Creating leadership collectives for sustainability transformations

Enduring sustainability challenges requires a new model of collective leadership that embraces critical reflection, inclusivity and care. Leadership collectives can support a move in academia from metrics to merits, from a focus on career to care, and enact a shift from disciplinary to inter- and trans-disciplinary research. Academic organisations need to reorient their training programs, work ethics and reward systems to encourage collective excellence and to allow space for future leaders to develop and enact a radically re-imagined vision of how to lead as a collective with care for people and the planet.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-021-00909-y.

The 8-item Morisky medication adherence scale: validation of a Portuguese version in HIV patients

Background

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has the most effective treatment for people with HIV, but its effectiveness depends on the individual medication adherence. Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) is one of the most widely used scales to assess patient adherence. Thus, we aimed to validate a Portuguese version of MMAS-8 and determine its psychometric properties in HIV positive patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João (Porto, northern Portugal) at the infectious diseases department. After authorization to use the scale - granted by the author - and, a standard forward-backwards procedure to translate MMAS-8 to Portuguese, the questionnaire was applied to 233 patients with HIV doing ART. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability. Three levels of adherence were considered: 0 to < 6 (low), 6 to < 8 (medium), 8 (high).

Results

In the studied sample, the mean age was 45.03 years (SD = 11.63), 80.3% men, 19.3% women and 1 transgender, and 53.8% had ≤9 years of education. The mean number of prescribed ART per patient was 1.76. The mean score for the medication adherence scale was 7.29 (SD = 6.74). For the reliability analysis, 12 patients were excluded due to missing data (n = 221). Regarding the level of adherence, 22.5% were low adhering, 71.6% medium and 5.9% high. Corrected item-total correlations showed that 1 item does not correlate very well with the overall scale and was dropped. Scale reliability analysis for the remaining 7 items revealed an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.661. Women had a protective effect on adherence (OR = 0.31;95%CI:0.15-0.66). Number of years doing ART, age of participants, and type of residence didn't show to be correlated with adherence.

Conclusions

MMAS-8 is a reliable and valid measure to detect patients at risk of non-adherence. A satisfactory Cronbach's alfa (0.661) was obtained. In general, adherence to medication was medium or high.

Key messages

This scale can be applied nationwide in other different hospitals, as it could serve as a tool for measuring adherence to ART that can allow for better health care to the ones that are low adhering. A Portuguese version of the MMAS-8 was created for measuring adherence to ART that maintained a similar structure to the original MMAS-8 and good psychometric properties.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) 2 Superinfection in a Patient Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy With Longstanding HIV-1 Viral Load Suppression

Dual human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 1 and HIV-2 superinfections are rare but challenging. A HIV-1–infected patient receiving effective antiretroviral therapy was investigated for a severe CD4⁺ cell count decline. HIV-2 superinfection was diagnosed and genotypic test revealed mutations conferring resistance to most drug class, limiting options for treatment.

Recurrence patterns and factors associated with regular, irregular, and late return to service of female pigs and their lifetime performance on southern European farms

A return-to-service occurrence increases nonproductive days of female pigs and decreases herd productivity. The objectives of the present study were 1) to characterize 3 return types based on reservice intervals in female pigs on southern European farms, 2) to determine return risks and recurrence patterns for these types of returns, and 3) to assess lifetime performance of females with the 3 types of returns. We analyzed 653,528 service records and lifetime records of 114,906 females on 125 farms between 2008 and 2013. Reservice intervals were categorized into 3 groups: regular returns (RR: 18 to 24 d), irregular returns (IR: 25 to 38 d), and late returns (LR: 39 d or later). Multilevel generalized linear models were applied to the data. There were 64,385 reservice records (9.9%), with mean risks of RR, IR, and LR per service (±SEM) of 3.6% ± 0.06%, 2.5% ± 0.05%, and 3.0% ± 0.06%, respectively. Of the 43,931 first-returned females, 32.7% had a second return in the same or later parity. Also, 18.8%, 10.2%, and 11.6% of females that had RR, IR, and LR first returns, respectively, had a second return of the same return type. Summer servicing was associated with greater RR, IR, and LR risks in gilts. Also, increased gilt age at first mating was associated with RR ( = 0.03) and LR risk ( < 0.01) but not with IR risk ( = 0.53). For sows, factors associated with greater RR, IR, or LR risks were summer servicing, lower parity, farrowing more stillborn piglets, and having a weaning-to-first-mating interval of 7 d or more ( < 0.01). In lifetime, 33.5% of serviced females had 1 or more returns. These returned females had 41.5 more lifetime nonproductive days than nonreturn females but also 1.9 more lifetime pigs born alive ( < 0.01). We recommend that producers closely monitor females in high-risk groups to reduce their return-to-service intervals.

High lifetime and reproductive performance of sows on southern European Union commercial farms can be predicted by high numbers of pigs born alive in parity one

Our objectives were 1) to compare reproductive performance across parity and lifetime performance in sow groups categorized by the number of pigs born alive (PBA) in parity 1 and 2) to examine the factors associated with more PBA in parity 1. We analyzed 476,816 parity records and 109,373 lifetime records of sows entered into 125 herds from 2008 to 2010. Sows were categorized into 4 groups based on the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles of PBA in parity 1 as follows: 7 pigs or fewer, 8 to 11 pigs, 12 to 14 pigs, and 15 pigs or more. Generalized linear models were applied to the data. For reproductive performance across parity, sows that had 15 or more PBA in parity 1 had 0.5 to 1.8 more PBA in any subsequent parity than the other 3 PBA groups ( P< 0.05). In addition, they had 2.8 to 5.4% higher farrowing rates in parities 1 through 3 than sows that had 7 or fewer PBA (P < 0.05). However, there were no differences between the sow PBA groups for weaning-to-first-mating interval in any parity (P ≥ 0.37). For lifetime performance, sows that had 15 or more PBA in parity 1 had 4.4 to 26.1 more lifetime PBA than sows that had 14 or fewer PBA (P < 0.05). Also, for sows that had 14 or fewer PBA in parity 1, those that were first mated at 229 d old (25th percentile) or earlier had 2.9 to 3.3 more lifetime PBA than those first mated at 278 d old (75th percentile) or later (P < 0.05). Factors associated with fewer PBA in parity 1 were summer mating and lower age of gilts at first mating (AFM; P < 0.05) but not reservice occurrences (P = 0.34). Additionally, there was a 2-way interaction between mated month groups and AFM for PBA in parity 1 (P < 0.05); PBA in parity 1 sows mated from July to December increased nonlinearly by 0.3 to 0.4 pigs when AFM increased from 200 to 310 d old (P < 0.05). However, the same rise in AFM had no significant effect on the PBA of sows mated between January and June (P ≥ 0.17). In conclusion, high PBA in parity 1 can be used to predict that a sow will have high reproductive performance and lifetime performance. Also, the data indicate that the upper limit of AFM for mating between July and December should be 278 d old.

Effect of micellized natural (D-α-tocopherol) vs. synthetic (DL-α-tocopheryl acetate) vitamin E supplementation given to turkeys on oxidative status and breast meat quality characteristics

This study evaluates the effect of vitamin E supplementation source (micellized natural vs. the synthetic form) and dosage (40, 80, or 120 mg/kg) on α-tocopherol concentration in plasma and muscle, antioxidant capacity, and breast meat quality in turkeys. Three hundred female turkeys were randomly selected at an average live weight 63.2 g±0.5 and distributed into 7 groups. One group (control) was fed a standard diet without vitamin E supplementation and the other 6 were given mixed diets supplemented with the natural (d-α-tocopherol) or synthetic (dl-α-tocopheryl acetate) form of vitamin E in 3 dosages (40, 80, or 120 mg/kg). Following 11 wk feeding, results showed that performance parameters were not modified either by source or dosage of vitamin E supplementation to the turkeys. Plasma and muscle α-tocopherol at d 9 of refrigerated storage were higher when turkeys were supplemented with the natural form at higher doses. Losses in the concentration of α-tocopherol in meat between the beginning and the end of the 9 d refrigerated storage were greater in the groups supplemented with the synthetic form of vitamin E compared to those receiving the natural supplementation. The relationship between plasma α-tocopherol and the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity followed a different trend depending on the vitamin E source. Intramuscular fat was not significantly affected by the vitamin E source supplementation; however the slope of the linear regression equation was lower for the natural form than for the synthetic form. Turkeys given the natural form had higher C18:1n-9 but lower C15:1, C17:1, C20:5n-3, and C22:6n-3 in breast muscle. Meat samples from turkeys supplemented with natural vitamin E had higher deoxymyoglobin at d 3, 6, and 9 and lower metmyoglobin at d 9 of refrigerated storage than those receiving the synthetic form. Dietary supplementation with medium doses (80 mg/kg) micellized d-α-tocopherol is an interesting feeding strategy for ensuring antioxidant status and improving meat quality.

Zinc oxide at low supplementation level improves productive performance and health status of piglets

Use of ZnO at high doses (3000 ppm) for diarrhea prophylaxis in piglets is widely extended in postweaning Spanish diets, in compliance with the national veterinary regulation. However, European feed legislation limits total dietary Zn to a maximum of 150 mg/kg of complete feed. The objective of this study was to compare a new potentiated form of ZnO, HiZox (Animine), at nutritional level (150 ppm) with pharmacological dosage (3000 ppm) of regular ZnO in starter diets on the productive performance and health status of piglets in a medium-low health status farm. A total of 144 pigs at weaning (28 d of age) were distributed in 6 piglets/pen and 12 pens/treatment. In the prestarter phase (28 to 42 d of age), all pigs received the same commercial feed, including 3000 ppm ZnO. In the starter phase (42 to 63 d of age) (T1) included 3000 ppm of regular ZnO (2500 ppm Zn), and (T2) was supplemented with 110 ppm Zn from potentiated ZnO (HiZox). Average daily feed intake, ADG, G:F, and pig-MAP serum concentration, an acute phase protein commonly used as unspecific biomarker of disease or other acute phase reactions, were measured at 42 and 63 d of life. Pen of 6 piglets was the experimental unit and data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS version 9.0. Piglets fed with T2-HiZox had improved ADG and G:F (P < 0.001) compared to piglets fed with T1-ZnO. In addition, at 63 d of age, the T2 group had a lower pig-MAP serum concentration than T1 group (1.71 vs. 0.95 μg/mL; P < 0.05) indicating higher health status in the T2 group. In conclusion, in low-medium sanitary conditions and in compliance with European regulation, HiZox significantly increased piglet growth compared to pharmacological dosage of regular ZnO in the starter phase. This can be explained by a better health of pigs expressed by a lower level of inflammatory protein pig-MAP.

Meat juice: An alternative matrix for assessing animal health by measuring acute phase proteins. Correlations of pig-MAP and haptoglobin concentrations in pig meat juice and plasma

Quantification of acute phase proteins (APPs) in blood can be used for monitoring animal health and welfare on farms, and could be also of interest for the detection of diseased animals during the meat inspection process. However serum or plasma is not always available for end-point analysis at slaughter. Meat juice might provide an adequate, alternative matrix that can be easily obtained for post-mortem analysis at abattoirs. The concentrations of pig Major Acute phase Protein (pig-MAP) and haptoglobin, two of the main APPs in pigs, were determined in approximately 300 paired samples of plasma and meat juice from the diaphragm (pars costalis), obtained after freezing and thawing the muscle. APPs concentrations in meat juice were closely correlated to those in plasma (r=0.695 for haptoglobin, r=0.858 for pig-MAP, p<0.001). These results open new possibilities for the assessment of animal health in pig production, with implications for food safety and meat quality.

Proteomics as a tool for the investigation of seafood and other marine products

The state-of-the-art and future trends of the application of proteomics to seafood and other marine products are reviewed. Consumers' demands for seafood products have increased in the recent years and this situation has underlined the need to guarantee the safety, traceability, authenticity, and health benefits of such products. The increasing presence of commercially available aquaculture products has also prompted the seafood industry to face newer challenges. In this sense, a review of the present status and perspectives of the application of proteomics in the development of newer biotechnology products of marine origin is given.

Characterization and partial sequencing of species-specific sarcoplasmic polypeptides from commercial hake species by mass spectrometry following two-dimensional electrophoresis

The Merluccidae family comprises marine species, some of them of high commercial value and others less appreciated, whose commercialization in Europe under the generic name of "hake" is highly remarkable. The potential of proteomics was employed in this study with the aim of achieving the differential characterization of five different hake species: Merluccius merluccius (European hake), M. australis (Southern hake), M. hubbsi (Argentinian hake), M. gayi (Chilean hake), and M. capensis (Cape hake), some of them very closely related. Species-specific polypeptides were observed for the five hake species studied in isoelectric focusing (IEF) and/or two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) high-resolution gels. The peptide mass maps of two polypeptide groups, previously selected by 2-DE analysis as potentially species-specific, were obtained by "in-gel" tryptic digestion, followed by matrix assisted laser desorption/ ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Analysis of group A polypeptides (with pI in the range of 5.0-5.5 and molecular mass of 17 kDa), allowed the differential classification of the hake species into two groups: the East Atlantic coast group and the West Atlantic coast group. Moreover, the peptide mass-maps from the heat-resistant parvalbumin fraction (pI below 4.5; molecular mass <12 kDa) allowed the detection of a peptide characteristic of M. australis not present in the other four hake species tested. A specific 17 kDa protein from M. merluccius was also partially sequenced by nanospray-ion trap-tandem MS, revealing a high homology with rat nucleoside diphosphate kinase A (NDKA). This work opens the way to the application of proteomics to the differential characterization of commercial hake species at the molecular level.

Development of a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis reference method for the analysis and identification of fish species in raw and heat-processed samples: a collaborative study

A collaborative study was carried out in seven European labs with the aim of achieving a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) standard operation procedure to identify fish species in raw and cooked samples. Urea and SDS-containing solutions were evaluated as extractants. Several preelectrophoretic operations--such as treatment with RNase/DNase, ultrafiltration and desalting--and up to ten types of gels and three SDS-PAGE systems were considered. The SDS-containing solution allowed a higher protein extractability than urea. Unlike urea extraction, SDS extraction seemed not to be influenced so much by the state of the sample (raw, cooked at 60 degrees C, cooked at 85 degrees C). Desalting, ultrafiltration or treatment with RNase/DNase did not improve the discriminatory power of the protein patterns. Commercial homogeneous 15% ExcelGels, especially when they were silver stained, yielded good results and afforded higher reproducibility, thus allowing a better matching of results among the laboratories participating in this collaborative study. Under the optimized technical conditions described above, all the fish species tested, either raw and cooked, yielded reproducible and discriminant species-specific protein patterns.

Denaturation of fish proteins during frozen storage: role of formaldehyde

Proteins of fish muscle undergo chemical and physical changes during frozen storage which may result in, under certain conditions (i.e. long periods of storage, poor freezing practices, temperature fluctuations, etc), loss of quality, reflected mainly by an unacceptable texture as well as an undesirable flavour, odour and colour. In frozen gadoid fish species, most of these changes are caused by the production of formaldehyde in the muscle. Formaldehyde is produced, along with dimethylamine, by the enzymatic reduction of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO). Many aspects of formaldehyde production by TMAO demethylase (TMAOase) have been studied throughout the last decade. In addition, different approaches have been used to investigate the effect of formaldehyde production on protein denaturation and the associated muscle textural changes. Some insight into the reaction between protein and formaldehyde has clarified the possible mechanism of formaldehyde-mediated denaturation. However, evidence of covalent bonding between proteins and formaldehyde, to form crosslinks, has not explained fully the changes observed in fish proteins during frozen storage. The study of cold-induced denaturation of proteins might give new clues for further investigation of the problem. The implications of formaldehyde in toxicological and nutritional issues is also reviewed, as general concern about the safety of food products is a growing field in food science. Finally, different approaches have been proposed to avoid the detrimental action of formaldehyde during frozen storage of gadoid fish; they are some of the practical applications of the knowledge acquired after years of study of different workers in the field.