bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The relationship between the digital economy and economic growth in Egypt: in a post-COVID-19 world
Authors: Alsebai Maha Mohamed
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Our study aimed to verify the role of the digital economy in economic growth in Egypt and the availability of the technological capabilities of the business sector for digital transformation, based on the negative impact of the epidemic on all economic sectors in the world in general and Egypt in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

This was verified based on the standard Error correction package modeling (VECM) study and analysis using Xlstat 2023 and EViews 10.

Findings

The results of the study conducted during the period (1996–2022) showed that there is a co-integration relationship in the short and long term between the impact of the digital economy and economic growth. We found a positive, statistically significant relationship between the variables of mobile phone subscriptions and Internet use that had a strong positive effect. At the same time, trade openness hurt economic growth in the short term. In the long run, both mobile phone subscriptions and trade openness had a significant positive effect, and the speed of adjustment toward equilibrium was very severe, estimated at 4.7 years (1/0.21).

Research limitations/implications

The work is limited to the economies of Egypt, which is part of Africa. We suggest conducting further research on evidence from other emerging and developed economies.

Practical implications

The results are of great importance to policymakers in Egypt as an African country, as the estimation results were positive between the digital economy and economic growth in the Egyptian economy, and this is consistent with the endogenous growth model of economic growth, which assumes that knowledge is the main driver of economic growth.

Social implications

The paper documents the importance of the digital economy in boosting economic growth, which impacts social life more than the traditional digital economy, especially in times of crisis.

Originality/value

Based on the existing literature, this paper identified various research gaps. First, no consensus has been reached on the concept of the digital economy, and its index system is inadequate. While existing literature concentrates on examining the influence of ICT on economic development in terms of the number of Internet users, fixed broadband Internet users and mobile subscribers. These measures cannot adequately capture the broader implications of the digital economy. Furthermore, research has largely investigated the significance of digitalization in economic development and reached ambiguous conclusions.
From theory to practice: evaluating success factors of adaptive reuse through a case study
Authors: Vafaie Fatemeh , Remøy Hilde , Gruis Vincent
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study assesses the success of a real project in practice, using identified success factors from recent systematic literature. It investigates how theoretical insights translate into real-world outcomes by answering the question: “How do success factors identified in existing literature contribute to the success of a real-world adaptive reuse project?”.

Design/methodology/approach

This research utilizes a case study methodology to explore the adaptive reuse phenomenon through the lens of the Fenix I in the Netherlands. Three comprehensive semi-structured interviews with key decision-makers provide insights into experiences, challenges, and ultimately the evaluation of success factors in practice. Data analysis involves deductive coding, systematically organizing success factors into ten categories derived from the literature, to implement the analysis and align with the research objectives.

Findings

The results demonstrate the application of a majority of success factors identified in literature within the case study. This study reveals differences in the levels of significance among these factors, their categorization and their existence, particularly between listed and non-listed heritage buildings. Moreover, it shows the remarkable impact of public-private collaboration from the early stages of decision-making through project implementation. The study confirms that a successful real-world project addresses a significant proportion of the success factors identified in the literature.

Originality/value

This research facilitates the decision-making process for stakeholders and practitioners in adaptive reuse projects, aiming to foster the development of more successful initiatives in this field.
The impact of green finance and FinTech mechanisms on financial stability: evidence from advanced and emerging economies
Authors: Kashif Muhammad , Pinglu Chen , Ullah Atta , Qian Ningyu
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to examine the dynamic effect of FinTech on financial stability, with the moderating role of green finance (GF), its dimensions and mechanisms in the context of the spillover effects of the COVID-19 shock. This study used balanced panel data from 148 countries, including 76 developed and 72 emerging nations, from 2005 to 2022.

Design/methodology/approach

The research utilized the dynamic two-step system (GMM), and robustness was performed with the bootstrapped panel quantile regression.

Findings

The findings reveal that FinTech significantly affects financial stability across the entire sample. The overall composite of GF boosts financial stability by improving financial soundness. The GF dimensions, such as environmental, resource and financial, positively influence FS, while the GF economic dimension hurts FS. The moderating role and all interaction terms of GF dimensions with FinTech contribute positively and significantly to FS. While the interaction term GF resources with FinTech negatively impacts FS, indicating that countries should utilize resources more efficiently. Additionally, the COVID-19 spillover effect negatively influences FS across all samples. In advanced countries, FinTech and green finance positively affect FS. In emerging countries, green finance (except for the resource dimension) and FinTech interactions enhance financial stability, (except for the environmental dimension), leading to environmental hazards from their highly intensive industrial carbon policies.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that policymakers should prioritize promoting the adoption of initiatives related to FinTech and green finance by integrating sustainable transition finance policy frameworks to maintain stability and foster low-carbon economies for a sustainable future.

Social implications

Improved financial stability has more significant social effects, such as better investment instruments, confidence and economic growth. Policymakers can leverage these findings to establish resilient financial ecosystems, fostering sustainable economic development and decreasing the risk of financial crises.

Originality/value

This study offers novel insights into how FinTech and multi-dimensional green finance effect financial stability in advanced and emerging nations. It provides unique insights into context-specific dynamics and enhances the literature on financial stability.
A sector in crisis? Insights from how English higher education apprenticeships are weathering the storm
Authors: Power-Mason Phil , Charlton Helen , Walker-Martin Francesca , Bloomfield Sarah
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This viewpoint explores strategic lessons for wider higher education (HE) practices from university business and management apprenticeships in England. The paper highlights parallels between the challenges in apprenticeships and those confronting HE leaders and managers, especially regarding rising regulatory pressures, financial constraints and the need for innovation. The authors present how collaboration and adaptive practices from university apprenticeships might inform broader institutional approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on autoethnographic experiences of business and management apprenticeship leaders to characterise the current state of the HE sector. Drawing together successful collaborative apprenticeship practices, the authors narrate how their own interactions have supported innovation in the face of resource constraints, regulatory compliance and a complex stakeholder context.

Findings

Intense regulatory scrutiny and resource limitations have driven innovation and collaboration within business school apprenticeships, which could offer valuable strategies for the wider HE sector. Insights include enhanced personalised student support, proactive progress monitoring, and effective partnership. Collaborative approaches developed amongst apprenticeship providers have driven continuous improvement, highlighting potential benefits to traditional HE programmes of cross-institutional collaboration and the adoption of new practices in response to rapidly changing conditions.

Originality/value

Contributing to the discourse on HE resilience, the authors reflect on how innovations within HE apprenticeship practice offer potential solutions to wider challenges. The paper emphasises that addressing current and future challenges in the UK HE context requires shifting from competitive isolation to cross-institutional collaboration and from top-down to bottom-up innovation.
Decision rights partitioning and sharing platform performance: a combination of cluster and configurational analyses
Authors: Shao Feifei , Wang Nianxin , Wan Xing
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Research on decision rights partitioning and its impact on platform performance has predominantly focused on single rights, leading to inconclusive results. This study is driven by a more nuanced objective of exploring diverse governance models that can enhance the performance of sharing platforms across different contexts. Rather than delegating single decision right to users, this approach partitions several essential decision rights concurrently throughout the transaction process. By examining the complex relationships between multiple decision rights partitioning and platform performance, this study identifies and explains suitable governance models that are tailored to specific contextual factors for improving the performance of sharing platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

Collecting data from 60 sharing platforms in China, this study employs a combination of cluster and configuration analyses to address research questions.

Findings

The study explores three strategic decision rights partitioning modes widely adopted by sharing platforms. It further identifies four governance models for sharing platforms, which are termed as conservative seller model, conservative buyer model, aggressive seller model and aggressive buyer model, related to certain contextual factors.

Originality/value

In addressing platform governance as key to sharing platform success, the study contributes to the literature by investigating how multiple-rights partitioning portfolios and strategic differentiation in decision rights partitioning can enhance platform performance.
Is generative AI (artificial intelligence) the next advent in the evolution of finance and navigating financial crime and regulation?
Authors: Singh Charanjit
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) is changing the trajectories of Banking (FinTech) and Law (RegTech/LawTech). The rate at which the technology is innovating is astounding. The ability of AI and Gen AI systems to simulate human intelligence (human thinking) and independently perform tasks and develop intelligence that is premised on its own experiences, process layers of information and continually learn and re-learn increasingly complex representations of data has resulted in improvements in “it” being able to perform complex, technical and time-consuming tasks; identify objects, people, voices and patterns; and screen for “problems” much earlier and provide solutions. This has economic, political and social benefits. The purpose of this study is to explore how Gen AI is changing the face of finance and its impact on the risks, regulatory and operational challenges faced by financial institutions in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

The subject is explored through the analysis of data and domestic and international published literature. The first part of this study summarises the context of current risks and regulatory and operational issues; the discussion then moves on to explore Gen AI and how it can be embedded as part of the arsenal that financial institutions can use/are using to innovate and provide solutions to the regulatory and operational challenges they face as of August 2024.

Findings

It is suggested that UK financial institutions can further use Gen AI as part of their armoury of solutions to respond to the risk of financial crime and tackle the regulatory burden to achieve high levels of operational efficiency as well as promoting better customer satisfaction.

Originality

The work is original because, to the best of the author’s knowledge, it is the first to specifically explore how Gen AI is assisting UK financial institutions to find solutions to financial crime risk and regulatory challenges, customer satisfaction, cyberattacks and cybercrime.
Strategic capital investments in asset management: a value-based approach
Authors: Barbieri Giacomo , Vega Ana Sofia , Gutierrez Jessica , Laserna Juliana , Mateus Luis Mario
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Value constitutes a key principle of asset management (AM) and decision-making processes should be oriented toward optimizing it. Value models refer to models that can measure the effects of any decision over value, supporting decision-making concerning the assets through their whole lifecycle. In this context, the objective of this work is to develop a methodology for establishing value models to support decision-making in strategic capital investments for multi-category portfolios.

Design/methodology/approach

An approach that integrates multi-criteria decision-making, AM principles and participatory processes is proposed.

Findings

The analytic hierarchy process and multi-attribute utility methods are used as analytical tools enabling the assignment of absolute merits to the evaluated alternatives. The application of the AM principles allows one to frame the decision problem within the context of AM. Furthermore, participatory processes enhance transparency and trust in the developed value model and empower employees.

Practical implications

Through the application of a case study, it has been demonstrated that the approach not only facilitates the ranking of alternatives and a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses but also establishes a shared concept of objectives (and attributes for their assessment) within the company for the capital investment decision-making.

Originality/value

The AM literature often lacks systematic approaches for identifying value and making value-based decisions. While some approaches have been proposed for guiding strategic capital investments, they typically rely solely on financial and risk criteria. This work aims to bridge this gap by integrating various dimensions of value into the development of a comprehensive value model.
Cyber fraud (CF) in banking: a dual-layer, blockchain-enabled approach for prevention and managerial response
Authors: Chhabra Roy Neha , Prabhakaran Sreeleakha
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study addresses the growing cyber risks of banks by proposing an innovative, end-to-end dual-layer blockchain-based cyber fraud (CF) response system that integrates Safeguard (SG) and Block guard (BG) mechanisms. The comprehensive solution offers an actionable framework for bank managers to mitigate CFs by prioritizing fraud detection, leveraging early warning signals (EWS), and implementing tailored, need-based control measures before, during, and after a fraud event.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a multi-method approach, beginning with an extensive literature review on fraud identification, assessment, and prevention strategies. A theoretical framework is constructed to support the proposed SG and BG measures. Machine learning-based data analysis, using Artificial Neural Networks, is employed to dynamically assess the severity of CFs in real time. A managerial action plan for each phase of the fraud lifecycle is presented.

Findings

The research underscores the necessity for an adaptable, dual-layered response system that transitions from reactive to proactive and predictive mitigation strategies. The study introduces a novel approach incorporating SG and BG mitigation measures, enabling managers to detect early warning signals and implement robust post-fraud interventions.

Practical implications

The dual-layer approach enhances the sector's resilience to CFs by providing a robust, adaptive framework for fraud prevention and mitigation. This approach helps maintain stability, SG the bank's reputation, and improve overall risk management practices.

Originality/value

This study is unique in its development of an integrated SG and BG response system, combining machine learning, blockchain technology, early warning signals, and a structured before-during-after fraud control model. The research also highlights the critical role of bank managers in implementing and overseeing this innovative response system.
Exploring the mediating role of metacognitions in the link between somatosensory amplification and health anxiety among college students
Authors: Li Yuan-Rung , Bailey Robin , Lee Wan-Lin
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Health anxiety is a multidimensional trait characterized by a predominant fear of having a serious illness. This study aims to examine the impact of somatosensory amplification on health anxiety and explores the mediating role of metacognitive beliefs.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants (n = 307) were recruited online from university students to complete the measures of health anxiety (C-HAQ), metacognitive beliefs (MCQ-HA) and somatosensory amplification (SSAS).

Findings

The results suggest that somatosensory amplification is a significant predictor of health anxiety. Each of the three dimensions of metacognition partially mediated the effect of somatosensory amplification on health anxiety. In the parallel mediation model, two metacognitive beliefs partially mediated the relationship between somatosensory amplification and health anxiety, while the mediation effect of biased thinking beliefs did not reach significance. In summary, individuals with a higher tendency toward somatosensory amplification exhibit more health anxiety-related metacognitions and subsequently experience higher levels of health anxiety, supporting the Self-Regulatory Executive Function (S-REF) model.

Originality/value

This study validates the importance of metacognition in the maintenance and development of health anxiety, demonstrating the utility of metacognitive therapy for individuals experiencing health anxiety.
Modeling the factors influencing the quality of engineering institutes in India
Authors: Hebbar Sunith , Prabhu H. Mahesh , Laddha Sakshi , Udupa Adithi
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Intense competition in every sector has put administrators under tremendous pressure to develop strategies for survival, and the educational sector is no exception. This paper aims to explore the dynamics between the factors that affect the quality of engineering institutes by developing an interpretive model.

Design/methodology/approach

The factors that affect the quality of engineering institutes are identified through a thorough review of extant literature, and the dynamics between them are studied using the total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) technique. The developed model has also been statistically validated.

Findings

Results indicate that top management leadership, location and infrastructure drive academics, research and consultancy, industry collaboration and placements, resulting in accreditation from global agencies, thereby improving the institute’s quality.

Research limitations/implications

The TISM framework was developed based on the suggestions of the majority of respondents rather than using a fuzzy one, which requires a much larger data set. Nevertheless, the bias of the majority approach can be removed by multiple conversations with respondents. Secondly, the model development and validation are based on the perceptions of faculty members working at engineering institutes in India. Scholars can extend the work in the future by identifying additional factors and considering administrators’ perceptions.

Originality/value

The study integrates the factors that impact the quality of engineering institutes in a unique way to understand their combined impact. The developed framework will assist policymakers in identifying and dedicating adequate resources to essential factors that drive the other factors, thereby enhancing the institute’s ranking.
Lower ungulate population density in rainforests under anthropogenic influences
Authors: Leite de Oliveira Márcio , Grotta‐Neto Francisco , Rosa da Silva Amanda , Pinho Manoela Ebner , Ribeiro Rullian César , de Almeida Correia Junior Antônio , Jerozolimski Ricardo , de Faria Peres Pedro Henrique , Vogliotti Alexandre , Duarte José Maurício Barbanti , de Camargo Passos Fernando
Published: January 2025

The main threats to forest ungulates are land cover change, poaching, invasive species and other anthropogenic factors. Tropical rainforest deer, especially those in the South American Atlantic Forest, are extremely elusive, resulting in limited data on their density and the factors influencing it. In this study, our objective was to estimate the density of Atlantic Forest deer and to identify its most significant drivers.

We conducted density estimates using faecal standing crop methods with scat detection dogs across the whole Atlantic Forest. In addition, we investigated the influences on density of a locally collected environmental index (AII) incorporating anthropogenic impact variables, landscape metrics (habitat cover, matrix heterogeneity and number of habitat patches), altitude, slope, canopy height and socioeconomic indexes (human development index, purchasing power parity, income inequality and gender development index) as well as protected area ranger density. After a variable selection process to avoid autocorrelation, we tested the relationship between the selected variables and forest deer population density using multiple linear regression models.

Density varied from 0.14 to 18.17 individuals/km2, with P. nemorivagus showing the highest values. The average and median values were 3.42 and 1.47 individuals/km2, respectively. Only the model where density was a function of AII was significant, with satisfactory residuals and the lowest AIC value.

Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight how threats such as poaching, predation by domestic dogs, disease transmission from domestic ungulates and competition, predation or disturbance by wild boar may affect forest deer density and potentially lead to species extinction.
EXPLAINING THE NATURE OF POLICY RESPONSES DURING THE PANDEMIC OUTBREAK: The Role of Geographical Characteristics
Authors: Bourdin Sébastien , Eva Mihail , Iatu Corneliu , Ibănescu Bogdan , Jeanne Ludovic , Nadou Fabien
Published: January 2025

The Covid‐19 pandemic had a varied impact on different regions in Europe, resulting in diverse policy responses from subnational governments. In this article we investigate the policy measures local and regional authorities implemented during the initial wave of the pandemic, with a focus on 28 regions and cities in the European Union (EU). We examine 317 measures in the areas of public health, social security, daily life and work, and economic recovery, using a new analytical framework based on resilience theory to categorize these measures as mitigating, compensating, circumventing or exploiting. Through this research we aim to highlight the connection between the type and frequency of measures and regional characteristics, such as the severity of the pandemic, the quality of human capital and structural factors such as digital skills and governance quality. Our findings reveal a prevalence of coping measures, specifically in terms of support for vulnerable populations, that indicate that policy responses are primarily focused on the short term. However, our study also identifies proactive measures that suggest potential long‐term transformations in regions with higher levels of digital literacy, quality governance and lifelong learning opportunities. This article contributes to understanding the factors that influence regional resilience by suggesting that local and regional capacities significantly shape the nature of policy responses to crises. Additionally, in this article we emphasize the strategic importance of anticipating future crises and underscore the need for strategic intelligence and long‐term thinking in regional governance.
SPATIALIZING WOMEN'S EVERYDAY ACCESS TO ENERGY: AN INTRA‐URBAN COMPARISON OF THE GENDER–ENERGY NEXUS IN LAHORE, PAKISTAN
Authors: Khalid Rihab , Majid Hadia , Saeed Rabia , Faheem Alaiba , Lemanski Charlotte
Published: January 2025

The disparate distribution of energy and housing infrastructures in many megacities of the global South raises issues of equity and spatial justice, particularly for women. An intra‐urban comparison helps unpack the specific socio‐spatial characteristics of the gender–energy nexus, particularly in low‐income neighbourhoods that represent one form of peripheral urbanization. This article contributes to the limited literature on low‐income urban women's lived experiences and everyday energy practices. Using a mixed‐methods approach that combines 424 questionnaire surveys and 21 semi‐structured interviews with low‐income women across five case study sites in Lahore, it investigates women's energy access and use in domestic and open/public spaces, and workplaces. The study reveals significant infrastructural variations and gendered inequities within and across peripheries, and in their relation to urban cores. It demonstrates how women's peripheralized energy access is both spatially defined (e.g. in the heterogeneity of infrastructure available in peripheral neighbourhoods and in relation to their spatial proximity to urban cores) and socially contingent on their intersectional identities. The intra‐urban comparison reveals the complex gendered energy practices and women's subjective experiences of socio‐material exclusion, underscoring the importance of moving beyond simplistic private/public dichotomies and instead adopting an intersectional lens in spatializing the gender–energy nexus when studying urban peripheries.
Spousal Education Difference, In‐Group Collectivism, and Entrepreneurial Subjective Well‐Being: Implications for HRM
Authors: Zhang Ya'nan , Su Yiyi , Zhang Zhenghuang , Cui Tianqi
Published: January 2025

In a competitive, unpredictable, and information‐driven economy, individual social networks exert increasing impact on one's career sustainability. Drawing on the relational view of human capital, we theorize that entrepreneurs benefit from their social networks to accumulate human capital, which promotes their career subjective well‐being (SWB). In this study, we explore how familial relationship (i.e., spousal education difference) and cultural context (i.e., in‐group collectivism) influence entrepreneurs' SWB, a crucial indicator of career sustainability. Using data from the 2015 and 2017 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), our results reveal that more educated spouses and higher in‐group collectivism are positively related to entrepreneurs' SWB. However, in regions with high in‐group collectivism, the effect of their spouse's education on human capital accumulation for entrepreneurs is weakened. Our study contributes to human resource management by highlighting the relational approach of human capital accumulation beyond the workplace and its importance on career sustainability.
Comparative Population Genetics of Two Alvinocaridid Shrimp Species in Chemosynthetic Ecosystems of the Western Pacific
Authors: Dai Qi , Xu Ting , Li Yixuan , Sun Yanan , Lin Yitao , Yahagi Takuya , Perez Maeva , Qian Pei‐Yuan , Qiu Jian‐Wen
Published: January 2025

Deep‐sea shrimps from the family Alvinocarididae are prominent inhabitants of chemosynthesis‐based habitats worldwide. However, their genetic diversity and population connectivity remain poorly understood due to limited sampling. To fill these knowledge gaps, we compared the population genetics of two vent‐ and seep‐dwelling alvinocaridid species with overlapped geographic ranges between the South China Sea and the Manus Basin. Alvinocaris longirostris has a wider distribution, ranging from 35°N to 3°S and at depths of 930 to 1736 m, while Alvinocaris kexueae is more restricted, found between 16°N and 3°S at depths of 1300 to 1910 m. Our analysis, based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene, revealed that A. longirostris had lower genetic diversity and minimal genetic differentiation across eight disjoint vent and seep populations. In contrast, the narrower‐distributed A. kexueae exhibited higher genetic diversity and significant genetic differentiation, with stronger gene flow observed from its Haima seep population to the Manus Basin vent population. In addition, both species appear to have experienced population expansion in their recent evolutionary history. These results suggest that A. longirostris and A. kexueae may possess distinct life‐history traits that contribute to their differing distribution ranges in the Western Pacific.
Engineered Passive Glucose Uptake in Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 Increases Resource Efficiency for Bioproduction
Authors: Schwanemann Tobias , Krink Nicolas , Nikel Pablo I. , Wynands Benedikt , Wierckx Nick
Published: January 2025

Glucose is the most abundant monosaccharide and a principal substrate in biotechnological production processes. In Pseudomonas, this sugar is either imported directly into the cytosol or first oxidised to gluconate in the periplasm. While gluconate is taken up via a proton‐driven symporter, the import of glucose is mediated by an ABC‐type transporter, and hence both require energy. In this study, we heterologously expressed the energy‐independent glucose facilitator protein (Glf) from Zymomonas mobilis to replace the native energy‐demanding glucose transport systems, thereby increasing the metabolic energy efficiency. The implementation of passive glucose uptake in engineered production strains significantly increased product titres and yields of the two different aromatic products, cinnamic acid (+10%–15%) and resveratrol (+26%; 18.1 mg/g) in batch cultures.
Targeting CRM1 for Progeria Syndrome Therapy
Authors: Soto‐Ponce Adriana , De Ita Marlon , Castro‐Obregón Susana , Cortez Diego , Landesman Yosef , Magaña Jonathan J. , Gonzalo Susana , Zavaleta Tania , Soberano‐Nieto Angelica , Unzueta Juan , Arrieta‐Cruz Isabel , Nava Porfirio , Candelario‐Martínez Aurora , García‐Aguirre Ian , Cisneros Bulmaro
Published: January 2025

Hutchinson‐Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a premature aging disease caused by progerin, a mutant variant of lamin A. Progerin anchors aberrantly to the nuclear envelope disrupting a plethora of cellular processes, which in turn elicits senescence. We previously showed that the chromosomal region maintenance 1 (CRM1)‐driven nuclear export pathway is abnormally enhanced in patient‐derived fibroblasts, due to overexpression of CRM1. Interestingly, pharmacological inhibition of CRM1 using leptomycin B rescues the senescent phenotype of HGPS fibroblasts, delineating CRM1 as a potential therapeutic target against HGPS. As a proof of concept, we analyzed the beneficial effects of pharmacologically modulating CRM1 in dermal fibroblasts from HGPS patients and the LMNAG609G/G609G mouse, using the first‐in‐class selective inhibitor of CRM1 termed selinexor. Remarkably, treatment of HGPS fibroblasts with selinexor mitigated senescence and promoted progerin clearance via autophagy, while at the transcriptional level restored the expression of numerous differentially‐expressed genes and rescued cellular processes linked to aging. In vivo, oral administration of selinexor to the progeric mouse resulted in decreased progerin immunostaining in the liver and aorta, decreased progerin levels in most liver, lung and kidney samples analyzed by immunoblotting, and improved aortic histopathology. Collectively our data indicate that selinexor exerts its geroprotective action by at least two mechanisms: normalizing the nucleocytoplasmic partition of proteins with a downstream effect on the aging‐associated transcriptome and decreasing progerin levels. Further investigation of the overall effect of selinexor on LmnaG609G/G609G mouse physiology, with emphasis in cardiovascular function is warranted, to determine its therapeutic utility for HGPS and aging‐associated disorders characterized by CRM1 overactivity.
Submicroscopic copy number variants in Indian children with gene panel negative 46, XY Gonadal Dysgenesis: An exploratory study using comparative genomic hybridization
Authors: Priyadarshini Sukanya , Shamim Uzma , Kumar Anil , Sharma Rajni , Faruq Mohammed , Jain Vandana
Published: January 2025

Background

46, XY disorders of sex development (DSD) are a group of highly heterogeneous conditions in which the molecular etiology remains unknown in a significant proportion of patients, even with massive parallel sequencing. Clinically significant copy number variants (CNVs) are identified in 20−30% of cases, particularly among those with gonadal dysgenesis (GD) and no molecular diagnosis.

Methods

Fourteen patients with 46, XY DSD due to GD in whom no pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants were found on next‐generation sequencing using a targeted panel of 155 genes were screened for clinically significant CNVs using Affymetrix Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH). Database of Chromosomal Imbalance and Phenotype in Humans using Ensembl Resources (DECIPHER) and ClinVar were searched for matching genotypes and phenotypes, and chromosomal regions were screened for genes with known or potential association with GD.

Results

Significant CNVs were identified in 6 (43%) of 14 patients with 46, XY GD. A previously unreported 19p13.3 duplication was found in three patients. This CNV was associated with GD based on overlapping CNV regions from previous studies and databases; and the inclusion of CIRBP, a candidate gene implicated in GD. CNVs involving WT1 (11p15) and SOX8 (16p13.3) were also identified.

Conclusions

CGH was helpful in pointing toward the molecular etiology in a significant proportion of patients with “idiopathic” 46, XY GD. However, establishing causality will require additional evidence including functional studies.
Reference values for the Teller Acuity Cards II (TAC II) in infants and preverbal children, a meta‐analysis
Authors: Neijzen Catelijne M. , de Wit Femke M. , Hettinga Ymkje M. , de Boer Joke H. , van Genderen Maria M. , de Wit Gerard C.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The Teller Acuity Card (TAC) procedure is a preferential‐looking method to assess visual acuity in infants and preverbal children and provides a quantitative measure of grating acuity. Several studies containing reference values have been published, the majority based on an older version of the TAC card set. In 2003, a new version of the TAC was released, called the TAC II. This study aims to provide clinicians with a unified set of age norms for the TAC II.

Methods

We conducted a literature search and extracted individual data points per age from either tables or figures. We performed a weighted regression on both the standard deviation and the mean visual acuity as a function of age. Furthermore, based on literature, we corrected data points from studies using the original TAC by subtracting 0.3 octave to align them with the TAC II age norms.

Results

A total of 5 studies, published between 1990 and 2006, provided binocular visual acuity data for 837 children and monocular visual acuity data for 1052 children. Age norms were derived from these combined data sets.

Conclusions

The TAC charts are the gold standard for assessing visual acuity between the ages of 0 and 36 months. We provide a unified set of age norms for TAC II, the most recent version of the TAC charts.
Evaluating C‐Reactive Protein and Procalcitonin Discordance Among Febrile Infants at Risk of Serious Bacterial Infections
Authors: Chong Shu‐Ling , Zhan Stella Jinran , Khoo Zi Xean , Piragasam Rupini , Wong Lena , Saffari Seyed Ehsan , Lee Jan Hau , Ganapathy Sashikumar , Ong Gene Yong‐Kwang
Published: January 2025

Aim

We aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with C‐reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) discordance in febrile infants with serious bacterial infections (SBIs).

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of febrile infants ≤ 90 days old presenting to the emergency department between December 2018 and June 2023. We compared conservative and pragmatic thresholds for PCT (< 0.5 ng/mL and < 1.7 ng/mL) and CRP (< 10 mg/L and < 20 mg/L). Discordance was defined as normal CRP with abnormal PCT and vice versa. Performance was presented using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).

Results

Among 3459 infants, 426 infants (12.3%) had SBIs, among whom 355 (83.3%) had both CRP and PCT performed. Overall, a conservative CRP threshold had the highest sensitivity (74.1%, 95% CI 69.2%–78.6%) and NPV (95.6%, 95% CI 94.6%–96.4%). Among those with SBIs, 148/355 (41.7%) had a normal PCT (< 1.7 ng/mL) and an abnormal CRP (≥ 20 mg/L), while 16/355 (4.5%) had a normal CRP (< 20 mg/L) and an abnormal PCT (≥ 1.7 ng/mL). An increased discordance, specifically abnormal CRP with normal PCT, was found in males, infants 29–90 days old, and those with urinary tract infections.

Conclusion

SBI clinical decision rules should consider CRP‐PCT discordance in specific patient populations.
Robotic surgery for paediatric neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction: a systematic review
Authors: Ahmad Ihtisham , Alshammari Dheidan , Yadav Priyank , Chua Michael , Chancy Margarita , Ansari Mohd S. , Gundeti Mohan S.
Published: January 2025

Objective

To evaluate in a systematic review the outcomes, benefits, and limitations of robot‐assisted surgeries for paediatric neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD), as robot‐assisted techniques have emerged as a potential alternative, offering enhanced precision, dexterity, and visualisation.

Methods

This review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO identifier CRD42023464849) and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. We included studies of paediatric patients (aged <18 years) with neurogenic LUTD undergoing robot‐assisted continence surgery, assessing safety and efficacy. Literature searches in the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), and Scopus were conducted until 12 July 2024. Data extraction included surgical procedures, complications, operative times, lengths of stay, and bladder function outcomes.

Results

A total of 42 studies (20 case reports, 10 case series, six cohort studies, six comparative cohort studies) were included. Robotic procedures for continent catherisable channel construction, augmentation cystoplasty, and bladder neck reconstruction showed comparable peri‐ and postoperative outcomes. Meta‐analysis of five studies comparing robotic vs open appendicovesicostomy indicated a significant reduction in length of stay for robotic groups, while operative time, complications, and re‐intervention rates were not significantly different. Conversions to open surgery were rare, indicated by adhesions or small appendices during channel constructions.

Conclusions

Robot‐assisted surgeries for paediatric neurogenic LUTD demonstrate potential benefits, including reduced hospital stays and comparable complication rates to open surgery in certain contexts. However, the available evidence is limited by heterogeneity in study designs, small sample sizes, and single‐centre experiences, which constrain generalisability. Standardised reporting of complications and outcomes, alongside multicentre studies, is essential to clarify the long‐term efficacy and broader applicability of these techniques.
Gender‐specific outcomes in pilonidal sinus disease: Female outcomes after cleft lift surgery in a large prospective Danish cohort
Authors: Faurschou I. K. , Ankersen J. L. , Pedersen N. , Sørensen M. J. , Friis M. L. , Pedersen A. G. , Doll D. , Haas S.
Published: January 2025

Aim

Pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) is a common condition particularly affecting young men. Females affected by the condition account for about 20% of patients and are rarely mentioned, much less studied specifically. In this study we evaluate the surgical outcomes in a female population following Bascom's cleft lift (BCL) surgery in primary extensive disease, non‐healing wounds after previous surgery and recurrent disease in a large Danish cohort from a high‐volume centre.

Method

The study is based on a prospective database established at Randers Regional Hospital in 2016. All patients undergoing BCL surgery from June 2016 until October 2022 were included in this study.

Results

In all, 560 patients underwent BCL surgery at our centre during this period. Eighty‐eight (15.7%) were women. Only 10 (11.3%) were operated due to primary extensive manifestations. The rest presented with either non‐healing wounds after previous surgery (47.7%) or recurrent PSD (41%). Risk of recurrence in female patients was 30% higher than in male patients (risk ratio 1.30, 95% CI 0.79–2.09) and the risk of prolonged healing after BCL surgery was 46% higher in women compared to men (risk ratio 1.46, 95% CI 1.02–2.14).

Conclusion

Female PSD patients may represent a subcategory of patients at higher risk of treatment failure and should be dealt with as such. Initially, few present with the need for extensive surgery. However, given the common occurrence of prolonged healing and recurrence, we recommend a minimal invasive approach when possible.
Study on the effectiveness and influencing factors of vegetation protection in national nature reserves on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau
Authors: Qin Le , Ren Yueheng , Zhu Yanpeng , Li Boyan , Fu Mengdi , Ji Shengnan , Liu Weiwei , Qiu Dongdong
Published: January 2025

Protected areas are the cornerstone of national and global efforts to mitigate biodiversity loss. This study focused on the national nature reserves (NNRs) of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP), using a long‐term series of NDVI data from 2010 to 2020 to assess the effectiveness of vegetation protection across the entire region. By employing a multiple regression model, we accounted for 71% of the variation in the NDVI change rate, indicating a goodness of fit (R‐squared) that indicated an interplay between factors such as the natural environment, management capabilities, human‐mediated disturbance, and population density in shaping vegetation protection effectiveness within the NNRs of the QTP. The managerial capacity, natural environment, population, and human‐mediated disturbance factors contributed 46.0%, 37.5%, 11.4%, and 5.1%, respectively, of the total. The regression analysis findings highlight the crucial role that environmental elements play in the success of conservation by showing that latitude, longitude, elevation, and average annual precipitation all have a major impact on the effectiveness of NNRs. The effectiveness of conservation is significantly positively impacted by province and per capita patrol area, and negatively by per capita management area. Practical conservation and management solutions appropriate for the NNRs of the QTP are also offered to meet current challenges and management restrictions. These suggestions are meant to help the QTP function as an ecological security barrier more successfully.
Potential Landscapes for Conservation of the Black‐Tailed Prairie Dog Ecosystem
Authors: Davidson Ana D. , Thiesen Brum Fernanda , Houts Michael , Menefee Michael , Williamson Matt , Sterling Krank Lindsey , Van Pelt Bill , Augustine David J.
Published: January 2025

Aim

To identify potential landscapes for the conservation of the black‐tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus; BTPD) ecosystem, across their historical geographical range within the United States.

Location

Central Grasslands of the United States.

Methods

We used a structured decision analysis approach to identify landscapes with high conservation potential (HCP) for the BTPD ecosystem. Our analysis incorporated ecological, political and social factors, along with changing climate and land use to maximise long‐term conservation potential.

Results

The landscapes we identified with HCP (top 30% rangewide) represented 22% of the historical distribution of BTPDs and remained strongholds under projected climate change. We provide a suite of HCP area scenarios to help inform different conservation and management interests, including those that consider projected climate change and jurisdictional (state‐level) boundaries.

Main Conclusions

Our findings highlight the large conservation potential for BTPDs and associated species, and the maps we generated can be incorporated into other large‐scale, multispecies conservation planning efforts being developed for the Central Grasslands of North America.
Bridging Classrooms and Communities: The Transformative Impact of Community‐Based Dental Education on the Learning Experiences of Undergraduate Students
Authors: Ali Kamran , Sunil Sruthi , Gupta Nidhi , Glanville Rebecca , Vanishree T. , Al‐Maweri Sadeq Ali , Khtib Asmaa Al
Published: January 2025

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of community‐based dental education (CBDE) on the learning experiences of undergraduate dental students and recent dental graduates from two diverse geographical regions.

Methods

The study followed a cross‐sectional design, conducted online using Google Forms, with ethical approval from Qatar University. A non‐probability purposive sampling method was used to recruit dental students and recent graduates from three institutions in India and one in Qatar. A questionnaire based on 20 closed‐ended items and two open‐ended questions, developed by a team of dental academics, was used for data collection. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and thematic analysis for open‐ended responses.

Results

The study included 148 participants, with 116 female (78.37%) and 32 male (21.62%) students, mostly from India (75%) and the rest from Qatar (25%). ANOVA revealed significant differences based on age, country and stage of education (p < 0.001). Dental interns had the highest mean score (1.12 ± 0.8), while Year 2 students had the lowest (0.75 ± 1.08). Female participants had a slightly higher mean score (1.05 ± 0.77) than male participants (0.92 ± 0.98), although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.127). Key challenges included inadequate support and cultural barriers in India, and conflicts with religious obligations and didactic workload in Qatar. Recommendations focused on enhancing field activities, logistical support and mentorship programmes.

Conclusions

The study shows that dental students value CBDE for developing essential skills for community engagement. However, challenges differ across socio‐cultural contexts, highlighting the need for more localised and supportive frameworks to improve CBDE experiences. The variation in student perceptions by age, education stage and country suggests that CBDE strategies should be flexible and adaptable to address the diverse learning needs of students.