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Eating disorders do not typically occur in conjunction with specific neurological disorders. Only very few cases of Guillain-Barré-Syndrome (GBS) associated with eating disorders have been reported. The objective of this paper is to describe and discuss a case of anorexia nervosa and concomittant chronic GBS. We report on a course of medical management for a 15 year old female patient, who presented with acute neurological syndrome (GBS) which was followed by the onset of a severe eating disorder. The patient was diagnosed to have two different entities, with the association between the two remaining unclear. The mainstay of management was focused on the eating disorder. Using an integrative psychiatric therapy a significant improvement of the eating disorder was achieved. The patient's body weight was stabilised and the locomotor deficits improved. Though a significant somatic disorder was evident, it proved to be advantageous to primarily focus on the eating disorder, until it was under control. The possible correlations between the two distinct disorders are discussed.

Based on a review of professional staff (PS), which includes research managers and administrators, in 54 academic publications, I propose a novel definition for this category of staff: ‘degree holding university employees who are primarily responsible for developing, maintaining and changing the social, digital and physical infrastructures that enable education, research and knowledge exchange’. The proposed definition facilitates the development of new research questions that target the level of the organisational fields of higher education and science, to complement research on the university and individual levels. This view supports the study of the contributions of PS to higher education and science. I anticipate that such a broader focus will help to counter and nuance accounts of ‘administrative bloat’ by focusing on how PS as a group shape and are shaped by the organisational fields of higher education and science, rather than dismissing them as superfluous or parasitic.

Predicting effects of artificial intelligence on service occupations can be supported by a long historical perspective. Historical databases and archaeology help reconstructing the service sector in ancient societies. Here, the purpose of this paper is to analyse occupational specialization within services in cities of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, as well as how the service sector is reflected in architectural remains, to identify differences and similarities with today’s Europe.

Occupational titles are traced in epigraphical and literary sources, sorted according to ISCO-08. Secondary sources are used for the architectural evidence of service activities, as well as for the role of contests and entertainment in antiquity.

Compared to current European service employment, professionals were fewer in classical Athens and imperial Rome, which had a greater proportion of specialized salespersons. There were few office buildings and no civic hospitals, but heavy investment in facilities for entertainment and well-being. Quality assessments for goods were little developed; contests for cultural and sports activities assessed entertainment service quality.

This study covers two periods in classical antiquity and is restricted to Mediterranean cultures, although findings may help understanding the service sector in poor countries with informal employment.

While particular services provided in ancient cities have been studied, there has been no broad comparative overview of their service occupations. Services in earlier societies with primitive information and communication technologies can provide clues for current developments.