Thymocyte migration and emigration

Hematopoietic precursors (HPCs) entering into the thymus undergo a sequential process leading to the generation of a variety of T cell subsets. This developmental odyssey unfolds in distinct stages within the thymic cortex and medulla, shaping the landscape of T cell receptor (TCR) expression and guiding thymocytes through positive and negative selection. Initially, early thymic progenitors (ETPs) take residence in the thymic cortex, where thymocytes begin to express their TCR and undergo positive selection. Subsequently, thymocytes transition to the thymic medulla, where they undergo negative selection. Both murine and human thymocyte development can be broadly classified into distinct stages based on the expression of CD4 and CD8 coreceptors, resulting in categorizations as double negative (DN), double positive (DP) or single positive (SP) cells. Thymocyte migration to the appropriate thymic microenvironment at the right differentiation stage is pivotal for the development and the proper functioning of T cells, which is critical for adaptive immune responses. The journey of lymphoid progenitor cells into the T cell developmental pathway hinges on an ongoing dialogue between the differentiating cell and the signals emanating from the thymus niche. Herein, we review the contribution of the key factors mentioned above for the localization, migration and emigration of thymocytes.

Life history correlations and trade-offs resulting from selection for dispersal in Tribolium castaneum

Dispersal is an important facet of the life history of many organisms and is therefore subject to selective pressure, but does not evolve in isolation. Across nature there are examples of dispersal syndromes, life history strategies in which suites of traits coevolve and covary with dispersal in combinations that serve to maximise fitness in a given ecological context. The red rust flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, is a model organism and globally significant post-harvest pest which relies on dispersal to reach new patches of ephemeral habitat. Dispersal behaviour in Tribolium has a strong genetic basis. However, a robust understanding of the relationship between dispersal and other life history components, which could elucidate evolutionary processes and allow pest managers to control their spread and reduce the impact of infestation, is currently lacking. Here we use highly replicated lines of T. castaneum previously artificially selected for divergent small-scale dispersal propensity, to robustly test several important life history components: reproductive strategy, development time and longevity. As predicted, we find that a suite of important change as result of our selection on dispersal; high dispersal propensity is associated with a lower number of longer mating attempts by males, lower investment in early-life reproduction by females, slower development of later-laid offspring and longer female lifespan. These findings indicate that correlated intraspecific variation in dispersal and related traits may represent alternative life history strategies in T. castaneum. We therefore suggest that pest management efforts to mitigate the species' agro-economic impact should consider the eco-evolutionary dynamics within multiple life-histories. The benefits of doing so could be felt both through improved targetting of efforts to reduce spread, and also in forecasting of how the selection pressures applied through pest management are likely to affect pest evolution.

Emotional and behavioural problems of left behind children in Lithuania: a comparative analysis of youth self-reports and parent/caregiver reports using ASEBA

BACKGROUND

Children being left behind (LBC) in their home countries due to parental emigration is a global issue. Research shows that parents' emigration negatively affects children's mental health and well-being. Despite a high number of LBC, there is a dearth of data from Eastern European countries. The present study aims to collect and analyse self-reported data on LBC emotional and behavioural problems and compare children's reports with those of parents/caregivers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 24 Lithuanian schools, involving parents/caregivers and their children aged 12 to 17. We employed self-reported measures, including the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) tools - Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL 6/18) and Youth Self Report (YSR 11/18), to evaluate the emotional and behavioural problems of the children. These instruments had been translated, standardised, and validated for the Lithuanian population. Data collection took place between January 2022 and April 2023. In addition to descriptive analysis, multivariate regression was used to adjust for various sociodemographic factors.

RESULTS

A total of 760 parents/caregivers and 728 of their children participated in the study. LBC exhibited higher total problem scores (57.7; 95% CI 52.0-63.4) compared to non-LBC (47.1; 95% CI 44.7-49.4). These differences were consistent across all YSR 11/18 problem scales. However, no significant differences were observed in CBCL 6/18 scores. Furthermore, LBC self-reported a higher total problem score (57.7; 95% CI 52.0-63.4) compared to their parents/caregivers (24.9; 95% CI 18.9-30.9), and this pattern persisted across all scales. Being female, having school-related problems and having LBC status were associated with higher YSR 11/18 scores in the multivariable regression, while female gender, living in rural areas, school-related problems, and having hobbies were associated with higher CBCL 6/18 scores.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights that LBC report more emotional and behavioural challenges than their non-LBC peers, while parent/caregiver assessments show lower problem scores for LBC. Gender, living environment, school-related issues, and engagement in hobbies have influenced these outcomes. These findings underscore the multifaceted nature of the experiences of LBC and the importance of considering various contextual factors in understanding and addressing their emotional and behavioural well-being.

PUSK AND PULL FACTORS OF EMIGRATION AMONG PHYSICIAN IN NIGERIA

Background

Physician emigration is increasing exponentially in developing countries. In Nigeria, with the last decade's unprecedented brain drain, it has gained the popular moniker 'japa syndrome'.

Aim

This study aimed to determine push and pull factors affecting physician migration in Nigeria, to provide evidence-backed recommendations for physician retention policies.

Materials/Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among attendees at the 2022 Abuja Cardiovascular Symposium hosted by Limi Multispecialty Hospital and the Nigerian Cardiac Society. Convenience and snowball sampling were used, and 295/400 responded to comprehensive self-administered questionnaires (73.7% response rate). Data was analysed using SPSS v.26.

Results

Most participants (79.4%) were aged 20-39 years (Mean 35 years SD ±10.17); female (58.6%); married (58.4%) and had family size below six (73.6%). About 85.8% were employed, and 55.9% worked in private establishments. Solely basic medical degrees were possessed by 64.4%, and 63.7% earned N300,000-N399,999 (USD 396.82-USD 527.78) monthly. Top destinations were UK (50.5%), Canada (43.3%), and USA (37.9%), with low remuneration (71.2%), insecurity (62.7%), and difficult working environments (55.9%) most frequent push factors. Postgraduate-training frustrations (38.6%), and limited educational opportunities for oneself (37.6%), children (26.4%), or spouse (19.7%) were the least. High earning potential (76.6%), career growth opportunities (70.8%), and high-level equipment/technology (54.9%) were frequent pull factors.

Conclusion

Physician emigration threatens Nigeria's health system and should be addressed multi-sectorally to boost physician remuneration and improve work environments and societal security. Additionally, innovative education and digital technology would encourage health workforce retention.

Nazi persecutee and opponent of racial hygiene: The extraordinary life of the "ethnopathologist" Max Kuczynski (1890-1967)

The pathologist Max Kuczynski (1890-1967) gained recognition for his bacteriological research but is also considered the founder of the so-called ethnopathology. As a "non-Aryan," Kuczynski emigrated from Nazi Germany to Peru, where his elder son was later even to become president. However, the circumstances surrounding the end of Kuczynski's career in Germany are hardly known. This article takes this research gap as an opportunity to reconstruct his life, the circumstances of his emigration, and his work in South America. Numerous archival documents serve as sources. In the mid-1920s, Kuczynski developed "ethnic pathology," a new interdisciplinary approach that offered a counter-concept to the increasingly popular racial hygiene in Germany. But his career in Germany ended even before the Nazis came to power in 1933. He was dismissed from the Charité Pathological Institute in October 1932 at the instigation of its new director, Robert Rössle (1876-1956). Personal and financial reasons played a role, but Kuczynski's rejection of racial hygiene may also have been a decisive factor: Rössle himself turned increasingly to questions of racial hygiene in the Third Reich and used the corpses of Nazi victims for his research. It can be shown that the circumstances of Kuczynski's dismissal were already catalyzed by anti-Semitic and eugenic tendencies, which were to unleash themselves radically in Germany only a few months later - and even caught up with him in Peruvian exile.

Fatigue and physical activity levels in poles living in Poland and the United Kingdom in the further year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot study

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to conduct a preliminary assessment of the prevalence of fatigue and level of physical activity, as well as the relationship between fatigue and physical activity among Poles living in Poland and the United Kingdom (UK) in the further year in the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A web-based online survey was conducted among Poles living permanently in Poland and the UK in January 2023. Responses were obtained from 200 respondents aged 18-69 years. The level of fatigue was assessed by the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). The level of physical activity was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).

RESULTS

The median for the total fatigue score was equal to 17 points out of a possible 105. 13.5% of the subjects had a low level of physical activity, the average MET for high-intensity activity was 1294.55 METs, for moderate activity 714.44 METs, and for walking 631 METs. As age and number of COVID-19 cases increased, scores on the MFIS questionnaire scale also increased. With an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, high-intensity MET scores decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

The level of fatigue, in contrast to the level of physical activity, was low in the study population. There were few statistically significant differences in fatigue between people living in Poland and the UK. Further experimental studies on the physiological mechanism of differences in fatigue and physical activity are needed.

Tendencies towards emigration and their association with introversion and ethnocentrism among final-year medical students from Osijek, Croatia: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The migration of healthcare workers is attracting growing attention worldwide. Attitudes towards emigration develop over the years, and it is possible that, in addition to social factors, they are influenced by the characteristics of a person's personality and the sense of belonging to the social environment. This study aimed to determine the tendencies of final-year medical students' from Osijek, Croatia, towards emigration after graduation and after specialization, as well as their specialty preferences and to investigate whether introversion and ethnocentrism have an impact on attitudes toward leaving the country in search of employment elsewhere.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among final-year (6th year) medical students from Osijek, Croatia, in two consecutive academic years - 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. Students completed a questionnaire about sociodemographic characteristics, academic and scientific performance, preferences about their future medical career, the medical specialty of choice, emigration tendencies after graduation and specialization, ethnocentrism and introversion.

RESULTS

There were 124 students who participated in the study (response rate: 96%). A quarter of participants agreed that they are likely or very likely to emigrate after graduation (25.0%) or after specialization (23.39%). Variables associated with the intention to emigrate were specialty preferences (students that prefer endocrinology and psychiatry had the highest emigration tendencies), academic year in which the participants were included (students included in 2014/2015 were more prone to emigrate after specialization, p = 0.060), prior involvement in scientific projects (students with experience in scientific projects expressed higher tendencies to emigrate after graduation, p = 0.023), and ethnocentrism (higher ethnocentrism was associated with a lower tendency towards emigration after specialization, Spearman's rho = -0.191).

CONCLUSION

Our finding that a quarter of final-year medical students from the Faculty of Medicine Osijek were considering emigrating from Croatia in search of employment elsewhere after graduation or specialization is not as high as in previous Croatian studies or studies conducted in other European countries. Even though these data may be encouraging, considering the lack of physicians in Croatia, interventions are needed to prevent permanent emigration to protect the future functioning of the Croatian health system. Furthermore, our study did not find significant associations between levels of introversion and ethnocentrism and tendency to emigrate from Croatia. It seems that the phenomenon covering the emigration of students is more complex and influenced by many other factors which were not included in our study.

Policy differentiation and the politics of belonging in India's emigrant and emigration policies

India is the largest emigrant origin country in the world. The majority of Indian emigrants work in low-wage employment in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. This paper contrasts India's policy responses directed at migrants living in the Gulf countries with policies targeted at those in the Global North. India has extended substantive rights and symbolic inclusion to Indian citizens and (descendants of) former citizens residing in the Global North. However, while it established a social protection framework for low-wage emigrants in the Gulf, these emigrants are often unable to access other substantive citizenship rights and are mostly ignored at the symbolic level. Through critical approaches to the study of diasporas and the lens of boundary work, this article analyzes how emigrant origin states (re-)define belonging through differentiated emigration and emigrant policies. It shows that the Indian state links inclusive/exclusive boundaries of (symbolic) national membership, inherent in emigration and emigrant policies, to classifications regarding emigrants' social identities, in this case class and religion.

Determinants and Effects of International Remittances: Evidence from Ratnagiri District of Rural Maharashtra

International emigration and remittance inflow is not a novel phenomenon for India. The present study examines the factors influencing emigration and size of remittance inflow. It also examines the effect of remittances on the economic wellbeing in terms of expenditure of the recipient households. In India, the remittance inflows are important source of funding for the recipient households in rural India. However, the studies focusing on the impact of international remittances on rural household wellbeing in India are rarely found in the literature. The study is based on the primary data collected from the villages in Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra, India. It uses logit and probit models to analyse the data. The results show a positive association between inward remittances and economic welfare and subsistence of the recipient households. Findings of the study show a strong negative relationship between the education of the household members and emigration.

Intention to Migrate Due to COVID-19: a Study for El Salvador

Economic and social conditions have deteriorated worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Migration theory and international organizations indicate that these increasingly fragile social conditions represent powerful incentives to migrate. Normally, studies addressing international migration and COVID-19 focus on transit and destination countries, with substantially less literature centered on origin nations. Trying to close that gap, the present article aims to identify and quantify economic determinants that explain the intention of Salvadorians to migrate abroad. Using a probabilistic sample and a logistic model, a number of renowned economic variables for migration studies were used to investigate Salvadorian's intention to emigrate. Results demonstrated a stark reduction in migration intentions in 2020. Moreover, the risk of losing one's job is by far the most prominent factor explaining the intention to migrate. Other aspects, such as employment and salaries, also showed statistically significant values. Additionally, results report women being less likely to migrate and age to have a negligible effect. The text concludes by indicating some public initiatives that could be implemented to support people who choose to act upon their intentions and embark on emigration.

Physician emigration from Nigeria and the associated factors: the implications to safeguarding the Nigeria health system

BACKGROUND

Adequate Human Resources for Health is indispensable to achieving Universal Health Coverage and physicians play a leading role. Nigeria with low physician-population ratio, is experiencing massive exodus of physicians. This study investigated emigration intention of physicians, the factors influencing it and discussed the implications to guide policy formulation and reforms, curtail the trend and safeguard the country's health system.

METHODS

Through cross-sectional survey, 913 physicians from 37 States were interviewed with semi-structured questionnaire using Google form shared via WhatsApp and Telegram forums of Nigeria Medical Association. Data were analysed with IBM-SPSS version-25 and charts were created with Microsoft-Excel. Chi-square and multiple regression tests were done with p-value set at 0.05.

RESULTS

The mean age of respondents is 37.6 ± 7.9 years; majority of them are males (63.2%), married (75.5%) with postgraduate qualifications (54.1%) and working in public health facilities (85.4%). Whereas 13% and 19.3% are, respectively, satisfied with their work and willing to continue practice in Nigeria, 43.9% want to emigrate and 36.8% are undecided about future location of their practice. The commonest reasons for emigration are poor remuneration (91.3%), rising insecurity (79.8%) and inadequate diagnostic facilities (61.8%). Physicians working in public health facilities are 2.5 times less satisfied than their counterparts in non-public sector (AOR = 0.4; 95% CI = 0.3-0.8). Physicians in their thirties, forties and fifties are 3.5 (95% CI = 1.5-8.0), 5.5 (95% CI = 2.1-14.5) and 13.8 (95% CI = 3.9-49.3) times, respectively, more willing to retain practice in Nigeria than those younger and those satisfied with their work are 4.7 (AOR = 4.7, 95% CI = 2.9-7.4) times more willing to practice in Nigeria than those not satisfied.

CONCLUSION

Majority of Nigerian physicians want to emigrate for professional practice and top among the push factors are poor remuneration, rising insecurity and inadequate diagnostic facilities. The observed trend portends danger to the country's health system due to the foreseeable negative consequences of physician deficit to the system. We recommend upward review of physician remuneration, a root cause analysis of insecurity to determine workable preventive measures and increased funding of the health sector to improve the diagnostic infrastructure, retain physicians and save the health system from imminent collapse.

The Venezuelan diaspora: Migration-related experiences and mental health

Since 2015, the Venezuelan diaspora has poured forth from the Venezuelan sending context into an array of (mostly) middle-income receiving countries and into the United States (US) as well. For many Venezuelan migrants, post-migration reception has been mixed, and multiple studies suggest that mental health is an important challenge with discrimination and negative context reception contributing to mental health burden in terms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. Cross-national research points to important sociodemographic differences between Venezuelan migrants resettled in South American contexts and in the US, and suggests that-on average-migration-related cultural stress is lower and mental health outcomes are better among those resettling in South Florida and elsewhere in the US.

Movers and Stayers: A Study of Emigration from Sweden 1993-2014

A standard proposition in the migration literature is that emigrants are not drawn randomly from their source population, but rather compose a self-selected group in terms of labour market characteristics. Such self-selection refers to observed characteristics, such as education, or occupation, as well as unobserved characteristics such as cognitive abilities. However, due to data limitations, most previous studies on selectivity have analysed immigrants' characteristics at destinations rather than using data from their source countries. This paper assesses emigrants' selectivity patterns by following the full-risk population of natives over a long period of time (over 20 years). It also includes an innovative measure of selectivity on unobserved characteristics-namely, school performance-as a proxy for individual motivation and cognitive abilities, and it compares it to the widely used measure of income residuals. We use Swedish register data and assess the probabilities of leaving Sweden between 1993 and 2014 among men and women born in Sweden between 1975 and 1978. We further look for differences among Swedish emigrants who chose different countries of destination. The findings suggest that emigrants are positively self-selected in terms of their observed characteristics, whereas selectivity patterns in terms of unobserved characteristics are more complex. When we assess unobservable characteristics using compulsory school grades as a proxy, emigrants are found to be positively self-selected, while when using income residuals, we find that the effect is U-shaped. Individuals leaving to non-Nordic countries are also found to be more positively self-selected than those heading to neighbouring countries. We discuss these findings and their implications in light of economic and sociological theories.

Does Educational Mismatch Affect Emigration Behaviour?

This paper uses linked Swiss administrative and survey data to examine the relationship between educational mismatch in the labour market and emigration decisions, carrying out the analysis for both Swiss native and previous immigrant workers. In turn, migrants’ decisions separate returning home from onward migration to a third country. We find that undereducation is positively associated with the probability of emigration and return to the country of origin. In contrast, the reverse relationship is found between overeducation and emigration, especially among non-European immigrant workers. According to the predictions of the traditional model of migration, based on self-selection, migrants returning home are positively selected relative to migrants emigrating to other countries. We also find that immigrants from a country outside the EU27/EFTA have little incentive to return home and generally accept jobs for which they are mismatched in Switzerland. These results highlight the relevance to understand emigration behaviours in relation to the type of migrant that is most integrated, and productive, in the Swiss market, hence enabling better migration and domestic labour market policy design.

"What Are You Really Doing in This Country?": Emigration Intentions of Nigerian Doctors and Their Policy Implications for Human Resource for Health Management

The emigration of doctors from Nigeria has been on the increase in recent years, with no obvious efforts to manage or mitigate the negative impacts of this growing trend on the already weak health system. This study assessed the emigration intentions of doctors undergoing residency training at the premier tertiary healthcare center in Nigeria and the factors that influence these intentions. This mixed-method study was cross-sectional in design. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to identify the factors that influence the emigration intentions of resident doctors at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria. In-depth interviews (IDIs) were also conducted to further explore the push and pull factors identified from the survey and their migration preferences. A total of 244 resident doctors completed the questionnaires and 10 participated in the IDIs. Overall, 57.4% of the respondents had emigration intentions and 34.8% had made various attempts at emigrating. Major factors that encouraged resident doctors to emigrate to developed countries included better working and living conditions, good salary and the opportunity for career advancement in destination countries. Family ties was the single most important factor that deterred resident doctors from emigrating. The UK was found to be the top preferred destination. Strategic approaches and multisectoral collaborations will be required to address doctors’ emigration from Nigeria. These efforts should be targeted at not just the health sector but should also include the social and economic aspects of the lives of resident doctors, to improve their living conditions.

Job Satisfaction and Intentions to Leave of Foreign-National Urologists Working at German Hospitals: Results of the Cross-Sectional EUTAKD Study

BACKGROUND

Studies exist that identify factors associated with higher professional satisfaction among clinicians. However, there are no reliable findings for clinicians with a migration background as to whether there is a correlation between particular dimensions of professional satisfaction and the desire to leave their current specialty or country of employment. For the first time, these data were collected within a questionnaire-based study from urological clinicians with a migration background (UCMBs) working in Germany.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A SurveyMonkey® with 101 items relating to characterizing features of the study participants and questions about job satisfaction (n = 39) was opened for UCMBs between August and October 2020. The influence of different dimensions of job satisfaction on the desire to quit the urological specialty/leave Germany was analyzed (group A: neither want to leave urology nor Germany; group B: can at least imagine leaving the urological profession and/or Germany).

RESULTS

Eighty-one UCMBs were distributed almost equally in groups A (50.6%) and B (49.4%). Occupational satisfaction was higher in several respects in group A. Three dimensions that differed significantly with regard to occupational satisfaction were used to create an aggregate score ranging from 3 to 15 points as follows: (1) relationship to superiors (p = 0.014), (2) career opportunities in the clinic (p < 0.001), and (3) opportunities for the further development of surgical skills (p = 0.006). For each point value of this aggregate score, the UCMB's desire to quit urology or leave Germany (or at least uncertainty about this question) decreased by a relative value of 34.6% (odds ratio: 0.654, 95% confidence interval: 0.496-0.861, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Various dimensions of job satisfaction have been identified, the improvement of which could contribute to the long-term retention of UCMBs at German urological clinics.

Experiences of frontline Pakistani emigrant physicians combating COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: a qualitative phenomenological analysis

Background

This study aims to explore the experiences, beliefs, feelings, and challenges faced by Pakistani migrant doctors working in the United Kingdom in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative study aims to explore the lived experiences, beliefs, feelings, and challenges faced by Pakistani migrant physicians working in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

An exploratory phenomenological approach was used to collate data on experiences expressed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive and snowball sampling was used to target participants, which were doctors of Pakistani origin involved in the direct care and management of COVID-19 patients in different NHS hospitals of the United Kingdom. Semi-structured, in-depth telephonic interviews were conducted with study participants in May 2020. Data analysis was done parallel with data collection by using an inductive qualitative approach.

Results

We recruited ten frontline physicians. Four theme categories emerged from the data analysis: 1) Working across borders and cultures, 2) Role of beliefs for coping with stress and fear, 3) Passion and profession, and 4) Scaffolding the Pakistani health system. Overall, the results show that the participants received limited professional support, in terms of counseling and psychological rehabilitation. Instead, they had to use self-management strategies to cope with the situation.

Conclusion

The intensive work exhausted participants physically and emotionally. They were holding a lot of grief and hurt inside, but still, healthcare professionals showed the spirit of professional dedication to overcome difficulties. Although currently coping with their emotional problems, comprehensive professional support should be made available to cater to the wellbeing of frontline physicians.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-06308-4.

Self-Construction in Immigration - I-Positioning through Tensional Dialogues to Powerful Foreign and Native Voices

This paper explores proculturative semiotic dynamics underlying self-construction in emigration that reveals various forms of the self's positioning through the processes of relating to the native and foreign socio-cultural environments. The self is conceptualised as the heterogeneous entirety of voices and self-related positions which are hierarchically organised. Hierarchical organisation implies the dominance of certain voices and I-positions at the expense of silencing others. Moreover, external societal voices promote hegemonic social representations which are represented as promoter I-positions/signs in the self-structures and have the power to regulate individuals' mental activity. Therefore, it is argued that selves' relations to the environment are not always symmetrically dialogical. The compelling power of hierarchically ordered external meaning systems that are conceptualised as "objective culture" is illustrated in the best manner when a person occurs in emigration where the native organisation of voices and I-positions is being semiotically ruptured due to the meeting with a foreign configuration of a hierarchy of external I-positions and gets "attacked" by alien promoter signs. External promoter voices and I-positions have the power to take the dominant position and establish asymmetric relations with other self-related elements. They can significantly influence intra-psychological negotiations by vocalising hegemonic social representations which exist in any community. The case study of a Georgian emigrant's living in Germany vividly reveals the wave of self-transformations which she undergoes after the liberation from the pressure of native promoter signs and engagement with the German ones. Specific microgenetic experiences leading to the transformations at the ontogenetic level are highlighted. Symmetric and asymmetric forms of communication are conceived as particular instances of relating. This paper vividly reveals the significance of the exploration of the forms of dynamic relations between various components of the self and socio-cultural environment and entailing intra-psychic and external negotiations for better understanding of the nature of humans' epigenetic development.

Success or failure? Pathologists persecuted under National Socialism and their careers after emigrating to the United States

This study examines the biographies of pathologists persecuted by the National Socialists after their emigration from the German Reich to the USA. The work is based on primary sources from various archives and a systematic evaluation of secondary literature on the persons concerned. The study yields five central results: (1) Out of 118 identified persecuted pathologists, a total of 91 persons left the German Reich, 60 of them demonstrably to the USA. (2) The majority of the pathologists immigrated to the USA between 1938 and 1941. (3) A good two thirds of the pathologists were (again) employed in the USA as university teachers, the majority in the leading position of Full Professor. (4) The preferred area of employment was the East Coast of the USA. (5) The labor market situation was particularly favorable for specialized pathologists. It can be concluded that the majority of the emigrated pathologists studied succeeded in continuing or even expanding their professional careers in the USA, with existing academic networks playing a noticeable role. Pathology thus occupies a special position in the context of the migration history of persecuted physicians under National Socialism.

South African International Migration and its Impact on Older Family Members

In this article, we explore the impact of South African families' emigration on parents/grandparents who must renegotiate their lives in their loved ones' physical absence. We adopted a transnational perspective in a bigger qualitative project to consider both sides of the migratory spectrum. Here we focus on elderly family members who remain behind-a group largely neglected in prior research. Our findings illustrate the complex emotions and relational changes experienced by elderly people whose families emigrate. New technologies bridge distances, allowing new ways to connect and take care of each other, and of re-imagining transnational relationships and what constitutes family life, but these bridges cannot negate the loss experienced by those remaining. People have to make sense of the emigration and forge new relational bonds with remaining family members. Our findings stress grandparents' meaningful role in a family system and highlight some gendered and racial differences in families' experiences.

Drivers for emigration among healthcare professionals: Testing an analytical model in a primary healthcare setting

This paper aims to contribute to the discussion on health workforce migration, notably by testing an analytical model of the individual drivers for a professional to decide to emigrate. A large database was obtained from all primary health care units on mainland Portugal. A professional satisfaction survey was conducted and information on social-economic, labour and job satisfaction characteristics, including burnout, was obtained. Results showed that healthcare professionals who reported intention to emigrate are mostly male, young, not married, and more educated; they consider their income insufficient for their needs, and show higher levels of burnout at work and professional dissatisfaction. This profile is slightly different for GPs and nurses. The results obtained contribute to the discussion on what motivates primary health care professionals, including GPs and nurses, to emigrate. They also provide insight into the design of policy measures that may mitigate the intention of these healthcare professionals in general to emigrate.

Colony size and initial conditions combine to shape colony reunification dynamics

Group cohesion and collective decision-making are important for many social animals, like social insects, whose societies depend on the coordinated action of individuals to complete collective tasks. A useful model for understanding collective, consensus-driven decision-making is the fluid nest selection dynamics of ant colonies. Certain ant species oscillate between occupying multiple nests simultaneously (polydomy) and reuniting at a single location (monodomy), but little is known about how colonies achieve a consensus around these dynamics. To investigate the factors underpinning the splitting-reunification dynamics of ants, we manipulated the availability and quality of nest sites for the ant Temnothorax rugatulus and measured the likelihood and speed of reunification from contrasting starting conditions. We found that pursuing reunification was more likely for smaller colonies, that rates of initial splitting were lower when colonies could coordinate their activity from a central hub, and that diluting colonies among additional sites did not impair reaching consensus on a single nest. We further found mixed support for a specific threshold of social density that prevents reunification (i.e., prolonged polydomy) and no evidence that nest quality influences reunification behavior. Together our data reveal that consensus driven decisions can be influenced by both external and intrinsic group-level factors and are in no way simple stereotyped processes.

Terrestrial emigration behaviour of two invasive crayfish species

To disperse between isolated waterbodies, freshwater organisms must often cross terrestrial barriers and many freshwater animals that are incapable of flight must rely on transport via flooding events, other animals or anthropogenic activity. Decapods such as crayfish, on the other hand, can disperse to nearby waterbodies by walking on land, a behaviour that has facilitated the spread of invasive species. Overland movement could play a key role in the management of non-native crayfish, though to what extent terrestrial emigration occurs in different species is poorly understood. Here, we directly compared the terrestrial emigration tendency of two non-native crayfish species in Great Britain; red swamp (Procambarus clarkii) and signal (Pacifastacus leniusculus) crayfish. We found that both species emigrated from the water and that there was no significant difference in terms of their terrestrial emigration tendency, suggesting that there is a risk both of these species will migrate overland and disperse to new habitats. This study shows that terrestrial emigration is an important behavioural trait to consider when preventing the escape of crayfish from aquaculture and further spread of invasive species.

Spatial capture-recapture reveals age- and sex-specific survival and movement in stream amphibians

Life-history information sets the foundation for our understanding of ecology and conservation requirements. For many species, this information is lacking even for basic demographic rates such as survival and movement. When survival and movement estimates are available, they are often derived from mixed demographic groups and do not consider differences among life stages or sexes, which is critical, because life stages and sexes often contribute differentially to population dynamics. We used hierarchical models informed with spatial capture-mark-recapture data of Ascaphus montanus (Rocky Mountain tailed frog) in five streams and A. truei (coastal tailed frog) in one stream to estimate variation in survival and movement by sex and age, represented by size. By incorporating survival and movement into a single model, we were able to estimate both parameters with limited bias. Annual survival was similar between sexes of A. montanus [females = 0.885 (95% CI 0.614-1), males = 0.901 (0.657-1)], but was slightly higher for female A. truei [0.836 (0.560-0.993)] than for males [0.664 (0.354-0.962)]. Survival of A. montanus peaked at mid-age, suggesting that lower survival of young and actuarial senescence may influence population demographics. Our models suggest that younger A. montanus moved farther than older individuals, and that females moved farther than males in both species. Our results provide uncommon insight into age- and sex-specific rates of survival and movement that are crucial elements of life-history strategies and are important for modeling population growth and prescribing conservation actions.

Symmetry breaking and pivotal individuals during the reunification of ant colonies

Maintenance of a social group requires the ability to reach consensus when faced with divisive choices. Thus, when migrating colonies of the ant Temnothorax rugatulus split among multiple sites, they can later reunify on the basis of queen location or differences in site quality. In this study, we found that colonies can reunify even without obvious cues to break the symmetry between sites. To learn how they do so, we observed both symmetric reunifications (between identical nests) and asymmetric reunifications (between nests of unequal quality) by colonies of individually marked ants. Both reunification types were accomplished by a tiny minority that carried nestmates from the 'losing' to the 'winning' site. Reunification effort was highly skewed in asymmetric splits, where the majority of the work was done by the first ant to transport, which nearly always came from the winning site. This contrasted with symmetric splits, where the initiator did not play an outsize role and was just as likely to come from the losing site. Symmetric reunifications were also characterized by high transporter attrition, which may help to prevent deadlocks. Tandem runs were abundant in both types and were typically led by transporters as they returned to the losing site to fetch another nestmate. Few tandem followers joined the transport effort, suggesting that tandem runs do not serve to recruit transporters but may have another, as yet unidentified role. Our results underscore the potentially large contribution of highly active individuals to group behaviour, even in decentralized societies such as ant colonies.

Emigration and alcohol consumption among migrant household members staying behind: Evidence from Kyrgyzstan

Despite the growth of alcohol consumption and international migration in many developing countries, the links between the two remain underexplored. We study the relationship between emigration of household members, receiving remittances (migrant monetary transfers), and alcohol consumption of migrant household members staying behind in Kyrgyzstan, a poor post-socialist country that has recently witnessed both large-scale emigration and a rise in alcohol-related health problems. Using a large longitudinal survey, we find that, among the ethnic majority (Kyrgyz), an increase in migrant remittances is associated with a higher likelihood and frequency of consuming alcohol, as well as an increase in the consumption of beer. Among ethnic Russians, the emigration of family members who do not send remittances back home is associated with an increased likelihood and frequency of alcohol consumption. We discuss possible mechanisms through which emigration and remittances may affect the alcohol consumption of those staying behind, including the relaxation of budget constraints and psychological distress. Overall, our findings suggest that the emigration of household members contribute to a greater alcohol consumption among those staying behind, and highlight the role of remittances and cultural background in understanding the nuances in this relationship.

Terrestrial dispersal of invasive signal crayfish during vulnerable life stages

1. Aquatic invertebrates commonly disperse between waterbodies by flight, though some decapods can emigrate from the water and walk overland. 2. The signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus, Dana) is a highly invasive species that can survive for days to weeks out of water, though it is unclear to what extent vulnerable life stages, such as ovigerous females or juvenile crayfish, terrestrially emigrate. Understanding this behaviour is important to consider during the management of crayfish stocks, since a single ovigerous female could potentially introduce hundreds of hatchlings to a new waterbody, which could themselves disperse overland. 3. Here, in a laboratory study, we examined the terrestrial emigration tendency of juvenile crayfish and compared the terrestrial emigration behaviour and overland walking speed of ovigerous and non-ovigerous females. 4. Size had a significant influence on juvenile crayfish terrestrial emigration tendency, where only those larger than 16.6 mm (carapace length) left the water. Ovigerous and non-ovigerous female signal crayfish showed no significant difference in terrestrial emigration tendency nor overland walking speed. 5. This is the first study to directly examine the terrestrial emigration behaviour of crayfish during these different life stages. These findings highlight the importance of considering animal behaviour during management strategies.

Association between migration and cognitive status among middle-aged and older adults: a systematic review

Background

This study aimed to synthesize the current literature examining the association between migration and cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults.

Methods

We used the PRISMA as a guideline for this systematic review and searched the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Global Health.

Results

Twenty-five published studies were included. Twenty-two studies were focused on international migrants, while only 3 studied internal migrants. Fourteen studies were conducted in the United States, followed by UK (n = 2), Israel (n = 2), India (n = 2) and other countries like Canada and Australia. Some studies showed that middle-aged and older migrants demonstrated poorer cognitive function comparing to non-migrants in hosting places; while other studies indicated no association between migration and cognitive function. A higher level of acculturation was associated with better performance on cognitive function tests among migrants.

Conclusion

It is unclear how or whether migration and cognitive function are related. The quality of current literature suffered from methodological deficiencies. Additional research is needed to examine the linkages using more comprehensive measures of migration and cognitive function.

Differential effect of Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (PECAM-1) on leukocyte infiltration during contact hypersensitivity responses

Background

2′–4′ Dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) induced contact hypersensitivity is an established model of contact sensitivity and leukocyte migration. Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (PECAM-1) deficient mice were used to examine the role of PECAM-1 in the migration capacity of several different leukocyte populations after primary and secondary application.

Results

γδ T lymphocytes, granulocytes, and Natural Killer cells were most affected by PECAM-1 deficiency at the primary site of application. γδ T lymphocytes, granulocytes, DX5+ Natural Killer cells, and, interestingly, effector CD4+ T lymphocytes were most affected by the loss of PECAM-1 at the secondary site of application.

Conclusions

PECAM-1 is used by many leukocyte populations for migration, but there are clearly differential effects on the usage by each subset. Further, the overall kinetics of each population varied between primary and secondary application, with large relative increases in γδ T lymphocytes during the secondary response.

Ceramide synthase 2 facilitates S1P-dependent egress of thymocytes into the circulation in mice

Well-defined gradients of the lipid mediator sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) direct chemotactic egress of mature thymocytes from the thymus into the circulation. Although it is known that these gradients result from low S1P levels in the thymic parenchyma and high S1P concentrations at the exit sites and in the plasma, the biochemical mechanisms that regulate these differential S1P levels remain unclear. Several studies demonstrated that ceramide synthase 2 (Cers2) regulates the levels of the S1P precursor sphingosine. We, therefore, investigated whether Cers2 is involved in the regulation of S1P gradients and S1P-dependent egress into the circulation. By analyzing Cers2-deficient mice, we demonstrate that Cers2 limits the levels of S1P in thymus and blood to maintain functional S1P gradients that mediate thymocyte emigration into the circulation. This function is specific for Cers2, as we also show that Cers4 is not involved in the regulation of thymic egress. Our study identified Cers2 as an important regulator of S1P-dependent thymic egress, and thus contributes to the understanding of how S1P gradients are maintained in vivo.

Emigration of skilled healthcare workers from developing countries: can team-based healthcare practice fill the gaps in maternal, newborn and child healthcare delivery?

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

Emigration of healthcare workers from developing countries is on the rise and there is an urgent need for policies that increase access to and continuity of healthcare. In this commentary, we highlight some of the negative impacts of emigration on maternal and child health and discuss whether team-based healthcare delivery could possibly mitigate the shortfall of maternal and child health professionals in developing countries.

METHODOLOGY

We cross-examine the availability of supporting structures to implement team-based maternal and child healthcare delivery in developing countries. We briefly discuss three key supporting structures: culture of sharing, telecommunication, and inter-professional education. Supporting structures are examined at system, organizational and individual levels. We argue that the culture of sharing, limited barriers to inter-professional education and increasing access to telecommunication will be advantageous to implementing team-based healthcare delivery in developing countries.

CONCLUSION AND GLOBAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

Although most developing countries may have notable supporting structures to implement team-based healthcare delivery, the effectiveness of such models in terms of cost, time and infrastructure in resource limited settings is still to be evaluated. Hence, we call on usual stakeholders, government, regulatory colleges and professional associations in countries with longstanding emigration of maternal and child healthcare workers to invest in establishing comprehensive models needed to guide the development, implementation and evaluation of team-based maternal and child healthcare delivery.

[Spirituality - Value of the relationship]

Nowadays, issues of religiosity and spirituality are viewed differently than 50 years ago. Social upheaval, migration and secularization have changed the interpretation of religious meaning but have not made religion obsolete. This article describes the differences between a religious and a secular global view and defines spirituality as attachment to a larger entirety. The resources of spirituality are described and the dangers of fanaticism and fundamentalism should not be neglected. Criteria for healthy belief are compared to religious delusion. In the context of attachment theory and the concept of self-transcendence, the value of spirituality is explained by connectedness and relationship.

Gone for good? An online survey of emigrant health professionals using Facebook as a recruitment tool

BACKGROUND

Health professionals, particularly doctors, nurses and midwives, are in high demand worldwide. Therefore, it is important to assess the future plans and likelihood of return of emigrating health professionals. Nevertheless, health professionals are, by definition, a difficult population to track/survey. This exploratory study reports on the migration intentions of a sample of doctors, nurses and midwives who had emigrated from Ireland, a high-income country which has experienced particularly high outward and inward migration of health professionals since the year 2000.

METHODS

Health professionals who had emigrated from Ireland were identified via snowball sampling through Facebook and invited to complete a short online survey composed of closed and open response questions.

RESULTS

A total of 388 health professionals (307 doctors, 73 nurses and 8 midwives) who had previously worked in Ireland completed the survey. While over half had originally intended to spend less than 5 years in their destination country at the time of emigration, these intentions changed over time, with the desire to remain abroad on a permanent basis increasing from 10 to 34 % of doctor respondents. Only a quarter of doctors and a half of nurses and midwives intended to return to practice in Ireland in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

The longer health professionals remain abroad, the less likely they are to return to their home countries. Countries should focus on the implementation of retention strategies if the 'carousel' of brain drain is to be interrupted. This would allow source countries to benefit from their investments in training health professionals, rather than relying on international recruitment to meet health system staffing needs. Improved data collection systems are also needed to track the migratory patterns and changing intentions of health professionals. Meanwhile, social networking platforms offer alternative methods of filling this information gap.

Conceptualizing and measuring migration policy change

This paper outlines the methodology of DEMIG POLICY, a new database tracking around 6,000 migration policy changes in 45 countries between 1945 and 2014. The article conceptualizes the notion of migration policy change and presents the coding system used to operationalize policy content, changes in policy restrictiveness, as well as the magnitude of policy changes. The paper also discusses the potential of DEMIG POLICY to improve our understanding of the nature, evolution, and effectiveness of migration policies. Besides significantly extending the geographical and historical coverage of existing migration policy databases, DEMIG POLICY also tracks emigration policies in order to overcome the common 'receiving country bias' in migration research. By offering key insights into the main features of the largest migration policy database completed to date, this paper hopes to provide useful guidelines to improve future efforts to measure migration policies. Such improvement is crucial given the heated debates on migration policy effectiveness on one hand and the still limited empirical evidence on this issue on the other.

A stochastic model of eye lens growth

The size and shape of the ocular lens must be controlled with precision if light is to be focused sharply on the retina. The lifelong growth of the lens depends on the production of cells in the anterior epithelium. At the lens equator, epithelial cells differentiate into fiber cells, which are added to the surface of the existing fiber cell mass, increasing its volume and area. We developed a stochastic model relating the rates of cell proliferation and death in various regions of the lens epithelium to deposition of fiber cells and radial lens growth. Epithelial population dynamics were modeled as a branching process with emigration and immigration between proliferative zones. Numerical simulations were in agreement with empirical measurements and demonstrated that, operating within the strict confines of lens geometry, a stochastic growth engine can produce the smooth and precise growth necessary for lens function.

Evolution of dispersal under a fecundity-dispersal trade-off

Resources invested in dispersal structures as well as time and energy spent during transfer may often decrease fecundity. Here we analyse an extended version of the Hamilton-May model of dispersal evolution, where we include a fecundity-dispersal trade-off and also mortality between competition and reproduction. With adaptive dynamics and critical function analysis we investigate the evolution of dispersal strategies and ask whether adaptive diversification is possible. We exclude evolutionary branching for concave trade-offs and show that for convex trade-offs diversification is promoted in a narrow parameter range. We provide theoretical evidence that dispersal strategies can monotonically decrease with increasing survival during dispersal. Moreover, we illustrate the existence of two alternative attracting dispersal strategies. The model exhibits fold bifurcation points where slight changes in survival can lead to evolutionary catastrophes.

Aging in Lebanon: Challenges and Opportunities

This spotlight offers a unique window into factors affecting aging in Lebanon. As a bridge between east and west, both geographically and culturally, Lebanon has the fastest growing older adult population in the Arab region, but few societal resources to address its needs. In a country with a history of political instability and war, but also a culture with strong family values, aging adults in Lebanon are vulnerable in some ways and advantaged in others. Outmigration of youth is an important determinant of the wellbeing of the elderly. While often advantaged by remittances sent by their children, older Lebanese adults have less access to instrumental social and personal support previously provided by young adults in the family. How Lebanon manages these challenges is likely to foreshadow the future aging experience for much of the Arab region.

Key relocation leaders in an Indian queenless ant

Division of labor is a central feature in social insects, wherein, simple individuals come together in groups to perform tasks that could be quite complex. It is generally believed that individuals who perform a specific task are themselves simple, interchangeable units. However, the variances in the performances of these individual insects need to be explored in greater detail. In this study, individual specialization in the context of colony relocation was examined in the Indian ponerine ant Diacamma indicum. One ant termed the maximum tandem leader (Max TL) was found to have a key role. Max TL performed 24% of the adult relocation in the colony and recruited more tandem leaders than other leaders thereby contributing to the organization of the relocation. The Max TL's role in the relocation process was further examined by comparing control relocations with experiments in which the Max TL was removed during the relocation process. Even though all the colonies relocated successfully, the relocation dynamics was significantly altered in the absence of the Max TL. We find that a single individual, the Max TL, takes up roles of a performer, organizer and catalyst during the colony relocation process, which challenges the norm that all workers are equal.

Emerging and under-recognized Chagas cardiomyopathy in non-endemic countries

Due to recent population emigration movements, an epidemic of Chagas disease is currently menacing most developed countries. The authors report the case of a 53-year-old Brazilian woman living in Europe for the last 10 years who developed heart failure symptoms, having a previous symptomatic sinus node disease with a pacemaker implant at age of 40 years. The diagnosis was based on serology and myocardial biopsy and the patient was treated with nifurtimox. The authors emphasize the need of a high level of suspicion in patients with suggestive epidemiology and the need of populational screening of specific high risk groups. New treatment options are also discussed.