Study assesses "gendered space" in financial institutions in Pakistan

Wiley

In Islamic cultures, purdah, which literally means “curtain,” is a practice that involves the seclusion of women from public observation and the enforcement of high standards of female modesty. Research published in the Journal of Management Studies examines the significance of purdah (spatial modesty) in gender relations in financial institutions in Pakistan.

The research was based on the lived experiences of women and men working in two banks based in Pakistan. One of the study’s co-authors, Shafaq Chaudhry, PhD, of the University of Central Lancashire, in the UK, sought internships for six weeks in each bank as a means for her to collect data.

The investigators found that the workspace of Pakistani banks is gendered in ways that reflect the practices of purdah (spatial modesty), while being adjusted and resisted to fit with the cultural practices of each individual organization. The study also demonstrated tensions that exist between attempts to develop a career and achieve professional goals for women, with the demands placed on them by the norms of spatial modesty.

"Efforts are needed to understand and study any additional ways through which spatial modesty is practiced in the workplace," said Dr. Chaudhry.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13153

 

Additional Information

NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
The Journal of Management Studies is a globally respected, multidisciplinary business and management journal with a long-established history of excellence in management research. We publish innovative empirical and conceptual articles which advance the fields of management and organization, welcoming contributions relevant to organization theory, organizational behaviour, human resource management, strategy, international business, entrepreneurship, innovation and critical management studies. We have an inclusive ethos and open to a wide range of methodological approaches and philosophical underpinnings.

About Wiley      
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Journal

Journal of Management Studies

DOI

10.1111/joms.13153 

Article Title

Islamic feminism: Spatial modesty: The everyday production of gendered space in segregated and assimilative organisations

Article Publication Date

6-Nov-2024

Media Contact

Sara Henning-Stout

 

New study uncovers evolutionary roots of conspicuous consumption

Athabasca University research unlocks the key to conspicuous consumption behavior

Athabasca University

It’s sometimes said that people buy products they don’t really need, with money they don’t really have, to impress people they don’t really like. This behaviour is known as conspicuous consumption because these consumers want others to see them with the product.

Until now, it has been assumed that conspicuous consumption is irrational and the result of marketing and advertising. New research led by Athabasca University’s Dr. Jim Swaffield and Dr. Jesus Sierra Jimenez from Vancouver Island University challenges these commonly held assumptions. 

“The desire to display or be seen with these products is triggered by an interaction between environmental conditions and one’s evolved biology,” said Swaffield, the study’s principal investigator. “When one is seen owning or using these products a message or signal is sent to onlookers. These messages might signal that one has wealth, physical power, or social status.”

Some products could also be used to intimidate others.

This drive to use products as a means of communication is triggered by a gene-environment interaction.

“Genetics is the gun, and the environment is the trigger,” Swaffield explained.

Conspicuous consumption helped our early ancestors survive and find mates

Swaffield and Jimenez published a new peer-reviewed study that explores how nature and nurture interact and affect the desire for signalling products. In their study, the researchers examined the effect of financial harshness, social harshness, and physically harsh conditions on the desire for signalling products.

Swaffield, who has a doctorate in evolutionary psychology, explained the human brain has evolved to think in a way that favours survival and reproductive success. Through evolution, humans have developed the ability to unconsciously sense subtle changes in environmental conditions that signal the environment is becoming safer or harsher.  

These subtle changes in environmental conditions can unconsciously trigger the desire for products that promote survival, intimidate rivals, and attract a mate.

For example, when the environment is perceived to be harsh and unsafe, the conspicuous display of products that create an image of toughness can provide a protective function by intimidating potential aggressors. 

Likewise, beautifying and wealth-signalling products can make one more attractive to potential mates.  Swaffield noted, however, that when the environment is perceived to be too harsh, the desire for conspicuous consumption shuts down because people do not want to be noticed. 

Testing the effect of nature-nurture on product desire

In their study, Swaffield and Sierra Jimenez explored whether different types of environmental stressors such as social isolation, financial difficulties, and concerns for physical safety, have different effects on the desire for signalling products.

To test how nature-nurture interactions affect product desire, they ran an online experiment that included 315 women and 314 men from across Canada. In a pretest, women were shown images of beautifying and wealth-signalling products and asked to rate how much they desired each item.

The male participants were shown images of wealth-signalling and toughness-signalling products and were then asked to rate how much they desired each item.

Next, the participants were assigned to one of six experimental groups. Once assigned to a group, each participant read a one-page story that evoke feelings of living in one of the following environmental conditions: socially safe, socially harsh, financially secure, financially insecure, physically safe, and physically unsafe.

After reading their assigned story, a product desire post-test was administered. This involved re-rating all the products that were previously shown in the pretest. The results showed that the desire for signalling products varies depending on the type and intensity of the environmental stressor.

Swaffield explained that prior studies have correlated mild environmental harshness with increases in desire for signalling products. However, as shown in this study, as financial and physical safety conditions become acute, the desire for signalling products decreases. 

What is also interesting, he said, is that there was minimal change in the desire for signalling products when participants were exposed to safe social and harsh social environmental conditions.   

Shift needed in how we think about consumer behaviour

Swaffield said the findings support the perspective that a fundamental shift is needed in how we think about what drives consumer behaviour. It should also prompt us to ask if conspicuous consumption is an outcome of a nature-nurture interaction rather than advertising efforts—are marketers wasting money when they try to stimulate product desire through advertising?

Finally, government policymakers should also ask if product desire is an outcome of a nature-nurture interaction. This raises the question of whether advertising bans can be effective at curbing problematic consumer behaviours such as compulsive buying disorders and over consumption.

The study, Unconscious Drivers of Consumer Behavior: An Examination of the Effect of Nature-Nurture Interactions on Product Desire was published in September in the peer-reviewed journal Behavioral Sciences.

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Journal

Behavioral Sciences

DOI

10.3390/bs14090789 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Unconscious Drivers of Consumer Behavior: An Examination of the Effect of Nature–Nurture Interactions on Product Desire

Article Publication Date

4-Sep-2024\

Thorstein Veblen: The Theory of the Leisure Class: Chapter 4: Conspicuous Consumption

 

New study: Earthquake prediction techniques lend quick insight into strength, reliability of materials

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau

 

image: 

Muscovite mica is used in many materials science applications and is known for its extremely flat and flaky layers, making it highly susceptible to hostile environmental conditions.

view more 

Credit: Photo courtesy Karin Dahmin

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Materials scientists can now use insight from a very common mineral and well-established earthquake and avalanche statistics to quantify how hostile environmental interactions may impact the degradation and failure of materials used for advanced solar panels, geological carbon sequestration and infrastructure such as buildings, roads and bridges.

The new study, led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories and Bucknell University, shows that the amount of deformation caused by stress applied locally to the surface of muscovite mica is controlled by the physical condition of the mineral’s surface and follows the same statistical dynamics observed in earthquakes and avalanches.

The study findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.        

When selecting materials for engineering applications, scientists want to know how the surface of that material will interact with the environment in which it will be used. Similarly, geologists want to understand how chemical reactions between minerals and groundwater along faults might slowly weaken rocks and result in quick bursts of mechanical failure due to a process called chemomechanical weakening.

“While previous attempts to quantify the effect of chemomechanical weakening in engineered materials have relied on complex molecular dynamics models requiring significant computational resources, our work instead emphasizes the bridge between laboratory experiments and real-world phenomena like earthquakes,” said graduate student Jordan Sickle, who led the study with Illinois physics professor Karin Dahmen.

“Muscovite was chosen for this study mainly because of this material’s extreme flatness,” Dahmen said. “Each of its flaky layers is flat down to the atomic level. Because of this flatness, the interaction between the surface of this material and its environment is especially important.”

To measure chemomechanical weakening on muscovite surfaces, Sandia National Laboratories exposed samples to different chemical conditions — dry, submersed in deionized water and in salt solutions with a pH of 9.8 and 12. During exposure, an instrument known as a nanoindenter poked the surface of the minerals and recorded the displacements, or failures, in the material at controlled mechanical loads.  

The researchers found that in dry conditions, muscovite can deform more before it fails than in wet conditions. At failure, the samples in each condition release their stored elastic energy. The study reports that when muscovite is exposed to a basic solution at pH 9.8 or 12, the top layer weakens, and less energy can be stored before failure occurs, which is reflected in the burst statistics.

“The results of this work allow researchers to test material failure more quickly than high-powered, detailed simulation models,” Sickle said. “By showing that we can observe the same results by using the statistical models already in place for earthquakes, researchers will be able to perform higher-throughput material analysis than previously possible.”

The U.S. Department of Energy and Sandia National Laboratories support this research.

 

 

Editor’s note:   

To reach Karin Dahmen, call 217-244-8873; email dahmen@illinois.edu.

The paper “Quantifying chemomechanical weakening in muscovite mica with a simple micromechanical mode” is available online. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53213-5. Physics is part of The Grainger College of Engineering.

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Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-53213-5 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Quantifying chemomechanical weakening in muscovite mica with a simple micromechanical mode

Article Publication Date

6-Nov-2024

 

Refugee children with mental health issues can benefit from innovative telephone therapy, new research suggests

University of Surrey

Refugee children with mental health issues can benefit from innovative telephone therapy, new research suggests  

Telephone therapy delivered to refugee children results in a significant drop in mental health symptoms and a far higher completion rate of treatment compared with in-person therapy, according to a first-of-its-kind led by the University of Surrey.  

In a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) involving 20 refugee children in the Beqa'a region of Lebanon, 10 received in-person treatment as usual (TaU)  and 10 received telephone therapy delivered by local trained lay counsellors, both provided by Médecins du Monde. At the beginning of each treatment session, children's symptoms were assessed with a questionnaire. 

The findings show that there was a strong and consistent decline in mental health symptoms in the group receiving telephone therapy over the course of treatment. Importantly, 60% of this group completed a full course of treatment, with 90% overall receiving some treatment, compared to no children completing treatment in the TaU group and only 60% receiving some treatment. 

Professor Michael Pluess, co-lead of the study and professor of developmental psychology at the University of Surrey, says:  

"The number of forcibly displaced persons due to war and emergencies is rising and refugee children are often left with severe trauma. We need innovative solutions to provide much-needed therapy in humanitarian settings and make treatment as widely accessible as possible. Our findings suggest that telephone-delivered therapy could be an effective form of treatment." 

In Lebanon, which has hosted large numbers of Syrian refugees since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011, there is very limited mental health care provision. However, most refugee families own mobile phones, which provide a more accessible means to deliver treatment. The research team sought to establish whether an adapted telephone therapy programme could be effective in reducing mental health symptoms in refugee children compared with in-person treatment. 

The study recruited children aged 8–17 years old from Syrian refugee families living in tented settlements in the Beqa'a region of Lebanon, with consent taken from the parent or primary caregiver and the child. All children met diagnostic criteria for common mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.  

The team used the Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA), a proven cognitive behavioural therapy programme, and adapted it for phone delivery (t-CETA) with the help of locally trained lay counsellors. In phase one, the original CETA manual was modified for t-CETA, tested and refined with 23 children, with 13 receiving face-to-face CETA and 10 receiving t-CETA. Phase two then piloted this adapted approach in the RCT with a different group of 20 children. 

In addition to the key findings, the delivery of t-CETA improved access to treatment, as families did not have to travel to clinics or fit the treatment around working hours. It also demonstrated that local lay counsellors can be successfully trained to deliver t-CETA under the supervision of experienced clinicians. 

The team experienced some challenges when recruiting participants to the study, including families being unable to attend the in-person appointments, perceived stigma of accessing mental health services, and a lack of understanding around what treatment involves. As a result, the sample size was smaller than anticipated; however, the success of the study indicates that t-CETA is a promising, and scalable, treatment option. 

Professor Michael Pluess says:  

"Our study highlights the importance of making mental health services more accessible and culturally relevant in countries where there are barriers to receiving therapy. Despite evidence of mental health problems among refugee children and their families, most individuals do not seek treatment. The results of our trial are an important first step in finding a solution, with a larger trial needed to confirm the positive effects." 

 

The study has been published in the journal Conflict and Health. 

 

[ENDS] 

• Michael Pluess is available for interview, please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk to arrange this. 

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Journal

Conflict and Health

DOI

10.1186/s13031-024-00616-2 

Article Title

Delivering therapy over telephone in a humanitarian setting: a pilot randomized controlled trial of common elements treatment approach (CETA) with Syrian refugee children in Lebanon

 

Childhood neglect associated with stroke, COPD, cognitive impairment, and depression

The presence of a supportive adult and adult income and education largely attenuates the relationship between childhood neglect and poor adult health outcomes suggesting promising pathways for future interventions

University of Toronto

Toronto, ON, – New research from the University of Toronto found that childhood neglect, even in the absence of childhood sexual abuse and physical abuse, is linked with a wide range of mental and physical health problems in adulthood.

“While a large body of research has established the detrimental impact of childhood physical and sexual abuse on adult health outcomes, much less is known about whether neglect, in the absence of abuse, has similar negative outcomes,” said first author, Linxiao Zhang, a PhD student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) at the University of Toronto.  “Our research underlines the importance of health professionals documenting whether their patients have a history of neglect in addition to other childhood adversities.”

The researchers found significant associations between childhood neglect and numerous health problems in adults when controlling for age, sex and race. Examples of poor physical health included stroke, asthma, and COPD. Disabilities such as hearing impairment, vision impairment, cognitive impairment, and mobility issues were also linked with childhood neglect, as was poor mental health, such as depression.

The study, published this week in Child Abuse and Neglect, used a large representative sample of more than 41,000 American adults drawn from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey.

Having established a link between childhood neglect and a range of mental and physical health problems, the authors were interested in identifying factors that may promote resilience among those who have experienced neglect. Further research indicated that the relationship between child neglect and adverse health outcomes in adulthood was largely attenuated when controlling for two key factors: adult socioeconomic status and the presence of a supportive adult in childhood.

“It appears that neglected children who manage to remain in school longer and have a reasonable income in adulthood are considerably less vulnerable to health problems in later life than neglected children who are less educated and less financially secure in their adult years.” said co-author Andie MacNeil, a PhD student at University of Toronto’s FIFSW.

Unfortunately, remaining in school longer may can be a challenge for those experiencing neglect. Previous research has found childhood adversity to be associated with leaving school early and earning less in adulthood. In turn, poverty and lower levels of education are often associated with more mental and physical health conditions in adulthood.

Children who have a supportive adult in their lives are also more likely to overcome challenges associated with neglect.

“A protective adult is someone who made the child feel safe and protected in the home,” said co-author Ishnaa Gulati, a recent Master of Public Health graduate of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. “Our findings suggest that this nurturing role may provided critical support to children, even when they were lacking basic necessities.”

The authors are hopeful that these findings can help support the well-being of survivors of childhood neglect.

“Although there are still significant health disparities between those with and without a history of neglect, our findings highlight potential ways forward to help promote better health outcomes among survivors of neglect,” said senior author Esme Fuller-Thomson, a Professor at FIFSW and Director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto. “These findings emphasize the importance of mentoring interventions and other community-based supports that may promote feelings of safety and trust among neglected children, and to ensure neglected children have the resources and encouragement to remain in school as long as possible.”

 

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Journal

Child Abuse & Neglect

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107075 

Article Title

What factors attenuate the relationship between childhood neglect and adverse health outcomes? Examining the role of socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and the presence of a protective adult.

 

Study shows broader screening methods help prevent spread of dangerous fungal pathogen in hospitals

Screening high-risk patients for Candida auris allows for early detection and implementation of infection control measures to prevent hospital outbreaks

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Association for Professionals in Infection Control

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Arlington, Va. — October 31, 2024 — A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) describes the outcome of a shift in hospital screening protocols for Candida auris, a dangerous and often drug-resistant fungal pathogen that spreads easily in hospital environments. A comparison of screening results and patient outcomes before and after the change at Mount Sinai Brooklyn, demonstrates the value of broader screening of high-risk patients. As a result of expanded screening, more cases were caught early, enabling infection prevention and control teams to isolate them before they could infect other patients or contaminate shared hospital equipment.

C. auris is an emerging fungal pathogen, first identified in 2009 and now found around the world. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health agencies recommend screening patients admitted to the hospital to identify anyone colonized by the pathogen, there are many different approaches to screening. Broader screening catches more cases, but it requires more resources and can be impractical in healthcare facilities where patients cannot easily be isolated while results are generated.

The study published today in AJIC was triggered by the case of a single patient. The patient was moved from a skilled nursing facility to the Mount Sinai Brooklyn hospital in 2022; after more than two months at the hospital, the patient was diagnosed with a C. auris infection. The patient had not been screened for C. auris upon admission because the hospital’s screening protocols at the time classified the patient as low-risk. After diagnosis, the hospital conducted a full outbreak investigation, testing 118 people who were directly exposed to the patient or shared equipment with the patient. The investigation identified eight additional patients who tested positive for C. auris.

Given the time and resources required for the investigation, the hospital’s Infection Prevention and Control Department adjusted its recommended C. auris screening protocols for new patients, expanding them to include all admissions from skilled nursing facilities or patients who had been in such a facility within the past month. After using the new protocols for one year, they compared outcomes for that year to the nine-month period prior to the screening change.

The study spanned 591 patients who were screened for C. auris; that includes 34 patients with the old screening approach and 557 patients screened under the expanded protocol. The positivity rate increased from 1.8% to 2.4%, indicating that more cases were being detected with the broader screening approach. More specifically, the old criteria would have flagged 53 patients as high-risk, and nine of them would have tested positive for C. auris. The expanded protocol added 538 more patients, five of whom tested positive but would not have been identified through the old screening protocol. Ultimately, the new protocol identified eight cases that would have been missed, representing a significant threat to other patients and the hospital environment. Test results were returned within three days, allowing the team to identify cases quickly and implement appropriate isolation, contact, and disinfection precautions to prevent outbreaks.

“Early identification of patients colonized with C. auris allows us to protect other patients and helps to prevent the spread of the pathogen to the hospital environment and shared equipment,” said Scott Lorin, MD, president of Mount Sinai Brooklyn and an author of the study. “Notably, we saw no spread of this infection from the eight patients identified by the expanded screening protocols who would have been missed by our prior protocol. When you consider how many other people they came into contact with during their hospital stays, that’s a lot of patients kept safer by the implementation of broader screening. This expanded screening protocol has allowed us to detect Candida auris cases earlier, helping us prevent potential hospital outbreaks.”

Additional details from the study include:

• The study was performed at an acute care hospital with 212 beds, where staff members have been caring for patients colonized with C. auris since the pathogen first emerged in New York City in 2016.
• The hospital’s original screening framework called for testing patients with recent previous stays at nine specific skilled nursing facilities known to care for people with C. auris, of whom the highest-risk patients were considered those who were ventilator-dependent or admitted with a tracheostomy.
• Under the new screening guidelines, it was not practical for the hospital to isolate every patient while awaiting test results. Instead, the high-risk patients were isolated while the lower-risk patients (those from a skilled nursing facility but without a tracheostomy or ventilator) were treated using Standard Precautions until results were reported.

“This is a compelling demonstration of the value of broader screening for C. auris among patients admitted to hospitals after spending time at a skilled nursing facility,” said Tania Bubb, PhD, RN, CIC, FAPIC, 2024 APIC president. “Expanded screening is an effective infection prevention practice that should be considered at all hospitals, particularly in areas where this pathogen has been circulating.”

 

About APIC

Founded in 1972, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is the leading association for infection preventionists and epidemiologists. With more than 15,000 members, APIC advances the science and practice of infection prevention and control. APIC carries out its mission through research, advocacy, and patient safety; education, credentialing, and certification; and fostering development of the infection prevention and control workforce of the future. Together with our members and partners, we are working toward a safer world through the prevention of infection. Join us and learn more at apic.org.

About AJIC

As the official peer-reviewed journal of APIC, The American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) is the foremost resource on infection control, epidemiology, infectious diseases, quality management, occupational health, and disease prevention. Published by Elsevier, AJIC also publishes infection control guidelines from APIC and the CDC. AJIC is included in Index Medicus and CINAHL. Visit AJIC at ajicjournal.org.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

“Analysis of an expanded admission screening protocol for Candida auris at a New York City hospital,” by Aaron Cheng, Karen Marie Brody, Jordan Ehni, Zachary Gallate, Scott Lorin, Bernard Camins, and Waleed Javaid, was published online in AJIC on October 31, 2024. DOI is: 10.1016/j.ajic.2024.08.027. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2024.08.027

AUTHORS

Aaron Cheng, MPH, Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Mount Sinai Brooklyn

Karen Brody, MSN, RN, GERO-BC, CIC, Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Mount Sinai Brooklyn

Jordan Ehni, MPH, CIC, Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Mount Sinai Brooklyn

Zachary Gallate, MS, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Scott Lorin, MD, MBA, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Bernard Camins, MD, MS, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Waleed Javaid, MD, MBA, MS (corresponding author: Waleed.Javaid@mountsinai.org), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

# # #

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Journal

American Journal of Infection Control

DOI

10.1016/j.ajic.2024.08.027 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Analysis of an expanded admission screening protocol for Candida auris at a New York City hospital

 

Scientists describe how bacteria evade the effects of antibiotics

Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague)

 

image: 

From right: Tomáš Kovaľ, Barbora Brezovská, Libor Krásný, Tomáš Kouba, Jan Dohnálek

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Credit: Photo: Tomáš Belloň/IOCB Prague

One of the main challenges of contemporary medicine is posed by the resistance of pathogens to antibiotics. An important step in countering it has now been made by researchers from IOCB Prague, in collaboration with colleagues from the Institute of Microbiology and the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Leveraging advanced cryogenic electron microscopy and biochemical methods, they have managed to describe how mycobacteria defend themselves against the antibiotic rifampicin. Their latest study on the matter has been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

One key component that allows a bacterium to dodge the action of the antibiotic rifampicin is a protein called HelD. It effectively protects bacterial RNA polymerase, which is the enzyme taking care of the transcription of genetic information from DNA to RNA, a process that is crucial for the survival of all bacteria.

“Thanks to advanced cryogenic electron microscope imaging and state-of-the-art biochemical analysis, we have been able to describe in detail how the HelD protein liberates RNA polymerase from the effects of the antibiotic rifampicin,” says Dr. Tomáš Kouba, who leads the Cryogenic Electron Microscopy scientific group at IOCB Prague.

The HelD protein acts as a cellular bodyguard. Whenever there's a snag during the transcription of DNA, HelD comes to the rescue, and this is also what happens after the administration of rifampicin, the role of which is to inhibit RNA polymerase. Without HelD, the whole process would grind to a halt and the bacterium would perish. HelD does not yield even to such a powerful antibiotic as rifampicin, which is used, for example, to treat tuberculosis or severe pneumonia.

“Modern methods of structural biology have enabled us to observe, at the atomic level, how HelD protects bacteria against the effects a whole group of antibiotics,” says Dr. Tomáš Kovaľ from the Laboratory of the Structure and Function of Biomolecules at the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Until recently, researchers had assumed that HelD played a crucial role in antibiotic resistance. However, they have found that it is even more important for bacteria than it seemed. The HelD protein not only sets RNA polymerase free from the effects of the antibiotic but also ensures the ‘recycling’ of this enzyme, which is crucial for the functioning of every organism. It achieves this by actually moving RNA polymerase to the transcription initiation site on DNA, allowing it to resume transcription. The bacterium can thus start multiplying again.

"Understanding the role of the HelD protein is essential for our struggle against antibiotic resistance," explains Dr. Libor Krásný, who leads a research group at the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, adding that "Thanks to our latest findings, it is possible to deploy new strategies in the search for more effective antibiotic treatments."

Antibiotic resistance is a worsening global problem, and the world's most prominent research institutions are focusing on finding weak points in how bacteria evade treatment.

Original article: Kovaľ, T.; Borah, N.; Sudzinová, P.; Brezovská, B.; Šanderová, H.; Vaňková Hausnerová, V.; Křenková, A.; Hubálek, M.; Trundová, M.; Adámková, K.; Dušková, J.; Schwarz, M.; Wiedermannová, J.; Dohnálek, J.; Krásný, L.; Kouba, T. Mycobacterial HelD connects RNA polymerase recycling with transcription initiation. Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 8740. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52891-5

IOCB Prague / Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (www.uochb.cz) is a leading internationally recognized scientific institution whose primary mission is the pursuit of basic research in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, organic and materials chemistry, chemistry of natural substances, biochemistry and molecular biology, physical chemistry, theoretical chemistry, and analytical chemistry. An integral part of the IOCB Prague’s mission is the implementation of the results of basic research in practice. Emphasis on interdisciplinary research gives rise to a wide range of applications in medicine, pharmacy, and other fields.

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Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-52891-5 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Mycobacterial HelD connects RNA polymerase recycling with transcription initiation

KNOW THYSELF*

Autistic psychiatrists who don't know they're autistic may fail to spot autism in patients

Groundbreaking research exploring the experiences of autistic psychiatrists published today in BJPsych Open

UCD Research & Innovation

 

image: 

Dr Mary Doherty, Clinical Associate Professor at UCD School of Medicine

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Credit: UCD School of Medicine

Groundbreaking research exploring the experiences of autistic psychiatrists has revealed that psychiatrists who are unaware that they themselves are autistic may fail to recognise the condition in their patients. The study, conducted by researchers from University College Dublin, London South Bank University, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, is the first of its kind to delve into the lives of neurodivergent psychiatrists. It was published today in BJPsych Open.

"Knowing that you are autistic can be positively life-changing," said the study author Dr Mary Doherty, Clinical Associate Professor at UCD School of Medicine. "However, more than 187,000 people in England are waiting for an autism assessment. The situation worsens if psychiatrists, unaware of their own autism, misdiagnose patients. Recognition could benefit both psychiatrists and the patients they serve."

The research team, comprised of medical professionals and academics who are neurodivergent themselves, conducted in-depth interviews with eight senior UK-based psychiatrists, six of whom are consultants, working across the NHS. Their specialties ranged from Child and Adolescent Mental Health to adult services, including intellectual disability.

The study explored how these psychiatrists came to realise they were autistic, often through personal experiences such as their child's diagnosis or by recognising similarities between themselves and autistic patients. Remarkably, some were even identified as autistic by their own patients.

Once self-recognition occurred, the psychiatrists began to notice that many of their colleagues—especially those specialising in autism or ADHD—might also be autistic but unaware. This lack of awareness can have serious implications, as psychiatrists may inadvertently miss the diagnosis in autistic patients. However, once aware of their own neurodivergence, the psychiatrists found it easier to recognise autism in others and build strong therapeutic relationships.

The study also revealed that understanding their own autism had a positive impact on the psychiatrists' self-esteem and mental health. However, the researchers pointed out that many patients miss out on this benefit when assessed by psychiatrists who, while sharing their experiences, do not recognise they are also autistic.

Dr Sebastian Shaw, senior author and Lecturer in Medical Education at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, added: "This research not only sheds light on the experiences of autistic psychiatrists but also demonstrates the unique advantages they bring to the field. Through self-awareness, their ability to connect with autistic patients greatly improves."

Future studies are expected to explore why none of the psychiatrists in this study disclosed their autism openly, as well as the broader impact of this recognition on patient care and clinical practice.

The study will be presented at 'Thinking Differently: The Royal College of Psychiatrists Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry Special Interest Group Winter Conference' which takes place in Brighton on December 11, 2024.

The paper is available to read at: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.756

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Journal

BJPsych Open

DOI

10.1192/bjo.2024.756 

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Autistic psychiatrists’ experiences of recognising themselves and others as autistic: a qualitative study

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