Beware board micromanagement during periods of transition

For many nonprofits, the transition from fledgling, passion‐driven startup to a more mature, mission‐focused and well‐governed organization can be tough. Those involved at the beginning are typically involved in multiple aspects of the organization's operations and programming—and their volunteer service to the group is vital for its initial success.

Take steps to ensure smooth board transition periods

According to governance experts, the transition period when a nonprofit board brings on new members—and says goodbye to old ones—is an often overlooked but crucial period in an organization's lifecycle. You might be welcoming all new members with little experience in their newfound position, while at the same time letting go of long‐time leaders who have built up extensive institutional knowledge that has helped the organization function smoothly and achieve mission‐oriented goals.

Try ‘nontraditional’ communication strategies to bolster board engagement

For nonprofit leaders, finding ways to keep board members engaged and enthusiastically working towards progress on the group's mission and goals is critical. Experts often note that central to this is effective communication and leveraging of key engagement touch‐points—namely, using regular board meetings, committee meetings and annual meetings as ways to reignite board member interest and engagement in the organization's work, and using other reporting opportunities such as monthly financial dashboard reports and informal check‐ins—between those regularly‐scheduled meetups.

Take steps to ensure smooth board transition periods

For many nonprofits, an annual board self‐assessment not only helps identify strengths and weaknesses that can guide the way towards more effective governance, they also serve to keep the board engaged in its work in a way that regular board meetings and informal check‐ins do not. These self‐assessments require more focused drill‐downs on what's working and what's not—and how the board, and organization as a whole, is making progress on its mission.

Promoting the Advancement of the Cytoskeleton Research Field: An Introduction to the Cytoskeleton Associate Editorial Board and Their Mission

Profiling Social Entrepreneurship Orientation Through Machine Learning Predictive Modeling

ABSTRACT This study examines the prediction of Social Entrepreneurship Orientation (SEO) in youth using machine learning techniques to generate a robust predictive model. Drawing on a large cross‐country survey of European youth, results indicate that cognitive–attitudinal indicators—such as concern for environmental goals, purpose‐driven motivation, and positive perceptions of entrepreneurship, emerge as the most powerful determinants, providing a stronger predictive signal for SEO than demographic or background variables such as gender, education or nationality. Feature‐importance analyses quantify each predictor's contribution. These insights suggest a shift in youth entrepreneurship from economic self‐interest toward socially and environmentally conscious innovation. The implications are substantial for educators, policymakers, and impact investors aiming to identify, support, and scale socially oriented entrepreneurial potential. This paper offers both a methodological contribution to forecasting social change and a strategic tool for anticipating human capital trends in mission‐driven innovation.

MANETs and WSNs in Hybrid Genghis Khan Shark and Lotus Effect Optimizer for Secure Routing

ABSTRACT Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) and wireless sensor networks (WSNs) face significant challenges due to dynamic topology, limited energy resources, and security threats. This work presents a hybrid Genghis Khan shark–lotus effect optimizer (GKS‐LEO) for trust‐aware, energy‐efficient, and secure routing. Soft k ‐mean clustering and a crayfish optimization algorithm enable stable cluster formation and adaptive cluster head selection, while a deep squeeze multichannel attention network evaluates hop quality using trust, energy, and link features. Simulation results demonstrate that GKS‐LEO achieves a 99% packet delivery ratio (PDR) and reduces energy consumption to 0.5 mJ, outperforming traditional approaches by up to 30% in network longevity. These results validate the proposed model's capability to balance security, trust, and efficiency, making it suitable for deployment in mission‐critical and resource‐constrained environments. Future work will extend this framework with blockchain‐enabled trust management and SDN‐based control for enhanced scalability.

Unveiling Diet Preferences and Their Nutritional Drivers Through Metabarcoding: The Case of Alpine Marmot ( Marmota marmota L.) in High Altitude Grazed Pastures

ABSTRACT This study employed DNA metabarcoding to investigate the diet composition and foraging strategies of alpine marmots ( Marmota marmota L.) across diverse alpine pasture ecosystems throughout the summer season. Fecal samples from nine family units in four distinct areas were analyzed, alongside comprehensive pasture floristic and nutritional assessments. The study identified 86 plant species as typical in the marmot diet, revealing a more diverse dietary repertoire than previously reported. Diet composition varied across locations and throughout the summer, with differences not strictly linked to plant availability. Notably, the observed correlation between the abundance of specific plant species in the diet and overall pasture nutritional quality, coupled with the differential selection (positive or negative) of certain genera, suggests that marmots employ adaptive foraging strategies in response to fluctuations in nutrient availability. Factors such as protein content, fiber levels, and fatty acid profiles influenced plant selection. Additionally, cattle grazing appeared to impact marmot diet composition, likely through its effects on plant phenology and nutrient content. The study highlights the complex interplay between plant availability, nutritional composition, and environmental factors in shaping marmot foraging behavior. These findings contribute to our understanding of alpine marmot ecology and have implications for pasture management strategies in alpine ecosystems.

Ion‐Selective Electrode Robustness to Environmental Conditions Relevant to Spaceflight Missions to the Outer Solar System

The utility of ion‐selective electrodes (ISEs) for solar system exploration was proven during the NASA Mars Phoenix Lander mission, where they were used to assess environmental habitability by quantifying soluble ions in surface regolith and ice. Future in situ missions to ocean worlds of the outer Solar System would benefit from the aqueous chemical measurements provided by ISEs. Here, we verify the performance of ISEs after exposure to specific environmental stressors that can be encountered during outer Solar System missions, specifically near‐decade scale transit times, anhydrous conditions, low‐temperature extremes (−20° and −80°C), and high radiation doses (300 krad). ISE performance was verified using a combination of calibration and selectivity testing, and under all conditions, tested ISE performance was unaffected by the environmental stressors applied.

What women want: Listening to voices across Arkansas

To best support women in higher education, especially those balancing complex professional and personal roles, deepening our understanding of their lived experiences is critical. From those experiences, we can build meaningful support structures that truly meet their needs. As passionate educators and advocates, we — Drs. Dana Tribble, assistant professor of higher education and student affairs at Arkansas Tech University; Aubrey Holt, visiting lecturer of leadership studies at Arkansas Tech University; and Sarah Gordon, dean of Jackson College of Graduate Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma — have held leadership positions in Arkansas higher education and officer positions with the Arkansas Council for Women in Higher Education (ACWHE). ACWHE's mission is to promote institutional change, elevate women's voices, and advocate for meaningful support in higher education.