Grieving away from home: international bereaved graduate students’ grief experiences

International students experience non-death losses (i.e. separation from social support) and stressors when they move to a different country, such as adjustment to a new culture, second language anxiety, and fear of failure. However, there are no studies exploring the grief experiences of international college students. This phenomenological qualitative study views grief as the central phenomenon. The authors explored and attempted to answer how international bereaved graduate students experience grief following the death of their loved ones during the global pandemic. This study consisted of six international graduate students who lost a loved one to death during the global pandemic, enrolled at a public university in the Midwest in the US and were living in and came to the US for educational purposes. Researchers identified five themes with sub-themes that emerged from the data in the thematic analysis. Implications for counsellors, limitations, and suggestions for future studies were discussed.

A systematic literature review of academic trends in organisational politics in universities: a global perspective (1990–2024)

This study systematically reviews literature on organisational politics in higher education globally from 1990 to 2024, identifying key themes, methodological approaches, and research gaps. Articles were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science, with thirteen peer-reviewed journal articles selected for relevance to university organisational politics. These articles represent diverse contexts from various countries, offering a broad, global perspective. Using descriptive statistics and qualitative synthesis, the review identified dominant themes, such as the impact of organisational politics on decision-making, power dynamics, and faculty relationships. There is an increase in research exploring implications on academic performance and governance. However, gaps remain, particularly regarding effects on student outcomes and external political influences. The global complexity of organisational politics in higher education underscores the need for further exploration, especially in under-researched areas. This study contributes to existing literature by consolidating current knowledge, offering insights, and establishing a foundation for subsequent research in this domain.

Translation, validity, and reliability of the Arabic-language version of the 11-item Neglect and Abuse Scale (NAS) in community older adults

To validate the 11-item Neglect and Abuse Scale (NAS) in Arabic and establish its psychometric robustness within a sample of community older adult. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 539 Arabic-speaking older adults from Egypt. The total sample was divided randomly into two subsamples (1/3 for the EFA and 2/3 for the CFA). The initial analysis of the unidimensional structure indicated poor fit. Consequently, an EFA using oblimin rotation was conducted, which revealed a clear two-factor structure, explaining 54% of the variance. The first factor captured neglect-related experiences (e.g. being deceived, neglected, or denied rights), while the second factor reflected more overt forms of abuse (e.g. physical or verbal assault, betrayal, sexual harassment). A CFA, conducted on the solution obtained in the EFA, demonstrated acceptable fit. Reliability assessments indicated a commendable level of internal consistency. Sex invariance results showed no significant differences between male and female participants in the measurement characteristics. Concurrent validity analysis indicated a moderate negative correlation between the NAS scores and resilience and quality of life scores. This research provides a reliable and valid instrument for identifying and assessing elder neglect and abuse among Arabic-speaking communities, thereby supporting effective prevention and intervention strategies.

The harrowing impact of attacks on electrical infrastructure and their devastating consequences for hospital operations in Sudan

The optimal laser fiber core size for endourological performance: a systematic review

This review assesses how fiber core size impacts energy delivery, degradation, safety, durability, fracture resistance, retropulsion, and flexibility. A comprehensive search of PubMed and Cochrane databases identified 1,148 articles comparing fiber core sizes. After removing 109 duplicates and excluding 996 articles based on titles and abstracts, 43 full-text articles were reviewed. Of these, 30 were excluded for lacking relevant parameters or being review articles. One article was added manually, resulting in 14 studies in the final analysis. Smaller core fibers (≤300 μm) provide higher energy delivery and greater flexibility, making them ideal for lithotripsy. However, they are more prone to tip degradation and have lower durability under high-power conditions. Larger fibers (≥300 μm) demonstrate better energy efficiency, reduced degradation, and higher fracture resistance, making them suitable for high-energy applications like prostate enucleation. Thermal safety is influenced by both fiber size and irrigation; smaller fibers maintain safer temperatures with adequate irrigation. Retropulsion is less in small and large fibers compared to medium-core fibers (365–550 μm). Smaller fibers (150 μm) generate larger bubbles than larger fibers (272 μm). Laser fiber core size influences energy delivery, durability, thermal safety, and flexibility, affecting endourological outcomes. Appropriate fiber selection improves procedural efficiency and safety.

Last-mile delivery performance of crowdsourced couriers: text mining of user comments

This research examines the performance of crowdsourced couriers in last-mile delivery, focusing on user experiences, an aspect often overlooked in studies that rely on mathematical modelling and simulations. By analysing user reviews from online platforms in Turkey, the research compares crowdsourced couriers with traditional ones and explores how perceptions and service performance have evolved over time. User comments were extracted through web scraping, labelled for sentiment analysis, and analysed using topic modelling with machine learning algorithms. The results indicate that satisfaction levels in crowdsourced delivery are highly volatile, reflecting the variability and inconsistencies in service delivery. User satisfaction was quite high initially but has steadily declined. Traditional couriers, however, exhibit lower but more stable satisfaction levels. Turkish users prioritize accuracy, package safety, and convenience. Additionally, users now prioritize tracking capabilities over cost, signalling shifting preferences for service providers to address. These insights highlight areas for improvement in crowdsourced delivery practices.

There are no gays in the village: youth perspectives of LGBTQIA+ people in Java, Indonesia

This paper examines perspectives of 53 young people (14–25) from nine villages in Java. As part of a broader project investigating violence, hatefulness, tolerance, inclusion, and peace, participants shared their opinions about LGBTQIA + people, issues, and needs, in their village context. As stigmatising and rejecting views of LGBTQIA + communities are common in Indonesian society, it is important to gather the views of those who represent Indonesia’s future. This can highlight areas requiring support and identify pathways to change. The findings in this small study showed that participants held broadly critical and exclusionary perspectives towards LBGTQIA + people. Common themes included erasure of LGBTQIA + as an identity and adherence to religiously framed notions of homosexuality (specifically) as haram and sexual and gender diversity as a sickness. While the findings largely reflected the marginalisation of this minority group, there were glimmers of opportunity that provide hope for greater inclusion and acceptance. Further, while participants viewed themselves as tolerant and inclusive towards people of different ethnicities and religions, inclusion of LGBTQIA + people was seen as unacceptable. Thus, measurement of LGBTQIA + inclusion may offer a useful proxy for assessing societal tolerance and acceptance of diversity.

Engaging hearts and minds in hospitality: the interplay between authentic leadership, affective commitment, and the Et-Moone cultural bond

The fast-based and diverse work environments at hotels and tourism settings comprise specific dynamics that drive employees’ attitudes and behaviours at the workplace. However, scant attention has been dedicated towards investigating the stance of employee engagement via the lens of employees’ domestic cultural and social norms. Therefore, guided by social exchange theory, we embrace an employee-centred approach integrating various lines of inquiries (individual, institutional, and cultural) in one nomological network. Towards that end, a purposeful sampling technique was used to gather data from 681 employees working for 4–5 hotels in Jordan. Conducting multiple mediation analyses, the results revealed that indirect-only mediation regulates the associations between authentic leadership, affective commitment, and Et-Moone. Further, the findings reported a complementary mediation between the affective commitment-Et-Moone-employee engagement associations, indicating direct and indirect (via Et-Moone) influence of affective commitment on employee engagement. The findings of the current study provide a novel contingency view advancing the state of knowledge on employee engagement and relationship development and guiding firms on how to foster positive attitudes and behaviours in hospitality and tourism-relevant contexts. This research endeavour has also discussed significant conceptual and practical implications, along with research limitations and guidance for future research.

Healthcare burden of mixed aortic valve stenosis and insufficiency disease

To compare mortality, healthcare utilization, and costs between patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic mixed aortic valve disease (MAVD). We analyzed Optum United Health Care database for US patients with aortic insufficiency (AI) claims (2017–2024) and prior/concurrent aortic stenosis (AS) claims, requiring 12 months continuous enrollment. Patients with baseline aortic valve replacement (AVR) were excluded. Symptomatic MAVD (SMAVD) was defined as ≥2 baseline visits for heart failure, angina, dyspnea, or syncope. Outcomes included mortality, time to home health/skilled nursing facility (SNF), and annualized healthcare utilization and costs, analyzed using Cox proportional hazard and general linear models. Among 132,361 MAVD patients, 73.62% ( n  = 97,448) were symptomatic at diagnosis. Of initially asymptomatic patients, 58.94% became symptomatic within 5 years. Only 22% received AVR within 5 years. SMAVD patients had higher mortality (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.44–1.53), home health utilization (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.30–1.35), SNF admissions (HR 1.38, 95% CI 1.35–1.41), and $11,120 higher annual costs. SMAVD patients experience significantly worse outcomes than asymptomatic patients. Early detection and timely interventions are critical to reducing MAVD’s healthcare burden.

Identification of a novel CABP4 frameshift variant and a secondary USH2A missense variant in congenital cone-rod synaptic disorder

Congenital cone-rod synaptic disease (CRSD) belongs to a group of genetically and clinically heterogeneous retinal disorders. Pathogenic variants in the CABP4 gene coding for the calcium-binding protein four can lead to this condition. Several disease-causing variants lead to this condition. In support of this, our current study aimed to genetically characterize a consanguineous Lebanese family with two young siblings who show CRSD. Whole-exome sequencing identified a novel frameshift insertion in both affected siblings; c.363dup, p.(Lys122Glufs *21) in CABP4 . The elder sibling carried a secondary homozygous missense variant; c.12575 G > A, p.(Arg4192His) in USH2A that is known to be associated with retinitis pigmentosa. CABP4 variant co-segregated with the phenotype in all the available family members. The ACMG guidelines classified CABP4 and USH2A variants as likely pathogenic and pathogenic, respectively. The secondary USH2A missense variant may lead to a more pronounced phenotype, necessitating an effective follow-up for better patient management. The current findings highlight the involvement of CABP4 pathogenic variants in CRSD.