to analyze the improvement of the quality of recruitment and selection of the personnel of the Garuda Task Force, particularly the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). The results show the need to improve the quality of recruitment and selection of TNI personnel starting from the planning stage, vacancy announcement, to the selection stage, which consists of potential screening candidates, and selection interviews. In order to improve the recruitment and selection process, it is necessary to pay attention to the key factors both from the perspective of the employer and the candidate.

Awe: Helping leaders address modern policing problems

Policing in America is facing unprecedented issues, including surges in violent crimes, record-low levels of morale, recruitment and retention issues, COVID-19 as the leading cause of death in policing in 2021, police suicide described as an epidemic, and an overall increase in mental health conditions. As the resilience of police officers is pushed to the limits, police leaders must develop innovative approaches to enhance and sustain their workforce’s mental health and well-being. This paper shares how one aspect of resilience—reflecting on and experiencing awe—can assist police leaders in exploring creative and meaningful ways to address current policing issues.

Rituximab for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is the most frequent extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease, affecting up to 50% of patients. It has a great impact on quality of life. Rituximab (RTX)is a human/murine chimeric monoclonal antibody that targets the CD20 receptor on B-lymphocytes. Preliminary work has shown that blocking this CD20 receptor with RTX may affect the clinical course of TAO by reducing inflammation and the degree of proptosis. OBJECTIVES: This review update, originally published in 2013, assesses the efficacy and safety of using RTX for the treatment of TAO. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2022, Issue 2), which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Information database (LILACS), the ISRCTN registry, clinicaltrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP). There were no language restrictions in the electronic search for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 22 February 2022. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of RTX administered by intravenous infusion using any dosage regimen for the treatment of active TAO in adults, compared to placebo or glucocorticoids treatment. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Two review authors independently scanned titles and abstracts, and screened full-text reports of potentially relevant studies. The outcomes of interest in this review were: clinical activity score (CAS), NOSPECS severity scale, proptosis (mm), palpebral aperture (mm), extraocular motility (degrees or diplopia rating scale), quality of life and adverse effects. We identified two studies that met the inclusion criteria in this updated review. Across both studies, the mean age of participants was 55 years and 77% were women. RTX compared to intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) One study, conducted in Italy, compared RTX (n = 15 after one participant withdrew) with IVMP (n = 16) for active TAO (CAS ≥ 3 out of 7 or 4 out of 10). We judged this study to be at low risk of bias in most domains, but it was stopped early because of disease reactivation in the comparator group (5/16 participants). This study provided low-certainty evidence that RTX may result in CAS improvement at 24 weeks compared to IVMP (15/15 versus 12/16 improved by ≥ 2 points; risk ratio (RR) 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98 to 1.78). Only very low-certainty evidence was available for the other outcomes: NOSPECS improvement by 2 or more classes (3/15 versus 3/16; RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.25 to 4.49); proptosis improvement by 2 mm or more (0/15 versus 1/16; RR 0.35, 95% CI 0.02 to 8.08); palpebral aperture improvement by 3 mm or more (2/15 versus 0/16; RR 5.31, 95% CI 0.28 to 102.38); motility improvement by 1 class or more (3/15 versus 3/16; RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.25 to 4.49); and improvement on the Graves' ophthalmopathy QoL scale by at least 6 points for "functioning" (5/14 versus 8/13; RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.32), and "appearance" (9/14 versus 6/13; RR 1.39, 95% CI 0.69 to 2.82). Adverse events were more common in the RTX group (RR 1.39, 95% CI 0.90 to 2.13; low-certainty evidence). Minor adverse effects (mild infusion reactions) were observed in most people receiving RTX at first infusion. Two participants experienced a major infusion reaction, likely cytokine release syndrome. RTX compared to placebo One study, conducted in the USA, enrolled 25 participants with active TAO (CAS ≥ 4 out of 7), comparing RTX (13 participants) to placebo. We judged this study to be at low risk of bias in most domains, but it was stopped early due to recruitment issues. It provided very low-certainty evidence on the following outcomes at 24 weeks: CAS improvement by 2 or more points (4/13 RTX versus 3/12 placebo; RR 1.23, 95% CI 0.34 to 4.40); NOSPECS improvement by 2 or more classes (2/13 versus 2/12; RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.15 to 5.56); proptosis improvement by 2 mm or more (2/13 versus 4/12; RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.10 to 2.08); palpebral aperture median change (0 mm in RTX group, in both eyes separately, versus -0.5 mm and 0.5 mm in placebo group right and left eye, respectively); motility median diplopia score (3 versus 2.5); SF-12 physical component median score (45.9 versus 40.3) and mental component median score (52.8 versus 46.1). More participants in the RTX group experienced adverse effects (8/13 versus 3/12; RR 2.46, 95% CI 0.84 to 7.18). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is currently insufficient evidence to support the use of RTX in people with TAO. Future studies investigating RTX in people with active TAO may need to be multi-centre in order to recruit enough participants to make an adequate judgement on the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy.

Impact of societal and legal context on the blood supply of African-ancestry populations in Western countries: A review of practices and the French example.

In Western countries, blood supply agencies encounter impediments in providing blood groups defined as rare or of interest, notably for sub-Saharan African ancestry (SSAA) recipients. To establish warning levels and anticipate future blood needs, an estimate of the current carriers of rare blood groups, both potential patients or donors, is crucial but complex. Indeed, if the strict needs can be estimated in medical terms, the modalities of blood product collection must be considered from an interdisciplinary perspective, at the interface of biological data and social norms. Here, we aim to understand how legal choices and a set of representations of otherness may influence the supply of rare blood for SSAA populations. After examining these issues, considering different norms and limits that govern French society, we compare this data with those of four Western countries facing the same difficulties (United States, United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands). This work began as part as the reflections of Social Lab, an institutional programme created by the French Blood Establishment (EFS). How can we effectively improve the qualitative blood coverage for SSAA populations? There is no unique solution, but there are many more or less effective answers. Comparison across countries reveals a strong influence of the socio-political histories and ethical choices before technical and medical considerations. We consider that an institutional policy is required to resolve recruitment issues of SSAA donors sustainably. Lastly, we introduce a working group called the EFS Social Lab, which aims to set up a monitoring mechanism for donors and societal trends to make blood donation effective.

SURVIVABILITY, ADAPTABILITY AND OFFBOARD SYSTEMS AUTONOMOUS AND OFFBOARD SYSTEMS AND THEIR IMPACT ON WARSHIP AND TASK GROUP SURVIVABILITY

Developments in Artificial Intelligence, autonomous navigation, tactics and doctrine, recruitment issues and a desire to reduce the combat risk to service personnel are combining to drive the rapid development of offboard capabilities, often autonomous in nature, in the maritime environment. The paper discusses the likely impact of this change in paradigm on naval survivability at platform and task force level before addressing developments in technology and process either in hand or required, that will enable these systems to reach their full potential whilst ensuring that current survivability and combat safety performance is not compromised.