Systematic Assessment Research Articles

Project Change Canvas

Project management plays a critical role in boosting the success of organizations' projects. However, no matter how well a project is managed, changes are inevitable during its execution. It is crucial to evaluate the impact of these changes before implementing them to ensure they do not compromise the project's success. Existing techniques for assessing the effects of changes have several limitations—particularly in their failure to account for how changes might affect various aspects of project management, such as scope, cost, time, resources, communication, risk, procurement, or overall success. To overcome this limitation, this article introduces a new technique – the Project Change Canvas – that enables the systematic assessment of changes in information systems and technology projects by identifying and weighing their potential impacts across all relevant project management knowledge areas.

The origins of Storm Ciarán: From diabatic Rossby wave to warm‐seclusion cyclone with a sting jet

AbstractThe evolution of Storm Ciarán was different from what is commonly attributed to windstorms affecting northwest Europe. Ciarán initially developed as a diabatic Rossby wave, driven by low‐level latent heat release and with negligible upper tropospheric forcing. It then crossed the jet stream, intensifying explosively while developing a low‐level warm seclusion and producing extreme near‐surface winds, including sting jets. Ciarán is an example of an extreme windstorm following this pathway and highlights the need of a systematic assessment of its relevance in our warming climate.

Viral-bacterial co-infections screen in vitro reveals molecular processes affecting pathogen proliferation and host cell viability

The broadening of accessible methodologies has enabled mechanistic insights into single-pathogen infections, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying co-infections remain largely elusive, despite their clinical frequency and relevance, generally exacerbating symptom severity and fatality. Here, we describe an unbiased in vitro screening of pairwise co-infections in a murine macrophage model, quantifying pathogen proliferation and host cell death in parallel over time. The screen revealed that the majority of interactions are antagonistic for both metrics, highlighting general patterns depending on the pathogen virulence strategy. We subsequently decipher two distinct molecular interaction points: Firstly, murine Adenovirus 3 modifies ASC-dependent inflammasome responses in murine macrophages, altering host cell death and cytokine production, thereby impacting secondary Salmonella infection. Secondly, murine Adenovirus 2 infection triggers upregulation of Mprip, a crucial mediator of phagocytosis, which in turn causes increased Yersinia uptake, specifically in virus pre-infected bone-marrow-derived macrophages. This work therefore encompasses both a first-of-its-kind systematic assessment of host-pathogen-pathogen interactions, and mechanistic insight into molecular mediators during co-infection.

Association between oxidative balance score and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A cross-sectional study.

Oxidative stress is an essential contributor to the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A systematic assessment of diet patterns and lifestyle with the oxidative balance score (OBS) to reflect oxidative stress levels will help predict the risk of COPD. This study conducted a cross-sectional analysis to assess the link between OBS and COPD. 5162 participants were collected from 2013 to 2018 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to assess the relationship between OBS and COPD prevalence. The linearity of the association was explored using smoothed curve fitting. In addition, further subgroup analysis and interaction tests were conducted to ascertain the consistency of the relationship across diverse populations. Results of the multivariate logistic regression models indicated a negative association between OBS and the odds of COPD prevalence. Each incremental unit in OBS correlated with a 3% reduction in the odds of COPD in the fully adjusted model (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.99). Further analysis by OBS tertiles indicated that individuals in the highest OBS tertile (T3) had a 17% lower probability of COPD compared to those in the lowest tertile (T1) in the fully adjusted model (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.64-0.97). The smoothed curve fitting supported the negative association between OBS and COPD. Subgroup analyses revealed that the protective effect of OBS was notably pronounced among the non-hypertensive and non-diabetic populations. These findings suggest a negative link between OBS and COPD, underscoring the importance of antioxidant-rich diets and lifestyles in preventing COPD.

Evaluation of the Management Policy of BOS Funds in Elementary Schools

General background however, the effective management of these funds remains a significant challenge, particularly in certain regions. Specific background this study focuses on evaluating the management policy of BOS funds at an elementary school, highlighting the need for systematic assessment criteria that align with established standards. Knowledge gap despite the existence of frameworks for evaluating fund management, there is limited research on their practical application in specific educational contexts. The aim is to analyze the BOS fund management by employing evaluation indicators based on Wirawan's framework, which includes input, process, output, and impact assessments. The results reveal that while the school’s facilities and infrastructure are generally in good condition, delays in fund distribution have adversely affected maintenance efforts. Key factors influencing successful fund management include meticulous planning, effective coordination, and accurate reporting. Furthermore, the study finds that BOS funds significantly reduce operational costs, benefiting both educators and students. Novelty this research contributes novel insights into the evaluation process of educational funding, illustrating how structured assessments can improve management practices. The implications of this study suggest that better fund management can lead to enhanced educational outcomes and resource allocation, ultimately fostering an environment conducive to learning. Highlights: Evaluation of BOS fund management enhances accountability and resource allocation. Delays in fund distribution impact maintenance of school facilities. Structured assessments improve educational outcomes and support effective learning environments. Keywords: BOS , Educational Management, Evaluation, Operational Costs, Infrastructure

The AI and Big Data Equitable Transformation Theory (ABETT): A Pathway to Inclusive Development and Technological Empowerment

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technology has created new potential for economic growth, social development, and creativity. However, their incorporation into local economies presents issues regarding ethical governance, skill development, access to infrastructure, and equitable benefit sharing. This paper presents the AI and Big Data Equitable Transformation Theory (ABETT), a comprehensive framework for guiding the responsible and inclusive use of AI and big data in various scenarios. The ABETT model has six basic constructs: policy and ethical governance, skills development and education, scalable and equitable infrastructure access, collaborative innovation and knowledge exchange, sustainable AI and data for development, and economic growth and competitiveness. The ABETT framework was created, validated, and enhanced using a qualitative research design that included a systematic literature assessment, expert interviews, and case study analysis. The results support the model's relevance and applicability, illustrating how its elements work together to generate ethical and sustainable technological innovation. Comparisons with previous theories show that ABETT adds value by proposing a comprehensive and customizable pathway for AI and big data adoption that emphasizes collaboration, equity, and sustainability. The paper discusses the model's policy and practical implications, limitations, and future research recommendations. ABETT provides a practical roadmap for stakeholders who want to use AI and big data to promote inclusive growth, sustainable development, and equitable technical advancement.

A systematic review and quality assessment of economic evaluations of kidney replacement therapies in end-stage kidney disease

End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is fatal without treatment by kidney replacement therapies (KRTs). However, access to these treatment modalities can be problematic given the high costs. This systematic review (SR) aims to provide an updated economic evaluation of pairwise comparisons of KRTs and the implications for the proportion of patients with access to the KRT modalities, i.e., kidney transplantation (KT), hemodialysis (HD), and peritoneal dialysis (PD). This SR was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020. We searched studies in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cost Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) registry, from inception to March 2023. Thirteen studies were included with pairwise comparisons among three KRTs, with varying proportions of patients for each modality. Seven studies were from high-income countries, including five from Europe. Summary findings are presented on a cost-effectiveness plane and incremental net benefit (INB). KT was the most cost-effective intervention across the pairwise comparisons. KT and PD were both more cost-effective alternatives to HD. HD was more costly and less effective than PD in all studies except one. Concurrent efforts to increase both KT and PD represented the best scenario to improve treatment options for ESKD patients.

Testing the validity and reliability of the Korean nursing surveillance scale: a methodological study

BackgroundBecause of the importance of nursing surveillance, there is a need to develop a scale to measure nursing surveillance that reflects the roles of nurses in South Korea. This study aimed to develop a scale to measure surveillance by Korean nurses and to test its reliability and validity.MethodsIn the development phase, a literature review was conducted to verify the attributes of nursing surveillance, and preliminary items were developed based on the surveillance activities in the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) and the interviews of Korean nurses and modified through content validation and a pilot study. In the psychometric testing phase, two surveys were conducted with Korean nurses working in acute hospitals, using the preliminary scale in exploratory factor analysis (EFA, n = 220) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA, n = 219). Data were analyzed through EFA, CFA, correlation, and reliability analyses to verify convergent validity, discriminant validity, criterion validity, and reliability. To verify the validity of the preliminary scale, the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis convergent validity, discriminant validity, criterion validity, and reliability were performed.ResultsIn the EFA, 16 items were grouped into four factors, accounting for 70.1% of the cumulative variance. In the CFA, the model exceeded the criteria for all fit indices (χ2 = 155.62 [df = 94, p < .001], CMIN = 1.65, SRMR = .048, RMSEA = .055, GFI = .921, NFI = .916, TLI = .955, CFI = .964) and was acceptable. The convergent validity, discriminant validity, criterion validity, and reliability were verified. The final Korean nursing surveillance scale consists of four factors: ‘anticipation of problems and decision-making’ with six items; ‘systematic assessment’ with five items; ‘recognition of patterns’ with three items; and ‘identification of the patient’s self-care and coping strategies’ with two items.ConclusionThe Korean nursing surveillance scale developed in this study comprised questions that included NIC’s surveillance activities and empirical data from Korean nurses; based on the attributes of nursing monitoring derived from concept analysis, its validity and reliability were verified. This study can provide precedent to motivate the development of nursing surveillance scales in other countries, and ultimately stimulate studies on nursing surveillance, which is essential for patient safety.

Using artificial intelligence based imaging to predict lymph node metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Lung cancer, especially non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is one of the most-deadly malignancies worldwide. Lung cancer has a worse 5-year survival rate than many primary malignancies. Thus, the early detection and prognosis prediction of lung cancer are crucial. The early detection and prognosis prediction of lung cancer have improved with the widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This meta-analysis examined the accuracy and efficacy of AI-based models in predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) in NSCLC patients using imaging data. Our findings could help clinicians predict patient prognosis and select alternative therapies. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases for relevant articles published up to January 31, 2024. Two reviewers individually evaluated all the retrieved articles to assess their eligibility for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The systematic assessment and meta-analysis comprised articles that satisfied the inclusion criteria (e.g., randomized or non-randomized trials, and observational studies) and exclusion criteria (e.g., articles not published in English), and provided data for the quantitative synthesis. The quality of the included articles was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2). The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the ability of AI-based imaging models to predict LNM in NSCLC patients. Sources of heterogeneity were investigated using meta-regression. Covariates, including country, sample size, imaging modality, model validation technique, and model algorithm, were examined in the subgroup analysis. The final meta-analysis comprised 11 retrospective studies of 6,088 NSCLC patients, of whom 1,483 had LNM. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of the AI-based imaging model for predicting LNM in NSCLC patients were 0.87 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80-0.91], 0.85 (95% CI: 0.78-0.89), and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.90-0.94). Based on the QUADAS-2 results, a risk of bias was detected in the patient selection and diagnostic tests of the included articles. However, the quality of the included articles was generally acceptable. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were heterogeneous (I2>75%). The meta-regression and subgroup analyses showed that imaging modality [computed tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography (PET)/CT], and the neural network method model design significantly affected heterogeneity of this study. Models employing sample size data from a single center and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method had greater sensitivity than other techniques. Using the Deek' s funnel plot, no publishing bias was found. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that deleting each article one by one did not change the findings. Imaging data models based on AI algorithms have good diagnostic accuracy in predicting LNM in patients with NSCLC and could be applied in clinical settings.

Oral vitamin D supplementation for adults with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery.

Vitamin D deficiency following bariatric surgery is common and is expected to be associated with a deleterious impact on the skeleton. However, the benefits of vitamin D supplementation and the optimal dose in this population is currently unknown. The available guidelines on the topic are derived from experts' opinions, and are not evidence based. To compare the effects of different doses of vitamin D supplementation (low dose (less than 600 international units (IU)/day), moderate dose (600 IU/day to 3500 IU/day), high dose (greater than 3500 IU/day)) to each other or to placebo in adults living with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, two trial registries, and the reference lists of systematic reviews, articles, and health technology assessment reports without language restrictions. The last search of all databases was 27 June 2023, except Embase, which we searched on 14 August 2015. We included randomised controlled trials or controlled clinical trials on vitamin D supplementation comparing different doses or comparing vitamin D to placebo in people undergoing bariatric surgery. We used standard Cochrane methods. Primary outcomes were fractures and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were vitamin D status, all-cause mortality, bone mineral change, secondary hyperparathyroidism, health-related quality of life, and muscle strength. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome in each comparison. We identified five trials with 314 participants. We included three trials in the quantitative analysis. Moderate-dose vitamin D compared to placebo One trial compared moderate-dose vitamin D (3200 IU/day) to placebo. Moderate-dose vitamin D, compared to placebo, may improve vitamin D status and may result in little to no difference in the achieved parathyroid hormone level (achieved 25-hydroxyvitamin D level: mean difference (MD) 13.60 ng/mL, 95% confidence interval (CI) 7.94 to 19.26; achieved parathyroid hormone level: -6.60 pg/mL, 95% CI -17.12 to 3.92; 1 study, 79 participants; low-certainty evidence). The trial reported no adverse events in the moderate-dose vitamin D arm, but did not provide any information on adverse events in the placebo arm. There were no data on fractures, all-cause mortality, bone density change, health-related quality of life, and muscle strength. High-dose vitamin D compared to moderate-dose vitamin D Two trials in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass compared moderate-dose (equivalent dose 800 IU/day to 2000 IU/day) to high-dose (equivalent dose 5000 IU/day to 7943 IU/day) vitamin D. The evidence of high-dose vitamin D on adverse events is very uncertain (risk ratio (RR) 5.18, 95% CI 0.23 to 116.56; 2 studies, 81 participants; very low-certainty evidence). High-dose vitamin D may increase 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels compared to a moderate dose at 12 months, but the evidence is very uncertain (MD 15.55 ng/mL, 95% CI 3.50 to 27.61; I2 = 62%; 2 studies, 73 participants; very low-certainty evidence). High-dose vitamin D may have little to no effect on parathyroid hormone levels compared to a moderate dose at 12 months, but the evidence is very uncertain (MD 2.15 pg/mL, 95% CI -21.31 to 17.01; I2 = 0%; 2 studies, 72 participants; very low-certainty evidence). High-dose vitamin D may have little to no effect on mortality and bone mineral density at the lumbar spine, hip, and forearm, but the evidence is very uncertain. There were no data on fractures, health-related quality of life, or muscle strength. No trials reported on fractures and the evidence available on adverse events is scarce. Moderate-dose vitamin D may improve vitamin D status and may result in little to no improvement in parathyroid hormone levels compared with placebo. High-dose vitamin D supplementation (greater than 3500 IU/day) may increase 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, and may have little to no effect on parathyroid hormone levels, compared to a moderate dose, but the evidence for both is very uncertain. The currently available limited evidence may not have a significant impact on practice. Further studies are needed to explore the impact of vitamin D supplementation on fractures, adverse events, and musculoskeletal parameters in people undergoing bariatric surgery.

Nationwide Profiling and Source Identification of Organophosphate Esters in Korean Surface Waters Using Target, Suspect, and Non-Target HRMS Analysis

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are emerging contaminants that serve as alternatives to regulated substances in aquatic environments. A nationwide large-scale assessment for OPEs, including point sources, remains insufficient. To address this issue, we aimed to investigate OPEs occurrence and novel OPEs via comprehensive target, suspect and non-target analysis. Among the 11 target OPEs, 10 were detected at sampling sites distributed evenly nationwide. The highest mean concentrations were measured for tris-(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) and tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP). The multivariate statistical analysis revealed that TBOEP and TCIPP are essential components for assessing total OPEs pollution. The systematic risk assessment results evaluated the overall risk contribution of TBOEP and the significant risk impact of 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate. Promising suspect and non-target analysis enabled frequent detection and identification of 6 antioxidant transformation products (TPs), as well as the tentative identification of 14 OPEs and TPs, including 3 di-OPEs. Based on sampling site classification, we confirmed that major OPEs are significantly discharged near point sources. We believe that this is the first attempt to assess the nationwide risk and potential sources of OPEs in Korean surface waters, providing insights that could support further prioritization and regulation efforts.

Impact of air pollution on mortality: Geo-epidemiological study in French-speaking Africa

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is responsible for 90 % of deaths in Africa. However, limited data on exposure to air pollution is available, and studies are rare, particularly in French-speaking Africa. This study aims to investigate the impact of air pollution on mortality in 12 French-speaking African countries (Algeria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Tunisia). Using data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), annual concentrations of the PM2.5 pollutant from different cities were integrated into a spatial interpolation model (IDW) at the scale of each country. The interpolation was validated using cross-validation models. For each of the considered cardiorespiratory diseases (LRI, stroke, COPD, IHD), the attributable mortality fraction was estimated using literature data and population exposure calculated using demographic data from each country. Large variations in ambient PM2.5 concentration between the 12 countries are observed, with concentrations ranging from 1.76 μg/m3 in Morocco to 64.99 μg/m3 in Cameroon. Concentrations are higher in West Africa than in Central or North Africa. In 2019, 136 457 deaths attributable to air pollution were recorded in the 12 countries: 40.8 % from ischemic heart disease, 38.5 % from stroke, 13.2 % from lower respiratory infections and 7.5 % from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Our model allowed us to obtain a spatial distribution and the number of deaths related to air pollution. However, the estimation of the health impact from air pollution could be improved by more systematic and comprehensive local exposure assessments from a robust air quality monitoring system.

Bridging the pain gap after cancer surgery - Evaluating the feasibility of transitional pain service to prevent persistent postsurgical pain - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The lack of a dedicated pain service catering to the postsurgical period has resulted in the origination of the pain-period gap. This has led to a resurgence of transitional pain service (TPS). Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility of TPS in pain practice among postsurgical cancer patients and its prevention of persistent postsurgical pain (PPSP), culminating in chronic pain catastrophising. The protocol for this meta-analysis was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (ID: CRD42023407190). This systematic review included articles involving all adult cancer patients undergoing cancer-related surgery experiencing pain, involving pharmacological, non-pharmacological and interventional pain modalities after an initial systematic pain assessment by pain care providers across diverse clinical specialities, targeting multimodal integrative pain management. Meta-analysis with meta-regression was conducted to analyse the feasibility of TPS with individual subgroup analysis and its relation to pain-related patient outcomes. Three hundred seventy-four articles were evaluated, of which 14 manuscripts were included in the meta-analysis. The lack of randomised controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of TPS in preventing PPSP and pain catastrophising led to the analysis of its feasibility by meta-regression. The estimate among study variances τ2 was determined and carried out along with multivariate subgroup analysis. A regression coefficient was attained to establish the correlation between the feasibility of TPS and its patient outcome measures and opioid-sparing. TPS interventions carried out by multidisciplinary teams incorporating bio-physical-psychological pain interventions have resulted in its successful implementation with improved pain-related patient outcomes mitigating the occurrence of PPSP.

S1175 A Systematic Review and Methodological Assessment of Radiological Features and MRI-Based Activity Indices Used to Define Healing in Perianal Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease (pfCD) According to COSMIN Guidelines

S1175 A Systematic Review and Methodological Assessment of Radiological Features and MRI-Based Activity Indices Used to Define Healing in Perianal Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease (pfCD) According to COSMIN Guidelines

Family history and cancer risk study (FOREST): A clinical trial assessing electronic patient-directed family history input for identifying patients at risk of hereditary cancer

BackgroundHereditary cancer syndromes cause a high lifetime risk of early, aggressive cancers. Early recognition of individuals at risk can allow risk-reducing interventions that improve morbidity and mortality. Family health history applications that gather data directly from patients could alleviate barriers to risk assessment in the clinical appointment, such as lack of provider knowledge of genetics guidelines and limited time in the clinical appointment. New approaches allow linking these applications to patient health portals and their electronic health records (EHRs), offering an end-to-end solution for patient-input family history information and risk result clinical decision support for their provider. MethodsWe describe the design of the first large-scale evaluation of an EHR-integrable, patient-facing family history software platform based on the Substitutable Medical Applications and Reusable Technologies on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (SMART on FHIR) standard. In our study, we leverage an established implementation science framework to evaluate the success of our model to facilitate scalable, systematic risk assessment for hereditary cancers in diverse clinical environments in a large pragmatic study at two sites. We will also evaluate the success of the approach to improve the efficiency of downstream genetic counseling resulting from pre-counseling pedigree generation. ConclusionsOur research study will provide evidence regarding a new care delivery model that is scalable and sustainable for a variety of medical centers and clinics. Trial registrationThis study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov under NCT05079334 on 15 October 2021.

Validating the rhenium proxy for rock organic carbon oxidation using weathering profiles

Chemical weathering over geological timescales acts as a source or sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), while influencing long-term redox cycling and atmospheric oxygen (O2) at Earth's surface. There is a growing recognition that the oxidative weathering of rock organic carbon (OCpetro) can release more CO2 than is locally drawn down by silicate weathering, and may vary due to changes in erosion and climate. The element rhenium (Re) has emerged as a proxy to track the oxidative weathering of OCpetro, yet uncertainties in its application remain namely that we lack a systematic assessment of the comparative mobility of Re and OCpetro during sedimentary rock weathering. Here we measure Re and OCpetro loss across gradients in rock weathering at 12 global sites, spanning a range of initial OCpetro values from ~0.2 % to >10 %. At nine sites we use titanium to account for volume changes during weathering and assess Re and OCpetro loss alongside major elements that reflect silicate (Na, Mg), carbonate (Ca, Mg) and sulfide (S) weathering. Across the dataset, Re loss is correlated with OCpetro loss but not with loss of any other major element. Across the weathering profiles, the average molar ratio of OCpetro to Re loss was 0.84 ± 0.15, with 8 out of 9 sites having a ratio >0.74. At one site (Marcellus Shale), the average ratio was lower at 0.58 ± 0.11. The excess loss of Re matches expectations that, typically, between ~0 and 20 % of the Re liberated by sedimentary rock weathering derives from silicate or sulfide phases, while some OCpetro may be physically or chemically protected from weathering. Overall, our measurements provide validation for the Re proxy of OCpetro oxidation and allow future work to further improve our knowledge of regional and global-scale rates of this important source of CO2 in the geochemical carbon cycle.

Faces of Power in Organizations: Foundations, Applications, and Extension

Questions of power are core to organizations, organizing, and the conduct of the organized. Organizational research, however, often avoids addressing questions of power in the direct, explicit, straightforward fashion that their theoretical importance would warrant. Mainstream management and organization studies, including work and organizational psychology and organizational behavior, typically limit themselves to basic and narrow conceptualizations of episodic interpersonal power. Building on broader theorizing in political and social science, an integrative literature review has introduced the ‘four faces of power’ to organizational research a decade ago. Albeit frequently referred to, applications of this model seem rare. However, a systematic assessment of the literature is lacking. Against this backdrop, objectives of this contributions are three-fold: First, an overview of foundational theories and taxonomies for the study of power in organizations is provided. Secondly, a semi-systematic review of the uptake of the ‘four faces of power’ taxonomy in the organizational literature is presented. After seven identified applications are summarized, the current state of knowledge and further research needs are discussed. Finally, an extended version of ‘six faces of power’ is suggested. Envisioned is a perspective that puts power into the foreground of organizational research.

Visual deterioration secondary to medial sphenoid wing meningioma: systematic assessment of patient-reported outcomes and factors contributing to recovery after surgical treatment.

Visual acuity (VA) constitutes an important outcome measure in surgery for medial sphenoid wing meningioma (SWM). This study aimed to assess the recovery of tumor-associated impairment of VA and its impact on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) as an indication of vision-related quality of life in patients who had undergone surgery for medial SWM. From 2009 to 2018, 153 consecutive patients with medial SWM underwent surgical treatment at the authors' institutions. Tumor-associated VA was evaluated both on admission and during postoperative follow-up examinations, using Snellen charts. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify independent predictors for postoperative improvement of VA. PROMs were collected based on the National Eye Institute 25-Item Visual Function Questionnaire. Of patients with medial SWM, 53 of 153 (35%) experienced preoperative impairment of VA. The median preoperative duration of visual symptoms was 12 (IQR 3-17) months for the entire study cohort. Multivariable analysis revealed a preoperative duration of visual symptoms ≤ 4 months to be independently associated with postoperative improvement of VA (p = 0.009). Evaluation of PROMs indicated a superior postoperative qualitative extent in the overall health (p = 0.027) and activities of daily living (p = 0.031) categories if preoperative duration of visual impairment was ≤ 4 months. The overall preoperative duration of tumor-related visual impairment significantly correlates to the extent of postoperative visual improvement as well as vision-related PROMs in medial SWM surgery. These results might aid in preoperative patient counseling and help optimize decision-making and preoperative estimation of long-term visual outcome.

The Doughnut Biotool: A tool to assess life-cycle biodiversity impacts from building projects

Abstract Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is widely used in certifications, regulations, and voluntary declarations covering the climate impact of buildings over their entire value chain. However, biodiversity impacts and other environmental impact categories are often disregarded. Conversely, there is a trend towards more systematic assessments of the biodiversity impacts that occur on-site as part of development projects (e.g. land transformation on the project site). However, off-site biodiversity impacts occurring throughout the rest of the value chain (e.g. from forestry activities, mining, manufacturing, heat and electricity production) are rarely considered. To bridge this gap, this article introduces the Doughnut Biotool, an open-source calculation tool to assess biodiversity impacts throughout the entire life cycle of development projects. The tool was initially developed to help implement Doughnut Economics and absolute sustainability principles in development projects. It constitutes a first step towards a better consideration of biodiversity impacts related to material- and energy use in building and construction projects. This paper presents the design of the tool and the method and data it relies on. The tool is applied to two separate case study projects, and used as a basis to discuss hotspots of biodiversity impacts within the building’s life cycle. Finally, the paper includes a discussion of the main challenges and opportunities for the future development and use of the tool, as well as for biodiversity impact assessments in the building sector as a whole.

Aligning stakeholder goals: Implications for inclusive urban sustainability

The implementation of local sustainability policies is often hampered by differences between multi-level policy goals and the development priorities of local stakeholders. This study evaluates how an assessment of the differences between public, national, and international sustainable development priorities, such as the SDGs, might inform inclusive sustainability policies at the local level. Specifically, this paper aims to demonstrate the use of multi-stakeholder goal-alignment assessment through content analysis and public opinion surveys administered in three cities across Henan Province, China. The findings 1) draw from the systematic assessment of stakeholder priorities to identify three typologies of goal-alignment or misalignment that have implications for the design of initiatives that offer co-benefits and for the mediation of trade-offs in meeting sustainability goals, and 2) demonstrate an integrative approach to developing urban sustainability policies and programs using both top-down prescriptive sustainability goals and human-centered experiential priorities.