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Abstract Background Information processing speed is commonly impaired in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). However, depression and fatigue can affect the cognitive profile of patients: fatigue has a negative impact from the disease’s earliest stage and a reduced information processing speed is often associated with higher levels of depression. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the correlations between information processing speed and physical fatigue in a cohort of Italian PwMS from a single center, considering the effect of depression. Methods Two hundred (W = 128; mean age = 39.83 years; SD = 11.86) PwMS, from the Bari University Hospital, underwent testing for processing speed (Symbol Digit Modalities Test [SDMT]), fatigue level (Fatigue Severity Scale [FSS]), and depression (Beck’s Depression Inventory [BDI]). Results Statistically significant correlations emerged between SDMT and FSS, SDMT and BDI, FSS and BDI. Mediation analyses revealed that while physical fatigue had no significant direct negative effect on information processing speed (z=-0.891; p > 0.05), depression predicted the relationship between fatigue and information processing speed (z=-2.181; p

Orientation: This article deals with the unconscious role of risk management in an African country. Research purpose: The aim of the study is to describe how risk management unconsciously influences behaviour when doing business in an African country. Motivation for the study: Operational risk management is a rational management imperative. However, this does not take cognisance of the unconscious role of risk management. A systems-psychodynamic perspective might be particularly relevant if the anxiety implied in risk management is not appropriately contained. Awareness of these dynamics may provide an opportunity for addressing them and allow for a more holistic way of managing risk. Research design, approach and method: The researchers conducted the study as a qualitative case study in an African country. They used purposive sampling and analysed the data using qualitative content analysis. Main findings: Viewing risk management from a systems-psychodynamic perspective allowed the researchers to identify the influence of risk management on the behaviour of people. The emerging hypothesis was that, if businesses do not address the anxiety underlying risk management, managing risk becomes a social defence against the anxiety. Practical/managerial implications: Awareness of the anxiety involved in risk management may assist businesses to manage risk in a more realistic way, making provision for, and even capitalising on, the human element. Contributions/value-add: The article provides a systems-psychodynamic, and hence a more complete, perspective of operational risk management when doing business in an African country.

Orientation: From a pragmatic approach, a novel method called ‘the town hall focus group’ was utilised to provide insight into discourse regarding ethical issues in psychological assessments. This article contributes to the understanding of the practice of ethics in assessments and suggests the use of this particular method to facilitate discourse regarding ethical issues. Research purpose: To illustrate a forum where ethical discourse can occur in a practical fashion in order to deal with the diversity of situations, questions, demands and responsibilities experienced by psychologists. Motivation for the study: Although codes and guidelines on assessment exist, many psychologists feel that despite the existence of ethical beacons, they are often faced with challenges for which no obvious solution is evident. A need exists for ethical discourse by which psychologists grapple with unique situations through an active dialectical process. Research design, approach and method: A qualitative research approach was employed using the town hall focus group. The study was conducted with a convenience sample of 108 psychologists and practitioners. Main findings: The town hall focus group method provided an opportunity and platform for ethical discourse regarding the ethical challenges experienced by psychologists. Practical/managerial implications: This article contributes to the understanding of the practice of ethics in assessments by illustrating a platform for ethical discourse regarding ethical issues experienced in assessments. The town hall method appears to be valuable as it provides a forum to discuss ethical challenges where members are allowed to share their experiences and thus gain access to peer support, insight and shared resources. Contribution/value-add: Although the focus group results are not transferable, this article proposes it as a useful method contributing to the understanding of the ethical issues and challenges experienced in assessments. The novel method applied and described facilitates peer discourse regarding ethical challenges. This method could be replicated and applied in other contexts as a means of contending with ethical challenges within a supportive environment.

Abstract Background Anti-angiogenic, VEGF inhibitors (VEGFi) increase progression-free survival (PFS) and, in some cases, overall survival in many solid tumours. However, their use has been compromised by a lack of informative biomarkers. We have shown that plasma Tie2 is the first tumour vascular response biomarker for VEGFi in ovarian, colorectal and gall bladder cancer: If plasma Tie2 concentrations do not change after 9 weeks of treatment with a VEGFi, the patient does not benefit, whereas a confirmed reduction of at least 10% plasma Tie2 defines a vascular response with a hazard ratio (HR) for PFS of 0.56. The aim of the VALTIVE1 study is to validate the utility of plasma Tie2 as a vascular response biomarker and to optimise the Tie2-definition of vascular response so that the subsequent randomised discontinuation VALTIVE2 study can be powered optimally. Methods VALTIVE1 is a multi-centre, single arm, non-interventional biomarker study, with a sample size of 205 participants (176 bevacizumab-treated participants + 29 participants receiving bevacizumab and olaparib/PARPi), who are 16 years or older, have FIGO stage IIIc/IV ovarian cancer on treatment with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy and bevacizumab. Their blood plasma samples will be collected before, during, and after treatment and the concentration of Tie2 will be determined. The primary objective is to define the PFS difference between Tie2-defined vascular responders and Tie2-defined vascular non-responders in patients receiving bevacizumab for high-risk Ovarian Cancer. Secondary objectives include defining the relationship between Tie2-defined vascular progression and disease progression assessed according to RECIST 1.1 criteria and assessing the impact of PARPi on the plasma concentration of Tie2 and, therefore, the decision-making utility of Tie2 as a vascular response biomarker for bevacizumab during combined bevacizumab-PARPi maintenance. Discussion There is an urgent need to establish a test that tells patients and their doctors when VEGFi are working and when they stop working. The data generated from this study will be used to design a second trial aiming to prove conclusively the value of the Tie2 test. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04523116. Registered on 21 Aug 2020.

The study aims to map and characterize the scientific production of marketing education in the 21st century (2001 - 2020). The procedure adopted was bibliometric, in which the Web of Science platform was used to search for articles that, after filtering procedures, resulted in 72 papers. The Excel and VOSviewer© software supported the analysis procedures. The results show that in the current century, more specifically as of 2015, interest in the topic has found continuous growth. The journal with the largest number of published articles is the most influential in the number of citations and, expressively, educational institutions and North American journals dominate the publications in the area. Finally, it is also important to emphasize that marketing education should adopt different paradigms through movements of hybridism and domestication of knowledge for better appropriation and applicability of concepts.