Journal articles on the topic 'American and European airline websites'

This article gives an overview of the major developments on the EU aviation scene between 1 December 2007 and 30 June 2008. In particular: — There were important EU external aviation policy developments during the period under review. The main development was the coming into force of the EU/US Open Skies Agreement. In addition, the Commission has continued its drive to conclude a number of horizontal air services agreements. — Partly as a result of the EU/US Open Skies Agreement and partly due to other economic factors including, in particular, the worsening economic climate,rocketing fuel prices and overcapacity (especially in the US), a number of consolidation transactions were announced (mergers or integrated alliances) during the period under review. They include the Delta/Northwest merger and the alliance arrangements between Continental, United Airlines and a number of other Star Alliance carriers. American Airlines and British Airways were also rumoured to be preparing another application for antitrust immunity (the two earlier applications failed). — There were also a number of other important competition law developments.The Commission continued its vigorous pursuit of infringement proceedings against carriers that have allegedly participated in illegal cartel behaviour. The battle between Aer Lingus and Ryanair also continued to rage, with Aer Lingus failing to obtain interim measures from the Court of First Instance stopping Ryanair from exercising voting rights linked to its minority shareholding in Aer Lingus. — There was a lot of activity in the State aid field during the period under review.There were certain noteworthy developments in the various ongoing Olympic investigations, while the loan granted by the Italian government to Alitalia also came under scrutiny. The Commission launched a number of investigations into start–up aid granted to Ryanair at a number of regional airports, which the Commission considers may be incompatible with the EU State aid rules. Finally,Ryanair also continued its fight trying to protect its business model, with developments in Ryanair’s appeal against the Commission’s Charleroi decision and the launch of proceedings against the Commission for alleged failure to act with regard to two complaints Ryanair submitted against alleged illegal airport aid granted to Lufthansa and Air France. — Finally, there were a number of important regulatory developments during the period under review, including (a) the European Parliament’s first reading of the Commission’s proposal for a new CRS Code of Conduct; (b) the adoption by the Commission of a Communication providing its views on a number of issues resulting from the review process of the present Slot Code of Conduct; (c) the adoption by the Council of Ministers for the Environment of a common position with regard to the Commission’s proposal to include aircraft emissions in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme; and (d) the publication by Consumer Commissioner Kuneva on the interim results of a crackdown on misleading aviation websites. Each of these points will be examined in greater detail in the sections below.

The emergence of the Internet as a commercialization method has offered organizations many opportunities. However, when buyers want to execute a transaction online, a certain distrust typically accompanies the need to provide personal data. To address this problem, assurance seals have been designed for use on websites. Different guarantee logos certify compliance with buyer protection laws and offer transparency in the commercial process. Thus, assurance seals displayed on the websites of sellers that adhere to a specific trust system allow consumers to choose among entities that have publicly committed to best business practices. We researched 130 sellers in Europe and Latin America that adhere to assurance seals in order to determine the influence of such seals. Our research shows that the use of trust seals increases Internet sales for more than 66% of these companies, improves their corporate image, enhances the number of potential buyers who visit their websites, and generally captures consumers’ attention.

The low-fare airline business has dramatically changed the face of commercial aviation in Europe. The main idea and strategy of airlines following this approach is to focus on cheap fares rather than comfort for passengers. However, the majority of low-fare airlines do not simply copy a given system of their competitors; rather, they design their own strategy by implementing various elements which can be considered as “low-fare”-related. The authors of this article seek to lay a theoretical groundwork in the analysis of low-fare airlines. We employ the “McDonaldization” model of economic sociologist George Ritzer, which was heavily influenced by the German economist and sociologist Max Weber, to analyze cost-saving methods of the Irish airline Ryanair.The authors show how McDonaldization is able to mirror and describe this current trend in the aviation business. According to the results of this study, ‘Ryanair’ (and not its American counterpart Southwest Airlines often used as a synonym for low-fare airlines) is the airline which has most radically applied the low-fare idea.

The way in which public sector entities disseminate information publicly is affected by the degree of transparency adopted, and the construction and management of websites are increasingly essential elements of modern public administration. Nonetheless, differences in this process exist among governments worldwide, probably due to different contextual factors. This article examines and discusses the approach of Anglo-Saxon, South American and Continental European central governments to the use of the Web as a means of making financial disclosures. To measure the disclosure of governmental financial information on the Internet, an index has been defined, taking into consideration the data considered to be relevant for a potential user, gathering the data visiting their websites. The results show that the way different countries use the Web for financial disclosure is deeply rooted in and follows from their administrative culture. In conclusion, the Continental European and South American governments should improve their digital reporting.

Aer Lingus has been an unique airline as it transitioned from a full-service airline to a low-cost carrier and is currently positioned as a value hybrid airline. It has coexisted with Ryanair for decades and it encountered three imminent periods where bankruptcy prevailed from 1993 to 2009. The research aims to uncover the various strategies that were applied to structurally re-engineer the carrier in order to adapt to its evolving competitive landscape. The key pillars underpinning Aer Lingus’ turnaround as a value hybrid were as follows: strict adherence to capacity discipline; relentless cost control and value-adding, consumer-driven product differentiation; innovative partnerships including contract flying to alleviate its problematic seasonality issues inherent in Aer Lingus markets; and by re-engineering its Dublin-based hub airport. A visionary master plan for the hub was fabricated to capitalize on Ireland’s geographical positioning which targeted the traffic flows between UK/European and North American destinations through its synchronized connection network at Dublin.

In this study, the relationships between cargo revenues, ancillary revenues and net profitability of airline companies were examined in the examples of three full-service airline companies (Turkish Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines). Methodologically, a logarithmic econometric model was used in which cargo revenues and ancillary revenues were included as independent variables and net profit as the dependent variables. The data used for the period 2014Q1-2019Q4 were collected from the annual reports on the official websites of related airline companies and The International Air Transport Association (IATA). EViews 10 and STATA-15 versions, which are the most modern econometric analysis programs that can be used to control the stationarity, were used in the analysis of the data. In addition to econometric analyzes and general statistics, Cross Section dependency tests, CADF second-generation unit root tests, Delta slope homogeneity tests, Panel cointegration analysis, Westerlund Panel cointegration tests and Dumitrescu Hurlin Panel Causality tests and Breusch Pagan LM Tests were also performed. The study revealed that there is cointegration between cargo revenues, ancillary revenues and net profit, and there is a one-way causality relationship from both cargo revenues to net profit and from ancillary revenues to net profit. The study also indicated a positive correlation between cargo revenues and ancillary revenues and net profit. In other words, cargo revenues and ancillary revenues have a positive effect on the net profit of airline companies. In addition, the study found that aviation ancillary revenues provide an important resource for airline companies; furthermore, two US companies are among the top three companies with the highest revenues in the world in terms of cargo and ancillary revenues; also showed that Turkish Airlines' ancillary revenues are lower than those of these two US companies. On the other hand, the study showed that the contribution of Turkish Airlines cargo revenues to net profit is much higher than the other two companies.

Abstract The draft of the American Law Institute’s Restatement of Consumer Contracts reflects the jurisdiction of the US courts on the ‘adoption’ (as the draft calls it) of standard contract terms into consumer contracts. This draft is of great value to European lawyers in understanding US developments, but it may also stimulate a reflection on the state and possible evolution of European legal systems. It turns out that in the United States, as in Europe, the law on the adoption of standard contract terms is still heavily influenced by cases from the pre-digital and paleo-digital era. This article explains the rules of the Restatement for the adoption of standard contract terms, tests their functionality, in particular using the example of websites, makes some drafting suggestions and puts forward a proposal for the further development of the law on the adoption of standard contract terms of websites. The adoption of standard contract terms governing the use of a website should not require that consumers receive a notice of the standard contract terms prior to entering that website. The requirements for the adoption of standard contract terms should be seen as mainly, if not only, having the purpose of pinpointing the wording of a contract for later reference if necessary.

Abstract This industry note focuses on the seasonal variability in air traffic services and highlights the differences between air service capacity provision in Europe and North America. We explore the manifestations and measurement of seasonality, looking at the trends across airport communities and among airlines in the two continental regions. The relationship between airline network structure and seasonality is also explored in the study. We argue that there are a complex set of drivers of the observed differences in air traffic seasonality and set out a research agenda for further investigation.

This article gives an overview of the major developments on the EU aviation scene between 1 August 2007 and 30 November 2007. During this period, ? the Commission adopted its Communication with regard to Regulation 793/2004 on slot allocation at congested European airports (section 1) and published its proposal for a new Code of Conduct for Computerized Reservation Systems (section 2); ? the Commission approved, following an in-depth investigation, the proposed acquisition of Worldspan by Galileo’s owner Travelport (section 3); and invited third parties to comment on the remedies package proposed by the members of the Skyteam alliance in order to eliminate the competition concerns identified by the Commission in its investigation of the alliance (section 4). In addition, there were important developments in the field of State aid (section 5); ? there have been a number of noteworthy European external aviation developments which are summarized in section 6; ? the European Parliament came out in support of the Commission’s proposal to include aviation in the European Emissions Trading Scheme, but made a number of fundamental amendments to the proposal. The extent to which the Commission’s proposal is controversial became abundantly clear during the ICAO September meeting, where it met fierce opposition from a large group of non-EU countries. The European Parliament’s position and the outcome of the ICAO meeting are examined in more detail in section 7; and ? the Commission published its Discussion Paper on the operation of Regulation 785/2004 on insurance requirements for air carriers and aircraft operators (section 8), and finalized its investigation (together with national authorities) into misleading airline ticket websites (section 9).

A Review of: Chua, A. Y. K., & Goh, D. H. (2010). A study of Web 2.0 applications in library websites. Library & Information Science Research, 32(3), 203-211. Objective – To determine the prevalence and use of web 2.0 applications in library websites and to determine whether or not their presence enhances the quality of the sites. Design – Content analysis. Setting – Public and academic libraries in North America, Europe, and Asia. Subjects – A total of 120 academic and public library websites in English. Methods – This study identified and selected library websites from academic and public libraries using a combination of directories, ratings reports, and ranking lists from three geographic regions. Over a four-month period in 2009, three coders conducted a three-step content analysis of the selected library websites. This analysis was conducted after having established inter-coder reliability using Cohen’s Kappa and analytic procedure familiarity, using a randomly selected pilot set of 30 library websites. The remaining 90 websites were evenly distributed among the three coders for analysis. They determined whether web 2.0 applications were present, examined how those applications were used, and gave an overall appraisal of website quality. Coders inspected library website links, conducted site searches, used search engines, and searched within major social networking sites to determine the presence of web 2.0 applications. A quality framework classification scheme was used during coding to identify how the web 2.0 applications were being used within library websites. This framework was established around four dimensions of library services: information acquisition (blogs and wikis), information dissemination (Rich Site Summary, or “RSS”), information organization (social tagging), and information sharing (social networking and instant messaging). A five-point Likert scale was also used in concert with a website quality evaluation framework to assess the quality of the library websites. This framework included three aspects of website quality: system quality, information quality, and service quality. A combination of statistical techniques such as Chi-square analysis, Cramer’s V, analysis of variance, Tukey’s statistic, and multiple regression were then used to analyze the findings. Main Results – Web 2.0 applications have been adopted by libraries across North America, Europe, and Asia. The most popular web 2.0 applications were blogs (56.6%), RSS (50%), and instant messaging services (46.6%) while less prevalent were social networking services (20%), wikis (16.6%), and social tagging applications (16.6%). The extent of libraries’ adoption of web 2.0 applications also varied according to region. North American libraries used all web 2.0 applications most consistently and were more attuned to heavier users, particularly with regard to information sharing applications (e.g., instant messaging, social networking). European libraries lagged behind those in Asia in embracing information acquisition applications (e.g., blogs, wikis) but were comparable to other regions. Social networking services and instant messaging were strongly associated with region; RSS, blogs, and social tagging showed moderate to moderately strong associations; and only wikis did not demonstrate a statistically significant association with region. This study also identified how web 2.0 applications were being used. Blogs were used to generate interest, engage users, and endear users to library personnel, while wikis culled resources from users thematically. RSS feeds communicated news, events or resource updates, and were also used in combination with library blogs. Social tagging invited users to save, organize, and share information, while some websites used librarian-generated tags for search and discovery or included them as tag clouds in library blogs. Instant messaging was used to assist users synchronously during scheduled timeslots; meanwhile, social networking sites offered alternate channels to communicate and build connections with users. The authors found a relationship between website quality and the presence of web 2.0 applications based on the criteria presented in their quality evaluation framework. Applications facilitating information sharing (i.e., social networks and instant messaging) had a stronger influence on a website’s overall quality than those being used for information acquisition and dissemination (i.e., RSS, wikis, and blogs). Web 2.0 applications among academic and public libraries shared a similar level of presence on the library websites; therefore, the type of library is not associated with the quality of the library website. North American websites tended to be higher in quality than European or Asian library websites, and differences in quality between European and Asian sites were insignificant. Conclusion – This study reveals that libraries in various geographic regions adopt web 2.0 applications differently. Web 2.0 applications in library websites enhance users’ experience with library resources and support their interests. Library websites are implementing web 2.0 applications in a myriad of ways, including using these applications in concert with one another to increase user engagement. The presence of web 2.0 applications strongly affects service quality but only weakly influences information quality.

Preliminary results for 2002, as presented by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), show a reasonable improvement in tourism demand with international tourism worldwide increasing by an estimated 3%. Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East led growth, Africa grew above the world average and Europe below, while the Americas slightly decreased. In the second part of this issue's Databank, the author takes a closer look at the evolution of air transport after 11 September 2001, drawing on data from ICAO and various regional airline associations. The monthly traffic data reported by ATA, AEA and AAPA, the regional associations for, respectively, the major North American, European and Asian airlines, constitute a valuable source of timely information on the short-term evolution of this part of the tourism flow over the last few years.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how the 106 largest banks in the world use their corporate websites for corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication, identifying CSR communication patterns by continent. Design/methodology/approach – An analysis of the location of CSR information on the banks’ corporate websites, a longitudinal analysis of the publication of CSR reports by the banks from 2000 to 2012, and a content analysis of the most current CSR reports in the recent period of study were undertaken. Findings – Three-quarters of the banks communicate on CSR issues on their corporate website – either located in the section “About Us” or under a separate “CSR” heading which is directly accessible on the front homepage. Company reports published on the website are the most important vehicle for CSR communication. Their publication increased from six for the publication year 2000 to a peak of 63 reports for the year 2011. The reports’ titles are most commonly linked to the concepts of “responsibility” or “sustainability” and refer to ten main stakeholders and topics. In a comparison between continents there is a difference in the use of titles: European banks prefer the title “Sustainability Report”, while Asian and American banks in particular prefer the title “CSR Report”. Research limitations/implications – The paper focuses on corporate communications, and therefore does not address perspectives on CSR communication from other disciplines. Within CSR communication, sources of CSR-related information other than the corporate websites have not been considered. Originality/value – This paper gives the first comprehensive picture of the trend in CSR communication on corporate websites in the global banking sector.

In this paper we compared the results between stock portfolios of North American and European airlines. The model accesses the market risk using Value-at-Risk approach in both portfolios over one month period. The analysis was performed through the use of GARCH-EVT methods and Student's-t Copula with a Monte Carlo Simulation. The assets in the financial market usually present heavy tails in their probability distributions, so, a process capable to deal with this issue is crucial to measure the risk of loss. We analyzed the period from mid-2007 to mid-2012 to compose comparison between these two portfolios. The financial crisis of 2008 had a great impact in the North America market in relative to the European market. The central role of transport in the economy makes studies dealing with investment risk measure in this sector crucial for the industrial development. The volatility of risk in the airline market happens by internal and external motives and the methodological development of financial tools can offer an important contribution due the investment flux dependency.

The world has witnessed in the last decade the creation and dissemination of social media websites, such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Linkedin, and a myriad of other forums and blogs that have revolutionized ways of communication among individuals on personal and professional level. Given the above, the following paper investigates the extent to which judges could use and interact on social media websites to communicate with the outside world. The importance of this research seems to rise in light of what has been recently revealed by some American and European statistics that have shown a significant increase in the number of judges using social media. In answering this inquiry, Scholars and Courts have been divided into two main groups; the first of which denies judges the right to join or interact on social media websites to preserve judges’ impartiality and independence. The second group acknowledged judges’ right to use social media, but subjects this right to a number of limitations and conditions imposed by the nature of the judicial function. Based on the above, the roadmap of this paper will be divided into two main sections; the first of which will examine arguments of proponents and opponents of judges’ right to use social media. The second will be dedicated to address limitations and restrictions on judges’ right to use social media by means of analyzing a number of courts’ decisions in comparative legal systems.

Parliaments, because of their inherent conservatism, are not leaders in implementing information technology. But today it is becoming an urgent necessity. Information technology creates new opportunities for parliamentarians to communicate with each other and with other public authorities, accelerate the legislative process, and increase the effectiveness of parliamentary control. Most parliaments are aware of the need to adapt parliamentary activity to the conditions of digitalization. Today all parliaments have websites; many of them are beginning to introduce interactive communication with citizens, creating special chat rooms and electronic platforms for this purpose; some of them use artificial intelligence in their work. The take-up of information technology is uneven, with Latin American states going much further than their European counterparts on transparency of representative institutions and openness of legislators.

Introduction. The European Respiratory Society, the American Thoracic Society, and the Russian Respiratory Society are currently working on updating the technical standards and interpretive strategies for routine lung function tests. There is a search for recommendations for the best choice of reference values, the optimal limits of normal and severity grading of detected impairments. An important step in this work is the standartization of pulmonary function tests interpretation, including spirometry. Aim. Review of existing concepts for the spirometry interpretation, according to new approaches to their quantitative and qualitative assessment. Materials and methods. The scientific publications on the PubMed and eLIBRARY.RU platforms were analyzed. The materials posted on the official websites of the European Respiratory Society, the Russian Respiratory Society, the American Thoracic Society and the Global Lung Function Initiativewere also used. Results. A brief overview of the main reference values for spirometry is presented: the European Coal and Steel Community (1993), Global Lung Function Initiative (2012, 2021), R.F.Klement et al. (1986, 1991). The issues of defining the lower limit of the normal, diagnosing ventilatory impairments and assessing the severity of lung function reduction using the z-score and a percentage of the predicted value when analyzing the results of spirometry are considered. Conclusion. The type of ventilatory impairment and severity should be presented in the spirometry interpretation just like the vital capacity assessment. The obstructive ventilatory impairment is generally diagnosed by spirometry, if the signs of restrictive or mixed patterns are present, it is recommended to determine the total lung capacity by body plethysmographymethod. Assessment of the limits of normal and the severity levels for any spirometry indices should be carried out using the z-score values.

Abstract The concept of sustainability has evolved to encompass environmental, social and governance issues regarding corporate behaviour. For the last few years, stakeholders have begun putting pressure on companies to report on sustainability issues. Several national and international regulations and standards have been adopted to guide companies in their reporting. To ensure the accuracy and comparability of non-financial data needed for the stakeholders' decision making process, there is an increasing preference for the external assurance of sustainability reporting. The internationally recognized CSR report assurance standards are the International Standard on Assurance Engagements, ISAE 3000, and AccountAbility's AA1000 Assurance Standard (AA1000AS). This study focuses on the evolution of corporate sustainability reporting, using two non-financial indicators: ESG reporting, and Assurance of ESG reporting. The data for the study is based on content analysis of both CSR reports and corporate websites, courtesy of Sustainalytics. We assessed the evolution of the two indicators from June 2010 to February 2014, for 50 listed European companies and 50 American ones. The comparative approach illustrates the different evolutions of sustainability in Europe and the USA, emphasising the need for stronger regulations and guidelines in the USA, similar to those already implemented in European Countries. For the selected time period, US companies are shown to be worse reporters than European ones, having a negligible number of reports externally verified.

Although transparency on the sustainability of public services is an issue of urgent interest to both governments and academics, previous research in this area has mainly focused on developed European countries, and has paid insufficient attention to areas that are still developing, such as many Latin American countries. The aim of this study is to identify factors that promote transparency on sustainability by local governments in Latin America, in the view that greater transparency will help them meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Therefore, using content analysis and following the GRI guidelines, we analyze the economic, social and environmental information published on the websites of 200 large local governments in 18 Latin American countries. In addition, using linear regression and calculating the corresponding Spearman coefficients, we analyze the influence of idiosyncratic and systemic variables on the volume of information disclosed. Our findings show that certain factors—population size, education level, unemployment, the quality of legislation and political corruption—affect transparency on sustainability. The conclusions drawn from this analysis enable us to identify useful measures for enhancing transparency on sustainability, including the reform of transparency laws and the analysis and disclosure of citizens’ information demands.

Background: The incidence and effect of sports-related concussions (SRCs) within the global sport of professional soccer is poorly described. Purpose: To comparatively examine the effects of SRC on athletes in Major League Soccer (MLS) and the English Premier League (EPL) in terms of incidence, return to play (RTP), performance, and career longevity. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Contracts, transactions, injury reports, and performance statistics from 2008 to 2017 were obtained and cross-referenced across 6 publicly available websites detailing MLS and EPL data, including official league publications. For each league, players who sustained a concussion were compared with the 2008-2017 uninjured player pool. RTP and games missed were analyzed and compared. Career length was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Player performance changes were evaluated before and after concussion. Results: Of the 1784 eligible MLS and 2001 eligible EPL players evaluated over the 10-year period, the incidence of publicly reported concussions per 1000 athlete-exposures was 20.22 and 18.68, respectively ( P = .53). The incidence of reported concussions steadily increased in both leagues. MLS players missed a mean 7.3 games after concussion (37.0 days missed); EPL players missed a mean 0.6 games after concussion (10.9 days missed) ( P < .0001, P < .0001). Statistical performance in terms of games started, assists, shots on goal, and total shots after concussion was significantly reduced at all nongoalie positions for players in the EPL; however, MLS nongoalie positions with concussion had no significant decreases in these categories. Goalies in both leagues had no significant change in performance or games started. The probability of playing a full season after concussion was not significantly decreased when compared with the uninjured pool in both leagues. Conclusion: This study established the SRC incidence among elite soccer players in 2 international professional leagues and identified major RTP and performance differences between EPL and MLS players. While career longevity was unaffected, the approach to managing concussion as in MLS may better promote player safety and preserve on-field performance.

Objective There are no published studies analyzing the quality of the information for lay women on the Internet regarding uterine fibroids. The accuracy of the provided material is also unknown. Thus, we have performed a cross-sectional study with 381 websites in the English and Brazilian Portuguese languages between May and December 2017. Methods Two investigators performed the analysis, and the Cohen kappa coefficient was calculated to analyze the agreement between them. Search terms (uterine fibroids and derivatives) in the English and Brazilian Portuguese languages were used. The accuracy was analyzed by a 10-item checklist created based on the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) consensuses about uterine fibroids. The item–test correlation and the intraclass coefficient were performed in the 16 questions from the DISCERN instrument, which was designed to measure the quality of health information on the Internet. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) measurements were performed for the independent variables and the DISCERN/accuracy scores. Results Google was the most used search engine, and uterine fibroid was the search term that generated most of the analyzed material. The median score for accuracy in all websites was 5 out of 10, and the median score of the DISCERN instrument was 38 out of 80. The top-scoring sites in the English language were derived from scientific organizations and federal governments, and they regarded the DISCERN score (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG], the Food and Drug Administration [FDA]) and the accuracy criteria (NIH, and FDA). On the other hand, in the Brazilian Portuguese language, the highest scores in both instruments were from magazines or physician's blogs. The Cronbach α test showed a higher correlation (0.77–0.79) between the sites and DISCERN; however, the item–test correlation varied from 0.39 to 0.56. Conclusion There is a need to improve the quality of the information regarding uterine fibroids for lay women.

Abstract. Airline route maps show the flights an airline operates between destination airports. Maps like these tend to become cluttered quickly. The clutter depends on the amount of flights to display; the routes of flight paths, the balance between shorter (e.g., domestic) and longer (e.g., intercontinental) flights, and the geographic locations of route endpoints each influence the amount of clutter.Flights are typically shown as semantically uniform, despite having varied characteristics such as departure or arrival times, frequencies, or passenger volumes, among others. Most maps only indicate the existence of a connection since the main purpose is to impress the customers with the connectivity of the airline in question (i.e., the order or size of the network graph, corresponding to the number of locations served and the number of flight connections, respectively).What are good strategies to design an airline route map? To answer this question, we looked at hundreds of airlines map from the past. From these maps we identified seven distinct strategies. Some rely on geometric transformations (i.e., typically warping or scaling, or the use of abstract space), while others use significant artistic freedom in symbol selection and design.1. Projection Selection. A common strategy is to select a map projection that spreads or “unravels” the network. Figure A shows the JAL network in a polar azimuthal projection, in which regions farther away from the north pole are increasingly spread out, opening up map surface space for nodes, edges, and labels. Uncommon projection choices can help deal with networks containing routes that cross polar regions, or that have dense sets of connections in a region whose area the projection expands.2. Topographic Manipulation. Segments of the map such as whole continents can be brought closer together, selectively scaled, or displaced to emptier areas of the map, to open up map surface space in a manner that is convenient for the network being drawn. In Figure B, Egypt has been conveniently moved into the Atlantic Ocean to allow for a more spread-out network of routes to locations in Europe. This strategy is frequently used when there are relatively spatially-distinct but densely-packed clusters of endpoints in the network (e.g., multiple European and multiple North American destinations, but little elsewhere), or when moving one or a few topologically-central endpoints away from mass of its connecting nodes conveniently fans-out the network edges, such as in the provided Egyptian case.3. Insets and Blow-Ups. The use of a main map for global connections and insets for smaller, busy areas or domestic networks is another frequently executed strategy. Figure C displays Pan Am’s global network with insets for Europe and the eastern US. This strategy is particularly useful for networks that are “multiscale”, in that their routes tend to cluster across short-haul, local tiers and long-haul, distant tiers.4. Schematization. Schematic maps, where space is selectively distorted to produce relatively rectilinear or angular shapes, and exemplified by many public transport maps, are used as well. Usually, both the networks and the basemaps are schematized. Geographic distortions are varied, but generally ubiquitous. An example is found in Figure D, showing Air Canada’s network. Schematization applies broadly, since geometric distortions can be selected at the designer’s convenience, given the network in question.5. Leaving Out Basemaps. Some airline route maps only show connections between destinations, leaving out any contextualizing basemap. The layout of network endpoints is not always consistent; they are sometimes planimetrically precise according to some map projection, and sometimes systematically or arbitrarily distributed across the map surface. The New York Air map in figure E is an example. Leaving out basemaps creates more whitespace on the map, which is either useful for drawing network information more densely, or left bare as an aesthetic choice.6. Abstract Diagrams. Finally, one can find non-map solutions, using diagrammatic techniques to visualize the network, even though these are frequently similar or evocative of maps. The characteristics of the geography in question, such as scale or directions, tend to be lost. Figure F show the connectivity of Turkish Airlines as a radial diagram; the globe in the center is decorative and suggestive only. For reasons similar to schematization, this strategy applies broadly, though it is interesting to note that it is relatively uncommon, perhaps because it tends to not produce maps.7. Point Locations Only. A simple and minimalist approach sometimes taken is to plot destinations on a map while leaving out connection lines. As with leaving out basemaps, this creates more whitespace. Figure G shows an example for Air France.The strategy applied appears to depend in part on the order and size of the network (i.e., number of endpoints and connections) and the geographic extent of the network. Smaller, more local airlines have less design challenges compared to global carriers.How can we benefit from the existing design solutions described above to decide on a fitting design for illustrating any given airline’s full network? Can we include and make use of further information from an airline’s timetable in the map to visualize characteristics such as flight frequency, scheduling and duration?

Women’s health global agenda has recently reformulated to address more accurate cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The aim of the present work was to review the hitherto global and national policies and practices which address gender equality in health with the focus oriented towards CVDs in women. Scientific databases and health organizations’ websites that present/discuss policies and initiatives targeting to enhance a sex-centered approach regarding general health and/or specifically cardiac health care were reviewed in a systematic way. In total, n=53 relevant documents were selected. The selected policies and initiatives included position statements, national action plans, evidence-based guidelines, guidance/recommendations, awareness campaigns, regulations/legislations and state-of-the art reports by national/international projects and conferences. The target audiences of large stakeholders (e.g., American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology, Centre of Disease Control and Prevention) were female citizens, health professionals and researchers. Much as policy makers have recognized the sex/gender gap in CVD field, there is still much to be done. Thereby, tailor-made strategies,shouldbe designed, evaluated and delivered on a global, yet most importantly a national basis, to achieve gender equity against CVDs.

Since mid-November 2019, when the first SARS-CoV-2-infected patient was officially reported, the new coronavirus has affected over 10 million people from which half a million died during this short period. There is an urgent need to monitor, predict, and restrict COVID-19 in a more efficient manner. This is why Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models have been developed and used to predict the epidemiological trend of COVID-19 in Ukraine, Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary, USA, Brazil, and India, these last three countries being otherwise the most affected presently. To increase accuracy, the daily prevalence data of COVID-19 from 10 March 2020 to 10 July 2020 were collected from the official website of the Romanian Government GOV.RO, World Health Organization (WHO), and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) websites. Several ARIMA models were formulated with different ARIMA parameters. ARIMA (1, 1, 0), ARIMA (3, 2, 2), ARIMA (3, 2, 2), ARIMA (3, 1, 1), ARIMA (1, 0, 3), ARIMA (1, 2, 0), ARIMA (1, 1, 0), ARIMA (0, 2, 1), and ARIMA (0, 2, 0) models were chosen as the best models, depending on their lowest Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) values for Ukraine, Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary, USA, Brazil, and India (4.70244, 1.40016, 2.76751, 2.16733, 2.98154, 2.11239, 3.21569, 4.10596, 2.78051). This study demonstrates that ARIMA models are suitable for making predictions during the current crisis and offers an idea of the epidemiological stage of these regions.

Wandering Earth, released in 2019, is regarded as a phenomenal film that opens the door to Chinese science fiction movies. The Chinese story in the film has aroused the resonance of domestic audiences, but failed to get high marks on foreign film review websites. In contrast, in recent years, science fiction films in European and American countries are still loved by audiences at home and abroad, such as The Martian and Interstellar, which have both commercial and artistic values. It can be seen that the cultural communication of western science fiction movies is more successful than that of China. Taking the above three works as examples, this paper analyzes the doomsday plot, the beauty of returning home and the role shaping of scientific women in science fiction movies from the perspective of the organic combination of “hard-core elements of science fiction” and “soft value in humanity”, in an attempt to help the foreign cultural communication of domestic science fiction movies. As an attempt to facilitate the global development of Chinese science fiction, this paper concludes that certain Chinese traditional cultural spirit needs further spreading, that Chinese science fiction and humanity should be combined in a more natural way, and that in particular, female character need in depth and multi-dimensional interpretation.

BACKGROUND: Case management interventions have shown to be effective to prevent musculoskeletal pain and disability, but a single definition has not been achieved, nor an agreed profile for case managers. OBJECTIVE: To describe the elements that define case management and case managers tasks for return-to-work of workers with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). METHODS: A comprehensive computerized search of articles published in English until February 16, 2021 was carried out in several bibliographic databases. Grey literature was obtained through a search of 13 key websites. A peer-review screening of titles and abstracts was carried out. Full text in-depth analysis of the selected articles was performed for data extraction and synthesis of results. RESULTS: We identified 2,422 documents. After full-text screening 31 documents were included for analysis. These were mostly European and North American and had an experimental design. Fifteen documents were published between 2010 to 2021 and of these 7 studies were published from 2015. Fifteen elements were identified being the commonest “return-to-work programme” (44.4%) and “multidisciplinary assessment/interdisciplinary intervention” (44.4%). Of 18 tasks found, the most frequent was “establishing goals and planning return-to-work rehabilitation” (57.7%). Eighteen referral services were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Despite there were several elements frequently reported, some elements with scientific evidence of their importance to deal with MSDs (e.g. early return-to-work) were almost not mentioned. This study proposes key points for the description of case management and case managers tasks.

Objectives: To describe trends in HIV notifications and in other measures of HIV incidence in homosexual men in developed countries. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed. In addition to the peer-reviewed literature, data on HIV surveillance trends were sought by searching websites of surveillance authorities in developed countries. Results: The availability of long-term HIV surveillance data varied considerably. However, in almost all jurisdictions in which such data were available, notifications of new HIV diagnoses among homosexual men have increased, mostly since the late 1990s. The magnitude of this increase varied, but was more than 50% in many countries. There were much fewer data available on trends in direct measures of HIV incidence in homosexual men, and increases in HIV testing rates may have contributed to the increases in HIV diagnoses in many countries. However, since the late 1990s, several clinic- and community-based cohort studies in Europe and North America reported increasing incidence. Conclusion: There were increases in HIV notifications in homosexual men in almost all developed countries, starting in the late 1990s and continuing to 2006. Although increases in HIV testing probably contributed to the increases in some settings, limited cohort data do support the existence of a true increase in HIV incidence in European and North American countries. Improved monitoring of HIV incidence in homosexual men at the population level is required to allow more timely assessment of the drivers underlying such trends.

The article is devoted to the analysis of theoretical and legal aspects of the human right to the protection of personal data on the Internet. The author believes that at the present stage the field of personal data protection on the Internet is becoming especially important, linking it with the universal importance of communication that occurs within the Internet, as well as the threat of unauthorized dissemination of information through it. The right to the protection of personal data is considered as one of the forms of realization of the human right to the respect for his private, family life, in the context of his inviolability on the Internet. Scientific intelligence begins with a review of information protection models that have emerged in the world. Yes, we are talking about the American, European and mixed models. However, the article provides an overview of the acts adopted by the relevant European institutions in this area. In addition, the article examines the experience of some foreign countries in ensuring the human right to the protection of personal data on the Internet, in particular Brazil, France and the Republic of Belarus. The author notes that the protection of personal data involves a number of positive and negative obligations of the state and individuals. Negative obligations are aimed at prohibiting the processing of personal data without the consent of the person to whom the specific information relates. The positive obligations of public organizations and individuals (organizations) are to comply with the established legal regime of personal data processing, including the use of appropriate technical means. That is, the author emphasizes that the legal obligations in the context of ensuring the right to protection of personal data on the Internet are imposed not only on the state, but also on Internet service providers, owners of online services and websites, etc., given the possibility that they have access to personal information.

Pediatric biobanks are an indispensable resource for the research needed to bring advances in personalized medicine into pediatric medical care. It is unclear how or when these advances in medical care may reach children, but it is unlikely that research in adults will be adequate. We conducted the screening for a hypothetic problem in various European and American pediatric biobanks based on online surveys through e-mail distribution based on the Biobank Economic Modeling Tool (BEMT) questionnaire model. Participants in the survey had work experience in biobanking for at least 3 years or more. Contact information about the survey participants was confirmed on the social networks profiles (LinkedIn), as well as on generally available websites. First, we tried creating a model which can show the pediatric preclinical and basic clinical phase relationship and demonstrate how pediatric biobanking is linked to this process. Furthermore, we tried to look for new trends, and the final goal is to put the acquired knowledge into practice, so medical experts and patients could gain usable benefit from it. We concluded that leading positions must take into account ethical and legal aspects when considering the decision to include children in the biobank collection. However, communication with parents and children is essential. The biobank characteristics influence the biobank's motives to include children in the consent procedure. Moreover, the motives to include children influence how the children are involved in the consent procedure and the extent to which children are able to make voluntary decisions as part of the consent procedure.

Background: The cytologic diagnosis of atypia of undetermined significance or follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS) is controversial because of variation in how it is applied in practice, as well as uncertainty about patient management. We aimed to assess the percentage of thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) with AUS/FLUS diagnoses in different North American and European practice settings (e.g. community, academic, etc.), assess whether patients were managed according to current guidelines, and determine patient outcomes. Materials and Methods: A detailed questionnaire survey was posted in secure websites used separately by cytopathologists and cytotechnologists. The questionnaire was posted from August 1 through December 31, 2013. Results: Endocrinologists and cytopathologists performed 51.7% and 37.1% of thyroid FNABs, respectively. The Bethesda reporting system for thyroid FNAB was used in 90% of practices. The rate of AUS/FLUS varied widely among institutions, with 46.1% of represented institutions reporting AUS/FLUS rates of 3–10%. The median follow-up rate of patients with an initial AUS/FLUS diagnosis was 70% (range, 10–100%). For the majority of represented institutions (86.4%), patients with initial AUS/FLUS diagnosis had follow-up with endocrinologists. Of repeat AUS/FLUS thyroid FNABs, a median of 52% was considered benign, and 18% were suspicious of or positive for malignancy (median, 10% and 7.5%, respectively). Conclusions: Reporting of the AUS/FLUS category varied widely among different institutions. The median follow-up rate was lower than published guidelines. The most common follow-up diagnosis was benign thyroid nodule. Improved standardization of cytologic criteria should be adopted to reduce such variation.

Objective Review emerging trends within healthcare sectors internationally to care for spinal conditions in developed Western European and North American countries. Material and methods An explorative review of electronic bibliographic (Scopus, Pubmed, etc.), thesis and dissertation database, organization websites, grey literature resources and reference lists of relevant papers was undertaken to identify the key publication outlets for relevant content between 2016 to 2020. In the present review, the depth of the search was 27 years (post 1994). This review utilized a methodology structured using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-ScR and PRISMA-S preprint) checklist with the description available on https://doi. org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5JGN4. Results The researchers explored the conditions for strong primary spine care providing effective measures and strategies in streamlining patients and examined the appropriateness of referrals for high-technology imaging assessment. Primary care with its integrative function is provided by professionals with specialized training including general practitioners and nurses. Guidance on the management and standards of inpatient care for a diverse and complex range of conditions are of concern with a focus on specialized spinal services providing invasive management strategies for traumatic spinal cord injuries, in particular. Direct access to diagnostic procedures is essential at specialised spinal services providing conservative and surgical management for a acute spinal diseases with the decision making process and care for this group of patients being very complex with little support of evidence based medicine sources. Conclusion Significant input from clinical and support services is required to provide clinical practice guidelines based upon the best available research evidence and practice experience with a greater range of approaches and techniques.

Abstract It has been concluded that until recently debates on what is understood as African Studies have involved American scholars or have been mainly located within the African Studies Association (ASA) in the USA. Lately, European scholars have begun to occupy more discursive space and challenged Afrocentric orientations as well. African Studies emerged, on the one hand, predominantly due to the states’ participation in either the colonisation or decolonisation of Africa and its people. On the other hand, powerful strategic geopolitical dimensions have motivated the emphasis on area studies and, in particular, African studies, in the United States after Second World War. It has been stated that American curricula consist of the following groups of subjects: 1) the major, i.e. the subjects which provide the required level of knowledge, abilities and skills in a particular area; 2) the minor, i.e. the subjects, that are necessary for better mastering of specialization subjects; 3) other areas of concentration, which are also a part of the curriculum (optional classes, etc.); 4) liberal studies courses, that provide mastering necessary skills and understanding of the interconnectedness of different fields of knowledge; 5) upper division courses, that are studied at the third and fourth years of study; 6) electives, which students can choose to explore new fields or expand the list of both professionally oriented and non-oriented courses. Based on the results generated by the official websites providing applicants with relevant information about degree programs, we have found out that African Studies are offered by numerous American higher education institutions, namely, Stanford University, Yale University, Columbia University in the City of New York, University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, University of Chicago, Brown University, University of Richmond, University of Kansas, University of Iowa and others. It has been indicated that African studies provide students with the understanding of the interactions among the social, economic, cultural, historical, linguistic, genetic, geopolitical, ecological and biomedical factors that shape and have shaped African societies. The interdisciplinary structure of the programs offers students an opportunity to satisfy the increasingly rigorous expectations of admissions committees and prospective employers for a broad liberal arts perspective that complements a specialized knowledge of a field. In addition, students are encouraged to pursue Study Abroad to enhance their understanding of African diasporic experiences.

Short tandem repeat analysis (STR) is a well-established international method of authentication and genetic stability testing of cell lines (CLs). Therefore, the development and introduction of this method into routine practice of cell banks and cell culture collections is a pressing concern. In addition, the expansion of the field of cell-line based biomedical cell products (BСPs) necessitates the implementation of STR as a tool of identification testing during quality control. The State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation does not require mandatory use of STR for cell line identification, while other countries have been using this method for cell line quality control for about a decade. The use of identified CLs in medical practice will ensure the efficacy and safety of BCPs.The aim of the study was to assess the possibility of using STR analysis for authentication and genetic stability testing of CLs using U937, WISH, WIL2-S, NK-92, and Jurkat Clone E6-1 CLs as examples.Materials and me­thods: the following human CLs were used in the study: U937 (ECACC), WISH (ATCC), WIL2S (ATCC), NK-92 (ATCC), and Jurkat Clone E6-1 (ATCC). The CL allelic profiles were determined by STR using the COrDIS Plus kit (Gordiz, Russia). The electrophoretic separation was performed using a Genetic Analyzer 3500 Series instrument. The data provided on the websites of the European Collection of Authenticated Cell Cultures and American Type Culture Collection were used to compare the CL profiles.Results: the AuthentiFiler PCR Amplification Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) and the GenePrint 10 System (Promega Corporation, USA) intended for CL authentication by STR were compared with the characteristics of the COrDIS plus kit (Gordiz, Russia). The results of the comparison demonstrated that the COrDIS plus kit includes all the loci found in the foreign kits, as well as the loci recommended by the International Cell Line Authentication Committee. The U-937, WIL2S, and NK-92 CLs demonstrated genetic identity with the reference profiles available on the websites of the international collections. The Jurkat Clone E6-1 CL was found to be genetically instable due to the loss of the amelogenin gene.Conclusions: it was demonstrated by the examples of U937, WISH, WIL2-S, NK-92, and Jurkat Clone E6-1 CLs that STR and the COrDIS plus kit could be used for authentication and genetic stability testing. The obtained results suggest the feasibility of using the COrDIS plus kit for the analysis of CLs used in BCPs, for BCP quality control, and biomedical research.

AimTo present the protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available evidence examining the association between sex hormones and type 2 diabetes risk in ageing men and women of African descent.MethodsWe shall conduct a comprehensive search of published studies that examined the association between sex hormones and type 2 diabetes risk in men and women aged ≥40 years from 01/01/1980 to 31/03/2018 with no language restriction. Databases to be searched include: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, ISI Web of Science, Clinical Trial registries, Google Scholar and institutional websites such as the WHO, American Diabetes Association, International Diabetes Federation, World Diabetes Foundation, European Association for the Study of Diabetes, African Journal Online and ProQuest databases. This protocol is developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols guidelines. Independent screening for eligible studies using defined criteria and data extraction, will be completed in duplicate. Discrepancies will be resolved by consensus or consultation with a third researcher. Risk of bias of included studies will be assessed by the appropriate Cochrane risk of bias tool. The overall association estimates will be pooled using appropriate meta-analytic techniques. Heterogeneity will be assessed using Cochrane Q statistic and the inconsistency index (I2). The random effects model will be used to calculate a pooled estimate.Ethics and disseminationNo ethics clearance is required as no primary data will be collected. The systematic review and meta-analysis are part of a PhD project at WITS University (Johannesburg, South Africa) and results will be presented at conferences and published in a peer-review journal. The results will guide future population specific interventions.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017074581.

BackgroundPrevious work has highlighted considerable heterogeneity in the organization of postgraduate rheumatology training programs. EULAR strives to harmonise rheumatology training across Europe with defined standards of key aspects of training including knowledge, skills and professional behaviors.ObjectivesTo analyse existing documents on postgraduate training in rheumatology and other related specialties available within Europe and the rest of the world.MethodsAs most documents were unpublished, key documents on specialty training in Rheumatology and 28 related specialties were retrieved by hand-search. We started with the collection of documents developed by UEMS (Europe), ACGME (USA), CanMEDS (Canada) and RACP (Australia). Then we searched for specialty training documents developed by other international Boards and we also sent emails to the boards or associations if no document could be found in their websites. Finally, we retrieved national documents from European Countries with a structured rheumatology training process, translated them into English using DeepL/Google translate and, in case of doubt, liaised with native speakers familiar with the documents. The content of all the above documents (including information about the structure of each document) was extracted into a standardized data extraction sheet.Results133 documents were retrieved. UEMS, ACGME, CanMEDS documents were available for all the mapped specialties, while RACP documents were retrieved for only 18 specialties. No American or Canadian specialty board developed additional documents on training, while in Europe non-UEMS boards of 11 specialties did (Table 1). With regard to Rheumatology, 2 separate documents for adult and pediatric rheumatology training were available from UEMS and ACGME while one document on adult rheumatology training was retrieved for CanMEDS and RACP. Upon assessment of the content of these 133 documents, we observed that their organisation could be competence-based (48%), role-based (47%), or problem-based (5%). When focusing on Rheumatology, content was fairly similar across international curricula, but several differences emerged in national curricula. These were mainly related to national regulations (e.g. rheumatology training as part of internal medicine training) and a different definition of mandatory/optional competences. The number of listed competences in the rheumatology documents ranged from 18 to 196.Table 1.Documents retrieved and extracted for each specialty. Rheumatology national training documents are not listed.SpecialtyEuropeUSACanadaAustraliaALLUEMSOther boardACGMEOther boardCanMEDSOther boardRACPOther boardRheumatologyxxxx6*Allergologyxxxxx5Anaesthesiologyxxx03Cardiologyxxxxx5Child and Adolescent Psychiatryxxx03Clinical Geneticsxxxx4Dermatology and Venereologyxxxx4Emergency Medicinexxxx04Endocrinologyxxxxx5Gastroenterologyxxxx4General practicexxxx4Geriatricsxxxx4Gynaecology and Obstetricsxxx03Infectious Diseasesxxxx4Internal Medicinexxxx04Medical Oncologyxxxxx5Nephrologyxxxxx5Neurologyxxxx4Occupational Medicinexxxx4Ophthalmologyxxx03Orthopaedicsxxxx04Otorhinolaryngologyxxx03Paediatricsxxxxx5Physical Medicine and Rehabilitationxxxx4Psychiatryxxx03Public Health Medicinexxxx4Radiation Oncology and Radiotherapyxxxx04Respiratory medicinexxxxx5Sport and exercise medicinexxx03TOTAL3011300300180119*2 UEMS and 2 ACGME document on adult and pediatric rheumatologyConclusionWe collected and analysed documents on specialty training in Rheumatology and other related specialties across a broad set of international sources. Most documents followed a competence-based or role-based framework; similarities and differences in the content of Rheumatology documents were detected. This mapping exercise informed the EULAR Task Force on the development of standards for the training of European rheumatologists.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared

IntroductionThe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines manual recommend that MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials should be prioritized for searching for reviews of the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions. Additionally, searching trial registries and conference abstracts are recommended to identify ongoing or unpublished research. However, the approaches to searching conference abstracts have not been previously studied. The aim is to analyze searches of conference abstracts reported in NICE Technology Appraisal (TA) company submissions for cancer interventions from 2013 until September 2018.MethodsThe company submissions were searched and obtained via the NICE technology appraisal guidance website. The sources used to find conference abstracts were identified from the company clinical effectiveness review search methods and appendices. Conference abstract searching in both database and website sources were compared.ResultsOf all 394 TAs, 124 (31 percent) were cancer TAs. Between 2013 and 2018, 91 TAs were completed or updated, which covered 18 cancer categories and 52 different named technologies. Technologies to treat non-small-cell lung cancer was the most frequently appraised in the last five years. Nivolumab was the most frequently appraised technology. Searches for conference abstracts were reported in 70 (77 percent) out of 91 company submissions. Supplementary searching was reported in 59 (84 percent), compared with 11 (16 percent) searching either/both Embase and the Web of Science Conference Proceeding Index (WoS-CPCI). A total of 54 supplementary website sources were searched which ranged from one to 11 per TA (average four sources). The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society of Medical Oncology were the most frequently searched sources.ConclusionsWhilst the WoS-CPCI has better coverage of cancer conference abstracts than Embase, searching databases alone are inadequate. Supplementary conference websites should be searched for reasons such as access to the most recent abstracts and incomplete indexing of titles within databases. A wide range of cancer specific sites exists although the impact of broad (e.g. ASCO) versus condition specific sites is unclear.

. Introduction. Today, the globalization of various spheres of human functioning (economy, politics, etc.) is one of the society trends. Sport as a social practice is also intensively globalized, and this is most clearly seen in the example of professional sport. In this area, today the laws of development (commercial, sports, etc.) are spreading to Olympic and non-Olympic sports, and more globally – the level of professional sport affects the economic development of entire countries and, in many respects – the formation of society. Purpose: to characterize the specifics of globalization of social practice «professional sport» in modern conditions of development. Material and methods. The study was based on the processing of modern scientific articles on the development of professional sport in its various aspects, as well as popular science sources of information and materials on the official websites of leading professional sport organizations. Research methods: analysis and synthesis, historical method, system approach, comparison. Results. Today, the globalization of professional sport is taking place in the following areas: expanding cooperation with media corporations and sponsors; internationalization and commercialization (increase in the number of organizations that oversee various sports and, accordingly, the number of profitable competitions); maximum use of Internet technologies for the promotion of sport products and the development of e-sports within professional sport leagues; increase match attendance by ensuring effective marketing policies; expanding cooperation with the authorities at the state and local levels on mutually beneficial terms; bringing championships beyond national borders (typical of the North American model of professional sport, as for the European throughout the history of its development the emphasis has been and remains on the leading importance of international competitions), etc. Conclusions. Today, due to the processes of society globalization, which actively influence the field of professional sport, this social practice undergoes internal globalization, which can be traced both in purely sport (expanding the calendar of competitions, going beyond national championships, etc.) and commercial areas (expanding cooperation with sponsors, media companies, etc.), technological (introduction of modern technologies, launching a series of cyber competitions, etc.) political (expanding cooperation with state and local authorities), and etc. directions.

Introduction:Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are an important, potentially preventable reason to maintain a clean healthcare environment. However, guidelines from Europe and North America do not concur—European guidelines recommend using neutral detergent (followed by chlorine-based disinfection (CBD) if required), whilst North American guidelines recommend using detergent or hospital-grade disinfectant-detergents for routine cleaning or decontamination of noncritical healthcare environmental surfaces. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness on rates of HAIs of: (i) disinfectant-detergents versus detergents; and (ii) the active ingredient of many disinfectant-detergents—quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC)—versus CBD.Methods:A rapid review of systematic reviews was conducted using the following search terms: keywords and controlled vocabulary terms for the concepts of “healthcare environmental surfaces” AND (“QAC-based disinfectants” OR “disinfectant-detergents” OR “decontamination”) AND (“environmental contamination” OR “colonization” OR “HAIs”). The search filters included systematic reviews, guidelines, and technology reports. The following databases were searched: The Cochrane Library; PubMed; and health technology assessment and guideline websites for gray literature. Systematic reviews of studies comparing the effects of disinfectant-detergents with detergent, or comparing QAC with CBD, on rates of HAIs in the healthcare environment were included. Reviews on the cleaning or disinfection of body surfaces or disinfection of invasive medical devices were excluded. Quality assessment was not conducted. Data extraction was performed using a pro forma.Results:The literature search resulted in 356 titles. From ninety-four potentially relevant abstracts, fifty-seven full-texts were evaluated: fifty-one were excluded (eight non-English) and six were included. All review authors cautioned that the evidence was low level, methodologically poor, subject to confounding, and didn't address adverse outcomes. The reviews identified eight relevant primary studies, three of which compared disinfectant-detergents with detergent and found no difference in rates of HAI. Five studies compared QAC with CBD. All five demonstrated that CBD was superior to QAC and reduced Clostridium difficile infection rates in outbreak contexts. Furthermore, QAC may induce sporulation and microbial resistance.Conclusions:Low-level evidence suggested that: there is no advantage in using disinfectant-detergents for routine cleaning of noncritical surfaces; CBD is superior to QAC-based disinfection in reducing clostridial infections; and QAC agents may induce sporulation or microbial resistance.

Abstract Abstract 1419 Poster Board I-442 For more than 20 years high dose chemotherapy followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) has been considered as a reasonable approach for the treatment of patients with AML. Moreover, during the last decade new scientific and technical developments results in major changes of clinical practice of transplantation. Enhanced donor availabilities and new strategies, e.g. dose-reduced conditioning, now make allogeneic stem cell transplantation available to patients who do not have a related donor or would not tolerate high-dose chemotherapy due to age or comorbidities. Usually, the decision to start the work-up process for allogeneic transplantation in AML patients is based on the availability of a donor, the assignment to the cytogenetic risk group, and the response to induction therapy, as well as patient factors. However, there would be greater confidence in defining who should, or should not, receive an allograft if the available recommendations given in guidelines are consistent and similar. In this analysis, a comprehensive systematic literature search for best available evidence from controlled clinical trials was performed in the bibliographic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central. In addition, the websites of major organizations in Europe and the US (European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, EBMT; European Society for Medical Oncology, ESMO; British Committee for Standards in Hematology, BCSH; American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, ASBMT; National Comprehensive Cancer Network, NCCN) were screened and the specific databases of the National Guideline Clearinghouse and the Guideline International Network Database were also searched to identify the latest recommendations and guidelines. The following points were selected for systematic comparison of the best available evidence: Factors for risk assessment and categorization of AML, donor categories for allogeneic SCT (sibling donors / matched unrelated donors), allogeneic transplantation in first CR, allogeneic transplantation in relapse/progressive disease or second CR, and allogeneic transplants with reduced intensity conditioning regimen. Several interesting findings emerge from this analysis: 1) For patients with relapse or refractory disease donor availability should be explored and discussed, though this is not based on reliable evidence from randomized studies; 2) Patients in CR1 with intermediate or high risk disease who have a matched related donor available should receive allogeneic stem cell transplantation (intermediate risk; ASBMT: reasonable, NCCN: option); 3) For patients who lack a family donor the recommendations are not consistent; 4) Allogeneic transplantation with reduced conditioning in AML patients is feasible, but the superiority over standard therapeutic regimens has not been proven yet. In summary, current guidelines differ in critical points in the recommendation for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Furthermore, it is likely that only well-defined subgroups of AML patients will benefit from stem cell transplantation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

11032 Background: The open access (OA) publishing model represents an exciting opportunity to facilitate dissemination of scientific information to global audiences. In contrast to many traditional models, which require readers to pay subscription fees or rely upon institutional subscriptions for article access, the OA model grants free access to all consumers. However, OA publication is often associated with significant article processing charges (APCs) for authors, which may thus serve as a barrier to publication. In this investigation, we aimed to identify journal-level factors associated with OA publication costs in oncology journals. Methods: We identified oncology journals using the SCImago Journal & Country Rank database. All journals under the “Oncology” category that offer an OA publishing option with APC data openly available were included. For all journals, we searched journal websites and tabulated journal characteristics, including APC amount (USD), OA model (hybrid vs full), journal 2-year impact factor (IF), H-index, number of citable documents, primary treatment modality (surgery, radiation, medical, non-specific), treatment site (e.g. breast, etc), and continent of origin. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate univariate linear relationships between variables; for variables with significant correlation, we generated a multiple regression model to identify journal characteristics independently associated with OA APC amount. Results: Of 367 oncology journals screened, 266 met final inclusion criteria. The median APC was 2810 USD (range 0 – 5200). On univariate linear correlation regression testing, journals with the full OA model (p < 0.001), higher journal IF (p < 0.001), higher H-index (p < 0.001), greater number of published articles (p < 0.001), and those from North America or Europe (p < 0.001) tended to have higher OA publishing costs. When these co-variates were analyzed in a multiple regression model, only full OA status (p < 0.001), higher IF (p < 0.001), and North American or European origin (p < 0.001) persisted as independently associated with greater OA APC. Conclusions: Large APCs may serve as a barrier to OA publication and therefore create or exacerbate disparities among scientific investigators seeking to share their research. In this investigation, we find that OA publication costs are greater in oncology journals that utilize the hybrid OA model, have higher IF, and are based in North America or Europe. These findings may inform targeted action to help the oncology community fully appreciate the benefits of open science.

Background Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in Wuhan, China, countries worldwide have been forced to take unprecedented measures to combat it. While some countries are still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, others have fared better and have re-established relative normalcy quickly. The rapid transmission rate of the virus has shown a greater need for efficient and technologically modern containment measures. The use of digital tools to facilitate strict containment measures in countries that have fared well against the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked both interest and controversy. Objective In this study, we compare the precautions taken against the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, Spain, and Italy, with Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore, particularly related to the use of digital tools for contact tracing, and propose policies that could be used in the United States for future COVID-19 waves or pandemics. Methods COVID-19 death rate data were obtained from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), accessed through the Our World in Data database, and were evaluated based on population size per 100,000 people from December 31, 2019, to September 6, 2020. All policies and measures enacted were obtained from their respective governmental websites. Results We found a strong association between lower death rates per capita and countries that implemented early mask use and strict border control measures that included mandatory quarantine using digital tools. There is a significant difference in the number of deaths per 100,000 when comparing Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore with the United States, Spain, and Italy. Conclusions Based on our research, it is evident that early intervention with the use of digital tools had a strong correlation with the successful containment of COVID-19. Infection rates and subsequent deaths in Italy, Spain, and the United States could have been much lower with early mask use and, more importantly, timely border control measures using modern digital tools. Thus, we propose that the United States execute the following national policies should a public health emergency be declared: (1) immediately establish a National Command responsible for enacting strict mandatory guidelines enforced by federal and state governments, including national mask use; (2) mandate civilian cooperation with health officials in contact tracing and quarantine orders; and (3) require incoming travelers to the United States and those quarantined to download a contact tracing app. We acknowledge the countries we studied differ in their cultures, political systems, and reporting criteria for COVID-19 deaths. Further research may need to be conducted to address these limitations; however, we believe that the proposed policies could protect the American public.

Background Allergic diseases, such as allergic asthma, rhinitis, and atopic eczema, are widespread, and they are a considerable burden on the health care system. For patients and health care professionals, Web-based training programs may be helpful to foster self-management and provide allergy-specific information, given, for instance, their good accessibility. Objective This study aimed to assess an exploratory sample of publicly available allergy-specific Web-based training programs—that is, interactive, feedback-oriented Web-based training platforms promoting health behavior change and improvement of personal skills—with regard to (1) general characteristics, aims, and target groups and (2) the extent to which these tools meet established criteria for the reporting, methods, and content of evidence-based (digital) health information and education. Methods Web-based training programs were identified via an initial Google search and a search of English and German language websites of medical and public health services, such as the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (German), Asthma UK, and Anaphylaxis Canada. We developed a checklist from (1) established guidelines for Web-based health information (eg, the Journal of the American Medical Association benchmarks, DISCERN criteria, and Health On the Net code) and (2) a database search of related studies. The checklist contained 44 items covering 11 domains in 3 areas: (1) content (completeness, transparency, and evidence), (2) structure (data safety and qualification of trainers and authors), and (3) impact (effectiveness, user perspective, and integration into health care). We rated the Web-based training programs as completely, partly, or not satisfying each checklist item and calculated overall and domain-specific scores for each Web-based training program using SPSS 23.0 (SPSS Inc). Results The 15 identified Web-based training programs covered an average of 37% of the items (score 33 out of 88). A total of 7 Web-based training programs covered more than 40% (35/88; maximum: 49%; 43/88). A total of 5 covered 30% (26/88) to 40% (35/88) of all rated items and the rest covered fewer (n=3; lowest score 24%; 21/88). Items relating to intervention (58%; 10/18), content (49%; 9/18), and data safety (60%; 1/2) were more often considered, as opposed to user safety (10%; 0.4/4), qualification of staff (10%; 0.8/8), effectiveness (16%; 0.4/2), and user perspective (45%; 5/12). In addition, in 13 of 15 Web-based training programs, a minimum of 3 domains were not covered at all. Regarding evidence-based content, 46% of all Web-based training programs (7/15) scored on use of scientific research, 53% on regular information update (8/15), and 33% on provision of references (5/15). None of 15 provided details on the quality of references or the strength of evidence. Conclusions English and German language allergy-specific Web-based training programs, addressing lay audiences and health care professionals, conform only partly to established criteria for the reporting, methods, and content of evidence-based (digital) health information and education. Particularly, well-conducted studies on their effectiveness are missing.

We would like to present to you a thematic issue of “Zeszyty Teoretyczne Rachun-kowości” no. 109 (165) – (ZTR, “The Theoretical Journal of Accounting”), in English entitled Accounting as a source of financial and non-financial information. It is the second volume of our journal to be guest-edited by a foreign editor – Dr. Fredrik Karlsson (Linnaeus University, Sweden). The purpose of this issue of ZTR is to indicate the directions in the evolution of accounting theory and practice, in particular, with regard to corporate reporting, which constitutes the basis for assessing the effectiveness of an enterprise’s opera-tions. The articles submitted for publication raise important issues regarding the re-porting of financial and non-financial information that is requisite for the develop-ment of trust-based relationships with the stakeholders of companies operating on the market. Due to the lack of unified applicable non-financial reporting standards in corporate reporting, the provision of reliable and useful information on the environ-mental and social aspects of functioning presents a huge challenge. It is connected with adjusting the accounting systems that entities use in order to obtain a reliable picture of the impact of their economic activity on the environment. We believe that the articles presented in this volume will contribute to a better un-derstanding of the challenges accounting faces in the new, dynamically changing reality. We tried to involve scientists from various countries in the discussion on the directions in the evolution of accounting theory and practice. By accepting for publi-cation ten articles that have received positive reviews, we believe that we have succeeded in our attempt. The Authors of the works come from research centers in seven European and South American countries, such as Chile, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, the UK, and Ukraine. The articles present the results of research on the disclosure of the financial and non-financial information in corporate reporting, which constitutes the basis for as-sessing companies’ economic, environmental, and social performance. The Authors additionally discuss the applicable accounting rules, which are requisite to obtain financial information of adequate quality for economic decision making. Various research methods have been used in the articles, such as statistical analysis, content analysis, comparative analysis, a review of the literature and legal acts, methods of deduction and synthesis, questionnaire surveys, and interviews. We can distinguish three main topic areas chosen by the Authors. The first group of papers concerns communication with users of the companies’ reports, especially regarding corporate social responsibility. The work written by Polish Authors from the University of Łódź (E. Śnieżek, M. Wiatr, K. Ciach, J. Piłacik) presents the results of research on the information needs of business information users with regard to improving the financial and non-financial information presented in annual reports. A total of 694 responses obtained from Polish accounting and tax specialists with professional experience were analyzed. The inter-pretation of the survey results takes into account the relationship between the responses received and the respondents’ characteristics, such as gender, age, and education. The Authors from Great Britain (A. Herdan, L. Neri, and A. Ruso) present the rela-tionship between sustainable development and financial indicators on the British mar-ket. The increasing social pressure exerted on enterprises, as well as the changes in legal regulations, are forcing enterprises to operate in a manner that considers the prin-ciples of sustainable development. For this reason, it is particularly important to deter-mine the relationship between the economic situation of an enterprise and sustainable development. The article written by Authors from Poland and Croatia (M. Remlein and V. Roŝka) examines the quality of the information on CSR-related investments presented in the reports prepared by Polish and Croatian companies. Based on a content analysis of re-ports prepared by non-financial companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and the Zagreb Stock Exchange, it has been found that socially responsible investment in Poland and Croatia is still at its infancy since not many investors have been exposed to this type of investment. The authors of the next article (A. Szadziewska, B. Kotowska, L. Kloviene, S. Legenchyk, D. Prša, and M.T. Speziale) noted the existence of differences in the implementation of Directive 2014/95/EU into the national law of individual countries included in their survey, i.e., Croatia, Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Great Britain, and Ukraine. Additionally, the results of the content analysis regarding the non-financial reports presented by branches of one corporation that operates in different countries indicated a different scope of the non-financial indicators published. What is more, sig-nificant differences were found between the scope of the non-financial indicators pub-lished by the capital group and its subsidiaries that operate in different countries. In the article by Polish authors from the University of Gdańsk (C. Kotyla and M. Hyży), we find a discussion on the disclosure of information on the environmental impact of companies from the mass passenger transport industry. The content analysis covered the financial statements and the management reports published by the three largest rail carriers and two airlines. The results indicate that the environmental disclo-sures in the reports analyzed do not allow for an objective assessment of the surveyed mass passenger transport enterprises’ impact on the environment. The second thematic area covered issues concerning the historical and current con-ditions that characterize accounting systems in different countries. The first article (H. Waniak-Michalak, I. Perica, and S. Leitonie) concerns non-gov-ernmental entities and the impact of accounting regulations on these organizations in Poland, Croatia, and Lithuania at the level of public trust. The results of their research indicate that accounting regulations are of marginal importance for social trust. How-ever, they have identified the possible impact of disasters and the country’s economic situation on public trust. B. Zyznarska-Dworczak, I. Mamić Sačer, and D. Mokošová conducted a compara-tive analysis of accounting systems in Central and Eastern European countries – Croa-tia, Poland, and Slovakia. The authors found important differences in the accounting standards of these countries despite their geopolitical proximity and Slavic roots. The other three articles concerned special rules of recording and reporting. M. Gierusz raises the problem of companies using the regulation of recognizing ac-quired goodwill in order to extend the useful life of goodwill. Authors from Poland and Chile (F. Morales Parada, R. Höllander Sanhueza, and M. Węgrzyńska) attempt to identify accrual adjustments as a tool to modify financial results. They indicate that Chilean firms exhibit more cases of accounting manipula-tions than Polish companies. According to the Authors, Polish firms use accrual adjust-ments to reduce the operating results, whereas Chilean companies apply accrual adjust-ments to increase their operating results. M. Szulc and P. Zieniuk answered the research question of whether listed compa-nies comply with the requirements of the International Financial Reporting Standards regarding the disclosure of events after the balance sheet date. They believe that the occurrence of such events in the economic practice of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange is much more frequent than in other European countries. The editorial team takes the opportunity to thank all the supporters of the English issue of ZTR. We very much appreciate the involvement of the reviewers, the commit-ment of the authors of the papers, as well as the help of other academics and friends engaged in the preparation of the issue. We also encourage you to visit our website, www.ztr.skwp.pl, where you can find the latest information on our projects as well as all the procedures needed to submit a paper to the journal. Please submit articles to the new special issue of ZTR in 2021, entitled Ethical Issues in Accounting in Prosperity and a Financial Crisis.

Abstract Introduction The major reasons for failure to achieve cure in the majority of AML patients (pts) are primary refractoriness of disease to initial chemotherapy or failure to maintain complete remission (CR) that has been achieved (relapse). There is no uniformly accepted standard treatment for relapsed or refractory (RR) AML, with most available therapies regarded as palliative or as a bridge to allogeneic transplantation. While the past two decades have witnessed trials of several investigational therapies in RR AML, data regarding the effectiveness of these interventions remains unclear. We studied the impact of experimental drugs in RR AML pts by undertaking a comprehensive analysis of all phase 2 and 3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) reported in the past 3 decades. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register electronic databases, ClinicalTrials.gov and conference abstracts from the American Society of Hematology (ASH), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European Hematology Association (EHA) websites covering a period from 1988 to 2015. Key words used during this search included "refractory" or "relapsed" or "AML" or "phase II" or "phase III" or "randomized". Only double-arm, phase II with a sample size of at least 50 pts and phase III RCTs conducted in RR AML pts were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data on study methods, participants, therapies, and outcomes from all eligible trials: differences in how to classify agents in RCTs were resolved by discussion. The primary outcomes examined in the experimental arms (EAs) and standard arms (SAs) included CR rates, disease-free survival (DFS), refractory disease rates, treatment-related mortality (TRM) rates and overall survival (OS). Odds ratios (OR) were used to summarize differences between EAs and SAs. The DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model was used to compare them and to assess the overall impact of time. Results Of 5500 included pts, 40.5% were treated on 21 double-arm, phase II trials, 51% on 10 phase III trials and 6.6% analyzed through 4 retrospective studies. There was no change in CR rates in either EAs (p=.21) or SAs (p=.15) over time (Figure 1). The CR rates in EAs tended to be higher than in SAs [OR=1.24; 95% CI, 1.02-1.50, p=.03). Rates of disease refractoriness to salvage regimens in both EAs (p=.70) and CAs (p=.31) did not change over time and these rates were not significantly different between treatment arms [OR=0.82; 95% CI, 0.62-1.08, p=.16]. TRM rates tended to decrease over time but the change was not significant in either group [p=.24 for SAs and p=.33 for EAs]. TRM rates were higher in SAs compared to CAs but did not reach statistical significance [OR=1.21; 95% CI, 0.97-1.50, p=.09]. Over time, there was no significant change inDFS in either group (p=.32 for CAs and p=.58 for EAs). DFS rates did not differ between EAs and SAs [OR=1.01; 95% CI, 0.86-1.19, p=.89] (Figure 2). OS tended to remain stable over time in both groups [p=.85 for SAs and p=.66 for EAs]. While OS tended to be higher in SAs, it did not reach statistical significance [OR=0.93; 95% CI, 0.83-1.05, p=.27]. Conclusions: These findings indicate a lack of significant or clinically meaningful improvement in disease outcomes, including OS, in RR AML pts treated within RCTs over the past 3 decades. Greater efforts need to be directed towards designing RCTs using novel statistical approaches and directed agents based on recent discoveries of targetable mutations. Disclosures Carraway: Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Baxalta: Speakers Bureau; Celgene Corporation: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Advani:Pfizer Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding; Blinatumomab: Research Funding. Sekeres:Millenium/Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Mukherjee:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Ariad: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding.

Abstract Several population-based cancer registries have consistently reported improvements in overall survival (OS) for patients (pts) with AML treated with intensive chemotherapy (IC) across all age groups extending up to the age of 80 years. While major advances in supportive care and greater numbers of allogeneic transplantations have contributed to improvements in OS in AML, the role of experimental IC regimens has not been comprehensively analyzed. We conducted a systematic review of all phase three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in AML conducted over the past forty years to evaluate the contribution of experimental IC regimens in clinical outcomes, along with OS in these pts based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The following electronic databases were searched for eligible non-acute promyelocytic leukemia trials covering the period from 1973 to 2016: Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, PubMed, Embase databases and American Society of Hematology (ASH), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European Hematology Association (EHA) websites for conference abstracts. Analyses were restricted to phase three RCTs using IC regimens. The principal outcomes examined in the experimental arms (EAs) and control arms (CAs) included complete remission (CR) rates, leukemia-free survival (LFS), and OS. Outcomes were stratified by age and cytogenetic risk, in studies where information was available. RCTs were classified as including younger or older AML pts based on whether >65% of the patients in a study were < 60 or ≥ 60 years (yrs) old, respectively. We also evaluated the outcomes of pts diagnosed with AML outside of clinical trials by analyzing survival trends of 61,000 AML pts in SEER registry. A total of 71 studies comprising 36,796 AML pts were included. The majority of pts in RCTs were < 60 years (68.6%); 54.3% were male. Eligibility criteria for study entry across all RCTs included a mean ECOG performance status of 2-3, mean upper limit (UL) of serum creatinine of 2.3 mg/dl and mean UL of serum bilirubin of 2.6 mg/dl. Mean CR (stratified by age and cytogenetics), mean LFS, OS and treatment-related mortality were similar between EA and CA cohorts (Table 1). Over the study period, there was no trend towards improved CR in EAs and CAs in both younger and older AML trials or even when stratified by cytogenetic risk groups. Similarly, no significant change in LFS trend was observed over time in the EAs and CAs in both younger and older pts. However, over time EAs in younger and older AML trials had a significant increase in median OS, at a rate of 29.52 days/yr (d/yr) (6.84-51.84; P=.01), and 13.68 d/yr (1.8-25.92; P=.05), respectively (Figure 1). For those in CAs, the corresponding rates for younger and older pts was 32.76 d/yr (8.64-56.88; P=.009) and 12.24 d/yr (2.88-27.93; P=.10), respectively. By comparison, there was a significant trend towards improvement in median OS over time in the SEER cohort for younger pts, defined as < 60 yrs (18.36 d/yr; 30-212.4, P<.0001). For the older SEER cohort (≥ 60 yrs) although the survival trend was statistically significant (0.36 d/yr; 0.36-0.72, P=.003) due to large patient numbers, this improved survival was not clinically meaningful (Figure 2). This systematic review of evidence from phase three RCTs in AML suggests a minimal improvement in OS with use of experimental IC regimens, with gains mostly seen in younger pts. No significant improvements in LFS trends were observed in any age group, demonstrating a lack of aggregate clinical efficacy of experimental drugs over this time period. Greater survival gains in OS in pts enrolled in CAs of RCTs as compared to the SEER population suggests a strong selection bias in RCTs, thereby limiting extrapolation of study findings to the real world population. Disclosures Carraway: Celgene Corporation: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Baxalta: Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Background:A substantial proportion of primary care osteoarthritis (OA) consultations are associated with an X-ray request (1,2). Uncertainty exists regarding the ability of radiography to improve a clinical OA diagnosis, and the over-use of radiography may lead to inappropriate referrals due to severe radiographic features that do not correlate with patients’ symptoms. Additionally, there are cost implications of unnecessarily imaging such a prevalent disease. As evidence questions the utility of routine radiography in OA, the extent to which radiography is supported by international guidelines is unknown.Objectives:To undertake a systematic review and narrative synthesis of UK and international guideline recommendations on the role of radiography in the diagnosis of OA.Methods:A systematic search of eleven electronic databases (including EMBASE, MEDLINE CINAHL, Epistemonikos and Guideline Central) and the websites of nine professional organisations (including NICE, Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), EULAR, and the American College of Radiology (ACR)) identified the most recent evidence-based guidelines produced by professional organisations on the role of imaging in OA. Guidelines not addressing the role of radiography in the diagnosis of OA were excluded, as were non-English and spinal OA guidelines. Each title was screened by one reviewer whilst each abstract and full text underwent dual screening. A single reviewer, using a standard proforma, undertook data extraction. Each guideline was independently appraised by two reviewers using the AGREE II tool. A narrative synthesis of the nature and consistency of OA radiographic recommendations was performed.Results:18 evidence-based OA guidelines published between 1998-2019 were included. These guidelines considered OA at any joint (n=8), or at the knee (n=3), hip (n=2), hand (n=2), wrist (n=1), foot (n=1), and ankle (n=1). Seven guidelines were produced by European organisations; four guidelines were produced by EULAR. Guidelines were targeted at general practitioners (n=11), radiologists (n=7), rheumatologist (n=4) and orthopaedic surgeons (n=3). Using the AGREE II tool, the identified guidelines scored highly on rigour of development (mean score 69%) but poorly on applicability (32%). All 18 guidelines recommended X-rays as the first-line modality, where imaging was indicated. A clinical diagnosis of OA without radiographic confirmation was recommended by all eleven guidelines produced by organisations represented general practitioners, with seven guidelines justifying this due to a poor correlation between radiographic features and clinical symptoms. Only three guidelines explicitly discouraged the routine use of radiography for the diagnosis of OA and only two guidelines reassured practitioners of a low probability of missing serious pathology when not routinely requesting radiographs. Guidelines produced by organisations representing radiologists were more supportive of radiography. The ACR recommended radiographic confirmation in patients suspected to have OA at the hand, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, and foot. Conversely, the RCR recommended radiographic confirmation in patients suspected to have OA at the hand, feet, and hip, but not the knee.Conclusion:Differences in guideline recommendations on the utility of radiography in OA appear related to country/region, professional organisation, and joint. The use and utility of radiography in OA may need to be reviewed in light of a shift towards remote consultations, a change that has been accelerated by COVID-19 in many countries.References:[1]Yu D, Jordan K, Bedson J, Englund M, Blyth F, Turkiewicz A et al. Population trends in the incidence and initial management of osteoarthritis: age-period-cohort analysis of the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, 1992–2013. Rheumatology. 2017;56(11):1902-1917.[2]Brand C, Harrison C, Tropea J, Hinman R, Britt H, Bennell K. Management of Osteoarthritis in General Practice in Australia. Arthritis Care & Research. 2014;66(4):551-558Acknowledgements:JJE is funded by an Academic Clinical Lectureship from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) for this research project (CL-2016-10-003). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR, NHS or the UK Department of Health and Social Care.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

BackgroundSelf-management (SM) support for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is variable in its coverage, content, method and timing of delivery. There is insufficient evidence for which SM interventions are the most effective and cost-effective.ObjectivesTo undertake (1) a systematic review of the evidence for the effectiveness of SM interventions commencing within 6 weeks of hospital discharge for an exacerbation for COPD (review 1); (2) a systematic review of the qualitative evidence about patient satisfaction, acceptance and barriers to SM interventions (review 2); (3) a systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of SM support interventions within 6 weeks of hospital discharge for an exacerbation of COPD (review 3); (4) a cost-effectiveness analysis and economic model of post-exacerbation SM support compared with usual care (UC) (economic model); and (5) a wider systematic review of the evidence of the effectiveness of SM support, including interventions (such as pulmonary rehabilitation) in which there are significant components of SM, to identify which components are the most important in reducing exacerbations, hospital admissions/readmissions and improving quality of life (review 4).MethodsThe following electronic databases were searched from inception to May 2012: MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Science Citation Index [Institute of Scientific Information (ISI)]. Subject-specific databases were also searched: PEDro physiotherapy evidence database, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Airways Group Register of Trials. Ongoing studies were sourced through themetaRegister of Current Controlled Trials, International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number database, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform Portal and ClinicalTrials.gov. Specialist abstract and conference proceedings were sourced through ISI’s Conference Proceedings Citation Index and British Library’s Electronic Table of Contents (Zetoc). Hand-searching through European Respiratory Society, the American Thoracic Society and British Thoracic Society conference proceedings from 2010 to 2012 was also undertaken, and selected websites were also examined. Title, abstracts and full texts of potentially relevant studies were scanned by two independent reviewers. Primary studies were included if ≈90% of the population had COPD, the majority were of at least moderate severity and reported on any intervention that included a SM component or package. Accepted study designs and outcomes differed between the reviews. Risk of bias for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to combine studies where appropriate. A Markov model, taking a 30-year time horizon, compared a SM intervention immediately following a hospital admission for an acute exacerbation with UC. Incremental costs and quality-adjusted life-years were calculated, with sensitivity analyses.ResultsFrom 13,355 abstracts, 10 RCTs were included for review 1, one study each for reviews 2 and 3, and 174 RCTs for review 4. Available studies were heterogeneous and many were of poor quality. Meta-analysis identified no evidence of benefit of post-discharge SM support on admissions [hazard ratio (HR) 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.52 to 1.17], mortality (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.54) and most other health outcomes. A modest improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was identified but this was possibly biased due to high loss to follow-up. The economic model was speculative due to uncertainty in impact on readmissions. Compared with UC, post-discharge SM support (delivered within 6 weeks of discharge) was more costly and resulted in better outcomes (£683 cost difference and 0.0831 QALY gain). Studies assessing the effect of individual components were few but only exercise significantly improved HRQoL (3-month St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire 4.87, 95% CI 3.96 to 5.79). Multicomponent interventions produced an improved HRQoL compared with UC (mean difference 6.50, 95% CI 3.62 to 9.39, at 3 months). Results were consistent with a potential reduction in admissions. Interventions with more enhanced care from health-care professionals improved HRQoL and reduced admissions at 1-year follow-up. Interventions that included supervised or unsupervised structured exercise resulted in significant and clinically important improvements in HRQoL up to 6 months.LimitationsThis review was based on a comprehensive search strategy that should have identified most of the relevant studies. The main limitations result from the heterogeneity of studies available and widespread problems with their design and reporting.ConclusionsThere was little evidence of benefit of providing SM support to patients shortly after discharge from hospital, although effects observed were consistent with possible improvement in HRQoL and reduction in hospital admissions. It was not easy to tease out the most effective components of SM support packages, although interventions containing exercise seemed the most effective. Future work should include qualitative studies to explore barriers and facilitators to SM post exacerbation and novel approaches to affect behaviour change, tailored to the individual and their circumstances. Any new trials should be properly designed and conducted, with special attention to reducing loss to follow-up. Individual participant data meta-analysis may help to identify the most effective components of SM interventions.Study registrationThis study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42011001588.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

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It was the Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan who first introduced the term ‘global village’ into the lexicon, almost fifty years ago. He was referring to the phenomenon of global interconnectedness of which we are all too aware today. At that time, we were witnessing the world just opening up. In 1946, British Airways had commenced a twice weekly service from London to New York. The flight involved one or two touch downs en-route and took a scheduled 19 hours and 45 minutes. By the time McLuhan had published his book “Understanding media; the extensions of man”, there were regular services by jet around the globe. London to Sydney was travelled in just under 35 hours. Moving forward to a time immediately pre-covid, there were over 30 non-stop flights a day in each direction between London and New York. The travel time from London to Sydney had been cut by a third, to slightly under 22 hours, with just one touchdown en-route. The world has well and truly ‘opened up’. No place is unreachable by regular services. But that is just one part of the picture. In 1962, the very first live television pictures were transmitted across the Atlantic, via satellite. It was a time when sports’ fans would tune in besides a crackling radio set to hear commentary of their favourite game relayed from the other side of the world. Today of course, not only can we watch a live telecast of the Olympic Games in the comfort of our own homes wherever the games are being held, but we can pick up a telephone and talk face to face with friends and relatives in real time, wherever they may be in the world. To today’s generation – generation Z – this does not seem in the least bit remarkable. Indeed, they have been nicknamed ‘the connected generation’ precisely because such a degree of human interconnectedness no longer seems worth commenting on. The media technology and the transport advances that underpin this level of connectedness, have become taken for granted assumptions to them. This is why the global events of 2020 and the associated public health related reactions, have proved to be so remarkable to them. It is mass travel and the closeness and variety of human contact in day-to-day interactions, that have provided the breeding ground for the pandemic. Consequently, moving around and sharing close proximity with many strangers, have been the activities that have had to be curbed, as the initial primary means to manage the spread of the virus. This has caused hardship to many, either through the loss of a job and the associated income or, the lengthy enforced separation from family and friends – for the many who find themselves living and working far removed from their original home. McLuhan’s powerful metaphor was ahead of its time. His thoughts were centred around media and electronic communications well prior to the notion of a ‘physical’ pandemic, which today has provided an equally potent image of how all of our fortunes have become intertwined, no matter where we sit in the world. Yet it is this event which seems paradoxically to have for the first time forced us to consider more closely the path of progress pursued over the last half century. It is as if we are experiencing for the first time the unleashing of powerful and competing forces, which are both centripetal and centrifugal. On the one hand we are in a world where we have a World Health Organisation. This is a body which has acted as a global force, first declaring the pandemic and subsequently acting in response to it as a part of its brief for international public health. It has brought the world’s scientists and global health professionals together to accelerate the research and development process and develop new norms and standards to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and help care for those affected. At the same time, we have been witnessing nations retreating from each other and closing their borders in order to restrict the interaction of their citizens with those from other nations around the world. We have perceived that danger and risk are increased by international travel and human to human interaction. As a result, increasingly communication has been carried out from the safety and comfort of one’s own home, with electronic media taking the place of personal interaction in the real world. The change to the media dominated world, foreseen by McLuhan a half century ago, has been hastened and consolidated by the threats posed by Covid 19. Real time interactions can be conducted more safely and more economically by means of the global reach of the internet and the ever-enhanced technologies that are being offered to facilitate that. Yet at a geopolitical level prior to Covid 19, the processes of globalism and nationalism were already being recognised as competing forces. In many countries, tensions have emerged between those who are benefitting from the opportunities presented by the development of free trade between countries and those who are invested in more traditional ventures, set in their own nations and communities. The emerging beneficiaries have become characterised as the global elites. Their demographic profile is one associated with youth, education and progressive social ideas. However, they are counter-balanced by those who, rather than opportunities, have experienced threats from the disruptions and turbulence around them. Among the ideas challenged, have been the expected certainties of employment, social values and the security with which many grew up. Industries which have been the lifeblood of their communities are facing extinction and even the security of housing and a roof over the heads of self and family may be under threat. In such circumstances, some people may see waves of new immigrants, technology, and changing social values as being tides which need to be turned back. Their profile is characterised by a demographic less equipped to face such changes - the more mature, less well educated and less mobile. Yet this tension appears to be creating something more than just the latest version of the generational divide. The recent clashes between Republicans and Democrats in the US have provided a very potent example of these societal stresses. The US has itself exported some of these arenas of conflict to the rest of the world. Black lives Matter and #Me too, are social movements with their foundation in the US which have found their way far beyond the immediate contexts which gave them birth. In the different national settings where these various tensions have emerged, they have been characterised through labels such as left and right, progressive and traditional, the ‘haves’ versus the ‘have nots’ etc. Yet common to all of this growing competitiveness between ideologies and values is a common thread. The common thread lies in the notion of competition itself. It finds itself expressed most potently in the spread and adoption of ideas based on what has been termed the neoliberal values of the free market. These values have become ingrained in the language and concepts we employ every day. Thus, everything has a price and ultimately the price can be represented by a dollar value. We see this process of commodification around us on a daily basis. Sports studies’ scholars have long drawn attention to its continuing growth in the world of sport, especially in situations when it overwhelms the human characteristics of the athletes who are at the very heart of sport. When the dollar value of the athlete and their performance becomes more important than the individual and the game, then we find ourselves at the heart of some of the core problems reported today. It is at the point where sport changes from an experience, where the athletes develop themselves and become more complete persons experiencing positive and enriching interactions with fellow athletes, to an environment where young athletes experience stress and mental and physical ill health as result of their experiences. Those who are supremely talented (and lucky?) are rewarded with fabulous riches. Others can find themselves cast out on the scrap heap as a result of an unfair selection process or just the misfortune of injury. Sport as always, has proved to be a mirror of life in reflecting this process in the world at large, highlighting the heights that can be climbed by the fortunate as well as the depths that can be plumbed by the ill-fated. Advocates of the free-market approach will point to the opportunities it can offer. Figures can show that in a period of capitalist organised economies, there has been an unprecedented reduction in the amount of poverty in the world. Despite rapid growth in populations, there has been some extraordinary progress in lifting people out of extreme poverty. Between 1990 and 2010, the numbers in poverty fell by half as a share of the total population in developing countries, from 43% to 21%—a reduction of almost 1 billion people (The Economist Leader, June 1st, 2013). Nonetheless the critics of capitalism will continue to point to an increasing gap between the haves and don’t haves and specifically a decline in the ‘middle classes’, which have for so long provided the backbone of stable democratic societies. This delicate balance between retreating into our own boundaries as a means to manage the pandemic and resuming open borders to prevent economic damage to those whose businesses and employment depend upon the continuing movement of people and goods, is one which is being agonised over at this time in liberal democratic societies around the world. The experience of the pandemic has varied between countries, not solely because of the strategies adopted by politicians, but also because of the current health systems and varying social and economic conditions of life in different parts of the world. For many of us, the crises and social disturbances noted above have been played out on our television screens and websites. Increasingly it seems that we have been consuming our life experiences in a world dominated by our screens and sheltered from the real messiness of life. Meanwhile, in those countries with a choice, the debate has been between public health concerns and economic health concerns. Some have argued that the two are not totally independent of each other, while others have argued that the extent to which they are seen as interrelated lies in the extent to which life’s values have themselves become commodified. Others have pointed to the mental health problems experienced by people of all ages as a result of being confined for long periods of time within limited spaces and experiencing few chances to meet with others outside their immediate household. Still others have experienced different conditions – such as the chance to work from home in a comfortable environment and be freed from the drudgery of commuting in crowded traffic or public transport. So, at a national/communal level as well as at an individual level, this international crisis has exposed people to different decisions. It has offered, for many, a chance to recalibrate their lives. Those who have the resources, are leaving the confines of the big capital cities and seeking a healthier and less turbulent existence in quieter urban centres. For those of us in what can be loosely termed ‘an information industry’, today’s work practices are already an age away from what they were in pre-pandemic times. Yet again, a clear split is evident. The notion of ‘essential industries’ has been reclassified. The delivery of goods, the facilitation of necessary purchase such as food; these and other tasks have acquired a new significance which has enhanced the value of those who deliver these services. However, for those whose tasks can be handled via the internet or offloaded to other anonymous beings a readjustment of a different kind is occurring. So to the future - for those who have suffered ill-health and lost loved ones, the pandemic only reinforces the human priority. Health and well-being trumps economic health and wealth where choices can be made. The closeness of human contact has been reinforced by the tales of families who have been deprived of the touch of their loved ones, many of whom still don’t know when that opportunity will be offered again. When writing our editorial, a year ago, I little expected to be still pursuing a Covid related theme today. Yet where once we were expecting to look back on this time as a minor hiccough, with normal service being resumed sometime last year, it has not turned out to be that way. Rather, it seems that we have been offered a major reset opportunity in the way in which we continue to progress our future as humans. The question is, will we be bold enough to see the opportunity and embrace a healthier more equitable more locally responsible lifestyle or, will we revert to a style of ‘progress’ where powerful countries, organisations and individuals continue to amass increased amounts of wealth and influence and become increasingly less responsive to the needs of individuals in the throng below. Of course, any retreat from globalisation as it has evolved to date, will involve disruption of a different kind, which will inevitably lead to pain for some. It seems inevitable that any change and consequent progress is going to involve winners and losers. Already airline companies and the travel industry are putting pressure on governments to “get back to normal” i.e. where things were previously. Yet, in the shadow of widespread support for climate activism and the extinction rebellion movement, reports have emerged that since the lockdowns air pollution has dropped dramatically around the world – a finding that clearly offers benefits to all our population. In a similar vein the impossibility of overseas air travel in Australia has resulted in a major increase in local tourism, where more inhabitants are discovering the pleasures of their own nation. The transfer of their tourist and holiday dollars from overseas to local tourist providers has produced at one level a traditional zero-sum outcome, but it has also been accompanied by a growing appreciation of local citizens for the wonders of their own land and understanding of the lives of their fellow citizens as well as massive savings in foregone air travel. Continuing to define life in terms of competition for limited resources will inevitably result in an ever-continuing run of zero-sum games. Looking beyond the prism of competition and personal reward has the potential to add to what Michael Sandel (2020) has termed ‘the common good’. Does the possibility of a reset, offer the opportunity to recalibrate our views of effort and reward to go beyond a dollar value and include this important dimension? How has sport been experiencing the pandemic and are there chances for a reset here? An opinion piece from Peter Horton in this edition, has highlighted the growing disconnect of professional sport at the highest level from the communities that gave them birth. Is this just another example of the outcome of unrestrained commodification? Professional sport has suffered in the pandemic with the cancelling of fixtures and the enforced absence of crowds. Yet it has shown remarkable resilience. Sport science staff may have been reduced alongside all the auxiliary workers who go to make up the total support staff on match days and other times. Crowds have been absent, but the game has gone on. Players have still been able to play and receive the support they have become used to from trainers, physiotherapists and analysts, although for the moment there may be fewer of them. Fans have had to rely on electronic media to watch their favourites in action– but perhaps that has just encouraged the continuing spread of support now possible through technology which is no longer dependent on personal attendance through the turnstile. Perhaps for those committed to the watching of live sport in the outdoors, this might offer a chance for more attention to be paid to sport at local and community levels. Might the local villagers be encouraged to interrelate with their hometown heroes, rather than the million-dollar entertainers brought in from afar by the big city clubs? To return to the village analogy and the tensions between global and local, could it be that the social structure of the village has become maladapted to the reality of globalisation? If we wish to retain the traditional values of village life, is returning to our village a necessary strategy? If, however we see that today the benefits and advantages lie in functioning as one single global community, then perhaps we need to do some serious thinking as to how that community can function more effectively for all of its members and not just its ‘elites’. As indicated earlier, sport has always been a reflection of our society. Whichever way our communities decide to progress, sport will have a place at their heart and sport scholars will have a place in critically reflecting the nature of the society we are building. It is on such a note that I am pleased to introduce the content of volume 43:1 to you. We start with a reminder from Hoyoon Jung of the importance of considering the richness provided by a deep analysis of context, when attempting to evaluate and compare outcomes for similar events. He examines the concept of nation building through sport, an outcome that has been frequently attributed to the conduct of successful events. In particular, he examines this outcome in the context of the experiences of South Africa and Brazil as hosts of world sporting events. The mega sporting event that both shared was the FIFA world cup, in 2010 and 2014 respectively. Additional information could be gained by looking backwards to the 1995 Rugby World Cup in the case of South Africa and forward to the 2016 Olympics with regard to Brazil. Differentiating the settings in terms of timing as well as in the makeup of the respective local cultures, has led Jung to conclude that a successful outcome for nation building proved possible in the case of South Africa. However, different settings, both economically and socially, made it impossible for Brazil to replicate the South African experience. From a globally oriented perspective to a more local one, our second paper by Rafal Gotowski and Marta Anna Zurawak examines the growth and development, with regard to both participation and performance, of a more localised activity in Poland - the Nordic walking marathon. Their analysis showed that this is a locally relevant activity that is meeting the health-related exercise needs of an increasing number of people in the middle and later years, including women. It is proving particularly beneficial as an activity due to its ability to offer a high level of intensity while reducing the impact - particularly on the knees. The article by Petr Vlček, Richard Bailey, Jana Vašíčková XXABSTRACT Claude Scheuer is also concerned with health promoting physical activity. Their focus however is on how the necessary habit of regular and relevant physical activity is currently being introduced to the younger generation in European schools through the various physical education curricula. They conclude that physical education lessons, as they are currently being conducted, are not providing the needed 50% minimum threshold of moderate to vigorous physical activity. They go further, to suggest that in reality, depending on the physical education curriculum to provide the necessary quantum of activity within the child’s week, is going to be a flawed vision, given the instructional and other objectives they are also expected to achieve. They suggest implementing instead an ‘Active Schools’ concept, where the PE lessons are augmented by other school-based contexts within a whole school programme of health enhancing physical activity for children. Finally, we step back to the global and international context and the current Pandemic. Eric Burhaein, Nevzt Demirci, Carla Cristina Vieira Lourenco, Zsolt Nemeth and Diajeng Tyas Pinru Phytanza have collaborated as a concerned group of physical educators to provide an important international position statement which addresses the role which structured and systematic physical activity should assume in the current crisis. This edition then concludes with two brief contributions. The first is an opinion piece by Peter Horton which provides a professional and scholarly reaction to the recent attempt by a group of European football club owners to challenge the global football community and establish a self-governing and exclusive European Super League. It is an event that has created great alarm and consternation in the world of football. Horton reflects the outrage expressed by that community and concludes: While recognising the benefits accruing from well managed professionalism, the essential conflict between the values of sport and the values of market capitalism will continue to simmer below the surface wherever sport is commodified rather than practised for more ‘intrinsic’ reasons. We conclude however on a more celebratory note. We are pleased to acknowledge the recognition achieved by one of the members of our International Review Board. The career and achievements of Professor John Wang – a local ‘scholar’- have been recognised in his being appointed as the foundation E.W. Barker Professor in Physical Education and Sport at the Nanyang Technological University. This is a well-deserved honour and one that reflects the growing stature of the Singapore Physical Education and Sports Science community within the world of International Sport Studies. John Saunders Brisbane, June 2021