For the last decade, capons have become very popular because of the specific quality traits of their meat. In case of laying hens caponization may be a solution to the problem of redundant roosters. The Greenleg partridge breed, covered by a program for livestock genetic resources conservation in Poland, consisted of attraction, as the oldest Polish hens breed, as well as the source of poultry products (eggs and meat) in a small farm. The cockerels are often intended for caponization, due to Polish tradition and consumer preferences. However, this procedure influences not only their productivity or meat quality, but also physiological aspect of birds. We were interested not only in capons compared to roosters, but also in relation between sexes in case of productive traits as well as their selected physiological traits. The sex effect was found in all experimental aspects. Cocks had the highest carcass yield, however, the biggest breast muscles proportion were stated in capons carcasses. The highest proportion of abdominal fat pad was found in females but the lack of sex hormones in capons also contributed to a higher fat accumulation. The serum profile showed that the sexual maturity of hens increased lipids content  caused by laying production.d libitum. A total of 40 cocks have been surgically castrated. The body weight (BW) of birds were measured biweekly. At the age of 24 weeks 8 birds/group were slaughtered, their carcasses were subjected to simplified dissection. Blood samples were collected and among others biochemical profile of serum was established. The lowest BW, regardless of age, had hens. From 18th week capons had the highest BW and finally it was similar to cocks. Cocks demonstrated, significantly, the highest carcass yield, however, the biggest proportion of breast muscles were stated in capons carcasses. The effect of sex is very clear in case of abdominal fat pad. The highest proportion of it was found in females but the lack of sex hormones in capons also contributed to a higher fat accumulation. The serum profile showed that the sexual maturity of hens increased lipids content  caused by laying production.The aim of the study was to assess the influence of sex, including caponization, on selected physiological and productive traits of Greenleg partridge (GP) birds. The study material consisted of 120 GP chicks , divided into 3 equal groups (4 replication in each) and kept in litter system and fed a Although nowadays most poultry production is based on selected high-productive hybrids, more and more attention is being paid to the need to preserve native breeds. In Poland, 19 lines of laying hens [Greenleg Partridge were the basis for the creation of the only autosexing Polish hen breed which is Polbar derived from the crossbreeding of Barred Plymouth Rock and GP during multi-generational breeding work . The onlCurrently, the most important role of such breeds as Greenleg Partridge is to preserve genetic biodiversity. The strategy of including old local breeds in the ex-situ conservation program allows for the preservation of a valuable gene pool  and biolThe intensification of laying poultry production, in which the Greenleg Partridge is classified, is associated with an increase in the number of unnecessary cockerels, creating a problem for farms to manage them. It also happens that with a relatively small production of chicks, as is the case with breeding flocks of conservative breeds, it is not possible to separate them according to their sex and it is necessary to rear birds of both sexes until they start to show the sexual dimorphism based on morphological characteristics.Not only in Poland, but also in the world, one of the methods of using roosters is their caponization. Maintaining capons is also a response to an ethical problem related to the killing of day-old chicks, which raises considerable controversy in society. The procedure of male birds castration has been known since ancient times, where it was performed to obtain heavy birds with good meat quality. At present, a wide range of countries such as China and the United States  are carrIn the case of caponization, most of the works use cocks and capons of a specific type  of research material. However, it seems that in the context of conservative breeds, they should be treated comprehensively, especially if they are intended to constitute a source of poultry material in extensive farms. Therefore, females should also be considered in addition to males. There are several articles in the available literature on the quality of meat of Greenleg Partridge capons compared to cocks ,17, but The aim of the study was to assess the influence of sex, including the caponization procedure, on selected physiological and productive features of Greenleg Partridge birds.The research was conducted with the approval of the Local Ethical Committee (No. 101/2017), Lublin, Poland.The study material consisted of Greenleg partridge chicks. Birds derived from the conservative stock at Laura Kaufman Didactic and Research Station of Small Animals that belongs to the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland. Typically, day-old-birds are sexed and intended for the stock renovation in ratio 1♂:8♀. Up to the age of 6 weeks birds of both sexes were reared together and then sexed. ad libitum), maintaining the lighting program standard for rearing laying hens. The feed mixture was adjusted to the age and physiological condition of the birds and its basic chemical composition determined using feed analyzer NIRS™ DA1650, is presented in In total, 120 birds  were separated by sex based on their morphological characteristics  and then randomly divided into 3 equal groups (40 birds in each). Each group was additionally divided into replication subgroups (á 10 chicks) and kept in litter pens with constant access to water and feed  have been surgically castrated by an authorized veterinarian. The surgical procedure was performed under general anesthesia (sub-dissociative ketamine 10%) intramuscularly 0.2 mL/individual. Before surgery, birds were subjected to a 12-h feed withdrawal with access to water. To perform the procedure, 2 incisions were made on both sides of the body in the line of the hip joint, from the top about 1−2 cm from the transverse processes towards the edge of the last rib. After inserting the dilator and dissecting the air sac the testicles were cut off by gently placing a loop over them. The procedure was performed on poorly bloodied tissues; therefore, there was no need to stop bleeding. The wound was closed immediately after surgery by the abdominal integuments sliding over each other under the influence of their elasticity.At 14 day intervals, birds were weighed to determine weight gain. At the age of 24 weeks, 2 birds were randomly selected from each replication subgroup (8 from per group) and slaughtered in commercial poultry abattoir by decapitation following electrical stunning using an electric current of 45 mA. Birds were subjected to feed restriction 8 h before slaughter. The procedure of slaughtering was in accordance with EU Regulation No. 1099/2009 of 24 September 2009 on the protection of animals at the time of slaughtering. After plucking and evisceration, the carcasses were chilled by air method  and subjected to dissection analysis. Following parts of carcasses were extracted during the dissection : breast During the slaughter blood was taken to test tubes containing EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) as anticoagulant and to tubes not containing anticoagulant for biochemical analyses. All samples were analyzed triple. The hematocrit  was determined by the microhematocrit method in capillary tubes and centrifuged at 10,000 RPM for 3 min. Heamaglobin content was calculated by dividing the hematocrit value by 3. ® dye set , following the procedures recommended by the manufacturer. Then the prepared preparations were observed with DELTA®Optical Microscope  at magnification ×1000  using immersion oil. The number of heterophilia and lymphocytes was observed by taking morphological markers of blood cells according to those proposed by Lucas [A smears was made of the whole blood, which was fixed and stained with the use of a commercial Hemacolorby Lucas . ®, Lublin, Poland).After collection, the blood, taken to tubes without anticoagulant, was incubated at 37 °C until a natural clot was formed. Then the blood plasma was taken to 2 mL eppendorff tubes for biochemical tests. Plasma samples were analyzed using BS 130 Mindray apparatus  to determine cholesterol (CHOL), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), urea acid (UREA), enzymatic creatinine (CREA), trigliceroles (TG), amylase (AMYL), lipase (LIPA). Commercial analytical kits were used . Later, during the rest of the rearing period any mortality incidences were noticed.From the moment the birds were selected for the experiment, their body weight was controlled and the results are presented in The results of the slaughter analysis of birds included in the experiment are presented in The biggest differences were observed in the proportion of abdominal fat pad in the birds’ body weight. The highest values were found in hens, while in cocks the value was significantly the lowest and almost four times smaller than in hens, and more than twice as that observed in capons.The highest carcass yield were found in cocks, with the lowest value recorded for hens . At the The proportion of thighs in carcasses was similar in all groups regardless of the sex of birds, while significant differences were observed in the drumsticks weight. Hens and capons were characterized by a significantly lower percentage of this element in comparison to cocks. In the case of the rest of carcass elements, there were no significant differences in their percentage share, regardless of the sex of birds.The results of morphological and biochemical analyses of birds’ blood depending on their sex are presented in No significant differences were found for AST, ALT, UREA, Crea, and LIPA. However, significant differences were observed for amylase activity. The highest values of this parameter characterized the capons, with the lowest values recorded in hens. At the same time, it is worth noting that all groups differed significantly in the activity of this enzyme.The growth rate of birds depends on their sex. Similar observations apply to the Greenleg Partridge. Reports on the various breeds cocks caponization impact on the body weight gain are not consistent. Some authors have shown that this treatment contributes to the increase in birds’ body weight , while oIn the case of GP hens, there is no data on their growth rate. The differences observed in the study are due to sexual dimorphism in hens, which makes males, depending on the breed, even more than 20% heavier than females . At the The results of our own research, additionally, indicate two characteristic “peaks” in body weight gain. In the case of roosters (14 weeks) it could be closely related to the sexual maturity achievement of males, which is confirmed by research conducted by Zawadzka et al. , which oThe weight of organs varies considerably according to the sex of birds. Many works indicate a significantly higher liver mass recorded in capons compared to cocks ,27. In oIn terms of heart mass, some authors ,28 do noIn the case of hens it was observed that the proportion of heart in body weight was significantly lower compared to that recorded for cocks. Similar conclusions were also obtained by Tasoniero et al. , who demHigher, compared to cock carcasses, fattening of capons has already been described by many authors ,34, whatThe available literature data indicate higher slaughter performance of males compared to females ,40, whicAt the same time, according to Tor et al. , the lowHaematocrit, as well as the amount of haemoglobin associated with it, are related to the sex of birds  which isHowever, the greatest differences were observed in the level of cholesterol and triglyceride. Male castration contributes to an increase in triglyceride and cholesterol levels, as confirmed by studies conducted by Guo et al.  or MuhmaTaking into account the fact that birds were fed with exactly the same balanced feed mixture and kept under the identical conditions, the results on plasma amylase levels indicate a dependence on the sex of the birds. Interestingly, the amylase level is related to bird stress, or rather to the level of corticosterone . HoweverThe sex, as well the caponization effect was found in all experimental aspects, from productivity to selected physiology traits of birds.The lowest BW, regardless of age, had hens. From 18th week capons had the highest BW and finally it was similar to cocks. Cocks had the highest carcass yield, however, the biggest breast muscles proportion were stated in capons carcasses.The highest proportion of abdominal fat pad was found in females but the lack of sex hormones in capons also contributed to a higher fat accumulation. The serum profile showed that the sexual maturity and laying production of hens increased lipids content  what may result from their subsequent deposition in the egg yolk.Despite standardized rearing conditions, age and breed of birds, significant differences were observed in almost all parameters included in the study. This clearly indicates the influence of sex on production traits and blood biochemical parameters. It should be noted at the same time that the results obtained for capons were between those observed for hens and roosters. This suggests the influence of sex hormones, but additional studies are necessary to provide evidence of this relationship especially in case of hens biochemical parameters.


This study aimed to illustrate the potential utility of a simple filter model in understanding the patient outcome and cost-effectiveness implications for depression interventions in primary care.Modelling of hypothetical intervention scenarios during different stages of the treatment pathway was conducted.Three scenarios were developed for depression related to increasing detection, treatment response and treatment uptake. The incremental costs, incremental number of successes  and the incremental costs-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were calculated. In the modelled scenarios, increasing provider treatment response resulted in the greatest number of incremental successes above baseline, however, it was also associated with the greatest ICER. Increasing detection rates was associated with the second greatest increase to incremental successes above baseline and had the lowest ICER.The authors recommend utility of the filter model to guide the identification of areas where policy stakeholders and/or researchers should invest their efforts in depression management. Depression is the most prevalent mental health illness worldwide and has demonstrated a 50% increase in incident cases from 1990–2017 –8.In many developed countries, primary care plays a central role in the management of depression –11. The A meta-analysis indicated that only 47% of people who are depressed are recognised as such by their general practitioner (GP) . SimilarWith increasing competition for the health dollar, there is interest among policy stakeholders in identifying priority research and investment areas. While complex mathematical modelling is typically the norm in decisional analytics , the levTo illustrate the potential utility of a simple filter model in understanding the patient outcome and cost effectiveness implications for depression interventions in primary care.The development of the model has been described in detail elsewhere , 24. ThePopulation: define and quantify the population of interest ;Target group: define and quantify the target of the intervention ;Setting attendance: enter the proportion of the target group attending the setting of interest ;When the user enters the relevant proportions for the following steps, the number of persons at each level in the model is calculated and used as output in the subsequent step. For example, the calculated number of persons of the target group attending the setting of interest who are detected for the condition of interest (step 4) are used as the starting figure for reach and adherence (step 5).4Detection: the proportion of the target group attending the setting of interest who are detected for the condition of interest. An intervention can be applied here to increase detection using relevant intervention effect (increase in proportion detected) and cost estimates.5Reach and adherence: the following are estimated by the user. An intervention can be applied at each of these steps with the relevant intervention effect (increase reach or adherence proportions) and cost estimates required.Reach: The proportion of individuals with the condition of interest who are offered treatment by their healthcare provider;Adherence: The proportion of individuals with the condition of interest who would comply with the offered treatment;6Effect on outcome: for a dichotomous outcome measure of treatment success, specify the expected proportion of those that are offered the intervention that will achieve a successful outcome following the intervention.Table 1.The outputs derived from the above data are outlined in Table 2). This scenario assumed no interventions were implemented and that usual care was provided. The three hypothetical scenarios represent an improvement above usual care in each of the filters. An estimation of the intervention effect and relevant costs associated with achieving these improvements were entered into the model. While efforts were made to draw these estimates from the literature, the aim of the model, in its current status, is to illustrate hypothetical scenarios. Further, the population and target group can be adjusted for different countries, regions or settings. The Australian population has been used in the model presented for illustrative purposes, however, the derived data is drawn from international references. Filter one, i.e., detection, examined an intervention aimed at increasing detection of depression in primary care. This involved administering a free validated depression measure to primary care patients electronically using a touchscreen computer upon presentation to their appointment. Filter two, i.e., reach, involved increasing the offer of evidence-based depression treatment from providers. This intervention is based on training and support for GPs in appropriate management of depression. Filter three, i.e., adherence consisted of increasing patient adherence to offered treatment. This involved a telephone intervention to monitor the progress of patients undergoing treatment for depression and provide adherence strategies. All filters were assumed to operate independently from one another, for example an increase in the proportion of patients detected for depression did not increase the proportion of patients offered treatment by GPs. Dollar amounts are presented in Australian Dollars (AUD).To demonstrate the potential utility of the decision analytical filter model for improving depression outcomes, data for four scenarios, including ‘usual care’, and three hypothetical conditions, are presented. A successful outcome for the following scenarios was defined as an individual reaching ‘remission’, i.e., below threshold depression levels. The baseline scenario attempted to model standard care in the identification and treatment of depression for primary care patients, using data drawn from the literature , at an estimated cost of $95 per successful outcome. Filter two, consisting of an intervention to educate and train GPs in better management of depression, resulted in an estimated increase of 39,466 patients with depression reaching remission at six-months follow-up (compared to baseline) and cost $1,309 per successful outcome. Filter three, involving a telephone intervention to improve patient adherence to depression treatment, resulted in an estimated increase of 7,399 patients with depression reaching remission at six-months follow-up (compared to baseline) and costs $265 per successful outcome.When examining incremental costs of each filter (as compared to baseline), filter one was the least expensive filter option with an incremental cost of $4,178,574 and an ICER of $243. Filter two was the most expensive filter with an incremental cost of $86,938,336 and an ICER of $2,203.Primary care presents a unique opportunity to identify and assist individuals who may be experiencing depression. Nevertheless, scarcity in funding for service delivery requires careful consideration of where to invest research funds and healthcare budgets. The simple filter model used in this paper can help to inform decisions behind such allocation to reduce reliance on opinions or assumptions of decision-makers. The utility of the model in its application to hypothetical interventions for depression in primary care highlights its potential usefulness.Interestingly, the findings of the model in the example above indicated that filter one, which aimed to increase detection through a screening intervention using touchscreen computer tablets, was the most cost-effective filter. While there is some contention regarding screening for depression in primary care –34, thisUse of the model should be considered in light of its limitations. Firstly, the information derived from the model is only as strong as the input data provided. It is therefore limited by any inaccuracies or biases that exist in the studies the data is derived from. Further, some data used in the model were based on research which was more than ten years old. This was due to the model requiring specific information to meet the parameters, such as intervention costs per person, relevant targeted interventions  and binary study outcomes . While this limited the data available for use, the parameters of cost and outcome are of high importance to policy and health services decision makers. This limitation is also a strength of the model, as outcomes and costs for a single intervention can also be compared when there is uncertainty in key parameters. Nevertheless, future decision-makers utilising the model to allocate large amounts of resources may consider applying quality checklists to included studies, such as the risk of bias criteria from the Effective Practice of Care (EPOC) collaboration  to ensurAdditionally the model assumes that intervening at one filter does not alter rates at other filters. For instance, in the worked example, training GPs in depression management may increase the quality of the information provided to patients or improve the likelihood of GP follow-up, which may inadvertently increase patient adherence to treatment. Furthermore, incorporating the complexity of certain conditions in to this simple model is difficult. For example, depression is associated with different levels of severity and treatment pathways differ based on this severity. The presented model only accounted for intervention-related costs and did not include health care costs associated with severity of illness and hence, increased treatment intensity, healthcare provider time, nor the patient perspective in estimating costs. Severity of conditions and health care costs could be considered in future applications of the model. The model is also not able to account for inaccuracy of detection, such as false positives and false negatives and therefore issues such as unnecessary treatment and intervention were not considered. A further strength of the model is its ability to let the user enter a range of values for key input parameters. Hence, the user can vary the value of any of the filter model’s input parameters that might be associated with meaningful levels of uncertainty. This then produces a range of outcome values (or boundaries) that can be considered in decision making.This theoretical filter model, developed using economic cost-effectiveness principles, has the potential to influence discussions on resource allocation involving decision or policy-makers for depression management in primary care. The simplicity and accessibility of the filter model represent the strengths of this approach. It is stored within a Microsoft Excel file and can be used by individuals without specialised skills, including those working within relevant care settings for depression. While the model can be applied at a national level, as was demonstrated in this paper, it could also be used to make decisions at a local level such as within a singular health services. Further, using this tool to examine depression could be expanded beyond the primary care setting to specialised mental health or hospital settings. Such an application of the tool could be used to examine the ICER of different aspects of treatment being offered by these services. The calculator is cost-free which makes it a feasible option for health care facilities to optimise cost-effective treatment outcomes.Input data required for the tool should be evidence-based regarding target populations, reach and effectiveness. Generally, these data are likely to be available in the scientific literature and population health reports. However, another useful aspect of this model is that it highlights gaps in the current literature that prevent examining certain aspects of selected care pathways. For instance, when considering the depression literature examined, there was a lack of economic analysis reported for intervention studies undertaken. While the effectiveness of interventions in improving depression outcomes is of great importance, the cost-effectiveness is equally valuable for determining the feasibility of implementing research findings in to actual care. Future research examining depression interventions in primary care should carefully consider this aspect of research.This study highlights the utility of a simple and free filter model to conduct cost-effectiveness analysis for depression management in primary care, without complex software or specialised statistical or economic skills. Given the substantial economic burden of depression and ongoing competition for limited health care resources, there is a need to focus on strategies that optimise depression outcomes. The use of evidence-based information to assist with decision-making in these circumstances is an important undertaking. The authors recommend utility of the filter model to individual health services, researchers and decision-makings at a policy or funding level, to help inform future strategies for the management of depression in healthcare settings.


This paper is to explore the impact of entrepreneurial psychological capital and capital heterogeneity on venture capital behavior, and further analyze the effect of venture capital on the innovation activities of enterprises. Based on the existing research results, this paper proposed hypotheses on the relationship between venture capital and technological innovation. According to the data samples of growth enterprises market (GEM) listed companies from 2010 to 2016, the main research variables were defined and a theoretical analysis model was constructed. The theory and empirical research clarify the relationship between venture capital and technological innovation. (1) According to the regression results of venture capital participation as well as innovation input and innovation output, the regression coefficients of venture capital participation are 0.609 and 0.203, which are significant at the levels of 10 and 1%, respectively. It indicates that venture capital participation has a positive impact on the innovation input and output of enterprises. (2) The coefficient of venture capital participation is positive, and the coefficient of  In recent years, with the rapid development of China’s economy, enterprise innovation driven by innovative entrepreneurial activities has played an important role in economic and social development . In the Aiming at the funding limitations of startups in their innovation activities, venture capital can provide financial support to enterprises, thereby alleviating their financing problems. Through the summary of the related research on the relationship between venture capital and technological innovation in recent years, it is concluded there is a positive correlation. Venture capital can play a positive role in improving regional innovation performance by controlling resource flow and selection bias . For entThis paper is to explore the impact of entrepreneurial psychological capital and capital heterogeneity on venture capital behavior, and further, analyze the effect of venture capital on the innovation activities of enterprises. Based on the data samples of growth enterprises market (GEM) listed companies from 2010 to 2016, the relevant data for venture capital were collected, and the main research variables were defined, and a theoretical analysis model was constructed. The theory and empirical research clarify the relationship between venture capital and technological innovation. Through comprehensive examination over the impact of venture capital on the innovation input and innovation output of enterprises, it is confirmed that venture capital has a significant promotion effect on innovation input and output of enterprises.In the research of the relationship between venture capital and technological innovation, some scholars believe that venture capitalists not only provide capital support to affect the value of investment enterprises but also provide additional resources and support services. For example, marketing, human resource management, as well as research and development (R&D) management help enterprises add value. At the same time, these value-added mechanisms are realized by actively participating in the management of the company. It is conducive to reducing the moral hazard of management and increasing the degree of its R&D innovation efforts . VentureAccording to Venture capital has developed in China for merely a short period of time, with little published data. Existing research does not comprehensively measure risk investment and technological innovation. Most studies only consider whether there is venture capital participation, but not the participation intensity of venture capital. For the measurement of technological innovation, only the intensity of scientific research innovation input or the number of patent applications is considered. Based on this, whether there is venture investment participation is considered, and the intensity of participation is measured by the proportion of venture capital holdings for a more in-depth analysis.In enterprise practice, investigations have found that employees’ positive psychological resources will have a positive effect on the organization’s competitive advantage. From a psychological perspective, the theoretical basis of psychological capital is derived from the theory of positive organizational behavior. The concept of psychological capital originally refers to a series of life perspectives such as people’s perception of themselves and attitudes toward work . From thPsychological capital can be obtained, maintained, and promoted autonomously in a variety of ways, both for enterprises and individuals. Individuals with good psychological capital are usually able to withstand challenges and become successful employees, managers, and entrepreneurs . ConfideThe scholar Gao Na derived the seven-factor model of entrepreneurial psychological capital from the theoretical and empirical perspectives, as shown in Heterogeneity refers to the uniqueness and difference of individuals or organizations from other subjects, contrary to the content of homogeneity. Heterogeneity can be divided into two aspects: easy to observe heterogeneity and not easy to observe heterogeneity. Among them, the content easy to observe includes age, gender, nationality, and race. The content not easy to observe includes a sense of worth and attitudes, knowledge, and technology accumulation, as well as the tenure period, as shown in Combining research on the higher-order theory and human capital theory, entrepreneurial heterogeneity can be classified from three aspects: psychological behavior characteristics, demographic characteristics, and human capital characteristics . DemograEntrepreneur heterogeneity is a rich concept. Therefore, related research needs to specify a certain boundary range. At present, the gender and age of entrepreneurs are mainly used as demographic characteristics. The educational background and tenure period of entrepreneurs are used as human capital characteristics. These four variables were used as characteristic indexes of entrepreneur heterogeneity. Related research on enterprise performance and strategic decisions was conducted. Leaders with different education levels and tenure periods would directly affect the innovation activities and performance of enterprises . The higIn the real economic environment, there are obvious drawbacks for reliance on the theory of rational expected utility. Generally, it is difficult to explain the investment decision behavior in the real market economy, and the rational perspective has serious perceived risks for the uncertainty of decision results. Thus, the impact of human behavior on economic decisions began to receive attention. Competition in the economic and social markets does not exist in a static state, and the existence of market economic risks is a normal state. Venture capital is an entrepreneurship capital, mainly aimed at startups, providing them with financial support and obtaining shares in the company. Venture capital originated from the American Research and Development Corporation (ARD), which invested $ 70,000 in the Digital Equipment Company (DEC) in the 1940s, holding a 7% stake. Ten years later, ARD’s shareholding was worth the US $ 355 million. Thus, it became a classic case of venture capital . VentureSome companies with potential value-added space will face many difficulties when they startup. The lack of funds is the most critical issue that has the greatest impact on the development of enterprises. Generally, companies with potential are almost high-tech industries. In the process of development, they not only face the uncertain high risks in the process of technological innovation, but also face the risks brought by the incomplete management of enterprises, including technology, capital, management, and market. Therefore, for investment, there are huge returns brought by high-tech. Once the investment is successful, the company’s technological competitive advantage will quickly create market monopoly benefits. At the same time, there is a series of uncertain high loss risks in the startup process. The main reason is that comparing the high-tech with traditional industry technologies, the market is not mature and stable . For entThe high-tech enterprises have not yet been recognized by the market for their technologies and products. Also, the company’s overall operating capabilities are relatively immature. Thus, it is difficult for external investors to provide financial support for their technological innovation in the face of numerous market uncertainties. Some scholars have conducted empirical investigations and found that compared with enterprises without venture capital participation, enterprises with venture capital participation have stronger innovation capabilities and more patents . The maiSynthesizing the existing research results, Western scholars mainly proceed from the perspective of mature capital markets. They believe that cross-border investment has many uncertainties because it increases the cost of distance and has to deal with the problems caused by the institutional and market environments of different countries. However, the overseas investment can broaden the scope of potential investments and tap into more startups with potential value . For theDue to the long R&D cycle of high technology, large capital consumption, and uncertainty before the technology maturity, it is difficult for enterprises to obtain loans from traditional financial institutions for their technological innovation activities. Venture capital, as a new type of financing method, provides fund support for enterprises’ technological innovation. It helps new technologies with market development prospects be transformed into actual productivity and promotes the development of innovative activities while obtaining market value. Venture capital can help enterprises with inadequate management systems to provide non-capital consulting management services such as R&D, and operation management while solving enterprise financing problems. The investment enterprise formulates a series of operational development strategies for it by combining its management experience with the current status of the investment object. In addition, investors will pay attention to the improvement of the enterprise innovation ability, and use their professional market prior knowledge to help the enterprise form contacts with external units such as the government, customers, and suppliers. Then, it can minimize the degree of information asymmetry between the enterprise and other institutions. Information asymmetry in the technological innovation environment may cause the innovation results to be easily imitated. Thus, the innovation process requires more fund and energy support. Venture capital can participate in enterprise governance in the form of equity investment, and comprehensively supervise the enterprise, thereby promoting the technological innovation of the enterprise. In summary, the following hypothesis is proposed for the relationship between venture capital and technological innovation.H1:Venture capital will have a positive impact on the technological innovation of enterprises.In China’s market economy system, product market competition is an important external governance mechanism, which is greatly significant for improving the operating efficiency of enterprises, thereby affecting their technological innovation. Current research confirms that product market competition can alleviate the problem of information asymmetry and bring the interests of managers and shareholders closer to each other. In this case, investors can more effectively supervise the operators of the enterprise and avoid situations in which the operators seek private profits. The fierce competition in the product market will put a certain amount of pressure on the company’s internal governance, which will prompt enterprises to strengthen the positive impact of internal control on innovation input . To mainH2:The higher the degree of competition in the product market, the greater the impact of venture capital on enterprise technological innovation.Based on data collected on venture capital participation and the proportion of venture capital holdings, the main research variables were defined. The theoretical analysis model was constructed according to research goals. The STATA14.0 version of data statistics software was used for descriptive statistical analysis, correlation test, and regression analysis. Finally, the obtained results tested the proposed hypothesis, and the data results were interpreted and analyzed.Due to the rapid growth of GEM companies, many enterprises have not withdrawn their venture capital after listing, which is more in line with the research content. Also, the R&D related data of the GEM companies are more complete. Therefore, the data of GEM listed companies from 2010 to 2016 were taken as the sample in this study. The listed companies with missing related data, ST enterprises, and financial listed companies were excluded. Finally, a total of 2535 sample observations were determined. This study used the CSMAR Guotai’an database for data acquisition. All continuous variables were subjected to 1% winsorize to avoid the impact of extreme values on the accuracy of the research results. Data collection and statistical analysis were performed on the original data samples using EXCEL 2016 and STATA14.0 software.(1)Explained variable: For the measurement of technological innovation, this paper chose two variables of R&D investment intensity and patent application number for evaluation. The measurement of innovation input was based on the proportion of R&D investment in operating income. Regarding the measurement of innovation output, it was more reasonable to use the index of the number of patents to evaluate innovation output at the enterprise level.(2)Explanatory variable: (i) Venture capital participation: It was a dumb variable. Those with venture capital participation were 1 and those without venture capital participation were 0. (ii) Shareholding ratio of venture capital: Venture capital was an equity investment, and the shareholding ratio could reflect the participation level of venture capital.(3)n represents the number of enterprises in the industry where enterprise i belongs. Xi represents the annual business income of each individual enterprise in the industry. X represents the sum of the annual business income of all enterprises in the industry. The calculation equation of HHI is expressed as shown below.Moderating variable: The degree of competition in the product market was evaluated by the Herfindahl index (HHI). HHI was calculated based on the operating income of listed companies. Where (4)Control variables: Enterprise scale, enterprise life span, profitability, solvency, and year.The specific definitions of various variables in this study are shown in 1 is significantly positive, it means that venture capital can promote the innovation input or output of the enterprise. The equations for building the model are expressed as shown below.In this study, the impact of venture capital on technological innovation of the enterprise was explored to verify H1. If the sign of α3 is negative, it means that as the degree of market competition decreases, venture capital is gradually weakening the promotion of technological innovation of the enterprise. Models (4) and (5) are constructed based on Models (2) and (3).In this study, the impact of product market competition on the relationship between venture capital and technological innovation of the enterprise was explored to verify H2. If the sign of αThe descriptive statistics of each variable are shown in The regression results of the correlation coefficients between the intensity of R&D investment, the number of patent applications, and the control variables are shown in This paper took the innovation input and output of the enterprise as the dependent variables to test Model (1) and Model (2), thereby clarifying the impact of venture capital on technological innovation. The least-squares method was used to test the impact of innovation input, and the Poisson regression was used to test the impact of the number of patent applications. The test results are shown in In the process of the positive impact of venture capital on the technological innovation of enterprises, some other variables will play a moderating effect. This paper took product market competition as a moderating variable and builds Model (4) and Model (5) to explore the effect of this variable. The moderating effects of product market competition in the relationship between venture capital and technological innovation are shown in Entrepreneurs actively identify opportunities and resources contained in the environment. They discover, evaluate, and develop entrepreneurial opportunities, effectively improving entrepreneurial performance. Under the severe competitive pressure, entrepreneurs’ self-confidence and optimism can often help them to look at the environment and their abilities more positively. Also, they set higher goals for enterprises, and are more proactive in action, thereby improving enterprise performance. For entrepreneurs, venture capital is an investment method that shares risks and benefits. Therefore, there is an initiative in selecting investment objects, which is an investment decision based on comprehensive professional research and evaluation. In investment evaluation, generally relatively low-risk and relatively mature enterprises are selected, and certain guarantees are required to provide investors to recoup their investment . VentureThis paper is to explore the impact of entrepreneurial psychological capital and capital heterogeneity on venture capital behavior, and further, analyze the effect of venture capital on the innovation activities of enterprises. Based on the research of venture capital and technological innovation of the enterprise, the impact of different factors on the relationship between the two is analyzed. In this paper, the data of GEM listed companies from 2010 to 2016 were selected as the sample for empirical analysis . AccordiVenture capital provides funding support for technological innovation in startups. At the same time, because it holds a certain percentage of shares, it participates in enterprise innovation activities and provides guidance for companies to maintain profitable growth, thereby improving their innovation awareness and level. The higher the proportion of venture capital holdings, the more beneficial the technological innovation of the enterprise. With the decrease in the degree of competition in the product market, the positive correlation between the proportion of venture capital shareholding and technological innovation has weakened significantly.The main contribution of this paper is that based on the “input–output” process of the innovation, it makes up for the shortcomings of the single-dimensional measurement of technological innovation in previous research models. The impact of venture capital on the innovation input and innovation output of enterprises is comprehensively investigated. It is found that venture capital has a significant role in promoting innovation input and output of enterprises. It enriches and deepens the existing empirical research as well as enhances the completeness and reliability of previous research conclusions. The research in this paper has some shortcomings, mainly due to the limitation of data availability. Therefore, the evaluation indexes are not comprehensive enough. In the following research, more moderating variables should be included to analyze the impact of venture capital on technological innovation.The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by the University of Essex Ethics Committee. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.CZ contributed to writing—original draft preparation. DM contributed to writing—review and editing. MW was responsible for visualization and supervision. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


The current article is an integrative and analytical literature review on the concept and meaning of empathy in health and social care professionals. Empathy, i.e., the ability to understand the personal experience of the patient without bonding with them, constitutes an important communication skill for a health professional, one that includes three dimensions: the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. It has been proven that health professionals with high levels of empathy operate more efficiently as to the fulfillment of their role in eliciting therapeutic change. The empathetic professional comprehends the needs of the health care users, as the latter feel safe to express the thoughts and problems that concern them. Although the importance of empathy is undeniable, a significantly high percentage of health professionals seem to find it difficult to adopt a model of empathetic communication in their everyday practice. Some of the factors that negatively influence the development of empathy are the high number of patients that professionals have to manage, the lack of adequate time, the focus on therapy within the existing academic culture, but also the lack of education in empathy. Developing empathetic skills should not only be the underlying objective in the teaching process of health and social care undergraduate students, but also the subject of the lifelong and continuous education of professionals. Communication skills have been described as the most important ability for a health professional. Efficient communication depends upon the therapist feeling certain that they have really heard and recorded the health care user’s needs so as to provide personalized care . It is iThe concept of empathy is a common denominator for many health professionals such as nurses, doctors, psychologists, and social workers ,4,5,6. TThe aim of the present paper was to analyze the concept of empathy and emphasize its importance to the health professions. The research questions under consideration have been the following: 1. What does empathy mean and which are its dimensions; 2. What are the role and meaning of empathy in health and social care professions for the therapeutic journey of the health care user; 3. How can we assess the levels of empathy in professionals (assessment tools); 4. Which factors influence empathy?A literature search was conducted by searching PubMed and Scopus databases, to identify studies of the last fifteen years published in English and Greek language. The key-words used were ‘empathy’ and ‘health professionals’. Out of the search, 78 studies were identified that better answer the aim and purposes of the present paper. These studies were discussed and evaluated by the authoring team in order to reach consensus on the eligibility of each one with the proposed research questions. After agreement was reached, re-examination and analysis of the studies’ findings lead to the formulation of four thematic categories, namely, a) Concept definition and dimensions, b) The role of empathy in health and social care professionals, c) Assessing empathy, and d) Factors that influence empathy.Empathy is the ability to understand and share other people’s feelings . It is aEmpathy was first mentioned in a psychotherapeutic context in the 1950s . The perThe contemporary concept of empathy is multidimensional and consists of affective, cognitive, and behavioral aspects ,11,13. TThe affective dimension consists of the concepts of caring and that of the sincere, unconditional acceptance of the health care user (congruence) ,15,16. CThe cognitive dimension pertains to the interpersonal sensitivity and the ability to understand the position the other person is in (perspective taking) ,18. InteAltruism and the therapeutic relationship both belong to the behavioral dimension which develops empathy into practice ,20. AltrSympathy, empathy, and compassion are closely related terms that are often used interchangeably. Sympathy has been defined as an emotional reaction of pity toward the misfortune of another, especially those who are perceived as suffering unfairly . EmpathyIn a qualitative research study, nurse students, who were asked their opinion on empathy, emphasized the three dimensions of the concept . ParticiEmpathy is one of the fundamental tools of the therapeutic relationship between the carers and their patients and it has been proven that its contribution is vital to better health outcomes ,25,26. AThe empathetic relationship of the health professionals with their health care users reinforces their cooperation towards designing a therapeutic plan and a tailor-made intervention, increasing thus the patient’s satisfaction from the therapeutic process. This way, quality of care is enhanced, errors are eliminated, and an increased percentage of health care recipients positively experience therapy ,32,33,34Studies performed in various groups of patients with different health problems generated positive results regarding the progress of their health. Specifically, studies of patients with diabetes showed that there is an association between empathy and the positive therapeutic course of disease ,35. MoreUnderstanding based on empathy is critical to the relationship between the health professional and the recipient of care. When that happens, health care users feel secure and trust the professional’s abilities. Therefore, the distance between the expert and the patient shortens and both of them come closer, enjoying mutual benefits . MoreoveEmpathy is especially important to the social care professions. It has been noted that the ability of the social worker for empathy and understanding of the users’ experiences and feelings plays a crucial role in social care as empathy is one of the most important skills that these professionals may employ to develop a therapeutic relationship ,41.Health care users who experience empathy during their treatment exhibit better results and a higher possibility for a potential improvement . MoreoveEmpathy contributes to the precise assessment of the situation the health care user is in. It offers the therapists the chance to make good use of non-verbal cues  and helps them manage the user’s emotions. What is more, empathy enhances the user’s ability to comprehend reality and improve the quality of their life .Although both health care users and health professionals consider empathy as very important for the development of the therapeutic relationship and a necessary skill for a therapist, studies show a reduction of empathy in professional relationships. Often, health care users believe that health professionals do not understand the situation that health care users are in, whereas research findings showed that health professionals and health care users have different views on the communication abilities of the former, as if they come from different worlds ,45. It iAs mentioned before, there are different dimensions, but also levels of empathy. Accordingly, there are different assessment scales for professionals and patient-users . One of the most important tools for the quantitative assessment of empathy is the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) which was originally used to evaluate empathy in medical students ,49. SubsMore specifically, for social work, the Empathy Scale for Social Workers (ESSW) is a questionnaire designed for the quantitative assessment of empathy in social care professionals and students. It can be very useful in practice settings to support decision making processes, assist career choice decisions, continuing education, and supervision needs in the field of social care. Its usefulness is also underscored for potential social work supervisors, as it helps identifying the types of empathy needed while supervising clinicians and staff. The scale is a screening and self-evaluation tool completed by social work students and practitioners . It consAs mentioned before, although research has showed the value of empathy, there are still many difficulties in regards to its implementation in the clinical practice . A relatAge, self-reflection, appraisal, and emotions’ expressions were associated with women’s social workers empathy. Social workers had a higher score of empathy whenever they had previous work experience . AdditioResearch outcomes suggest that protective factors of social workers’ empathy are prosocial behavior toward work and positive personal and environmental resources . Self-esEmpathy is positively correlated with reflective ability and emotional intelligence both in professional social workers and social work students ,61. AccoThe lack of empathy—or the low empathy levels—depends on several reasons. The most important are the large number of health care users that professionals have to deal with, the lack of adequate time, the focus on therapy, the predominant culture in medical schools, and the lack of training in empathy .Further reasons include presumptions, a sense of superiority from the health professionals, and a fear of boundary violation. Time pressure, anxiety, a lack of self-awareness, and a lack of appropriate training, as well as the different socio-economic status, all the above do not favor empathy either .According to scientific views from the Medicine field, empathy can be learned and Medical schools should educate their students in this respect ,64. ManyAlthough empathy is a core, quality principle for the health care professions, there are studies that show that health professionals cannot adequately express it and implement it ,67. AccoNevertheless, research data on the effectiveness of education in empathy are limited ,72,73. IIn a qualitative study, health professionals made suggestions regarding the enhancement of empathy. These suggestions included more holistic, educational interventions in behaviors that are central to the patient’s needs, with an emphasis on personal development, professional training, and supervision programs, rather than education in behavioral and communication skills .‘Diversity Dolls’ is a hands-on educational method for the reinforcement of empathy that is used among social care students in a Greek university, so that students can instill empathetic skills in socially vulnerable populations . It is bGlobally, creative educational methods such as journaling, art, role-play, and simulation games globally are becoming more popular in the health and social care fields helping students to increase their knowledge and skills in relation to empathy ,76.Teaching techniques and classroom methodologies familiarize social workers to empathetic skills . In a stEmpathy among health care users and professionals significantly contributes to how both groups behave as well as to their therapy and overall well-being. The development of empathetic skills constitutes an important priority in the education of health and social care students and should be encouraged. Educational programs should primarily be performed in a hands-on way that will strengthen the students’ personal and social skills and allow them to effectively communicate with their patients.Moreover, health care professionals should be supported through continuous and personal development education programs as well as through supervision sessions that will allow them to develop empathetic skills. Political will is a prerequisite for the financing and encouragement of further actions.


There are two types of voluntary interruption of pregnancy: elective and therapeutic abortion. These forms are different for many reasons, and it is reasonable to assume that they can have negative consequences that can last until a subsequent gestation. However, no study has analyzed the psychological experience of gestation after a previous abortion, distinguishing the two forms of voluntary interruption of pregnancy.This study aims to explore the level of prenatal attachment and centrality of pregnancy in nulliparous low-risk pregnant women with a recently (<3 years) previous elective or therapeutic abortion.A total of 34 nulliparous pregnant women with a history of abortion (23 elective and 11 therapeutic abortion), aged from 27 to 48 years (mean = 37.17), were recruited in the maternity ward of a public hospital of the metropolitan area of Tuscany and Lombardy  during the third trimester of gestation. The participants filled out a battery of questionnaires aimed at assessing prenatal attachment and centrality of pregnancy.Analyses of variance showed that women with a history of elective abortion reported a higher centrality of pregnancy than women with a past therapeutic abortion. On the contrary, women with a past therapeutic abortion reported higher prenatal attachment.Elective and therapeutic abortions are different experiences that impact the way women experience a subsequent pregnancy. Future research should further investigate the psychological experience of gestation after abortion. For a woman, the first gestation has been identified as a central life event . From a Overall, becoming a mother can be considered a turning point, during which a woman’s life takes a new direction, bringing many changes . HoweverVoluntary termination of pregnancy is not a unitary construct, given that it includes both elective and therapeutic abortions. These conditions are significantly different. Typically, elective abortion is defined as the procedure done in response to the mother’s choice . This distinguishes it from therapeutic abortion, a procedure induced for medical reasons, such as to protect the mother’s health. Although a great debate exists about the fact that terminology and labels are extremely linked to moral judgment [“medical vs. elective is code for morally justified vs. morally unjustified , as deciIn Italy, elective abortion can be performed within the first 90 days after conception and regards mainly unintended pregnancies . Conversvia ultrasound and have felt fetal movement, thus developing an image of the child-to-be. Seeing the fetus through ultrasound examinations, which increases the ability to differentiate and mentally imagine the fetus  procedure or the surgical technique (through aspiration) used, far different from the labor induction performed for therapeutic abortion, may lead women to be less active participants.To summarize, in Italy, a therapeutic abortion of a desired pregnancy may have very different implications for mental health than an elective abortion of an unintended pregnancy. To our knowledge, only one study has analyzed the psychological impact in elective and therapeutic abortions according to Italian law , highligStudies conducted in different countries have shown that, while voluntary abortion, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy, does not pose a substantial mental health risk in the short nor in the long term , pregnanA literature review of the psychological effects of abortion has highlighted the controversy of two different perspectives: one is inclined to emphasize the risks for maternal mental health associated with abortion, while the other emphasizes pre-existing risk factors and minimizes the negative psychological effects . The resFor this reason, considering the clinical and social relevance of these issues, research should be characterized by stricter inclusion criteria. For example, to our knowledge, no study has analyzed the psychological adaptation to gestation in nulliparous women after voluntary termination of pregnancy. This seems to be a relevant aspect, given that the way a woman experiences gestation may be affected by previous experiences, including the past termination of pregnancy. In particular, when the interruption of pregnancy is due to therapeutic reasons, it is reasonable to suppose that pregnancy may be lived as a more stressful experience.The main purpose of this study was to explore the centrality of pregnancy and the attachment bond to the unborn child in pregnant nulliparous women after a previous abortion experience, distinguishing between elective and therapeutic abortions.We believed that therapeutic abortion, given its characteristics, constituted a greater risk factor for women’s psychological health than elective abortion, with a negative impact on the subsequent pregnancy adaptation. However, given the lack of studies about the impact of previous abortions on women’s actual gestation experience, this study has an explorative and descriptive aim, and no hypotheses are formulated.Women were recruited for participation while waiting for a routine medical visit during the third trimester of pregnancy in the maternity ward of a public hospital of the metropolitan area of Tuscany and Lombardy . The inclusion criteria for participation in this study were as follows: (a) age > 18 years old, (b) able to speak and read Italian, (c) currently pregnant at > 32 weeks of gestation, (d) and had a voluntary termination of pregnancy in the past 3 years. The exclusion criteria for both groups were as follows: (a) history of miscarriage, (b) twin pregnancy, (c) fetal pathologies, and (d) maternal pathologies occurring before and/or during pregnancy. This information was obtained from the women’s medical records. The recruitment took place between October 2018 and September 2019. A psychologist responsible for the study approached women in the waiting room of the hospital and, after informing them about the study, asked for voluntary participation. Women who signed the informed consent received a self-report questionnaire. Only completed questionnaires were accepted for this study. Participation was voluntary, and no monetary reward was given.M = 37.17; SD = 5.87). Among them, 23 (67.6%) previously had an elective abortion, and 11 (32.4%) had a therapeutic abortion. All women had had only one elective or therapeutic abortion. All women (100%) were from Italy and of middle-high socioeconomic level; 91.1% had a high school diploma or university degree, and 76.4% had a job. Regarding marital status, 100% of the participants lived with their partners. None of the women reported having undergone a psychotherapeutic treatment following the abortion.Only 38 women who met the inclusion criteria were invited to participate. Nearly all  of the women who were invited consented to participate in the survey; four women (11%) refused without giving an explanation or by citing lack of time as the reason. The final sample of this study is constituted by 34 pregnant women aged from 27 to 48 , education , work (“Please indicate your work condition”), and marital status (“Please indicate your romantic relationship situation”) were collected.The Italian version of the Centrality of Events Scale CES;  was usedThe Italian version of the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI)  was usedThe study was conducted in accordance with the guidelines for the ethical treatment of human participants of the Italian Psychological Association, and the procedures were approved by the ethics committee.t-tests, with group as independent variable and the dimensions of the CES and the PAI as dependent variables, was conducted. The alpha level was set to p = 0.05 for all tests, with confidence interval at 95%.Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 24 (2017). First, the normality of each variable was examined following the criteria indicated by All variables present a normal distribution, with skewness values that ranged from −0.70 to 0.52 and kurtoses values that ranged from −1.18 to 1.26.The socio-demographic characteristics of the two groups are reported in t-tests showed significant differences between the two groups. In particular, women with a history of previous elective abortion reported higher levels on all dimensions of the CES than women with a history of previous therapeutic abortion. On the contrary, women with a history of previous therapeutic abortion reported higher levels of prenatal attachment, referring to affection, fantasy, and the sensitivity dimensions of the PAI. The mean, standard deviation, and results of the independent t-tests are reported in The results of the independent The aim of the present study was to analyze the centrality of pregnancy and the attachment bond to the unborn child in nulliparous women who were pregnant after previous voluntary interruption of gestation, distinguishing between elective and therapeutic abortion according to Italian law. Our results showed that women with a past elective abortion presented a higher centrality of pregnancy than women with a therapeutic abortion. In other words, it seems that pregnancy after an elective abortion is experienced as a major life event that constitutes a turning point compared to that experienced after a therapeutic abortion. This could be explained by considering that women who chose to interrupt their unintended pregnancy may express a higher awareness about the meaning of this gestation and about the wish to become a mother. Although pregnancy could be central also in women after a previous therapeutic abortion, our results highlighted that it constituted a turning point, especially for those who had had an elective abortion, as defined by Italian law.Regarding prenatal attachment, our results showed that women with a past therapeutic abortion developed a more affectionate bond to the fetus during gestation. A possibility was that women with a past therapeutic abortion might use a more detached attitude toward the fetus due to the past loss. These data could have been explained by literature showing that a therapeutic abortion is experienced by women as a traumatic event , which cConsidering the explorative nature of the present study, our results constitute a primary understanding of some aspects related to the psychological adjustment of pregnant women after an elective and a therapeutic interruption of pregnancy. In fact, given the lack of literature regarding this topic, our interpretation must be confirmed in further studies. In any case, the present study shows that gestation, after an interruption of pregnancy, is experienced in a different way from nulliparous women with a recent therapeutic or elective abortion and therefore implies that future research on the psychological well-being of pregnant women should take into consideration the different forms of abortion reported in clinical history.The present study has some limitations. First, the size of our sample was quite small. However, the limited population was strengthened by the homogeneity of the sample that exceeds previous limits as revealed by literature review  because Another limitation is that the study focuses on a single detection time, while a longitudinal study during the three trimesters of pregnancy and between pre- and post-partum periods would be more complete. However, this is the first study, to our knowledge, on the pregnancy adaptation of nulliparous women with a recent abortion. Finally, the use of self-report measures could be improved by using additional measures, such as semi-structured interviews that investigate the meaning of the pregnancy after an abortion, also in terms of maternal bond with the child.Moreover, we did not include women with no history of interruption of pregnancy. Although our aim was to compare women who had had a form of interruption of pregnancy, the inclusion of a control group might have helped us obtain a more complete picture of the situation.Despite these limitations, the present study offers an important contribution to literature, emphasizing how the experience of abortion could affect the experience of a subsequent pregnancy. In particular, our results highlight the relevance, in studies that investigate the psychological consequences of an abortion, to distinguish the type of abortion, elective or therapeutic. These constitute very different experiences not only with respect to the modality of abortion or the time in which it occurs but also especially for the psychological consequences that they can have on women.The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.The study was approved by the Institute Ethics Committees of Pisa and Bergamo Hospital . The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.MS mainly wrote the introduction of the article. LP performed the data analysis mainly wrote the data analysis and results of the article. LB mainly wrote the discussion of the article. EC gave substantial contribution to acquisition of data and collaborated in writing the introduction. CI revised critically the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Several characteristics of refugee and migrant populations make them susceptible to acquire COVID-19. To fully understand the impact of COVID-19 on refugees and migrants in the Americas, it is important to consider the broader geopolitical context and appreciate the differences among migratory groups. There are three migrant groups in the Americas that are particularly susceptible to COVID-19: Central American migrants at the northern Mexico border, Venezuelans within South America, and Haitians in the Dominican Republic. Refugees and displaced migrants are the world’s collective responsibility, and thus, it would be imprudent to displace their care to resource constrained developing nations.