bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying and ranking the critical success factors of fintech adoption: a fuzzy DEMATEL approach
Authors: Al-Mawali Hamzah , Mohammad Obeidat Zaid , Alshurafat Hashem , Al Shbail Mohannad Obeid
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to develop cause-and-effect relationships among the critical success factors (CSFs) of fintech adoption and rank these CSFs based on their importance in the model.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objectives of the study, the Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (FDEMATEL) approach was used. The data was collected from 16 experts using a questionnaire.

Findings

The findings demonstrated the interrelationships among the CSFs. In total, 16 critical factors were recognized as causal factors, and the remaining eight were considered effect factors. The CSFs were ranked based on their importance in fintech adoption.

Originality/value

This study is novel as it investigates CSFs of fintech adoption using FDEMATEL, and it contributes to understanding the nature of these factors and how they affect fintech adoption. The findings propose a significant basis to deepen fintech adoption and deliver a clue to design a practical framework for fintech adoption.
Convective heat transport and entropy generation in butterfly-shaped magneto-nanofluidic systems with bottom heating and top cooling
Authors: Halder Aniket , Bhattacharya Arabdha , Biswas Nirmalendu , Manna Nirmal K. , Mandal Dipak Kumar
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to carry out a comprehensive analysis of magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD), nanofluidic flow dynamics and heat transfer as well as thermodynamic irreversibility, within a novel butterfly-shaped cavity. Gaining a thorough understanding of these phenomena will help to facilitate the design and optimization of thermal systems with complex geometries under magnetic fields in diverse applications.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objective, the finite element method is used to solve the governing equations of the problem. The effects of various controlling parameters such as butterfly-shaped triangle vertex angle (T), Rayleigh number (Ra), Hartmann number (Ha) and magnetic field inclination angle (γ ) on the hydrothermal performance are analyzed meticulously. By investigating the effects of these parameters, the authors contribute to the existing knowledge by shedding light on their influence on heat and fluid transport within butterfly-shaped cavities.

Findings

The major findings of this study reveal that the geometrical shape significantly alters fluid motion, heat transfer and irreversibility production. Maximum heat transfer, as well as entropy generation, occurs when the Rayleigh number reaches its maximum, the Hartmann number is minimized and the angle of the magnetic field is set to 30° or 150°, while the butterfly wings angle or vertex angle is kept at a maximum of 120°. The intensity of the magnetic field significantly controls the heat flow dynamics, with higher magnetic field strength causing a reduction in the flow strength as well as heat transfer. This configuration optimizes the heat transfer characteristics in the system.

Research limitations/implications

Further research can be expanded on this study by examining thermal performance under different curvature effects, orientations, boundary conditions and additional factors. This can be accomplished through numerical simulations or experimental investigations under various multiphysical scenarios.

Practical implications

The geometric configurations explored in this research have practical applications in various engineering fields, including heat exchangers, crystallization processes, microelectronic devices, energy storage systems, mixing processes, food processing, air-conditioning, filtration and more.

Originality/value

This study brings value by exploring a novel geometric configuration comprising the nanofluidic flow, and MHD effect, providing insights and potential innovations in the field of thermal fluid dynamics. The findings contribute a lot toward maximizing thermal performance in diverse fields of applications. The comparison of different hydrothermal behavior and thermodynamic entropy production under the varying geometric configuration adds novelty to this study.
Thermal conductivity prediction of aerogel considering heat treatment effect and the application to a TPS of long endurance HFVs
Authors: Dai Ting , Tao Chang
Published: December 2023

Purpose

For a thermal protection system (TPS) of long endurance hypersonic flight vehicle (HFV), its thermal insulation property not only determines by the manufactured morphology but also changes along time. A thermal conductivity prediction model for aerogel considering heat treatment effect is carried out and applied to solve the heat conduction problem of a TPS. The aim of this study is to provide theoretical and numerical references for further development of aerogels applying to TPSs.

Design/methodology/approach

A thermal conductivity prediction model for aerogel is established considering treatment effect. The heat conduction problem of a TPS is derived and solved by combining the differential quadrature method and the Runge–Kutta method. The prediction results of aerogel thermal conductivities are verified by comparing with those in literature, while the calculated temperature field of TPS is verified by comparing with that by ABAQUS.

Findings

Numerical results show that when applying the current prediction model, the calculated high temperature area in the aerogel layer is narrowed due to the decrease of the thermal conductivity during heat treatment process.

Originality/value

This study will be beneficial to carry out the precise design of TPS for long endurance HFVs.
Environmental, social, governance and sustainable development goals: promoting sustainability in universities
Authors: Finatto Carla Patricia , Fuchs Paulo Guilherme , Aguiar Dutra Ana Regina , Guerra José Baltazar Salgueirinho de Andrade
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly aware of their role in developing and implementing a sustainable paradigm, with the potential to accelerate progress toward sustainable development (SD). Therefore, this study aims to investigate the environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) practices of the University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNISUL) and, based on this analysis, indicate how HEIs in general can contribute to the promotion of these concepts.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was based on the authors' experiences and participant observations made during the establishment of sustainability practices at UNISUL. Additional data collected from documentary research and literature review were analyzed qualitatively.

Findings

The results show that sustainability is present in UNISUL’s educational and management processes as actions related to all SDGs and, thus, to all ESG dimensions. On the other hand, it was noted that many actions identified in the literature are not present, with governance being the dimension with fewer practices, thus indicating possibilities for improvement. In this way, new practices were suggested.

Originality/value

New actions linked to SDGs and ESG at UNISUL were identified that can be adopted by other HEIs.
Startup engagement: a strategy framework for established companies
Authors: Bagno Raoni Barros , O’Connor Gina Colarelli , Salerno Mario Sergio , de Melo Julio Cezar Fonseca
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Established companies often engage with startups as a way to improve their innovation performance. While there has been extensive discussion on the reasons, modes, and expected outcomes of these initiatives, there is still a need to understand more about how corporate engagements with startups (CEwS) evolve and how they can enhance a company’s innovation capability. This study proposes a framework of engagement strategies, discussing their purposes and implications to understand the subject better.

Design/methodology/approach

This study involved managers from twelve large, established companies across various sectors. The authors used a multicase approach to analyze their experiences and offer a framework for corporate-startup engagement.

Findings

The framework for corporate-startup engagement consists of four main strategies: (1) innovative improvement, (2) R&D expansion, (3) more value to corporate venture capital and (4) ecosystem articulation. The authors found that ecosystem articulation, which combines the potentials of the other three strategies, is the most sophisticated approach.

Originality/value

This study offers a systematic view of the CEwS phenomenon, identifying the various modes of engagement, the reasons for adopting each one and potential ways to advance and improve them. For managers, the study reveals the CEwS as a lever to build innovation capabilities over time.
The moderating role of technological collaboration in the relationship between absorptive capacity and servitization: an open innovation approach in high-tech industries
Authors: Sánchez-López José-María , Martín-Peña María Luz , Díaz-Garrido Eloísa , García-Magro Cristina
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Absorptive capacity, technological collaboration and servitization are analyzed to establish ways to overcome the balance between products and services in manufacturing companies. A fresh perspective is introduced by presenting a framework for innovation strategy, moving beyond product-based R&D.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypotheses are tested using data on Spanish firms in the high-tech chemical and pharmaceutical industries through ordinary least squares regression analysis. The sample consists of 112 manufacturing firms included in the Spanish Survey of Business Strategies.

Findings

The results show that absorptive capacity facilitates servitization and that technological collaboration moderates the relationship between absorptive capacity and servitization. The synergies between absorptive capacity and technological collaboration for servitization are recognized from the perspective of open innovation as a way of resolving the trade-off between products and services.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should introduce more sources of collaboration by broadening the value chain perspective. Other approaches to innovation may also be considered, including relationships to process innovation.

Practical implications

The results can provide meaningful guidance for companies to determine the key opportunities of servitization driven by absorptive capacity, and the best ways to leverage open innovation and collaboration strategies to exploit such approaches.

Originality/value

This research enriches theories on servitization, open innovation and innovative behavior. Open innovation strategy should be linked to greater servitization activity and should support an open service strategy. This approach is crucial for building innovation capabilities through technological collaboration.
Identifying factors influencing industry 4.0 adoption for sustainability
Authors: Mustafa Sohaib , Rana Sehrish , Naveed Muhammad Mateen
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study explores the adoption of Industry 4.0 in developing countries' export industries, focusing on factors influencing this adoption, the moderating role of market pressure and prioritizing key factors for sustainable growth.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the “TOE theory” this study has proposed a research framework to identify the factors influencing the adoption and sustainable implementation of Industry 4.0 in the export industry. This study has collected valid datasets from 387 export-oriented industries and applied SEM-ANN dual-stage hybrid model to capture linear and nonlinear interaction between variables.

Findings

Results revealed that Technical Capabilities, System Flexibility, Software Infrastructure, Human Resource Competency and Market pressure significantly influence the Adoption of Industry 4.0. Higher market pressure as a moderator also improves the Industry 4.0 adoption process. Results also pointed out that system flexibility is a gray area in Industry 4.0 adoption, which can be enhanced in the export industry to maintain a sustainable adoption and implementation of Industry 4.0.

Originality/value

Minute information is available on the factors influencing the adoption of Industry 4.0 in export-oriented industries. This study has empirically explored the role of influential factors in Industry 4.0 and ranked them based on their normalized importance.
Is work from home here to stay? Look from Mexico
Authors: Lapshun Alexander , Madero Gómez Sergio
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to answer the question of the future of work-from-home (WFH) from the position of productivity and employee well-being. In this research, the authors studied the future of WFH by analyzing perceived home productivity and work–life balance (WLB) in the WFH environment. This paper attempts to say that WFH is here to stay, and business leaders should acknowledge this fact and adjust their strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a heterogeneous sampling method, surveying 1,157 employees in Mexico on productivity and WLB. The authors did three independent interventions in different pandemic stages: beginning – in 2020, peaking – in 2021, and calming down – in 2022. The authors used contingency table analysis to research the influence of perceived productivity and WLB in WFH on employees’ propensity to WFH.

Findings

The results show that employees perceive productivity the same or higher when WFH and WLB same or better. The findings of this study are a wake-up call for managers who refuse to embrace changes in employees’ perceptions and needs. Companies refusing to acknowledge the existing need for WFH may face significant challenges in terms of employee satisfaction and retention.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the broader literature by addressing whether WFH is here to stay. The dynamics of returning to office vary from country to country, industry to industry and business to business. This paper is an answer to the future of WFH for Mexico and the Latin American region.
Police leaders' daily feedback-seeking: the role of an organization’s error-management climate, leaders' feedback orientation and the situation
Authors: Lynnyk Anastasiia , Fischbach Andrea , Lepach Marc
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Leaders lack essential information about their performance from their followers. In light of the frequently encountered error avoidance climate in the police, leaders should actively seek feedback to fill this gap. The purpose of this paper is to explore organizational, personal and situational antecedents of police leaders' daily feedback-seeking behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a diary study and examined error-management climate, feedback orientation and two situational characteristics, namely daily occasions for feedback-seeking and daily time pressure. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze the N = 188 daily entries from 27 leaders (minimum of three daily entries per leader).

Findings

Results show that police leaders seldom seek daily feedback from their followers. A positive (i.e. learning-oriented) error-management climate and occasions for feedback-seeking foster leaders' daily feedback-seeking, whereas no main effects of feedback orientation and time pressure were found. However, time pressure moderated the relationship between occasions for feedback-seeking and daily feedback-seeking, with higher time pressure leading to a weaker relationship.

Originality/value

This is the first study empirically examining feedback-seeking as a key leadership behavior on a daily basis. The results show that organizational conditions promote leaders' feedback-seeking behavior and indicate organizations should foster an error-management climate to promote feedback-seeking of their leaders.
Visualizing Embodied Experiences: Drawing as a Form of Reflective Inquiry Informed by Gestalt Art Therapy
Authors: Lehtonen Miikka J.
Published: December 2023

This paper addresses the burgeoning interest in management studies concerning methodologies that generate societal or organizational impact. While much research has focused on tackling major societal and environmental challenges, less is known about how management research can benefit research participants. A promising approach involves developing novel methodologies that prioritize theoretical contributions through self‐reflections by both researchers and participants. Drawing, as a participatory methodology, holds considerable potential since it can express feelings and embodied experiences that may be hard to put into words. This study advocates for a participatory visual methodology using drawing, inspired by Gestalt art therapy, as a means to create a caring relationship with the participant and promote self‐reflection. The study offers three contributions that broaden the methodological scope of management studies: explaining the interplay between drawing, reflecting and theorizing; demonstrating how visual analysis can integrate the individual and their environment by drawing on Gestalt therapy's concept of contact boundary; and explaining how drawing can promote accountability in research with participants. To illustrate the contributions, the paper draws on two research projects that highlight the significance of self‐reflection in relation to embodied experiences and explain why it is important for both researchers and participants.
Health inequalities among people experiencing food insecurity. An intersectional approach
Authors: Drydakis Nick
Published: December 2023

The study examines the socioeconomic determinants of physical health among populations experiencing food insecurity and receiving free meals in soup kitchens in the Prefecture of Attica, Greece. Data were collected from the same six soup kitchens in 2012, 2017 and 2021, resulting in a dataset of 1533 observations. The study revealed that periods characterised by an economic recession are associated with deteriorated physical health of food‐insecure people. Moreover, the study found that physical health deteriorations among food‐insecure people are associated with older age, female gender, immigration status, disability and/or long‐term health conditions, LGBT status, unemployment, economic inactivity, homelessness, living below the poverty threshold, long‐term food dependency, illicit drug consumption and residing in lower‐ and middle‐class areas. The study proposes the Intersectional Model of Health Inequalities, which integrates multiple factors involved in shaping the health inequalities of people experiencing food insecurity, from macro‐level factors such as a country’s economic performance to individual‐level factors like education, employment status and demographic characteristics. The model emphasises that low‐income populations should not be treated as a homogeneous entity. Its goal is to inform policymakers about the diverse health inequalities experienced by people with low incomes.
Cutaneous skin defects overlying tangential gunshot wounds: A case series
Authors: Nickson Nikoli M. , DeJong Joyce L. , Brooks Jared K. , Prahlow Joseph A.
Published: December 2023

In examining deaths resulting from gunshot wounds, it is important to describe the wound pathway created by the projectile. Forensic pathologists must identify all entrance and exit wounds and account for all projectiles. Occasionally, confusion arises as to whether a skin defect represents an entrance wound or not, an exit wound, or some other type of wound. Herein, we propose the descriptor “bullet track skin defect” as a formal description for a superficial skin defect created along the pathway of a projectile within the body. Specifically, we define the “bullet track skin defect” as a partial‐ or full‐thickness skin defect produced by a projectile traveling beneath the skin in a relatively tangential fashion as part of a wound pathway within the body. It is somewhat analogous to a traditional graze or superficial tangential wound, wherein the projectile traveling outside the body strikes the skin tangentially from above, without entering the body. However, the projectile is already traveling within the body with the bullet track skin defect, disrupting the skin tangentially from below rather than from above, without exiting the body. Although these defects are not a common presentation of gunshot wounds, they are certainly not rare. With this case series, we suggest that such defects may be referred to as “bullet track skin defects.” Alternative language that can substitute for “bullet track skin defects” includes “bullet track skin wounds” or “bullet track cutaneous defects.”
Sedimentary Characteristics, Ages, and Environmental Significance of Gravel Deposits and Loess in Shandong, Eastern China: Regional Response to Global Change Since the Last Glacial Period
Authors: WANG Min , KONG Fanbiao , KONG Xianglun , CHEN Haitao , WANG Jiawei , MIAO Xiaodong , JIA Guangju , HAN Mei , XU Shujian
Published: December 2023

Investigation of rarely studied gravel layers found in the loess in Shandong Province, eastern China, reveals the fabric characteristics of two gravel layers (G1, G2) and the sedimentary characteristics of loess at the typical and well‐preserved Heiyu section (HY), where, to determine the paleoclimatic changes during Marine Isotope Stage 3a. Optically stimulated luminescence dates of the HY formation range from 0.26 ± 0.02 ka to 39.00 ± 2.00 ka. In addition, the ages of G1 and G2 were estimated using the Bayesian model to be 39.60–40.50 and 29.00–29.50 ka. G1 and G2 are mainly composed of fine and medium gravel, both of which were subangular to subrounded limestone, with gravel directions to NE and E. The average flow velocity, average depth, and flood peak flow of G1 are 1.10 m/s, 0.49 m, and 37.04 m3/s, respectively, calculated using the flow energy method, whereas those of G2 are 0.98 m/s, 0.38 m, and 18.38 m3/s, respectively. Analysis of climate proxy indices show that the sedimentary environment of the gravel and loess in HY might be a regional response to global change.
“Our blood is becoming white”: Race, religion, and Siddi becoming in Hyderabad, India
Authors: Reddy Gayatri
Published: December 2023

“Our blood is becoming white.” This was a constant lament I heard from siddis in contemporary Hyderabad, India—third‐ and fourth‐generation descendants of East African slaves and soldiers recruited by the local ruler or Nizam in the 1860s to form the African Cavalry Guard in his army. The article explores this siddi lament and the multivalent symbols—of color, blood, affect, belonging—latent in it. It draws on fieldwork conducted over the course of the last decade among siddis in Hyderabad, ambivalently situated as Indian citizens who are racialized as “Black” in an Indian and global order that denigrates Blackness and marked by their religious identification as Muslim in a virulently Hindu nation. The article unpacks these contexts, exploring the forces of empire and region and constructions of race, gender, and religion that have prodded and inflected siddi processes of becoming. In so doing, it unearths the ways in which Blackness, Muslimness, and masculinity are constituted as (intersecting) social and political categories, caught in the dialectics of alienation and intimacy, belonging and otherness, with enduring effects on the lives and cosmologies of siddis in Hyderabad and on the contemporary politics of race, gender, and religion in India.
Adequate immune responses to vaccines after chemotherapy for leukaemia diagnosed in childhood
Authors: Óskarsson Ýmir , Thors Valtýr , Vias Rafael Daníel , Lúðvíksson Björn Rúnar , Brynjólfsson Siggeir Fannar , Gianchecchi Elena , Razzano Ilaria , Montomoli Emanuele , Gísli Jónsson Ólafur , Haraldsson Ásgeir
Published: December 2023

Aim

The survival rate after treatment for childhood leukaemia has greatly improved, but could result in protracted immune deficiency. This study examined the immune status of children after chemotherapy and evaluated their responses to immunisation.

Methods

Subjects who had completed their treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at The Children's Hospital Reykjavík, Iceland, during 2011–2020 had blood drawn and were then immunised for influenza in October 2021. Blood was drawn again 4 weeks later and their humoral and cellular responses were measured with a haemagglutination inhibition assay and lymphocyte stimulation test. Antibodies to other immunisations were also evaluated.

Results

We studied 18 patients (10 male) who had completed their treatment at 3.7–20.3 years of age (mean 9.1), 11–84 months (mean 36.9) before enrolment. Conventional immunological evaluation did not reveal notable abnormalities. The responses to several childhood vaccinations, including the pneumococcal conjugate vaccination, were adequate in most patients. Humoral responses to the influenza vaccine confirmed adequate reactions in all but one patient. Considerable variations were observed in the lymphocyte stimulations tests.

Conclusion

Most patients reacted adequately to immunisation, especially against annual influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae, reiterating the usefulness of vaccinations. The most appropriate timing for vaccination after treatment still needs to be determined.
Treating very preterm European infants with inhaled nitric oxide increased in‐hospital mortality but did not affect neurodevelopment at 5 years of age
Authors: Siljehav Veronica , Gudmundsdottir Anna , Tjerkaski Jonathan , Aubert Adrien M. , Cuttini Marina , Koopman Corine , Maier Rolf F. , Zeitlin Jennifer , Åden Ulrika ,   the Screening to Improve Health in Very Preterm Infants in Europe (SHIPS) Research Group
Published: December 2023

Aim

We examined the outcomes of using inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) to treat very preterm born (VPT) infants across Europe.

Methods

This was a sub‐study of the Screening to Improve Health in Very Preterm Infants in Europe research. It focused on all infants born between 22 + 0 and 31 + 6 weeks/days of gestation from 2011 to 2012, in 19 regions in 11 European countries. We studied 7268 infants admitted to neonatal care and 5 years later, we followed up the outcomes of 103 who had received iNO treatment. They were compared with 3502 propensity score‐matched controls of the same age who did not receive treatment.

Results

All countries used iNO and 292/7268 (4.0%) infants received this treatment, ranging from 1.2% in the UK to 10.5% in France. There were also large regional variations within some countries. Infants treated with iNO faced higher in‐hospital mortality than matched controls (odds ratio 2.03, 95% confidence interval 1.33–3.09). The 5‐year follow‐up analysis of 103 survivors showed no increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment after iNO treatment.

Conclusion

iNO was used for VPT patients in all 11 countries. In‐hospital mortality was increased in infants treated with iNO, but long‐term neurodevelopmental outcomes were not affected in 103 5‐year‐old survivors.
The association between pre‐eclampsia and neonatal complications in relation to gestational age
Authors: Ulfsdottir Hanna , Grandahl Maria , Björk Johanna , Karlemark Sara , Ekéus Cecilia
Published: December 2023

Aim

There has been limited research about the associations between pre‐eclampsia and neonatal complications in relation to gestational age. This register‐based study aimed to address that gap in our knowledge.

Methods

We used Swedish Medical Birth Register to carry out a population‐based study on primiparas with singleton pregnancies from 1999 to 2017. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were used to study the associations between pre‐eclampsia and neonatal complications in different gestational ages. The data is presented as adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% CI.

Results

The study comprised 805 591 primiparas: 2.9% had mild to moderate pre‐eclampsia and 1.4% had severe pre‐eclampsia. Neonates born to women with pre‐eclampsia had increased risks of several complications compared to those born to mothers without pre‐eclampsia. After adjustment for confounding variables, the risk of being small for gestational age (aOR 5.3, CI: 5.1–5.5) and needing resuscitation (aOR 2.6, CI: 2.4–2.7) were increased. The risk of a low Apgar score and convulsions/hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy was increased at 32–41 weeks of gestation. Moreover, the overall risk of sepsis (aOR 1.9. CI: 1.8–2.1) and perinatal death (aOR 1.2, CI: 1.1–1.5) was also increased.

Conclusion

Compared with infants of mothers without pre‐eclampsia, those exposed to pre‐eclampsia had higher risks of all the studied neonatal complications.
Review article: Emerging insights into the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of eosinophilic oesophagitis and other eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases
Authors: Low Eric E. , Dellon Evan S.
Published: December 2023

Background

Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) are chronic, immune‐mediated disorders characterised clinically by gastrointestinal symptoms and histologically by a pathologic increase in eosinophil‐predominant inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, in the absence of secondary causes of eosinophilia.

Aims

To highlight emerging insights and research efforts into the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) and non‐EoE EGIDs, and discuss key remaining knowledge gaps.

Methods

We selected and reviewed original research, retrospective studies, case series, randomised controlled trials, and meta‐analyses.

Results

Standardised nomenclature classifies EGIDs as EoE, eosinophilic gastritis (EoG), eosinophilic enteritis (EoN), and eosinophilic colitis (EoC). Incidence and prevalence of EoE are rising, emphasising the need to better understand how environmental risk factors and genetic features interact. Advances in understanding EoE pathophysiology have led to clinical trials of targeted therapy and the approval (in the United States) of dupilumab for EoE. Several therapies that are under investigation hope to satisfy both histologic and clinical targets. For non‐EoE EGIDs, efforts are focused on better defining clinical and histopathologic disease determinants and natural history, as well as establishing new therapies.

Conclusions

Unmet needs for research are dramatically different for EoE and non‐EoE EGIDs. In EoE, non‐invasive diagnostic tests, clinicopathologic models that determine the risk of disease progression and therapeutic failure, and novel biologic therapies are emerging. In contrast, in non‐EoE EGIDs, epidemiologic trends, diagnostic histopathologic thresholds, and natural history models are still developing for these more rare disorders.
Editorial: The need for more effective school‐based youth mental health interventions
Authors: Dekkers Tycho J. , Luman Marjolein
Published: December 2023

An important setting to detect youth mental health problems and provide interventions is the school context, but effective and affordable school‐based interventions are scarce and implementation of the available evidence‐based interventions is limited. In this editorial, we highlight three issues and propose a research agenda. First, we emphasize that many of the mental health interventions currently used in school settings lack a solid evidence base. Second, we outline that high‐quality studies are needed to determine what works, for whom it works and under which circumstances. This includes insight into the most effective intervention elements, subgroups of students who profit more or less from these interventions, and the most effective modes of delivery. These questions should drive our research agenda on school‐based mental health interventions. Finally, while answering these pivotal questions, a collaborative multidisciplinary effort should be made to implement school‐based interventions with a solid evidence base, which involves, among others, studying how this can be done most effectively.
Understanding the development of chronic loneliness in youth
Authors: Hang Sally , Jost Geneva M. , Guyer Amanda E. , Robins Richard W. , Hastings Paul D. , Hostinar Camelia E.
Published: December 2023

Loneliness becomes more prevalent as youth transition from childhood into adolescence. A key underlying process may be the puberty‐related increase in biological stress reactivity, which can alter social behavior and elicit conflict or social withdrawal (fight‐or‐flight behaviors) in some youth, but increase prosocial (tend‐and‐befriend) responses in others. In this article, we propose an integrative theoretical model that identifies the social, personality, and biological characteristics underlying individual differences in social–behavioral responses to stress. This model posits a vicious cycle whereby youth who respond to stress with fight‐or‐flight tendencies develop increasing and chronic levels of loneliness across adolescence, whereas youth who display tend‐and‐befriend behaviors may be buffered from these consequences. Based on research supporting this model, we propose multiple avenues for intervention to curtail the prevalence of loneliness in adolescence by targeting key factors involved in its development: social relationships, personality, and stress‐induced behavioral and biological changes.
Coming of age in a pandemic era: The interdependence of life spheres through the lens of social integration of care leavers in Quebec during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Fernandes Victor , Niang Anta , Diaz Rosita Vargas , Goyette Martin
Published: December 2023

This paper explores how the COVID‐19 pandemic affected care leavers in Quebec, a social group already facing obstacles to social integration. Semi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 48 participants and analysed through Castel's zones of vulnerability model. Results suggest that youth who entered the pandemic with more vulnerabilities were more affected by it in all dimensions of their lives. However, results also suggest that the presence of a strong social support network protects even the most vulnerable ones from being overly afflicted, highlighting the importance of interventions that reinforce care leaver's social support network during times of crisis.
Association between adult food insecurity and mortality among adults aged 20–79 years with diabetes: A population‐based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Fu Pengbo , Wen Jin , Duan Xiaoxia , Hu Xiaowen , Chen Fangyan , Yuan Ping
Published: December 2023

Aims

There is limited research on the relationship between food insecurity and mortality among individuals with diabetes. This study aims to investigate the impact of food insecurity on all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality in adults with diabetes.

Research Design and Methods

This study included 5749 adults with diabetes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycles 2003–2018 and followed up until 31 December 2019. Food insecurity was measured by the Food Security Survey Module. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals for both all‐cause mortality and cause‐specific mortality.

Results

The weighted prevalence of full food security, marginal food security, low food security, and very low food security was 70.8%, 11.0%, 10.4%, and 7.8%, respectively. Food insecurity demonstrated a significant correlation with diminished diet quality and reduced consumption of healthy foods. Over the course of 42,272.0 person‐years of follow‐up, we documented 1091 deaths, of which 370 were attributed to cardiovascular disease and 180 to cancer. After adjusting for multiple variables, food insecurity scores were significantly and linearly associated with increased all‐cause mortality. Comparing to full food security, participants experiencing very low food security had a multivariate‐adjusted HR of 1.48 (1.12, 1.95) for all‐cause mortality (ptrend = 0.010).

Conclusions

Food insecurity was associated with increased all‐cause mortality and compromised diet quality, especially in individuals experiencing very low food security. Future strategies may necessitate the monitoring of and interventions for food insecurity among individuals with diabetes.
The antidiabetic SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin reduces mitochondrial metabolism in a model of skeletal muscle insulin resistance
Authors: VanDerStad Lindsey R. , Wyatt Emily C. , Vaughan Roger A.
Published: December 2023

Aims

Sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors such as canagliflozin (CANA) have emerged as an effective adjuvant therapy in the management of diabetes, however, past observations suggest CANA may alter skeletal muscle mass and function. The purpose of this work was to investigate the effects of CANA on skeletal muscle metabolism both with and without insulin resistance.

Methods

C2C12 myotubes were treated with CANA with or without insulin resistance. Western blot and qRT‐PCR were used to assess protein and gene expression, respectively. Cell metabolism was assessed via oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rate. Mitochondrial, nuclei and lipid content were measured using fluorescent staining and microscopy.

Results

CANA decreased mitochondrial function and glycolytic metabolism as did insulin resistance, however, these changes occurred without significant alterations in gene expression associated with each pathway. Additionally, while insulin resistance reduced insulin‐stimulated pAkt expression, CANA had no significant effect on insulin sensitivity.

Conclusions

CANA appears to reduce mitochondrial and glycolytic metabolism without altering gene expression governing these pathways, suggesting a reduction in substrate may be responsible for lower metabolism.
Multimodal approaches supporting the diagnosis, prognosis and investigation of neural correlates of disorders of consciousness: A systematic review
Authors: Gallucci Alessia , Varoli Erica , Del Mauro Lilia , Hassan Gabriel , Rovida Margherita , Comanducci Angela , Casarotto Silvia , Lo Re Vincenzina , Romero Lauro Leonor J.
Published: December 2023

The limits of the standard, behaviour‐based clinical assessment of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) prompted the employment of functional neuroimaging, neurometabolic, neurophysiological and neurostimulation techniques, to detect brain‐based covert markers of awareness. However, uni‐modal approaches, consisting in employing just one of those techniques, are usually not sufficient to provide an exhaustive exploration of the neural underpinnings of residual awareness. This systematic review aimed at collecting the evidence from studies employing a multimodal approach, that is, combining more instruments to complement DoC diagnosis, prognosis and better investigating their neural correlates. Following the PRISMA guidelines, records from PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus were screened to select peer‐review original articles in which a multi‐modal approach was used for the assessment of adult patients with a diagnosis of DoC. Ninety‐two observational studies and 32 case reports or case series met the inclusion criteria. Results highlighted a diagnostic and prognostic advantage of multi‐modal approaches that involve electroencephalography‐based (EEG‐based) measurements together with neuroimaging or neurometabolic data or with neurostimulation. Multimodal assessment deepened the knowledge on the neural networks underlying consciousness, by showing correlations between the integrity of the default mode network and the different clinical diagnosis of DoC. However, except for studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalography, the integration of more than one technique in most of the cases occurs without an a priori‐designed multi‐modal diagnostic approach. Our review supports the feasibility and underlines the advantages of a multimodal approach for the diagnosis, prognosis and for the investigation of neural correlates of DoCs.
Challenges and directions in epilepsy diagnostics and therapeutics: Proceedings of the 17th Epilepsy Therapies and Diagnostics Development conference
Authors: Terman Samuel W. , Kirkpatrick Laura , Kerr Wesley T. , Akiyama Lisa F. , Baajour Wadih , Atilgan Deniz , Dorotan Maria Kristina C. , Choi Hyoung Won , French Jacqueline A.
Published: December 2023

Substantial efforts are underway toward optimizing the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of seizures and epilepsy. We describe preclinical programs in place for screening investigational therapeutic candidates in animal models, with particular attention to identifying and eliminating drugs that might paradoxically aggravate seizure burden. After preclinical development, we discuss challenges and solutions in the design and regulatory logistics of clinical trial execution, and efforts to develop disease biomarkers and interventions that may be not only seizure‐suppressing, but also disease‐modifying. As disease‐modifying treatments are designed, there is clear recognition that, although seizures represent one critical therapeutic target, targeting nonseizure outcomes like cognitive development or functional outcomes requires changes to traditional designs. This reflects our increasing understanding that epilepsy is a disease with profound impact on quality of life for the patient and caregivers due to both seizures themselves and other nonseizure factors. This review examines selected key challenges and future directions in epilepsy diagnostics and therapeutics, from drug discovery to translational application.
Reversibly immortalization establishes a hair follicle stem cell line with hair follicle reconstruction ability
Authors: Xing Yizhan , Xiang Fei , Guo Haiying , Gong Hao , Li Yuhong
Published: December 2023

Hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) play critical roles in the periodic regeneration of hair follicles. HFSCs are also a good model for stem cell biology research. However, no stable mouse HFSC cell line has been reported, which restricts the research and application of HFSCs. We isolated HFSCs from mouse hair follicles and immortalized them by inducing a reversible SV40 large T antigen. Through monoclonal screening, we identified a reversibly immortalized cell line, immortalized HFSC (iHFSC2). RNA sequencing, fluorescence‐activated cell sorting, western blotting and immunofluorescence experiments revealed that the expression patterns of iHFSC2 and HFSC were similar at the protein and mRNA levels. After that, iHFSC2s were passaged and morphologically monitored for up to 40 times to detect their long‐term culture potential. The long‐term cultured iHFSC2 could regenerate hair follicles with complete hair follicle structure and HFSCs in the bulge area. This work successfully established an HFSC cell line with the ability of hair follicle reconstruction.
Harnessing Spatial Heterogeneity in Composite Indicators through the Ordered Geographically Weighted Averaging (OGWA) Operator
Authors: Fusco Elisa , Libório Matheus Pereira , Rabiei‐Dastjerdi Hamidreza , Vidoli Francesco , Brunsdon Chris , Ekel Petr Iakovlevitch
Published: December 2023

Spatially heterogeneous weights and a non‐compensatory aggregation scheme, are two important properties needed to construct a composite indicator capable of summarizing properly the multidimensional phenomenon of local spatial units. Such a composite indicator takes into account, on the one hand, the latent characteristics of the specific units related to their location in the territory, and on the other hand, the relative importance of sub‐indicators highlighting both positive and negative aspects of the studied phenomena. Under these premises, this article proposes a new method called Ordered Geographically Weighted Averaging (OGWA), which can consider different degrees of non‐compensability between sub‐indicators and, at the same time, the spatial heterogeneity for continuous, ordinal, and mixed data. The properties of the method are evaluated through a simulation study. Finally, the method is applied to construct a composite indicator to map the urban public infrastructure of São Sebastião do Paraíso, a city located in the southeastern region of Brazil.
Towards entrepreneurial universities in Spain: Evidence from vice‐rectors and KTO directors
Authors: Dévora Quintero Natalia , León‐Serrano Gonzalo
Published: December 2023

To its traditional missions of education and research, the entrepreneurial university adds a ‘third mission’: knowledge transfer (KT), which aims to contribute to the economic and social development of the university's environment. To this end, it is the role of government to implement regulations and design policies that push universities to be more entrepreneurial. In addition, an entrepreneurial university should interact with industry and society as a whole and implement a clear strategy—endorsed at the highest level—to incorporate the function of KT. However, there has been a lack of critical reflection in the literature about the ways in which universities implement the strategy, and administrators and coordinators, who play a pivotal role in implementing it, are usually underrepresented in university research. The exploratory research presented here addresses this gap by focussing on the current vice‐rectors and KTO directors in charge of implementing KT strategy at Spanish universities. Our findings suggest that the respondents think KT is an objective shared by the government; however, they do not perceive it to be an objective for top and middle managers in universities.
The relationship between experienced and observed harassment: The role of organizational identification and perceived justice in a higher educational context
Authors: Ro Sangbum , Galperin Bella , Dixon Deirdre , Belfiore Natalia M.
Published: December 2023

Building on cognitive schema theory, this study investigates the relationship between experienced and observed harassment in a university setting. It also examines two moderators—organizational identification and perceived justice. Using a cross sectional survey, data were gathered from 276 academics and staff in a private university with approximately 9000 students located in the southeastern United States. The results suggest that employees who personally experience workplace harassment are more likely to observe others as being targets of harassment. They also suggest that organizational identification and perceptions of organizational justice moderate the relationship between experienced harassment and observed harassment. Overall, the findings support the important role of schemas in understanding how pre‐organized cognitive templates can impact perceptions of observed harassment in an academic context, and also stress the central roles of organizational identification and perceived justice in managing harassment. With respect to practical implications for higher educational institutions, human resource managers must work hard at making sure that faculty, staff and students perceive their universities to have fair systems in place so they can have trust in their institutions, thus increasing the likelihood that individuals will more likely disassociate their own negative experiences from the harassment schema. Managers should also implement programmes to build positive organizational cultures or school spirit.