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Theoretical and empirical literature developed over recent years supports the concept of employability as a construct combining complex interactions of individual and contextual dimensions. This study aimed to identify differentiated profiles in graduates, combining personal and contextual variables related to employability. For this, 182 graduates from a public university were surveyed about their sociodemographic and educational pathways and employment status 18 months after university-to-work transition. Then, a latent class analysis was performed, which allowed the emergence of four distinct groups: "well-equipped," "high demand," "vulnerable" and "non-traditional" pathways. By adopting a person-centered approach, this study allowed the identification of different combinations of factors that, although recognized in current literature, seem to organize themselves differently among the heterogeneous population that presently obtain a higher education degree. This study also raises some practical implications, namely the importance of differentiated interventions, taking into consideration the specificities of each group.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore employment perception of students as a relevant indicator of higher education quality, using blended multi-criteria decision-making methods. Design/methodology/approach: The differential impact of these variables was analyzed in this paper taking a sample of 641 students and six higher education lecturers identified as experts on young vocational careers. The traditional study of student behavior and perceptions of employability does not incorporate the uncertainty associated with multi-criteria decision processes and is therefore less adapted to the human reasoning process. This research applies traditional techniques together with fuzzy techniques capable of managing more effectively the uncertainty associated with student actions and behaviors. Findings: This research shows that it is important to consider previous work experience, academic achievement and soft skills developed during education experiences. In this way, this research shows the lecturers how to adapt their pedagogical practices according to students' perceptions of employability and assess their students' perceptions of employability. In addition, lecturers will be able to incorporate the uncertainty associated with decision-making processes to optimize employability perception. Originality/value: Higher education-related research on uncertainty environments as multi-criteria decision problems is still in early stages. The incorporation of the uncertainty associated with decision-making processes to this field allows to optimize employability perception thanks to its adaptation to real human behavior in the adoption of decisions.

This study explores the factors that contribute to students' perceptions of their preparedness for transition from university to work, taking a multidimensional perspective on their academic experience. To that end, a questionnaire was designed and administered to students enrolled in the final year of their master's degree programme. Students were asked to self-assess their preparedness for the transition to the world of work and also self-assess their academic experience by exploring their academic engagement and the knowledge and competencies they developed during their study. Regarding academic engagement, we find that they consider that participation in lectures and the quality in developing collective work have a positive influence on their preparedness for work, while regular attendance at lectures appears to be negatively associated with their perceptions of their preparedness. The results also show that the practical and theoretical content, together with methodological and employability competencies, have a positive impact on students' perceptions of their preparedness for transition to work. Thus, the promotion of learning experiences fostering methodological and practical competencies, together with more collective career-related experience and employability skills, may better help prepare graduates for the transition to work.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a rise in resistant infections after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic started. How and if the pandemic contributed to antibiotic resistance in the larger population is not well understood. Wastewater treatment plants are good locations for environmental surveillance because they can sample entire populations. This study aimed to validate methods used for COVID-19 wastewater surveillance for bacterial targets and to understand how rising COVID-19 cases from October 2020 to February 2021 in Portugal (PT) and King County, Washington contributed to antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater. Primary influent wastewater was collected from two treatment plants in King County and five treatment plants in PT, and hospital effluent was collected from three hospitals in PT. Genomic extracts were tested with the quantitative polymerase chain reaction for antibiotic resistance genes conferring resistance against antibiotics under threat. Random-effect models were fit for log-transformed gene abundances to assess temporal trends. All samples collected tested positive for multiple resistance genes. During the sampling period, mecA statistically significantly increased in King County and PT. No statistical evidence exists of correlation between samples collected in the same Portuguese metro area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of anterior chamber phakic intraocular lens (pIOL) on swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) biometric measurements and IOL power calculation. Methods: This retrospective analysis of 67 eyes of 49 patients with previous anterior chamber pIOL implantation analyzed the accuracy of automatic segmentation of the anterior surface of the crystalline lens and its impact on anterior chamber depth (ACD, measured from epithelium to lens), lens thickness measurements, and IOL power calculation. The sample was divided into two groups: correct detection of the anterior surface of the crystalline lens and inaccurate detection. Segmentation of eyes from the inaccurate detection group was manually corrected and ACD and lens thickness were calculated using ImageJ software. IOL power was calculated using 7 formulas for both measurements. Results: The anterior surface of the crystalline lens was mis-identified in 13 (19.4%) eyes. ACD was underestimated (Δ −0.85 ± 0.33 mm, P <.001) and lens thickness was overestimated (Δ +0.81 ± 0.25 mm, P <.001). Manual correction changed the target spherical equivalent only in the Haigis formula (P =.009). After correction for segmentation bias, the Pearl DGS, Cooke K6, and EVO 2.0 formulas showed the lowest prediction error, with the Pearl DGS showing greatest accuracy within ±1.00 diopters of prediction error range (81.0%). Conclusions: SS-OCT biometry misidentifies the anterior surface of the crystalline lens in a significant proportion, resulting in significant IOL power calculation error in the Haigis formula. Manual proofing of segmentation is mandatory in every patient with anterior chamber pIOL implantation. After correct segmentation, the Pearl DGS, Cooke K6, and EVO seem to be the best formulas. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(8):e562–e568.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a time where employability issues are at the top of political agendas and employment prospects represent the most important predictor of satisfaction with higher education, the question about how higher education institutions can better prepare their graduates for the labour market becomes increasingly important. Taking the career construction theory as its main theoretical framework, this study intends to explore the role of career adaptability as a mediating variable between competencies developed during higher education studies and perceived employability. The participants were 373 students attending the last year of master's degree programmes, who completed the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale, the Self-Perceived Employability Scale, and a survey exploring students' perceptions about their competencies at the end of their university programme. The results indicated that career adaptability has a mediating role between self-perceived competency and self-perceived employability. Although academic competencies represent a prerequisite for employability, the findings suggest that graduating students should also be equipped with career management resources to handle their own attributes and to transition smoothly into the current labour market. These findings are particularly important because they reveal how higher education institutions can foster the employability of graduates by integrating training opportunities in career management during graduation programmes.

Purpose: In a socioeconomic context that is undergoing continuous change, career adaptability emerges as a central construct for understanding the employability of graduates. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to analyze intra-individual differences in career adaptability among graduates between the end of graduation (time 1) and integration into the labor market 18 months later (time 2); and second, to analyze the effect of career adaptability on graduates' employment status 18 months after completing graduation. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 183 graduates in four different study fields (Economics, Engineering, Social Sciences and Humanities and Law) completed the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale at two different points in time: when they graduated and 18 months after graduation. To assess intra-individual differences over time and the effect of career adaptability on graduates' employment status, a repeated measures design was used. Findings: The obtained results confirmed a positive association of the four dimensions of career adaptability, with higher scores for the group of employed graduates, in the two measurement times. No statistical differences emerged within personal variables. Practical implications: This study evidences the relation of career adaptability and employability and demonstrates that it is possible to identify those students who are more vulnerable in terms of career adaptability resources before university-to-work transition and, on this basis, to outline specific interventions to promote their employability. Originality/value: By adopting a design with two repeated measures of career adaptability, this study offers new insights about the specific role of adaptability in a university-to-work transition period.