ABSTRACT Recent advances in gene therapy, particularly for single‐gene disorders (SGDs), have led to significant progress in developing innovative precision medicine approaches that hold promise for ...treating conditions such as primary hydrocephalus (CH), which is characterized by increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes and cerebral ventricular dilation as a result of impaired brain development, often due to genetic causes. CH is a significant contributor to childhood morbidity and mortality and a driver of healthcare costs. In many cases, prenatal ultrasound can readily identify ventriculomegaly as early as 14–20 weeks of gestation, with severe cases showing poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. Postnatal surgical approaches, such as ventriculoperitoneal shunts, do not address the underlying genetic causes, have high complication rates, and result in a marginal improvement of neurocognitive deficits. Prenatal somatic cell gene therapy (PSCGT) promises a novel approach to conditions such as CH by targeting genetic mutations in utero, potentially improving long‐term outcomes. To better understand the pathophysiology, genetic basis, and molecular pathomechanisms of CH, we conducted a scoping review of the literature that identified over 160 published genes linked to CH. Mutations in L1CAM , TRIM71 , MPDZ , and CCDC88C play a critical role in neural stem cell development, subventricular zone architecture, and the maintenance of the neural stem cell niche, driving the development of CH. Early prenatal interventions targeting these genes could curb the development of the expected CH phenotype, improve neurodevelopmental outcomes, and possibly limit the need for surgical approaches. However, further research is needed to establish robust genotype‐phenotype correlations and develop safe and effective PSCGT strategies for CH.
Interactions between angiogenesis and neurogenesis regulate embryonic brain development. However, a comprehensive understanding of the stages of vascular cell maturation is lacking, especially in the ...prenatal human brain. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting, single-cell transcriptomics, and histological and ultrastructural analyses, we show that an ensemble of endothelial and mural cell subtypes tile the brain vasculature during the second trimester. These vascular cells follow distinct developmental trajectories and utilize diverse signaling mechanisms, including collagen, laminin, and midkine, to facilitate cell-cell communication and maturation. Interestingly, our results reveal that tip cells, a subtype of endothelial cells, are highly enriched near the ventricular zone, the site of active neurogenesis. Consistent with these observations, prenatal vascular cells transplanted into cortical organoids exhibit restricted lineage potential that favors tip cells, promotes neurogenesis, and reduces cellular stress. Together, our results uncover important mechanisms into vascular maturation during this critical period of human brain development.
The bibliometric methodology is an established technique for research evaluation as it offers an objective determination and comparison of research performance. This paper aims to critically assess ...some standard bibliometric indicators commonly used (based on publication and citation counts) to evaluate academic units, and examine whether there are factors not taken into account that influence evaluation results. Findings suggest that the dissimilarity of academic units (for example regarding their scientific orientation and size in terms of staff number), if not taken into consideration may lead to incorrect evaluation results. This issue becomes even more important when comparing larger academic units, such as universities or colleges. Among the suggested further research is the replication of this study in an expanded time frame and an international context.
Purpose
The paper aims to investigate the relation of narcissism to leadership in business contexts and presents its impact on specific organizational variables, which are crucial for the pursuit of ...excellence. Narcissism constitutes a personality trait which is considered responsible for both positive and negative behavioral outcomes that impact decisions and actions.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach, by which this paper is structured, is theoretical and has been based on a literature review regarding narcissism (and more specifically, narcissistic leadership) in business contexts.
Findings
Narcissism can have positive (mainly in the short term) and/or deleterious effects both for the individual and the organization. The self-proclaimed excellence of narcissists results from a combination of their beliefs about their extreme intelligence, abilities and leadership and their high motives for reassuring their supremacy. However, the behavior of narcissistic leaders impacts various organizational parameters which are preconditions for organizational excellence.
Research limitations/implications
The study at hand can be used as an input for further research on the effects of narcissism on quality performance variables.
Practical implications
The behavior of narcissists (and its positive and/or negative consequences) should be evaluated in relation to any specific organizational context and circumstances.
Originality/value
The study examines narcissistic leadership and attempts to examine its implications for factors that are crucial for the achievement of organizational excellence.
Purpose
The evolution of management underlines the importance of the human, systemic, technological and contingency element and their interaction along with an amplified awareness of organizations ...for achieving excellence. This paper aims to discuss whether the fusion of digital, biological and physical world leads to a new excellence perspective and to investigate the potential value of informative neuroscientific findings for setting the foundations for smart services.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on a literature review regarding the advances of neurosciences and its implications for business. Their usefulness and potential contribution for the provision of smart services are investigated.
Findings
The fusion of technological evolution and biological sciences may potentially give birth to a new excellence conceptualization complemented by genetic data whose consequences are hard to predict. Neurosciences offer insights for various human behavior areas that can be used by business practitioners, to refine their thinking and management style and build brain-friendly organizational contexts. The combination of using neuroscientific evidence and technology in service systems sets the foundations for an “intelligent” provision of services in a quality context.
Originality/value
The paper investigates the conceptual development of excellence within the receding context of the “smart era” and the potential contribution of neurosciences for the provision of smart services with reference to quality pioneers’ theories and ideas.
Purpose
This study aims to reflect on quality, sustainability and resilience as emerging organisational priorities within total quality management (TQM) and organisational excellence.
...Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a conceptual approach based on reflection and theoretical studies on the philosophical foundations of quality, excellence, resilience and sustainability as cornerstones for organisational excellence. Bearing in mind that sustainable excellence rests upon a combination of systemic and soft issues that define organisational ability for resilience and sustainability, there is a need to analyse and reflect on short business cases from world-leading companies and further reflect on the fundamental principles, which have helped such companies to survive, grow and sustain. This study includes such a business case – the LEGO case. In addition, a Japanese case has been included. Japanese training material on human motivation developed in the 1980s exemplifies how company managers were trained, at that time, to understand and practice human motivation, excellence principles and tools.
Findings
Organisational excellence constitutes an evolving concept as the world becomes more chaotic and interconnected with multiple disruptive shocks. Organisational excellence challenges the inflexibilities of Newtonian mindsets, recognising the paramount importance of interactions and further underlining the significance of invisible elements such as human potentiality, motivation and values that formulate the principles of organisational excellence.
Originality/value
The paper investigates the notions of quality, resilience and sustainability and their relation to motivation and organisational excellence within the framework of business management and TQM. A world-leading company – LEGO – will be used to exemplify the theoretical findings together with the Japanese Motivation Training Programme case.
Angiogenesis and neurogenesis are functionally interconnected during brain development. However, the study of the vasculature has trailed other brain cell types because they are delicate and of low ...abundance. Here we describe a protocol extension to purify prenatal human brain endothelial and mural cells with FACS and utilize them in downstream applications, including transcriptomics, culture and organoid transplantation. This approach is simple, efficient and generates high yields from small amounts of tissue. When the experiment is completed within a 24 h postmortem interval, these healthy cells produce high-quality data in single-cell transcriptomics experiments. These vascular cells can be cultured, passaged and expanded for many in vitro assays, including Matrigel vascular tube formation, microfluidic chambers and metabolic measurements. Under these culture conditions, primary vascular cells maintain expression of cell-type markers for at least 3 weeks. Finally, we describe how to use primary vascular cells for transplantation into cortical organoids, which captures key features of neurovascular interactions in prenatal human brain development. In terms of timing, tissue processing and staining requires ~3 h, followed by an additional 3 h of FACS. The transplant procedure of primary, FACS-purified vascular cells into cortical organoids requires an additional 2 h. The time required for different transcriptomic and epigenomic protocols can vary based on the specific application, and we offer strategies to mitigate batch effects and optimize data quality. In sum, this vasculo-centric approach offers an integrated platform to interrogate neurovascular interactions and human brain vascular development.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the level of narcissism and its individual traits in students who study business, in the particular context of a regional country such ...as Greece; and, second, to test how several demographic variables are related to narcissism levels.
Design/methodology/approach
The study consists of a theoretical part on narcissism in business education and an empirical part that was based on a survey conducted with the use of a questionnaire. The analysis includes hypothesis testing and basic statistical tests.
Findings
Findings suggest that sex, study levels, years of business experience and (personal/family) income do impact specific narcissistic dimensions, which may be a cause for concern both for employers and higher education providers.
Research limitations/implications
The study was conducted in a regional country, the participants were students of public higher education institutions only and the questionnaire was self-reported, which could lead to likely social desirability effects.
Practical implications
The investigation of narcissism in the Greek business education might be of interest to business education providers (for providing curriculum that help future managers/leaders to deploy the positive characteristics of narcissism and avoid or not to develop the negative ones) and to future employers to apply more effective human resource practices, i.e. selection, training, rewarding.
Originality/value
The study at hand aimed to investigate the presence of narcissism and its individual (narcissistic) behavioral dimensions in students studying business in Greece.
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